tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80892347140606483582024-03-16T16:50:53.447-07:00Dumped, Drunk and DalishMusings, analyses and obsessions on Thedas and its characters, romances, relationships and conflicts. Please note that SPOILERS will abound for all three DRAGON AGE games. Meanwhile, meet me at the Herald's Rest and I'll buy the first round of maraas-lok!
Angela D. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.comBlogger135125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-7034165929820555462022-06-02T20:41:00.016-07:002022-06-03T06:33:28.152-07:00"Dragon Age: Dreadwolf" Predictions & Ponderings (and "What's in a Name?" Redux)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="1176" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimNHC30KHLyUqWpwT1zwSd2tRfgmUY-MN3vYNCJQI3JvKr6b_H5aSDnPNL0AeE5rLmZTJ5cNLktd9g0guycSNx91cW3z-QH72PtEj__T4haEv8aVcXPXPXSoDcSHXNcl7onAGN-LjMQDFFdm8QkD_UocpAiH3HT_M7ju0__ljqIKS8lAGCu4bgQtVX0Q/w640-h334/image.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>He doesn't call, he doesn't write, but finally, it looks like we might be hearing from Solas at last (2023?), as BioWare announces the official title of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimNHC30KHLyUqWpwT1zwSd2tRfgmUY-MN3vYNCJQI3JvKr6b_H5aSDnPNL0AeE5rLmZTJ5cNLktd9g0guycSNx91cW3z-QH72PtEj__T4haEv8aVcXPXPXSoDcSHXNcl7onAGN-LjMQDFFdm8QkD_UocpAiH3HT_M7ju0__ljqIKS8lAGCu4bgQtVX0Q/s1176/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">Hello, fellow Wardens, Hawkes, Inkies, and <i>vhenans</i>! It's been too long.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Today I wanted to start out with a tribute—to you, the fans, like me, of this rich and satisfying game series. Because oh, the sufferings we in the Dragon Age fandom have known! While the community can be warm and welcoming, the blanketforts soothing, the novels and comics tantalizing, it's been a long, long (I mean <i>looooong</i>) time since the release of the lovely <i>Dragon Age: Inquisition</i> DLC "Trespasser."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Seven years. SEVEN YEARS.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But I don't say this in complaint, but simply to note the patience and unwavering love of our fandom for the world of Thedas. Have we given up hope? No, we have not. We have talked, analyzed, wondered, and even (ahem, some of us) blogged to occasionally obsessive degrees. We've theorized and bonded, we've used this time to replay and rethink, and in some cases (mine, for instance) to even reexamine our own hearts, minds, and orientations in the real world ("<i>Dragon Age: Helping thousands to figure out which letters of the alphabet apply to their own sex lives since 2009!"</i>) We have also, of course, fan-fictioned and fan-arted our little hearts out, and that's also something that always helps to further enrich and explore this world of Thedas we love in so many little ways.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But my point is, we've never given up hope. And over the past year or two, not only have we had some exciting new hints, trailers, and announcements, but today we've been given a further delicious morsel from BioWare with the announcement that the official title of Dragon Age 4 is, at last, revealed to be <i><a href="https://blog.bioware.com/2022/06/02/our-next-adventure-dragon-age-dreadwolf/" target="_blank">Dragon Age: Dreadwolf</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Like everyone else, I'm excited at this new development, not just because we get more info, but because it's <i>official</i>. It's not something we're thinking "maybe-might-be" about, it's BioWare feeling good enough about their progress to share, "Hey, here's where we're at!"</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Which is a beautiful thing after all these years, and further progress from the lovely and tantalizing trailers we've already been given.<br /><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqH34cdUeYLTEAS7nCbAlusdXga-FNKwmc8G48v7ffNso-wk7G812TVGTJtU0hUgDN8S9dIEuh2ldpbSEBQX0qew-2qzhtcxXjUGE5hsovLC1QD6yA98gm9UUhsAoga0vjsklqyF_QuGXVLmJFX5KRyv_8s4ZZnA9qNQTzMCQLq2F_D1FhJ8F1KWhDmw" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqH34cdUeYLTEAS7nCbAlusdXga-FNKwmc8G48v7ffNso-wk7G812TVGTJtU0hUgDN8S9dIEuh2ldpbSEBQX0qew-2qzhtcxXjUGE5hsovLC1QD6yA98gm9UUhsAoga0vjsklqyF_QuGXVLmJFX5KRyv_8s4ZZnA9qNQTzMCQLq2F_D1FhJ8F1KWhDmw" width="240" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Potential Hints from BioWare</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In BioWare's <a href="https://blog.bioware.com/2022/06/02/our-next-adventure-dragon-age-dreadwolf/" target="_blank">official blog post</a> on the new title, their language includes some interesting tidbits that may be worth further examination.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Here's what they say (boldfacing is mine for occasional emphasis):</span></p><p></p><blockquote><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Solas, the Dread Wolf. Some say <b>he might be an ancient elven god</b>, but some say not. Others say <b>a betrayer of his people…or a savior</b> who now seeks to rescue them at the cost of your world. His motives are inscrutable and his methods sometimes questionable, earning him a reputation as something of a <b>trickster deity</b>—a player of dark and dangerous games.</span></i></p><p></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-size: large;">First off, I love that the very first aspect of Solas slyly addressed here is the age-old "Is he or isn't he a god?" reference. Because, while our darling boy likes to say that he isn't and wasn't a god (and neither were the Evanuris), let's face it, I think my Inky's erstwhile elven boyfriend doth protest too much. I wrote more about this <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2018/10/reader-questions-god-or-no-god.html" target="_blank">here</a>, but essentially, I'm at the point where, if I were sitting across the chessboard from Solas, I'd go, "Dude, <i>you're totally a god</i>."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I mean, there's humility and then there's obfuscation and/or deliberate misdirection. He is thousands of years old (potentially tens of thousands). He was powerful enough to cast a spell that changed the entire face of the waking world and which divided the spiritual/magical realm of the Fade from the physical one. He has unprecedented powers in that spirit/dreamworld of the Fade, and can manipulate it almost endlessly to either reflect what he desires (<a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2018/10/love-lies-and-kisses-in-fade-solass.html" target="_blank">walking the Inky through a teasing dream</a>) or in which he can revisit an endless panoply of notable past events across all of Thedas—and even <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2017/10/meaningful-banters-cole-and-solas-talk.html" target="_blank">cross realities to sample the fiction and stories of other universes</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And after his <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2017/11/fenharel-meets-mythal-deconstructing.html" target="_blank">tragic sacrificial power-up from Flemeth</a>, Solas's powers have grown exponentially, in ways that I suspect are not so much an evolution as a return to his most powerful origins. As of "Trespasser," he could petrify enemies into stone with an eyeblink, and his spellcasting was so powerful the explosions were visible from <i>miles away </i>by the pursuing Inky and their party. He cures the Inky and removes the poisonous Mark (and her forearm, unfortunately) with a twist of his fingers.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As of <i>Tevinter Nights</i>, however, his powers had grown even greater. On a practical level, he had done exactly what he had suggested as strategy to Sera (for her Red Jenny organization) way back in the Inquisition days, expanding his network of spies (already impressive in "Trespasser") on dozens of missions and quests across Thedas. He had effortlessly infiltrated and thwarted Tevinter, the Qunari, Orlais, the Free Marches, the Carta, and all of the other leading powers of the land. Now using armies of spirits as well as elves (all notably missing their <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2019/01/the-secrets-of-vallaslin.html" target="_blank">vallaslin</a> slave-markings), Solas's operations were terrifying, efficient, and brutal. The body count was high, and people often died screaming. He wasn't kidding when he told the Inky that he didn't want them to see what he would become. No wonder Charter, <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2020/07/tevinter-nights-analysis-dread-wolf.html" target="_blank">at that crucial moment in "Dread Wolf Take You</a>," simply and quietly begs him for her life. He is very capable of taking it—and yet the compassionate Solas we knew as Companion is the one who responds, spares her, and asks her to apologize to the Inquisitor yet again.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We can waffle about words all day, but what it comes down to (and what that added "deity" reference I think sneakily reminds us) is, <i>Solas is a god</i>. He may not like that title but his powers are certainly and arguably godlike. And he is a contemporary of gods with similar staggering powers, and something tells me we're going to need Solas's abilities to save the day.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj74xb0tZ7UqlBWSrIK0JbMkPI1Ph_t9HeDewjKuVmkXTU4MsDPURK2ajSZaH6GaSFmDLEuiEqUffJzR-mfVagn22g2xIiuK8HfgBH-ee17ORf3k91VbhwGT0SUl3UTLLJ53UeErbLf6lLFZgGTPqTi7ok8bl98jBL_c4EMGYkNH8RdYDNCXvSiX86OFw/s2048/ghilannainda4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1154" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj74xb0tZ7UqlBWSrIK0JbMkPI1Ph_t9HeDewjKuVmkXTU4MsDPURK2ajSZaH6GaSFmDLEuiEqUffJzR-mfVagn22g2xIiuK8HfgBH-ee17ORf3k91VbhwGT0SUl3UTLLJ53UeErbLf6lLFZgGTPqTi7ok8bl98jBL_c4EMGYkNH8RdYDNCXvSiX86OFw/w640-h360/ghilannainda4.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Because have you <i>seen </i>what's coming at us in DA4? The Evanuris look like they're breaking out of that Phantom Zone (or at least some of them, like possibly <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2020/05/tevinter-nights-analysis-horror-of.html" target="_blank">Ghilly</a> and Andruil?), and oh man, from the concept art they are downright mythical in form and power, and oh, they <i>do not look happy</i>. Between Solas and those estranged ancient buddies he punished ages ago, it certainly looks like we're going to see Thedas become their Thunderdome in DA4.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Bonus points if Solas greets Ghilan'nain with, "Is that a trident in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">(Sorry.)</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">"Antagonist" versus Villain</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">My friend Stephanie noted an interesting detail in the further language of the new title announcement that I think is also worth exploring—the fact that Solas is carefully described as our "antagonist."</span></p><blockquote><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Whether you’re new to Dragon Age™ stories or you’ve experienced them all, using Solas’s namesake no doubt suggests a spectrum of endless possibilities on where things may go. But at the core of this, like every past game, is you. If you’re new to Dragon Age, you have no need to worry about not having met <b>our antagonist </b>just yet. He’ll properly introduce himself when the time is right, but we did hint at his return when we announced #TheDreadWolfRises back in 2018.</span></i></p><p></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-size: large;">What's important about that? For me, it's another subtle reminder that we're not looking at a pure villain (Solas is one of the richest and most complex characters in fiction for me, period). "Antagonist" strikes me as a milder term than "adversary," for instance, and it is certainly notable that he is not described as our enemy or nemesis. Instead, to me it's another signifier that he's sitting across the chessboard, he's someone we may be striving against, but there's still a lot of room in such a scenario for more sophisticated story and character exploration.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Because, and this is key for me—if Solas wanted to go full-dark and villainous, <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2018/01/the-real-hidden-question-for-dragon-age.html" target="_blank">he could already have done so at any time</a>. Instead, what I think we're seeing is twofold:</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-size: large;">• He's a careful and strategic leader, a <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2017/08/solas-bull-and-kings-gambit-little-game.html" target="_blank">chessmaster </a>who wants all of his pieces in a row before springing the final trap; and/or</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">• He's having trouble actually taking final action</span></blockquote><p><span style="font-size: large;">That's what I think. <br /><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Matter of the Veil</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Why isn't the Veil down as of Trespasser? Will it already be down when DA4 begins? It's certainly a possibility (and of course if so will immediately dismantle my argument, although I would be both thrilled and horrified at that reality). </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0xEilSTaz8hLUULOShOyTo-U7y2MaNdhUk9UxDusWcebH4NuEV8koDLJHnCWq1cZNa0LcX3X2bkaQB4DL1MT3egvwHaXG3COS2Y8GJ4f_rszCnkjS8BUgyL_52ce49uHzi7NuIzjgIyhnF5ml1mPSOvQrYrAr0NRvtOwPZOrwkKw0gfgzV4sMVKor2w" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1455" data-original-width="1600" height="582" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0xEilSTaz8hLUULOShOyTo-U7y2MaNdhUk9UxDusWcebH4NuEV8koDLJHnCWq1cZNa0LcX3X2bkaQB4DL1MT3egvwHaXG3COS2Y8GJ4f_rszCnkjS8BUgyL_52ce49uHzi7NuIzjgIyhnF5ml1mPSOvQrYrAr0NRvtOwPZOrwkKw0gfgzV4sMVKor2w=w640-h582" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />I mean, keep in mind, I firmly believe <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2018/06/the-wounded-veil-may-2018-map-and-lore.html" target="_blank">the Veil is doomed no matter what Solas does</a>—it's falling apart. The "Veil is thin" EVERYWHERE in Thedas. And, of course, it's more and more apparent to me that perhaps it <i>should </i>come down. The Veil is an artificial construct that it's arguable should never have existed. </span><div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Expanded</u></b>: With that last thought in mind, what if the whole situation is a misdirection of epic proportions?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Hear me out.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Ironic Outcomes and Potential Wild Cards</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Solas fears disaster if he brings down the Veil, and in "Trespasser" openly speaks of his assumption that when he pulls the Veil down, the result will be a hellscape, a "raw and burning chaos" in which many of the peoples of Thedas suffer and die, including many he loves.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But, well, what if he's wrong—<i>again</i>? I mean, let's face it, Solas has already been wrong several times before. A lot. And on a scale that spanned a continent and lots and lots of millennia.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Veil is an artificial and failing construct. It was a feat of magic that nearly destroyed the world—and it did utterly decimate the elven people Solas was trying to protect.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So what if the greatest irony of this situation is the realization that, in the end, Solas is fated to use those godlike powers he now possesses to remove the Veil (that never should have existed in the first place), to balance the aftermath and minimize the destruction or metaphysical tectonic shift that occurs and ultimately heal Thedas afterward? What if Solas could do that and Thedas is whole again so that magic has its natural place? </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">What if Solas's action means, in the end, no hellscape or nightmare world, but instead a restored symmetry between the magical and spiritual worlds at last? The sweet-moving and magically balanced world of effortless magic that he envisioned so long ago in Haven is a possibility, however remote. And in the big picture, perhaps it is a balance that would remove the dangers of Abomination from mages (who would no longer be siphoning high-pressure magic from a dangerous and trapped demonic/spiritual dimension? If this were the case, sure, magic would still be dangerous, but the removal of the possibility of Abomination would instantly defuse much of the age-old conflicts between mages and Templars, for instance.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Do I think this will happen? No, honestly, I don't. But it's a pretty damn cool thought to me, so I had fun envisioning it.</span></p><div><span style="font-size: large;">Unfortunately for me, I'm not seeing the potential for a beautiful and harmonious magical world in DA4. It looks pretty dark, and pretty broken. Red lyrium everywhere. </span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>What's most intriguing for me about the glimpses of DA4 so far is that it appears to depict a world with a <i>shattered </i>Veil, not an <i>absent </i>one—one similar to that of "In Hushed Whispers." A world in which Solas has apparently <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2018/12/when-he-rises-everyone-will-see.html" target="_blank">allowed himself to be corrupted with red lyrium</a>... deliberately? </span>Or is it a nightmare vision warped in the Fade? </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Of course, the other outcome could simply be that Solas, as I've argued elsewhere, ends up healing/saving the Veil, stabilizing Thedas for another chunk of millennia to come.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Or maybe Mythal comes flying back in and tilts the entire damn chessboard, puppeteers a Well-drinking Inky (or Morrigan, although I already think she'll be Mythal's willing new carrier), and enacts a master plan that brings down the Veil, the Evanuris, the world, and changes Thedas once and for all? Because she is <i>totally gonna do that.</i> Or try. Never underestimate a woman still screaming for vengeance in "a reckoning that would shake the very heavens" even after tens of thousands of years! Mythal doesn't play around.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The great thing is, I'm not really invested in any of these outcomes to the extent that I'll be upset or disappointed to be right or wrong. I just want to see what BioWare gives us. Either way, I'm certain that one aspect of the outcome will be Solas's final and belated realization that none of this situation was his to fix. I'm expecting our Pride Wolf/Demon/Spirit/Companion here to get one massive reality check and much-needed dose of humility by the end. And no matter what happens, I can't wait to find out.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>"Antagonist" <i>and </i>"Savior"</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But back to that presentation of Solas's role: I do think the words "savior," "antagonist" and "trickster" are further reminders that Solas isn't going to be our main villain, which I still think is going to be one of the Evanuris, with some nice sub-bosses also occurring among the Tevinter and Qunari forces as they struggle for world domination (a nice magician's trick to serve as a distraction from the real conflict), as well as from the red lyrium-corruptions we're seeing in those last teasers and concept art reveals.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And I know I'm wearing those rose-colored Solasmancing glasses, but I also continue to think that, as in Trespasser, Solas isn't going to damn us all, but save us in the end, using his spirit and elven armies to definitively end all conflicts in a way that will hopefully prevent bloodshed and restore a future for both elves and spirits within Thedas going forward. And that he'll probably do so at the cost of his own life (at least temporarily, not permanently—we already know "the first of [his] people do not die so easily"). </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">My personal suspicion is that the Inky will be present as a potential helpmate or antagonist on the scene, most likely as a guest NPC like Hawke was in <i>Inquisition</i>, although my hope is that we will actually get an Inky-POV segment to provide real and satisfying closure for those of us who romanced Solas, as well as for those <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2018/10/reader-questions-kill-or-redeem.html" target="_blank">who just hated his everloving guts and want to take him down</a> up close and personal—an equally large contingent! Let's not forget that key "Kill or Redeem?" question that ended "Trespasser."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, last and certainly not least, what does the new title signify? What hints or portents can we find in this simple, single new compound word?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I've got a few ideas.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhntPuLaIk7v8ahxkl8i0DiQ8FXDrACJMd0reHfF2717y0VRRyapwLyygBUOLJKeZPhnHA8xgZSBYEj1054FKMeIr7lmTBFBGoPuIT8_f3jkkpNANQ4_yUutGpmcEcphYQJZYKD4TbskAr4vfgQx24tnZUHXep3mJncoBCQsJIwPkve2R4DOMRG1boFaw/s1148/conceptart24_SOLASSSS.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="1148" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhntPuLaIk7v8ahxkl8i0DiQ8FXDrACJMd0reHfF2717y0VRRyapwLyygBUOLJKeZPhnHA8xgZSBYEj1054FKMeIr7lmTBFBGoPuIT8_f3jkkpNANQ4_yUutGpmcEcphYQJZYKD4TbskAr4vfgQx24tnZUHXep3mJncoBCQsJIwPkve2R4DOMRG1boFaw/w640-h284/conceptart24_SOLASSSS.PNG" width="640" /></a></div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br />What's In a Name?</span></b><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Finally, there's the title itself. And as I dive in on this part, I'll point out the obligatory warning that I may be (and probably am) wrong here. Which will be amusing when all is revealed!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But y'all know that I love to overthink everything, so this may just be me being a doofus, here. I have already overanalyzed all the nuances of Solas's name <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2017/09/whats-in-name-redefining-solas.html" target="_blank">here</a>, for instance.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But for me, the use of "Dreadwolf" as a compound word in the title is significant. Why isn't it "<i>Dragon Age: Dread Wolf</i>?" That would certainly seem to be the most obvious approach.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But it's not. It's two words that for the first time in this universe for us, are now one. Which again makes me wonder about the joining of two things... <b>two worlds</b>. Fade and reality. And taking us symmetrically back to the ritual of the Grey Wardens... the "Joining?"</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">My guess is that "Dreadwolf" will be the name of the operation the Inquisition (or its <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2021/06/love-lies-and-lyrium-speculations-on.html" target="_blank">remaining forces/advisors</a>) launches in opposition to Solas. It may be the new term that refers to his agents or followers—"dreadwolves." I also think the one-word name here may also become the actual name for <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2020/07/tevinter-nights-analysis-dread-wolf.html" target="_blank">the shape-shifted giant wolf that we now know Solas can become at will</a>, as of <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3PVmEHX" target="_blank">Tevinter Nights</a></i>. As in, "The Dreadwolf appeared," or "The Dreadwolf knows," etc. Perhaps it is simply a further evolution of Solas's name—once a mockery he wore as "a badge of pride," now once more become at last, a term of nightmare.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixEnUGSEUVO5PaXL4Woshqi6dTm_Y_fy2djeVed7Hi6NDxes8Y9V8uBf3Wfd4ZUznIdlPN36rgNsK3zqtK_XhEZT2EtwnMULs6MtT44KPLNUVQicr1jnxPup42GUbUW6bHUparLcAPZxSnirhWE_sR6zujG4WIQVU6oOpfVNSCZkEH7GUuAEZR5oUAEA/s428/Solas_FinalTarotDetail.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="256" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixEnUGSEUVO5PaXL4Woshqi6dTm_Y_fy2djeVed7Hi6NDxes8Y9V8uBf3Wfd4ZUznIdlPN36rgNsK3zqtK_XhEZT2EtwnMULs6MtT44KPLNUVQicr1jnxPup42GUbUW6bHUparLcAPZxSnirhWE_sR6zujG4WIQVU6oOpfVNSCZkEH7GUuAEZR5oUAEA/s320/Solas_FinalTarotDetail.png" width="191" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">It brings us full circle, if you think about it. Back in <i>Origins</i>, the "Dread Wolf" was the ancient terror and villain of the Dalish, whose beliefs Solas later mocked in <i>Inquisition</i>. What if, in the ultimate irony, the Dalish were right, and Solas's final form is in fact a twisted and corrupt entity like the one we see in his final "Tower" tarot card in <i>Inquisition</i>? (Or something new entirely, just as the lingering "Regret" demon hinted at in TN's "Callback?")</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Several have pointed out that "Dreadwolf" is also an anagram of "Fade World," but that's the case whether or not it's two words. I do think that the compound word means something more, is absolutely intentional, although that emphasis on "Fade World" certainly further hints that <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2021/05/shot-by-shot-analysis-of-dragon-age-4.html" target="_blank">the Veil may already be down in DA4</a> and that red lyrium nightmare we've glimpsed may be the result.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Of course, the other possibility—and one I love considering—is that <i>all </i>of DA4 may very well take place in the Fade itself. And may even take place in another time-shifted alternate universe like that we saw in the red-lyrium-soaked "In Hushed Whispers." I still think that quest, more than any other, <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2019/01/the-parallel-and-paradox-of-in-hushed.html" target="_blank">holds the key and clues</a> to what DA4 may present to us—the parallels are too numerous, to me, to be accidental.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Regardless, it's great to get news of my erstwhile Fade boyfriend again (the ex my Inky shares with thousands), and I'm definitely excited to see what BioWare has in store for us.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In the immortal words of Sondheim, as <a href="https://amzn.to/3alg6Cn" target="_blank">Red Riding Hood's song</a> goes, we all know how to avoid wolves:<br /><br /><i>Mother said, "Straight ahead."<br />Not to delay or be misled</i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But just like her, I <i>want </i>to be misled. It's been seven years since "Trespasser," so give me that twisty path through the trees—give me complex scenarios and questions and even more complicated answers. I <i>want</i> to get lost in the forest—and <i>Dragon Age: Dreadwolf</i> looks well on track to let us find and confront our Wolf at last.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">What do you think of the new title? What implications do <i>you </i>see there—and what am I missing?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>NOTE: I have added and expanded the "<b>Ironic Outcomes and Potential Wildcards</b>" and <b>"What's in a Name?"</b> sections as of 6/3, where I talk about the Veil falling and the "joining" of "Dread" and "wolf" into one word, because I realized I never addressed my main point, which is that I increasingly think the Veil <u>should</u> come down. Also, until my friend Amy reminded me, I totally forgot to include what I think will happen with Mythal. Oops! </i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>With that in mind, m</i></span><span style="font-size: large;"><i>any thanks to <b>@Idunasappl, @Kira_Sekai1980, @Neildoenn, @Dragon_Age_Fans</b>, and <b>@AmyJPetty</b> for reminding me of these additional points I wanted to address.</i></span></p><p><br /></p></div>Angela D. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-79441700418708834462022-01-22T20:31:00.001-08:002022-01-23T01:06:28.005-08:00The Warden and the King: Analyzing Alistair<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5Th4KEpUn0t9Cq-ZLXaa8yUBeBu7HFjuGJ-lPlHNF8V-_GHk9UFx6L5eANDyo2U6KPsyBMVBH5nAmOgsdmz1Yl-sPi9S9wOu0wC1e4AVuc84fqNEuJUu-u6XkL_nGLXLzBWjR1C73Uxp/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></a></div><p></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">"The arl used to come here in the winter when I was small. I, uh... slept with the hounds."</span></i></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="308" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5Th4KEpUn0t9Cq-ZLXaa8yUBeBu7HFjuGJ-lPlHNF8V-_GHk9UFx6L5eANDyo2U6KPsyBMVBH5nAmOgsdmz1Yl-sPi9S9wOu0wC1e4AVuc84fqNEuJUu-u6XkL_nGLXLzBWjR1C73Uxp/w283-h400/image.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="283" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"Yeeees?" asked Alistair, and I was smitten.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">Well, you know what they say. You never forget your first love. And they're right.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">When it comes to Dragon Age, my very first love was <i>this </i>guy. Yeah, him. The cutie over there to the right, with the slight goatee and the cowlick (I <i>love </i>the cowlick!) and the bewildered expression and the beautiful voice of a guy who got lost in a honeycomb and managed to remember how to chuckle about it later. And he'd do so in a manner that was incredibly charming and self-effacing, especially since he didn't actually seem to <i>know </i>it was charming. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">You remember this guy, everyone does.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The sweet, smart, funny, brave young guy in <i>Dragon Age: Origins.</i> You may know him as Alistair. Or as King Alistair. Or (ouch) as the bitter drunk guy in the bar in <i>Dragon Age 2</i>. Or, almost as tragically, as the Grey Warden who joined up and then may have sacrificed himself in <i>Inquisition</i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Rumors vary.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But I still remember when he gave my Warden a rose, out of nowhere. The world was so dark, the skies were as grimy and ugly as the landscape around us, and here was this sweet guy giving my little cynical, tired, nightmare-ridden elven mage Warden a <i>rose</i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It's a moment. Or rather, <i><a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2019/02/the-all-time-most-romantic-dragon-age.html" target="_blank">a Moment</a></i>. It really is. Because he gives her this speech, and it's just lovely, and beautifully acted by Steve Valentine (who I got to TALK TO recently for Dragon Age Day! I know! I'm plotzing! I'll share links soon... he was an incredibly nice and generous interview.)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But yet—because the speech is so beautifully written and delivered, it somehow doesn't matter that we may be experiencing this touching moment covered in <i>Dragon Age Origins</i> gore, or when fighting the Broodmother, or (even more hilariously) in the middle of the confrontation about a possessed Connor (ask my good friend <a href="https://twitter.com/ImaSithDuh" target="_blank">@ImaSithDuh</a> about that one—it's a great story).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The thing is, no matter what, it's just a lovely moment in which Alistair pours out his whole heart, every pure thing within him, to the Warden, and whether or not she loves him back, the most beautiful thing about this scene for me is that the most innocent and lovely element in it is not the rose, but Alistair.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Take a picture of this moment. Save it like a snapshot.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Because, depending on our choices, this Alistair will not survive the Blight, either literally or figuratively.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTfqKh9AJ36rLHhOhCQ3C1PDVWFstdHYFhD_7dT1tVOy2g3vq0lnpN3sPtUaXr7qKeydMrBnrXV8neW-JasPyMP-B60zEYnsmDRi4aobxt8x27A3lE__YHK4WGRt--m9NNBzsEw99DvNmDY-nSXer_QVFe9tyn97v5OKZhPCQkgNIkNoeBExPaWUndeg=s1228" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1228" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTfqKh9AJ36rLHhOhCQ3C1PDVWFstdHYFhD_7dT1tVOy2g3vq0lnpN3sPtUaXr7qKeydMrBnrXV8neW-JasPyMP-B60zEYnsmDRi4aobxt8x27A3lE__YHK4WGRt--m9NNBzsEw99DvNmDY-nSXer_QVFe9tyn97v5OKZhPCQkgNIkNoeBExPaWUndeg=w400-h250" width="400" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">A Tangled Tree of Potential Futures</span></b><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Among all of the incredible characters across the world of Dragon Age, Alistair is one of those with the most varied and diverse array of potential futures.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Let's look at just a few: He may stay "soft" Alistair, or become more cynical and "hardened." He may be someone whose first love is also his last—or he may rapidly progress to having a threesome with Isabela and the Warden. He may accept the Kingship or refuse it, and remain a Grey Warden. He may successfully woo the Warden or be turned down. If he does woo the Warden, he may marry them, dump them, be dumped by them, or take her as his mistress. Or he may end up married to Anora.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">He may also quit the Grey Wardens if the Warden chooses to allow Loghain to be conscripted, and in that case, he may end a hopeless drunk, or (softened or hardened) he may accept the Kingship. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">He may refuse the Dark Ritual with Morrigan, or he may accept it, and find that he has fathered a child.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And, of course, regardless of any of his varied romantic paths, he may succeed in killing the Archdemon and survive... or sacrifice himself.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And if he lives, and continues as a Grey Warden, he may also survive only to sacrifice himself in the Fade, in <i>Dragon Age: Inquisition.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Basically, Alistair's future paths are as complicated as he is, himself.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Luckily, it's Dragon Age. It's all going to be written and presented beautifully, and here, by no less than <i>Origins</i> worldbuilder <a href="https://amzn.to/3mPs6iO" target="_blank">David Gaider</a>, who infuses Alistair with an unflagging joy, wit, and humor that it would take a stronger person than me to resist.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But hey, who wants to resist? Alistair is a sweetheart. He's just a good guy. A good, funny, brave guy.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And maybe doomed. Maybe not.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As always... it's up to us. What happens to this guy, who's so immediately engaging? In a way, it's a beautiful encapsulation of Dragon Age. He can be a hero, a true love, or a cad. He can end up at the heights of kingship or the depths of a Kirkwall alleyway (an outcome that always destroys me).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But he's still always Alistair. He's still the person who wouldn't hesitate to die for what he believes in. He just runs into trouble when what he believes in crumbles. That's his tragedy, and the beauty of his potential character arc. What does he have if he can't die for something anymore? If what he believes in lets him down? </span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNpgB-DNZAhRnAlvmaw0VX7W0t4nWtYrjSAEykVVnhL9KXzbFM1M-c28qucajVgCF67a4IkTMFsewh8f_yj3diX1p0b4cSV4PYFVkhCYZvALPQiZ6mhGW1JjD-gLUjWIDXaz1sVXiR32s4gv1Es7k6IQgF8PUe9uej2LKQJbDA213__H7QYz5fnMdymQ=s1228" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1228" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNpgB-DNZAhRnAlvmaw0VX7W0t4nWtYrjSAEykVVnhL9KXzbFM1M-c28qucajVgCF67a4IkTMFsewh8f_yj3diX1p0b4cSV4PYFVkhCYZvALPQiZ6mhGW1JjD-gLUjWIDXaz1sVXiR32s4gv1Es7k6IQgF8PUe9uej2LKQJbDA213__H7QYz5fnMdymQ=s320" width="320" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Boy With the Hounds</span></b><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">For me, no matter what fate awaits him, Alistair's story is always tinged with just a little bit of sadness.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Let's start with his upbringing. Born in 9:10 Dragon, it's implied that even living under the wing of Arl Eamon, Alistair grew up pretty poor and humble, told in childhood that he was a King's bastard whose mother had been a maid who'd died giving birth to him. He spent much of his time among the animals and even slept with the hounds. He was cruelly treated by Eamon's wife Isolde, who wrongly thought Alistair might be her husband's son, and he was eventually sent away to the Chantry (in <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2018/10/the-ultimate-dragon-age-timeline-from.html" target="_blank">9:20 Dragon</a>, to the monastery at Bournshire).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And excuse me for interrupting my wall of text here, but REALLY, Eamon and Isolde? Sending this sweet, funny, affectionate kid to go hang out with the livestock and bed down with the hounds? Isolde because of that stupid thing where the wife blames the kid for her husband's imagined indiscretion? (Gah. I hate this so much. Hated it with Catelyn, for instance, in <i>Game of Thrones</i>. hate it here. And I hate even more that it's believable psychology that actually happens. What is WRONG with people?!) And Eamon, who does all this awful stuff simply to pacify Isolde?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Eamon. Isolde. You are <i>terrible </i>people. Terrible, terrible people. And execrable parents.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But back to our recap of Alistair's journey.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiicI2DT_LgqCdZuuzzKfHlkBFkKknKpc2gFm8lmJowjkDXeatN3VpUyUemYUC-MOrEhezS7h7RAjRIMJDt_ZUP4taG4VAj0ksY4QcCjjGC41oHsmp0W0yRlZIdUqpxGoE8o6Cxa9Y9IEZoLIxtYoRCER4snbx3pFAantR7A1150bH3opZHoin8Zlc6lQ=s1228" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1228" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiicI2DT_LgqCdZuuzzKfHlkBFkKknKpc2gFm8lmJowjkDXeatN3VpUyUemYUC-MOrEhezS7h7RAjRIMJDt_ZUP4taG4VAj0ksY4QcCjjGC41oHsmp0W0yRlZIdUqpxGoE8o6Cxa9Y9IEZoLIxtYoRCER4snbx3pFAantR7A1150bH3opZHoin8Zlc6lQ=s320" width="320" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Finding a Place</span></b><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We soon discover, of course, that Alistair is actually the illegitimate child of King Maric and elven Grey Warden mage <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2018/08/defending-fiona.html" target="_blank">Fiona</a>, and that Arl Eamon had taken in Alistair at Teyrn Loghain Mac Tir's suggestion in order to shelter Alistair in Redcliffe, in part to protect the honor of Eamon's sister, Queen Rowan. Let's just say that Loghain's choice probably says something else about what an awful person he is, and as noted, I'm not a fan of Eamon's parenting skills, either.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">During his years with the Chantry, Alistair was trained to be a Templar, but he chafed under the demands of Chantry life. Now an impressionable young man eager to make his mark on the world, and deeply unhappy with monastery life, he was rescued from this both literally and figuratively when he met Duncan, Commander of the Grey, in 9:29. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Alistair met Duncan and well, it was love at first sight. Instant hero worship. And who can blame him? Duncan was a commanding and charismatic figure, a living hero doing something brave and selfless for king and country. Adding to Alistair's adoration was the reality that he was just not doing very well at the monastery—he hated life there, he hated being constantly told what to do, and wanted more. He wanted to be <i>out </i>there, doing, fighting, achieving—not hanging out in a church.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Not long before it would be time for him to take his sacramental vows as templar, Alistair began to push himself further, training, competing, and making an impact in a tournament where he fought bravely, but was ultimately defeated by several notable templar champions, including Ser Eryhn, a superb female templar, and other renowned champions Ser Talrew, and Ser Kalvin. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Even in defeat, Alistair's bravery and pluck made a definitive impression on Duncan, who decided the boy would be a huge asset to the Grey Wardens, and sought to officially recruit him. Alistair was enthusiastic about the chance, and both he and Duncan eventually won out against the Chantry, which didn't want to let him go—the Grand Cleric only conceded when Duncan invoked the Right of Conscription to remove Alistair from the templars and into the world of the Grey Wardens.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But let's pause for a second again.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPRY7kIegp2JIu5S3KELKOu40iJq9wEvA4T7_yPsBtYgDf9QErFAI7zKRnwytPHSXbT_UijLlUdEYR6GWl_toPfJz1x3eeZyktFaWkjeV2s9bxqihHBJCvxZHIRK6jtf92aydw6ZAn0XR9hi8uzP9ybd7o2acVev8YgzMy3iOLbyu5NBqA7E9JRZrd-w=s1228" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1228" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPRY7kIegp2JIu5S3KELKOu40iJq9wEvA4T7_yPsBtYgDf9QErFAI7zKRnwytPHSXbT_UijLlUdEYR6GWl_toPfJz1x3eeZyktFaWkjeV2s9bxqihHBJCvxZHIRK6jtf92aydw6ZAn0XR9hi8uzP9ybd7o2acVev8YgzMy3iOLbyu5NBqA7E9JRZrd-w=s320" width="320" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Worst Gift Ever</span></b><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If you read this blog, you know that I'm occasionally <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2018/03/ranking-quests-in-dragon-age-origins.html" target="_blank">a bit conflicted on the Grey Wardens</a> and how they work. I admire them unreservedly for the bravery of what they do, of the sacrifice it requires for each of them, and the courage it takes to do so.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">However. I'm... not such a fan of "Let's keep the risks of the Joining secret for PR reasons!" Or, hey, "Let's conscript a sweet naive kid with a hero crush into a dangerous secret organization whose induction ceremony involves a significant risk of instant death—and a 10-15 year lifespan even if you survive!"</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Ahem.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But. I mean, would YOU do this to someone you loved? Would YOU look into the eyes of a sweet, starry-eyed, brave young man, and decide the very best thing you can do for him is bring him into an organization with a limited lifespan, a fellowship with its share of thieves and rough, condemned men and women, and a certain ending in madness and lonely, violent death beneath the earth?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This is where I just can't help but blame Duncan, at least a little. Despite his shallow and obvious doomed hotness.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Sorry. It's just so brutal. I do think there's real love for Alistair there, but based on what we see in <i>Origins</i>, Duncan is absolutely ruthless when it comes to stocking the Grey Wardens. He needs bodies. And we quickly realize that he's willing to lie to people and deceive them to get them to the Joining. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And this is understandable, to a degree. He's a commander under huge stress and impossible odds—a guy facing a worldwide Blight, an Archdemon, <i>and </i>an unexpected tyrant. And he's pragmatic enough to use whatever he can. This is also key to his personality later on, when he will suggest the conscription of Loghain to the Wardens—for Duncan, <i>every </i>person is a potential Grey Warden, a potential tool worth spending.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But still. I'll never quite understand him looking at this young man who is almost a surrogate son... and condemning him to the Grey Wardens.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I know the story demands it. But that doesn't mean I can't resent it for that. Just a little.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Alistair in the Grey Wardens</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As far as Alistair's backstory, wow, it's a poignant and predictable scenario for Alistair, in some ways. He was semi-abandoned, starved for love, treated like a stray who was sent to sleep with the hounds. He was also a lonely child who worshipped the Grey Wardens and who dreamed of the chance for future heroism. Only his mentor Duncan made things bearable, providing the father figure he'd always dreamed of.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This mentorship can, of course, end tragically if we decide to conscript Loghain, and it's a life-changing moment for Alistair—a moment that will cause him to give up on his quest with the Grey Wardens entirely. He may end up a drunk or a King, but he will never be the same again.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Neither will we.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Still, that's in the future. For now, Alistair thrived much more under the Grey Wardens than he had with the templars and Chantry, and the lonely young man found himself his first family of fellow misfits.</span></p><div><span style="font-size: large;">And then the Blight hit—and we begin the events of <i>Origins</i>, joining Alistair as our first window into the Grey Wardens.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3CvXV9HFh6248ap25IrLQ7CSM8D5JkSJb3rNOQLrVl96LrsEJd6dpiOmFPE2vYAQfgciEauALTVRMaO4NGeN-ihQnhXwW616lLSRb34MzRCgobCgkD3t8r4DILujZ0kL1O9lHcFzj8MuR7FQw38HVPWN3tZhZisStpaf0ajR5dG0G3DBHzgWE6Q6nog=s1228" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1228" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3CvXV9HFh6248ap25IrLQ7CSM8D5JkSJb3rNOQLrVl96LrsEJd6dpiOmFPE2vYAQfgciEauALTVRMaO4NGeN-ihQnhXwW616lLSRb34MzRCgobCgkD3t8r4DILujZ0kL1O9lHcFzj8MuR7FQw38HVPWN3tZhZisStpaf0ajR5dG0G3DBHzgWE6Q6nog=s320" width="320" /></a></div>Fairy Tales and Other Outcomes</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Alistair is our Warden's first friend among the Wardens, and our immediate first party member. He gives us our introduction to how the Grey Wardens function, and is basically a soft and understanding companion who guides us into our entrance into fighting a dark and Blighted world, no matter what our chosen origin story.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">The key thing about Alistair is that he's just this guy who's funny and kind, our first friend, this Grey Warden who's dedicated to the cause. But his is a journey we're going to watch, up close, firsthand, whether he's our friend or enemy, whether he's a lover or more than that, and whether we dump him or he dumps us.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">He's still pretty much always ridiculously charming. But that charm is different if the sweet kid becomes a cynical man, which makes it more painful if we, for instance, happen to play an elven mage romancing him during the <i>Origins </i>story. If we support his path toward kingship, it's that much more devastating when he promptly dumps our Warden as no longer appropriate as a consort. And he's honestly, again depending on choices here, pretty surprisingly cruel about it—especially if doing so as "hardened" (the path for Alistair in which we tell him, after the confrontation with his "sister" Goldanna, that he needs to toughen up and accept the world as it is).</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">So it's a crapshoot. We may end up with our chosen happy ending as Queen or (for the more accepting and cynical, as mistress), or as companion to the Warden who renounced the kingship—or we may end up dumped... or, worse, mourning the death of our lover, ex, or best friend.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Alistair as Party Member</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">The fun part of Alistair in our party in <i>Origins </i>is, of course, how he interacts both with our Wardens and (most of all) with our party members. Every relationship is fascinating and instructive, and tells us about each person—both who they are, and who they may become.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />With Morrigan he is antagonistic and distrustful, and while I wouldn't exactly want to watch it, I admit that their banters are the stuff of rom-com legend, and I can totally get those who ship them. The love/hate energy is absolutely present.<br /><br />With Wynne, he's boyish, familial, and a little coy, begging for shirt-mending and sock-washing and support, blushing when she offers too much help. I love their relationship, it's bittersweet when you remember that he never actually had a loving mother figure before her—more on this in my upcoming Meaningful Banters post separately.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">While with Sten, he's respectful and appropriately wary. He's openly intrigued with Zevran's world-weary and open sexual confidence (and a little abashed by it), and easy and charming with Leliana (and for me, at least, it's easy to ship both of them here), and amused and curious with both Oghren and Shale. He is, of course, as the boy from the hounds, an outstanding friend to Barkspawn.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">It's all so much fun, and so fascinating. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSa3sR9VHGw1BFzlZOJJDnvAlf2APu-fQ7Ck_OxrRfu_mEwAWXmj8PODyCYacU-OuRfeRTMgGskHaOaXN-dqw0NoKLG2V7G7bTy76xuEQQnzhKtbzDLwohb_dcFBeEgoblMh9-DVerbDU1zUdZNO73ttglq8jzNohGEj43E58sDuq9jKEX5H2i64zBqA=s1228" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1228" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSa3sR9VHGw1BFzlZOJJDnvAlf2APu-fQ7Ck_OxrRfu_mEwAWXmj8PODyCYacU-OuRfeRTMgGskHaOaXN-dqw0NoKLG2V7G7bTy76xuEQQnzhKtbzDLwohb_dcFBeEgoblMh9-DVerbDU1zUdZNO73ttglq8jzNohGEj43E58sDuq9jKEX5H2i64zBqA=s320" width="320" /></a></div>Immortal Alistairisms</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Thanks to David Gaider's innate wit and wordplay, Alistair is always charming and fun to be around, and some of his lines are easily the most immortal across the series, especially, of course, such gems as "Swooping is bad," and "I'll just stand over here until the blushing stops."</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">"What? Lead? Me? No, no, no. No leading. Bad things happen when I lead. We get lost, people die, and the next thing you know I’m stranded somewhere without any pants."</span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">"Yep. Beasties. Beasties are coming."</span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">"Have you ever licked a lamp-post in winter?"</span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">"That's what I'm here for. To deliver unpleasant news and witty one-liners."</span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i>"Andraste's flaming sword! I know where babies come from!"<br /></i><br />And my personal favorite: "You know, one good thing about the Blight is how it brings people together."</span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">He's also predictably kind when delivering a notice of death: "I hope you like heroes, my lady, because your husband died like one." or "I'm sorry but your husband has fallen in battle. You have my condolences."</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Basically, most conversations with Alistair feel like a warm hug with a chuckle at the end. It's incredibly disarming. It was also fun, later on, to see Gaider bringing a similar wit to Dorian, but of course with Dorian we're getting a much more sophisticated and self-aware character. But the same quick wit is still very much a throughline there.</span></div><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIwQbaOLvQzQDXUfDYaLlCP9QHckHeQiYSrT0fjSWXlx_V9QFOU5R-160Iw2HzvxwZFxGiGQm_fmWxt8k7VogTRxbT0ryjio4LHch76z_UQeFWb6TL0u-yxp0v6PHGo345LhqOveE5ch17mSAbu1Kf3n9VKG5jrK3QCoKYPUW_mNSfBi2-UKCa9uAtHA=s1228" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1228" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIwQbaOLvQzQDXUfDYaLlCP9QHckHeQiYSrT0fjSWXlx_V9QFOU5R-160Iw2HzvxwZFxGiGQm_fmWxt8k7VogTRxbT0ryjio4LHch76z_UQeFWb6TL0u-yxp0v6PHGo345LhqOveE5ch17mSAbu1Kf3n9VKG5jrK3QCoKYPUW_mNSfBi2-UKCa9uAtHA=s320" width="320" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">My Journeys with Alistair </span></b><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I'm gonna be honest. I've resisted writing about Alistair because, although he was my first Dragon Age love, he also left me with some pretty conflicted feelings.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">You know how it is with Dragon Age. These characters feel <i>real</i>. They sneak inside your heart.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And that's what happened with Alistair for me. As with so many of these characters.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">My first playthrough ended happily enough, although it felt weird to me. My Warden romanced Alistair, he stayed softened (we gave Goldanna WAY too much money!), refused the Kingship, did the Dark Ritual (<a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2019/12/managing-words-interview-with-patrick.html" target="_blank">yes, everyone's doomed because of this</a>, let's face it, at some point we're gonna have to PAY for this!), and they went off into the sunset together. But the odd thing was, I just didn't see it working out. I adored Alistair, but there was no way in my mind that these two people would ever last romantically. My Warden was too prickly and traumatized (city elf), and Alistair just felt too soft to me to survive her personality long-term. I was so convinced they wouldn't work out that I even wrote a fanfic about my headcanons, because honestly, by the end, I felt like she'd had a deeper connection (doomed, of course) with <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2019/06/the-incorruptible-warrior-sten.html" target="_blank">Sten</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I played other outcomes with Alistair after that, and weirdly that first playthrough was one of the happiest, although it played out oddly in my head. I did get another sweetheart of a playthrough with a Cousland where Alistair married her, and it was a lovely feeling to see our boy installed as King and yet happy in his new role, and with the woman he loved by his side.