#zahua

[herearedragons]

...so yesterday I noticed a fun Pillars of Eternity thing.

There are 11 companions in POE1. There are also 11 gods in Eora.

So, naturally, I decided to see if you can match every companion's themes/aesthetic/general plot to a god, and, you kind of can? So I'm going to put the list of matches I ended up with here, and more detailed explanations under the cut.

The List

Edér - Eothas

Aloth - Berath

Sagani - Rymrgand

Kana - Wael

Durance - Magran

Pallegina - Hylea

Hiravias - Galawain

Grieving Mother - Woedica

Maneha - Ondra

Zahua - Skaen

Devil of Caroc - Abydon

(disclaimer: this is not the "every companion secretly represents a god" theory. this is just me having fun and seeing how far I can take this idea. some of these are A Stretch)

(another disclaimer: I'll be referencing both the first game and the short stories, so, uh, spoilers)

(also special thanks to @solas-backpack-mug for helping me brainstorm this)

Evidence

...the first thing I should probably mention is that, to make things easier for myself, I assumed that every character we know to be devoted or otherwise connected to a specific god will be representing that god. That mostly worked out (I'll get into my reasoning for Hiravias later), and in some cases there was even additional evidence to support this.

So!

Edér - Eothas

the theme of rebirth/second chances is all over his dialogue, storyline and even combat abilities (his Second Chance armor). you could argue that the warrior ability that allows you to constantly regenerate Endurance is also kind of relevant, but that's a stretch

Eothasian

Aloth - Berath

like Berath, his soul has two aspects, male and female (the Usher and the Pallid Knight vs Aloth and Iselmyr)

his quest is literally called "Two-Sided"

in his short story, he brings up the fact that the Aedyran priesthood of Berath, specifically, opposes animancy - which he also does

also in the short story, he for some reason chooses to pray to Berath in a moment that's important to him, and it might be a cultural thing, but I also think this is the only time we've seen him pray at all?

Sagani - Rymrgand

general arctic theming

this is one of the shakier associations, but once I started looking into it I realized that the themes of futility and deterioration are kind of present in Sagani's story. She references in her short story (and I'm pretty sure in the game as well, though I don't remember) how she's growing older and more distant from her family the longer her search takes, being literally worn down by time. And in the end, she finds Persoq as a dying animal who can't understand her; under a certain interpretation you could say that her search was futile, though that's definitely not the only reading (and it's not my personal interpretation, but for tinfoil-hat purposes, it counts).

you could argue that her hunting down a reincarnated soul is kind of like Rymrgand's entropy coming for every soul eventually

Kana - Wael

his entire character is based around different aspects of knowledge: knowledge preserved, knowledge newly discovered, knowledge lost

has a humorous streak

seems to have a tendency to wander and defy the existing order of things

Durance - Magran

I mean

Pallegina - Hylea

she's an avian godlike

I guess you could say she's devoted to the growth and prosperity of the Republics, which resonates with Hylea's theme of nurturing?

but it's mostly the godlike thing

Hiravias - Galawain

worships or used to worship Galawain, depending on your choices

druid, strongly associated with beasts and nature

he could end up as a follower of Wael, which by my own rule would qualify him for the Wael parallel, but: a) I think Kana fits Wael's thing better, b) I think that, regardless of your choices, Hiravias' quest is ultimately still about survival. Either he proves himself to Galawain by surviving his trials, or he walks away and chooses a better god to follow - but that, too, is a form of self-preservation.

Grieving Mother - Woedica

was "destroyed" when her cipher powers backfired and now lives as a lesser form of herself, can be restored to her full power depending on your choices

manipulated the minds of an entire village to hide the truth about the Hollowborn from them, and protecting secrets is very much a Woedica thing

Maneha - Ondra

instantly qualified by being an Ondrite and a Giftbearer

is a coastal aumaua, for extra ocean vibes

wants to forget a murder she committed, just like Ondra wants her murder of Abydon to be forgotten

I'm pretty sure that Maneha and Devil were at least a little intentionally written to mirror Ondra and Abydon respectively, so I'm feeling pretty good about this one

