#seeker of thrones spoilers

[glitterfop]

Image description below the cut

Image 1: Kill Six Billion Demons: Seeker of Thrones page 7-75, showing Lucky Felicia, a woman of color wearing an eyepatch and a hood that has cat ears and whiskers sewn on it; Cio, a short blue devil with horns and long black hair; Allison, a white woman with brown hair in a bob and a white gem in her forehead; and Oscar, a tall red devil with horns and a very long nose. They are standing in front of a door decorated with a huge hypperrealistic red face contorted into an expression of agony.

The face on the door opens its mouth, showing very large teeth dripping saliva, and begins to scream. Lucky Felicia covers her ears and cowers away from the noise.

The next panel zooms out, showing 7 figures in front of the door. Lucky Felicia says, "Cio?! Someone has got to hear that!" Cio responds, "The priests are already coming. It activated as soon as we entered this hall. There's no other way through. But..."

The next panel shows Cio looking over her shoulder, eyes narrowed. She says, "There's another way to open the door."

Allison, sweating and looking horrified, says, "Oh. Fuck. No. Fuck no." Felicia, still covering her ears, has a speech bubble with just two question marks in it.

Cio, looking down, says, "It's so obvious, so ingenious. Arguing it about it only loses you time. And even if you do open the door. It poisons your group. Sows mistrust and fear. It's the perfect defense."

Cio turns fully to the group, eyes narrowed. The open mouth is fully visible behind her. She says, "I thought of this door often. Only someone like Yabalchoath could open it. Somebody with no friends in the world. Because there's only one way to beat it."

The final panel shows Oscar dragging Lucky Felicia backwards; Felicia is crying and sweating. Oscar says, "Yeah! Decide who to feed to the door before you even start! Keh heh heh!"

Image 2: Boromir "one does not simply" meme edited to say "One does not simply unlock the vore door."

/End image description

[brightest-stars-if]

@bacchanal-if has included me in this game!

make a poll of your favourite female characters and see which your followers like the most.

I'm tagging @vanhelsing-if, @ang3lwithapen, @thrill-seeker-vn and @childrenofcain-if to keep the game going. Obviously y'all don't have to -- no pressure! I just figured it might be fun.

So for my list, I'll explain why I chose them. I'll try to avoid spoilers.

Fang Runin (The Poppy War)

Ah Rin, my beloved self-destructive, rage-filled war criminal. There are very few instances where I read a book and the main character is my favorite. But Rin? She took that seat easily. She's such a well-written character. Deeply flawed, but also deeply compelling. You want to slap her but you also want to hug her. Reading her internal narrative was both extremely disturbing and also fascinating.

Lady Eboshi (Princess Mononoke)

Lady Eboshi has to be, in my humble opinion, one of the greatest animated villains of all time. Does she commit heinous acts in the movie? Yes. But at the same time, we see her uplifting people. She saves women from exploitative contracts in brothels, takes in lepers when society rejects them, and creates a chance to make an honest living for thousands of people in the form of Iron Town. The dichotomy of Lady Eboshi, the way she's representative of some of the brightest and darkest parts of humanity, gives her a special place in my heart.

Cersei Lannister (A Song of Ice and Fire)

Ah, Cersei. Where do I even start with her? Cersei is a character with very few, if any redeeming qualities. She's murdered children, placed her bastards with her own twin on the throne and caused the suffering of hundreds at least. More fascinating than her actions, I find her internal dialogue to be a real treat to read. Seeing her thought process in A Feast for Crows really threw me for a loop. She lives in so much delusion that her complete lack of self-awareness hurts my head. That, coupled by her deep resentment of her own femininity and what it means to be a woman in Westerosi society, easily makes her one of my favorite characters in the entire series. She's pitiful and vile and wretched and tragic, and I love her for it.

Eadaz uq-Nāra (The Priory of the Orange Tree)

Ead is 100% the best person on this list and it's not even close. It might seem like I have a bias toward morally gray/black characters and to that I say, you're usually right. But Ead is proof that if a character is written to be a good person, and written well, I'll adore them regardless. Ead's morality is such a core part of her character. Even in a land of people who would deem her a heretic, she helps them (though she'll roll her eyes doing it). Her longing for home, for the arms of the priory and her fellow sisters-in-arms, is one of her defining characteristics and so touching to read about. Plus, she's half of one of my favorite slow burns ever, so she has that working in her favor too XD

Anyway, I've been rambling for too long so let me just put up the poll:

[weirdoinred]

I was really drowsy earlier and i thunk up some lore for my dynastyAU about soundwaves backstory. Buckle up yall this is a long one

Vos is a very large region of cybertron that was split up into four parts in order to make ruling easier. Vos is also one of the last two regions on cybertron that uses a monarchy. It was split up into northern, eastern, southern, and western kingdoms, each with its own ruling family. Eastern Vos is actually the biggest kingdom, both in size, population, and military, as its main focus is security and weapons development. Starscream, his trine, and most of the other seekers originate from eastern Vos, with Starscream being the last ruler before his whole power hungry usurping of the rest of Vos and the start of the great war.

Eastern, western, and northern Vos are completely cut off from the rest of cybertron and do not allow outsiders into their territory. They only allow trade and communication between the other parts of Vos and with other Vosians. Northern Vos is a lot more lenient with this policy as apposed to western and eastern Vos as both kingdoms see cross communication as treason and the punishment for being caught is severe. Southern Vos is vastly different and the rulers actually encourage interactions with other cybertronians.

Southern Vos was ruled by Empress Skyline. Long story short, she fell in love with a grounder before she was crowned Empress and after she ran away and had their first sparkling together she was found and brought back home. The grounder, a mech named Chambertune, snuck i to Vos to rescue here and was also caught, no surprise there, and was about to be executed when Skyline came running in and put herself between the excecutioner and her conjunx. She argues with her parents, theres an emotional moment, Chambertune is released, and for her bravery and idk true spark or something, shes crowned Empress as her parents retire from ruling and make Chambertune the royal ambassador and he deals with customs or something. Basically they put him in charge of opening the borders and integrating their society. Fun times yay.

So they had their first child, her name is Hurricane (theres a reason why please just trust me), while Skyline was in her running away era, and after she ascended to the throne, her and Chambertune proceeded to have six more sparklings over the course of several million years. Soundwave was the very last sparkling they had together. In this AU he also ends up working for Senator Ratbat but there is a lot that happens before that.

What i meant when i said Starscreams power hungry usurping of the rest of Vos, is that this dude went absolutely apeshit. The second he was crowned Winglord, all he wanted was more power. I wanna be clear that he is not a bad guy. Hes just incredibly spoiled and his entire childhood was his parents constantly feeding his ego about when he would finally be the ruler of eastern vos. Hes like 19-20 when hes put in charge. But once he got the throne it was horrifyingly anticlimactic. He expected to feel a lot more than he actually did and it was upsetting. He spent years yearning for this power and then once he got it, it wasnt enough. So the gears in his dumb little brain began to turn and he schemed an honestly terrible idea but bc he was Winglord, no one was brave enough to tell him other wise, not even his own brothers.

