#tenebrium

[collectiveobligation]

I'm very normal about how they reprised (and complimented) Unseen in Diffracted Truth. You can hear it best in the low beat in the background, but the vocals themselves are almost turned upside down on each other. The unseen truth is diffracted; revealed in distortion.

I havent stopped thinking about it all year and need to see the notes in sheet music like air

#also need to put tenebrium under a microscope . #but im rusty with music . went from sightreading and piano every day to um whats the bass clef again . #else i would tinker with these on piano or violin myself but i have . work #bio.txt #destiny 2 #Spotify

[terriblebicho]

Turned the egg carton around to check if everything was okay in the adult tenebrium bin and accidentally cockblocked a pair of them :(

#They were just doing their adult tenebrium things but after like 5 secs of light the male bolted off leaving the female there like ''¿'' #oh yeah I keep tenebriums now btw #i bought them to use the larvae as live fish food bc I thought they were much smaller than they actually were #so now they kinda hang out in my room #bugs #coleoptera #tenebrio molitor

[dracolichbitch]

Just Business Dealings

The setting sun cast a blazing glow over the city of Bauldur’s Gate, and as he made his way to the docks, he listened in on the inane chatter of the sheep around him. There was a married couple up on a balcony fighting over the husband’s drinking problem. Around the corner were a pair of children fretting about receiving a scolding from their parents for coming home so late. Down a dark and decrepit alley, a man was being mugged, pleading that his assailant take only his money and not his life. The sheep were in chaos, a chaos only his guiding hand would be able to set straight to order, once he claimed his rightful place above them.

But it wasn’t yet time. All the pieces were still in motion, and not yet in place.

There was still more work to be done before everything could be right in the world.

It was why he was going down to the docks. The foundry was running low on materials, and his supplier that had been late in bringing more was sighted earlier in the harbour. It was unlike her to be behind schedule, especially not to have sent word ahead.

Vinari detested being late.

He knew for certain The Blood Raven had arrived as soon as he reached the outskirts of the harbor. The fishermen bringing in their hauls of the day were chittering like frightened rats at the sight of the Voidborne’s crew as they quickly and efficiently worked to unload their cargo from the ship’s hold.

The Blood Raven was a schooner, relatively small and lightweight, and having seen the original blue prints that lead to its construction, Gortash knew full well that while it could only weather so many direct hits, it was built for speed and maneuvorability. He’d only been onboard the ship a few times when it was in a skirmish, but Vinari made an artform out of weaving in and out of larger ships, and usually ramming right into them, hitting them hard and fast.

The schooner’s ram was made of Tenebrium, a lightweight but sturdy material unlike any that he’d ever seen before. According to Vinari, it was one of the rarest resources the Void had to offer, and the amount it took to forge the ram for her ship cost more than all the other materials put together. He’d only ever been graced with the opportunity to examine a chunk of the material once, and he was still uncertain as to what it was, as it didn’t seem like any metal or ore that he’d ever used before, and when he asked what it was, what it really was, Vinari just grinned.

Now, in the dying light of the sun, the Blood Raven’s glossy black deck seemed to be covered in blood, but as Gortash stepped past the skeletal pirates carrying crates down, he was careless as to whether it covered his boots. In his approach, he’d noticed scorch marks on the hull, and as another set of undead worked the sails up, he could see that they’d been damaged as well.

Humming to himself as he made note of this, his attention was swiftly redirected to the captain of the ship herself as her voice as she barked orders to the crew hit his ears. Without hesitation, he made his way towards the helm of the ship, and he had no doubt she’d spotted him too.

He was halfway up the steps to the helm when she came down to meet him.

“Well well, I find myself flattered. The mighty lord missed me so that he trudged through the muck and the dirt of the lower city to come see me aboard my ship?” Vinari asked coyly, her wicked little grin showing the tips of her sharper than human canines. Her glowing crimson eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “Or perhaps its my cargo you’re so eager to see. Hmph, most likely but such does not make me feel so good, so I think I will pretend such is not the case.”

Gortash didn’t bother resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the words, even as a loose smile tugged at his lips. “You’re late, Vinari. Considerably so, I might add. You’ll have to forgive me for being concerned.”

Vinari stepped past him, and with a gesture for him to follow, lead the way into her captain’s cabin. Once the door was securely shut behind him, Vinari procured two glasses and two bottles from a cabinet in the corner of the room.

As she uncorked the two bottles and poured them drinks, she spoke.

“The illithid empire has caught on. I suppose it is not shocking, considering the last five years I have been plundering their ships and settlements for you, but they’ve started taking countermeasures to deal with us. Their ships have started traveling in pairs, and some settlements have begun putting up barriers.” Vinari handed him his glass before taking her own and sitting back in the chair at the head of the desk in the room. Red velvet upholstery. Fancy.

Gortash likewise took a seat in one of the chairs across from her.

“If they’re putting up barriers to keep your ship out, then how were you able to get the cargo?” He questioned, taking a sip of the drink she gave him.

“By allowing myself to get captured and brought inside the settlement.” Vinari answered dryly before taking a long drink of the alcohol and setting the glass down. “Freeing myself once I’m inside, slaughtering all the mindflayers, and then finding the controls to the barrier to deactivate it. It’s risky, but it’s been working so far. Better than trying to attack through the barriers has been at least.”

Gortash raked a critical eye across the Voidborne from behind his glass. Her blood red hair had been chopped short again since the last time he saw her, hanging shaggily down to her chin, and it might just be the dim lighting in the cabin, but it looked more dull than usual, and that was to say nothing of the pair of jagged, crimson horns jutting back from her forehead, usually polished to shine, but not today. It was hard to tell if the shadows under her eyes were worse or not as the veins in her face by her eyes were already black and her naturally pallid grey skin, like a drow’s, hid them quite well. But from the sag in her shoulders and her expression as she regarded him in silence told him enough.

Vinari was tired.

“I don’t like that.” He stated finally. “Don’t do it again.”

Vinari blinked slowly before raising an eyebrow. “Don’t do it again? If you want your wiring, Enver, then I don’t have much of a choice. I can either do what I must to bypass the barrier, or go deeper into the Astral Sea to find other colonies that are less prepared, and if I do the latter, that means a longer trip and more time it takes to get back to Bauldur’s Gate.” She shook her head slowly before taking back another drink.

Gortash hummed softly, tapping his finger against the glass in his hand, the metal clink of his claw ringing with each strike of the glass. “How much more time would you need?”

Vinari tilted her head, brow furrowing. “I don’t-”

“How. Much. Time. Vinari?”

Vinari inhaled deeply, closing her eyes before letting out a sigh. “A couple weeks, maybe another month? I’d have to take a look at my maps and talk to Drakath to know how long for sure.”

