#delilah lavellan

[idontunderstandwhydoyouneedmyurl]

Inquisitor as a Companion

Template here. Under a cut bc it's a long post

Inquisitor as a Companion: Romance Edition here

Inquisitor’s Name: Delilah Lavellan

Alternate Name?: Delilah (given name only)

Race, Class, & Specialization: Dalish elf, mage, spirit healer

Varric’s Nickname for them: Sunny

Default Tarot Card: The Sun

How they are recruited: After the Crossroads are secured, the party is approached by an Inquisition agent who tells them about a group of refugees who had passed through, guarded by a Dalish mage, on their way to Redcliffe, but the agent had received a report about incredibly well-armed and armored bandits up that way and they were worried. The Inquisitor makes their way towards Redcliffe and finds this group under attack by bandits just a stone's throw from the town gates, and there is a fight to kill the bandits. After the fight is complete, Delilah asks if she can join the Inquisition; for her reasons, she traveled south to witness the Conclave fallout to report back to her clan, but stayed to help try and help the overwhelming number of refugees; she believes that joining the Inquisition is the best way for her to help the most people possible. For her qualifications, she's the First of her clan and is a pretty skilled mage.

Where they are in Skyhold: In the small study/library off of the basement, usually reading or writing at the desk

Things they Generally Approve of: pro-elf choices, pro-mage choices. Decisions that favor cooperation, helping those in need, working for the common good of all. Mage alliance earns great approval, templar conscription earns regular approval.

Things they Generally Disapprove of: anti-elf choices, pro-templar choices. Decisions that are selfish, refusing to help those in need. Templar alliance earns great disapproval, mage conscription earns disapproval

Mages, Templars, Other?: Delilah is less pro-mage than she is anti-Templar, due to her history with them. She sees herself as an elf first and a mage second, so she is less invested in mage-specific issues than elf-specific issues. But she still definitely is distrustful of templars in general.

Friends in the Inquisition: Delilah is very friendly with Varric and Blackwall. She gets along fine with Iron Bull and Vivienne, and is neutral-ish towards Solas, Cassandra, and Dorian. She does not get along with Sera and does not trust Cole.

Romanceable?: Yes; romancable by any gender and race, but men and Qunari PCs earn less approval with flirt options than the other race/gender combos.

Small side mission: "Pieces of the Past"; Delilah asks for help finding a few elven artifacts she believes are scattered throughout the Exalted Plains. Basic fetch quests, 5 misc items such as jewelry, books, etc.

Companion quest: "Ancient History" (available after either "Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts" or "Here Lies the Abyss" are completed)

Delilah believes that an ancient library from the time of Halamshiral, before the Exalted March of the Dales, may have its ruins somewhere in central Orlais. She asks that the Inquisition use its power to scout for this ruin. (War table area unlock, requires 5 power). Once unlocked, the party can travel to a small dungeon like the Temple of Dithamen (Delilah is a locked companion for this quest). The party finds the place decrepit and scorched, the remains indicating that the library was scoured by a massive blazing fire. Not much remains, though there is a hidden chest that contains an Amulet of Power for Delilah, a high level lightning type staff, and 200 gold. There are also scattered scraps of paper, barely legible due to damage from the fire and time and damp, that each grant some XP. Every now and then the party's passage triggers undead to rise, which each grants some XP and minor loot when defeated. Dialogue throughout from Delilah reveals she's shocked and a little disappointed that this is all that's left, but she's mostly surprised anything is left at all. Anything she can learn here will be useful, however, and it's implied that she's feverishly jotting down notes as they go through the dungeon.

Returning to Skyhold, there's a cutscene where Delilah is sat at a table with several books and sheets of paper, writing. She says she's putting everything they learned at the burned library together in one place, and admits that while she's not a writer like Varric, she's trying to put together as much Dalish history as she can into a few books.

Delilah: "It's nothing that the College of Enchanters would find worthy to display in their Grand Library, but imagine if I could share this knowledge with the rest of the Dalish! So much of our knowledge has been lost, I want to save and recover what I can."

Inquisitor: (special elven dialog) "Our clans can be pretty widespread at the best of times. How would you get this knowledge to them?"

Delilah: (slightly approves) "The Arlathvhen, when all Dalish clans convene. It's been over a decade since the last one. I think the clans have been holding off on it with the mage-templar war going on, but with the Inquisition stabilizing things, there's finally one arranged. It'll be held about a year from now. I need to get everything together that I can for it, to share."

Option 1:  Inquisitor supports this dream and encourages her to share her knowledge. This earns great approval.

Option 2: Inquisitor is dismissive of her goal and/or says that she should share it with everyone, not just the Dalish. This earns disapproval.

Tarot card change

Option 1: The High Priestess

Option 2: The Star

Banter:

Cole’s reflection on their thoughts: "Burning curiosity, a thirst to know everything that was and has been. She aches with grief of ages past but fights with hope that it will be better - it will be better, it must."

Comment(s) on Mages: "Human mages typically learn magic in Circles, yes? I wonder what it's like to learn from several elders instead of one Keeper."

(if mages are allied - Delilah approves) "It will be interesting to see where things go from here...a free mage alliance, free of the Circles and out from under the thumb of the templars. With that much magic, sealing the Breach ought to be simple."

(if mages are conscripted - Delilah disapproves) "I'd hoped the Inquisition had better to offer than another type of subjugation for the mages. How is this better than what Alexius was trying to do to them?"

Comment(s) on Templars: "Templars will strike first and ask questions second. Be on your guard when dealing with them."

(if templars are allied - Delilah greatly disapproves) "Templars' entire experience with magic is that it needs to be either snuffed out or subjugated. They left the Chantry in order to hunt down mages, which even I understand is bad. I hope you know what you're doing."

(if templars are conscripted - Delilah slightly disapproves) "I suppose if you had to enlist templars to seal the Breach, this would be the best way. They can't be trusted to be here just loose and free with no supervision. They were duped by the envy demon, after all."

When looking for something: "Something must be here."

When finding a campsite: "Ah, if you're tired we can make camp here."

When the Inquisitor Falls:"Inquisitor, no!" or if romanced, "Vhenas! Get up!"

When they are low on Health: "I'm not built for combat!"

When they see a Dragon: "What a magnificent beast. You don't see too many creatures of such ancient magic anymore, nowadays."

When during their small side quest: "A great find! I can't wait to catalog this for my notes." (when quest is completed) "Thank you for this, it means a lot to me."

Default saying: "Hello. Did you need something?" or once 50+ approval, "(humming)...Oh! Sorry, I was lost in this manuscript. How are you?"

Travel Banter with Canon Companions of your choice:

Solas: "So, I understand you are Dalish."

Delilah: "And I understand you are not."

Solas: "You are the First to your Keeper, yes? Learning all you can about magic?"

Delilah: "Among other things. My place in the clan is to be the next Keeper, and to pass down our knowledge. I will need to learn much before it is my time."

Solas: "(disdainful) The Dalish have a very patchwork knowledge of the ancient elves...from what I have seen."

Delilah: "And you claim to know better?"

Solas: "I have made no such claim."

Delilah: "Yet."

---

Solas: "I have offended you."

Delilah: "Are you going to explain to me my own feelings now?"

Solas: "I had no intention of insulting your intelligence previously. I'm sure you're aware that even the Keepers do not know everything about the ways of the ancient elves. I only wished to point that out, nothing else."