His plan was to take over the other nations of Vos. Spoiler alert, he did it. Vos was unified into one again. The ruling familys were taken captive and if they didnt bow to him, they were removed from the equation. His biggest problem was Southern Vos. Because of how they had been integrating their society for millennium before he was even created, half of the population was comprised of grounders. This didnt bode well with his ideal kingdom of Vos so he set his military wild. What they did to Southern Vos was genocide. They took the fliers and killed the grounders. The hybrids and halfbreeds were kept alive in hopes of breeding out the grounder genes.

Empress Skyline, Chambertune, and their three eldest children fought Starscreams military off the best they could while the younger four children fled the kingdom. They were unfortunately, spotted by a lost soldier, who reported to a general about the four escapees. That same lost soldier fire two rockets at them, intending to block their path but hit too close to them and knocked two of the kids out. The oldest of the four, who was not knocked unconscious, stopped to check on the younger two while Soundwave, a bit disoriented and dizzy, ran in a random direction. His brother saw him run but he was too far away to hear his call. As he reached the border, a stray rocket him close to him and the shockwave knocked him across. The blast also hit his left side and messed up a lot of wires and connectors in his processors, knocking him out and giving him amnesia and reducing his processing ability, leaving him mostly mute.

then it pretty much follows the idw backstory with him being found and taken in by ravage, buzzsaw, and laserbeak. I havent thunken how to weave in his telepathy but i have somewhat of an idea. In this au, outlier abilities are a mutation. that mutation gene, in rare cases, can be passed down genetically to offspring. Its more likely for a sparkling to have an outlier ability if both parents have the mutation gene. In this case, Chambertune has that mutation gene but Skyline does not. Out of their 7 offspring, only 3 of them, have the gene. Is a lot more than usual but thats only bc an ancestor of Skyline had a very weak outlier ability that was only usable when he was in danger. Hurricane is one of them (her original name was changed once her outlier ability developed), Soundwave of course is another, and i havent decided on a name for the last outlier child but his power is one of my favorites.

yeah yeah so hes found by those three, he spends a little while with them, then in a little stealing from the rich stunt, he gets caught by senator ratbat cuz it was his place they were stealing from. Ravage, bs, and lb are able to get away bur soundwave isnt so lucky. Ratbat finds out about his telepathy (hes got like three different powers but those dont show up until later) and decides “hey ur useful! Mine now” and adopts him. Hes a terrible person and an even worse dad but we’re not getting into that right now.

but yeah thats like the gist of the lore. Some of it is still in development so im open to suggestions for a few things, one of which is names for soundwaves 5 other siblings (two femmes, three mechs), and also maybe a better resolution for Skyline reconnecting with her parents and becoming Empress bc i have not thought that era through

[anew-flame]

Just wanted to post my Trespasser epilogue for my Inquisitor, Rhaella Trevelyan. This was my very first playthrough of any Dragon Age game, and I’m happy with my choices! Might do a second playthrough with everything exactly the same because I’m not ready to say goodbye 🥺

Under a cut to preserve your dashes plus hide spoilers:

In short, the Inquisition was disbanded. Some were relieved to see the unpredictable organization dismantled. Others prepared to remember the Inquisition’s good works and the many lives it saved. Those who had served returned to their former lives, knowing they had stopped a great evil from destroying the world…and hoping that the peace for which they had fought remained, once the Inquisition was gone.

With the Dragon’s Breath disrupted and any hope of a swift victory dashed, the Qunari retreated back to the North. Few knew what debates were waged in Par Vollen, but not long after the Exalted Council, the Qunari launched new attacks against Tevinter. Their aggression caught the already unstable Imperium off guard. Tevinter was soon mired in a war many feared could spread across Thedas.

The Exalted Council remained intact, advising Divine Victoria on important matters. Cassandra served for several years. While she often disagreed with Leliana’s policies, the former Right and Left Hands of the Divine shared a mutual respect and worked well together.

Cassandra also spent time in the Hunterhorn Mountains north of Orlais, where she worked to rebuild the Seekers. For a time, the new Seekers remained reclusive, showing no interest in worldly affairs and working to a purpose few outside their order could guess.

The end of the Inquisition as it had been sent shock waves through the College of Enchanters. Madam de Fer ably played on the mages’ fears. New followers united to build a new circle — with Vivienne as its Grand Enchanter — in direct competition with the College. What the Circle lacked in numbers, they made up for in political connection; soon they were a force to be reckoned with. The two institutions settled into an uneasy coexistence across the South, vying for power.

After the Exalted Council, Leliana devoted herself fully to the Sunburst Throne and her dream of reshaping the Chantry. Within a year, she removed restrictions surrounding Chantry priesthood, allowing men and women of all races to be initiated and ordained. The decree was followed swiftly be her decision to return the Canticle of Shartan to the canonical Chant, a move that divided Andrastians deeply. A rebellion to renounce her and return the Chantry to its former state arose, beginning first in Orlais, then spreading to other parts of Thedas. Divine Victoria was resolute, holding her ground even after several unsuccessful attempts on her life. Seemingly unconcerned with the assassination attempts, she held up the hostility leveled against her as proof that she was on the right path.

With the Inquisition disbanded, Sera joined the Inquisitor in officially retiring from scaring people in high places. By formal account and agreement, both would lead boring, safe lives nowhere special doing not much at all. And with that comforting lie, those in power continued their fragile lives as though all was back to normal. Meanwhile, Red Jenny, an entirely separate person not at all collectively embodied by Sera, the inquisitor, and countless friends continued to make a difference, or just have fun, where and when the impulse struck.

With frequent visits to her Widdle, of course.

Perhaps most unnerving was Sera’s standing offer to the Divine: “When the nobs piss about with your Left Hand or Right, call on Red Jenny to give them two fingers.”

Varric took up the role of Viscount and, with the help of his friend Hawke, rebuilt Kirkwall’s damaged infrastructure. Under his rule, the city-state finally resumed its place as the major trade hub of the Free Marches. He continued to ignore all mail from both the Merchants Guild and the Prince of Starkhaven.

With the inquisition disbanded, the Bull’s chargers returned to taking jobs throughout Orlais and Ferelden. Fighting demons and clearing out the remains of Venatori forces, the Iron Bull did his part to restore order to Thedas.

Many of the jobs brought the Chargers close to the Imperium’s border, where, from time to time, in a border-town villa… Bull and a certain Tevinter magister would spend a few hours together before life pulled them apart again.

After the Inquisition disbanded, Cullen and the Inquisitor retired to private life together. Unburdened by the restrictions of their offices, they continued doing good works on their own terms. That is, after a long-overdue visit to Cullen’s siblings, who were overjoyed to meet their new sister-in-law.

Dorian returned to Tevinter to take his father’s place in the Magisterium. As rumors flew about the Imperium’s infighting, Dorian was spoken of often as a voice of resistance against corruption. Along with Magister Maevaris Tilani, he formed a group called the Lucerni to restore and redeem Tevinter — a fight many thought hopeless.

Those fighting by Magister Pavus’s side noted that he kept in constant contact with the Inquisitor via message crystal. Whether for vital information or for moral support, these talks seemed to give Dorian the strength to continue his fight.

On one occasion, Venatori forces ambushed Dorian, who likely would have died had not an unnamed mercenary band led by a Tal-Vashoth warrior crossed Tevinter’s border and mounted a dangerous rescue operation. The mercenaries left a trail of freed slaves and dead Venatori in their wake, enabling Dorian to escape. When asked about the Tal-Vashoth in question, Magister Pavus declined to comment.

