#amaranthine musings

[lyricalmusingstuff]

The finest light could never reveal the softness with which you hold me.

[musemuseum]

amaranthine graves tag drop

[ryescapades-archived]

→ EVENT OVERVIEW

prompt: 1 - “are you asking me out?” characters: hoshina soshiro (kn8) x f!reader contents: fluff, established rs, officer!reader (not specified which dep.), dunno if i should tag this too but reader drinks coffee lol wc ~ 1k (no beta !!)

a/n: @purpleqilinwrites hewwoo kaija my beloved tysm for participating !! my apologies for taking so long to get to your orders but i hope they are to your liking (lmk if there's anything you'd like me to change!) <3 andd here’s your slice two !

piles of rubble and cracked buildings surround him, the kaiju corpses littered around now huddled by a throng of workers from the monster sweeper inc. hoshina barely spares a glance over the dead monsters as he flicks both of his swords in a quick swipe in the air, splashes of blood splattering onto the concrete below as he cleans his blades as efficiently as he could.

grabbing his coat from the vehicle he’d taken to get to his post, he takes a peek over his shoulder when a series of faint footsteps approaches from behind. “vice-captain hoshina! i’m here to report–” kafka starts, but hoshina brushes him off with a wave of his hand. “direct all reports to any of your platoon leaders. i have somewhere else to be.”

with no further clarification, hoshina immediately sets off, leaving behind a jaw-slacked kafka and a confused reno tottering behind him. they throw a simultaneous glance at each other, wordlessly questioning each other about their superior’s behavior.

“and there he goes,” nakanoshima’s voice catches their attention. when she’s asked for the reason, all kafka and reno received is a shrug of her shoulders and a muse of “he’s a man in love. what else do you expect?” as if it’s an explanation enough.

and hoshina is, indeed, a man in love and a man on a mission. one that doesn’t include taking out dangerous beasts, but instead facing all his exhaustion head on just so he could go to you. combat suit still in operation, he makes good use of its power to hop over the buildings to the next, heading straight to that quaint little place he knew where you’d be.

the corner of his lips quirk up when he remembers the text you’d sent him prior to the mission. ‘heard your mission is in xx city. if things go haywire, i’ll be nearby to clock in asap just lmk :)’. always ready to help even when you’re off duty; one of the many things hoshina loved about you. he amusedly shakes his head at the thought.

as the mission retains minimal damage, the surrounding towns are thankfully unaffected by the destruction. the smooth cobblestone path thuds softly underneath his feet when hoshina lands in the alley, glad that your location isn’t that far from his. he pulls on the coat over his form, shoulders flexing from the movement as he rounds the corner.

even from the outside of the shop, he could already smell the roasted beans and sweet pastries. hoshina inhales deep, taking in the delightful scent before he cranes his head here and there, eyes roving over the bustling crowd until his amaranthine hues finally settle on what he’d been searching for.

and much like a heartfelt homecoming, a wholesome reunion, or like how the sand meets the shore, how the sun touches the horizon, how the morning light kisses the sheer curtains, how the coffee swirls in warm frothy milk; the familiarity of it all overwhelms him.

you stand there, all beauty and wonder, stealing hoshina’s breath and rendering him speechless as he stops in his tracks for a moment. before you can draw in a puff of breath, he is already marching towards you, closing the distance with purposeful steps.

“hi,” eyes widening slightly in surprise, you breathe out a small chuckle as you look up at him. hoshina mirrors your smile, soft and affectionate as he digs his hands into the pockets of his uniform. “hi.”

you absently lick your bottom lip, though you do notice the way his gaze flickers down to the action for a split second. taking a few glances around, you wonder if any of his officers might somehow emerge from thin air. “aren’t you supposed to be…” forehead creasing, you shrug lightheartedly, “i don’t know. slaying kaiju or something?”

“the operation just ended, sweetheart.” he beams, and his adorable little fangs make their appearance. your eyebrows raise high at his answer. “... but you’re here.” you state, trying to decipher why he’s standing in front of your very eyes, still in his combat uniform (which has people glancing ever so often) rather than reporting to his captain back at base, or freshening up at home.

“but i’m here,” he parrots, watching in interest at the way your expression unfolds. hoshina’s grin grows at your confusion, so wide and cheery that your hands itch to reach up and pinch his cheeks from endearment. instead, you wring your hands behind your back to fidget on them secretly.

the swordsman notices the lack of a plastic cup in your grasp. he takes a quick look at the coffee shop the two of you had been standing in front of before turning back to you, “ya had lunch yet?”