Delilah: "I'm fully aware that we don't have all of the pieces - and with so much lost, we may never recover everything. But we're trying to hold onto what we have, and I myself am trying to recover some of what was lost. I feel that is worthy of appreciation, at least."

Solas: "You make a good point."

---

Delilah: "So you travel the Beyond in your dreams to learn about history?"

Solas: "Yes. The echoes of time let me witness the past for myself, instead of being forced to rely on a book."

Delilah: "I'll admit it's creative."

Solas: "I take it by the fact you're speaking to me, that you're no longer angry with me?"

Delilah: "I wasn't angry...but I wasn't happy with you either. You came across demeaning and dismissive. Is it surprising that I was defensive?"

Solas: "No, I suppose not. Ir abelas, dalen."

Delilah: "Apology accepted. Next time, if you're going to act like you know more than me, at least share what you know."

Friendship?: If 50+ approval, Delilah will call the Inquisitor "lethallan/lethallin" depending on their gender. If romanced, she will call them "vhenas" regardless of gender.

Leaving the Inquisition: Delilah leaves the Inquisition if the Inquisitor has -75 approval or more, or does all of the following:

Allows Clan Lavellan to die in the war table mission series

Refuses to help the dalish clan in the Exalted Plains

Sells the true account of Red Crossing to the Chantry instead of giving to the Dalish

In "Wicked Eyes, Wicked Hearts" chooses any ending except for public truce between Celene, Gaspard, and Briala; or for Gaspard and Briala to rule together

In "What Pride had Wrought", kills the ancient elven guardians instead of allying with them

Her post-mission conversation will trigger a cutscene where she's gathering her papers and books and packing her bag.

Inquisitor: "What are you doing?"

Delilah: "What does it look like? I'm leaving."

Inquisitor: (investigate) "Why?"

Delilah: "I can do more good elsewhere. Clearly you don't need me here, and to be honest I don't want to be associated with the Inquisition anymore. Not if this is how you're running things."

Inquisitor: (agreeable) "That may be for the best."

Delilah: "The one and only time we agree on anything."

-or-

Inquisitor: (stoic) "If that's your choice, I suppose I won't stop you."

Delilah: "Good. You've made enough bad choices, I don't want to be involved in any more."

-or-

Inquisitor: (aggressive) "Good riddance. Don't let the door hit you on the way out."

Delilah: "(glaring) Gladly. I can't wait to leave your stupid organization behind for good."

[fandomn00blr]

@funkypoacher​ look! I did the thing! (we’re all sick and cold and snuggled up on the couch for the evening so why not play with some virtual faces?)

Solona Amell (she doesn’t need no freakin’ staff when she spends most of her time as a spider)

Neria Surana

Delilah Howe (as requested)

Ser Agatha

and Nesinril Lavellan!

Picrew link: https://picrew.me/image_maker/1347038

[melvinthedepressedrobot]

rambling about characters from my convoluted Dragon Age personal canon bc @bluerose5 asked the other day and I forgottttt (part 1 of idk how many because I HAVE A LOT, but for now u get the Big Three and a couple side characters)

okay so, first up, we have Breick Tabris AKA The Only Gay In The Alienage

A quiet, generally even-tempered young man with a strong sense of justice, never really wanted to be a leader but took it in stride because it was the right thing to do. Took him a while to warm up to the humans in the party, but he opened up a lot more after they picked up Zev and ended up very close with him in particular. Went through with the ritual with Morrigan at Zevran's insistance (and, ah, assistance) and stuck around as Warden Commander for a while before eventually leaving with Zev to search for a cure, leaving a mage they picked up at the tower, Camryn Amell, in charge.

More than anything, Camryn wants peace and bloody quiet, and if she has to set a hoard of darkspawn on fire to get it, so be it. Left in the mage tower after Jowan buggered off, she joined with Wynne after the party helped solve the abomination infestation, and underwent the joining ritual after the Blight. She comes off as abrasive, but she's a good'un, and keeps the Fereldan wardens well in line. Whilst Loghain was recruited into the wardens, she was actually the warden that met up with the Inquisitor through Hawke.

Despite being "cousins something-something-removed", Delilah "Lilah" Hawke seems to have little in common with Camryn - she's bright, loud and impulsive, and can't sit still for more than a minute. She finds making friends easily (and enemies even easier) and loves fiercely - be that her family, friends, or the eventual relationship she forges with Isabela - and, paired with her complete inability to mind her own business, this made the path to becoming the Champion of Kirkwall was a relatively straightforward one. The deaths of her mother and sister, and Carver contracting the taint and having to join the wardens, however, left her with a lot of guilt and Lilah ultimately sacrificed herself in the fade for her cousin and the Inquisitor.

Born into the Lavellan clan, Ala was taken from her family at a young age by slavers, ending up in Antiva after a narrow escape, where she spent some years on the streets, joining a group of thieves but fleeing the city after a job gone wrong and being caught trying to steal supplies by Breick and Zev on the road. They initially planned to find someone to look after her, but found themselves unable to give her up when the time came, particularly after being the ones to name her when she confided in them about her discomfort in being seen as a boy. Under their care, she opened up from a scared, near-silent child fighting to survive into a brave, adventurous girl who could talk for Antiva.

She did eventually reconnect with her clan, and, at 16, went to the conclave on behalf of both her families - using Lavellan as a surname to keep her connection to the Hero of Ferelden secret - and then tripped and fell into being named the Herald of Andraste and made the leader of the Inqusition.

She struggled a bit, as any teenager would, with this responsibility, and the whole Herald thing did almost go to her head, but, really, with the HoF for a dad, it wasn't surprising that she came through in the end. Leliana was, of course, the first the figure out who her dads were, and stepped up to guide her friends' daughter, and Ala also ended up with a very close, sisterly bond with Josie, as well as the nickame "Little Bird" from Varric. And she absolutely ended her adventure decking Solas in the face for lying to her face and breaking her sister's heart.

aaaand last up for tonight, Ala's biological sister, Heulwen. When Breick and Zevran couldn't make it right away to check on their daughter after the conclave, Heulwen volunteered to go and find out what had happened, opting to join the Inquisition and be by her sister's side. Being more patient and observant, she balances out Ala well, and though Ala didn't really remember Heulwen from her early youth, they did grow very close and protective of one another. Which is, of course, why Ala was so pissed when Solas - who Heulwen had fallen hard for, finding him charming and his knowledge (particularly of elven history) fascinating - up and disappeared on them and turned out to be behind the whole mess in the first place.

I did have a whole idea about her having had a kid that is 95% certainly Solas' by the point of Trespasser, but I can never quite decide on that being canon or not.

[jozstankovich]

oc tag game

saw something similar before, but I wanted to add more categories!

➺ favorite oc - Win Lewis (currently) ➺ newest oc - Julia Wojcik (she's still a work in progress), Charlie, Ellery, Michael & Saoirse Young (Nathan, Lydia & Win's children - shared with @super-unpredictable98) ➺ oldest oc (not age-wise, but how long you've had them) - Aven al'Thyne ➺ meanest oc - Sera Darling & Delilah Edwards ➺ softest oc - Ji-ae Yeong ➺ most aloof/standoffish oc - Julia Stevens, Win Lewis, Mora Lavellan, & Cadie Boyers ➺ dumbest (affectionate) oc - Jesse DeLaurenta (my sweet himbo child) ➺ smartest oc - Maron Ryder ➺ horniest oc - Win Lewis & Wednesday Ryder ➺ oc you’d bang - like all of them lol ➺ oc you'd be best friends with irl - Ji-ae Yeong, Win Lewis, & Aevryn Davey

tagging (w/o obligation): @super-unpredictable98 @stellamancer @muchadoaboutcj @bisexualnathanyoung @noonfaerie @galpalaven @commander-krios + anyone else who wants to play/has a lot of ocs owo

[burning2know]

I'm sure someone already thought these thoughts at some point in the last decade. I'm on a Samson & Delilah kick in my Solavellan brainrot era. These sre just some thoughts.