Them Rainier was shown mercy when none was deserved, and set on a path of redemption. This gift, so compassionately given, needed to be shared. Freed from his obligations to the Inquisition, Rainier traveled Thedas, giving hope to the condemned and the forgotten.

In the deepest prisons and pits of Thedas, he found, if not goodness itself, its potential. By showing faith in those who had none, Rainier lifted them up and made them into something better than they were.

With the Inquisition disbanded, Josephine made her farewells and returned to Antiva and her family. She was soon approached by an agent from the House of Repose, whose assassins had been killed by Inquisition agents on Josephine’s behalf. Far from being offended, the House of Repose was inquiring as to whether Josephine might have need of their services. She quickly persuaded them she had no need for assassins, but instead hired them as guards for the Montilyets’ new trading vessels. Rivaini pirates looking to rekindle an ancient feud soon learned that the Montilyets’ ships were not lightly boarded, and her house prospered greatly.

Cole returned to the Fade, saying that there was more pain coming, and that he knew where Compassion would be most needed. He promised that his friends in the Inquisition would remember him… and that where the hurt was greatest, he would help.

After the events at the Winter Palace, elves left the Inquisition under mysterious circumstances, as did elven servants across Thedas. None could say where they went, but those who believed the Inquisitor’s story about Fen’Harel wondered just how large the Dread Wolf’s forces were... and what the ancient elven rebel had planned.

[polyhexian]

Tf one spoiler time lol

Score 10/10. While I can make a few comments and critiques, I don't even want to because it overall was just so GOOD. The animation was vibrant and fluid and so full of life! The character designs have consistency between them but ALSO are distinct enough I was pointing and calling out names the entire time! They pulled SO many lore elements together to create clear worldbuilding and a story that keeps so much of the established lore while also feeling fresh and not played out. I respect the fact they kept their names Orion and D16 through the entire thing so much. I was SO excited to see that prime was the bad influence in their relationship lol. Optimus was like. Oh my god. Giving Optimus prime a personality??? That's crazy! They always forget to do that!

They really took a ton of lore elements and stacked them carefully together to pick and choose the world this story is set in specifically. I am so happy to see the Primus myth be that he turned into the planet cybertron. Chefs kiss. Perfect. love that one. I'm surprised they ran with the thirteen primes mythos and didn't have megatronus as the traitor! Good. I think it's a good thing that he wasn't Evil. Also, I generally say that once it's happened in three different continuities it's a character trait so I'm glad we can all just agree now that sentinel prime is the prime is a dirty rotten traitor. Also it's cool that he's blue. In my head he's always been blue tbh. He has blue vibes.

I'm glad elita made it into the main cast over Arcee and it's wild but great that arachnid got to be here??? And I think I even saw greenlight? But I'm surprised they didn't take the opportunity to put more female bots in the background. They didn't have to talk or even be specific characters. But also maybe there were but they just didn't have "feminine" shapes so I didn't notice. I was constantly looking at background characters but I was also trying not to lol. Focus on the story Nate!!! You can look at background characters later! But it was awesome to see slipstream with the seekers. And I think they worked in how starscream could be like in charge of his own guys from prewar but also under Megatron and also kind of like. Can't really kill him or you will lose all his followers. Good position to put him in. He also got to sit on a throne and that's great.

Oh. My. God. The climaxxxx! With Megatron ripping sentinel in half while Optimus falls into the core of Cybertron. Ahhhh it was SO well packed and well choreographed. They did amazing with the entire sequence. Also I LOVE how restrained they were with violence until that point. I hadn't even realized it until then but we hadnt seen any real serious injuries or deaths or proper robogore like up close and personal and fresh until he tears sentinel in half or he shoots Optimus and he loses a whole arm and half his chest. Like. I genuinely had a moment of "oh my god, can they show that with the rating?" Like I forgot that of course they can, he's a robot, but it just amped up the brutality SO hard and SO fast that it was like whiplash. Awesome.

That "I want to KILL him!" From D16 was sooo good it was like there it is boyyysssss. Oh my goooddd and then when he shot op and he's hanging over the edge and he has the moment where he comes back to himself realizing what he has done and how he has changed. And he has a moment to decide who he wants to be, of his own volition, consciously, and he chooses to be Megatron. I'm done saving you!!! Ah!!!!

Screaming into the aether: I LOVE DIVORCE! I LOVE DIVORCE! I LOVE DIVORCE!

[westeroswisdom]

Some people are still upset with D&D for killing off certain characters in Game of Thrones. In a new Netflix series, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss plan to dramatize the killing off of America's 20th president, James A. Garfield, who was famously "shot by a disappointed office seeker".

Netflix announced today that the next big project from Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss will be titled Death by Lightning and about the assassination of President James Garfield. Michael Shannon and Matthew Macfadyen both star, with Shannon as Garfield and Macfadyen portraying his assassin, Charles Guiteau. Which, we gotta say, is the reverse of who we thought would be playing whom—but we’re into it. Netflix describes Death by Lightning as “a drama series that brings to life the epic and stranger-than-fiction true story of James Garfield, reluctant 20th president of the United States, and his greatest admirer Charles Guiteau—the man who would come to kill him.” It’s based on the book Destiny Of The Republic by Candice Millard. Benioff and Weiss also have the weighty sci-fi series 3 Body Problem coming soon with Netflix, but they’re not writing or directing this new one. Mike Makowsky (Bad Education) will do the former and Matt Ross (Captain Fantastic) will be behind the camera. James Garfield’s presidential term started in March 1881. Guiteau shot him in June, and he succumbed to his injuries an agonizing few months later, in September of that year. Guiteau pled temporary insanity, but was sentenced to death and executed the following year. The full story is complicated, involving spurned political dreams, medical malpractice, and maybe even a touch of neurosyphilis.

An error in the quoted article: Garfield was shot on July 2nd – not in June. He died on September 19th. Without mentioning spoilers, his death was rather excruciating.

[kudosmyhero]

Transformers: Monstrosity #3: Faces of Darkness

Read Date: May 07, 2023 Cover Date: March 2013 ● Story: Chris Metzen ◦ Flint Dille ● Art: Livio Ramondelli ● Letterer: Tom B. Long ● Editor: John Barber ●

**HERE BE SPOILERS: Skip ahead to the fan art/podcast to avoid spoilers

Reactions As I Read: ● (cover) I feel like I just walked into the wrong bar ● Slag reminds me a bit of Bumblebee ● Pentius is…. scary ● …at least until Megatron starts walking it around on a leash

● the Seekers always make a great entrance ● 👏👏👏👏

Synopsis: The Dynobots systematically pipe the Toraxxis mega-refinery's energon into tankers while Swoop continues to stress the fact that they need to get off Cybertron before they snap and start causing major damage. When Grimlock tells them to shut up and get back to work, Slag gets ticked off and accuses him of getting them into this mess to begin with, then strikes off on his own.