Gortash mulled over her words. Vinari operated on a rotating schedule every three months to keep him in good supply of Infernal iron, illithid wiring, and Void oil. Every three months, she’d raid the githyanki, the mindflayers, or see her suppliers in the Void, and then the next three months she’d focus on one of the other two materials. The last three months of the year, she spent in Corvexus, working with the Drakengard. The schedule was perfectly balanced as it should be. He disliked the notion of throwing that balance off kilter.

“What about the Githyanki? Have they not caught on to your pilfering as of yet?” He questioned, rotating the pieces of the puzzle in his mind.

If I can cut short the amount of time she spends in the Void and Corvexus, then she should have plenty of time to deal with the Githyanki and the Illithid Empire. Hm, but I don’t doubt she’ll dislike the notion of shortening her amount of free time. But lowering the amount of cargo she brings me isn’t an option either.

Vinari shook her head. “The Githyanki ships carry more cargo so I don’t need to take as many of them to meet my quota. I’m sure they are aware of someone plundering their ships, but I’m not the only pirate on the Astral Sea. They probably have yet to pick my ship out of all the others.” She explained, watching him through bloody half lidded eyes. “As for the mindflayers, it’s generally their ships attacking pirates, not the other way around.”

Gortash nodded thoughtfully as he took in the information. “Your trips to the Void are the easiest, are they not? You primarily spend your time there restocking your own supplies as well as handling any repairs to your ship, correct?”

“More or less, that’s right. It’s not a long trip from Bauldur’s gate to the Void. If I push it, I can get there and back within a month, though if my ship needs repairs, then I’ll take the whole three months.”

He smiled to himself. “Then I believe we have our solution. Take the extra month, or even two away from your trips to the Void, and use them to deal with the illithids more safely.”

A crooked little grin crossed the Voidborne’s lips.

“Aw, you really do care about me, Enver. Who knew Bane’s Black Hand actually had a heart?” The little laugh that slipped out of her was nothing short of wicked and insidious.

Gortash let out his own chuckle, finished the drink she gave him, and set the glass down before rising to his feet.

“It would be a shame if you were turned into a mindflayer, Vinari. I dare say it would greatly inconvenience me, not to mention that, yes, I am fond of you.” He told her, letting his voice soften as he gazed into her eyes. He offered her a gentle smile. “If something were to happen to you, I don’t know what I would do.”

After all, finding a pirate willing to target both Gith and Illithid ships was hard enough, much less one who has a trading license in the Void. I can’t imagine I’d be able to find a second one if something were to happen to you.

Though he knew she was highly skilled, not just in seafaring but also in infiltration and combat, he didn’t like hearing the risky measures she’d undertaken to ensure she had what he needed. He couldn’t admit this to her, but he’d been filled with dread ever since she missed the day she was supposed to arrive back in Bauldur’s Gate.

The words came out more genuine than even he expected when he next spoke.

“Be more careful, Vinari. I can’t afford to lose you.”

Vinari’s eyes widened ever so slightly before returning to their halflidded state. She let out a quiet ‘heh’ at the words before shaking her head.

“Can’t afford to pay three other people to do all the work I do, you mean. It’s ok, you can say what you really think, Enver.”

Gortash snorted softly before shaking his head. “Oh really? Well, what I think is that some time off this ship would do you some good.”

“What? But I love my ship!” Vinari gasped in mock horror, covering her mouth with her hand, though Gortash could still see the glint of her fangs through her fingers. “I wouldn’t dream of leaving it for no reason.”

“Well the reason is that your employer thinks you deserve a nice, hot meal and to sleep on solid ground for once.” Gortash shot back with a dazzling attempt at a charming smile. “In fact, I insist upon it.”

Vinari raised an eyebrow and moved her hand from her mouth to rest her head upon it instead. “Insisting, eh?” She grinned, flashing her fangs that seemed to gleam in the dim lighting of her cabin. “I have half the mind to deny you outright because of that.”

“Don’t tease, Vinari.” He huffed, crossing his arms. “Its either yes or no.”

“Oh is the mighty Enver Gortash pouting? How adorable.” Vinari giggled deviously before slowly rising to her feet. “Well, I might be quite the ruthless assassin but even I can’t tell such a handsome face no.” She came around her desk and ever so lightly laid her hand on his shoulder. “In that case, why don’t you lead the way? Just so your precious little underlings know I’m not traipsing around your fortress uninvited. I’d hate to have to kill them.”

Gortash chuckled softly before leading the way out of her cabin and off of her ship. “This is why you’re my second favorite assassin, Vinari.”

Vinari scoffed, and had all the air of being suddenly incredibly offended. “Second favorite?”

Gortash grinned. “If it makes you feel better, you’re my favorite pirate.”

Vinari pouted. “That only makes me feel a little better.”

“Well how about this? You’re my favorite Voidborne.”

“I’m probably the only Voidborne you know!”

Gortash laughed cheerfully as he looped his arm around her waist, and knocked his head against hers gently, being mindful of her horns.

Without further teasing, he lead her home.

#enver gortash #tavtash #oc: vinari vidrus #for anyone thats curious vinari is an oc from my original wip The Fallacy of the Damned which is its tag name on my blog feel free to check #it out

[ndostairlyrium]

Oh! I forgot to add it in the tags below the pic, but the constellations shown in the frame are Virgo (top left) and Tenebrium (bottom right)

Tenebrium because of Falon'Din, but also because Ankhs role following the events of Inquisition is polyvalent just like owls in the elvhen lore. She's a hero, but is she? Does she want the benefit of her kin, or does she favor everyone without distinctions? Was it a logical decision the one she just took, or did she take it out of convenience? Is she a messenger sent to uplift her people, or is she there to guide them towards a terrible fate?

Finally, Virgo is because I firmly believe the guy is a Virgo and nobody will change my mind. Besides, it's one of the background things those two share <<

Silly extract below the cut - I translated it myself and I'm afraid it's terrible, because my prose in English is eeeugh!! I'm sorry native English speakers :'D I did my best but feel free to ignore

#I swear I didn't want to keep this as a mystery lmao #spritz is kicking in #the thing she was right about is that they may have a couple of situations in common and those are coincidentally- #situations they can't do anything but accept and move on #this is like a big thing out of many coincidences #because they are coincidences but this?? his brain is already stuck in honey and butterflies. of course he thinks it's a sign lmao

[blarrghe]

Unusual OC associations

Big thanks to @scribbledquillz for the tag! I'm not sure who's done this already but @ringneckedpheasant @rosella-writes @n7viper @plisuu and @melisusthewee have fun!

I have done this for Taren before but by gods I will do it again! Also for Violet she is big on my mind rn.

Seasoning:

Taren: sweet paprika, cinnamon, cloves, those cans of chipotle pepper in adobo sauce ...he's a warm boy 🥰

Violet: purple basil, annisseed, lavender, rosemary, nustershums, rosewater, hibiscus. Not necessarily all together lol but you know what? concoctions. If it's purple, an edible flower, or an acquired taste, I think it suits.