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipcmnX-b5nLNDhJTyrnOCJyHmJiEr4T3htP1SwJSdmVXcOVtt2BsjOj-FfUfXEZTzvzOU-N3EQJz0CYn1ZA-dBdPNMjqccQGbLsKyTBb19ajt8npkLaQpCtqr1hKN_B6NPFVG6RTg-ZQwsa5J5NN55YRCnN6_7AD1XUcmKhzrRzfiv6nKmLaKg8oB_Wg=s1228" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1228" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipcmnX-b5nLNDhJTyrnOCJyHmJiEr4T3htP1SwJSdmVXcOVtt2BsjOj-FfUfXEZTzvzOU-N3EQJz0CYn1ZA-dBdPNMjqccQGbLsKyTBb19ajt8npkLaQpCtqr1hKN_B6NPFVG6RTg-ZQwsa5J5NN55YRCnN6_7AD1XUcmKhzrRzfiv6nKmLaKg8oB_Wg=s320" width="320" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Darker Side of Alistair</span></b><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Of course, I also played other, less happy outcomes. And just as a <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2018/02/the-spy-who-never-loved-me-iron-bulls.html" target="_blank">Qun-loyal playthrough</a> will show you an unexpected and colder darker side to The Iron Bull in <i>Inquisition</i>, if you make certain choices with Alistair in <i>Origins</i>, you also get glimpses of <i>his</i> darker side, too. He's pretty brutal if he decides to dump you for the kingship, and if you "hardened" Alistair it's definitely one of those "be careful what you wish for" scenarios, because this is miles away from the sweet boy who once gave you a rose.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, if you take Duncan successor Riordan up on his suggestion to conscript Loghain for the Grey Wardens (for me, it's the perfect punishment for Loghain), Alistair goes absolutely nuclear. Even if you are at 100% approval with him, even if you're romanced, if you choose this, Alistair shuts down completely, goes stone-cold, and severs all friendship with you. He will also walk away from the Wardens (and from fighting the Blight), which stunned me the first time I played it.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The most surprising aspect for me in this potential storyline was that even when we defeat the Archdemon, if he is King, Alistair will talk to us one more time, but nothing has changed. He is still unrelenting and unforgiving, and he basically coldly tells us we should have died, and he's suspicious and going to investigate why we didn't (very plainly implying that he wanted us to do so).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And look, I get it. Every one of us has something we cannot allow, forgive, or overcome. Every one of us has an edge of the map, a "here there be dragons," go-no-further point. For Alistair, who is normally a pretty forgiving person, that edge of the map is the idea that Loghain survives in any way. For Alistair, the only appropriate outcome for Loghain's treason is death—and it's certainly the standard punishment for that crime, especially in the magical medieval world around him.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But it still shocked me. During the whole epilogue at the castle, I remember how I kept trying to talk to Alistair again, to explain that I had done what Riordan had wanted, wanting to tell him why I felt becoming a Grey Warden was actually appropriate for Loghain (he becomes the very thing he betrayed and tried to destroy), and that 10-15 years of fighting Darkspawn, ending in a lonely death beneath the earth was far more suffering than a quick fall of the ax. But of course, I couldn't. Alistair isn't going to listen, you no longer exist for him, his heart is hard, and he has a kingdom to run.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4rDkRD3Yut2F1ujZDVtPeyf_b-x1ffEf8DsHaXrVtnTTv_qEjL7sFjWsOV4AAxbFX8Yt-BaVS5_c7SAXBORQKFCLW3i4ixVU-8vSx07PGH-V_jA8AEtzLwsK0rX_XEVlfxl_GBrELSFlud4gjEShZ-m3mH8pvWEi8Cchn1G9At0eN7I3UQpmPxmsRsA=s1680" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4rDkRD3Yut2F1ujZDVtPeyf_b-x1ffEf8DsHaXrVtnTTv_qEjL7sFjWsOV4AAxbFX8Yt-BaVS5_c7SAXBORQKFCLW3i4ixVU-8vSx07PGH-V_jA8AEtzLwsK0rX_XEVlfxl_GBrELSFlud4gjEShZ-m3mH8pvWEi8Cchn1G9At0eN7I3UQpmPxmsRsA=s320" width="320" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Fairytales and Their Endings</span></b><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">At heart, though, Alistair is a prince—a sweet guy who makes jokes even in the worst or most impossible situations, whistling in the dark. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">At his best, Alistair doesn't really want power, or kingship. Which is, of course, why I think he ends up being such a good king. It's always those who don't want the power who are best at handling it— the person who doesn't want to be king is usually much better and fairer than the person hungering for the throne. Even if he marries Anora, if he does so without taking the Warden as mistress, there is a sense (for me at least) that he's going to try to make the best of it, that he and Anora will try to find solace and companionship in each other. First, because it's expedient, and second, because, well, that's the way Alistair's built.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In the end, I really think he just wants to love and be loved. He's not just the giver of the rose that survives the storm, he's also that rose, himself—a delicate thing, whose survival was a kind of miracle.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But roses die. Princes, Wardens, and kings, die too, willingly sacrificing themselves against Archdemons or Fade monsters. Or they fade away as drunks in alleyways. Or maybe they just grow old, running a country next to a woman they may or may not love, or walking the darkness with fellow Wardens while their time runs out. In every one of these futures, Alistair is still going to be funny and charming; he's still going to say something fantastic and witty at just the right moment, no matter how much darkness or sadness is in his heart. Because that's also how he's built. He'll always try to add a bit of hope or sweetness where he can, to lighten the darkness.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Perhaps the most poignant lesson of <i>Dragon Age: Origins</i> is that the brightest lights are still capable of going dim. Roses bloom, even in darkness, but they also die. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Sometimes, maybe it's enough that they ever bloomed at all.</span></p>Angela D. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-68398119975925444272021-12-23T01:16:00.007-08:002021-12-24T10:22:23.391-08:00'Twas the Night Before Wintersend... (A Visit from Ashe'bellanar...)<p></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjh1zPFNqkuDCpc7wAMZ-HKNQ6fsymmTre7Ys1FuG2qfHtWHGjeKfv-gjyRernIEIanFwmCZs66H2BL1mLjo2Vy1nHihsrwfOTj4e4So6w2RfVKVqp0Bts5Pv-zfq5-5JmtaK1K_7vqZXsErOwwjuDqQlEYG3apo56tLI8QhQ3qnNg61Z-oFyrjl7oMmA=s839" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="839" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjh1zPFNqkuDCpc7wAMZ-HKNQ6fsymmTre7Ys1FuG2qfHtWHGjeKfv-gjyRernIEIanFwmCZs66H2BL1mLjo2Vy1nHihsrwfOTj4e4So6w2RfVKVqp0Bts5Pv-zfq5-5JmtaK1K_7vqZXsErOwwjuDqQlEYG3apo56tLI8QhQ3qnNg61Z-oFyrjl7oMmA=w640-h342" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0gffh6i8DU5QPTy99tATyk0zC_qaXEzBfP2GQFuD2GGHbDkqRZyt5c4reUgnsi0zdZUjg4k25tWbt0u5yfaz8O3X9636PQnMNaDD-dcVNEd4tOQFoHKk0tStWULaA42bSLBvbqk9Dt9Zogt0IRnbdNYnpofHDCv-Ci6nEkiWhNnDcxcJlc-PZUFjR2g=s1680" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0gffh6i8DU5QPTy99tATyk0zC_qaXEzBfP2GQFuD2GGHbDkqRZyt5c4reUgnsi0zdZUjg4k25tWbt0u5yfaz8O3X9636PQnMNaDD-dcVNEd4tOQFoHKk0tStWULaA42bSLBvbqk9Dt9Zogt0IRnbdNYnpofHDCv-Ci6nEkiWhNnDcxcJlc-PZUFjR2g=w200-h125" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">A visit from Flemeth for the holidays</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">Just a silly little confection, hug, and thank you to you Dragon Age friends who have made my life so rich and meaningful, especially in one of the toughest years of my life (and, I know, so many of our lives).<br /><br />It's goofy, but I hope you enjoy... <br /><i><br /><b><u>Note 1</u></b>: I have been schooled that I should have used Satinalia, not Wintersend here, but I still think "Wintersend" sounds better. Oops! Oh well.)</i></span><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b><u>Note 2</u></b>: I've broken up the poem thematically if clunkily, so it's easier to read—it's just meant to be a fun exercise so I'm totally not keeping things formal, here...</i></span></p><p><br /></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>A Visit from Ashe'bellanar (The Night Before Wintersend)</b></span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">'Twas the night before Wintersend, and all through the Keep</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Not a creature was stirring, all Skyhold asleep!</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">A stillness and silence filled all Herald's Rest</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">While up in the Rookery ravens did nest</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Both mages and templars were snug in their beds,</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">As gingerbread Fade spirits danced in their heads</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, up in my quarters, in halla PJ's</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">I'd just gone to bed for the first time in days,</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">When out on the steps there arose such a clatter,</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">I sprang from my Free Marches bed -- "What's the matter?"</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Then I ran to my balcony quick as a dance</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Just hoping that I wouldn't see Corypants</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">The moon on the battlements shone with a glow</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Gave the luster of Veil-Fire to objects below</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">But a dragon and sleigh, it was actually here!</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">As it circled, it changed, and then oh, Maker's Breath,</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">I knew in a heartbeat that this was Flemeth! </span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">More regal than gods with her Hair Horns of Awesome</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Her armor with touches of Arlathan blossom</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">"Now, Solas, now Seeker, now Varric," she called</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">"Now up, Iron Bull, Sera, Vivienne and Blackwall!</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Get you up Leliana, and Josie, and Cullen</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">I bring Wintersend cheer, so you'd best not look sullen!</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Up, Inky and Cole, and up, Dorian, boo!</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">And oh come all ye Chargers, and Maryden, too!</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Sutherland and Scout Jim, come away from your stalking</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">I've got trinkets galore, so you better get walking!</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">But I won't wait forever, I've got things to do!</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">I just thought that I'd stop with a present or two.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">So come down now to greet me or off I will fly!"</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">And so downstairs we tumbled, with our hair all awry.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">And there in the courtyard, she stood with her sleigh</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">And eight tiny halla, already munching some hay</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">With a big bag of presents, at least twelve feet tall</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">She handed them round to us, Chargers and all!<br /></span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">There were goodies and treats and delectable things</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">And funny gifts too, like small toy nugs with wings</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">There was cocoa for Bull, and a dragon-tooth pile</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">That was perfect for weapons or one kadan's smile</span></i></p><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">There were kittens for Cole and a hat even wider</span></i></div><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Plus a fine quill for Varric and a barrel of cider</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">A beard kit made Blackwall give Flemeth a blush</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">As he'd never seen anything nearly as plush</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Fine thieves' tools gave Sera new chances for mayhem</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">And a fresh deck of cards tempting those that would play them</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">A new Swords and Shields to thrill Cass with each word</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Plus new lute strings for Maryden's unsecret chord.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">For Dorian, some fine ancient tomes of enchantment</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">To inspire him to further magical advancement</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">There were new paints for Solas in colors divine</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">And glasses just perfect for sweet elven wine</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">There were bangles and lutestrings and slippers for Leli</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">And tea cakes for Josie with Antivan jelly</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">There were potions for Inky and salve for the Mark</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">And an elfroot bouquet for when times got too dark</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Then for Cullen a how-to on quick roof repair</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">And a silverite brooch for one Madame de Fer</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">For Lace Harding some beautiful blooms to bemuse</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">And bright armor for Sutherland's personal use</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">For gruff Cabot some barrels of Orlesian mead</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">While new runes gave Dagna the magic she'd need</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">There were new raven cages for Plucky's elites</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">New blankets for Schmooples and dracolisk treats</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Plus a barrel of mint to make cats play with zeal</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">And cheese to give mice a more sumptuous meal</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">The bag it was endless and obviously magical </span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Filled with fine gifts and not one of them tragical</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">For Skyhold's found family it was a delight</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Filled with comfort and joy (and no plaidweave in sight!)</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">And then giving a nod and a wink from her eye</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Flemeth leaped to the sleigh and then took to the sky</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">The Skyholders all cheered as the Witch took a lap</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Round the battlements high where the brave banners flap</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Observed Dorian, "The magisters had up their sleeves</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Rare spells such as Flemeth has shown us this eve."</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Yet as the sleigh vanished ('twas just before twelve, then)</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">She called back, "It is not Tevinter, but elven."</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">So let us heed Flemeth's wise seasonal call</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">And cry, "<b>Happy Wintersend!</b>" and <b>ar lath ma</b> to you all!</span></i></p><p><br /></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Angela D. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-85658323593189344982021-12-04T23:48:00.001-08:002021-12-04T23:48:31.898-08:00BioWare Friends Answer our Silliest Questions (2021 Dragon Age Day Edition)!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL1b6KOLDN7b0VmD2-MDK5fcFOfaNVu3KOUgyUtPoDRK3fXChxeatgHeXReBTW_FCLnimDI3JfspIlyWOKZzVYsrGvsdbKlcVC9SRpnuq1ewulgE-3YfVxA_hIAlrkoskR6YlKFChw6g55/s1680/CullenCassJosie2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL1b6KOLDN7b0VmD2-MDK5fcFOfaNVu3KOUgyUtPoDRK3fXChxeatgHeXReBTW_FCLnimDI3JfspIlyWOKZzVYsrGvsdbKlcVC9SRpnuq1ewulgE-3YfVxA_hIAlrkoskR6YlKFChw6g55/w640-h400/CullenCassJosie2.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Happy Dragon Age Day 2021! </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Every year, I send over a bunch of "Silly Questions" to BioWare peeps, and every year, instead of ignoring me, a bunch of them have been kind enough to respond. This year, they responded in <i>one giant Q&A</i>, and it's so full of BioWare and Dragon Age goodness that you'll just have to read it yourself to fully appreciate its magnificence.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And thank you so much to BioWare, and to Patrick, Karin, Sheryl, Luke, Cameron, Ryan, Mary, Sylvia, John E., John D., and all for taking part!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Here goes...</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">You are transformed into an animal in Thedas. Which creature or animal NPC across the Dragon Age world (books or games) would you choose?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Patrick Weekes</b>: "I would choose a dragon. I would actually end up a bogfisher."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Karin Weekes</b>: "An Avvar war nug, which is obviously major life goals. (Thank you, Luke!)"</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sheryl Chee</b>: "Baron Plucky, one of Leliana's ravens."</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Which tavern would you prefer, the Hanged Man or the Herald’s Rest?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Patrick</b>: "Herald's Rest, because of the singing."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sheryl</b>: "Hanged Man, because I'd be afraid to look under the tables."</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Which Dragon Age character is your favorite and why? (Not one you wrote!)</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cameron</b>: "Sister Petrice in <i>Dragon Age 2</i>. I admire her unapologetic bluntness, her absolute focus on her goals, her politicking and scheming--all without being sexualized or denigrated as a woman. We don't have nearly enough female characters like that in pop culture. I want a whole series about her; I would play it forever."</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Which Fade spirit would you like to meet, and why?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Karin</b>: "A spirit of Wisdom, because I need all the help I can get."</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Which demon scares you the most and why?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Patrick</b>: "Pride -- only not pride like a conqueror or a tyrant. The specific feeling of pride one gets in needing to show off how clever one is. A demon of Cleverness, maybe. That's the demon that would 100% get me. When your favorite Batman villain is the Riddler, you have to accept some things about yourself."</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Who’s your favorite NPC across Dragon Age—the person with a small part but a big impact?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Luke Kristjanson</b>: "Sutherland and his company from <i>Inquisition</i>. He and his little group were just a side thing for me and the Level Designer for Skyhold, a little piece of extra content, but we loved them so much. We were very protective of them, and building their arc was end-of-day fun. Sutherland’s a plucky guy assembling essentially a Level One D&D party to adventure and help where he can, and his table missions are full of little nods to classic adventure modules. I borrowed the name Sutherland from a college friend with the same infectious optimism. I had to include his company in <i>Tevinter Nights</i>, because I want their story to go on."</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Which Dragon Age character is your strangest or most embarrassing crush?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Patrick</b>: "Merrill. I have a type."</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What’s your favorite musical?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Patrick</b>: "OKAY, SO. For sheer musical bravado, it's <i>Les Miz</i>, but in terms of the one I watch and rewatch, it's <i>Into the Woods</i>, which I watched daily on VHS as a teenager. (Sondheim recently passed away, and someone described his style as "Beloved but not popular because he was often too clever for people to appreciate," and once again, my favorite Batman villain is the Riddler, sorry, it's me, the one who goes in hard for the nerds.)"</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Karin</b>: "I cannot narrow it down to even a short list, but the one I probably know the most songs and lyrics from by heart is <i>The Sound of Music</i>."</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Casting Challenge: Muppets as Dragon Age characters. Go!</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Patrick</b>: "Cassandra is Miss Piggy, Leliana is Gonzo's chicken (Camilla?), Cullen is Fozzie, Sera is Janice, Dorian is an impeccably dressed Dr. Teeth, Cole is Gonzo, Vivienne is... oh, no, I'm running out of female Muppets. Anyway, the Iron Bull is Cookie Monster."</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What’s your favorite line of dialogue in the Dragon Age world?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Karin</b>: "We stand upon the precipice of change. The world fears the inevitable plummet into the abyss. Watch for that moment... and when it comes, do not hesitate to leap. It is only when you fall that you learn whether you can fly." - Flemeth</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What’s your favorite Dragon Age romance moment?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Patrick</b>: "As a player, I burst out laughing when the third dagger came out of SOMEWHERE in the love scene with Isabela."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Karin</b>: "When Cassandra, Cullen, and Josephine walk in on The Iron Bull and the Inquisitor. The clipboard placement was exquisite".</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sheryl</b>: When Alistair--SPOILERS--gets himself killed to save the Hero of Ferelden, even when she dumped him.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Which of your talents is the best or funniest?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Patrick</b>: "I do a pretty good Kermit the Frog impersonation, and a not-bad-at-all Wookie!"</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What’s the worst thing you ever did in Thedas?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Patrick</b>: "As a designer, I believe I am on the record as regretting making 'You accidentally got your Dalish clan killed,' a series of war-table operations. As a player, it was when I accidentally got Leliana's approval too high in DA:O too quickly, and I bypassed the chance to opt into a romance, so in order to get her approval lower so that the dialogue hub with the romance option would appear, I had to start insulting her. We were soulmates, and then I had to start calling her a liar and a murderer so that she'd get angry enough that I could start dating again."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cameron</b>: "Selling Fenris back into slavery because I needed the gold for a better sword is bad, right?"</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">You can go out carousing for a night in Thedas. Who goes with you?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Patrick</b>: "Sera, Dorian, Bull. Team YOLO all the way."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Karin</b>: "Ladies' Night with Wynn, Flemeth, Isabela, Aveline, Harding, Shale, and Dorian."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sylvia Feketekuty:</b> "Definitely Leliana and Josephine! I feel there'd be some escapades, but they'd make sure I got home in one piece. I really liked developing their relatonship with Sheryl Chee, and it'd be fun to sample the cocktails of Thedas with them."</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What’s your favorite beverage? Favorite cocktail, for those who partake?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Patrick</b>: "Grande nonfat no-whip hot chocolate with four pumps of cinnamon dolce."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cameron</b>: "Scotch, neat, and the peatier, the better. I want to taste the sea and the bog and the smoke in my drink."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sheryl</b>: "Tea. I don't drink water. I drink tea. When I do drink water, it's warm or hot, to better approximate tea."</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What Dragon Age question, conundrum, or puzzle is your favorite?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Luke</b>: "Indirectly, the Quizquisition, the weirdo who haunts Skyhold and waylays you with trivia. It was the product of one tired day in the cafeteria, and a Faustian bargain with the Art Lead. In exchange for me adding the Quizquisition, he promised he would get us nuggalopes. So I created Lord Trifles Minutiae and his randomly rotating questions, and little did I know that 'nuggalope' would become 'war nug' and fully fledged mounts. Best deal I ever made."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Patrick</b>: "I really like the choice about making Cole more Spirit or more Human, because it doesn't feel like there's one choice that's clearly good and one that's clearly evil. It's a choice I see people disagreeing about even when they agree on a lot of other things, and I like that a lot."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sylvia</b>: "The Quizquisition! (That was Luke Kristjanson's. Lord Trifles Minutiae is a fun weirdo.)"</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What music was/is on your personal Dragon Age playlist?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Karin</b>: "I can't edit to music with lyrics, so I listen to things like John Williams pieces; soundtracks like <i>Pirates of the Carribean, Hunt for Red October</i>, and <i>Rob Roy</i>; Celtic instrumental music; Grofe's Grand Canyon Suite; and sometimes choral pieces written in languages I can't understand, a la Rachmaninoff's All-Night Vigil."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What’s your favorite non-BioWare video game?<br /></b><br /><b>Luke</b>: "<i>Borderlands 2</i> is a real sweet spot that consumed hundreds of hours. <i>OneShot</i> hit me like a freight train. Just so perfect. But I suppose I have to say the <i>Fallout </i>series pulls me in more than most. There’s something about the melancholy of the setting that I love."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sylvia</b>: "I've said it before, but <i>System Shock 2 </i>made a huge impression on me and is still one of my favorites. I replay it every few years or so."</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Which character would you most like to play chess, checkers, or Battleship with?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Ryan</b>: "Solas, so just when he opens his mouth to say 'Checkmate,' I can pretend to sneeze and send all the pieces scattering."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sheryl</b>: "Sera. She'd lose interest before I would so I wouldn't feel bad about just wandering off."</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">You get to play D&D or the Dragon Age RPG with Dragon Age characters for a night. Who do you pick and how does the game go?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Mary Kirby</b>: "We actually did this! Jennifer Hepler ran a Dragon Age tabletop game, and I played Sister Petrine, Chantry Scholar from the codex. I barely tolerated adventuring with Brother Genitivi, and our party wound up fighting our mage when he became an abomination."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What’s your canon judgment of Storvacker?<br /></b><br /><b>John Epler</b>: "Always recruit. When you have the option to recruit a bear, you take it. Every time."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sylvia</b>: "Recruitment. It's time for that bear to see the world!"</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Who or what inspired you to work in the games industry?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>John D.</b>: "I'm extremely lucky to say it was BioWare. And then somehow I had the good fortune to end up working for them. Playing KOTOR and Mass Effect 1 really opened my eyes to narrative possibilities in games. They had a huge influence on me and I vowed somehow I'd get a job in the games industry. I only dared to dream I'd get a job working for BioWare. But one day a writing position opened up, I applied, and a few months later I was writing for Mass Effect 2 DLC. It's been an amazing ride since."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Luke</b>: "Tabletop. <i>D&D, Champions, Paranoia, Dragon Magazine</i>. As a kid, I didn't have friends who played, but I kept finding weird box-sets in used bookstores that had rules for making your own stories. I had dozens of sourcebooks from as many systems before ever playing in university. When the opportunity to apply at BioWare presented, I didn't know jack about making video games, but I knew roleplaying. I wrote a 40-page module using <i>Champions </i>as a base. Tabletop is what got my foot in the door."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What was your proudest contribution to Dragon Age?<br /></b><br /><b>John E</b>.: "That's a toss-up between the Varric hug in Inquisition, or getting it so elves and dwarves could romance The Iron Bull. Both were significant technical challenges. In the case of the Varric hug, I think it was an important roleplaying moment for players to get the chance to comfort Varric, who'd been with them all throughout. In the case of Iron Bull, it was an opportunity to let more players take the romance and give dwarves and elves more romance options."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cameron</b>: "Daring Patrick Weekes to write an entire ability tree's descriptions in iambic pentameter (Double Daggers in DA:I). That they rhymed the ability upgrades with the base descriptions was just icing on the poetic cake."</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What would your Fade “Greatest Fear” gravestone have written on it?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Patrick</b>: Only Made Things Worse</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Karin</b>: Squandered Her Opportunities to do Good Things</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cameron</b>: Who?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Ryan</b>: Got Eaten</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sheryl</b>: Couldn't Handle the Responsibility</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Last but not least: What was your most inspiring moment in 2021, if you feel like sharing it?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Patrick</b>: "Seeing our fan community come together to help others in need with Dragon Age Day and the support for Gamers for Groceries fundraisers. It is incredibly humbling to see people come together and do something to help others, and it made me most optimistic in a year filled with reasons not to be."</span></p>Angela D. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-35576577267329672272021-12-04T23:00:00.017-08:002022-11-29T00:41:18.340-08:00Celebrating Dragon Age Day 4... and the Risk (and Thrill) When You Take a Leap<p><i><span style="font-size: large;"></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXJ3hy_UYBc_oWjx2Qkn2GKtQJhVNoeA5QBV1VrhnFHhrOI9ebT380LXKhxjooCyMg-lZ2nCwt_JDlID8XJkbfWv4eyl3m4AwUAG25wB-f3wkiDe55BFDpE0Lb2jbqHNbvGQbsxbkkKpW/s1680/RooftimewithSera.png" style="font-style: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXJ3hy_UYBc_oWjx2Qkn2GKtQJhVNoeA5QBV1VrhnFHhrOI9ebT380LXKhxjooCyMg-lZ2nCwt_JDlID8XJkbfWv4eyl3m4AwUAG25wB-f3wkiDe55BFDpE0Lb2jbqHNbvGQbsxbkkKpW/w640-h400/RooftimewithSera.png" width="640" /></a></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><i style="text-align: left;">“That's what happens when you try to change things. Things change.” ―Hawke</i></span></i></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"<i>Mass Effect</i> has N7 Day. <i>Dragon Age</i> needs something too! What if we did something ourselves, maybe on December 4 as 'D4,' and tried to do something good while we're at it?"</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Those were the words of my good friend <b>Teresa "<a href="https://twitter.com/ImaSithDuh" target="_blank">I'maSithDuh</a>,"</b> otherwise known as "T," chatting with friends October 2018, and the next thing I knew, she'd put in motion her idea for <b><a href="https://www.dragon4geday.com/" target="_blank">Dragon Age Day</a></b> as an actual thing, with me and some other passionate and talented close friends from the fandom pitching in right from the get-go. </span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyWJvzin5ykErCV-17Jx5320E4pQGjGnyWVcYyoG0er3Kp95ZW3TxXw_6aotFnMsCMJtFeW_PgsslIZQ3DCPS6f0jkTjy_sSj0gYfyM7dDRapb6eHakKzNi-cAtIXmjIc0eDNuLubl0s4t/s400/DragonAgeDay+Icon+2021+JKepP4Ny_400x400.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyWJvzin5ykErCV-17Jx5320E4pQGjGnyWVcYyoG0er3Kp95ZW3TxXw_6aotFnMsCMJtFeW_PgsslIZQ3DCPS6f0jkTjy_sSj0gYfyM7dDRapb6eHakKzNi-cAtIXmjIc0eDNuLubl0s4t/w200-h200/DragonAgeDay+Icon+2021+JKepP4Ny_400x400.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-size: large;">It wasn't organized, exactly. T immediately had her idea and saw the need for a group. She asked us if we'd help, and we all felt the same way—that she was <i>right</i>, and instantly that we should do something. So we set forth with T, a tiny crew including <b>Savvy B., Alistair SM James, Ghil Dirthalen</b>, and <b>Andrastini</b>, and we were instantly a group, and galvanized! And we were so excited to do something new in the world, something that would celebrate the world of Thedas we loved and that would also genuinely help make a currently darker world a better place.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We got to work. Picked a charity (our first one, that year, was Child's Play). And somehow we made it happen. Somehow, we'd started something good!<br /></span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Daring to be Great</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Helping T form this group challenged me. I knew what to do from my work in PR, marketing, editing, etc., and now I could do it for FUN. I'm really shy, so I had never really enjoyed reaching out to people for PR (which is ironic but true after 20+ years), but now I could do so for charity, for something I loved! And somehow that made it easier.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So I was in. And I'm grateful to T, not just for the chance to help build Dragon Age Day from the ground up, but because she dared to think big. She taught me something with that. It was my first lesson in what happens in life if you just think of something and say 'what if?'—even if you don't feel important enough to make it happen, if you try hard, sometimes it happens anyway.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We just had this idea and started doing what we could. And I thought it would be fun to reach out to celebrities because, coming from PR, I knew how this could really boost our visibility. So I started researching reps and managers, getting information on who to reach out to as respectfully as possible, then making contact, convinced inwardly that nobody would probably ever respond, but it was worth a try. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But of course, people did respond. And miracles started happening almost right away. Incredibly, people listened, responded, and donated. T's idea had become a real thing.<br /></span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC5uprBggiiuAQk-OmwdchfmNBblLhp30hSvdMvcG7aFA3Ozys8B13L0s6pUu_OpALtPEkHV47LGQHZ2o7jsUAj1Bh-vYMGvXT9vqapHUHvCKMuHeQwaUWdTnQdFB35bQRHWKmrtwKQoGD/s1125/DragonAgeDayTrending2021.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="859" data-original-width="1125" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC5uprBggiiuAQk-OmwdchfmNBblLhp30hSvdMvcG7aFA3Ozys8B13L0s6pUu_OpALtPEkHV47LGQHZ2o7jsUAj1Bh-vYMGvXT9vqapHUHvCKMuHeQwaUWdTnQdFB35bQRHWKmrtwKQoGD/s320/DragonAgeDayTrending2021.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Flash Forward</span></b><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And now here we are, and it's four years later, and our event has raised over $50,000 to benefit charities we care about (with 100% of all proceeds going to those charities directly). Andrastini and Ghil bowed out after the first year, and who could blame them—it was exhausting, and because we hadn't thought to incorporate postage (hey, we were new at this), our team absorbed all of the costs of our launch and it took years for some of us just to pay off postage and other assorted fees. We founders still cover all expenses—website, hosting, printing or shipping stuff to celebs where needed, but we do so because it's worth it. And we like that nobody will ever wonder "will my money actually go to the charity?" Our answer can be clear and short: "Yes. 100%."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But we got smarter and kept going. T, Savvy, Alistair and I kept on going, and soon our thing just kept on being a thing. We got the attention and unofficial support of EA and BioWare, who donated both funds to our charities and swag to our efforts, helped to boost our signal, and who have also provided their time and input to help us make the fans feel appreciated and loved on this special day of the year for years now.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As a group of Dragon Age fans, this attention was all we could have asked for, and continues to be a dream come true.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Lessons Learned</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I've learned a lot over the past four years. Like what I can do if I have to. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I'm really shy. But I've learned that I can overcome my shyness enough to talk to people, to even email celebrities and people I admire if the cause is great enough, like charity, and somehow they sometimes respond, and miracles happen.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And there's more. I don't like looking at myself, honestly (although I'm working on that). But I've learned to overcome that because somebody had to get on camera and ask the questions, and it turned out to be me. So now, for better or worse, there I am, annoying the universe in person, a human Muppet occasionally flailing at moments, but putting myself out there.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Those of you who read this blog know that <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2021/06/the-state-of-dumped-drunk-and-dalishand.html" target="_blank">I had a brush with death recently</a>, and I'm still learning to manage life with heart failure. And that's been a learning experience too that's also been a direct part of this Dragon Age Day for me. Every time I thought of my terror at being on camera, or my fear of making a fool of myself, I thought about how happy I am simply to still be here, to still have the chance to grow and risk like that.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And then I go ahead and <i>Do The Thing</i>. Because this isn't the Fade, and this is all the chance we get. </span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Celebrity Secrets...</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I've learned from our celebrity supporters too. I've learned that in addition to her beauty and talent, you're never going to find a kinder person than <b>Sumalee Montano</b>, and that <b>Jon Curry</b> is just as funny in real life as Zevran. I've learned that <b>Gideon Emery</b> is a Renaissance man who can do anything (act, paint, sing, you name it), and that <b>Ramon Tikaram</b> writes as beautifully and elegantly as he speaks!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKt1RutlkQ7AstRzaZE1mSzcnRRej4XdN-JaiXzJ1HCqTtO5qtiWhqUmWf7r5Myc5khBRJPujE-0wqUCMAOt93D-XI6GoEaYgIzzx30s4jcQ56Bq703H_CVYkTehmPn7VLOWH-zHv8leym/s1024/gareth_rewards2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="1024" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKt1RutlkQ7AstRzaZE1mSzcnRRej4XdN-JaiXzJ1HCqTtO5qtiWhqUmWf7r5Myc5khBRJPujE-0wqUCMAOt93D-XI6GoEaYgIzzx30s4jcQ56Bq703H_CVYkTehmPn7VLOWH-zHv8leym/s320/gareth_rewards2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">I've learned that <b>Alix Wilton Regan</b> is basically a real-life Inquisitor whose passion and drive could fuel the world, and that <b>Nunzio DeFilippis & Christina Weir</b> aren't just great writers, they're great talkers who are inspired by the same books and shows that inspired so many of us fans (and that there's always room in life for a little snark). And that Nunzio is a nice person when his interviewer utterly panics and unforgivably and mysteriously loses the ability to speak or pronounce his name.</span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA3a8jar4kVRjI8nRMvGhweqqb50DT6-JcMd_RTua-KSEbPmKITydSkcl3HzLctIVAyGnkTAN26cJVnuiNnCGZo2s2mNCk_4jZQ5my1iHYz6Tz-xYrajggSbSWzzZC4zdC5SXF5YTKx5rU/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="314" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA3a8jar4kVRjI8nRMvGhweqqb50DT6-JcMd_RTua-KSEbPmKITydSkcl3HzLctIVAyGnkTAN26cJVnuiNnCGZo2s2mNCk_4jZQ5my1iHYz6Tz-xYrajggSbSWzzZC4zdC5SXF5YTKx5rU/" width="209" /></a></div>I've also learned that <b>Steve Valentine </b>is as witty as Alistair<b>, </b>that <b>Gareth David-Lloyd</b> is so generous he would probably tear down the Veil for charity, that <b>Mark Hildreth</b> is incredibly nice even when your cat invades his interview, and that <b>Corinne Kempa</b> and <b>Alec Newman</b> are also really kind people who are willing to donate their time and effort just because they appreciate the fans and want to make a difference.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Basically, I've learned that sometimes, the people you admire for their talent and brilliance will actually turn out to be even kinder and cooler people than you could have imagined, which is what happened when I got to interact with <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2019/12/managing-words-interview-with-patrick.html" target="_blank"><b>Patrick Weekes</b>, <b>Karin Weekes</b></a>, and <b>David Gaider</b>, as well as the rest of the BioWare team, including the responders to our "Silly Questions" each year, like <b><a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2019/12/26-burning-questions-with-biowares-john.html" target="_blank">John Epler</a>, <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2020/12/sheryl-chee-gets-silly-for-dragon-age.html" target="_blank">Sheryl Chee</a>, Lukas Kristjanson, <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2019/12/mary-kirby-and-brianne-battye-conquer.html" target="_blank">Mary Kirby</a>, <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2020/12/biowares-brianne-battye-answers-our.html" target="_blank">Brianne Battye</a></b>, and so many more!</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Sharing Friendship and Fandom</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I've also learned that working on something with friends can be amazing, especially when you're all fans of the same thing, like Dragon Age, and that when you bring on fellow fans to help (our volunteer team is now over 30 dedicated, amazing people) those people quickly become your friends as well. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhmTEvXQLwAsjURRqo7JdndomjcG2bcMe7oGFqilmA7lwKc5ES_Kojx29pASwTEekCiGhXntZnkYhdo0W2mOWNzhhqc5y7B-t8SETTeGjEqDrBUeuB7l3IHBghcrOxQzRfXXmDGSSXr6aL/s1024/HoneyHeistPromo1_2021.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="1024" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhmTEvXQLwAsjURRqo7JdndomjcG2bcMe7oGFqilmA7lwKc5ES_Kojx29pASwTEekCiGhXntZnkYhdo0W2mOWNzhhqc5y7B-t8SETTeGjEqDrBUeuB7l3IHBghcrOxQzRfXXmDGSSXr6aL/s320/HoneyHeistPromo1_2021.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">I've been so grateful for our incredible Dragon Age Day team because you're never gonna find a sunnier, kinder, more hardworking group of people. From <b>T</b>'s passion for kindness and justice, to <b>Alistair</b>'s superb management and tireless cheerleading, to <b>Savvy</b>'s warmth, art, and graphics, I'm always inspired by my fellow founders and their leadership and support.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And that's just the beginning, because I also have to spotlight our team's rock stars like <b>Azkabella, Nik, Rachel Hoover, Lumi, Kristen, Binky, Lady Iolanthe, Jessica, Jen, Janette, Liz, Cafe!, Felassan, Dymme, Jasmine, Gabby, Kala Elizabeth, Ashley, Sherry, Kemvee, Joanna, Morgan, Noire, Madeline McQueen, Sara, Zayne, Tina Cloud, César Allori, Andarateia</b>, and many more!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We're just a group of fans, having a great time, celebrating Thedas, and supporting each other while try to bring a little healing elfroot to the world. And I've learned from every one of them.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Just Going For It</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Most of all, I've learned that you have to risk and be brave to make a mark on the world.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So the next time you have an idea that seems impossible to you, or too big to risk, I'm here to tell you to DO it. Go ahead and try. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Take me, for example. In the past three days, I got to interview some of my favorite artists on the planet, and spend some time in conversation with them—from writers <b>Christina Weir & Nunzio DeFilippis</b> (<i>Blue Wraith</i>), to actor <b>Mark Hildreth</b> (<i>Resurrection, The Looming Tower, V</i>, and Sten in <i>Dragon Age Origins</i>). I got to DM a Honey Heist game live, with a group of wonderful players including <b>Eugenio Vargas, Karin Weekes, Patrick Bly, Josh Hood, Anjelica Grey</b>, and my friend <b>Teresa</b> herself. As the icing on the cake, I tweeted a plea to Critical Role to support our cause and was absolutely floored when it was retweeted by <b>Matthew Mercer</b> and <b>Dani Carr</b> (and then Critter-hugged to a wonderful degree).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAnO10IUYCxGLn93neIerMx0kF7RKawI0lWLIMyHpDfk8xek8pnd3_nbbbbhp_yGKaf4ndUA-geWuzO17ksEeQjuvbdDKM_-Eze9eVYx5SSX0Mq3KJBuyrBvm9qrIS6mkg1r4D5yvsYCoZ/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="588" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAnO10IUYCxGLn93neIerMx0kF7RKawI0lWLIMyHpDfk8xek8pnd3_nbbbbhp_yGKaf4ndUA-geWuzO17ksEeQjuvbdDKM_-Eze9eVYx5SSX0Mq3KJBuyrBvm9qrIS6mkg1r4D5yvsYCoZ/" width="257" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">Again, it's a great reminder to go ahead and try for stuff. Just to go for it. You never know what will happen next.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I'm so happy with the lessons I've learned over the past four years. I'm so honored and proud to be part of Dragon Age Day, to work with my hardworking cofounders and our incredible team, and it's been amazing to watch it grow each and every year.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Thanks for being a part of Dragon Age Day, and here's to the next one. We've had our most successful year yet, and we have a lot of plans to continue to grow our event and charity outreach year round, as well, so stay tuned!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Now I hope you'll go forth, all you Wardens, Hawkes, and Inkies! And be brave! Take that risk. You never now what will happen next, and some dreams don't just live in the Fade. Some dreams become reality.<br /></span><br /></p></div>Angela D. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-39957932837595040982021-10-17T06:41:00.001-07:002022-11-29T00:42:21.470-08:00Heads, Hearts, and Headcanons in Dragon Age Origins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaJnHHBeBMSj4rZ3GF3aGoLSzJfAY_n3g5umB5Au9JFXyGu75XLlKTcpdYk2KOvHOGWDobuHb8cNVZrLQqzUnoI9A5RBR1_NH3Ml1Lb4kWBD2XdxqlZtXQyZEXWdmwhxpMQ0aY1s3_JEOS/s1228/Riellen_517.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1228" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaJnHHBeBMSj4rZ3GF3aGoLSzJfAY_n3g5umB5Au9JFXyGu75XLlKTcpdYk2KOvHOGWDobuHb8cNVZrLQqzUnoI9A5RBR1_NH3Ml1Lb4kWBD2XdxqlZtXQyZEXWdmwhxpMQ0aY1s3_JEOS/w640-h400/Riellen_517.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">OGHREN: Let's show them our hearts, and then show them theirs.</span></i></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">One of the greatest things about RPGs is how personal they feel, and of course that's by design. They're role-player games by definition, after all, and the best of them, like those in the Dragon Age series, allow us to immerse ourselves in their world, creating characters, atmospheres, relationships, and more. We feel like we're there; we feel like we're <i>them</i>. And that's fantastic.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If you read this blog, you already know <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2018/01/the-real-hidden-question-for-dragon-age.html" target="_blank">I'm a headcanoning fool</a>, and I know from my fellowships with many of you out there that I'm not unique in this! As with the greatest fiction, I love the feeling that I can transport myself and feel like I'm somewhere else while I play—that wonderful sense of escape the moment that opening music starts up, whether it's Inon Zur's haunting and delicate melody, or Trevor Morris's more somber, thoughtful overture. And right away, just from those first few music notes, I'm the Warden, I'm Hawke, I'm the Inquisitor, I have fabulous mage powers, I'm surrounded by a found family of cool, interesting companions, and (of course) I'm instantly attractive, fascinating, and talented. What's not to love?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So let's talk headcanons, and all those little things you find yourself thinking and imagining that add texture to your Dragon Age world as you play. Each of us has our favorites—so here are some of mine!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I'll start with <i>Origins </i>in this post, but I'll be looking at each game to follow, in separate posts, too. I was going to do all of them in one post, but—<i>incredibly</i>!—I am actually not going to put them all in one giant post for once. (I KNOW! WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME??)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But onward.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtUMzXxTKaja2g6xyUrUgb_O9Wit7O2QAAGng1KHrxaKRVFWtAmaOv_G455BKit8EvcTPnk_oEXlFPBPX7ST3Eljqtd_dM1a8b6jMAgtMvEcXVrMvoOfkwIOEinkiRrLOI7Svi39eT_5zR/s1228/Faryen_206.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1228" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtUMzXxTKaja2g6xyUrUgb_O9Wit7O2QAAGng1KHrxaKRVFWtAmaOv_G455BKit8EvcTPnk_oEXlFPBPX7ST3Eljqtd_dM1a8b6jMAgtMvEcXVrMvoOfkwIOEinkiRrLOI7Svi39eT_5zR/w640-h400/Faryen_206.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Imagining <i>Origins</i></span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I have some odd little headcanons when it comes to <i>Origins</i>. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">First off, when it comes to the effects of drinking from that cup for the Joining, I always felt like it was, a little bit... personal. I felt like, when your Warden undergoes the Joining, that they not only get that connection to the Archdemon that we hear about, but that the Archdemon also gets that connection to <i>you</i>. I mean, personally. That the Archdemon sees you in those nightmares, knows you, and you are now on a very short list. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">That's the reason—to me—for that piercing moment during the Joining when the Archdemon looks right at you. Because it does. It sees you. It hates you. You, personally, among the others on that very short list. And it is <i>going to get you</i>. That's pretty damn terrifying.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I also headcanon that there's a LOT of guilt to Duncan over the Joining, or there should be, because he's pretty morally damn shady there on a number of levels. It's a situation where the Wardens are actively suppressing the actual danger of the ceremony, because (understandably) if it were common knowledge that the Joining was lethal, even fewer would volunteer than already do (although they also conscript people, but that's a discussion for another day). So instead, we get that heartbreaking ceremony where people like Daveth don't survive the sip, or where Ser Jory says, "Um, WHAT JUST HAPPENED? And... er... what are the odds again?!" and then gets skewered to preserve the secret, etc.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And to be fair to poor Jory (who gets a lot of flack from the fandom), I don't think he's a coward. I think there's a world of difference between volunteering for a straight-up fight with a sword against an enemy —and volunteering for a service that also involves undergoing a secret mystical ceremony in which your odds of survival have been hidden from you for PR reasons until now. I always feel sorry for him, and for Daveth, and for poor Mhairi in <i>Awakenings</i> (I adored her), another who simply doesn't survive the sip... and countless others. