teamtakagi

[teamtakagi]

Grey Warden Props

By Volta

[teamtakagi]

sometimes i play around with the headcanon that the companions did ask Rook to join book club or to go camping or to hang out or any of the various things they do together - but Solas obscured it/erased it/controlled Rook's responses, in order to make sure Rook would feel more and more isolated and full of regret. eventually, after being turned down enough, he didn't even have to do anything anymore - they just assumed Rook didn't have the time or desire.

(very quick and dirty/cruddy comic to illustrate an idea, like most of my comics are lmao)

[teamtakagi]

Rook Wednesday: Love

Drawing Prompt: "Draw your Rook with their Loved One"

Reusing this one from a Kissing Prompt with @a-mumbling-nerd's Eleanor because I didn't have time to draw a new picture.

______

“Dammit, Ellie. I … I love you. A lot,” he blurted out before kissing her. Eleanor, despite her love of all things romantic and beautiful, had never thought of what a kiss might be like. Let alone her first kiss. But with Jerran’s hand cupping her cheek and his lips pressed to hers, she could understand the poets and the artists a little more who boasted greatly about such a gesture.  ___

From @a-mumbling-nerd 's beautiful story, Scars and Confessions.

Writing Prompts:

(answered from the RRAU perspective because the Jerran x Eleanor's love story is too deeply in their characterization arcs to remove.)

How does your Rook prefer to receive affection? Does this change after their time in the Veilguard?

Jerran treasures spending time with people and physical affection.

After being abandoned by many people in his life, having someone willing to stay with him, even if it's just to sit and talk is very important to him.

He also enjoys hugs, holding hands, snuggling, and other forms of physical affection.

_____

Is your Rook a hopeless romantic? Are they generally successful with their affections?

Jerran has a somewhat romantic view on love that he would deny. He wants to protect Eleanor and be somewhat of a white knight to the point of sacrificing himself because he believes that protecting people is his role, both as a Grey Warden and as her partner.

(He would do the same for his friends and those he considers family).

Up until Eleanor, he wasn't very successful with his affections, mostly because he's rather awkward when it comes to flirting.

[teamtakagi]

Injury Prompt - Viridian and Jerran

Thank you for your patience and letting me borrow Viridian, @ofrevival / @starlightarchery! I kept rewriting scenes and none of them felt right until now.

19. “I came as soon as I heard.”

Original Injury Prompt here by @promptsbytaurie

I cheated a little on this one…. Apparently there are now mad scientists certain characters  in the RRAU experimenting with Warden blood. I gave them Jerran’s since I already wrote this  Rook!Jerran Injury Prompt.

This is a rework of that piece to make it fit in the RRAU and featuring Viridian’s Injury Prompt. So if you feel like you’ve read parts of it before… you probably have.

Takes place during @wickedadaar 's Inglorious Rooks arc after the attack on Minrathous and after the One Lonely Girl series.

Characters mentioned:

Viridian - @ofrevival / @starlightarchery Sarge - @wickedadaar Quinn - @seizethemage-main Zaedrin - @fret-not Semar - @sleepingtodream Warden Dan - @evans-endeavors Eleanor - @a-mumbling-nerd

(PS, your freaks can come get their Warden blood here, @soturoayami and @apothe-cary)

Trigger Warning: Violence, Blood, Torture

His head hurt. 

Everything hurt.

The clogging sensations of sawdust, fear, and dried blood filled Jerran’s nose as he became slowly conscious. Swallowing hard, he tasted copper and felt a few loose teeth. He cracked open one eye; stacked wooden crates and shelving splattered with blood met his bleary gaze. How long have I been here? Days? Hours?

He dimly recalled walking down the streets of Docktown late afternoon with a box of small wooden carvings to hand out to children and gather some useful intel.  One of them, a young girl with soulful blue eyes, had tugged on his sleeve as she begged him to help her dying ma. He’d gladly followed her, only to run into a group of hooded cowards wielding staffs and other weapons. 

His memory was a bit spotty after that. 

Hope the kid is okay. Probably dead if the Venatori threatened her.

The filtered light through the warehouse’s ill-fitting wooden boards looked bright, so it had been at least a day. Chains infused with red gemstones clinked around his wrists and ankles as he attempted to sit up, noting that only his gambeson kept his back from rubbing against a rough wooden pillar. No armor, no tools, no weapons. Grreaat. 

A door at the end of the building opened and he closed his eyes, feigning unconsciousness. Murmurs accompanied by the shuffling of cloth and dull thudding of staffs approached him. 

“He refuses to tell us where Rook is,” a female’s high-pitched voice from Jerran’s right complained in a cultured Tevinter accent, her voice muffled from the stupid hoods. “Or how these so-called Veilguard members keep slipping in and out of Minrathous.” 

Like he actually knew what Rook looked like. No one did. The Eluvian, however… It led to the Lighthouse. To Ellie. 

A hand suddenly forced Jerran’s head back and slapped his cheek hard, adding to the already forming bruises. He groaned, opening his eyes to see gray and red robes standing in front of him. 