The story of how my attention got turned to Samson & Delilah is in Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah lyric

"She tied you to the kitchen chair

She broke your throne and she cut your chair

and from your lips she drew a Hallelujah."

Fellow Solasmancers will know the significance of this song. But this particular bit is referencing the story of Samson and Delilah, in which Samson has superpowers that helped him become a powerful leader. His enemies wanted to thwart him but couldn't find a weakness, so they sent the seductress Delilah to weasle it out of him.

He tells her a bunch of lies, initially, like tying him to a chair or weaving his hair into the loom. At that point, he was very close to telling her the truth, because his actual weakness is getting a haircut. During their time together, Delilah tries out all of these things and discover that they don't work and Samson gets out of all of them.

Eventually, Delilah complains that Samson doesn't trust her, and that if he really loved her, he would tell her. And in an immense display of poor judgement (which is ironic given that he is one of the Judges of Israel), he tells her in confidence that the source of his power is his luscious locks. So then Delilah cuts his hair and sends him to her enemies who shave him and render him powerless.

Interestingly, the story ends with a gathering of his enemies to celebrate his execution and demise. But little did they know, (since his hair had grown back) Samson regained some strength and pushed the entire building down, taking down his enemies with him in his final act.

After this story, Delilah became known as a sexy traitor, an OG femme fatale. Even though she is never mentioned again (as far as I know). One wonders what became of her.

So here's what I think is interesting. Solas is powerful, even though ironically, he is already without hair. And he's doing what will destroy Lavellan's people, (note: not Solas's people). But from the outside looking in (or really a thousand years looking back), they're not That different, kind of like Samson's people and his enemies.

Even though Lavellan didn't seduce him with the goal of betrayal, she did make him almost betray himself, which is really the first betrayal of Samson, that he chose to tell her, he betrayed his own power. What's interesting to me is that, in the story, it's unclear if Samson knew what was happening, if he knew what Delilah's plans were to give him up to his enemies, why would he have been, apparently, falling in love with her, or at least enough to tell her the biggest secret of his life and trust her to keep it? Had he not noticed all of the shenanigans? I mean, how do you break out of the ropes without knowing what's happening? It's like how Solas is Very aware that his relationship with Lavellan may well unravel his resolve and ruin his plans. But against his better judgment he goes on the journey anyway.

So if the parallel happens all the way to the end like Samson & Delilah, we may see his undoing by Lavellan's hand in Veilguard. We may see him taking down much of thedas with him as he and his plans are foiled, in a final sacrfice for his people. That is just Devastating to me. It's such a waste (of what? of lives, effort, "human" potential?)

The Wyvern scene, to me, is like Samson telling Delilah about his hair in the loom. It's dangerously close to to his undoing, but Solas ultimately decides not to trust Lavellan. And even during Tresspasser, he is careful not to give too much away (despite basically outlining all of his plans). He chose differently than Samson.

But why? Given the hair thing, Solas is already bald. Which suggests that he's already been betrayed before and had his power taken from him. And like Samson, it grows back after a while, but he's still weaker than he was. So here we are in what seems like the middle of the journey.

The question is how closely will the ending of Solasvellan following Samson and Delilah. In my opinion, not very much.

The fun thing is that, unlike Samson and Delilah, the betrayal goes the other way. The inquisitor has superpowers, the source of which Solas knew all along. Then Solas betrays Lavellan by leaving her and then taking her source of power too. But he does NOT give her up to her enemies. Notably, he is trying hard to preserve her (and everybody else), as much as he can. But we don't hear about Delilah after Samson is subdued. At the very least, Lavellan will be mentioned again in the story and will be important in her own right even aside from Solas.

So while ruminating on the story of Samson and Delilah, though I was unsettled by the parallels, I think circumstances are different enough that Solavellan will have a different outcome.

[litlunacy]

OC Directory

Skyrim

Dragonborn Pyrina Arrolani

Tiawyn "Swift-Fingers" Lakarys

Dragonborn La'Kiahni

Dragonborn Martivani

Dragonborn Vestra

ESO

Vestige Kentria

Zashazi Sticky-fingers

Vestige Esme Alimont

Vestige Imanni al-Dragonstar

Mass Effect Trilogy

Lorelei Shepard

Riley Shepard

ME Andromeda

Yuki Ryder

Dragon Age

Warden Auriel Surana

Xandara Hawke

Inquisitor Nythara Lavellan

Rook Nymaraya Aldwir

Warden Lanara Cousland

Delilah Hawke

Inquisitor Ashur Trevelyan

Rook Mercedez de Riva

Warden Darevas Mahariel

Anahi Hawke

Inquisitor Tariel Lavellan

Rook Imekatari

Baldur's Gate 3

Marika

Temerity

Faar'ru (Durge)

Nilofynn (Durge)

Tavitha

The Arcana

Apprentice Ximena

Apprentice Lilith

Apprentice Zuri

Apprentice Lorica

Apprentice Rajani

Apprentice Bellamy

Anybody who doesn't have a link, I haven't rambled about yet, but feel free to send an ask! I love to talk about these gremlins living in my brain.

[cobaltash]

For @idontunderstandwhydoyouneedmyurl, the amazing Delilah Lavellan! Thank you for answering my call! I hope you like it!

[hawkedraws]

What? It’s Cullavellan week again? Sign me the heck up

Day 1 (September 11th) - Mabari, Halla, and Harts, oh my!

We all know Cullen winds up with a mabari, but are there any adorable animals that the pair share? Or perhaps your Lavellan has someone to add to the mix! This day is all about pets!

Cullen: So this is the hart that kicked you in the face and gave you the scar on your eyebrow? Delilah: Yes, she’s a real sweetheart. Cullen: What did you do to make her mad? Delilah: I may have been goofing around when I was young and...accidentally shocked her on her rear. Cullen: ...we’re not taking her back home with us, are we? Delilah: It’s enough work keeping your mabari fed, I’m not adding a hart on top of that.

[anoras]

hey babe new picrew just dropped

rivka surana / lea hawke / arete lavellan

althea tabris / mairwen hawke / vilja cadash

georgia maldonado / rachel wilt / delilah bellamy

[mcousland]

30, 31, 35, 36, & 38 for ellana, elide, and delilah

30) What topics does your oc know the most about? Are these obvious or would these be surprising to others?

Ellana has a surprising (to some) amount of herbology knowledge that she learned from her mother, which likely played a hand in her immediately jumping at the Tempest trainer as her choice of specialization. She also made it one of her priorities to properly learn about Ferelden and Orlais as a whole when she first realized how much she was being pushed to the forefront of things, knowing that the information would be helpful. This seemed to come as a shock to many of the nobles she interacted with (who likely presumed all she would know about was camping in the woods and stabbing things). She also has a love for woodcarving! Her breadth of knowledge with that one isn’t as great as the other two, but between having a fascination with it from a young age and then watching Blackwall work at Skyhold she has gathered a decent amount.