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Want a different take on the Grey Wardens? Play a conscripted Cousland—it's an interesting and more complex point of view to play a protagonist who didn't volunteer for this or choose it in any way (although the Circle Mage origin is basically a "do this or die" situation as well). Suddenly, Duncan and even Alistair are a little darker around the edges.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I do appreciate that Duncan is all quietly regretful and nobly sad about Jory and everything, but let's face it, once you get past the hotness and Shakespearean magnificence of Duncan and his beard and voice and general hotness (wait, I said that already), he's still maybe not walking on the side of the angels, here. I just think, knowing if he's the good man he presents himself to be (or seems to want to be, if we want to talk semantics), that he's probably suffered his share of guilt-stricken sleepless nights. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">(In which case, CALL ME, DUNCAN! Wait, oops, did I say that out loud? Never mind...)</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIXEzYpwSlTRLtxWOLCAcI4HRsciQa8LlEe9y_ugFKT7yxfVtTZciwxwX5rSbZJ_EyAuauktUidg0emIECnATAmqrErUrGWandAPWeRvmUJ6UWiMcwSQ4IJuJ6NR1bwQ7jBAp0xvb5_ju-/s1228/Faryen_600.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1228" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIXEzYpwSlTRLtxWOLCAcI4HRsciQa8LlEe9y_ugFKT7yxfVtTZciwxwX5rSbZJ_EyAuauktUidg0emIECnATAmqrErUrGWandAPWeRvmUJ6UWiMcwSQ4IJuJ6NR1bwQ7jBAp0xvb5_ju-/w640-h400/Faryen_600.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Messages in Roses...</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And then there are the companions who become our Warden's family. I definitely headcanon that we see the last vestiges of innocence for both Alistair and Leliana in <i>Origins</i>, and I find that especially moving in hindsight. Leliana might be an experienced bard in DAO, but there's still enough innocence and belief to her that a simple rose can inspire her to an odyssey that will change all of Thedas. And for Alistair, a different rose may inspire his feelings of first love.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It's especially fun for me to think about Alistair's internal journey in <i>Origins </i>too, because he's such a contradiction—someone we really see finish growing up. The Alistair as the story begins is an innocent young man who still has a lot of the boy to him—he's sweetly unsure of relationships and is still full of awe and wonder about a lot of the world. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But while Alistair is wide-eyed and naive in some ways, he's a contradiction in others. He's lighthearted and funny, true, but there's real sadness underneath—this is a guy who was hated and resented by his stepmother and sent out to sleep with the hounds. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I'm always affected by the idea that, even in the Blight, part of Alistair is living the dream for much of <i>Origins</i>. At last he's free to be the hero he dreamed of being in all those cold nights, and he's finally free to travel like the heroes he imagined, and stand right alongside his adored father figure Duncan. Being a Warden is all Alistair has ever wanted, and when I think about this, and about the lonely little boy he must have been, it's no wonder that he falls so hard for a female Warden, or bonds so quickly with his companions. I also get a kick out of how quickly Alistair bonds with Wynne as the instant adoptive Mom he probably always wanted but never had, so I headcanon some homely moments at camp like Wynne teaching Alistair how to wash his own socks, or the basics of camp cooking, and more.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I also think about Leliana here... she's someone whose faith is so deep and profound that I have no doubt she's talking to the Maker on the regular in those quiet evenings when she's alone and thinking about her path.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIfdWT-eO7crY74UrhEfhN4fberhNuk_SVAFT9Giq0njTS90zeEbdvqKXpb_TGqZ053XF7C6-Bi4HmbeeBW7loFlQL_lfcw0e5qJfjfybfTAbEXhPmgB1DAPEHeQ9VSDpq9BRLM8N-X9xe/s1228/Faryen_630.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1228" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIfdWT-eO7crY74UrhEfhN4fberhNuk_SVAFT9Giq0njTS90zeEbdvqKXpb_TGqZ053XF7C6-Bi4HmbeeBW7loFlQL_lfcw0e5qJfjfybfTAbEXhPmgB1DAPEHeQ9VSDpq9BRLM8N-X9xe/w640-h400/Faryen_630.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Quieter Moments at Camp</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I always love going back to camp in <i>Origins</i>, and it's where I have the most fun imagining the relationships playing out as our companions evolve through the story.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">First off, after seeing his expression during Leliana's song at camp, I absolutely think Sten's tent is <i>always </i>somewhat near Leliana's, simply because he is starved for things like music and art and softness, and he loves to sit and listen to her play or sing, even if he won't admit that out loud. I think the DAO party trails a constant stream of rescued cats and kittens that Sten feeds, pets, and plays with at camp (gruffly, of course, and loudly claiming he is "training" them), and that Alistair is a sucker for Barkspawn—I think he'd always have a fondness for them, so my headcanon is that Alistair would give Barkspawn lots of treats and playtime, while Sten watched disapprovingly, worrying loudly about Barkspawn being "spoiled"—but then of course he'd <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2019/06/meaningful-banters-dog-and-sten-crime.html" target="_blank">sternly lecture Barkspawn about all of this later on</a>... and then give him treats.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I also like to imagine that Morrigan's little witchy separate campsite moves closer and closer and closer to the main campsite night after night as they travel, so that eventually it's right there next to leliana's, while she's still loudly protesting that she doesn't really like any of these people, and 'tis laughable that they'd ever accuse her of such madness.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I also privately believe that Oghren is more upset about Branka than he appears to be, and that there may have been some quiet tears in the late nights over at his side of the campsite. This is also why I think he's so constantly drunk, as well—as a way to manage his grief.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjISwrOeuZkiZEhVE6eIujzsiNitX1baxG02TTZ7ZE8Zz4WtOhMd3HoVavh1saFjwzOsjI_i1qJB7eCXGuxZY0aOZu2mQcP8VtzyPpP17QG6gGi2bdx519M3uXMmQWjBmEKDSu_bE1OCSqa/s1228/Faryen_221.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1228" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjISwrOeuZkiZEhVE6eIujzsiNitX1baxG02TTZ7ZE8Zz4WtOhMd3HoVavh1saFjwzOsjI_i1qJB7eCXGuxZY0aOZu2mQcP8VtzyPpP17QG6gGi2bdx519M3uXMmQWjBmEKDSu_bE1OCSqa/w640-h400/Faryen_221.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Shipping <i>Origins</i></span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Romantically, do I have ships? Oh, yes, so many ships. Starting with the fact (and yes, this will <i>shock</i> those of you who read this blog regularly) that Sten means "kadan" in the romantic sense when he uses the word for his Warden. It doesn't help me that not only does he do this, and it's enormously affecting on that front, but Sten also has that ridiculously beautiful voice (thank you Mark Hildreth), which makes it even more swoonworthy.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Interesting side note: I've written a fanfic about this (yes, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/12213399" target="_blank">be afraid, be very afraid</a>), but I will note that while I think Sten loves the Warden (and vice versa), for me there's even a headcanon reason why he's not a romanceable choice in-game. There's a reason he doesn't speak. It's hopeless. This isn't a situation for happy endings. Sten will leave after all of this and go back to Seheron (or Par Vollen). </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I've <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2017/08/meaningful-banters-dao-sten-of-beresaad.html" target="_blank">written about this before</a>, but Sten is an interesting character to me precisely because he is a series of contradictions. He falls in love with the wide world outside of Seheron in DAO, and falls in love with its kittens and cookies and art and new cultures... but he is not a convert. He still sees these things from the point of view of the future conqueror. So he will not stay here. He will go back home. And even if he loves the Warden—he's still leaving if he survives. Unlike Bull, I believe nothing can sway Sten from belief in the Qun.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But on to happier ships. Most importantly, when it comes to my internal headcanons, if Zevran does not hook up with the Warden? I think Zevran <i>totally </i>hooks up with Wynne instead. This is a headcanon for me on the same level of belief as Adoribull. It's real for me, and it makes me profoundly happy. <i>Nobody</i> talks that much about somebody's bosom without being actively interested in seeing and touching said bosom. And I think they'd be good for each other. She'd drop some of that overly prim exterior (methinks the lady protests too much), and he'd have an emotional relationship that went beyond political expedience, work, or momentary pleasure.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpieTtwpoBW-ugwRWGAXU3VobwrcsqskG7h4nTzlyAuQNm20CuEEKWJEDfcIB38iXPIPY90c2S7DBXDkyj8OcxarboTvwl2h67jqdau6ghnFDhFunRy-kU86pYvJPk49ldXMJmelq4T8pQ/s1228/Faryen_10106.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1228" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpieTtwpoBW-ugwRWGAXU3VobwrcsqskG7h4nTzlyAuQNm20CuEEKWJEDfcIB38iXPIPY90c2S7DBXDkyj8OcxarboTvwl2h67jqdau6ghnFDhFunRy-kU86pYvJPk49ldXMJmelq4T8pQ/w640-h400/Faryen_10106.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">The other little sort-of romance happening in <i>Origins </i>for me is Shale and her feelings for Sten. Now, this isn't exactly headcanon since it's something that we actually see via the <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2019/06/the-incorruptible-warrior-sten.html" target="_blank">banter dialogue</a> (and it is funny, charming, and oh-my-God so subtly heartbreaking), but that dialogue leads to some headcanons for me, too. We know from those banters that Shale and Sten evolve their friendship to "kadan" levels of comradely affection, and we also know that Shale slips up at a later moment to reveal that she actually has feelings for Sten that not only seem to be romantic, but genuinely physical and sexual.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The fact that she feels these things almost 1200 years after her transformation, with her spirit confined to a hulking body made of stone, is really sad to me, especially because it seems to me that Shale doesn't seem to feel anything on a sensory level, to the point that she casually references being "whittled down" during her time in Honnleaf, for instance. She's truly a prisoner of stone. Since a sensual life is denied to Shale as part of the tragedy of being a golem, the revelation that she does in fact desire Sten physically is even sadder to me.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Which means that I headcanon that there are plenty of nights at camp where Shale contemplates the stars, unsleeping, listening to the small noises of the sleepers around her, and feels ancient and separate... and very, specifically, lonely. Although she will of course never admit it.</span></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">(<b><u>Note</u></b>: for some reason, the <a href="https://dragonage.fandom.com/wiki/Shale" target="_blank">Dragon Age Wiki on Shale</a> is currently referring to her as "it," and I'm very confused by whoever made this change, since Shale openly identifies as female in her dialogue. Or is she now considered nonbinary? In which case, shouldn't her pronouns be "they"? Sound off if you know!)</span></i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pNNwIPIxmIoFMrlMJeD7I_YigAUKOMLH2RjGtBOJaT_4m6mgwEiwnK5xnYUkxXIn91R3uwOBdqLNpBhcjxwq5tUOngeQHKWBZnrBTH5qDeKF0VkK89DG4pPe-aGOwg0u-x02IkANM6pN/s1228/Faryen_204.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1228" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pNNwIPIxmIoFMrlMJeD7I_YigAUKOMLH2RjGtBOJaT_4m6mgwEiwnK5xnYUkxXIn91R3uwOBdqLNpBhcjxwq5tUOngeQHKWBZnrBTH5qDeKF0VkK89DG4pPe-aGOwg0u-x02IkANM6pN/w640-h400/Faryen_204.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Witch and the Bard</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So many ships, so little time!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Let's see... yet again, there's the obvious fact that, as with Sten, the game won't let me romance someone I want to romance (Morrigan with a female Warden), which means I <i>immediately </i>ship that, and I always will. I'm still sad about that female Warden/Morrigan romance not being possible, because I do think (as with Cass in DAI) we're given glimpses of an interest in our heroine that goes beyond friendship, at least in moments. And I think there would be something soft and charming to it, and it would illuminate Morrigan in ways that a more stereotypical heterosexual romance (where she seems more focused on dominance and gamesmanship) does not.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Beyond that, I also ship Leliana and Morrigan a little in <i>Origins</i>. They're both so prickly with each other, and Morrigan is so completely over the top in her venom if they're rivals for the Warden that I feel like there's more than simple envy there. Especially since Morrigan relentlessly implies that Leliana is inexperienced and frigid, and I'm sorry, it seems to me like Morrigan is forgetting that Leliana is a bard, and by her own accounts a skilled one in every sense of the word. She slyly talks about assassinating a mark after taking them as a lover, so Leliana even in <i>Origins </i>is certainly not the blushing nun Morrigan rather hilariously insists she must be. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But beyond this, I do feel like there's real interest there as well, a spark between the two women. Leliana talks openly about Morrigan's beauty, and wants to take her shopping! I mean, I admit that this isn't exactly "go on a date with me," but come on, shopping with Leliana could totally be a date. Besides, we're in my mind, anything goes.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, while we're talking about ships here, let's face it, there's enough open snark, bickering and banter between Morrigan and Alistair that they're practically begging to be a rom-com and are inches away from realizing that all their arguing was actually just love in disguise. In some other universe, they realize their mutual attraction, throw themselves at each other, have surprisingly good sex for about two weeks, then break up, to both of their mutual relief.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Now none of us has to see the movie! You're welcome.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Schmooples, Barkspawn, and a Dash of Pounce</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, I also headcanon that Barkspawn takes a little while to get used to Schmooples, but eventually plays with him, that Oghren is constantly secretly plotting to <i>eat</i> Schmooples, and that Schmooples has to sleep in Leliana's tent with her, curled up at the foot of her bedroll, so that Oghren won't make bacon out of him. Even if/when Leliana hooks up with anyone else in the party.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I also think Sten would have played with Schmooples secretly (since he's a softie about animals), and we already know he talked to Barkspawn, so of course he played with him as well (which I've already detailed earlier here too). My favorite mental image is of Sten getting Barkspawn to practice fetching in all these sort of gruesome scenarios, like, Barkspawn brings him a skull and he's all, "You are a good and honorable creature. I will boop the nose." </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Still, as far as animal headcanons, my favorite one in all of Dragon Age, however, has to be the mental image of sweet, brave little Ser Pouncealot leaping at the faces of Anders's enemies in <i>Awakenings</i>. Because in my head, he's basically riding around in Anders's backpack, and in battle, he crouches on Anders's shoulder, then jumps right out at people. <i>Mrreowrr</i>!<i> Attack!</i></span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1t0T4VLclVq-jOsvkANLhiWknBw4hcH6SvEy94A_LOluXRmMSMbMoyLqUVDBrVQc1crsQqMhMWFoDjBPL332NCoFwazulhJyX-EZzOqtN6lxRnlcIIkm_-DgQGe0vxyQ29jFWv_WoLviH/s1228/Faryen_651.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1228" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1t0T4VLclVq-jOsvkANLhiWknBw4hcH6SvEy94A_LOluXRmMSMbMoyLqUVDBrVQc1crsQqMhMWFoDjBPL332NCoFwazulhJyX-EZzOqtN6lxRnlcIIkm_-DgQGe0vxyQ29jFWv_WoLviH/w640-h400/Faryen_651.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Goddesses and Archdemons</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I adore Flemeth as a character, although even three games in, I'm not sure if I trust her, so I love every single scene we get with her, and especially listening to the gorgeous combination of violin-meets-rusty-gate that is Kate Mulgrew's fabulous voice. And I especially love her subtle amusement at our complete befuddlement at the greater events of Thedas. I mean, here's our young Warden, who depending on the chosen origin story is varying levels of traumatized, scared, tired, and new to all these great matters, talking to what we will later realize is basically an ancient queen and demigoddess. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Flemeth sees all of Thedas as a chessboard and, for good or ill, is moving those pieces. Meanwhile, we're just trying to get through all this with a little nightmare-free sleep and a clear idea of the next 24 hours, and most of the time, we're failing at both. Flemeth's operating at a whole other level, and so, it turns out, is Morrigan. Morrigan may hate her mother, but she, too, still seems to serve that larger picture, because even if we kill her mother in her dragon form, she will still show up in the end to offer the Dark Ritual.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">When it comes to <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2018/03/the-reunion-of-flemeth-and-morrigan.html" target="_blank">Flemeth and Morrigan</a>, it's interesting that Flemeth sends Morrigan off as her Official Swamp Witch Representative of sorts, even while knowing (it's pretty clear) that Morrigan will not only betray and attempt to supplant her, but that on some level Flemeth <i>deserves</i> that betrayal. Seriously, listen to the stories <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2018/01/the-loneliest-hedge-witch.html" target="_blank">Morrigan tells about her childhood</a>. Flemeth was a truly horrific mother, and Morrigan's tearful gratitude over the beautiful little mirror as the first actual freely given gift in her life will always enrage me.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So it's interesting for me to headcanon that Flemeth expects Morrigan's betrayal and may have even orchestrated it as a necessary next step. And whether or not we try to kill Flemeth on Morrigan's behalf (which I pretty much don't do anymore, because the fight's a tough one, and it's much more interesting to talk to Flemeth instead), I always imagine that afterward, when we leave, she goes back into that lonely little hut, and maybe she finally allows herself to realize what she did to her daughter. Flemeth may be ancient and cold, but yes, I think there are tears.</span></p><div><span style="font-size: large;">I <i>don't</i> love Anora, meanwhile, although I think she's an interesting character, but her instant pragmatism and willingness to betray us if we rescue her always makes me laugh. There's not even a break in the action, she's just, "Nope! They are not my rescuers, and I am not a part of this in any way!"</span></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">Nevertheless, when I imagine the Landsmeet, if Loghain is executed, from the <i>Origins </i>gore that instantly sprays across her face as her father dies, I definitely headcanon that poor Anora went off afterward, had the appropriate breakdown, and thereafter lost most of her taste for statecraft. Or, in an alternate universe, it's fun to imagine the moment sending Anora into a cinematic-level revenge spiral.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, the final battle with Urthemiel is sort of comical for me in some ways, because I spend the entire thing divided between my attacks on the Archdemon and spamming heals to protect my adorable Hot Young Teagan from harm. (I used to protect First Enchanter Irving too, but after <i>Dragon Age II</i> and what Kinloch Hold (keep in mind, reputed to be one of the "kinder" holds) <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2018/04/why-mages-are-feared-creation-of-anders.html" target="_blank">put Anders through</a>, honestly, Irving can fuck right off.)</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPyLiEOvnl8Omjq0orGfnQu3JI3TfJwy_LP29eAog1EFUBquMor9XGwkzYLZAtq66Po2hawEBTLQfp0ylEqTpSu1urOIbaPlBy3fn-mVJh7MXKRXMvK3XFHToqOZttleP1bo0u_dtzqnf6/s1228/Riellen_576.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1228" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPyLiEOvnl8Omjq0orGfnQu3JI3TfJwy_LP29eAog1EFUBquMor9XGwkzYLZAtq66Po2hawEBTLQfp0ylEqTpSu1urOIbaPlBy3fn-mVJh7MXKRXMvK3XFHToqOZttleP1bo0u_dtzqnf6/w640-h400/Riellen_576.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Aftermaths</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Depending on how that last battle goes, I have a number of minor headcanons. We get some sketchy details on life after the events of <i>Origins</i>, and of course most of those are presented as rumors (a very smart choice, once the game became part of a series).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If the Dark Ritual is refused and the Warden dies, like most of us I usually imagine the lives of their Companions afterward—not just the obvious sadness of the romanced Companions who have lost their love, but the effects of that loss on the lives of the others, too. There's some incredible fan art out there that explores some of these, and one of my favorites, by <a href="https://remington-zero.tumblr.com/post/100222430930/heres-to-us-what-was-and-what-could-have-been" target="_blank">Remington-Zero</a>, involves Zevran talking with the Warden, for instance, and it turns out he's making the latest visit to their gravestone.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Of course, we can also end <i>Origins</i> not just with the loss of our hero and avatar, but with the potential loss of so many of our friends—with the loss of Alistair or Sten as companions, with the deaths of Sten, Leliana, Wynne, Zevran, Shale, or poor Barkspawn (NEVER HAPPENING! Don't "at" me!), and in every case that loss is potential fuel for imagined grief.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We do know some of the fates of our friends who survive, and see many of them again in later game story chapters. Among those we don't hear much about... among the aftermath stories I imagine with <i>Origins </i>is the idea that Shale goes and finds the secret to unlocking her dwarven female form again, and while I don't think she goes and romances Sten and finds true love or anything, I do like to think that she meets up with him again in some far-off time and place, probably after he's Arishok, and that he smiles when he realizes who she is, and hugs her. (Yes, I headcanon that Sten hugs people, albeit grudgingly, and that he gives great hugs, although no, probably not quite at The Iron Bull-level of hug greatness).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As far as Barkspawn, after I saved him (since I <i>always </i>save him) I imagine that he had a long, long life, and that even as a Grey Warden canine, he was old but still alive at the time of <i>Inquisition</i>'s events. I also absolutely know, with certainty, that after all the adventures of <i>Origins </i>are done, that when he returned to Par Vollen, Sten carried a rescued cat in his satchel... as well as a recipe for cookies.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">What are your favorite <i>Origins </i>headcanons? Please share them in the comments!</span></p>Angela D. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-65306823389024411082021-08-15T19:21:00.000-07:002021-08-15T19:21:12.815-07:00Beds, Bedrooms, and Where Everybody Sleeps (Dragon Age Inquisition)<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3-se9_OwWWqfQqRMRmnRSTVjblbiivaS72tpckCM6AxpxqN9Ed4TCUFIxRgM6ARE6b9b2Ld_lzM6stCSufDgwaW9ylV6r-eKw2t6aPsmdz47UuKkFJMYKpBcU3HEQCONVM0LqaXjvnBE2/s1600/Awakening_Haven.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3-se9_OwWWqfQqRMRmnRSTVjblbiivaS72tpckCM6AxpxqN9Ed4TCUFIxRgM6ARE6b9b2Ld_lzM6stCSufDgwaW9ylV6r-eKw2t6aPsmdz47UuKkFJMYKpBcU3HEQCONVM0LqaXjvnBE2/s640/Awakening_Haven.png" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<i>Andaran atish'an</i>! I thought it might be fun to do a lighter post on something fun that always occurs to me when playing <i>Dragon Age: Inquisition</i>, both during the initial period at Haven, as well as later on at <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2019/04/your-ultimate-map-to-dragon-age.html" target="_blank">Skyhold</a>.<br />
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In a nutshell, where does everyone sleep?<br />
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And please note: I've got hours and hours of screenshots here, and encompassing several of my Inkies (not just my canon little one), so don't let that throw you. Also, as I'll note below, I was initially inspired for this idea by a post by <b>The Emerald Halla</b>, so it was their idea first!</span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Also, please excuse the varying picture quality. I've been working on this post forever, I meticulously screenshotted EVERYTHING in Haven and Skyhold, but then with some hard drive issues, I lost a lot of the additional Skyhold screenshots I'd taken, and in fact had to be bailed out by wonderful reader <b>The Dread Potato</b> in one case, as you'll see below.<br />
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<b>Sleeping Arrangements at Haven</b><br />
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Please note that I was inspired to research this by <a href="http://the-emerald-halla.tumblr.com/post/151798708237" target="_blank">a wonderful post by <b>The Emerald Halla</b></a>. I just took the idea and tried to expand it a bit, so thank you <b>Emerald Halla</b>!</span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<b>Inquisitor</b><br />
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The little cabin where the Inky wakes up is also, not surprisingly, their home while Haven is headquarters. For those of us who love headcanons or who write fanfiction, it's so much fun to explore every little detail here. Obviously, they have taken over someone else's hut here. Whose was it? It's someone somewhat high up, because it's a hut and not a tent, and they are part of Leliana's raven messaging network.</span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdaP6x8exLn3h33mPZM5LSrsGiZ5AaOT48x7xHPYJYfGE4j1kGnYl0omYTuuSfccDfVUdxI5fv34YvfcR43X1zeIfzDSB_9V5s7bRKte17yXYK6D-r7Zkk0KUtbhoZBrxoJFw5CNQ6Yit/s1680/ScreenshotWin32_3526_Final.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdaP6x8exLn3h33mPZM5LSrsGiZ5AaOT48x7xHPYJYfGE4j1kGnYl0omYTuuSfccDfVUdxI5fv34YvfcR43X1zeIfzDSB_9V5s7bRKte17yXYK6D-r7Zkk0KUtbhoZBrxoJFw5CNQ6Yit/w640-h400/ScreenshotWin32_3526_Final.png" width="640" /></span></a></div></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cullen</b><br />
<br />Cullen's tent appears to be the one with a drape of fabric with the Inquisition logo on top, very close to where he hangs out and watches the soldiers. It's slightly off by itself. It makes sense to me that Cullen would be out here just steps away from his troops and where they practice.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNPGYJcNCbC3GFhduZZ8wa6sVu3L38VgOF1zC979lt1tH8G9brGHBEXzl-r28f-9JUUqNukvNpAFh7DVX76V8vpg40_T6brwKi2UEjK8ZI2LunKLkgB2U00m5lnHoEX3vYbEx5q4RNi39F/s1680/ScreenshotWin32_5002_Final.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNPGYJcNCbC3GFhduZZ8wa6sVu3L38VgOF1zC979lt1tH8G9brGHBEXzl-r28f-9JUUqNukvNpAFh7DVX76V8vpg40_T6brwKi2UEjK8ZI2LunKLkgB2U00m5lnHoEX3vYbEx5q4RNi39F/w640-h400/ScreenshotWin32_5002_Final.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpeyNMOBYwvrQXMHmOSMza-nQdmzlS8p8C4n7U8Ej-R-eoOll0OlVzbj7rj-rb4ztCrvJF-eXv97jkapSSL2gvViK-LR4FxJTyI0mT0x3VY-Xrn-TuNPqYKWuvfZE9h1bJJ3g7MngV26ii/s1680/ScreenshotWin32_3668_Final.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpeyNMOBYwvrQXMHmOSMza-nQdmzlS8p8C4n7U8Ej-R-eoOll0OlVzbj7rj-rb4ztCrvJF-eXv97jkapSSL2gvViK-LR4FxJTyI0mT0x3VY-Xrn-TuNPqYKWuvfZE9h1bJJ3g7MngV26ii/w640-h400/ScreenshotWin32_3668_Final.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Leliana, Cassandra, and Josephine</span></b></div><div>
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There's a big, handsome room in the Chantry with three beds in it, one of which has the Chant of Light on the bedcovers (as <b>PuppyPopcornPizza</b> surmised over on The Emerald Halla's original <a href="http://the-emerald-halla.tumblr.com/post/151798708237" target="_blank">post</a>, I'd agree that it is very likely Cassandra's).</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13FL4sLhf1YOxU1DEEoJNetNoU62_OPUDDJpVZ-XHq_Cjyjk5IwEeIG6UXtOr2_OpPUnTNQyHxra1g8XSgzseEtFd__g8TRvN0LUhsmLwusUrX_dgE_OlwzPKpNoryWGRcNK51IrJmfYD/s1680/ScreenshotWin32_5606_Final.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13FL4sLhf1YOxU1DEEoJNetNoU62_OPUDDJpVZ-XHq_Cjyjk5IwEeIG6UXtOr2_OpPUnTNQyHxra1g8XSgzseEtFd__g8TRvN0LUhsmLwusUrX_dgE_OlwzPKpNoryWGRcNK51IrJmfYD/w640-h400/ScreenshotWin32_5606_Final.png" width="640" /></a><br />
<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Vivienne</b><br />
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As she does at Skyhold, even early on here at Haven, Viv captures a picturesque and rather opulent space for herself in the left side of the Chantry. Yet here, there is no sign of a bed. So where does Viv sleep at Haven? Inquiring minds!<br />
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Sola's small cabin is precisely behind where he stands for conversations with the Inquisitor. Again, it's interesting to remember that this hut is, again, filled with items that are not Solas's (for the most part). He is almost as newly arrived to the Inquisition as the Inquisitor is, themselves.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-CKZpIw6rwn6wPNTLd9jDA2SVLduiNdFjtvYDt29nmVLBoo929euriT9Y3-Qz266BqAkCiUwSEaaPzPojupLTBcOWQP5QWyM9e3Oj3cQ3HuRN8dvalESV__k9cN_-FY7CgNFD2s6FuZv/s1680/ScreenshotWin32_6091_Final.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-CKZpIw6rwn6wPNTLd9jDA2SVLduiNdFjtvYDt29nmVLBoo929euriT9Y3-Qz266BqAkCiUwSEaaPzPojupLTBcOWQP5QWyM9e3Oj3cQ3HuRN8dvalESV__k9cN_-FY7CgNFD2s6FuZv/w640-h400/ScreenshotWin32_6091_Final.png" width="640" /></a><br />
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<b>Dorian</b><br /><br />Dorian has a small hut similar to Solas's, directly opposite him, with Adan's potionmaking quarters between. Dorian can be found lounging at the right-hand exterior quarter.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj83Cai9Dt7R0gmmCI45ElUbP7uRJdOn-oRpB9cBqL7HXpn-Uli6Zb1dSAQuOteWO4Gu_tKmFhE-9IKU3nF2izX1p7x9-wBUelLTbppuJr1bXLIrVRqALYG9Tf0QJa3n5x64z61gZ0Gknl9/s1680/ScreenshotWin32_4303_Final.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj83Cai9Dt7R0gmmCI45ElUbP7uRJdOn-oRpB9cBqL7HXpn-Uli6Zb1dSAQuOteWO4Gu_tKmFhE-9IKU3nF2izX1p7x9-wBUelLTbppuJr1bXLIrVRqALYG9Tf0QJa3n5x64z61gZ0Gknl9/w640-h400/ScreenshotWin32_4303_Final.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Blackwall</b><br />
<br />
Blackwall's quarters are implied to be just to the right of where he can be found next to the forge area at Haven. There's a hut that's right up against the stables there, with two beds in it!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuPiz1YZPHZqDVsIox_wreLZHfoI2-zmvKHm2FumwSIGTTqT89vZqEo5-qVHwpBkX2vkyxePsga77JagSPxxXUB8DbJpw2TusFtis5O4NGj9QFWT1yApdomyHCKDmymIDK_PgjiH3uGrE7/s1680/ScreenshotWin32_5058_Final.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuPiz1YZPHZqDVsIox_wreLZHfoI2-zmvKHm2FumwSIGTTqT89vZqEo5-qVHwpBkX2vkyxePsga77JagSPxxXUB8DbJpw2TusFtis5O4NGj9QFWT1yApdomyHCKDmymIDK_PgjiH3uGrE7/w640-h400/ScreenshotWin32_5058_Final.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Varric</b><br />
<br />
It's pretty obvious that Varric's tent is probably the one directly behind him at his campsite.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpATMJsEUMWeZU5E3GPMzwur-WDNwMO3Aw-RTPlVEYQEIClIqiLkWm17cwuM-dYBiqZlTFkuwG1FgwvJQChYASqF4VA52gNsgBnHQ4O-UH1_wuk7Bj9cQo1_Ac08EcA28mo7z7Q1UqXOze/s1680/ScreenshotWin32_3613_Final.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpATMJsEUMWeZU5E3GPMzwur-WDNwMO3Aw-RTPlVEYQEIClIqiLkWm17cwuM-dYBiqZlTFkuwG1FgwvJQChYASqF4VA52gNsgBnHQ4O-UH1_wuk7Bj9cQo1_Ac08EcA28mo7z7Q1UqXOze/w640-h400/ScreenshotWin32_3613_Final.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cole</b><br />
<br />
If he appears at Haven in your playthrough, Cole seems most likely to have one of the tents opposite Varric's, near where he can be found for conversation.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfyAPE8kOjuJkN9mzpALu-6VyT26_2fqOnNMCyL6lbnftNxilLr4mNG_dZLxcGpaOx8046k-k4TsqRvnLYXtZ0yYnl-Bf31gCy9J7FDmg1PBAou07RFiLwjHRig5ERWcJxVulQxWOaHDfX/s1680/ScreenshotWin32_5454_Final.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfyAPE8kOjuJkN9mzpALu-6VyT26_2fqOnNMCyL6lbnftNxilLr4mNG_dZLxcGpaOx8046k-k4TsqRvnLYXtZ0yYnl-Bf31gCy9J7FDmg1PBAou07RFiLwjHRig5ERWcJxVulQxWOaHDfX/w640-h400/ScreenshotWin32_5454_Final.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
<b>Iron Bull</b><br />
<br />
Iron Bull's tent at Haven is refreshingly obvious, since it's got to be the one directly behind him. Since Krem can be found only a few steps away, it's certainly likely that he and Krem may share the tent, although I would imagine this might get <i>a little</i> awkward during Bull's many romantic conquests... or maybe they just go find a place? Because in the overheard banter about his night with the Chantry sister, she seeks him out, then leaves at the end of the night. Hmmm... </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Or maybe Krem does NOT bunk with The Iron Bull and has a separate tent elsewhere. Because the other concern I have with Krem and Bull bunking together is that the tents aren't that big, and Bull is a big guy. So—logistically—this might be another reason for our Chargers captain to have a tent to himself, if they all look like what we see.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile... it has to be said... no matter WHERE Bull is having All The Sex at Haven, let's face it, sex in a tent is not all that private really, I mean, unless people are REALLY QUIET, and no, I don't think that would be the case here on either side!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">So... for Bull's sexytimes, maybe they just go find one of the spare bedrooms in the Chantry? Personally, I'd pick the very plush-looking one down in the Chantry prison. It's awfully nice and would be pretty damn private.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwk_PUtm7LM8jqZG3YKI_JirRHavQ3rM2phv6Pw5qkj6DKnirjiTb7crlhHAwnEUbKzj-ah10GXSF0bIduWipMw7AeZSX9hpqSsyUdsgVFrXzVF1xb-H5FzL3OAcDemQq5dtEJh5ZtfnE/s1680/ScreenshotWin32_5647_Final.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwk_PUtm7LM8jqZG3YKI_JirRHavQ3rM2phv6Pw5qkj6DKnirjiTb7crlhHAwnEUbKzj-ah10GXSF0bIduWipMw7AeZSX9hpqSsyUdsgVFrXzVF1xb-H5FzL3OAcDemQq5dtEJh5ZtfnE/w640-h400/ScreenshotWin32_5647_Final.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">As always, I am obviously overthinking this.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwjfqrjC2vlhlkwwC_NGCYNwxzCvG7hpHczh9cCZcU7blmaEre4y3YOltjwar2Q_ULb2Bj46wCN9BqnXz9_ESd5lSTKr0sYph4fbCv5Cfm1IlM9wLJv66ZLWdgkRHkcHQPLZ_mthKx833w/s1680/ScreenshotWin32_6089_Final.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwjfqrjC2vlhlkwwC_NGCYNwxzCvG7hpHczh9cCZcU7blmaEre4y3YOltjwar2Q_ULb2Bj46wCN9BqnXz9_ESd5lSTKr0sYph4fbCv5Cfm1IlM9wLJv66ZLWdgkRHkcHQPLZ_mthKx833w/w640-h400/ScreenshotWin32_6089_Final.png" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>Sera</b><br />
<br />It's no surprise that, after her secretive life in which I imagine that she's constantly on the move in running the Red Jennies, Sera loves to plant roots in taverns, so it makes total sense to me that she's found there not only at Skyhold, but in Haven as well. We don't see a room, but she's got one here somewhere.<br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqMS2rYURs9TSIo1PFJGhDBwV8lCNkPMtsPnlPiT7cckK9EnE_KSwYuFA_sti54BzIqMF1icyGCdjfL3hcN4hU4zypsMkDCrIAePf-gp8odiwhjK5bHGL0DNX9wX-9w9PakCnJBDgCucL/s1680/ScreenshotWin32_6095_Final.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqMS2rYURs9TSIo1PFJGhDBwV8lCNkPMtsPnlPiT7cckK9EnE_KSwYuFA_sti54BzIqMF1icyGCdjfL3hcN4hU4zypsMkDCrIAePf-gp8odiwhjK5bHGL0DNX9wX-9w9PakCnJBDgCucL/w640-h400/ScreenshotWin32_6095_Final.png" width="640" /></a><br /><br />
<b>Sleeping Arrangements at Skyhold</b><br />
<br />
This is where things get interesting, because the number of visible beds dwindles rather alarmingly at <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2019/04/your-ultimate-map-to-dragon-age.html" target="_blank">Skyhold</a> proper, although of course there is also that huge external main campsite we can see from the battlements for housing all the other main troops and Inquisition members. Still, it's fun to try to hazard where they all sleep, so here goes!<br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFv29fmwp_eVi8UiRjBOQNGqPN49psTudKkGFkhgkiLWy4RYsJOGrCKGsSzTHhvoVLKlYWCj3brJlD7j74-p9-OMSGQKSdi8l9cwWV9ordDEQd9NOOUNH-MvI0KrfIopMtn53iQTzBZdmv/s1680/ScreenshotWin32_6311_Final.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFv29fmwp_eVi8UiRjBOQNGqPN49psTudKkGFkhgkiLWy4RYsJOGrCKGsSzTHhvoVLKlYWCj3brJlD7j74-p9-OMSGQKSdi8l9cwWV9ordDEQd9NOOUNH-MvI0KrfIopMtn53iQTzBZdmv/w640-h400/ScreenshotWin32_6311_Final.png" width="640" /></a><br /><br />
<b>The Inquisitor</b><br />
<br />
Well, this is one bedroom we can certainly identify, and those quarters are magnificent, and found all the way down the hall at Skyhold, with the entrance to the left. On the down side: ALL THOSE STAIRS. Seriously, people, the Inquisitor must have the most magnificent hindquarters in all of Thedas. No wonder so many companions are panting for a date!<br />
<br />
Meanwhile: What makes this more interesting for me is that I think it's also where Solas slept, once upon a time. There are secrets in those paintings, people!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7p4ySv8WYpZUyCgmX0jqdRYSR_3yox1sld5QSIGxyHDLguF7BQ7VW6A-FKn2aZF3DRRCxD2i1AKVu61v74rfZEYjtTAAFkOUMeYuz7-GLYCfopWqJmtuk9tjJWGdVRnssu6s-gUOKkxRg/s1680/Solas_Rotunda_lonely1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7p4ySv8WYpZUyCgmX0jqdRYSR_3yox1sld5QSIGxyHDLguF7BQ7VW6A-FKn2aZF3DRRCxD2i1AKVu61v74rfZEYjtTAAFkOUMeYuz7-GLYCfopWqJmtuk9tjJWGdVRnssu6s-gUOKkxRg/w640-h400/Solas_Rotunda_lonely1.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZtKCMCeg7QZJDwUFl9bthtkTWhQ5R9AmD3OeCn0FG_rDIi-xsRCccpNoBc1ecJRUAh-e4JXqk7kA1rjBGm3emO6AIJ9HALgzKmW3P6nvUPOK977sYd8bwpAZ-7AeQUZuwEyNacTKvveu/s1680/ScreenshotWin32_3701_Final.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZtKCMCeg7QZJDwUFl9bthtkTWhQ5R9AmD3OeCn0FG_rDIi-xsRCccpNoBc1ecJRUAh-e4JXqk7kA1rjBGm3emO6AIJ9HALgzKmW3P6nvUPOK977sYd8bwpAZ-7AeQUZuwEyNacTKvveu/w640-h400/ScreenshotWin32_3701_Final.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Solas</b><br />
<br />
Solas is easy to find, in the flawless and beautiful little glowing circle of the ground floor of the Skyhold Rotunda. While I still find it intriguing that the master of the Fade doesn't have a visible BED, he does have a beautiful golden couch.<br />
<br />
But I still say that's a lousy bedroom for a <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2018/08/solas-and-waking-nightmare.html" target="_blank">Dreamer</a>, and sometimes I really suspect he's got an invisible or hidden bedroom somewhere we simply don't see. I mean, I know Solas is abstemious, and he does talk about sleeping in all sorts of odd and wild places in the dialogues at Haven, BUT... would Solas <i>really </i>sleep comfortably in the open space of the Rotunda, in open view of two overlooking floors above (plus those who use those side stairs and exit through his room to the main Skyhold Great Hall?<i> I don't think so.</i></span></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0CQB5pb6X6lp3ng3mmTfKaIyEd2wJd5r5vcWEpzaWjqs_UbN_9bRBouirn6FVj0EsMZfbebMiBE4wlLksB62B91S4t_lT3b-AR6rtBUto7tQ1V0gs8Px_AuPzlZMBJyz2KC8HDueHNXdO/s1680/ScreenshotWin32_6756_Final.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0CQB5pb6X6lp3ng3mmTfKaIyEd2wJd5r5vcWEpzaWjqs_UbN_9bRBouirn6FVj0EsMZfbebMiBE4wlLksB62B91S4t_lT3b-AR6rtBUto7tQ1V0gs8Px_AuPzlZMBJyz2KC8HDueHNXdO/w640-h400/ScreenshotWin32_6756_Final.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGLUUzcj_sDAE7cLZ8DL7uxhsocL7qc01TR3ERVrFRz3xS1RrXy0_Hg4P4YVICvby794vUgLb2JgFE1YcqCey73lrqBgQHtBNJQmbZ_DkQ9ChTufpnSxED47LbP9GHzPI2NSsTnh5rp3Vn/s1680/ScreenshotWin32_3810_Final.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGLUUzcj_sDAE7cLZ8DL7uxhsocL7qc01TR3ERVrFRz3xS1RrXy0_Hg4P4YVICvby794vUgLb2JgFE1YcqCey73lrqBgQHtBNJQmbZ_DkQ9ChTufpnSxED47LbP9GHzPI2NSsTnh5rp3Vn/w640-h400/ScreenshotWin32_3810_Final.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>Cullen</b><br />
<br /><a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2018/02/demons-and-archangels-journey-of-cullen.html" target="_blank">
Cullen's </a>bedroom is located directly up the ladder from his office, which is most easily accessible via a corridor along the battlements that goes directly from the back of Solas's Rotunda to his door. His bedroom is sort of absent-mindedly messy and charming, complete with hole in the roof.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Leliana, Josephine, Cassandra, Dorian</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Are some of the following probably the rooms of our other <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2019/02/from-companions-to-advisors-how.html" target="_blank">companions and advisors</a>? These are other rooms we find on the second level at Skyhold, below. Who do you think has which room?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZgjJzLTQiKiBw1fhczb3pP92zF9TYE5qZks7Xqf9NmpSzM_ffVvedPX__5rfqgAAs9mzJzCl7JaFVWOsrJPRjVEoJadiNolAAsFEFzuXYTfXy4-2JEnRcT4bHYNYRTkm1usjx5GSzW1i2/s1680/ScreenshotWin32_6358_Final.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZgjJzLTQiKiBw1fhczb3pP92zF9TYE5qZks7Xqf9NmpSzM_ffVvedPX__5rfqgAAs9mzJzCl7JaFVWOsrJPRjVEoJadiNolAAsFEFzuXYTfXy4-2JEnRcT4bHYNYRTkm1usjx5GSzW1i2/w640-h400/ScreenshotWin32_6358_Final.png" width="640" /></a><br />
<br /><b><u>Note</u></b>: Huge, huge thanks to the wonderful <a href="https://twitter.com/tardisfeathers" target="_blank"><b>@Tardisfeathers</b></a> ("The Dread Potato") for the following screenshots, since I need to do a reinstall of <i>Inquisition</i>, and couldn't grab them! <b>Tardisfeathers</b>, you are fantastic.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga3kZb-wY9py8UCN1FykFwvgaj3W7jPh2RwIsf70y6SjK-ybAvfyPGe2Id1f9LDdbgXTMWuLhlniuau9BRhdFFSMh1Mml06Ei1aw5rTkhQBdkr9ttmnLmUdeornKUQPr7dfGeUh3heGSBX/s2048/E8x3JYOXoAE5I-I.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga3kZb-wY9py8UCN1FykFwvgaj3W7jPh2RwIsf70y6SjK-ybAvfyPGe2Id1f9LDdbgXTMWuLhlniuau9BRhdFFSMh1Mml06Ei1aw5rTkhQBdkr9ttmnLmUdeornKUQPr7dfGeUh3heGSBX/w640-h360/E8x3JYOXoAE5I-I.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Okay, the room above, to me, HAS to be <b>Leliana's</b>. For several reasons: We see the bow on the dresser, and the scales on the table. We can't quite read the book, but I'm betting it's the Chant of Light.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYs3e6yegs9ka7-AhnTYaNL6LbpGFsFbDGjKzOUPFY9-LYkA5hSjj8C7KgxOz3NO5dAs1pW97MQElLA0wlkzn3RDNU2oH0LJaAF8ZadHlKKSIf3bRBnFc9jP6w-iHwgNcbfyykh9CfN0z-/s2048/E8yBbxXWYAgL8WE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYs3e6yegs9ka7-AhnTYaNL6LbpGFsFbDGjKzOUPFY9-LYkA5hSjj8C7KgxOz3NO5dAs1pW97MQElLA0wlkzn3RDNU2oH0LJaAF8ZadHlKKSIf3bRBnFc9jP6w-iHwgNcbfyykh9CfN0z-/w640-h360/E8yBbxXWYAgL8WE.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Of course, if it is Leliana's, the mystery depends, because what's with all the PIES? There are pies on the scales, as we can see above, a pie on the table, and, yes, pies in the barrel next to it.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYPQTbBHTehpyv9v7cTSIwGI7rBNf4thVFblnWnURTxrxJ4FGPKaM61ZOzcQaxo-V7hVk2j3yAYjRdoG_CKnC9WVHcQqQ1958lFQlZ-5lv9hSg5NCBidPE5l_WEYmGJPUdctBThXieeG_K/s2048/E8yBbxbWQAAz2VJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYPQTbBHTehpyv9v7cTSIwGI7rBNf4thVFblnWnURTxrxJ4FGPKaM61ZOzcQaxo-V7hVk2j3yAYjRdoG_CKnC9WVHcQqQ1958lFQlZ-5lv9hSg5NCBidPE5l_WEYmGJPUdctBThXieeG_K/w640-h360/E8yBbxbWQAAz2VJ.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">And yet again... more pies. WHY? So, so many pies! The thing is... if this were truly Leliana's room, wouldn't we see more SHOES than pies?</span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVYZmvHU8gvgguOs3BbuERZ4Cw21-SZhutm8HSp8CozxRLv3h52iuugKukOWq304kza3Wn2EEMzypzTx14AJkBJb7ZJewyzKvsHRsdcBUXQ7GoOltlYVmVfpOR0V2n46LjINfJ5fFgz6Lx/s2048/E8xztw3WYAIG6lG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVYZmvHU8gvgguOs3BbuERZ4Cw21-SZhutm8HSp8CozxRLv3h52iuugKukOWq304kza3Wn2EEMzypzTx14AJkBJb7ZJewyzKvsHRsdcBUXQ7GoOltlYVmVfpOR0V2n46LjINfJ5fFgz6Lx/w640-h360/E8xztw3WYAIG6lG.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">This room above is obviously still in a state of renovation. What's under the fabric in the corner? It looks rather person-sized, so is it a suit of armor? We don't actually see those around Skyhold, so... what is it? For some reason, I think this one ends up being <b><a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2018/09/the-princess-warrior-cassandra.html" target="_blank">Cassandra's</a></b>. Mostly because I don't think she'd care much if the room she was living in was being cleaned up while she was there.</span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6b48NDbPANXLB3YC2fA0MqCvq9JS4iFMHCZyTdokE66RvvrsFkm1uAGjnWWZhR2DHlzMLFbSmMlXGiKLySAcM0NB_mYv1TXuhAwvF0xqXTrsIBURLxPYdw2ocBcxU3J445TQGi9TLOhiM/s2048/E8xztw3XMAI9-DB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6b48NDbPANXLB3YC2fA0MqCvq9JS4iFMHCZyTdokE66RvvrsFkm1uAGjnWWZhR2DHlzMLFbSmMlXGiKLySAcM0NB_mYv1TXuhAwvF0xqXTrsIBURLxPYdw2ocBcxU3J445TQGi9TLOhiM/w640-h360/E8xztw3XMAI9-DB.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">This little room above is fascinating. The smaller bed, to me, implies someone perhaps more modest, someone who not only doesn't mind a smaller room, but who perhaps isn't terribly focused on sleeping with anyone in that bed. This, plus the lovely scarf tossed there, makes me wonder if it's <b>Josie's </b>(I headcanon that Josie is ace), although this is NOT to imply that anyone on the ace spectrum necessarily wants or needs a smaller bed. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71x4yJH7NWTTS7YI5JaqAQba1dTpBrBIadmAd95soPKl1ULeW20-ehxHiGl5kFbnFRTq0i2OV2W7GtqTDqtgxfLN3KfZJG73IVkRr3HHzezucvfLtOIo6si6xzVLvZw6QBi5NvJK_G_7n/s2048/E8xztw2XsAc0lK5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71x4yJH7NWTTS7YI5JaqAQba1dTpBrBIadmAd95soPKl1ULeW20-ehxHiGl5kFbnFRTq0i2OV2W7GtqTDqtgxfLN3KfZJG73IVkRr3HHzezucvfLtOIo6si6xzVLvZw6QBi5NvJK_G_7n/w640-h360/E8xztw2XsAc0lK5.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Dorian is always to be found in the Skyhold library on the second floor of the Rotunda, but despite its cozy alcoves, his conversations with Bull during their flirtations imply, however, that he has a room to himself.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">With this in mind, for very few logical reasons I can name, I think this room above is <b>Dorian's</b>. The casually thrown pillows and blankets, the plate of fruit... There's just a rather careless opulence to it that makes me think it's Dorian's. </span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQqJIpFh1pctyk60Q1b0U-at_P8hbPP-nUlzonWuQDanKt42EMC127Kj6Rb1RCBBz9VCC9rFgfCIJK3rSPijIXDq9GDBT8XlNc-7tTdSogWjR_8KQdb2E_KKx5BAoStlXrwrCvG9nHBde1/s2048/E8xztw5WUAA2b1L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQqJIpFh1pctyk60Q1b0U-at_P8hbPP-nUlzonWuQDanKt42EMC127Kj6Rb1RCBBz9VCC9rFgfCIJK3rSPijIXDq9GDBT8XlNc-7tTdSogWjR_8KQdb2E_KKx5BAoStlXrwrCvG9nHBde1/w640-h360/E8xztw5WUAA2b1L.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">And <i>what the heck </i>is this thing above? I don't have a clue. It almost looks like an Orlesian mask had a baby with a rabid Fereldan moose. Anyone?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8HQeo18hqlbObsRDmsovsU9szpKgYb39HY_Jw65482tdH3VvowKodIVlImoT4iTgDrphg0XtktQiZ7QV-TUXBwTQfknLGqM3M5FpIYHUxjhEUs9YZSPnXbOK_UQMD770YEuUH5okUnH0/s1680/ScreenshotWin32_3789_Final.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8HQeo18hqlbObsRDmsovsU9szpKgYb39HY_Jw65482tdH3VvowKodIVlImoT4iTgDrphg0XtktQiZ7QV-TUXBwTQfknLGqM3M5FpIYHUxjhEUs9YZSPnXbOK_UQMD770YEuUH5okUnH0/w640-h400/ScreenshotWin32_3789_Final.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>
Vivienne<br /></b>
<br />
At Skyhold, Viv has, not surprisingly, picked out a charming and sumptuous alcove on the second level, just around the corner from the Rotunda library. Her area includes a beautiful sleigh bed, so we know that this is where she likely sleeps.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">From a character standpoint, however, I do question whether Viv would live in what is basically an alcove, not a room. It feels a bit odd to me that Vivienne wouldn't commandeer an actual room for herself. However, I will say that from a strategic standpoint, there is probably very little that she misses from her current location—either inside or outside Skyhold.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfjH76uLhkqZo-JisiPmRsEkhTBKQ8KzDq7PxgKMH5mRZVE-FOLmSpEHkd9FAVoAxgq6Q3TF5Kon2eZmgvK5mSIv0wrBWyGtrC-1R3HqOh7EdpFuCO1xoSH4r-fTO5wyQAUJMaMxwq4Pdf/s1680/ScreenshotWin32_4026_Final.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfjH76uLhkqZo-JisiPmRsEkhTBKQ8KzDq7PxgKMH5mRZVE-FOLmSpEHkd9FAVoAxgq6Q3TF5Kon2eZmgvK5mSIv0wrBWyGtrC-1R3HqOh7EdpFuCO1xoSH4r-fTO5wyQAUJMaMxwq4Pdf/w640-h400/ScreenshotWin32_4026_Final.png" width="640" /></a><br />
<br /><b>
Blackwall<br /></b>
<br />
Blackwall can always be found over by the Skyhold stables, and he has a pallet spread over some hay bales off to the side on the opposite side where he sleeps (and where he later sleeps with a romanced Inquisitor.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigTIqFCtKKFGH3fWLvFRzSnvhtJDa-LKTfWlA9B-Hpk1bzuljYA_dQzBS1WcC6mtX8F82GbSywjao_fasvwFzGuKasQiWJSujAZm7caqjVVvHuXIXy4H21BrHUS0xThN4N1otfi_ebuZaP/s1680/Varric_cute.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigTIqFCtKKFGH3fWLvFRzSnvhtJDa-LKTfWlA9B-Hpk1bzuljYA_dQzBS1WcC6mtX8F82GbSywjao_fasvwFzGuKasQiWJSujAZm7caqjVVvHuXIXy4H21BrHUS0xThN4N1otfi_ebuZaP/w640-h400/Varric_cute.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Varric<br /></b>
<br /><a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2020/05/the-fatalist-and-dreamer-deconstructing.html" target="_blank">Varric</a> is constantly to be found in the sitting area off the Skyhold Main Hall, but that cannot be where he actually sleeps... so where is it? My gut says that he probably sleeps in a room we don't see off the tavern. Varric just feels like a "room in the tavern" guy to me.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhjpEt0fGI-VqLW6ExtkDc4z-lFdTluJiL96vbKqoQbEEeY9AyC50HWD6a_BWnQPFweq3OtDeAY-EbYQOA3IcxMJlAnCiqAp6Jbvu61kIj12DWsIEMRkvzaM9wyKebSTryBDIIzHl9szzG/s1680/ScreenshotWin32_6645_Final.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhjpEt0fGI-VqLW6ExtkDc4z-lFdTluJiL96vbKqoQbEEeY9AyC50HWD6a_BWnQPFweq3OtDeAY-EbYQOA3IcxMJlAnCiqAp6Jbvu61kIj12DWsIEMRkvzaM9wyKebSTryBDIIzHl9szzG/w640-h400/ScreenshotWin32_6645_Final.png" width="640" /></a><br />
<br /><b>
Cole</b><br />
<br /><a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2017/10/spirit-lost-boy-and-ghost-of-spire.html" target="_blank">Cole</a> keeps a sweet, sad, cobwebby little corner to himself on the second level of the Herald's Rest tavern. In my fanfic, my Inky finally got him to go stand around in a bedroom in the Herald's Rest, even if he didn't sleep in the bed ("So many feathers! The birds are sad.").</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmouY8hzTAAE_k-NDHZz2HyJuWM8xFM9QdZwjer3VDSP0OD0BKWJM7VegqLU2rRR40gN9IVsRoXiCK1F85KQrCq65SP5_QccKnBIMnnh0jDpjo2eewemFcIKPfwxD3jR1QWrLQpVUMr6g/s1680/ScreenshotWin32_6108_Final.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmouY8hzTAAE_k-NDHZz2HyJuWM8xFM9QdZwjer3VDSP0OD0BKWJM7VegqLU2rRR40gN9IVsRoXiCK1F85KQrCq65SP5_QccKnBIMnnh0jDpjo2eewemFcIKPfwxD3jR1QWrLQpVUMr6g/w640-h400/ScreenshotWin32_6108_Final.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJRJZqCPir9cej-HLMtMe12I-V5A-qby4yCM34JCQZH3e2_wp_scH8ayUkUws_fgbvaV_Jji5RHFklYFJJVscrO-5zmQ80qa9pMhRJIF6syYS2o3B0XtgBvPDJ6eUiChwCsgI0V9b0Vyy/s1680/ScreenshotWin32_6295_Final.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJRJZqCPir9cej-HLMtMe12I-V5A-qby4yCM34JCQZH3e2_wp_scH8ayUkUws_fgbvaV_Jji5RHFklYFJJVscrO-5zmQ80qa9pMhRJIF6syYS2o3B0XtgBvPDJ6eUiChwCsgI0V9b0Vyy/w640-h400/ScreenshotWin32_6295_Final.png" width="640" /></a><br />
<br /><b>
Iron Bull</b><br />
