#TECHNICALLY . for a codex entry

[mohntilyet]

to do me a great honor (SHE SAID YES!!!!!)

[wanderingibon]

won't say much abt it but i definitely am a bit disappointed in regards to the limited world state options, i get that theres not much we can do about it at this point- but admittedly it has very weird implications for lore, because for example who became divine affects what happened to circles, who drank from the well determines who's linked with mythal etc etc

but on the flip side im just trying to look for any positives like at least we got a da4 to begin with 😭could you imagine if this was still live service with microtransactions

[dathomirdumpsterfire]

star wars fandom scholars: obi-wan kenobi is from stewjon, and, he's just a normal human male.

me, blithely nodding: uuhhhhhuh yep. got it.

(and then i proceed directly back to writing obi-wan with Special Stewjoni Biology and 4 different 'configurations' in 4 different fics.)

[cupcakesinfedoras]

I love that you can see the Black City from the crossroads because it’s my favorite weird bit of lore that you can always see the Black City from anywhere you are in the Fade, and it’s always the same distance from you no matter where you are

you can’t see it from the Lighthouse, so I must assume that Solas didn’t want to see it all the time and positioned one of those floating islands so that it’s always in front of it and blocks it from view

[thalmores]

listen, I don’t care. I don’t care if veilguard is bad. I don’t give fuck if technically it’s sucks. Looks bad? I don’t care. Gameplay sucks? Don’t care. I’ve been waiting 10 years for this god damn game I *will* be eating all of it up, I will be playing it over and over I’m picking up every codex entry, every ore is mine, I will be jumping on rocks repeatedly, I will make every npc sick of me, count your fucking days solas cause I’m coming for your bald ass.

[ardentblossomings]

This has been requested a while ago, and I finally got around to doing it! The meanings behind the different vallaslin in Origins, Veilguard, and Inquisition. Disclaimer: Origins' (and thus also DA2's) vallaslin is technically an educated guess, but most vallaslin are either 1:1 the same or nearly the same as in DAI and DAVe, or have lore / development indicators as to why they are for certain gods.

This means that the first row of Origins' vallaslin is rather obvious, while the second row is the more tricky one. Sylaise is easy because "she brought [the elves] fire" (Codex entry: Sylaise: the Hearthkeeper). Meanwhile, Mythal's tattoo can be put down due to the fact that Merrill's vallaslin is a variation of Mythal's designs (according to Mary Kirby), and shares many similarities with the very last ones in the second row, which she wore in Origins.

While all three designs and their complex variations (Mythal, Ghilan'nain, Dirthamen) share some similarities (in my heart, Ghilan'nain's design will always be Mythal's as it looks the most like DAI's and DAVe's to me), we can still put down their respective gods. Dirthamen's design shares some similarities with Falon'Din's, which makes sense, as they are twin gods. Meanwhile, Ghilan'nain's design looks like halla horns - and she is, after all, the Halla-Mother.

As for companions pre-Veilguard, Merrill's vallaslin is Mythal, Velanna seems to be Ghilan'nain, and Marethari, albeit not a companion, changes from Sylaise to Dirthamen. Bellara's vallaslin is also a variation of Dirthamen, according to John Epler. Bonus: Fenris' markings look similar to June's vallaslin, and Davrin's vallaslin might be a variation of Mythal's.

Finally, as we do not have any confirmation for the DAO designs of Mythal, Dirthamen, and Ghilan'nain, I'd like to add that it is completely plausible for different clans to interpret them as belonging to different gods. After all, Dalish culture is not set in stone, but rather in re-tellings.

[bansept]

I took a look at the codex entries and now I think it's a bit more clear what's the relationship between Zizka and Katherine.

In the codex, the page for Katherine indicates the name Katherine means a lot to the historical figure of Zizka, as he was several times married to one. The name itself shows a close bond between them, as well as a way to represent all the women in those times that fought besides men.

I've seen a few times people saying that the two probably had something romantic going on, and therefore that it doesn't feel right to ship Katherine with Henry, since she's so loyal to him.