On Junkion, Megatron is caught in an ionized acid rain storm and takes cover in the wreckage of a nearby starship where he finds another occupant trapped under some debris. The alien introduces himself as Pentius, a Quintesson who has been stuck in that very spot for centuries, spending his time using his ship's computers to map and memorize the surface of Junkion. Claiming to have expected Megatron, his fellow "king without a throne", he ominously warns the Decepticon that on this monstrous planet power is everything, and the only way to survive is to become a monster yourself. After Pentius tells him that there may be a way off the planet at the Pillar of Rust within the eye of the ion storm, Megatron frees him from the debris to serve as his guide… and slave.

Meanwhile, at Kolkular, Starscream approaches Scorponok and suggests that it's time to take action and prove to the other Decepticons that there's more to his leadership than just grandiose speeches. Scorponok agrees, revealing his plan to conquer the Toraxxis mega-refinery and drain it of fuel, furthering the global energon crisis and causing Optimus Prime's Grand Convocation to collapse as the members fight amongst themselves over what energon is left.

Optimus Prime himself is busy organizing a meeting with Dai Atlas at Metroplex's sparring arena, asking him if his Circle of Light could help recruit strong soldiers for the new Autobot army. When Atlas refuses to send his followers to die in Prime's war, Prime warns him that pacifism won't get him anywhere with the Decepticons, causing Atlas to grow angry and show off exactly how "pacifistic" he is by easily slicing a group of auto-combatants into pieces. He explains that he's a patriot, not a pacifist, but he's witnessed the cost of unrestrained hatred before and knows all too well that resorting to violence will only lead to more violence.

As dawn rises on Toraxxis, the Dynobots prepare to head out with their ill-gotten gains only to come under attack from Scorponok's Decepticons, who have arrived to steal the refinery's fuel only find it's already being stolen. Thankfully Slag returns to his mates just in time to take out some of the 'cons, shrugging off the save by claiming he "got bored" alone, but his help doesn't even the odds and Grimlock is soon standing face to face with Scorponok. The Dynobot leader doesn't feel threatened though, since he's already triggered the refinery's alarm, summoning Autobot reinforcements in the form of Sky Lynx!

(https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Faces_of_Darkness)

Fan Art: Scorponok by Legend-of-Blackout

Accompanying Podcast: ● Swerve's Bar Podcast - episode 03

[ziracona]

Jesus Christ Cassandra. Fucking Seekers, fucking Chantry. Fucking fuck all of it.

[endlessly-ranting-antheia]

Gendrya from game of thrones and Kahlan and Richard from legend of the seeker have the same badass warrior couple soulmate energy

[kat-rose-griffith]

Arya and Gendry (Game of Thrones) and Cara and Leo (Legend of the Seeker)

Two soulmate ships that are made of a badass assassin and a sexy blacksmith. He makes her laugh and cracks through her hard exterior that was made by a life of trauma. She turns him on with her badass fighting skills that usually scare most people. They are both tough but soft for each other and no matter what reality they end up in they always find each other

Fun fact (spoiler) about these ships: they both deserved better, deserved more screen time, and continue to make me sad to this day but I still watch their story because I love them so much and they got their happy endings together in my mind

[storydragonness]

The Witcher - Netflix Done Right

Rating: 5/5 Stars Recommended for: Fans of Game of Thrones and The Legend of the Seeker

Summary: The Witcher follows the adventures of Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill from from Man of Steel), a witcher (mutated monster hunter) as he follows his moral compass and makes a living in a cruel, magical and medieval time. The story also centers on Yennefer (Anya Chalotra), a young mage seeking a purpose in life, and Cirilla (Freya Allan), a young and powerful princess seeking salvation from war. 

Review: Although I have not read the books, I have played the video games for this storyworld. I found myself surprisingly impressed with how well Henry Cavill was able to capture the essence (and voice) of Geralt of Rivia. Verdict: Not just a pretty face in this piece. 

Honestly, I was impressed with the whole piece. The eight hour-long episodes had me craving more each time (I was only kept from binging the whole thing in one sitting by my family who wanted to watch it to). We get to see the beginnings the main characters before they become the people we know and adore from other media. The action and magic were well done (although the CGI sometimes lacked compared to larger-budget works of similar natures).

Is it perfect? Definitely not. In fact, it took way too long to realize that the 3 storylines (Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri) we were watching were in fact taking place at different timespans rather than simultaneously before they converge together in the last episode. Hopefully, now that you know this, I will be sparing you from any confusion as you go forth. Besides the obvious plot points that need addressing, I hope the second season shows how feisty Roach (Geralt’s horse) is and that we get plenty more ballads from our talkative nilly Jaskier the bard.

That’s right, this series has already been greenlit for a second season. I definitely recommend this action-packed epic to anyone with an interest in the story. Be wary, however, for visuals of consensual intercourse and nudity, mentions of rape, violence and death, and self-harm. But essentially, if you were able to make it through Game of Thrones you will be MORE than fine to watch this show. Hmmm... so maybe just adults. Watch and recommend at your own discretion. 

Notable Quotes: “Toss a coin to your Witcher” - Jaskier

“If I’m to choose between one evil and another, I’d rather not choose at all.” - Geralt

[their-misplaced-wings]

“Neith’s Arrow” Part I

A Nesryn Faliq Fan Fiction *links are broken, there are more parts*

Synopsis: Nesryn and Sartaq have returned to The Tavan Mountains after the War. Along with the surviving rukhin, they are rebuilding their home, lives and are learning how to come back from the darkness of war, together. 

Part Two 

    Nesryn Faliq loosed a shuddering breath, watching it cloud and twist before her as she sat on the ledge of the aerie. The Tavan Mountains, Rokhal specifically, had been her home for over a year and yet the view continued to steal her breath away, each morning and night. The first frost had come two weeks ago, and though she spent plenty of winters in the North, during those long nights serving on the King’s Guard, she was grateful for the warmth her new boots and leathers managed to retain against the oncoming winter.

    Sartaq, apparently, had them ordered during their first visit to the aerie. The prince had intended on gifting them to her after the Gathering of Clans until word from Chaol had them barrelling for Antica as fast as their ruk’s could soar. When they finally returned, after the long months during and after the war, they were still folded neatly on her bed. Sartaq made it clear- well before their return- that they would be sharing his quarters in the aerie. Nesryn made no protest.

    Sitting on the ledge, feet bouncing off the ancient stone, Neith’s Arrow savoured the mountain air now filling her lungs. Clean air. Not the thick, suffocating and toxic smoke of the battle field. Forcing itself into her lungs, her ruk’s lungs, Sar-

    Nesryn blinked. Sartaq had sat beside her, his shoulder brushing hers enough to shake the panic she let take hold. Foolish. She took a deep breath and sighed, resting into the prince who wrapped an arm around her middle, pulled her into him, and kissed her temple. Nesryn let his scent, worn leather and sweet cardamom, soothe her tensed muscles and still her traitorous thoughts.

    “A flight around then pass might clear your mind, Wind-seeker,” Sartaq murmured, resting his chin on her head.

    Nesryn settled against him but kept her gaze forward. They had discussed the nightmares they each suffered since returning. The flashbacks. Sartaq had stroked her back through many nights, helping her breathe and find her bearings. She had soothed him through just as many.

    “Salkhi and Kadara put on a rather impressive show of being asleep earlier, I decided to let them rest,” Nesryn said after a beat. Truthfully she woke, passed around the great curtains across the mouth of the entrance, and nearly collapsed to the stone beneath them, doing her best to school her breathing.

