#dragon age companion styles

[anneapocalypse]

DAI Companion Styles: Sera

Dragon Age Companion Styles series

The fashion in the Dragon Age universe (in keeping with the overall aesthetics of the games) has undergone an interesting kind of evolution over the course of the three games, various side media, and fourteen real-world years this franchise has been around. And disjointed as some of it may be, it’s something that interests me, both in terms of its real-world influences and in terms of the in-universe implications for worldbuilding and characters. It’s an element for which I would love to see even more discussion and analysis, I thought it would be fun to dive into it by taking a look at the different base outfits companions wear in Inquisition, and talking about how they fit with the characters and the world they inhabit. I don't know how many of these I will end up doing, but I'd like to do some and I think it will be fun.

Disclaimer: I am not a fashion expert, dress historian, or professional designer! I'm just a gamer who likes to sew and has a casual interest in historical fashion, and a great interest in fantasy worldbuilding and the implications thereof, and that's where I'm coming from on these posts. I'd also love to hear thoughts from fans who have a more in-depth background in historical dress, textiles, etc. Also I'm going to be talking about clothing and not armor because I know a lot less about armor.

I’m going to start with Sera, of course, because it's me. ;)

So I've mentioned before that I really like the concept of Sera's outfit. The upper silhouette in particular seems directly drawn from the Fereldan commoner fashions of Dragon Age: Origins, the styles of Sera's youth in Denerim. For example, here's Kaitlyn in Origins, wearing some typical commoner clothing:

Note the plaid, the bare shoulders, the underarm straps (which have always looked incredibly uncomfortable to me)! We see several variations on this style in Origins, including leather vests and even some floral fabrics, but the off-the-shoulder look is nearly ubiquitous on commoner women:

Noble-born women in Origins seem to forego the cold shoulders, but we still see similar shapes in the upper silhouette, including those dang shoulder straps that go under the arms:

The commoner styles of Ferelden in 9:30 Dragon even reappear a decade later in Inquisition! Which doesn’t surprise me much, as trends move a lot more slowly for rural commoners than for wealthy aristocrats.

We even have the weird leather neckerchief thing, a staple of the early 9:30s in Ferelden (and convenient way to hide the neck seams on those character models)! Like the collars in Origins, Sera's does not tie at the back, and a close-up view of hers reveals side seams and presumably a closure of some sort.

So let’s talk about the breeches!

I'm going to call these "breeches" both because it's a word Sera uses and it's what I think they most closely resemble, especially given that they end below the knee but do not extend to the ankle. (Trousers or pants would be full-length.) First of all, it's notable that Sera is wearing breeches because it's a break with the Fereldan silhouettes we saw above, which are pretty universally long straight skirts hitting about mid-calf.

The waist of Sera's breeches is covered by her tunic, but I would guess that they might close with lacing (which can be seen on some of the Inquisitor’s Skyhold outfits) or a buttoned fall (a front panel with buttons on each side, which I think I've seen in some Orlesian noble concept art).

My guess is that Sera's breeches are newer than her tunic, because of the slim cut; they more closely resemble the Orlesian men's fashions of the present in Inquisition than the sort of looser trousers we see in Ferelden circa 9:31 Dragon. Going by the plaid alone I would have called them Fereldan, but based on the cut I have to call these breeches Orlesian, and possibly a more recent acquisition for Sera. While plaideweave does not appear to be currently on trend in Inquisition, Val Royeaux is a center of high fashion and constantly-changing trends among the upper classes and I don't have trouble believing that plaideweave might have been fashionable sometime in the years Sera has lived there.

A detail I love about these breeches is that they are cut on the bias! Synthetic elastic fabrics and machine-knits don't exist in the non-industrialized south of Thedas so far as we know, but woven fabrics have a bit of stretch and give when cut diagonally across the weave, and this would be appropriate for a pair of snug-fitting woven breeches, for someone of means. (They would have been expensive, because diagonally into a bolt of cloth means you need more fabric to start with.) We also see plenty of wrinkles and bunches in Sera's breeches, especially where her knees bend, demonstrating that this isn't a perfectly smooth, skintight fabric like a pair of synthetic leggings.

Notably, Sera's breeches have been patched—and patched skillfully, using the same fabric and with perfect pattern-matching. I think the patching had to have been done by a previous owner; Sera might have the skill (she does mention sewing in her journal), but she likely wouldn't have had access to a matching fabric or the patience or desire to pattern-match. This suggests to me that these breeches were owned by someone of lesser means; a noble would not wear visibly-patched clothing however skillfully done, but based on the bright colors I think this garment could have belonged to a noble at one point, before being cast aside. The servants we see in the Winter Palace wear neutral, muted colors in order to draw little attention, so I don't think this is part of a servant's uniform, but it could have been worn by a servant on their off time or by a member of their family. My guess is that these breeches were a once-fashionable garment, discarded by their high-class owner and taken by someone in their employ (maybe even their own tailor, who might still have access to scraps of the original fabric) to be repaired and reused by themselves or a friend or family member. I judge the large, visible stitching on both the patches and the side seams to have been added later, likely by Sera herself when the original stitching began to give out, further extending the life of this garment.

So, the breeches are great. We love the breeches.

I do have some issues with the tunic, but let's start with what's good about it.