Zahua - Skaen

mutilation or self-mutilation as a means for achieving a Noble Goal (revenge for Skaenites, enlightenment for Zahua)

seeks to liberate his enslaved people

Devil of Caroc - Abydon

murdered and reborn in an artificial body

depending on your choices, her story either ends with rage or with sinking into the ocean and being forgotten (which kind of mirrors the restored untempered/not restored Abydon endings; sure, he's not forgotten in the unrestored ending, but the whole "sinking into the ocean" does fit the "Ondra wins" vibe)

again, pretty sure she's an intentional parallel to Abydon. she's also the only one who doesn't need any extra help to survive striking the crystal with Abydon's hammer at the end of TWM2

[therookandthecrow]

My zodiac headcanons for the POE 1 companions

Aloth = such a Virgo in my eyes. He is such an earth sign. Moon sign likely Capricorn.

Grieving Mother = to me she is a Pisces. I think that she could be a triple Pisces.

Hiravias = Sagittarius with a Gemini moon. Fire grand trine.

Edér = another Pisces but with heavy earth placements. Pisces sun/Capricorn moon.

Sagani = an Aries with a Libra moon. Gemini rising but with substantial earth energy.

Pallegina = a Leo with her moon in a water sign. Venus in Virgo. Leo/Virgo energy is strong with her.

Kana = a Gemini, maybe with a Sagittarius moon. A good balance of earth and air energy but with little earth energy.

Durance = a Scorpio with a lot of fire placements. Scorpio sun/Sagittarius moon.

Devil of Caroc = an Aries with a Scorpio moon. Chaos gremlin energy like Hiravias, so she definitely has Gemini on her chart.

Zahua = an Aquarius, maybe even a triple Aquarius. Add Pisces to the mix, and you've got Zahua.

Maneha = a Taurus with an Aries moon. She probably has some Gemini placements.

[nonopiimagines]

it’s all in your head

zahua x gn!watcher

---

"Watcher."

It's the softest his deep voice has ever sounded. You were surprised you heard it over the clack-clack-clack of your teeth and the constant shivers wracking your body. You turned in your meager blanket to face him.

Completely unperturbed by the cold chill of the White March, the fresh blanket of snow just outside the mouth of the shallow cave you all were attempting to sleep in, he lay shirtless as usual, his own meager blanket wadded up behind his head.

He looked at you for a long while, probably thinking of how to tell you that your constitution was abysmal and all this discomfort was just in your head. But instead he said this, "It's taken me a long time to conquer the elements."

You just nodded in response.

"Let Zahua help you conquer them tonight." He opened his arms and motioned for you to move beside him.

If you could feel your face, you thought it would heat up in that moment. Trying not to think too hard about it, you scooted closer until your head rested on his chest, his arm securely around you, pulling you into his inhuman warmth. You pressed your cold nose to him and he didn't even flinch. "Thank you, Zahua."

He hummed, seemingly completely content. He let his head fall next to yours and his breaths evened out, and yours quickly followed.

[silver-gm]

Nearly finished my Dragon Age Origins/Pillars Of Eternity crossover party banter. Should be done within a week.

Now someone draw Zahua consulting with the wise for insight (tripping on shrooms, talking to the mabari)

[dragonologist-phd]

#9 "CAN’T STOP WON’T STOP NOT SURE HOW TO STOP (WHY STOP)" for Rudi?

thank you for the prompt! I can't believe I haven't written a sparring fic for Rudi and Maia yet, this finally gave me the excuse to do one- and to write Rudi for the first time in a while, I forget how much fun she is to write!

Rudi and Maia are enjoying the process of getting to know each other- and nothing helps people get to know each better than a sparring session.

On AO3

Rudi has to admit- she may not be a fan of sailing, but the unsteady motion of the deck beneath her feet does add a new element of fun to sparring sessions. The recent change in surroundings means that she’s had to learn to balance herself in an entirely different way, to lean against the tilting of the oceans waves as she dodges and weaves around Edér’s blows.

It had been tricky at first, but she thinks she’s getting the hang of it. Either that, or Edér is even worse of a sailor than her.