One of Elide’s most knowledgeable topics is of weaponry and siege tactics, which is shocking to anyone whose only impression of her is a small blonde girl with wild curls and expressive gestures–until they learn that one of her last name’s is Westenra and that surprise is thrown out the window due to reputation. Her proficiency in cartography though, that one seems to take most everyone off guard when she starts off on an explanation about this place or that, or how she made the party’s map of Andaria herself. Not a topic that she expected to become so knowledgeable in, but outside of the Providence members themselves Elide presumes that she is currently one of (if not the) most informed person on the cult as a whole. Its history, activities, members, etc etc. She has hoarded every last scrap of paper that they acquire from the members they come across and has a full-on dossier of the cult in her Bag of Holding, ready to be dropped at a moment’s notice so that she can inform someone on the baddies. 

Now Delilah.. most of her knowledge is entirely predictable, because it ranges between caretaking and motherhood which are easily the most apparent things about her. The only time she surprised someone with information on a topic was before she started traveling, when she would go on 10-minute rambles about the Verdant Shire or some other distant city/town/landmark that she had been reading up on for years. She had never left the city of Lira and people knew that about her, so it would come as quite the shock to hear her detail these places as if she had been there herself not two days ago. (She may or may not have thoroughly questioned one or two or ten visitors to Lira who had been to these places.) 

31) What time of day is your oc most awake? What about most tired? Do they get up at the same time every morning without need of an alarm, or is their sleep schedule all over the place?

Ellana is most awake in the evenings, when she usually gets a sudden burst of energy and uses it to accomplish the minor things she hadn’t been able to get around to all day. The most tired hits right after that surge of energy ends. Her sleep schedule is truly up in the air if she doesn’t have a friend to remind her about going to bed tbh.

Elide is the biggest morning person. She’s always up before 7am (unless a long rest happened at a different time, or she’s coaxed into sleeping in late by Tyrus) and is wide awake within the first five minutes of leaving bed. The most tired she’ll get is right before bed, usually when she’s getting ready to sleep, because she has finally allowed herself to calm down and stop trying to do something.

In true mother of three fashion, Delilah has an erratic sleep schedule between taking care of her kids and constantly checking that they are safe where they are. She’s most awake by midday, when she’s either running errands or devoting time to play with her children. The exhaustion usually hits after a few days of going strong, and she’s fighting that tiredness of her own as she puts the children to bed.

35) How easily does your oc get attached to things? Does everything have a sentimental value to them, or do they see nothing as more valuable than its practical use? What about with people/animals?

Ellana is one of The most sentimental women ngl, she has many items that remind her of people or places. Just to name one, she has a small chest beside the desk in her quarters that is just for storing letters and things sent from her Clan during the time of the Inquisition. 

Not to the same level as Ellana, but Elide is also rather sentimental. She has many items that hold attachments to strong emotions and/or memories that she turns to when she needs a little boost to her mood. It’s not difficult for Elide to get attached to things/people/places, which she’s trying to work on because it’s caused her more sadness than she’d like in the end. 

Delilah only has a few items that mean something to her, each tied to specific memories of loved ones that she keeps with her while traveling. For the most part she looks to things for their practical use, but she will admit to being ridiculously attached to a few of her children’s things because they remind her of happier [and carefree] times. Now people she can get attached to quickly, that Mama Bear instinct of hers is rather strong and can be applied to anyone. Can and will look at someone in their mid-late 20s and call them a baby without a hint of sarcasm.

36) How stubborn is your oc? Are they easily convinced of the opposite opinion, do they not agree but let it happen anyways? Or do they cause conflicts with their inability to budge in their decisions?

There are only a handful of topics that Ellana will really put her foot down for, but outside of those she knows that she should listen to others before fully forming her own opinions. It might not necessarily be easy for someone to change her opinion (especially when it comes to topics to do with the elves), but she will always give someone the chance to explain their side of things and take time to consider it before making her own decision.

Elide is fucking stubborn and I pity anyone who is on the opposite side of a debate with her because she will not back down. This is partly because she has always had a gift at getting a bead on things and people, her skills with insight lead her to forming some opinions very quickly and she will have a difficult time veering from them because she has trusted her instincts for so long and would hate to admit they were wrong. And if given the time, she’s the type to gather as much information as she can and process it before then deciding on something. Trying to argue with Elide that both her instincts and research are wrong is.. not great, not very productive. There are a handful of people in the world that Elide will swallow her pride for and genuinely listen to them when they say “you’re wrong”, and possibly change her opinion for if they can get through with enough logic and facts.

Delilah is surprisingly stubborn when it comes to a few subjects. She is usually open and willing to have others influence her opinions or decisions, knowing that there are many who have more knowledge than her on things. She’s more likely to allow something to happen despite her not agreeing with it simply because she would rather avoid unnecessary conflict, but it’s never without a discussion where she lays out her views so that she at least knows she spoke up before anything was decided and she can’t blame herself for keeping quiet later. 

38) What signs tell that your oc is nervous? Do they fidget, is it in their expression or the way they say things? Or are they very skilled at hiding it?

It’s all in the expressions and choices of words when it comes to nerves for Ellana. She’s spent a lot of time working to keep herself from outwardly appearing as if she’s nervous, not wanting to work others up because they often look toward her for confidence or support. She can put on quite the show but if the nerves are really up there, her brows will furrow and she’ll chew on the inside of her cheek. Usually she is straightforward with her words and firm, but she’ll hesitate when nervous and often phrase things as questions. 

Elide has a few tells, the most obvious being that her fingers flex and splay frequently. An older one that she has started to grow out of is picking at the ends of her sleeves, resulting in a lot of old clothing with frayed fabric. She is also prone to standing a bit taller and lifting her chin up as attempts to cover up the fact that she is nervous in the first place. She has gotten fairly good at hiding it from people who don’t know her very well, but if she’s near someone who is close to her they can very easily tell when she’s putting on a face. 

For Delilah she has always had a knack for hiding those feelings, and only grew more skilled in it when she knew that being nervous only served as an opening for the cult members that hunted her and her children. She plays with the ends of her hair as an output for the nerves, but it’s not something she’s really aware that she’s doing. 

[idontunderstandwhydoyouneedmyurl]

Inquisitor as a Companion: Romance edition!

Template here. Under a cut since it's lengthy.

Inquisitor as a Companion: original post here

For Delilah Lavellan - or since she's a companion here, just Delilah.

Sexual/Racial preference: Romancable by any gender and any race, but men/qunari get less approval for each flirt option

Nickname for PC: “Ma vhenas”, meaning “my/our home”. Sometimes just “vhenas”, which is also a play on “vhenan” being an endearment meaning “heart”

Romance only mission: “Ma Vhenan, Ma Vhenas.” (Prerequisite: complete the quests "Here Lies the Abyss" and "Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts") The Inquisitor sends a letter to the Keeper of Delilah's clan via a war table mission (for Dalish Inquisitors, mission time for this is reduced 25%; time is reduced a further 25% if the war table mission “Protect Clan Lavellan and Wycome” was completed and Clan Lavellan survived). The Inquisitor explains to the Keeper that they want to do something special for Delilah, and that they would like the Keeper’s input on what to do.

The Inquisitor can choose from three gifts: a book containing all of the lore the clan has collected thus far, painstakingly written down; letters from all of her clanmates, saying how much they miss her and wish her well; or a pendant necklace from the Keeper, carved in the shape of an anatomical heart with vines wrapped around it, enchanted to help calm the mind and soothe an anxious heart. Delilah will greatly approve regardless of gift chosen, but choosing the necklace will gain additional dialogue later on where she mentions that she wears it wherever she goes.)