Weather:

Taren: grey days on the brink of storm. Damp, you can smell the rain coming and feel the static.

Violet: hot girl summer! Bright sunny beach weather that's a bit too heavy in the air.

Color:

Taren: green, gold, auburn, brown, all the earth tones and some light blue for good measure.

Violet: do you even need to ask? Also royal blue, silver, white, and black.

Sky:

Taren: thick with interesting clouds, clear and starry.

Violet: a clear blue day, a summer nighttime thunderstorm

Magic power:

Taren: well, spirit healing. Spirit communion and intricate rituals/glyphs also

Violet: walking bomb, irreverent illusions

House plant:

Taren: potted pine tree that got too big so you had to plant it in the yard. It will get taller than your house it will live for a hundred years.

Violet: straight up mini cactus. In a silly colourful pot with googly eyes.

Weapon:

Taren: kill 'em with kindness and when that doesn't work settle it with fists.

Violet: caltrops, potion bombs, poisoned daggers

Subject:

Taren: linguistics, linguistic anthropology

Violet: organic chemistry

Social media:

Taren: Matchsies! ;) LiveJournal, goodreads

Violet: vine

Make-up product:

Taren: glitter eyeliner (his boyfriend did it it was just like that meme)

Violet: lipstick, poison nail polish like the Warden in Holes.

Candy:

Taren: those little guava candies, dried mango, weed gummy

Violet: twizzlers, sour gummy worms, candy necklace

Fear:

Taren: abandonment

Violet: nothing!! (hurting others)

Ice cube shape:

Taren: hearts 💕

Violet: spheres, dry ice

Method of long distance travel:

Taren: ship, aravel

Violet: horseback

Art style:

Taren: very detailed fine lined tattoo art, traditional embroidery

Violet: old school sailor tattoo art, peanuts style cartoons

Mythological creature:

Taren: faun

Violet: griffins!

Piece of stationary:

Taren: does a tattoo quill and mallet count? Ink.

Violet: fancy letter opener...

Three emojis:

Taren: 🌿🛤📚

Violet: ☠️💜🐶

Celestial body:

Taren: stars, specifically the constellation tenebrium

Violet: Venus

#Ocs #Taren lavellan #Violet cousland #Tag games

[astraldrake]

quick and dirty attempt at analysis of a few songs from the lightfall ost / speculation on what they might be for putting it under the cut for anyone inclined to avoid all possible spoilers note: i haven't seen any datamined or leaked content so i'm going into this with only what i know from the trailers/ other promo stuff note 2: I'm not going to analyze every track in the ost

the fun part of doing a speculation post like this is that by tomorrow I'll either be right or wrong (or in between) so uh, wooo! lightfall hype! the first track i want to take a guess at is track number 5, titled CloudArk I'm guessing this will be our ambient "welcome to neomuna" track. The beginning of the song feels curious, almost hopeful, a perfect backing for a first view of the synthwave inspired city's skyline. It then transitions into something more heroic before changing again into something sinister, with this third change also bringing in the cabal stomp motif. the second track I'll guess at is number 8 titled Frontline This one is definitely combat music, possibly boss music? The cabal stomp is here too, possibly our first clash with calus' forces? like a lot of combat tracks, it stays at a relatively consistent level of intensity, while changing it's overall mood. This one starts menacing and takes a turn for the heroic at around the halfway point. third song i'll guess at the purpose of is number 12 titled Quantum Wilds Judging in part by the title, and also in part by the heavy amounts of synth in this one. I'm guessing this is going to be tied to that vex network section displayed in one of the trailers. Judging by it's overall level of intensity i think it'll probably be an ambient track, possibly with variants for when you're in and out of combat. fourth song is 18th on the ost, titled Tenebrium This one starts out with a good heaping helping of darkness motif that slowly begins to mingle with a chime-y sparklier sound before fading out. Perhaps we explore the aftermath of the traveler's death lazer? The chiming reminds me of Reborn from the original destiny ost, though it's much fainter in tenebrium. sidenote : tenebrium likely is derived from tenebrous, a word that means dark, or gloomy. So by all accounts, this could simply be a new twist on the darkness theme and I am reading too much into it. fifth song is number 22: Tyrant Overthrown My bets are strongly on this one being the backing track for a calus bossfight. Partly because of the song title, and partly because it's over seven minutes long which feels appropriate for an end of campaign boss. especially after they upped their game with the difficulty of savathun's final fight, so perhaps they expect his fight to take long enough for them to go long with the music in turn. that said, this could also be tied to the raid. Long tracks also tend towards being tied to raid encounters. but they also tend to be closer towards the end of the ost. sixth is track 26, titled Renasence The vibes of this one from the start are stressing me out, but the darkness synths are present throughout and mix heavily with the stomp motif. additionally, renasence means rebirth, so perhaps this song has something to do with calus' rebirth into a disciple? It also goes full triumphant hero theme for a few moments towards the end, making me think this might be a combat theme? but I'm unsure. seventh up is number 31 titled Diffracted Truth This one is calm, lots of those same high, shiny noises as in tenebrium, (with the addition of a vocalist this time) but without the weight of the heavy darkness synth. My best guesses are, hub space music, cutscene, or space walk section. eighth and final song is Oneirophobia High chances this one's a raid track, likely a final boss theme too. There's a sense of swirling desperation to this one, I'm not quite sure how to describe it any other way than that. misc notes Accelerant (track 17) has an Osiris motif around 3:40, it's the first one i've picked out in the soundtrack so far. Big fan of the drums in Ready to Roll, also heehoo was that a Guardian motif i heard in there?? (it was) additionally, the lower strings remind me of the red legion theme. I fuckign love all the synth elements combo-ing with the orchestra/chorus tracks. Distant Sky isn't completely new, it started playing in the tower after the traveler left.

#im sure some big brained bastard on reddit with a music degree or some shit's probably already done this but better #but this is tumblr so My City Now #destiny 2 #lightfall speculation #destiny the game #i am holding off on buying it until i know for certain that it's good #but i am also entirely unworried abt spoilers so uh #feel free to tell me in the notes if any of my predictions were right or wrong come tomorrow

[harmonium-camp]

Abertura IC!

Com todos chegando em seu próprio tempo e transporte, monitores os aguardavam no porto de Tenebrium, esperando que juntassem grupos de no mínimo dez jovens para que então a trilha começasse.

Após o longo caminho e uma pequena tour pela ilha, os grupos eram direcionados ao salão principal onde após uma pequena checagem de documentação, o barulho de uma esfera de bingo antiga e enferrujada aparecia ao que o objeto passava a levitar, soltando sozinha esferas contendo o numero da cabana correspondente a cada campista. Atentos a cada sorteio, monitores distribuíam as chaves de cada cabana, deixando que a partir dali, os jovens seguissem as instruções e tivessem sua privacidade para se alojarem em suas novas moradias. OOC:

Olá campistas… digo, players!