There were more of them; the last few times, only two had shown up. Now, he counted five pairs of boots.  

Great. More friends. 

“He’s conscious enough to talk.” A tall Venatori mage wearing ornate robes stepped forward. “How are you rats entering and exiting Minrathous?”

He just had to hold out long enough for the Lighthouse Grey Wardens to find him. Sarge had promised; it wouldn’t be like the Midnight Stars who left him to hang. Jerran huffed a laugh. “I’d rather kiss a Darkspawn.” 

The Venatori lifted his hand. 

An unseen force wrenched Jerran’s arm the wrong way; a sickening crunch and pop dislocated his shoulder. He screamed.

“Wait,” the female mage protested. “His tainted blood will be useful to certain… parties.”

“You’re right. Our friends will enjoy receiving his blood. You can get it when I’m done with him.” 

After that ominous promise, Jerran couldn’t remember much except a lot of pain. Apparently blood mages really, really liked spilling blood and seeing how far one’s body could contort. Who knew? 

When they seemed to finally run out of mana, someone tightened a cloth around his upper arm before a needle jabbed into his skin. Its pinch barely registered as he felt blood draining into it. A ritual? Or one of Gilly-pad’s fucking experiments? He passed out again.

Time faded. There were more interrogations, more needles, more blood. There was a pattern – interrogate while breaking and dislocating things. Heal just enough to make the next round painful, take blood. Force liquids. Wait. Repeat. Everything blurred together.

Jerran leaned back against a rough, cold surface, fighting to breathe through the pain of cracked ribs and a dislocated shoulder. The high-ranking Venatori didn’t like his glib answers this time around and left him with something to think about. Was Sarge actually coming? Eleanor’s face came to mind. She must be worried. 

He drifted in and out of consciousness until distant shouting cut through the fogginess in his brain. For once, someone else besides Jerran – the higher-ranked Venatori? — is screaming. “Shit! Get the –” His voice is abruptly cut off amidst the familiar snap and crackle of magic. 

Clashing swords. Scraping metal. The unmistakable sound of bodies hitting the ground. Jerran’s shoulders slumped in relief. They came back. “I’m in here,” he called, his voice hoarse. 

Abrupt silence, then footsteps. The door slammed open. 

“Shit!” A familiar deep voice. Jerran struggled to place it. “I found him!”

The smell of sweat, metal, and blood surrounded Jerran as someone – a fellow Grey Warden? – decisively broke the lock chaining him to the rock. Jerran slumped forward against an armored shoulder.

“I came as soon as I heard.” Viridian, an older veteran, said, helping Jerran lay back onto the ground. Although fairly new to the Lighthouse, it hadn’t taken him long before he and his new partner, Warden Dan, had become the “dads” to the younger wardens, Jerran included.

“Your… hearing must be shit,” Jerran joked, gasping as Viridian checked him for injuries.

“Sorry it took a while, kiddo. They really had you hidden. Took us a few days to navigate the Catacombs.” Viridian moved aside as a younger face – Quinn – came into view. She instructed Viridian to hold Jerran’s arm as she laid her hands on the dislocated shoulder. Jerran gasped and nearly passed out again as the joint snapped back into place.

The Catacombs? They must have moved him from the warehouse. Opening his eyes, he peered up at several worried faces – Sarge, Zae, Quinn, and Viridian. Even Semar looked slightly concerned as he hung back from the group. 

“What did they want?” Sarge asked.

“They were looking for Rook and kept collecting my blood.” Jerran groaned as Quinn’s healing magic began to seep through his body. It felt cold, almost too cold. His bones ached and skin itched as the magic began to do its work.

“For what?” Zae quizzed.

Even with the healing, he felt like druffalo had run him over. “I don’t know. I kinda lost track when they busted my arm and my head,” Jerran mumbled.

“All right, let’s get you to the Lighthouse and you’ll debrief you there. Eleanor’s been worried about you. She’s barely slept or eaten since you got taken.” Viridian slung Jerran’s arm over his shoulder and hauled him to his feet.

Ellie. After promising that he wouldn’t leave her again. Jerran winced. “She must be furious.”

“Kid, she’s already promised to tie you to the bed until you recover and I agreed. Let her fuss over you.” Sarge winked at him. “You got yourself a sweetheart.”

Jerran gave her a slight grin even as he noticed the Venatori bodies lying around the area. “Let’s go home.”

[teamtakagi]

✧✦⭒ SONG ASSOCIATIONS — Jerran

Bringing back the "Music Album" visual from a previous Rook Wednesday.

Also dropping his Youtube playlist (subject to change, no particular order. You have been warned.)

Thanks you @rookcaged, @tiravi, @i-creatied-au, @a-mumbling-nerd, @knowlsey, @jupi-tercreates, @zennihilation, and @wickedadaar for asking!