I've already mentioned how it's consistent with Fereldan fashions a decade out of date. Based on the style and the fabric, I would say this garment was originally owned by someone in Ferelden of decent but not extravagant means, and Sera either stole it outright or swiped it from a rubbish heap. The wear on the tunic is consistent with its age: it's much more visibly tattered and falling apart than the breeches. However its construction also appears high-quality to me. If we look at the large tatters, we aren't seeing Sera's skin through them, and at the cuff where Sera has rolled up one sleeve we see the same contrasting fabric as the shoulder straps and trim. This tunic has a lining, and this also explains how it's still holding together on Sera's body with so much damage to its outer layer. The asymmetry at the bottom is jagged in a way that suggests part of it was torn off, rather than the garment being intentionally constructed that way.

My big problem with the tunic is its tightness and drape. This is a woven fabric (Highever Weave), and we can see the directionality of the weave very clearly because of the tatters; this garment was not cut on the bias. Even with the spiral-laced closure (love that they used spiral lacing instead of cross-lacing, by the way, just because it's a form of historical lacing that's often overlooked in media), this garment simply would not hang on Sera's figure the way it does in the game. (To be fair, neither would some of the Origins tunics. I have no idea what those are doing.) The form-fitting cut overall just doesn't make sense for a woven fabric, and it doesn't drape like one either—something that I'm sure has frustrated many a cosplayer trying to make this tunic with a comparable material. Without some stretch in the fabric, it's not happening. Even a moderately looser cut would make a lot more sense—compare with how Varric's tunic of the same weave hangs on him. Bottom line, Sera's tunic fits and drapes like a modern machine-knit, and if I wanted to make a cosplay that actually creates the same silhouette, that's what I'd use. Though personally I'd probably discard the silhouette and try to make something with a woven fabric that simply fits more realistically, and if I were to redesign Sera's base look, this is the one change I'd make.

The shape of the tunic is what really gives away the contemporary influence on Sera's outfit design. Leggings and skinny jeans came into fashion in a big way in the mid-2000s, often paired with a longer drapey top, and they hung on through the mid-2010s when Dragon Age: Inquisition was released, and were an obvious influence on the design of all the female companions as well as the female Inquisitor armor styles. Cold-shoulder tops were also a popular trend in the early 2010s. (I guess Dragon Age: Origins was on the cutting edge there.) Asymmetry and shredded clothing were also 2010s trends.

I also want to take a moment to look at Sera's shoes! Her base outfit includes what appears to be some kind of black slip-on shoe. These shoes are interesting to me because I think that like the breeches, they might be men's shoes. There's a similarity to the shoes in this concept art:

I think this is pretty neat because while the real-world influences on Sera's look can be clearly tied to trends in women's fashion, in-universe her clothing is probably two-thirds menswear. I think that's pretty cool and maybe something to consider with regard to Sera's personal gender presentation as a lesbian in the context of the society she lives in.

I suspect Sera's shoes to be a bit older and out of fashion, since they bear a distinctly rounded toe and the Orlesian high fashion of the moment favors a pointed toe. Like the rest of her clothing, I would guess the shoes to be salvaged or stolen.

So overall, despite a few quibbles, I think Sera's base style is pretty great and very appropriate to her character. Her look is proudly lower-class in a highly-stratified society, visibly Fereldan while living in the Orlesian capital, and gender-non-conforming amidst a highly-gendered aristocratic culture.

It's pretty cool! I like it a lot.

[tatert07s]

Done a bit of flat coloring, seems like I’m over complicating this very simple piece because I have to finish lining and coloring the bk ☹️

[ziracona]

Tryggr trying to make any decision in DAI

[barrenclan]

do you have any webcomic suggestions?

Oh, do I! :D I'll keep the descriptions short, otherwise I'll talk about each of these for a million years.

Warrior Cats:

The Average Adventures of Genericpaw - parody comic. But watch out.

The Exiled - Fishpaw. Murder mystery.

Follow Your Heart - Sootpaw. Personal drama.

Meandering - River. Slowburn romance.

Saltburn's Clan - Saltburn. Pinepaw's cool butch lesbian aunt.

Convocations - Elkmask. Political drama. Biggest inspiration to The Dog Star.

Other:

Wilde Life - supernatural dramedy.

Wychwood - magical post-apocalypse.

The Glass Scientists - Jekyll & Hyde retelling.

Tiger, Tiger - swashbuckling magic adventure.

Little Tiny Things - French slice of life.

Paranatural - ghost fighting teens. Also, the inspiration for PATFW's "journal style". Also, Hijack.

Phantomarine - magical ghost adventures.

Awkward Zombie - gamer comic strips.

Sakana - fish market dramedy. Yuudai.

Skin Deep - cryptids comedy.

Dumbing of Age - daily college dramedy. Gave me the worst hyperfixation of my life.

The Order of the Stick - D&D adventure. My favorite comic ever created.

How To Be a Werewolf - werewolf drama.

Fairmeadow - fantasy hippie drama.

Lackadaisy - bootlegger cats. You've seen the animated pilot.

The Property of Hate - TV head guy.

Too Familiar - magical animal companions.

I'm With You - goat people romance.

The Carpet Merchant of Konstantiniyya - sweet vampire romance.

XKCD - it's XKCD.

Vainglorious - dragon adventures.

Bybloemen - demons committing financial fraud. Gorgeous artwork.

Bicycle Boy - amnesiac in a post-apocalypse.

Novae - supernatural historical romance.

Never Satisfied - magical teen drama. It's on hiatus right now.

Monster Pulse - teens with magic organs.

Children of the Light - magic squirrel drama.

To Catch A Star - sparklewolves.

Cursed Lights - magical animal people drama.

What Lurks Beneath - cat cult.

Rabbit Hole - bunny cult.

Villtur & Sarx - sci fi manga.

Best of Bad Decisions, The Doe of Deadwood, Repeat, I Didn't Know - Songdog comics. Probably the most influential creator on my comics.

