#asala

[metamorphesque]

On March 1, 1984, a short article titled "Imprisoned Armenian Dies" appeared in the New York Times: “Gourgen Migirdic Yanikian, an Armenian author and engineer who killed two Turkish consular officials in California in 1973, died Monday in prison of natural causes. He was 88 years old. He was sentenced to life in prison in July 1973 for first-degree murder."

But who was this man? And why did he commit this "crime"?

Gourgen Yanikyan was born on December 24, 1895, in the city of Karin, Western Armenia, into a traditional Armenian family. Gourgen was six months old when the hamidian massacres began, claiming the lives of approximately 300,000 Armenians. His father had good relations with the Persian consul in Karin, and with the consul's help, the Yanikyan family found refuge in the Persian consulate, escaping the massacres. After two weeks of safety, they were transferred by a mountain road to the village of Kyotah near Kars on the consul’s orders. Suddenly, it was discovered that Gourgen was missing. He had fallen on the road from his mother’s arms that were numbed from the cold. Despite the danger, his mother and brother Hakob went back and, after walking about six kilometers, found Gourgen nearly lifeless. They revived him with the warmth of their bodies.

Six years later, the mother returned to Erzurum with Gourgen and Hakob, intending to take back the money and documents hidden in their barn back. While digging, two turks arrived, captured Hakob, beheaded him, and took the iron chest. The mother and Gourgen witnessed everything from their hiding place. A terrified Gourgen tried to scream, but his mother held his mouth shut. Gourgen never forgot this tragedy throughout his life. For political reasons, he became a Persian citizen and later moved to Switzerland with his family, where he continued his education, which he later pursued in Tbilisi and Moscow.

Like many Armenians of his time, he experienced the devastating effects of the massacres committed by the turks against Armenians. He lost 26 family members to the Armenian Genocide of 1915, as well as his homeland—Western Armenia.

Although Gourgen was far from his homeland, the injustice of the genocide never left him. He had exhausted all peaceful means to inform the world about the genocide and hold turkey accountable for the atrocities they committed.

He chose cinema as the means to achieve his goal: “Our plan was very simple. With our personal funds, we secretly planned to make a film showing the world the sufferings of our people and the barbaric turkish massacres, not forgetting the Armenian genocide and the conspiracy of so-called civilized nations against our rights."

Yanikian's factual book "Paradise" (originally in English), which his wife Shushanik had titled, became the basis for a screenplay. Several foreigners joined the film project, and they shot 20 hours of material depicting turkish atrocities with striking authenticity.

"The film was to be shown simultaneously in the capitals of three different countries, free of charge. Flyers explaining the purpose and our demands were to be distributed with the tickets… The goal was to return the land stolen from the Armenian people to its rightful owners and provide compensation for our two million victims. Many individuals were to join the cause once the film was ready."

Despite the strong dedication to completing "Paradise," the endeavor was unsuccessful because U.S.-Turkey alliances and strategic interests were prioritized, and the US government hindered the production of the film.

Yanikyan, by then old but not despairing, had spent decades using every peaceful means to punish the perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide and avenge his compatriots, but he ultimately felt compelled to choose an alternative.

"In all my writings, I always defended the belief that violence should disappear from our lives. But when all of this happened and humanity and the world remained silent about the Armenian Question, I made the decision to take action in order to bring the Armenian cause to the attention of humanity and world governments."

On January 27, 1973, at the age of 78, Gourgen Yanikyan, without hesitation, fired 13 bullets at the turkish consul and vice-consul in Santa Barbara in his room at the "Baltimore" hotel. Following a highly publicized trial, Yanikyan was sentenced to life imprisonment, and in 1984, with a clear conscience, he passed away into eternity.

But his sacrifice was not in vain: the Armenian Question was finally brought back from the dusty archives of history. By sacrificing his freedom, Yanikyan ignited a movement. His act became the catalyst for a wave of Armenian activism, inspiring the creation of ASALA, who would go on to fight for the recognition of the genocide.

Everyone condemns violence but, alas, it is the only language the world understands.

[andarateia]

LYRIUM: SONG OF THEDAS

A millennia of history in two paragraphs. The truth about the Maker, elves, dwarves, Titans, and the Evanuris - and it's all thanks to lyrium, three little words, and one big song!

[valiantvillain]

Depending on how the Lucanis romance goes, I can totally see Asala assuming he's interested in literally every other member of the Veilguard before she ever considers he's actually into her. Bc I apparently love the idea of these two very competent people being absolute idiots the moment romantic feelings get involved.