Original prompt by @rainyprompts

🥁 A battle song for my muse

Skillet - Standing In The Storm (Official Lyric Video) -

I'm standing in the storm like never before The pressure builds around me Let the winds surround me I'll stand in the storm (I still got some life in me) I'll stand in the storm (I still got some fight in me) I feel the voices underneath me callin' I sink into the graveyard of the fallen Tell me that you hear 'em (hear 'em) Tell me you don't fear 'em (fear 'em) Resist a little longer Death before dishonor

_____

⚡ A song that my muse would listen to

Mashup: Baby one more time - Britney Spears ft. Black Jack - DJ Sorma Mix - Feeding his secret love of early 2000's music. He would die inside though if anyone found it on his playlist.

______

🎆 A song my muse would sing or dance to

*NSYNC - Bye Bye Bye (Official Video) - Is it cliche after the Deadpool vs. Wolverine Movie? Yes. Would Jerran still sing this with his full chest? Absolutely.

_____

🎺 An instrumental song for my muse

【Touhou】 -Bad Apple- (Orchestral Arrangement) Instrumental - Throwback to the emo, angsty 16-year-old DND rogue that Jerran evolved from, but make it sound like an epic battle.

_____

✨ A theme song for my muse

"Work" - Hell's Paradise OP 『 English Cover by Nejime Studio 』 millennium parade × 椎名林檎

This particular interpretation of the original song really affected the way I wrote Jerran's backstory and his attitude toward being a Grey Warden.

Please forgive me For all the sins I commit Go on, condemn me For it’s the life that I live But don’t forget me If Sin’s what I must become for my freedom, I’ll live in Hell’s Paradise.

_____

🖤 A song for our muses’ ship

For Jerran x Eleanor

Lana Del Rey - Young and Beautiful - I don't know why, but this song makes me cry when I think of them.

Shout out to @a-mumbling-nerd for finding this for the Jerran x Eleanor playlist.

_____

🎉 A happy song for my muse

ALI - LOST IN PARADISE feat. AKLO（Re-edit ver.）- Jerran has a lot of Yuji Itadori vibes, and this reflects a lot of Jerran's energy.

[teamtakagi]

Ah yes. Our very angsty, impulsive boys. 😂

Angry Dialogue Post: Guard Dog

All prompts form this Link. These two been have some beef- will it resolve :) it’s Lucas so let’s find out. Shhh, my show is on. Also happy to mention the events of this happened in the discord as well as including honorable mention to Shirevas who’s @alliminoobers

Lucas Laidir (mine) / Jerran ( @teamtakagi )

8. “I warned you, but you just couldn't resist, could you?”

After events that happened in the lighthouse kitchen and getting frozen by Shirevas and decked by Jerran, Lucas isn’t plan on interacting with them further. However, after having a heart to heart with some other companions he did apologize to Shirevas. It was all water under the bridge or so he thought I’ll he ran into Jerran.

“You’re the kid who called Shirevas a blood mage!” Jerran was ready to deck him again, holding back

Lucas groaned, “Why must it always be one of Shirevas dogs? You are getting on my nerves.”

Jerrans eyes became hard narrowing in on Lucas, “Shirevas was much kinder to you that she outta be. I would have done worse than freeze your ass.”

Lucas’ own eyes, narrowed, “I’ll warn you once, fuck off.”

Jerran didn’t fight the disdain on his face, “Or what? You’re going to call me a blood mage too?”

Lucas threw a punch at Jerrans face, “First off, That’s payback. Secondly, I warned you, but you just couldn't resist, could you? Me and Shirevas fixed it she forgave me and I apologized, so get over-“

Before Lucas could finish his sentence, Jerran threw his own punch, knocking Lucas on the floor, “And she was way too good for that.” Jerran stormed off leaving Lucas on the floor.

Lucas got up shaking his head and rubbing his cheek, “Fucking guard dogs.”

[teamtakagi]

Juan and Sloane being Catty

[ Angry Dialogue Ask Game ]

Also Juan gets their bell rung. Thank you @legendstrauma I love Sloane more mean girls forever. And @teamtakagi for cleaning up.

“I can’t talk to you when you’re like this. You’re probably blacked out right now.” “Sloane! I didn’t have any yet!”  “Please, we all know. Everyone can see what kind of person you are!”

Juan was standing over the young elf, looking down with a deep sigh. Of everything that happened, this one they meant as a genuine favor. They looked over to the bartender, giving him a quick instruction to dump the bottles.

“What have you done this time?”

Their skin crawled and their teeth bared. “What do you want, Sloane?”

“You’re making a mess.”

They rolled their eyes and turned to the woman, pale, blonde, with pink makeup accenting her features. “Your mascara smeared.”

“Rude.” She stepped over the passed out boy to take the vacated seat. “Are you going to do something about your body?”

“He’s alive.”

She let out a disgusted grunt. “A fledgling’s mistake. Oh! You’re drunk again.”

“I haven’t been able to get to my drink for half an hour!” they snapped at her.

“You’ve been nursing a glass for half an hour. You,” she scoffed.

“I’ve had a long few days, Sloane.” 

“And that man you let walk out. Usually you’d be hanging off of him like a backpack.”  