Crushed Olive Branch - Shadowhunters gayboys.

Broken Crown - magic kingdom adventure.

Sleight of Hand - Fallout gayboys.

What Happens Next - internet teen thriller.

Golden Shrike - deer adventure.

The Pale - Twin Peaks adjacent.

Un/Bound - magical road trip.

Apocalyptic Horseplay - modern horseman of the apocalypse.

There are many more, of course, but these are some of my favorites, and the ones I could remember at the moment.

[most-datable-datable-bracket]

ROUND 5 MATCH 6

Claude propaganda:

"To say Claude has trust issues is an understatement—you have to spend half the game earning his. (Claude isn't even his real name!) Once you have it, though, he's absolutely ride or die for you until the stars go out. He is so full of heart and ambition: He wants both sides of his heritage to get along, he wants to open borders and eliminate xenophobia and promote equality between commonfolk, and deep down, I think he craves a partner to stand with him at that new dawn, or an equal who sees his vision for the future and will fight for it just as hard. Nobody believed in him when he was a kid, but if you put your faith in him, he'll return it tenfold. Some people don't like that he's calculating, or has to leave the player character at the end of the game to go back to his homeland, but both are necessary elements for his goals to change things. He will always come back, and everyone who bets against him and his love for his companions is wrong with a big fat W. #KhalidForMostDatablePrez"

"Claude is a fun little onion of facades. He calls himself the embodiment of distrust, he acts like he's carefree and without worries, an unscrupulous schemer--and so many in universe buy into that hook line and sinker. He's used to others viewing him with suspicion and uses it as armor to obscure his not-so-dark truth: that he cares immensely, that he values minimizing the loss of life, and that above all he has so much hope that people will fundamentally choose to do better given the choice.

His front guards a center that his conflict filled world would be happy to tear apart. As the child of people from two nations in constant conflict--one of which is explicitly isolationist and dehumanizes those outside its church's reach--he hasn't really had a place where he can be without his facade. As a child he thought he could run, but when confronted with the fact that this hatred existed no matter where he ran, he chose to instead try to create a more just and kind world.

His inability to let others in beyond his facade at first may lead to a sense of distance, but isn't it then all the more satisfying when you're allowed in? All he wants is a little trust, a little faith, and--like what he wants to give everyone--a chance to be better.

And like that you got a charming young lad with a fun personality that your grandma would be thrilled to have stay forever."

Josephine propaganda:

“you get to have a full Disney princess style romance with her, she is the most precious, the most sweet, I love her so much 🥺”

“Josephine's one of the "behind the scenes" companion for the protagonist and she advises them on diplomacy-related matters.

Her personal quest and romance is fairy-tale worthy: she gets threatened with assassination, you help her restore her family's fortune, you get threatened by her best friend to not break her heart, she doesn't dare to hope you mean anything serious when flirting until you spell it out for her, after which Josie agrees to a deeper relationship... And immediately after that she finds out her family has engaged her to a random noble without her knowledge!! You publicly challenge the suitor to a one-on-one duel to win her hand, she finds out and interrupts the duel because she's worried of the Inquisitor throwing literally the entire plot away and risk life in combat for her... To which of course you can confess that they're doing it because they love Josephine, and they get the cutest cutscene with Josie jumping in the Inquisitor's arms and them spinning her around before kissing each other <3 The betrothed steps away because he sees true love between the two. She and the Inquisitor stay together through the end game and after it, gaining a "second home" with her and her family.

She really believes in the Inquisitor's cause and from the very first conversations with her, she asks questions about your background and tries to make you feel welcomed (especially appreciated if the Inquisitor isn't human since people are less trusting of them). She's politically smart but dislikes violence, overall very sweet but still strong... Josie tends to overwork herself (she's a perfectionist) and at first she tries to keep a professional air at all times but if you encourage her, she will rant to you and spill all the tea about nobles lol.”

[zundely]

Having more dragon age thoughts- this time about my dwarves, and partially about Varric.

So, hot take to lead with- Oghren is actually a much better and more insightful character to criticse dwarven cast system and culture then Varric. The best dwarven companion we ever got is obviously Sigrun but I feel like this one is pretty much self-explanatory, so I feel much more compelled to talk through our two lovely dwarven gentleman.

First thing I want to say is that, while I usually feel need to say that I do not hold anything against Varric as a character, his disdain for dwarven culture is something that bothers me a little. Especially since he is one of 3 dwarven companions we get across whole 3 games, and by far the most popular one. He is actually pretty similar to Sera at times in a way he views his own heretige but the games refuse to address it. Which is a shame because I think his view on the culture he was basically excommunicated from before he was even born should be a bigger deal then some quips about beards and getting antsy any time he steps near a thaig. Like Varric clearly has some very very complicated feelings about all things dwarven- something that no so subtly is a mirror of his very very complicated feelings on his brother who was much more of a 'real dwarf'. It feels like in an attempt to distance himself from what his brother represented Varric also felt a need to distance himself from anything too dwarven. But at the same time we see that it's something he never really let's go off- he is moved by his ancestor's fate in Legacy dlc questline, he keeps up with dwarven politics, he will get a bit miffed at mere mention of him not looking your standard dwarf.

However since dwarven culture doesn't come up half as much as elven one in later games we never really get to do anything with Varric's internalized issues. It's just sort of becomes a running joke that he is "not like other dwarves, that guy he HATES deep roads and he doesn't have a beard". And while that in itself is fine, not all characters have to focus on their relationship with their culture it becomes an issue when Varric is the only companion representative of said culture through 2 out of 3 games. It means the game has much less opportunities to present us with fun lore in an organic fashion because Varric is too busy making sure we know he hates it here. Like why I am more tempted to take Iron Bull to a dwarven ruins the Varric.