Com isso, abrimos oficialmente as interações IC na nossa NXN! Fiquem atentos pois, em seguida, postaremos o resultado dos sorteios das cabanas para que saibam quem serão seus colegas nessa jornada!

Dito isso, bom jogo!

[erandir]

WIP Wednesday

I’m pretty happy with how most of the re-write of Semper ad Meliora - now titled The Potential of the Storm - is going and I wanna share some of it. Because screaming at people about my WIPs is the best way to keep me motivated.

So here’s what is potentially the opening scene. (I keep going back and forth between opening with Adrian or Ithren.)

-----

“Adrian, are you listening to me?”

“Yes, father,” Adrian answered, although truth be told he had stopped listening some time ago. His father wasn’t saying anything he hadn’t already heard a hundred times. “You’re tired of me embarrassing the family with my antics and I had better learn to behave myself.”

Although Adrian had his eyes closed as he lounged across the carriage’s bench seat, he heard his father’s sigh and could clearly picture the way his lips pursed and brows furrowed. His usual expression whenever Adrian had to see him these days. “This will be your fourth school in as many years,” his father reminded, as though Adrian had forgotten. “I was understanding of your first expulsion - it was foolish of me to expect you were mature enough to be placed with older students simply because you were at their level academically - but now I am afraid it may be becoming a habit.”

“I still contend that the Head Enchanter was overreacting,” Adrian replied. “That is beside the point,” his father snapped. “The Pallas house has held a respected position in this country for generations. You are sixteen now and I expect you to behave in a manner befitting that stature.”

“And not bring further shame to the Pallas name,” Adrian recited by rote. “Yes, yes, father. I understand.”

“Do you?”

Adrian did not dignify that with a response. If his father wanted his good behavior, perhaps he should send Adrian to a school that wasn’t full of complete idiots. He would respect his instructors when they did something to deserve it. And he would respect his peers, well, probably never. But he would leave them alone when they accepted that he was better than them. He didn’t think that was too much to ask.

“We’re here,” his father announced.

Adrian opened his eyes just in time to watch through the window as their carriage passed through a high iron gate. He swung his feet down from the carriage bench and sat up. A moment later the carriage pulled to a stop and the door swung open.

“Come,” his father snapped, before sliding out of the carriage in a whirl of coattails.

Adrian sighed one final sigh. He considered the option of simply staying in the carriage, but dismissed it almost immediately. That would just lead to another lecture and more disappointed scowling. So he smoothed down the front of his coat and climbed out. The door shut behind him and he was vaguely aware of the footman going to retrieve his luggage.

The carriage had stopped in a walled courtyard paved in dark flagstone. The high stone facade of the Tenebrium College of Enchanters loomed dark against the mid-afternoon sky. Like every other college he’d been to - and like so many other buildings in the Imperium - it was centuries-old. Heavy granite stones carved with filigree, its wide arched doorway flanked by statues of the prophet Haleon, hands raised in praise - or perhaps in spellcasting.

Descending the steps from that doorway was an older man in long, traditional mage’s robes. “Magister Pallas,” he greeted as he approached, stopping a few paces short of Adrian’s father to give a shallow bow. “It is an honor to meet you. I am First Enchanter Redanius.”

Adrian’s father returned the greeting with a nod. “A pleasure. Thank you for so generously agreeing to allow Adrian entry this late in the term.”

“Of course,” the First Enchanter assured. “The Tenebrium College of Enchanters has a long history of training our nation’s greatest talents. I’m sure we’ll be able to provide a more suitable environment for your son’s education.”

“Let us pray you are correct,” his father replied. Then he turned pointedly toward Adrian, “I grow weary of your constant insolence. You squander every opportunity I have given you, and I will not call in any more favors on your behalf. This is your last opportunity, Adrian. Learn to behave yourself, or this time there will be consequences.”

And that was it. No goodbye, no well wishes, just more of that ever-present disappointment and a view of his father’s back as he strode back to the carriage.

#my writing #wip wednesday #original fiction #fic: semper ad meliora #fic: potential of the storm

[ladylike-foxes]

Fear and Deceit once flanking then facing their Shadow

Some Falon’Din and Dirthamen symbology drama.

#dragon age fanart #dirthamen #falon’din #evanuris #dragon age lore #Tenebrium #fear and deceit #Shadow #my art #sketches #(re)entangled fic

[pigeonphd]

an old ref sheet for ten i had never finished, plus a little badge of him cause i was bored. he's one of the twin (or triplet, depending on how you look at it) gods of death in my fantasy headworld, and he's a shapeshifter. he usually only takes this form when he's in his own domain, so he's symbolically represented by a wide variety of dog/rooster hybrids. my next goal is to design some ceremonial outfits for him.

#tenebrium #his ''true'' form (if he can be said to have one) is just a feral version of this #and his favorite form among humans is a snarky old lady #eash art

[terriblebicho]

my mom found one of my tenebriums just walkign across her bedroom floor and I'm going to be honest I have no fucking idea how it could've got there.

[dracolichbitch]

So @lucien-lachance gave me the prompt of "I killed them, i wont apologize for that" for Alynari and i had a great deal of fun with that. It's always fun to write Vinari being a little shit but what was surprisingly more fun was writing the mutual pining that these two idiots are too stubborn and proud to act on

It had been over two weeks since the last time Vinari had the chance to go over Alyndra’s research, thanks, in part, to her most recent job. She was eagerly looking forward to getting back to her books and thus she made a beeline for her room as soon as she returned to the Fort. She was already going over the different theorems in her head as she shouldered the heavy door open, only to be mildly surprised when she saw exactly who was sitting at her desk when she walked in.

“Lucretia. To what do I owe the pleasure?” She greeted her, both pleasantly and cheerful. Even though she knew she should be alarmed to find any uninvited guests in her room, she knew that of all the people it could’ve been, Lucretia was one she didn’t need to fear. Even though she’d been distrustful of the older woman at first, her stony and stern disposition had grown on her, even if she was particularly fond of the moments she was able to shatter it, and coax either a laugh or an exasperated sigh out of her. She wasn’t sure when she started to enjoy such a thing, but at the same time, she couldn’t find it in herself to be overly bothered by it either.

“Vinari.” Lucretia greeted her calmly from her seat at her desk. She had her hands clasped together and she leaned back in the seat as she swiveled It to face the door. “How did your job go?”

Vinari blinked, having expected a reason for her presence here to begin with but she indulged the question. “It went well, if unremarkable. The target was weak and hardly even worth the effort it took to kill them, as it feels though a stiff breeze could have taken care of them just as surely as my blade.”

