#at some point while developing wynn as an oc

[dreadlord-mr-son]

It's funny to work through all the implications of us deciding Wynn's dad was Hohenheim's son from a fling Hohenheim had before he met Trisha.

Ed is freaking out about unknown branches on the family tree. Part of him thinks it's awesome but he has so much family-related trauma. Al, who took his trauma in a different direction, is latching onto new family like a bear trap. She cannot escape, she is his now.

[chibichibisha]

Introducing my Amell oc-turned-npc in the Dragon Age series~ A summary about him in my canon through the games:

Origins: Firstborn from Revkah Amell, a noble family from Kirkwall. Was taken to Kinloch Hold in Ferelden when he was a kid to separate him from his family, never met his younger siblings or saw his mother ever again. Grew up at the Circle tower and made friends among the very few Loyalists mages, sharing chants with them which made him be seen very Andrastian and pro-chantry to others. By this time, he was well aware of Cullen’s, a young templar, crush on him, and Amell who already had a mischivous personality, always decided to tease him in response, though it never developed in anything more. Once he succeded his Harrowing and turned into an Enchanter, Amell  aided Jowan in his attempt to escape, but was lied to by his friend, resulting in him helping a blood mage to leave the Circle. Because of this, Amell didn’t join the Wardens and was punished with isolation during some time, in which he specialized in shapeshifting magic in secret, since he was taught by a supossed demon called “Mouse” during his time in the Fade, in his Harrowing. He then mimicked the mice, his only companions during that time, escaping the tower’s cat, and resulting in his distaste for them since then. By the time Uldred’s conspiracy broke and the Circle was rampant with abominations and blood mages during the Blight, Amell was one of the few that stayed with Wynne and protected the children and other injured mages. Though he never showed any kind of ill feelings towards templars more than the ocassional bad individuals before, the templar’s actions about abandoning the mages to the abomination inside the tower made Amell start to grow angry and distrustful at the organization for the first time, rivalizing Cullen’s requests about annuling all the Circle.

DA2: Some time after the fifth Blight, Amell was sent with others to The Gallows, the Circle of Kirkwall, his born city. During the years the rebellion of mages started its upbringing, Amell was promoted to Senior Enchanter and assisted First Enchanter Orsino, but also become known as a Circle mage turned sympathizer with the code name “Mouse” in the Underground Mage Railroad, since he helped mages to escape The Gallows from the inside using his shapeshifting magic to avoid the templars vigilance. He also met Hawke, his second cousin, during these years both in and out The Gallows, as he always came back to avoid being framed an apostate. Amell become more radicalized and angry as the years passed while witnessing the abuse the mages suffered at templars’ hands at Kirkwall, but kept a low and solo profile to not risk his envolvement on the Railroad and only antagoned Cullen’s direct threats if necessary. This was, until Knight-Commander Meredith and First Enchanter Orsino declared their open war in the last years, and blood mages and templars persecution become the norm, resulting in the Chantry blown up incident, that he started to realize the breaking point the city reached and stepped down from supporting the radicalized side. When both Meredith and Orsino perished by their own actions and the war started, Amell was forced to become an apostate as the Circles fell.

Inquisition: Tracked down and captured by Cassandra Pentaghast in her search of Hawke’s location, Amell reveals to have no knowledge of this or any of his family situation once Hawke disappears from Kirkwall and so, no way of being helpful at all to her cause. Cassandra probes this to be not true then when she forces him to join the Inquisition forces in need of personnel, and in exchange she wouldn’t execute him for apostate and aid provider in the mage rebellion. Accepting this, Amell is tasked to talk with Cullen, an “old friend” and recruit him for the Inquisition forces as well, alluding to their old relationship, even previous to Kirkwall. While Cullen is given the Commander role, Amell gains the Advisor title in Arcane instruction and coordinates magical reasearchs for the Inquisition from the war table. Coming back to his more moderate reasoning about the templar-mage conflict and his beliefs of individual worth before organization judgment, he also gives refuge to the few rebel mages that decide to follow him instead as he advocates for mages rights as free individuals and their general welfare. Though he may clash with Cullen in these matters from time to time, they work together to mend the fractured relationship between the templars and mages in their improsived alliance, as well as their own personal relationship too. 

[auraguardians]

3 & 4 for the mun questions

questions for muns.

; [ So the answers are going under a cut because this got a bit long, OOPS! I ramble too much, lol~

3. whose writing has impacted your writing style the most? (you can choose anyone! famous writer or not.)

This is actually tough! I'm a huge Tolkien fan, but don't think my writing style is much like his (except, maybe, the humor?) I also adore Diana Wynne Jones and think I do have a similar way of working in hints of foreshadowing and dramatic irony...

But the author whose style I actually did try to emulate when I was younger was Peter S. Beagle (The Last Unicorn) because I truly love the way that book is written. (It's also probably the book and movie I've revisited the most times... had that film on loop as a kid, ha!)

It hits ethereal, poetic notes and then turns stuff on it's head, brings it down-to-earth for impact or humor (or both!) And some of the lines in it have just stuck in my brain forever, like: "No name you give her would surprise or frighten me. I love whom I love." AND "You must never run from anything immortal. That only draws their attention."

Or, this absolutely ICONIC scene where Molly Grue joins the party:

4. which muse of yours is your all time favorite? if you stopped writing them: why?

oocI'm not sure I can pick ONE! The handful of active muses I have right now --- Riley, Repliku, Xion, Yato --- I think they are all qualify as my favorite in some way? They all have some personality traits and histories I can relate to, and other aspects I have fun exploring!

They are the ones I keep coming back to, over and over, for a reason.