“nope.” you simply reply.

he shifts on the balls of his feet, directing a thumb towards the shop, “... wanna grab somethin’ together?”

a second of silence goes by. and then a laugh breaks out, bubbling from the very back of your throat as you let the mirth freely flow out of you. “soshiro, are you really asking me out right now?”

hoshina bites down on his own smile and lifts a shoulder, “well, is it working on ya?” you shake your head in response, still coming down from your giggles, “i can’t believe you.”

“you love me anyway,” he tilts his head, violet strands softly swaying from the movement. you let out a contented hum, a hand stretching out to brush his hair away from his eyes.

the afternoon sun gleams down on the two of you, but the heat from your little touch burns brighter than anything hoshina has ever felt. he thrives on it, craves it. his skin tingles where it made contact with yours, and his heart races when the sunlight catches on the metal band surrounding your ring finger.

“i do love you,” you agree with a dreamy sigh. “in fact, i’ll love you even more if you make good on your words and buy me a coffee right now, husband.”

oh don’t he love the sound of that label coming out of your lips. perhaps he should call you his wife more often now…

taglist open. and yes they’re married your honour !!! feels like i’m writing about spiderman!hoshina for a sec there (ᵕ—v—)

©🅁🅈🄴🅂🄲🄰🄿🄰🄳🄴🅂. do not steal, translate or repost my work anywhere else !

[hoboblaidd]

Solas Post-Trespasser

Solas is radio silent with everyone from the Inquisition after Trespasser, especially with people he was close with (Varric is the sole exception but isn’t that always the case). Aside from showing up in the occasional dream, he doesn’t ever talk to a romanced Lavellan until his letter right before the ritual in Veilguard. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know what’s going on with people. He keeps updated dossiers on these people (Batman), though to be fair, he’s got dossiers on everyone.

90% of what he does outside of his own personal missions (i.e. retrieving artifacts, gathering his own intel, recruiting agents, showing up to help agents on bigger problems, killing people who’ve wronged Nanna, etc.) is done through agents. The Dread Wolf’s involvement is almost never implicated directly, but he’s always calling the shots. No matter how hands-off he is, people who knew him probably know he’s behind a bunch of freed elves. Note that he doesn’t only free elves, but I think people would more readily connect him with that.

Solas has informants everywhere. And I mean everywhere. In every organization, at every port, in major cities, etc., Solas has eyes. Most of these agents are probably willing city elves, since they can blend in. He doesn’t leave them out to dry, and supplies them with coin, food, and protection. He may not have been familiar with the north immediately post-Trespasser, but he had eight years in the interim to build a vast network. And then of course, he has spirits.

He needs to make sure any slaves he frees up north are supplied, set up with work if they want it, and have somewhere safe to live. I like to imagine there are some out-of-the-box people he uses for that, like Calpernia, Dorian, and even Briala. People freed from the Qun (if they don’t sign on to be agents), would be sent to Bull and the Chargers. People he trusts to care about the well-being of these freed folks. He’d be careful using anyone still closely associated with the Inquisition, like the Inquisitor, Leliana, or Cassandra.

Solas also has trade needs. He’s got people across Thedas that need to be supplied with food, weapons, etc. Not to mention all the city elves that flocked to him post-Trespasser. He routes his trade through Amaranthine (for Nanna), Kirkwall (for Varric), Antiva City (Josephine), Minrathous (Dorian), and wherever Briala is set up in Orlais (dependent on what their relationship is and if she’s even still alive). If he has to deal with the Dalish in some fashion, he’d route trade/supplies through Clan Lavellan (if alive) or the Veil Jumpers once they’re set up. It’s both because he trusts their business dealings will be fair and because he sees it as helping their business. He’s weird with showing affection, what can I say. But again, he’d do this very indirectly through agents, shell organizations, etc.

That’s not to say he doesn’t see to things personally. He absolutely does, but it’s always in disguise. He’s very good at disguises unless he gives himself away (see Tevinter Nights). He knows most languages now, and can converse in them like a native OR converse in them using an accent/dialect he’s more proficient in like Ferelden or Orlesian. Basically, he’s always creeping around somewhere.

RP-wise, I’d love to incorporate agent or relevant muses into this network. There’s so much ground to cover and so much opportunity to build things in those eight years.