Dialog to being asked for a kiss: “I suppose have some time to spare. Go to our usual spot, I’ll be there in a moment, vhenas.”

Halamshiral dialog:

“I’m glad to support you, vhenas, but I don’t know why you had to drag me here. I’ve been called a rabbit twice already, and I swear if one more noble mistakes me for a servant...”

Being asked to dance during mission:

(If the Inquisitor is not Dalish) “Really? The Inquisitor, seen dancing with the Dalish savage? What will the nobility say? *laugh* First, we really ought to focus on finding the culprit behind this assassination attempt. Ask me again later, if you think about it.”

(If the Inquisitor is Dalish) “Are you certain they won't look at us and wonder why two ‘servants’ are dancing instead of passing out drinks? *chuckle* I’m kidding. Kind of.  First, we really ought to focus on finding the culprit behind this assassination attempt. Ask me again later, if you think about it.”

Asking to dance post-mission:

Delilah: "I was wondering where you'd disappeared off to. Josephine is keeping the nobility at bay at the moment, but they're sure to miss you soon. How are you feeling?

Inquisitor: (stoic) "I'm fine, just tired."

Delilah: "Same here. Orlesians can be exhausting - I'm impressed that you handled this whole evening as well as you did."

-or-

Inquisitor: (agreeable) "Things turned out well, in the end."

Delilah: "Well, hopefully it means Corypheus won't be able to spread chaos in Orlais like he'd planned. Another loss you've sent his way."

-or-

Inquisitor: (aggressive) "Tonight has been awful. I'm just happy it's over."

Delilah: (slight approval) "I agree completely. The next time you ask me to come to an Orlesian party, don't."

Delilah: "I know the Court may look down on you for it, but I still want to ask. Is your offer to dance still open?

Inquisitor: (if selected yes) "Of course. I care more about you than anything the Court could ever say about me."

Delilah: "I knew I liked you for a reason."

Romance banter (what others say about it):

Sera: "If you had to roll around with someone, should you really have chosen someone so elfy? And there's the whole magic thing too. Phew, you know? Two not so great things in one."

Dorian: "Well look at you, being all cute with our resident Dalish expert. It's adorable."

Solas: (only if specifically brought up) "Oh, I hadn't really given it much attention. Your choices are your own, Inquisitor. Delilah and I have our disagreements but I don't wish her ill - or you, by extension."

What Cole says about companion to PC: “Warm sun, cool rivers, soft grass. Home cannot be replaced, but a safe sanctuary, a new security. You make her feel safe.”

Who is concerned about the relationship?: Sera is a little put off by it, since she and Delilah don’t really get along, but concedes that it’s not her business to tell the Inquisitor who they should get involved with. Solas is totally uninterested in it, but wishes the two well.

Who supports the relationship?: Most everyone else is supportive of it, ranging from general well-wishes from the Iron Bull and Blackwall to Cassandra dragging the Inquisitor aside and giving them several unsolicited suggestions of romantic things to do for Delilah.

Who had a bet running on it?: Varric, naturally. He manages to drag Cassandra into a bet on how soon the Inquisitor will propose, and somehow Dorian got in on it as well.

Banter(between NPCs):

Varric: “So, you and Sunny, eh? You two make an interesting pair.”

Inquisitor: (diplomatic) "I trust you don't have an issue with it?"

Varric: "Not at all. I just want my friends to be happy, you know?

-or-

Inquisitor: (humorous) "Do you have an opinion on who I choose to spend time with?"

Varric: "I have plenty of opinions, which normally lands me in hot water. Here, I'm just trying to keep an eye on things."

-or-

Inquisitor: (direct) "Do you have a problem with it?"

Varric: "No, of course not."

Varric: (regardless of dialog option chosen) "I just know she's been even more smiley lately, and it suits her. If you can keep it that way, you'll have my full support."

Delilah: (if present) "(teasingly) Varric, I've found a charming little nose in my business again. Any idea whose that is?"

Varric: "Ah, it does look familiar."

Varric: (if inquisitor does not choose to reply) "Fine, keep your secrets. So long as she's happy, I'm happy."

Break up:

If PC breaks it off:

Inquisitor: "I've been doing some thinking, and I think it's best if we ended this."

Delilah: (disapproves) "(visibly hurt) What's brought this on?"

Inquisitor: (if 50+ approval) (diplomatic) "I'm sorry. I think it would be better if we were just friends."

Delilah: "I see. I'm sorry you feel that way...but I suppose I'll respect your decision."

-or-

Inquisitor: (charming/humorous) "You're smart, I'm sure you can see we're not a good fit for each other."

Delilah: (slightly disapproves) "Apparently not. If there's nothing else, I need to get back to my books."

-or-

Inquisitor: (blunt) "I don't have feelings for you, I don't want to give you a false impression."

Delilah: "Well. I suppose I should just be grateful you were upfront with me on this."

(regardless of dialog option chosen, when attempting to speak with her after this conversation she will only say "I need some time alone, please" until the Inquisitor leaves Skyhold and comes back, at which point normal dialog options resume.)

If NPC breaks it off(and why):

Delilah will break off a romance if the Inquisitor reaches -50 approval, or reaches 20 points for decisions against elves:

Allows Clan Lavellan to die in the war table mission series (5pts)

Refuses to help the dalish clan in the Exalted Plains (5pts)

Sells the true account of Red Crossing to the Chantry instead of giving to the Dalish (5pts)

In "Wicked Eyes, Wicked Hearts" chooses any ending except for public truce between Celene, Gaspard, and Briala; or for Gaspard and Briala to rule together (5pts)

In "What Pride had Wrought", kills the ancient elven guardians instead of allying with them (10pts)

The next time the Inquisitor initiates conversation with Delilah after meeting one of the previous requirements for ending the relationship, it triggers a cutscene.

Delilah: "I need to talk to you."

Inquisitor: "What is it?"

Delilah: "I've been doing some thinking. I'm not leaving the Inquisition...I think...but I think we need to end this. Us."

Inquisitor: (investigate) "What's brought this on?"

Delilah: "I understand you're the Inquisitor and you're having to make some hard decisions. The problem is they're decisions that I can't condone. I still think the Inquisition as a whole is doing good work, but I can't be with you anymore. I'm sorry."

Inquisitor: (agreeable) "I've seen this coming. You're right, I think it's for the best too."

Delilah: "I didn't want to make this harder than it already was. Thank you for being understanding."

-or-

Inquisitor: (mad) "We're in the middle of a war against a darkspawn magister, and you're putting this on me now!?"

Delilah: "I know the timing could be better, but I'm not going to sit quiet and miserable just for your piece of mind. I'm sorry, but this is where I stand on the matter. There's nothing else really to say."

-or-

Inquisitor: (sad) "I see...I'm really sorry it didn't work out for us. I never wanted it to be this way."

Delilah: "I know. I'm sorry too, but I hope this will be for the best."

Love confession: (after "Ma Vhenan, Ma Vhenas" is completed)

A cutscene shows Delilah crouched in the garden, talking softly to a plant in a pot. The Inquisitor comes up behind her.

Inquisitor: "What are you doing?"

Delilah: "I've been experimenting with magic to see if I can get this plant to grow bigger so we can harvest more of its leaves for medicine. My Keeper can do it no problem, but it's always been outside of my skill set."

Inquisitor: (Investigate) "You can use magic to grow plants bigger?"

Delilah: "Oh yes, and different shapes too. The Keeper and their First - and Second, if they have one - work alongside the clan craftsman, to grow wood in the specific shape we need. It's more efficient than cutting a large piece of wood, and then carving it down to only use a small part and discard the rest."