My Repliku and Riley both almost count as OCs at this point because canon didn't give them much and I've added a LOT to both of them. Headcanons, development, etc... So it's only natural I would love them, because I've shaped them.

But I DO think I have to pick Repliku as my one-true-favorite?

He was the first muse I brought to tumblr! And, for those that don't know much about Kingdom Hearts, I always disliked how his canon story played out --- it never seemed fair! He was a copy/clone of a major character, yes, but he wanted to be his own person! It feels wrong that other similar characters got chances to grow while he... got killed-off-for-real?

Anyway... to quote another clone: "the circumstances of one's birth don't matter; it's what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are." And I think I've given Ryu a chance to figure that out, too.

[wizardysseus]

2, 11 & 12 :)

2. Did you reread anything? What?

less so this year than some years

pride and prejudice by jane austen

nimona by nd stevenson

piranesi by susanna clarke

the sorrow dance by denise levertov

thirst by mary oliver

blessing the boats by lucille clifton

fire and hemlock by diana wynne jones

shadow spinner by susan fletcher

the odyssey by derek walcott

a selection of poems by e.e. cummings

the son of neptune by rick riordan

11. What was your favorite book that has been out for a while, but you just now read?

what's "awhile" in this scenario? 10 years? 30 years? i can't pick one but i've narrowed it down to two

the last unicorn by peter s. beagle

the sandman comics by neil gaiman - especially brief lives and the kindly ones

12. Any books that disappointed you?

hench by nina zina walschots - this was fine, but i was expecting more from it i think, and also she should have made out with the leviathan.

only a monster by vanessa len - nothing about this book worked for me, but especially that the "monsters" are all Fairly Regular Guys who can time travel. and just so we're clear, it's not love at first sight; they just fell in love in another timeline that we don't get to see.

in a garden burning gold by rory power - i normally wouldn't include anything izzie and i read for the book club of misery, because we do not approach those in, like, the best of faith, but in this case i was optimistic, and then it was so boring and the politics insulted my intelligence.

the dragon's promise by elizabeth lim - i read six crimson cranes in march, really enjoyed it, and then waited till august for the sequel to come out and it was... a very sort of perfunctory sequel that existed to jump from plot point to plot point and resolve them as quickly as possible.

house of hunger by alexis henderson - this is billed as a queer gothic horror, but for gothic you really need to develop a sense of place, and this not-very-well-sketched victorianesque fantasy world did not do it for me. it's lacking in intrigue or mystery. the vampires are obviously vampires (not just to the readers but to the characters). everyone articulates exactly what they're feeling at all times. the lead relationship has no chemistry, and i did not buy at all that lisavet had ever truly loved marion, so there was no reason to feel tragic about the "discovery" of what was really going on. sorry this bullet point is so long, but i really wanted to find a good vampire book in october/november and i was bitterly disappointed by this instead.

a dowry of blood by s.t. gibson - i read this after house of hunger, so i was even more desperate for a good vampire book and less optimistic. among my many problems with this book, i think writing it as a letter (series of letters?) to dracula after his death was a mistake, because there is way too much hindsight. the narrator isn't discovering anything as she's living it; she already knows what she thinks, long after the fact, which takes any tension out at the knees. vast swaths of time are covered in a few sentences, which is fine, except she seems to skip anything interesting (such as the harkers, who are mentioned all of once; they are not the ones who kill dracula, so why not cut that reference and just have oc vampires? hello?). the combination of emotional distance and diagnostic language made it impossible for me to be drawn in. also, reviews have greatly underplayed the flowery ridiculousness of the prose. "liquid rage pooled in my stomach and lit up my face" has lived in my mind rent-free for a month.

[ash-soka]

Warden OC as a Companion: Wyn

 A note on his name before anything else: I only played DAO for the first time ever this year and I went in completely blind. I tried to come up with a name I thought would fit in with the setting and I did my job a little bit too well. by the time I met Wynne in game I was too invested in my warden to change his name. so I guess all circle mages are called Wyn now-

picrews: one / two

Tagged by @stylographic-blue-rhapsody, (thank you!!) prompts made by @boom-crunch3r (here)

Warden’s Name: Wyn Surana

Race / Class / Specialization: Elf, Mage, Arcane Warrior

Pronouns: he/him

Introduction: Wyn developed magic at the age of three and was taken to be raised at the Circle of Magi. He doesn’t remember his birth family, and while he forged some strong bonds with other mages, and excelled at his studies, he resented being watched so closely, and having his upbringing restricted to the tower walls. With each year, his distrust for the Circle grew. Shortly after his harrowing, Wyn assisted a blood mage, and was caught. In the confusion of their capture, he escaped, and is now wanted by the templars. He is sarcastic, hot tempered, and loyal.

A Circle Mage Warden will have been a part of this scheme with Wyn, Lily, and Jowan, but either wasn’t quick enough to escape, or sold out the others. This unlocks specific dialogue options.

Recruitment: Found while doing the Nature of the Beast quest, in the Lower Ruins of the Brecilian Ruins, imprisoned in the library room. Wyn’s recruitment scene can change depending on several factors.

If the Warden is not a Circle mage, and Wynne is not in the party when Wyn is found, he will initially lie, and claim to be a mage sent by the Circle to find a cure for lycanthropy, only revealing the truth either at +26 (Warm) approval, or right before the Broken Circle quest (if selected for it).

However, if the Warden is a Circle mage, and didn’t sell out Jowan, Wyn will immediately express joy and relief to see them free and unharmed. He will sincerely apologise for leaving them behind in the chaos. At this point, the warden can ask what he’s doing here, and they’ll get the true answer. Which is, that he decided to seek refuge with the Dalish. In trying to find a way to help them, was confronted by werewolves, who he persuaded to take him as a prisoner over killing him, by promising to put his magical knowledge to use researching a cure. He has learned the arcane warrior specialisation and can teach others.

