#this is celene in a nutshell

[anneapocalypse]

An ask I received:

(Please publish this anonymously!) Why do you like Briala so much?

I just think she's neat!

I fell very deeply in love with Briala when I read The Masked Empire, and that's where her character truly shines; while I enjoy her role in Inquisition as well, I don't think you can truly get a feel for her character from the game alone. In Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts you are positioned as an outsider; the Inquisitor is not Orlesian, has only a rudimentary understanding of Orlesian politics and cultures, and the advisors offer a pretty bare-bones understanding of the events leading up to this point. In The Masked Empire you get a lot more Briala, from multiple points of view, but most importantly you get Briala's own point of view.

For more on why I find that whole story, and Briala personally, so compelling, I have a whole post on The Masked Empire.

But in a nutshell, I love fantasy politics, and I love a politically-savvy underdog who knows damn well the game is rigged against them, but learns the rules of the game masterfully anyway and uses every resource at their disposal so that when the opportunity comes, they might be able twist things to their advantage and seize some scrap of power. I love stories that grapple with the nature of power in complex ways and Briala's story is all about that. I like that there is no perfect ending for her in Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts, and if you want to give her power in Orlais you have to grapple with some hard questions about what that power is worth and what it will cost her personally and everything that can go wrong. I like all the sticky questions surrounding her relationship to Celene and how that affects her relationship to the other elves she's trying to lead to revolution. I think her internal conflicts and the journey she goes on personally in TME is really compelling and heartbreaking. I think she's so interesting and compelling and messy and sympathetic and I love her.

Also I think she should have, at minimum, a cup of tea with Warden Tabris. :) (I think the idea of two city elves potentially becoming the first elven nobles in two neighboring nations is really neat, and they'd make good political allies.)

[ripflemeth]

I am new to dragon age lore

Could you tell be the major regions in nutshell

if you convince Josephine Montilyet to take a long walk around Skyhold’s battlements with you, she will easily share that while Tevinter keeps the qunari forces from Par Vollen at bay, both have the most lovely spices that you’ll find on either side of the Waking Sea. Tevinter, while vilified for its rule by magister, is technologically advanced and full of cultural refinement that has surpassed its neighbors. the free elves of the southern nations will divulge, however, that Tevtinter’s advancement was not without cost, and That Cost is the widespread use of forced labor which the nation relies upon so much they engage in illicit international slave trade to this day.

at this point in the conversation, if you ply the Lady Ambassador with carastian candies, she will admit that Orlais, while also imperialistic, would like you to believe they are far more civilized about their class system. Empress Celene opened up universities to elven students, after all, and only razed the alienage in Halamshiral to the ground once. instead of rule by magister overlords, the southern chantry relies on circles to keep their mages trained and maintained (and contained), and its reach extends to other nations in the south, the influence felt must strongly in the Free Marches.

Ferelden threw off Orlesian occupation… oh… around the turn of the age? the people of Ferelden remain proud of their ungovernability, and the Ferelden bannorn is unique from the feudalism of Orlais and the Marches in that the ownership of the land lies not in the hands of the nobility but the farmers themselves.

the Marches revel in their rowdy spirit of freedom. each city from Kirkwall to Wycome is in fact its own city state, and where one might expect some consistency in the structures of each sovereign principality, instead the rulers are named anything from Viscount to Duke to the supposedly humble designation of Prince. even so, the region comes together every 1000 days in the tradition of the Grand Tourney where combatants entertain their lords with feats of martial skill.

piracy ravages the coasts, and your Antivan diplomat will cluck her tongue at the lawlessness of raiders and insurrectionists alike. but where there is danger, there is beauty, and when she thinks about setting sail to the horizon and exploring the lands beyond the edges of the map, she looks off into the sunset and sighs. “From Sea To Shores, We Tame The Waves,” she whispers breathily, then, self-conscious, blushes as she looks back to you and explains the words are her family’s motto. for, like any good Antivan family, the Montilyets rely on charm, trade, and the mastery of the seas.

she will insist the best wines come from Antiva, but she may be biased, after all.

[clowns-of-thedas]

Dragon Age Characters as weird things my friend and I said: Part 3

The Inquisitor: I got my 2 smart minutes of the week.

Sera: I go to church, I see a dick, I turn around, I see a tit.

Vivienne: *With a monotonous voice* What a ride, during the last 3 hours I felt more emotions than in the past 2 years.

Cassandra: You’re going to war, not Berlin fashion week.

Josephine: Once in a lifetime you can commit tax fraud.

Cullen: *Trying to explain unisex bathrooms* You know it was one of those bisexual toilets.

Blackwall: 3 am is usually my existential crisis time.

Solas: Truly shakespearean. Nearly had a stroke spelling this.

Iron Bull: Merc not for the weapons but for the ass.

Cole: Being dead won’t make me less anxious.

Dorian: At exactly 20:00 I overreact.

Harding: To bi or not to bi.

Requisition Officer: Go fetch me some needles.

Krem: Can’t even speak properly, if you remember.

Valta: Imma have to fix my sleep schedule in one day… and I am gonna fail.

Renn: Chilling in the cellar.

Celene: The French in a nutshell: we ain’t doin’ shit, bye.

Gaspard: Germans are not known for minding their own business.

Samson: Guess ya boi ain’t unemployed no more.

Mother Giselle: Blasphemy at it’s finest. It happens my dude.

Frederic of Serault: I know you love weird shit so here you go.

Servis: I am going to hell, but this person as well.

Charter: Make the stitches before they become snitches.

Bram: I once lost my pants playing the kettledrum.

[ageofdragon]

@dillydallydewgong replied to your photoset “safetytank: TME in a nutshell”

Anyone else think Briala’s reason for blackmail was pretty weak? Idk it just seemed a bit out of character and like “Ah! This clown almost killed me! Briala must have set me up!” Idk doesn’t quite track. I know it’s because game mechanics take precedent over writing but nah. That was bad

The fact it takes place in Florianne’s room, makes me feel like it is meant to be a red-herring, most likely planted by Florianne or Celene. Because ultimately that scene is too staged to be taken at face value (at least that's my personal opinion and I hope Bioware wouldn't be so transparent). 

First of all, you have an "agent of Briala's" who just happens to get attacked as the Inquisitor is passing by. She screams out and the Harlequin takes their time going for her, long enough for the Inquisitor to swoop in and save her. While Harlequin are supposed to be quick, efficient killers and often assassins, which is what makes them so darn hard to kill in-game (god I hate them in DA2 on hard modes), and the agent is a barely trained servant? No struggle and no damage before the Inquisitor got there, sounds fake. Especially since she instantly thinks it Briala is trying to kill her, when there are plenty of enemies at play that night.

What more, they are usually hired by nobility, not rebel leader elves. In fact, the only other time you see Harlequins is when they are defending Florianne during her reveal.

Honestly, if Briala wanted to have one in her ranks killed, I feel like she'd have another one of her agents do it and spin it as a betrayer among their ranks. Because who are you going to believe the double crosser who tells you your leader slept with the enemy, or the leader who pointed out the double crosser.

Ultimately, it gives the Inquisitor a reason to not trust Briala and a way to blackmail her among the public; even though it isn't really that strong of evidence nor a terrible offense compared to the nobles you're dealing with at the same time. But to me it seems like an intentional setup, than Bioware trying to even the field with a "truth".