<br />While <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2017/09/actor-lover-soldier-spy-iron-bull-at.html" target="_blank">Bull</a> may lounge comfortably against the opposite wall of the Skyhold tavern whenever he's not sparring, training, or fighting, (Krem loyally watching over the area to the left, in Bull's blind spot), he seems to sleep in that room off the upper area from Cole's corner in the Herald's Rest. It's most notable for that ax in the footboard.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTW-2sP_9wNXdy-IU9ZwSooXGiyPCSUdzaJk9pX6XY3_4UhFGFg2kZlzVB_4vh_IHH-vBjWbtM0V1ykpgJdGX1NeIHVP5SODvLKbWzr-tiOeP6YouWSFNvkDQU-pEWHl6ufFxiIehMXgXs/s1680/Cassandra_bargein.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTW-2sP_9wNXdy-IU9ZwSooXGiyPCSUdzaJk9pX6XY3_4UhFGFg2kZlzVB_4vh_IHH-vBjWbtM0V1ykpgJdGX1NeIHVP5SODvLKbWzr-tiOeP6YouWSFNvkDQU-pEWHl6ufFxiIehMXgXs/w640-h400/Cassandra_bargein.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />From the view of the stairs outside, this is definitely where Bull and Inky <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2018/02/waiting-for-katoh-romancing-iron-bull.html" target="_blank">are interrupted later on</a> (it's cleaned up a bit by that point) by Cullen, Cass and Josie.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I don't know, though. It doesn't quite work for me in terms of my perception of Bull as a person—? While I get that Bull is a free spirit, I just don't think he'd live in that kind of chaos day to day. Bull strikes me as too compartmentalized to be that messy in his actual living quarters, to me. It would be difficult to be a functioning, much less brilliant, spy, in that kind of chaos.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">But I also may be, again, overthinking this. Bull is certainly ALSO perfectly capable of having an incredibly messy, chaotic room not only because he doesn't care that much about order at this moment in his life, and perhaps because it's how he sees the "role" of The Iron Bull? Or because he's messy.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Or he may simply be messy in real life right now as a deliberate show because it's 100% against what is expected under the Qun.</span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgceLkrjI1zaUPNBbfGgDfiQPJxXug8lkZnqPSGYBWQpaZy0FAXj03MJt3HAnRnpIL5nJe8AeIFphdXBBP9MWfEd5qTqxmBg0kvoL7DDqYWyz0GSLizVeFt-GGsmlv9By1g7xFm4Z7y773/s1680/ScreenshotWin32_6164_Final.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgceLkrjI1zaUPNBbfGgDfiQPJxXug8lkZnqPSGYBWQpaZy0FAXj03MJt3HAnRnpIL5nJe8AeIFphdXBBP9MWfEd5qTqxmBg0kvoL7DDqYWyz0GSLizVeFt-GGsmlv9By1g7xFm4Z7y773/w640-h400/ScreenshotWin32_6164_Final.png" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><b>Sera</b><br /><br /><a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2017/08/meaningful-banters-dai-solas-and-sera.html" target="_blank">Sera's</a> adorable, bohemian little nest off the second floor of the Herald's Rest is one of the most charming living spaces we encounter in the game.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Other Beds and Sleeping-Places</span></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">There are also other beds in little nooks and crannies all over Skyhold to accommodate multiple sleepers. These include locations in the <b>Tented Barracks</b> outside between the Herald's Rest and the Great Hall (which also include outdoor <b>campsites for the Surgeon</b> early on), above the <b>Armory</b>, in the <b>Infirmary</b>, above Morris's <b>Requisitions </b>area, plus of course the <b>Prison</b> area and <b>Tower</b> (depending on your upgrade choice).</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Gj1kwuT0YS55cQXNyiSUIRjDSX_oR3CCmEsGNFC1x_HK_-jih01J5MRS-E-16vsORw0aeLscuFZBdCre7hVik2uQgg1Nx2P2SYRB-FDR8ZHuj0LwTR0dgGwWxKulCUATPS5_jXeG4Hdh/s1680/ScreenshotWin32_3616_Final.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Gj1kwuT0YS55cQXNyiSUIRjDSX_oR3CCmEsGNFC1x_HK_-jih01J5MRS-E-16vsORw0aeLscuFZBdCre7hVik2uQgg1Nx2P2SYRB-FDR8ZHuj0LwTR0dgGwWxKulCUATPS5_jXeG4Hdh/w640-h400/ScreenshotWin32_3616_Final.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuF6VcVEhpjpWl6ScUWDmocnkZBb5vS7P6_c754iVK3vN3s39onpvrbSfkSV8Sc7Nw96-djbRxj4lkS0c5r1rEbeG8LaEYVwYYwwZHtqUloxSjMUlyW28tGT9zlwzVyWEFylqrtMdXChlR/s1680/ScreenshotWin32_3996_Final.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuF6VcVEhpjpWl6ScUWDmocnkZBb5vS7P6_c754iVK3vN3s39onpvrbSfkSV8Sc7Nw96-djbRxj4lkS0c5r1rEbeG8LaEYVwYYwwZHtqUloxSjMUlyW28tGT9zlwzVyWEFylqrtMdXChlR/w640-h400/ScreenshotWin32_3996_Final.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgcP_Vjlj7h6RN9AXXD-rLs7j4KmKPRsKe_7O3GUm3sxFsAhlsSV3PLlggdpONtsgcflqlTD2wEfxH3u2nGIYc55M-fhpTRU-28j0jbTF_aLOts5pgwrfz55nQVwrSqMA4OlaNKtPeS4hR/s1680/ScreenshotWin32_5883_Final.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgcP_Vjlj7h6RN9AXXD-rLs7j4KmKPRsKe_7O3GUm3sxFsAhlsSV3PLlggdpONtsgcflqlTD2wEfxH3u2nGIYc55M-fhpTRU-28j0jbTF_aLOts5pgwrfz55nQVwrSqMA4OlaNKtPeS4hR/w640-h400/ScreenshotWin32_5883_Final.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">But what have I missed here? Where do YOU think everybody sleeps in <i>Dragon Age Inquisition</i>? Sound off in the comments!</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div><br /></div></div>Angela D. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-61593820996416784492021-08-07T16:20:00.000-07:002021-08-07T16:20:18.459-07:00Meaningful Banters: All the Times Solas Gives Himself Away<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b><span><br />
</span></b></i> <i><span><b>BLACKWALL</b>: Skyhold. How did you find it?</span></i><br />
<i><span><b>SOLAS</b>: I looked.</span></i><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>There are many dialogues with Solas that are slyly funny post-revelation, and the one above is one of my favorites. Talk about understatement.</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>But let's get to it... it could be argued that Solas really, <i>really</i>, subliminally, wants us to know he's the Dread Wolf.</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>I argue this because of the many times throughout the story of <i>Dragon Age: Inquisition</i> in which he very nearly gives himself away.</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>Solas almost trips up in several dialogues in his romance—early on in Haven (talking about the Veil), on the balcony (romanced Lavellan), and in the first big conversation directly after the Winter Palace and "Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts." And then nearly so again <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2021/07/the-last-worst-date-or-my-boyfriend.html" target="_blank">when he dumps us</a>. It's why I really love the big Solas conversation in "Trespasser" because you can actually tell that despite the difficulty of the revelations, part of him's seriously just delighted and relieved to <i>finally</i> be able to be honest with Lavellan.</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>It's fascinating to look at the many moments in which Solas slipped up, precisely because mistakes are so unlike him. Yet despite his precision and control, he gives us plenty of hints about his true identity as we play through the game, especially if romancing him (and if we're paying attention).</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>Here's a list of some of the banters and conversations where I feel like Solas is pretty close to waving giant landing-lights and going "I AM THE DREAD WOLF." Or at least giving away far more information about his true self than he realizes. And those moments when the mask slips are some of my favorites for his character in <i>Dragon Age: Inquisition</i>.</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>Let's take a look...</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <b><span>Canine Clues</span></b><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>Of course, one of the biggest clues hidden in plain sight is one that most fans know fairly early on—that Solas, <i>the Dread Wolf </i>himself—wears a wolf's jawbone as a necklace.</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>One of the things I like about this detail is that it is as paradoxical and complex as Solas himself, if you think about it. He's identified as a wolf, and to some extent seems to have welcomed and used that comparison—and yet he wears the jawbone of the animal he portrays around his neck. To me, this implies a certain capacity for coldness and ruthlessness, as well as a quiet, dark and razor-sharp wit.</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>The best part is that Solas does genuinely seem to admire wolves. When asked about the creatures, Solas says: "I know that they are intelligent, practical creatures that small-minded fools think of as terrible beasts." Which is, of course, doubly funny because he is literally describing himself and the myth around his own persona as created by the Dalish. It's not exactly complimentary to them, perhaps, but it's not inapt, either.</span><br />
<br />
<span>But then we get to the real moments—the dialogues where Solas seems almost determined to trip himself up with his own words and deeds, not just with a subtle inside joke built into his fashion choices (or lack thereof)...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span><br />
</span></b> <b><span>Life Before the Veil</span></b><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>For instance, Solas actually reveals huge insights into his emotions and goals in this early dialogue at Haven:</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> </span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>INQUISITOR</b>: I'm not sure I can imagine it.<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>SOLAS</b>: Try! Imagine if spirits were not a rarity, but a part of our natural world, like... a fast-flowing river. Yes, it can drown careless children, but it can also carry a merchant's goods or grind a miller's flour. </span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;">Solas gets very heated here, almost shouting.</span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>SOLAS</b>: <u>That</u> is what the world could be, if the Veil were not present! </span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;">He pauses, then speaks more quietly...</span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>SOLAS</b>: For better... (he pauses) or worse.</span></i></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span><br />
</span> <span>In this early scene at Haven, first off, listen to the sounds of thunder and lightning from the nearby Breach as Solas speaks these lines! I'd swear they actually intensify. It's certainly very appropriate if they are amplified when he speaks them (although I admit this may be my own wishful thinking).</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>But it's the words that are astounding upon retrospection: Solas is literally describing the world he lost, the world he misses, and the world he singlehandedly changed. A world he himself has witnessed firsthand. He's also telling us, in one of the first conversations we have with him, what he is working toward creating—that very world. A world without the Veil.</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>When you revisit this scene, while it might appear that Solas is just giving us another one of his insights into the Fade—look at the emotion involved. It's one of the only times he genuinely loses composure (outside of the romance or his personal loyalty quest, at least)—as I note within the scene, he is emotional, very nearly shouting the words.</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>It's so obvious in hindsight, how nearly he comes here to revealing himself, even in such a tantalizingly early moment in the story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span><br />
</span></b> <b><span>Conversational Clues with Cassandra</span></b><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>However, Solas still manages to maintain his rigid isolation at this point—an isolation he doesn't really relax until after the discovery of Skyhold. Which is smart, since he can't exactly reveal what he knows or how he knows it until the Inquisition basically catches up with him a bit—although he does actually let slip quite a bit in a fairly early banter with Cass. When she asks him what he believes, he answers with complete honesty:</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> </span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>CASSANDRA</b>: Solas, if you do not mind me asking, what do you believe in?<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>SOLAS</b>: Cause and effect. Wisdom as its own reward, and the inherent right of all free-willed people to exist.<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>CASSANDRA</b>: That is not what I meant.<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>SOLAS</b>: I know. I believe the elven gods existed, as did the old gods of Tevinter. But I do not think any of them were gods, unless you expand the definition of the word to the point of absurdity. I appreciate the idea of your Maker, a god that does not need to prove his power. I wish more such gods felt the same.<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>CASSANDRA</b>: You have seen much sadness in your journeys, Solas. Following the Maker might offer some hope.<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>SOLAS</b>: I have people, Seeker. The greatest triumphs and tragedies this world has known can all be traced to people.</span></i></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span><br />
</span> <span>Years before the events of "Trespasser," he is telling anyone who will listen <i>the actual truth</i> about the Evanuris... if they were paying attention.</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <b><span>Your Mind, Your... Spirit?</span></b><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>If high approval, when <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2019/03/ar-lath-ma-vhenan-solass-romance-part-3.html" target="_blank">Solas talks to you on the balcony</a>, he'll slip up a few times in very telling ways. He'll stumble slightly when asking if the Mark has affected "your mind, your... spirit" because this matters deeply to him—Solas is all about the spiritual.</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>Then we talk to Solas, and if we're romancing him or high-approval, Solas will show a glimpse of vulnerability and real uncertainty.</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> </span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: Inquisitor, I was… do you have a moment?</i></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-size: large;">They go to talk on the Inquisitor's balcony.</span></i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: What were you like before the Anchor? Has it affected you? Changed you in any way? Your mind, your morals, your… spirit?<br /></i></span><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>INQUISITOR</b></i><i><b> </b>(among many options): I don’t believe so.<br /></i></span><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: Ah.<br /></i></span><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>INQUISITOR</b></i><i>: Why do you ask?<br /></i></span><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: You show a wisdom I have not seen <u>since</u>… since my deepest journeys into the ancient memories of the Fade. You are not what I expected.</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span><br />
</span> <span>Notice the marked hesitation I note here, on "since." My take: That he <i>actually </i>almost possibly said something like, "Since the ancient days of my people!" or "Since my time in Arlathan!"</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>Or something like that.</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> </span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>INQUISITOR</b></i><i><b> </b>(among several options): What have I done that’s so surprising?<br /></i></span><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: You have shown subtlety in your actions, a wisdom that goes against everything I expected. If the Dalish could raise someone with a spirit like yours… have I misjudged them?<br /></i></span><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>INQUISITOR</b></i><i><b> </b>(among several options): I don’t hold the Dalish up as perfect, but we have something worth honoring. A memory of the ancient ways.</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span><br />
</span> <span>When we return to this scene, it's one of a few that is, for me, vital to understanding Solas. He is, for one of the very few times in our presence, actually questioning himself. In retrospect, it's not out of the question to imagine him going, "<i>If I was wrong about the Dalish, am I wrong about my plans? About what I plan to do? Have I blinded myself to other options?"</i></span></span><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Also, YES, SOLAS. Yes, you have.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span><br />
</span></b> <b><span>Location and Subtext (Beyond the Balcony)</span></b><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>I think the location of the talk here is incredibly important, by the way—it's one of the few times Solas actually seeks out the Inquisitor and goes to her, speaking to her on her turf, so to speak. They're literally in her bedroom. Now, if it's a high-friendship Inky, that fact just helps to shift barriers and show a certain intimacy and ease. But for the romance... let's face it. There's subtext there.</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>And again, it's interesting and very telling that he ends his observation on the subject of "spirit"—the thing that is nearest and dearest to him, most important and closest to his heart. He doesn't say, "If the Dalish could raise someone like you, have I misjudged them?" It's stranger and lovelier than that. He's saying, "If they could raise someone <u>with your spirit</u>, have I misjudged them?" </span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>I've written about this <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2019/10/a-taste-of-lies-and-sorrows-talking.html" target="_blank">elsewhere</a>, but I think this entire conversation is incredibly revealing, and as a component of his romance, it's obviously a vital moment, and one that also spotlights that fiery swift nature of Solas's that he keeps so well hidden most of the time. Two kisses, and he says "I love you." But it doesn't feel rushed to me, because of the way the entire romance (and this conversation) is structured. He is saying, very clearly, in the conversation preceding, "I see who you are, the spirit within you, and oh, by the way... I love you."</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>And of course this comes just after a passionate physical moment in which he almost turns away, yet cannot bring himself to do so. It's a little scene, but one in which the spiritual and the sensual blend together, and for just a few moments, Solas allows himself to be entirely unguarded.</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>In other instances, he is unguarded in other ways, as when the Fear Demon confronts him in the Fade after Adamant.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span><br />
</span> <b><span>The Ancient Rebel</span></b><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>Solas also gives himself away, I feel, in two other key instances, in conversations with Sera, and also with Dorian. In both cases, we get a vivid if brief glimpse of the rebel general from millennia back.</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>First, there's a fascinating series of banters with Sera in which the quiet, humble mage apostate unexpectedly demonstrates a sophisticated knowledge of spycraft, propaganda, and politics:</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> </span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: ...It is an opportunity. You have already divided your group's membership. That is wise. No one cell can betray all your secrets. The next step is to establish a rhythm. When your enemies pursue, you vanish. When they become complacent, you harass them. When they are weak, you strike in earnest.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SERA</b></i><i>: Where d'you get all this, then?</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: Do you wish to be unnerved by another tale of my explorations of the Fade? Or do you wish to learn something?</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SERA</b></i><i>: I don't know. Neither?</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: Once you have the aristocracy weakened, Sera, you will have to redirect your lieutenants.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SERA</b></i><i>: Oh, this again. All right, what am I doing?</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: Some of your forces, valuable until now, have no interests beyond creating disruption. Chaos for its own sake. They must be repositioned where they can do no harm, or removed if necessary. You replace them with organizers willing to build a new system and carry out the ugly work that must be done.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SERA</b></i><i>: What? Why? What ugly work?</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: That is up to you. Do you wish to disrupt the nobility, secure a title? Or change the political structure entirely?</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SERA</b></i><i>: None of it! I don't want any of that!</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: I do not understand you, Sera. You have no end goal for your organization.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SERA</b></i><i>: Nobles get rattled, and people get payback. I play in the middle.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: Why not go all the way? You see injustice, and you have organized a group to fight it. Don't you want to replace it with something better?</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SERA</b></i><i>: What, just lop off the top? What's that do, except make a new top to frig it all up?</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: I...forgive me. You are right. You are fine as you are.</i></span></div></blockquote><div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span><i><br />
</i></span> <span>Sera is, of course, very very happy to let the subject drop. Solas brings it up again later on, when Dorian expresses guilt over what his ancestors did to the elves.</span><br />
<i><span><br />
</span></i> </span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>DORIAN</b></i><i>: Solas, for what it's worth, I'm sorry... The elven city of Arlathan sounds like a magical place, and for my ancestors to have destroyed it...</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: Dorian... hush.</i></span></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">He continues, gently but firmly.</span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: Empires rise and fall. Arlathan was no more "innocent" than your own Tevinter in its time. Your nostalgia for the ancient elves, however romanticized, is pointless. If you wish to make amends for past transgressions, free the slaves of all races who live in Tevinter today.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>DORIAN</b></i><i>: I... don't know that I can do that.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: Then how sorry are you?</i></span></div></blockquote><div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span><br />
</span></i> <span>What I love about this moment is that Solas's dialogue here to me contains a hint of affection and something almost paternal. He is also, of course, <i>dead serious</i> here: it's his entire secret and fierce revolutionary heart on plain display. And best of all? Dorian eventually <i>does</i> actually do something pretty close to this... when he returns to Tevinter.</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>In the conversation above, at least to some degree, it can be argued that the Dread Wolf subtly recruited one more follower.</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <b><span>Here Lies the Abyss (in the Fade)</span></b><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>When taunting Solas in the Inquisitor's physical return to the Fade, the Fear Demon says: <i>"Dirth ma, harellan. Ma banal enasalin. Mar solas ena mar din."</i></span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>Which translates literally to:</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <i><span><b>Dirth</b>: Tell/talk</span></i><br />
<i><span><b>ma</b>: me</span></i><br />
<i><span><b>harellan</b>: Trickster, rebel, traitor</span></i><br />
<i><span><b>Ma</b>: my/you (here it's you)</span></i><br />
<i><span><b>banal</b>: nothing</span></i><br />
<i><span><b>enasalin</b>: victory</span></i><br />
<i><span><b>mar</b>: your</span></i><br />
<i><span><b>solas</b>: pride</span></i><br />
<i><span><b>ena</b>: begins/appears/emerges</span></i><br />
<i><span><b>mar</b>: your</span></i><br />
<i><span><b>din</b>: death</span></i><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span><b><u>Note</u></b>: I've seen some who interpret it instead as "your pride appears dead." But I think given the syntax and phrasing here that it is more ominous than that. So my interpretation of the Fear Demon's taunt is this:</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <i><span>"Talk to me, Rebel/Trickster/Traitor. Your victory was nothing. Your pride begins your death."</span></i><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>I could also make a case for "Tell me, Rebel, of your empty victory. Your pride will lead you to your death."</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>I could further make a case for <i>"Tell me, Trickster, of your empty victory. Your death emerges from your pride."</i></span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>To me, this interpretation also works better with Solas's response.</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>Solas responds: <i>"Banal nadas."</i> ("Nothing is inevitable/certain.")</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>I always headcanon that with an elven Inquisitor, after this trip she'd certainly be giving Solas a few sharp, puzzled looks about just what <i>exactly</i> that conversation was all about.</span><br />
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</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span>A Subtle Glimpse of Fen'Harel: Solas at the Winter Palace</span></b><br />
<span><br /></span><span>Let's talk about Halamshiral! Solas is incredibly interesting here because he's so different. I expected him to be all Sad and Regretful and Oh, So Mournful about the fate of the elves and the blatant racism we see there, but instead he's cheerful and relaxed, slightly tipsy, and there's a wicked glint in his eye.</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> </span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>SOLAS</b>: I do adore the heady blend of power, intrigue, danger, and sex that permeates these events.</span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>INQUISITOR</b>: You seem more comfortable with a grand Orlesian ball than I’d have expected.</span></i></div></blockquote><div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span>I think it's Solas at his most royal—the Solas most like the young noble/rebel/god he was. I actually find him so interesting and even intimidating there (ahem, in a hot way). I'd just kind of expected him to be all "sigh sigh brood brood look at all the downtrodden elven servants look how far we've fallen" stuff and instead he's just so detached and amused, like, <i>"Oh, look at all these silly little mortals and their intrigues. More wine, please!"</i></span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>I think Solas allows himself this respite because it's a break for him in a weird way—the Orlesians <i>are </i>classist, privileged assholes, and herer probably remind him very much of the arrogant Evanuris he knew. And I think it's a rare instance where he is utterly uninvested in the outcome. He cares everywhere else, but not in the palace.</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>And of course let's not forget that Solas's goals are different here. It is very likely that while <i>we</i> are running our little Inky arse all over Halamshiral, desperately gaining approval, solving mysteries, resolving issues, eavesdropping, and attempting to forge political alliances, at some quiet moment in the evening, I believe Solas slips away from his darkened corner, finds what he needs to access (and override) Briala's hidden control over the eluvian network, and then leaves, <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2019/02/dances-with-dread-wolves-solass-secret.html" target="_blank">with no one the wiser</a>.</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>And then I believe he returns to his shadowy corner with a smile and a call for more wine.</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <b><span>Curiosity is Rewarded... Except Once (Post-<i>Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts</i>)</span></b><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>This is one of my favorite moments in terms of what Solas reveals about himself because, even afterward at Skyhold, it's like he's trying to settle back into his "I'm just a humble elven apostate!" role and failing. Which is why I think he disapproves when we ask him about it—it's the only time in the game he disapproves if we ask him a question, but he's all too aware, I think, that he's revealed too much:</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> </span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>:</i><i> There are spirits hovering by the Veil to observe the thrones of powerful nations. The machinations, betrayals… After our time in Halamshiral, I understand why. I had forgotten how I missed court intrigue.</i></span></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>INQUISITOR </b>(among options): You miss court intrigue? <u>When were you at court</u>?</span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>SOLAS </b>(visibly flustered): Oh. Well, never… <u>directly</u>, of course. An elven apostate is rarely invited to speak with empresses and kings. But, from the Fade, I have watched dynasties form and empires crumble. It is sometimes savage, sometimes noble. And always fascinating.</span></i></div></blockquote><div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span><br />
</span> <span>Solas gives approval <i>every single time you ask a question</i>... <b>except here</b>, and it's one of my favorite scenes. It's the only time we get disapproval for it. And why? Because he realizes he's revealed more about himself than he wished. And it's because he's said too much!</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>INQUISITOR</b>: When were you at court?</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS </b>(mentally): Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit. Um. Oh dammit. Say something. Kiss her. Grab her. Tell her that her hair looks really nice today. Which it does. Oh shit, I forgot. Right. Say something about courts and how I never ever was in one although I totally had my own throne at one point... </i></span></div></blockquote><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span><br />
</span><span>For me, it's kind of fabulous. It's not like he doesn't deserve the comeuppance here... just a little.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span><br />
</span></b> <b><span><br />
</span></b> <b><span>The Temple of Mythal</span></b><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>It's a widely discussed element among the Dragon Age fandom that Morrigan, bless her heart, is intensely irritating in the scenes and revelations involving the <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2019/10/a-taste-of-lies-and-sorrows-talking.html" target="_blank">Temple of Mythal</a>, if she's witnessing the discoveries with a Dalish Inquisitor (and, of course, Solas). </span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>It's never bothered me that much because of the game mechanics involved in fine-tuning a lot of these dialogues, and also because it makes sense to me that Morrigan would simply assume that the Inquisitor, being Dalish, would have less actual lore knowledge than someone who had sought out that lore (even if Morrigan was not always evidently all that respectful or ethical when coming by that knowledge).</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>Besides, Solas is so much fun here. I just sort of picture my Inquisitor giving him the occasional eyeroll behind Morrigan's back, and Solas quietly following along, biting his tongue, smiling inwardly, and only occasionally allowing himself a sharp, effective criticism, as in the following instance:</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> </span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>MORRIGAN</b></i><i>: Why would this be here?</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>INQUISITOR</b></i><i>: Something wrong?</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>MORRIGAN</b></i><i>: It depicts the Dread Wolf, Fen’Harel. In elven tales, he tricks their gods into sealing themselves away in the Beyond for all time. Setting Fen’Harel in Mythal’s greatest sanctum is as blasphemous as painting Andraste naked in the Chantry.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>INQUISITOR</b></i><i>: My clan set statues of the Dread Wolf outside our camp. They’re meant to frighten harmful spirits.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>MORRIGAN</b></i><i>: Perhaps. I thought the ancient elves were above quaint superstitions.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: For all your ‘knowledge,’ Lady Morrigan, you cannot resist giving legend the weight of history. The wise do not mistake one for the other.</i></span></div></blockquote><div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></i></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">And here:</span></div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></i></div>
</div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>INQUISITOR</b></i><i>: You said this Mythal was worshipped as a goddess.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>MORRIGAN</b></i><i>: So one assumes. What is a god but a being of immense power? The dread Old Gods were nothing more than dragons, after all. They rise as Archdemons, and they die. Perhaps Mythal was a powerful elf, a ruler among her kind. History often plays storyteller with facts.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: You admit lack of knowledge, and yet dismiss her so readily?</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>MORRIGAN</b></i><i>: I do not dismiss her. I question her supposed divinity. One need not be a god to have value. Truthfully, I am uncertain Mythal was even a single entity. The accounts are… varied.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>INQUISITOR</b></i><i>: There are varied accounts of Mythal?</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>MORRIGAN</b></i><i>: In most stories, Mythal rights wrongs while exercising motherly kindness. ‘Let fly your voice to Mythal, deliverer of justice, protector of sun and earth alike.’ Others paint her as dark, vengeful. Pray to Mythal, and she would smite your enemies, leaving them in agony.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: More Dalish tales, I assume?</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>INQUISITOR</b></i><i>: If you know more about this, Solas, speak.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: The oldest accounts say Mythal was both of these, and neither. She was the Mother, protective and fierce. That is all I will say. This is not a place to stir up old stories.</i></span></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">And here:</span></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>INQUISITOR</b></i><i>: My clan’s hunters asked for his blessing when we fought bandits. Our Keeper taught them the prayers.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: I do not believe they sing songs about Falon’Din’s vanity.</i></span></div></blockquote><div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span><br />
</span></i> <i><span><b><u>Optional Responses</u></b>:</span></i><br />
<i><span><br />
</span></i> </span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>INQUISITOR</b></i><i>: Do you know any legends?</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: It is said Falon’Din’s appetite for adulation was so great, he <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2018/05/meet-evanuris-mother-spirit-and-war-of.html" target="_blank">began wars to amass more worshippers</a>. </i><i>The blood of those who wouldn’t bow low filled lakes as wide as oceans. Mythal rallied the gods, once the shadow of Falon’Din’s hunger stretched across her own people. It was almost too late. Falon’Din only surrendered when his brethren bloodied him in his own temple.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>INQUISITOR</b></i><i>: Did ancient elves believe all their gods so terrifying?</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: Yes. I believe they did.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Another interesting alternate close is:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>INQUISITOR</b></i><i>: I’m surprised that they let such a monster live.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: One does not lightly kill a god, Inquisitor. Even in legend.</i></span></div></blockquote><div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span><br />
</span></i> <span>It's fantastic. So many layers!</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>Onward... as Solas subtly provides more hints on the ancients:</span><br />
</span><div>
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></i></div>
</div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>INQUISITOR</b></i><i>: What’s this?</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>MORRIGAN</b></i><i>: I believe we are in the presence of the elven goddess Andruil, Lady of the Hunt.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: Or a goddess of sacrifice, according to some.</i></span></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">And here: </span></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>INQUISITOR</b></i><i>: This place looks untouched.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>BLACKWALL</b></i><i>: I’ve seen Orlesian palaces with less gold. What did the ancient elves do here?</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: Perhaps it was meant to kindle a sense of awe in visitors.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>BLACKWALL</b></i><i>: Well, it’s working.</i></span></div></blockquote><div>
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Frilly Cakes</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">One item to note here—many fans feel that the banter between Solas and Blackwall in which Solas discusses the ancient days of Val Royeaux is another subtle moment of Solas revealing "real" knowledge as if he learned it in the Fade. However, since the memory he describes involves <i>humans</i>, this means it occurred Post-Veil and was in fact something he witnessed from the Fade:</span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><div><b>BLACKWALL</b>: Val Royeaux, huh? I remember the first time I visited it, some thirty years ago. The market was not half as large, without the garish statues. And far fewer stands selling those ridiculous frilly little cakes.</div></span></i></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><div><b>SOLAS</b>: The Val Royeaux market was once nothing but tents of oiled leather and mud. Filled with ragged humans selling strings of beads made of bone.</div></span></i></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><div><b>BLACKWALL</b>: You saw this in the Fade?</div></span></i></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><div><b>SOLAS</b>: Yes. I left that memory quickly. The smell...</div></span></i></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><div><b>BLACKWALL</b>: Must have been ages ago.</div></span></i></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><div><i><b>SOLAS</b>: Oh yes. It's much better now. I enjoy the frilly cakes.</i></div></span></i></div></div></blockquote><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div><br /></div><div>Again, Solas isn't LYING here. He did see it from the Fade. But I believe he saw it WHILE IT HAPPENED. Not, like, thousands of years later, as he implies here.</div><div><br /></div><div>Also, exchanges like this make Solas's DAI anti-human racism more understandable (if not condonable)—as with Javik the Prothean in <i>Mass Effect 3</i>, he remembers days when human beings were in their most primitive days, to the extent that they appeared sad, stinky, primitive, and childlike to him. He's still catching up.</div></span><div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span><br />
</span></i> <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span><br />
</span></i> <i><span><br />
</span></i> <b><span>Abelas and the Significance of Names</span></b><br />
</span><div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span>The final scene with Abelas is also filled with subtle hints.</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> </span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>ABELAS</b></i><i>: Each time we awaken, it slips further from our grasp.</i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: There are other places, friend. Other duties. Your people yet linger.</i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>ABELAS</b></i><i>: Elvhen such as you?</i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: Yes. (with emphasis) <u>Such as I</u>.</i></span></div></div></blockquote><div><div> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Moments later, after the drinking from the Well:</span></div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></i></div>
</div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>INQUISITOR</b></i><i>: Are you leaving the temple?</i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>ABELAS</b></i><i>: Our duty ends. Why remain?</i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: There is a place for you, Lethallin… if you seek it.</i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>ABELAS</b></i><i>: Perhaps there are places the shemlen have not touched. It may be that only uthenera awaits us. The blissful sleep of eternity, never to awaken. If fate is kind.</i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>INQUISITOR</b></i><i>: You could come with us. Fight Corypheus. He killed your people.</i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>ABELAS</b></i><i>: We killed ourselves, long ago.</i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b> (gently, and with genuine pity)</i><i>: Malas amelin ne halam, Abelas. </i></span></div></div></blockquote><div><div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span><br />
</span></i> <span>For me, this translates roughly to:</span><br />
<i><span><br />
</span></i> <i><span><b>Malas</b>: Now</span></i><br />
<i><span><b>amelin</b>: (your) name</span></i><br />
<i><span><b>ne</b>: not</span></i><br />
<i><span><b>halam</b>: destination/ending</span></i><br />
<i><span><b>Abelas</b>: Abelas/Sorrow</span></i><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>Or, more loosely translated: "Your name is no longer your destiny, Abelas.”</span><br />
<i><span><br />
</span></i> </span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">Abelas nods at Solas and leaves.</span></i></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: His name. Abelas means sorrow. I said… I hoped he finds a new name.</i></span></div></div></blockquote><div><div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Interesting side note here: I believe that there's a fair amount of evidence in the game that the ancient elves may have—in some cases, at least—renamed themselves multiple times as they evolved through life, after particularly memorable life events. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">So Abelas, I believe, witnessed or survived Mythal's murder, and dedicated himself to guarding her temple, renaming himself "Abelas," or "Sorrow." I believe Solas, meanwhile, reacted in righteous fury and vengeance, imprisoning the Evanuris, raising the Veil... and then renaming himself "Solas," or "Pride" for what he had dared to accomplish, as both a condemnation of himself as well as a subtle boast.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">What will he name himself after he tears down the Veil?</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span>Drinking from the Well</span></b><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>Solas's reactions are complex as the Inquisitor ponders whether to drink from the Well. When he is approached about drinking from it, he will reply shortly, "No. Do not ask me again."</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>But if the Inquisitor drinks, he's very upset, and utterly loses composure:</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> </span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: I begged you not to drink from the Well! Why could you not have listened?</i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>INQUISITOR</b></i><i>: Solas…</i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: You gave yourself into the service of an ancient elven god!</i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>INQUISITOR</b></i><i>: What does that mean, exactly?</i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: You are Mythal’s creature now. Everything you do, whether you know it or not, will be for her. You have given up a part of yourself.</i></span></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Option 1</u></b>:</span></i></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>INQUISITOR</b></i><i>: I have not become Mythal’s slave.</i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: Not yet, but if you remove the layer of nostalgia from stories of the elven gods, you might see the danger. They were arrogant and fickle. They warred amongst themselves. They had feuds, vendettas.</i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Option 2</u></b>:</span></i></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>INQUISITOR</b></i><i>: You don’t even believe in the ancient elven gods!</i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: I don’t believe they were gods, no, but I believe that they existed! Something existed to start the legends! If not gods, then mages, or spirits, or something we’ve never seen.</i></span></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;">And shortly after:</span></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>INQUISITOR</b></i><i>: I trust my friends.</i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: I know that mistake well enough <u>to carve the angles of her face from memory</u>.</i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>INQUISITOR</b></i><i>: Why is this so important to you?</i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: You have not been what I expected, Inquisitor. You have… impressed me. You must not let false modesty allow you to pass your power to someone else. There are few regrets sharper than watching fools squander what you sacrificed to achieve.</i></span></div></div></blockquote><div><div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span><br />
</span><span>Whose face? Mythal's, of course. It has to be.<br />
</span> <span><br />
</span> <br />
</span><div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Last Date</span></b></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I'm not going to go into a full analysis here, since that was my separate post on Solas's romance <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2021/07/the-last-worst-date-or-my-boyfriend.html" target="_blank">here</a>, but his behavior there once again includes a few clues that Solas feels compelled to speak more fully than he knows he should.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: Then what I must tell you… the truth… </i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">There's a big pause here. As I already mentioned, it's an important pause, and writer Patrick Weekes has revealed that this is no accident, and that in fact Solas was going to reveal his true identity and situation here to the woman he loves.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">And then... he stops. He just can't do it.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
</div></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>SOLAS</b>: ... Your face. The vallaslin. In my journeys in the Fade, I have seen things. I have discovered what those marks mean.</span></i></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>INQUISITOR</b></i><i>: They honour the elven gods.</i></span></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: No. They are slave markings, or at least, they were in the time of ancient Arlathan.</i></span></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>INQUISITOR</b></i><i>: My clan’s Keeper said they honored the gods. These are their symbols.</i></span></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: Yes. That’s right. A noble would mark his slaves to honor the god he worshipped. After Arlathan fell, the Dalish forgot.</i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><div><div><div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Aaaaaand then, of course, we move on to more kissage in the swamp, in those last few moments before Solas breaks the Inquisitor's heart into little fractured pebbles and then she limps home after killing a few wyverns, never realizing that she almost had her entire worldview obliterated through the realization that her cute former elven boyfriend was totally a god and ten thousand-plus years old, and oh by the way, intends to radically alter the world as she knows it.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Onward.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
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<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span>What Cole Knew...</span></b><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>But let's move on to after the breakup, to one of the most important banter conversations of the entire game—one we <i>only </i>get if we romance Solas. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span>In a later scene, if we bring Cole in our party, the following conversation occurs, after Cole quotes Solas's words about her beauty, and that she is confused and hurting:</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> </span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: You cannot heal this, Cole. Please, let it go.</i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>INQUISITOR</b></i><i>: Perhaps Cole can get a better answer from you than I did.</i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>COLE</b>: He hurts, an old pain from before, when everything sang the same. </i><i>You're real, and it means everyone could be real. It changes everything, but it can't. </i><i>They sleep, masked in a mirror, hiding, hurting, and to wake them... </i></span></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">Cole gasps.</span></i></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>COLE</b>: Where did it go?</span></i></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>SOLAS</b></i><i>: I apologize, Cole. That is not a pain you can heal.</i></span></div></div></blockquote><div><div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span><br />
</span> <span>My writer friend Eryn believes this sentence would have ended with: "And to wake them... the Veil must be lifted."</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>I always waffled on "to wake them" (where he breaks off), because it also seems to me he could also be about to say that awakening them... would be a dangerous thing. Although the other take is more fun—I always thought he wanted to keep them sleeping/hidden and that he was referring to the Evanuris he had trapped.</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>Meanwhile, and this is so, so important and I think frequently overlooked: Solas just MINDWIPED Cole. <i>In front of everyone.</i></span><br />
<i><span><br />
</span></i> <span>Of course, Solas does this later on, too, after the events of <i>Dragon Age: Inquisition</i>, if we try to go talk to Cole after Solas's departure, and it's absolutely heartbreaking.</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>But again: He just did this <i>here</i>. Not alone, in the shadows of Cole's corner. But right in front of our other companions. It's incredibly risky. So why would he do this? </span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>I believe it's because Cole was about to reveal secrets Solas could not allow to be unearthed, both about himself and about those followers of his still in uthenera. Cole always knew the truth about Solas, and did not judge him for it, and loved him anyway. Solas knew this and respected it, allowing <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2017/10/meaningful-banters-cole-and-solas-talk.html" target="_blank">some of Cole's conversations with him to mystify the others</a>.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">But not this one. It's too terribly close, too dangerous. So Solas actually uses his powers to stop Cole from speaking further. It is an incredibly fascinating, scary, and upsetting moment if you think about it, or it is for me. And very sad. It's the beginning of the end, where we can see Solas bringing those walls back up... even with Cole, whom he loves so very much.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgla11K8pLW-GN9kOIpOQikvoQBQ05BiwlY8xQQXtP778g8TRFBzHFYEATWODW6DetuxjNIBWt2RbR8xf5psOeKcd3FYe4s6ysulPFoCDAItjEXvgB8-EYGBq4lPs9lVlV_A9vu0Z-U4V2M/s1680/SolasKiss_Swamp_MCU.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgla11K8pLW-GN9kOIpOQikvoQBQ05BiwlY8xQQXtP778g8TRFBzHFYEATWODW6DetuxjNIBWt2RbR8xf5psOeKcd3FYe4s6ysulPFoCDAItjEXvgB8-EYGBq4lPs9lVlV_A9vu0Z-U4V2M/w640-h400/SolasKiss_Swamp_MCU.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Truth Unspoken </span></b></div><div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span><br />
</span> <span>Ultimately, from all of these near-missteps, I think Solas is presented as desperately wanting to tell the Inquisitor the truth about himself and what his true plans are. And yet, if he is truly acting on behalf of a dead and enslaved people as he believes himself to be, he has an obligation that goes beyond the people of the Inquisition, no matter how much he has begun to care for them. So all we're left with are these little moments in which Solas tantalizingly (in hindsight) nearly betrays himself, as his spirit speaks aloud as if begging for exposure... or absolution. Or forgiveness. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span>It's certainly why I think he is so interesting in "Trespasser" (yes, that's a future post)—he is so <i>open</i>, so visibly emotional and changed, and I think part of that is simply his huge relief. No more hiding. No more lies. He can be honest about the lies now. Which means he can <i>also </i>be honest about the love.</span><br />
<span><br />
