#sola + julie

[adr-n-sketchy]

Please, stay, love me through the weather Please, say this will be forever Hold me in the darkness Even when it's hard with you It's a little bit, little bit better

I started this when the song was new and now it's a lot less new

[awkwardgtace]

Tangled Emotions

Day 26! Tangled today we go back to the mafia au

Rhys is woken up by Sola and Luna climbing through his hair, but are they the only humans around him then?

Tangled Emotions

Rhys felt some tugs in his hair. He assumed it was Ryder, his brother had slowly been getting closer to being on him again. He missed the human sleeping on him, but it was his own fault. Things hadn’t quite gone back to normal yet. He trusted Felix though… That hurt. Felix started it that day.

Either way Rhys didn’t move, he’d fallen asleep in a weird way anyway. His head hanging off his bed, hair all over the floor. He almost hoped it was Ryder, he wanted to fix things. He’d never let something so dangerous happen again. A growl slipped out of his throat, angry at himself more than anything.

“Shoot, did we make him mad?” Sola’s soft voice faintly reached his ears. Rhys slowly opened his eyes hoping to find his tiny human sister. It was hard to think about how small she was sometimes… smaller than Ryder. As soon as he saw the bluish black hair he realized it wasn’t just Sola.

“I hope not. I wouldn’t want to wake him up and ask him if he’s already angry,” Luna muttered. 

Rhys smiled to himself. His youngest siblings were hard to predict. He tried to start purring to encourage them. He felt the tugs again. He could picture their shared look before climbing towards him again. Normally he’d try to stop them because they could get tangled, but he wanted them to act like this. He wanted the human members of his family to trust him.

They were laughing to themselves as they climbed through his hair. He couldn’t remember the last time he fell asleep like this. Probably when Ryder was sick after Alessia’s party. They all thought he might die. Stupid pest control used in the cities that don’t let humans in. It would make more sense to keep the walls safe just in case a human wound up there and needed help. Might have only been bad because it was a hotel, but that was a different problem entirely. 

The tugs pulled him from the negative thoughts. Sola and Luna were pulling at more of his hair. It was getting him worried, he didn’t want them tangled. It shouldn’t take long for them to reach him and get him to ‘wake’ up. Ryder climbed through his hair when they were kids. Usually when Rhys fell asleep without him around. Ryder would tie his hair in knots. Felix would have to fix it if Ryder refused.

“Luna, I’m stuck,” Sola’s whine broke his heart. It might be time for the big brother to wake up on his own.

“Stay still, I’ll get you out,” Luna said. He smiled, Luna had gotten a lot more confident since their birthday. The tugs on his hair got worse, he almost grunted. It was followed by a period of silence that ended with, “Oh no…”

“Luna… are you stuck too?”

“N-No! Maybe… yes…”

Sola’s giggles made Rhys smile. He’d wait a little longer before he pretended to wake up. Then he’d get them out of his hair and find out what they wanted. As long as he could help he’d be happy. The silence dragged on, he got nervous. That they were afraid to ask him for help. He was dangerous, more dangerous than Alessia and Felix…

“Do you think he’ll hear us if we try to wake him up from here?” Luna asked. His voice was shaking. Rhys almost whined, of course their voices would wake him up.

“Um… probably. He talks to Ryder when he’s not super close… He should hear us. I think,” Sola said. She sounded like she might start crying. Rhys slowly started to open his eyes, ready to see the two where they’d gotten stuck.

“He would have woken up already if he could hear us wouldn’t he? What if he doesn’t notice us when he wakes up? He might get mad…”

“Rhys doesn’t get mad at us Luna… He wouldn’t be mad at us… even though he told us not to climb in his hair. He… he wouldn’t hate us right?”

“N-no. I mean we do things that annoy each other and he’s our brother so it should be fine like it’s fine with us… I hope.”

Rhys lost himself then, a whine escaped his chest. His eyes slowly opened to meet the two worried and scared sets of eyes. The world was frozen as he stared at them. He hoped they’d talk, but instead the two just stayed watching him. It was almost like they were worried that he would find them. As if he’d do something to them… That was what they were talking about.

“You two stuck?” he smirked. It was how he worked. Lightness, laughter, and jokes. He would make everything simple with that.

“Uh-um we-uh-” Sola started.

“Need some help? My neck is starting to hurt after lying like this. I thought the tugs in my hair were a dream, not my favorite human twins.” Two tiny heads nodded at him. He offered a smile, the same one he always gave. Fangs on display… One he shouldn’t show the humans in his family. “Hold on tight, I gotta roll over first so I can grab you two. Ok?”

The tiny heads nodded at him. Slowly he started to push himself up enough to turn over. It was better if they were dangling in front of his face. As soon as he shifted a bit he felt a different weight he hadn’t expected rolling off his chest. He shot his hand out, catching the falling human just in time. He brought his hand close quickly, shocked to find the weight was Ryder.

“Wh-” Ryder cut himself off with a yawn, “Why are you getting up? Isn’t it still late?”

Rhys’s words were gone. Ryder was here, sleeping on him. Everything in him wanted to shoot up and ask what was going on. Why was his brother there? Why were the twins in his hair? He… he wasn’t the one the human members of his family felt safe around. His lips continued to move with no sound coming out.

“Rhys?” Luna’s nervous voice reminded him they were waiting.

Rhys cupped Ryder to his chest and finished rolling onto his stomach. He slowly pushed himself up after that. His back curved in a painful way, but it wasn’t more than he could handle. Rhys continued to pull himself up and back until he sat on his knees. Sola and Luna weren’t far up in his hair, hanging right by his lips. He was terrified to speak with them there.

He held his breath as he set Ryder down in front of him. He brought both his hands up to his hair, cupping them around the twins. It was terrifying, all he could think about were the ways he could go too far. Their birthday was easy; he expected it and planned for it. This time was a surprise. A surprise he liked until he had to hold them in his too big hands.

“I’ll get you untangled, just hold still ok?” he whispered. Their scents wafted towards him. It was strange… He knew they were supposed to be giants, but everything about them was human. Chamomile and sunflowers. Smelling them made him calm.

“Ok…” Sola and Luna said in unison. 

Rhys sucked in a deep breath before letting Luna go. Luna had been stuck before, he’d be able to handle it easier. Carefully Rhys pulled his hair apart until Sola was wriggling free, little by little. He chuckled when her hands hit his face as she tried to help free herself. He set a palm beneath her just before he tugged on the hair holding her up. She landed with an oomph on his palm.

“One down, one to go,” he smiled when Sola laughed. Rhys set her on the bed next to Ryder before starting on Luna.

Luna was the opposite of Sola even now. He stayed perfectly still as Rhys worked the hair out from Luna’s body. His little brother was much more tangled than Sola. Probably because he tried to get out to help her. Rhys couldn’t stop himself from chuckling again as he worked it out. His laughter died as he realized Luna was shaking.