If the Warden is a Circle mage, and sold out Jowan, Wyn will greet them with anger and hostility. The Warden will have to use persuasion if they want to recruit him. He will not initially reveal how he ended up here, in this case.

If the Warden is not a Circle mage, and Wynne is in the party when Wyn is found, she will warn them that this man is wanted by the Circle for assisting a blood mage. Wyn will then explain his side of the story, and how he ended up here.

The warden may choose to leave him there, release him, ask him to join the party, or attack. If he is released and does not join the party, Wyn can be seen in the Dalish camp. If the player chooses to attack, when Wyn drops below half health, he will use magic to create a distraction and flee. He will not be encountered again.

Where can they be found in camp?: Standing between Alistair and Zevran, bothering one or both of them.

Companion Quest: The first time the Warden speaks to him at camp once he has surpassed +76 approval (friendly) a conversation will trigger about how he always wondered about the family he was taken from, those he was loved by but never knew. Wyn will ask the Warden to help him track down his birth family. Travel to the Circle Tower and speak to First Enchanter Irving about the Circle’s mage records. To complete this quest speak to Wyn and tell him of your findings (+20 approval).

Can your warden be hardened?: No

Gain approval by: Selecting pro-mage and pro-elf actions and dialogue options, flirting with him, choosing to help those in need, choosing witty responses, standing up to assholes in power

Gain disapproval by: Showing a lack of understanding for why Wyn helped Jowan at the circle, making anti-blood magic comments, expressing approval for the templars, coercing kisses out of the women they help (only applicable to male wardens), showing cruelty towards innocents, hardening Alistair or Leliana; making any bigoted comments, or killing Zev.

What gifts would your Warden appreciate?: Blue Satin Shoes, Golden Demon Pendant, Remarkable Sapphire, Discovering Dragon's Blood: Potions, Tinctures, and Spicy Sauces, Gemmed Bracelet, Gold Earrings

“You have exquisite taste, thank you.”

Feast Day gift? (Gain +50 Approval): Goldwork Cloak.

“This is the most beautiful possession I’ve ever had... thank you, you know me well.”

Feast Day prank? (Gain -50 Disapproval): Book titled “Templars: Heroes Maintaining Order”

[Flatly] “For ranged target practice, I assume?”

Can your Warden be romanced?: Yes.

Would they be interested in sex?: Yes, and he’s open to it as soon as he’s entered a relationship with the Warden.

Is there a gift your warden will give to their partner?: Yes, when the Warden reaches +100 (love), Wyn will present them with a moon shaped gold pendant that is enchanted to give +3 to constitution.

How do they react if another companion is being romanced?: Wyn finding out will always lead to an argument. Most dialogue options will lead him to angrily end the relationship (-50 disapproval).

With high persuasion, it is possible to convince him this was a misunderstanding of some sort, and the Warden did not intend to hurt anyone’s feelings, leading Wyn to end the relationship with only a -10 disapproval hit.

However, if the other person being romanced is Zevran or Alistair, it is possible to have a conversation about polyamory, which can lead to Wyn staying in a relationship with the Warden. He will still be angry about how this was handled and lose -10 disapproval. This conversation will now lead to at least two others on the subject that the Warden will have to successfully navigate to make this situation work. But if they are sincere about it, it is possible to enter a polyamorous relationship this way.

What companions do they…

Like the most?: Dog, Zevran, Alistair, Wynne.

Flirt with?: Zevran. If the Warden enters a relationship with Alistair, Morrigan, or Leliana, Wyn will enter a romance with Zev. There is also the possibility of the Warden ending up in a  polyamorous relationship with the two of them. Wyn also flirts with Alistair but it usually goes over his head, sweet himbo.

Just get along?: Leliana, Morrigan.

Start a rivalry with?: Wynne!

“The lesser mage must change their name to Lose!”

She shakes her head at him.

Does Shale have a name for them?: I haven’t played that DLC yet so I don’t know much about Shale :0

What’s your warden’s opinion on handling the Blight?: Recruit as many allies as possible, use persuasion and sometimes intimidation wherever applicable to avoid bloodshed, there’s always time for a detour to help people out or pick up loot (it’s not like anyone pays them), and no mercy for those against mages or elves- even at the cost of political or financial advantage.

What allies does your warden wish to seek aid from? (Would they rather preserve the mages in the tower to gain their assistance? Would they rather assist Harrowmont to get the support of the Dwarves? Etc.): Dalish elves, mages, and he supported Bhelen in Orzammar.

Is there anything that would make your warden turn on the party?: Yes, Wyn is very opinionated and holds firm to his beliefs. He... is clearly more suited to being the leader than a companion but, here we are. He would turn on the party and either attack or simply leave if the Warden:

Doesn’t spare both elves and werewolves (makes a move to attack, but can be persuaded to flee)

Kills Connor (attacks)

Sides with the Templars (attacks)

Let’s Vaughan free (leaves)

Let’s Caladrius live (attacks)

Gets Alistair executed (attacks)

What do they do following the Blight (if they had an Epilogue Card what would it say)?:

(Standard)

Wyn disappeared for a time (replace “for a time” with “after the funeral,” if the Warden died). Rumours circulated based on stories of sightings. Some said he had become an assassin (”followed the one he loved to become an assassin” if romancing Zevran), or been killed by a rival mage, others thought he may be researching a cure for the taint, while some insisted he was simply taking a well deserved vacation. Wherever he went, it was short lived. He would reappear in Ferelden after only a few months, to come to the aid of a friend in need.

