#vari tabris

[sadmages]

Canon worldstate line-up <3 Varis Tabris, Fin Hawke, and Florian Travelyan.

[jemandthesingalongs]

parallel i just realized that gives me psychic damage is alivah is so desperately wanting to be just like her mother while alistair is doing everything to be nothing like his father......

[transtief]

i really don’t think it’s “typical dragon age fandom nonsense” for people to be genuinely upset about the world state choices. combat, level design, art direction, gameplay gimmicks, those have all varied across each dragon age game. the one thing that’s remained constant are nods to our previous choices.

i wasn’t expecting my HoF to come riding in on a griffin, but i can’t find a monument dedicated to warden tabris somewhere around the anderfels? lucanis couldn’t have some lines about the time that one arainai boy was stirring up trouble in antiva city? you’re gonna tell me that making a mage the new divine wouldn’t have some impact on nevarra and antiva? on the anderfels, the supposed most devout militant andrastian nation in thedas? you’re saying nobody in the north is paying attention to who rules orlais or ferelden? come on.

[dungeons-and-dragon-age]

Character cuddle scale

How-to: rate your OC based on how they handle cuddling/being cuddled

Got tagged by @ndostairlyrium and @cao-the-dreamer! <33

Tagging in turn @herearedragons @a-drama-addict @nanowatzophina @curiouslavellan @bearsizedant @midmorninggrey @thatwinglessthing @goofsoup and anyone else who'd like to have a go! c: (doesn't have to be DA ocs of course!)

Neira Surana: 4/10 - It's Complicated

She won't protest because she is The Worst at setting boundaries and she doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but it's not hard to tell that cuddling makes her feel awkward. And yet if you catch her at the right moment she will melt right into it.. It's a weird mix of being touch starved and being a people pleaser and sensory things tm and not having her boundaries figured out well.

In any case, because of that she rarely offers or seeks hugs, and her reaction to receiving them will vary.

Kala Brosca: 2/10 - do you have touch privileges? no? go away.

If you are anyone but Rica, Zevran, or Alistair, (or baby Endrin), you aren't touching her, end of story. You can try if you'd like but if you lose your kneecaps or break an arm or two, that's on you. She isn't one for touch, and happy this way. She doesn't get a 0/10 because there is exactly one (1) person that she gets very clingy and cuddly with, and that is Alistair.

Noya Tabris: 8/10 - don't get squashed!

Big no-no until you are Approved TM, but she becomes very touchy once they warm up to someone. She's used to being physically close with people and it's something she looks for in her social circle! Cuddling to warm up, hugging for greetings, huddling close to whisper spooky stories at night... It's very ingrained into them as a form of showing love so they might have a hard time remembering consent, but Does Her Best to be mindful. Chances are if you ask for a hug she'll be glad to give it! You might want to pad your ribcage beforehand though; no half-assed hugs from this elf!

Var'renan Mahariel: 7/10 - (un)certified therapy hugger

When they're not in the mood for it they will say as much, but often they are perfectly content with cuddles or hugs, both from/for people they trust and people who they think might need it. It's not her primary love language by any means but it is something that they generally appreciate, and well, it is a simple way to provide comfort or support without the need for words or grand gestures.

Liam Hawke: 5/10 - average once again lol

He is very needy in terms of touch, yes, but actually not much of a cuddler except with a few select people. With those people he will seek it out relatively often, with everyone else, very rarley. That said, he doesn't mind a hug from a friend now and then, but won't usually be the one initiating it.

Lilian Hawke: 9/10 - champion of kirkwall AND of cuddles

Likes her intimidating reputation in public but is actually a runner up for hugging champion, don't tell anyone. She won't just let anyone that close, mind, but once she does turns out being good with boundaries and enjoying physical closeness and having practice from growing up with younger siblings makes for a top tier combo.