I'd say, the bond is here, it's clear and you could even imagine that at some point they fooled around. True enough. But considering how deeply wounded Katherine is, how afraid of love she is and won't commit to a relationship because she's certain her love won't come back alive, she wouldn't be in a relationship with Zizka, out of everyone. (He's kinda the type to not have a quiet life and head into battle.)

So, they're made to be close, Katherine is technically part of Zizka's history, but the more the story goes on, the more she grows into her own character and develops feelings that are not hatred.

[xepphir]

🎉 1K FOLLOWERS DTIYS CHALLENGE! 🎉

I can’t believe we’ve reached 1,000 followers! To celebrate this milestone, I’m hosting my first-ever DTIYS challenge featuring Epoch, the main protagonist of my Undertale fan comic, Codex Nova! 🥳✨

How to Participate:

1. Draw Epoch in your style based on the artwork below!

2. You can change Epoch’s pose, but the overall concept should stay the same.

3. Use the hashtag #xepphirdtiys so I can find your entry!

4. Tag me in your post and feel free to share in your stories for a chance to be featured!

Prizes:

🥇 1st Place: Featured on my page + a full drawing of your choice

🥈 2nd Place: Featured on my page + a half-body drawing

🥉 3rd Place: Featured on my page + a bust drawing

Deadline: October 31st

Important: I won’t be judging based on technical skill but on creativity, idea, and execution! So don’t be scared to join—everyone is welcome! 🫶

I’ll be posting this challenge on TikTok, Instagram, Tumblr, and Twitter, and entries will be accepted from all these platforms! Winners will be announced on TikTok and Instagram.

I’m so excited to see how you all interpret Epoch! Thank you for your amazing support; I can’t wait to see your incredible creations! 💖

[qhazomb]

i really hope sometime in the future we get another DOOM sequel, that brings the cosmic realm cult back into the picture.

like maybe they show back up to find doomguy and finally get revenge against him for killing one of their oldest gods. like, the witch is technically not dead, since in her codex entry it stated that the body she appeared with wasn't her true body, she just used it to appear outside her home realm. and i feel like she's one to hold a grudge.

alternatively, maybe they take notice of hell's defeat and decide to pick up where the demons left off, and take over the earth dimension, being fed up with staying stuck in their 'dying world' in the cosmic realm. maybe in this case ARC somehow manages to locate doomguy and wake him back up, 'cause if anybody's gonna be able to fight off invading cthulhus, it's him.

it'd also be fun if it's not so far in the future from the ending of ancient gods part 2 so that that one ARC employee who was doomguy's BIGGEST fan can show up again because i loved that guy. give doomguy a shorter time spent stuck in a big stone box from the last time he got locked in one, and give his fanboy a chance to work with him again :)

but yeah LET DOOMGUY FIGHT MORE CTHULHUS!!!

[inquisimer]

10. Note found in Rook’s pocket?

thank you for the prompt!! this one had me pondering, until I sorted out a riff on canon (: Arlow swipes this off Neve's desk when she sees it

Rook Codex Prompts | 10: A note found in Rook's pocket

-

Codex Entry: Neve’s Case Notes: Arlow de Riva

Varric wanted her for the job—that’s what I know. Why? Well, I’ve only ever known half of the why when it comes to Varric.

Came to Varric. Sigh.

Harding says she saved Varric’s life, in the same fell swoop that got her exiled from Antiva. Selfless? She doesn’t seem the type. More like Varric being there was a happy accident that someone took advantage of.

She’s capable, that’s for sure. Good with a blade and well in control of her magic. Should see if she’s willing to disclose Crow methods for that sort of thing.

Doesn’t seem miffed at the suggestion of a mage killer. Confidence? Or she knows its not what it reads as on the surface. Or just because he’s another Crow? Something more to her reaction at that suggestion—she agreed, but… something. Need to learn to read her. Coffee, maybe.