Oghren was ultimately a much better point of reference for dwarves because he is a product of this environment and he is surprisingly insightful and self-aware about it. And despite the multitude of ways in which Orzammar failed him he still cares about it. He still takes a lot of pride in his heretige even if all it really brought him is being rejected for becoming the thing it wanted him to be- a killing machine.

And now I am stuck on one hand wishing that there will be SOMETHING done with Varric's not feeling dwarfy enough- on the other however if Varric will be the only dwarven companion in DA:D I am going to scream. I am sorry all the Varric fans, he is either coming back in an advisor style role or I do not want to see him . It sometimes feels like the writers are not comfortable with writing dwarves and they use the 'least dwarfy dwarf' Varric as a get out of jail card and I just want something new.

[hollowwrites]

✨Drabble Masterlist✨

✨ Link to Regular Masterlist ✨

My masterlist got too big so here’s where all the waffley, cutesy stuff goes.

~

🤍 The Bois 🤍

Oh… and keep an eye on the staircases, they like to change. - How the bois would tackle the girl dorms being inaccessible

I’m Bothered by these Boggarts - Headcanon of what our bois Boggarts would be

All aboard the Hug-Warts Express - How our lads comfort MC

Where has my Cardi-gone - How our bois react to pilfered clothing

Proper Proposals - The lads discussing how they proposed to their significant others

And a Happy New Year - The bois celebrating at a New Year’s party

The Serpent Sisters - Anne, Imelda and Evelyn defending the bois

Medusa’s Vipers - Ominis and Sebastian being protective of Evelyn

🔞 Character AI Screenshots 🔞

Ominis, Garreth and Sebastian, Sebastian again

~

🎁 Gift Giving 🎁

In game ideas for a relationship system. Like Dragon Age!! Plus I want give my favs gifts Okay?!

Sebastian, Garreth and Ominis

~

🕯️ Trio Chatter 🕯️

- Based on game files showing we could have had TWO companions. Little conversations between possible combos

Sebastian and Ominis

Ominis and Misc

Garreth and Sebastian

Garreth and Sebastian…again

Sebastian and Imelda

Garreth and Ominis

Poppy and Amit

Trio Chatter for when MC is in a relationship, how each person would behave:

Sebastian and Garreth | Sebastian and Ominis | Garreth and Ominis

Three’s a Crowd - Trio Chatter for a party with all the same house

Trio Chatter for my Ships: Part 1, Part 2

~

🔮 Random Headcanons 🔮

Garreths’ Nicknames for people

Spell Practise - Ominis and Garreth dialogue for in-game

Class of ‘91 - Ideas for classes for all our favs

Leaving Hogwarts Grounds - Dialogue for dragging our babes out of hogwarts. and some more!!

Hallway Antics - Leander trying to bully Ominis and failing feat. Garreth

Hallway Antics - Garreth and Ominis discuss the origins of Hobhouse hatred

Hallway Antics - Sebastian and Ominis contemplate Garreths’ house

House Pride (and Shame) - MC talking about their different Houses

Parseltongue-tied - Ominis teaching MC Parseltongue (suggestive 🔞)

Mother in Laws Tongue - Ominis can talk to plants too apparently…

A Very Ominous Christmas - 🎄Garreth has a surprise for Ominis

A Magical Christmas - 🎄 Gift Giving amongst the gang

A Weasley Good Christmas - 🎄Garreth giving gifts cause he’s baby boi

Crossed Wands Headcanon - Different duelling styles for our favs

A Summary of The Houses - The difference between my MCs

The Adventures of the Sallow Twins - Garreth and Sebastian discovering they look VAGUELY similar

Tis the Season - 🎃 Pumpkin spice Drabble for Ominis, Sebastian and Eve

[sweetmage]

Click for full res! 🌙

It became apparent to me rather quickly that I wouldn't be able to replicate the Dragon Age tarot style so I decided to blend it with my own :)

This is my Dalish/Circle blood mage El'la (it/she/they/he). Based on The Hermit. I'll put a lot more context and a symbolism breakdown below the cut ✨️

El'la believes heavily in researching and respecting forbidden topics (blood magic, demons, spirits, etc.) as it will aid in harm reduction and less fear.

Due to some personal connections (a mentor/friend who was made tranquil + Owain from the circle who had a big impact on El'la), it also tends to and aids the tranquil post-canon.

She believes that magic in all forms is a gift and that mages should be free and unrestricted by any means neccessary. She aligns herself with branch off sects of the Resolustionists (though she only voices her support and provides information) and works heavily Ferelden's Mage Collective.

El'la is a wanderer with a calm and friendly demeanor, fearing little in this world because it knows all things can one day be approached and understood if only one will look and open their mind.

It shares a very close bond with Shale who had quite the impact on its choice of pronouns and became a favored companion immediately.

Sooooo as for the symbolism....

The red vines symbolize the beauty and natural nature of blood magic that is the catalyst for all El'la believes in and does.

The rising sunburst represents a few things. If read as a rising sun then: The enlightenment she has received from her engagements with rhe tranquil (who bear the sunburst brand). If read as a setting sun: Combined with the moonlight staff she carries, it symbolizes her ushering in a new era of understanding and knowledge that undermines that which the Chantry has used to oppress. Setting the sun on chantry rule, basically.