June Trevelyan: 3/10 - touchy, but not cuddly

Thing with June is that either it's No Touchy, or All The Touchy. Once she likes you she loses all sense of personal space and she Will drape over your lap like a cat, or squeeze close to get a look at what you're holding, without second though. Consciously cuddling or hugging though? Not really her thing, most of the time. Once she starts thinking about affection she doesn't know what to do with it

Ari Adaar: 4/10 - he's a little confused, but he's got the spirit

Chronic overthinker also overthinks The Rules Of Hugging, big surprise. Plus, he is large and strong, and he knows it, so any time someone is Up Close he gets worried about accidentally hurting them, so that's an additional Awkward Factor. That said, when someone he cares for needs a hug or cuddle he is more than ready to offer one, even if he feels inadequate. He is very honoured that they trust him with it and, well, can't say it doesn't feel nice..

Adriel - 9/10 - more than incidental hugger

Heck yeah to both! She often shows affection in very physical ways, so she's both a great giver and receiver od hugs. Considering she has a parent who is very particular about touch she's learned early to mind boundaries, but she is very liberal and enthusiastic about cuddles once she has the 'go ahead' to do so

[stop-breaking-my-heart-dragonage]

I need to gush about Origins and discuss Duncan okay, listen- DAO is so good for a plethora of reasons but it’s the origins, the thing that it’s literally named after. Which origin you play is the important decision on the players part that has an impact on everything you do, especially if you go hard into the roleplaying of it all, it makes me want to scream. I adore it so much.

So Duncan, right? Great character, love that dude. I read The Calling and he's one of the best parts of that book. If you haven't read it, I recommend it just for Duncan alone.

I enjoy reading opinion pieces on Duncan, especially when the poster mentions which origin their warden is. I find it so interesting because your origin can change your entire perception of him.

Playing as Aeducan or Brosca? Duncan has great respect for dwarves just as the dwarves do for the wardens. Duncan’s your hero. He saved your life. You would’ve been executed or left to rot in the Deep Roads if not for him. And since the wardens are so respected, it’s honestly an honor to join them, no?

Playing a Cousland? You’ve lost everything. Duncan not only does what he can to keep your father alive long enough for you and your mother to find him, but he saves you and gives you a shot to avenge your family by becoming a warden.  

Playing as Amell or Surana? Your best friend lied to you about being a blood mage and chances are you tried to help him escape rather than turn him in, and now he’s gone and Greagoir demands you be punished. But here comes Duncan to conscript you, to take you away from the prison known as the Circle of Magi.

And I know this can vary depending on how you play or what kind of character you’ve created, but I believe you’re waaaay more likely to have a better opinion of Duncan in these origins… but if you play as Mahariel or Tabris?

Mahariel’s more obvious, here. You’re Dalish, and odds are, you and Tamlen are on the same page about humans. Duncan, a human, dragged your ass back to your clan after the eluvian gave you the blight, and sure, that was nice of him… except when you go looking for Tamlen and Duncan destroys the mirror, he’s so dismissive. He doesn’t care about Tamlen. There’s no point in going looking for him, he’s dead. Also you have the blight and Duncan’s taking you away from your family to make you a warden and no, you have no choice in the matter. He'll force his hand if he needs to. Say goodbye, forget about Tamlen, you’ll never see your family again, you’re a warden now. Hope you have fun involving yourself in all these human affairs while everyone points out how different you are!

First off, I think most Mahariel players would agree that they’re still not over Tamlen. How many of you had the thought, “If we look just a little longer, we could find Tamlen and make him a warden, too!” only for Duncan to ruin that? I don’t blame any Mahariel for throwing a fit when he and the Keeper agree you need to go, nor do I blame them for any ill feelings toward him.

And Tabris? This one is personal; my canon warden is a female Tabris, Rosalie, and Duncan really gets to me.

Rose's already being made to marry a man she's never met, some human nobles made their first attempt to crash the wedding, and now here’s this other human waltzing in. Duncan is such a little shit here, too. When you try asking him to leave, he actively tries to push your buttons just to see what you’ll do. But that’s nothing. When Rose and the other women are taken by Vaughan and his buddies, Soris and Nelaros go to Duncan who pulls his bullshit “wardens can’t get involved, they must remain neutral, best I can do is give you a sword and crossbow, good luck.”

Duncan KNOWS what will happen to those women but nope, can’t get involved. Wardens must remain neutral, can’t upset the nobles. I firmly believe that if Duncan had gone with them, Nelaros wouldn’t have been killed and maybe they could’ve made it to Shianni in time, and that infuriates me.