    “The smoke, again?” Sartaq asked. Soft, but without pity. Never pity, or doubt, not from him.

    Nesryn nodded against his chest. They had survived the war together, and they would continue to walk together through the darkness that followed them home. “Borte-” she tried and failed to share more of the dream, the memory. Her hearth-sister screaming, hidden from Nesryn in that sea of black smoke. The shrieks of wyverns and ruks clashing, clawing in the air as the others battled below.

    Sartaq rubbed a warm, steady hand up and down her back in repetitive strokes. “Borte is here, snoring beneath our very feet,” he shifted, making her meet his stare. The assurance in the prince’s face was enough to melt some of the tension bundled in her chest. “You are here, in our home, with the Eridun,” he continued. She nodded, but he gently took her face in his hands, his thumb caressing her cheek bone.  He rest his brow on hers, their breath mingling as he whispered, “I am here. Beside you, forever- or until you tire of me.”

    Nesryn couldn't help the snort that escaped, or the smile that flashed across her face. She nudged her elbow into his side, “How could one ever tire of your company, Your Highness?”  

    Sartar’s answering laugh was her tether to this world. “There’s my Wind-seeker,” he smiled, pressing a kiss to her lips before returning his focus to the view before them. Nesryn smiled and settled into him again, watching as clouds heavy with snow slowly crept across the mountain range.

    “We need to prepare for that,” Nesryn said after a few quiet, peaceful moments passed. They had already moved the hatch-lings further within the mountains, but the storm those clouds promised would require sheltering as many of the ruks as possible. After just a moment more, stolen for themselves, they rose and began alerting anyone awake to start preparations.

[Part II] , [Part III]

[bairdcrevan]

Fanfic Update week of 5/2/22

I’m a little late but I’ve been traveling a bit (and am traveling this week too lol) but that does not STOP ME! lol

That One About the Seeker and the Shuttle chapter 6

This one got a fun update, oddly from Starscream’s POV. I couldn’t resist having the duplicitous jerk saying one thing but thinking another as he nurses a little bit of hurt from a conversation from Megatron. It kind of ups the relationship level with these two as Skyfire appears to be actually concerned about Starscream- who is more bemused by the return of attraction, but also a little like “Of course you like me, I’m perfect.”  It’s a fun balance and I really liked this chapter. Shoutout to the asshole on my flight from San Diego who stole my armrest- MIDDLE SEAT GETS the armrests on both sides! I even tried to like stand my ground and dude was fine just having our bare upper arms touch- I couldn’t stand it lol. But I wrote this chapter while sitting next to him- maybe he enjoyed reading over my shoulder about Gay Planes. I don’t care.

Pacification Chapter #6,789,399 (just kidding it’s 38 but damn wtf how did we get here)

Trying not to give any spoilers on this one, but we are slowly bringing all of the chess pieces together so that the final showdown can occur. Lots of things that were hinted at in other chapters, and I’m kind of wrapping up any lingering mysteries/explaining things that were happening offscreen. Surprising no one, Megatron and Optimus are not that dissimilar :D

Queen on the Throne Chapter 15 coming 5/3/22

This one is coming tomorrow- and it’s a good one! We are winding down on this fic with some reunions and the final swell of action. I’m going to hint here- I don’t think this one is going to end 100% how people want it to, but it will still be satisfying and great- it’s kind of like the ending it needs in my opinion.

What am I working on? lmfao- Yellow means started, green means completed.

I literally roll a dice every morning to figure out what I want to work on- but now that SkyStar week is a month away, that’s where I’m going to do a lot more movement. 

But what am I thinking about updating?

Third and Fourths

Yeah this one is too juicy, I’ve really got to get it moving. I have a lot of fun planned for our poor boys and our LOVEABLE Quints ;) :) 

[anneapocalypse]

Dragon Age: Asunder

Crosspost. Originally posted on dreamwidth on 06/15/20.

A religion without ideals is tyranny.

–Divine Justinia V

"This is our power. We may unleash great destructive force, or we may control it. It is a choice we must make wisely, for this power can bring great suffering to others."

–Wynne

Asunder is the third novel in the Dragon Age universe, written by David Gaider and published in 2011. It takes place after Dragon Age II and before Inquisition. As a story, it deals with the growing tensions between mages and templars at the White Spire in Val Royeaux and across Thedas, and also explores some of the intricacies of magic in this universe, particularly with regard to Fade spirits.

At this time, following Anders' attack on the Kirkwall Chantry and the ensuing battle between the mages and the templars, the College of Magi has been dissolved. This means that the First Enchanters from the various Circles are no longer allowed to convene, effectively isolating the Circles from one another. At Val Royeaux's White Spire, a series of murders has drawn the attention of the Seekers, with Lord Seeker Lambert arriving to personally oversee an investigation.

Meanwhile, our old friend Wynne arrives at the White Spire about to embark on a mission to save a friend of hers from possession. She enlists the help of Enchanter Rhys and Knight-Captain Evangeline.

So yeah there's a lot going on in this story, and though it's not immediately clear how all the threads connect, they definitely do. There is also a plain old civil war in Orlais as well as the mage-templar conflict, with a lord looking to depose the Empress and take the throne. This is really only a vague backdrop in Asunder; we'll learn all about it in The Masked Empire.

Spoilers follow.

Rhys, Cole, and the Nature of Spirits

The arcs of these two characters are so deeply intertwined that I don't feel I can really separate them.

It turns out the main character, Rhys, is Wynne's son. This caught me by surprise as I'd totally forgotten that Wynne even had a son, but it's actually established in party dialogue in Origins. Rhys himself is a "spirit medium," and communicating with benevolent spirits is a particular talent of his and part of his research, though he has been forbidden from pursuing that research any further since the Kirkwall incident and the templars tightening restrictions.

Spirit healing is a particularly interesting specialization to me because if you read the Codex entries, you learn that this magic is specifically drawn from spirits perceived to be benevolent or at least nonthreatening—spirits of compassion, hope, faith, and so forth. Templars are wary of it, but it's not forbidden. Wynne held this specialization in Origins, as well as being the first character we meet who was bound (some might say possessed, though that's up for debate) by a benevolent spirit, which had saved her life in battle at Kinloch Hold.

I did not know Cole was in this book! I also did not know Cole was a SERIAL KILLER. Now I'm still early in Inquisition, so that information may be in there and I haven't gotten to it yet, but it was a surprise for me. This sure makes it interesting that he's a companion in the game, and also perhaps does not make a great case for benevolent spirits.

Cole calls into question what Rhys knows about spirits and about his own abilities. We ultimately aren't given a definite answer for why Rhys couldn't sense what Cole truly was, whether Cole was influencing his mind the whole time, or whether it was simply Cole's sincere belief that he was human that made him manifest as human to Rhys.

I kinda wish the development of Rhys and Cole's friendship had been shown in full and not just summarized, though I realize there probably wasn't room for it. Nevertheless, I though it was really interesting. Rhys is certain Cole is not a spirit—that if he has, Rhys would be able to sense him as such. But if you've met Cole in Inquisition, you already know that is in fact what he is, though as is revealed in the book's epilogue, there was a real Cole, a boy brought to the tower and forgotten in the dungeon where he died, alone save for the spirit of compassion who stayed with him and comforted him in his final hours. The Cole we meet is described as a young man, around twenty, so a bit older than I'd read him for in-game, and not a child.