“Don’t start with me.” 

“A girl can’t be curious?”

“I ran into a ghost in the forest—”

“Oh, Juan.”

“—then I had to fight a demon.”

“I can’t talk to you when you’re like this. You’re probably blacked out right now.”

“Sloane! I didn’t have any yet!” 

“Please, we all know. Everyone can see what kind of person you are!”

“You’re being ridiculous. Now leave me alone so I can finish my damn drink and bring this idiot back to the Diamond.” There was a tight squeeze on their shoulder and they turned slowly. “Hm? Huh. You’re awake.”

The young elf, no bigger than Juan but more densely built, lost all of the innocent charm he came into the bar with. They didn’t even see him rear back to slam a rock solid fist right into their jaw, laying them flat out onto the floor. 

Juan crumpled. Between the exhaustion, surprise, and general lack of physical fortitude, they stayed down.

Sloane nearly doubled over cackling. “Fledgling!” 

Juan was still down even as Jerran stormed off.

A disgusted look crossed her face. “Oh. Oh no. Someone has to clean this up.”

[teamtakagi]

Juan meets Jerran

[ Angry Dialogue Ask Game ]

Juan is questioning staying out until Jerran walks into the wrong bar. Apologies to @teamtakagi for what I do to their boy. 😔

“Venga, bien.” A bottle was placed in front of them both with two glasses. “Do you have time to look around?”  “Not really, I’m leaving in the morning.” “Isn’t that always the way? You went through the effort. You could stand to look around.”  “I really can’t. I have to report in.” “Workaholics. You always have an excuse, don’t you?” Juan chuckled. “Don’t worry. I get it. At least you got out tonight.”

Juan’s nerves settled while they continued their staring contest with the glass. The thought of just giving up for the night started to seem truly viable. The bathhouse felt too far and drinking alone in their room was too sad, even for them. They almost took a drink when someone else had started to sit down. A small sigh and they set their glass down. 

This kid was young. Not fledgling young, but definitely the youngest in the room. Juan had to repress a shudder. Then again, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. It wasn’t like they earned their nickname at eighteen or anything…

“Fuck.”

The younger elf cocked their head. “Hm? Did you say something? You were looking here for a while.” 

“Ah. Sorry. I’m real tired.” They extended their hand. “Juan. You new here?”

“Jerran,” he said, shaking their hand. “I’m just passing through.”

“Oh, tourist.” It was so hard for them to slip in and out of the city past the occupation checkpoints, how the hell did they run into so many foreigners over the past few days?

“Well, maybe?” he shrugged.

“Huh. Let me buy you a drink.”

“Oh! I’ll have a stout.” 

“What? No,” Juan choked, stunned by the choice. “This is Antiva. We do wine and brandy here.” 

There was a disappointed turn in his voice. “Oh. Okay, whatever then.”

They let out a low breath. This kid was going to get himself killed. The best thing they could do is dump him back at the Diamond. “Trust me. I’ll make sure you have a good time.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

“Right.” Juan smiled and turned to the bartender. “Can you grab the red from my personal stock? The light one?” 

“I don’t really like—you know what? Sure, I’ll try it.”

“Venga, bien.” A bottle was placed in front of them both with two glasses. “Do you have time to look around?” 

“Not really, I’m leaving in the morning.”

“Isn’t that always the way? You went through the effort. You could stand to look around.” 

“I really can’t. I have to report in.”

“Workaholics. You always have an excuse, don’t you?” Juan chuckled. “Don’t worry. I get it. At least you got out tonight.”

“Yeah, I didn’t think I would.” 

Juan poured the glasses and raised the one nearest them. “Salud.” 

Jerran raised his and took a slow sip.

Juan shrugged and drank the entirety of their glass. “You doing okay over there?”

He coughed and nodded. “Oh yeah. I’m fine.”

Juan shrugged and pulled a pill from their pocket and swallowed it, neutralizing the additive that had been slipped into the wine. 

“Are you okay?” he asked, noticing the pill.

“Sure. It’s for my stomach. Been travelling all week, so it’s out of sorts.” 

“Ooh.” He nodded, accepting that, taking another drink from the glass. It would only be polite to finish it at that point.

“Well, next time you’re in town, you really should take in the sights.”

“Uh huh—” he started to agree before his vision blurred. “What…”

Juan took the glass from him as Jerran began to list and set it back on the counter. “At least one of us is going to have a good night’s sleep.” 

He tried to take a step before everything went black and he went crashing into the ground.

“Sorry kid. Better me than anyone else here.” 

[teamtakagi]

I want to say that I really miss conversations with my companions, and that I can't come up and start talking to him about different things or just keep up the conversation. I guess if I could talk to them, my 70 game hours would turn into 170.