(Romanced)

Wyn proved to be a fiercely loyal companion to the one he loved. The two were rarely seen apart. Without the threat of the archdemon looming over them, he found it easy to envision a future. And, on the six month anniversary of the battle, he proposed.

❗Special Events!❗️

Mage Tower: What vision is created to trick your warden while in the fade?

In a cosy room, Wyn, Zevran, Alistair, Morrigan, Leliana, Wynne, and his dog, Petal, gather around a home cooked meal. Their faces are painted warm colours by the fireplace, laughter and barking fill the air. Wyn and Alistair aren’t in their warden uniforms, they never undertook the joining aren’t slowly dying. There’s no darkspawn, no blight, just a true moment of rest and safety. Once the Warden arrives in the dream, Wyn will call it “perfect”.

Haven: What does The Guardian say about your warden before beginning the trial?

“You clearly have no regard for the trouble your arrogance gets you into, but are you so careless with the lives of your friends? Could you live with yourself if your hubris was their downfall?”

What is their reaction to finding the Urn of Sacred Ashes?

He was honestly surprised it was real, he had a lot of doubt, especially after encountering the townspeople of Haven.

Denerim: Does your warden have any parting words before the final battle with the Darkspawn?

(Standard)

“Just like we practiced, I suppose? I’ll annihilate them in a storm of fire and lightning, and you can pick off the ones I miss. I won’t let us fail.”

(Romanced)

“I never thought being hunted by templars would lead me to the love of my life, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. There’s no one I’d rather have by my side. Together, we’ll make short work of even the archdemon.”

If they can be spoken to after the battle during the celebration do they mention what they’re going to do next?

(Standard)

“So, you’re the Hero of Ferelden now? Impressive, but of course, you only could have succeeded with the help of the Best Mage of Our Time.” [laughs] “As much of an adventure as that was, from the Circle, to saving the world, I haven’t had a moment to myself... ever. So I’ll be setting out after the celebrations. But don’t worry, if you’re in need of the most powerful magic user you’ve ever known, or if you miss me, I’m only a letter away. Of course, you’re welcome to come...”

(Romanced)

“The Hero of Ferelden, madly in love with the Best Mage of Our Time, what a powerful pair we make.” [laughs] “I am in awe of you and all you’ve accomplished, I can’t wait to see what’s yet to come. I’ll be by your side wherever you should end up, but for now, take a moment to soak in the celebrations. You’ve worked tirelessly, my darling. You deserve a moment to rest, and enjoy yourself, we all do.”

Awakening: Does your warden return to help at Vigil’s Keep? Or does a letter arrive to the Keep to just check in?

Wyn would be a companion in Awakening, but it would become apparent through his dialogue that he’s shown up as a favour to his friend (the Warden, Alistair, or both, depending on who survived Origins). The only exception is if Wyn was romanced by the Warden, and they lived and decided to stay in Ferelden, Wyn would have stayed with them then then naturally appeared as a companion again in Awakening.

[emerald-amidst-gold]

*pokes head in through your door* Did someone request OC asks? :D

How did your Warden react to Zevran’s failed attempt on their life? Were they amused? Angry?

Did Alistair’s parentage surprise your Warden? How did your Warden’s feelings on the nobility affect their relationship with Alistair?

How did your Warden respond to Wynne’s comments if your Warden romanced someone? Did they tell her it was love or that the relationship was purely physical?

Did your Warden believe that Leliana was telling the truth about her vision from the Maker or were they skeptical?

How did your Warden speak to Sten? Did they fight with him often or were they more humorous in their responses?

How did your Warden react to Loghain’s fierce love for his daughter? Did they share a strong sense of loyalty to their own family?

*whips my head around smiles* That's meeeee! The OC asker in the flesh! Or well, digital. But, pah! 'Tis I! >:D

*rubs hands together* Let's do this! I've itching to share more of Elise, so thank you so much! X3

How did your Warden react to Zevran's failed attempt on their life? Were they amused? Angry?

Gonna be completely honest, Elise found it amusing. XD

At first.

She's lived her entire life in the Circle, a dismal cage with gilded bars. When she was conscripted, Elise looked at the world around her and went, 'I love it. I love it.' Tomes and stories that told of grand assassinations, trysts, and all manner of political intrigue were riveting to a mind that only knew stone walls and high, unreachable windows. So, when Elise found herself apart of an attempted assassination, a Crow assassination no less? Her heart sped up, her palms turned sweaty with excitement, and her magic sparked to life with more ease than she had ever thought herself capable of.

Obviously, when faced with Zevran after the fact, questions and answers holding dark shadows, Elise snapped out of her romanticizing. She saw that pretty bound books and an author's 'personal' representation of events they knew nothing about was merely fantasy; they weren't true, they weren't idyllic. They were cold. They were hard. They were just veneer to paint over the atrocity of war and power-mongering. People suffered for what she found so enthralling, and Zevran's attack, and later his past, makes her realize that she is truly naive of a world that she claims she loves.

Elise knew nothing about the outside world. Just like those authors knew nothing of the suffering of the people caught in the crossfire of war--those that had to do ungodly things just to survive.

Did Alistair’s parentage surprise your Warden? How did your Warden’s feelings on the nobility affect their relationship with Alistair?