Rhys also could not sense the spirit in Wynne. It seems that once a spirit has bonded to the soul of a mortal and they have become one, the spirit cannot be sensed in the same way. Presumably Rhys also would not have been able to sense Justice, had he met Anders. I am curious, then, whether Cole the spirit possesses any of Cole the human. It does not seem like he possessed his body, as Justice possessed Kristoff's, and I'm not sure that it's possible for a spirit to possess the soul of a mortal once they've died. It's very possible Cole is just a different case but it did make me wonder.

Hedge Magic

Cole is, or at least appears to be (and the human Cole probably was), what is called colloquially a "hedge mage" and formally "arcanist derangement." If a mage is left untrained and never learns to consciously channel their power through spells, their magic will express itself in involuntary and unpredictable ways—some of which may not even be immediately recognizable as magic.

Who is actually considered a hedge mage seems to depend on who you ask. The Chantry stance seems to encompass just about anyone trained outside the Circle&,mdash;the Chasind "witches," for example, or Avvar shamans. The wiki even lists Morrigan as a hedge mage, which to me seems frankly ridiculous. Morrigan possesses unusual abilities, most notably shapechanging, but based on the way Morrigan uses magic in Origins I think it is clear that she knows spells, and has great control over the magic she wields. Morrigan wasn't trained by the Circle, but she absolutely was trained. Morrigan and Cole aren't remotely in the same category to me.

Blood Magic

The story raises some interesting questions about the nature of blood magic, which I'd like to write more about later, but I'll cover it in brief here. Knight-Captain Evangeline, a templar at the White Spire, finds the use of phylacteries to track mages a little too close to blood magic for her tastes, "A bit of hypocrisy in the name of the great good" as she puts it. We actually see Evangeline use a phylactery in this game, by holding it and concentrating to "channel power" into it, causing it to glow brighter the closer it comes to the mage whose blood it holds. This definitely does seem like magic. I don't know what else it could be in the context of this universe. Templars are not mages but they are using magic which says some interesting things about the nature of magic and of lyrium specifically.

Similar questions have been raised in this series about the use of darkspawn blood by the Grey Wardens, and whether the Joining is a form of blood magic. My question is this: does anything involving both blood and magic fall into the category of Blood Magic? Or is Blood Magic specifically the practice of drawing mana from the life force contained in blood? Because see I would tend to say the latter, which would mean that neither the phylacteries nor probably the Joining qualify. But this does raise interesting questions about the nature of magic either way. One could also argue that demons are drawn to the spilling of blood in general, and so any spell or ritual involving blood will attract them, and this is what qualifies them as blood magic, not the act of drawing mana from the blood specifically.

The Circle and the Chantry

It turns out that Pharmond's research on the Rite of Tranquility was sanctioned by the Divine herself, who is actively looking for ways to change the Circle. This provides some useful context for Inquisition!

From Evangeline's point of view, we are told that "Once upon a time the Chantry had considered the idea of a mage rebellion unthinkable as well." I… highly doubt that this is true. That may well be the official stance, and Evangeline may well believe it, but I'm certain they've always been aware of the possibility. You don't create an order like the templars to maintain control of people without the awareness that they may resist that control.

It is pretty clear at this point that the Circle as it currently exists is not working. Asunder works well to highlight that even in the absence of the kind of egregious abuses we see in Kirkwall, locking up grown adults and treating them like children who can't control themselves does not foster safety. I've argued that some kind of checks on magical power are probably necessary to prevent abuses of that power and I still think that, but I also think that under the existing system, the templars have far too much power over other people, and that kind of power will lead to abuse.

The Seekers

If the Seekers of Truth are supposed to be overseeing the Templar Order, they seem to be doing a pretty abysmal job of it. Like where were the Seekers for the entire ten years before Anders' attack on the Chantry, when Kirkwall's troubled mages and templar abuses were known even outside Kirkwall? What were they doing all this time? Was Kirkwall a wake-up call that they hadn't been doing their jobs?

Lord Seeker Lambert reveals to us that he once served in Tevinter, where he was at one time sympathetic to mage freedom. What he saw there convinced him that mages will always take as much power as they can get by whatever means they deem necessary. Tevinter seems to have that effect on people. :P

Honestly, the Lord Seeker's case against Rhys—that he is under the influence of a demon who has caused him to forget what he's done—is so convincing I almost believe it. And it's almost true, but the stinger in the Epilogue is that it really was Cole alone, and not Rhys, who committed the murders, even though Rhys is still afraid he did it. This is made pretty clear when Cole kills Lord Seeker Lambert, proving that he did not need to possess a mage to carry out the murders.

It did not escape my attention that we have a different Lord Seeker in Inquisition than the one in this book, and because of that I predicted that Cole was going to kill Lambert before the end—and I was correct! Hilariously, it also took me most of the book to figure out that Lord Seeker Lamber is the guy on the cover. He's not really a main character, so I'm not sure why it was him. Rhys and Evangeline would have made more sense to me, or Rhys and Adrian, or even Wynne and Pharamond.

Tranquility

The twist on Wynne's possessed friend Pharamond is that he's Tranquil—and therefore shouldn't be able to be possessed at all.

The official word on the Rite of Tranquility is that it severs a mage's connection to the Fade, removing their desires and emotions so that they are no longer susceptible to demons and can no longer perform magic. Tranquil still possess free will and problem-solving abilities. Most Tranquil, if asked, will express contentment with their state.

However, we also have two canonical examples of Tranquility being reversed. In DA2, during the failed attempt to rescue Anders' former lover Karl, contact with Justice temporarily undoes Karl's Tranquility. Karl begs Anders to kill him rather than let him become Tranquil again.

Then here in Asunder, we have Pharamond.

Pharamond has been conducting research which has revealed to him what the Rite of Tranquility really is. The Tranquil are not immune to demons, merely undesirable to them, since without emotions and desires they cannot give a demon the experiences they crave. But a Tranquil can be possessed. They can even make contact with spirits under the right circumstances, and if a spirit touches the mind of a Tranquil, it seems their connection to the Fade may be restored.

This seems consistent with what happened with Karl and Justice; that it was only a temporary effect was probably related to Justice's unusual state, stuck in the physical world and bonded to a human.

Pharamond, as a result of his experiments, manages to reverse his own Tranquility. A restored Pharamond describes Tranquility as being like a dream, in which you know something is off but you cannot act other than the dream allows. This is certainly a chilling description. Pharamond, like Karl, ultimately would rather die than become Tranquil again. I think it's safe to say that regardless of how pleasant or unpleasant Tranquility is, it fundamentally changes a person, removing a vital part of who they are.

But despite how Pharamond describes Tranquility, we have the word of another Tranquil to consider. A Tranquil who chooses to aid the rebels later on remarks that "Obedience is prudent. To interpret it as a lack of free will would be an error."

Wynne

Wynne definitely feels like Wynne, but I'd agree with Rhys that she has changed, and I'm not surprised she has—it has, after all, been ten years, and the Wynne we met in Origins did not even expect to be alive ten years later. Seeing her through Rhys's somewhat distrusting eyes, I even wondered at some points if she was lying about their mission.

That Wynne acquired a taste for dwarven ale while in Orzammar delights me, as does her ongoing friendship with Shale, who also appears in this book!