</span> <span>But here and now, in the fight against Cory, he can't speak. Not quite. And not yet. So he'll continue to wear his guilt, wordlessly, in an ongoing regret that he will carry forward, and which we know from <i>Tevinter Nights</i> ("<a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2020/05/tevinter-nights-analysis-callback.html" target="_blank">Callback</a>") will so consume him that a demon will form from its ashes in the frescoes. It is a regret that brings loneliness with it, the ironic solitude that defines Solas and that I believe he also loathes so much that it is why he obliterates the Qunari forces in order to rescue the Inquisitor in "Trespasser," and why he speaks so openly and gently to Charter in <i>Tevinter Nights </i>("<a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2020/07/tevinter-nights-analysis-dread-wolf.html" target="_blank">Dread Wolf Take You</a>"). </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span>Either way, it is a regret that he will carry long enough to, once again, carve the angles of her face from memory alone—a</span>nd perhaps even long enough to carve the angles of <i>another </i>face he loved, once upon a time. One he betrayed with his lies and and his silence as he already tasted, in bitterness and loneliness, the future ashes of a dark and ruined world.</span></div><div>
<br /></div></div>Angela D. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-2158551371170088582021-07-31T22:12:00.001-07:002021-08-01T13:06:34.225-07:00The Ballad of Fen'Harel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1o0h3UhJdl6LLy20mWDYYVuMkdXDhtXFK6LL111m4NwPFKuW5GLTpHiV11D1CZFYorAF8a3kNzg4XDaz1sy-p3oPyElApSTSDeA2iFyRKmbfHe2ifoIsoGevLs2o5SJhHVeHnKk0f-K2A/s1600/Solas_and_Wolf_Statue_Sideview.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1o0h3UhJdl6LLy20mWDYYVuMkdXDhtXFK6LL111m4NwPFKuW5GLTpHiV11D1CZFYorAF8a3kNzg4XDaz1sy-p3oPyElApSTSDeA2iFyRKmbfHe2ifoIsoGevLs2o5SJhHVeHnKk0f-K2A/s640/Solas_and_Wolf_Statue_Sideview.png" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /><i>Aneth ara!</i><br /><br />So, I'm gonna start occasionally including little bits of weirdness, little flights of fancy here on the blog in addition to the analyses. I just feel like these little things help vary the mood and also fit thematically. I won't ever post fanfics, but poems and songs? Yeah, they may show up here on occasion.<br /><br />I just thought these might be enjoyable little tidbits for fun. Like this one—I wrote this for my fanfic "Breakers" (you can find it on <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/12380058" target="_blank">AO3</a>) but felt it was worth a mention separately, because it was challenging to write, in the best way.<br /><br />My goal here was something that would hopefully sound a bit like an old rhyme, something sing-song and vocally fluid, not formal but lively and accessible, like a song around a campfire:</span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Ballad of Fen'Harel</b><br /></span><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">There was an Elvhen Prince of old</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">A-wand'ring in the Fade</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">He wore the mantle of the Wolf</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">And deep in dreams he strayed.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-size: large;">To him the spirits gave their trust</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">As 'tween the worlds he strode</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">And even the Forgotten Ones</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">They'd greet him on his road</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Yet wolves can have strange humors</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Some, they laugh before they feast</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">And these won't slay the easy prey</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">But taunt the strongest beast</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-size: large;">One day, the Trickster sprang his trap</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">And split the waking world</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">He threw down the Forgotten Ones</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">And to the Void they hurled</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-size: large;">The gods, his friends, he locked away</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">In prisons in the Fade</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">And though it left him lonely, still</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">The Wolf would not be swayed</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-size: large;">My mother said the Dread Wolf knows</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">What’s really in your heart</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">The quickened bow, the sharpened blade</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">The hidden, prideful part.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-size: large;">So if to vengeance, you should turn</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Beware the path you take</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">For in your heart, that pride may burn</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">As you both sleep and wake</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Yet still the Prince he walks alone</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Few dreams now left to tread</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">His secret heart now turned to stone</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">A watchful Wolf of dread</span></i></div>Angela D. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-62031741633706427272021-07-25T16:52:00.001-07:002021-07-25T17:03:39.585-07:00The Last, Worst Date (or, My Boyfriend Left Me in a Swamp and All I Got was This Stupid Wyvern T-Shirt)<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha0Zg2sj_jr2vaITfRgPPBxwrjJeehPM0ifmLTJZPM7xLroqtNcCfUsCE-qiGuqPYG9XBQuyP6rBQUrTDNmkSGil6hBcpZviEOw0-PujvlAbzsh437y8UcDHNk-EI3vHZsvCseXBOC8RNU/s1680/SolasKiss_CU_Swamp2.png" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha0Zg2sj_jr2vaITfRgPPBxwrjJeehPM0ifmLTJZPM7xLroqtNcCfUsCE-qiGuqPYG9XBQuyP6rBQUrTDNmkSGil6hBcpZviEOw0-PujvlAbzsh437y8UcDHNk-EI3vHZsvCseXBOC8RNU/w640-h400/SolasKiss_CU_Swamp2.png" width="640" /></a></p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><i>SOLAS: I was trying to determine some way to show you what you mean to me. So I am going to get a few smoochies, grab your highly toned elven posterior, and then cruelly dump you without a word of actual explanation, leaving you in a swamp full of hungry wyverns.<br /></i></span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">And so here we are, my fellow Solasmancer. That tragic, crucial point in Solas's romance when we've reached the last, worst date—when Solas realizes the cruelty of what he's doing and that there is only one solution: the cruelest cut of all.<br /><br />I always knew it was gonna be a doozy, because the scene is so emotional and complex. But hey, since my heart right now looks and feels like a stomped orange, it's the perfect time to dive right into the lowest pit of Solavellan Hell, and get this party started!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">NOTE: In the images here, I'm using those from my very first Solasmance, and as a little bit of trivia, I made her a redhead because I wanted to headcanon that Iron Bull (my <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2018/02/the-inquisitors-seduction-romancing.html" target="_blank">previous romance</a>, in my very first DAI playthrough) would see her and yearn after her from afar. I figured it was only fair after what Bull put me through in that first playthrough. So what you see is my poor little redheaded Lavellan, who was very sweet but had very little sense of humor, and here, she's about to get her heart absolutely <i>obliterated</i> by Solas. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Tissues? Check. Cynicism? Check. <i>Capacity for emotional upheaval? </i>100%.<br /><br />I'm ready. Let's do this.<br /><br /><b>Where We Are Now</b><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />So in Part 4 of my analysis of Solas's romance, I took a look at the <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2019/03/ar-lath-ma-vhenan-solass-romance-part-3.html" target="_blank">balcony scene and declaration of love</a> (I know the URL says Part 3, but it's truly Part 4, apologies). Then later, I discussed his state of mind after the <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2019/10/a-taste-of-lies-and-sorrows-talking.html" target="_blank">Arbor Wilds</a>... and how he seemed especially shaken <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2019/11/the-gift-of-hindsight-solas-on-brink.html" target="_blank">on the brink of achieving everything he wanted</a>. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">But still, right now everything's beautiful as far as Solas and the romanced Inquisitor. They share a moment in the Rotunda after Mythal's Temple, after Solas asks her that pivotal question of what she would do with the power of the Well, and which leads right into the date...</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">SOLAS: Forgive my melancholy. Corypheus has cost us much. The Temple of Mythal did not deserve such a fate. The orb he carries, and its stolen power… that, at least, we may still recover. With luck, some of the past may yet survive. </span></i></div></blockquote><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />A romanced Lavellan has a few potential options in her response here, so let's take a look at them:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">First off, she can simply reaffirm that whatever happens, she and Solas will be together (I know. Ouch.):<br /><br /></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">LAVELLAN: Whatever comes, I will have you by my side.</span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">ME: Oh, sweetie...</span></i></div></blockquote><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Option number two here is one of the most hotly debated among "Solavellan" fans, or Solas romancers, because of the implication that they may already be sleeping together:<br /><br /></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">LAVELLAN: You’re being grim and fatalistic in hope of getting me into bed, aren’t you?</span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">SOLAS: I <u>am</u> grim and fatalistic. Getting you into bed is just an enjoyable side benefit.</span></i></div></blockquote><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />I've already given <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2019/03/ar-lath-ma-vhenan-solass-romance-part-3.html" target="_blank">my case for why I feel this is a simple, flirtatious misdirect, and that they do not have sex</a>. His denial in "Trespasser" is so emphatic I just feel there's no way they were ever together in that way, and I feel like that point of view is further backed up by the fact that there are no kisses on demand, and no love scene. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">But I know it can definitely be seen from both sides, and Weekes has also emphasized that it was written to encompass either point of view.<br /><br />The third option in this conversation is a fairly strong echo of the romanced Inquisitor's <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2018/02/waiting-for-katoh-romancing-iron-bull.html" target="_blank">last bedroom scene with Bull</a>, where they may struggle with the idea that they may not survive:<br /><br /></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">LAVELLAN: You’re talking like you’re going to die. Stop. We’re going to get through this.</span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">SOLAS: I hope you’re right.</span></i></div></blockquote><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />No matter how the conversation has gone thus far, it ends with a plea from Solas for the two of them to escape for awhile:<br /><br /></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">SOLAS: Come with me, vhenan.</span></i></div></blockquote><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: large;">And then they're in an ancient elven shrine in Crestwood, where they wander through a breathtaking ancient series of paths and wide tunnels, culminating in two enormous hart statues of stone within. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">We may have glimpsed this area earlier, if we did the "<a href="https://dragonage.fandom.com/wiki/Wyrm_Hole" target="_blank">Wyrm Hole</a>" quest given by Judith, which then led us to a wide pond overseen by the hart statues, and bordered by lush green swamplands. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXI-ex5IySZAdxxPM6FZ98utMq9McuCP6vyZxIedJq4DX9UNNrcxQwNyrpt7v18xU6xatQZPLMzEC16HIgxTL3V1SKnI3zI-UEvTuaksjV1GdmVpiJ6pndN404vZbnZ1KS9DAnMRbs6EjG/s710/image.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="710" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXI-ex5IySZAdxxPM6FZ98utMq9McuCP6vyZxIedJq4DX9UNNrcxQwNyrpt7v18xU6xatQZPLMzEC16HIgxTL3V1SKnI3zI-UEvTuaksjV1GdmVpiJ6pndN404vZbnZ1KS9DAnMRbs6EjG/s320/image.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">There are three wyverns at this location, and sometimes if glitching in response to mods during the Crestwood date with Solas, those wyverns may actually pop in and out of the dialogue cutscenes (and it's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6paFNdOjFh4" target="_blank">pretty funny</a>).</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Of course, it's even sadder and funnier if we picture the fact that—after the events here—Solas simply leaves Lavellan alone at the swamp. Surrounded by wyverns.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">But before we jump into the delicious heartbreak and kissage ahead, let's take a look at this interesting choice of location for their date, shall we?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVoKtLQ0lrx970SOAUKCLy9S-1YzADf_eh_Ghh9Li2cuEEYGN4LEAKO9EQqYQD16A2GOIRe1FDXJ4GGcJluyjHFnu8ThQKUFVXJVOQOGrQ5yUNl_49JxXZLcm2hFT30vdyZtqo7pWye8xk/s1680/Crestwood_Solas_Romance_Wideshot.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVoKtLQ0lrx970SOAUKCLy9S-1YzADf_eh_Ghh9Li2cuEEYGN4LEAKO9EQqYQD16A2GOIRe1FDXJ4GGcJluyjHFnu8ThQKUFVXJVOQOGrQ5yUNl_49JxXZLcm2hFT30vdyZtqo7pWye8xk/w640-h400/Crestwood_Solas_Romance_Wideshot.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Harts of the Ancient Shrine</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Why <i>this </i>place, this shrine? What does it mean to Solas?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">While many have casually referred to the statues here as halla, they are harts, which have great meaning to the elves, and especially for the Dalish. For instance, if we play an elven Inquisitor and we do the <a href="https://dragonage.fandom.com/wiki/The_Red_Hart" target="_blank">Red Hart</a> mount quest available on the War Table, we're gifted the hart and given this note written in flowing script from "a distant clan of Dalish," as follows:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">We find our kin in strange places. Though we know not if you will carry tradition with you, we would see you carry pride in some form. For the wounded sky is all of ours, whether belief is shared or not. Let all see this, and convey yourself as we should be.</span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">Emmasalin var suledin evanura.</span></i></div></blockquote><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">If I break this down from a variety of Codices or notes, "<i>emma</i>" usually means "mine" but here I'm thinking it's plural and means "our." "<i>Salin</i>" seems to mean "again." "<i>Suledin</i>" means "endure," and "<i>evanura</i>" here may mean "honor." (If we get the sword <i>Evanura</i> in the Emerald Graves, it is noted as a "blade of honor" forged for Mathalin, the first of the Emerald Knights.)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">So, considering that elven is a cipher, our elven note for a Dalish Inky could be something like:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">Our - again - far - endure - honor.</span></i></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">So perhaps the sentiment could be, "<i>With this gift, even from afar, our honor endures</i>." Also, it's interesting, isn't it, that the note references the desire for the elven Inquisitor to "carry pride?"</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, if the Inky is not an elf, they get a different note:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Perhaps you are not as we and do not share what we believe, but this threat is common to us all, for the wounded sky belongs to everyone. If nothing else, we would have you sure of foot in your journey toward victory.</span></i></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"></blockquote><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Mas enasalin lasa revas evanura</span></i></blockquote><div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">This one may be a bit easier. "<i>Enasalin</i>" is "victory," "<i>lasa revas</i>" is "is/are free" and if "<i>evanura</i>" is again "honor," maybe this sentiment is "<i>[may] - victory - be free - with honor</i>" or, perhaps, "<i>With this gift, we wish you freedom and honor in victory</i>." Or, "<i>with this gift, may victory be free with honor," </i>perhaps? </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">What do you think? Please suggest your own interpretations, as mine are very stilted here and I'm sure I'm missing all sorts of wonderful potential messages.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">And of course, this could be totally wrong.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">More Ancient Details and Guesswork</span></b></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">If we look back to previous visits, there are familiar statues to both Fen'Harel and to Falon'Din outside the Crestwood shrine.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimaWh_hnSKwyf3xFnOw9PviP2BYf2pDSz7fznv-CJByAR_cWp0DRGhOseogRinLW-Hpd1r5sA77c9am841U8eTz-gvxw8T5d31c9smqJF7IEakYu_QpDHYibCl3pA4g4UvYKZNckiWNaLd/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimaWh_hnSKwyf3xFnOw9PviP2BYf2pDSz7fznv-CJByAR_cWp0DRGhOseogRinLW-Hpd1r5sA77c9am841U8eTz-gvxw8T5d31c9smqJF7IEakYu_QpDHYibCl3pA4g4UvYKZNckiWNaLd/w640-h320/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />There's a mural inside the encircling walls here that also appears at the Temple of Mythal, with the addition at Mythal's temple of a dragon image flying above.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">So what's the mural? Are these elven slaves or armies? They're riding harts—are they fighting each other? The Evanuris? The Forgotten Ones? Are they, perhaps, <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2020/05/tevinter-nights-analysis-horror-of.html" target="_blank">creatures of Ghilly's</a>?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJP7OjKUg-t4cqW3ecOrNANg7CSEzS3HM_-w7pacndkH4kLdrWMRTqm1-bbZmHjz3b1RNgiLtG2epsFHtfLSaIRTc1HG5QH73oj_ZtFmVveKoB25Sx9EhWge-i_rj3Gw8zzKRIwrtBrRid/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJP7OjKUg-t4cqW3ecOrNANg7CSEzS3HM_-w7pacndkH4kLdrWMRTqm1-bbZmHjz3b1RNgiLtG2epsFHtfLSaIRTc1HG5QH73oj_ZtFmVveKoB25Sx9EhWge-i_rj3Gw8zzKRIwrtBrRid/w640-h360/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">This very same dragon also appears behind the waterfall here...</span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicP2JkYr1ewgKmrFveL_megOKmG5M9w1kTIL0ceBrd4bjxG835ydNl5LZ45BvJRWYVNfxLxVtuClNWNG2ubGxHfifpXBwjwHrzaxSoeVnLwlge-0d0WRhEghvP2F1b40UByTqDgcs7Ospo/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="632" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicP2JkYr1ewgKmrFveL_megOKmG5M9w1kTIL0ceBrd4bjxG835ydNl5LZ45BvJRWYVNfxLxVtuClNWNG2ubGxHfifpXBwjwHrzaxSoeVnLwlge-0d0WRhEghvP2F1b40UByTqDgcs7Ospo/w640-h392/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />We've seen this more complete image—with the dragon—in the Temple of Mythal. We also see it again, later on, in "Trespasser." And we also find this dragon image repeatedly across Thedas (and even at Skyhold).</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqZp7J4xUO2L8YjHCs2cNxpEE7DNH6uLPSp5A1QUbmhJ6aLr-9cKtL0xHZvznhQnKV0hNulsLAfQ6ucDIvnbfq2ZUs2AVxA8BaV89YRLbsZDy-X6QZgPjK4QKTX6_JUb5zGzPYJc3dYcb/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="177" data-original-width="375" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqZp7J4xUO2L8YjHCs2cNxpEE7DNH6uLPSp5A1QUbmhJ6aLr-9cKtL0xHZvznhQnKV0hNulsLAfQ6ucDIvnbfq2ZUs2AVxA8BaV89YRLbsZDy-X6QZgPjK4QKTX6_JUb5zGzPYJc3dYcb/w640-h302/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Which <i>also</i> reminds me of the <a href="https://dragonage.fandom.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Ancient_Elven_Writing" target="_blank">Codex</a> about the "sinner" who was egged on by Dirthamen and Ghilan'nain to commit the crime of high treason by taking on "a form reserved for the gods and their chosen," who "dared to fly in the shape of the divine." And of course, as we know, it's a rare instance in which Mythal was not merciful and fully unleashed her wrath.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Given what we <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2020/05/tevinter-nights-analysis-horror-of.html" target="_blank">now know about Ghilan'nain</a> being pretty monstrous, this will undoubtedly come up again so I'm noting it here in case it's directly relevant.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">While the harts are not halla, this does seem to be a shrine to Ghilan'nain, and the Venatori codex nearby does note that this is an "elven ruin."</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">So why does Solas bring her <i>here</i>? My guess is, despite all of my intricate guesswork above, that it's a relatively simple thing: It is an ancient place holy to the elves. The Veil is thin. So Solas likes this place because it feels like he is momentarily back in his own time. Perhaps it even makes him feel, for a little while, like he is young and hopeful again.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Truth (The First Sudden Swerve)</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">The date begins as we go to the cutscene. Solas and Lavellan walk into this ancient holy place, and Solas is visibly happy—he comments on the atmosphere as they walk, hands linked. "The Veil is thin here. Can you feel it on your skin, tingling?"</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">It's not entirely clear, by the way, that the Inquisitor <i>does </i>feel what he feels. She doesn't respond, merely looks down and away, then back to him, openly inviting. Then he touches her face tenderly, and speaks:</span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><i>SOLAS: I was trying to determine some way to show you what you mean to me. </i></span></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">ME: Oh, awesome! What's it going to be? A poem? A piece of jewelry? Maybe a pony? Or... maybe... finally... SEX? Although I admit that a cave floor near a bunch of wild wyverns wouldn't be my preferred location, but beggars can't be choosers, so let's do this!<br />SOLAS: Hold your halla. It's not that. Because I gave it a lot of thought and I really felt that...</span></i></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">ME: Uh-huh...?<br />SOLAS: ...breaking your heart was the gift that would keep on giving.<br />ME: Oh.<br />SOLAS: We're talking absolute devastation. Pulverizing your heart into little tiny smithereens.<br />ME: Got it.<br />SOLAS: What do you think?<br />ME: Oof.</span></i></blockquote><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I may have made part of the above dialogue up. Yes, I'm fine.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">So what Solas <i>actually </i>simply says is, "I was trying to determine some way to show you what you mean to me." And it's lovely and heartfelt. It is also where things get very interesting, fast.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">The Inquisitor has a variety of potential responses, with Solas's replies varying from thoughtful, to flirtatious: </span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Option 1 ("I already know")</u></b>:</span></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">LAVELLAN: That’s not necessary, Solas. You’re my…</span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">SOLAS: That is the question, is it not?</span></i></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Option 2 ("Interesting!")</b></u>:</span></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">LAVELLAN: I’m listening, and I can offer a few suggestions.</span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">SOLAS: I shall bear that in mind. </span></i></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Option 3 ("You don't have to do that.")</u></b>:</span></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">LAVELLAN: I know what we mean to each other.</span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">SOLAS: Even so.</span></i></div></blockquote><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">And then Solas says, "For now, the best gift I can offer is... the truth."</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">He is presented as being open, loving, and wholly sincere. It's a big moment.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">SOLAS: You are unique. In all Thedas, I never expected to find someone who could draw my attention from the Fade. You have become important to me, more important than I could have imagined.</span></i></div></blockquote><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">And <i>boom</i>. This is where we have to commit and <u>lock in</u> the romance. Where we either tell Solas, "You know, I don't think this is going to work," in which case he is complimentary and courteous. Or we jump in happily with, "I feel the same way."</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />I mean, what could possibly go wrong?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">It's diabolical, isn't it? For the unsuspecting and innocent Lavellan, for the player traveling this path for the first time, especially so. We have no idea what's just seconds away when we happily click "I feel the same way."</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">So we click. And he goes on, and there's still the smile there for "Then what I must tell you... the truth..."</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">And then he blinks—and changes direction. It's really notable, I think, that he stops smiling <i>after </i>"what I must tell you." It's right there, as he stumbles toward that phrase "the truth" again, that things get difficult.</span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">He's brought her here, to this ancient place, to show her who he truly is. To tell her an impossible thing in a holy shrine to their lost people.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">But he can't do it.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">And he realizes this when? When looking at her <i>face</i>. Her beautiful face. And I think this is where it starts to go wrong, where reality starts to intrude for him. The dream begins to end and he's waking up whether he wishes to or not.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">SOLAS: Your face. The vallaslin. In my journeys in the Fade, I have seen things. I have discovered what those marks mean.</span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">LAVELLAN: They honor the elven gods.</span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">SOLAS: No. They are slave markings, or at least, they were... in the time of ancient Arlathan.</span></i></div></blockquote><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Potential responses here:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">That doesn't matter.</span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">That can't be right.</span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">We were wrong?</span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">That's a lie!</span></i></div></blockquote><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">For me, the most interesting part of this is Solas's explanation, which is (as always) not entirely forthcoming:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">SOLAS: A noble would mark his slaves to honor the god he worshipped. After Arlathan fell, the Dalish forgot.</span></i></div></blockquote><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Isn't the truth actually even more devastating and complex? That the nobles he's talking about were originally the Evanuris themselves? For me, this adds a whole additional layer of grotesqueness to what Solas is explaining, because there was no "honoring of gods," in that case—at least, at first—the vallaslin were simply practical symbols of ownership. Like a bar code on a can of peas.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Ugh.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Echoes of Past Revelations</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">The Inquisitor and Solas talk a bit more here, with the tone from Lavellan either sad, accepting, outraged or defiant at the revelation, but again, what's interesting to me is that while Solas tries to assuage her sadness or upset, and while he may even compliment the Dalish for simply spawning her, his anger at the Dalish is still very much present.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">And again, it's complicated. Remember, Solas went to the Dalish as the very first thing he did upon awakening. It's the first thing he reveals to us when we meet him, way back after the Conclave. He went to them, his people, to tell them the truth—to tell them the truth he is telling Lavellan right this minute.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />And they turned him away. They threw him out.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i>That's </i>what he cannot accept. While I truly think Solas's humility is genuine in that he doesn't see himself as a god, he is nevertheless still a prideful and occasionally arrogant man, and (to be fair) he knows this about himself. He may not be divine, but he is ancient and knowledgeable, possessing the secrets of millennia... <i>and they threw him and his knowledge out like trash.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">No wonder he hates the Dalish. He loves them too much to be neutral.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Now he's told this truth again, to the woman he loves, but it's not the truth he meant to reveal. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Vallaslin</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Here's where we're faced with our next big choice... to keep or to remove the vallaslin? Lavellan, as before, can answer with an assured yes or no, or with uncertainty. Regardless, he is apologetic and gentle, noting in most cases that he didn't mean to cause pain, and that he feels selfish for doing so. Then she makes the choice. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">What to do? There are powerful arguments on both sides here. Many who choose to keep the vallaslin point out that it doesn't matter what these markings meant thousands of years ago—it's what they mean <i>now </i>that's important. And they're not wrong about that.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;">If she chooses to keep it, Lavellan tries to explain it to him, but he truly doesn't seem to need it:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">LAVELLAN: I know you told me because you wanted to help, but the vallaslin is part of who I am. I hope you can see past— </span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">SOLAS: Stop. You are perfect exactly as you are.</span></i></div></blockquote><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I like that those Inquisitors who choose to keep the vallaslin are treated with the same love and respect by Solas as those who do not. He reiterates that he finds her beautiful either way, and accepts that she is at peace with keeping this cultural part of her heritage.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">However, for me, it's always an easy choice to remove them. Solas's revelation always makes me want to wipe them away as fast as possible. Luckily, he's got a spell for that, and he offers it immediately.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">If she accepts his offer, Solas looks visibly pleased. He has his equanimity back, and he's happy and loving here—this is something he can tangibly do something about. He guides her over to a place beside the lake where they can sit together (and—speaking from the shallow end here, it has to be said—looks <i>smoking hot</i> while doing so).</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJSDAx2saIeUZE3KlTnHV2EQaNNQwsdhfT_xbACvATsRmRw5zYPS-jQG-pMD8MrbKeCJUnhJtsYoDZOVBL_U8K7t5C2UrbNzyQJSDnuYPSdinw95vzrladhnYxz_lCZ_PSjcYxS2rPp93/s1680/Solas_Crestwood_Profile.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJSDAx2saIeUZE3KlTnHV2EQaNNQwsdhfT_xbACvATsRmRw5zYPS-jQG-pMD8MrbKeCJUnhJtsYoDZOVBL_U8K7t5C2UrbNzyQJSDnuYPSdinw95vzrladhnYxz_lCZ_PSjcYxS2rPp93/w640-h400/Solas_Crestwood_Profile.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: large;">Now, I'm going to be shouting out to the <i>Dragon Age Inquisition</i> artists for their genius again in just a few moments (as well as to directors <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2018/08/freddie-david-mike-deconstructing-nyu.html" target="_blank">Mike Laidlaw</a> and Pierre Michel-Estival), but there's so much beautiful stuff already happening in this scene visually that I want to point out as notable already, and it's visible just from the screen capture I've included above. Look how tactile everything is. You can almost <i>feel </i>the rough texture of Solas's tunic, and see the silkier texture of the edging around the neck. Look at the delicate coloration of Solas's face here—the freckles, the slight blush to lips, cheek, and ear. You can actually see the slight glisten of moisture or sweat on his face in the light from the lake.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">When they sit together, the lake is a soft, limpid pool behind them, with the falls distant but still visible (and gently adding to the ambiance of sound as well).</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">What I love about all of this detail is that it's immersive and overall, it's deliberately sensual. It's creating an atmosphere that lulls us into the romance as surely as Solas's smile or Trevor Morris's light and rippling romantic score.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Once Solas and Lavellan are seated together, he removes the vallaslin, in another visually stunning moment that is among my favorites in the entire game. I love the spark of illumination on Solas's eye here, the way his hands frame her face as he removes the marks. As is usual with Solas, the magic we see is blue-ish in hue.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigKyAZOWjVlMq4mwCkbjHabPhJVMb6xFfRcLR0Gxzas4JQJnkFI0kcWa0edBUUMr_Wm_pCGqHnh2aq0ytuWXtf8XCB4N_eAB-MlKUB_QHgcuvZZhQY8zKawkhjQYHAZdusafcqdSOsXlZX/s1680/Solas_vallaslin1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigKyAZOWjVlMq4mwCkbjHabPhJVMb6xFfRcLR0Gxzas4JQJnkFI0kcWa0edBUUMr_Wm_pCGqHnh2aq0ytuWXtf8XCB4N_eAB-MlKUB_QHgcuvZZhQY8zKawkhjQYHAZdusafcqdSOsXlZX/w640-h400/Solas_vallaslin1.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: large;">Then the spell ends, and the deed is done. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Solas speaks as he looks at her then, once the light fades: "<i>Ar lasa mala revas. </i>You are free." They are the same words he spoke thousands of years ago, the words he spoke to the slaves he freed when he removed these same markings from them at his secret fortresses.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I think it's possible that writer Patrick Weekes included this dialogue not just as Solas's traditional close to the spell, as something he's used to saying there, but as a possible indicator that—for this brief few seconds—Solas is back there in his mind, back in the past where he was truly alive and happy. Where, one has to imagine, his choices felt easy in comparison.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">But Solas can't actually free the Inquisitor. Or himself.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Still, for a few seconds, it's enough. They stand together, the Inquisitor silent and (in my own headcanon, at least) coming to terms with the moment, and with this incredible change to her reality in that she has either not removed the vallaslin but must adjust to its true meaning, or that she has removed the vallaslin, and things have changed forever in a different way. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">A Permanent Shift</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">If Lavellan chose removal, I think this is a huge deal. Her face is no longer marked to designate her god or culture.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">If you are a headcanoning fool (like me), if you are an overthinker who enjoys immersing yourself in this game, then this moment after vallaslin removal is truly so pivotal because <i>she is no longer visibly Dalish. </i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">If any of you play the <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2020/12/playing-dragon-age-rpg-and-gathering.html" target="_blank">Dragon Age tabletop RPG</a>, one of my favorite things about it is the fact that, man oh man, you REALLY understand when playing that game what it is like to walk through Thedas as (in my character's case of the past two years) an apostate and a Dalish elf. As a mage, you carry a five or six foot staff that has zero reason for existing except for the casting of magic (no matter how your mage might protest that it is, er, a <i>bow</i>, a <i>walking stick</i>, or a <i>fishing pole</i>). Oh, to be Felassan, with his magical staff that changes to an easy-to-hide twig!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Beyond this, even beyond class, and even if you aren't a mage, you are Dalish to the world. Your face is tattooed, and depending on which god was honored, marked heavily and indelibly on forehead, cheeks, chin, and even neckline. Everywhere you go, you are recognized as Dalish, and potentially trusted or distrusted as a direct result. In the RPG, this means that even a simple walk through a town or city carries risk, if you pass a templar, for instance, or an unfriendly guard. I've been shocked at how stressful it is to play a Dalish apostate, and have often envied my companions simply for their abilities to walk into a place, or to talk to townspeople, without instant danger or prejudice. It's really beautifully done.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">It's also an accurate representation of Lavellan's world state.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Now, in Solas's romance, her visible Dalishness has been removed for all time. Lavellan can go forth into the world wearing a hat or headband covering her ears and no one will even know she is elven at all. Or she can return to her clan (if they survived) only to be met with distrust and anger at what she has removed. She is more disconnected in some ways than ever before, and (I think) is consequently tied more closely to her found family in the Inquisition. This is why I am so glad that Josie, at least, recognizes the loss of her vallaslin and comments on it (and it's a perfectly acted moment by voice actor <a href="https://twitter.com/simplyallegra/" target="_blank">Allegra Clark</a> there, as Josie is shocked at the change, but instantly attempts courtesy and apology, assuming wrongly that the vallaslin was always removable).</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Even before the terrible break that is about to occur, everything has changed.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6cz5HZ0HdY5GGNFjzVzTiniVSjoyJK9KLFu8SnsykaZFP_9VWKEflQchWG8SN_G6owUv7EjHi2gB0nCJD_-_69cvYiWWx2sg90qm076yY-zX4vn_ycz2RHOaqZVVPU4hrZWttjv6QFjk1/s1680/Solas_Vallaslin_Final_Inky2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6cz5HZ0HdY5GGNFjzVzTiniVSjoyJK9KLFu8SnsykaZFP_9VWKEflQchWG8SN_G6owUv7EjHi2gB0nCJD_-_69cvYiWWx2sg90qm076yY-zX4vn_ycz2RHOaqZVVPU4hrZWttjv6QFjk1/w640-h400/Solas_Vallaslin_Final_Inky2.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">A Moment in a Dream</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">But let's get back to the date, where Lavellan is enjoying her last few seconds of relationship happiness.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Solas is euphoric and loving, and whether he does the spell or not, he tells her how beautiful she is. The strings of Trevor Morris's score surge, and we're right up close with the two of them as they kiss passionately again, and (oh, Solas) of course he goes right in for another ass-grab, and who can blame him, as those interminable steps at Skyhold's entrance (and up to her quarters) have certainly done their job in creating a truly enviable elven posterior.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">After a lovely shot of the two of them before the lake and its waterfalls, there's a cut in to an <i>intensely </i>close point of view, and <i>this </i>is where I think the direction and animation of the scene is diabolical genius.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha0Zg2sj_jr2vaITfRgPPBxwrjJeehPM0ifmLTJZPM7xLroqtNcCfUsCE-qiGuqPYG9XBQuyP6rBQUrTDNmkSGil6hBcpZviEOw0-PujvlAbzsh437y8UcDHNk-EI3vHZsvCseXBOC8RNU/s1680/SolasKiss_CU_Swamp2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha0Zg2sj_jr2vaITfRgPPBxwrjJeehPM0ifmLTJZPM7xLroqtNcCfUsCE-qiGuqPYG9XBQuyP6rBQUrTDNmkSGil6hBcpZviEOw0-PujvlAbzsh437y8UcDHNk-EI3vHZsvCseXBOC8RNU/w640-h400/SolasKiss_CU_Swamp2.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">They kiss more, and it's SO close and intense. Deliberately so. Again, we can see the texture of their hair and skin in almost photorealistic detail. The slight glisten of sweat or mist. We can, if we care to, count every single visible freckle on this side of Solas's face. We can see the scar above his right eyebrow better than ever before, and even the fact that his eyebrows are, yep, slightly auburn.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">It's notable that the focus here is on <i>Solas's </i>face during the kiss, not hers—his eyes closed, visibly lost in the moment. It's inviting us into the subtle perspective of the kissee, of Lavellan as the recipient.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGMC1RXlJN6B_-o5FMDm6wQVRoE1yGOwvSGBcJDvfim6VvgywMK1U3A-wL8Hto6Qrvml-37x079KvEZuztwXLBVRkujJ8olbt1Tk6CeZPI5TKzkE7FaoyLQeIF79mqgdyNvtUulCe-AdBP/s1680/SolasKissVeil2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGMC1RXlJN6B_-o5FMDm6wQVRoE1yGOwvSGBcJDvfim6VvgywMK1U3A-wL8Hto6Qrvml-37x079KvEZuztwXLBVRkujJ8olbt1Tk6CeZPI5TKzkE7FaoyLQeIF79mqgdyNvtUulCe-AdBP/w640-h400/SolasKissVeil2.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: large;">They kiss for about seven seconds total, if you count the seconds, which obviously I do, since I did it before back on the balcony, so why stop now? Besides, I once counted the scars on Bull's back, so I'm obviously willing to do the hard work here for my art. It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">But yeah. That's all she gets. Six or seven seconds, and he draws away, and he looks absolutely lost, utterly in love, it's all wonderful, and then... </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">BOOM.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk71UzrMElLMhCV7-Nhj1UnOgyNe5CWxHt3j_Zoxd8fhuVK9Rc2ASnlQ4nWGHuvWzaazoVGlOgTxknW5rQHxrMdrqxmUZG5ua8EmX7TjGJxFMK1ST2sEI2-mPrxzxeVWBLtFpQX0dEA5hw/s1680/SolasSwamp_Ohcrap.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk71UzrMElLMhCV7-Nhj1UnOgyNe5CWxHt3j_Zoxd8fhuVK9Rc2ASnlQ4nWGHuvWzaazoVGlOgTxknW5rQHxrMdrqxmUZG5ua8EmX7TjGJxFMK1ST2sEI2-mPrxzxeVWBLtFpQX0dEA5hw/w640-h400/SolasSwamp_Ohcrap.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: large;">We're still in so close here, when his face changes. The animation is terrific—his expression becomes subtly sorrowful, and he raises his eyebrows slightly as he draws away.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">SOLAS: ...And I am sorry. I distracted you from your duty. It will never happen again.</span></i></div></blockquote><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">The upset on Lavellan's face is also beautifully done, as we, the players, review our potential emotional responses from poor Lavellan here that include:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Sad</b></u>: I don't want to lose you.</span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Angry</u></b>: Are you kidding me?</span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Stoic</u></b>: If you must.</span></i></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I have played Solas's romance several times. I have been pleading and I have been angry, but never in between. Let's just say that I have never, ever, ever chosen "If you must" for actual story or character reasons. I love that this choice exists, but I can't quite imagine picking it.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Complete Dialogue Trees</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Below, I'll outline every single dialogue option that's available to us in terms of Lavellan's potential reactions to Solas's unexpected pronouncement. I'm doing so for a few reasons—first and foremost, to establish the fact that yes, there's nothing we can say here that will fix this. We can be accepting, devastated, or angry, and <i>it doesn't matter.</i> He leaves. He will always leave.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Beyond that, this reaction also has lasting consequences within the game story, as how Lavellan responds here emotionally is also how she will later respond when facing Solas again years later, in "Trespasser." If she's sorrowful and gentle here, that's how she will appear to him then. Or if she wants to throw fireballs at his pants? She's going to appear angry and hurt when she sees him again on that distant day (and <i>I am here for it</i>).</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Sad ("I don't want to lose you")</u></b>:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">It's not surprising that the "sad" reaction offers the most complex and detailed dialogue trees...</span></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">LAVELLAN: I don't want to lose you.</span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">SOLAS: Please, vhenan.</span></i></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Next tier</u></b>:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">I love you.</span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">Don't do this to me.</span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">I believe in us.</span></i></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;">"I love you."</span></b></i></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">LAVELLAN: Solas... don't leave me. Not now. I love you.</span></i></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">SOLAS: You have a rare and marvelous spirit. In another world—</span></i></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">LAVELLAN: Why not this one?</span></i></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">SOLAS: I can't.</span></i></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;">"Don't do this to me."</span></b></i></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">LAVELLAN: Tell me you don't care.</span></i></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">SOLAS: I can't do that.</span></i></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">LAVELLAN: Tell me I was some casual dalliance so I can call you a coldhearted son of a bitch and move on!</span></i></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">SOLAS: (silence)</span></i></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;">"I believe in us."</span></b></i></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">LAVELLAN: I'm not giving up on you, Solas.</span></i></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">SOLAS: You truly should.</span></i></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">LAVELLAN: Whatever you need, we can find together.</span></i></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">SOLAS: No, we can't. You'll see.</span></i></blockquote></blockquote><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">SOLAS: I'm sorry.</span></i></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">He walks off, leaving her behind as we fade to black. Except in the case of "<i>Don't do this to me,</i>" where SHE walks off and leaves him! And I love it so much.</span></p><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Angry ("Are you kidding me?")</b></u>: </span></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">LAVELLAN: Wait. What? You bring me here, take the vallaslin from my face, and now you just end it?</span></i></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Stoic ("If you must.")</span></u></b></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">LAVELLAN: All right. If that's your decision, so be it.</span></i></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">SOLAS: I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you.</span></i></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Next tier to both of the above</u></b>:</span></div></blockquote><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>You did</b>: </i><i>Everyone makes mistakes.</i></span></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Great job</b>: </i><i>Well, we don't always get what we want, do we?</i></span></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Your loss, asshole</b>: </i><i>Banal'abelas, banal'vhenan! (This translates from elven as: "Nothing-sorry, nothing-heart," which I'd essentially put as "You're not sorry, and you have no heart.")</i></span></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><div><div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">SOLAS: I will see you back at Skyhold.</span></i></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">He walks off, leaving her behind as we fade to black.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div></div><div></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">As I mention, in most versions above, Solas leaves her behind in the swamp, with, as noted, the exception being "Don't do this to me," where SHE leaves him. And it is glorious.</span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Anyway, in my own personal headcanon, in all those endings where he leaves her in the swamp, a raging and tearful Lavellan then fights the three wyverns, traveling back at Skyhold thanks to, presumably, some eluvian or other fast-travel assistance from maybe Dorian or Morrigan. Either way, she arrives several hours later absolutely covered in blood, mud, slime, and wyvern dung. She then goes to the Herald's Rest and <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/5705719" target="_blank">gets absolutely schnockered on maraas-lok</a>.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">But that's just me.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Regardless, it's all so well animated and depicted. The entire scene is a master class in voice acting, with a passionately emotional female Inky's responses in the American voice as acted by <a href="https://twitter.com/sumaleedotcom" target="_blank">Sumalee Montano</a>, or a softer, more anguished female Inky as acted in the English-accented Inquisitor by <a href="https://twitter.com/AlixWiltonRegan" target="_blank">Alix Wilton Regan</a>. And of course, the scene acutely demonstrates all of the sadness and conflict that actor <a href="https://twitter.com/Pancheers" target="_blank">Gareth David-Lloyd</a> is able to put into his beautiful Welsh voice, as well.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgla11K8pLW-GN9kOIpOQikvoQBQ05BiwlY8xQQXtP778g8TRFBzHFYEATWODW6DetuxjNIBWt2RbR8xf5psOeKcd3FYe4s6ysulPFoCDAItjEXvgB8-EYGBq4lPs9lVlV_A9vu0Z-U4V2M/s1680/SolasKiss_Swamp_MCU.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgla11K8pLW-GN9kOIpOQikvoQBQ05BiwlY8xQQXtP778g8TRFBzHFYEATWODW6DetuxjNIBWt2RbR8xf5psOeKcd3FYe4s6ysulPFoCDAItjEXvgB8-EYGBq4lPs9lVlV_A9vu0Z-U4V2M/w640-h400/SolasKiss_Swamp_MCU.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Clues and Comfort from Patrick Weekes</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I was not the only one to be <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2018/05/meaningful-banters-he-dumped-me-real.html" target="_blank">unexpectedly devastated</a> by my poor Inky's Solas dumpage, so I'll always appreciate that writer Patrick Weekes has been so accessible to Solasmancers who were similarly destroyed. Patrick has been sympathetic and kind to so many who were hurt or unhappy with Solas's actions (even when some people were rude to them—people, <i>please be nice to Patrick</i>, dammit!). And Patrick has also repeatedly emphasized that Solas indeed does truly love us. I mean, our Inquisitor. Aw, who am I kidding? It feels personal, doesn't it?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">We're not mad because Solas dumped her. We're mad because Solas dumped <i>us</i>. Individually and collectively. And now we Solasmancers are now like this gigantic Blanketfort polycule cheering each other on, each of us going, "Solas will come back to you! I know it! He really does love you, hang in there!" And it's adorable. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, in their interview with <i><a href="http://www.nerdappropriate.com/2014/12/31/rated-na-184-inside-inquisition-with-patrick-weekes/" target="_blank">Nerd Appropriate</a></i> years back, Patrick revealed some of Solas's thoughts in this actual moment, as follows, and it's a gift for any of those Solasmancers who need comforting or reassurance that our fictional boyfriend did, in fact, care deeply:</span></div><div></div><blockquote><div><span style="font-size: large;">WEEKES: If you want to see the utter sadness of Solas, it’s the playthrough where you romance him. You really get to see that he <u>does</u> care about you. It’s obvious, I hope, that his feelings for you are not fake. He cares about you deeply. He is always one step from telling you the truth about himself.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Like, for instance, what came across so fantastically is that he’s about to tell you the truth, pulls out at the last second, tells you about the vallaslin instead, and then again he goes in on the kiss and is so ready to just lose himself and forget about the past... </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">And then he has to push back. He knows that he has to break it off right there, or else he’s going to have betrayed himself. It is so sad, and it has broken the hearts of many players, and it broke my heart when I wrote him.