Whichever it is, Rudi still enjoys some self-satisfaction as she leaps away from another swipe of her friend’s training sword. Within the same motion, she slips around to his unguarded side and throws the entirety of her weight against him, sending him tumbling to the floor. The move nearly sends Rudi sprawling right with him, but she manages to catch herself at the last moment.

Her movement isn’t exactly graceful, she’s sure, but it’s still enough to declare victory.

Only when she’s certain that Edér is down does Rudi spare a moment to glance over her shoulder, where a handful of her companions watch from the sidelines. Serafen is watching with clear amusement, and Xoti seems about to burst into applause. But it’s Maia who Rudi is really searching for, and she’s pleased to see the amaua woman is staring right back at her, a begrudgingly impressed smirk on her lips.

Rudi shoots her a wink, and she feels a second thrill of victory when Maia’s smirk widens in response.

The moment is broken all too soon as Edér groans from the floor. “You’ve been practicin’, huh?”

“Duh,” Rudi says, reaching out to help him back to his feet. “Do you want Zahua to show up in the next barrel of supplies we bring on board? Because that’s what would happen if he ever knew I was slacking off. And he would know. Besides, how else am I supposed to stay busy?”

“I bet I could come up with a few ideas.” Maia’s voice rings out confidently as she strides across the deck to stand in front of Rudi, stretching her arms as she moves. “Especially now that someone’s finally found their sealegs.”

Rudi raises an eyebrow. “Really? Like what?”

“Like…” Maia pretends to ponder for a moment before cracking her knuckles. “…sparring with me, for example.”

Edér shoots Maia an incredulous look as he rubs the side of his arm that met the wooden deck. “You just saw her take me down and now you want a turn? Anyway, I thought you were a long-distance fighter.”

“Everyone in the army knows their share of hand-to-hand,” Maia says, waving Edér away as she slides into a fighting stance. She tilts her head, and her sharp sniper’s eyes focusing in on Rudi. “Besides, she’s not that scary.”

Rudi scoffs and places a hand over her heart in mock offense. “And here I thought I was impressing you.”

“Might be more impressed if I hadn’t already watched you puke over side of the ship.”

“Ah, I was hoping you’d forgotten about that.” Rudi shakes her head, then takes up a fighting stance of her own. She’s never been one to turn down a challenge, after all- and she’d be lying through her teeth if she ever said she didn’t want the chance to impress Maia for real. “All right, let’s spar. Gotta earn that respect back somehow.”

It starts slow, the two women circling slowly as they size each other up. Rudi isn’t sure what to expect; she’s never seen Maia fight in a way that doesn’t involve Ishiza or her rifle. All she knows so far is that the woman is patient, much moreso than Edér; instead of charging forward, she hangs back, and waits Rudi to be the one to approach. Their height difference means Maia also has a much longer reach, and while Rudi is normally very appreciative of the other woman’s stature, she’s currently not fond of the advantage it gives her.

Finally, Rudi tires of the slow, circling dance and darts forward, intending to sweep Maia’s feet out from under her. She feints in one direction and strikes in the other- but Maia is ready for her. The amaua woman dodges out of the way, firmly grabbing Rudi’s wrist in the process and sending her flipping through the air.

Rudi definitely hadn’t been expecting that, and she’s so taken off guard that she can’t even brace herself against hitting the ground. Her back slams into the wood with a thud that knocks the breath from her lungs. For a moment she’s completely disoriented, but when she blinks her eyes open, she’s met with the sight of Maia standing over her, a smug smile on her lips.

This turn of events doesn’t exactly help with the dizziness Rudi is feeling, nor does it put the breath back in her lungs. The wind off the ocean pulls at Maia’s tight bun, catching a few stray hairs and twirling them like ribbons across her face. And despite the fact that Rudi kind of just got her ass kicked, all she can think is-

Gods, Maia is stunning like that.

“Giving up already?” Maia taunts, and it’s the threat of losing so quickly that finally snaps Rudi from her daze.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Rudi taunts, and before Maia can respond, Rudi hooks her leg around the other woman’s knee and twists away, sending Maia sprawling backwards as Rudi scrambles to her feet.