Alistair's lineage did surprise Elise somewhat. However, in Ostagar, when she had met Cailan, and then went on to meet Alistair, something...stuck. There was a resemblance; Elise could see it in the faces of two seemingly different men. Cailan and Alistair don't look exactly alike, of course, but there are a few characteristics that made Elise pause while speaking to Alistair and go, 'Where have I seen the slope of his nose before?' or 'If his hair was just a shade lighter, he would be..' So, when Alistair finally shares the truth of his birthright, Elise takes it in relative stride, but it also makes her heart sink a bit.

By Redcliffe (in my play-through at least), Elise is beginning to development feelings for Alistair. She finds his presence comforting, his views refreshing, his resolve endearing, and his gentle awkwardness lovable. He's been with her since the beginning, when she was mildly frightened and unsure of a cage with no bars, but still a cage due to what she was; a mage. Alistair saw that, knew what she was, and still, he treated her like an equal--reaching out when nightmares took her, offering her a witty quip or a playful smile to try and lift her back up from the mud, and reassuring her she wasn't alone in this long and bloody task of their's.

Alistair treated Elise as a person, and Elise offers that same kindness when he reveals his connection to the throne. However, she can see the warmth in his eyes fade a little upon telling her, a crooked, wry smile replacing the jovial air of another, and Elise knows that Alistair knows.

She's a mage and he, a king. There is no happy ending in store for them, but love is as persistent as it is fleeting, and they fall into each other's orbit despite the pain it later brings them both.

How did your Warden respond to Wynne’s comments if your Warden romanced someone? Did they tell her it was love or that the relationship was purely physical?

Elise was kind of belligerent, not going to lie. It's actually the first time I envision that hardened side of her beginning to shine through.

When Wynne points out the fact that she and Alistair are both Wardens, and that he's the son of a king destined to follow in those heavy footsteps, it only succeeds in bringing those painful fears to the fore and reasserting to Elise that she can't be happy because of what she is. This conversation happens after the Broken Circle quest, so Elise is still haunted by those horrors of a home sundered, and most of all, Cullen and his words towards her. So, two sources have said to her, 'You can't have this because of what you are.', and that tears into Elise's slowly hardening heart. She knows her duty, she knows what she is and she's proud of it, and Elise believes that shouldn't bar her from what others are freely given.

"I am a mage. I am a Warden." Elise spat, fists clenching and unclenching sporadically as she glared into the elderly mage before her. "But, I'm also a woman--a person, Wynne. I have feelings, and I won't sweep those aside just because you think it's best, because the 'world' somehow suddenly demands it!" Magic tingled at her finger tips, sparks latching onto tiny energy nodes of the Fade as her hands began to shake. "I care for Alistair. I want to see him happy because this world hasn't let him be so! So...so, fuck your concern and wisdom! I have choices, Alistair has choices, and if that's irresponsible to you, then leave because my heart won't change. No matter what pain it could bring me!"

Did your Warden believe that Leliana was telling the truth about her vision from the Maker or were they skeptical?

Now, I think I've mentioned that Elise is somewhat religious. She believes in the Maker and Andraste, but like Dorian says in Inquisition, she doesn't believe in the Chantry's rhetoric.

In regards to Leliana's vision, the magically curious side of Elise comes out and she ponders if the vision was the work of it. She doesn't outright ask Leli that, knowing that it would probably be rebuffed or met with a, 'I'm...not sure.', but it lingers in the depths of her mind and Elise tries to do some research into similar occurrences, to no avail. All Elise knows is that Leliana finds strength and hope in what she saw, so she doesn't challenge it and spoil it with practical applications. After all, the nature of faith is shaped by the unknown, and Elise always did like a good mystery. So, even if she didn't completely believe it herself, Elise knows what it meant to Leliana to have that warmth long denied by a Chantry brazier.

How did your Warden speak to Sten? Did they fight with him often or were they more humorous in their responses?

Elise was fascinated by Sten. She had only read of the Qunari in the few meager tomes she could find--most struck from the records by the Chantry due to 'heresy'. So, when at camp, Elise took the time to learn from the stoic man. She asked questions, listened to his answers, sat, mouth agape at some of the more profound stories Sten would opt to share, and soaked it up like a sponge. Elise would challenge some viewpoints of Sten's, those concerning mages and the general people of Ferelden, but mainly because she wanted to hear his side. Elise was eager and undeterred by Sten's brusque, aloof, and outwardly annoyed demeanor. She just saw a person--a person who she could learn from. And I think Sten responded well to that curiosity and open-mindedness, even if he didn't show it all that well.

How did your Warden react to Loghain’s fierce love for his daughter? Did they share a strong sense of loyalty to their own family?

So, to start, Elise doesn't remember her family very well. She was taken to the Circle at young age, barely able to remember how she even came to the tower. But, her found family is everything to her and she would die, be tortured, and branded every manner of beast if it kept them safe.

And I'm not lying when I say that Loghain's love for Anora, and she for him, was what made Elise want to spare him.

In that moment, as the teyrn knelt upon the floor before her, sword limp, eyes downcast with all manner of emotion, and blood dribbling from wounds she had managed in a duel unnecessary, unfair, Elise didn't see a traitor, a murderer of Wardens and kings, or even a man whose sense of duty had been so warped that it led him astray.

No, she saw none of that. Instead, she saw a father--a father of both daughter and country.

Elise drew her lips tight, tasting the salt of her sweat and a hint of iron. Her hand shook upon the hilt of her sword, suddenly feeling too heavy, too much as she continued to keep it trained upon the defeated man. All eyes were upon her, their gazes like wildfire and bramble--burning, piercing, anticipating. Yet, she could not move. She could not do it.

She could not take a father from his child! She could not! Not when it wasn't necessary! Not when the Queen had asked, pleaded with tears in her blue eyes for a way out of this foolishness, for an end to the constant suffering! There was a way! There was!