[mageknife]

1, 4, 10 for fel 🫵

rook thorne asks

10 here

1. Why did your Rook join the Wardens? How long have they been in the order?

fel was conscripted by cedric in 9:44 ❤️ they were on the block for their many crimes over the course of the war and the years after (mostly thievery and mercenary work, crimes that weren’t too big in the grand scheme of things but the list of charges really added up). they were ironically being held in amaranthine, the city where they grew up and swore to never return to, and they were in their cell musing on that irony when cedric came to recruit them. fel asked why, cedric said that the wardens were low on numbers and he was actively going around conscripting prisoners to boost their ranks.

they also vaguely knew each other back in kinloch hold, and it had been a long time but cedric recognized them. he wouldn’t let any mage die under his watch, especially not one from his circle. and so fel became a warden and served in ferelden for 7 years before getting booted from the wardens for once again trying to get themselves killed

4. If your Rook had a vintage bottle like the ones from DAI, what would it say?

A bottle marked “Vintage: Warden Thorne. If found, smash this bottle and stab me with it.”

[defira85]

Thedas Tuesday

Just over a week to go! And I've done introductions for all 8 of my Rooks (if you fancy, you browse the tag here to see any you might have missed) so today I'm posting my predictions as to who might romance who. This is just a guess, I've been trying to avoid a lot of the early access stuff that went live in September, so I really don't have a huge grasp on the companions' personalities for the most part, and it's entirely possible I'll get wrenched in a completely different direction by the muse once I get into the game proper.

But for now, under the cut because it's long:

Vaaran: Qunari Grey Warden, warrior class. This is actually the easiest one to predict because Vaaran has been a Grey Warden since the siege of Amaranthine in 9:31 and is actively hearing her calling at the onset of Veilguard. Who better to woo the stoic warrior who has embraced her own death and is only lingering to ease her sister's guilt but the charming necromancer and master of death himself? How much will it hurt Emmrich to realise that for once he finds death to be a hindrance, a horror, an enemy ready to snatch his new love away? How much will it hurt Vaaran when she realises she wants to live, but it might be too late?

Kasaanda: Qunari Grey Warden, mage class. Bubbly and boisterous, excited to be alive and to experience everything life has to offer, who else would catch her eye but the equally bubbly Bellara?

Micaela: Human Mourn Watch, mage class. A member of the illustrious and mysterious Gottschalk family on her mother's side, the more common Ingellvar on her father's side. Cousin to the infamous Jo Hawke. As a Gottschalk, Micaela has been raised as a member of the Veiled Brotherhood, and has an intimate relationship with spirits, demons and blood magic. Of COURSE that means I'm going to throw her at Lucanis (and Spite) because they're going to annoy each other SO MUCH it'll be delicious

Hedrobella: Dwarf Lord of Fortune, warrior class. The infamous Captain Brand is a world-weary grump with a heart of gold hiding under many, many layers of scars and snark. She is going to find common ground with Neve, two snarky women fighting to do the right thing for the little guy and finding comfort in each other

Dhraoibhan: Elven Veil Jumper, warrior class. I think I want to go elf for elf, and head for Davrin. We've never had the opportunity to have a Dalish elf romance a Dalish elf before! It's exciting! And with my personal little headcanon that Dhraoibhan is a worshipper of the Forgotten Ones, I can write it as a little antagonistic, a little culture clash, which will be fun. The only problem, it's also warrior for warrior, and now that the party size has been cut down, that makes it difficult to justify having him in the party with them

Luciaane: Human Shadow Guard, mage class. TECHNICALLY SHE'S INQUISITION, NOT SHADOW GUARD. Again, I get why there's not an Inquisition faction as a player background, I do, but I want one. For many reasons that I went into in her backstory post, but also because it'll be hilarious having her romance Harding knowing that Luc, her father, was a member of the Inquisition and a member of Inquisitor Corinne Trevelyan's inner circle, and he'll do fucking anime murder sparkle eyes when he realises Harding is dating his baby girl

Nomi: Dwarf Antivan Crow, rogue class. She's gayer than San Francisco in the spring time, and she's devoutly religious and bound by how important duty is. So of course that means she's going to have a CRISIS over Taash, who has left the Qun and has no loyalties beyond coin and is just the most extraordinary (BIG) woman Nomi has ever seen

Which is all 7 companions accounted for! Which leaves...

Beren: Elf Shadow Dragon, rogue class. Look. We all know my brand. I'm going to go after an unromanceable, it's just going to happen. I'll write a 300k fic about an unromanceable character yet again, it's just what I do. Will it be Solas, now that he's unattainable? Perhaps. It might also be Elgar'nan. Maybe it's Manfred, because Elissa's canon romance is Justice the corpse, so why wouldn't I romance a skeleton in this game? Who knows. We'll see what happens and who my wretched soul latches on to in 2 weeks time....