Maia tries to catch herself, but it’s too late- now it’s Rudi standing over her, pinning her to the deck of the ship. She makes an attempt to throw Rudi off, but her height can’t help her now, and Rudi’s arms are strengthened by years of archery.

But Maia doesn’t seem bothered by this at all; rather, her grin grows sharp in a way that sends shivers down Rudi’s spine. “Playing dirty now, Captain?”

“Playing to win, soldier,” Rudi replies, doing her best to sound confident and smooth and not at all as though she’s becoming more and more distracted by the idea of being in this position in a very different context.

“Alright, then,” Maia chuckles. “Glad to hear it. Means we just might have a chance at completing our mission.”

The change in subject to matters of business is, Rudi must admit, a bit disappointing. “Don’t try to tell me all this is another one of your little tests. And here I thought we were having fun!”

Maia’s eyes glint with amusement. “Who says I can’t test you and have fun at the same time? I’m pretty good at multitasking.”

Rudi rolls her eyes, although smile a still tugs at the edges of her mouth. “If you say so. As long as we can agree I won.”

Maia raises an eyebrow, and Rudi realizes what she has in mind a second too late. Before she can react, Maia twists out of her grip, pushing back against Rudi to send her rolling once more across the deck.

Rudi springs up quickly, raising her hands to meet the lightning-fast blow that follows. She catches Maia’s fist in her hands and the two meet each other’s eyes, their arms locked. Rudi can feel her heart thumping madly in her chest, and after what feels like ages but is probably only a measly few seconds, Maia relaxes and eases out of her stance.

“Not bad, Captain- and I mean it this time. Call it a draw?”

A breathy laugh escapes Rudi’s lips, and she dips her head in acknowledgement. “Fair enough.”

Later, when Maia and Edér are trading their own tips and Rudi is trying to catch her breath, Serafen sidles up with an expression that is far too innocent to be sincere. He plops himself down next to Rudi and, without preamble, says, “You got it bad for that one, eh, Cap?”

“Serafen,” Rudi says in a warning tone, “what did I say about spying on my thoughts?”

The pirate snorts. “You can’t call it spyin’ if it be obvious to anyone with half an eye.” He glances in Maia’s direction, then adds, “And if we’re to be speakin’ of spies, you do realize those brass-boats sent her with us for a reason, don’t you?”

“Of course I do,” Rudi replies, although her mouth twists into a frown as the reminder deflates her previous good mood.

Yes, she’s aware that Maia has been given this assignment for reasons far more serious and ill-intentioned than to flirt with Rudi. It’s not as if the RTC are subtle, after all, and Maia herself come clean about her intentions the very first day they met. And yes, there’s probably more to Maia’s role than even what she has already admitted to, because everything has to be complicated these days. Even so, Rudi keeps her voice casual as she says, “We’re just having a bit of fun, Serafen. I’m sure you know how it is.”

Serafen scoffs, but it’s obvious he can’t argue with her rather pointed words. “I know I ain’t the one to be lecturin’ about this. Just don’t have too much fun, Cap. You gotta be careful with yourself around these soldier types.”

“Right. Careful,” Rudi repeats. She knows Serafen is speaking out of friendship, and she knows he has a point. So there is a part of her that means it when she nods and says, “I can do that.”

Because she can. She can flirt and tease with Maia while still keeping her guard up, still keeping her at arm’s length, still remembering that getting in too deep with an RTC soldier is not a good idea in her current situation. Probably in any situation. She can be careful.

She’s just not sure she wants to.

[maliro-t]

starting the white march for the first time and mayhaps i've just dressed zahua up like a tall chetney. feral grandpas only

[waterdeeping]

no i do not take criticism

[ampleappleamble]

Silly meme goofs for April goof day or whatever

[larena]

Zahua King Shit pt 2

[springacres]

This is the single funniest banter I have encountered in PoE so far.

The entire party spent the next ten minutes too weak with laughter to move, and it was definitely passed around to everyone BUT Durance when they got back to the Gréf’s Rest.

[ohfuckohfucknoplease]

me n @arnaerr went ham w these graphs cuz who else is gon make poe memes if it ain't us so here's my contribution.