[teamtakagi]

Thank you, I absolutely loved this piece. Both songs were perfect for Jerran. 😭

Context Posts:

A Little Bit of Pyromancy by @antivan-sprig

Response by me

Mentions of Rooks:

Lisel - @antivan-sprig Lin - @wardentabriis Zae- @fret-not Ulrich, Bruno - @hedgiestail Eleanor - @a-mumbling-nerd

The familiarity of the Dalish tune startled Jerran; he hadn’t heard it in years since his mamae disappeared. She’d hummed that song as she worked. For whatever reason, she'd liked the tragic tales that made her weep. Jerran hadn't understood. Who wanted to be sad on purpose?

Cathartic, Mamae had called it. A fancy word that meant letting out your feelings. 

And now… the words just reminded him of too many plans that never came to pass and too many memories now foggy with time. Things that he’d locked away and carefully hidden since he met Eleanor.

 I shall tell of a hunter whose life was undone By the cruel hand of evil, at the setting of the sun His arrow was loosed and it flew through the dark And his true love was slain as the shaft found its mark

He swallowed hard; he should leave. Lisel hadn’t alerted to his presence yet. It would be so easy to just walk away. His throat itched for a shot of whiskey, but the wisps made sure he didn't have any stored in his room; he'd come back to find a chittering wisp hovering over an overturned bottle and a puddle of spilled whiskey.

Now, without the distraction of others and alcohol, the memories started to sharpen, along with the pain. Lisel’s haunting voice continued drifting out into the hallway:

He ran up beside her and found it was she He turned away his head for he could not bear to see He lifted her up and found she was dead A fountain of tears for his true love, he shed She'd her apron wrapped about her, and he took her for a swan And it's, oh, and alas it was she, Polly Vaughn

Jerran never knew Kyra’s fate; thankfully, the Constable Warden had spared him from going on that mission. Moss had gone in his stead and returned with the bloody Grey Warden pendant, avoiding Jerran’s questions. After that, the mage drank more and slept less.

 He bore her away to his home by the sea  Cryin', "Father, oh, father, I murdered poor Polly I've killed my fair love in the flower of her life And I always intended that she be my wife" "But she'd her apron wrapped about her, and he took her for a swan And it's oh, and alas it was she, Polly Vaughn"

Jerran hadn’t killed her. The damned useless Grey Warden leaders had with their incompetence.  His lip curled at the memory of his court martial in front of the First Warden. The man deserved to get punched in the face.

Why am I staying with them?  Why didn’t he say, “Fuck it” and leave like Lin, Bruno, and Ulrich? Why am I putting up with the bullshit rules and stupid regulations?

He roamed near the place where his true love was slain He wept bitter tears, but his cries were all in vain  As he looked on the lake, a swan glided by   And the sun slowly sank in the gray of the sky She'd her apron wrapped about her, and he took her for a swan And it's, oh, and alas it was she, Polly Vaughn

The last chord lingered in the air as Lisel’s voice trailed away. 

He grimaced.  If this was Lisel’s preferred genre, he might have to limit the time whittling with her. Getting up, he turned to walk down the hall, hoping that the music would cover his footsteps. 

Then Lisel paused and softly sighed. He froze. Shit, did she hear me? 

The instrument twanged softly as she adjusted it. “Better get back to it. At least then something good will have come out of all this,” she murmured, a yawn distorting the second half of her sentence. After a moment, she strummed a new chord:

I walked ten thousand miles, ten thousand miles to see you And every gasp of breath, I grabbed at just to find you            I climbed up every hills to get, to you        I wandered ancient lands to hold, just you               And every single step of the way,                         I pay-hey hey hey hey                    Every single night and day                             I searched for you           Through sandstorms and hazy dawns                            I reached for you

As she sang, something loosened in Jerran’s chest. It was almost as though Kyra was there, whispering in his ear: Did you really forget, Idiot?  

The villages that he’d helped save. The children who eagerly grabbed at the wooden carvings he offered. Antoine, Evka. Moss, Renny, Zae. The entire squad at the Lighthouse. Heck, everyone at the Lighthouse. 

Eleanor. 

If he hadn’t stayed with the Wardens, he never would have met them. 

Did it mean he'd continue? That was a question for the future Jerran. Not now.

Reaching into a pouch hanging from his belt, he pulled out a small halla figurine and began carving, his elvish eyes easily discerning the shapes in the dark. He finished as the song ended and she called out, “Someone there?”

He wasn’t ready to talk to Lisel yet. But the next time Lisel stepped out of her room, she’d find a small wooden halla with Sylaise’s vallaslin delicately etched along its side.

A Fourth Song in the Night

Okie dokie! I ended up cheating and giving Jerran two songs. Originally I was just going to use the first one but I just couldn’t do that to Jerran, especially after the last time. Anyways I’ll leave it up to you to decide exactly when Jerran shows up and what exactly he hears.

The second song is very much the vibes that Jerran inspires (in my opinion) and arguably it could also be a song about Eleanor depending on when this is in the timeline (once again I’ll leave that up to you). Only included the first verse for brevity since it was getting long :)

@teamtakagi : Jerran had avoided that section of hallway for weeks, yet for some reason he found himself restless that evening. As Liselath's voice gently wafted out through the crack in the door, he found himself slowly sinking down on the floor to listen.