And yeah, in the end it’s Duncan who saves Rose from the guard, but you expect me to be okay with going with him? Alone? After everything that just happened?

It almost feels like Duncan was more interested in testing you, to see if you COULD get out of that situation or what you’d do when the guard showed up. That gives me a lot of complicated feelings about Duncan, and the way the Grey Wardens do things in general. Because let me tell you, Rose hurls that “Wardens must not involve themselves, they must remain neutral” out the fucking window, even post DAO after the blight is over and things return to “normal” for the wardens.  

Side note, I like to think that the wardens out at Weisshaupt or wherever contact Alistair at some point like "What the hell is Warden-Commander Tabris doing over there??? She's breaking every rule we have??" and Alistair's just shrugs like "My wife killed an archdemon to end the Blight and survived, she gets to do whatever she wants forever and honestly, I love that for her."

But anyway-- I get it, Duncan. The Grey Wardens were booted outta Fereldan once before and we don't want a repeat of that. Sure. Fine. Makes sense...but also Rose doesn't give a shit about that? She may come to understand it eventually but that doesn't mean she accepts or forgives it, or would ever be willing to adapt the same attitude.

And I'm not even going to get into everything with the Joining and Ser Jory, because oh my god.

Everything Duncan does influences Rose's views on the Grey Wardens and their duty, like if there was ever anything she and Alistair have straight up argued about, it's Duncan and the concept of "being a warden is an honor."

And I think that's neat. Duncan's a consistency in every origin and even though he dies so early on, his influence remains with the warden no matter who they are.

[bumblewarden]

From the (male) City Elf Origin if you speak to Valendrian after making the plan to break into the Arl of Denerim's estate. The lines here vary depending on if you play as a rogue or warrior and presumably also hold true for female Tabrises

The rogue line isn't anything too weird. I've gotten mixed messages on the legality of elves running shops in Ferelden. Alarith tries to keep his store secret from the guard, but that could also just be because he's involved with smuggling. Still, those questions don't change that fact that elven shopkeeps clearly do exist, so it is a plausible career path for a Tabris

The warrior line is what raises some actual questions to me. The town guard might be in need of a good swordhand, but why would you want to put one of your charges in that situation, Valendrian? Besides that being an incredibly dangerous situation for an elf to be in (best case scenario is still a hostile work environment), elves aren't even allowed to wield weapons in Denerim as he ought to know from the innumerable posters declaring as much around the alienage. How are you going to talk your way around that one?

I refuse to accept that line as canon

Anyway, here's the rest of that branch for anyone curious in what he had to say to the original point:

[danceswithdarkspawn]

Im curious, what originally inspired you to create your OC Ariel for Dragon Age?

Hi there and thanks for the ask.

Before I begin, I'd like to say that there is a subset of fandom (not just in Dragon Age, but generally) that would not consider Ariel an OC of any kind. A character that exists or is named in some way in the story, as all Dragon Age player-characters are, are not what they would consider original. Similarly, some might argue that player-characters tend to be self-inserts, and to some degree that may be true (Dragon Age is an RPG, after all) but that isn't always the case.

I think both of these arguments have merit. I do, however, consider player-characters as OCs because the interpretations of said characters vary by individual. Particularly with the Warden and Inquisitor, we were given a rough starting point (and even then, some forego that entirely) while the rest is ambiguous enough to be left to the player's imagination.

Ariel was originally thought up following a complete playthrough of Origins, in which I immediately went on to Inquisition. She started out as a simple idea: I wanted the Warden at Skyhold following Here Lies the Abyss, with the Wardens recruited into the Inquisition, and having been a victim of Corypheus' false Calling herself.

I was missing my Warden in Inquisition and didn't like that they were handwaved away and exploring "the lands beyond Thedas." The letter the HoF sends to Skyhold was generic (can't really fault Bioware for that) and didn't sound like her. The way I played this Warden in Origins was such that she would have been horrified at what the Order had done, and be aware enough that she could use the Inquisition's resources to her benefit.

TLDR: I had a "What If" idea and ran with it.

I suppose this technically answers the question, but there's a bit more and this is getting a bit long so more under the cut.