The scarves turning to scrolls and heading out into the sun, of course symbolize the knowledge it gathers and spreads. It rolls out over hills—one of which symbolizes their former home in the Brecilian forest where their people were ravaged by the werewolf curse, something else they see fit understand for other communities affected by lycanthropy of different types—and out into those directly beneath the Chantry's looming presence.

The mountainous area set apart from the sun represents Shale, an untouched and immovable presence in their life (to Shale's partial disdain😅).

And lastly, El'la itself, slightly hunched from weariness but peaceful and smiling, content to be on the path its own (which it crosses perpendicular, subverting the guidelines put in place for mages).

[felassan]

You probably answered this question at some point before but

Who do you think will be the one companion to carry over to da:d from the da:i roster? (like Oghren, Anders and Varric)

Perhaps Solas becomes the ~secret companion~ à la Loghain🤭🤨

hello! no complaints here, I love any excuse to dragon some ages ◕‿◕ for this, my speculation is that (a possible Loghain-style scenario for Solas notwithstanding) despite the tradition, there won't be a strictly-carryover companion. not in the companion-to-companion way anyways. and that instead, we'll have someone like Harding as a companion (metaphorically carrying the torch from DA:I and acting as the 'Inquisition perspective' in the party, ascending a fan and dev fav from extra to main, including a lady dwarf, including a familiar and friendly face, including someone who was in the Trespasser final table 'we gotta do something' scene and who was in the recent The Missing comic but who hasn't had lots of screentime yet unlike Varric. also she can't die or leave in DA:I etc) and meet a few other DA:I companions in the game as NPCs of note (faction leaders? advisors? quest givers?), like Varric and Dorian. not sure what the basis for that speculation is though beyond the 'We need to find people he doesn't know' thing, especially since as with Charter, Solas does know who she is. but she isn't from DA:I's Inner Circle at least.

[just-some-sad-bitch]

I dont care if bagginshield is a ship of the past, if no one reads this or finds it I DONT CARE I NEED TO WRITE THIS DOWN BULLET POINT STYLE.

Ok so this is an AU where Erebor was never attacked by Smaug, the ring doesn’t exist and dragon sickness is related to like old age and long exposure to gold rather than a curse that haunts the line of Durin.

In this AU, as I said, Smaug didn’t get to Erebor but was taken down in Dale. This results on a disaster to both kingdoms because while dale was dependent of Erebor for trade, gold, etc. Erebor heavily depended on Dale for its food, sure the kingdom had cattle and what not but in the midst of the disaster Erebor begins to suffer.

Thranduil is still an asshole and states that he owes nothing to either men o Dwarf.

So, regent king Thrain strikes a deal with the only kingdom that responds to their call: The Shire

Of corse the shire doesn’t respond out of the goodness of their heart, they are in dire need of protection. It is well known that hobbits are a peaceful race, rarely conflictive and with no actual army, they see no need for it for they have no enemies, however, in the last few years goblins have stationed themselves on the blue mountains and when they see fit, they attack the shire and everyone in it.

So the Thain and King Thrain strike a deal

Erebor will send an army to provide protection against the goblins, possibly chasing them out of the Blue Mountains and getting to keep the new mountain

In return, the shire will build a road that leads directly to Erebor making sure to have a direct way of sending food and supplieas all year round

Both kingdoms sharing their surplus, strong armies and nurturing food

However the deal must be strengthened by more than paper and ink, and so a marriage is in order.

The shire will send the Thains grandson to become the master of agriculture of Erebor and marry the second son of the house of Durin, Frerin the golden

FINALLY with all this convoluted background I present you:

Bilbo arrives after years of building the great road that unites the two kingdoms, he is obvs accompanied by Gandalf the grey and dozens of caravans filled with grain, cattle and rich soil

Waiting for their arrival is the regent king Thrain who took the role from his father Thror after he fell ill to gold sickness. With him were his family

Lady Dis, known for her character, forwardness and cunningness as well as beauty and strength. and her two sons; Fili, heir to the crown eventually and Kili, his younger brother, the pride and joy of the kingdom

Thorin, crown prince of Erebor, strong warrior that fought valiantly against the white orc and in his victory earning the title of Thorin Oakenshield. Loyal to his people above anything else and commited to becoming a great king one day.

And of corse the groom, Frerin who had little to say in the matter of his marriage but couldn’t refuse. You see, his older brother will inherit the great kingdom, such promise cannot be waisted on diplomatic endeavors, and his sister, one of the smartest dwarves to ever walk middle earth had already gifted the line of Durin with two strong heirs. So what was he to do? Refuse the only thing that would allow him to show his valor? Of corse not, he was as much prince as his brother and sister, and if his father commanded he be married to an outsider in order to save the kingdom, he would a thousand times.

What he did not expect however, was having his brother fall head over hills for his betrothal upon first meeting. Of corse no one noticed, everyone was too focused of the arrival of the hobbit, but himself and his sister notice right away how Thorin could not stop looking at that creature as if he was the most beautiful being in all of middle earth

The hobbit, however was fat too focused on the king’s speech, the strange surroundings and his wizard companion to notice

He was mad, but similarly to Frerin, he found himself in a situation that he could not escape, his parents were taken by the awful goblins and if being married off is what he had to do in order to save the shire then he will marry whoever and whatever the Thain asked him to

And that’s it, that’s all I got, sorry if grammas is wonky it’s almost 2:00 am and English is my second language, also I was too lazy to review it over. I would love for this story to develop in a way in which Thorin is trying to woo Bilbo while also trying to not Interfere in the deal. Also Bilbo falling in love with thorin but also feeling guilty because were dwarfs marrying for diplomacy is super common, hobbits usually marry for love and I imagine him feeling guilty for loving Thorin while he is supposed fo be marrying Frerin. Also Frerin and Dis egging them on even though they KNOW they shouldn’t. I just imagine this ending with Thorin proclaiming his undying love for Bilbo and both of them being torn between running away and living together but also knowing they have a duty to their respective kingdoms. Of cors everything would work out in the end but Idk

If someone has a similar fic to this please please please share it with me I AM STARVING. Anyway thanks for reading bye!!!