Lucretia stared at her unblinkingly through her lavender half lidded eyes, and Vinari got the feeling the other woman was studying her, but what she might’ve been looking for, Vinari could only hazard a guess. It wasn’t as though word could’ve traveled so fast, could it have?

“That’s good to hear. I’m pleased to know your job went so well. Interesting though. You say it was easy and nigh effortless, but you took plenty of time returning to the Fort. Odd, considering a dragon like Nocturne should be able to make the trip to Blackwater Bay and back in a week easily, and yet you were gone for two.” Lucretia noted, sitting up in the chair now, turning away from Vinari now to prop her elbows up on her desk, her chin in hand. “So where else did you go?”

Vinari arched an eyebrow at the question even as she swallowed a sigh.

Oh, so she does know. Or at least suspects. I don’t see why she’s being so coy about it.

“Oh I stopped by Litrynn for a bit before coming back.” She answered nonchalant as she stepped further into her room and came over to her desk, setting her dagger down on top of it.

The black tenebrium blade was freshly cleaned and oiled, showing not even a speck of dirt nor a single drop of blood anywhere on its blade nor hilt. There was no sign of what she’d been up to in Litrynn.

Lucretia heaved a heavy sigh and dipped her head down, resting her forehead against her hands even as she shook her head slowly.

“You were careless, Vidrus.”

“I don’t know what you mean.” Vinari lied as she stepped away from her and her desk, shrugging out of her cloak and tossing it on her bed before sitting atop of it. With tired and sore fingers, she unzipped her boots before kicking them off, one after the other.

They were covered in mud and she’d need to clean and oil them later but she could do that after Lucretia got to the point and actually said what she was thinking.

“You know exactly what I mean, Vinari.” Lucretia sighed once more before turning to face her, sitting up and crossing her arms. “You didn’t even bother to hide the body. And I know it was you. Don’t deny it.”

Never mind, she could work on oiling them now. Vinari grabbed her buffing towel and the tin of mink oil before getting to work on her first boot.

“Ok. I won’t then. I killed him. So what?” She questioned as she first wiped away the mud with a wet rag, making sure to get each and every speck of dirt out from the seams of her boots so she didn’t just rub it in when she oiled them. “It’s not like anyone saw me. If they had, I would’ve just killed them too.”

“The fact there weren’t any witnesses is irrelevant. The Frey are major financial supporters of the Drakengard. If they realized that one of their own was killed by a member of the Drakengard, they’ll pull their support, assuming they don’t demand we launch an investigation into the death.”

Vinari just laughed but she didn’t so much as look up from the task she’d assigned herself.

“Again, I ask: So what?” She didn’t bother hiding her smile as she continued to work on her boot. “You know what the great thing is about being in the Drakengard? Any lawsuit involving us has to be taken up by the Tribunal as an international incident. And you know what the Tribunal isn’t going to do? They’re not going to bother with a trial with only circumstantial motive and no evidence.” She found peace in the soothing repetitive motions of buffing out the scratches in her boots, returning the leather to an almost pristine state. “And there is no evidence. All anyone knows is that someone broke into the Frey’s inn room and killed him in his sleep. No one was seen going in. No one was seen going out.”

“Not to mention you made it look like a robbery.” Lucretia sighed once more, though it sounded less annoyed and heavy this time. “At least tell me why you did it. Why did you kill him?”

It was only now that Vinari paused in her ministrations and finally looked up at her once more. Gone was the carefree demeanor she wore like the finest armor. In its place was the stern and serious assassin she was trained from birth to be. The killer destined to die without a name.

“Truly? You do not know?” She questioned, her voice as soft as silk, yet as deadly as a vipers fangs.

Wordlessly, Lucretia rose to her feet and on nearly silent foot steps, she crossed the room to stand in front of Vinari. She crossed her arms as she looked down at Vinari, and though there was usually a stony coldness to her eyes, now they seemed uncharacteristically soft.

“I want to hear you say it.” She murmured as she stared down at Vinari through her abyssal black lashes.

Vinari set her boot to the side and leaned back in her bed, propping herself up on her elbows as she gazed up at Lucretia, a soft hum in her throat as she took in the furrow of her brows, the strands of loose black hair dangling dangerously in her face.

“He insulted you in front of me. Of course I killed him. I won’t apologize for that.” Vinari hissed, her voice as smooth and slick as the serpents her family kept to milk their venom.

Vinari watched Lucretia’s chest rise slowly as she inhaled deep before letting out the breath in a soft, slow exhale.

“The insult to my name is far from worth you dirtying your hands.” Lucretia murmured after what felt like an eternity of silence.

“I have shed blood for far less worthy causes.” Vinari shot back smoothly, reaching up to Lucretia before she could think to stop herself and tucking a strand of ebony hair behind her ear.

Lightning fast, like a viper’s strike, Lucretia’s steel like grip was around her wrist.

Vinari knew from the strength of her grip she could shatter the bone as if it were made of crackers. Despite that, she didn’t pull away from her, instead fixing her with the most charming smile she could muster.

“You forget our places, Vidrus.” Lucretia’s voice was strained as she released her grip on her hand, as if she was forcing herself to refrain from something.

Once released, Vinari drew her arm back to continue lounging on her bed.

“I hope you do not expect an apology for that either.”

Lucretia turned away from her, her brow furrowed with deep creases between them. “I know better than to expect you to apologize for anything. You never do, certainly not for overstepping.”

Vinari’s lips twisted into a wolfish grin. “I stand by the actions I take, and the words I speak. Perhaps more people should.”

“Should refrain from apologies or should speak their mind truly?” Lucretia asked without so much as a glance behind her.

“Both.” Vinari shrugged even if the other woman couldn’t see it. “More people should do as they please, and stand by the decisions they make because they wanted to do them.” She murmured, even as she stared into Lucretia’s back. She took in the way her long, straight hair fell down her back, the curve of her neck into her shoulders, her shirt cinching at her sides.

Vinari’s hands tightened into fists as she gripped her sheets, resisting the urge to reach out for her again.

If Lucretia noticed her scrutiny, she made no sign of it. Instead, Vinari could only hear her exhale slowly in a sigh.

“Perhaps you aren’t wrong about that.” She whispered. With a shake of her head, she headed towards Vinari’s bedroom door.

“Lucretia?” Vinari hesitated.

It wasn’t like she could ask her to stay.

“Get some rest, Vinari. I have no doubt that you will need it.” Lucretia ordered, her voice reverting back to what Vinari thought of as her commander voice. Whatever softness had existed in her words moments ago had vanished now.

“Right.” Vinari bit her lip for a moment before holding back a sigh. “Good night, commander.”

Lucretia halted mid-step, her hand halfway reaching for the door. She glanced back over her shoulder, but as her lavender eyes met scarlet, she seemed to falter. She opened her mouth as if to speak, only to close it and swiftly turned away. A moment later, the door was opened and she was stepping through it.