Liselath sat on her bed with bass guitar in hand, humming slowly as she thought back on the recent pyre readings she’d done. While she considered most to be a good introduction to the other members of the Veilguard, a few stood out to her as less successful; and of those few, one was disastrous. She’d underestimated the strength of the blight which ran through a warden’s blood, and worse, she’d overestimated her ability to control what came through the fire.

She cringed thinking back on that night with Jerran. She knew she owed him a better apology, she’d been the one to ask him to join her after all; but apologies were not Lisel’s forte. The unrest that the event stirred up inside her found its way out through music, Lisel had been working on her Jerran inspired song for three days now and had mostly finished it. She’d hoped to create a piece which reflected his inner strength, gallantry, and the gentle sense of wonder he inspired. Instead, she found herself strumming a familiar song, a favorite of hers. It was a tune known well by the Dalish, a dark and melancholy tale of lost love. Although as she thought through the lyrics she was struck by how much they reminded her of Jerran and everything he’d gone through.

She sighed aloud, knowing that once her brain got preoccupied with something musical, the only way to get through it was to play it a few times. She took a breath, steadied herself and then began to strum the haunting melody.

I shall tell of a hunter whose life was undone

By the cruel hand of evil, at the setting of the sun

His arrow was loosed

and it flew through the dark

And his true love was slain

as the shaft found its mark

She'd her apron wrapped about her,

and he took her for a swan

And it's, oh, and alas it was she, Polly Von

He ran up beside her and found it was she

He turned away his head

for he could not bear to see

He lifted her up and found she was dead

A fountain of tears for his true love, he shed

She'd her apron wrapped about her,

and he took her for a swan

And it's, oh, and alas it was she, Polly Von

He bore her away to his home by the sea

Cryin', "Father, oh, father, I murdered poor Polly

I've killed my fair love in the flower of her life

And I always intended that she be my wife"

"But she'd her apron wrapped about her,

and I took her for a swan

And it's oh, and alas it was she, Polly Von"

He roamed near the place

where his true love was slain

He wept bitter tears, but his cries were all in vain

As he looked on the lake, a swan glided by

And the sun slowly sank in the gray of the sky

She'd her apron wrapped about her,

and he took her for a swan

And it's, oh, and alas it was she, Polly Von

Briefly she considered the idea of sharing the song with Jerran. From what she could understand from the twisted visions, there was a considerable amount of restless ambiguity surrounding Kyra’s fate. No outcome Lisel could imagine was very comforting, but if Jerran was anything like her he might get some closure in simply making up an ending for her. Yet the more she considered it, the more it felt like wishful thinking. She doubted most warden’s would think like her, and more so, a warden knew better than anyone the likely fate of a woman dragged off by darkspawn.

A shiver went down her spine as she recalled the memory.

“Better get back to it. At least then something good will have come out of all this.” Lisel said while fighting off a yawn. She began strumming again, this time being the song she’d intended for Jerran in the first place.

I walked ten thousand miles,

ten thousand miles to see you

And every gasp of breath

I grabbed at just to find you

I climbed up every hills to get, to you

I wondered ancient lands to hold, just you

And every single step of the way,

I pay-hey hey hey hey

Every single night and day

I searched for you

Through sandstorms and hazy dawns

I reached for you

With that, Lisel rose to her feet and sat her bass down by the dresser. She flashed a smile at herself as she passed the mirror, stopping to examine the toll the late night had on her face. It was only then that she noticed the slight crack in the door. She whirled around and took a few rushed steps towards the door, stopping an arms length away from it.

“Someone there?” She called out, worry apparent in her tone.

[teamtakagi]

Dragon Age: The Veilguard environment art pieces, by Volta Studio artists:

"TEAM Art Direction : Stéphanie Bouchard - Artists : Alejandro Olmedo Nieto Thomas Schaffer Tristan Kang Vladimir Mokry"

Caption:

"Super excited to finally show the different assets we produced for Dragon Age: The Veilguard alongside BioWare and EA! - Our team worked closely with the project Art Director to concept props, full environment tilesets, costumes, armor, creatures, weapons, and 2.5D cinematics that you can now find in game. Collaborating closely with BioWare’s team, we helped ensure every detail stayed true to the Dragon Age universe. We also teamed up with our sister studio, KWM, to bring most of the 2.5D in-game cinematics to life. - Huge thanks to BioWare for their trust. This project was a true team effort, and means so much to us! A huge thanks to everyone on our team who was also part of this journey."

