#Thedas has so many food options

[old-archivist]

Foods of Thedas: Canonically Possible Food and Ingredients

For this post, these are a collection of foods, drinks, and ingredients that could be assumed in Thedas. They are based on the fact that they exist but are not stated that Thedosians eat them or their sources exist in Thedas. What makes them possible or suggested are that they are things we eat in real life or historically have been eaten.

So, this includes things like bear and gazelle to lotus and cattails food sources that are mentioned or shown but are not suggested to be eaten. All of these are things we know people can and do eat and therefore aren't outside the realm of edibility in Thedas.

Some ingredients are also included on this list based on their use in making the same foods in real life. ex) wormwood being used to make absinthe. While others are byproducts of a plant - ex) sunflower or flax seeds. These aren’t directly mentioned but are byproducts of their respectiver plants, and were historically available in the medieval period and seems likely to exist in the odd medieval/pre-industrial revolution era that is Dragon Age.

For Additional Food Posts

Dishes, Sauces, and Sides

Drinks

Raw Ingredients

Prepared Ingredients

Master Post

Raw Ingredients

Edible Plants, Fruit, and Vegetables

Edible Plants

Aspen - The inner bark is sweet and starchy. It is edible both raw and cooked, it can also be dried and ground into flour. Some aspens have edible catkins as well.

Beech - The young green spring leaves can be cooked as greens. The inner bark, once dried, can be turned into bread flour.

Birch - The inner bark can be dried and used to make bread flour. Strips of the inner bark could be eaten raw or boiled like noodles. The sap was edible directly from the tree or boiled down into a slightly sweet syrup.

Cactus

Cattail

Clover

Flowers

Cosmos

Daisy

Dog-rose - The rose hips and flower’s petals are used to make teas, preserves, jellies, and pickled relishes.

Elderflower

Gorse

Hollyhock

Jasmin

Lilac

Marguerite

Orchid - The dried corms (tubers) are used to make hot drinks.

Pansy

Peony

Poppy

Snapdragon

Sunflower

Tulip

Wysteria

Lotus - Both the roots and the large seeds are edible when cooked. However the seeds can be eaten raw.

Maple - Along with the sap, the inner bark of maple can be eaten cooked or raw. The seeds and leaves are edible as well once boiled.

Northern Prickleweed - Young prickleweed shoots can be eaten raw, cooked, or pickled.

Palm - Heart of palms are eaten as well as palm oil.

Pine - Aside from pine nuts, the pine pollen, pine cones - only the females, may be eaten once shelled and roasted. Pine needles are used for tea or chewed on for the juices, and the inner pine bark can be dried and ground as flour, used to thicken soups and stews, cooked like spaghetti, or eaten raw. The sap is high in vitamins a and c and has been used to fend off scurvy in the past. The sap can be drunk as a tea in the spring.

Fir Pine

Stone Pine - Produce large pine nuts that make them easier to eat and forage for.

Red Cedar - The inner bark can be dried and ground into a powder, treating scurvy and acting as a nutritious ration added to foods.

Seaweed

Spruce - Spruce tips, spruce needles, spruce tree cones, and the inner bark of a spruce tree.

Thistle

Water Lily

Willow - The inner bark can be scraped off, cooked in strips like spaghetti, dried and ground into flour, or eaten raw.

Wormwood

Fruits and Nuts

Berries

Blackberry (Ferelden)

Blackthorn Berry - also known as sloe berries or sloes.

Rowan Berries - Bitter berries that can be cooked to make jelly or used as flavoring.

Bradford Pear - This small variety of pear comes from a rather foul smelling tree. The pears can be used for jellies, ciders, and hand pie. (Ferelden)

Citron

Melon

Nuts

Acorn

Black Walnut - Used to make syrups and liquors.

Hognut

Peanut (Seheron)

Walnut

Seeds

Sunflower Seeds

Sour Cherry

Sour Grape

Grain

Flax

Flax Seed

Herbs

Elfroot

Bitter Elfroot

Gossamer Elfroot

Sage

Winterberry

Vegetables

Artichoke (Orlais)

Beet

Daikon Radish (Ferelden)

Animal Byproducts

Dairy

Butter

Goat Butter

Horse Butter

Sheep Butter

Cheese

Donkey Cheese

Horse/Mare cheese - Cheese made from milk of a horse.

Sheep Cheese

Curds

Milk

Buttermilk

Donkey Milk - High in nutrients but low in fat, it can be used as a milk replacement for infants when mixed with a bit of cow/goat cheese to add fat to the milk.

Mares Milk - Milk from a horse, it can be used as a milk replacement for infants.

Sheep Milk

Whey

Eggs

Crocodile Eggs

Duck Eggs

Goose Eggs

Gull Eggs

Partridge Eggs

Peafowl Eggs

Pigeon Eggs

Quail Eggs

Turkey Eggs

Turtle Eggs

Fish/Seafood

Clam

Crab

Crayfish

Jellyfish

Octopus

Shark

Squid

Sturgeon - The source of caviar.

Insects

Cricket

Locust

Meat

Badger

Bear

Crocodile

Donkey

Elk

Fox

Frog

Gazelle

Lynx

Marmot

Moose

Mountain Goat

Otter

Raccoon

Squirrel

Turtle

Wolf

Poultry

Albatross

Eagle

Goose

Grouse

Gull

Lark

Owl

Parrot

Peafowl

Ptarmigan

Quail

Turkey

Miscellanious

Fat

Goose Fat

Maple Syrup

Marrow Bones

Lamb

Ox

Prepared Ingredients

Plant-Based

Almond Milk

Olive Oil

Rice Flour

Rose Water

Sources: ( If you want to find direct links or page numbers check out the wiki’s Food and Ingredients page.) Dragon Age: Origins (Base and DLCs) Dragon Age: Awakening Dragon Age 2 (Base and DLCs) Dragon Age: The Last Court Dragon Age: Inquisition (Base and DLCs) Dragon Age Tabletop RPG Blood in Ferelden

World of Thedas Vol. 1 World of Thedas Vol. 2 Silent Grove Comic Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne Dragon Age: The Calling Dragon Age: The Masked Empire Dragon Age: Last Flight Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights Short Story: Paying the Ferryman Short Story: The Riddle of the Truth

DAO Codex entry: The Frostback Mountains Codex entry: Ghilan'nain: Mother of the Halla Armor: Clamshell Plate Armor Item: Figurine Item: Grand Oak Acorn Item: Love Letter

DAII Codex Entry: Elfroot Codex entry: The Qunari - Asit tal-eb Codex entry: Viscount Marlowe Dumar Junk List: Stuffed Parrot

DAI Codex entry: Andruil's Messenger Codex entry: Correspondence Interruptus Codex entry: Hard in Hightown: Chapter Ten Codex entry: A Nutty Affair Codex entry: The Perendale War Codex entry: Vir Dirthara: A Flowering Image Item: Carved Cricket Charm Item: Eagle Feather Charm Item: Fox's Pendant Item: Grouse Feather Charm War Table Mission: Dance with the Dowager: The Allemande War Table Mission: Smash

The Last Court The Arrival of the Divine Glass The Heartwood Feast The Hounds A Plea for Sanctuary A Swift Stream

Like this stuff? Wanna support the blog? You can check out my ko-fi.

[exhausted-archivist]

As I plan the garden for the year I not only stare at the fact that grocery stores carry such little variety (for many reasons) and that we only, on average have access to 200-400 times fewer varieties of vegetables than 50 years ago. We don’t grow them any more.

Thinking about that and the dozens of varieties I’m growing this year I can’t help but wonder about the floral varieties in Thedas. How many types of lettuce do they have? Does Markham, the city state dedicated to agriculture research also develop new varieties? Are they trying to create hybrids that are resilient to the Blight like Deep Mushrooms but also don’t pass it on?

Do they experiment with corn as much as we have in the past? Since a majority of the crops domesticated in Thedas come from the Americas, where did the originate? Tevinter, Rivain, northern Antiva, the Anderfels prior to the Blights?

The food that the Anderfels grows, we know are hardy and often bitter and full of tannins and the like, but are they resistant to the intense heat of the short summers or do they favor frost resistant crops and rely on things like cold frames and the like during the icy, snowy winters?

What about Nevarra? We know their portion of the Minanter river freezes in the winter and they eat roasted chestnuts. But they are also home to Mediterranean crops like the blood orange. Was that an imported hybrid? Was it cultivated with a more cold hearty variety in Thedas compared to irl?

The official cookbook has Devon comment that children hate vegetables. But that is rather strange to me considering the food pathways, food preservation technology, and the restrictions on hunting/poaching in noble lands. Based on the rough estimate of era, logically all of the children would be used to a primarily vegetable and fruit diet with some aspects of meat, dairy, and eggs. Which means they also likely had the same massive variety of vegetables that we had in history and there for had plenty of options to avoid the largely bitter ones. So is this just a Devon thing? Or do Thedosians have less access to fruits and veggies than we do in the modern era?

Like from a meta standpoint I know that BioWare cannot possibly explore all the massive varieties possible. Nor do I expect them to. It is also easy to see when they fall back on common misconceptions of the various periods they’re referencing or just operating on less actual facts and more on personal experience or misconceptions and biases.

That said I’m even more curious to how they’re going to explore the subterranean flora (and fauna) given they’ve made it so the deep roads don’t have any geothermal properties. In the sense if there is no lava flow or if you don’t have a torch you’ll freeze to death.

So how do deep mushrooms thrive? And all the native fauna. What about the flora and fauna in the titans? I always love looking at fictional flora because you can really see the Frankenstein cobbling of plants. Sometimes the designs are really well informed and other times it’s just informed by aesthetics. Which is fine, BioWare isn’t really focusing on the biology of Thedas in that way.

I’m just really glad they are exploring the natural world building in the game because it’s often overlooked or left out. Which just begs to question, how are Thedosians genetically modifying their crops? What are their goals? Form over flavour? Flavour over form?

Are they doing it the tried and true way of just selective breeding and choosing desirable traits from the crops each year? Are they using magic? If they do how wide spread I the use of magic acceleration for such things? Is it accessible to the common people or just nobles and upper class? I have questions about Thedosian horticulture.

[rainwolfheart]

Dragon Age worldstate and OCs

This is just an app-friendly version of my characters page so I can link it don't mind me.

Worldstate

Warden sided with the mages, Warden brokered peace, Warden sided with Caridin, Bhelen is king, Kieran is an OGB, Anora is queen, Alistair is a Warden, the Architect was killed.

Bethany is a Grey Warden, Hawke killed the Arishok, Hawke sided with the mages, Orsino isn't actually dead Varric made that up.

Inquisitor recruited the mages, Briala rules through Gaspard, the Grey Wardens were banished, no one was left in the Fade, Morrigan drank from the well, Leliana is Divine, Inquisition was disbanded, vowed to stop Solas.

Characters

❤️ current partner(s) 🖤 ex-partner(s) ⭐ best friend(s) All ages are as of 9:45 Dragon First six (Hawke to Rafael) are primary characters, others are secondary, sorted alphabetically by last name.

Hamish Amell Hawke

tag

Champion of Kirkwall

Hamish or Hal (if you're Leandra/the twins) · Hawke (if you're anyone else including Anders)

he/they · transmasc nonbinary

Fereldan half-elf · warrior/mage

Force Mage/Spirit Healer

9:06 Dragon · 39

bisexual

❤️ Anders Hawke

❤️ Justice

🖤 [QP] Varric Tethras

⭐ Fenris

⭐ Isabela

⭐ Varric Tethras

VO: Nicholas Boulton

ADHD bisexual disaster par excellence, has never sat normally on a chair in their life. Be gay, do crimes, punch templars. Currently on a mission to cure every Tranquil in Thedas.

Branna “Mason” Cadash

tag

Inquisition agent

Branna or Mason

she/her · cis woman

Orlesian surface dwarf · rogue

Tempest

9:13 Dragon · 32

bisexual

❤️ Lace Harding

⭐ Bram Kenric

⭐ Dorian Pavus

⭐ Rafael Trevelyan Roldán

VO: Laura Bailey

Uses her stone sense for party tricks. In a tense competition for “the Inquisition's biggest nerd” with Dorian. Forever salty about the Titan choosing Valta over her.

Kit Ivish

Lilah's Second

he/him · cis man

warrior caste Orzammar dwarf · warrior

9:14 Dragon · 31

gay

❤️ [QP] Lilah Hirmot

❤️ Dorian Pavus

VO: Travis Willingham

Kindest gentlest softest boy. Somehow manages to keep himself out of politics in spite of being married to an ambassador and in a relationship with a magister. His love language is food and so is his cat's.

Dael Mahariel Sabrae

tag

Warden-Commander of Ferelden

she/her · trans woman

Dalish elf · mage

Spirit Healer/Keeper/Arcane Warrior

9:08 Dragon · 37

bisexual

❤️ Alistair Mahariel

🖤 Merrill Alerion Sabrae

⭐ Sigrun

⭐ Velanna Tillahnnen

VO: Nia Roberts

All about repressing the angst and regret from the hero's journey. Fereldan in spite of herself. Not-super-subtly using the Grey Wardens to fight for mage and elf rights.

Marfisa Trevelyan Roldán

mage rights activist

Marfi or Mari

she/her · cis woman

Antivan-Marcher human · mage

9:09 Dragon · 36

straight

❤️ Gaël

⭐ Tyrdda Hildsdotten O Sunhold

⭐ Rafael Trevelyan Roldán

VO: Stephanie Beatriz (I don't actually know if she can do the right accent but w/e)

Her little brother cured her of Tranquility but she still embarasses him in front of his friends to keep him humble. They team up to keep the rest of the family humble, so it balances out. Has no time for Vivienne's Loyalist bullshit.

Rafael Trevelyan Roldán

tag

Inquisitor

Rafa or Raf · Lucky (if you're Varric)

he/him · trans man

Antivan-Marcher human · mage

Knight-Enchanter

9:11 Dragon · 34

bisexual

❤️ Dorian Pavus

❤️ Josephine Montilyet

⭐ Branna “Mason” Cadash

⭐ Lace Harding

⭐ Marfisa Trevelyan Roldán

VO: Harry Hadden-Paton

Did so many crimes for the mage underground at Ostwick it's not even funny. Peace was never an option. Scandalizing the nobility 24/7 by being in a poly marriage (but nobody is brave enough to argue with Divine Victoria over the definition of marriage).

Tyrdda Hildsdotten O Sunhold

Inquisition agent

she/her · trans woman

Avvar human · mage

9:03 Dragon · 42

straight

⭐ Marfisa Trevelyan Roldán

VO: Abigail Thorne

Augur who joined the Inquisition to help close the Breach, stayed because she's a nerd about learning from other mages. Spent like a month at Kinloch Hold as a kid before her dad broke her out. Sworn enemy of Solas for absolutely petty reasons.

Lilah Hirmot

Ambassador of House Hirmot to Minrathous

she/her · cis woman

noble caste Orzammar dwarf · warrior

9:13 Dragon · 32

aro-ace

❤️ [QP] Kit Ivish

⭐ Maevaris Tilani

VO: Ashley Johnson

Girlbossed her way into an inter-caste lavender marriage so her family would get off her fucking back and let her get back to work. Too powerful to go to the surface, she and Mae would just steamroll Tevinter politics, they had to nerf her. Lies for fun and profit and to annoy her husband.

Marijke Kader

Grey Warden

they/them · nonbinary

Orlesian surface dwarf · rogue

9:10 Dragon · 35

bisexual

❤️ Bethany Amell Hawke

⭐ Nathaniel Howe

VO: Erika Ishii

Grey Warden courier who has set and beat their own records for fastest times across Orlais and Ferelden. Loves horses but never learns their names because they don't want to get attached. Did not know that their girlfriend's brother was the Champion of Kirkwall until far longer than they're willing to admit.

Milo Surana-Amell

enchanter-turned-farmer

he/him · cis man

Fereldan city elf · mage

c. 9:10 Dragon · ~35

straight

❤️ Solona Surana-Amell

VO: Liam O'Brien

Survived Kinloch Hold without getting recruited to the Grey Wardens because he is a cringefail terrible mage. Proposed to Solona as soon as they heard the news that mages could get married in Ferelden and now they have a farm and 3 kids. Thinks he's good at haggling when he goes to the market, is actually terrible at haggling.

Solona Surana-Amell

enchanter-turned-farmer

she/her · cis woman

Fereldan-Marcher human · mage

c. 9:10 Dragon · ~35

straight

❤️ Milo Surana-Amell

VO: Erica Lindbeck

The “excuse me he asked for no pickles” meme but it's Solona standing in front of Milo. Is vaguely aware that her second cousin blew up the Chantry in Kirkwall or something and thinks that's dope. Is so excited to embarass her kids by being a “cool mom.”

[amatres]

got tagged by @demandthedoodles, thank you! I only filled out Surana for now because I think way too hard and also little on these sort of things and I couldn't do this for all three of my mage girls off the top of my head lol.

I switched between stuff that's her favorites and what represents her because I wasn't quite sure what I was doing :') still I hope it makes sense lol.

putting it under the cut because it's... too long

Unusual OC Associations: Surana Edition

Seasoning: Tragically as someone who grew up in the tower, which definitely doesn't feed the mages more than easy to mass produce food, lived in the middle of Ferelden, and never left Ferelden before she died, she doesn't know anything about spices and probably doesn't have that great a tolerance for them. One more crime the Chantry has done unto Thedas; deny mages knowledge of seasonings.

Weather: Rain and Snow. She never got to interact with it in the tower, so she took every chance to savor it, much to the occasional set back to the group. Especially loved thunder storms, and had to be held back at least once from cast her own lightning during one.

Colour: She likes anything not blue. I associate her a lot with the color yellow.

Sky: She likes watching the sky change at sunset or sunrise, again because she never really got to see it so clearly without having to strain her neck to look up at the windows.

Magic power: Out of the magic she can cast, her favorite is probably shapeshifting. It's old magic, she gets to be sneaky, gives her more freedom to escape from situations, and also she got to spend a lot of time with Morrigan to learn it.

House plant: Herbs for her potions. Don't get me wrong, she's happy to see nature, plants just aren't something that hold her attention much.

