bemorch - Tumblr blog

bemorch · 2 months ago

Text

Tags by @vaguely-concerned

I’ve had a lot of people point out the easter eggs in these (the andraste’s grace, the portraits, the books, etc.), but this is the first time someone actually gets the more abstract messaging 100% right wow

I’ll take this chance to elaborate on the ideas in this a bit because I think the differences between their politics, the ways they view the chant, and their relationships, shape the way (I think) they would choose to depict themselves in a portrait.

Long text under the cut:

Starting with Cassandra, she's a character driven by duty and purpose, which extends to her interpretation of the chant. She views the Chantry as a means to a righteous, just and devoted society (although her interpretation of “justice” might not align with everyone else's). She is more than willing to go against the tide if she sees a violation of what she deems a fair system, even if that turns the world against her.

These traits are self-evident in the letter Leliana “Nightingale” sends her after the death of Divine Beatrix III:

«“I know that the Most Holy has spoken to you, Cassandra” the letter stated. “She wishes you to be her Right Hand, to serve her as you did the Divine before. What she considers is necessary, yet dangerous. (...) My own agents have watched as you perform your duties. You pursue your own missions for the Seekers with less vigor than you once did. You question more often, show compassion that would get you in trouble if they knew of it, and you rage at injustice that has become more and more obvious to those of us with eyes. I welcome the opportunity for us to work together in what shall surely be our most trying hours”». (The World of Thedas II, p. 223)

This, though, also reveals the differences between the way she and Leliana served as Divine Justinia V’s right and left hand respectively, and most importantly, their relationships to her (which I’ll get to later).

Cassandra is, above all, a soldier. This does not diminish her faithfulness, on the contrary, her belief in the chant is what fuels her morals and principles, and what she sees as her duty as a warrior. This is what made her rise to the position of Right Hand of Divine Beatrix III, it wasn’t only her feats -overthrowing the assassination plot against the Divine, slaying the magically controlled dragons (a feat that she herself insists doesn’t belong exclusively to her) - but her resolve to do so. As she herself puts it in a report to her Seeker superiors: “Yes, I was indeed there when the Grand Cathedral was attacked, and I fought with every ounce of my strength to protect the Divine. (...) I was willing to die to protect Most Holy, it’s true, and I almost did die. But fighting against such evil is my sworn duty.” (World of Thedas II, p. 221) .

This, I believe, would all be reflected in her Official Divine portrait:

Full armor, of course, not only as an expression of her history as a soldier (which, although lessened, doesn’t end with her appointment as Divine), but also as an extension of her metaphorical armor. Cassandra, although incredibly genuine and honest, is a woman who’s surrounded herself with emotional walls.

A powerful pose, as a way to show authority, strength and discipline, but within eye-level as to not show an arrogant sense of superiority.

Little to no personal decoration. She’s a blunt, no-nonsense person, she doesn’t see the point in displaying her own life in an official portrait where everyone can see it. With the exception of a small portrait of divine Justinia, of course, and “The tale of the Champion” (whether the last one was left "in-frame" on purpose or not, I’ll leave to your interpretation).

Strong Chantry imagery: the drapes, the banner… She does not play the Game or care much for it, so subtle messaging through objects, composition, colors, etc. would not be much of a concern for her (she would probably see the need of a portrait at all as vain). When asked how she’d like to be painted, she’d probably give an exasperated “I do not care, just get this over with” kind of response. By relegating the task to her advisors though, subtle class imagery would sneak in the painting: the orlesian, purple cloth, representing a superior wealth/social status. This would also symbolize how one of her best attributes can be one of her worst: her straightforwardness, and lack of tolerance for nonsense (in this case, noble’s machinations), would make her vulnerable to camouflaged manipulation/influence.

Her portrait heavily contrasts with both Leliana’s and Vivienne’s, because, although each does so from the other side of the political spectrum, both of them skillfully play the Game, even through their portraits. Cassandra’s, on the other hand, has an either boring or refreshing (depending on who you ask) sincerity in her plain depiction of herself.

Continuing with the Left Hand of the Divine; Leliana, despite fulfilling her role next to Cassandra for many years, plays her cards in a completely different way. Shamelessly quoting the Thedas Revolutions wiki: “If the Right Hand of the Divine is her blade in hand, then the Divine’s Left Hand is the one concealed in her sleeve”.

(I’ll be talking exclusively about a softened Leliana here, so as not to overextend this analysis).

Where Cassandra is blunt and inflexible, Leliana is sly and open-minded. While Cassandra does not give nobles the time of day, Leliana, as a former bard, revels in playing their game. Cassandra will rush to the direct and short path, even if more dangerous, while Leliana will take her time finding a roundabout (literally).

Leliana’s devotion to the Maker is, in my opinion, no greater or lesser than Cassandra’s, but it is more unconventional. Even ignoring her “vision” during the events of Origins, her interpretation of the chant of light is not one shared by many. As she explains in Inquisition, when asked about her plans if she were to become Divine: «The Chantry dictated where it should have inspired. It spoke of judgement instead of acceptance. It should encourage the good in everyone, rather than rebuke us for our sins. No one should be turned away from our doors. No one is without worth. Whoever you are, whatever your mistakes, you are loved. Unconditionally. “In your heart shall burn an unquenchable flame.”». She is, to some degree, something of a heretic. And yet, her devotion to her faith is undeniable.

Her portrait shows these same characteristics:

An approachable look: as @/vaguely-concerned eloquently put it, “I am here with you in this private space, you can tell me everything, I will understand”. From her pose, sitting down in a comfortable chair, looking at the viewer in the eyes, to the space she’s in: a simple, homey room.