And in 2 weeks time we'll know just how wrong I am and how badly I messed up these predictions!

[lyricalmusingstuff]

Laws of nature rendered FROZEN in your path. From WHERE have you come ?

[mage-of-markarth]

Rules: List 10 headcanons you have for your muse, if multiblog pick one or all of your muses. Tag 10 people or more.

Tagged by: @resurrectedfiles

Tagging: @loyaltyandchaos, @sonofhighrock, @thanatologie, @mxnsterinthedark, @gingeralehux, @deficd, @praesidem, @chromium-siren, @last-domino, @therapardalis

So these are probably going to be a mix of Aeliths verses since she has a few. I’ll label which is which.

1: (Skyrim) Aelith hates the cold, loathes it having grown up in Wayrest. So studying at the college of Winterhold was interesting to say the least. She spent half her time wrapped around some kind of heating device before she slowly acclimated.

2: (all verses) if it’s an animal and injured, she’ll stop and try to help. Half of the time she’ll try bring it home much to her master/parter/parents chagrin. In Skyrim she has a pet Sabretooth cat called aramis. In Star Wars she will always find a porg or a tooka. Heck given the chance she’d adopt a nexu kit.

3: (dragon age where she’s the warden) she never wanted to be a warden, but she’ll be damned if she lets the higher ups at Weisshaupt or Clorel ruin the good name of the Fereldan wardens,often going against orders to protect her troops and the people of Fereldan.

4: (Fallout) By the time of fallout 4 Aelith is in Boston, working on rebuilding Sanctuary and working with the locals to honour the memory of the Lyons.

5: (fallout) Her greatest shame is that she couldn’t stay and raise Arthur. Between the outcasts and the enclave acting covertly even after defeat, she had no choice but to flee to keep them both safe.

6: (Skyrim) Thanks to her affinity with animals of all kinds, Aelith is often referred to as Kyne touched by the divines followers, able to soothe even the angriest of beasts with a few words or a quick spell.

7: (marvel) A former Royal navy Medic, Aelith received an honorable medical discharge after being wounded in combat, still trying to save lives with a shattered leg and bleeding heavily. Her actions caught the eye of shield who head hunted her for their “superhero” medical team as a no nonsense field medic who can and will tell earths mightiest hero’s to shut up and sit down before they fall.

8: (Skyrim) Aelith is a nerd, and absolute nerd for the Dwemer, to the point she’s somehow made alliances and trades with the falmer in some of the ruins.

9: (Skyrim) Blackreach is her absolute ultimate goal to reach and explore. She will absolutely pester you to death if you even have a whiff of knowing where an entrance could be outside of Nu’chuand Zel.

10: (Dragon age) Despite her role as Warden commander in Fereldan, she’s also one of the most powerful women in the country as Teryna of Gwalin. After the betrayal of Teryn Loghain Mac Tir at Ostegar and his role in denying the last two wardens any backup, he’s stripped of his lands and titles by Alistair as king. These are given to Aelith as recompense for everything that betrayal led to, including ruling Amaranthine, land she gives back to Nathaniel since he did no wrong to her family.

[forgotten-retrouvaille]

currently insanely mused for @amaranthine-divine so you can catch me over there today

[elliscousland]

so i've been thinking about ellis' da2 au

after the darkspawn civil war ellis basically peaces out. he's like. i'm out, just for a little bit, fuck everyone who's not me. he probably leaves amaranthine with nathaniel in charge after a v tense road to mutual respect ( i really think they end up as besties but it's an ugly, ugly, ugly road leading up to that & i will break it down sometime). it might be someone else, idk, but it is v much meant to be a temporary thing.

he has the intent of looking for morrigan ( more importantly, he's looking for kieran, i think when she steps through the eluvian & leaves his obsession takes turn away from their romance in dao but thts a convo for another day ) & looking for more ways to keep the ferelden grey wardens on their feet. he's not convinced it's over & is losing his mind abt the idea that his world might fall apart again.

so he travels under the guise of a nameless grey warden, though there are certain things that point to his identity ( he has a distinct appearance, he's got the cousland sigil tattooed on him, he is stronger / faster than most grey wardens bcs of avernus' alchemical concoction which gains him a certain reputation, ect, ect. )

i like the idea that he could be a potential companion for hawke because he recognizes them as someone who is well connected & constantly in the sort of trouble that might benefit him to be close to. he's not outright about his identity ( there is the potential of them recognizing one another from a brief encounter in ferelden before ) until there is a certain level of approval. i do think there is a certain level of sneakiness on ellis' part, mirroring how he's not honest with any inquisitor that isn't astoria about his intentions w the inquisition until given a reason to be.