[southaway]

This one is kind of not a request. One of my roommates bought me lunch last month when I was super broke and they really like Shadowheart. So, Shadowheart.

I'm counting it as a request since I'm using this new round of requests to either draw characters I haven't explored or try art things I haven't done very much or attempted at all yet. And I kind of did both here. I like Shadowheart from what I've seen of her so far (though I don't think I really dislike any of the BG3 companions) and I wanted to explore drawing her in a very different style than I usually do. I wanted to play with the idea of her rising up out of the darkness as she finds out who she really is and starts to really begin making her own choices. So here we are.

Next up is Fenris from Dragon Age II and then back to Tolkien with the Blue Wizards. Requests are still open if anyone has anymore ideas after that.

[anneapocalypse]

DAI Companion Styles: Josephine

Dragon Age Companion Styles Series

Next up by special request from @magneticmage is the lovely, the gracious, the refined, the stunning Josephine Montilyet, Ambassador to the Inquisition. (And yes, Josephine is an advisor, not a companion; yes this series is called “Companion Styles”; yes I’ve decided to just lump the advisors in with them and not change the name, and we’re all just going to have to live with it. 😉)

Disclaimer: I am not a fashion expert, dress historian, or professional designer! I'm just a gamer who likes to sew and has a casual interest in historical fashion, and a great interest in fantasy worldbuilding and the implications thereof, and that's where I'm coming from on these posts. I'd also love to hear thoughts from fans who have a more in-depth background in historical dress, textiles, and armor.

Also, we’re going to be talking about gendered clothing, so let me state for the record that I don’t believe clothing has any inherent gender. However we’re going to be talking about fashion in a cultural context here, and in the context of Thedas (and specifically Orlais), fashion is heavily gendered, and how characters engage with those gendered expectations can be personally and socially interesting.

As with Sera, I’m going to be focusing mostly on Josephine’s style from an in-universe perspective because that’s what I think is most interesting!

Much appreciation to @dragonagegallery, whose posts have made the canon review for this post much easier! The Art of Dragon Age Inquisition was also a great reference.

(Look at her. She even looks good in the Haven Chantry lighting. Nobody looks good in that. Iconic.)

Josephine is an Antivan-born noblewoman educated in Orlais, who trained and briefly worked as a bard before becoming disillusioned with that life and turning to a career as a diplomat instead. She has been working as the Antivan Ambassador to Orlais up until the point she joins the Inquisition as its Ambassador. Josephine is well-versed in the Grand Game and the culture of the Imperial Court and the upper class. If I were to say that Josephine is fashionable, I don’t think most people would disagree with me.

Yet her signature outfit is quite different from what we see on the fashionable upper class ladies of Orlais. There is a fair amount of Renaissance influence in Orlesian high fashion, but as others have pointed out, there's actually quite a lot of variation in sleeves, collar, and understructures (things like crinolines or panniers that give a skirt a certain volume and shape), drawing inspiration from centuries of European historical dress. Yet Josephine still stands apart from the fashions for Orlesian noblewomen, in some very interesting ways.

I should note at the start here that I am working at a bit of disadvantage with Josephine because we've never been to her country of origin in the games, and basically every Antivan character we've met so far has either been wearing armor, or the same styles as the country they're in at the time. (Also, most of them have been Crows, which Josephine is not.) So I can't comment on how Josie's look compares to what is fashionable in Antiva at the moment, because we don't know. Instead, I'll be talking about her style in the context of Orlais, which I think is fair since she went to school in Orlais and has been living and working there for quite a while now. Just bear in mind going forward that there is a whole sphere of potential influence that we can't really examine here.

But I do think there's also good reason to assume that Josephine takes inspiration from Orlesian fashion, starting with her color scheme. One of the first things that strikes me (and I think many viewers) about Josephine's outfit is "Wow, that's very gold." And it is! It's very gold and blue—colors directly associated with Orlais and with the nobility especially. We see gold and blue all over Orlais, from the capital to the countryside, and Josephine has deliberately chosen to dress herself in the colors that signify power and influence in this nation.

So let's take a look at the specific pieces she wears.

Josephine is wearing what appears to me to be a blouse of gold-colored silk satin with puffed sleeves and a tie-neck or possibly a matching scarf, dark-colored breeches ending just below the knee, a heavier sleeveless overdress or vest in blue brocade or damask (possibly even fine tooled leather; it's really hard to say) that ends at the knee, gold stockings, and black flat shoes. She wears a wide leather belt at the waist, with a gold satin sash tied over it. You can see some better images of Josephine's outfit in concept art and her character model in detail on @dragonagegallery.

This outfit is fascinating to me, and if you've read my post on Sera's style, you might have already guessed a few reasons why.

Given Josephine's basic silhouette, it's easy to look at her and assume she's wearing a dress, but she actually isn't. Even if she was, it would be a break from the Orlesian high fashions of the day, which favor floor-length skirts. But this isn't a dress at all. I would actually compare the blue vest to the leather vests we see in some of the Inquisitor armor variants, for mages and for rogues. The detailing on Josephine's makes it look finer, but it's a similar style, with a similar utility: it's easy to move in. Josephine's vest even has large visible pockets on the sides! And this goes all the way back to her concept art.

