inquisitivelee

[inquisitivelee]

"I wish it could, Vhenan"

[inquisitivelee]

Mythal & Solas - were they romantic?

Heres the thing - The devs made it ambigious on purpose in veilgaurd, for YOU the player to chose. It was left open purposefully for your own world building needs as they tend to do sometimes. So what I write below is based on what ive seen and my own world state, but if you hc something different thats totally fine and prob by design by the devs. If they wanted to clear up the relationship they wouldve, but they didnt on purpose. Lets start with what I personally think - Solas and Mythal loved each other - it was a mother son type of relationship or atleast a gaurdian and charge type relationship : No Solas and Mythal were physically intimate but never romantically linked or it was one-sided: No Solas and Mythal had a romantic relationship that was imbalanced and complicated: No Solas and Mythal were in a complicated toxic friendship: No...but close Solas and Mythal had a deeply complicated emotional connection - they loved each other, but it wasnt simple as a romantic, physical or as simple as just friendship: Yes Lets start by ripping off the bandaid - first things first - :

Its implied Solas has NEVER been IN love before. He had no clue what being in love would mean or intail because he never had been in love before, thats the only way that sentence can make sense. But what was Mythal then? Well take a look at Veilgaurd - the entire point ( one of them, it was also about regret and greif, letting go of the past to make a new future, etc, but we’re talking about the relationship aspect rn) of veilgaurd was to break the social norms of gender, sexuality, and what it means to love someone. Solas absolutely loved Mythal and yes Mythal loved Solas. Its why she let him kill her, its why whoever inherited Mythals fragment and memories could never stand to raise a hand or even THINK about standing against Solas - Morrigan who famously hated and spited Solas before Mythals memories , coudnt even stomach the thought of striking him down in Veilgaurd when Rook asks if she will stand against him.

(full gifset here x by Lucaanis) That being said - It was a deeply unablanced toxic relationship regardless, and one Mythal and even Solas acknowledged as being flawed. It was to the point that Mythal regretted it deeply as seen by what she says in Veilgaurd, and it can be partially interpreted in INQ with her lament of regrets (i think it was also about the elven peple and the titans) (Also - Tumblr is limiting the amount of imgs so for some of these scenes you will have to look up on your own) Solas in INQ mentions how Mythal was a being of Retribution and the way the dalish viewed her was implied to be overly flattering and soft - Justice was a kind view of her, and he almost sneered the comment out. In Veilgaurd the fragment of Mythal stuck in crossroads was VERY quick to be offended, quick to anger, and very quick to attack anyone who she felt overstepped with boundaries (which their were many and very easily tripped) so it gives a pretty good insight into how Mythal was before in ancient arlathan and towards her own people, AND Solas himself. (The fact that she was considered the 'kindest' of the evanuris really puts how the evanuris were with the elves into perspective, given her personality) - Putting this in real quick, Mythal despite having this very prickly personality DID still help and wanted to help her people when asked, she did genuinely care - but it was being WORHTY in HER EYES to be worth the effort of her helping you that made her such a complicated character to deal with. Mythal - like Solas is not a black and white character, she has plenty contradictions and is very complex. - So imagine Solas and her relationship. She calls him love and coarces him into having a body, she only heeds his advice and wisdom when it furthers her own plans and coldly brushes solas off and lets the other evanuris insult him when he doesnt follow her placidly like a dog.