but uhhh. this is a mess & mostly just loose ideas, but bottom line is he's traveling, looking for cures for the taint, looking for things that point towards his son & gravitates towards trouble. he's not forward about his identity but a hawke on good terms w anders might find it out from him or if they recognize him from any other encounters. ellis doesn't end up in kirkwall until after witch hunt & is still technically warden commander of ferelden, but only in name. the responsibilities are on someone else's shoulders until he returns to them, which he intends to.

i need to work out timelines & see what lines up. if the witch hunt / awakening stuff doesn't line up quite right i'll adjust a few things but these are just the ideas floating around in my head since i've been seeing a ton of da2 muses around lately.

[rogue-lavellan-trin]

Musings about Origins characters reappearing during Inquisition.

Amalia Amell, Warden-Commander, first visits Leliana shortly after the fall of Haven, but in her animal shapeshifted form. First taught by her friend Morrigan, Amalia would master shapeshifting, and to maximise travel speed and lower suspicion, would travel to Leliana often as a Red Hawk. Undertaking distant operations with the few Ferelden Wardens who didn't travel west, and trying to uncover why that happened.

Sofia Surana, runaway apostate, has spent the years since Amaranthine travelling and dealing with shenanigans, though often making contact with Amalia and Leliana during the years. Makes her way towards Skyhold shortly after news arrives of the Inquisition reaching it, ends up travelling alongside two others on their way towards Skyhold for reasons nobody wants to discuss. (Includes Miriaa Lavellan, Inquisitor Ivey's older sister, and Adelaide, daughter of the Chevalier that Ivey killed in revenge for killing her parents). Sofia simply is aware that Leliana is there, and wants to visit her, as well as regain her connections.

Finally, Jaydin Amell (@hamingo 's bloodmage Amell, romanced & did the Dark Ritual with Morrigan, and is Amalia's brother), who followed Morrigan through the Eluvian during Witch hunt, first present at Halamshiral during the Masquerade. Was tasked with watching over his son Kieran, reconnects with Amalia, Sofia and Leliana. Amalia spends most of her time interacting with her newly found nephew, while Jaydin and Sofia spend their time messing with nobles using magic (telling Kieran not to do these things anytime he can see it). Jaydin later goes along with Morrigan and Kieran to Skyhold to take up residence.

[cityandking]

❤️🗺️⛄️💘 for lira, bran and dai!

ty my dear!! // miscellaneous symbol headcanons

❤️ - How did your muse come to realize their romantic and sexual orientations? Was it difficult to accept? Are they proud of who they are?

LIRA — there was some experimenting in her mid to late teens, which led her to the conclusion that she cared more about the person than their packaging, so to speak. it wasn't a particularly difficult thing to learn about herself; she's always felt well-supported and loved for who she is

BRAN — bran liked girls before she knew that there was anything special or different about liking girls. it was maybe a little bit awkward during her teenage years when there was some sense that she should be dancing with the handsome young merchant princes and not the pretty young merchant princesses, but she never really cared about that and she's quite proud of who she is. she only wishes she'd been able to talk about it with her mom.

DAI — there was a point where he realized that all the talk around him of crushes and love and wanting people was like, reflective of the real actual experiences his fellow acolytes were having and not just talk. I think there was some confusion and discomfort around that, but he was also already Not Like Other Kids, so it wasn't particularly acute. plus I imagine there are a few celibate priests in the order, and he'd kind of just figured it was like that? he was aware he was different but not super pressed about it. it was way more confusing to realize he did have feelings for zaref after making peace with not having feelings for other people in general

🗺️ - How often does your muse travel? Do they like to travel? Would they prefer to travel alone, or with friends? Where have they been? What was their favorite trip?

LIRA — before the blight, she traveled maybe once or twice a year—she'd gone to a landsmeet with her father and then there was always a yearly trip around the teyrnir. as a warden, she's often on the road, except when she's holed up in amaranthine doing paperwork. she doesn't love traveling, and prefers to travel alone (or with a small group if she must). she's been all over ferelden and also out to weisshaupt, but her favorite trip(s) were those early ones she took with her dad.

BRAN — is always traveling! part and parcel of being a pirate; she's always sailing. she loves being on the move, especially with her crew. she's been all over, though she's never sailed the uhhhh whatchamacallit. the big dangerous fissure splitting the world in two.

DAI — he has been. everywhere. everywhere. even as a kid he was often on the move. he doesn't super mind it but he does kind of like having a home base. he'd also prefer traveling with friends (or to friends, at least) even if traveling with people sometimes annoys him. he likes selto most of all the places he's visited.