I think it's easy to get distracted by the big shiny gold sleeves and miss the fact that Josephine's outfit is actually very practical. In fact, you know what else it reminds me a little of?

Variants of this outfit appear in both Dragon Age 2 and Inquisition, and it's always been a non-gendered look. Note the knee breeches, the vest, and the puffed sleeves (though with much less extravagant gathers than Josephine's).

Josephine wears flat shoes, easy to walk in, comfortable for all-day wear. The wide leather belt echoes but does not exactly mirror the popular underbust corsetry seen on gowns; it is of a more practical style and material, and I'd imagine it could be good for back support for those long hours she spends at a desk. And in fact, the way Josephine wears it over her vest with the sash tied over the belt is not unlike the way a rogue Inquisitor wears their armor:

Though Josephine has left behind the life of a bard, I feel it's undeniable that that life has influenced her style. This is rogue fashion—practical but still stylish, easy to move in, easy to carry items you might need. Josephine is dressed as a rogue, but adapted to her current profession and personal tastes.

It’s all an intriguing choice for a diplomat! Because despite the clear Orlesian influence, Josephine’s look does not very much resemble any of what is fashionable for Orlesian noblewoman at the moment. No long full skirts, no outer underbust corsetry (though her belt does offer a cinched at the waist look), no deep V neckline (though her blue vest does create a similar shape over her blouse). When we compare Josephine to these looks, it’s a very different silhouette with mostly very different shapes. Even her puffed sleeves are puffed in different places than the fashions of high noblewomen (which seem to have the most volume at the elbow or lower right now).

But you know what we do see in Josephine’s outfit?

Breeches ending just below the knee. An outer garment that ends at the knee. Knee-high stockings. A flat black shoe. A shirt with sleeves puffed at the shoulders.

While Josephine’s look is ungendered in the context of a rogue, in the context of a noble this look is undeniably gendered, in a way that might not immediately register to our modern eye.

In the context of Orlesian culture, this is a Menswear-Inspired Look.

Now, unlike Sera, I do not believe Josephine to actually be wearing clothing designed for a man; given her station, this was all likely custom made for her. But in the context of Orlesian high fashion, there is some undeniably masculine styling going on here! And this isn’t about “women don’t wear pants”; many women in Dragon Age do, in fact, wear pants, all the time or in certain contexts; see above about rogue looks. Cassandra and Vivienne both have a skinny pants/leggings thing going on, and they both read more feminine in their styles to me, but they’ll get their own posts! With Josephine, it’s the specific styles of the pieces she’s wearing that bear similarities to men’s high fashion in Orlais. In a modern context, think a woman with long hair in a deliberately feminine style, wearing makeup, some statement jewelry, with a custom-tailored suit. Maybe with a few feminine accents on the suit itself; still definitely a suit. Josephine’s sleeves, for example, are not simply a copy of the male sleeve style; they’re taking inspiration but kind of doing their own thing. And of course, her hair is worn in a style that is practical, but still very elegant and feminine. It’s a Menswear-Inspired Look.

And I just love the fact that both of our F/F romance options in this game are kind of playing with gendered clothing in their personal style, but each very much in their own way.

I'm also fascinated by this one set of concept art called "Displaced Pilgrims" in The Art of Dragon Age: Inquisition, meant to represent "Fereldan and Orlesian refugees who arrived in Haven on a pilgrimage and were unable to leave following the disaster" (p. 75). One piece depicts an Orlesian woman dressed in what is from the hips up the same silhouette we see at the Winter Palace: exaggerated underbust corsetry that emphasizes the hips, a plunging V neckline with scalloped embellishment, a slightly puffed half-sleeve. But below the corset, the skirt has been cropped to mid-thigh and the woman wears a pair of breeches, stockings, and flat shoes with a rounded toe—strikingly similar to Josephine's lower silhouette. I can't recall ever actually seeing any NPCs wandering around Haven looking like this, which is a shame, because I love the concept of an Orlesian noblewoman blending masculine and feminine fashions in order to dress more practically for a journey into the mountains, while still appearing fashionable. I think this may be what Josephine is doing.

Josephine’s necklace is of interest to me as well, as it doesn’t bear a particular resemblance to anything I’ve found in Orlesian fashion; while we see a lot of necklines trimmed in gold, and a few necklaces, there’s nothing that looks like this piece. After a bit of research, I don’t think this is just a flashy piece of jewelry. Given the size of the chain and the way Josephine wears it draped over her shoulders, I think this might actually be a livery collar, also called a chain of office, that denotes her position as an ambassador!

Josephine’s whole look is very distinctive, and very put-together. In my opinion, this is a Choice. This is the kind of outfit that says, “I look like this on purpose,” and this from a woman who knows that a first impression may decide the course of a conversation that will affect the fate of nations. She is wearing a chain of office that immediately announces her station. She’s wearing expensive fabrics—again, I am interpreting that shiny gold fabric as silk and that is not cheap. Her vest shows fine detailing. Her clothing immediately says that she is both a person of means and holds a position of respect. Her color scheme speaks to her Orlesian connections. Her clothing conveys power and status. Yet her divergence from the styles of an Orlesian noblewoman also sets her apart. The practical elements of her look say, “I am no idle lady of leisure; I am capable; I am prepared for every occasion, even the unexpected.” And the roguish elements hearken back to her bard training, saying, “I know how the Game is played; I can be dangerous if I must be.”