Personal decorations: the lute, the portraits, the flower, and the amulet. All to portray vulnerability and connect to the viewer. Even the nug, Schmooples II, is an attempt to seem friendly. I mean, a Divine with such a “dirty” and common animal as a pet? Wow, she's just like me! This, although no less genuine, is a very calculated way to depict herself. She won’t reveal any real secrets or weaknesses of course. If Cassandra’s straightforwardness is both a strength and a fault, Leliana’s scheming can be as well. A person like her, so in love with playing the Game, can get lost in her own machinations even in front of a clear-cut solution.

Even though her priority here is to connect with the viewer -the world-, she is still very much a servant of the Maker -of the Chantry- shown through the Grand Cathedral visible through the window. She serves the people through the Chantry, and the Chantry through the people.

This is a new era for the Chantry, one where everyone’s welcome (“elves, dwarves, even qunari.”), one rid of archaic conventions of what means to be faithful. What better way to show this than with a portrait of the Divine’s elven lover displayed on her official portrait? (I am aware this only applies to a very specific worldstate).

A robe made of beautiful materials and textiles. Elegant and ornamental, but not a vulgar display of wealth. A nod to her love for shoes, fashion, and orlesian customs.

And, of course, a portrait of Divine Justina as well. The position, size and context is different from Cassandra’s as a way to highlight the aforementioned differences between their relationships with Dorothea. In Leliana’s case, the portrait is big, hanged in a high, visible place, just above her, as if watching over her. She was, as she herself says, the one who “saved her”, and who motivated her to dedicate herself to the Chantry. Cassandra, on the other hand, even though devoted to Justinia, had a far more superficial connection with her, more by duty than by affection. She even admits it in a series of banters with Sera:

“Sera: You better yet, Cassandra? Can you tell me what she was like? Cassandra: Who? Oh, the Divine? Yes, I'm sorry. I'm not used to such... unorthodox displays of faith. Most Holy was a visionary. I served as her Right Hand, and would have done so as long as she needed me. Sera: But you didn't know her. Cassandra: I just said, I served as her Right Hand. Sera: Fine, whatever. I'll ask Leliana. You can tell there was something with those two. Family pain, there.” “Cassandra: I... You were right, Sera. I find I did not know Justinia at all. Sera: Shame, right? She was pretty.”

This is why, even though she was an equally influential figure in Cassandra’s life, her portrait is smaller, less visible, looking in the opposite direction as her. They worked together, she would’ve sacrificed herself to save her life, but they didn’t really know each other.

And lastly we have Vivienne, equally subversive as she is conservative. The first mage Divine, but also the most traditional out of the three candidates. A deeply complicated woman.

I find that Vivienne is often misrepresented in fandom spaces, oversimplified as just "the conservative mage". She's not afforded the same complexities as her mage peers, for whatever reason (I think we both know the reason). The thing is, Vivienne loves control, loves power plays, but her politics on mage freedom don't come from that, but from a genuine wish to protect her fellow mages. She is, in my opinion, one of the characters most empathetic to mages, even if her ideas of what's best for them are widely different from most. Even if subtle, her reaction to finding the rebel mages left the tranquil behind (and were subsequently used by the venatori to make the ocularum) is one of absolute outrage. Her worry for mages doesn’t end with the “useful” ones, so it’s not about controlling a potential asset, it extends to those most overlooked by the Templars, the Chantry and the rebels.

I’d divide Vivienne's opinionated dialogue in 3 layers:

Her opinion is backed by rational arguments, she’s sincere about what she's saying.

Despite her arguments being factually true, her opinion is motivated by emotional ones. As in, her real reasoning would be indefensible, so she disguises it with a factual argument. The tried and true method used by real life conservatives. (She *is* nicknamed the iron lady, an alias for a real-life certain someone…)

Although at first glance, it might appear that she's using the strategy from the previous point, she genuinely believes what she's saying. So like layer 1, but with the cadence & condescending language she would use for nº2.

The fun part of her portrait is figuring which parts of it belong to which layer:

The mirror: either a representation or her arrogance/narcissism, or a symbol of watching one's back. She is in fact in a very delicate position. Not to repeat myself too much, but Vivienne's greater strength, her ability to take the bourgeois’ wants and desires and twist them into power for herself, is a double-edged sword; her loyalties are fragile, she has to align herself with their interests lest she lose influence. She has (almost) no truly loyal allies.

Reading the chants of light, a so on the nose depiction of her faithfulness, you wouldn't be wrong to think she's making fun of you. I also wonder to what extent she is religious, this could be a facade just to gain power in a world where religion is at the top of the pyramid. (I strongly doubt that is the case, but I do think she’s not as religious as she would make herself seem). Again, she's in a very very difficult situation as the first mage divine, so she has to do everything perfectly. Any slip, no matter how small, could be fatal.

Three colors: blue, red and green. The blue is a symbol of class, and her life among the orlesian nobility (she does love their decor). The red, a symbol of the chantry, this one's pretty straightforward. And then, almost hidden, the green circle tomes. Both a throwback to her first personal quest, and her dedication to the circle.

Gold everywhere. Fully undisguised ostentatiousness. From the purple stool (class symbol), to the mirror, her wand and her clothes. This one is a vulgar display of wealth, but a very intentional one. If Leliana appeals to the farmer, Vivienne does to the noble.

Anyways, that's about it, I don't really have a big conclusion here beyond the fact that all three Divines are different enough to be interesting on their own, and similar enough to complement each other. This is even further driven home by their canon portraits clothes colors: Cassandra has red and black, Leliana has white and red, and Vivienne has white and black. All of them share one color with each of the other two candidates, with gold as the unifying color.

Thanks for reading if you got this far, and thanks to everyone's tags on this post (and every post I make), I rarely reply, but I read them all :)