Whether Solas was struck by Mythal (I dont think he was, i think it was all verbal considering how Mythal could never seem to bring herself to actually HURT him or stand against him) or not, she deffinetly tore him down to nothing and often if Solas earned the moniker of being Mythal's lapdog - one who always followed after her and had statues in her temple even after all those centuries. I think its similar to a narcissitic parenting relationship in the way - it had to be done in HER way by HER rules and she was all fondness and affection but the minute he stepped outside of it or had conflicting opinions she lashed out at him or degraded him for not filling the role she wanted him to. Bellara says that ancient elves had an entirely different way of viewing and expereincing relationships - that friendship to them nowadays would seem like romantic in the past because of how closely connected they were to each other. You have to remember these were initially spirits that spent ages uncounted with each other in the fade before taking bodies and learning what emotions and physical feelings were. (They only ever embodied the one emotion or feeling. “Wisdom, compassion, despair, etc they were always one dimensional ) It would never be as simple as "Romance, platonic, or sexual". or rather "Mother, Lover, or friend". Theirs even a codex excerpt that said ancient elves would someties spend YEARS having sex to give you an insight to how time and emotions were different for them. I think Solas and Mythal loved each other deeply. I think Solas loved Fellassan deeply. I think Solas loved Wisdom spirit deeply. Because ancient elves felt deeply in ways modern elves dont seem to which is part of the reason Solas didnt even consider modern elves REAL. That they would so neatly pack their emotions in tiny catogories defied what elves once were, beings of pure emotion that came from spirits of the fade.

Relationships were not simple things and were deeply complicated whether it was platonic OR romantic in ancient arlathan. Does that mean that Solas loving Mythal platonically make their bond any less powerful? No I think that was the point in showing the redemption ending. Lavellan was swaying Solas but in the end Mythal had to be the one to release Solas. It wasnt that Mythal meant more to him or Lavellan meant more to him than the other. Both types of love were equally as powerful to Solas, because ancient elves loved WHOLY and ENTIRELY. Different types of love didnt mean less powerful, it was never a contest between the two. They both held his heart in very diferent ways, just as WISDOM and Fellassan did.

(Your heart can break for more than just romance love, theirs familial and friendship heartbreak. You can feel kinship - to the point of someone being your soulmate for more than just romance, theirs platonic soulmates too, thats the entire point.) Mythal represented everything he WAS, everything he had been, and been created for. His duty to his people, all his sacrifices. It HAD to have been Mythal in the end to cut ties because she was the physical representation of ALL OF IT leading up to veilgaurd. all the mistakes he made the pain he and she both caused.

it was never choosing one lover over the other - it was never a question of which love was stronger.

So in short - Mythal and Solas relationship is not simple - it was complicated and toxic, and yes they loved each other deeply, but no i dont think that meant it was physical or romantic.

[inquisitivelee]

Have you realized the parallel between Solas in the inquisition and the Inquistor vs Solas Ancient Arlathan and Mythal?

Romanced INQ or not btw but it does have more of an impact I think if he is romanced in this case.

Solas fully expected to be threatened, coerced, or outright derided into staying or leaving the inquisition when you first meet him.

Here you are a powerful figure of note rising to the height of worship the way the evanuris was in his eyes.

A powerful influential force of reckoning to the point they end up naming you “Herald of Andraste”, “Inquisitor”, and more infamously “The Dread Inquisitor” (I’m coming back to this one just hold on)

But when a kind Inq talks to Solas about helping the breach? A romanced Lavellan says “I woudnt let that happen to you” when he expresses concern about being hunted or killed or blamed or even attacked by the inq and humans.

Because when Solas didn’t willingly fulfill the role Mythal wanted? She casted him out, blamed him, derided him and let her fellow evanuris hunt him. She could never bring herself to do it by her hands but she never tried to stop or discourage them for doing it to Solas.

And even when Solas DID fulfill Mythals role she wanted , she still let them call him her lapdog even if she never actively participated in name calling and insulting him, she never stopped everyone else from doing it.

So again - Inq saying they woudnt allow it and Solas looking disbeleiving and saying curiously and flatly “how would you stop them?” Because he’s heard empty promises and reassurances for centuries with Mythal.

And then Lavellan says it firm, with conviction , “however I had to.” And he looks so earnestly surprised and appreciative. The first time anyone has ever stood up for him.

Solas has always been the one to stand up for others, and never had it returned like that until then, over 2,000+ years later which is honestly so fucking sad to think about.