“Hey, it’s ok,” he whispered. He’d gotten good at speaking softly enough only the human next to him could hear. A trick of the trade when it came to hiding humans in his mouth sometimes… most times. Too many times… and Ryder saw so many of them…

“You aren’t mad at us? Really? I-it was my idea to come to you… I…” Luna whispered. Rhys calmly pressed his smallest brother to his nose as he finished pulling the hair away.

“Can’t be mad at two of my favorite people, can I?” Rhys let Luna fall on his palm. He lowered his hand down to let his smallest brother off. He couldn’t see any of them wanting to be in his hands anymore. Rhys cleared his throat, forcing the three humans near him to stare up… He never thought about how small they were before… “So, do I get to know why there was some late night racing in my hair?”

Luna jumped up and scrambled back, falling off his palm. It reminded him how terrifying he could be… Luna sat shaking against his fingers, but didn’t slide off. Eventually Rhys’s youngest brother looked up with a bit of embarrassment and shockingly no fear. The young human climbed to his feet and stepped forward. Rhys was ashamed by the look Luna gave him, one of trust… trust he didn’t deserve.

“I… I had a nightmare and asked Sola to c-come with me. Could we sleep with you… like Ryder does?” Luna asked.

“Sure…,” Rhys whispered. That wasn’t what he expected. He forced the emotions down, planting a smirk on his face. He scooped up all three humans to move them to a pillow. Ryder had been shockingly quiet this whole time. He must have wound up here by accident. “Give me a few minutes to actually get ready for bed and you can sleep with me. Just wait on the pillow for now.”

 Sola and Luna hopped off, smiling up at him. Ryder didn’t move. Rhys wasn’t sure if he should slide his brother off or just take him along. It wasn’t easy to know how to act with him anymore. Thinking back, this was the first time Ryder had been in his hand since he and Felix fought. His brother had to be petrified. Just before he could tilt his hand, Ryder moved.

“I have to get ready too, I fell asleep trying to wake your heavy sleeping giant ass up,” Ryder snarked.

Rhys nodded. He pulled his hand with Ryder up to his chest, cupping him against his heart. It was hard to stay calm holding him. It used to be normal, but now he was too aware. Aware of how small Ryder was. How fragile, how… how easily one action could hurt him. That stupid fight changed so much.

Rhys’s feet felt like cement as he tried to lift them. Each step layered with the unexplained reason of why Ryder was with him. Had Felix needed something? Was someone pushing him to be around him? Did mom or dad say something? Did he know about Sola and Luna planning to come to ask to-

“You know you’re not good at hiding your overthinking from me,” Ryder whispered.

Rhys jumped, looking down at the worried face of his brother. It made him rush, reaching the bathroom and shakily sliding Ryder off his palms. Rhys leaned against the closed door, sliding down to stare up at Ryder. They hadn’t been alone since the fight. This was… This wasn’t going to go well.

“...I can go get Felix…” Rhys whispered. Ryder’s tilted head didn’t give him any concrete answer. “Alessia wouldn’t mind either.”

“So… I was right then?” Ryder’s voice sounded hurt. “Sorry… I’ll just-”

“Right about what?” It took too long for Rhys’s voice to work. He was staring at his brother. Smaller than his fingers, but stronger than everyone in their family. “Me being scary? I knew that… I always go too far, take too many chances. I…”

“...mad…” Ryder’s voice was too quiet, Rhys leaned forward to try and hear better. He was shocked to find tears on his brother’s face.

“Who’s mad?”

Rhys waited, an anger building in him. Did Ryder come to him because Felix was mad? He’d deal with that. If someone else, another giant, started something Rhys would end them. He’d make sure they didn’t get to do anything to scare his brother. He made the mistake once and he wouldn’t do it again.

“You,” Ryder whispered. Rhys deflated… All the things he prepared for didn’t count himself. “I understand though. I mean dad didn’t let you and Felix come back full time until a few weeks before the twins’ birthday. I just kind of hoped… After I saw you sleeping like that, it was usually what you did when you were upset so I-”

“I’m not mad,” Rhys interrupted. 

He didn’t used to feel so awful for interrupting. Ryder knew it wasn’t because he wasn’t listening. It was how Rhys was, how the Kamia information broker had to be. Cut in, interject, change the conversation, get the details without it being clear. For the two of them it was always because he was a step ahead, he didn’t feel that way anymore.

“You know you’re bad at lying to me,” Ryder looked at him with a glare.

Rhys was drenched in lies. Most of his casual persona was a lie. He was terrified of hurting humans, terrified all his family’s work would amount to nothing. He hated himself whenever a giant touched Ryder and he failed to stop it. These things were what he lied about. Now with Ryder facing him, hugging himself and glaring, Rhys had to tell himself the truth. He was mad.

Rhys wasn’t just mad, he was furious. He spent so much time trying to be someone Ryder could rely on. Someone who didn’t scare or hurt his brother. Someone that could be trusted no matter what Ryder saw him do. Then one stupid fight ruined it all. 

He wanted to blame Felix. He wanted Ryder to blame Felix. It was easy to think he wasn’t at fault. He knew he was. Rhys hadn’t considered why Ryder always woke him up when he was leaving. That sometimes his brother could wind up somewhere that he wouldn’t notice. It was like that time he threw him on the bed. Rhys only thought about his own view on it, not the way the human he cared about did.

“...I’m furious,” Rhys whispered. He could barely look at his brother now. 

“Yeah… I-I’ll stick with Felix… Just uh let me know when-”

“I’m furious at myself Ryder.” Rhys looked up to see silver eyes wide with shock. He couldn’t muster a smirk like he always wore. It was the first time he was honest since it happened… The first time his web of lies was finally untangled and splayed in front of him. Slowly Ryder became a blurry blob. “I should have been smarter. I should have known you wouldn’t leave without telling me. I should have… I’m supposed to be better.”

“Rhys wh-”

“I’m so sorry.” The dam finally broke. Tears spilled out of his eyes, drop after drop rolling down his face. “I’m supposed to keep you safe. If it was anyone else who did that I would have made them pay, fought them myself and spread a ton of rumors. Left them as an enemy of the Kamias. I can’t though, I can’t because it was me. I almost killed you Ryder… I’m so so sorry. I don’t know how to-”

“Since when do you talk so honestly?” Ryder’s voice silenced him. Rhys stared at his brother, his younger brother. The human he had fought other giants over for just touching him. 

“Since I almost killed my brother and he’s been afraid to go near me.”

Rhys let out a wet laugh. He hung his head. Looking at Ryder just promised that he couldn’t undo it. Couldn’t fix his mistakes. It was better for his human family members to hate him. He was loud, careless, rough… The act that made everyone love to drink with him and give him plenty of information.  He prided himself on the fact humans in his hands were always treated gently. He couldn’t count on that pride when he couldn’t even keep his brother safe.

A tug on his leg made him jump. Ryder had jumped off the sink, barely catching the fabric of Rhys’s pants. He froze, things like this were supposed to be normal. They used to be, but he was afraid. Afraid he’d fail his brother again. Ryder was on his knee almost too quickly. His brother sat directly in front of him, trusting that he wouldn’t make a move that sent him falling to what could be his death.