Weapon: A dagger, because it's easy to hide, and Zevran and Leliana were nice enough to teach her how to fight with them before she got her Arcane Warrior specialization. Always good to be able to defend yourself without magic when you encounter a Templar.

Subject: History in a broad sense, she doesn't find much interest in war, but studying cultural and religious history is interesting to her. She was very excited to find the Temple of Sacred Ashes, sorry Sten, she totally dragged you guys there just because she wanted to see it, not to heal Arl Eamon. Entropy Magic and Spirit Magic, she's the origins version of a necromancer and she enjoyed studying it. Poisons, and was very excited at Zevran's offer to describe the effects of poisons to her.

Social media: Surana, even in a modern setting, has the inner peace granted only to those who never have a social media account.

Make-up product: Face cleanser and moisturizer, if that counts lol.

Candy: She never got to try them, but I imagine she would have loved any numerous types of candies from Orlais Leliana would have given her.

Fear: Being confined with no way out.

Ice cube shape: Crushed.

Method of long distance travel: Flying as a bird.

Art style: Baroque and Rococo. She can't escape the chantry church aesthetic, but she would have had fun with the elaborate styles of Orlais with Leliana had she lived to see it.

Mythological creature: Very standard option but a ghost, both because her grief haunts her until it leads to her own death, and also because her death haunts many different characters after she is gone.

Piece of stationery: The little journal she was given shortly after being conscripted by Duncan. She wrote down much of her experience and thoughts during the Fifth Blight there, and Leliana kept it after Surana passed away.

3 emojis: 💀💍🔮

Celestial body: Sagittarius, for the zodiac symbolism. They're known for being curious and crave freedom, which suits her well.

[dalishious]

The Circle of Magi is a Cult

(NOTE: I would like to sincerely apologize to my followers - this should have been posted publicly like two months ago. I genuinely thought I do so, but apparently not. But at least I caught it now!)

I admittedly do not always pay close attention when my character is talking to Wynne, as I find her preachiness often boring to listen to. However, I recently found myself snapped to attention over her explanation for how she went from, in her own words, a girl who “hated her life and herself”, to living happily in Kinloch Hold:

“The revered mother came out and decided to speak to me. And because I had no one else to talk to, I talked to her. I must have said many silly things... But she told me that the Maker puts us all on our paths for a reason, and fighting our intended course is what causes so much anguish. ... She taught me that you can find your family in the people around you, that you can love your work and find fulfillment in duty. And there is joy even in self-sacrifice; if you put others before yourself, then their well-being is yours, and their happiness is your happiness.”

This struck me with how unhealthy it sounded. The game even gives you the dialogue option of telling Wynne that sounds unhealthy, but she rebuts that as a Grey Warden, you have no right to judge. But this only made me think about how unfair the comparison between the Grey Wardens and the Circle of Magi is, given the extreme differences in even the most basic levels of freedom between both factions… which then only made Wynne’s comments all the worse sounding.

It was at this point that it truly dawned on me that a great deal of the Circle’s problems revolve around the fact that the Circle of Magi in Southern Thedas is a cult. The BITE Model of Authoritarian Control, developed by undue influence expert Steven Hassan, is an outline of how cults build and maintain control over people. Applying this real life BITE Model to this fictional organization shows just how elaborately crafted a cult it is; probably one of the most developed in all of the fantasy genre.

Not every single point in the BITE Model applies of course, but enough to justify calling the Circle a cult. Here are all the points that apply, and how they apply.

Behaviour Control

2. Dictate where, how, and with whom the member lives and associates or isolates

By Chantry law, identified mages are required to live in a Circle under its supervision, where they are almost entirely isolated from the outside world. Exception status may be granted to mages who serve nobility (i.e. Wilhelm, Vivienne), or the rare mage awarded public favour for extraordinary acts of heroism (i.e. mage Hawke), but these exceptions are far and few between.

Intimate relationships between mages are discouraged, so not to distract from loyalty to the Circle.

3. When, how and with whom the member has sex

Emile de Launcet tells Hawke that he has never had sex, not because of any choice of abstinence on his part, but because he has spent almost his whole life in Kirkwall’s Circle. He was denied the freedom to have sexual intimacy.

4. Control types of clothing and hairstyles

Circle mages do not wear regular clothing. While one might argue that mage robes are enchanted to help with casting ability and therefore provide practical use, circle mages are made to wear them even outside of practicing magic. Mages are presented with robes that correlate with their rank, and are meant to “protect one’s modesty”.

5. Regulate diet – food and drink, hunger and/or fasting

Emile de Launcet also tells Hawke that because he has been in the Circle since he was six years old, he has never even learned how to prepare a meal on his own. The Chantry controls the food provided to mages entirely. Because of this, it is withheld as punishment; in Asunder, Rhys was denied food and water for four days.

10. Permission required for major decisions

Mages require permission from the First Enchanter and Knight Commander just to step outside the Circle. Even the First Enchanters themselves cannot leave without the Knight Commander’s permission.

Anders cynically jokes that being a mage, “it’s like you need permission to be alive.”

14. Punish disobedience by beating, torture, burning, cutting, rape, or tattooing/branding 16. Force individual to rape or be raped 17. Encourage and engage in corporal punishment 20. Beating 21. Torture 22. Rape

The Circles make use of a variety of torture techniques as punishment for disobedience, ranging from long-lasting solitary confinement to outright use of medieval torture devices. These devices are found in the Gallows.

Mages are beaten for minor offences. Alain will tell Hawke that the templars beat them, and Thrask backs this up by saying the same, as well as that they are starved. In the White Spire, it is a common sight to see mages sporting bruises as well.

Along with beatings, mages are also whipped for minor offences. A mage NPC in the Gallows tells Hawke, “The templars will give me thirty lashes for speaking to a civilian.” An NPC who tried to hide her escaped mage cousin says, “Wh-what crime is feeding my cousin? She was whipped, half-starving.”

Anders mentions that the templars of Kinloch Hold beat and rape the mages there. Alain says, “Ser Karras said if I tell anyone he's been in my chambers, he'll make me Tranquil.” In the quest Dissent, Hawke almost witnesses this with Ser Alrik preying on a young mage girl, Ella. Alrik says that once she is Tranquil, she won’t be able to tell him “no”.

15. Threaten harm to family and friends

Anders shares from personal experience that the templars tell the family of mages that they will be thrown in prison if they ever ask about their child. He also mentions that the Kirkwall templars go on “midnight raids on mages’ families”—by Act 3, this has advanced to “templar death squads” outright attacking family members of mages in the streets.

18. Instill dependency and obedience

By denying mages who have been in the Circle since childhood the freedom to cook for themselves, clean for themselves, collect wealth for themselves, so much as existunchaperoned, the Chantry creates a dependency on the Circle. As Anders says of Emile, “He's lived in the Circle all his life. He can't function in the real world.”

19. Kidnapping 23. Separation of Families

Mage children are literally kidnapped from their families by the templars, upon being discovered to have magic. Communication between family members is discouraged with threats, as mentioned above.

24. Imprisonment

The Circles themselves are essentially prisons. Even more confining, mages are often locked in their quarters, as said in Dragon Age II and Asunder.

25. Murder

Mages are murdered by templars regularly and lawfully. There is even the Right of Annulment, giving templars the Chantry authorization to murder every single mage in a Circle. This right has also been used to cover up mass murder already enacted, such as the case was with the annulment of the Antivan Circle in 3:09 Towers.

Information Control

1. Deception: a) Deliberately withhold information b) Distort information to make it more acceptable c) Systematically lie to the cult member

The two biggest cases of mass deception pulled on mages is the Harrowing and the Rite of Tranquility.

Since the creation of the Rite of Tranquility, the Seekers of Truth have been fully aware of its reversal. However, they chose to keep this a secret. All mages believed that Tranquility was irreversible, and when a cure was discovered by re-creating the Seekers process through independent research, they attempted to cover it up.

3. Compartmentalize information into Outsider vs. Insider doctrines b) Control information at different levels and missions within group

Every mage must go through the Harrowing; a test that sends the apprentice mage into the Fade to fight off a demon. Those who fail are killed. Mages are forbidden from sharing information about the Harrowing with apprentices who have yet to take it. The only vague explanation being that this secrecy is “a necessity”. Apprentices are only told of the test when the night comes that they are pulled out of bed to take it.

4. Encourage spying on other members: b) Report deviant thoughts, feelings and actions to leadership c) Ensure that individual behaviour is monitored by group

Mages are under constant scrutiny by templars; there is no such thing as privacy. But even mages themselves are encouraged to our outright ordered to report signs of deviancy to the Knight-Commander and First Enchanter. In Asunder, Rhys and Adrian are threatened with punishment if they do not share information about other mages—information they do not even actually know. In the quest Bound in Blood and Magic, should the PC report Jowan’s intent on escaping the Circle, Irving sends the PC on a quest to assist in setting up a trap.

Worse yet, the Ferelden Circle actively lures apprentices into practising blood magic, for the sole purpose of then seeing they are made Tranquil. Irving justifies this as being ‘for the good of the Circle’ in his journal: “The students think we toy with them. The truth is far more intricate and directed. Deviant traits must be exposed early, or the whole of the Circle suffers.”

Thought Control

1. Require members to internalize the group’s doctrine as truth a) Adopting the group’s ‘map of reality’ as reality b) Instill black and white thinking c) Decide between good vs. evil d) Organize people into us vs. them (insiders vs. outsiders)

Anders says, “In the Circle, they tell you day and night that magic is a sin. A mark on your soul of the Maker's hatred.” This is shown to be heavily internalized by mages like Kelli in Dragon Age Origins, and nameless NPCs found in the Gallows in Dragon Age II speaking of how they are cursed with “demonic influences.”

There is no room for grey in the Circle teachings about spirits/demons, or about forbidden magic like blood magic. Mages are taught that spirits/demons are dangerous beasts no matter what, they are taught that Chantry-determined forbidden magic is evil no matter what, and that mages who consort with spirits or use blood magic are evil no matter what.

One of the biggest defences from Loyalist mages who defend the Circle’s system, is that the outside world is just as much a danger to them as they are to it. They argue that the fear and hatred of mages held by the common folk—conveniently forgetting that this fear and hatred is spread by the Chantry itself—makes it too dangerous for mages to live outside the Circle, because they will be attacked. This “us vs. them” mentality is used to scare mages into submission.

3. Use of loaded language and clichés which constrict knowledge, stop critical thoughts and reduce complexities into platitudinous buzz words.

Select parts of the Chant of Light with a select interpretation are recited regularly by the Templar Order and Chantry brothers and sisters. These verses are used as argument-enders and vague answers without real explaining. The most common example being, “Magic exists to serve man, and never to rule over him” from the Canticle of Transfigurations 1:2. The way in which phrases like this one are used, without even the full context of the full passage, turns them into hackneyed proverbs of lost significance.

5. Hypnotic techniques are used to alter mental states, undermine critical thinking and even to age regress the member.

In Dragon Age II, if Hawke asks Cullen to be magnanimous to the mages involved in the quest Best Served Cold, back at the Gallows, Cullen tells Hawke “The mages have been confined to their quarters and sedated.” It is unknown what method of sedation is used on the mages exactly, or if it is magical or pharmaceutical in nature. Either way, it is a forced alteration of mental state.

8. Rejection of rational analysis, critical thinking, constructive criticism.

Challenging or even just criticizing the Circle system is highly regarded as “dangerous” seditionist behaviour. Leliana says that the Chantry only tolerated the Libertarian fraternity’s wishes to change things in appearance only. This is further evidenced by the Templar Order’s declaration of war when the Libertarians did actually win the vote to separate, at the end of Asunder.

10. Labelling alternative belief systems as illegitimate, evil, or not useful.

The Chantry refers to cultures with admiration for and free use of magic, ones that do not lock up their mages as prisoners, as “uncivilized” and/or “evil” in order to delegitimize the evidence against their fearmongering, untruthful control methods. The Rivaini, the Dalish, and the Avvar are referred to as dangerous and backwards, while all of the issues in Tevinter are blamed on its freedom of mages, rather than capitalist oppression. (I.e. the same capitalist oppression that exists in Orlais, comparatively speaking.)

Emotional Control

1. Manipulate and narrow the range of feelings – some emotions and/or needs are deemed as evil, wrong or selfish. 2. Teach emotion-stopping techniques to block feelings of homesickness, anger, doubt.

The Chantry very literally controls feelings through the Rite of Tranquility; halting a mage’s ability to feel anything at all. The rite is regularly used as punishment, and on mages deemed “too dangerous”. When Pharamond cured himself of tranquility, he was immediately ordered to be made tranquil again, because he was deemed “too emotional”.

3. Make the person feel that problems are always their own fault, never the leader’s or the group’s fault.

Victim-blaming is a common defence for the measures against mages by templars and Chantry apologists. The idea that it is always the fault of the mages that the templars are “forced” to act strictly has been recited repeatedly by characters, like for example, Cullen: “It will be up to the mages themselves whether they push us to more stringent measures.” Meredith, Cassandra, and others minor NPCs echo this notion. Even the Mage-Templar Conflict is referred to as the “Mage Rebellion,” despite it being the Templars that first declared war in Asunder.

4. Promote feelings of guilt or unworthiness, such as: a) Identity guilt

Mages are constantly told that their existence is a sin, and that they are not even truly people deserving of being treated as such. Literally, as Cullen says: “Mages cannot be treated like people. They are not like you and me.”

To reiterate one of Anders’ most chilling quotes again: “In the Circle, they tell you day and night that magic is a sin. A mark on your soul of the Maker's hatred.”

5. Instill fear, such as fear of: b) The outside world

The Chantry cultivates a fear of magic in the general population, and then on the opposite end, cultivates a fear of that general population’s fear in mages. Supports of the Circles are quick to say that it is the only place “safe” for mages, because of this fear. The Chantry makes the Circle appear safe only by making the outside world appear worse in comparison.

6. Ritualistic and sometimes public confession of sins

This one is debatable whether it is canon or not, as it is shown in the IDW published Dragon Age comics. BioWare has no official stance, while Gaider has said it’s up to fans to decide. With that said, in the comic, when a pregnant mage named Veness refuses to say who the father is—a templar—she is taken before every male mage in the Circle, and a “proximity spell” is used to try and determine the father. There is no actual purpose for this, since the Chantry plans on taking the child anyway; the only reason is to force the truth of Veness’ private affairs, and humiliate her for becoming pregnant.

8. Phobia indoctrination: inculcating irrational fears about leaving the group or questioning the leader’s authority b) Terrible consequences if you leave: hell, demon possession, incurable diseases, accidents, suicide, insanity, 10,000 reincarnations, etc. e) Threats of harm to ex-member and family

The Chantry brands every mage outside the Circle as an apostate, and brands every apostate as most likely to be a maleificar (someone who practices forbidden magic) and/or abomination (someone possessed). This is another reason why mages fear leaving the Circle; they do not want to become what they are taught is evil.

Mages who do flee the Circle face the very real threat of death or tranquility if caught. And again, there is more than just threats to family; the templars in Kirkwall actively raided their homes and assaulted them.

In Conclusion

A cult uses undue influence to keep people dependent, obedient, and loyal. Assessing the Circle using the BITE model above, as if it were real, shows how the Chantry uses undue influence to maintain control over mages in Southern Thedas. Perhaps the Chantry as a whole is not a cult, but the Circle system, as it exists pre-rebellion at least, definitely is.

Sources

Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, vol. 1

Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, vol. 2

Dragon Age: Asunder

Dragon Age (IDW Comic)

Codex entry: Irving's Mistake (DA:O)

Codex entry: The Rite of Tranquility (DA:I)

Item description: Apprentice Robes (DA:O)

Item description: Mage Robes (DA:O)

Item description: Senior Enchanter's Robes (DA:O)

Item description: Magehunter (DA:I)

Quest: The Harrowing (DA:O)

Quest: Bound in Blood and Magic (DA:O)

Quest: A Noble Agenda (DA:2)

Quest: Dissent (DA:2)

Banter between Wynne and Alistair (DA:O)

Banter between Anders and Sebastian (DA:2)

Dialogue with Wynne (DA:O) (DA:O – Awakening)

Dialogue with Anders (DA:O – Awakening) (DA:2)

Dialogue with Irving and Greagoir (DA:O)

Dialogue with Jowan (DA:O)

Dialogue with Emille de Launcet (DA:2)

Dialogue with Orsino (DA:2)

Dialogue with Thrask (DA:2)

Dialogue with Cullen (DA:2)

Dialogue with Leliana (DA:2)

Dialogue with Meredith (DA:2)

Dialogue with Vivienne (DA:I)

Dialogue with Cassandra (DA:I)

Ambient dialogue from Alain (DA:2)

Ambient dialogue from Karras (DA:2)

Ambient dialogue from a scared mage in the Gallows (DA:2)

[felassan]

Dragon Age development insights and highlights from Bioware: Stories and Secrets from 25 Years of Game Development

Some really tasty factoids here.

Cut for length.

Dragon Age: Origins

The continent of Thedas was at one point going to be named Pelledia, a name initially floated by James Ohlen

“Qunari” was a temporary name that ended up unintentionally sticking, much like “Thedas”

Mary Kirby wrote the Landsmeet. To this day, nobody understands how it works, except possibly her. If she’s “really really drunk” she can explain how it works. There’s as many words in it as Sten’s entire conversations put together

Concept art for Thedosian art - as in in-world art - draws heavily on Renaissance-era portraiture, the Art Nouveau movement, religious styles and media like stained glass, and favorite pieces from the golden age of illustrations in the early 20th century

Andrastianism in-world (art-wise) is depicted in wildly different methods depending on who in-world made the art in question. “One religion, 3 different lenses”. There’s the Chantry take, the Orlesian take and the Fereldan take; each with its own different interpretations, different mediums and different stories

The stained glass images were drawn by Nick Thornborrow for DAI, to decorate religious spaces in that game “and beyond”

irl Viking art influenced Ferelden

Greek and Italian art influenced Orlais

The book also had other insights into and anecdotes from the development of DAO, but I’ve transcribed them recently as they’re essentially the stories DG has recently been relating on the awesome Summerfall Studios DAO playthrough Twitch streams. (On those streams he provides dev commentary while Liam Esler plays through DA. The ones with DG are currently once every two weeks. Check them out! Here’s a calendar where you can check when the next one is) Instead of repeating myself I’ll just provide the link to the first transcript. From there you can navigate to the subsequent parts. Note these streams are ongoing. At this point I will also point you to a related post which is cliff notes of the Dragon Age chapter in Jason Schreier’s book Blood Sweat and Pixels.