Knows about the Threads. Can’t wait to turn her loose on Elek.

House de Riva—known for their poisons, and not much else. On purpose? Fifth Talon is technically low, but Fifth and Seventh lead the rebellion. A ruse? An angle?

Rook. Varric said it was because she thinks in straight lines. But the piece itself is unassuming. Underestimated. What does it mean to her? She accepts it, but why?

Better sort out a coffee order that won’t offend her.

[thricegreatmagusaugustusofcrete]

Working the Grimorium Verum (P1)

A few weeks ago I decided that I was going to start working the Grimorium Verum. I read and reread and rereread the Grimoire and as much supplemental material as I could get my hands on (I'm referring to all of JsK's pdf books by Hadean Press and that one conjure codex entry by Al Cumins).

Goal/Intent

With that said my primary goal right now is to work towards creating a clay skull, created to the specs Jsk outlined in his notes on the Grimoire in his edition of the book. It is essentially reworking the invisibility spell of the second part into a spell that binds a spirit to the skull. Rather, in his words, "I strongly recommend making a crossroads the place of interment in a reconstruction of this rite using seven coins. The intention of this adaptation would be to make a magical head as a central feature of work with these spirits, a natural extension of the underlying symbolism," (The True Grimoire 160). The only change I am doing to what JsK states is that I am adding grave dirt to the clay for the skull.

The Work I've done thus far

Wednesday, 8/16/23, I began working to get the consecrating the materials necessary for the work. I started the second hour of Mercury at my local graveyard in my town. I asked the spirits of the graveyard to lead me to the grave most suited for my work. I was expecting to be led to a town founder or someone who died violently, rather they sent me to the grave of an old lady who died a hundred years ago on my birthday. This was not intentional on my end. I saw the grave from behind and I felt as though I was being pushed towards it and that it was the right choice for the work. I took the dirt left a coin and promised to pray for her for the next three nights.

I then got home as fast as possible so I could have the second half to craft and consecrate the Asperger and Aspergillus. For the Asperger, I used a black ceramic bowl that I painted the appropriate god names on. For the aspergillus, I took the three herbs, rosemary, (pepper)mint, and oregano (technically you are supposed to use Majoram, but I could not find any in my area and I plan to get the proper plant in the future, but for now both are closely related and I don't think it will do much harm to my work). I consecrated them according to the method in the Third part of the grimoire. Reciting the 7 penitential psalms took long than I thought it would.

Thursday, 8/17/23, in the second hour of Jupiter I engraved a spoon and a knife with Heramael's name and seal. The intention is based out of Goetic Pharamakos, by Jsk where they are used to collect plants in nature for me to work with, such as the branches for the wands. In the 1 night hour of Jupiter I consecrated the two items, however, I slightly adapted the consecration from Jsk's book on Eleogap so that it was to be a general consecration instead of an asperger and aspergillus consecration. The difference between it and the Grimoire's consecration is that it is Thelemic and instead of the psalms it uses chapters 3 and 5 from Liber LXV, which I thought would mean it would be shorter, well it was in the sense that for all things that after you waft the tools of the censer, you are supposed to recite the 7 psalms and psalm 71 and 116, so 21 psalms in total. Personally, I think there is a point where the more you recite over a ritual object the less of an effect it has on it. I could be wrong. Anyhow, below are pictures of the spoon and knife before I consecrated them.

If you have read this far. I thank you and apologize for the length and potential boringness of this blog post. My goal is to generate interest in the grimoire that is less about conjuring all the spirits in it and more about creating spirit relationships. As well as to document my progress and create discussion.

[bratgoatswiss]

Apologies for length, have to save the cut for spoilers.

I FINISHED VEILGUARD!

I have. So many thoughts and emotions about it and I'm still processing but I just wanted to counter some of the vitriol I'm seeing from people who are doing the Fandom thing with what I hope are reasonable, normal thoughts. Ha. Haha. Anyway. Mostly spoiler free but there's one small thing and one BIG thing that is that I'll put under the read more.