“I thought you guys would kill me,” Ryder whispered. “I… I thought with mom a human and Sola and Luna I wasn’t needed anymore… I was terrified of even making a noise. I thought, when dad stopped you, that one of you would grab me and crush me.”

“Ryder…” Rhys didn’t have the words. He knew Ryder was scared, but not like that. It never occurred to him that he thought after the fight they’d hurt him. Another way he had messed up. His brother should have been able to talk about this, about thinking he wasn’t important. “...how long?”

“Since the night dad told us it was mom…”

“You didn’t tell me…”

“I thought you wanted me gone. That I was fun to have around, but it was over now.”

Rhys let a growl slip through his chest, “I’d kill anyone who told you that.”

Ryder climbed to his feet, “I told myself that.”

“Oh…”

They sat in silence. Rhys could only stare at his brother standing on his knee. Ryder hugged himself. Slowly, with so much fear he could barely breathe, Rhys brought a hand up to cup around his brother. Seconds of tense silence then Rhys poked him. Ryder fell off his feet. He was left sitting with his hands holding him up to stare at Rhys. Wide silver eyes filled with shock and a bit of confusion.

“There, I killed the one who told you that… No one gets to say my brother is just around because we think he’s fun and get away with it,” Rhys said softly, the smallest bit of a smile playing on his lips. “Too bad I can’t beat myself up for almost…”

“I don’t know, it seemed like Felix did a good job of it. Dad said you were losing,” Ryder laughed. Rhys found himself laughing with him.

“I was faking. There was no way I wouldn’t have won in the end. I’m undefeated… by everyone except Ryder Kamia…”

“I’ve heard of that Ryder guy. Heard he’s pretty good at causing some chaos when he wants to.”

“Yeah, only one who can bring the strongest of the Kamia’s to their knees. Especially our family head.”

“I heard he has a habit of staying with his brothers when he’s nervous about things… Especially Rhys.”

“Oh… I heard Rhys kind of likes having his terrifying brother around. Where he can keep him safe.”

Shared smiles and a calm silence between the two. Ryder stood, a hand pressed against the fingers around him. Rhys bit his lip, he wasn’t sure how to act. If this was right, that he deserved all of this. In the end that didn’t matter, he wanted his brother to trust him. He wouldn’t make the mistakes again, he learned how to stay still in his sleep and he can learn even more.

“I hate that I almost hurt you, Ryder,” Rhys whispered. Tiny fingers dug into his skin. “I’m mad that I was so stupid. That it took nearly killing you to realize why you always woke me up. That I tried so hard to blame Felix when I was just as at fault, probably more. I won’t let that happen again…”

“Funny thing when your brother is the best liar in all the mafia families,” Ryder smiled, “it’s easy to believe him when he tells the truth.”

Rhys gave in. He closed his fingers around Ryder and pulled him to his chest. Pressed his brother against his heart and let out a sob he didn’t realize he’d held back. There was no way to be sure how long they sat there. Eventually Rhys stood, pulling Ryder from his chest. His brother had a dumb grin that made everything feel a lot better.

He closed his fist around his brother before slipping off his overshirt. The tank top was enough for the night. Ryder squirmed in his fist until he opened it again. A smirk as he fixed himself, pulling off his own shirt. Rhys pinched it off his hand as he walked. His room was silent when they got back. He dropped the human sized shirt on a dresser. It wasn’t easy to believe Ryder could forgive him when he thought about how small humans were. That trust terrified him.

When he reached the bed, Sola and Luna were curled up and asleep. He smiled before bringing Ryder up next to them. His brother slid off his hand, calmly lying next to their youngest siblings. Rhys climbed into his bed himself, resting his head close enough each breath was filled with all three of their scents. Chamomile, sunflowers, and the haunting smell of metal and blood. A mixture that anyone outside his family wouldn’t adore nearly as much.

Rhys brought a hand up to cover the three humans. Sola rolled away from Luna, grabbing at his thumb. Luna’s arms wound up making an awful attempt at hugging the finger over him. It was impossible to describe the feeling as he lifted his fingers just a bit. Watching Ryder guide even tinier hands towards himself. Luna calmed as soon as he had arms wrapped around him too.

Slowly Rhys let his fingers lie over them again. Three tiny heartbeats that he could somehow feel. Tomorrow he’d be tangled in all his lies again. Constantly weaving more. He’d let the twins play in his hair again, getting tangled in nothing that could hurt them. From now on he’d never let anyone hurt the humans in his family… That included himself.

[saltiepng]

so what if i post silly doodles. what then

[s-123-dont-know]

Why life goes so fast when you're an adult?

[imjustboredso]

I just saw on TikTok some girl point out how Luke will never know that “perfect harmony” exists and i–

[felassan]

Compilation of snippets from the DA:TV acting talent panel at SDCC (Dragon Age: Meet the Heroic Companions of Thedas) today (July 26th). DA:TV spoilers under cut.

Huge props and tysm to the users who live-tweeted and clipped this panel, you are heroes 🙏💜!!

The panel was moderated. In attendance were John Epler, creative performance director Ashley Barlow, and the actors of Lucanis, Neve, Emmrich, and Harding - Zach Mendez, Jessica Clark, Nick Boraine, and Ali Hillis respectively.

The panel ended with a Q&A session.

(BioWare have stated that a recording of the panel will be made available at a later date.)

Edit/update: I've now been through this post and tidied it up :)

---

Here are some pictures from the panel [source]

Here are some more pictures from the panel [source]

In this Twitter thread there are also some video clips of parts of the panel [source]

BioWare tried to avoid spoilers in the panel [source]

Key points/summary of DA:TV: hunting Solas, found family companions, stop the elven gods [source]

When auditioning the companions, BW were specifically looking for character chemistry [source]

BW used motion capture for the game [source]. Mo-cap was mentioned a lot in the panel [source]

Lucanis sees assassination as a job. His mind is as dangerous as his knives and he is also "kinda hilarious" [source]

There was mention of other Crows [source]

Zach Mendez read Tevinter Nights like three times [source]

A clip of the actors doing mo-cap was shown [source]. Photos of Zach mo-capping for other characters was shown [source]

BioWare said that Zach brought a certain darkness to Lucanis [source]

Zach is excited for the romance and is looking forward to the stats [source]

Zach mentioned that he used his own relationship with his brother in his portrayal of Lucanis [source] (surely this means ILLARIO.. ?👀)

Zach played a lot of darkspawn originally while auditioning [source]

Ali Hillis really welcomed Zach into the DA family [source]

Neve is from Minrathous. She has fun banter and is a cynical detective with a heart of gold. They want to show a rebellious side of Tevinter [source]

Jessica Clark loves Neve's loyalty, dedication, and different vision of Tevinter

Neve is fighting for the people [source]. Jessica: "She is really really fighting for those people, and she loves those people. So, yes, she's cynical, and yes she's kind of tough and brusque and all these other things, but when they say there's a heart of gold, there really, like, to have that kind of a passion and dedicate your life to something like that, I think that's definitely my favorite part about her" [source]

Jessica loves how much Neve loves Docktown and its people [source]

Neve sees a different vision for Tevinter than what has previously been depicted in the series [source]

The actors were separate from one another while recording lines but still bonded really well and organically [source]

There are several Veilguard gc [source] (groupchats?)