She was also initially meant to be somewhat secondary to another problem I had with Inquisition, which was that Leliana went through a lot and I didn't feel like it was properly explored. You could argue this is understandable given her position and history, that she'd be more walled off and guarded. This is why Griffonheart is from her POV. (Griffonheart my beloved absolute trashfire.) But specifically, this was a romanced Leliana and I wanted to explore the conflicts of that as well.

However, given the absolute mess that is Leliana's canon writing, I sometimes feel like it would have been better if Bioware had introduced another character in Leliana's place. But alas, the stage was set from Leliana's Song and DA2's Exiled Prince.

Anyway, from there Ariel became more in-depth with her inner conflicts and struggles. I started thinking about what she would be like given how I set her up for Griffonheart (which was started before Broken Bird). For example, her brother, Eran, initially existed only to justify Ariel's existence, because I wanted a very specific world state that is not possible due to gameplay/story limitations of Origins. I thought about the City Elf origin, how that might change with siblings both recruited by Duncan, and all the little things about a Tabris playthrough that I felt could be expanded on.

I started thinking about her life in the alienage, made mountains out of molehills of the alienage's arranged marriages (internalized homophobia), racism/classism between elves and humans, and how a running theme (in my opinion) across the Origin's companions is loss and mourning.

Eventually, I ended up with a flawed and traumatized elf.

[heniareth]

⚰️ for Astala

Ouch ouch ouch right where it hurts!! 😫😫 Thank you for this ask!! Let's unpack the Tabris trauma of family dying

⚰️ = How would the loss of a family member affect them? Does it vary based on type of family member?

She would be distraught, in general. It does vary based on the family member and the type of death (a natural death would be... a bit less impactful than a violent death, but sickness would be worse than old age). But the Tabrises have a history of losing people close to them: Soris' parents, Shianni's mother, Adaia and Nelaros. Astala therefore takes any kind of death hard.

In general, the least impactful death would be that of family members who aren't part of the Tabris household. It would be sad, yes, but there wasn't as much relation with them. They would hit less harder than the death of a friend.

Cyrion, Shianni or Soris dying would have Astala grieving. A lot. Much more so, for much longer, and with a lot of rage mixed into the whole thing if the death comes from anything but old age. Most difficult to make peace with if they were killed (hello epilogue slides with bann!Shianni). The blow would be softened a bit on one hand and made worse on the other by the fact that she hasn't seen them in some time by Awakening. Either way, she will miss them a lot, and want them back.

Any of her children dying would shatter her. She would be turning it round and round in her head. What did she do wrong? Could she have avoided this? Why did her child have to die before her? She would pull herself together for the sake of her other children, for Zevran, and with his help, but it would haunt her for a long long time.

If Zevran died from anything other than old age, it would unmake her. She would need help. She would manage to pull herself back together in the end, but it would cost her a limb and a heart. The difference would be striking to those who know her, in a very sad way.

Good that this never happens in my canon ^^

[thatrandombystander]

Okay so I’m kind of curious! I know nothing about Dragon Age other than a bit of what I’ve seen from you, but it looks like Inquisition is on sale on steam right now. Is it a game you’d recommend playing yourself vs watching the cutscenes? And is it like part of a continuity or mostly standalone? :D

Dang all THREE Dragon Ages (Origins, DA2, Inquisition) are on sale on Steam right now. 10AUD each. Those are good prices. Wish I only paid that much for them.

Disclaimer that I have not played any Dragon age since 2015 and may misremember some stuff or my opinions may not hold up once I get around to replaying them.

I'm incapable of being brief sorry. This is almost 1000 words. 😔 TL;DR you can play the games stand alone, and I personally would recommend playing yourself.

Are they stand alone?

So each Dragon Age game's core plots and major characters are generally independent of each other. The protagonist is also a completely different person in each of the three game. You don't need to play any of the other games but they are all in the same world occurring sequentially one after, so you do get more out of it from playing previous games.

Characters from previous games will appear (or be referenced) in subsequent games, but usually it's major characters getting a cameo, or minor characters playing a larger role. There's a few exceptions - e.g. Varric is a party member in both DA2 and Inquisition - but it shouldn't leave you too confused. Events from previous games also build into newer ones, but anything important should be covered within the game you're playing. They're designed for both returning and new fans to enjoy.