Above all, I think this outfit speaks to Josephine’s self-assurance. She knows and understands social trends, but she is not beholden to them; she bends them to her tastes, rather than being bent by them. She acknowledges her past and what she has learned from it. She knows herself, and is in control of her own image.

I think this outfit does some pretty brilliant and inspired visual storytelling about Josephine Montilyet. I wouldn’t change a thing.

[dreadfutures]

OC Kiss Week #3 - Ixchel & Edra Lavellan

Instead of doing prompts for @ockissweek, I challenged myself to tackle different styles. It's been a long time since I did something that was just values like this!

This is @alienturnip's Edra Lavellan ! I admire Turnip's ability to bring in so much culture to every OCs clothes, and I am a sucker for OCs with shadows under their eyes. GIVE THEM SOME REST.

So here's companion baby!Ixchel, pre-vallaslin, post-dragonling attack, newly healed and ready to be a menace to their Inquisitor.

Talking to Jura, I realized that Companion!Ixchel, who gets her vallaslin, should be able to receive it FROM a Lavellan Inquisitor ;-: so that's what happens!!!

Thanks for letting me borrow your boy <3

Please check out Jura's amazing Vietnamese clothing Dragon Age lineup, and commissions!

[thedomesticanthropologist]

After watching the VA’s playing DnD…. I think we need more stuff about the gang coming together to save a Distressed Tav ngl

So a great example of this style of quest/storyline is in Dragon Age Origins and I would have LOVED to see BG3 do something similar!!!

Two opportunities in game I can Identify immediately where this would have worked well would be

1) When priestess Gut talks to you in her room, Tav could potentially get stolen or jailed and need to be recovered

2) ORIN SHOULD'VE KIDNAPPED TAV and not a companion

Lots more potentials all throughout the game for sure, plus could be added in as it's own thing.

How they did it in DA:O was beautiful. You got to play as your party members minus the MC, and they had to try to convince their way into a stronghold to get to the cell where MC was being held. It had hilarious dialogue options that changed based on which party member(s) you brought with you

And it also showed us, the viewer/player, a glimpse of how the party members/companions would act "unsupervised" and forced into leadership roles they are otherwise un-used to bc the MC is usually running the show. So they have to work together without direction

It really helps to solidify the main character/player character as a member of the group as well, because otherwise we don't really get to see the gang talking *about us*, it's almost always us talking to them one on one when we click on them in camp

Anyway tldr I agree

[corviids]

random snippet from my gilded lilies wip

—

Quickly, everyone stands from their seats to bow to his mother – a chorus of ‘Your Graces’ from their companions and lingering servants. Nearly fifteen years into his reign, Aenys’ mother still looks as youthful as he does in the old portraits hanging in his father’s solar. The kitchenwenches claim witchcraft, but Aenys thinks it is because of his omega nature – leaving his mother soft faced and gentle looking. The only signs of age he sees on the older man are the creases around his eyes as a result of Aenys’ energetic siblings. He keeps his hair pinned in a half style behind his head, forgoing a crown when not attending court, and wears the same modest ruby red gown he always does – all tied together with his favorite black and gold cloak. The edges of said cloak ruffle when two small heads peek out from beneath it – one short and dark and the other as pale as the moon.

Valerion looks just like their mother, but his pinched and disinterested expression makes him resemble their father to an uncanny degree. Aenys waves at his youngest brother yet the boy doesn’t blink – just staring blankly while fiddling with the toy dragon in his hands. Maegelle, on the other hand, seemed to be trying to make herself disappear with how closely she was clinging to their mother’s side. Her pale hair was pinned under a hood not unlike Naerys’, but her single thick strip of dark hair peaks from where it frames her face. It was shocking to think that Mae was Rhaella’s twin as the two girls were like night and day. Rhaella was as good as a copy of Saera, meanwhile Mae was even meaker than Naerys; she constantly cried for their father or mother at the slightest thing and was scared of everything from a mere lady to a lingering stray cat.

It was truly baffling that she was among his family members that hatched her own dragon.

[most-datable-datable-bracket]

ROUND 1 MATCH 90

Kaidan propaganda:

“yes he’s the human male LI in Mass Effect so everyone is like i want to fuck the bird alien but he is so kind and principled and the romance is so soft”

Josephine propaganda:

“you get to have a full Disney princess style romance with her, she is the most precious, the most sweet, I love her so much 🥺”

“Josephine's one of the "behind the scenes" companion for the protagonist and she advises them on diplomacy-related matters.

Her personal quest and romance is fairy-tale worthy: she gets threatened with assassination, you help her restore her family's fortune, you get threatened by her best friend to not break her heart, she doesn't dare to hope you mean anything serious when flirting until you spell it out for her, after which Josie agrees to a deeper relationship... And immediately after that she finds out her family has engaged her to a random noble without her knowledge!! You publicly challenge the suitor to a one-on-one duel to win her hand, she finds out and interrupts the duel because she's worried of the Inquisitor throwing literally the entire plot away and risk life in combat for her... To which of course you can confess that they're doing it because they love Josephine, and they get the cutest cutscene with Josie jumping in the Inquisitor's arms and them spinning her around before kissing each other <3 The betrothed steps away because he sees true love between the two. She and the Inquisitor stay together through the end game and after it, gaining a "second home" with her and her family.

She really believes in the Inquisitor's cause and from the very first conversations with her, she asks questions about your background and tries to make you feel welcomed (especially appreciated if the Inquisitor isn't human since people are less trusting of them). She's politically smart but dislikes violence, overall very sweet but still strong... Josie tends to overwork herself (she's a perfectionist) and at first she tries to keep a professional air at all times but if you encourage her, she will rant to you and spill all the tea about nobles lol.”