Ali is an angel and very supportive of the new cast [source]

Emmrich is a "stone cold silver fox" (this is a quote from the panel moderator) [source]

BioWare knew the reaction they would get about Emmrich from the fandom [source]

Nick Boraine feels like he's been preparing for Emmrich all his life. He's obsessed with death (as a comfort and not scary) and enabling people to transition into death. He is attracted to this aspect of the character [source]

"You're gonna need a dictionary for Emmrich" for all the magic spells [source]

"Interesting how this character caught fire compared to the other sexy characters" [source] (I think this was said wrt Emmrich?)

BW had a great time recording with Nick, he is a very consistent actor [source]

Nick and Matt Mercer have never met [source]

Manfred plays off of Emmrich. "I set the tone" [source]

What has Harding been doing in-between DA:I and DA:TV? She's been working closely with Varric and the Inquisition remnants. She and Neve already met in the comics [source]

Ali vividly remembers the beginning of voicing Harding, she says it's brilliant writing. She really thought of Harding's personality and traits. She's so happy to be back [source]

wrt the Covid-19 pandemic and the year 2020, BW had to pivot with working remotely and were able to push through their projects. [source]

"[Harding] chasing Solas for a decade..." "that was a great relationship that [you] developed... and now I'll stop talking now". Ali was excited [source]

John Epler talked about how companions may but heads, and won't be predictable [source]

There are thousands and thousands of lines and so many characters to meet [source]

Zach "unfortunately has been around the DA Reddit before recording as Lucanis" [source]. He feels inspired by all the fans and cannot wait for us to play it [source]

[new textblock due to character limit!]

John Epler on Emmrich: "I mean honestly, I will say, like, we expected a great reaction to Emmrich. Went beyond what we expected for sure. But it’s been fascinating to see, because again, Emmrich is this character, he’s more of the professorial, more, he brings a wisdom and kind of a calmness to the group, so even when things are at their worst, there’s that one person in the group who is kinda like, ‘okay, y’know, we've got, let's figure it out, let’s take a deep breath’. And just his journey through his character arc, and his interactions with the others, it’s been fantastic to see. Even just finding opportunities for him to bounce off the other characters, you know, the way he talks to Bellara, the way he talks to Neve, it’s all so different, but it’s also just, again, based around this core of this warm, kind-hearted, professorial necromancer. Which, again, is not something you see a lot of in media. I mean, usually, necromancers are depicted in a very specific way. But it’s been, it's awesome to see how Emmrich has grown and just, really one of the most, one of my favorite experiences has been just working with Emmrich’s writer, working with Emmrich as a character." [source]

All the actors are excited about the dialogue and narrative, and for us to explore DA:TV [source]

Ali says that we will really find ourselves in this game [source]

During the recording process, the actors all hear the previous person's recording and react or respond to it [source]

Due to Covid-related lockdown, a lot of recording was done over Zoom, and the writers besides Ashley Barlow (creative performance director) would jump in on the call to talk about the previous person’s lines [source]

A question was asked about the background factions. "Characters not causes". [source]

You can work with the Grey Wardens in the game (for example) [source]

The actors all met this weekend. They are an "un-chosen" family [source]

Zach stood in for multiple characters for mo-cap, for example he was Assan [source]

Lucanis has a heart but is stubborn and stuck in his ways. Zach is excited for fans to help his character open up as the story progresses [source]

Jessica is incredibly honored to join the DA universe. She is new to voice acting for video games. “This is play pretend. Playing Neve allowed her to step into her power.” [source]

A question was asked on what their first exposure to fantasy was, and do they implement this into the acting? John talked about Lord of the Rings and how every media you experience will seep out into your work [source]

Ashley didn't want the dialogue to sound modern [source]

Zach loves Theseus and talked about the symbolism in DA [source]

Jessica loves Greek mythology and lore [source]

Nick talked about The Hobbit and how he would dress up in big boots and a cape when his mother would read to him [source]

Ali recently went to Greece and felt like she saw DA everywhere [source]

A question was asked - "From your companion's perspective, which previous companion would you romance?" Zach kind of has a thing for The Iron Bull, saying "oh that awakened something inside of me". He also likes Dorian. Jessica was too overwhelmed to answer. Nick was also overwhelmed by the question, but thinks Solas is sexy [source] [source]

Ali fangirled over Lucanis and Emmrich [source], prefers Emmrich [source]

A question was asked - "Is DA:TV and DA:I streamlined together?" [paraphrased]. Answer: DA games are not as streamlined as Mass Effect and act almost as standalones [source]

The cast were asked about which aspect of their character is their favorite. Ali loves the little quirks about Harding. "Lucanis is a good cook!?" ** Neve is very dry and pretty closed off about it. For Emmrich, it's the "exploration of the idea of death and necromancy" [source] (** FINALLY CITATION for this? :D)

A question was asked: "How do you decide to introduce the lore in each game?" BioWare answered that it depends as they build each game. They always know the base lore, and see opportunities through game mechanics and characters. They try not to infodump [source]

A question was asked: "Any favorite party banter?" Ashley Barlow said to listen for "hand to bone combat" [source]

The game takes place approximately 10 years after the end of DA:I. You start the game hunting for Solas. The game is built on some core principles: be who you want to be in a world worth saving and with characters that matter. The companions are always at the heart of DA and they are at the heart of this game too. [source]

The moderator asked John Epler about what is bringing this party of people ("this rogues' gallery") together. John: "I mean, it's the end of the world, and each character that you bring into your party understands that the world is ending, that they need to stop that, and you're really building, what I would say is, more of a found family. These are characters who may not start off liking each other, may not even start off liking you, but over time they grow to understand the importance of what they're doing and just, how critical it is to stop the elven gods" [source]

"He is kind and has some spectacular lines. He is a natural nerdy scientist. He loves learning." [source] (Emmrich? ^^)

Ali didn't realize that Harding was such a beloved character. She thanked fans for bringing this character back [source]

Ali is super excited that the game is releasing. She said that there has been an evolution to Harding's character and that she's been chasing Solas for like a decade at this point [source]

Jessica loves the writing in the game [source]

Nick loves its narrative [source]

Ali said that this game is going to take you into a world that will blow your minds [source]

On Manfred: Nick was asked what it was like having another character to bounce off of. He said "Oh man! I mean, that is such a hard question, because Matt and I have never met, and we worked completely separately, and, I, I mean I know that the rapport is really great, but it's in the ether, I mean it is just, the magic that these guys create, telling us how to respond, how to do that, but it's, I can't wait to meet Matt" [source]

BW still said that the game's release window is Fall 2024 [source]. Nothing more specific was given [source]

There are also more snippets here in this Tumblr post, go check it out!