Even if you start with the first game (Origins) you're gonna feel a bit lost with the world at first, because they did a fair amount of worldbuilding during development so even in Origins they'll reference characters and events as if your character already knows about them. Ya sort of just figure it out, although I think Origins does the best job of introducing the various factions and groups in the world and how they interact with each other.

That being said, I've only ever played the games in order so I can't really comment on how well they work for new players. But at the same time I never played the DLC for Origins and DA2 either, which I later found out had relevance in later games. (I believe current Steam versions of the games come with all DLC)

Watch cutscenes or play yourself?

Each of the Dragon Age games has some gameplay problems. Origins and Inquisition are both pretty long games with some slow or annoying bits, especially if you're doing sidequests and such. Fandom jokes include complaining about pretty much every main quest in Origins (there's a even a mod to skip one section) and especially complaining about The Hinterlands in Inquisition. DA2 is shorter but also... that game was very clearly rushed out and needed more development time. Lot's of location repetition.

Personally, since I'm a character-driven person and I like fantasy, I'm happy to push through the boring bits since I like a lot of the characters in the game and I want to romance people uwu. Frankly I don't even remember that much of the gameplay or actual plot details. I remember characters and vibes.

Speaking of romance; Dragon Age is a franchise that gives you choices that effect the world and characters around you. Choices vary in the significance of their consequences, but some of those choices can carry over and effect the worldstates into the next games.

This is why I personally would not watch a playthrough of the games. I have some strong feeling about the choices I make and would be annoyed to watch a playthrough that does things differently. (Tabris is best HoF option I shall not be swayed. King Alistair players DNI, this is a Queen Anora household. Templar supporters also DNI.) It's also why I'd need to replay the other two games before I get to Inquisition, because I don't like the default worldstate.

As a new player you wouldn't have that same issue, but you do lose out being able to make those choices as a playthrough watcher. If you don't want to play the previous games and want to go straight to Inquisition I don't think it would bother you either, since you wouldn't know which choices the game has defaulted for you. But again, they're decently long games so if you're rather just watch a playthrough, that's an fair option.

Side note + conclusion

If you're interested in the Dragon Age posts I reblog, warning that they're proportionally most likely to be from DA2, although I do like and share posts about all the games. It's a love or hate game for pretty good reason (some people will just recommend skipping it) but I fall into the love camp, I think because I like the characters and the plot is on a smaller scale.

Choosing to start with Origins and play all three is valid, only playing Inquisition is valid, playing Inquisition and then maybe feeling like playing the previous games is also valid. I only wouldn't recommend starting with DA2.

Ah, also the games have mature ratings. You can look up/ask about the details on that. From memory the most distressing would be implications/suggestion/aftermath of sexual assault (I think mostly in the first two games?) and slavery being a sort of thriving institute in parts of the Dragon Age universe.

If you have any other questions or confusions about the games/characters/world at any point, you're welcome to ask me. Even if I don't quite remember the details I can check the wiki to help block you from any unwanted spoilers. ✌

[sapphim]

Since I have a few varying versions of events floating around in which Rafael exists in either the Surana origin or the Tabris origin, I've decided to unify his backstory to a single point of divergence.

He was born in the Denerim alienage. When he was young, his parents would tell him the story of how, when one parent was traveling with their wedding party to Denerim, they were beset by bandits on the road and rescued by a passing dalish man named Rafael, which is the name Rafael later takes for himself when he transitions. When one winter an illness swept through the alienage, his parents fell ill and passed away, one shortly after the other, and he was sent to the orphanage, around age 7-9. (Having looked on helplessly while his parents wasted away and died is absolutely a factor in his passion to become a healer.) When he was around age 9-11, his magic began to manifest.

The backstories diverge here. If he continues to grow up in the alienage, one of the caretakers at the orphanage notices Rafael's developing magic and pleads with Adaia, an apostate living in the alienage, to adopt the boy and train him, lest somebody else notice and the templars be called to take him away to the circle. If he grows up at the circle instead, that's exactly what happens.