Dragon Age II

DAO had the longest development period in BioWare history. In contrast DA2 had the shortest

Initially DA2 was going to be an expansion to DAO. A few months in EA said “Yeah, expansions like these don’t sell very well, so let’s make it a sequel.” So it suddenly became DA2 and they had to make it even bigger, although they still only had 1.5 years of time in which to do this

Production of DA2 officially lasted only 9 months, and at the time the team was still supporting live content for DAO! They finished development that January after the design team crunched all the way through the holiday period that year. Then it went to cert 9 times

The limited time they had is why the story takes place mostly in and around 1 city, and over 7 years (so it was temporal, rather than over physical distance, because a more expansive world would have taken more irl time to make)

They had no time to review even the main plot. Mike Laidlaw pitched the idea of 3 stories taking place at different points in the PC’s life, tied together by Varric’s recollections of events. DG rolled with this and made 1 presentation on the idea. This presentation was then approved and off they went

As they were writing DG realized that there was going to be no oversight and that everything was going to be a ‘first draft’. “Because nobody had time.” He sat down with the writers and said “Look, here’s the conditions we’re working under. A lot of what we’re putting out is gonna be raw. We’re not going to get the editing we need. We’re not going to get the kind of iteration we need. So I’m going to trust you all to do your best work.”

Looking back, DG has mixed feelings on DA2. “A lot of corners were cut. The public perception was that it was smaller than DAO. That’s a sin on its own.”

Despite this he thinks DA2 has some of the best writing in the series, especially character-wise. The DA2 chars are his favorite

The pace with which production progressed may in some ways have helped. “When we do a lot of revision, we often file away [as in buff off] some of the good writing as well. Somehow DA2′s whirlwind process resulted in some really good writing”

The pace meant chars landed on the writers in various stages of completion. For example Isabela was fairly defined due to appearing in DAO. In contrast Varric at the start was just that single piece of widely-shown concept art

Varric was conceived as a storyteller not a fighter. His skills are talking and bullshitting. Hence the question became, so what does this guy do in combat? The direction was to make him as different as possible to Oghren, so not a warrior. He couldn’t be a dual-wielding rogue in order to differentiate him from Bela. But you can’t really picture this guy with a bow. “For a dwarf, it would probably be a crossbow. We didn’t have crossbows, or we only had crossbows for the darkspawn. And they were part of the models. We didn’t have a separate crossbow that was equip-able by the chars. They had to like, crop one off a darkspawn and remodel it. And that became Bianca” (quote: Mary Kirby)

“Dwarven mages are exceedingly rare.” [???]

If DAO was a classic fantasy painting, DA2 was a screenshot from a Kurosawa film or a northern Renaissance painting. (Here Matt Rhodes was commenting on art style)

John Epler: “In any one of our games, there’s a 95% chance that if you turn the camera away from what it’s looking at, you’ll see all kinds of janky stuff. The moment we know the camera is no longer facing someone, we no longer care what happens to them. We will teleport people around. We will jump people around. We will literally have someone walk off screen and then we will shift them 1000 meters down, because we’re fixing some bug.” John also talked about this camera stuff in a recent charity Twitch stream for Gamers For Groceries. There’s a writeup of that stream here

Designing Kirkwall pushed concept artists to the limits of visual storytelling, because it has a long history that they wanted to be present. It was once the hub of Tevinter’s slave empire, so it needed to look brutal and harsh, but it also then needed to feel reclaimed, evolved, and with elements of contemporary Free Marches culture

The initial plan was for DA titles to be distinguished by subtitles not numbers, so that each experience could stand on its own rather than feel like a sequel or continuation. (My note: New PCs in each entry make sense then when you consider this and other factoids we know like how DA is the story of the world not of any one PC). Later, DA2′s name was made DA2 in a bid to more clearly connect the game to its predecessor. For DAI they returned to the original naming convention. (My note: so I’d reckon they’d be continuing the subtitle naming convention for DA4)

DA2 was initially code-named “Nug Storm”, strictly internally

The Cancelled DA2 Expansion - Exalted March

This was a precursor to DAI

It was meant to bridge the gap between DA2 and DAI

It focused on the fallout from Kirkwall’s explosion, with Cory serving as the villain

Meredith’s red lyrium statue was basically going to infest Kirkwall and it would end up [with what would end up] the red templars taking over Kirkwall and essentially being Cory’s army

To stop him Hawke would have recruited various factions, including Bela’s Felicisima Armada and the Qunari at Estwatch, forcing Hawke to split loyalties and risk relationships in the process

It was meant to bring DA2′s story to an end and end in Varric’s death. DG was very happy with this because all of DA2 is Varric’s tale. The expansion was supposed to start at the moment Cassandra’s interrogation of him ended in the present. “And we finished off the story with Varric having this heroic death.” It tied things up and would have broken many fan hearts, something BioWare writers notoriously enjoy. But between a transition to the new Frostbite engine and the scope of DAI, the decision was made to cancel EM, work any hard-to-lose concepts into DAI, and in the process save Varric’s life. DG has talked about the Varric dying thing before

Concept art for EM explored new areas previously not depicted in the DA universe, with costumes that reflected next steps for familiar chars. Varric was going to war, what would he have worn? With Anders, if he survived DA2, the plan was to present a redeemed Warden

A char that vaguely resembled Sera in DAI was first concepted for EM. This fact was mentioned near this concept art (see the female elf) and this concept art of Bethany with the blond bob

The writers sketched out plans to end it with Hawke having the option to marry their LI. This included alternate ceremonies for party members like Bethany and Sebastian if the player opted not to wed. There was even a wedding dress made for Hawke. This asset made it into DAI (Sera and Cullen’s weddings in Trespasser). The dress can also be seen in DAI during an ambient NPC wedding after completing a chain of war table missions

The destruction of a Chantry was explored in concept art as it might have happened in EM. This idea ended up carrying over to the beginning of DAI. (My note: Lol, the idea that DA2 could have had 2 Chantries being destroyed in it 😆)

World of Thedas

Sheryl Chee and Mary Kirby started with “a disgusting little dish called fluffy mackerel pudding”. In the middle of DAO’s busy dev period one of them (they can’t remember who) found a recipe online for this, scanned in from a 70s cookbook. “I don’t understand why it was fluffy. Why would you want fluffy mackerel pudding?” MK says. “We loved it so much we included it in a DAO codex.”

This led them to create more food for Thedas, full recipes included, like a Fereldan turnip and barley stew from MK and SC’s Starkhaven fish and egg pie. The fish pie became Sebastian’s favorite. “To me it made sense for it to be fish pie because a lot of the Free Marches are on the coast”, SC says, “It was something that was popular in medieval times, so I thought, let’s make a fish pie! I looked at medieval recipes and I concocted a fish pie which I fed to my partner, and he was like ‘This is not terrible’”

For WoT the whole studio was asked to contribute family recipes which might have a place in Thedas. SC adapted these to fit in one Thedosian culture or another, including a beloved banana bread that localization producer Melanie Fleming would regularly bake to keep the DA team motivated. “Melanie’s banana bread got us through Inquisition”

DAI

It says part of DAI takes place in or near the border with Nevarra [???]

This game was aimed to be bigger than DA2 and even DAO in every conceivable way

The first hour had to do a lot of heavy lifting, tying together the events of DAO and DA2 while introducing a new PC, new followers etc in the aftermath of the big attack. DG rewrote it 7 times then Lukas Kristjanson did 2 more passes

DG: “Our problem is always that our endings are so important, but we leave them to last, when we have no time. I kept pushing on DAI: ‘Can we work on the ending now? Can we work on the ending now? Can we do it early on?’ Because I knew exactly what it was going to be. But despite the fact that it kept getting scheduled, whenever the schedule started falling behind, it kept getting pushed back... so, of course, it got left til last again.”

“The reveal of the story’s real antagonist, Solas, a follower until the end, when he betrayed the player”. “Solas’ story remains a main thread in Inquisition’s long-awaited follow-up” [these aren’t DG quotes, just bits of general text]

Over the course of development they had 8 full-time writers and 4 editors working on it. Other writers joined later to help wrangle what ended up being close to 1 million words of dialogue and unspoken text. While many teams moved to a more open concept style of work for DAI, the writers remained tucked away in their own room, a choice DG says was necessary, given how much they talked. All the talking had a purpose ofc as if someone hit a bump or wall in their writing they would open the problem up to the room

As writing on a project like DAI progresses, the writers grow punchier and weirder things make it into the game. This is especially the case towards the end of a project (they get tired, burned out)

Banter and codexes require less ‘buy-in’ (DG has talked about this concept a few times on the Twitch streams) from other designers. DG liked to leave banter for last as a reward because it was fun. Banter begins as lists of topics for 2 followers to discuss. These may progress over time or be one off exchanges. One banter script can balloon to well over 10k words. “The banter was always huge because we were always like, laughing, and really at that point, our fields of fucks were rather barren, so we would just do whatever”

The bog unicorn happened pretty much by accident. It was designed by Matt Rhodes and was one of his fav things to design. They needed horse variations and he had already designed an undead variant which was a bog mummy [bog body]. irl these are preserved in a much different way to traditional mummies. When someone dies in a bog their skin turns black and raisin-like. The examples we know of tend to have bright red hair for whatever reason. It’s a very striking look and MR wanted to do a horse version of this as he thought it’d be neat. 5 mins before the review meeting for it he had a big ‘Aha!’ moment, quickly looked up a rusty old Viking sword, and photoshopped it through its skull like that was how it died. “And I was like, ‘I just made a unicorn. Alright, in it goes!’” It got approved. “So we built the thing. It fit. It told a little story”

With the irl Inquisition longsword, one of the objects they tested its cleaving ability on was a plush version of Leliana’s nug Schmooples

The concept art team explored a wide variety of visuals for the Inquisitor’s signature mark. It needed to look powerful and raw but couldn’t look like a horrific wound. In some cases, as cool as the idea looked on paper, they just weren’t technically feasible, especially as they had to be able to fit on any number of different bodies

Bug report: “Endlessly spawning mounts! At one point during development, Inquisitors could summon a new horse every time they whistled, allowing them to amass a near infinite number of eager steeds that faithfully followed them across Thedas. “You could go charging across levels and they’d all gallop behind you,” Jen Cheverie says, “It was beautiful.” Trotting into town became an epic horse siege as a tidal wave of mounts enveloped the streets. Jen called it her Army of Ponies”

The giants came from DA Week, an internal period when devs can pursue different individual creative projects that in some way benefit DA. They also had a board game from one of these that they were going to put in but they didn’t have time. It’s referenced though. It was dwarven chess

Josie’s outfit is made of gold silk and patterned velvet, with leather at her waist. She carries “an ornate ledger” and she has “an ornamented collar sitting around her neck, finished by a brilliant red ruby, like a drop of Antivan wine in a sunbeam”

Iron Bull’s armor is leather. His loose pantaloons and leather boots give him agility to charge

On DAI in particular, concept artists took special care to make sure costumes would be realistic, at least in a practical ‘this obeys the laws of physics and textiles’ sense. “While on Inquisition, we thought about cosplay from a concept art perspective. Given how incredible a lot of [cosplays] are, I now am not worried about them. In fact in some cases in the future I want to throw them curveballs like, ‘All right, you clever bastards. Let’s see if you can do this!’”

2 geese that nested on the office building and had chicks were named Ganders and Arishonk (it wasn’t known who was the mom or the dad). Other possible names were Carver Honke, Bethany Honke, Urdnot Pecks, Quackwall, Cassandra Pentagoose, the Iron Bill, Shepbird, Garroose, Admiral Quackett, Scout Honking, HChick-47 and Darth Malgoose

Bug report: “The surprising adventures of Ser Noodles!” DAI was the first time the series had a mount feature, meaning this had a lot of bugs. A lot of the teams’ favorite bugs were to do with the mounts. There was a period of time where the Inquisitor’s horse seemed to lose all bone and muscle in its legs. They had a week or so where all quadruped legs were broken. It was a bit noticeable in things like nugs and other small beasties but the horse was insanely obvious. “The first time we summoned the horse [for this] and started running around, the entire QA exploration room just exploded with laughter.” Its legs flapped around like cooked fettucine, leading testers to lovingly nickname it Ser Noodles. At galloping speeds the legs almost looked like helicopter blades, especially when footage was set to classic pieces such as Wagner’s Flight of the Valkyries

For DAI the artists were asked questions like “What would Morrigan wear to a formal ball? Can Cassandra pull off a jaunty hat?”

On DAI storyboarding became the norm. John Epler: “Cinematic design for the longest time was the Wild West. It was ‘here’s a bunch of content, now do it however you want’, which resulted in some successes and some failures.” Storyboarding gave designers a consistent visual blueprint based on ideas from designers, writers and concept artists

Quote from a storyboard by Nick Thornborrow (the Inquisitor going into the party at the end of basegame sequence): “Until Corypheus revealed himself they could not see the single hand behind the chaos. A magister and a darkspawn combined. The ultimate evil. So evil. Eviler than puppy-killers and egg farts combined.”

A general note on concept art:

In the early stages of any project, before the concept artists are aware of any writing, they like to just draw what they think cool story moments could be. It’s not unusual for the team to then be inspired by these and fold them into the game as the project progresses

– From Bioware: Stories and Secrets from 25 Years of Game Development

[dacompanionreactions]

Hi! Can I request dai companions reacting to receiving baked goods made by Inky (including romance options if possible)? ^^♡

This was so fun to write! I tried to research some foods of Thedas to predict what kind of baked goods the characters would like <3

Cassandra gasps as she is presented with a small fruit pie. She sniffs it gingerly and- yes! It has spiced pears inside. One of her favourite delicacies from home. Cassandra holds the pie close to her chest and thanks the Inquisitor with a huge smile. She offers them a piece, but they decline. She digs in immediately and makes a mental note to ask the Inquisitor to make more.

If romanced, the Seeker will take the pie with a shy smile. She tastes it, then feeds a forkful to the wonderful man that made it for her. Cassandra loves it. She finds the gesture very romantic, and if she were the swooning type... well, to say she enjoyed the pie would be an understatement. "You are amazing."

Solas raises his eyebrows in surprise. He was not expecting a plate of sugar cake, and yet one somehow appeared on his desk anyways. "Inquisitor, you continue to surprise me." He's not sure what to do. Does he return the gesture and make a cake for them? Solas finally settles on eating the damn thing and is not disappointed when he does.

If romanced, Solas will stop what he's doing to try the cake his vhenan baked for him. It tastes even better than it looks. He kisses the Inquisitor's cheek and thanks her for the delicious cake. The interaction is enough to bring a smile to his face for the rest of the day. He will miss her cakes.

Varric sets his quill down when the Inquisitor comes to him with a fish and egg pie, specifically from Starkhaven. He barks out a laugh as he's reminded of Sebastian, and accepts the plate. "Andraste's ass Inquisitor, this actually tastes good! You deserve a medal." By the end of the evening, he's full of pie and warm memories of his friends.

Dorian peers over his book and raises an eyebrow. On the table in front of him is a loaf of freshly baked bread and a side of olive oil. It's a common dish in Tevinter, and also happens to be one of his favourites. The homesickness slowly ebbs away as he takes a bite. By the time Dorian is done, he's practically begging them to bake more.

If romanced, Dorian will laugh as he's greeted with a plate of bread and a kiss. "What's this, amatus?" When he's finished, he kisses his love's knuckles and thanks him. Internally, he thinks 'I cannot fall in love. I cannot fall in love. I cannot- oh kaffas.'

Sera looks at the cookies in front of her and snickers. There has to be some kind of prank involved. Raisins? After a thorough inspection, she realises the Inquisitor just made them for her to enjoy. Sera eats them all at lightning speed. She can't help it. They just taste so darn good.

After receiving the plate of cookies, Sera peppers her Honey Tongue's face with kisses. The cookies were perfect. And the first person her Inky thought of to give them too was her? Sera isn't the type to blush, but her face brightens with a wide grin.

Blackwall glances at the plate then back at the Inquisitor, raising an eyebrow to ask 'Is this for me?' He sets down his wood carving tools and takes a bite from the Ferelden pasties. They're warm and flaky, and perfect to eat during his break. He offers the Inquisitor some and they sit in the barn, eating together.

If romanced, Blackwall's heart practically explodes with adoration for the Inquisitor. The nagging thought that he doesn't deserve her is promptly shoved to the back of his mind as he digs into the pasties. They are wonderful. She is wonderful.

Cole looks at the plate of bread rolls and informs the Inquisitor that he doesn't eat. He sees the look on their face, hears the momentary panic in their mind and takes a bite anyways. "I don't need to eat, but I want to." It makes the Inquisitor happy.

The Iron Bull observes the plate of cinnamon rolls with a certain wariness. The last time he had these, they were poisoned by a friend. These ones are just fine, however. Screw fine. They're delicious!

If romanced, he brings his kadan into his lap and feeds them a piece of a roll. Bull thanks them with a kiss (much to the chagrin of Krem, though he stops complaining as soon as he's offered one too). "My kadan is a badass and an excellent baker as well? Damn, I'm lucky."

Madame de Fer. Iron Lady. The name strikes fear into the hearts of weaker opponents, so it is strange to see Vivienne lose her composure. She's touched by the gifts of powdered biscuits, and after the loss of her dear Bastien, it's just what she needed. Vivienne thanks the Inquisitor with many darlings and my dears, and quietly tucks in, her heart warm with thoughts of her lover and baked goods.

Cullen glances up at the icing dusted biscuits presented before him. "These are for me?" He eyes the biscuits, then his paperwork, then gives in to the temptation of the sweet treats. Cullen feels less stressed about his day than before, and happily tucks into them with a soothing cup of tea by the side of his desk.

If romanced, Cullen blushes at the sight of the heart shaped biscuits. They're cute and sweet (much like the person in front of him) so he has no choice but to ignore his paperwork. He's already thinking of a million ways he can return the favour.

Leliana blinks at the plate of cookies in front of her. "You are too kind, Inquisitor." She takes them with a rare, genuine smile and allows herself to relax. It's an odd feeling to be sure, but not an unwelcome one.