[source, two]

[aroiteroi]

🌸What if🌸

“A veces con solo tener a una sola persona en el mundo que pueda entenderte ya es suficiente”💛

Repost July 2023 ☕Support my art by donating in my ko-fi

Referencia de una ilustración de Hori🍥 Literalmente es un ''What if'', tal vez en un ambiente menos hostil, uno en donde no habrían buenos o malos, sino sólo personas.

[mythalism]

what if solas was a spirit of faith?

ok hear me out. i dont 100% prescribe to this theory. most of the evidence we have is in favor of solas being a wisdom spirit, however when i was writing this post i came across something that made me go hm.

now, not everything david gaider says is automatically canon. in fact, david gaider regularly and loudly says a lot of racist, misogynistic, and generally awful things about his own games and characters, so i actually do not respect his opinion at all.

however he was indeed the lead writer for dragon age: inquisition and had input into solas's writing, so i think for him to say this means it was at least something the developers talked about and agreed upon at that time.

the wiki's citation leads to a forum post by gaider from july 2013:

"the corruption of faith is pride".

hm.

also notable is that david gaider is the writer of cassandra, and i bring this up because solas's banters with cassandra are basically the foundation of this, and why i started thinking about it in the first place.

solas is a lot of things. definitely a pride demon. an judgemental jerk, a lot of the time. a "mirror", as his writer puts it. a staunch atheist as well. extremely critical of anyone who claims godhood. and......... strangely respectful of *checks notes* THE MAKER???????

for someone who spends so much time decrying the corruption of false gods, many people have found solas's banter with cassandra to be out of character. and it is pretty jarring when placed in context with the rest of his statements.

remember that spirits embody a particular single virtue, and will do whatever they can to bring it forth in others:

“Spirits are not complex in the sense that they seize upon a single facet of human experience, and this one idea becomes their identity.[3] They are formed as a reflection of the real world and its passions.[10] A spirit embodies and latches onto a specific purpose and will do all in its power to fulfill that purpose. For instance, a hunger demon will attempt to feed on anything it crosses,[4] and a spirit of justice will stop at nothing to uphold its name”

solas, strangely, speaks of cassandra's faith with great respect and even reverence. he mentions her faith several times in their banter, and rather than criticize it as foolish as you might assume from someone who embodies pride, led a rebellion against false gods, and does not hesitate to hold back his judgement when he disapproves of something, solas actively encourages cassandra's continued faith in both the maker and herself.

he tells her that her position, of a seeker of truth (an arm of the templars which he despises?) and right hand of the divine, is "an honorable one and well-earned" and that her presence is a comfort, because there is no lie in what she is:

he outright mentions spirit of faith as gentle spirits that cannot afford to be lost to corruption:

he tells cassandra he is impressed by her faith, after the revelations about the truth of the seekers:

he praises her templar abilities and the maker?????

and, most notably....

when cassandra learns the truth about the seeker vigil and her abilities being borne of a ritual involving a spirit of faith, he tells her...

she should be proud

part of the reason these banters are so confusing and seemingly out of character of solas is due to his comments on the nature of gods, organized religion, and belief at other points throughout the game.

but i believe there is a common thread to them, and that it is not faith that he criticizes, but those who take advantage of it.

some of the best examples of his disgust for one who uses someones faith in them to accrue power are with a low-approval inquisitor. what he hates are those who manipulate faith in others.

solas hates to see faith corrupted by falsity.

but why would he hate such a thing so much? why does he actively encourage cassandra's faith in the maker, while criticizing an inquisitor who used the people's faith in andraste to amass power? well, because it reminds him of the evanuris, of course. but i think there could be more to it than just that.

whatever kind of spirit solas was, we (pretty much) know that he came into being at the behest of mythal according to cole:

we also know that solas was deeply devoted to mythal in the time of elvhenan, and even thousands of years later, he staunchly defends her as someone worthy of his faith, admiration and respect.

he approves of completing her rituals in the temple of mythal:

and greatly disapproves if you do not:

he cannot stand to let morrigan misrepresent her in dialogue (lol):

he even actually refers to her as a goddess at one point, despite often asserting that the ancient elvhen gods were not gods:

and, of course, the way he speaks of her in trespasser is quite literally reverent, as he reveals her murder was the catalyst for his entire rebellion:

could solas have been borne of mythal's faith? of the people's faith in her? of her faith in her people? of her faith in herself? of the People's faith in each other? how does he still have such faith in her after all of these years?

keeping in mind the way a spirit becomes corrupted,

combined with solas's answer to cassandra's question about what he truly believes, to which he answers that he believes in people:

and of course this new mural:

could solas have originally been a spirit of faith, corrupted into pride by the evanuris's abuse of the virtue he embodied? a spirit of faith, borne of mythal's faith in her people, and turned into pride when her people, her own family, betrayed her? when their gods proved false and the only thing left to have faith in was themselves?

as much as i love this and think it fits, it cant be ignored that there is equal, if not more, that suggests he was a spirit of wisdom first. however this is so clearly intentional and satisfying that i dont think it's a coincidence - they're definitely doing something with this. whether or not solas was always Pride and thus he is just drawn towards the two other sides of his coin, wisdom and faith, or if he was one and corrupted into pride, i dont know, but i think faith and the manipulation of it to evil ends will continue to be integral to his story.

[dragonagefanevents]

Dragon Age Fan Event Listings

The beauty of fan events is that they are run by fans.

Including you.

▸What are the types of fan events? - #education

▸Start a new event! - #how tos (coming soon)

▸Ask Box - send us advice, or ask for it!

▸Blog Tag List

Below is a list of all Dragon Age fan-run events we can find. The links should bring you to the most recent iteration of the event. Where possible, the time period the event covers is listed next to the event.

Want to get an event listed? Check out the link and submit. Look here for multi-fandom events, or more events in general.

Event Masterlist - #compendium

Bangs

25k Big Bang (July - November)

10k Big Bang (March - April)

Dragon Age Reverse Bang

Exchanges

Arlathan Exchange (April - June)

DA Polyshipping (August - November)

Handers Exchange (March - May)

Templartations Exchange (March - May)

Black Emporium Rare Pair Exchange (June - September)

Platonic Ideal Gen Fic Exchange (December - February)

Smutquisition (January - March)

Theme Weeks/Months

Krem Week 2024 (July 22 - 28)

City Elf Week (August 5 - August 11)

Zevwarden Week (2024 dates TBD)

Tranquil Week (August 25 - 31)

Sera Appreciation Week (Oct 13 - 19)

Kink Memes

Dragon Age Kink Meme (Dreamwidth) | DAO | DA2 | DAI

Zines

Dragon Age Flower Zine (Creation Period)

Wanderers Zine (Creation Period)

Dragon Age OC Zine (Mod Apps Open)

Alistair Zine (Creation Period)

Special Events

Dragon Age Drunk Writing Circle

Dragon Age Annual (2025 Production Period)

Dragon Age Create-A-Thon (Begins Sept 15 2024)

Reddit Weekly Dragon Age Writing Prompts

Unofficial Dragon Age Day (Dec 4)