As a sidenote, it took me reading this book to notice that Wynne in the game does not have a British accent like most Fereldans. Her voice actor is American.

It is noteworthy that Wynne is pro-Circle, in that she voted against the Circle breaking from the Chantry. It should also be noted that even pro-Circle mages do not tend to support templar abuses of their fellow mages. You might say they are reformists rather than total abolitionists. I bring this up because it is a contentious point in Inquisition concerning certain companions, and I think it is important to acknowledge that mages can be pro-Circle and pro-reform.

As the story progresses, we find Wynne pushed further and further to the side of the rebel mages, in large part to save her son's life. But it is revealed that her aspirations may have been a bit more radical all along than they initially appeared: after learning of the results of Pharamond's research, Wynne sent Shale to notify the nearest Circle and had them send word to every Circle in Thedas. I don't think she was hoping to start a war, but to give the Circles vital knowledge and bargaining power. Alas, things did not go as peacefully as she'd hoped, yet Wynne still contributed to the fight in a meaningful way.

It was nice to see Wynne herself struggle against temptation, in her desperation to save her son. It's not clear what actually would have happened had Wynne been able to use the staff Evangeline destroyed, but given the way Wynne acted while wielding it, I suspect some kind of demonic influence. (While there is no canon to confirm this, I also suspect this might be the Malign Staff that can be looted from a Hurlock general during the Battle of Denerim, which fits the physical description. The Corrupted Magister's Staff would also fit, but the Malign Staff specifically reduces willpower, which would make the user more susceptible to demons.)

In the end, Wynne sacrifices herself to save Evangeline, the templar her son loves, feeling that she is fulfilling the purpose for which the spirit of faith kept her alive. It's a good end for Wynne, and in its own way her death also supports the mage rebellion. Rhys is asked to take his mother's place in the Aequitarian fraternity, and by casting his vote to fight for their for freedom, it is he tips the balance. I actually teared up a bit when Rhys gave his speech, which is not simply about fighting but about letting go of their past assumptions about magic and everything around it.

Fiona

So Fiona is already Grand Enchanter at this point, elected fairly recently, and her election was so controversial due to her staunch Libertarian leanings that the Chantry reacted by disbanding the College of Enchanters so that they could no longer convene.

Reading this book, I really wanted to know why and how Fiona ended up returning to the Circle, because last we saw Fiona, she was a Grey Warden who had all but sworn she would never return to the Circle. And granted, it's been thirty years, so I wasn't questioning that it could happen, only the why and how. All she says in the book is "I came to the Circle from the Grey Wardens because I saw something had to be done."

From a Doylist standpoint, it was hard not to see this as purely a move to make "Fuck the Divine" Fiona important in Inquisition, because, you know, people like to hear familiar names. (And given the role the Wardens play in Inquisition, I wasn't sure why Fiona couldn't have been just as relevant as a Grey Warden, especially since she is now immune to the Calling.) The logical in-universe conclusion seemed to be that Fiona returned to the Circle for the specific purpose of pushing the Circle to secede from the Chantry and start a revolution.

The book offers no answers to this question. I checked, the wiki, however, and it seems that dialogue with Fiona in Inquisition does offer an answer. Apparently after the events of The Calling Fiona was not only immune to the Calling but cured of the Taint altogether—she was in fact no longer a Grey Warden, and due to her unique immunity, she was unable to re-take the Joining. And so, expelled from the Wardens, she was sent back to the Circle, where she decided she could do more good. I find that a satisfactory answer, and it seems to show some real character growth on Fiona's part.

Divine Justinia V

With my Fiona questions answered, I have one major lingering question, and it's about Divine Justinia V, formerly known as Revered Mother Dorothea of the Lothering Chantry. (And we're not going to get into how this poor woman appears to have aged 40 years in 13, because this post is not about the games.)

Divine Justinia is sort of a peripheral presence in this story but nonetheless an important one. Nothing directly comes of the attack on her by a solo mage early in the book, but it's pointed out later that said mage could never even have gotten out of the tower, nevermind anywhere near the Divine, without some templars at the very least looking the other way—and more likely actively facilitating.

At this time, Divine Justinia is a fairly radical voice in the Chantry, to the extent that I'm curious how she came to be Divine in the first place. Her election is said to have been controversial. Though it is suggested in Dragon Age II that Justinia is considering an Exalted March on Kirkwall to restore order, in hindsight perhaps we cannot be sure she would not have favored the mages or at least sought a more equitable resolution. It turns out to be Justinia who sanctioned Pharamond's research in the first place, and everything we see from here on paints her as a radically pro-mage Divine.

So how'd she get elected in the first place? This is really about more than Justinia herself; it points to a growing liberal streak within the Chantry leading to enough Grand Clerics willing to support a relatively young and pro-mage Divine who was not even a Grand Cleric herself.

The Doylist part of me says that Mother Dorothea ends up Divine because the writers really wanted Leliana to stay relevant enough to be in every single game, even when it meant overriding the player choice not to harden her in Origins (though you can always argue that if the Warden didn't harden her, some later experience did). But while I strongly suspect that's the case, I'd still like it to make sense in-universe, and maybe it does.

The wiki tells me that the previous Divine, Beatrix III, named Dorothea as her preferred successor, and though the Grand Clerics do have the power to overrule that appointment, traditionally they usually don't. Apparently, not enough of them found Justinia radical enough to veto, because she was elected Divine despite controversy. So why did Beatrix favor Mother Dorothea? I'm hoping to learn more about Beatrix in Dawn of the Seeker, the animated film about a conspiracy against the Divine which Cassandra helps to foil, and which I hope to watch soon!

Miscellaneous Lore

As our heroes trek across Orlais, coming in contact with common people along hte way, we are reminded that because most mages are taken to the Circle at a young age, your average person rarely has contact with a mage, and has little experience with them beyond what they're told.

Apparently the Black City is supposed to be the only constant in the Fade, visible on the horizon from any point in that realm. I will have to keep an eye out in the games from now on and see if it actually is.

This book (and The Masked Empire which follows it) makes a point of describing elves as having "strange alien eyes." It seems like the books are really leaning into DA2's redesign to make the elves look Different.

You're going to see the word "conclave" thrown around a lot toward the end of this book so I think it's important to note that we're not at any point here talking about the same Conclave at Haven that is destroyed at the beginning of Inquisition. A conclave in this context just refers to a gathering of mage leadership.

Final Thoughts

Asunder is a complicated story, but all of its threads really do come together in the end and I think it offers a great prelude to Inquisition as well as fascinating exploration of how magic and spirits work in this setting. Most important, I think, is the theme that Rhy's speech at the end highlights: there is so much the characters of this world do not yet understand about magic, spirits, the rites and rituals they have come to depend on, and the very nature of their world. Most of the major characters in this story have their beliefs called into question in one way or another, leading many of them to admit that they know far less than they thought they did.

It was a great read, and I really enjoyed it.

[thedinanshiral]

Dragon Age and side media.

Yes, this is about the Netflix animated series and why I think it'll be worth it.

Dragon Age lore is in large measure about patterns. I've explored this many, many times. So this is no different. And Dragon Age has plenty material to work with.

