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Okay so I’ll definitely be posting some stuff about my Fallout characters in the next few days!

Fun fact about me is that dragon age is not my first video game RPG franchise. Fallout was. … and I’m still a massive fan, would anyone want to hear about my fallout protagonists and some fun head canons I have on this blog?

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Not with that attitude

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This is the fucking funniest exchange in the entire game. This is peak fight banter. I cannot believe Lucanis actually says this during the final run through Minrathous

King shit right here. Absolute king shit

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Important Facts about Cassius Ignatus Ingellvar, my Rook for the Emotional Damage Worldstate that also ring true in my canon Worldstate: The Shattered Crown:

Early Life:

Cassius is biologically the grandson of both Bann Fearchar Mac Enraig (maternal) and King Markus Pentaghast of Nevarra (yeah okay King Markus canonically didn’t have kids but canon is mouldable to our own wishes) Making him a bastard prince & Nevarran noblility technically, and both the biological cousin of the Hero of Ferelden and a distant cousin of Cassandra Pentaghast.

His real name is not actually known by anyone. Although Eleanor Cousland’s younger sister did talk about a son who she’d named Domhnall once, leading Eleanor and Bryce to believe the baby had died at birth during a eighteen month trip she took to Nevarra.

His father, King Markus’ secret son was murdered in the chasm of the Necropolis after hiding his son away in a tomb, saving his life, his body was promptly stuffed in a tomb in the chasm hidden away by Markus’ opponents. Cassius would later stumble across the tomb with the help of Emmrich 30 or so years later.

baby Cassius was found shortly after by Vorgoth and a few skeletons, and was taken in and raised by an couple of Mourn Watchers who couldn’t have children of their own. They gave him the name Cassius Ignatus Ingellvar.

His magic manifested when he was eleven.

Before enrolling as a student at the Necropolis himself Cassius liked hanging round the streets of Nevarra people watching although when he says it he does sound like he lived on the streets for a bit. That’s not really the case though.

His parents died of old age just before he was accepted into the academy, within weeks of each other.

The incident:

Cassius is canonically disabled. He’s half blind.

During his time as a student he was honestly brilliant. He was well behaved, he loved learning, he was very eager to participate in classes.

But….one day when he was fourteen, everything went wrong. A fellow student of his was experimenting with a new method of resurrection and accidentally caused an accident, zapping Cassius with electricity which sent him flying, and knocked him unconscious for four weeks, he was severely injured with burns all over his body and he lost vision in his right eye completely. His injuries eventually healed and scarred over but his vision never recovered. His eye doesn’t work at all.

Despite this, he’s never really let his disability define him, he learned how to do everything better because of it but he still has occasional slip ups, his balance isn’t the best and he sometimes mistimes jumping a little because of the distance thing.

As for his scars, when he got older, he decided to cover up the worst of them with tattoos on his arm, leg and back.

The scar on his face is kind of an insecurity point for him though but it’s also what makes him who he is in a way and he knows that.

The Rebellion:

Okay so Cassius and the rebellion still happens in both world states, I haven’t figured out what he did to actually quell it so drastically exactly, but I don’t think someone who is as good an egg who sees the best in people as Cassius would do something bad, just something that pissed off the Mourn Watchers.

Whatever he did, Cassius does leave the Watchers for a bit. Going with Varric in the Emotional Damage Worldstate (his Rook run) or being sent on a trip only returning help the Veilguard (my canon Worldstate).

Whatever happens though, he ends up aiding the Veilguard, so much so that he befriends and develops a close bond with Emmrich specifically.

Romantic Relationships

Speaking of relationships, Cassius is gay and in a relationship with bone daddy himself, Emmrich Volkarin.

In the Shattered Crown it’s a little more complicated than in the Emotional Damage Worldstate, as Emmrich and Strife do date for a while but it doesn’t last because they’re just….too different (side note I don’t like the Strife/Emmrich romance, it just comes out of nowhere, unlike Neve and Lucanis or Harding and Taash) and Emmrich is kind of accidentally swept off his feet by Cassius.

But more on the above point will be coming in a future post, when I get round to figuring out and explaining the logistics of how my canon Worldstate works.