</span></div><div></div></blockquote><div><span style="font-size: large;">Come on, be honest. It's a little satisfying to hear that it broke Patrick's heart too, isn't it?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Or is that just me?</span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Path of Sorrows</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">And there we are. And there she is, alone, and hurting. And she's still alone, arms wrapped around herself, staring off that balcony where he first kissed her in the real world, at the end of <i>Inquisition. </i>It's tragic enough to make a person go off and create the world's saddest <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2021/07/dragon-age-playlists-for-dragon-age.html" target="_blank">playlist</a>... and then listen to it on endless repeat.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">It's a tribute to the writing, direction, and rendering that this final scene of Solas's doomed Crestwood date is so painful, and that it comes across with so much genuine emotion and heartbreak.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I do think it's apparent that Solas loves Lavellan, and that she is not the only one whose heart is breaking here. However, dramatically speaking, for me, the difference in their ages is never more important than right here, because to me, that experience protects him even as its lack emphasizes her vulnerability and capacity for pain. Solas has lived for millennia, at this point; he has been able to better protect his heart, to add a little armor. She, on the other hand, is a young woman who has overcome trauma, imprisonment, open racism and prejudice, and even the potential loss of her entire family—and she has met every one of those challenges with courage and willing sacrifice. She has allowed herself to trust this man... and his response was to destroy her heart. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">She doesn't know why he's done that at this point; she doesn't get that it's precisely because he loves that courage of hers, and because he cannot face the expression she will wear when she discovers who he truly is, and what he truly intends.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I also think that, for Solas, his romance with Lavellan has been a respite, a healing thing that reconnected him to this world and showed him how much beauty still remained. Unfortunately on the other hand, I feel that for the romanced Inquisitor, what happens here creates instead a deep and abiding wound, a betrayal that will hurt for years to come. It is that much more ironic, therefore, that Solas's endearment for Lavellan, used even in many cases when he is ending their relationship, evokes home and heart itself—especially when his words shatter it to pieces.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: large;">When it came to Solas's romance, we whose Inkies fell for our quiet mage were always doomed. "<i>Atish'all vir abelasan</i>," Lavellan was told not so long ago, or "Enter the path of the Well of Sorrows." </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Poor thing. She thought that sorrowful path was a metaphor. </span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Solas knew differently. He's always known it was real.</span></div></div>Angela D. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-898793835474747162021-07-03T13:41:00.003-07:002021-07-03T13:46:26.128-07:00Dragon Age Playlists (for Dragon Age Inquisition Characters)<p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6HBcLugkpAGT5u4_pMp4ldVmUytrcgmowDrTIZw2LqBHb-Hbf1AwyU3AWMBmZHMsB80-NsqIqPwCrPObAz5fdKP0qQpODRFLUb-EefuEJeLgUH10kNLDeVuc6EoYogWKVA0TDm3YHIx2M/s1680/RooftimewithSera.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6HBcLugkpAGT5u4_pMp4ldVmUytrcgmowDrTIZw2LqBHb-Hbf1AwyU3AWMBmZHMsB80-NsqIqPwCrPObAz5fdKP0qQpODRFLUb-EefuEJeLgUH10kNLDeVuc6EoYogWKVA0TDm3YHIx2M/w640-h400/RooftimewithSera.png" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Like most of us, I'm a sucker for music. And I was recently sharing Solas Spotify playlists with my friend and fellow Dragon Age Day founder <a href="https://twitter.com/ImaSithDuh" target="_blank">T</a>, and it made me want to do one for ALL the Companions!</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So here we are—just for fun, I created playlists for all of our <i>Dragon Age Inquisition</i> Companions, below, plus (of course) Leliana, Cullen and Josie. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Songs and Characters</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">My criteria for these was pretty loose, more about mood and gut reactions. In terms of what the songs mean for the characters, some of my choices are about the dark choices we might make, and what happens then (cough, Bull). </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Others are about when everything goes absolutely right. Some songs are about the delights of that character's romance, while others are about how that romance may unfortunately be delicious agony.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Some of the music I pick here is from the POV of the character, while a lot may also be from the POV of the romanced or friended Inquisitor. So again, it's just meant to evoke moods and moments.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">One thing I deliberately didn't do—I didn't go back and look at that BioWare playlist blog post from years back. I remember that I loved it, but I didn't want to be an echo chamber, so I just did my own stuff here.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">You will hear the occasional show tune. Or the occasional film composition. Or something just plain weird. Sorry/not sorry! There are also some very NSFW selections on some lists—especially Bull's—so you may want to browse and listen privately first in those cases.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Thanks for checking these out, and I'll look forward to your thoughts! What did I miss that was so bloody obvious you can't believe it? What songs mean the most to you when it comes to certain characters?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Share your own, and let's have some fun!</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Solas</span></b></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">A playlist for everyone's most loved/hated hobo apostate and occasional elven god.</span></i></p><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0S29zEcrBLw0vwEupWcLui?si=b16eeff0144b4a84"><span style="font-size: large;">https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0S29zEcrBLw0vwEupWcLui?si=b16eeff0144b4a84</span></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Selections here include songs from</u></b>: PHILDEL, Hadestown, Stars, SYML, Imogen Heap, Jeff Buckley, Laurie Anderson, Murray Gold, Great Big Sea, Papa Roach, James Vincent McMorrow, Greg Laswell, Fleurie, Kristin Hersh, Dido, and lots more.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Hidden gems you may not be familiar with? I'd pick "We Raise Our Cups," which I love in this context for its sense of regret and myth, and the quietly apocalyptic "Keep Breathing," which feels SO "Drop-the-Veil-like" to me (<i>"People are dying, I close my blinds..."</i>) "Leave Like That," and "Wasteland, Baby!" I tried to go for a combination of snapshots here, not just "Oh my God you left me," although that is of course REALLY EASY TO DO HERE (darn it, Solas). Since Solas actually does have a sly sense of humor, I also wanted to have a little fun occasionally, so there are some dashes of humor, like "<a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2020/05/youre-welcome-moana-parody-now-by-solas.html" target="_blank">You're Welcome</a>," which, come on. That's perfect.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Bull</span></b></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">A playlist for the Ben-Hassrath in everyone's life. Please listen responsibly and don't forget your safe words...</span></i></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3IiArzC7v4uG3A6Mn5VQgB?si=0814c9d02ee84dd5">https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3IiArzC7v4uG3A6Mn5VQgB?si=0814c9d02ee84dd5</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Selections here include songs from</u><b>: </b>Digital Daggers, Nancy Sinatra, RIELL, Freedy Johnston, Seether, Sia, Nouvelle Vague, Solomon Burke, Suzanne Vega, Jaymes Young, The Decemberists, Carly Simon, Daniel Lanois, Frou Frou, Leonard Cohen, and many more.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">My picks for hidden gems here would include "Bad Reputation" (the song sounds like an anthem to love but it's also about damage and despair—<i>"been breaking down, do you want me now, do you want me now?"</i>), "The Bagman's Gambit" (<i>"they'll never catch me now,"</i> goes the refrain, but we know everyone gets caught in the end), Daniel Lanois's gorgeous, epically romantic "The Messenger," "Master and Servant" (cough), and "Your Love Could Start a War." Is there a subtext in this playlist? Beyond the obvious nods to sexy times, it's basically that Bull is a lying liar whose lies are alternatively cheerful, methodical, or chilling, a stone-hearted spy depending on your choices, and, well, traumatized. He's also trapped for a lot of <i>Inquisition</i>—somebody who's stuck in a political machine it's hard to get out of, so I wanted to push that here. He's also a sweetheart to either Dorian or a romanced Inky despite the rough edges, so you get that here too.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Cullen</span></b></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">A Dragon Age playlist for handsome templars and those who love them. (Wait, that wasn't flirting, was it?!)</span></i></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2iIFnCP61Fv4LjjAeeX2yk?si=2d4c65edbf6e4dbb">https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2iIFnCP61Fv4LjjAeeX2yk?si=2d4c65edbf6e4dbb</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Selections here include songs from</u>: </b>Mumford & Sons, Elliott Smith, Fleurie, Ingrid Michaelson, Cranberries, Blues Saraceno, The Tragically Hip, Dire Straits, David Bowie, Hank Thompson, Jump, Little Children, Philip Glass, Florence + the Machine, and more.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Some potential hidden gems would include "Dogs of War," "On Every Street," "All the King's Horses" and "Anthem, Pt. 2." I really enjoyed putting this one together and tried to include everything from the PTSD, to his addiction issues, to finding true love, to occasional dashes of humor ("Don't Flirt with Me"). There's a little more movie soundtrack stuff on Cullen's than on some of the others, and I loved "Little Lion Man" to kick it off.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Dorian</span></b></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">A playlist for a certain handsome Tevinter mage who may or may not be in love, but who is always devastatingly charming.</span></i></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Selections include songs from</u>: </b>The Dandy Warhols, Queen, Rufus Wainwright, Jem, George Michael, Peter Gabriel, The Decemberists, Agnes Obel, Adam Lambert, Prince, Indigo Girls, The National, MIKA, and more.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Potential hidden gems here for me would include "The Last High" (the progression of the narrator's arrogance is quietly hilarious as the song goes along), "The Wanting Comes in Waves" (yes, I am a huge Decemberists fan, and this one is probably my all-time favorite), "Dorian," "Exile Vilify," and Mika's beautiful "Any Other World." My goal with this one was to balance Dorian's intelligence and vanity with his hidden pain, yearning, kindness, and sweetness.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3CVmmDCKCZrZhFWMNkxRJD?si=5ce1a31f892d401c">https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3CVmmDCKCZrZhFWMNkxRJD?si=5ce1a31f892d401c</a></span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Blackwall</span></b></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">A playlist for lonely guilt-soaked Grey Warden warriors and bearded icons (THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE).</span></i></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3JrfzGjkzpusWZWFmqdnkq?si=7037b245557c486e">https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3JrfzGjkzpusWZWFmqdnkq?si=7037b245557c486e</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Selections include songs from</u>: </b>Johnny Cash, Lenka, Regina Spektor, Aimee Mann, Belle & Sebastian, The Struts, Justin Timberlake, Sheryl Crow, Rihanna, Guster, Jonathan Coulton, Radiohead, Iron & Wine, and more.<b> </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">My picks for some hidden gems here would include Johnny Cash's terrific cover of Sting's "I Hung My Head," "Forgive Me Friend," "Samson," "Could Have Been Me," and "The Trapeze Swinger." Blackwall's list was one of the easier ones because of his palpable sense of regret and unworthiness (hey, there are thousands of songs out there about how much people hate themselves), but I also tried to incorporate some moments of purity, courage, redemption, and happiness.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Cole</span></b></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">A playlist for sweet spirit boys and real boys alike that will lift your spirits even if it doesn't lift your feet.</span></i></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6k1ZiQTL2WnLg5HO3mWXJm?si=a5e6b1130e384b60">https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6k1ZiQTL2WnLg5HO3mWXJm?si=a5e6b1130e384b60</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Selections include songs from</u>: </b>The Muppets, The White Stripes, Simple Plan, John Williams, Bright Eyes, Patrick Doyle, The Police, Art Garfunkel, Gary Jules, Ben Harper, Nick Drake, Marc Cohn, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Peter Allen, Max Richter, and more.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Some of my personal picks for hidden or less-known gems here would include "Bright Eyes," "The Wind," "Compassion," "Everything Old is New Again," "Lullaby for Cain," and "On the Nature of Daylight." I hopefully walked the line here between innocence and sweetness and Cole's bigger sense of knowing -- I was trying for his sense of the cosmic. I definitely didn't want to infantilize Cole, but he is sometimes paradoxically truly a kid, and I did want to include those dashes of childlike wonder at humanity's quirks.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Cassandra</span></b></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">A playlist for the secret warrior princess in all of us (with a dash of SWORDS AND SHIELDS).</span></i></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6wtIIliS0DfXKwJ8pnyM8y?si=de19a51bfe544de1">https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6wtIIliS0DfXKwJ8pnyM8y?si=de19a51bfe544de1</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Selections include songs from</u>: </b>Christina Aguilera, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Thomas Bergerson, Royal Wood, Alana Davis, Pat Benatar, Dire Straits, Nelly Furtado, Sheryl Crow, Chaka Khan, The Lumineers, Halsey, Joan Osborne, and more.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Some less-known gems here might include "Sand and Water" (a gorgeous examination of grief, and one I wanted to evoke both Cass's brother and her loss of Regalyan), "Kingdom Fall," "Disgusted" (oof!), "Juliet," "Graveyard," and Joan Osborne's joyous anthem "Righteous Love." Basically, I just wanted to salute a kickass woman with hearts on her armor and in her soul.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Sera</span></b></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Shite! A playlist for Red Jennies, kickass girl archers and their girlfriends. BEES!</span></i></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6NBBuHBLdW0DvxKHLlT3bj?si=74ab16e5fb4b4ea3">https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6NBBuHBLdW0DvxKHLlT3bj?si=74ab16e5fb4b4ea3</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Selections include songs from</u>: </b>The Jesus and Mary Chain, Kesha, Sinead O'Connor, The Chicks, Halestorm, Carly Rae Jepsen, Maria Isabel, Indigo Girls, No Doubt, Portishead, David Newman, Tracy Chapman, Ani DiFranco, Duffy, and more.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Some hidden gems here might include "Mayhem," "Eat the Rich," "Suzanne," "Broken Arrow," "Syrup & Honey," and "The Dresses Song." I had so much fun with Sera's list, although I wish there were more songs about bees, dammit. </span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Varric</span></b></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Well, shit. A playlist for the dwarves and dreamers, as well as those still hung up on all the wrong people...</span></i></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6H8Mrmtbo6h6d174EZToKc?si=75a8da5eefed46c1">https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6H8Mrmtbo6h6d174EZToKc?si=75a8da5eefed46c1</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Selections include songs from</u>: </b>David Crosby, Tegan and Sara, Elvis Costello, Travis, the Robert Elovsson Quartet, Big Little Lions, Lyle Lovett, Beck, Sting, Tom Waits, the Weepies, and many more.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Some lesser-known inclusions here are "Hero" (one of my absolute favorite songs lifelong), "She's Already Made Up Her Mind," "This is Hell," "Stories," and "Happy Ending." Obviously the ghost of Bianca is all over this playlist (poor Varric), but it was really fun to explore—I love "I Know I Know I Know" in that context, as well as "Happy Ending," not to mention "Innocent When You Dream," which for me is perfect for Varric's intelligence and warmth.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Vivienne</span></b></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">A wicked little playlist for the most fabulous mage you'll ever meet, darlings.</span></i></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4YoWLIAwSXKMBYkITUIkgz?si=4eab6fa977e44412">https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4YoWLIAwSXKMBYkITUIkgz?si=4eab6fa977e44412</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Selections include songs from</u><b>: </b>Beyonce, Billie Eilish, Lorde, Scarlett Johansson, Hamilton, Valerie Broussard, The Joy Formidable, Meredith Brooks, Cliff Richard, One Two, RHODES, Matt Corby, WandaVision, and many more.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Stuff you may not have heard before could include "A Little Wicked," Scarlett Johansson's wonderful, slinky "Trust in Me," "The Silent Treatment," "The Red Shoes" (I'm a sucker for fairytales), and "Your Soul." Viv's not bad, she's just drawn that way.</span></p><div><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Leliana</span></b></p><div><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">A playlist for Thedas's scariest spymistress, curated by Baron Von Plucky.</span></i></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4imTBQHZod2TTzZbHv19tE?si=50e548a3104e4e6e">https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4imTBQHZod2TTzZbHv19tE?si=50e548a3104e4e6e</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Selections include songs from</u>: </b>Tori Amos, Trent Reznor, Wings, Blondie, Loreena McKennitt, Nena, The Cure, Sarah McLachlan, Ariana Grande, Echo & the Bunnymen, Massive Attack, JADE MOSS, and many more.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Some fun less-known stuff here includes "Nun with a Motherf*&*ing Gun," "Dante's Prayer," "All My Heroes," and "The Maker Makes." The combination of stone-cold killer and true believer in Leliana's list (with a dash of girl power) is really fascinating to listen to.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Josephine</span></b></p><div><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">A playlist for the world's sweetest bard. Some of her dolls act out these songs when she plays them.</span></i></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1Pu66tULbRsbq2W7zQNq4K?si=d11550c175584f86">https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1Pu66tULbRsbq2W7zQNq4K?si=d11550c175584f86</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Selections include songs from</u>: </b>Brandi Carlile, Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66, the Monkees, Sarah McLachlan, Ivy, Rickie Lee Jones, Ed Sheeran, Peter Cetera, Wicked, Sara Bareilles, Shakira, the Bangles, and many more.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Hidden gems here might include "All Will Be Well," "Josephine," "Mermaid Song," "I Was Brought to My Senses," and "The Lucky One." I felt sort of hijacked on this one because I had to keep putting in Disney songs, and that's all there was to it. They had to be here. Josie's a Disney Princess at heart!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div><br /></div></div></div></div>Angela D. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-19676852302155804072021-06-26T20:28:00.001-07:002021-06-26T20:42:44.613-07:00The State of Dumped, Drunk and Dalish—and Upcoming Expanded Content!<p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1oBmIlj1zo64d7X-LoDbjZO4tVUqv-ou29x9NytC-qqXRPBOuSNFz6Qc8wbR5TaqkJAZMHLqLtSyldyt_NgxP2VzZTY2jOUdgNo5wi_7-0i_4rifRK4uTEXX7Ui_rbk6k1bqU_fkIpdPG/s1680/Skyhold_Search.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1oBmIlj1zo64d7X-LoDbjZO4tVUqv-ou29x9NytC-qqXRPBOuSNFz6Qc8wbR5TaqkJAZMHLqLtSyldyt_NgxP2VzZTY2jOUdgNo5wi_7-0i_4rifRK4uTEXX7Ui_rbk6k1bqU_fkIpdPG/w640-h400/Skyhold_Search.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Hello, you!</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I hope this finds you well. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I wanted to update you on some new changes you'll see to my blog here, and on future plans for blog formatting and organization, as well. I'm gonna be doing some new things here!</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Cleanup and Organization</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">First off, I know there's a lot of content here to try to wade through, and it's a little confusing, so I've done some housecleaning to try to make stuff easier for you to find.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I've now organized Dragon Age posts by topic, and in smaller groups so that you can more quickly find what you're interested in. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">These new categories include:</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Useful Dragon Age Lore Analyses</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Dragon Age Trailer Analyses</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Dragon Age Interviews and Transcripts</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Solas: Character, Goals, Romance</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Iron Bull and the Qun</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Friends, Enemies, Companions (Analyses)</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Personal Updates, Silly Stuff and Flights of Fancy</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Additional Dragon Age Analyses (Alphabetical)</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Dragon Age Fandom Links...</span></li></ul><p></p><div><span style="font-size: large;">Eventually (see way down) I will be mirroring this blog onto a section of my new website that will enable me to sort everything in a more logical way, but I hope this helps in the meantime.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Dragon Age Content Going Forward</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I also wanted to let you know that I am going to be committing to <u>at least two Dragon Age posts per month going forward</u>. It's really important to me to maintain that.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">With this in mind, here are some post topics I have in progress:</span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Cole at the Crossroads (Spirit or Human)</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Leliana Character Analysis (arc across all 3 games plus Trespasser)</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">The Choices of Thom Rainier</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Meaningful Banters: Viv Plays Tamassran</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Solas's Romance, Part 5 (THE WORST DATE EVER)</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Fenris Analysis (Dragon Age II)</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Alistair: The Hidden Prince</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Plus tons of "Trespasser" character analysis</span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">But what do YOU want to see that I haven't covered yet—or that I haven't covered enough? I know I have characters I haven't addressed yet, and I will get to each of them! Eventually.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I am also going to be putting a lot more work into my poor barely launched YouTube channel, so more on that later, and I hope to be posting some video versions of my most popular posts here, as well as some interviews with other Dragon Age fans and analysts in our community that I will release as videos and podcasts. So, lots of great stuff on the way!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Going Beyond Dragon Age (New Content)</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, I'm kind of excited and nervous to announce that I am also going to start posting new content on here that is not directly applicable to Dragon Age. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">This doesn't mean I'm gonna stop writing about Dragon Age—never! But I have a lot of thoughts about a LOT of things, and they are interests shared by a lot of you folks, too.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">So let's talk about more than Dragon Age! </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">With this in mind, I am going to be regularly adding columns about <b>Critical Role</b>—all heavily spoilered posts, and on all campaigns past and present, and which will eventually move to its own section.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Note</u></b>: I'm working on a new website that will encompass Dumped, Drunk & Dalish as well as my upcoming Critical Role analyses and other fandom writings, so thanks for bearing with me until I get that done.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Other fandom subjects I'll be writing about here will include a bunch of potential topics past and present, just wherever I see resonance to current news or reason to reexamine:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Mass Effect (all games)</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Loki</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">The Lord of the Rings</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Gaming</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Supernatural</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Killing Eve</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Community</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Shadow and Bone</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Marvel Movie Moments and Characters</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Doctor Who</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">The Witcher</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Penny Dreadful</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">The Mandalorian</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">The Magicians</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Into the Border Lands (and other streamed TTRPGs in addition to Critical Role)</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Sherlock Holmes</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Fandom ships and shipping</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Fictional Villains (and <i>Why Are They So Damn Hot?</i>)</span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />(Yes, more bullet points. I can't help it. They're so ORGANIZED! Sigh.)</span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, I'm gonna talk about my health stuff again for a few moments, so bear with me below. Or skip to the next section! I won't judge...</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Inspirations and Motivations (the Point of All This Stuff)</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">So here's the thing. As you probably saw from my <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2021/05/adventures-in-lockdown.html" target="_blank">earlier post on this</a>, I almost shuffled off this mortal coil back in March when I went into heart failure. And it was one of those things that happens where (if you're me, anyway), you go, HOLY SHIT, I HAD SO MUCH I WANTED TO WRITE ABOUT! I'm not kidding. I was <i>pissed</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">There's nothing fun about lying on a gurney near death and thinking about all the things you didn't get to say or do. It affected me very powerfully, and still affects me now—and I swear, <b>I know, I <i>know</i>, I keep talking about it! I promise this is the last time!</b> But this is important for me to share because it is what has inspired me in these latest blog changes going forward.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Over the past three months, I've had to learn how to walk all over again, I'm still on oxygen, and after hours of physical therapy, have only just graduated to using a cane for short distances. Recovering from this has been the hardest thing I have ever done. I never knew exhaustion that went all the way through muscle and bone. I never knew that simply walking across a room with a walker would feel like hiking a mile. I'd never imagined a level of tiredness so deep that I didn't have the mental or physical energy to write a text. That trying to keep up with my freelance work would feel like scaling Everest (because I'm a freelancer, I was working the day I came home, as best I could, to try to keep myself afloat). Even writing short e-mails and updates was challenging. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">The tiredness was just all-encompassing. My first month home from the hospital, I was so tired that I fell asleep constantly and hilariously <i>everywhere</i>—living room, kitchen, bathroom (overshare! BUT SO FUNNY), dining table, at my desk, during Zoom meetings (luckily I wasn't on camera, wasn't snoring, and evidently only nodded off for a few seconds at a time). Seriously. Everywhere. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">But slowly I've gained back strength, and man, has that been humbling. I will never, ever again take walking or mobility or independence for granted. The first time I was able to walk in the hospital? I cried. Because I'd spent seven days contemplating the very real possibility that I would need months of rehab before doing so again, if I ever would at all. So—on the positive side, every step forward since then has been literal, and something for me to celebrate.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Although heart failure is a permanent condition on some levels, there's a lot I can do, and have been working toward, to get to my best possible prognosis. My physical therapists are fantastic people and making them proud has been a huge achievement for me. Thanks to this effort, and their help, eventually I will be back to nearly full health and mobility, and will ironically also end up in my best physical shape of the past decade or so. It's awesome! </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Except for the scary statistics emphasized by my Terminator cyborg doctor a week ago. Not to get maudlin, but while I'm doing great<i> </i>and working really hard to recover physically, the fact is that while I'm young for congestive heart failure (it was a perfect storm of combined factors exacerbated by lockdown—<i>watch your salt intake</i>, peeps!), it doesn't change the fact that 50% of people with my condition are dead in the first year. 80% of those diagnosed with it die within five years. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Meaning, I have a 2 in 10 chance of seeing 5 years.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Freakages and Flailings</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Did I freak out about these statistics? Yeah. I did. I'd already done a hell of a lot of soul-searching over the past few months, and this just kicked me into an even higher gear of evaluation and goal-setting. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">So if I seem to be a little all over the place lately—if I seem like I'm oversharing right, left, and center, well—apologies. But yeah, I <i>am. </i>And I'll probably keep doing it. Because I just want to be however I am. I want to be a little more honest. I want to cut down on the bullshit that doesn't matter. I want to enjoy whatever time I have and do so being myself and expressing myself. I want to champion wonderful people and causes, I want to be brave, and kind, and engaged. I want to end every day knowing I did my best to live fully.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Please know that I'm going to work really hard to stick around, but no matter what, I want to write things I'm passionate about, that I care about, and that are fun to discuss and analyze. I'm also going to be working a lot harder on my outside stuff—my fiction (including fanfics), plays, et cetera. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I don't have kids, so my words are the only legacy I have, and they mean a lot to me. I want to be remembered.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Expanding Horizons</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">So that's part of it. I want to write and discuss all these characters and ideas we all bond over, and I hope some of these new topics will be fun or interesting for us to discuss together, too!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">The other part of this is that I really want to earn people's support in a bigger-picture way, if they want to act on that support (no pressure!). Meaning, stuff like <a href="https://www.patreon.com/DrunkDalish" target="_blank"><b>Patreon</b></a> or however else you or anyone wants to support or share my work. I have not been a good Patreon artist thus far, but that is changing NOW, and if you already support me, hang in there, and I will come through for you with stuff that's only for you. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Ultimately, I've spent two decades prior to this like most freelancers, writing content I was extremely proud of, but that didn't touch my heart. I've waited long enough. The more I write, I hope, the more I will connect with all of you as well as new audiences. And, if I earn it, the more support I'll get. Everybody wins!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I am passionate about magic, about genre fiction in all its forms. I love fantasy. I love other worlds. I want to play them, watch them, read them, write them, and explore them. And then I want to talk about them with fellow fans and friends like you.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">So I hope you'll support me and come along.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>A Little Magic in a Stressful World</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Thanks for this chance to update you, and for bearing with me on this very strange, scary, yet often wonderful journey over the past three or four years. You have no idea what it means to me to have gained your attention and readership, as well as (in so many cases!) your friendship and support through some difficult and dark times. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">The past few years especially, as we've all battled COVID restrictions, fear, isolation, and more, I have watched the Dragon Age community come through for each other, mourn losses, show kindness, and share lightness and humor when we all needed it. I've watched Dragon Age writers and artists tirelessly answer questions even when the questioners were rude or dismissive (luckily, a minority). I've watched Dragon Age team leaders champion the fan artists among us every single day. And I've been so humbled by how many at BioWare have supported our celebration of <a href="https://www.dragon4geday.com/" target="_blank">Dragon Age Day</a> and helped us achieve our fundraising goals even when many of these people were exhausted already from work, deadlines, and COVID.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">So we're in a pretty comfortable little corner of our fandom at the Herald's Rest, and I feel lucky to be a part of that. Those of you who read or follow me, you're amazing. And you're the reason so many of us in our community (including me) got through lockdown as semi-unscathed as we did.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Ultimately, I hope the blog updates and changes mean you'll stop by here more than before, not less. But we'll see how it goes—and I hope you'll let me know your thoughts on what I can improve, what I can add, and what would mean most to you.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Thanks as always, and take care out there...</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Angela</span></div>Angela D. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-23533703736888211682021-06-15T14:16:00.008-07:002021-06-17T04:06:35.558-07:00Dragon Age Answers to the Batman Question... (NSFW)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHI4m6dhcLEKQib9dT8FD7SgTtT6vrbu7djOovdRLwxOPuJz11tiEFWbFJ-oyX9AdeMUrjA3EVovvxYNeNsrNovP5AsrVtfbLlg_3uvzsC4mFlcscCv8JhvTWk9eGQUctLkeUEMwpq07cO/s1680/CullenCassJosie2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHI4m6dhcLEKQib9dT8FD7SgTtT6vrbu7djOovdRLwxOPuJz11tiEFWbFJ-oyX9AdeMUrjA3EVovvxYNeNsrNovP5AsrVtfbLlg_3uvzsC4mFlcscCv8JhvTWk9eGQUctLkeUEMwpq07cO/w640-h400/CullenCassJosie2.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Warning: NSFW implications and scenarios galore.</span></b></i></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So you know that Batman bedroom scenario that had Twitter spontaneously combusting the other day? You know the one. About whether or not the Dark Knight would take a tour, ahem, downtown on a night with Catwoman. Otherwise known as <i>The Greatest Conversation in the History of Twitter</i>?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://twitter.com/DrunkDalish/status/1404693138875187200" target="_blank">I thought it would be naughty fun to address this via Dragon Age characters</a>, so see my takes below. I saw this discussed in a few places casually on Twitter, but want to shout out to <b><a href="https://twitter.com/squonk_katie" target="_blank">Squonk</a></b>, who posted a conversation that inspired me to do my own take on this. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Note</u></b>: Depending on their sexual orientation, let's just say that we're asking whether the character would take that tour with a partner of their appropriate gender.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Another Note</b></u>: I forgot a few people! Bethany! Krem! A few others! So I've added them. Along with a few stupid comments that I forgot originally, so I hope they're good for a laugh. Many thanks to readers <b>Rob</b> and <b>Kirsty</b> for the reminder!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I'm probably gonna be sheepish I wrote this, but it was fun, and we all need a little fun in the world right now. So, onward!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Warden<br /></b>The world's ending any minute now, I feel safe in saying they absolutely would.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Alistair<br /></b>Would have to be talked through it, probably also with diagrams, but sure. He would blush afterward and also send flowers.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Leliana<br /></b>She's a bard who loves women, and who is highly skilled in the arts of the bedroom. What do you think? Those smallclothes would be off faster than you can say... smallclothes.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Morrigan<br /></b>Definitely would, but I'm kind of thinking she'd be one of those "I gave you five minutes, now give me an hour" kinds of foreplay types. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sten<br /></b>Hell, yes. He's Qunari—while they're repressive and disturbing as a whole, they do seem to be a culture that is very sex-positive even if aromantic, and during his time as a Companion he's totally doing the Qunari equivalent of visiting Europe, anyway. Don't @ me.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Oghren<br /></b>I think he'd be willing, but the question is—would he stay conscious long enough? I just don't see that happening. Nope.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Wynne<br /></b>Not... yet? I think she'd be willing, but I think she's had lousy luck so far (it's why I ship her with Zevran after he flirts with her in <i>Origins</i>, since he would absolutely rock her world). Let's be real—her previous sexual escapades were probably all hasty stolen moments in various dusty dark corners of the mage tower. And they never lasted more than four minutes at a time. (And now I'm depressed.)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Zevran<br /></b>He finds the question hilarious, and has over two dozen favorite approaches and techniques, some of which both begin and end with an erotic massage. And yes, it would be ridiculously awesome.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Shale<br /></b>"What a bizarre and useless question about those stupid, soft and fleshy beings."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Loghain Mac Tir<br /></b>Nuh-uh. I don't think so. Look at all that tension. This is not the face of a man who's ever had a really happy sexual experience. Or given one.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Urthemiel<br /></b>"Nobody ever asks what <i>I</i> need. Nobody ever asks if <i>I'm</i> a caring, gentle and considerate lover. Nope. It's all, 'Whine, whine, whine! Why'd you have to bring the Darkspawn? Blight, Blight, Blight!' and I'm sick of it."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Anders<br /></b>Yep. You'd have pretty great sex, he'd be generous and satisfying, and then you'd look out your window and his moving van would already be parked right there at the curb. Still, there are worse trade-offs. I'm just saying.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Justice<br /></b>"Are you being humorous? No. This question is immaterial and a waste of time."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Nathaniel Howe<br /></b>I'm kind of seeing Nat as the sexual equivalent of a middle-of-the-road steak dinner. Like, nothing super-creative there, but the arrow would find its target. (Oh, that was really bad. Really, really, <i>really </i>bad.)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sigrun<br /></b>She'd be funny and caring, one of those "rogue in the streets, stole your sheets" types.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Velanna<br /></b>Yes, but it would be tense, passive-aggressive, and slightly perfunctory. And she wouldn't call you afterward.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Teagan Guerrin<br /></b>No. Just look at what happens to that man from <i>Origins </i>to "Trespasser." That is the face of a profoundly disappointed person right there. Nope. Never a single fun night in his entire life. What a waste of Hot Young Teagan! I blame Isolde.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Duncan</b><br />Yeah, I'm thinking a definite yes on that one. Duncan was a bit of a rascal in his early years, so this is not a guy afraid of a trip to the Deep Roads, is what I'm saying.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Hawke</b><br />All three colors are a resounding yes no matter what. Blue Hawke spoons after, Red Hawke doesn't. If it's Purple Hawke, there would be brief spoonage and then probably something humorous like farts or hiccups.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cullen</b><br />Based on his adorable uptightness and his panic during even basic flirtation scenarios, I'm gonna go with a soft no on this one. I'm not saying he wouldn't eventually get there, but he'd definitely need to meet the right woman (thousands immediately raise their hands to volunteer). He's spent a lot of his life focusing on work and guilt, so to me his romance in <i>Inquisition</i> just makes me think there's not a ton of reach and flexibility in that corner of his life as yet.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Flemeth</b><br />If you could get past the subtly terrifying "I'll probably kill you when I'm done" aspect of Flemeth's sex life, she was probably a total blast as well as wickedly creative in her day when it came to romantic shenanigans. Absolutely yes.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Isabela</b><br />"Oooh, aren't you funny, you!" (<i>Cheerfully and promptly demonstrates superior technique on the person asking the question. Bonus points if it's Catwoman.</i>)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Varric</b><br />Of course he does, he's got a great imagination and is actually famous for writing blushworthy fictional romantic torrid scenarios. And I'm sure he's had his share of opportunities, trysts, and admirers. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And yet, in Varric's ongoing day to day life? It's a bit tragic, as his primary experience seems to have been with Bianca, and that is just really a waste of all that dwarfly sexiness. My question is, does he practice on the person, or the crossbow? Or... both?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Aveline<br /></b>See also Cullen. That's a no. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cassandra<br /></b>Absolute yes. Classic example of someone who doth protest too much. Nobody reads that much <i>Swords & Shields</i> who isn't gonna be secretly delightful in the kip.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Fenris<br /></b>Yes, and it would be very intense and dramatic. He'd probably get glowy at certain moments.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Merrill<br /></b>"Did I miss something dirty?" My favorite thing about Merrill is that she is a paradox—an innocent who is completely free of sexual hangups, very much like the character of Jester in <i>Critical Role</i>, Campaign 2. In all seriousness, I always kind of ship her with Isabela, so yes. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Arishok<br /></b>Absolutely would, and I'm not gonna say anything else because, anyway... yeah. (I'll... be in my bunk.)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sebastian<br /></b>Oh, no no no, my Andrastian ears and whiskers, no. Nope. Nope. Nope. Not ever. Or at least—not after his vows! <i>Before </i>is another matter entirely.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tallis<br /></b>Tallis would combine the Qun's no-nonsense sexual wisdom and technique with a sweet, funny, sparkly running dialogue that would either be annoying or adorable, or probably both.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Carver<br /></b>Would be willing, but he'd also be the type to get someone interested down at The Hanged Man and then he'd complain and complain and complain for so long that they'd get that fixed expression on their face, escape when he paused for breath, and Carver'd never realize he just lost the chance to hook up. Poor grumpy bro.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span><b>Bethany <br /></b></span>Hmmm... she's very proper and sweet. But she's also incredibly empathetic and wants people around her to feel joy, so hey, this would be one way for her to do that. I'm just sayin'. So Bethany's a yes.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Meredith<br /></b>I'm gonna say no. And all of Kirkwall will pay just because she couldn't find a healthier way to relieve stress.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Orsino<br /></b>He's got this sort of slinky, super-feline quality to him that makes me think yep. Also, yes, part of me kind of ships Orsino with Meredith because he's probably exactly what she needs in the bedroom department. Just think, he could have saved the city with a daring proposition and a few glasses of Antivan wine!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Inquisitor<br /></b>Oh, depending on your character build and preferences, sure. And the Mark could also be an added bonus in certain scenarios. Sorry/not sorry.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Solas<br /></b>He's thousands of years old, dating back to one of the most decadent, hedonistic eras in an intensely magical world, and for extra fun, he can paint the dream world of the Fade to be anything he wants it to be. In other words, there is <i>nothing </i>the Dread Wolf hasn't done in the sack as long as it's adult and consenting, and I'm talking genders, participants, etc. Nada. He's had the world tour several times over, and by now, he knows what he likes and knows how he likes it. (C<i>onfirmed preferences include dominating, er, focus, and probably lots of booty stuff. And don't forget the 'dominating focus.'</i>).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>(stares into middle distance)</i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Wait, where was I?<br /><br /><u>ADDED NOTE</u>: I can't help it! I keep picturing The Iron Bull and Solas making a trip to the store for bondage supplies, and then sharing notes on which materials they find most effective.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"But what about this stuff?" asks Bull. "It's great for adjusting tension, and it's on sale!"</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"Nonsense," replies Solas. "It tangles easily and has no flexibility at all."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"But it's on <i>sale</i>!" cries Bull. "I could tie up half of Skyhold!"</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"Nevertheless," says Solas. "It is important to be discerning in these matters if you wish the object of your affection to be satisfied." </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"Little asshole," grumbles Bull. "<i>Everyone's </i>satisfied with The Iron Bull."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"Undoubtedly," says Solas. "However, to keep it that way, I would go with my rope, not yours."</span></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">(Sorry. We now return you to your original posted content.) </span></i></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Iron Bull<br /></b>Oh, gosh, I don't know. You think? (<i>hysterical laughter</i>) Personally, I'm guessing for Bull that third base is practically his version of a good night kiss. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><u>ADDED NOTE</u>: I keep visualizing this scenario in my head and it's been cracking me up for a few days now—Bull on the porch at the end of a date, and instead of a good-night kiss, just going right in for third base, and his date going, "Oh! Oh, my. Okay. Um, let's go inside." Although let's face it, anybody who ends a night with Bull with a kiss on the porch just missed out on one of life's great moments, anyway. Sheesh, people.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But honestly, the best summation I can give of Bull's scenario is from my friend <b>SeekerCat5500</b> over on Twitter, who <a href="https://twitter.com/SeekerCat5500/status/1404857297617264648" target="_blank">wrote</a>, "There's not one aspect of his lover's body that Iron Bull wouldn't dine on like a starving man at a feast."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">She's not wrong. Also, woof.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>(stares into middle distance)</i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Huh?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Krem</b><br />Handsome, smart, sweet, and dryly funny, I feel like Krem is basically perfect, so let's just say that I think he would be generous, attentive and very successful in this situation. However, I'd also guess that he'd have probably had a few insightful conversations with Bull, who would have given him lots of humorous advice on technique, combined with a few combat metaphors ("Don't rush right in! Vary your responses! Occasionally go for the unexpected, where they're weakest!" etc.) </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Dalish<br /></b>She'd be a little bit impatient, she's got things to do and people to see and bad guys to shoot with a <strike>spell</strike> arrow: "There. No, there. No. Right there. Yes. No, you're in the wrong spot. Yes!" And at some point, she'd say the sexual equivalent of, "It's a <i>bow</i>." But dirtier.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Grim<br /></b>Grim would grunt mysteriously a few times, then jump right in and make the recipient pretty happy in a businesslike fashion.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sera<br /></b>Shite, nobody even needs to ask this question because of course she does. In this scenario she is definitely <i>Sera was Ever</i> not <i>Sera was Never</i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cole<br /></b><i>(He pauses thoughtfully for a full minute)<br /></i>"I don't think those two things go together. But also, you should talk to ______ because they think of nice things when they look at you, and then they smile." </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Blackwall<br /></b>I think it could go either way. I'm gonna say, Blackwall, no. But when he's free to be Thom Rainier again? I'm gonna go with yes on this one. I think he'd be a people pleaser.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Scout Harding</b><br />Yes? I don't know. Sure, in a happy demi scenario with a trusted companion? </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Vivienne<br /></b>"Oh, darling, how <i>funny </i>of you. Anyone approaches within a foot of that part of my body and they get a permanent case of Winter's Chill."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Dorian<br /></b>Yes, and everyone's curtains go up in flames. If you know what I mean, and I think you do.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cabot<br /></b>Let's face it, with his clever moods and "words of the day," our sly barkeep is quite the cunning linguist.