⛄️ - What would be your muse's ideal weather conditions? Do they prefer being hot or cold? What's their favorite season?

LIRA — as a ferelden, she'd rather be cold than hot—you can always add another fur. her favorite season is spring, especially the early part of spring when the daffodils start coming through the snow. not warm yet, but the promise of it. she enjoys a clear, cool day.

BRAN — she'd honestly rather be hot—the water is right there, and as long as you can hydrate, it's alright. plus you don't spend years in squalls end without learning how to weather the heat. she's a summer girl and loves a warm day with a breeze and the clouds scudding across the sky

DAI — he likes clear, cold days—not quite cold enough to see your breath, but hovering right at that boundary. he grew up in cold environments and enjoys the cold; he'd always rather be cold than hot. his favorite season is spring—it's when the sun comes back

💘 - What is your muse like when they're in love? What does your muse find attractive in someone else? What are their love languages? How do they show affection? Do they show any distinct signs that they're in love?

LIRA — well, historically lira in love has been miserable, but that's kinda of her own volition. even without the miserable tragedy of her life, I don't think she'd externalize being in love that much—maybe she'd be a little softer, a little sweeter with the object of her affection. she likes someone who'll make her laugh—there's not a lot of that in her life and she appreciates people who will bring her some levity.

BRAN — bran in love gets somehow even more boisterous and cheerful and outgoing and bright. it's like turning on the sun. she doesn't really do any specific thing to show she's in love; it's an all-over joy. if she's showing anything, it's showing off her partner. her love languages are probably gift giving and quality time, and she's a very attentive lover. she likes someone who can keep up with her and someone who is just a little bit trouble.

DAI — dai in love isn't that different from dai the rest of the time, mostly because he's very private with his affection and doesn't like to show it off. his love language is acts of service, and also quality time.

[hoboblaidd]

@avrorean asked:

“Solas? Can you hear me?” 

After invoking the password Solas had given her, the stone wolf had lit up briefly like a map of stars before settling into the comforting green glow of Fade magic at the brazier. That was him, for now, she thought to herself. 

Though the cold did truly not touch her in the sequestered stepstones called Athim, Nanna’s fingertips still felt the relief that came with sudden heat after a chill as the Veilfire at the heart of Fen’harel’s altar ignited. Veilfire was, after all, memory, and her own was invoked of a fire against the chill of the Emprise. She smiled before stepping away, feeling that same warmth follow her to the black webbing nearby.

“It is fortunate that I found one of these altars so close to an area I have been studying while Rook is away. These places where blight that has manifested, even out here in the Crossroads seems… strange. And not in the way I was expecting.” The false snow crunched underfoot, her eyes following the wall of snake-like tendrils with more scrutiny than wariness. “It is more solid than before - calcified, almost. But that has almost entirely removed its malleability.”

In truth, some of it seemed a little familiar. Something that had spawned in Amaranthine near twenty years ago now. But even then, that comparison seemed wrong. This felt artificial, intentionally crafted and yet…clumsy. There was a sacrifice of one function for another more blunt, a louder note at the cost of a harmony. Nanna wasn’t sure what to make of it. 

“I noticed the same in this new breed of Darkspawn, but all it seems to have done is exacerbate their vulnerabilities.” She tapped a finger to her cheek in thought, and then looked back to where the altar stood. As though she had expected a tall figure to be standing there studying with her. But it was still only the wolf. “I hesitate to underplay the Blight, especially when it seems such a primary tool for the Evanuris, but in comparing my experience, it seems…less effective, somehow.”

---------

"Yes," came Solas' quick reply. The overbearing tension he felt in the prison softened at Nanna's voice. She may never understand what an indescribable relief it was to simply hear her, let alone speak with her. Especially here. "You found another, I see. Well done. There is a map in my office back at the Lighthouse, though I doubt it will reveal itself, even to you. Not while they are there." The book club, or whatever they were calling themselves. The incompetents in his Lighthouse.

Solas shook his head. "Blight in the Crossroads," he sighed. "This would never have happened if..." If Rook hadn't cast him in here. Everything they'd worked for, everything they'd built, destroyed by the stumblings of a child.

He listened to Nanna's report, his brow furrowing in confusion as she described the Blight. His experience aligned closer to hers, and not this new strain. Though admittedly, she knew the darkspawn far better than he ever had. "Perhaps they intend it to grow onto itself?" he mused. "But 'less malleable'? That is not like her."