Cassius has never been in a relationship before, kind of like Ariadne De Riva, my canon Rook, but he has different reasons to Ariadne as to why that is and that is because he didn’t think anyone could love him due to his scars and disability for a long time. Also he had only just about figured out his sexuality when Emmrich came swanning into the Veilguard and sealed it for him,

Cassius is actually older than Emmrich initially thinks, he’s 30. But that still a good 20 or so years between them so the worry Emmrich has is reasonable.

Cassius likes Emmrich because he’s so knowledgeable and smart and kind. It’s his gentleness and kindness that makes him fall for him.

Anyway Cassius and Emmrich’s relationship does end up much the same in the Shattered Crown Worldstate as the romance in the Emotional Damage Worldstate, just with some minor changes (like that Emmrich had already sacrificed the Lich thing and obviously Cassius doesn’t go through the trapped in the fade thing and most, if not all of the games events are over).

Miscellaneous:

Cassius is kind and just a purely good egg. he just tries to see the best in everyone but he’s not naive. He has his moments of anger when something I just happens or people aren’t listening to him although he prefers to deal with those people diplomatically but he will punch if he has to.

He’s also very charming and has an odd timing with flirting.

Vorgoth is basically his adopted dad at this point. It’s kind of funny.

He’s going prematurely grey.

He believes in the Maker, he’s Andrastian in faith.

But he also believes that spirits retain something of themselves when they die and are raised back from the dead.

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No, but this is perfect 😂

DATV Incorrect Quotes

Solas whilst saving the population of Minrathous in the final battle, having trapped Rook in the fade: Anyway there’s nothing you and I can do to bring them back now.

Ariadne De Riva, a certified little shit, strolling up from behind him completely pissed for the first ever time over what he did to Varric and her: SHE HAS RISEN BABYGIRL!  

Solas: FUCK.

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seriously, i cannot get over what a good game davg really is

it's all been said. i've said a lot of it on this blog. but it still bears repeating, because i still feel it intensely, all the time: this is a beautiful game. and i mean that on every level

the characters are crafted with immense care and feel nuanced, deep, and real

the world is equally nuanced, and we're shown different angles of familiar institutions, which help create a sense of depth and complexity

the actual look of the game is extraordinary, and the CC is really exceptional

but more than anything, to me, is the story. the story is so profound, so beautiful, so poignant. there is so much depth to it. it is a long and deeply felt love letter to the entire franchise and the fandom

it is also exceptionally, intentionally inclusive. it is queer, it is neurodivergent, it is diverse, it is multicultural. it's important at this time - important at any time, really, but especially so right now

and also it's just amazing, the pacing, the execution, the framing of everything. i feel that i have so much to learn about storytelling from this game, it's genuinely, deeply inspirational to me

i have no interest in adding any caveats to this post. it's not good considering, it's not good bearing xyz in mind; it's just good. it is! it really is

and if this is to be the final dragon age game - which seems likely, if not necessarily guaranteed - then i believe it is a good and important note to end on

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DATV Incorrect Quotes

Solas whilst saving the population of Minrathous in the final battle, having trapped Rook in the fade: Anyway there’s nothing you and I can do to bring them back now.

Ariadne De Riva, a certified little shit, strolling up from behind him completely pissed for the first ever time over what he did to Varric and her: SHE HAS RISEN BABYGIRL!  

Solas: FUCK.

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Back on my ‘Emotional Damage’ play through of Dragon Age Veilguard so here’s some new pics of my Rook for this one, Cassius Ingellvar hanging out with the Professor he’s definitely not going to fall in love with feat my Lavellan Thalia:

Cassius destroyed Treviso and met his future boyfriend Emmrich today (+Taash) & had a meeting with the Inquisitor. Speaking of:

Thalia looks SOO cute! I wish I still had a screenshot of her from my emotional damage play through of Inquisition to show you guys what she looked like before but I don’t think I could do her any better. She was obviously romancing Solas (as part of the emotional damage play through) in Inquisition so I’m still determined to get them their happy ending.

I might do a post on the canon for Cassius and Thalia at one point because they are canon to my worldstate but just not as Rook and Inky.