The door shut with a heavy clang behind her.

#the fallacy of the damned #oc: vinari vidrus #my writing #writblr #writeblr

[blarrghe]

Unusual Muse Associations

Thanks to @transfenris-truther for the tag! I'll tag @gaysolavellan as well for research purposes ;) and also @elvhenfaer @midnightprelude (almila, pls??), @aymayzing and uhh anyone else who wants? I love OCs.

Did Taren Lavellan of course of course.

SEASONING: in his spice cabinet - smoked paprika, tumeric, cumin, corriander, dried adobo or other hot peppers, cinamon, cloves, ginger… honestly all the good, rich spices you can get. And you can bet he knows how to use 'em. But fundamentally he's red peppercorns and sea salt. WEATHER: cold, misting rain, mix of sun and grey skies, a little hazy maybe, breezy. COLOUR: green, gold, copper. MAGICAL POWER: spirit healing, kitchen witch stuff like potion brewing and he can probably do passive buff "blesing" type spells, some earth magic (mainly non agressive but I feel like he can have that vine spell merrill has in da2) HOUSE PLANT: ivy or a succulent or something else adaptable and hard to kill. WEAPON: uses a staff when necessary but he's more likely to throw a punch if he needs to fight since most of his magic isn't that fighty. Probably learns to use the staff blade better than he can throw a fireball. SUBJECT: history and linguistics SOCIAL MEDIA: Matchsies, obviously ;) though he would not be on it if not for his friends and is not otherwise on social media. He texts and emails well enough but he would rather call people. MAKEUP PRODUCT: lil bit of eyeliner sometimes. Moisturerizer to keep his tattoos nice. CANDY: dark chocolate, cinamon hearts. FEAR: letting people down, losing loved ones, (modern au) flying in airplanes. ICE CUBE SHAPE: uh just regular cubes. He would appreciate novelty ones though. METHOD OF LONG-DISTANCE TRAVEL: aravel, ship, trains or roadtripping in an old vw camper van in a modern au. ART STYLE: neo-traditional abstract stuff w dalish elements and intricate linework, or more impressionistic charcoal sketches and waterclour landscapes MYTHOLOGICAL CREATURE: do the elvhen gods count? PIECE OF STATIONERY: pencil tucked into his hair, a leatherbound journal/pocket sized sketchbook. THREE EMOJIS: 🍂📚🌕 CELESTIAL BODY: the north star, the Thedas constallation Tenebrium.

#taren lavellan #tag games

[crxwes]

Happy Birthday to @leeoliver !! ♥♥♥

#crow's art #digital art #art #drawing #digital painting #painitng #artist on tumblr #tenebrium hawke

[fiadhaisteach]

Aisteach’s Evanuris to Old God theoretical match up

Elgar'nan : Dumat Falon’din : Zazikel June : Toth Andruil : Andoral Sylaise : Urthemiel Dirthamen : Razikale Ghila'nain : Lusacan

 

Elgar'nan : Dumat - The first, and the leader of the others, was called Dumat, the Dragon of Silence. (emphasis mine)

Legend says that he destroyed [Barindur] for turning away his High Priest during a celebration of the winter solstice. Only a path and bare rock remain as the city and its inhabitants were buried in volcanic ash.

The ancient Tevinters also associated the constellation Silentir, usually depicted as either a dragon in flight or as a man carrying a horn and wand, with him.

Some scholars have speculated that Silentir was originally associated with the elven goddess Mythal.

 

Falon’din : Zazikel - Dragon of Chaos, sometimes referred to as the Old God of Freedom.

Death is one kind of freedom (especially if you're an immortal slave).

Associated with the constellation Kios, commonly known as "Chaos."

However, the holiday of Satinalia was originally dedicated to him and the constellation Satinalis was formerly known as "Mortemalis," represented by a warrior holding a severed head–usually that of an elf. (see add’l constellation info below read more)

Plus Razikale & Zazikel being the twins tickles my funny bone.

 

June : Toth - Dragon of Fire, which most people would associate with Sylaise except —

He's associated the constellation Toth, usually either as man aflame (in agony, presumably a victim of the Old God) or as a flaming orb.

His High Priest used the alias, "The Forgewright of Fire."

 

Andruil : Andoral - Dragon of Slaves

This one's kind of obvious, but also, the constellation Servani, depicted as a man in chains, is associated with him.

High Priest used the alias, "The Appraiser of Slavery."

 

Sylaise : Urthemiel - Dragon of Beauty, the fairest and most graceful of the Old Gods.

Associated with the constellation "Bellitanus", depicted as a beautiful woman.

High Priest used the alias "Architect of the Works of Beauty."

 

Dirthamen : Razikale - Dragon of Mystery.

High Priest used the alias "The Augur of Mystery.

Associated with the constellation Eluvia, commonly known as "Sacrifice.”

Tevinter writings inscribed on ruins in the Frostbacks include:

To She Who Winds the Skein of Wisdom, we dedicate this citadel. Dragon of Mystery, bestow upon your faithful servants your ineffable truth. Grant us eyes to pierce the darkness and souls to bear the wounds of your labyrinth.

 

Dragon of Mystery, return to us, we beg you. Your servants falter. The paths ahead are lost in darkness, and those who walk them find only ruin. Those who should guide us instead wage war upon each other, vying for a throne that does not exist. The blood of the sacrifices that seeps into the stone here shall be the only truth we reveal in the end.

 

Run if you can. Madness has filled the silence. Do not return to this place.

 

Ghila'nain : Lusacan - Dragon of Night

Associated with the constellation Tenebrium, called "Shadow" in the common parlance. Traditionally depicted as an owl rather than a dragon, some scholars have speculated that Tenebrium originally represented the elven god Falon'Din. Another explanation is that the owl is a nocturnal hunter and would have been considered a terrifying omen of loss to ancient cultures.

Spirits know that Ol' Ghilly was terrifying and owls were also associated with Andruil.

And then there’s the Call of the Dark maul description ⬇️ (Horror of Hormack, anyone?)

"Lusacan, the Dragon of Night, calls to you. He lives where it is darkest and waits for the day he will rise. Drink of his blood and know the power in darkness: either fear the Night or wield it."

Even so, if it weren't for the DA4 promo pics, I might reverse Falon’din & Ghila’nain.

 

Other Constellations referencing Evanuris

Equinor

Commonly known as "the Stallion." Equinor has historically been depicted as either a rearing horse or a seated griffon. However, there is also speculation that the constellation originally depicted a halla, which would indicate that the ancient Tevinters deliberately supplanted the constellation's original representation of the elven goddess Ghilan'nain, known as "Mother of the Hallas." Since horses also held great significance to Neromenian culture, the Imperium's predecessor, this speculation is largely considered unfounded.