"I--", Elise began, as shaky as her arm that brandished a sword instead of a staff. The tremors increased as the wildfire upon her back blazed, and her grip faltered, sword plummeting to the ground with a harsh clang. "I...won't kill you. I accept your surrender. I accept."

There were gasps and whispers of disbelief, but she blocked them out as tired eyes traveled from that abandoned weapon to her face, searching, seeking, and quietly suspicious. But, before any words could be uttered between them or explanations could be voiced, there was a shout--a familiar, but dreaded shout of anger, of disbelief, of betrayal most foul. One word. Just one, and it was sharper than her sword that lay upon the ground, coated with blood of thought up foes.

"What!?"

----

*drags hand down in front of my face in an elaborate fashion* And scene!

Thank you so much, friend! I hope you like the answers even if they are a tad long! :D

[a-shakespearean-in-paris]

Dragon Age Question Meme

thanks for the tag @bitchesofostwick! too fun not to do! :)

tagging @solverne-02  @bearly-tolerable @aurianavaloria @laraslandlockedblues @ladymdc @galadrieljones @thevikingwoman @idrelle-miocovani 

01) favorite game of the series? I think Origins is the best in terms of gaming while 2 has the best story.I’m most attached to Inquisition and Origins equally when you boil down to it, I played both a lot and both were huge comforts.

02) how did you discover Dragon Age? All the way in 2009 the game came out to glowing reviews and my interest piqued. During Valentines day 2010 my dad got me a game stop gift card and I bought it. (my parents rock lol.) anyway I played it but it went horribly, I missed leliana and sten in lothering...accidentally killed Irving so sided with the templars...zev betrayed me...it was a mess. It wasn’t until a third play through that I began to love the game.

03) how many times you’ve played the games? Origins: gosh I’ve gotten to the end at least 5 times, but made a lot of characters. 2: probably 3 times with a female hawke and once with a male (for some reason that’s the only game I’ve played as a male as to the end...he romanced merrill.) Inquisition: once again, at least 5.

04) favorite race to play as? Just so happens to turn out my favorite backstories and origins are the human ones, though I tried to make elves. I just couldn’t come up with a character I gravitated toward.

05) favorite class? Story wise: mage, fun to play as and personal enjoyment: rogue.

06) do you play through the games differently or do you make the same decisions each time? Make the same decisions because it feels weird if I don’t, lol. Especially with romances...I get so loyal I can’t romance anyone else. I do though sometimes change up classes for variety.

07) go-to adventuring group? I tend to shuffle a lot, but my most common groups are in DAO: Alistair, Leliana/Zev and Morrigan/Wynne but I love them all and tend to shuffle. DA2: Fenris, Anders, Varric and in DAI: Sera, Vivienne, Cassandra (though again I do a lot of shuffling for variety.)

08) which of your characters did you put the most thought into? Lydia Trevelyan, no question. I wanted to write her story and romance, so I did. :3 

09) favorite romance? DAO: Alistair, DA2: Fenris. DAI and overall: Cullen. 

10) have you read any of the comics/books? Nope.

11) if you read them, which was your favorite book? honestly I have no plans to read any *sorry.*

12) favorite DLCs? Hmmm...The Stone Prisoner in Origins, and Jaws of Hakkon! Of course Tresspasser too.

13) things that annoy you. Most are fandom related...not going to lie. But in game I wish Inquisition had more ambient music as you explored, and that missions actually meant something to the war effort other than racking in points. I wish Cullen’s trauma at the winter palace was treated more thoughtfully, and I hate, hate, hate how the inquisitor has to kneel down and loot because it takes FOREVER. I also wish DA2 had a longer development cycle because the game could have been so much more.

Oh I also wish vital story info wasn’t in books/DLCs.

14) Orlais or Ferelden? Aesthetically I like elements of Orlais, I have to pick Ferelden though.

15) templars or mages? Much like bitchesofostwick, all my OCs have, when the games pit one against the other, sided with the mages, but I think the chantry is so bad both groups need reform. (Circles need to function like schools rather than prisons, templars need to know magical defense but serve as protectors and move away from the chantry.) 

That being said Lydia is actually kind of pro templar, more than one may think anyway...in the sense that she thinks they can do better.

16) if you have multiple characters, are they in different/parallel universes or in the same one?In Origins I played through different origins for variety, but I can’t make multiple characters for one game, lol. I find making OCs so fun but time consuming and I love doting all the attention to select few, lol.

17) what did you name your pets? (mabari, summoned animals, mounts, etc) Miranda Cousland’s mabari is Hal after a prince in a book. Rhine Hawke? honestly never given much thought, lol. Probably something simple like Spot (Carver would point out constantly he has no spots and she would say something witty back, ha.) Lydia’s horse is named Pepper. Her and cullen’s mabari is named Cleo.

18) have you installed any mods? i bought inquisition on PC just to use mods and I havent figured it out yet, lol.

19) did your Warden want to become a Grey Warden? NO! In fact she resented it big time because she saw her duty as taking revenge, and Duncan basically gave her a death sentence in her eye. Eventually she kind of succumbs to her duty but if she had things her way, she would never have become a warden. 

20) hawke’s personality? she started off a good purple/blue. In Inquisition she became red.

21) did you make matching armor for your companions in Inquisition? No but maybe I should, lol.

22) if your character(s) could go back in time to change one thing, what would they change?  Miranda would make sure Howe never did what he did. Rhine would stop Meredith sooner. Lydia would make sure (SPOILER) her ex boyfriend Asher never became a red templar.