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Fun fact about me is that dragon age is not my first video game RPG franchise. Fallout was. … and I’m still a massive fan, would anyone want to hear about my fallout protagonists and some fun head canons I have on this blog?

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Just realized my romances in each Dragon Age game are...

(Technically) Templar

Abomination

(Technically) Templar

Abomination

Guess I know who I'm doing if there's another Dragon Age game!

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Ariadne (De Riva) will normally go with a cup of tea, fruity or otherwise (insert the disgusted Lucanis noise here), not too milky and with a LOT of sugar and a chocolate cookie on the side. Occasionally she’ll go for a hot chocolate or an iced tea (has to be a specific flavour though) but normally any tea and a biscuit is her staple.

what would your rook(s) café order be?

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It depends on how injured:

My main & Crow Rook, Ariadne De Riva if minorly injured will typically just brush it off with humour but if they’re moderately to severely injured, if she can hide it from Lucanis or her companions she goes to the Cantori diamond to Viago and Teia for help. If not, then it’s normally one of her companions any one of them honestly, they always call for Lucanis in the end to calm her down so she can be treated anyway. She’s not good at being injured, She freaks out if one of her companions are injured and she is protective of them all but she’s only really overly protective of Lucanis.

My MW Rook Cassius Ingellvar will immediately go to Emmrich. He however doesn’t really freak out if his companions are injured….although he does worry a bit about Emmrich.

Felix Mercar, my SD rook, well this is a bit of a out of left field option but Felix will go to Dorian Pavus for any injury, this is because Dorian is his adopted father (Felix is the adopted son of Dorian and that Worldstate’s Inquisitor Percival Trevelyan in his lore). He has a low pain tolerance so he can’t hide it at all. He’s extremely protective of Neve, Bellara and Harding specifically.

My GW rook,,Zaria Thorne won’t go for help. At least not initally. She’s a stubborn bastard who will have to be talked into it by fellow grey warden Davrin. Despite that she’s very practical when it comes to her companions being injured and she gets very overly protective of all of them. Especially Davrin.

rook qotd: what does your rook do if they're injured? do they go for help? do they keep it to themselves? how do they react if one of their companions get injured? are they overprotective?

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Rook Story Time Prompts

Tell a story or draw something based on the prompt you are sent/choose. You can try writing in character, as Rook, if you want! Have fun!

1. The first time Rook killed someone.

2. How Rook got their most prominent scar.

3. A time Rook got incredibly drunk.

4. A time Rook made a personal enemy.

5. Rook being seriously ill.

6. A time Rook was severely injured.

7. Rook being taught an important skill.

8. A time Rook argued with someone they care about.

9. Rook saying goodbye to a friend.

10. Rook attending a funeral.

11. Rook being recognized for an accomplishment.

12. Rook making a new friend.

13. Rook visiting a place they love.

14. Rook attending a celebration.

15. Rook breaking the law.

16. Rook falling in love for the first time.

17. Rook teaching someone else a skill.

18. Rook trying to impress someone.

19. A time Rook did something embarrassing.

20. A time Rook faced an overwhelming enemy.

FACTION SPECIFIC PROMPTS

21. GW!Rook undergoing the Joining.

22. GW!Rook encountering their first Darkspawn.

23. GW!Rook having a nightmare of the Archdemons.

24. VJ!Rook disarming their first artifact.

25. VJ!Rook being attacked by the sentinels of Arlathan.

26. VJ!Rook exploring new Elvhen ruins.

27. MW!Rook tending to the gardens.

28. MW!Rook being inducted into the Watch.

29. MW!Rook exploring a new part of the Necropolis.

30. LoF!Rook escorting an adventuring party.

31. LoF!Rook disarming a trap or solving a puzzle.

32. LoF!Rook fighting an aquatic enemy.

33. Crow!Rook’s most dangerous contract.

34. Crow!Rook on an undercover mission.

35. Crow!Rook’s graduation from Fledgling to Assassin.

36. SD!Rook smuggling people out of Minrathous.

37. SD!Rook participating in a large-scale act of civil disruption against the Magisterium.

38. SD!Rook breaking in somewhere to acquire vital information.

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Was listening to this song by Beth Crowley today, it’s one of my favourite songs she’s done for years now and even though this is based off Game Of Thrones, my word does it fit Solas in his Veilguard era.