Josephine has about a billion things to do. Organise a party between an Antivan and Orlesian ambassador, spread support for the Inquisition in the little villages of Ferelden and... eat baked goods? She decides to make it a priority on her never ending to-do list and doesn't regret a single crumb.

If romanced, Josie finds a giggle easily reaching her lips. "Did you make this, my love?" She's all 'thank you's and bright smiles. Her love's baking has her glowing with happiness all day long.

[musetta3]

Dragon Age OC as a Companion: Revka Cadash

Trend started by @little-lightning-lavellan it’s an amazing one and I had such fun with it! Thank you for the template!

This will be under a cut, because ohhhhhh my, there’s a lot here <3

This is also on AO3!

Is your OC a Companion in the Dragon Age series? What would it be like for a player to select them to join their party for quests (or romance them, perhaps? 👀) 

You have selected Revka Cadash to join your party!

Race: Dwarf 

Affiliation: Carta 

Gender: Female

Class: Rogue/Archer

Specialization: artificer

 Background

Revka Cordelia Cadash (born 8:95 Blessed) is a dwarven rogue and businesswoman. She is a companion and a potential romance option for a male human, dwarf, or qunari Inquisitor in Dragon Age: Inquisition.

Revka is a member of the many-membered Cadash Clan, and daughter of Brygida ‘Cookie’ Cadash and Artur ‘Archie’ Cadash. She has an older brother, Tavi, as well as numerous cousins, including Edric ‘Dasher’ Cadash, the head of the Ferelden Carta.  

Revka grew up in the company of her rambunctious cousins, and thus views them like brothers and sisters. It’s common for Cadashes to play tricks and pull pranks on each other as a way to show affection, as is evidenced in the short story ‘Flapping in the Breeze.’ Some of Revka’s favorite pranks include spiking food with chili oil, switching people’s beverages, hiding belongings, and breaking into ‘private’ things such as journals, desk contents, or that box of cookies under the bed.  

Revka made a name for herself in the Carta accompanying her mother and cousins on patrol as a teen. Her deadly accuracy with a bow earned her the nickname ‘Hawkeye;’ her duties quickly expanded to include ‘problem-solving’ for the Carta, her solutions ranging from assassinations, blackmail, and negotiating contracts, to smuggling, and forgeries. Her successful business plans and battle tactics made her a valuable asset to the Carta.

In 9:13 Dragon, Revka married Iwan Feddic, a member of the merchant caste and a Cadash client in Ostwick. She helped her husband run his international shipping business, a venture she took over after his untimely death. When Dasher’s wife, Darya, died at the hands of the Orlesian Carta, Revka returned to Ferelden to help her cousin raise his five children, turning over the Ostwicker affairs to her brother, Tavi.

When the Cadashes eliminated a rival Carta branch in Kirkwall, they sent Artur Cadash to oversee operations in the city. 22-year-old Revka volunteered to accompany him, becoming her father’s second in command. Once arrived in Kirkwall, she helped him found Graywater Imports, an import/export company functioning as a storefront for both legal and illegal goods. She is a prominent member of the Cadash Carta branch in Kirkwall, often dealing with the Dwarven Merchant Guild and Varric Tethras.

Romance with Varric Tethras

Shortly after Revka arrived in Kirkwall, she met the young Varric Tethras. What began as mixing business with pleasure became a romantic entanglement that lasted until Tethras met the talented smith Bianca Davri, and broke off with Revka for Bianca. As much as Revka wanted to cut all ties with him, she maintained their business relationship… and an unrequited, one-sided love for the deshyr prince.

Involvement

A special mission at the War Table will unlock a quest at Kirkwall’s Docks, ‘Ten Shades of Graywater,’ in which the Inquisitor will receive a mysterious anonymous letter inviting them to the coast to discuss a purveyor/supplier contract for the Inquisition. The Inquisitor will arrive in a seemingly abandoned alley, but is ambushed by Coterie thugs. After the enemies are slain, Revka can be engaged in conversation.

If Varric is in the party, he will be surprised to see Revka. It’s revealed that they know each other through various business ventures, and are old acquaintances… although the weighted, bitter quality of Revka’s answers imply that their relationship is more complicated than Varric had said.

Upon further questioning, Revka pitches her business proposal: wholesale lyrium for the Inquisition’s mages or Templars, with access to the Cadash Family’s network of spies, businesses, and Carta members for Inquisition purposes. Her only condition is that her family obtains an industry monopoly, becoming the sole provider of lyrium for the Inquisition and Southern Thedas.

Revka can be found near the archery targets and training dummies in Haven. Once the Inquisition relocates to Skyhold, Revka spends time training in the courtyard, in Skyhold’s main hall talking to Varric, or in the rookery, spoiling her messenger crow, Cipher, with treats. Dialogue options will reveal that she uses the bird keep in contact with her family and business associates.

 Approval and Romance

Revka can be romanced by a male Inquisitor of any race, and will jokingly comment on the height differences if romanced by a qunari, elf, or human. A Cadash inquisitor of either gender can unlock Carta-specific dialogue. Revka is guarded at first, giving out only generic information about her family, but with some persistent questioning the Inquisitor can wear her down. Depending on dialogue choices, the conversation can end with the Cadashes exchanging stories of ‘colorful’ family members and an approval gain.

   Revka takes a more pragmatic view on politics: she supports whoever pays the most, and sells lyrium to both the Templars and mages without discrimination. Upon learning the truth behind the events Redcliffe, however, she is dismayed to learn what her products enabled. Traveling to Redcliffe with Revka in the party will trigger her personal quest ‘Scales Fall from Her Eyes.’ (this quest will trigger after the Inquisition relocates to Skyhold if the player sided with the Templars)

Revka approves of Inquisitors who are tenacious, calculating/far-sighted, and does what is best for the majority. She believes that the end justifies the mean, sanctioning death only as a last resort. She approves of bold plans, investigating all aspects of a quest before making a decision, and an Inquisitor who makes jokes (especially puns). Her sense of justice changes as the player completes more of her personal quests. She will approve of charitable acts and kindness as the game progresses and her personal beliefs change.

Revka’s romance can be initiated through the conventional method flirting and conversation. During the quest ‘Scales Fall from Her Eyes,’ the Inquisitor has an opportunity to embrace Revka, leading to a kiss.

If Revka is not romanced by an Inquisitor, she can enter a relationship with Varric Tethras, but only if the Inquisitor assists in reconciling the two ex-lovers. Revka’s romantic past with Varric is hinted at in party banter if both are present, the two bickering with each other. This series of quests are available post-arrival at Skyhold, and has conditional dialogue for certain scenarios.

Revka gets along well with Dorian and Cassandra, bonding with them over their mutual love of books. It’s revealed that the three of them have an unofficial ‘book club’ going on, where they read various novels and comment on them in party banter. Revka also gets along well with Sera, bonding over pulling pranks in Haven and Skyhold. She makes a special bond with Leliana over nugs, owning a nug, herself.

Revka does not trust Solas from the moment she meets him, stating he knows too much, and is fond of talking without saying anything. She also suspects Blackwall of hiding something.

Companion Quests

Scales Fall from Her Eyes

After the events of Redcliffe, the Inquisitor will receive a note from Revka to meet her at the abandoned cabin outside Haven. Or, if the player sided with the Templars, this will trigger once the Inquisition relocates to Skyhold. At the meeting, she will share her guilt and horror at what occurred. She questions her personal beliefs, and offers an apology with the promise to amend her family’s business practices. After this quest, Revka is more empathetic, approving of selfless and charitable acts, whereas before she’d disapprove.

At the end of the quest, the Inquisitor has an opportunity to embrace Revka, which can lead to a kiss, if desired.

Varric’s Quest in Valammar

Revka can be found beside the fireplace in the main hall, arguing with Varric over the contents of a particular letter. Upon investigation, the Inquisitor learns that Revka has broken into the locked box in which Varric keeps his correspondence, which she claims he’s done to her on multiple occasions over the years. He neither denies nor confirms the accusation. Revka demands to know why Varric is still in contact with ‘that woman,’ declares she won’t set foot in the main hall until his ‘guest’ is gone, and leaves, demanding the Inquisitor ‘talk some sodding sense into him.’

This leads into Varric’s quests with Bianca Davri, and some cutting comments from Bianca calling Revka a ‘sore loser.’ Varric comes to Revka’s defense, much to the Inquisitor’s surprise.

If the Inquisitor takes Revka to Valammar, she disapproves and will grouse all the way there, cutting snide remarks whenever Varric says something. She becomes jealous during Bianca and Varric’s reminiscing, interjecting and muttering. Her anger only grows as the quest proceeds, Revka calling out Bianca for her selfish, pragmatic methods and carelessness. Once Inquisitor concludes the quest, Revka declares she needs some air, and says she’ll meet the Inquisitor at the nearest inquisition camp later.

Upon arrival at the campsite, a scout reports that Revka never returned to camp. The Inquisitor must search the nearby area; eventually, they find Revka injured after being ambushed by bandits (the Inquisitor and the party must defeat them in order for the quest to proceed).

If Varric is present, he will be upset, demanding to know why she would be so foolish as to wander around alone. Revka half-jokes, claiming how surprised she is that Varric cares about her safety, after all these years. Varric’s expression visibly shifts. The Inquisitor arranges for her immediate medical care, but it’s too serious a wound for her to remain out in the field. After this point, Revka is unavailable as a companion until after the Inquisitor returns to Skyhold.

Once the Inquisitor returns, they will find Varric in the central courtyard, pacing outside the infirmary/medical tents. The medic will inform the Inquisitor that Varric hasn’t left since Revka’s arrival, but refuses to go inside to see her. Selecting Varric for a conversation will show he can’t bear to face her after what happened at Valammar; he feels especially guilty, knowing that she got hurt in an attempt to calm down after the encounter. The Inquisitor can remind Varric that his apology should be to Revka, not them. To trigger their romance, the Inquisitor can encourage him to visit Revka and share his feelings.

If the Inquisitor visits her instead, they will gain high approval with her, and further unlock romance scenes. After the visit in the tent, Revka will invite the Inquisitor to her quarters to personally ‘thank’ him. The Inquisitor can choose to accept her proposition, or refuse. Depending on choice, Revka may sleep with the Inquisitor. There is an option to break relations off with Revka the morning after.

 Revka’s Family

Revka’s war table missions mostly revolve around business opportunities she’s scouted out for the Inquisition throughout Thedas. Some of these are triggered through conversations with Revka in the rookery or throughout Skyhold. Completing quests from her cousin Jon in Tevinter will reveal Venatori camps on all game-maps, and will reduce the cooldown time on war table quests dealing with Venatori in general.

Revka’s cousin, Czibor, can be encountered in the Hissing Wastes hunting Venatori. Accompanying xem in eliminating a Venatori camp can lead to xir recruitment as an Inquisition agent.

The Trouble with Tavi

After the quest Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts, Revka will ask to meet the Inquisitor, requesting their assistance in a matter of life or death. She reveals that she’s received a letter from the Orlesian Carta, stating their displeasure at the Inquisitor’s choice of ruler, since they’re encroaching on the Orlesian Carta’s operations. They know Revka and the Cadash family has been helping the Inquisition, and threaten to exact revenge. She’d thought it an empty threat until her brother Tavi stopped replying to her letters. Upon investigation, it’s revealed that the Orlesian Carta kidnapped Tavi and have hid him at their base in Val Royeaux. Revka asks the Inquisitor for assistance.

Should the Inquisitor refuse Revka, she will greatly disapprove, stating that her brother’s more important that the Inquisitor’s ‘sodding principles,’ and leave the Inquisition to save him. She will not be available again until later in the game (post Adamant), when a war table mission will appear from Tavi in Ostwick, stating that Revka saved him and has returned to Kirkwall. She is still very offended, and is considering terminating the Cadash business contracts with the Inquisition. He urges the Inquisitor to please make her reconsider, citing the monetary gain the contracts net him but also Revka’s hurt (note: the letter will also reference a romanced Varric, asking the Inquisitor to enlist his help). The Inquisitor has the choice to make up with Revka and invite her back, or leave her be.  

Should the Inquisitor choose to help Revka, she will greatly approve and travel with the Inquisitor to Val Royeaux. Varric—regardless of the romance status—will also express interest in coming, but bringing him along is not required. Revka will be touched by his offer, regardless.

The meeting place mentioned in the Carta’s letter is an abandoned oil warehouse at the docks. Inside, the companions note the derelict condition of the place. The further they travel into the warehouse, following a trail of blood, the smell of rancid oil grows stronger. In a storeroom, there is a lone dead dwarf bearing a note, a man Revka recognizes as Tavi’s second in command in Ostwick. If the Inquisitor can find Tavi before time runs out, the note says, they’re welcome to him. As the Inquisitor reads the note aloud, a shadow darts in the periphery; the door slams shut, locking them in. A torch is thrown in through a window, setting the spilled oil on fire.

The Inquisitor may, through a series of dialogue choices, decide to rescue Tavi or leave him to his fate, opting to escape. If the Inquisitor chooses to escape and leave Tavi behind, Revka will greatly disapprove, running off to find him herself. If she is romanced by Varric, he will also greatly disapprove, stating that they should go after Revka. If the Inquisitor chooses this route, they can still save Revka and Tavi. Otherwise, the two Cadashes are not seen again, supposedly perishing in the fire. Revka will then be unavailable as a companion for the remainder of the game.  

The mission to save Tavi is time-sensitive, with several endings: should the Inquisitor take too long to escape or find Tavi, the warehouse will collapse on them, killing everyone. The timer, separated into quarters, is marked by sections of the roof collapsing: escaping by the third collapse will guarantee the party’s safety. Escaping post-third collapse can result in a 50% chance of the roof collapsing on the party: if this occurs, Revka pushes either her love interest or her brother out of the way of a falling beam, sacrificing herself for their safety. The mission then ends with the party barely escaping in time, mourning the loss of their lover and/or friend.

Pranks

Various pranks around Skyhold and Haven are attributed to Revka via ambient dialogue and party banter. If the approval rate is high enough, Inquisitor has an opportunity to join Revka in pulling pranks around Skyhold post-Adamant. She claims that she’d like to cheer everyone up, and would like the Inquisitor’s help.

Prank 1: sneak into the kitchen and switch the sugar out for salt in a cake.

Prank 2: paint a smiley face on the back of a sleeping Solas’s head

Prank 3: Rearrange Vivienne’s furniture

Prank 4: Distract Varric so she can steal his letters and replace them with scrambled riddles

A cutscene follows, showing a crowd standing at the base of a flagpole the morning after. Revka pushes through the crowd, gasping: someone has nailed her frilly blue panties to the pole. Varric is seen leaning against a column, howling with laughter. Revka pulls a face at him and scowls, but eventually ends up laughing, too. (Note: this is inspired by the short story ‘Flapping in the Breeze’)

Trespasser

If Revka left or died during the events of the game, she will not be at the Winter Palace. Otherwise, there are several outcomes as to what she’s been doing…

If she romanced Varric, she returned to Kirkwall and is his lover

If she romanced the Inquisitor, she stayed alongside him as an Inquisition agent

If she did not romance anyone, she returned to Kirkwall

There is an option to marry Revka as a romanced Inquisitor, or urge her to marry Varric. If she marries, her brother Tavi and a recruited cousin Czibor may attend the ceremony.

 Combat comments

Kills an enemy

And stay dead!

Sodding nughumper, good riddance.        

Low Health

A little help would be lovely!

Oh shit. Not good.

Atredum na satolva! Toss me a health potion,     will you?

I’m too old for this…        

Low Health (Companions)

(The Inquisitor) Inquisitor!

(The Inquisitor - if romanced) Hold on, love!

(Varric, unromanced) Varric, you don’t look so     good...

(Varric, if romanced) Oh shit, don’t you dare die on     me.  

(Sera) Can someone check on Sera, please?

(Cassandra) Cass! Wait!

(Dorian) Dorian needs help!

Location comments

(Approaching Camp) Ahhh! Home sweet tent. 

(When collecting a shard) Ooh! I wonder how much it’d fetch at market.

Storm Coast

(sighs) They ought to call this place the ‘Soggy Coast,’ or the ‘Sopping Coast.’  My socks are soaked through to my boots.

Fallow Mire

The bugs will drain you dry before the undead will. Nug-humping bastards keep biting me…

Anyone else feel eyes watching you from the shadows?

Hinterlands

(Laughs) You know, back when I was running jobs for the Carta, I would get so lost here in the Hinterlands. Good to know things haven’t changed.

Don’t go near there; bears love that place. I learned that the hard way…

(at Witchwood) Ah, the Which-Witch-is-Which-Wood. Da would warn my brother and I about this place when were children.

The Hissing Wastes

I have sand in places I never knew existed.

Why my cousin had to choose to hunt Venatori in the ass-end of nowhere is beyond me…

Emprise du Lion

(scoffs) Snow. Snow. More sodding snow. I’m up to my tits in the stuff.

We don’t get snow like this in Kirkwall.

(on seeing a snowfleur) Ooh, look! Fluffy nugs! Can I take one home? Lucky could use a friend.

Emerald Graves

I…I heard the reason why this place is called the Emerald Graves. Such a tragic story.

I didn’t expect such greenery this far south, to be honest.

Exalted Plains

(shivers) You can feel the sorrow in this place.

 Companion Comments

Blackwall: “Rev? She’s a bit… unnerving, to be honest. Never smiles, glares holes in the side of your head. Offered to sell my carvings in Denerim, though: two sovereigns apiece. I swear she could sell water to a fish, that woman…”

Varric: “(Laughs) Hawkeye and I go way back. Don’t let her innocent face fool you: she’ll bleed you dry at Wicked Grace if you let her. Learned some of my best tricks from her—Don’t…erm. Don’t tell her that.”

OR

“Do you know how Hawkeye got her name? She shot a fly from across a room, once. Still don’t know how she did it.”

(If Inquisitor romanced Revka) Hawkeye’s a sweet girl, under all the Carta bullshit. I’m glad she has you; she deserves some happiness in her life.”

(If romances Revka): “I know they say don’t mix business with pleasure, but I get all the best discounts at Graywater Imports, now. You want anything? I think they’re running a sale on Antivan leather, at the moment.”