[shivunin]

Hello! :D

So, what about clothing styles for how many of your girls you feel like describing?

Oooh thanks for the ask, Arja! I'm gonna include pictures where I can c:

(Prompts here)

Break because this is getting long haha. I'm pulling from a mix of historical fashion and costume, apologies for the inconsistency in time periods.

Arianwen Tabris

Wen leans toward practical with subtle details. I see her sticking to Warden colors after the Joining, so mainly silvers/greys, deep blue, and black. The added benefit to these colors, of course, is that you can sneak around a fair amount and you're a bit harder to spot in the dark. She would prefer comfortable, easy-to-move-in clothes (just in case) with space to hide plenty of weapons.

I think she probably hangs out in her rogue armor most of the time, and when she's actually going to bed/committing to not wearing armor, she probably wears some version of trousers/loose shirt and she'll maybe throw a nicer-looking vest over the top if she needs to look more official:

On occasions when formality is required, she tries to stick with these same basic principles. I know it's not very Dragon Age, but I always imagine her in this general style of dress:

It has a lot going on, but it leaves her legs free to run, features a lot of folds where she might hide knives, and veils/shawls could be a good distraction if she needs to throw one in someone's face/over someone's head. Depending on the style of stays she's wearing and the fabric of the sleeves, she could still have a decent range of motion.

Now, modern AU Wen as I've written her so far is more of an infiltrator than she is in actual canon. So her style varies widely depending on the job, but I think in her down time she rocks the torn dark jeans/comfortable sneakers/inconspicuous t-shirt look and throws on a leather jacket if it's cold. Her goal is always to blend as much as possible, so I don't think she has an especially developed sense of fashion.

Maria Hawke

Maria is probably the one of my OCs with the strongest aesthetic preferences. Obviously, she favors crimson, so most of her formal clothes are that color. It eventually becomes kind of her signature thing, since she keeps getting invited to formal parties. There's the red dress, of course:

But she would also wear these:

(Carver teases her about this when she describes it to him, which is why he tells her she's vain all the time, but I think this is a somewhat calculated choice: if she looks like she belongs in Hightown, she has more social leverage than she might if her neighbors shunned her. There are people who actively benefit from her rubbing elbows with the rich, and if continuing to do so helps them, who is she to complain about the cost of a few dresses?)

When she's at home, I think she hangs out in her pajamas most of the time. Some kind of shift/robe thing is her go-to unless she expects company, at which point she switches to clothing of the minimum level of formality. She is a farmgirl at heart, and if she could get away with it I think she'd wear work clothes all the time. Alas, she cannot.

But I can see her hanging out in something like this if company is coming:

And I think she actually prefers the Champion-style armor if she's fighting. Robes are nice and all, but she has tripped on them in combat too many times to count. If she needs to dodge, it is better for all of them if she's not doing it by falling over. She didn't grow up in a circle, she grew up wearing trousers, and that's how she learned to fight. She never really adjusted to the robe/combat combo and she doesn't intend to.

I don't have a modern AU Maria! But I think she probably looks cute in the modern version of her casual look. The high-waisted bottoms/loose shirt combo fits her to a T, and I think she probably wears some version of peacoat/trench coat when she's chilly.

Various Lavellans:

Emma and Elowen preferred the armor on the left, while Salshira preferred the right (neither of these photos are mine):

But after Inquisition, I think their style diverges drastically. Emma definitely favors green and lavender, and she also prefers loose, comfortable clothes. I think if she has to dress up, she'll probably choose a fancier bodice or cape-style thing instead of investing in a whole new dress.

Elowen would stick with Dalish leggings and tunics. I don't see her wanting to be in any formal situations post-game, so that would work for her pretty well most of the time. If she has to wear human clothes, she prefers black and gold (occasionally grey) over a lot of color.

Salshira learned early that if people are talking about her clothes or something she's carrying, they aren't talking about her. If she has to be around people, she favors things with a lot of detail that she can describe at length. In general, autumn colors (orange/red/gold/brown) are her preference, but she does look striking in peacock colors and she knows it.