Inquisitor: (polite) "I can imagine that would be really useful."

Delilah: (slightly approves) "Oh yes. Imagine, an elfroot producing bushels and bushels from one plant. It could revolutionize medicine, and that's just one application."

Inquisitor: (special, if polite option chosen, and if the Inquisitor spoke to Adan in Haven about not having enough supplies for potions) "I'm sure the healers would be grateful. We're well stocked now, but I remember when the Inquisition was scrambling for simple herbs."

Delilah: "I believe it. If I can do this for every civilian and soldier who's been hurt, then I'll have pulled my weight here."

-or-

Inquisitor: (humerous) "Maybe you can make the grass in the courtyard fluffier. I somehow always step in that puddle of water at the foot of the stairway leading to the main hall."

Delilah: "Or maybe I like the idea of you going to the war room with wet socks. Josephine must grow another gray hair everytime you squelch past her desk."

-or-

Inquisitor: (direct) "It doesn't seem you've had much success with this one."

Delilah: "I did say it's been outside of my skillset. But that's what practice is for, I suppose."

Delilah: "But I need a break regardless. Would you like to join me for dinner?"

(The two of them head to the Herald's Rest tavern. They sit at a secluded table and eat and talk for a while.)

Delilah: "You know, evil darkspawn magister aside, this past year has been surprisingly nice. You've made me feel welcome here, which I never thought would be the case. I didn't expect to find that here...or you."

Inquisitor: (elven special choice) "I know what you mean. You've seen the resistance to having an elven Herald of Andraste."

Delilah: (approves) "(In a high pitched, whiny voice) 'The Maker would send no elf in our time of need.' Mythalenaste, I don't know how you've put up with it."

-or-

Inquisitor: (mage special choice) "I'm glad you feel safe here, as a fellow mage in an Andrastian organization."

Delilah: (slightly approves) "Andrastian or no, at least you and I have been able to bond over our magic. So long as I have that, I don't care about the revered mothers giving me dirty looks."

Inquisitor: (diplomatic) "I love you."

Delilah: "(visibly flustered) Oh! I didn't - I mean, wow. You really do?"

Inquisitor: "Ah, I didn't mean to spring that on you all of a sudden. But yes, I really do."

Delilah: "(shy smile) I love you too, vhenas."

-or-

Inquisitor: (humerous) "I mean, at this point I'm the savior of southern Thedas. Nobody's really in a position to dictate to me whom I spend my time with."

Delilah: "(laugh) I can't say I'm not glad for that, at least. Maybe I'm finally understanding what people mean when they say power is attractive."

Inquisitor: "(teasing) I knew you only wanted me for my political prowess."

-or-

Inquisitor: (direct) "I feel the same way. I care for you very deeply, and I can't imagine all of this without you."

Delilah: "I'm glad to hear it. I'm ready to see all of this through to the end with you."

(Regardless of dialogue option chosen, the inquisitor and Delilah lean in for a kiss, and the cutscene ends with them holding hands and smiling at one another.)

Romanced tarot card: Temperance

End game dialog:

Delilah: "Leaving the party already? Most of the Inquisition and half of Orlais must be here to celebrate your victory."

Inquisitor: (polite) "Parties are all well and good, but it's been a long day."

Delilah: "Nobody will deny you've earned a rest, certainly."

-or-

Inquisitor: (humerous) "I'm absolutely stuffed from those frilly little cakes, I'm leaving before I pop."

Delilah: "Not to compliment Orlais or anything, but I will admit those cakes are tastier than they're given credit for."

-or-

Inquisitor: (direct) "I'm tired, so I'm heading up for the night.

Delilah: "That's completely understandable. You've been so busy for so long, I'm surprised you're still standing."

Delilah: "I hope you're not too tired for company, though?"

(They head up to the Inquisitor's quarters and stand out on the balcony. The inquisitor puts their arm around Delilah's waist, and she smiles back at them.)

Delilah: "Corypheus is dead, there will be a new Divine, and peace is finally beginning to settle into south Thedas. You've managed some incredible feats. Where will you go from here?"

Inquisitor: "I'm not sure. There's still a lot to do...but I know I want you there with me."

Delilah: "Me too. You still have great things ahead, and I'm determined to see them with you."

(They kiss and then look off into the sunset as the scene fades.)

[corpo-rat]

tagged by @ciriofcintras to do the mcdonalds alignment chart a while ago!! bonus points if you can recognize my ocs lmao

[fenharel-babe]

A Talk Under the Stars

Been playing DA:O again and I'm falling in love with Alistair SO hard, so I'm gonna write for him!

Enjoy and for background information: My Warden is named Melody and she is a elf mage! She's part of my series, "The Rise of Bloom Lavellan," and I just wanted to write more for her! This takes place after Alistair and Melody had their first kiss, but have not slept together. Basically, before Alistair confesses his complete feelings towards her.

Reblogs and likes are appreciated.

.

Melody sat by the fire, legs crossed and a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She only wore a black top and little black shorts. It was the middle of night, but she couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned in her tent before she decided to start a fire to comfort herself.

However, the fire only pained her that night. The warmth she felt reminded her of her sister, someone who lived with her at the Circle. Only a week earlier, her and the group had gone to the Circle, looking for their help, only to be met with disaster. Abominations roamed the halls that she used to see every day. She remembered how she saw mages speaking in the halls, traveling to their lessons, or heading to bed.

Most importantly, she remembered her family and her life she had there. She had her brothers Landon and Jacob, and her sisters Delilah, Natalie, Bloom, and Sandra. Melody may have been a little older than them, but she still loved them dearly. They grew up together and so did their skills. However, she didn't learn by herself or by simple lessons. She had an intelligent, caring man who taught her and Bloom.

Irving taught them together, always paid attention to their needs and skills. With his guidance and her family, she felt safe and secure with herself. But now her life was in shambles and disarray. A new Blight had started, she got in trouble for helping her friend, got recruited as a Grey Warden to escape punishment, betrayed by one of the leaders, almost died, and when she went back to the Circle, expecting some comfort...she didn't receive it.

Instead of seeing her friends, she saw those abominations, dead bodies, and pain. The worst thing was that she didn't know if her family made it out, or...if they fell to the tragedy. That fact haunted her and she couldn't sleep for many nights, and this one was the same.

At least, it was for a few minutes. She sat in silence, her mind filled with memories, but she tuned back in when she heard someone call out to her.

"Melody?" Alistair said, his voice deep with exhaustion.

She looked over her shoulder to see Alistair outside his tent, and she gasped at what she saw. He stood with no shirt on and only his breeches. She couldn't help but look him up and down before she quickly looked back at the fire.

"W-What are you doing out so late, Alistair?" She stuttered. She heard his footsteps get closer, and she did her best to not look at him. Even if she wanted to.

He yawned. "I heard some noise, and I just want to make sure nothing is coming for us."

She laughed nervously. "W-Well, it's just me, so don't worry."

He stood behind her and tilted his head at her reaction. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"I think you should put some clothes on before we speak," she explained. Her voice was quiet, but she knew he heard her.

He looked down and gasped loudly. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" He rushed back to his tent and quickly changed into clothes. He came out with a white shirt and pants on. "I-I hope this is all right."

She looked over her shoulder and smiled. "Yes, that's better." She looked back at the fire and waited for him to join her.

He sat beside her and gave her a worried look. "I'll ask again. What's wrong?"