23) do you have any headcanons about your character(s) that go against canon?Miranda meets Lydia at Skyhold and is the Warden contact. there’s a big party at skyhold and lydia makes an epic speech. this is a big one: Rhine loves Fenris, but he leaves like he always does, and she knows Anders loves her to death so she gets with him. Ultimately though they have a mutual break up, and she goes back to fenris a month later. (they’re endgame) this makes her feel extra responsible for the chantry explosion. (She approves of sending the message...just not that way lol.)

24) are any of your character(s) based on someone? Well Lydia is the most like me, but the more time I have spent with her the less I find us identical. I made Mira/Rhine as different as I could, but none are really based on anyone. Maybe parts of Lydia are based on Lauren Bacall/Vivien Leigh, more old hollywood ladies <3 

25) who did you leave in the Fade? In game always Stroud. Or sometimes Hawke. In my story it’s Hawke :( sorry all i thrived on the drama.

26) favorite mount? the war nug!

[worldsentwined]

Writing Meme

@vefanyar​ tagged me in this thing, so here goes! I’m going to put it under a cut because some of the answers got long. XD

1) How many works in progress do you currently have? Uh....looking at my fanfic folder I *think* about 19? So if you add in my poor neglected novel and the sequel to my poor neglected novel and my poor neglected short story, that’d be...22.

Of course, I’m only actively working on two of them now, but the others are there, watching me reproachfully every time I start something new instead of finishing one of them.

2) Do you/would you write fanfiction? *points to above ask and also 93 fanfics posted to AO3 in the past 2 years* Yeah, I’d say so. ^_^;

3) Do you prefer paper books or ebooks? I like them both for different reasons! Ebooks are nice for travel (and even for going back-and-forth to work - my kindle is much lighter than a hardcover). Paper books are nice for re-reading or checking for a quote (because trying to find specific parts of a book on my non-touchscreen, keyboard-less kindle is a pain in the ass). Plus my library system usually has a longer waiting list for the ebook version. And I do like to get physical versions of books I like enough to get signed.

4) When did you start writing? I’ve been spinning stories in my head for as long as I can remember, but my early attempts to write them down tended to fizzle out rather quickly. I heard about NaNoWriMo in college, but it always seemed like too much work to add on when I already had so much to do. So it wasn’t until I was a year out of college and facing unemployment that I really started to think seriously about writing a novel, and because I was only working part time when November rolled around, I finally tried my hand at NaNo. (I won, and ended up with a terrible and complicated unfinished novel, but everyone has to start somewhere). 

5) Do you have someone you trust that you share your work with? I was part of a writer’s group for a few years, with some ladies who I mostly didn’t know when I started out but who became friends after a while. Due to various people moving and the remaining members being bad at planning, we don’t meet anymore, but I would still feel comfortable asking them to beta-read for me if I had some original fiction to share.

For fanfic, my usual go-to beta readers are @vefanyar​ and @minutia-r​, though I have sometimes poked other people too. (And then of course once the fics are finished, they get shared with everyone who cares to look at them.)

6) Where is your favourite place to write? Weirdly enough, my most productive place to write tends to be the circ desk computer at work - for some reason ideas flow really well when I’m standing there? But since I get interrupted there pretty often, I also tend to write at the dining room table or in bed. (I’ve been avoiding the dining room recently because the television is distracting, but I also have an unfortunate tendency to fall asleep over my computer if I write in bed. Probably I should make an effort to clear my desk off).

7) Favorite childhood book? There are so many - I went through all kinds of phases where I just loved one particular book, and I read voraciously. Standouts include the Narnia series, the Redwall books, and The Ghost of Opalina by Peggy Bacon. I honestly have a harder time remembering childhood books - it’s much easier to bring to mind books I read as a young teen, in terms of long-term impact. Many of my lifelong favorite authors (Diana Wynne Jones, Robin McKinley, Terry Pratchett, Patricia C. Wrede) didn’t find their way to me until middle school.

8) Writing for fun or publication? For the last few years I’ve pretty much been writing for fun - unless you count posting fanfics as “publication”, heh. I do still dream of being published though, I just have to get back on that horse. (Or sailing ship, as the case may be).

9) Pen and paper or computer? Usually computer, though sometimes if I get stuck it helps to scribble things down on paper first. I also have occasional bouts of late-night angsty poetry, and those go on paper too.

10) Have you ever taken any writing classes? In high school I was chosen for a special summer course in writing - I think it was because we’d had to write “journals” for the first few minutes of English class every day, and rather than writing about things in my life I wrote a serial story about two of my OCs. (Ciorra the Red-haired Magic Wolf Shapeshifter and Celander the Super Powerful And Handsome Mage. Hoooo boy.) It was a cool experience to have a writing-focused class with people from other schools, but it was focused on poetry which was not as exciting for me then.

I had one creative writing class in college too, also mostly focused on poetry, which I enjoyed except for the occasional snobbery of the English/Lit majors. 

11) What inspires you to write? In fanfiction, what usually happens is I get an idea like “wouldn’t it be funny if...?” or “Well if this happened, then...” and suddenly I’ve written 500 words. Often this is the result of conversations with other people (I’m looking at you, SynS chat) or having drawn something. Fun fact, my whole SSSS Hipster Band AU happened because I doodled Reynir and Tuuri in skinny jeans.

For original fiction, it seems like characters show up in my head and won’t leave me alone until I’ve developed a whole storyline and a world for them. 

Tagging (if you feel like it): *squints* Okay, I feel like Elleth tagged most of my usual suspects, so how about... @gaemmel and @zolotayafeya (whose new username I almost forgot, oops!)