[herearedragons]

cooking headcanons for the pillars of eternity party because I remembered making food is A Feature in the game:

Edér: can reliably make 1-2 Dyrwoodan dishes at a decent level of quality by himself; ends up learning more recipes by helping other people cook.

Aloth: has never had to prepare a meal before and now is not the time to start. Iselmyr is pretty good at cooking, bur good luck getting her to contribute. Generally stays away from cooking, unless someone needs an extra pair of hands and he's pressured into helping.

Durance: we never find out whether he can cook because no one ever asks him to.

Pallegina: has a faint recollection of one (1) soup recipe from her childhood, but that's about it. Probably shouldn't be in charge of the meal, but she's helpful if you give her exact instructions.

Sagani: as a ranger, extremely good at finding edible things and preparing them. A lot of her recipes rely on ingredients you can't find in the Dyrwood, but she has figured out decent substitutes for a lot of them. Always laments that it would have been better with the original ingredients.

Kana: has a surprising amount of recipes memorized, but isn't great at actually making them (he gets distracted and messes up quantities/cooking times). With some help, though, he can recreate a number of Rauataian dishes.

Grieving Mother: her memory might be spotty, but sometimes the memory of a recipe will come to her out of nowhere and the rest of the party will suddenly discover a freshly cooked dish by the campfire. It always tastes good.

Devil of Caroc: can cook, but won't, because she wouldn't be able to eat or even smell her own cooking.

Hiravias: claims that he "prefers a raw diet" due to his stelgaer spirit, but actually knows a lot of Glanfathan recipes that he'll cook for the party if he likes them well enough. Demands that everyone compliment his cooking.

Zahua: no one trusts him with cooking, for multiple reasons (high most of the time; you never know if something hallucinogenic will end up in the food; also might just make the food bad on purpose because of his enlightenment-through-suffering thing).

Maneha: has a killer "whatever we managed to loot" stew recipe that has served her well for years. The loot is always different, so it's like a new dish every time!

bonus (my Watchers):

Selene: same situation as Sagani; also probably knows how to identify and prepare the edible parts of less conventional game, like giant spiders (dungeon meshi moment).

Lorenzo: has worked in the kitchen as a child and remembers the recipes of several Vailian dishes. They don't turn out perfect, but it's definitely good enough; he feels weird about making them sometimes, though

[babineni]

Gaura and her Squad™ - Pillars of Eternity edition

[nonopiimagines]

debts

maneha x gn!watcher

---

"Maneha, no!"

She looks completely unfazed. "Maneha yes. Is this not the ultimate way to repay the world for what I've done? This could be it, the answer I've been waiting for."

You rush toward her, grabbing her crossed arms, ripping them apart so you could hold her hands in yours. "You didn't do that! There's nothing to repay!" You bite your lip to stop the oncoming tears, your throat tightens and so do your hands. "Stay with me. Please."

Maneha smiles at you, sweet and uncomplicated. "No one else is jumping at the chance to go."

"We'll draw straws-"

She pulls you to her, encasing you in her warm arms, placing a kiss on top of your head. "That's not right. It's gotta be me."

This can't be it. This can't be the way it ends for you and her. It's not fucking fair. But nothing ever is. You nod your head and pull away with a shaky breath. "I love you, you know?"

Maneha smiles wider and nods. "I love you too." She rips the hammer out of your hands and pushes you towards Zahua, already turning and walking toward the mother crystal. "Run fast!" she called behind her.

You're moving, Zahua pushing you ahead as Maneha's hits ring true, the bell begins to toll.

—

You're gasping cold and wet, everyone else is dry but you're not alone. Lagufaeth shimmer beneath the surface, a dark mass between them.

They surface and one hisses, "Debts repaid." And they push Maneha's too-cold body to the shore beside you.

The numbness prickling at your finger didn't matter, you crawled on top of her, trying to warm her with your own lack of body heat. "Maneha," you whispered but it felt like a yell. "Maneha. Maneha." You put your ear to her chest and you hear it, a faint and drawn out heartbeat.

Durance pushes through the others to begin casting his last spell of the night to warm you all enough to make the journey back to Stalwart.

[kaseyno]

had a dream about this

[pillarsheadcanons]

¯\_(ツ)_/¯