But when she's being casual, I think she dresses pretty similarly to Wen. She prefers the mobility of pants so she'd probably swap trousers for Dalish-style leggings instead.

Modern AU Emma is a professor, so I think she'd wear tailored coats, pants that are just formal enough, clunky doc martens-style shoes, and blousy shirts. For casual things, she'd wear soft sweaters and jeans until they were tattered and full of holes.

Modern AU Salshira works at a country bar. So she's in those gingham shirts, jeans, cowboy boots, and hat for work. She has a motorcycle, so she wears a lot of leather jackets outside of that (and a helmet when she rides, obviously, safety first), but I think she still wears the jeans/cowboy boots with that. Probably just trades out the gingham for something more comfortable.

I don't have a modern AU Elowen, but I can see her dressing in loose jeans and t-shirts most of the time.

I was also going to do Adahlena, but the clothing in that AU is so different that I didn't want to try right now haha.

[sadmages]

I have such a backlog of dragon age art i never posted.... Here's my main Origins crew <3

[jemandthesingalongs]

some minor random da4 predictions of varying levels

there's going to be a weapon/shield/armor/whatever for/made from urthemiel (surprised there's only been a robe? before)

some random sidequest will have the "fang of fen'harel" as a reward as a nice little easter egg for returning players, but also everyone (me i'm everyone) will be going give that back to tabris ):

a codex of some kind implying whoever is the sitting king and/or queen of ferelden is expecting or has a had a child (very very unlikely but would be funny to me)

dao + da2 lis showing up for a cameo (you can still ask them about a romanced!pc and get them gushing and/or devastated by their lost, even 20 years later which in turn will devastate me)

you get a mabari making the inq the only losernerd to not have one make sure to point and laugh during their cameo

griffons will be back and no you can't see them

[bigkahuna626-blog]

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Part 2) - Blog Post

The next few episodes we were instructed to view on Neon Genesis Evangelion, provided for a much better character exploration and depth to the lore. I understand now why this anime is revered so much and has so many additional adaptations and lore additions. AND we cannot forget to mention the awesome fight scenes we get to see, some of which truly highlight the skill of the animators and the technology they had at that time. We see how Shinji continues his journey of self-doubt and anguish to understand his place in the world. His interactions with the different characters vary as his mannerisms are not taken too well by some, as others understand his level of disarray. 

Exploring the depths of Shinjis inner mind and the affects that Piloting the EVA have had on him, help us resonate with him and the life he is undergoing. His ultimate test is provided through the addition of Kaworu to the team. Shinji is able to gain a sense of understanding and belonging by Kaworus levels of interaction, acceptance, and support. This scenario is then flipped as Kaworu turns out to be the final Angel that the team must beat, ultimately shattering Shinjis emotional state. Shinji in reluctance has to stab Kaworu (Tabris) to complete his duty and protect the world from The Third Impact occurring. These events serve as the jumping off pivotal point for shinji to challenge his internal emotions and confront them once and for all. 

The final episode was a bit different from what I expected out of the series finale, but it gave us a through look into shinjis mind and feelings after having lived through the events of the series. Shinji having confronted his inner feelings, chooses to accept himself and move foward, feeling like he has finally found a base to stand on. 

The events of this series relateds to human interaction and intrapersonal feelings about ones self. If you take away the layers of mechs and monsters, we have a coming-of-age story of a boy just trying to understand who he is and why the world is the way it is. This can relate to many poeple across the world who go through their own coming of age moments throughout their adolescence. Having to tackle the feelings of being an outcast, or not fitting into the role society expects of you.  

[briarruler]

Kallian Tabris Part 1 - The Alienage

Kallian was... not enthused about her upcoming wedding but it she'd always been aware that one day she would grow up and marry. She trusted that her father would try his best to find her a good husband and that she would not be the one marrying out, so she tolerated the whole affair.

Nelaros was a pleasant surprise. They never truly got the chance to know each other, but in their brief acquaintance Kallian could see the seeds of something that could have worked. She grieved his death: for the injustice of it, for the person she had liked, had thought she might one day learn to love, and for the death of potential it represented.