OR

“She’s probably upstairs feeding Cipher, knowing her. Or taking another order for Dagna; buys crafting supplies like candy, that one.”

Sera: “Rev’s fun, not all stuffy just ‘cause she’s someone back home, yeah? Takes jokes well. Can’t shoot for shit, though…”

Cole: Ash, steel, gray, withering inside at the sight of him smiling at her. Don’t look back, you’re not going that way; old coals don’t rekindle. It bleeds under her armor, but she can’t bandage the wound. I want to help. (if she romances Varric) but he helped her feel whole again. (if she romances the Inquisitor) but you helped her feel whole again.

Solas: “Is it wise to allow a known member of the Carta in our ranks? She actively seeks information and passes it along to her superiors.”

OR

“Do tell Mistress Cadash that if she breaks into my desk one more time, I shall ward the drawers to set her on fire. I can tolerate harmless pranks, but one thing I cannot abide is liars who snoop.”

Iron Bull: “They say still waters run deep, and she’s no exception. She might appear all laughs and smiles, but that woman knows exactly what she’s doing. Don’t underestimate her.”

Dorian: “Ah, my darling Rev: she has excellent taste in literature and baked goods.” (if she romances Varric) “And dwarven merchant princes.”

Cassandra: “I doubted her intentions, at first, but she has proven herself quite useful to the Inquisition. If you see her, tell her to return my book, will you? She ‘borrowed’ a week ago, and I want to know what happens to the poor Guard Captain.”

Vivienne: “Mistress Cadash would do quite well at court; she understands the Game surprisingly well for one who’s not a courtier. Too strong from the onset, however: the idea is to gain a person’s trust, not frighten them into submission.”

Cullen: “I knew Mistress Cadash back in Kirkwall; I’d frequent Graywater Imports often. They carry three kinds of hair pomade there, did you know?”

Josephine: “Mistress Cadash has many useful connections throughout Thedas; I’m pleased she offers them to us so freely. But then, we’re making her a rich woman with all the business contracts. Quid pro quo, as the Tevinters say.”

Leliana: “Rev is a shrewd woman, fierce and good at her craft. Did you know that she has a pet nug in Kirkwall? She always has something for the birds when she comes here; I like her.”

 Trivia

It’s said that the young Varric Tethras wrote his  first novel, The Dasher’s Men, about Edric Cadash, Revka’s cousin. The femme fatale who assists the hero of the tale, Revka, is heavily inspired by Varric’s lover at the time, Revka Cadash. An autographed copy of The Dasher’s Men can be found in the rookery, where Revka sits.  

Revka adores cookies, and has been trying to get the secret brandy snap recipe off of her cousin, Edric, for years. She has tried everything  from recipe book publisher scams to impersonating the Viscount of Kirkwall’s chef to obtain the recipe

In party banter, Revka will mention her nug, Lucky, which, according to the short story, she won  during a rather raucous evening of Wicked Grace.

When Revka isn’t reading, answering correspondence, or training, she enjoys baking, sewing, and embroidery.

Despite being an adept businesswoman, Revka is terrible at bookkeeping, and will often complain about it to Varric… sometimes enlisting him to do it, with a bribe of cookies.

[satanic-fruitcake]

I was tagged by @yukichouji, thank you!! I honestly considered not doing this cos it was a lot of writing, but then I thought about his answers and felt the self indulgent need to put them out into the world :D

Note: the parts in brackets are supposed to be read as if they were written by the gossipy Orlaisian journalist doing the interview

So, without further ado,

Interview with Xavier Lavellan

(Below)

- Can you introduce yourself? - if I say no, will I be set on fire? (The Herald let’s put a Short, seemingly forced laugh) I digress, I’m Zav. Full name Xavier Lavellan, of the Lavellan clan, as the surname might entail. I’m also the Inquisitor. Hoorah.

- what’s your gender identity, sexual orientation and relationship status? - (he squints, silently scalding me for the gal of asking such a thing.) I’m sure everyone’s just dying to know so I’ll spill the beans. I’m not single. As for the other two... wouldn’t you like to know? (Scandalous!)

- where and when were you born? - in the Free Marches, 24 years ago.

- what is your weapon of choice and fighting style? Daggers are my best friend. I was never naturally gifted with the art of archery, like Elven stereotypes would have you believe. (A brief pause followed by whispered confession) my hands were too shaky.

- Lastly, are you happy? - (he tenses all over, visibly irked by the question) there’s a gaping hole leaking demons and shit all over Thedas, innocent people are dying over a stupid war, and I’m so “vital” I wasn’t aloud to attend the funeral of some of my clan when they were slaughtered a few months ago. I’m delighted. (Sarcasm. The Inquisitor and I agree now would be a good time to take a short break off the record)

FAMILY AND FRIENDS

- what’s your family like? What is your relationship with them? - they’re alive, well as far as I know. having a country between us is... something? (He shrugs and opens and closes his mouth a few times, but doesn’t say anything for a while) best leave it there for now. I’ve made many lasting friendships with the inquisition though!

- have you ever ran away from home? - (he throws his head back and cackles) where would I run to? Deeper into the woods? ALONE?! or perhaps into a Shem village where I would be chased away with pitchforks? No, I’ve never ran away.

- would you consider marriage or having kids? - Gods, no! I’m too immature and selfish for parenthood. But at least I’m self aware, right? As for marriage... who knows. Maybe I’ll change my mind someday, like every adult has been telling me my whole life. Not anytime soon, though. Not while the whole worlds burning, that’s for sure.

- do you secretly hate one of you friends? - no? Hate is a strong word. And more than that, a strong emotion, if I feel it, you’d know. I’m bad at being subtle. (He chuckles, somewhat darkly)

- which friend knows everything about you? - I could say something heartwarming about my very best friend, but why lie? Leliana, former Left Hand of the Divine, knows everything about me. She is a Spymaster after all. Wait, was I not supposed to say that?

ASKED BY FANS

- are you literate? - (He glares at me, a silent “are you fucking kidding me?!” Evident in his soft elven features. His one word answer is a stern one) yes.

-the eeriest prediction you made that later came true? - I’m not a witch, darling. (He shuffles in his seat, visibly struggling to relax after the last question. His tone softens when he next speaks) I’m actually pretty bad at that kind of thing.

- what is something you were embarrassingly late to realise? - (he lights up at the question, cracking a genuine and excited smile) just how MASSIVE dragons are! I’d never seen one before, they’re so majestic. And destructive.

- do you have any mental health or physical issues? You have seen the magical mark on my hand, yes? Does that count? (The inquisitor thinks I didn’t notice how he skipped the mental health part of the question. I decide it’s best to let it slide)

- what is your current main goal? - defeat the bad guy, restore order, maybe even bring enough peace for my true goal, which is happiness.

CHOICES

- drink or food? - I’m preeeeetty sure you need both, my darling. I don’t know, they’re both good? Such an odd question!

- cats or dogs? - the true question is, why isn’t nugs an option? (He smirks. Cheeky bastard, thinks he’s clever for answering my question with another question!)

- early bird or night owl? Early bird, I’ve always been a morning person, apparently it’s annoying!

- optimist or pessimist? - when you go through the things I have and walk out alive, it’s difficult to be pessimistic. Optimism keeps me going, for now.

HAVE YOU EVER

- been caught sneaking out? - no. Plus side of having parents who don’t pay you much attention, I suppose. You can come and go as you please! (He chuckles, probably hoping I won’t notice how sad that is)

- broken a bone? - twice. (Cocky smirk) I’m careful.

- received flowers? - (he pauses, surprised, then proceeds to gesture at himself as he answers) of course. you have seen me, haven’t you?

- ghosted someone? - (his tone becomes serious again) yes, once. I regret it. I was a stupid kid and she was so nice but oh so boring! I realise now I should’ve just been honest. (He covered his mouth in embarrassment)

- pretended to laugh at a joke you didn’t get? - no, once again, I’m bad pretending.

[fanworldbuildingfun]

Musings on “Modern Person in Thedas” trope - The Jump (or the amount of dubious luck one would have to possess to universe-hop)

I admit that like, probably many, DA fans, I have had this recurring daydream fantasy of landing into Thedas. Side-effect of a decent RPG, as it is. 

And while I won’t say I’m at a level of investment at which I would be tempted to sit down and write a fanfiction of it... Thats mostly because I like to overplot things

(In case the blog name did not tip you off, I like worldbuilding. I like knowing the background rules and plots that make the story tick - sometimes more than story and people in the story itself)

Brace yourself. It’s going to be long and possibly somewhat incoherent

Assumption 1: Entering the Dreaming World/Fade is more difficult for Earthlings

The concept of Veil exists in our world too, as a sort of thin film between the ‘otherworld’ (dreaming world, Fae realm, spirit realm etc, etc - depending on the culture in question) and ‘physical world’ (where we are present)

The major difference between our world and Thedas concept of the veil is the addition of “when” to our idea of the Veil. In Thedas, the Veil is mostly spoken of in the concept of “where”: “Where the Veil is thin” (interestingly, for Thedas it’s mostly battlefields and spots where a huge amount of magic has been exercised. Likely due to Thedas’ Veil being an artificial construct. One that can be affected by both), “Where the Veil is torn”. Affecting the “where” is usually enough to bypass the Veil and enter the Thedas’ variant of the spirit world (the Fade). “When” appears to be something that can be affected only once the “Where” part of the Veil has been disrupted

(see the “In hushed whispers” mission, with Redcliffe time travel)

On Earth, we speak of “When the Veil is thin” (e.g. Samhain, Walpurgis Night etc) much more often than “Where the Veil is thin”. Admittedly, special places, most often naturally occurring, that serve as attractions for unusual happenings: fairy circles, places of power, etc are an exception to this. Regardless, both “When” and “Where” exist simultaneously, but apart, not as consequence of each other. Affecting the Earth version of the Veil therefore is a much harder task unless specific steps are taken: both the time and place have to be carefully selected to bypass the Veil

E.g:

Place + time of year (can be found in almost any culture: Ivana Kupala, Walpurgis Night, Samhain, Halloween – and countless more. Often, they seem to be linked with either the beginning or end of harvest)

Place + prolonged (possibly multi-generation) influence on the place (again, not uncommon in any culture. Places of worship, places where people are warned from going to for various reasons)

Any other combination tends to require a great deal more effort

In addition, most of the steps that can be take on Earth Veil seem to require specific conditions that may or may not act as an interference to accessing the Spirit world. An example of this would be the presence of ‘cold iron’, ‘celestial bronze’ or other ‘purified’ or ‘man-altered’ metals. As an assumption, it may also extend to any manmade materials that do not exist in similar state in nature.

There has been a rather interesting Tumblr conversation I came across (on Pinterest, of all places) that argued plastic would have an even worse effect on magicals, but alas, I did not save it. A waste, now that I think of it

With the rapid industrialization and urbanization of Earth, such effect mounts and spreads. So, one may consider that the prevalence of magic in the old stories is not merely due to the failure to understand the world and seeking arcane explanation of it – but also due to our now-inability to access arcane.

In short: Theodoshian Veil is akin to a single layer encryption access with no specific hardware requirements. Well, unless you count whatever was put into making it, of which we know little. Earth Veil is a two-layer encryption access that is really sensitive to mods. Or a fragile ecosystem.

From this: Accessing the Fade from Thedas is a hassle, but doable. Accessing the Dream World from Earth is a hassle that grows even worse with each passing year

Assumption 2: The Dreaming Worlds are interconnected, at some level

But not in constant contact with each other. Think isolated bubbles that are specific to any given world. Over the course of time, they sometimes brush with each other and leave parts of its respective ‘content’ behind.

Thus the set ‘ideas’ of races that never (or, at least, not proven to exist with any degree of certainty) existed on Earth. Some of the typical characteristics of the races reoccur in different cultures that may, or may have not, had contact with each other. For this example, I will count dwarves, elves, and corrupted ones (e.g. orcs, goblins, drow – or, for Thedas, the blighted beings like shrieks, ogres etc)

For the purpose of the plot, crossing from Earthling section of the Dreaming into Fade would require the character to be present in the Dreaming world when such a ‘crossing of bubbles’ occurs

Mind, the actual ‘crossing’ may occur for much longer periods of time than mere moments. Simply, with the failing access to Earthling Dreaming, and installation of Theodoshian Veil, there is no one that can ascertain for sure how long it lasts

Given that time is often mentioned to run strangely in the Dreaming/Fade, it would account for entire decades of stories of people disappearing, reappearing, sleeping for decades and the like (think Rip Wan Winkle. Or Sleeping Beauty. Or any story really that has people disappearing/reappearing/sleeping without dying for exuberant amounts of time without dying with no outside help)

Next assumption is more iffy, because I’m much less sure about it.

Assumption 3: a lot of those who ‘crossed’ the worlds, never return

This one will draw on the idea that eating the food of a different world makes you a part of that world, forever (or at least for a good long time)

Cases in point: any fae-related or deity-related lore that warns against eating their food. Think Greek myths, Irish Fair Folk, Japanese Kamikakushi lore etc.

Food is the building blocks of our bodies. Ergo while the spirit may wander, the body is much more rigid and unchanging. Same applies both to Earth and Thedas: the spirit of Command in Old Crestwood village even bemoans that the waking world will not follow its commands. Bodies are part of Waking world. Ergo, they are intrinsically tied to it

Eating foods from another world would then, in theory, force the body to work off the materials that it was not built from or for, and that tends to end badly for… Anything, basically. Like trying to force a computer system run on the hardware it was not built for. Or forcing the wrong blood type into someone. Or using the wrong pesticides when growing food and then having a severe allergic reaction to it.

The soul or spirit, in most religions, is considered hardier than that. It can survive what the body can’t. So consuming food from another world would, in theory, force the body to shut down and sever the spirit from it. In pre-veil Thedas it -may- not have been as much of an issue, but on Earth the Veil nicely tucks anything supernatural-related away, and with the access diminishing, it’s basically be shut in Dreaming or Die.

Conclusion: to cross over from one world to other, you need to have some damn bad (or good, depending on perspective) luck.

And then to stand the possibility that in crossing into the waking world of Thedas, you have to have your old body die. Ergo returning to Earth is not really an option after that, not as you were. I mean, we have concept of reincarnation but it’s not really you-as-you returning. For those who knew you it’s not the same. And with weak connection to Dreaming you can forget about the more arcane means of getting a body

Also, being born with the original-you memories (if you are unlucky), would be just plain awkward

At least Thedas has recent precedents of embodiment, from spirit to flesh, even with Veil drawn. Case in point – Cole. Possibly Leliana, if you killed her in Origins, but Wikipedia is kind of shifty on that one

[kaaras-adaar]

Kaaras and Kilt Wearing

// I think I had some old headcanons on this, but they’re lost in the void and most likely outdated anyway. So I wanted to do a proper revamp of Kaaras and when it comes to kilt wearing.

Longer term Rpers probably remember parts of this, or art I’ve done, but for anyone new, this is PRETTY old, so I wouldn’t be surprised if no one knew Kaaras wore kilts in a more traditional (or when home farmlike) setting. Generally speaking, you will not see him wearing a kilt around Skyhold or the battlefield. Only on special occasions does he wear dress kilts, and only at home, working the farm, does he wear working (utility) ones.

It would be super handy to first of all read THIS POST, which I am heavily going off when it comes to Thedasian climate, history, geography and the reasons WHY I don’t believe that kilts = Starkhaven and why they would be seen more in Ferelden, or at least I think. Ofc, the upcoming games could always overwrite this headcanon, but until then, this makes logical sense to me and a cultural sense. You also have to remember that Thedas isn’t Earth. Most of the countries in Thedas are inspired by MULTIPLE cultures here.

The main reason for Kaaras being comfortable in kilts is because he grew up poor. These were easy to make, easy to wear, especially for the work around the farm. I could see them being more traditional in setting as well, for those of nobility who may wear them (which are far more pretty and made of higher quality materials). Kaaras’ kilts as a boy were not flashy, not tartan, they were just plain pieces of fabric, plain utility kilts. They helped movement, and with keeping cooler and warmer depending the months.

Kilts for him nowadays are mainly used for formal occasions.

I’m sure there’d be some history behind their creation in a Thedasian setting, but I’m just going to leave that ambiguous atm because this is just my own headcanons. I assume there are definitely uses for them in a formal way for Ferelden as well. For instance, here in Australia, our police parades use them, and our military (we’re not Scottish, but we are still under the Commonwealth of the UK–it’s a part of our heritage, too, and MINE personally considering my heritage is Scottish), and they also play the bagpipes. Can you imagine Fereldan royalty in them for special occasions, parades, etc. It would be amazing!

Kaaras didn’t have a lot of clothes growing up, in fact, most of his clothes were rags and oversized shirts or something that covered his nudity. To be honest, his underwear was probably just a cloth wrapped around his hips. Yes, Kaaras was that poor as a child. Everything that the rams gave them went right back into the rams. They had money to pay for food, make some crops, etc. Nothing to really be new or special, everything was second hand and used, or hand crafted from his mother, sometimes, they could afford a special treat if they earned enough from the farm at the markets, or someone gave them a good trade.

His father did some odd jobs here and there for the villages over, which earned them some extra sovereigns, enough to maybe keep a ram blanket for them every now and again. So, clothes for Kaaras were not really an option, he ALSO got used to wearing things that might be considered a robe/dress/lack of pants. He got used to being barefoot and his legs showing. This might seem a shock to those who know Kaaras now, because he hardly resembles the poverty he once came from (particularly since he’s been working with nobles the last few years in Starkhaven and has adopted some of their finery).

Wearing a kilt would be no issue for him. That’s at least until he changed and grew up. Kaaras is exceptionally insecure about his body, even more so as he grew into being a man. When his father died, he had no male figure, and therefore didn’t enjoy or understand his body. He also grew taller and the more he interacted with humans, the worse it became to being so very aware of how different he was. Thus he began to cover himself up and became exceptionally private.

Wearing kilts or skirts and dresses were normal as a boy. Many of the poor kids in Ferelden wore them also, so it wasn’t anything different to see on him. But as he got older, as he mingled with older children and of course adults, that changed a lot. He was more aware of how ugly his body was in comparison. He was also earning money, so he could purchase something of finer quality, something that could cover him more.