There was a lot to like about this game. The combat was fun and I think upon a 2nd playthrough it'll be even better. Some of it could get repetitive but its not a big gripe.

The characters were very endearing and felt well fleshed out as people and I enjoyed spending time with them. Most of the side quests were related to your companions in some way and I thought that was clever. Some were more interesting than others.

The writing has been contentious and I can see why. It can get cheesy and predictable in places, but overall I thought it was very similar to DA2. I enjoyed it and thought it reflected some realistic responses to what was happening around you. If you're here for gritty edgelord shit 24/7 go play Dark Souls you weirdo.

I can only speak for the Lucanis romance cause I love an angsty man, but it was perhaps, underpadded. It was slow and sweet and I did like it very much but I could have used some...more you know? I didn't even get to see my own tits and that's tragic.

Solas. I did not romance the egg in DAI. I do not like the egg. I liked how I got to handle the egg. So much. I've seen the Lavellan romance scenes and if there's any uproar from the Sollavellans (one l or 2?) it's because they didn't let you see the 2 of them fuck nasty in high definition for an hour. It's Rooks story now. You're fine. Go write fanfiction.

The lore. Hoo boy. Honestly they really did put everything in a blender and fished out what they liked. Everything is made up and the points don't matter. I don't LOVE that they retconned so much of what was in Origins. Zevran and the Crows especially seems really odd. I THINK the idea is that it's been like 20-30ish years since all that and stuff has changed or information was wrong or inaccurate or whatever? But that seems lazy. I wish they'd addressed it more with SOMETHING. But also there's 3 games worth of lore, not to mention comics and novels and like. I get it. But consistency guys. Add more codex entries or something. This is my biggest gripe. It did not impact my enjoyment too much. I loved what was added.

Spoilers below

That ending was so ABRUPT?! At least with DAI you got a ending party and final scene with your LI but here you get some end cards and voice over? I would have accepted that if we were getting DLC but this?? This is insane! Bioware I am begging on my knees to give us at least a "well we did it!" scene. The ending was epic but the ENDING was a disappointment.

Now. The suicide mission. I spent [redacted] number of hours investing blood, sweat, and tears of friendship into these 7 assholes and there is NO way to save 1 of them?? And you have to choose between Harding and Davrin??? Just those 2?? There should be a way to save them! Don't give me the no matter what crap! I don't want CONSEQUENCES I want FRIENDSHIP. If you could do it in ME2 you should be able to do it here. Also. Can we not have it be 50/50 heroic sacrifice with a black man? Like. I know you can technically choose but like why make it an option. It just feels weird.

So yeah. Initial thoughts and feelings. Overall good with some stuff I really disliked. I will be normal about this eventually.

I'll probably regret sending this out into the world when the sollavellens find me. Oh well.

[codex-entry]

i have no deep love for Gears of War, but I do think it is sincerely heartbreaking that it's reloading mechanic didn't catch on.

[idleindy]

Notes on the Lighthouse

Written for @veilguard-appreciation-week, day seven!!! A short codex entry I wrote for the final day, so happy I finished all of these!

Prompts: The Lighthouse, Valour, "We could continue this in the morning?"

Summary: Arlisell's observations on the Lighthouse.

Characters: None technically

You can also read this on Ao3!

(A note in Arlisell's journal on observations about the lighthouse; the date is unclear. Doodles dot the paper surrounding the scribbled text.)

This place is peculiar; I have never seen anything like it. Rooms can appear out of nowhere, much like the Necropolis rearranging itself at will, but that is where the similarities end. There is no cycle of time, the brightness of the fade shining no matter the time of day, the stove is running on some sort of magical energy, and perhaps the strangest of all, a simple desire is enough to conjure things here.

Just the other day, I had been longing for my paints that I had left back in my quarters at the Necropolis before I set out with Varric. I left the room to have a chat with Emmrich and by the time I returned there was a pile of blank books and painting supplies sitting on the table. Lace reported a similar incident with the plants in her room. I wonder what the purpose of this is, and where it is coming from.