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Bram Kenric<br /></b>"Oh, goodness, well let me see, I've been so focused on getting tenure, so this is a bit awkward. It certainly isn't like any of the more scholarly descriptions I've read in books. It's a bit daunting, to be honest. However, I'm willing to give it a try. Wish me luck!" Then at some point in the proceedings, he would injure himself on the bedpost, pass out, and require at least ten stitches.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Svarah Sun-Hair<br /></b>"Ah! No. Wait a moment. Your tongue is as clumsy as a hold-beast's. It appears to me that while you are willing to please, you perhaps require further proper instruction. I will provide it. Begin again."<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Corypheus<br /></b>Look, say what you will about Corypants, but he's got to be an absolute dervish in the sack. Anything goes. He's totally got one of those bedrooms with weird colored lights and stuff too. And don't forget the striped stockings!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Josephine</b><br />No, I feel like she's a gentle ace who would probably rather not go there. But that she's very romantic in her own way and with the right partner. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sutherland<br /></b>"Yes, ma'am, thank you, ma'am, a little higher? Sure. No, hold on. Left? Wait, was that a good sound or a bad one?"</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Jim (Cullen's Attache)<br /></b>Oh absolutely. He's still writing torrid fanfiction about the day when Cullen finally succumbs to his <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2019/09/jims-fanfics-bulls-blog-and-coles.html" target="_blank">forbidden secret passions</a> and realizes their love.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">______________________________________________</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">What's your take? And what did I get wrong? </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, I regret nothing.</span></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">NOTE: Just a friendly reminder that if you enjoy my blog, tweets, or Dragon Age analyses, I'd welcome a coffee on <a href="https://ko-fi.com/dumpeddrunkdalish" target="_blank">Ko-Fi</a> or some support on <a href="https://www.patreon.com/DrunkDalish" target="_blank">Patreon</a>.</span></i></p><div><br /></div>Angela D. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-13530296941898424442021-06-15T04:12:00.002-07:002021-06-15T04:51:38.020-07:00Love, Lies and Lyrium: Speculations on Varric's Role in Dragon Age 4<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz5UAv9sdYlx55BjaCNg9CQ7oNyP-9kk8QM3iVLiFpwKvXdYeVejrf8EPD2N8k96G-CjXfPpbyQ7nN5RJbTOscp-bW8RnODjHUOEcUPoQuGhgTo-V0aD4eITjv7cHLlWwl3aNE6oihPCua/s1920/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz5UAv9sdYlx55BjaCNg9CQ7oNyP-9kk8QM3iVLiFpwKvXdYeVejrf8EPD2N8k96G-CjXfPpbyQ7nN5RJbTOscp-bW8RnODjHUOEcUPoQuGhgTo-V0aD4eITjv7cHLlWwl3aNE6oihPCua/w640-h360/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">VARRIC: There's always someone bent on breaking the world...</span></i></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">You know that <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2021/06/dragon-age-4-trailer-game-awards-teaser.html" target="_blank">third <i>Dragon Age 4</i> trailer</a> that I took forever to analyze, and that I just posted about last week?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Well, going through and updating it over the past few weeks made me do some thinking. And a lot of that thinking was about our storyteller dwarf Master Tethras, whose <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2020/05/the-fatalist-and-dreamer-deconstructing.html" target="_blank">character analysis</a> I just posted a few weeks back before the latest big teaser trailer run-through.</span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFgX5sNsPUKQM_PYKjpZL43qV5V8ExFhPy-GCsLip4W-OICxj2z1iNAv-9lS4abwc9dT2QfOok1bL8X-xG1VcoW2PJUHo_YfsLXIzmnWCWAtJ-3lxCjecJ0fmEvcv7V6xHp99GjpAANCx/" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="628" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFgX5sNsPUKQM_PYKjpZL43qV5V8ExFhPy-GCsLip4W-OICxj2z1iNAv-9lS4abwc9dT2QfOok1bL8X-xG1VcoW2PJUHo_YfsLXIzmnWCWAtJ-3lxCjecJ0fmEvcv7V6xHp99GjpAANCx/" width="259" /></span></a><span style="font-size: large;">For me, as for many, one of the most exciting things about that new teaser trailer for <i>Dragon Age 4</i> was the immediate revelation that it was narrated by none other than Varric Tethras himself—which is a pretty good indication that Thedas's bestselling novelist is going to be returning for our next adventure. Especially as he even specifies, "I've got your back" as the trailer winds down.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As I mentioned, I feel like this is a clear indication that Varric will most likely serve as an advisor to our next hero in <i>Dragon Age 4—</i>he may even be our main point of contact, although I believe Dorian and hopefully Maevaris will also be present. As I also mentioned, I don't think Varric's going to be a Companion, although he may very well have a special guest "tag-along" quest, as Cullen did in <i>Dragon Age Inquisition</i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But I think there are some other exciting big-picture conclusions to be drawn from Varric's presence, as well.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Varric's Nemesis</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Varric's narration in that latest trailer isn't just important because it lets us know that Varric will be back—there's another really deep, almost mythic aspect I want to bring up here, which is that, for Varric, more than for any other character in Dragon Age, red lyrium is his <i>nemesis</i>.</span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs7atJq8HZPZaAAlGkyTFjomQ8ryJoQotmQv1eX1SLMCCIykYHfV8vSLvPjUUpaGfN9nmNuIqxj7izYkxNptW0cxtXOD8NQv0QMstqi6U1zPUg8A32TZHUvXmNDQRSPqpdS9pNXzUM1R82/s1680/Varric_Trespasser.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs7atJq8HZPZaAAlGkyTFjomQ8ryJoQotmQv1eX1SLMCCIykYHfV8vSLvPjUUpaGfN9nmNuIqxj7izYkxNptW0cxtXOD8NQv0QMstqi6U1zPUg8A32TZHUvXmNDQRSPqpdS9pNXzUM1R82/w320-h200/Varric_Trespasser.png" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-size: large;">Varric was there when that very first red lyrium idol was found in the remains of the ancient thaig in the Deep Roads in <i>Dragon Age II</i> -- the lyrium idol that seemed to start red lyrium's deadly growth across Thedas. That red lyrium idol first destroyed his brother Bartram and then maddened and destroyed Meredith. This in turn led to widescale death and carnage across Kirkwall, and which endangered Thedas beyond.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Then Corypheus's rise to power in <i>Dragon Age Inquisition</i> took the effects even further, and through a corrupt network, evil army, and demented mining strategy, red lyrium began to show up in almost all corners of Southern Thedas as the Inquisition waged its battles. Varric then discovered the devastating truth that Bianca had unknowingly facilitated a secret red lyrium mining operation in order to maintain access to her study of the red lyrium. Even as Varric worked do destroy as much red lyrium as possible across Thedas, Bianca's brilliant scientific mind had discovered the truth -- that the substance is what happens when regular lyrium becomes infected with the Blight—and that red lyrium is, in ways she can't quite understand, actually <i>alive</i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">While Bianca hadn't meant to doom the world or contribute to the rise of Corypants, it's still undeniable that she knew she was doing some pretty shady stuff, and that the red lyrium was incredibly dangerous.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Varric knew it too. Which was why he sighed his usual catchphrase, which also held a world of hurt behind it: "Well, shit."</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzxf1XOlJbcncPLIb_vRoT9ddJePaojyuf9ChcVWdnG7lsitCTYtumOOFOYKpg7sEieZDnnet2XFqcFV6IcYf21c83iT-PGkgEtj_OaGOftCMkNssJriOU0F-sWzlvE5Pj6YLNeyfKz8l0/s1680/ScreenshotWin32_4820_Final.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzxf1XOlJbcncPLIb_vRoT9ddJePaojyuf9ChcVWdnG7lsitCTYtumOOFOYKpg7sEieZDnnet2XFqcFV6IcYf21c83iT-PGkgEtj_OaGOftCMkNssJriOU0F-sWzlvE5Pj6YLNeyfKz8l0/s320/ScreenshotWin32_4820_Final.png" width="320" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Infection Spreads</span></b><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Because red lyrium is somehow alive, this seems to make it easy to use to "infect" a landscape, and in <i>Dragon Age Inquisition</i>, Corypheus made sure it was sown across Thedas. The deposits grew and multiplied quickly, and were easy to mine and transport, since red lyrium (unlike regular lyrium) can be mined by anyone, not just dwarves. Red lyrium was also shown to be insidious and easy to use to corrupt and infect people, since it didn't even require ingestion, and people could be infected simply through close proximity (which is what appeared to happen to our imprisoned companions in the alternate future of "In Hushed Whispers.")</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKGT1Z2jO2DEEbVGeH7a6DaScCWo8W0eJqA8M-HsqUPvK7K4WIxnCg_y5uwpcHSyxmu_4ejhoZ2n7_xn8CeatNwJAUiEXMnfiNOcci-IJbsTdHbzi-9d4kE4GIMwS17MEJVRUc4xytUMu/s1680/Corypants.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKGT1Z2jO2DEEbVGeH7a6DaScCWo8W0eJqA8M-HsqUPvK7K4WIxnCg_y5uwpcHSyxmu_4ejhoZ2n7_xn8CeatNwJAUiEXMnfiNOcci-IJbsTdHbzi-9d4kE4GIMwS17MEJVRUc4xytUMu/s320/Corypants.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">Varric never forgot his brother Bartram's poisoning and destruction from red lyrium (either mentally or physically, depending on our choices in <i>Dragon Age II</i>), and that chapter of his life</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3wEaXLC" target="_blank">Knight Errant</a></i>, upon finishing his trip to Starkhaven (attending Sebastian's birthday celebration in order to help Vaea get Marius and Tessa out of prison), Varric discovers upon departure that red lyrium may have now spread to Tevinter.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Tevinter Nights</i>, meanwhile, shows that Varric has continued to work actively for the Inquisition despite his day job as Viscount. He's the one who oversees the investigation on Genitivi and friends' research into the nature of the ancient elven pantheon, according to "Genitivi Dies in the End," and who receives the report (a nice detail to look back on as Varric is obviously <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2021/06/dragon-age-4-trailer-game-awards-teaser.html" target="_blank">very much aware of "The Dread Wolf" and his identity as of the new Dragon Age 4 trailer</a>). It's also Varric who calls in a favor to get the Carta Assassin to attend the meeting with Charter in "<a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2020/07/tevinter-nights-analysis-dread-wolf.html" target="_blank">The Dread Wolf Take You</a>." The Assassin's tale is also directly tied to the danger of red lyrium, and he starts by referencing Bartrand and Meredith, then talks obliquely about Bianca's research and revelations, and that Varric was responsible for the Carta-approved quarantine to try to keep it contained.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Then he gets specific: A Dalish elf contacted them who wanted the red lyrium idol from the heart of Meredith's fossilized red lyrium form (for Solas), and here's where Varric and Solas's stories and agendas converge:</span></p><p></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: large;">...But the elf keeps at it. He’s learned it from a dream. Some old legend of his people says the idol is in her body, and if he gets it out, he can free his gods or something like that...</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">...We’re about to kill him, not because we’re cruel, you understand, but anybody who is that determined to dig around in a statue made of lyrium needs to be put down before they get a bunch of people hurt, and then the elf pulls out a potion and says it will soften the raw lyrium and weaken its magic for a bit, so we can get to the idol inside safely. We pour a little of that potion on some lyrium for a laugh, and damned if it doesn’t work just like he says.</span></p></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In hindsight, what's really interesting about this beyond the fact that <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2019/11/the-gift-of-hindsight-solas-on-brink.html" target="_blank">Solas</a> and Varric's stories have just converged again in the unlikeliest of ways, is that Solas has very little dialogue about red lyrium in <i>Dragon Age Inquisition</i>, period. Beyond expressing a healthy caution for being in its proximity, he says few words about it and expresses no curiosity at all. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">However. He <i>does</i> have the following extremely telling conversation with Cassandra about Corypants:</span></p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cassandra</b>: Solas, what do you think this Corypheus actually is?<br /><b>Solas</b>: A darkspawn, as he appears.<br /><b>Cassandra</b>: But what of the orb he wields and the dragon he commands? This is no ordinary darkspawn.<br /><b>Solas</b>: His true advantage is the red lyrium. It is corrupted by the Blight as he is, thus taps into its power twofold. Whatever he was before, <u>that</u> is what makes him dangerous now.</span></i><p><span style="font-size: large;">Uh-oh. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcp_bjo9qInqnJJHi309MXPvHfgst8tWs3dJ92Wl4UeUZdiB1RScKv8T1l6IJX4IHpZOcBeyoEAmCdc2jKikmBUbLhWEncz3u3I-lCnGTH6FiaYR7pTGm46LyEr7CS7C6-t3WxDHIJFGwg/s1680/RedLyriumSolas_InHushedWhispers8.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcp_bjo9qInqnJJHi309MXPvHfgst8tWs3dJ92Wl4UeUZdiB1RScKv8T1l6IJX4IHpZOcBeyoEAmCdc2jKikmBUbLhWEncz3u3I-lCnGTH6FiaYR7pTGm46LyEr7CS7C6-t3WxDHIJFGwg/s320/RedLyriumSolas_InHushedWhispers8.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">And this ties <i>directly </i>in with the stories of the Carta Assassin and all of the others at Charter's table in <i><a href="https://amzn.to/35o2foU" target="_blank">Tevinter Nights</a></i> as they converge to provide us with the revelation that Solas desperately needed the red lyrium idol, and that he's going to use it in his ritual or enchantment to tear down the Veil and restore the ancient empire of his people. The idol—and the red lyrium—are going to provide him with that "true advantage" and of course, just as he said, make him more dangerous than ever.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The fact that Solas ends the story as resolute and sorrowful as ever to move forward with his plans doesn't bode well for Thedas in <i>Dragon Age 4</i>... or Varric in his determination to contain the threat of red lyrium once and for all.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">A Sorrowful Dwarf in a Lyrium-Blighted World</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It's exciting and surprising that Solas's biggest strategic antagonist in <i>Dragon Age 4 </i>may just be our own Master Tethras, once again waging a war against a toxic red crystal that harkens all the way back to the days of Mythal and the Evanuris and Solas, back to dwarves and titans, back to stolen titan's-blood and the beginnings of the Blight... (No wonder the Blighted red lyrium is confirmed by Bianca to be alive... isn't lyrium <i>already</i> alive, if we think about it? The titans lived, even if they may have been monolithic, biologically exotic creatures of mountain and stone... <i>they </i>were alive, and it certainly looks like we may be in for a reckoning in <i>Dragon Age 4.</i>)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And it all makes perfect sense, if so. As we get those additional glimpses of the next chapter in Dragon Age, it's obvious that red lyrium is back again, and worse than ever, in <i>Dragon Age 4</i>. For this reason, Varric's presence in the trailer is not only exciting, it's also potentially tragic. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As of the end of "Trespasser," Varric was uncomfortably ensconced as the lovably irascible Viscount of Kirkwall, grudgingly ruling the city where he was born—the city he loved, even when he didn't want to. He felt a responsibility to the city and its people, and demonstrated in his conversations with the Inquisitor that, like it or not, he was a pretty damn good ruler, and he was keeping his city safe. He seemed pretty set where he was—even inviting the Inquisitor to come out and live there if they have a yearning to (an offer that warmed my heart, because Varric can't help turning friends into family everywhere he goes). He doesn't seem like someone who's going to go on extended adventuring again anytime soon.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But now I think everything's changed. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Thanks to the teasers and trailers, the red lyrium we glimpse in <i>Dragon Age 4</i> doesn't just look like a creepy malignancy to be wiped out here and there—it looks like a plague, a crimson cancer that's overrunning Thedas, destroying fields, forests, and even perhaps cities.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Which means that for Varric, <i>Dragon Age 4</i> is going to be more personal than ever. I suspect he'll be more invested and passionate than we've seen him so far, for that reason. No more attempts to be neutral. No more reluctance to choose a side, to be the storyteller and not the hero. As I've mentioned before, this is something that writer <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2019/12/mary-kirby-and-brianne-battye-conquer.html" target="_blank">Mary Kirby</a> has always navigated skillfully when it comes to Varric, balancing that sense of charm and intimacy, that Varric is our friend, with that equal truth that he's just as cool and calculating as Leliana and <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2017/09/actor-lover-soldier-spy-iron-bull-at.html" target="_blank">Bull</a> in some ways, and far more similar to them in his abilities to compartmentalize than people may be aware of.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It's personal. And if it's personal for Varric, that means he has more to lose than ever. But those moments also can come with a curious sense of freedom, which is why I want to bring up my other theory for the next game: when it comes to love, I think Varric may finally have let go of the past.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Closing a Door on the Past...</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The revelation that Bianca was aware of the red lyrium operation in <i>Dragon Age Inquisition</i>, and keeping vital information about that fact from Varric, ends her visit to Skyhold with a tense confrontation between the two in which Bianca both apologizes and justifies her actions, and in which Varric seems both deeply disappointed and tired. The Inquisitor can step in, choose a side, or ask them both to step back. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Bianca plays it cool as always, although we can see how much Varric still means to her. She threatens the Inquisitor if Varric comes to harm, and even during the mission to the Deep Roads, she invites Varric to stop by for another tryst—another few stolen moments for the lovers among dozens over the years.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Still, he's unhappy as she departs, and from the conversation that ensues with the Inquisitor, it's apparent that this is a big moment for Varric, and I think it's about more than just choosing a side or seeing the big picture here.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I think it's also about his heart. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Right here is when I think Varric starts to let go of Bianca permanently. At long last.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Hearts and High Stakes</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">My bet is that Varric's discovery of Bianca's role in <i>Dragon Age Inquisition</i> finally caused him to break free from her, and that—at last—all those people who wanted their chance at romancing the guy with the best chest hair in Thedas may finally get their chance.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This is why I don't just think he'll be an advisor in the next game, following the tried and true "Cullen" Dragon Age path from soldier to commander—I also think, as with Cullen, that finally Varric may in fact... wait for it... be <i>available</i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">After all, this is a formula that's worked for BioWare in the games in the past—popular game characters evolve from romanced companions to advisors or compatriots, or vice versa, as we've seen in the case of Leliana, Cassandra, and Cullen, and that we'll witness again next, I suspect, with Dorian (who I'm betting will be an unromanceable advisor), and Varric. If I'm right, Varric won't just be laying his traps and pulling on those spiderwebs, he'll also—I swear to Andruil—be available for those patient Varric thirsters wanting to <i>finally</i> swipe right.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPdbgaTpjRF94QuSaGV3RAHkzQ3dsM4Rg94SjD_LmxY2nn24hYSc0oMDFwng4Fr3teu44ZQL6O73JGyjBEXdyKHTgKBnosLUnKS8X2tCo1QCKI0TqXSiEt6cRs4XriGj1LGhREvZKwNSzm/s1680/Varric_Inky3_Bianca.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPdbgaTpjRF94QuSaGV3RAHkzQ3dsM4Rg94SjD_LmxY2nn24hYSc0oMDFwng4Fr3teu44ZQL6O73JGyjBEXdyKHTgKBnosLUnKS8X2tCo1QCKI0TqXSiEt6cRs4XriGj1LGhREvZKwNSzm/s320/Varric_Inky3_Bianca.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">It makes narrative sense to me, as well. The next game is going to hold the highest stakes for Varric in many ways since it all began back in Kirkwall. And yet we'll be dealing with a new protagonist and a new cast of Companion followers, which might daunt some players missing the camaraderie of their old friends at Skyhold. So if it does happen as I expect, Varric will be one of those returning characters who would provide an anchor, a sense of continuity and family for returning players, and his romance would further add a natural yet necessary element of emotion and high stakes very quickly into the equation, as well.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This scenario also worries me as someone who adores Varric and doesn't want anything to happen to him. Let's face it, if Varric were Ahab, then red lyrium would be his white whale. It's literally touched, altered or destroyed almost everything he loved. Will he defeat it? Or will it sink him at last? If it does, I can almost guarantee you that he'd simply die with a wry smile and an appropriately literary and witty observation as his last words. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The sad part is, Varric will have had years in which to compose those words, because I think some part of him always knew that the fight wasn't over, and that because he was there for the discovery of red lyrium in the beginning, he would have an additional part to play in the end, as well.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">That's why <i>Dragon Age 4</i> may very well hold the highest danger for Thedas's most popular novelist yet—and the biggest threat not just to his life, but to his heart.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Will Varric make it through? Time will tell.</span></p>Angela D. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-9621470501640937992021-06-10T07:51:00.000-07:002021-06-10T07:51:24.423-07:00Dragon Age 4 Trailer (Game Awards Teaser), Shot by Shot Analysis<p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZvCgltXnumHbCRpKJlb6iUvjMWmuut53MhiYueJfoFcW9p_0grQj7Bq_CAxs2tfQH1btMinsTN8hP0lKhcelOfjDNh4Wn_VKQ-2MK6o4WfICg9Yoa2jxcV9G5jjWHGOBnSRB4EZi-qqpT/s2826/da4completefrescographic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1113" data-original-width="2826" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZvCgltXnumHbCRpKJlb6iUvjMWmuut53MhiYueJfoFcW9p_0grQj7Bq_CAxs2tfQH1btMinsTN8hP0lKhcelOfjDNh4Wn_VKQ-2MK6o4WfICg9Yoa2jxcV9G5jjWHGOBnSRB4EZi-qqpT/w640-h252/da4completefrescographic.png" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Hello, brave Thedosians!</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Here's another late and potentially useless Dragon Age 4 trailer analysis by me, this time of the <a href="https://youtu.be/W7x685DxMcw" target="_blank">2020 Game Awards Dragon Age Official Teaser Trailer</a> posted on December 10, 2020.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">What do we already know? We know Solas will be back from the previous trailers, and that red lyrium and that central Dread Wolf conflict are going to remain paramount. From the recently released book <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3gmZlFZ" target="_blank">BioWare: Stories and Secrets from 25 Years of Game Development</a></i>, we know that <i>Dragon Age 4</i>'s primary setting will be Tevinter, and from the hints of writers like Patrick Weekes, that the main story will explore the imbalance of power along with a hero who has none. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We've also gotten confirmation fairly recently that there will NOT be a multiplayer element this time around, and that the hero will not be the Inquisitor, but as always, will be someone new. Although I absolutely think the Inky will be back as a guest participant, probably very similarly to Hawke's appearance in <i>Inquisition </i>(although I'm guessing it may even be a guest first-person appearance, given the potential romance resolution).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So here we go!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Fade from black.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We hear the SOUND OF a blade being drawn.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLwQZcXOkIX0tu3CNu6psMZFAzWsLaPeLzinc7vK8y6_YeL14Uofk-gEalkXzcaBSxbpkJiq89qLpGXLraCwAJsecDWLhil0kave1gox-BvTMUl-7rye8zFLZCt97WWIyyAyH5CFN37Byx/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="939" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLwQZcXOkIX0tu3CNu6psMZFAzWsLaPeLzinc7vK8y6_YeL14Uofk-gEalkXzcaBSxbpkJiq89qLpGXLraCwAJsecDWLhil0kave1gox-BvTMUl-7rye8zFLZCt97WWIyyAyH5CFN37Byx/w640-h326/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Now we see some atmospheric frescoed images on walls: Close-ups of a spiky red figure with golden eyes and mouth, and a very distinctive crown/helmet. And look at those distinctive "veins" of gold running through her. Veins of Titan blood -- lyrium. Or corrupted blood -- Red Lyrium.</span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwIT62WelYyuGFa937tbh_8o2-ZJ-XdYnUq3iMYMqO5flr1PelhYAgof1KEdc2hcqkUOvzKaAZdCaIkJrULvL5GxcMKrox-4mDBHIhh3pS4lv46x-Fjin3GfVTTo6yOzqzfVJNG9pdBCVi/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="236" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwIT62WelYyuGFa937tbh_8o2-ZJ-XdYnUq3iMYMqO5flr1PelhYAgof1KEdc2hcqkUOvzKaAZdCaIkJrULvL5GxcMKrox-4mDBHIhh3pS4lv46x-Fjin3GfVTTo6yOzqzfVJNG9pdBCVi/" width="68" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">And who's the figure? It sure looks like Red Lyrium Meredith to me! She's even holding a big old sword that sure looks like Meredith's Red Lyrium sword Certainty—at least, the later depictions of it.</span><p></p><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgunD4vtX2KK3pwemDFVI8OlasJeb-LFc7g2P6jZGvqsmJFiu9DvwqWHZRGBgkqxYxP5Qm_qYr-rCE9J6-Z7Wjz22a2Jz4UCz1S33VO2srSyrRalTO1t9BsYxXyddgXNk49-krqWpSH5shu/" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="676" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgunD4vtX2KK3pwemDFVI8OlasJeb-LFc7g2P6jZGvqsmJFiu9DvwqWHZRGBgkqxYxP5Qm_qYr-rCE9J6-Z7Wjz22a2Jz4UCz1S33VO2srSyrRalTO1t9BsYxXyddgXNk49-krqWpSH5shu/" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-size: large;">Now, another interesting thing to note here is that Certainty used to look like the image above, as of <i>Dragon Age II </i>and even <i>Inquisition</i>. But later BioWare art depicts Certainty as looking like this spikier image below, as seen in this art from Heroes of Dragon Age. And that thing's a dead ringer for what the figure in the latest fresco is carrying.<br /></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So my long-winded point here (sorry!) is that I think this figure is meant to echo both the Red Lyrium idol figure and also Red Lyrium Meredith, both important facets of where the story began. And, of course, Varric was there for all of it.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But more on that farther down.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfH9PZTcGI1kpEwjWs-GUq1f87uHziL-S_lVnudDXG257LEmkRcUa5qg8Hu4b8hQJUudMTt41DODR1R-aapfWAmDElzmEkEMKvQq3K24Qpq5gRtLVlIqExOVEN2RfiddFIh5_huHlHyt9/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="936" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfH9PZTcGI1kpEwjWs-GUq1f87uHziL-S_lVnudDXG257LEmkRcUa5qg8Hu4b8hQJUudMTt41DODR1R-aapfWAmDElzmEkEMKvQq3K24Qpq5gRtLVlIqExOVEN2RfiddFIh5_huHlHyt9/w640-h324/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile here's another old friend, what looks to be a symbolic representation of Corypheus, old Corypants from <i>Dragon Age Inquisition</i>. It's just a guess, but the big red shards of lyrium sticking out of the head are very distinctive, and of course, we saw that same motif with Cory's mug. And here, Cory's holding up that orb that caused all the trouble to begin with, way back in <i>Dragon Age Inquisition</i>'s inciting incident, leveling the Conclave and splitting the skies of Thedas. Here, however, I'm pretty sure we're seeing that orb's destruction, and as with Meredith, we're seeing Corypheus's final defeat as the orb breaks.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Notice that the only gold on this image is on the orb itself, not on Cory. So the use of the gold seems to imply a magical or magic-infused item. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">All of the images on the walls flicker in firelight or torchlight, just like they did a few years back when we saw that first fresco teaser with Solas.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And then we hear a wonderful, familiar voice. It's our old friend Varric!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Varric</b>: <i>I've faced tyrants and would-be gods. </i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Well, that certainly includes Meredith and Corypants! So -- nicely done, BioWare.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Varric continues.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Varric</b>: <i>Seen friends lose life and limb.</i></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH64S6W20hVOXiVHx53JZVv9u7eMZgHcqVnpM75iYhVRlngrLYp0_M_7VJFMt2c_f739OXdDqzU7KB18v_xjhNEHxW8j9DpC9MxRHrJYILczVc_imGUR9lhyIa7ce24XJ4BNLIlpA3sCnJ/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="936" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH64S6W20hVOXiVHx53JZVv9u7eMZgHcqVnpM75iYhVRlngrLYp0_M_7VJFMt2c_f739OXdDqzU7KB18v_xjhNEHxW8j9DpC9MxRHrJYILczVc_imGUR9lhyIa7ce24XJ4BNLIlpA3sCnJ/w640-h326/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">(First off, you can practically <i>hear </i>the Inquisitor wince from here.)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, this image shows up, and it absolutely stumped me for the longest time until I flipped it upside-down. Then, hello, mysterious figure!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5jfXJKthpT8rEIfYRHMuWQlo9jzFFNchuevnUhsUbsugp4c_Wv9MyuGsVxETTi8IBZiJqdVfK1BBe9RTYkimGXggC338RqRrWa-MeqnwcmmCXJt2YfmmGXpmUUldcZTUHQMPQF1atCzug/s1864/da4trailergoddessfresco1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="950" data-original-width="1864" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5jfXJKthpT8rEIfYRHMuWQlo9jzFFNchuevnUhsUbsugp4c_Wv9MyuGsVxETTi8IBZiJqdVfK1BBe9RTYkimGXggC338RqRrWa-MeqnwcmmCXJt2YfmmGXpmUUldcZTUHQMPQF1atCzug/w640-h326/da4trailergoddessfresco1.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">Now let's look at a clean, graphical version that's much easier to analyze -- I've cropped and rotated this version from that BioWare banner version they posted.</span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiftxqBCENXHIrH8kInIde2ZYcCzULbJQksEtj3UxhNSKVKPg_UdbSUTOrXUOOQ2rX-ZkoSCTycRN1HQ4wBkSRa4zoq_qe9-Z0hfmgPDipze9kUXaqeYLBoso1p7OI_y3rNNW0aYjpBB4tS/s2048/ghilgoddess1zoom.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2022" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiftxqBCENXHIrH8kInIde2ZYcCzULbJQksEtj3UxhNSKVKPg_UdbSUTOrXUOOQ2rX-ZkoSCTycRN1HQ4wBkSRa4zoq_qe9-Z0hfmgPDipze9kUXaqeYLBoso1p7OI_y3rNNW0aYjpBB4tS/s320/ghilgoddess1zoom.png" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-size: large;">It's pretty exciting, because I do believe we're saying hello to one of the Evanuris here.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">While I could see this possibly symbolizing Andruil, for me the details mean this is absolutely Ghilan'nain. Notice the shape of the head, which is exactly like what we see in the clearer concept art from BioWare of that giant centipede (hey, who does that remind us of again?) -- we first glimpsed a bit of it in the last trailer, farther below...</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But also, beyond the head shape, that matches between both figures, look at the wavy lines that fall from the goddess's head -- these have historically, in the frescoes, symbolized magic. Here, however, while I still think they're symbolic of magic, they also kind of resemble physical strings hanging off her helmet -- seaweed? Ghilan'nain is certainly heavily associated with the sea!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, her pose is calm and serene, arms crossed in the manner of Egyptian sarcophagi. Is she sleeping here? Or imprisoned?</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwI7nlwTgQKCAkOoNRoJzWN4bjv5mYicrWYDbmqSy_jtit2rXKFGexwuBq-yrPYyJFgff36oy96NHnEPJn1GAX6gUEpCMobSQ9Pd5y7C3QspXNYgaIgXaBsEdBn20BVuoz6iqxEFxcXWg/s1198/conceptart37.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="1198" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwI7nlwTgQKCAkOoNRoJzWN4bjv5mYicrWYDbmqSy_jtit2rXKFGexwuBq-yrPYyJFgff36oy96NHnEPJn1GAX6gUEpCMobSQ9Pd5y7C3QspXNYgaIgXaBsEdBn20BVuoz6iqxEFxcXWg/w640-h272/conceptart37.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">Our first glimpse of giant centipede, above, didn't reveal some important clues. However, in the more fully revealed concept art, sure enough, that centipede has a humanoid, female torso (and FOUR arms)!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoqz8-IVJ2wO2qZ6Xc6UYjzCHevX3X_cfJtNjwzqfMQjpmgeTFdxoXPLG4HuYoRqj4O6b8fuaECpfSSd_aw7rm9bcxRagBFW-OMuMFNEYPbiq7PPOQIVvsDIC6FDndJTRri9nNuMOtR7m/s2048/ghilannainda4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1154" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoqz8-IVJ2wO2qZ6Xc6UYjzCHevX3X_cfJtNjwzqfMQjpmgeTFdxoXPLG4HuYoRqj4O6b8fuaECpfSSd_aw7rm9bcxRagBFW-OMuMFNEYPbiq7PPOQIVvsDIC6FDndJTRri9nNuMOtR7m/w640-h360/ghilannainda4.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">This ties to Ghilan'nain again -- the giant monstrous centipede form, the rise from the ocean depths (don't forget that Ghil created many creatures of the ocean, and when she killed all of those animals for her ascension, she left the creatures of the "deep waters, for they were too well-wrought"). Then "<a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2020/05/tevinter-nights-analysis-horror-of.html" target="_blank">Horror of Hormack</a>" brings it all full circle with that distinct smell of "brine" and the sea as the Grey Wardens delve deeper into the ancient mysteries in the forest (and eventually, in the ancient elven monster-shrine). And let's not forget the crackling lightning and "vengeance of the gods/goddesses" aspect, and of course as we can see, that unmistakable headpiece. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Let's <i>also </i>not miss that note from the BioWare 25th celebration, which notes, "The Evil Gods have Thedas in their sight and only heroes can stop them." Which certainly implies gods (plural) and evil ones, at that. I'm definitely becoming convinced that monster-maker Ghil and her onetime lover, the merciless Andruil, qualify.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Next, we see that male godlike figure I mentioned off to the right, as follows:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvnWTFPEoVgsu4MScN-Vgk_FuN6BPRj10f4C1BIILsXq0_6WKckPOMcbKxtNpzfzE27EtA0uVP-ei9wDHYN7rD0dBqil2pHvg3Yz4-D1XqtVBHM5WOGm0JSTPmFj4iCL6cdGk3m-4Oh0En/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="934" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvnWTFPEoVgsu4MScN-Vgk_FuN6BPRj10f4C1BIILsXq0_6WKckPOMcbKxtNpzfzE27EtA0uVP-ei9wDHYN7rD0dBqil2pHvg3Yz4-D1XqtVBHM5WOGm0JSTPmFj4iCL6cdGk3m-4Oh0En/w640-h330/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Once again, let's FLIP this sucker for a really good look.</span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8K8xzfsv0qIwTye9tDp8ibpx3uqia5ZBmtdjtqe4ogsNq0IipyM7_Qwcn-QV4EjMi_xl9-vHWjWOknv6i0ZWTYWwnx_95268LQNlY9xrOxjUf92PFOaN6MEOnxqL9bxeqEt-frxRvhn9/s2048/da4trailergodfresco2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="2048" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8K8xzfsv0qIwTye9tDp8ibpx3uqia5ZBmtdjtqe4ogsNq0IipyM7_Qwcn-QV4EjMi_xl9-vHWjWOknv6i0ZWTYWwnx_95268LQNlY9xrOxjUf92PFOaN6MEOnxqL9bxeqEt-frxRvhn9/w640-h330/da4trailergodfresco2.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: large;">And even better, here's the cleaned-up graphical one from the improved version posted by BioWare, which I've cropped and rotated as with the previous one.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Mysterious Male God...</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7KijePM6jssx4FNcJeGTyPQBVZsPD_lwpgSgcuT0bSUHzETJewa52oEntOqg9qCRmrd6kLo9dpxk6hHcpVZv6bcO-BS4NF8fjbKUIKtlP5-Mda8U5MvHQ0kKbHL8ri9y2ZmcMSazXGOu0/s2048/elgargod2zoom.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1954" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7KijePM6jssx4FNcJeGTyPQBVZsPD_lwpgSgcuT0bSUHzETJewa52oEntOqg9qCRmrd6kLo9dpxk6hHcpVZv6bcO-BS4NF8fjbKUIKtlP5-Mda8U5MvHQ0kKbHL8ri9y2ZmcMSazXGOu0/s320/elgargod2zoom.png" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Now, to me, this image of the male god at right implies a rather kingly image that resembles the robe-wrapped god figure we saw in one of Solas's frescoes in "Trespasser." </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">The shape of the head or crown here, meanwhile, is one we have seen a few times in some of the ancient statues and frescoes, although I haven't found a common thread on those yet. I do think the shape of the head against the golden circle behind it heavily remind me of the sun, and of course, Elgar'nan is in fact the one who played the "sun god" among the elven pantheon.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Now remember that fresco I mentioned from "Trespasser?" Look at this image here -- a male god wrapped in a robe, emanating darkness. Above his head? A golden "sun" of magic.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWDkMVNq1d6-BTCe2SqVYUT9JE1Cnm-l3F8zZu9Zq3Wzfz93nNjq0nfOftc2Bs-PDF4r_eEdgfJDe94O1Ski9_zMFRBBOV_zM515jgdy9RnUwkZtkrf85eKseNMf-NQUtQq9wf5FGFD_5/s1488/elgarnanfresco.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1488" data-original-width="916" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWDkMVNq1d6-BTCe2SqVYUT9JE1Cnm-l3F8zZu9Zq3Wzfz93nNjq0nfOftc2Bs-PDF4r_eEdgfJDe94O1Ski9_zMFRBBOV_zM515jgdy9RnUwkZtkrf85eKseNMf-NQUtQq9wf5FGFD_5/w246-h400/elgarnanfresco.png" width="246" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">However, as always, nothing is certain, so it could also be the frequently mentioned Falon'din. The reason it may be Falon'din is that Falon'din in some ways echoes Solas and could be seen as representing a dark mirror of Solas -- not a freer of slaves, a Prince of the Fade, but instead as a tyrant enslaving and killing millions for fun, the dark King of the Dead. Is this who will awaken, and challenge Solas?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Or will it be both of these, seeking vengeance? </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">And if so... what will Mythal do, if her wisp is ensconced presumably and symbiotically in her new physical identity? (Morrigan. It's gonna be <i>Morrigan</i>.)</span></div><div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Varric</b>: <i>But there's always someone bent on breaking the world.</i> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Cue the darkness, and BioWare logo glowing against a sunburst.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg41Yh_lfDFNIHfBQSQ9zFhyphenhyphenMWLw9iyKH3gyPfHLrrFYy_4kz2PEio6jtWD2smdLa3lgqNHy0KL0Dye6TgZ_jdmkNg3Ya9wh1BMfm30POs0FTlw2hzUK18TPWW382csjZ_8U_WHnCaFyPxQ/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="939" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg41Yh_lfDFNIHfBQSQ9zFhyphenhyphenMWLw9iyKH3gyPfHLrrFYy_4kz2PEio6jtWD2smdLa3lgqNHy0KL0Dye6TgZ_jdmkNg3Ya9wh1BMfm30POs0FTlw2hzUK18TPWW382csjZ_8U_WHnCaFyPxQ/w640-h328/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">A New Cast of Characters</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Then our view of a blue, cloud-swept sky pans down to reveal what may be a desert—or beach? And a bunch of spiky-armored animals like giant turtles, which approach threateningly as our view goes down to the armored feet of the hero. (Side note: I love turtles and their little old-man faces. If we have to kill them, I'll be a real wimp about it in-game!)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The fact that this figure is wearing armor means that it <i>could</i> be that Grey Warden we've caught glimpses of in our past trailers, perhaps Davrin? And if it's a Grey Warden, that means this is more likely a desert than a beach, especially given our pretty clear concept art of what I believe is Weisshaupt in the previous trailers. Which would mean this is still probably in the Anderfels in some way, so I wonder if the "water" we see here is a mirage. Or a watering hole.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD1Tjntw7S8XRUhBW80xf4ydQ0rRjJ4ZpASpCSzhCL_lS_3aLcW5OpoErBrIpS6TBiu5B4dwaEEOqT1E7QVu73h9yRZg-lGULRBOcGeSg6wAkfKUCauTP7E69nfPryJ_rwL9LbmQgD-P2A/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="938" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD1Tjntw7S8XRUhBW80xf4ydQ0rRjJ4ZpASpCSzhCL_lS_3aLcW5OpoErBrIpS6TBiu5B4dwaEEOqT1E7QVu73h9yRZg-lGULRBOcGeSg6wAkfKUCauTP7E69nfPryJ_rwL9LbmQgD-P2A/w640-h326/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">Next, a golden idyllic landscape seen through a central ivy-festooned, pillared archway. A delicate fence runs across the exterior of this pillared place. Through this main archway, meanwhile, we can see a still lake of water, with a city either on an island or peninsula above and through the water. Or, as I think is more likely after reviewing the rest of this trailer -- it's Antiva City and those are the more Venice-like canals David Gaider once referenced as inspiration for Antiva, which is mentioned as far back as <i>Origins </i>as being one of Thedas's most beautiful cities. Rising above the village, we can see a very pretty, very pointy castle, covered in molten sunlight. Rising steeply above the castle, we can see gentle, curving mountains.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Given what we see next in the nighttime shot, I feel comfortable with the Antiva City pick, just seen in glorious daylight. And it sure looks pretty -- it's got a downright fairytale quality. But notice in the above image that even in daylight, we can see rays or emanations of what are most likely magic coming from the castle. Is the castle enchanted? Magically protected? Or is this after some more harmful spell has been cast?</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYegzN9ntbca1wuTLV8h0Y7JSGGj_9RnvJSLTOlOj9uFLpvYwM7agGzwUfCX_Nh_af7rv6n8qDN8EDwQTn3j0naSV2QCi7-PScXqTiYlciOhyphenhyphen7sgjSgPZPyqoQ54BZnj2xc3D_vazuPuIS/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="939" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYegzN9ntbca1wuTLV8h0Y7JSGGj_9RnvJSLTOlOj9uFLpvYwM7agGzwUfCX_Nh_af7rv6n8qDN8EDwQTn3j0naSV2QCi7-PScXqTiYlciOhyphenhyphen7sgjSgPZPyqoQ54BZnj2xc3D_vazuPuIS/w640-h326/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Crows and Rooftops</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Next we see a gloved right hand gently swirling an etched golden goblet of wine. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And... yep. We pull back to reveal a reclining figure on a rooftop at night, JUST at the very end of sunset beneath a streaked sky. The figure is looking down on this same castle from another, much closer perspective, and its windows glow against the darkness. The figure is hooded and dressed roguishly all in leather, but with wide sleeves and fancy details. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTccMkWHYZb3Tyn3k3lcJ6o2cF2Efy8ebufQ1DkzZpXRNHUZNrcZTrh1wVwIi8eF8yyHEKkzYuk6JN7xqaqGIhezk7k_ZyOVMiH37PHN3AdXRw6u1a-JITRv4L4AOiGIwGxsHQ2-fCVvMd/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="936" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTccMkWHYZb3Tyn3k3lcJ6o2cF2Efy8ebufQ1DkzZpXRNHUZNrcZTrh1wVwIi8eF8yyHEKkzYuk6JN7xqaqGIhezk7k_ZyOVMiH37PHN3AdXRw6u1a-JITRv4L4AOiGIwGxsHQ2-fCVvMd/w640-h328/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As we pull back, we get an alternate view of our enchanted castle from the daytime shot, the spell clearly glowing magically in blue rays beneath the setting sun.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If it is Antiva City, I love this vision and its design. There's a touch of that Byzantine flair to the surrounding buildings -- sharp angles and corners, lots of delicate ironwork detailing, even in the arched glowing windows. Small, sharp balconied towers rising around the city -- but it's not super-ornate like I'd expect to see in Tevinter. And it's so much fun to see that Crow in the rooftops, lounging with those black winglike sleeves, enjoying the view from the heights. And of course, Antiva is also where the Crows originate, and we got a LOT about the Crows in <i>Tevinter Nights</i>. So does this once again hint at someone from those stories, like Lucanis?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Last but not least, if we zoom in really close here, I swear that's a crow and not a gargoyle -- definitely a bird -- jutting out from the building opposite the figure here, slightly to the right of center.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Another thing this instantly reminded me of was the wonderful art that was posted with one of the stories that BioWare released for Dragon Age Day back in December 2020. One of those, Mary Kirby's "<a href="https://www.ea.com/games/dragon-age/news/the-wake" target="_blank">The Wake</a>," was about the memories of a drunk and bitter Illario as he looks back on good times with Lucanis the Crow, whom we first met in <i>Tevinter Nights</i>. Unfortunately, we quickly realize poor Lucanis is no more.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As here, the story's illustration shows the Crows on the rooftops of Antiva City.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFOPPa-3iZDMoYGx3wedOdrS9-mNoyHF4Jcj1IPio0rh-Xvp28t2pP6TC9Gd0xy2ZQ4u0Mjnm-9xf0W-OvmkaWMch9K-ksqqxywbQdsfhSSFcLCZg6mFa5fl6da9DaNn8AOBNfzgjB8V2_/s2048/thewake_bioware.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1151" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFOPPa-3iZDMoYGx3wedOdrS9-mNoyHF4Jcj1IPio0rh-Xvp28t2pP6TC9Gd0xy2ZQ4u0Mjnm-9xf0W-OvmkaWMch9K-ksqqxywbQdsfhSSFcLCZg6mFa5fl6da9DaNn8AOBNfzgjB8V2_/w640-h360/thewake_bioware.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">I love the fact that the art here sure seems to confirm those above Antiva City locations -- notice the pretty pointy castle in the background, and the "Crow" accents on the buildings (right down to the "feathered" shingles!).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"The Wake" may offer some additional clues as well—Teia as illustrated above sure reminds me of the popular concept image we saw of the pretty redhead with the sword in trailer 2. Surrounded by crows! </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJcI5X1s5Q80LGtTQR9N6j_snzI7yJN7e3oeGlVfThDnHnwkuqFfCyK59rEE1gWDAuit3KA9qE0xArqe9DpF4zcuYHXaMflEv4JEVRjrcSCC9Yh5vvX9PXGL2HqH317rvd9c6UemBloCm/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1156" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJcI5X1s5Q80LGtTQR9N6j_snzI7yJN7e3oeGlVfThDnHnwkuqFfCyK59rEE1gWDAuit3KA9qE0xArqe9DpF4zcuYHXaMflEv4JEVRjrcSCC9Yh5vvX9PXGL2HqH317rvd9c6UemBloCm/w640-h284/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In addition, yes, this is further proof that my last post on Trailer 2 aged badly, where I wondered if we might see Lucanis again! So maybe we'll see Illario? <i>And </i>Teia? It could happen.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Varric</b>: <i>No magic hand. No ancient prophecy.</i></span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Tevinter, Baby!</span></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdLKOnPb0Vv7eBbwfzNHfmM1mbXMijIZAcltvQmGVeZ3ZRE3NisV5jrCNj0yG227IJnIYvJcH-7qNPLfBCa6a8bFqsnTbAzm4wLAQvrLE3pMSTZKcDaf4fPdLhx9uYGJVaoopGx77rBGqU/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="939" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdLKOnPb0Vv7eBbwfzNHfmM1mbXMijIZAcltvQmGVeZ3ZRE3NisV5jrCNj0yG227IJnIYvJcH-7qNPLfBCa6a8bFqsnTbAzm4wLAQvrLE3pMSTZKcDaf4fPdLhx9uYGJVaoopGx77rBGqU/w640-h326/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">We cut (to drumbeats) to a MASSIVE city, very gothic noir here. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Of course, this HAS to be Minrathous, right? Tevinter prime.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It's full-on night, and we can see what may be this (or another) city, rising in multiple towers and buildings on all sides, and high ahead. More sharp and pointed towers, ironwork, and other architectural details that in this context almost have a slightly Mandarin feel, while high above the glowing towers ahead, we see a floating, towered structure in the shape of a horseshoe (but rounder). I'm guessing the big floaty place is perhaps where the Magisterium meets?</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjgB2bI-UZw9H5i1VK-vuzkz2atFQci8Vi4vvFr6jRuALSrxw91iOdXnOSm_7N-dZkhoq59kV_aY8wh9UK65pfdQ56aoaRvHAhZEQb0YaYX1PctlKao3vYvq8m9bWm4lwN5Q055EtPSBQB/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="406" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjgB2bI-UZw9H5i1VK-vuzkz2atFQci8Vi4vvFr6jRuALSrxw91iOdXnOSm_7N-dZkhoq59kV_aY8wh9UK65pfdQ56aoaRvHAhZEQb0YaYX1PctlKao3vYvq8m9bWm4lwN5Q055EtPSBQB/" width="194" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">We can also see spangles of glowy rune or glyph light punctuating the night here on all sides that are pretty obviously spellwork. Which makes perfect sense given that Minrathous has to be chock-full of magical castings 24 hours per day. Tevinter is built on magic and its citizens eat sleep and breathe it (or, well, its elite magical ruling class does). I love the look of these magical punctuations -- there's almost a neon <i>Blade Runner</i> punk noir feel to the way they punctuate the dark city walls and streets, appearing in blue and green at four different points, and with a pinkish glowing cluster of runes to the right.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">On the right-hand side, near the pink glyph, we see a building from whose balcony we can see two visible tapestries, we can see what I'm pretty sure is the Tevinter symbol -- a stylized serpent in very dark red. Except here it appears to have been flipped horizontally? See the previous symbol for Tevinter (also used by the Venatori) at right.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD3ygV4K7iSbcweqq9qscnSNfKuIOdRNhEwYlnCkmCmjdFnxAQLe7P3P_6qgNPhGXCZVHJbZ5yobxoGR5KV5nSwfcu1wcQLagV1vmEIIupecewhoHdFmtOEKwP-2mQ-eATD6Reud-qz9s4/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="937" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD3ygV4K7iSbcweqq9qscnSNfKuIOdRNhEwYlnCkmCmjdFnxAQLe7P3P_6qgNPhGXCZVHJbZ5yobxoGR5KV5nSwfcu1wcQLagV1vmEIIupecewhoHdFmtOEKwP-2mQ-eATD6Reud-qz9s4/w640-h328/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">More Clues to Companions...</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We now see a different hooded figure -- we're close enough that we can see a scaled pattern on the hood, which has a bronze patina here. We can also see gold or bronze detailing on the figure's chest as they whip out a dagger that has a bird shape with downward facing wings as a hilt guard. Another Crow? Seems different from the previous figure though, and while I've been speculating on Executors and other exciting folks that we've glimpsed since "Trespasser," I don't feel like we're given enough information to know here yet.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Varric</b>: <i>The kind they'll never see coming.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As the figure finishes drawing the dagger, we cut to...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4D9p4QZYHXvjClkPIvKrU2gAELygrYeRq1HDAqWMoKoWKi_X4pHHL0qzS1CWQGBL23-ahmwSn73WtheUUBxxFRNCOxHIaA4c-Z5cleAMaZL4kjUZVkyiuvf-CVli8qP6Jzdf87BXajaqI/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="941" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4D9p4QZYHXvjClkPIvKrU2gAELygrYeRq1HDAqWMoKoWKi_X4pHHL0qzS1CWQGBL23-ahmwSn73WtheUUBxxFRNCOxHIaA4c-Z5cleAMaZL4kjUZVkyiuvf-CVli8qP6Jzdf87BXajaqI/w640-h328/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">A horned figure in silhouette, running through an evergreen forest against the moon. We can see that they carry a leaf-edged weapon that at first appears to be a staff, but which is then revealed to be a bow. To me, this is most likely a Qunari figure, given the Arishok-like horns, and most likely the female Qunari companion we've glimpsed in previous DA4 trailers. If she's a companion for us in DA4, she's most likely a Tal Vashoth, although she could be another Adaar. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But what a cool idea, if she is in fact a rogue? We haven't seen a Qunari rogue before. And this also backs up the previous concept art, in which she appeared to be wielding dual blades, as seen below.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwM32LhrKi28YWPJXPPnlDz5rEfASTIX9fp_sMA1xyPuLhv-fHzDNhn-cMNEg57MScCZulyZW3mYLmTIBeCilraah7H_yyDeszLzUE1xmyAdmEiSGwYhWkspKOZpMLaNnc9IymLGiIgMaM/s1156/conceptart21.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="1156" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwM32LhrKi28YWPJXPPnlDz5rEfASTIX9fp_sMA1xyPuLhv-fHzDNhn-cMNEg57MScCZulyZW3mYLmTIBeCilraah7H_yyDeszLzUE1xmyAdmEiSGwYhWkspKOZpMLaNnc9IymLGiIgMaM/w640-h282/conceptart21.