When Kaaras moved to Starkhaven, I feel wearing a kilt would have been seen as something almost… preposterous. Especially showing skin near nobles. Kaaras didn’t have a need to wear them anymore. So he didn’t. He also wanted to keep a professional look about him. His clothes are influenced over time to be a professional appearance, someone to be taken seriously. His clothes SPEAK for him, show that he is not poor like he once was, show that he demands to be heard and respected.

Only in a more traditional setting does Kaaras wear a kilt now. He has gotten used to wearing pants and prefers them greatly (because he doesn’t like his skin showing anymore). Nowadays, it is kept for something shown when he is representing his country, as a Fereldan man. He does not wear one at the Winter Palace because he goes by Josephine’s orders as she knows how to deal with Orlesians more than he does. However, he does wear one during his wedding, with whoever he marries (default verse or RP).

[trvelyans-archive]

remembrance

commission of solas and avira for the wonderful @lavellanlove ! i’ve stanned avira for several years so the fact i got to write for her is RIDICULOUS to me, maia from 2 years ago wouldn’t believe it lol. thank you for commissioning me, lovely ! i hope you enjoy <3 

solavellan, 5000 words, fluff/romance/angst

-

Varric has made a habit of befriending the new recruits.

They always have questions, and he’s always happy to answer.

Tonight, in the mess hall, it’s a short, red-headed elf with big ears and enough freckles to replace all the sand on Antivan beaches and then some. She’s from Orlais, she told him, from the Val Royeaux alienage, and even though he probably has even more questions about her after learning that, he doesn’t get the chance to ask them.

Because, of course, all anyone wants to talk about is the Inquisitor.

Especially nowadays. It’s hard to ignore the tension in the air when it hangs there, so hot and thick like it’s breathing down the back of your neck. Avira and Solas – if Varric can really even call him Solas anymore – are at a stalemate, and everyone’s just waiting for one of them to knock the other off the chessboard. And then, of course, for the entire board to explode into splinters and leave nothing but dust behind.

Tonight, though, everyone’s drunk or tired enough to pretend things are peaceful, and Varric isn’t going to pass up an opportunity to feel the same. Especially when there are plenty of recruits looking for company, and Varric’s looking to give it.

The elf’s chin is practically to the table with how far she’s bending in her chair to avoid Avira’s watchful eye as she strolls through the room. “She’s scary,” the girl comments.

“Is she?” Varric turns around in his chair to look at her. “Didn’t notice.”

“What?” she says. “How can you not notice? She’s… she’s…”

“I don’t know, kid,” he replies, turning back around to smirk at her. “Once you know someone long enough, see them at some low, low points -”

“Like what?” She pushes herself off of her chair, practically throwing herself across the table to get up-close in Varric’s face as she whispers, “Like when the Dread Wolf Fen’Harel abandoned her?”

He chuckles. “Hey, it wasn’t quite like that –“

“Well, what was it like, then?”

Ah. It always comes to this. Normally, Varric’s not one for gossip, but – well, okay, that’s a lie. But normally, he’s not one for gossip that could result in him getting his ass kicked by one of the most powerful women in Thedas, except, this time, it feels like it’d end up being pretty beneficial to the cause. All things considered, these young recruits they’ve wrangled up are probably going to end up doing a lot better for Avira if Varric strikes the fear of the Maker into them first. Even if it’s just a little. Also, it can be pretty entertaining (and sometimes Varric needs desperately to be entertained). When it comes to talking about Avira, people flock to Varric like they’re a bunch of little kids and he’s a grandmother reading them a well-worn copy of The Seer’s Yarn with a plate of elfroot cookies cooling off in an open windowsill.

Varric leans back in his chair, crossing his arms behind his head and kicking his boots up onto the table.

“I thought you’d never ask,” he replies, grinning. “To be honest, kid, they were weren’t always like this…”

-

Solas didn’t ever really leave his little corner of Haven.

If he wasn’t reading in his cabin (the one he unfortunately shared with several other members of the Inquisition, to his unspoken but very obvious dismay), he was outside, watching. Watching the hustle and bustle of the small town that had been thrown chaotically into the middle of the greatest catastrophe to grace the face of Thedas in recent history (including the Blight); watching the soldiers, young and old, mill about their day, occasionally sporting a new limp or cradling their newly sprained arm against their chests in a sling; watching, more often than not, the new Herald of Andraste – not that she ever liked to be called that - wander around between the buildings, talking to people, talking to herself, too, sometimes.

Maker, did that elf watch her.

Varric couldn’t help but watch him do it, either. No matter how long he did, he couldn’t tell what Solas wanted from her (though that was mainly because he couldn’t tell much of what Solas wanted at all, and that was after he’d spent more than enough sleepless nights with him). Did he want money? Connections? A promise that the Templars wouldn’t go after him if he changed his mind and left?

Something… more?

Not that the elf seemed like he was looking for that kind of thing, especially not right now. Still, Varric couldn’t quite put his finger on what Solas wanted.

And he was dying to know.

But one night, it just so happened that he was hanging out in the grumpy apothecary’s Adan’s cabin when, through the open window, he heard the Herald and Solas talking.

So he waved a hand at Adan to shush him and listened in curiously as he stuffed his salves into his pocket.

“The advisors are pleased with the outcome of our expedition to the Fallow Mire, I take it?”

Avira tugged on her glove, fitting it more smoothly over her hand. “Yes, they are,” she answered.

Solas nodded. “I am glad to hear it.”

“I agree – it was not an easy journey…”

“No, it was not.”

Varric could’ve told them that much. He still had water in his boot.

They were facing away from each other, staring out at the town as the sun set, slanting orange-pink light across the freshly fallen snow. That seemed like it should have been the end of the conversation, but both of them lingered, anyway.

“A crow flew in this morning for Leliana,” Avira continued after a long moment of silence. “Attached to it was a message from a scout. They explored the Fallow Mire further after we departed for Haven, and found an old road that leads to the mountains.”

“Hm. That will prove to be useful, I suspect.”

“It will,” she replied, “though the advisors have left it up to me to decide what the route should be used for.”

“I see.” Solas tilted his head to look at her. “What are your options?”

“Josephine claims that merchants will pay a great deal for the knowledge of the road,” Avira explained, “and, knowing merchants and traders well, I agree. Commander Cullen suggested we use it as an easier travel route for Inquisition soldiers. The Spymaster, however, suggested we hide all records of it away and use it as a route for her agents.”

He nodded thoughtfully and said nothing more, looking back out at the town.

“What do you think?”

Solas turned to her again. “You wish to hear my opinion?” he asked.

She turned to him, too. “Yes,” she replied. “I do. Unless you do not wish to give it –“

“Hm.” Solas clasped his hands behind his back and looked skywards. “I think that the Spymaster’s scouts could make good use of it.”

“Yes, I agree.”

He raised an eyebrow, just slightly enough that Varric almost missed it. “Is that your decision?”

“I was considering it.” She tilted her face towards the town once more. “I have until tomorrow morning to decide.”

“I believe that you will come to a suitable conclusion.”

“I do, too.” Avira nodded in his direction. “Thank you for your input. Have a good night, Solas.”

“You as well.”

Varric heard the next day that they designated the route for Leliana’s scouts.

-

Everyone in the travelling party had paired up with someone else to wind down for the night. A fire was burning, the ale was about as cold as it could be when it had been carried around in a bottle at the bottom of Varric’s pack for the past week, and the food, while not entirely appetizing, was filling, which meant they would all have enough energy to continue on their journey the next morning.

Varric didn’t have any energy left, so he was kind of glad, for the moment, that everyone had decided to ignore him, and he was left sitting by himself in the middle of one long, cold log beside the campfire, listening. (Maybe taking notes of lines he could us in his next book.)

The Iron Bull’s chair was tipped back against a large tree, and Enchanter Vivienne stood in front of him with her hands on her hips as they exchanged some sort of heated discussion. On the other side of camp, closer to the cluster of tents at the mouth of the shallow cave, were Solas and Avira, plucking handfuls of bread from the same loaf and eating it while the other spoke.

“… And so he gave me half of his stock,” Avira said, smiling at the memory. “Half of all of it. The Clan was fed for weeks… Some of the older members didn’t like it, mind you – they thought that it tasted too differently from the food they were used to – but the children…”

“I am sure they enjoyed it.”

“They did,” she replied. “Absolutely, they did. I had to learn how to make a few of the recipes from scratch just so they’d stop pestering me about it – well, I suppose I didn’t make it for them, but… well… you know what I mean.”

“Your clan,” Solas said after he swallowed a mouthful of bread he had been chewing. “Have you heard from them?”

She nodded. “I’ve received a few letters,” she responded. “Not as much as I’d like.”

He was silent for a moment before clearing his throat. “I’m sorry.”

Taken aback, Avira blinked at him. “What for?” she asked, her voice a murmur.

“It must be difficult,” he replied slowly. “To be so far away.”

“It would only be one ship from Denerim to Wycome,” she tried to say, forcing a smile before letting it falter and flicking her eyes away from him. “Yes, it is difficult. Do you find it difficult to be away from your home?”

Solas was staring at the ground while he plucked absentmindedly at his handful of bread. Neither of them were looking at each other anymore, but Varric could tell they were still tuned into each other’s movements. “I have seen far too many things to miss my past,” he responded.

“Yes, yes, you’ve told me all about your ancient ruins and lost civilizations,” she teased.

A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “I am sorry,” he told her. “Since you seem to think my stories are boring, I will try to act more like Varric in the future if that would please you.”

(Varric resisted saying anything about that, because he was actually slightly flattered.)

“I was joking, Solas,” Avira replied, rolling her eyes when he wasn’t looking and reaching forward to wrangle another handful of bread from the loaf. “In truth, I think you are anything but. You - I mean, er, your stories – are… endlessly fascinating.”

He glanced over at her again. “Is that so?”

“It is.”

Before Avira could pull her hand away, Solas moved forward to grab a handful of bread for himself. Their fingers brushed. They both tensed.

And then Solas smiled, but it didn’t feel very honest. “Perhaps we should turn in for the night,” he said under his breath, grabbing the cloth that the bread had been wrapped in and stowing the rest of the loaf in his bag. “It is getting late, and you will need to be well-rested for our journey tomorrow.”

Avira frowned. “Solas, if I –“

“Please,” he interrupted, holding a hand up and tilting his head towards her. “You did nothing wrong. I have just realized how tired I am after the day’s travels, and would like to get some sleep before morning.”

“Liar,” she teased, standing up and placing her hands on her hips. “You’re just going to take a dance through the Fade and see if you can find anything interesting.”

“Perhaps I am,” he replied. “If I do, I will be sure to tell you about it.”

-

Now, in the mess hall, the short elf with red hair wrinkles her nose at Varric. “That’s it?”

He laughs and shakes his head. “Oh, no,” he says, “there’s much more to it than that.”

-

On a similar night a few months later, after Haven had been destroyed and the Inquisition had moved into Skyhold, Varric was on guard duty in their makeshift camp when he heard a rustling behind him.

He spun around in his chair, aiming his crossbow into the shadows between the Inquisition tents. As big of a disaster he was sure Hightown – and all of Kirkwall – would be at that time, he’d take that over sitting in the middle of the woods at night with his thumb up his ass any day. He breathed out slowly, standing up from his seat and looking for the source of his noise.

It came from his left. He spun around and, before his vision adjusted, leveled his crossbow at Solas’s chest, who had been emerging from Avira’s now-dark tent with a book in his hand.

“Oh,” Varric said as he pointed his crossbow to the ground. “Shit, sorry.”

“Did I scare you, Varric?” Solas asked with a coy smile.

“No,” he replied. “What are you doing awake right now? It’s my turn to take watch.”

Unfortunately.

“I was…” Solas let out a short huff. “I was speaking with the Inquisitor.”

“What, did an assassin get into her tent or something?”

“No,” Solas replied. “Nothing of the sort. She had posed a question to me earlier I wished to answer before she fell asleep. Anyway,” he said abruptly, clearing his throat, “good night, Varric.”

He headed off towards his own tent, clearly wanting to get away from the conversation, but Varric was grinning widely. “Not a chance,” he said, hurrying after the elf. “Seriously, what were you doing in there?”

“I told you,” Solas said, “I –“

“Yeah, yeah, she had a question, you answered it.” Varric pushed his crossbow into the ground and leaned against it. “What’s the deal with the two of you?”

“I do not know what you –“

“Oh, come on,” Varric interrupted. “You can cut the bullshit with me, elf, I’ve seen the way you look at her.”

“I do not know what you mean,” Solas said.

“Sure,” Varric said. “You can keep telling yourself that.”

Solas’s eyes narrowed. “I would appreciate it if you refrained from further discussion of my relationship with Avi- the Inquisitor,” he told Varric. “It is none of your concern.”

“Alright,” Varric replied, throwing a hand up in defense. “If you’re going to get your underclothes in a twist about it…”

“And I will take watch for an hour or so,” he continued, pointedly ignoring Varric’s taunt. “I am not tired, and I would like to finish this chapter of the book I am reading by the fire.”

“I can keep you comp-“

“I will take watch,” Solas repeated. “Good night, Varric.”

Varric stared at him coolly for a moment before chuckling, pulling his crossbow from where he had thrust it into the dirt to lean on and slinging it over his shoulder again. “Alright, I get the message,” he replied. “Just… be careful, okay? These woods can be… well, pretty scary.”

Solas nodded and sat down by the fire, opening his book to what seemed to be a random page and looking down at it while Varric, incredibly tempted to continue bothering about it, disappeared into his tent.

Not five minutes later when he poked his head out to make sure the elf was still there did he see him standing in front of Avira’s tent once more, moving his hands in circular motions and muttering something under his breath while wisps of green light floated in front of him.

It took some thinking, but eventually it hit Varric: Solas was casting wards over her tent. To keep her safe, presumably – after all, if she died, everything they’d accomplished so far would have been for nothing. But maybe there was another reason he was doing it. In any case, Varric was certain that the elf wasn’t doing it for anyone else in their party.

He laughed as he closed the flaps of the tent once more, shaking his head as he flopped down onto his bedroll and snuffed the light in his lantern out.

-

Solas had cut himself on the pages of his book.

To be fair, it was dark out – which is why Varric didn’t even know he was reading in the first place, but that’s besides the point – and he was also sitting relatively far away from the fire compared to the rest of the group. (Well, compared to Varric and Dorian, who had slumped over against the log with his fingers still curled around the handle of a cup.) He was frowning but didn’t protest as Avira smoothed some sort of ointment over the cut with her thumb, holding his wrist in place with her other hand, occasionally stroking the pads of her fingertips over his veins.

He also didn’t protest as she kept on giggling.

“I can’t believe it,” she muttered. “You come out of fights unscathed every day and reading a book is what makes you bleed?”

“Yes, yes,” Solas replied, watching her, “it is very amusing, Inquisitor. Would it not be more efficient to use healing magic, instead?”

“I promise this will work,” Avira answered, looking up at him from underneath her eyelashes. “I made the salve myself, and I used it on a cut of my own last week.”

He didn’t seem to be convinced, watching her work with the slightest wrinkled nose. Avira picked it up on and swatted gently at his forearm, smiling in annoyance. “I do know what I am doing, Solas,” she said somewhat defensively. “My mother taught me how to make the salve back when I was child. I still have the recipe written down somewhere.”

“Did you learn much from her, working alongside her in the clinic?”

“Yes.” She sat back on her heels, reaching into her pack and pulling out a roll of bandages. “She showed me a few little tricks like this.”

Solas was still watching her, fiddling with the fingers of his folded hand which sat impatiently in his lap. “And your father?”

“He kept me sane,” she said with a gentle laugh. “Taught me how to fight, told me stories.” Her eyes flickered to his face. “Not as good as yours, of course,” she added with a hint of cheek.

Solas probably would’ve rolled his eyes if he didn’t seem so transfixed by her working. And if he wasn’t so exhausted. Maker, they were all exhausted. If Varric wasn’t eavesdropping on their conversation, he would have retired to his tent an hour ago. “Did you enjoy living in Amaranthine?” Solas asked.

“Yes,” she answered quickly, then frowned. “There were… parts of it I liked, some I didn’t. I wish my mother let me explore the city more.”

“She wanted to protect you.”

“I felt so… stifled.” Avira unrolled the bandages and tore a short strip off from the rest. “I know she wanted to protect me, but… Perhaps I could have found something to protect her with. Instead the Darkspawn assaulted the city, and I left without them…”

“I’m sure your parents would not regret their decision,” he said in reassurance, pushing his hand a little closer to her so she could wrap the cloth around his finger. “Saving you… That was most important to them.”

“I know that,” she replied. “I know that, I just… They were my parents.” Her eyebrows gathered together in the middle of her forehead while she concentrated on tying the bandage in a knot. “We were supposed to join the Dalish together… I was not supposed to nearly die on my way to find them and wake up in their camp days later by myself.”

“It was worth it,” he said. “That you lived. Everything…” He cleared his throat. “Everything was worth it because you lived.”

She secured the bandage tightly around his finger, but didn’t move her hands away. “Thank you, Solas.”

“I should be the one thanking you,” he said with a smile, pulling his hand out of her grasp and flexing his fingers. “You have better things to do than tend to my wounds, and yet you do so anyway.”

“Just out of the goodness of my heart,” she replied.

“Yes, I did not expect you to have done it for any other reason.”

He was still smiling at her. She didn’t seem to notice – she was too busy smiling herself.

Then Avira stood up and stretched her arms above her head, bending down to wipe the dirt from her knees afterwards. “Is it a good book you’re reading, at least?” she asked him, sitting down beside him on the bench and gesturing towards it. “Some Orlesian mystery novel, perhaps?”

“No, no, hardly that exciting,” he responded. They shared a laugh.

“Is it one you’d be willing to share with me?”

He glanced over at her out of the corner of his eye. “Perhaps,” he answered. “We have not finished our other one yet.”

“That’s because it isn’t very good, Solas,” she said. “Maybe I should pick the next book for us to read together.”

“Yes,” he replied, “maybe you should.”

“If you’re not reading, then would you like to come on a walk with me?” She stood up again and held out her hand, wiggling her fingers. “I saw a clearing earlier today that probably has a wonderful view of the moon…”

Solas looked at her outstretched hand for a moment before putting his book down on the log and standing up, taking her hand in his. “Let’s hope the bears do not attack our camp while we’re gone,” he murmured.