This place used to belong to Solas, perhaps that has something to do with it?

I'm not sure, but I will have to compare my notes with Bellara and Emmrich. I suspect there is more to this place than we know.

[valiant-if]

I like to share these every once in a while because it's kind of neat to visualize.

The first image is all the passages in Chapter 1 + all of the passages that make the game run + codex entries (some of which are not yet presented in the game).

The second image is all the passages in Chapter 2 (so far).

Sometimes I merge multiple scenes into one story passage by using conditional statements, but only when it's more efficient to do so. I only color code the passages once I'm done importing the complete text, that way it's easy for me to see if I left a passage unfinished. They are also usually a lot more spread out when I'm working on a specific section, but then I condense them together once that section is done. Technically, I could condense them even more by stacking them on top of each other, but that makes it slightly harder to go back and make edits when necessary, so I prefer to leave the full passage names visible.

Anyway, right now I'm just cleaning a couple of things up and consolidating the links in the passages at the end of the team routes so they all lead to the correct places and I figured I'd share while I was at it.

Hope everyone is having a great week so far!

[broodwoof]

brood's (ongoing) meta masterpost

note: i almost always approach meta from a watsonian, in-verse perspective - there are only a few exceptions to this <- just adding this for additional context

most (not all!) are also on ao3, -> here <-

ghilan'nain codex entries and possible timelines involved

fen'harel/andruil/ghilan'nain - exploration of them as a ship, but also character explorations in general

mythal as abused and abuser, a sympathetic examination of her dynamic with her family and elgar'nan in particular

solas' pov upon waking in the new world

solas' jawbone

leliana in dai about her death if you killed her in dao

examination of the "mental stability" of da2 characters, based on a poll

small point about codexes having in-world biases

cole - spirit or human? and personal preference for the spirit route

mosaic order and meaning in fen'harel's sanctuary

theories following the corypheus battle (clarifying ask/new theory)

mythal & andruil | flemeth & morrigan - comparing these two duos and examining some elements that are repeated

orlesian culture

exploration of each divine's rule well after the ending slides

morrigan, anders, and solas, and their different narrative roles and priorities

mythal, flemeth, or flemythal - who she is, what is she like; opinions on her

mostly vivienne meta exploring her pro-circle views; touches on anders and sera as well: no character hate since i love them all

which companions (from all games) would join solas

dragon age and germ theory

solas and varric and how they interrelate

solas seeing others as full people earlier than he wishes to admit, and solas + sunk cost fallacy

calpernia and solas as another set of narrative foils

hypothetical da4 directions (add-on/extrapolation of one of the directions)

personal characterizations of the evanuris

impact of the breach in-universe

softened!leliana as divine and religious assimilation/schisms with elves

arlathan and germ theory, post 1; + a messy rambling exploration of arlathan's culture, including what kinds of power they valued, & a brief exploration of ghilan'nain and her role/inclusion in the evanuris

what "as this world burned in the raw chaos" means

the three divine options and their relationship to faith

solas tearing down the veil: why i think it was necessary, and how it relates to the in hushed whispers quest

sera & solas as narrative foils of each other

sera meta - positive bc i fucking love her

evanuris musings/frustration

da4 theories & hopes re: solas and mythal - post dec DA trailer drop

dalish & red vallaslin dalish history/divergent origins

qunari & dragon blood musings

the vallaslin removal

technically not meta but sorta related: visual representation of solas' duality - critique : alternative

forgotten ones as titans, in-depth (mini add-on)

vivienne de fer pt 1/?

morrigan - dao and dai

solas' sleep

cullen rutherford, positive

forgotten ones as titans, vague

the iron bull & solas

inky & solas - conversation in the fade & implications

solas' actions

theories on solas' distant past

solas' personality/behavior

theories abt solas as a spirit+demon & forgotten one (note: I got confused with mythal and flemeth's backstory)

my first meta of solas as one of the forgotten ones