Solavellan Day (April 11)

Past Events

Retired Bangs

DragonAgeBB (last: 2015; formerly on LJ and elsewhere)

Retired Exchanges

Demands of the Qun (Qunari)

A Paragon of Their Kind (DA Dwarves)

Solas Lovers

Hightown Funk (Varric/Hawke)

Retired Theme Weeks/Months

Autumn of Anders (Anders Appreciation Event)

Dalish Week

30 Days of Dorian (Dorian Appreciation Event)

Dragon Age Fan Week (2013)

Cullen Appreciation Week (2019)

Cullen Week (2021)

14 Days of DA Lovers

Fenris Appreciation Month (2017)

Rylen Appreciation Week (2018)

Sera Appreciation Week (2019)

Sub!Solas Week (2016)

Past Zines

Adoribull Fairytales

Age of Romance Zine (Incomplete)

ApprovesGreatly (Incomplete)

Andoralis Zine

Arcana: A Dragon Age Zine

Arlathvhen Zine (Incomplete)

Beyond the Veil Zine (Zine)

Bring Down the Sky Bioware Fanzine

Dragon Age 2 10th Anniversary Zine (Zine)

Dragon Age Codex Zine & Myths and Legends Zine

Fortitudo Dorian Artbook

Good for Each Other (Adoribull Zine)

In Peace, Vigilance Zine

Insufficient Skill Fanzine

Legend Mark Zine

Lotus and Root OC Zine

Love Across Thedas Zine (Zine)

Na Via Lerno Victoria (Fenris Zine)

Patron of the Arts Zine

Rebel Hearts Handers Zine (Zine)

Road to the Imperium Zine

Solasmancy Zine

Sunlight (Anders Zine)

The Coming Storm Zine (Ukrainian Zine)

The Dragon Age Zine (Russian Zine)

The Keeper's Codex Fairy Tale Zine

The Unsung Dragon Age Zine

The Zevran Zine (incomplete)

Thedosian Archives (incomplete)

to be happy (FenHawke Zine)

Wicked Eyes: A Dragon Age Finery Zine

Year of the Mabari (Incomplete)

Other Past Events

Dragon Age Calendar 2018

Dragon Age Calendar 2021

For Fans by Fans - Fan Forge

[shayennelovesbooks]

An excerpt from “Iron Flame” “A third of you will be dead by next July. If you want to wear rider black, then you earn it!” Dain shouts, his voice rising with each word. “You earn it every single day!” Cath digs his red claws into the masonry and leans over Dain’s head, swinging his swordtail behind him in a serpentine motion as he blows a hot breath of steam over the crowd that sours my stomach. Dain really needs to check Cath’s teeth, because there has to be a bone stuck in there decaying or something. Cries sound in the courtyard, and a first-year to the right — Tail Section — breaks out of formation and sprints back toward the parapet, racing through the aisles between cadets. No, no, no. “We have a runner,” Ridoc mutters. “Shit.” I cringe, my heart sinking as two others from Third Wing decide to follow his example, their arms pumping wildly as they make a break for it from First Squad of their Tail Section. This isn’t going to end well. “Looks contagious,” Quinn adds as they race by. “Fuck, they actually think they’ll make it.” Imogen sighs, her shoulders drooping. The trio nearly collides directly behind the center of our wing — our section — then bolts toward the opening in the courtyard wall where the parapet lies. “Eyes on Solas!” Tairn shouts. I look forward again, watching Solas narrow his one eye to a slit and swivel his head as he draws a full, rumbling breath. Lead fills my chest as I glance back over my shoulder and glimpse the runners nearing the parapet. The dragons didn’t let them get that far last year. He’s toying with them, and at this angle... Oh shit. Solas extends his neck, tilts his head horrifyingly low, and curls his tongue, fire churning up his throat — “Get down!” I shout, lunging for Sloane and tackling her to the ground as fire blasts overhead, the flames so close that heat singes every patch of exposed skin on my body. To Sloane’s credit, she doesn’t cry out as I cover as much of her body as I can, curling over her, but the soul-rending screams behind us are unmistakable. I open my eyes long enough to see Aaric laying flat over the redhead under the endless stream of fire. Tairn’s roar fills my head as lava licks along my arched back. A scream musters at the base of my throat, but I can’t breathe in this inferno, let alone give it voice. As quickly as it struck, the heat dissipates, and I fill my lungs with precious oxygen, gasping for breath before shoving off the gravel to my feet. I turn to face the aftermath as the other second- and third-years around me rise. Those at the back of our section who acted when I shouted are alive Those who didn’t, aren’t. Solas took out the runners, one of our first-years, and at least half of Third Squad. Chaos erupts.

IRON FLAME EXCERPT

I'm so excited omg

[anneapocalypse]

Some Summer Recs!

It has been far, far too long since I did a rec post! I can't promise to be back to it every month (though I'd really like to get back toward that), but here's some fics I have read and enjoyed! Mostly Dragon Age, and one FFXIV (though I expect to have some more recs for the latter in the future).

Candles at your feet by @skyeventide. Dragon Age, Cyril de Montfort/M!Trevelyan, 15K, rated E. An absolute gem of a fic which I had the privilege of beta reading. Gorgeous prose, a deeply thoughtful portrayal of Cyril and of Orlesian high social, and of the events of Trespasser from that perspective.

How Deep the Bullet Lies by @crackinglamb. Dragon Age, Cassandra/Solas, 4200 words, rated E. Cassandra receives a surprise visit during the Exalted Council. A beautifully-written exploration of unresolved tension and unanswered questions.

Freedom by @dalishkadan. Dragon Age, F!Lavellan/Iron Bull, 2400 words, rated T. An introspective fic that really captures the exhaustion the Inquisitor feels by Trespasser.

The Vallaslin by @dreadfutures. Dragon Age, F!Lavellan & Solas, 1900 words, rated G. An adopted Lavellan prepares to take vallaslin for the first time; Solas voices his objections. A great interplay of tension, not only between the two characters, but what they represent.

remember me when i die (for you) by @farfromdaylight. FFXIV, Crysalt Exarch/WoL, 7200 words, rated T. A gorgeous character study of the Crystal Exarch and his journey. Spoilers for Shadowbringers.

Happy July, friends, and happy reading.

[rivetgoth]

New Releases of 2023

Was waiting until the last few stragglers I was excited for were released lol but here is my list of LPs, EPs, and singles that dropped this year that I adored. I am probably missing some! But I’ve TRIED to keep it somewhat consistently updated. Just for fun, asterisks are next to artists I also saw live this year 🖤

I loved this year for music. Some absolutely insane new songs and albums this year.

