Unlike other works of romantic drama I've experienced, I actually had to make him admit his love under such pain. And his face was the only image I wanted to recreate, so it was with mixed and impulsive feelings that I drew the first, and to this day, the one I feel most satisfied with, Daeran's homage.
Pov you and your boyfriend were sucking face in the war room and then your hair got tangled in his horns and you've been trying to untangle them for five minutes and he's almost dropped you five times and then the Local Little Shit™ comes in and starts pointing and laughing
My knight commander had a completely normal time in Blackwater and totally didn't give his definitely-not-boyfriend healer a heart attack while he panic casts breath of life
[Daeran] draws his head back, looking into [her] eyes, "Take me with you no matter where you go, and teach me to breathe again."
Beautiful commissioned artwork by @vahingoniloinenlapsi: Knight Commander, Kadira Storadottir (my KC) and Count Daeran Arendae of Wraith of the Righteous.
Muru (@vahingoniloinenlapsi) is a wonderful artist with wonderful prices, they're sweet, kind, considerate and wonderful to work with! Please consider commissioning from them.
- And there I was thinking you'd be first in line to feed me to some repulsive bugs.
- No, no, no, my dear Commander. I have standards. What's more, my feelings toward you may be quite, ah, tumultuous, but not altogether negative. So, if I were to feed you to some insects, I guarantee that they would be the most sublimely beautiful creatures you'd ever seen.
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I have no idea what Daeran was unleashing on the lich poster, but let it be butterflies.
I think one of my favourite things about Daeran Arendae and the writing around his aasimar heritage is how they deal with how the canon aasimar draw towards goodness manifests in him.
Is Daeran good? No. Is he good DEEP DOWN? Also no. He is not a redemption project for good-aligned commanders and he makes that clear and reaffirms this at every turn.
However, he does love goodness and kindness, whether he acknowledges it or not. He loves it in OTHERS.
His love affair with his fellow musetouched Aasimar, and a kind, uncorrupt priest (rare in his experience) Ramien, his bittersweet nostalgia for his mother and her charity balls, his tender and devoted care of the neutral good Ember at every opportunity, almost as though she were a little sister or ward to him.
Daeran isn’t drawn to do or be good in general (with few exceptions for those he cares for or when he feels affronted by attacks on personal liberty.) but he is drawn to those who are and do good.
Which just makes it extra tragic with how all those he had trusted have chosen the greater good above him.
It’s part of why I love shipping good-aligned Commanders with him. It really plays into someone finally choosing HIM above something as metaphysical as principle.