Seriously with this song reframed, honestly:

‘You can feed me to the wolves, I’ll be alright’

Is just completely ironic and I love it. But yeah the lyrics actually weirdly work for Solas.

Is this sleep deprived rambling? Maybe. But just hear me out here!

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So fun fact about Ariadne, is that despite living in Antiva since she was about 8 or 9 years old, she doesn’t know much Antivan. Just a few words/sentences here and there. Because she thinks she is simply terrible at learning other languages, she believes she doesn’t have the knack for it.

The thing is that’s not strictly true: She is fluent Ferelden because that’s the common base language in Thedas, she knows a bit of Antivan (she was personally mentored by Viago, he would have drilled some of it into her) and a few words of Quinari (from infiltrating Antaam letters & plans), but she also knows a fair amount of Dalish (she went through a phase of intensely learning Dalish because she was told her biological mother was Dalish and she believes in the Dalish gods). She’s actually pretty good at picking languages up, it’s just a confidence thing.

The surprising thing is she definitely knows a small bit of Tevene as well. And by that, she remembers one word and it’s meaning because that’s what her adopted mother Drusilla, called her girlfriend/Ariadne’s other adopted mother Elora, (both of whom she was adopted by from birth until she was five) and that is; Amatus.

….So you better believe her mind spun and alarm bells went rang in her head when Zara called Illario ‘Amatus’ right before he ASSASSINATED her and she definitely wasn’t sure if she should tell Lucanis or not for a while.

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Kicking off the new year content with something surrounding the children of the dragon age origins (+ one Inquisition character) characters in my Worldstate so far:

So, firstly obviously we have Ariadne De Riva who is canonically Rook in my Worldstate. She is the result of a one night stand between Zevran Arainai and a Dalish elf, Ashalla Mahariel after the werewolf situation was sorted (Zevran was heartbroken over his rejection by Amelia Cousland choosing him over Alistair and Ashalla was heartbroken over Tamlen).

She is 21 (I got the maths wrong initially) and was born just after the Blight ended. Given up for adoption in Tevinter and then taken into slavery well…let’s just say she was rescued by a warden Commander from Ferelden where, she was then taken to Antiva and into the crows (with no indirect help what so ever from a familiar crow, definitely not) and basically that’s where she was raised from a child to now.

Then we have Felix Mercar aka Felix Trevelyan. Felix is the adopted son of Dorian Pavus and Percy Trevelyan (one of Inquisitor Anya Trevelyan’s older brothers). Felix is 23, and was taken in by his parents shortly after the events of Inquisition. He was also born a female, but came out aged 13 and his parents helped him figure everything out. He joined the Shadow Dragons much to his father (Dorian) protests.

Thirdly we have Zaria Thorne aka Zaria Aeducan. Zaria is 22 and is the daughter of Owain Aeducan and Heidi Brosca, two forced surface dwarfs who both fought in the battle of Denerim during the Fifth Blight. Zaria joined the wardens, and well took up the name Thorne because that’s what her parents decided to use as alias during the fifth blight after they decided to work together because her dad was a prince of Orzammar and her uncle is literally the king of Orzammar. Therefore making her Orzammar royalty.

Bonus: a glimpse into the future:

I thought I’d make Alistair and Amelia’s kids Duncan and Victoria Theirin imagining what they’d look like in about 15-20 years or so:

Duncan was born after years of his parents trying and is 4 years old at the time of Veilguard. He is the heir to the Ferelden Throne (and he is actually a mage, yeah….it’s a whole thing but more on that at a later date and is the actually the reason why eventually Alistair learns his true maternal parentage).

His little sister Victoria is about 3 months old during Veilguard but she is set to inherit the title of Teyrn (or Teyrna) from her maternal uncle Fergus Cousland.

I’m tempted to make Kieran as a Rook at one point because it’s fun to try and imagine what 21 year old Kieran would look like now.