[source, via]

File names: image 1: Tevinter tileset paintovers refined image 2: tileset Rivain dungeon image 3: region paintover deep rox image 4: tileset Necropolis round 2 the embelishing image 5: deeprox interchange image 6: dwarven embassy entrance image 7: Archon's Palace elevator vertical bottom image 8: Archon's Palace elevator vertical top image 9: deeprox paintover the Oracle room image 10: dreadwolf sescape a image 11: dreadwolf sescape b image 12: Red Bride canyon option a image 13: hub Shadow Dragons hideout image 14: hub Crow's nest final image 15: hub Crow's nest sketch image 16: personal hub kitchen image 17: Tevinter market shots pot makers rox image 18: Archon's Palace elevator horizontal image 19: Archon's Palace elevator vertical bottom image 20: Tevinter Archon's Palace interior hallway image 21: Tevinter Archon's Palace interior hallway sketch image 22: Tevinter Archon's Palace interior hallway sketch image 23: Tevinter Archon's Palace interior throne room image 24: Tevinter Archon's Palace interior throne room image 25: personal hub Emmrich space image 26: personal hub Neve space image 27: personal hub Lucanis space image 28: personal hub Varric space image 29: personal hub Saarbrak space image 30: personal hub Davrin space

[teamtakagi]

Thank you so much! Will respond back with something later.

OMG I love Mushishi. ❤️

A Fourth Song in the Night

Okie dokie! I ended up cheating and giving Jerran two songs. Originally I was just going to use the first one but I just couldn’t do that to Jerran, especially after the last time. Anyways I’ll leave it up to you to decide exactly when Jerran shows up and what exactly he hears.

The second song is very much the vibes that Jerran inspires (in my opinion) and arguably it could also be a song about Eleanor depending on when this is in the timeline (once again I’ll leave that up to you). Only included the first verse for brevity since it was getting long :)

@teamtakagi : Jerran had avoided that section of hallway for weeks, yet for some reason he found himself restless that evening. As Liselath's voice gently wafted out through the crack in the door, he found himself slowly sinking down on the floor to listen.

Liselath sat on her bed with bass guitar in hand, humming slowly as she thought back on the recent pyre readings she’d done. While she considered most to be a good introduction to the other members of the Veilguard, a few stood out to her as less successful; and of those few, one was disastrous. She’d underestimated the strength of the blight which ran through a warden’s blood, and worse, she’d overestimated her ability to control what came through the fire.

She cringed thinking back on that night with Jerran. She knew she owed him a better apology, she’d been the one to ask him to join her after all; but apologies were not Lisel’s forte. The unrest that the event stirred up inside her found its way out through music, Lisel had been working on her Jerran inspired song for three days now and had mostly finished it. She’d hoped to create a piece which reflected his inner strength, gallantry, and the gentle sense of wonder he inspired. Instead, she found herself strumming a familiar song, a favorite of hers. It was a tune known well by the Dalish, a dark and melancholy tale of lost love. Although as she thought through the lyrics she was struck by how much they reminded her of Jerran and everything he’d gone through.

She sighed aloud, knowing that once her brain got preoccupied with something musical, the only way to get through it was to play it a few times. She took a breath, steadied herself and then began to strum the haunting melody.

I shall tell of a hunter whose life was undone

By the cruel hand of evil, at the setting of the sun

His arrow was loosed

and it flew through the dark

And his true love was slain

as the shaft found its mark

She'd her apron wrapped about her,

and he took her for a swan

And it's, oh, and alas it was she, Polly Von

He ran up beside her and found it was she

He turned away his head

for he could not bear to see

He lifted her up and found she was dead

A fountain of tears for his true love, he shed

She'd her apron wrapped about her,

and he took her for a swan

And it's, oh, and alas it was she, Polly Von

He bore her away to his home by the sea

Cryin', "Father, oh, father, I murdered poor Polly

I've killed my fair love in the flower of her life

And I always intended that she be my wife"

"But she'd her apron wrapped about her,

and I took her for a swan

And it's oh, and alas it was she, Polly Von"

He roamed near the place

where his true love was slain

He wept bitter tears, but his cries were all in vain

As he looked on the lake, a swan glided by

And the sun slowly sank in the gray of the sky

She'd her apron wrapped about her,

and he took her for a swan

And it's, oh, and alas it was she, Polly Von

Briefly she considered the idea of sharing the song with Jerran. From what she could understand from the twisted visions, there was a considerable amount of restless ambiguity surrounding Kyra’s fate. No outcome Lisel could imagine was very comforting, but if Jerran was anything like her he might get some closure in simply making up an ending for her. Yet the more she considered it, the more it felt like wishful thinking. She doubted most warden’s would think like her, and more so, a warden knew better than anyone the likely fate of a woman dragged off by darkspawn.

A shiver went down her spine as she recalled the memory.

“Better get back to it. At least then something good will have come out of all this.” Lisel said while fighting off a yawn. She began strumming again, this time being the song she’d intended for Jerran in the first place.

I walked ten thousand miles,

ten thousand miles to see you

And every gasp of breath

I grabbed at just to find you

I climbed up every hills to get, to you

I wondered ancient lands to hold, just you

And every single step of the way,

I pay-hey hey hey hey

Every single night and day

I searched for you

Through sandstorms and hazy dawns

I reached for you

With that, Lisel rose to her feet and sat her bass down by the dresser. She flashed a smile at herself as she passed the mirror, stopping to examine the toll the late night had on her face. It was only then that she noticed the slight crack in the door. She whirled around and took a few rushed steps towards the door, stopping an arms length away from it.

