#jacobus

[cadaveerie]

cw: child abuse and non-sexual grooming

VEILGUARD SPOILERS (from lucanis' writing, a mission towards the ending and a little general)

About Lucanis and the Antivan Crows...

after finishing datv, I can finally say for sure that despite the fact that i find this game was overall fine, there are several things about it that have disappointed me. one of those things is about lucanis (and it's not even the only thing about lucanis that bothers me, but we'll leave that discussion for another time, because there's a lot to say about the writing).

in this game, Caterina Dellamorte (lucanis and illario's grandmother) is portrayed as a woman that's cold and demanding. not particularly nice, lucanis fully acknowledges that she's not exactly the loving type, and it's easy to assume things about her and about their relationship based on that... but for some reason it's never addressed that she abused lucanis when he was a child, by beating him and starving him. this is something that you can read in lucanis' story in tevinter nights, the wigmaker job, which was lucanis' introduction.

"Memories of sweat-filled days without food or water came unbidden Lucanis’s back tingled from where his grandmother’s cane had bruised his flesh for letting his guard down or fumbling his footwork. For years, he’d hated her. But his time as a Master taught Lucanis that Caterina’s cruelty was her way he was prepared for this life—that he survived."

I was waiting to finish the game before I said it, because I expected him to mention at some point but... no, nothing. I don't know if there's anything in a codex or something specific I missed, but even if that's the case, I expected it to be significant at all. it wasn't.

i'm not even going to get into what lucanis should feel about this. before the game came out i talked about some of my hopes for him based on the info we had about him, and imo there was not even half of that level of depth to his character. but i wouldnt have minded if the game went in another direction, or if lucanis simply just wasnt open to discuss it, or if he came to the conclusion that it was fine. i won't get into how "problematic" thinking that is, because i could understand that he tells himself that, and as a fucking assassin, i understand that he's come to terms with it because otherwise he probably wouldnt have survived in such a dangerous enviroment. i won't get into it bc as i said, i can understand it. my problem is that lucanis never says it. he never tells rook or anyone else that caterina abused him, or that the crows overall are very abusive and that they do this to children and break their minds basically in order to become emotionless living weapons. and if this is said in any banter, then i missed it in my 91h of gameplay, and i had lucanis in my party every single time we went outside. or it might be in a codex entry, idk. the point is that even if that's the case, that's not a great way to tell this info, especially when in the story theres no other way to learn anything like this about the crows. ppl that i talked to that didnt read tevinter nights didnt know this fact abt caterina and lucanis' past, they simply didnt cause how could they. I just wanted to say this because I think it's important to know if you like lucanis, or the antivan crows, and it's never even actually implied.

I also have many other issues with his writing, but the antivan crows are unfortunately also whitewashed. at least if you've played dragon age origins you know this, but our first antivan crow companion, zevran, talks about how he was taken as a child by the antivan crows. how he was literally bought by them as an orphan, and forced to become an assassin, and when he tries to flee, they attempt to murder him throughout the game. he even talks about how apparently some crows even made their members go through blood magic rituals to acquire abilities (SOUND FAMILIAR? IT'S LITERALLY WHAT ZARA DOES TO LUCANIS, ISN'T IT. HOW FUCKED UP). i think it's so disrespectful to dragon age's worldbuilding and so appalling that they simply... ignored all of this. I'm very upset that this was completely whitewashed. i wont get into it, but i assume they didn't show the crows being awful because, well... they have to be the good alternative for government in antiva. the bad guys are the antaam, and that's it. but one of the things i always loved about dragon age is how they treat these sort of political things. as i said, in origins the crows were more of an antagonistic figure, but at least it made them feel more real and serious. and people loved the crows like they were, fucked up assassins. in this game... idk, am i supposed to believe the assassin guys are nice? why hide the ugly? of course it's gonna be there, and it's ok. irl it happens a lot that oppressed people have to rely on groups that are less than ideal for their liberation, and a lot of times citizens are kinda ok w it bc no one else will stand up for them, so they have to work w what they have, and they're just relieved theres someone there for them. and it also shows that people are not perfect victims. if you're putting ppl in a corner, at some point ppl are rarely gonna care about being "good", and it's only human. and im not even gonna get into being an antivan crow rook because... sigh, it's more of the same. just disappointing. rook even mentions that theyre an orphan. and im pretty sure in the final mission about treviso, at least if you helped jacobus, he is like "i'll take in orphans and give them a chance". oh man, yeah. cool. please tell me how you'll raise them to be, im so curious to see how you won't groom children and abuse them into becoming mindless cold soldiers. that's fucking insane. this feels like fucking US army levels of propaganda and grooming. i love when we normalize child soldiers that's so fucking awesome i love this "woke" game when it's pro-military and anti-fucking-questioning-anything-a-military-force-does.

i even wondered if all of this has been retconned or simply ignored. i dont have a problem w retconning overall, and it's only natural it would happen in a franchise that's as old as DA, but the thing is... why would you do it. it literally just makes them flatter, it doesn't make any fucking sense.

so yes. im VERY disappointed in this game and the writing. this is one of the many things in the writing that disappointed me. the antivan crows are an organization that bring hope, and im perfectly fine with them being portrayed as "saviors", but im not ok with them conveniently not addressing any of their very bad issues. it's unrealistic. it's disrespectful to our intelligence, to dragon age fans and to dragon age origins. it's disrespectful to characters like zevran, who got into an insane war with them for a fucking reason. it's disrespectful to every antivan crow character to be honest. and im sorry, i dont even think this is insane to ask from them. like.... im literally just asking for consistency. they had it already, i dont understand why they did this. i had faith in them, but perhaps that's on me. im so heartbroken.