 

Fenrir

Commonly known as "White Wolf." Fenrir has always been considered an oddity among scholars, as wolves hold no special significance within Tevinter folklore. Many scholars see this as proof that the Imperium deliberately supplanted older elven constellations names. As a result, Fenrir has been associated with the elven trickster god, Fen'Harel, though others claim that it is a reference to an old and unverified Neromenian tale of a wolf escaping hunters by fleeing into the sky.

 

Fervenial

Commonly known as "the Oak." Fervanis is generally depicted as a towering tree with leafless branches. Many believe it references the early Neromenians' animist beliefs, though others claim that Fervanis was originally a depiction of Andruil, elven goddess of the Hunt, and of her tenet of the "Vir Tanadhal."

 

Fulmenos

Commonly known as "the Thunderbolt." Fulmenos depicts a bolt of lightning thrown by a wrathful god, though there is significant debate over which god it's supposed to be. Each of the Old Gods has been credited as a thrower while the target has been said to be anything from the lost city of Barindur to a jester who made a heinous pun. One of the Avvar gods might also be the thrower.

 

Satinalis

Commonly known as either "Satina" (after the moon) or "Satinalia" (after the holiday). Satinalis is traditionally depicted by the Celebrant, a seated man playing a lyre. In ancient Tevinter, it was known as "Mortemalis" and was represented by a warrior holding a severed head–usually that of an elf. It was renamed in the Divine Age and its original name and meaning has been all but forgotten.

 

Solium

Commonly known as "the Sun." There are two common interpretations of Solium. The first is that it represents the fascination of the early Neromenians towards the Sun and Moon, and that Solium is a depiction of both celestial objects. The second is that Solim originally represented the elven god Elgar'nan, known as the "Eldest of the Sun." According to the scholar Andvan Therastes, the shape of the pyramids of Par Vollen perfectly matches the constellation Solium.

 

Info from the Dragon Age wiki.

#dragon age #dragon age meta #evanuris #tevinter old gods #archdemons #long post #aisteach ponders #aisteach posts

[voiceofghilannain]

The Old Gods and the Evanuris linked through Abrahamic Angels

Since the launch of Dragon Age Origins, there have been several attempts over the years to discover a connection between the Old Gods and the Evanuris. Some people have theorized that they are all one and the same, others that the Old Gods are their pet dragons, bearing parts of their souls, and some that the souls of the Evanuris are bound to the bodies of these dragons. Regardless of the nature of their connection, one question has always plagued everyone: “Which Old God corresponds to which Elven God”.

To answer this question we must look at the clues that Bioware has left regarding their attributes in their names and in those of their high priests, the Magisters sidereal. We must also take into consideration that after Mythal’s murder and the corruption of the Evanuris by the blight their roles might have changed and we must also examine the issue of the gender mismatch between the two Pantheons. To do so, we must first get rid of an old biases and assumptions, such us the almost universally held belief that Lusacan corresponds to Falon'Din. While, the Codex entry for constellation Tenebrium seems very convincing when it comes to connecting Falon'Din and Lusacan, what if it was only a logical in universe astronomical connection based solely on the owl being a night creature? What if Bioware used it to deceive us and there was a different message hidden in it? Bioware is known for hiding information in plain sight and they have done that many times in the past. Therefore, what if the connection between the two Pantheons is found within their names and had been in front of us the entire time?

It has been known for several years that the Old God Dumat is named after Dumah (= Silence), the Angel of Silence in Judaism. One day I noticed that the word Razikale is very similar to Raziel. After this realization, I tried to look at all the other Old Gods and asked whether all the Old God names are based on Abrahamic Angels. To my surprise, I found many more similarities between these Angels and both Pantheons. Below I will analyze the names of each Old God and try to tie each to an Evanuris.

Dumat: The Dragon of Silence. Dumah: The Angel of Silence and the Stillness of Death.

Dumah is the Angel of Silence and Vindication. He is in command of tens of thousands of angels of destruction, charged with the punishment of sinners, and is the Prince of Gehinnom (Hell).

As first among the Old Gods, Dumat seems to be connected to Elgar'nan. The statue of Dumat in DAII after all is identical to the statues with the snarling mouth found in Elgar'nan’s bastion in the Emerald Graves. Furthermore, as far as we know Elgar'nan was largely absent from the Elven affairs, leaving much of the work to Mythal due to his temper, thus being a somewhat silent king.

Zazikel: The Dragon of Chaos and the Old God of Freedom. Zadkiel: The Archangel of Freedom, Benevolence and Mercy.

Zadkiel is the Archangel of Freedom, Benevolence and Mercy. According to some religious texts, Zadkiel is the one who prevents Abraham from sacrificing his son and thus is often depicted with a dagger or knife in hand.

Without much else to build upon, this ties him to Andruil, the Goddess of the Hunt and Sacrifice. Andruil’s ways taught elves to never let their prey suffer, which can be considered a teaching of mercifulness. Later, when Andruil became blighted and built weapons from what must have been red lyrium, she became mad and caused chaos and disease in her lands. Andruil’s madness is perhaps why Zazikel’s high priest was called the Madman of Chaos.

Toth: The Dragon of Fire. Temeluchus: The Angel of Torment.

For those familiar with linguistics, shifts between dental and sibilant vowels whether voiced or voiceless, aspirated or not is a common motif, as is the insertion or removal of vowels and nasal consonants m and n, and the switching of one vowel sound to another. So, while the two names might not be too similar, Toth can derive from Temeluchus if the middle part of the word is dropped.

Temeluchus is the Angel of Torment, a merciless angel, all fire. He is also designated as a caretaking angel set over children at birth or during infancy. Based on this one can assume that Toth corresponds to Sylaise. However, June is also a God known for his fire and is God of the Craft. Toth’s high priest is the Forgewright of Fire. This in-universe name seems to indicate a closer connection to crafting, thus favoring June more than Sylaise regardless of the properties of the Abrahamic Angel.

Andoral: The Dragon of Chains/Slaves and the Old God of Unity. Azrael: The Archangel of Death and Retribution.

Much like Toth, Andoral’s name can also be created by modification of Azrael.

Azrael is an angel of death. He is a psychopomp, an angel responsible for transferring the souls of the deceased after death and is depicted as a winged cloaked figure. In the Apocalypse of Peter, he is presented as an angel of Hell who avenges those who had been wronged during life, while in Judaism he is an angel of evil. In islamic hadiths it is Azrael that delivers the souls of the dead to Dumah.

If Andoral was based on Azrael, then he corresponds to Falon'Din, the God of Fortune and the Friend of the Dead.

I know this conflicts with the widespread view regarding Falon'Din and Lusacan, but the concepts of Night and Death were never connected in Elven lore. I will elaborate further on why another god is more fitting for Lusacan in Lusacan’s paragraph.