[nourblog]

كاسرني بعدك واعترف؛

ماني بقد فراقنا 💔

[mind--funeral]

Armenian secret army for the liberation of Armenian

ASALA

[springbreezes-and-peonies]

Drew my Grey Warden on my current play through of Origins, Mihris Tabris. City Elf warrior who I’m not romancing anyone with because you can’t romance Sten so I’m just pretending she’s with him in my brain lol

[wally-b-feed]

Anthony Fineran (B 1981), Minty Asala, 2023

[wanderinghybrid]

Asala Egg Salad

[my-blonde-shadowdragon-wife]

This post is not lore accurate but relevant I think

So basically my new headcanon:

Nadia Tabris: *Learned how to fix eluvians 10 years ago just to find her friend and now is looking for a mage to train her new recruit*

Solas: Is this a new friend to help me bring down the veil?

[metamorphesque]

"I am proud to be Armenian. I am proud to have been born Armenian. Be proud too, my beloved distant kin, that you belong to a nation that has repeatedly proven to the world that it can give the precious blood of its children for freedom and justice.

People can shatter mountains, change the course of rivers with their strength. But is it possible, can it be possible, to suffocate the yearning for justice and freedom in the human being? Can one force an individual, who is a descendant of this nation with such ancestors, to forget all this and submit to the evil and the injustice in our world? Let the world know that humanity owes a debt to the Armenian nation. Centuries ago, our nation had a history. The Armenian people have contributed their invaluable share to the progress of humanity, at a time when today's great nations, which consider themselves developed, were living like semi-savages in the forests and mountains of Europe. The foundation of today's developed nations is the result of the efforts of various peoples, among whom our race does not come the last.

Years ago, as a volunteer, I saw our homeland's rivers stained with blood. I saw how the waves of our rivers carried away the lifeless bodies of our relatives, severed heads, butchered Armenian children, our bleeding mothers, and our raped sisters. I saw all this and was horrified, wondering where humanity was, where the conscience of humanity was, where the god of justice had hidden. We must wait, as proof of our nation's worth, let humanity look at our small homeland that we have today, which amazes the world with its achievements. Our true homeland, Armenia, has an area of 140,000 square kilometers. Today's small Armenia has only 14,000 square kilometers, on which the Armenian people demonstrate their worth. The rest of it, the great nations have given as gifts for their personal gain to the so-called Turks, bloodthirsty beasts from the steppes of Siberia, belonging to the Mongol tribe."

from Gurgen Yanikyan's will (translated by Tathev Simonyan)

[abyssal-ilk]

very fun to think about sten's sword being called asala, soul, and the dagger tabris gets from cyrion that used to be adaia's is called fang. something something, a weapon is a piece of its wielder rather than something separate from it, and to separate sten or tabris from their blades is to cut out that piece of them.

[valiantvillain]

If the Inquisitor is prickly and so done with this shit in The Veilguard I won't blame them because I know Rhiannon absolutely told Varric not to even try and get her out of retirement unless it was to kick Solas' ass. And now that he has all she wants to do is kill him and get back to Cullen and planning their kid's birthday party.

Not to mention that when Varric tells her he tried to talk Solas down she more than likely will just give him the most deadpan look and a "and you thought that was actually going to work?" Girl was so pissed at this bald fucker by the end of Trespasser.

Which is gonna be real fun when I play Asala bc I know she's gonna hold out hope that maybe they can somehow convince him. She might not know this egghead but she's a stubbornly tender-hearted optimist if ever there was one.

[goldenoctobergameplay]

🍃 May The Winds Ever Be Calm On Your Path | Path of Exile 2

[mochiflxwerr]

something something i miss them something something tiktok trend

[frostbite-711]

All four of my heroines from my main world state in the Dragon Age games with their respective love interests. Hero of Fereldan: Amenthris Mahariel, Dalish Elf Rogue. Romanced Zevran, is an absolute bi disaster. Champion of Kirkwall: Juliet Hawke, Rogue. Romanced Fenris, Emotional Disaster. The Inquisitor: Asala Adaar, Tal Vashoth Mage. Romanced Iron Bull. An absolute sweetheart.

Rook: Assaranda, Qunari Mage of the Antivan Crows. Intends to romance Lucanis.

[biancadavri]

We all know Sten has thrown a Dwarven Warden into a horde of enemies (especially a Brosca) because damn that tiny ball of anger is the perfect height to dick stab all their enemies and Sten doesn't have to worry about accidently hitting them when he swings his sword horizontally