She closed her eyes and sighed. How could she explain her pain to him? He never lived within a Circle, surrounded by so many people, and spent years studying something that never had an end. However, he did know his own type of pain. He told her the truth, explained what he lived through, so why wouldn't he understand her?

"I keep thinking about what happened at the Circle," she admitted.

"Oh," he said. His gaze turned toward the fire. "May I ask how you feel?"

She opened her eyes and looked over at him. "Almost for all of my life, I lived in the Circle. I...don't have many memories outside of the Circle's land. I met my family there," she explained quietly, as if it was a secret.

"Did you meet family within the Circle?"

She laughed. "We're not blood related, so no. I didn't meet any secret family there. I just...met new family there."

He looked back over at her. "What are they like?"

"Oh, they're all misfits. Sandra is one of the templars, and she's like a spiky teddy bear. Sweet underneath all her bluntness and awkwardness." She looked out into the distance with a fond smile. "Landon is one of the kindest templars. He cares for us mages and the other templars. He doesn't judge people based on what they're born with. He actually is really interested in magic, so I secretly shown him some when I was there."

"Are the templars not allowed to learn about magic?" He asked with confusion.

"Not exactly. They're taught to counter the magic, not learn how it's beautiful, and not just dangerous," she explained sadly. "But Landon and a few others still studied it and spoke with the other mages. He liked each one, but he trusted Bloom the most."

"Bloom?"

Her smile fell and tears welled up in her eyes. "Bloom is...one of the first friends I made in the Circle. She was eleven and I was fourteen. I had other friends, but I never felt too close to them. She's funny, kind, smart, and beautiful. She brought all of us together."

"How are the others? I bet they're just as amazing."

She nodded. "Yes, they are. Landon is very good when it comes to training, Sandra is good when it comes to remembering the books and the history of the world and templars. Delilah and Natalie are twins, but so different. Delilah is quiet, but if you catch her on a good day, then she'll be loud and playful. Natalie is a little blunt, but once you get to know her, she's kind and she always means well. They're all strong with their power." Her voice wavered as she spoke, but she pushed her tears back. "I don't know who I would be without my family, so...".

"I bet they escaped, Melody."

She looked over at him, and her tears fell. "How do you know?" Her voice was barely audible with fear.

"Your friends are smart and strong. If they're anything like you, then I know they escaped and survived." He gently wiped her tears away. "I know it hurts to be away from them, and I believe they feel the same for you." He leaned in closer and rested their foreheads together. "And I promise that you will see them again."

More tears fell. "But...what if it is I who doesn't make it?"

"No," he said firmly. "You will survive this to see them again." He cupped her cheek and wiped more tears away. "Besides," he smirked, "I want to meet them. They seem like a pretty cool family."

Despite herself, a sad laugh left her. "They are pretty cool." She cupped his cheek and smiled. "And I know they'll like you. If not, then I'll make them like you."

The two stared at each other, both quiet as they thought. Her heart still hurt, but with him by her side, her burdens felt lighter. She quickly glanced at his lips. "Can I?" She asked quietly with embarrassment.

He smiled softly. "Only if I can kiss you back."

She nodded with a big smile and leaned in to meet him. She had kissed someone before, but she never felt anything. However, with Alistair, it was different. His lips were soft each time they kissed, and she wondered how. They fought on and on with darkspawn, yet he was never different. He was soft on the inside and on the outside.

Bloom was right. Melody loved the puppy boys.

They pulled away and she giggled at his face. He had a look of awe on his face, as if he saw the sun for the first time.

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You look so beautiful, you know?"

She ran a hand through his hair. "You're quite handsome," she joked.

He kissed her on the forehead. "Do you...feel like sleeping?" She lifted an eyebrow in response, and his face turned bright red. "No! I-I mean, just actually sleep in the tent. I would never-".

She giggled so hard she had to hold her stomach. "I know, Alistair. But, yes, I'd like to sleep. As long as you're with me."

He stood up and held out a hand. "I'll be with you as long as you want," he said gently.

She hesitated for a moment. She had kissed him, and admitted some of her feelings, but she still felt nervous. He wasn't a templar, but she wondered if he'd still hurt her or later hate her because of her magic. However, she didn't know the future, she only knew the present, and the present was great for her.

She stood up and took his hand. "Thank you, Alistair."

The two walked to her tent and both slept peacefully, for the first time in a long time.

.

ANYWAYS! I love Alistair and my Melody :). They're both precious and I'm just so happy to write for them. But I don't know why, it was difficult to write it! I just!! Couldn't!! But I like to think this is good!

I hope you enjoyed and reblogs and likes are appreciated!

And there is proofreading, but forgive me if something is spelt wrong or is off!

[gayhawkelatehomicide]

Protagonist Masterpost

Here's the list of my playthroughs for reference if anyone's curious who tf I'm talking about in my pieces!

Wardens

Aridhel Mahariel - bow rogue, romanced Zevran, straightforward dalish who neither understands nor cares about shemlen (or durgenlen) politics, blood magic is probably fine as long as you use it responsibly, anxious and blunt, "let's focus on stopping the world-ending plague of darkspawn first, and worry about the rest of this bullshit later, hm?"

Saffron Cousland - sword and shield warrior, romanced Alistair, noble in every sense of the word but cheerful and friendly, Queen of Ferelden, Arlessa of Amaranthine (and Highever), killed Rendon Howe with her father's sword, fixated on duty, "because it's the right thing to do."

Theodore Amell - arcane warrior mage, romanced Morrigan, bastardization arc powered by Morrigan whispering bad ideas in his ear, loves his terrible witch girlfriend, blood magic is fine and the chantry is oppressive, ambitious, "I am no longer baby, now I want power."

Renan Tabris - dagger rogue, romanced Leliana, disaster bi, still grieving for her almost husband but would rather die than admit it, exactly zero patience for anyone's bullshit, raised Andrastian (derogatory), canonically kind of a bitch, loves her stupid new baby brother, harden everyone, distrustful, "like dogs, Shianni"

Valda Aeducan - two handed warrior, romanced Leliana, honorable and serious, trusts no one, girl raised in harsh political nonsense learns to trust her found family and forgive her bio family while unlearning bad lessons simulator, sneaky/quiet sense of humor, intense loyalty to her people, values tradition but values compassion more, genuinely regrets what happened with Trian, "For the honor of my house, though I have none myself any longer."

Hawkes

Iris Hawke - knife rogue, romanced Anders, diplomatic as a means to an end, loves mages so much, circle mage Bethany, will do anything to protect what's left of her family, noble impulses but awful sense of humor, fanatic, "why don't we try asking the Arishok nicely?"

Ian Hawke - elemental mage, romanced Fenris, sarcastic, sided with the templars because magic is an essential part of him but it's brought nothing but grief to him and his family, templar Carver, quip for every situation, never loses his positive outlook for long, self-loathing, "dad did WHAT for the Wardens? Why am I not surprised."

Kiera Hawke - two-handed warrior, romanced Isabella, sarcastic/aggressive, sad bastard warrior Hawke, everyone who gets close to her dies, Bethany dies, good attitude broken by the wear and tear of life, loves her buddies who are also terrible, angry and broken, "you tell me where Bartrand is, I'll help you wring his fucking neck"

Alice Hawke - knife rogue, romanced Merrill, circle mage Bethany, p much pure diplomatic bc she's genuinely that nice, mom friend central, no one is irredeemable, far too trusting, kind of a busybody, "clean your blades, watch your purse strings, don't be a dick."