[skarmorydraws]

Team FAWN: Anais Armenus and Whitney Fitzgerald

After a bit of an absence, here are the other two members of Team FAWN! Aside from the theme of folk heroes, the four team members are all based on OCs of mine from various writing projects both planned and public. The boys are both derived from my original fiction, but the girls are both based on some of my agents written for the Protectors of the Plot Continuum; I figured that these two in particular were the best candidates for a RWBY AU facelift of sorts. Details under the cut!

Anais is, lore-wise, based on the Armenian folk heroine,  Anahit, whom you can read more about here, but she actually owes much more to Lapis Lazuli, who was not only one of my favorite agents to develop, but also had one of the longest stints in my creative history, and has been floating around the Interwebs since 2008. She started out as a Pokémon anime OC on DeviantArt, specifically for a writing project involving another artist's fakemon which has long since been abandoned, but since then she’s cropped up in various forms and incarnations in a couple of my writing projects before finally finding a home in the PPC. Anais, being her RWBY-verse counterpart, has inherited much of her high-strung, snappy personality, but I decided to give her a more sensual feel than Lapis, since I needed a way to make her character and fighting style distinct and Lapis’ outfit made me think of an exotic dancer. I also couldn’t not include the shark’s teeth that Lapis has in the PPC canon, so that led to Anais being a great white shark Faunus, which gave me a few good design cues for her outfit - it’s themed around dangerous fish, including sharks, and I imagine it’d be various shades of blue like the ocean with some tropical reef color flourishes. Her Semblance is teleportation, which is also a nod to a period when Lapis had a similar ability, though it has since been written out of the latter. Naturally, Anais is also aged up a great deal compared to Lapis, in fact being older than Fallow despite looking tinier - in fact, all four members of Team FAWN are the same age with the exception of Fallow, who got enrolled in Beacon a year early like how I went to college at a younger age than usual. :P Anais' weapon, Abanarsti (from the Armenian words for “sea” and “spear”), is a Dust Axe/Trident Amalgamate, a dual-headed staff whose trident/axe heads, which are shaped like shark tails, have revolver chambers like Myrtenaster which can be loaded with Dust, usually Water Dust, for various offense/defense purposes; the staff can also be split into dual hand-axes for close-quarters melee.

Anais, like Naja, lived in Vacuo during her youth, but most her childhood was far less memorable. In fact, she pretty much went off the grid for a while after her parents died when she was 10, wandering from town to town until she found her way into one of the few training academies in the nation that accepted Faunuses. She struggled through lots of racism during her academic career regardless, though - partly because everyone knew who she was the moment she opened her mouth, even before she could get the chance to speak. This gave her a highly detached temperament until, by happenstance, she ended up being accepted at Beacon, where she was schooled on the values of empathy and self-worth by her partner and fellow Faunus, Fallow, and the other members of Team FAWN. It was bonding with her teammates that helped her through the fall of Beacon, because until she realized that they more than filled the void left by her late family, Beacon was her only attachment and the place she considered her home... Now, her home is with Fallow, with whom she’s formed a sibling-like relationship, as well as Whitney and Naja who regard her as one of their closest friends and as a reliable means of keeping her teammates’ more overzealous tendencies in check.

Whitney’s look is unashamedly lifted from the AU outfit for the female Wii Fit Trainer in this picture by CoronaDiTempesta, and all credit for the original concept goes to them, though I made a number of changes to avoid outright plagiarism such as including bandages on her arms and legs like a Muay Thai boxer (as seen on the male WFT in the source pic) and lots of scars all over her upper body. Her lore basis is Étaín, the Celtic heroine of the Tochmarc Étaíne, who was identified as a sun goddess by linguistics scholar T.F. O'Rahilly, but she’s also based on the aforementioned Wii Fit Trainer as well as another PPC agent of mine, simply known as Whitney. I came up with Agent Whitney and her partner purely as proxies to dip my toes into missions involving video-game-specific continua, but I’ve slowly taken a liking to them both to the point where expies of them may show up in my original writing as well eventually - RWBY!Whitney, in fact, is pretty much Agent Whitney with a different outfit, abilities more fitting of a Remnant native, and a Solar-Powered Telescoping Flail called Lorganfaid, after the Irish Dagda god’s magic staff. Said flail functions like a giant wrecking ball with a retractable chain, so it can be used as a close-range bludgeon or a mid-range whip with a big spiky death orb at the end, and paired with her Solar Absorption Semblance - i.e. absorbing sunlight to power herself up or regenerate Aura - it can generate a plasma field that can burn things while smashing them to bits.

Whitney and her brother, Wynn, were originally from Mistral’s capital, and were raised by a single mother (modeled after an older version of Dawn from Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, who was another one of my waifus back in the day :P), but since their mom was a sculptor and had to spend a lot of time doing commission work, they had to eke out a living on their own as street performers during the daytime - and vigilantes in the night. The two of them were inseparable as children, but went their separate ways when Wynn got accepted into Haven, while Whitney found her way into Beacon instead, which is where she met her other teammates and her partner, Naja, who may or may not have a crush on her. Whitney is the Only Sane Woman of the team, being calmer and more rational than all three of her teammates combined, as well as the first one to respond with justified incredulousness to whatever craziness the gang encounters, though she’s long since learned to stop questioning things in general out of tactfulness. She’s very collected even in the midst of battle, likes to incorporate calming yoga routines into her techniques of bashing Grimm to oblivion, and spends almost all of her spare time either meditating or cooking the healthiest food she can for the team. As such, it’s difficult to incite her into intense emotions, but woe betide anyone stupid enough to do so - only a few of the individuals who’ve genuinely angered her have managed to survive the ensuing carnage, and all of them have scars.

RWBY © RoosterTeeth

Team FAWN © me