The bigger and more powerful you become the more Solas becomes torn and resigned. You come to him for wisdom, but not just for battle tactics or war like Mythal had, but for stories and knowledge of the world - what he was truly made for and what he was created to be . But power changes people, and it corrupts, He has seen and known this all his years of being alive.

Mythal pushed and coerced and didn’t let up - "have a body, follow me, make me a weapon, command my armies, follow me into godhood," and it was either yes or no. All or nothing with Mythal.

But Inq gave him a third option which strikes him again. They listen to him and heed his advice. He isnt just there for battle or war tactics,and hes allowed to paint and read, and play cards and just be in the inquisition. “Take all the time you need.” when a romanced Lavellan accepts his need for space and gently gives it without question.

He’s surprised again, immediately grateful and craves her company immideately afterwards, even if it isn’t with romantic intentions. And she lets him.

She stays to talk “I’m relatively certain we’re awake now I’d like to talk.” Solas says. And shes just..there with him, amazingly with no conditions or strings attached. Allowing his space and boundaries and just being there as his friend in that moment.

She gives him her time and affection even without romance attached, and he feels for once seen and heard. She accepts all of him and is willing to accept any boundaries he sets.

When he goes to mourn she doesnt push to be with him or make him come back to her as a dog at heel. She lets him be alone, gives him the choice to leave and even not come back .(its implied when Solas says he decided to return and stay in the INQ after Wisdoms death, Solas was considering leaving altogether. INQ allowed it. Allowed an apostate elven powerful rift mage to wander off not knowing if they would ever return and accepting the consequences on their head if he didnt. How must that have shocked Solas?) She gave him time to be by himself and greive. The choice to leave without scorn without being hunted.

Setting boundaries isn’t rewarded with punishment like it was with Mythal either. He’s not attacked or does not have affection from Inq revoked when done something she doesnt like, or when he disagress or argues, like it was with Mythal.

She loves him and who he is unconditionally, and he cannot beileive it . He’s struck and can’t help going back to her again and again because of it, even knowing he’s lying to her and he shoudnt.

In over 2000+ years he’s never had that type of relationship with ANYBODY - he craves physical contact and kisses her with his whole body. He’s the first to say he loves her and calls her his heart constantly.

But it can’t continue.

Solas says - and it is true (paraphrasing here) “All organizations become corrupt when they get too powerful / become to big.” Which was a foreshadowing of inq in trespasser , but also spoken as a creature of Wisdom who has seen it happen for literally centuries over and over again.

He was NEVER going to stay with the inquisition forever, even if he had decided to not tear the veil down or not walked away from Lavellan.

He would’ve been refilling his shoes from the past in Arlathan only in a different way . And he never wanted to go back to that past - not in that way ( He wanted to save his people and bring back the beauty of the empire, not the social structure and how it crushed and corrupted.) He wouldve had learned nothing as a chracter or developed as a character if he wouldve just placidly filled that role again forever. Solas is anything BUT placid, it was never going to last.

And we never see Solas reaction at the end of INQ when Lavellan chooses to either disband the inquisition entirely or cut it down to a mere quarter of its original size and join the chantry as a minor peacekeeping organization.

But I imagine he was shocked again that Lavellan would give up that power, hear his wisdom and heed it (He mentions to Cassandra - paraphrasing again - that hes suprised Cassandra willingly gave up the power of INQ to someone else as so rarely anyone lets go of such power once they have it, and how it speaks of her character and her honor) , and how it must’ve hurt him again to think that she would end up exactly like Mythal did, and to compare her to Mythal and the evanuris, as another being changed by power.

She was never like them, never was going to be like them, and i think it wouldve struck (as it seemed to in INQ with some snide remarks he made about Mythal being a benevolent mother figure) that it was never just the power and the evanuris that made Mythal the way she was, its was fundamentally Mythal in the end who had failed him and her people.

It’s almost like the entire game he was waiting for the other shoe to fall, for the inq to reveal they would end up the way Mythal did.