Solas frowned, considering. "Ghilan'nain became Obsessed with incessant growth and creation at the expense of anything resembling morality. 'Ir bella,'" he said softly. I am more. Their constant refrain in the insidious calling he heard in Casadh's dreams. He felt a chill curl in his stomach. If they heard it, perhaps Nanna did as well. "But Ghilan'nain was always...imaginative, even before their corruption. At their worst, their creatures did not lack for eccentricities."

Solas' lip curled. "It must be Elgar'nan's influence." He all but spat the All-Father's name. "He has ever uplifted brute strength and cruelty over cleverness and wit. He seeks no intelligent minions or daring champions. He desires nothing more than mindless obedience and slavish worship. Even in - "

He caught himself before his anger took him to Andruil. The name of an Evanuris was powerful in the Fade. Dead or not - and he would not believe it until he saw her corpse with his own eyes - he would not risk it. Nanna walked now in the places between worlds. She was more vulnerable than she knew. Solas would die before he subjected Nanna to even a shade of Andruil.

[cybilbennettgf]

—OCS as OBSCURE ASSOCIATIONS, pt 8 🫶🏻

u know the drill tagging some besties @rosayoro ⚜️ @florbelles ⚜️ @gwynbleidd ⚜️ @rvchelking ⚜️ @unholymilf ⚜️ @shellibisshe ⚜️ @teamhawkeye ⚜️ @lxmbert ⚜️ @simply-jason ⚜️ @ghostfvcker ⚜️ @oc-musings ⚜️ and anyone else who wants a reason to do it 🫶🏻

ANIMAL: gossamer-wing butterfly. black cat. white arabian horse.

COLORS: electric blue. ultraviolet. amaranthine.

MONTH: july.

SONGS: ephemera, gems | summit song, nicole dollanganger | wind in the caroberta woods, martin przybyłowicz.

NUMBER: zero.

PLANTS: weeping willow. bleeding hearts. wisteria. butterfly palms. rose trellises.

SMELLS: spilled wine. perfume. sweet black musk. vetiver.

GEMSTONE: larimar.

TIME OF DAY: late afternoon, early evening.

SEASON: belletyn.

PLACES: underwater. her fully furnished isolation tower, gripping the edge of her scrying pool. anna henrietta’s quarters. palaces. the toussaint countryside. mont saint michel. under a full moon.

FOOD: black currants. honey. prosciutto. goat cheese. seafood bisque. fresh fruit. risotto.

DRINKS: cherry cordial.

ELEMENT: air.

ASTROLOGICAL SIGNS: cancer. virgo.

SEASONINGS: star anise. pink pepper.

SKY: nothing like a toussaint sunset.

WEATHER: clear as crystal. breezy.

MAGICAL POWER: telepathy.

WEAPONS: these hands.

SOCIAL MEDIA: the find my friends feature on iphones.

MAKEUP PRODUCT: deep purple eyeliner.

CANDY: hard rock candy in the shape of gemstones. strawberry flavored.

METHOD OF LONG DISTANCE TRAVEL: portals. duh.

ART STYLE: baroque.

FEAR: being perceived.

MYTHOLOGICAL CREATURE: pegasus.

PIECE OF STATIONARY: letter via messenger pigeon

THREE EMOJIS: 🦋⚜️🔮

CELESTIAL BODY: the new moon.

[stormlit]

quick round up of the latest character updates bc here on stormlit dot tumblr i love adding muses too much

GRÉTA TOVASDOTTEN, d.ragon age origins. the cut "human barbarian" origin from dao. avvar, from the frostback mountains, recruited by duncan after a neighbouring clan entirely wipes out her hold. already a warrior, gréta thinks she's meant to be a bloodthirsty reaver like her sister was, but discovers that fighting as a form of defence of others is what she's good at; she specialises as a guardian, and despite her blunt manner and lack of so-called respect for fereldan nobles making everything worse with their petty squabbles, becomes known for protecting the innocent and standing up for those who cannot. officially is probably the one to sacrifice herself against the archdemon. unofficially, spurns the landsmeet, refuses any boon and will not decide fereldan politics in any way, and goes to be warden-commander (but not arlessa) in amaranthine.