“Varric can take care of them,” she reassured him, intertwining their fingers together and swinging their hands back and forth in the space between them. “He’s a very good shot.”

“He would be were he not asleep, vhenan.”

“He isn’t.”

“Oh.” Solas chuckled under his breath. “I did not notice,” he said.

“That’s alright,” she replied. “I was trying to distract you, anyway.”

Before they disappeared through the trees, he leaned over and whispered something to her, and she threw her head back and really, really laughed. (It was probably loud enough to actually wake up any bears nearby.)

Varric had never heard her laugh like that before.

-

He was still sitting around the fire when they came back. They weren’t holding hands anymore, but Solas was looking down at the bandage wrapped around his finger with another smile.

-

It was their last night in Skyhold before they left for Halamshiral and Adamant, and Varric couldn’t sleep.

He was sitting at a desk in the library, trying to write, but no words came to him – not even bad ones, which he would have preferred over nothing. He had never been so uninspired for so long, and it was about as frustrating as you could imagine for a novelist not be able to work on – or even start – a novel.

He ran a hand through his hair and threw his quill down on the table, watching it skitter across the wood before stopping an inch away from the edge. With a sigh, he leaned against the railing, and was about to close his eyes when he saw movement in the rotunda below him.

Frowning, he pushed himself higher in his chair and looked down.

Solas held Avira in his arms on the loveseat, playing with the ends of her sleeves. The light in the sconces on the walls had been blown out an hour or two before – Avira wasn’t there when it happened – which left the room steeped in heavy shadow, save for the light streaming down from the rooms above them and the lone candle flickering on Solas’s desk. It was enough light to see them. It was enough light that anyone who walked into the room could have recognized who the two of them were and how close they were sitting together. Neither of them seemed to care.

Solas was whispering something in her ear. Varric couldn’t hear what he was saying, but it didn’t seem to be helping much. Avira stayed anyway.

Watching them together reminded him a little too strongly of someone else…

He had known this would happen since those first days in Haven, of course. The two of them had a connection that neither of them had with anyone else. Even though it made things a bit more complicated, and none of the advisors seemed particularly thrilled, Varric was thankful for it, actually. He didn’t feel very at home in the Inquisition – his home was still across the sea in Kirkwall, of course – and Solas had been prickly at first, but Avira… She softened him up. Smoothed down his edges. Made him the type of man who proved to be a cuddler.

Not that he wasn’t prickly anymore, but he’d actually started greeting Varric once in a while when he passed through the rotunda during the day. (Although Avira was around whenever that happened, so maybe that was why…) He smiled more. Laughed every once in a while.

He seemed happy. They both did. And Varric was happy for them, too. Things weren’t always as easy as it seemed between them.

Varric watched them for a few seconds, thinking, before reaching over and grabbing his quill once more, dipping it in his pot of ink and pressing the tip to the page.

All this love and romance left him feeling a bit more inspired than when he had trudged up here a few hours ago looking for something to write about. He made a note to dedicate his next book to Solas and Avira – and what would probably end up being their ten kids.

-

Unfortunately, it didn’t last much longer than that.

The night they returned from Adamant, Avira ignored Solas, sitting on the opposite side of the main clearing in the Inquisition camp than he did. He tried to reach out to her a few times after the healers had seen to their respective wounds – ones they had received in the Fade and in the fortress - but after the third time she turned him away, he clenched his jaw and gave her a curt nod.

“As you wish, Inquisitor.” That was all he said before backing away and retreating to his tent, and he didn’t come out again until the morning.

Varric wasn’t surprised, though. After the argument they had about the Wardens – after seeing how angry Avira had been at the suggestion to exile them - it didn’t seem like there was any sort of relationship left to be salvaged.

And what was left dwindled in the following months – from a burning fire to cold ashes. They spoke on rare occasions, but neither of them seemed to enjoy it. They shared meals at the same table on opposite ends, neither of them looking in the other’s direction. And they journeyed together – and sometimes they tended to each other’s wounds – but their interactions were not friendly. Their relationship didn’t seem as easy as it used to be. In fact, it seemed harder than anything.

Harder, still, when he left.

Varric never talked to Avira about it. After defeating Corypheus, he never found the chance. She was busy, and seemed, at least to Varric, like she wanted to move on, and who was he to stop her from doing that? She had more things to deal with than she had before they stopped Corypheus – more Orlesian nobles coming to visit, more Chantry scholars, more refugees and pilgrims and  people vying for her attention – and dwelling on what could have been, dwelling on what she could have done differently, would do nothing to help her.

Varric knew that much, so he let it drop. She probably wouldn’t talk to him about it, anyway. And he’d thought that was the end of it.

And then they went back to Halamshiral for the Exalted Council, and, well…

-

“That’s it?” the red-headed elf asks. She’s a couple more drinks into her night than she was before, and she stares at him with bulging eyes. “He just left?”

“Yep,” Varric replies. “He didn’t even say goodbye, didn’t leave her a note. I thought they were going to be together for a long, long time, but it wasn’t even a year before he up and left. He left all of us, too. I was starting to warm up to him, actually, by the end, even after things between them were finished.” He grimaces. “I wish I hadn’t.”

“No wonder she hates him.”

“That’s not why she’s doing this, kid.” Varric takes a swig of his own drink, looking over his shoulder to where Avira exchanges quiet discussion with Cassandra and Leliana. “She’s doing this because Solas – sorry, the “Dread Wolf” or whatever it is that people call him nowadays – has to be stopped.”

The girl bites her lip. “I find her even scarier now,” she whispers. “If she can live through that, she must be unstoppable.”

“I sure hope so,” Varric says. “If not… well, maybe Solas isn’t going to be the only one that doesn’t make it out of this shit alive.”

[mllemaenad]

(Chantry Asker) I don't defend the Chantry because I think is "has to be good", but part of what Dragon Age encourages us to do is consider the difficulty faced by well-intentioned factions. The Inquisition, for example, has problems, becoming vulnerable to infiltration, and depending on how you played the game, may have done worse. It's not easy to help people, but the Chantry TRIES. Many Thedosian groups don't even do that. If not the Chantry, then to whom do the downtrodden and hopeless turn?

But Anonymous person: this is exactly what I mean. Whence comes this desire to treat the Chantry like some kind of beleaguered, underfunded kindergarten teacher?

“She’s trying, okay? She’s trying.”

Do you feel the need to defend Mass Effect’s Cerberus, too? Sometimes an evil organisation is just an evil organisation.

Why on earth do you think the Chantry is ‘trying’? Again: absolutely no one is saying that a particular revered mother (or Chantry brother or sister) may not be a good person who attempts to help people. That’s not in question. But ‘the Chantry’ is a continent-wide political organisation with massive resources and influence. It is led by a divine and by grand clerics, and on the other side by lord and lady Seekers and by knight-commanders of the templars. It has shaped the world. That’s the scale we are working on here.

No one group in history has impacted life in Thedas more than the Chantry. The influence of this church of the Maker prevails across most of the continent’s kingdoms, and the bulk of humanity pays at least lip service to its tenets. Belief in the Maker has started wars and forced those outside the Chantry to the fringes of society.

– The World of Thedas Volume I

So that’s a good start.

"The Keepers, Shaperate, Qun, Augers, Seers, and Shamen don't help. Only the Chantry.”

That’s one of the first things you said to me. And it’s so confusing because ... it reads like you really don’t grasp that these people are not in Lothering because, largely, they have been driven to the margins by Orlais and its Chantry. They can’t be there. They would die. 

Just as an example – can you imagine what would happen to an augur who set up in some Chantry-dominated village? Started summoning his gods, offering guidance and assistance, suggesting spirit possession to help training young mages? The poor bastard wouldn’t live out the day. But that wouldn’t be his fault. His people aren’t the ones practising religious persecution.

How – how – does that demonstrate the virtue of the Chantry? You can’t give someone points for being the only game in town when they’ve killed all the other players.

The Chantry began and has continued to be a predominantly human organisation. Other races are seen to be further from the Maker. The elves have their false pantheon of idols. The dwarves worship themselves. The Qunari are the worst of all, actively crushing worship of the Maker and desecrating Chantry values in the name of the Qun.

–  The World of Thedas Volume I

They have built the racism right into their doctrine, so that’s nice. And the religious persecution. And just ... zero self-awareness in that they hate the Qunari for converting by force when they do the same thing.

But let’s think about your "downtrodden and hopeless”, shall we?

Why is it that most of the elves in Thedas live in abject poverty, and regardless of their skills are effectively barred from bettering their lot? Oh, that’s right. Because the Chantry invaded their homeland, stole it from them, and forced them to live in slums and convert to the Chantry faith.

But you already know that something went wrong. A small elven raiding party attacked the nearby human village of Red Crossing, an act of anger that prompted the Chantry to retaliate and, with their superior numbers, conquer the Dales.

We were not enslaved as we had been before, but our worship of the ancient gods was now forbidden. We were allowed to live among the humans only as second-class citizens who worshipped their Maker, forgetting once more the scraps of lore we had maintained through the centuries.

– The City Elves

Why is it that most mages are dependant on Chantry run Circles to house, feed and clothe them? Oh, that’s right. Because the Chantry kidnaps them as children, prevents them from inheriting their family titles and property, and steals their children in turn should they have any.

Chantry law requires those with significant magical ability to join the nearest Circle and live under its supervision. While Thedosians with extremely low levels of magical talent are generally permitted to go about their lives, they are still closely watched. In most nations, practising magic and not joining a Circle is to be branded an apostate and, thus, a danger to society. Those who survive capture are turned over to the Circle to become students or prisoners, depending on the circumstances.

– The World of Thedas Volume I

So that’s ... pretty great. It sounds as though you’re suggesting – best case scenario – that the Chantry should get points for setting up a soup kitchen for the homeless, when they were the ones who burned down those people’s houses. And built an ugly mansion on the land.

But that really is a ... best case scenario. It doesn’t really fit with the reality of how the Chantry operates. I mean: the Chantry takeover in Kirkwall was a fucking disaster. Meredith had death squads. I mean – death squads. That whole situation was a dystopian nightmare.

And then there’s whatever the fuck is going on in Tantervale:

Chantry law is all but absolute in Tantervale, earning the city its dour reputation. The city guard is obsessed with enforcement. A street urchin would get a year in the dungeon for something that would get him a pat on the back in Orlais.

– World of Thedas Volume I

So ... yay for theocracy? And then there’s the clusterfuck in Jader:

The overpopulation and poor living conditions led to an outbreak of disease that nearly crippled the city, followed by famine in the poorer sections when it was quarantined.

Mother Giselle, whose prosperous chantry was in a wealthier quarter, wrote to Val Royeaux asking for assistance from the Chantry. When help was not immediately forthcoming, it is said that she addressed the clerics of her chantry. “As Andraste herself said, ‘My faith sustains me; I shall not fear the legion,’ then so shall faith sustain the hungry in this time of need,” Giselle told them. “As we have devoted our lives to divine contemplation, such a diet should come to us quite easily.” With that she took the unprecedented step of taking all of her chantry’s food into the poor quarters of Jader, distributing it to peasants who would otherwise have starved to death.

Shocked and shamed by what some in Val Royeaux privately referred to as an ostentatious bullying tactic, Chantry officials coordinated relief efforts. Food arrived quickly, along with instructions on how it was to be distributed: first to the Jader chantry to end the hunger strike, then to the Orlesian peasants, then to the Fereldan refugees, and finally to the elves of the alienages. Mother Giselle famously replied to the orders by saying, “If we believe that some have fallen further from the Maker’s grace than others, then those who have fallen further are in greatest need of our care. We cannot fill their souls until we have filled their bellies.” With the support of Lady Seryl of Jader, who was directing relief efforts of her own, Giselle ignored the directives and fed the poor of the city without regard for race or nationality.

Her actions saved thousands of lives in Jader and made her a beloved figure among the poor in Orlais and Ferelden alike. Those actions also destroyed her chances of any official political advancement in the Chantry, as the grand clerics did not look kindly on being shown up in such a manner.

– World of Thedas Volume II

So, five important points here:

1) Mother Giselle’s actions are ‘unprecedented’. So stepping up like that and forcing the Chantry to give aid in a time of crisis is not actually standard practice.

2) This is a clear example of a person attempting to do good and being stymied by the Chantry hierarchy.

3) The Chantry is, in case anyone forgot, really fucking racist.

4) Ending a famine also ended this woman’s political career, because the Chantry just cannot stop being The Worst.

5) While Giselle is undeniably doing some really awesome stuff here, that bit about not being able to fill people’s souls before filling their bellies indicates that even good people tend to do harm when following Chantry doctrine, because they can’t just ‘do good’. They’re also pushing conversion.

Whenever and wherever the Chantry has real power, they tend to do terrible harm. They do it on such a scale, on such a level of ‘these bloody hands may never be clean again’ awful that ... a few acts of kindness can’t easily redeem them.

To be critical of the Chantry, I don’t need to have another option. I can critique a thing without going further – especially since ‘The Chantry killed everyone else’ is ... pretty much why other people aren’t around to help. But ... it really isn’t as if no one else knows how to do good? 

I mean – look at Alistair. Assuming you made him king, he shows up with ships to bring the Fereldan refugees home, and offers aid to rebel mages. He fights with Meredith about it. That aid continues into Inquisition. While the Chantry is busy tearing Kirkwall apart, Alistair is helping. Anders runs a clinic for the poor and dispossessed in the Kirkwall sewers. He’s so damn popular that a mob turns up to defend him. That’s just one man. Most people like him are locked up, so they can’t help. Imagine a thousand clinics run by spirit healers.

Or ... did ... no one listen to Merrill?

Merrill: What does your Chantry do? I mean, you keep saying how great it is. Anders and Isabela tell me to stay away from it. But what does it do? Among the Dalish, the Keepers teach the children, preserve our history, perform magic. The priestesses here just... sing.

Sebastian: The Chantry does many charitable works. It cares for widows and orphans –

Merrill: Who in the Dalish would just be part of the clan, like everyone else. I just don't get it.

...

Bethany: So, there's no Circle among the Dalish?

Merrill: Any child with the gift of magic is apprenticed to a Keeper... in another clan if there's no need in her own.

Bethany: That sounds nice.

Merrill: Magic is a gift of the Creators. Why wouldn't we use it? It just seems... wasteful for humans to lock their mages away where they can't do any good.

– Merrill Dialogue

The Dalish would regard ‘charity’ as a communal duty, and magic as a tool to help people. She’s not wildly impressed by the Chantry, which is not doing enough good of any kind for her to notice. Merrill lives in one of the poorest parts of the city. So. Maybe her way might be worth a try?

Individuals can do good. Organisations can do good. These things are not in question. But the Chantry is – and I say this again – an imperial religion. Its primary function is to serve the Orlesian empire, which is racist, power hungry and deeply religiously intolerant. Empires are bad news.

I’ve seen the examples you’ve given. They exist. Some of them are real instances of a Chantry official, or a small, local chantry, doing a Good Thing. But I have to ask ...

Can you really look at a set of scales that has ‘genocide’ on one side and ‘helped out a single mum that one time’ on the other and say “Sure, that balances”?

[lathal]

Iveani and ADHD

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that “includes a combination of persistent problems, such as difficulty sustaining attention, hyperactivity, and impulsive behavior”. Iveani has combined type ADHD, which means that she has difficulties with both inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms. Like all ADHD, it began very early in childhood and she will have it for her entire life. It impacts pretty much every area of her life, however, it isn’t without its benefits. I’m going to go into detail about how exactly it impacts her, but I’m cutting the post because it’s long.

 Babe is easily distracted a lot of the time, but when she gets focused on something, she REALLY focuses on it and it’s difficult for her to do anything else. This is called hyperfocus, and it happens a lot more with things she likes. While hyperfocusing, she’ll forget to do things that are really important, like eating or sleeping. This tends to lead to her forgetting to eat for most of the day, and then at around 11 pm, she realizes she hasn’t eaten, and then eats way too much.

With things she doesn’t like, she gets bored VERY easily and has difficulty processing and organizing new information, leading to her getting confused easily and making more mistakes. There’s also the executive function issue. It makes it difficult for her to start tasks, as well as completing all of the steps involved and finishing them. And there’s the time blindness issue. People with ADHD often don’t really have a sense of how much time is passing, so she’s either very early to stuff or very late, no exceptions. All of this combined can make it look like she doesn’t care about certain important things, but that isn’t the case at all. She knows they’re important, and she tries her best but fails.

The hyperactivity isn’t as bad as it used to be, because she’s an adult and adults tend to be better at managing hyperactivity than children. She still fidgets almost constantly. She feels an almost constant need to go go go, even though she can contain herself during long meetings. She thinks much better while moving around. Walking in particular helps a lot, so she tends to pace. 

Impulsivity causes some problems socially. She’s generally good with people, but she does tend to blurt things would without thinking about them. She also has a tendency to interrupt people, though I’m not sure how I can really portray that in roleplay. Both of these things can make her seem pretty self centered at times. It also causes other issues. For example, the food she eats can be pretty crap because she just eats whatever sounds good, and she has a huge sweet tooth.

Like I said earlier, though, ADHD has its benefits! She’s energetic and enthusiastic. Her impulsivity is also spontaneity, so she’s very open to trying new things. It gives her a different perspective on life, allowing her to look at problems in a new way and come up with creative solutions. She can make decisions quickly, if needed. When she cares about something, she REALLY cares about it. The fact that she struggles makes her more compassionate towards people in similar situations, and more willing to help out.

Iveani in particular has been in really good situations that allow her to use the benefits of ADHD to their fullest. With the Dalish, her hyperfocus is a huge asset and her distractability isn’t really much of an issue. As a hunter in particular, she needs to be able to balance being aware signs of their prey and danger as well as being able to make quick decisions, both of which ADHD is good for. In fact, there’s a theory that ADHD evolved in part because of how good it was in hunter-gatherer societies! Many of the same things would probably also be helpful as a companion, especially in normal, day to day out in the field stuff. The positive qualities of ADHD also make her an effective leader, given enough support, which she absolutely has with the Inquisition.