Her love for her family and her community has always run deep. She wanted nothing more then to be like her mother as a child and holds her memory in high esteem. She loves her father and has never doubted his love for her, even when she feels stifled by him she understands his concern. Shianni she loves like a little sister, is proud of her and worries for her and is on occasion annoyed by her. Soris she loves like a brother, complains with him and fools around with him and trusts him to be there for her.

There is a keen aware in Kallian of the position of elves in society. She knows that humans are people and as individuals can be as varied as elves but that does not change this fundamental fact of her existence: humans are a threat to individuals elves and to the Alienage as a whole. She keeps an eye out out for trouble, trying when she can to protecting her fellow elves, with her words, or if necessary, with force. But she does have a strong preference for trying to talk her way out of trouble - she knows that it is dangerous for elves to fight humans.

So Kallian chose her death with open eyes and open heart before she became a Grey Warden. She made that choice the moment Soris appeared with a sword. When she picked up that sword and cut the guards down she chose Soris and she chose Shianni and she chose to drawn a line in the sand and say 'you cannot do this without consequences.'

She knew there would be consequences for this choice. She hoped that she alone could suffer them - although she didn't truly believe that the Alienage wouldn't suffer them too. Still she makes her first kill and commits to it fully and utterly. She kills every guard she encounters as she searches for Lord Vaughn and the other stolen woman. This is the culmination of the rage boiling under her skin - they were all complicit in this - and a cold calculation - they cannot afford to encounter the guards on their way out so they must kill them all while they are in small unprepared groups - even if it slows them down.

Lord Vaughan makes his offer and she hates, hates, hates him, wants him dead with every ounce of her soul. Lord Vaughan makes his offer and she desperately doesn't want to kill him, doesn't want the consequences an elf killing a noble will bring. Lord Vaughan makes his offer, and if she thought he'd keep his word she might have accepted it.

She does not think he'd keep his word. She think's he'd send every guard he could muster after her and Soris the moment they left his estate. She thinks he'd kill every woman he'd taken but only after brutalizing them first and that Shianni would suffer worst for her defiance. She thinks he'd call loudly and gleefully for the purging of the Alienage and that as a noble people would listen to him.

She thinks that if she kills him there will be no witnesses that will dispute her when she claims sole responsibility for this slaughter. She thinks that if she kills him she can save Shianni and Soris. She thinks that there will be a retaliation for this, but that maybe if there's an arl's son dead by her blades, it might mean something; that just maybe in the future some human men will hesitate before they steal an elven woman from the Alienage to rape.

So she kills him and she comforts Shianni as Soris goes to fetch the other women. She takes back the weapons from Soris and cleans him up and asks him to check ahead of the group as they leave the quietened estate. So when they arrive back at the Alienage it is her alone who is blood splattered and armed, who is so obviously responsible. When the guards come she steps forward and tells them that she did it, and she doesn't look back at anyone else, because this was always how it was going to end.

Then she is yanked away from the yawning maw of her execution. Duncan conscripts her. She's going to be a Grey Warden.

She says her goodbyes, knowing she may never return. Grey Wardens are for life, just because she will not be killed for what she has done doesn't mean her life isn't over all the same. Then she follows a human man she met only this morning away from the only home she has ever known.

Masterpost. Part 2.

[grapecaseschoices]

also which do you prefer elf mage or human mage? or does it not matter??

hi! Im the anon who mentioned playing tabris before the previous anon who mentioned elven mage origin! Yes, it has some triggering content, so please look up the trigger warnings for this origin beforehand if some of the things anon mentioned are triggering for you! Alternatively the mage origin is also great!

As previous anon mentioned mage is really good. Feel free to choose whoever you want of course! personally my favorite is elf mage since it gets you more dialogue options: city elf dialogue, mage dialogue and some dialogue that references you as elven mage specifically. The mage origin is the origin where you get to speak to Duncan the most. I think you talk to him 3 times or so in this origin, instead of the usual once.

like before he recruits you? / outside of the quest?

my goal IS to play all once, especially ive gotten the game to crash a WEE bit less [the amount varies from day lmao. but at least now sometimes i can get a good hour or more before it decides to hate me] but given that trial i like to know which is the most dynamic and interesting for others so i know what to focus on next [also im indecisive ;-P]

so your pov is much appreciated!