CATRIONA COUSLAND, d.ragon age origins. non-warden sibling of the warden, (barely) survives the attack on castle cousland because one of the few remaining guards pulls her out of the rubble and gets her into hiding. ser ailsa becomes cat's closest friend and protector. was never really a fighter anyway, but she becomes disabled as a result of the attack, and cannot fight. spends the blight living under the identity of nell mather, between highever and denerim, working to help those mistreated by howe's barbaric rule and struggling as darkspawn refugees; she organises prison breaks, sets up an underground hospital, enlists her mac eanraig family to smuggle in supplies. spends most of the blight thinking she's the last remaining cousland, til she discovers her warden sibling by accident; cannot see them for the longest time because she's nell now, she can't be cat. but eventually they reunite, and she helps by sending them info on howe's/darkspawn movements and rallying support of highever's vassal houses. is very much Not Okay after the blight.

F.RED B.URKLE, angel. rescued from being trapped in a demon hell dimension for five years, becomes the resident scientist, mathematician, computer whiz, and inventor of angel investigations, an LA-based private detective agency that specialises in vampires, demons, magic, and general weirdness. highly intelligent, cannot stop talking, easily underestimated, and an absolute survivor in any kind of awful circumstances, fred is kindhearted but has a lot of inner strength, and a vengeful streak. she's not really a fighter, but uses her innocence and ability to hide to throw people off. we don't talk about illyria i'm not there yet in my rewatch.

LAYLA KIM, fantasy oc. she's back, baby. a minor celeb after winning bake off years ago, layla is the owner of sweet dreams bakery in london, which sells the best cakes, cookies, and sweet treats you've ever had. they're also enchanted with minor spells to give small, temporary, positive boosts to the eater, ranging from happiness and good luck to temporary hp or damage resistance. normal people just think they make them feel great. sweet dreams also operates as a safe haven for the magic and mystical community where people can rest, share info, trade spell components, and buy layla's more potent enchanted items. she's a ray of sunshine, she's a warm hearth, she's willing to break her pacifism only for those who threaten her daughter. also she's chronically ill and disabled which massively impacts her life and is v important to mention ty.

[scvcnofswords]

🚶 - send 🚶to meet an NPC in my muse's life! - @hoboblaidd || ACCEPTING || for HARROW 'ROOK' THORNE

JASTER TEHRUN is another elvhen Warden that Harrow meets when they leave Amaranthine to serve as Litriu Mahariel's eyes-and-ears within Weisshaupt. He's a former thief who was conscripted rather than being hanged for having stolen horses, living in the Anderfels proper. He's not been a Warden as long as Harrow - who underwent their Joining shortly before the events of Inquisition - but has served under the more direct Warden leadership longer than they did, seeing as Litriu refused to abandon Ferelden or Amaranthine, and several of 'her' Wardens stayed with her.

Harrow leaves for Weisshaupt about 4 years before the events of Veilguard- so they serve from there for 3 years, and then spend one with Varric hunting for Solas. Whilst there, Jaster was inarguably their favorite person.

He wasn't at all offput by how visibly Harrow is Blighted, or how uncomfortably quiet they can be- he just saw a quiet Warden who sort of stood apart from the rest, and who wasn't afraid to challenge the upper ranks of their order when push came to shove, and he decided to make a friend.

They were incredibly (platonically) close, really. Always sharing meals, laughing, going out on patrols for Darkspawn and such together. Jaster is a mischievous sort, and Harrow is usually the one watching his back or inserting themselves between him and trouble (which he needs. A lot.)

When Harrow defies orders to save that town, Jaster was right at their back, without them even needing to ask.

Unfortunately, Jaster is killed in the siege of Weisshaupt- Harrow finds him as he's dying, chest cleaved in by a hurlock axeman. They hold his hand- and they say the oath with him, his last words as he passes. It fucks them up... A lot.

He was a very good Warden. He cared far more about people than politics, cared more about helping people than the secrecy or security of the Order- but believed ferociously in what the Order could be, if allowed to pull free of the leadership that is so rooted in that secrecy and tradition. He and Harrow were exchanging letters the entire time they were with Varric, and when in the Lighthouse, leading up to the siege.

They warned him about Ghilan'nain and Elgar'nan, and even though he was a city elf- he believed them. He tried to help Antoine and Evka get the Wardens ready.

He did his best.

Jaster loved soup and bread but hated sandwiches. He was deeply fond of the color yellow but didn't much like overly-sunny weather. He could hold his liquor better than anyone you've ever met, but elfroot had him as high as a kite. He was an archer and could hit a coin from a ridiculous distance, shortbow or longbow, and his draw strength was genuinely scary. He was afraid of nugs, and loved cats, and always wanted one of his own if he lived long enough to 'retire' before his Calling. He always made time for children in the towns they passed through, and loved flowers- he collected and pressed flowers in a journal that he carried on his belt- Harrow has this flower-book, and keeps it until the day they die. He was a Warden for nine years.

In death, sacrifice.