Urthemiel: The Dragon of Beauty. Uriel: The Patron of the Arts.

Uriel is an Archangel that serves as a patron of the arts and is called the Flame of God among other names. One of his attributes is Fire in one palm.

Urthemiel’s high priest was the Architect of the Works of Beauty. This points to a god dedicated to architecture. Sylaise was also known for designing entire pocket dimensions with palaces and ecosystems, such as the Grand Sonalium. Therefore, it appears Urthemiel is tied to Sylaise. Otherwise, Sylaise and June are tied to Toth and Urthemiel, respectively.

Razikale: The Dragon of Mystery. Raziel: The Angel of Mystery and the Keeper of Secrets.

I think the names and attributes themselves are self-explanatory here, clearly connecting Razikale to Dirthamen.

This is also the point where the gender of the Old Gods comes into play. In many languages grammatical gender doesn’t indicate actual sex/gender. In Greek, for example, the word Ήλιος (Ilios = sun - from Ancient Greek Helios) is male, but the sun has no actual gender. Likewise, the word άνθρωπος (ANthropos = human) is male but can refer to females as well, while the word φάλαινα (PHAlena = whale) is always female, yet it can refer to the male of the species as well.

In Dragon Age, all high dragons are female, but most Old Gods are male, except for Razikale. I, therefore, do not think that the gender here corresponds to their actual physical sex. If that is the case then, why is Razikale the only female Old God? I think the answer lies in Dirthamen’s other name: Falon'Din’s Reflection. The symbol of the female gender/sex is the mirror of Aphrodite. Thus, it could be that Razikale is referred to as a female as a reflection of Andoral being male. What is interesting to note here is that Andoral and Razikale are very similar in appearance, with Razikale having golden horns and Andoral darker colored horns. Andoral’s darker pigmentation reminds me of Falon'Din’s other name: Dirthamen’s Shadow.

It is possible that the Old Gods were regarded by their followers as male, in the same way that the Maker is regarded as male, and that only Razikale was referred to as female due to Dirthamen’s attribute as a reflection of Falon'Din.

Lusacan: The Dragon of Night. Lailah: The Angel of Night and Conception. Lilith: A She-Demon of the Night and Mother of Monsters.

Lailah is the Hebrew word for Night. Though the ending lah is a female ending, the Angel is often referred to as male. Lailah is said to move souls from Eden’s Garden to a mother’s womb. He is also a Guardian Angel during life, and at death transfers the soul to the afterlife.

The concepts of night and conception here are interesting as Ghilan'nain’s vallaslin in Inquisition is a stylized uterus with the vulva drawn beneath the slave’s lips.

The female Evanuris in the mural shown during last year’s E3 and the right Archdemon in one of the promotional art pieces, both share a moon crescent on the head and have body parts that connect them to the sea.

In the Dalish elf origin quest of Dragon Age Origins there is a statue of Ghilan'nain stepping over a crescent moon. We can therefore assume that when Mythal was forcefully kicked out of the pantheon through murder, Ghilan'nain absorbed her attributes tied to the sea, the moon and motherhood over the people, while Elgar'nan took over all matters of Justice and Vengeance.

Another possible connection to Lusacan is Lilith, the first wife of Adam and a she-demon of the Night. One of the various translations of the name Lilith is the “screech owl”. There are many similarities one can draw between Lilith and Ghilan'nain, starting with both being mothers of monsters who kill their children, and extending to other elements, such as their connection to the sea. These parallels can get even more interesting if we take a look at the beasts of the Sea and Land in John’s Apocalypse, as well as the locusts (human-animal hybrids) and the marking of people with the seal of God on their foreheads in the same book. However, since drawing attention to these similarities would derail this post far beyond its scope, I will only focus on the owl aspect of Lilith.

In the Hebrew Bible, the following is said about Lilith: “There the hoot owl shall nest and lay eggs, hatch them out and gather them in her shadow; There shall the kites assemble, none shall be missing its mate.“

Going back to the codex entry for constellation Tenebrium, also known as the Shadow, we can see how we could otherwise interpret it as the Shadow of the Screech Owl.

Lilith in the Dead Sea Scrolls: “Her house sinks down to death, And her course leads to the shades. All who go to her cannot return And find again the paths of life.” — Proverbs 2:18–19

“Her gates are gates of death, and from the entrance of the house She sets out towards Sheol. None of those who enter there will ever return, And all who possess her will descend to the Pit.” — 4Q184

For those of you who have read the Tevinter Nights these verses will probably bring to memory the descent of Ramesh’s group and what he discovered along the way.

Thus, from a design standpoint, I can see a much clearer connection between Lusacan and Ghilan'nain, than Lusacan and Falon'Din. This will also not be the only time a constellation matches two Gods not connected to each other. Constellation Silentir, for example, corresponds to Dumat and Mythal, yet most people consider Dumat to correspond to Elgar'nan. This mismatch is to be expected, as constellations are named based on what image people see the stars form, not on religious attributes between Pantheons they consider unrelated.

Finally, the Lusacan and Ghilan'nain connection has an important implication for Dragon Age 4. The last remaining Old Gods, Razikale and Lusacan, correspond to the two Evanuris rumored to appear in Dragon Age 4, Dirthamen and Ghilan'nain. In Solas’ mural shown during the previous E3, there are two Evanuris shown, one male and one female. Based on the several images of chimeras in Dragon Age 4 and on Tevinter Nights, we can say with near absolute certainty that the female Evanuris is Ghilan'nain. Meanwhile, as others have pointed out before, Dirthamen’s vallaslin fits wonderfully on top of the male Evanuris.

The appearance of Dirthamen and Ghilan'nain in the next game could have also been teased by Bioware subtly during Dragon Age Inquisition through the picture of what is most probably Ghilan'nain hugging a bear (Dirthamen’s holy animal) that breaths fire with a moon crescent on top of them.

All in all, these are my thoughts on the subject. I hope this wasn’t a tiresome read and that it provides a new perspective on the age-old debate. What are you thoughts on the Old Gods and Evanuris connection? Post them below in the comments. Until next time. - The Voice of Ghilan'nain

PS: Here is a short version of all the connections I drew between the two Pantheons and the Angels: Dumat - Dumah - Elgar'nan Zazikel - Zadkiel - Andruil Toth - Temeluchus - June Andoral - Azrael - Falon'Din Urthemiel - Uriel - Sylaise Razikale - Raziel - Dirthamen Lusacan - Lailah/Lilith - Ghilan'nain

#dragon age #dragon age 4 #da4 #evanuris #old gods #ghilan'nain #ghilannain #dirthamen #halla #lilith #lailah #raziel #uriel #azrael #temeluchus #zadkiel #dumah #lusacan #razikale #urthemiel #andoral #toth #zazikel #dumat #sylaise #falon'din #june #andruil #elgar'nan #mythal