However, historically, ADHD was viewed as a moral failing, not a disorder. I imagine Thedas is similar. She’s very much internalized the idea that she can just fix it if she tried hard enough, and lowkey hates herself for not being able to do that. It makes her feel a little bit like an alien sometimes, because things that seem so impossible for her seem so easy for everyone else. This is better for her in her modern verse, because she’s diagnosed, understands it’s a brain chemistry thing and not her fault, and is on medication for it.

In Thedas, however, I imagine treatment options would be limited. There are probably some stimulants, but nothing as strong as we have now. She’d really like caffeine, but I’m not sure how common things like coffee are. She’s picked up on how getting exercise helps some. She knows getting enough sleep also helps, but her insomnia makes it difficult. And that’s about it as far as available treatment options go.

Untreated ADHD can lead to many other problems. Her impulsivity makes her more likely to engage in risky behaviors, like using recreational drugs or having unprotected sex. Substance abuse is a risk, however, we don’t know enough about recreational drugs in Thedas for me to say much on the issue. I will say that she doesn’t enjoy the taste of a lot of alcohol, making her less likely to abuse it. Another risk is depression. While she is not depressed over the course of Inquisition, she is come Trespasser. One of the many contributing factors to its development is her low self esteem. It’s pretty bad for her. She isn’t actively suicidal in Trespasser, but she does have a plan on how she’d do it if she got to that point.

[pelle-lavellan-a]

Codex: Maevis

Born 20 Solis 9:25 Dragon

Death: (Verse Dependent) .9:42 Dragon

Race: Dalish Elf

Sex: Female

Height: 4′10′

Weight: 90lb

Marital Status: Single

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Religious Views: Dalish

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Affiliation: Clan Lavellan , (Verse Dependent) The Inquisition

Title: First of Clan Lavellan

Class: Mage (Pyromancy)

Bio: 

“Pelledir...you must understand I didn’t mean to hurt them. But people do awful things when they’re afraid.”

Prequisition:

Maevis was born a miracle to a middle aged couple who believed they would never bear children. She was their little bird. Maevis grew up with the notion from her parents that she could do no wrong, she was perfect in their eyes. She was a normal little girl who lived a normal life amongst the elves of her clan. She was satisfied living this way. She had friends, a loving family, she had everything. The hunters kept her safe from the dangers outside of her clan, she knew nothing of sorrow, of hunger, nor any troubles.

And then her magic surfaced when she was twelve years old. 

It was the first time in her life that she truly did not want something. She has seen the Keeper’s First Pelledir studying magic, learning natural lore, reading the ancient history of their people. The day she accidentally set fire to the bow her father made her--she knew she was doomed. 

The clan did not need another mage, they already had a First who was married to the Keeper’s granddaughter. His magic was strong--as far as she was concerned he was bound to have magical children. If anyone were to hear about her magic she would have no place in her home. She had been training to hunt, she was capable of taking care of herself perhaps--she was no defenseless child. They would throw her out, they really would wouldn’t they? A mage...how could the Creators have been so cruel to her?

And then the tide turned. Both the First and his wife disappeared into the night neither of them to be seen in days. Maevis would not pretend that she was not glad to see the First gone. If he were truly dead then it might be safe for her to tell Deshanna about her abilities that she had been keeping to herself. 

Deshanna was not pleased when she found out, though much to Maevis’ surprise she was not angry about Maevis’ magic, nor that she tried to hide it. What angered Deshanna was that Maevis did not even seem to care that anyone had just died. In her anger she refused to take Maevis under her wing and was ready to have Maevis thrown out from the clan should she continue to show such disregard for her people. 

After the rather unpleasant threat, things only seemed to get worse. The First had been found among mage refugees from Kirkwall. His spirit and his body were broken but he was alive. He was returned to the clan by his cousin Faolan and brother Fen. This was her chance, she had to feign that she was relieved to see Pelledir alive. 

She’d never liked him much, too soft in her opinion. In her eyes he was just a boy who got lucky. He was smart but his body did not serve him well in combat or self defense. He was bond to a woman bigger and stronger than him, his cousin was well rounded, his cousin and best friend trained hunters He didn’t need to be self sufficient, others always had done it for him. As far as she was concerned his disciplined magic and scholarly knowledge was useless in the real world. Now that he was widowed, he was even more abhorrent to her than before. 

He would tell no one what happened to his wife. In fact, he hardly spoke at all. Maevis would visit him, speak with him, bring him food once a day. He rarely ate it, and was seldom up for conversation. This frustrated Maevis. She was determined to fool Deshanna into believing that Pelledir enjoyed her company, that she was not as self seeking as the Keeper believed. 

But the First was no fool, he knew that Maevis could not care whether he died in the night or if he recovered. When the First finally told her he did not want her company because it was insincere, Maevis lost her temper with him claiming that Deshanna had favorites and that if she did not pretend she was not revolted by him the Keeper would surely see to it that she was thrown out. 

The First simply laughed at her and told her that Deshanna was not angry that she did not like him, Deshanna was worried about Maevis. She wanted Maevis to learn to think of someone other than herself. He also mentioned that the threat was perhaps a way to motivate her to work on her attitude. However, he disagreed with Deshanna for what she’d said. He told Maevis that he felt that Deshanna had been too harsh with her, and that he knew that while Maevis acted tough that he knew her family meant a great deal to her. And with that he offered to teach Maevis himself should he recover. 

Reluctantly Maevis agreed, she did not really have any other options. 

She watched crossing her fingers as Pelle insisted upon helping protect the clan from the pursuers of the humans who’d rescued him. He’d nearly killed himself just using magic to protect Deshanna in the first place, losing consciousness soon after. 

He was an idiot, Maevis believed that with all her heart. Within a few days, Deshanna was no longer performing the duties of the Keeper on her own. While he was not actually the Keeper, between the two of them he was younger, more physically capable, and well on his way to becoming the Keeper himself should Deshanna’s health get any worse. The way Deshanna saw it, Pelle was more of an extension of herself now...and he was to teach take her on as an apprentice the way a Keeper would. Which made her...the First in some strange roundabout way...

She tolerated Pelle. He taught her to control her magic, he taught her to read and write, and he began teaching her the old lore. 

Over the years,the clan migrated more often than she remembered in the past due to the mage templar war, and excluding a time where the clan was burned out, nothing major had really happened that was worth documenting for her. She learned her magic, she studied the lore, and in her spare time she still joined the hunts when she was available. 

Pelle knew she had no interest in taking on the responsibilities that came with being the First...or even the second, he did not try to convince her otherwise.

Three years later, Pelle would leave the clan claiming to return with news from the Conclave. 

He never returned... 

Soon enough the clan would receive word from Pelledir that he was being held the Inquisition and was certain he might be struck down should he attempt to leave.

 For now they would have take direction from Deshanna, he did not imagine he would be coming home anytime soon. This seemed as good a plan as any, if Deshanna hadn’t fallen ill shortly after 

She went quickly...and with that left no one to lead the clan. Maevis would not be responsible for them. 

Inquisition:

Traveling Wycome spelled death for Clan Lavellan. Despite Pelledir’s, who was now Inquisitor of this foreign Inquisition, efforts from Orlais the clan could not be saved. Few of her clansmen survived, and in their small numbers chose to leave the area lest they become more fodder to the soldier’s blades. 

One of the hunters, Talwinne, proposed they make their way to the Inquisition. Surely Pelle who was now Inquisitor to this strange Inquisition would grant them permission to stay after the things they’d been through. The journey to Skyhold was long and nothing short of a little gruesome. In the end--only her and Talwinne managed to make it to the hold. 

There had been fifteen of them when they left Wycome. Eight of them died along the way from crossfires in the war, demons, wildlife, etc. The rest--Maevis took care of them. Deciding that it would be difficult to move forwards with so many once they reached Orlesian, she chose to have something done about the others. Making the choice of who would be most useful the rest of the journey, Maevis chose to spare Talwinne. 

The rest, she lied to them, told them she’d found an Inquisition camp nearby when she was scouting ahead and that they ought to go and ask them for safety. The five were not quick to follow, telling her they ought to wait for Talwinne who left to retrieve wood to build a fire. Maevis told two of them to wait for Talwinne, fetch him once he returned.

Where she led the other three instead was a tear in the sky infested with demons, a Rift as they were being called these days. The two who had waited for Talwinne came running when they heard the screaming. By then...Maevis was already gone, she’d fled back to camp leaving them all to die. 

Talwinne was furious, he swore he would kill Maevis if he thought it was worth it. Maevis pretended she wasn’t hurt, that she did not feel the slightest remorse for murdering her own people. She told Talwinne her reasons, he did not accept them. 

In her anger she shouted at him that she had made the hard decision that had to be made, it was too dangerous to travel in packs in the part of Thedas, it would draw too much attention. 

The two did not speak unless it was crucial for the rest of the trip to Skyhold. Once there, both of them volunteered to work as scouts for the Inquisition. 

[thevalkyriesonline]

Nine Worlds; One Valkyries Trip To London’s Inclusive Fan Convention

Conventions appeal to different fans for different reasons, whether it be comic con, a game expo, YouTube/Blogger convention or whatever the medium but one common factor in all of these conventions is the possibility to meet other like-minded fans! As well as hopefully getting the chance to meet your idols! 

There is a Con though that really thrives on fans, it is called Nine Worlds (London’s Inclusive Fan Culture Convention). A Con with a difference – the difference being it is made by fans for fans to meet other fans and just enjoy and celebrate their fandom in all it’s crazy geekiness.

It has been going since 2013 when it was first set up but I only heard about it last summer (2017) when I discovered that one talk held there was titled “It’s research! Or Why it is ok to play over 100 hours of Dragon Age when you really should be writing.” This, as a huge Dragon Age fan since discovering Inquisition, spoke to me on a level that none of my immediate friends understood or appreciated. Unfortunately I was unable to attend Nine Worlds in 2017, but the fact that there was a time and place to have such a discussion on such a unique fan-based topic inspired me to endeavor to attend in 2018. So as soon as the Early Bird Tickets became available I put my money where my heart wanted me to and I began to plan and save for a big solo adventure to London for Nine Worlds 2018.

I also made another bold and brave and foolish decision to sign up as a Content Provider for Nine Worlds 2018!

Why? – because why not? I have been a mega reader, hoarder and fan of all fiction featuring, adapting or retelling Norse Mythology for years and Nine Worlds provided me with the ideal and probably only platform where I could take the chance to share my enthusiasm and passion for the genre of Norse Fantasy. The Nine Worlds Team accepted my proposal, so, on top of saving for the hotel room on-site and booking train travel I also had to plan a lecture/talk – I was both really nervous and really excited! The months, weeks and days soon dwindled down to departure day and then I was off down to London for what I hoped would be a fun and busy weekend.

Now on to the fun bit – the various sessions and events and panel discussions! These were the ones I attended but over 50 were held each day of the convention so this is just a small sample of what fandom and genres were covered.

Session One – LARP (Live Action Role Play). Speakers; Penny Jackson, Adam Dinwoodie, Mx RA Madgwick and Haplocke Spence

As I am attending my first ever LARP event, set in the world of Dragon Age in November this was a must for me! The panel was made up of experienced and new-ish LARP players and they gave a great insight into how LARP’ing works, the various types and systems involved, clothing and equipment, rules for both play and player protection and more.

Session Two – The Only Toilet in Thedas. Speakers; Sarah Gordon, Phil Dyson, Angela Cleland

Now who couldn’t resist that title? Especially when you are a Dragon age fan. This panel discussion was the most interesting because it covered not just the world of games but also of books, TV and Film. It made me realize how much in Fantasy the practical matters of hygiene from toilets to sewers to bathing are just not address yet in Sci-Fi it’s more visible. The panel discussed whether it was a taboo or simply a matter of too much detail on a very personal and private matter – for instance do you want to know how long the hero, heroine, villain or indeed any character takes on the toilet? If they wash their hands or not? – but then again social, religious and cultural practices exist even within the bathroom and so perhaps it should be represented more?

Session Three – Know Thy Enemy. Speakers; Adrian Tchaikovsky, Jeanette Ng, Ms Anna Stephens

This was a panel debate all about the nature and representation of Villains. I found it fascinating to discuss Villains and their nature, one panel member made the very good point on how it is wrong to see the Villain as the champion of Chaos and the Hero of Order for it is in fact the other way around. In many scenarios across all mediums it is the Villain that has established some type of order whether through politics, society, culturally or religious or just geographically or financially but it is the Hero who emerges to disrupt that form of order and thus bring about chaos. This made me instantly think of Katniss in the Hunger Games, she is rebelling against the ruling society and its cultural practice of the Games and thus brings war to the capital city and thus chaos. Another issue discussed was whether the viewer/reader must be sympathetic towards Villains. The panel debated hard on this topic and in the end agreed that sympathy isn’t necessary for a Villain to be a true villain or a good villain but what is necessary is that the viewer/reader gets a sense of the Villain’s journey to their villainy – they must see where, how and why the character has become the Villain, whether for good or bad, and so enjoy the Villain’s redemption or come-uppance by the hero.

Session Four – D&D (Dungeons and Dragons) for Young People. Speaker; Elizabeth Prais

In my day job as a college Librarian I had recently learned of a lunch-time Dungeons and Dragons group being set up by a teacher after some students expressed an interest. So, I was eager to learn more tips and tricks to either host such a group in the Library or pass on to my colleague. The lady who hosted this session hailed from America and was very open about how she ran her local residential D&D group for her daughter and some local children. She gave some great recommendations and advice on timing, kit, planning, preparation and how to adjust and adapt the large and complex set of rules for a younger more impatient audience.

Session Five – Philosophy and Mass Effect. Speaker; Michael Duxbury, Emily Marlow

Now this was the first session I wasn’t entirely clued up on as I myself am still stuck half way through playing Mass Effect 2 by Bioware so a lot of the moral/ethical dilemmas they talked about I hadn’t actually experienced yet, or I couldn’t remember what I chose in the ones I was familiar with. Yet it was interesting and food for thought on how the scenarios were portrayed, and the fixed set of options provided resulted in the moral and ethics becoming such a personal dilemma for players. It wasn’t always a case of choosing the lesser of two evils but how the player and indeed the character depending on their Renegade to Hero balance would pick. Some panel members and indeed people in the audience felt that more choices would improve and increase the dilemma levels instead of just A or B. The panel also discussed how often, at least amongst themselves, they would pick based on the benefit or not long term, not the short term and play with a view of working towards achieving success or a goal.

Session Six – Beyond Marvel and DC – What comics you should be reading. Speakers; Angie Wenham, Stephen Lacey, Kate Barton, Ram V

The panel mentioned a great many titles, artists, apps and webcomics that they recommended as alternatives to Marvel/DC and then invited the audience to contribute. I recommended Nimona* by Noelle Stevenson  and I Hate Fairy Land by Skottie Young.

* Interested in Nimona? Check out our review! 

I Hate FairyLand

Nimona

Session Seven – Disney Sing-A-Long

This was the true highlight for me as an eternal child thanks to the magic of Disney. I wasn’t the only adult in the room, it was a very popular event and there were children of all ages and their parents and even a few Disney cosplayers too. We were all able to sing-a-long via screen projecting the words, or handouts or follow a link online. A whole range of songs was sung and Frozen ‘Let It Go’ proved to be a major popular one with a member of Con Staff leading a friendly stage invasion and then everyone proudly showed off all the right moves to the lyrics. I honestly was in tears with joy as some of the most powerful songs were sung by young and old alike.

The final event I will review was the FABULOUS MMORPG SHOW. Speaker; Misha Anker, Paul Flannery

Which was a blend of audience power and D&D – we basically had the Game Master who set up a story, invited some members of the audience to join him on stage and fill in character sheets but they had to be as unconventional as possible and then he would invite the audience to provide character names, objects, powers etc. to the story narrative and the players would roll a giant D20 (20-sided dice) to determine the outcome. This was a whole lot of fun and silliness and the story involved a Bee with a Human Leg, a Swarm of Wasps and a Wizard whose greatest spell was making Jam, they had to find the Cheese Board for the Duck of Doom! You had to be there to believe the story and it was amazingly resolved within the 1 hour and a half session.

Norse Fantasy, My own presentation! 

Was scheduled bright and early on a Saturday morning the night after the first big disco (alas Becky did not go dancing due to a very painful wisdom tooth spoiling things) and yet the room quickly filled up much to my delight. Despite not having the colorful presentation I spent hours on, due to not having my own laptop to plug into the screen, I was still able to explain, explore and introduce so many of my favourite authors and titles to a new audience. Some of the audience also proved to be fellow fans of many of them and a good number took photographs of my favourite title list to go away with to look at later and thanked me for the session, which was an awesome feeling. I was even complimented on my choice of t-shirt for the session – my own Valkyrie t-shirt from Redbubble. It says, “Valkyrie of Odin – Midgard Original – Since 793”. If you are interested in my presentation, I am planning on doing a written version of it for the Valkyries Blog so stay tuned!

Last but not least was the fab mini Geek Market that was on all weekend and as it was also my birthday, I indulged myself in another t-shirt from Genki Gear, some D&D themed tea, tea strainer and mug, two new bookmarks, some funky acrylic necklaces featuring a book and a fox in a bin, some super cute little clay keyrings of Flynn Rider, Thor and Pizza and of course BOOKS! Each attendee got a surprise free book in their bag, but I got two based on libraries and books, The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman and Bookworm by Christopher Nuttall – expect a review on here once I have got around to enjoying them.

Now the managing team have recently stepped down to consult with attendees and invite new members, as they are reviewing their constitution to try and make it more inclusive and representative of those who attend. Although from what I witnessed their inclusive and equality practices were out of this world compared to other cons I’ve been too. I do hope the new organizers can continue what has already been established and continue to make improvements where they feel it is needed. I for one enjoyed it all – despite my wisdom tooth being a very literal pain throughout – for I definitely would attend again.

Did you attend Nine Worlds? What did you think? What was your favourite presentation?

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A Valkyrie at Nineworlds! @london_geekfest #nineworlds Nine Worlds; One Valkyries Trip To London's Inclusive Fan Convention Conventions appeal to different fans for different reasons, whether it be comic con, a game expo, YouTube/Blogger convention or whatever the medium but one common factor in all of these conventions is the possibility to meet other like-minded fans!