“Someone there?” She called out, worry apparent in her tone.

[teamtakagi]

RRAU Beach Episode

Had to add @a-mumbling-nerd 's Eleanor to the original drawing after I saw what Eleanor would be wearing here. She's so classy.

Still not sure how Jerran won her heart, but he's happy.

Art Sources:

Jerran's sources

Eleanor:

[teamtakagi]

While I absolutely adore all historical costume, the Tudor era has to be one of my all time favourites. The luxurious textiles, the rich colours, the opulent details - it's truly heaven for a costume nerd like myself. Tudor fashion was heavily influenced by key figures in the royal court such as Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. Wealthier aristocratic women would demonstrate their status through their striking silhouettes, highly-embellished outer layers and ostentatious headdresses. While the clothing of lower classes remained much more simple than the upper class, the newly fashionable silhouette still trickled down through social strata.

You can find more of my 1500s content here.

OUTFIT RESOURCES

Queen: Hair | Crown | Circlet | Earrings (TSR) | Ruff | Dress | Cloak

Princess: Hair | French Hood | Earrings (TSR) | Necklace | Dress | Undershirt | Ring (TSR)

Noblewoman One: Headpiece & Hair | Earrings | Ruff | Dress | Necklace | Undershirt | Fan

Noblewoman Two: Headpiece & Hair | Earrings (TSR) | Dress | Undershirt | Necklace | Ring

Lady One: Gable Hood | Necklace | Dress | Undershirt | Right Ring (TSR) | Left Ring (TSR)

Lady Two: Headpiece | Hair (TSR) | Earrings | Ruff | Necklace | Dress | Ring (TSR)

Patrician: Hat (TSR) | Hair (TSR) | Earrings | Ruff | Necklace | Dress | Gloves

Merchant's Wife: Hat | Hair | Earrings (TSR) | Dress | Cuffs | Ring One (TSR) | Ring Two

Citizen: Hat | Hair | Earrings (TSR) | Dress

Trademan's Wife: Hair | Dress | Belt (TSR)

Housekeeper: Head Covering | Outfit

Farmworker: Hat | Wimple | Outfit | Basket | Shoes (TSR)

With thanks to some amazing creators: @leeleesims1 @thesimpireblr @the-melancholy-maiden @strangestorytellersims @elfdor @glitterberrysims @plazasims @natalia-auditore @miikocc @teanmoon @simsregalia @waxesnostalgic @simverses @ms-marysims @simulatedstyles @batsfromwesteros @shoelala-sims @tzuhu @zx-ta @lady-moriel @dancemachinetrait @historicalsimslife @pralinesims @rustys-cc @simstomaggie @sims4nexus @zurkdesign @pea-milk @plumbobteasociety

[teamtakagi]

[teamtakagi]

RRAU: Beach Episode

I was so happy to bring back Jerran's Andraste's Grace Hawaiian shirt. It's one of my favorite parts of a modern AU.

Art Sources:

[teamtakagi]

Jerran's Nice Little Things

Original prompt by @akuma-misery Tagged by @antivan-sprig, thank you! I tag everyone who wants to do this!

The Veilguard provides us with a decent number of objects to decorate our room, However, they are not always enough to reflect the personality of the owner. Therefore, I suggest you fill in the places intended for room decoration yourself.

Rules: Choose 10 objects that you will place in the room of your Rooks on the places intended for customization. These should be small objects that can be placed in the following places: 2 on the tables by the doors, 2 on the tables by the aquarium, 4 on the bookcases and 2 on the walls. Attach a photo of these objects and give a short description of why your Rooks chose them.

Tables By the Doors

A. A small box of broken arrowheads -each one represents a significant battle that he survived.

B. Whetstone and other maintenance items for his weapons - easy to grab if he wants to sharpen his daggers or take care of his bow out in the Courtyard.

______

Tables By the Aquarium

A. Elemental Throwing Flasks and Poison- Probably not the best thing to store by the Aquarium. But at least he knows where they're located.

B. Whiskey Stash - A collection that he curated over the months in the Lighthouse. Much better hidden in the RRAU.

______

Bookcases

A. A small wooden box holding a hair decorative comb that represents his mother and Kyra's bloodied Grey Warden pendant.

B. Borrowed books, either from Emmrich and Bellara in Canon, or Eleanor stores extra novels on his shelves in RRAU.

C. Small Carved Animals - He carves these to give to children that he encounters on Grey Warden Missions. It helps to build a relationship with the locals as well as being a relaxing activity when he can't sleep at night.

D. Cookie Jar - Usually filled with Snickerdoodles. In the RRAU, he gets a second jar for Eleanor's chocolate cookies.

___

On the Wall

A. Children's "Thank You" Drawings sitting in picture frames - a reminder of why he continues to fight Darkspawn. The drawing of Kyra brings him a twinge of pain, but he can't find himself putting it away.

B. A Grey Warden Tapestry - Reminder of Weisshaupt, which he considers his home.