and i promise i actually think the game overall is ok. it was fun. definitely one of my least favorite games, if not my least favorite, but still. i appreciate it, and LOVED. LOVEEED some scenes. in fact, it might have at the very least one of my favorite scenes from the whole franchise. i think this game has very low points, and very high points, so it's hard to say what i think about it in few words.... but there are so many things like this in the writing, and it's just SO upsetting and disrespectful. im sorry. im truly sorry, you don't know how much i wanted to love this game and the writing. you have no idea. but i have self respect, and i don't lie to myself when i see something i dont like. it feels like they're whitewashing the crows cause we'd be too stupid to understand complex political issues. i thought this game was mature and could handle mature themes, but it doesnt seem like it's the case anymore. perhaps bioware is dead. i still want to believe they can come back from this but......... the post credit scene doesnt reassure me AT ALL. sigh. im just upset and sad. and as i said, this is only one of my many issues. i'll talk about the rest in the future, but im writing all of it down and i need time for that. i hope you understand that this comes from a place of genuine love. sorry i can't be happy about this game, but some of the stuff i see just ruins the rest for me.

edit: someone told me that apparently theres a banter when you go to dellamorte's villa and lucanis *implies* that he was beat by his grandmother (at least to another antivan crow rook). this whole post still stands though. i think that should have not been a banter that i (and im sure others) missed. and again, it also ties to how i think the crows as an organization and their methods were whitewashed. even if it's not particularly a lucanis problem, it could have been to some extent addressed by him.

[loustica-lucia]

DATV — When Lucanis isn't home🏹

Archery training gone wrong🙈

(Lucanis Dellamorte, Alba de Riva & Jacobus Egrativi, their adoptive son💜)

If I had a nickel for every time Alba got attacked to his right shoulder by his family members, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice. (he has scars on the same shoulder from fighting Illario in Murder of Crows, too XD)

Lil timelapse as usual <3

[abyssal-ilk]

why is there no option to pick jacobus up by the scruff like a kitten and just. completely remove him from treviso. why is this baby getting involved with war. he's like two years old

[skelebellie]

yes, there is no right answer in the treviso vs. minrathous choice. but watching jacobus suffer in agony bc of the blight infront of rook is among the 100 reasons why it’s not cannon to my rook.

[ladygelfling]

Drew this for Mother's Day. Tessora and her "kids". Harding, Bellara, and that pink and purple griffon could also apply. 🤣

[brainwyrmz]

This Cage Was Once Just Fine: ch. 10

Lucanis x Rook ft. Spite as an unhorny but spirited third wheel 

Rating: Explicit (for smut reasons)

ch. 10 / (?)

tiny snack of a chapter.....setting up my slow poison angst like a wretched fly plotting with its evil feelers

[anddoodle]

Happy Birthday to one of my best friends @kiyan200

[paxvoik2]

Ok but Jacobus looks so young he doesn't look older than 11. 😭So tiny even next to Marcus.

[bi-astolfo]

Why is Jacobus so caked up?

[yagodichjagodic]

End of the roll

[getemde]

Saint-Usmer, Binche/ Reliekarm van de heilige Jacobus toegeschreven aan Godfried van Hoei, ca. 1150-1160 en Reliekarm van de heilige Petrus, Hugo d'Oignies, ca.1230

[nightingaletrash]

I'm so proud of Jacobus actually, I spent so much of the game fretting about him going down a dark path, I really came to care about someone that bioware could have left as a one note npc and I was so proud of him when he overcame all that darkness and pursued justice instead of revenge.

He's easily one of my favourite npcs in this game outside of the major cast; its going to be hard to do a run where I save Minrathous instead of Treviso ;-;

[loustica-lucia]

DATV — Jacobus Egrativi

"Let those of one wing find comfort and kind. We choose to be kin. We choose to be strong. We choose how to fly. We are House Egrativi, and we are Antivan Crows."

— Jacobus Egrativi

[vlkphoto]

Knotting

I-83 swings up and over a half-frozen Lake Redman near Jacobus, PA.

[awardenandacrow]

Naimy has a VERY complicated relationship with the concept of motherhood, and fears she’d be a terrible mother (because her own was Not Great). I feel like she would be hyper aware of the pressure on Lucanis to have kids, and it would be too soon after endgame to REALLY know if Wardens can more easily have kids now, and she’d really struggle with all the expectations and concerns and have a hard time riddling out how she felt outside of all the expectations she feels hanging over her head.

I feel like Davrin, Taash, and Teia would have to have a sit down with her (and Teia would *conveniently* bring along Jacobus) and basically be like “stop being dumb. If you want to have kids, you’re gonna be an awesome mom.” Bonus points: Jacobus is like “yeah look how I turned out.” Bonus points 2: Lucanis set it all up because he knew she was struggling and didn’t know how to help her. Bonus points 3: SURPRISE she’s already pregnant.

Yaknow, part of me thinks that Lucanis would be terrified of continuing his family's lineage. There's been so much blood and sweat and trauma in his life, and of course Caterina wants nothing more than to have little Dellamorte great grandchildren running around.

Can you imagine the pressure he must feel? Being how he is now? What he is now? I'm guessing that, before the Ossuary, he thought it'd be a business thing, getting married. Something sort of... decided for him with his input.

But here he is, First Talon and in love with his saviour. The world's saviour. He can hear his grandmother now. Good genes. Better reputation. Caterina looks between them and taps her foot and Lucanis knows she's not so subtly telling him to get a move on already, she's not getting any younger.

But he's still so scared. He's scared of failing. Of complications. Of losing Rook in the process--

But then one lazy morning he has Rook in his arms, and they tell him between slow, sweet kisses, in no uncertain terms "I want to have your kids"

I think that would awaken something in him

[goryhorroor]

part two of my appreciation for tim jacobus: the man whose book covers haunted my nightmares