Albums & EPs:

January 20: Ladytron — Time’s Arrow (synthpop, electronic)

*February 3: DIN — Up (synthpop, electronic, house)

March 24: Debby Friday — GOOD LUCK (dark electronic, industrial hip hop, darkwave)

*April 7: Shrouds — Grimoire (post punk, goth rock)

*April 21: Lead Into Gold — The Eternal Present (electro industrial, dark electronic)

*April 28: Male Tears — KRYPT (darkwave, EBM, dark electronic)

April 28: Bellwether Syndicate — Vestige & Vigil (darkwave, post punk, goth rock)

*May 11: Madeline Goldstein — Other World (synthpop, darkwave)

*May 12: IAMX — Fault Lines1 (dark electronic, darkwave, electro industrial)

*June 2: Puerta Negra — Playa Sola (EBM, electro industrial)

*June 3: ¿La Pregunta? — EP 2023 (EBM, electro industrial)

*July 28: MVTANT — Low Culture Metal Bodies (electro industrial, EBM, dark electronic, darkwave)

August 22: Patriarchy — Forcefully Rearranged (remix album) (dark electronic, electro industrial, darkwave)

*August 31: Hallows — A Quieter Life (darkwave, dark electronic)

*September 15: Sextile — Push (electro punk, electro industrial, techno)

September 15: Nation of Language — Strange Disciple (synthpop, new wave)

*September 22: Choke Chain — Mortality (EBM, electro industrial)

October 27: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard — The Silver Chord (neopsychedelia, synthpop, disco)

November 3: Deceits — If There’s No Heaven… (darkwave, post punk, goth rock)

November 8: Panther Modern — Deluxe (techno, dark electronic, EBM)

December 7: HEALTH — RAT WARS (dark electronic, electro industrial, noise rock)

Singles (not otherwise on albums):

*May 19: Harmony Index — Rainbow’s End / In My Dreams I See You Again (synthpop, trip hop, indie)

*August 9: Void Palace — Machine of Vision (EBM, electro industrial)

August 15: Vision Video — Normalized (darkwave, post punk)

*September 21: Pixel Grip — Bet You Do. (darkwave, EBM, industrial pop?)

*September 22: Sacred Skin — Bitter Heart (dark synthpop, darkwave)

October 6: I Speak Machine — BRING ME THE GIRL (dark electronic, electro industrial)

October 10: Grizz — Frightening, but blissful (darkwave hip hop)

October 20: Sleek Teeth — Gone (darkwave, EBM)

*December 13: TR/ST — Robrash (darkwave, dark electronic)

Artists w/ Multiple Singles:

*Catherine Moan Singles (synthpop)

January 13: Pavement 2

August 17: Jawbreaker

October 27: Undo Undo

*Some Ember Singles: (darkwave, New Romantic, dark electronic)

March 9: Love Comes Quickly

May 20: Touch

December 7: Pendulum

*Touching Ice Singles: (dark electronic, techno)

May 5: There Is So Much Pain in the World / Praise Kink

November 29: Jersey City / 2k14 soft grunge 

*Male Tears Singles: (dark electronic, EBM, darkwave)

July 7: sad boy, paint my nails

July 28: Switchblade

August 4: in this house

August 25: you are your posts

September 29: delete this conversation

October 1: IF YOU WANT, I’LL LET YOU

Bootblacks Singles: (darkwave, goth rock)

September 23: Forbidden Flames

December 1: Wilderness

[animesavior]

“Kal-El of Krypton! I answered your call. The Beacon reached me across your Galaxy, the only other Kryptonian in existence. And I arrive, only to see you brought me to this...sickening display. [Superman: "You're Kara, you're my cousin?"] And you're a disappointment. I thought I would find a warrior. Instead, I find a joke, a lapdog, serving his entertainment to a weak and dissolute world. I'm not saying that there aren't temptations here. But a true Kryptonian pushes through. This planet it's made you soft. [Superman: "What are you saying?"] You have two choices, join me in conquering this planet, or kneel before your new Kryptonian Empire.” -          Kara Zor-El, My Adventures with Superman (Season 2, Ep. 05)

The Toonami Trending Rundown for June 15-16, 2024. We reach the halfway point of My Adventures with Superman season 2 as Clark reunites with his long-lost cousin Kara. And among other great moments, we’re coming down the stretch with three more episodes of Zom 100’s first season after this week, as Akira returns home to his family; while Usopp and the Dwarves attack Sugar to try and stop her control of the toys.

For this week’s trending on Saturday, #Toonami trended in the USA on Twitter alongside My Adventures with Superman and Zom 100. No trends for Toonami Rewind on Friday were spotted this week.

This week’s feature was a new bumper ID titled “Screen Updates.” You can check it out below:

While there have been rumors and inclinations from Adult Swim that they do plan on producing a second season of Ninja Kamui, there is no official word on whether a second season is presently in production at this time. In a since-deleted news release by Business Wire, the article included a passage signifying that a second season of Ninja Kamui was in the works, saying ““NINJA KAMUI” anime series has become the most viewed anime ever in the history of both Adult Swim & MAX,” said Joseph Chou, CEO of Sola Entertainment. “We hope this game will continue to entertain the fans around the world while we work on Season 2 of the anime.””

However, Jason DeMarco has denied such an announcement, saying that “A second season has not been announced.” Chou later clarified to Anime News Network on Wednesday: “that the game's PR staff inserted the quote about Sola Entertainment "working on" a second season. While he said that they are considering new ideas, "there is nothing official at all."”

Next month, the block will be in a bit of a transition period as both Zom 100 and My Adventures with Superman will be completing their respective seasons on July 6 and July 20th respectively. For the nights of July 13 and 20th, both One Piece and Demon Slayer will have doubleheaders on the lineup on 12:30-1:30 a.m. and 3-4 a.m. respectively. Furthermore, on July 27, which ironically enough is Comic-Con week this year, My Adventures with Superman will be getting a marathon of all 10 episodes of its second season, a week after its season finale.

Not much else to say other than we hope you had a great Father's Day and Juneteenth, congratulations to the Boston Celtics on winning their record 18th NBA Championship, and stay gold.

Legend: The shows listed are ordered based on their appearance on the schedule. Show trends are listed in bold. The number next to the listed trend represents the highest it trended on the list (not counting the promoted trend), judging only by the images placed in the rundown. For the Twitter tweet counts, the listed number of tweets are also sorely based on the highest number shown based on the images on the rundown.

Toonami Rewind Trends

Tweet Counts:

Adult Swim [9,260 tweets]

#SailorMoon [2,886 tweets]

Toonami Trends

United States Trends:

#Toonami [#17]

#MyAdventuresWithSuperman [#11]

#Zom100 [#9]

Tweet Counts:

#MyAdventuresWithSuperman [1,314 tweets]

If you wish to send me a tip for the work on the trending rundown, donations can be sent to PayPal.Me/DanielLimjoco.

Only Toonami on [adult swim] on Cartoon Network.

[emilyflorencescdblog]

4th of July

The sun is out and not a single cloud in the sky, the weather is warm with a gentle breeze brushing past the trees. The grille is lit, the steaks are seasoned, and you can hear fireworks going off in the distance here and there. The smells of a good BBQ permeate. The streets are empty, every shop is closed. It can mean only one thing here in the US. It's the fourth of July.