Like in the mage quest when he kills the mages - he fully expects to be derided for wanting to save a spirit, for , calling them his friend, and for thinking death of the mages was a fair death for a spirit. Because after all, “it’s just a spirit” but not to him, to him it’s a life and he wanted all his entire existence for someone to see that, to see the world the way he did and listen.

And when Lavellan doesn’t just write it off, and lets him take his due, declares that the spirit was a life worth saving and killing for, he’s awestruck again and again.

The symbolism and parallels between the two are insane on other levels too.

Dread wolf and the dread inquisitor. (Dorian calls Lavellan this in his personal quest, assumably its one of the least flattering things theyre being called by enemies.)

Because even Solas saw the parallels of the inquisitor being forced into the role he was and he realizes a kind inq in the end is more like him than Mythal. Lost and trying to make a difference and drowning in the title placed on their shoulders they never asked for.

Just a little bit of a convo turner here but it’s relevant in a way - emerald knights were dalish elves fighting for the protection and freedom of their kin alongside mighty black wolves.

And all these centuries later here’s the original wolf - the dreadwolf fighting alongside the dalish scout trying to protect the elves and the people of Theda’s.

Do with that symbolism as you will .

[inquisitivelee]

It's all coming up Astarion.

[inquisitivelee]

Just really wanted to share some screen shots of my canonical Lavellan. Her hair is silver and her valasslin is gold but you can’t see the colors well in these pic lightings.

She’s a rift-mage.

And yes she loves Solas lol.

[inquisitivelee]

Thinking a lot about Solavellan in relation to immortality, or lack thereof lately.

It's like, she was lost to you from the moment you met her. She runs through your hands like sand from an hourglass when you touch her. You'd rather be hated by her forever, and lose her that way, than watch her slowly die by your hand, because of your mistake.

And then, in the end, you never have to fear losing her again.

[inquisitivelee]

something about "what i feel for you will never change" from a man who has lived for thousands of years, when in that time his feelings for absolutely everyone else he knew and loved did change. something about his last promise (he assumes) to lavellan implying that she is different from anyone else he's loved. something about her rare and marvelous spirit that makes him so eternally in love with her that he has to let her know in case one of them doesn't survive. something about loving her for the rest of his immortal life.

[inquisitivelee]

A landscape commission for @dreadfutures plus a little Lavellan. This was insanely challenging to make and ended up taking months to make; many hard but valuable lessons learned in the way. Endless thanks to Blue's patience and trust in this 🙌

I don't usually add the process video into the art post itself but here it goes below the cut

[inquisitivelee]

early light ☀️

rook x davrin with assan commission for @/alays.version over on insta 🩵

[inquisitivelee]

INQUISITION TRAVEL TIMES

requested by a bunch of people tbh

distances taken from this and this, transport speeds from this

more maps: origins, awakening, thedas, assorted

request a map!

all the routes below begin at skyhold

map close-ups here

to redcliffe village (1) / fort connor (2)

total distance: 220 miles | horseback time: 10 days 70 miles on mountainous roads to haven : dark purple 8 days on foot | 4 ½ days forced march | 3 ½ days on horseback | 2 days fast carriage | 1 day horse relay + 120 miles on mountainous roads to the hinterlands outskirts : dark green 13 days on foot | 6 days on horseback | 3 days fast carriage | 2 days horse relay + 30 miles on hilly trails to redcliffe village : orange / to fort connor : light purple 2 days on foot | 1 ½ days forced march | 1 day on horseback | ½ day horse relay

to hargrave keep (5)

total distance: 290 miles | horseback time: 2 weeks 220 miles to fort connor (see above) 10 days on horseback + 50 miles on marshy tracks to fallow mire outskirts : dark blue 5 ½ days on foot | 3 days forced march | 2 ½ days on horseback | 1 day horse relay + 20 miles in marshland : dark red 3 days on foot | 2 days on horseback

to crestwood village (4)