Often times people see side media (comics, books and anything not officially aligned with the main story) to be its own separate thing and not, well, canon. But that's not always the case with Dragon Age.

While not strictly necessary to follow through, DA's side media is not entirely inconsequential. Far from it, the novels, comics and series either give insight into known characters and conflicts, or introduces future companions and relevant NPCs, simultaneously setting the stage for future developments.

With the exception of DAO as it was the first installment of the series, the following games always had side media in between to prepare us for what was coming next. Let's see (mild spoilers ahead)

DAO got two prequel novels, The Stolen Throne and The Calling, with the former exploring Maric and Loghain's past and the latter introducing Duncan and, in a way, Alistair.

A bit after DA2 we got the Alistair comics (with Isabella and Varric as King Alistair's companions on a quest to find the truth about King Maric's fate), and Dragon Age Redemption, a sort of officially approved fanmade? low budget web series, with Felicia Day playing as Tallis, a character that would later appear in the DA2 Mark of the Assassin's DLC.

Then in preparation for DAI we got Asunder, The Masked Empire, Last Flight (novels) and Dawn of The Seeker (the Cassandra cgi movie i haven't seen yet). These novels introduced just about everything: new companions (Cole, Cassandra), relevant NPCs and bosses (Michel de Chevin, Gaspar, Briala, Felassan, Imshael and even Fen'Harel), and conflicts we'd have to deal with in DAI (the Orlesian civil war, the fall of the Seekers, demons). Curiously enough, the only pre-DAI side media that had no repercussion in the game was Last Flight, arguably one of the best DA novels (shh, I'm biased); it takes place in the Anders at the Grey Wardens HQ, and jumps between the past during the Fourth Blight and the present shortly after the Mage Rebellion. Is in Last Flight where we learn what happened to the griffons, and there's a revelation that i think will play out in DAD. The DA4 trailer and BTS video with concept art gave me some hopes for this as some of the scenery was clearly set in the Anders and Weishaupt.

So far DAD has had 5 comics to prepare us all: Mage Killer, Knight Errant, Deception, Blue Wraith and Dark Fortress, introducing new and recurring characters with strong in-game companions potential, and setting the quest for the red lyrium idol and the hunt for Solas. There's also the amazing Tevinter Nights anthology introducing new characters, taking us on a tour around the yet unexplored regions of Thedas like Tevinter, Nevarra and Antiva. Some of these new characters would later be appearing in several short stories published on the BW site, and also have tons of companion potential.

And now, we have Absolution. Or will have, soon enough. A Netflix animated series. The trailer tells me this is where some of the DA4 concept art ended up in. Now I've seen and heard enough about this: that it's generic Netflix anime, that it has nothing that says "Dragon Age" and oh what's that? Me taking you to the optometrist for new glasses. Granted, the general public won't be pausing on every frame, but I have issues so i kinda did.

From what I gather we'll be following an elven rogue and their friends/associates on a quest to stop an (drumroll please)...evil Tevinter mage set on unleashing something terrible using magic and a mysterious magical artifact.

What are their personal motivations, their sad backstories? What will be at stake? I mean, Solas is about to set the world on fire, what could be worse than that? This new artifact looks like a bracelet with two serpents eating each other's tail, and is that red detail something like a ruby...or is it red lyrium? If this is Tevinter, there's dragons and serpents everywhere, Old Gods stuff, and two serpents made one reminds me of the twins Falon'din and Dirthamen... Is the evil mage summoning something terrible or restraining it with a barrier?

What cities will we be seeing for the first time?

And most importantly, what's my new wife's name?

Yes, it seems the Netflix series writers are not the DAD writers. But neither are the 5 comics' and nobody's questioning the canonical value or lack thereof of, say, Blue Wraith.

I think Absolution is part of the side media meant to prepare the terrain for DAD, and not some random executive's whim, so even if Weekes themselves aren't holding the pen, it'll be fine. I imagine Absolution has at least two goals: 1) to gather new fans of the series and hype for the next game, and 2) to add something (companions, lore, foreshadowing) to the next game.

Redemption is a fine example of why not to underestimate side media, no matter how low budget and lore unfriendly it seems because this is the side media that introduced the Mask of Fen'Harel, an artifact that is activated via blood magic and used to open portals into the Veil to cross over to the Fade. Yeah, as simple and unofficial as it may look Redemption foretold Fen'Harel's relation to the Veil and it's manipulation. It wouldn't be until DAI (and for many, until Trespasser) that Fen'Harel would be revealed as the creator of the Veil and the dots began connecting that he's the OG rift mage for that reason.

So yeah, I'm excited, and I'll watch it and dissect it. I'm equal parts starved and excited for DA lore/content, it's been A VERY LONG TIME.

A VERY LONG TIME

[technoturian]

After finishing the Wheel of Time’s first season yesterday and thinking on it, I have come to the following opinions:

- Love Nynaeve.

- Nynaeve’s “Fight me!” energy is everything. The coolest moments in the series were her two rage blasts of magic. YOU’RE DOING GREAT, HONEY.

- Love Egwene and Moiraine and Mat and Perrin and of course my boy Lan.

- Hate Rand.

- Thank goodness they made the show more of an ensemble because the actually interesting characters are able to distract from Rand’s utterly cliche and uninteresting Chosen One story. Yawn.

- His ONLY PERSONALITY TRAIT is that he literally spends the majority of the show sulking about a girl not loving him enough and punishing her for it when - according to the book spoilers I read - he’s not even going to end up with her, he’s going to end up with a literal  h a r e m  of women who all agree to share him because he’s just that awesome? UH, GAG. Rand is the worst, I’m sorry. I hope he develops a personality but from the things I’ve read it doesn’t sound like he will aside from “Generic Chosen One”.

- Egwene and Rand’s relationship is very unsatisfying. It started with him being like, “Stay with me and have my babies!” and ended with him realizing she has her own hopes and dreams, which would be good, but Egwene on the other hand went from “I love you Rand, but I have other priorities and a calling beyond that.“ to a soppy-eyed, “Whatever you want, Rand!” which kind of undercut his big moment of growth there...

- Egwene’s interactions with Nynaeve were ten times more interesting, more satisfying, more complex than any scene with either of the two boys who were in love with her. What’s that, Egwene? You’ve got a tempermental redhead with sharp cheekbones and a wolf boy with rage issues and a one-sided crush fighting over you? Is it still a better love story than Twilight?

- Perrin’s cool though. If I were writing the story I’d make him Egwene’s warder. I hope we see more of his wolf friends because puppies make all shows better. Also it would stick it to Game of Thrones and their “we can’t show the dire wolves because it costs to much” excuses. ALWAYS SHOW THE WOLVES.

- I totally misread the first scene with Perrin’s fridged wife as an indicator that she was pregnant which made the end of the episode WAY darker due to that misconception. Still dumb that they fridged her, though.

- All the gender essentialism stuff makes me feel a kind of way. Red ajahs don’t take warders because they hate men? Okay even with the conceit that only women can be channelers why can’t women also be warders??? Because that would mess with the very delicate and subtle metaphor for heteronormative gender politics, obviously.

- Moiraine wasn’t that interesting in the first couple episodes but was the most interesting by the end. It’s the wlw effect.

- I don’t know why everyone is calling this “The New Game of Thrones” when it’s more like “The Higher Budget Legend of the Seeker”.