Delilah Hawke - big damage mage, in love with Varric so no romance because Bioware are cowards, pure sarcasm, sends Carver to the wardens, adores her stupid chaotic bisexual family, beat down by this world but stubbornly clinging to joy, flat refuses to talk about her problems, uses her staff as a polearm, "Where would I be without my trusty dwarf?"

Inquisitors

Miriani Lavellan - assassin bow rogue, romanced Solas, confused hardass Dalish doing her very best to navigate suddenly being in charge of all of this stuff, cares so much about everyone all the time, terrified but resigned to her responsibilities, self-sacrificing, sense of humor buried under all that sincerity. "I am the Inquisitor, through no virtue of my own. Vir suledin nadas."

Asher Adaar - two-handed warrior, romanced nobody, blunt and direct Tal-Vashoth mercenary who gets persuaded that maybe she actually is the herald of andraste, but honestly just wants to handle the things with as little religious and/or political nonsense as possible, blunt and violent, "We save Thedas TWICE, my hand wants to kill me, we save the exalted council specifically, and this is what we get??"

Stephan Trevelyan - rift mage, romanced Cassandra, a good sweet Andrastian boy, true prophet who has a meltdown when he finds out about Solas, best friends with Dorian, keeps the inquisition and wants to really save the world, stubborn AF, "Faith is a choice. The Maker set these events in motion so long ago we can no longer see His hand in them."

Samahl Lavellan - tempest knife rogue, romanced Dorian, cheerful, sarcastic, and overwhelmed, insanely competent but good at hiding it, terrible little bastard, hates responsibilities, laughs in the face of danger (and Cassandra), keeps insisting he's not the Herald, kinda lazy, "I guess I'm learning now, aren't I, Mother?"

Riska Cadash - artificer knife rogue, romanced Sera, direct and sometimes brutal but ultimately caring, the WORST sense of humor, criminal upbringing noble fashion sense, besties with Dagna, vaguely andrastian and very confused, "What's the worst that could happen?"

Continuities

Aridhel, Ian, Miriani - Protector, Victim, Survivor

Saffron, Iris, Asher - Shield, Dagger, Sword

Theodore, Kiera, Stephan - Ambition, Sorrow, Faith

Renan, Alice, Samahl - Vengeance, Kindness, Laughter

Valda, Delilah, Riska - Exile, Prodigal, Pauper

Miscellaneous Inquisitors

Isene Lavellan - fire mage, romances Iron Bull, primarily jokes and asks questions, basically a horrible mix of Miriani and Samahl. Sweet and a bit of a brat but ultimately up to the challenge. A disaster at the winter palace. Her general response to her workload getting heavier is to adjust the straps that hold the world on her back and carry on with a smile. "Oh I would've made a shit Keeper, I like starting fights, lighting fires, and knowing stuff I'm not supposed to know way to much."

Harea Lavellan - knight enchanter and ice mage, romances Cullen, open minded and sweet, a bit naive but genuinely wants to make the world better, distressed by the mark and the everything but willing to bear it to keep others from suffering. Self sacrifice is a big theme here.

Rogelan Lavellan - sword and shield warrior, romances Josephine, kind of a hard-ass but willing to be romantic, would rather talk than fight but won't give up his ideals, careful and deliberate in everything he does but bold when he's made a decision. Understands shem bullshit better than most.

Helga Cadash - big hammer warrior, romances Blackwall, personality tbd

[dismalzelenka]

From the current chapter in progress of The Place Where I Belong.

There had been several moments training in Delilah’s dining room when Hawke wondered if Velanna was someone who even knew how to pull her punches.

Now, in the relative security of a training floor encased in lyrium-fiber ballistic glass, she was quickly realizing Velanna had been very deliberately holding back in every single session.

The blast came out of nowhere, the air itself to her right warping into an outward explosion of force that sent her leaping for cover. She dove behind a giant concrete block and landed roughly on her elbows, the cushioned padding of her borrowed armor catching the brunt of the shock as she skidded unceremoniously across the floor.

She'd barely scrambled to her feet when another blast echoed off of the wall behind her.

“You're on the defensive, Hawke,” Velanna called. “Pull yourself together! You're not winning a fight on the run!”

“No shit I'm on the defensive!” Hawke yelled back as she struggled to catch her breath. She threw a delayed release ball of energy across the room and waited for it to expand into a shimmering crackle of light and color before sprinting in the opposite direction. Velanna's back was turned, and Hawke was so close to tagging her in a designated kill spot—

Gravity shifted beneath her, and she felt herself lose all momentum as her feet lifted from the floor.

“Oh fucking Void,” she hissed. Dispelling was risky when she didn't know what spell it was, but she decided she'd rather find out down there than up in the air where she was quickly becoming a very easy target.

She gathered the threads of magic tangled in the air beneath her and gently tugged them apart. Instead of reversing the spell like she'd intended, it winked out all at once, and she plummeted to the floor from six feet in the air and landed in a crumpled heap with a loud string of swears.

“Come on, Hawke!” Velanna's voice echoed off of the walls and took on an eerie quality amid the steady crackle of magic filling the room. “I'm wide open; all it takes is one good hit in the right place!”

Velanna was goading her and she knew it, but she hissed in frustration and slung two bolts of energy across the floor anyway. They spun twice around the ends of Velanna's staff before flying back in her direction, and she barely dodged them before they crashed into the floor beneath where she'd been standing.

“Okay, first of all, fuck you,” Hawke gritted out. She reached out with both hands, twined her fingers around imaginary ropes, and cast them forward in desperation.

Much to her surprise, the energy collected and kept its shape as it wound around Velanna's ankle in a subtle shimmer, and Hawke gripped with both hands and pulled as hard as she could before Velanna could notice what was happening.

She leapt to her feet with a shout of triumph and sprinted forward as Velanna hit the ground with a grunt of surprise, and she snatched up the staff with one hand and tapped it at Velanna’s chest with a grin. “Do I win?” she panted breathlessly.

Velanna extended a hand and nodded. “Yes, I suppose you do,” she conceded.

Hawke grabbed her hand to help her up and found the floor rushing to meet her as Velanna kicked her feet out from under her with a grin. “But only if you stop letting your guard down.”

“You're a real bitch sometimes,” Hawke grumbled as she staggered to her feet.

Velanna snorted. “Better a bitch and alive than kind and dead.”

(Long post today, but I've been fighting with this action sequence for a while and I'm glad it finally shook out. ☺️ Tagging people on the usual list, people who have tagged me, and people who might just plain be interested. Feel free to holler if you want to be added or taken off the list!)

Tagging: @laraslandlockedblues @ladymdc @sasshole-for-rent @kunstpause @dalish-rogue @hollyand-writes @charlatron @midnightprelude @noire-pandora @cartadwarfwithaheartofgold @queen-kass-the-writer @a-shakespearean-in-paris @blarfkey @wardenari @jentrevellan @decimdraws @zuendwinkel @becauseanders @ashalle-art @hobo-apostate @simper-fi @kagetsukai @schoute @catherea @jarakrisafis @musetta3 @sharkapologists @ellie-effie @morganlefaye79 @kittynomsdeplume @inquisitoracorn @kita-lavellan @silvanils @barbex @ocean-in-my-rebel-soul @lunar-shards @corylion @nivenor-krosis @corsair-caruso @thecookiealchemist @highwayphantoms @ser-thirst-a-lot

[dianapocalypse]

guess who’s having a PRODUCTIVE ARTFIGHT

credits in the image descs

come fight me