total distance: 205 miles | horseback time: 1 week 40 miles on mountainous roads : light pink 4 ½ days on foot | 2 ½ days forced march | 2 days on horseback | 1 day fast carriage + 165 miles on roads : light blue 10 days on foot | 4 ½ days on horseback | 3 days fast carriage | 2 ½ days horse relay

to the storm coast (3)

total distance: 295 miles | horseback time: 8 ½ days 205 miles to crestwood village (see above) 1 week on horseback + 90 miles on roads : dark pink 4 ½ days on foot | 3 days forced march | 2 days on horseback | 1 ½ days fast carriage | 1 day horse relay

to suledin keep (6)

total distance: 195 miles | horseback time: 11 days 170 miles on mountainous roads to sahrnia : yellow 3 weeks on foot | 1 week on horseback + 25 miles on mountainous roads, steep incline : dark blue 4 days on foot | 2 ½ days on horseback

to din’an hanin (7)

total distance: 165 miles | horseback time: 2 weeks 195 miles to suledin keep (see above) 11 days on horseback + 70 miles on hilly roads : light green 5 days on foot | 3 ½ days forced march | 3 days on horseback | 2 days fast carriage | 1 day horse relay

to the dalish camp (8)

total distance: 340 miles | horseback time: 2 weeks 195 miles to suledin keep (see above) 11 days on horseback + 145 miles on roads : dark pink 1 week on foot | 3 ½ days on horseback | 2 ½ days fast carriage | 2 days horse relay

to halamshiral

total distance: 180 miles | horseback time: 5 ½ days 40 miles on mountainous roads : light pink 4 ½ days on foot | 2 ½ days forced march | 2 days on horseback | 1 day fast carriage + 140 miles on roads : turquoise 1 week on foot | 4 ½ days forced march | 3 ½ days on horseback | 2 days fast carriage | 2 days horse relay

to adamant fortress (9)

total distance: 585 miles | horseback time: 3 weeks 180 miles to halamshiral (see above) 5 ½ days on horseback + 375 miles on roads to western approach outskirts : orange 3 weeks on foot | 10 days on horseback | 1 week fast carriage | 4 ½ days horse relay + 30 miles on sand : light blue 5 days on foot | 3 days on horseback

to solasan (10)

total distance: 690 miles | horseback time: 1 month 585 miles to adamant fortress (see above) 3 weeks on horseback + 95 miles on sand to forbidden oasis camp : dark purple 16 days on foot | 10 days on horseback + 10 miles on sand : mint 1 ½ days on foot | 1 day on horseback

to rock top ridge (11)

total distance: 655 miles | horseback time: 1 month 585 miles to adamant fortress (see above) 3 weeks on horseback + 45 miles on sand to hissing wastes outskirts : dark red 1 week on foot | 4 ½ days on horseback + 25 miles on sand & rocks, steep incline : turquoise 4 ½ days on foot | 3 days on horseback

[inquisitivelee]

Solas steeped in remorse after cutting the titans off from their dreams while the rest of the Evanuris, including Mythal, celebrate a war won. The light of wisdom leaving his eyes, hiding behind guilt, shielded by pride.

"He did not want a body. But she asked him to come. He doesn't want to be chained, tied together wracked and raging. He left a scar when he burned her off his face."

(im still not good with backgrounds so for now i've been blurring out, blending, and changing the lighting to pics i find on pinterest just so that the background isn't plain.)

[inquisitivelee]

5am drawings

[inquisitivelee]

Dragon Age: Inquisition • Companion Romance Cards

[Dorian]  [Cassandra]  [The Iron Bull]  [Solas]  [Blackwall]  [Sera]

[inquisitivelee]

the lady inquisitor's elven serving man

coloring progress (wip)

[inquisitivelee]

cowboy crow

sequel to my cowboy alistair had to be zev lol

prints here!

[inquisitivelee]

Loyalty

[inquisitivelee]

pre-egg Solas with his Trespasser armor 🥚