Today we celebrate our Independence Day with fireworks, time with family, and a great meal. I hope for those of you here in the States that you have a safe and wonderful 4th of July. Happy Independence Day to you all. 4 de Julio El sol está afuera y ni una sola nube en el cielo, el clima esta calientito con una suave brisa que pasa rozando los árboles. La parrilla está encendida, los bistecs sazonados y se escuchan fuegos artificiales a lo lejos aquí y allá. Los olores de una buena barbacoa se impregnan. Las calles están vacías, todas las tiendas están cerradas. Solo puede significar una cosa aquí en los Estados Unidos. Es el 4 de julio.

Hoy celebramos nuestro Día de la Independencia con fuegos artificiales, tiempo con la familia y una gran comida. Espero que todos ustedes aquí en los Estados Unidos tengan un 4 de julio seguro y maravilloso. Feliz Día de la Independencia a todos ustedes.

[black-emporium-exchange]

NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN!

Nominations for the Black Emporium are live until July 3rd! Reach out and tell someone (namely: us) about your favorite rare-pairs (namely: any pairing under 300 complete fics on Ao3). You have twenty nominations to use. Pairings can be twosomes / threesomes / moresomes / etc. We believe in sharing the love.

How do you, in fact, become a true Fereldan buckaroo by nominating a rare pair or 20?

Go to the Dragon Age Rare Pair Tag Set and click Nominate (you have to be signed into Ao3 for the button to appear). For inspiration or to check if someone had the same idea as you, we have a Searchable Nominations Spreadsheet that we manually update.

For more information on this stage of the exchange and how best to format your nominations, please see below the cut:

Full Participation Walkthrough Guide || FAQ

Important things to remember: 

Pairings/groups must be nominated in order to be requested during the next phase of the exchange, Sign-Ups.

Nominations require a set format — keep reading for more details

All nominations should be under Dragon Age - All Media Types.

Pairings/groups cannot have more than 300 completed works on AO3.

We allow original characters in this exchange as well as canon characters. 

Nominating a pairing/group is not “binding”; you do not need to request or offer the pairing later.

Nomination Formatting: 

All nominations should be nominated under the “Dragon Age - All Media Types” fandom. 

Nominations do not need to auto-complete to be accepted; if Ao3 does not complete your ideal nomination, just type it in manually. 

For romantic/sexual relationships, please nominate the characters you wish to nominate with a “/” between each character. For familial, platonic, or otherwise non-sexual requests, please use a “&.” e.g., “Meredith Stannard & Orsino” would not have any sexual or romantic undertones. “Meredith Stannard/Orsino” would be considered sexual and/or romantic, even if the fanwork itself didn’t include any sexual acts.

Nominations should be spelled correctly. e.g., “Merrill”, not “Meril”

Nominations should ideally be in alphabetical order, by last name. If a character does not have a last name, use the first name instead. e.g., “Zevran Arainai/The Iron Bull/Solas”

If a character has multiple names or aliases, go by their “main” name. e.g., “Blackwall”, not “Thomas ‘Thom’ Rainier”

For Dragon Age player-characters (such as the Warden, Hawke, and Inquisitor, etc.), we treat different surnames and gender as different characters. Female Surana will be evaluated differently from Female Brosca, Male Surana, etc.

Nominating Dragon Age “Player Characters”

For the purposes of this challenge, the Dragon Age protagonists will be considered different characters based on their gender and surname. The three genders we utilize for this exchange are: Male, Female, and Nonbinary. 

When nominating characters, please format as such: 

Male [Warden Surname / Hawke / Inquisitor Surname]  (e.g., Male Trevelyan)

Female [Warden Surname / Hawke / Inquisitor Surname]  (e.g., Female Hawke)

Nonbinary [Warden Surname / Hawke / Inquisitor Surname]  (e.g., Nonbinary Brosca)

So, for example: “Male Trevelyan/Male Cousland” will be accepted as a nomination; “Inquisitor/Warden” will not.

You can nominate pairings where one version of the pairing is over the limit as long as the version you nominate qualifies. For example, you can request “Male Lavellan/Solas” or “Nonbinary Lavellan/Solas,” even if “Female Lavellan/Solas” is over the limit. 

Customized or individualized Wardens/Hawkes/Inquisitors are not valid nominations. For example, “Mary Trevelyan/Vivienne” would be ineligible; the requester would need to use “Female Trevelyan/Vivienne,” “Male Trevelyan/Vivienne” or “Nonbinary Trevelyan/Vivienne.”

In your prompts in your sign-up, you can request preferred details (such as specific OCs, a first name, looks, personality traits, class, background, etc.), and creators may choose to incorporate those elements into their gift for you. However, creators are not required to incorporate those preferred details, and works will not be checked for that by moderators.

Nominating "Dragon Age: The Veilguard" Characters

Yes, DATV characters are eligible for nominations!

For nominating "Rook," reports show that Rook's surname will be decided by faction, though the surname options haven't yet been revealed at the time of updating the Walkthrough/FAQ. Therefore, to make it easier for future tag-wrangling, please nominate Rook by gender (Female, Male, Nonbinary) and faction (as we currently know them):

Grey Wardens

Veil Jumpers

Shadow Dragons

Lords of Fortune

Mourn Watch

Antivan Crows

Eligible nominations could include: "Female Shadow Dragon Rook" or "Nonbinary Antivan Crow Rook" or "Male Mourn Watch Rook."

Nominating Characters from Other Canons (i.e. Crossovers)

We allow crossovers from other series so long as they are interacting with at least one canonical character. However, when nominating a character from another specific series, please put the name of the fandom the character is from in parenthesis after the name, for example: “The Iron Bull & James Vega (Mass Effect)”

For crossovers that are from different media within the Dragon Age fandom, no specification is needed, e.g., “Merrill/Solas.” 

Nominating Other Original Characters

Original Characters who are not Wardens/Hawkes/Inquisitors are also allowed to be nominated, provided they follow the following guidelines:

The OC is listed in such a way as to give someone freedom in how to write them. 

OCs should be generalized or archetypal. e.g., “my OC Gerald D’Vivir” is too individualized and customized, but “Male Orlesian Noble” is eligible

A good rule of thumb here is whether the character idea can be summed up in 3 or less words; if you can, it is probably a good option. If you cannot, it probably is too complex for this kind of exchange. e.g., "Tal-Vashoth Mercenary" or "Original Templar Character" is eligible; but "Older Blonde Warrior Dwarven Warden Widower” is not

If the gender of an OC is considered important to your request, please include it. If you are fine with any gender option, gender does not need to be added, and the creator of the work can choose their choice of gender options for the character. e.g., "Orlesian Noble" or "Female Orlesian Noble”

The OC is not listed in such a way that would, essentially, reflect the spirit of a canon character that is otherwise not permitted in a relationship. 

As an example, while it is possible to have an Original Female Elf Inquisitor who is not Lavellan, it is so close to canon based on that description that it would essentially function as the same character.

Lastly...

What are you waiting for? GET YE TO THE NOMINATING!

[blauring-seewen]

Bote SOLA 24 Dienstag, 09. Juli 2024