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">Also, a magical "leafy" staff that delightfully turns out to be a magical, "leafy" bow? Somewhere, let's face it, Bull's Charger companion Dalish is smiling: <b>Finally, <i>It's a bow!</i></b> (Yes, she's alive, you people who sacrificed the Chargers, yes <i>you</i>, I'm ignoring that entire alternate storyline. Bull is alive and well, thank you, and undoubtedly raising happy hell all over Thedas.)</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">A Pleasing Mystery</span></b></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddSWx6VzG_bSz6f2ET9L1YWJ9VOskU9NIYnmKhH2b76SSd28I14Cm7JCVAdxpgUk1M3v5yqy5TN5ojsndAJmT6LIi-JxUy0U-ojS056GtKOpurbN8AmegpuhOVAdKBtvhQdsj7hHlt9R7/" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddSWx6VzG_bSz6f2ET9L1YWJ9VOskU9NIYnmKhH2b76SSd28I14Cm7JCVAdxpgUk1M3v5yqy5TN5ojsndAJmT6LIi-JxUy0U-ojS056GtKOpurbN8AmegpuhOVAdKBtvhQdsj7hHlt9R7/w320-h320/image.png" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-size: large;">But what's the significance of this plainly magical and pretty obviously elven bow? And why does the Qunari wield it? To me the bow <i>has </i>to be Dalish -- it actually resembles the Dragon Age symbol of the Dalish as seen here at right.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So at some point, does this female Qunari rogue befriend the Dalish, who give her this bow? Or does she acquire it during her adventures with our new hero for Dragon Age 4? I can't wait to find out.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, Varric continues: <i>We've got your back. <u>I've</u> got your back.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I'm going to detail what I think this means as far as Varric in the big picture farther down, but this definitely means he's going to be an integral part of <i>Dragon Age 4</i>, and the way this is worded means he's probably going to be a leader or advisor. Which fits perfectly with the way the games have gone so far -- I firmly believe that just as Cullen and Leliana became advisors in <i>Dragon Age Inquisition</i>, so now will Dorian and Varric become advisors to us in <i>Dragon Age 4</i>. It makes total sense.</span></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitBILT3hVYrHTA307eQGKIPR_IVtx-annz09XZWNGTYTDM4rtFhwAOPxFq6pY21bZPgcC047utHvrDA_vk2TCnKi_QT_w14bu30ygdOgS7P3iJDvsHCc8mGBn_Sn_bstjTMgL6QO2K-2NV/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="936" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitBILT3hVYrHTA307eQGKIPR_IVtx-annz09XZWNGTYTDM4rtFhwAOPxFq6pY21bZPgcC047utHvrDA_vk2TCnKi_QT_w14bu30ygdOgS7P3iJDvsHCc8mGBn_Sn_bstjTMgL6QO2K-2NV/w640-h326/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">A Familiar Image in a Nightmare World</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Qunari figure emerges from the forest and is faced with a tall, steep dark structure that appears to be coated in red-lyrium. Red lyrium appears to glow everywhere around them on the right-hand side, while ahead of them is a doorway (or broken eluvian?). Within the doorway or eluvian space, we see more red lyrium ledges, and a threatening figure crouched there ahead that shakes itself threateningly as the qunari raises her bow. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It's only here that we see that her bowstring seems to be wholly magical (and how cool is that?) as is the arrow! This is exciting for me for a number of reasons—first off, the magic looks a heck of a lot like Rift magic. It's the same shade of green, the same buzzing, crackling energy. So is this another manifestation of Rift magic, now in Dragon Age 4? And if so, is this Qunari archer a rogue, or a mage—or both? As someone who prefers playing rogues and mages, and doing crowd control stuff versus melee, I would adore some kind of new combination class option here.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Varric</b>: <i>Demons. Dragons. Darkspawn.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The archer lets fly her magical green arrow and it flies (flashing green). </span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Vhenadahl</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Now, before that sparkly green magic arrow reaches the figure's head, it's almost too fast to see, but if you pause it, we can see this very familiar landmark -- the <i>vhenadahl </i>that has featured in every single trailer so far, so it's going to be extremely important!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Here's that all-important fleeting glance:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwx1MAozVSewoMTFvHxV6BL9WgvW_mM-AzhJK39GPUIexDI8jVLe8cOjPF39PtyczqtRx8Vefapi86T4hU_I2ak2t3F-hGeh11CbCf92gUEQPHb3t0K0jjOtc7iBCQ8rC7DYBVkyNszfux/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="787" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwx1MAozVSewoMTFvHxV6BL9WgvW_mM-AzhJK39GPUIexDI8jVLe8cOjPF39PtyczqtRx8Vefapi86T4hU_I2ak2t3F-hGeh11CbCf92gUEQPHb3t0K0jjOtc7iBCQ8rC7DYBVkyNszfux/w640-h322/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />And here's what we were shown in trailer 1 (this is the fully uncropped version by Nick Thornborrow), below. Flames, the <i>vhenadahl</i>, red lyrium, and magic. And now Solas, standing before that vhenadahl, that symbol of the elven people, as if to stop whatever threatens. It may be another clue that Solas will (as I believe) be redeemed in the final chapter. We'll see!</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But what we also know from the above, pretty unmistakably, is what the earlier image below foretold -- that the <i>vhenadahl </i>would be burning in the flames of Red Lyrium, and that it may already be too late to save it.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1eG2uJh85rx9jP-lnG5MMpp_ahtXaEB1IPyP0hsvwvBj-pN6OICQCZ9F-yO6McDtdrE-fbyoZspCp-2V-3N_0I5SjGgm_kdzhMkOXa7MnUNYO3EL_5zUGlExKeha-emaG3VWNXe13-X58/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1eG2uJh85rx9jP-lnG5MMpp_ahtXaEB1IPyP0hsvwvBj-pN6OICQCZ9F-yO6McDtdrE-fbyoZspCp-2V-3N_0I5SjGgm_kdzhMkOXa7MnUNYO3EL_5zUGlExKeha-emaG3VWNXe13-X58/w640-h480/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />And in trailer 2 here:</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4EmpVlSEdWWmyizyYgyBuOsNok5s0EMwL9DUdG3FKelVTyDIkyIvNOT82AQJ15eTOWjY_NfBJY886UV4W-subtwQpHJMBLiErqWynsmXm-Zd4xDXXIvX8wHTJrYBzsrgZ9b98ROTv4oMo/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="1155" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4EmpVlSEdWWmyizyYgyBuOsNok5s0EMwL9DUdG3FKelVTyDIkyIvNOT82AQJ15eTOWjY_NfBJY886UV4W-subtwQpHJMBLiErqWynsmXm-Zd4xDXXIvX8wHTJrYBzsrgZ9b98ROTv4oMo/w640-h282/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />And here.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUH5iHzakMMSY4iJFh_vTBvNCLKH3HGascG_HZpbCLlBk2pH74tfW44O3Yc87FVD_lq5x0_2x4a9LJqtPGh8R_F3h6v9LXKkne1oXBqCiLxaVNtvhvWbM7A5NxqOu0W11FjcCSSDY2EIvT/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="1155" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUH5iHzakMMSY4iJFh_vTBvNCLKH3HGascG_HZpbCLlBk2pH74tfW44O3Yc87FVD_lq5x0_2x4a9LJqtPGh8R_F3h6v9LXKkne1oXBqCiLxaVNtvhvWbM7A5NxqOu0W11FjcCSSDY2EIvT/w640-h282/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />And here. Possibly? (If so, the <i>vhenadahl </i>is just out of sight but it really looks like the same location.) This concept art image looks a lot like the hurlock who's about to get shafted by the Qunari archer shortly (see a bit farther down) in this latest trailer, but here it's certainly a heck of a lot bigger. So is it the same creature? We don't know yet.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGKQIF0df5dJ0g8_FZdXM4oy4UF485jelx_c9t7MNZbdVCFBM3Mena2CkDvYC0oq5Icpud43edYDJ75mReNWsplhO8SIcp5MR33dVqMx83Yz3MJvzkWEfmvGYqXoQcPokry1ZTNEzNx4_y/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1151" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGKQIF0df5dJ0g8_FZdXM4oy4UF485jelx_c9t7MNZbdVCFBM3Mena2CkDvYC0oq5Icpud43edYDJ75mReNWsplhO8SIcp5MR33dVqMx83Yz3MJvzkWEfmvGYqXoQcPokry1ZTNEzNx4_y/w640-h284/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Which means we now know, from this latest trailer and the Qunari's run with the bow, that there's a forest nearby that leads directly into this space. And that this area, this land, and possibly all of Thedas, is horribly corrupted with Red Lyrium.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It's an interesting cycle of images which are, to bring it full circle, awfully evocative of this image from the <i>Origins </i>DLC <i>The Darkspawn Chronicles.</i></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hnHDQ_pSaFuvvoP2jQMaYrSqIdMbHG3oZ6MoSHO0JKGKtqVTO9ffQYg0-c1L2Mh6kOcz5m7iyf68WyDW8A9GZwA7IWAfJ76tKpPaQJH5R_x-tQtLTl_HPKXLj94OH9GX-u4XW7XkxmAe/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="870" data-original-width="1600" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hnHDQ_pSaFuvvoP2jQMaYrSqIdMbHG3oZ6MoSHO0JKGKtqVTO9ffQYg0-c1L2Mh6kOcz5m7iyf68WyDW8A9GZwA7IWAfJ76tKpPaQJH5R_x-tQtLTl_HPKXLj94OH9GX-u4XW7XkxmAe/w640-h348/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />So this tree as well as its location is obviously going to be a major setting in the new game.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I also think this is going to be a pattern we see a lot in the new <i>Dragon Age 4</i> -- a return full-circle to earlier themes, moments, and settings, from both <i>Dragon Age Origins</i> to <i>Dragon Age 2</i>, to (of course) <i>Inquisition </i>and all of those DLCs. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiObD9EQnd8Vv_NIaHpQqG-YremmVghXfJTum070c1QyWYACPDLUNHhNw6W6hkPZCrUoGXCiExxMrZjoeBosQVIjf5jcUtuYWI7wN-q5F0WIfoTvXkFwH1i0DxAknMpjl80vU4EHB6oAq-b/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="941" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiObD9EQnd8Vv_NIaHpQqG-YremmVghXfJTum070c1QyWYACPDLUNHhNw6W6hkPZCrUoGXCiExxMrZjoeBosQVIjf5jcUtuYWI7wN-q5F0WIfoTvXkFwH1i0DxAknMpjl80vU4EHB6oAq-b/w640-h326/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">The arrow finds its mark, and after a heck of a lot more patient pausing, we can see clearly that this is in fact a darkspawn, a Hurlock Alpha. Who is now toast. Rest in Peace, sweet Hurlock Alpha.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Then our screen cuts to super-dramatic dramatic darkness. Boom.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Varric</b>: <i>Even the Dread Wolf.</i></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGZRH4O6Xm7TMAi5WFyN4Pn5sl4io7t611N8ca-PcplCSKsqxuFAvXjCjUOV55u56YcUtGtHm0GhAvQx725BVZR2Mk5nfzXyzLBRkBiOqlqxIorkjtbcN_gge4IZwlvtFwZlqeCXKou66/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="936" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGZRH4O6Xm7TMAi5WFyN4Pn5sl4io7t611N8ca-PcplCSKsqxuFAvXjCjUOV55u56YcUtGtHm0GhAvQx725BVZR2Mk5nfzXyzLBRkBiOqlqxIorkjtbcN_gge4IZwlvtFwZlqeCXKou66/w640-h328/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">What His Pride Had Wrought <br /></span></b><p><span style="font-size: large;">Fade from black on the fresco from the opening sequence, now seen as a MASSIVE red fresco painted with what looks like black, white, silver, and gold.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">First, to help us really look closely at the mural, I'm gonna insert the alternative banner version of this from BioWare/EA, below:</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6iJbjsAss0rTaoP887r8-MaUtxoIuTmglNw2P_6Vv5ZLLmxvW-1e_5JMHA8PeRHvXVMI03hCNrhhN5Df0eONSntAQqd8DCjDgITGf6KxZg6tYx9f9cYEOe4ahClerOsiQ50PH1lruvW4Y/s2826/da4completefrescographic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1113" data-original-width="2826" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6iJbjsAss0rTaoP887r8-MaUtxoIuTmglNw2P_6Vv5ZLLmxvW-1e_5JMHA8PeRHvXVMI03hCNrhhN5Df0eONSntAQqd8DCjDgITGf6KxZg6tYx9f9cYEOe4ahClerOsiQ50PH1lruvW4Y/w640-h252/da4completefrescographic.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">So here we go. It's a lot less atmospheric, but a LOT easier to view and analyze!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">First off, I've already talked earlier about those two bottom figures at left (Meredith) and right (Corypants), as well as those fascinating upside-down, possibly Evanuris, figures above each. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Notice the positioning on the frescoes -- Meredith on the left, and above her, the upside-down female goddess figure in all her final Red Lyrium glory. Corypants is on the right, holding the orb even as it breaks and dooms him for once and for all, and above him, we see the horned upside-down god figure. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">There are a couple of things this parallel placement could mean -- among them, to me, that the female goddess echoes the vengeful or cruel aspects of Meredith (and which brought her down), but also -- her status in the story as very close to the discovery of Red Lyrium? Which would strengthen the belief of those who think that the goddess above her is Andruil, who may have brought the Blight up from the Void. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And as far as Corypheus, what was his great sin? Pride and arrogance -- he wished to ascend to godhood, to ascend to the Golden City and confront the Maker himself. So what if that's Elgar'nan above him? </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I still think goddess at left is Ghil. Although I'm still divided on the god at right. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The positioning of the six-eyed Dread Wolf's head (what I call the Pride Wolf) is really important here, because it's breaking like a dagger or arrowhead violently through a barrier or bubble covering the city below, as if... breaking the Veil? Destroying the Veil? </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">More on this in a moment. First, let's look at the city itself.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Red City, Black City</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Notice those red veins, so distinctive, in the city below the wolf, implying that the city has been Blighted or corrupted with Red Lyrium. Now look at the teeth -- the Dread Wolf's teeth here being red now seem to imply that the breaking of the Veil/barrier -- the Wolf itself (Solas, inadvertently?) has infected the city -- from the "bite" of the Wolf, to the lyrium now everywhere below. To emphasize this, we also see shards of red lyrium jutting out from the buildings themselves.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Or is this what Solas <i>plans</i> to do? I'll get to that when I discuss the metaphorical aspects farther down.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, there are two ways we can go with the city image -- it could be the Black City (and if we look at the actual fresco image farther down, we can see the underside, implying that it's floating. Which means, hello, Black City!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But as we look at those towers it's also easy to wonder if it's yet another doomed city we've been hearing so much about -- Arlathan. </span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Ancient Wonders Lost</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I've gone back and forth on the popular notion that Arlathan is simply the Black City, removed to the Fade from the circles of the living world. My question is still, then who removed it? Did it happen when Solas created the Veil? And if it is a doomed, Blighted version of Arlathan, can it be saved or restored to its former self -- purified somehow? </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Why, if it is Arlathan, is it filled with Red Lyrium? I remember the detail from previous Dragon Age lore that the Black City was so incredibly toxic and Blighted that people were infected just by approaching it in the Fade, before they even reached it.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It's easy to imagine that this "Blight" was of course Red Lyrium, which is in itself simply Blighted Titan's blood. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Does this mean that the elves doomed themselves, as we've already discovered so many times from the revelations of Solas and "Trespasser?" For instance, did Andruil, venturing in the Void, bring back the Blight not just to Thedas (and, I believe, at least one sleeping Titan), but to the perfection of Arlathan itself, at the very height of the ancient elven empire? Was it, in other words, Andruil who doomed Arlathan -- and were Solas's actions at any point an effort by him to save it? </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">What if, for instance, as King of the Fade, Solas managed to not only imprison the Evanuris tyrants, but to remove Arlathan into the Fade in order to protect Thedas and freeze it in stasis? If so, no wonder he slept for several thousand years afterward.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I always love imagining Arlathan because it reminds me of the stories of the rise and fall of Numenor from Tolkien's <i>Akallabeth</i>. I was always thrilled at that first doomed step by the arrogant Ar-Pharazon on the shores of Valinor... and then that rumble of doom as the Valar wreaked their vengeance, and the towering wave destroyed the jewel that was Numenor, sinking it forever -- innocent and guilty alike. (Including Hot Sauron, who was supposedly ridiculously attractive, although once killed by the wave, he was never able to inhabit a "fair and charming" physical form again.)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Was it as shocking and sudden for the people of Arlathan? I wonder. I'd love to hear Solas tell the tale!</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Portents for Cities of Thedas</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I also think there may be some really interesting foreshadowing happening here, implying the wholesale corruption and/or destruction of a major physical Thedosian city due to the Red Lyrium as well.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">With that in mind, on the foreshadowing front, I think it's meant to represent Minrathous. Although it could be Antiva City, which looks so delicate in what we see here, and so beautiful. But my money's on Minrathous, because of the Tevinter element, and because this would certainly be one way to bring down Tevinter -- which let's remember is already seriously <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2020/05/tevinter-nights-analysis-three-trees-to.html" target="_blank">battling (and losing to) the Qunari as of <i>Tevinter Nights</i></a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But there's a larger metaphor here that's absolutely brutal. Let's look again at that image. The Dread Wolf tears or breaks the Veil. And Red Lyrium is loosed, infecting and possibly dooming the world. Once again? All because Solas insisted upon "fixing" his past actions. Is it an image of a future that is set? Or of a past that Solas is aware may repeat itself? After all, that Wolf is Solas and Solas is the Wolf. Thanks to <i>Tevinter Nights</i>, we even know Solas can inhabit that shape both in and outside the Fade itself.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So which part of the timeline are we looking at?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">For me, it would be both appropriate and tragic if Solas's belief that tearing down the Veil will fix the world and bring back the ancient atmosphere of his people... when instead it's one more step toward utterly dooming all of Thedas. Just as before, with the orb and the Breach.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Solas needs to stop trying to fix things. Varric tried to tell him, but he never listens.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Eyes On the Past</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As far as some kind of Veil obliteration or fragmenting (like we saw in "In Hushed Whispers"), I definitely don't think this is what Solas wants. But it would be interesting albeit terrifying if that's what happens. Worse even than what he fears—which is that the Veil's removal will benefit elven lives and biologies but hurt or even kill other post-Veil latecomers like humans, Qunari, and other races. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcDvAIKVsY6YE-jiAt3FwVB0996-bZRmC38HWAd-65v5gzBNm_7Q-GZ6B9dkuEBT-aru14YwBNgXo0CpXMucW8YmdZ8d7WJAbXK0IWUUxJ6ojOdSAp9eoZf6GITV2lIUONuxxIF8RFT3e2/s2048/wolfeyes.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcDvAIKVsY6YE-jiAt3FwVB0996-bZRmC38HWAd-65v5gzBNm_7Q-GZ6B9dkuEBT-aru14YwBNgXo0CpXMucW8YmdZ8d7WJAbXK0IWUUxJ6ojOdSAp9eoZf6GITV2lIUONuxxIF8RFT3e2/s320/wolfeyes.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">I don't think dwarves are going to be impacted, personally, and I also don't think a clean removal of the Veil would do what Solas fears, although I do think it would flood Thedas with a torrent of spirits and magic, and unlock any magical potential currently dormant within people across Thedas, which would still create plenty of chaos. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But it's Solas who has the power, and Solas who is key. Even those blue eyes on the Wolf (which appear silver in the actual video) echo directly back to Solas. As I've already mentioned, Solas is exclusively associated with blue magic -- from the removal of the Inquisitor's vallaslin, to the draining of Flemeth, to his petrification of the Qunari in "Trespasser," Solas's magic is always depicted as blue. We even see it in blue waves in those frescoes in "Trespasser" when he removes the vallaslin of the slaves he frees. And we saw it once again in the second DA4 trailer, with that gorgeous image of Solas and the Wolf.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Is this what the blue-eyed Wolf signifies? Solas's power, contained and uncorrupted? But if the teeth are red (corrupted), does that also signify that Solas will not remain corrupted forever? Remember that initial teaser, and Solas's exhausted, subtly changed voice at the end. Does Solas become infected as well, or deliberately infect himself? I'm guessing yes. (Y'all, there is no <i>way </i>this is going to end happily, but I promise to cry with those of you who need company.)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I also think there's another clue to the eyes here, as they remind me very much of the peering spirits from the Fade on his very first fresco way back in Skyhold. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0bhlF0P_OH-PO_w5KZjQWiWmwRkNq7jwjjHtsdPvWgtL3GYxAg-nBz3H-e8DrjJYt8sLhbb6IpecmChvxOpesGm5Re3oOrJRdMKwKuEwgKi9pGEyrvhYG_RPFIgkoFL75YYFHomJOT4S/s1615/eyesfresco.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="729" data-original-width="1615" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0bhlF0P_OH-PO_w5KZjQWiWmwRkNq7jwjjHtsdPvWgtL3GYxAg-nBz3H-e8DrjJYt8sLhbb6IpecmChvxOpesGm5Re3oOrJRdMKwKuEwgKi9pGEyrvhYG_RPFIgkoFL75YYFHomJOT4S/w320-h144/eyesfresco.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">So perhaps the eyes symbolize Solas's divided nature -- his spiritual and physical self, his elven and wolflike guises, and even his hinted power to walk all worlds at once -- Fade, waking world, the ancient fastnesses in between. I'm sure there's more I'm missing here, but I think it's a noteworthy detail. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">What the differently sized pupils mean, however, I'm still at a loss -- I tried reordering the eyes according to size, reordering them according to pupil size, etc., while scanning a variety of images and all of Solas's drawings, and well, I give up.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The other potential plot option here is, of course, that it's very possible that either one or both of these Evanuris "gods" pictured breaks free from prison, shattering the Veil in <i>Superman</i> Forbidden-Zone style, and therefore <i>they</i> infect Thedas somehow. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And Solas (ironically) has to stop them, possibly by repairing the Veil or putting that sucker back up.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Dread Wolf's Wardrobe Changes</span></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqcb-vL4XOp6NUkry1-QOdFJGYze2otY5CcK3onuET0D3uLJERnoyLFZAubT_Ckqt8aqT6G4tyYmaE6pLJqdZ91ZadahNbLA6OrjRPj76-3cXeZ2zlFO0BfqxTBVP-1cMWwVDPbUB2RV2/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="938" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqcb-vL4XOp6NUkry1-QOdFJGYze2otY5CcK3onuET0D3uLJERnoyLFZAubT_Ckqt8aqT6G4tyYmaE6pLJqdZ91ZadahNbLA6OrjRPj76-3cXeZ2zlFO0BfqxTBVP-1cMWwVDPbUB2RV2/w640-h326/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />But back to our video, and my doomed future ex-husband.<br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Standing in the center, now robed in black, is Solas, whose back is to us. He's wearing a long black robe of what looks like black leather, with shoulders that are almost armor-like or epaulettes in gold-etched leather, and with spikes enclosing the robe at front. He looks like he's possibly wearing some kind of silvery brooch or fastener at his chest that also suggests a wolf-head shape, but I also may be reading too much into things. He does appear to be wearing a breastplate under the robes as well, so fingers crossed that the Ancient Armor of Elven Hotness makes another appearance. (Sorry.)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile. It's pretty interesting that Varric refers to Solas by his true identity here, so obviously the Inquisitor talked to their companions after "Trespasser." I'm betting that <i>every </i>companion and major character close to the Inquisitor who's still involved in the Inquisition (or whatever they're calling themselves now) after "Trespasser" is now fully briefed on Solas's identity. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This isn't really a surprise when you come to think of it, because we already saw that Charter knew all of the details as of "<a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2020/07/tevinter-nights-analysis-dread-wolf.html" target="_blank">The Dread Wolf Take You</a>," and she was respectful enough and scared enough of Solas's powers (that include that ultra-terrifying, silent and instant petrification ability of his) that she did nothing but sit utterly still and ask him for mercy at the end of the tale there. Which Solas granted.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The fresco presents that massive, familiar image I discussed above, here seen real and shadowed. image. Solas stands dead center, his head and shoulders within the teeth of the Pride Wolf's mouth. (Yeah. He's doomed.)</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirdThEyhYecoTBXoxDDNqflWsI51nAYyNLQq4n9bvpnxOA2MDaiYsZ1RA_ma4P915KmFRT52hU8jsBQMAybsrxo_PZe7fbIvr1iNLvWOw-OnaeUuAZwhIslHuBKKJHh2pn-WkZeQzlcyxs/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="591" data-original-width="790" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirdThEyhYecoTBXoxDDNqflWsI51nAYyNLQq4n9bvpnxOA2MDaiYsZ1RA_ma4P915KmFRT52hU8jsBQMAybsrxo_PZe7fbIvr1iNLvWOw-OnaeUuAZwhIslHuBKKJHh2pn-WkZeQzlcyxs/w640-h478/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">We zoom in closer. Notice Solas's left hand. (If you want to get super-poetic, he may even be thinking of a romanced Inquisitor, here.)</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwvRzPSm5MdExT7hfx3DmT6t3bFf6-1SqtWdsczdvsD_tt5jSMxVRDPrjMI6HKN6TzmWPsq88i7mq48_sAu2Qcp5s9cc3LIDbE32vOyo3FPSjtfbmON_AHOUTZJf9jJOwMYZEFDyoe40dn/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="1175" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwvRzPSm5MdExT7hfx3DmT6t3bFf6-1SqtWdsczdvsD_tt5jSMxVRDPrjMI6HKN6TzmWPsq88i7mq48_sAu2Qcp5s9cc3LIDbE32vOyo3FPSjtfbmON_AHOUTZJf9jJOwMYZEFDyoe40dn/w640-h334/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">Just as we zoom in close, there's a cut to Solas in a closer view, now rendered in a more three-dimensional representation, as he glares forbiddingly at us.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqSc4Pm38wOXo6WUbM_K7YFW1ek9PzvMY6rnswbrnw37OpwG2Y5TcBRaXhWA3kHjEk95zqPtX6TEpD6ugOUfH-6s4iIKwZmP0k0fc3X_38RW_IS6sLoIKM_ijI3MsdHwXQpth__YtgHUvi/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="1176" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqSc4Pm38wOXo6WUbM_K7YFW1ek9PzvMY6rnswbrnw37OpwG2Y5TcBRaXhWA3kHjEk95zqPtX6TEpD6ugOUfH-6s4iIKwZmP0k0fc3X_38RW_IS6sLoIKM_ijI3MsdHwXQpth__YtgHUvi/w640-h334/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">As before in the very first <i>Dragon Age 4</i> teaser from a few years ago, golden sparks are flying in the air between us and Solas, as if from firelight or torchlight.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It's interesting to note that as I noted above, Solas is first shown above as standing almost pensively with his left hand against the fresco, and when he turns, his hand drops slowly. He didn't appear to be painting, just touching it. This is significant to me -- I think this could be seen as a continuation of his regret or sorrow. As well as, again, the possibility that he is remembering his romanced Inquisitor.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But of course, with Solas, Pride wins in the end, and that's how he confronts us at the video's end.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmNAg3wi9E1sbTBoT4_DiDgvB1GICFK8LBc6WryT50Khrty0fJKMkBRWUPFCEekUojHKo8-Dit-PmKEqU7QCaQyeshTXl745ULk4LGjE4RKf2-QMdbAPP7PkU7-l0fsyjAsXR34Hngpod/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="1175" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmNAg3wi9E1sbTBoT4_DiDgvB1GICFK8LBc6WryT50Khrty0fJKMkBRWUPFCEekUojHKo8-Dit-PmKEqU7QCaQyeshTXl745ULk4LGjE4RKf2-QMdbAPP7PkU7-l0fsyjAsXR34Hngpod/w640-h334/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />We zoom closer subtly and Solas's expression changes a little -- he's not quite so scowly, and his eyes open wider. He almost looks like he's on the verge of a smile.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitygl6txS-tzbqrVIAXrUspQrC4KXgTppCACeE9LRADtUKEErpSo9XnsB0vJbPXq2-AX9jBnu_2EXyH64_nQKIxcybf7TfVYDHOgoNtw_w_yeOT18DGp8Dzo-Se1A3et25e8QGpdBJINik/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="1175" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitygl6txS-tzbqrVIAXrUspQrC4KXgTppCACeE9LRADtUKEErpSo9XnsB0vJbPXq2-AX9jBnu_2EXyH64_nQKIxcybf7TfVYDHOgoNtw_w_yeOT18DGp8Dzo-Se1A3et25e8QGpdBJINik/w640-h334/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">As far as Solas's new and updated, more three-dimensional image here, it's awfully early, so I'm not gonna nitpick too much. He looks fantastic in the big-picture sense, and that first glimpse from behind is electrifying. As far as his face goes, I'm divided—it's interesting because it looks completely like Solas, and yet also completely unlike him, too. I think my main complaint of what we get here is that the eyes are a bit too squinty, and for me his lower lip is too thin. His expression here is also definitely more openly villainous than anything we've seen from Solas so far. Even when he petrified the Viddasala in "Trespasser," he looked merely regretful, not arrogant.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It's not bad—it's arresting, and I don't hate it, but it will take some getting used to if that's our new Dread Wolf, especially since I'll have to mourn the gorgeous image they teased us with previously, of Solas striding along with the Dread Wolf at his side, exuding blue magic.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Cut to black again, and now that same ornate sunburst shape glows around the Dragon Age logo. I think that sunburst, by the way, is gonna be significant, but I can't figure it out as yet. (What's your theory?)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Varric then speaks the final, exciting words: <i>This is YOUR story.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Yes, please!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdsfUs8fqeb2af78WUsc9FuGoo8lg3QjqT5eSR334eUhrKYsUTftqMlnr8FgfJz47Yk11XGc_0Y8nYSgXhDRokWf586mHu6uFBM9TbZPwquwscBm6Ivw0x_sNNOvFwvGdlv2ey0X5RQBLC/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="1172" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdsfUs8fqeb2af78WUsc9FuGoo8lg3QjqT5eSR334eUhrKYsUTftqMlnr8FgfJz47Yk11XGc_0Y8nYSgXhDRokWf586mHu6uFBM9TbZPwquwscBm6Ivw0x_sNNOvFwvGdlv2ey0X5RQBLC/w640-h334/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">The music surges. There's a nice subtly Eastern feel to the music here, almost Indian, due to the use of what sounds like a sitar on the soundtrack. Again, this vibes wonderfully with the new game's potential focus on settings like Tevinter for me, since I associate Tevinter with a mixtures of artistic influences that would include both Eastern Asian as well as central European and Roman.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Last but not least... there's that narration. Let's talk about Varric and what that narration could really mean... </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But you'll have to go to my next post for that! I'll post it shortly -- meanwhile, I'll look forward to your thoughts as always!</span></p></div>Angela D. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-43602666460809105632021-05-31T22:37:00.002-07:002021-06-01T14:20:40.729-07:00Shot by Shot Analysis of the Dragon Age 4 "Behind the Scenes" Teaser #1 (August 27 Version)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp48bMhZUHe1DGcfxa7iZvgpXDCTYumqYxCa7pBVQwm44iEB2syKPFgRXl3doMLDrcI0I-TjgAVCpiVmmkopyaeEBuL2XJxi7OoaNjj1WC1o4T8zv6t3HpXue6KUK3Jc5gBsd9H4Cq7LBk/s1466/118146141_3749710815043466_4731419934646169494_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1466" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp48bMhZUHe1DGcfxa7iZvgpXDCTYumqYxCa7pBVQwm44iEB2syKPFgRXl3doMLDrcI0I-TjgAVCpiVmmkopyaeEBuL2XJxi7OoaNjj1WC1o4T8zv6t3HpXue6KUK3Jc5gBsd9H4Cq7LBk/w640-h274/118146141_3749710815043466_4731419934646169494_o.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">SPOILERS as always on Dragon Age, and most especially on <i>TEVINTER NIGHTS</i> and <i>LAST FLIGHT</i>!</span></b></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">Greetings from the Breach!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://twitter.com/DrunkDalish/status/1399271113398505472" target="_blank">As I warned on Twitter</a>, this is... hilariously, tragically out of date. This is my analysis of BioWare's exciting <a href="https://youtu.be/3ZJPvKbUgOA" target="_blank"><b><i>Dragon Age 4</i> teaser</b></a>, which originally premiered during <b>Gamescom</b>'s Opening Night Live. Back in August. 2020. Yeah, <i>that </i>2020. (Were we ever that young?)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I started this analysis so very long ago, back when the world was new, but sometimes I am my own worst enemy—I keep thinking I need to be as exact, accurate, and detailed as possible, and so I just keep writing and writing and never actually post the Actual Things. My recent <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2020/05/the-fatalist-and-dreamer-deconstructing.html" target="_blank">Varric post</a> took me five months, and don't even get me <i>started </i>on my analysis of Solas's Last, Worst, Date. I'll probably be buried with it, or something. Anyway, the bottom line is that I have a ton of rambling posts that I have not had a chance to post, and then they've just silently sat in my blog in draft format, judging me.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Like this one. And then of course, in addition to being lost in my own flailing addiction to Dragon Age research, the world intervened and got even scarier, somehow the holidays happened, my business took a dive, my anxiety went nuclear, and then there was that whole <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2021/05/adventures-in-lockdown.html" target="_blank">heart failure thing</a> in March. Although that turned out to be an amazing gift in so many ways (I promise to stop talking about it, but I swear to God, I was lying on the gurney in the hospital going, "<i>Oh, man, if I die without posting that teaser analysis, I'm gonna be so furious...</i>").</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So! Please note that the aging on this is very apparent! <b>Casey Hudson</b> and <b>Mark Darrah</b> have since left BioWare, and have moved on to exciting new chapters and adventures. </span></p><p><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Now come back in time with me... back to September 2020! (CUE tinkly music and sparkly lights then our screen DISSOLVES...)</span></i></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So what I figured I'd do here was to go through the video sequentially, person by person, and shot by shot. This way, it lets me honor all the lovely BioWare peeps who appear, and offer analyses or hypotheses on the art concepts they show us, as well.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Will this be the smartest DA 4 teaser analysis out there? HIGHLY DOUBTFUL, especially knowing that wonderful analyses are already out there from Evanuri like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70AppcOUgDc" target="_blank">Ghil Dirthalen</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsHkG-Y-kZs&t=18s" target="_blank">LadyInsanity</a> and many more. But hey, gosh darn it, it's gonna be the MOST COMPREHENSIVE! So I hope the shot-by-shot approach provides, at the very least, a good reference for some of you.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">A Note on Concept Art</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And one caveat—as Patrick Weekes eloquently <a href="https://twitter.com/PatrickWeekes/status/1299398384785088513" target="_blank">noted on Twitter here</a>, what we're seeing throughout this video is either static concept art, or very early animations/video footage in progress. The video we see may never make it into the game at all. And the concept art is quite often used simply to provide exactly that—concept for "this is how the scene might look," or, "What if we tried this?" </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But Patrick says it better, so I'll quote them here:</span></p><p></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: large;">Much like box-art creatures help devs get an early feel for gameplay, concept art helps devs get an early feel for MOOD.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If the mood of concept art you're seeing excites you, cool! But please don't get attached to, or hung up on, specifics.</span></p></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Then, further:</span></p><p></p><blockquote><span style="font-size: large;">There are characters in the concept art who have since been cut, or changed significantly, or were never intended to be major characters to begin with. There are major characters who didn't exist yet when these pieces were made.</span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So these are all good things to keep in mind as we totally nerd out adorably together over these exciting and tantalizing new potential <i>Dragon Age 4</i> tidbits.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Onward!</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Next Dragon Age: Behind the Scenes at BioWare</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The video begins with BioWare Studio General Manager <b>Casey Hudson</b>, who looks back to 2014 when <i>Dragon Age Inquisition</i> won Game of the Year—then introduces what's to come with <i>Dragon Age 4</i>: "We're still in early production, but we thought it was time to give you the very first look at how BioWare's passionate team of developers are crafting this very special game."</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9rGk2qnqzGQjBW7tKiCk-1EuDagUqdlMxB_MkKg-7UIrBHhqiFFSE7W3ZYphwt3wNmig9sbfuvBf8SPu1hh1515cKNLCpkH5FrsVgtf0e2VVdDCtXyS6j7f7Md51zqUsVZIJPRamAflx/s1189/CaseyHudson.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="1189" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9rGk2qnqzGQjBW7tKiCk-1EuDagUqdlMxB_MkKg-7UIrBHhqiFFSE7W3ZYphwt3wNmig9sbfuvBf8SPu1hh1515cKNLCpkH5FrsVgtf0e2VVdDCtXyS6j7f7Md51zqUsVZIJPRamAflx/w640-h272/CaseyHudson.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">And the simplest thing happens next, but it totally got me the first time I watched it—Trevor Morris's beautiful <i>Dragon Age Inquisition</i> theme surges over a lovely shot of the late afternoon sun through the trees and leaves—and like many fans watching, I went, "<i>Oh, my God, the animation looks so REAL!</i>" Er, cough. Because of course, those ARE real trees we're looking at. Nice one, BioWare!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Look, some of us have been inside for a loooooong time. Real trees look wonky and magical to me.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs5_c9O28UWEvFPeeV3u2FoBDaCPBAF4X_-SYS5p943vRqAG6iN4xz_RZPv_pkZ7vYm__fZ0ceVKJzb3741IViWvj3NMEYbtr48t3IjfgM6Tm-Z5vzCsJ3fa5rvPengtXCbEtSSgCHUXw1/s1148/MarkDarrah.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="1148" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs5_c9O28UWEvFPeeV3u2FoBDaCPBAF4X_-SYS5p943vRqAG6iN4xz_RZPv_pkZ7vYm__fZ0ceVKJzb3741IViWvj3NMEYbtr48t3IjfgM6Tm-Z5vzCsJ3fa5rvPengtXCbEtSSgCHUXw1/w640-h282/MarkDarrah.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">Next, we get glimpses of brilliant Twitter provocateur and incipient wizard <b>Mark Darrah</b> (Executive Producer), who talks about watching BioWare grow up through the years...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqX9H7C3K6pR1NoiwsgFtsD1ZC-JZYuFdIL9pL-WzqqMncZvTyBjYzsoUGhwgIepXRIvnuhZF52rKywRMqV5e3lXf_v9If1J4GecvUQM_Hp4qHreX2Ycj5RapmQMSCMlUr4Dco7eAiYWJ/s1144/GrahamScott.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="1144" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqX9H7C3K6pR1NoiwsgFtsD1ZC-JZYuFdIL9pL-WzqqMncZvTyBjYzsoUGhwgIepXRIvnuhZF52rKywRMqV5e3lXf_v9If1J4GecvUQM_Hp4qHreX2Ycj5RapmQMSCMlUr4Dco7eAiYWJ/w640-h284/GrahamScott.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">Then we meet <b>Graham Scott</b> (Senior Game Designer), who talks about the amazing stories still to be told... His thoughtful profile gaze to the right-hand horizon is also AMAZING here. Truly one of the best in the video.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And then we get a brief wonderful glimpse of a Zoom meeting that includes some familiar faces, including Lead Editor <b><a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2019/12/soft-retcons-and-krogan-valentines.html" target="_blank">Karin Weekes</a></b>, as they all bond over their love of a particular character who isn't named (curses!). </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfT9iuSOn2ah2PmFOTv3pZ-hIw0SvW5Ny-LLtM0tu0fQre5QXuMEsfYUCXbMLHPi8Ry6SGdRlFdGt6ENeYYBdWKsl8m4Y3DOgD9NYyzjBBTdirODtmqNjAbENd-P2m7aV_0CnQUprWuop/s1194/BioWare+Zoom+Meeting+Editors+Karin+et+al.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="495" data-original-width="1194" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfT9iuSOn2ah2PmFOTv3pZ-hIw0SvW5Ny-LLtM0tu0fQre5QXuMEsfYUCXbMLHPi8Ry6SGdRlFdGt6ENeYYBdWKsl8m4Y3DOgD9NYyzjBBTdirODtmqNjAbENd-P2m7aV_0CnQUprWuop/w640-h264/BioWare+Zoom+Meeting+Editors+Karin+et+al.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">On the above lovely Zoom image of BioWare folks, I reached out to ask for help identifying everyone and to get their permission to name them, so for now we just have this image of the team. Just suffice it to say that I love everyone's Zoom backgrounds, but I also love it when we can see people's actual offices. And <b>Person at Upper Left</b>? I am COVETING your bookcases and containers. COVETING THEM SO HARD.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">(Also, I was sad nobody's pets were visible here. PET TAX, BioWare, get on it!)</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFIJyiWfStl8OWr1Bv7SaPDWKuYiFFIALC8oH0JLz29bua6CzNJ2QaZXuba9yFNSWmG5j7-dHEiz0t0KwnoOzxr9KcEclB56DAndyUCUV-S4dHHMBrb4YLBx_JzBcGErTslA3NXA0RS4D/s1145/MelissaJanowicz.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="1145" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFIJyiWfStl8OWr1Bv7SaPDWKuYiFFIALC8oH0JLz29bua6CzNJ2QaZXuba9yFNSWmG5j7-dHEiz0t0KwnoOzxr9KcEclB56DAndyUCUV-S4dHHMBrb4YLBx_JzBcGErTslA3NXA0RS4D/w640-h284/MelissaJanowicz.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">We then meet <b>Melissa Janowicz</b> (Gameplay Designer), who is so visibly enthused about the creative challenges that you can tell she truly loves her work and is probably a superhero in real life. She talks about how much fun it is that BioWare is so experimental, and how they're "always coming up with new stuff." </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqbuIqtMUurTwP_6GwE-sKKQ5xpVbMDiWDUMykBpckbw-dIZtiBqUy4rBowZM_3IqWIlJOBqz6pmGNSgay4WWpXa0H-AY5NDccKG-VCWLtiU70gV-bNAixGzQAcYQfcBwY2roMGN4QyVqA/s1143/JonRenish.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="511" data-original-width="1143" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqbuIqtMUurTwP_6GwE-sKKQ5xpVbMDiWDUMykBpckbw-dIZtiBqUy4rBowZM_3IqWIlJOBqz6pmGNSgay4WWpXa0H-AY5NDccKG-VCWLtiU70gV-bNAixGzQAcYQfcBwY2roMGN4QyVqA/w640-h286/JonRenish.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Jon Renish</b> (Technical Director) expands on this, and he emphasizes that "we're always trying to improve, innovate, and bring new characters to life." </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Here, just as the <i>Inquisition </i>theme's drums kick in, we start getting our first real concept art glimpses of the game in progress. And... we're off!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj99_KVDTPQZhntFTN3Vzwp_05dnNYyA34YG4um2WZkcbQ_6P1lWjn3wxOtubrl7-jy6kldHRN0ND3uDUkre1XaJm5msgNEqMCXGQt0eaB_ltAUYkgJzoDiRmDoQlbZr6iigSrsnR3Eqapr/s720/Conceptart1.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="720" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj99_KVDTPQZhntFTN3Vzwp_05dnNYyA34YG4um2WZkcbQ_6P1lWjn3wxOtubrl7-jy6kldHRN0ND3uDUkre1XaJm5msgNEqMCXGQt0eaB_ltAUYkgJzoDiRmDoQlbZr6iigSrsnR3Eqapr/w640-h280/Conceptart1.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">There's some beautiful stuff in the image above, and I'm guessing the location we're glimpsing is Tevinter. First off, it has that ornate, Byzantine quality that I associate with Tevinter. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I've also seen occasional evidence that Tevinter was inspired not just by the Roman Empire (of course), but to me it seems apparent that there is a lot of Eastern Asian (Indian) influence, as well, especially in Dorian's character design and other elements we've seen in the past, and this reflects some echoes of that Eastern Asian feel to me. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Further, the presence of the beautiful cypresses lifting to the sky beyond the buildings (very reminiscent of Van Gogh and <i>Starry Night</i>) also points to a more temperate climate, and it's fun to point out that there are cypress trees in BOTH India and Italy! (Yes, I researched this! I'm a proud nerd.)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This concept art above includes the clustered buildings, domes, warm colors, and spires of the above influences, but what really intrigues me is that they're also so architecturally RUSSIAN. They are classic Central European architecture in many ways, right down to the onion domes.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I almost thought the Russian influences would be more Qun-focused for the obvious parallels, but now I don't think that will happen. I think the Qun stuff will be more monolithic and heavy design-wise. But we'll see.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Then, we get this, below:</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFqqKsLCQoeebLZFiP1OW1ywlQoyvhmyq4pSoxLVTvWCMZ4o6VNNcI8FpmTN53lFp1jwWiGiK56Vh8hw0uqWF6tSIQlKDGkcbdr6FCmpKgo63lPFj3StvpyqFANmJfWLo_3GaUIqjSuQSc/s2072/Egcn81KWkAca7hY.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="870" data-original-width="2072" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFqqKsLCQoeebLZFiP1OW1ywlQoyvhmyq4pSoxLVTvWCMZ4o6VNNcI8FpmTN53lFp1jwWiGiK56Vh8hw0uqWF6tSIQlKDGkcbdr6FCmpKgo63lPFj3StvpyqFANmJfWLo_3GaUIqjSuQSc/w640-h268/Egcn81KWkAca7hY.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">Okay, so the image above looks to me like a classic ancient entrance to the Deep Roads, and possibly to one of the lost Thaigs? It's gorgeous and evocative of the dwarven architecture and sense of scale, but we can see deep slants of sunshine coming down, so it's not so far below that light is gone. The figure in the foreground could be our protagonist, but if so, I think it's a dwarven hero (I'm sure we will be able to play all races in DA4)—look at the size and structure of the person we see here.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, this area seems to herald a big fat fun challenge gamewise as part of a big specific questline, of course—we will have to decode the door itself, probably much like the Temple of Mythal, and/or fight some big ancient dwarven nasty thing to get access to begin with, just to prove our prowess and worthiness.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Other intriguing little elements—the gem glowing in the doors, the answering glow in the pointed artifacts to foreground right and middleground left—and what almost looks like a frozen river of sorts beneath the hero's feet. Not surprisingly, there is a slight blue tinge to the light of the gem and artifacts, but that also means we're looking at a potentially "pure" place—one <i>untouched</i>, as yet, by the Blighted red lyrium. Interesting stuff.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And yes, this image TOTALLY reminds me of Tolkien's description of the Chamber of Mazarbul in <i>The Fellowship of the Ring</i>. This means that it's pretty near the surface and is just the beginning of the journey down, down, down... to the secrets of the dwarves? To (finally) the lost secrets of the titans, teased so beautifully in "The Descent?" Inquiring minds.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I'll go on record as saying I do NOT think this is an entrance to one of Ghilan'nain's creepy army-building-centers. In John Epler's superb story "<a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2020/05/tevinter-nights-analysis-horror-of.html" target="_blank">The Horror of Hormak</a>," the Wardens had to navigate cramped and wandering secret passages and corridors down to finally reach the ancient chamber entrance, and while this could be that, THIS does not look ancient elven, but dwarven. So we'll see.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The cast of <i>Dragon Age Inquisition</i> INTERRUPTS this examination.</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>SOLAS</b>: It is not dwarven, it is elven.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>DORIAN</b>: It could very well be Tevinter in origin. Perhaps a wine cellar.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>BLACKWALL</b>: I could do with a barrel of ale right now. Anyone else?</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">The Iron Bull raises his hand. As do the Chargers.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>SOLAS</b>: It is elven.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>THE IRON BULL</b>: So the elves were into really big doors?</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>SOLAS</b>: From the Fade, I have seen that the ancient elves were capable of building a wide variety of entryways in all shapes and sizes. Including, yes, extremely large doors.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>THE IRON BULL</b>: Looks to me like they were compensating for something.</span></i></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">He gives Krem a fistbump. Cassandra glares at them. </span></i></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>BLACKWALL</b>: I wouldn't say it looks all that elflike. Elvish. Er, made by elves.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>SOLAS</b>: It is elv—</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>SERA</b>: Phbbbbbbbbtttt! </span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>CASSANDRA</b>: Varric, you are a dwarf, please resolve this for us.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>VARRIC</b>: Huh. Too much surface access, Seeker. Not much good for smuggling or hiding things.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>CASSANDRA</b>: Yes, but WHO BUILT IT?</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>VIVIENNE</b>: Darling, I find it delightfully naive that you think I'd care. Look at this place.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>VARRIC</b>: Beats me.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>CASSANDRA</b>: Ughgh.</span></i></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQfO502oTgGucCV1wEeV98FQLs3o4AagrOksCJ62zfJDRQ5fhCbUh1GFgl49uMTSisjqYY5guzTH9eSC1U_3PHUUDCWDtRoq6AinuxnTsZS1YdzkjA8ybhNJv8bLywtVaDu1FD7NouGttG/s2088/Egcn81kXcAACywx.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="2088" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQfO502oTgGucCV1wEeV98FQLs3o4AagrOksCJ62zfJDRQ5fhCbUh1GFgl49uMTSisjqYY5guzTH9eSC1U_3PHUUDCWDtRoq6AinuxnTsZS1YdzkjA8ybhNJv8bLywtVaDu1FD7NouGttG/w640-h272/Egcn81kXcAACywx.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">And then we get this, above. Tevinter again? Or <i>Antiva</i>? Definitely a port city. Note the spires and domes again, and that same lovely purple light. This particular image also has a definite feel of Venice. Now, according to <b><a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2018/08/freddie-david-mike-deconstructing-nyu.html" target="_blank">David Gaider</a></b> (per the BioWare Forums in 2009), Antiva overall was inspired by Venice, so maybe that's what we're seeing here:<br /></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-size: large;">Yes, Antiva is a fictionalized version of a medieval Italian city-state like Venice. It's not a perfect comparison by any means, but then none of the Thedas nations are meant to be. They're inspired by real-world history, but that's where it remains.</span></blockquote><span style="font-size: large;">Keep in mind that we got a LOT of Antivan moments in <a href="https://amzn.to/2VZKcS1" target="_blank"><i>TEVINTER NIGHTS</i></a>, in some of the final few stories, including "An Old Crow's Old Tricks" (Arone Le Bray), and "Eight Little Talons" (Courtney Woods). It's apparent to me that crows (and Antiva) may be seriously important to <i>Dragon Age 4</i>. I just hope we get a glimpse of Zevran (in the playthroughs where he lived). </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, look at this glorious concept art below!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV8Ck5I-tHfQBRtoE7Rzgwi6cDJ0wHUbYw1RcPP7H9CSS0GmsMSbWlPLU5od5UcypV5oJY9UnfeVR4JkL8qz6mqY9CsmpNTJUWPxF3xubO-nwrJizbTMBFjO64ow6wPiGsdGnOeDTqd8P4/s1143/conceptart5.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="1143" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV8Ck5I-tHfQBRtoE7Rzgwi6cDJ0wHUbYw1RcPP7H9CSS0GmsMSbWlPLU5od5UcypV5oJY9UnfeVR4JkL8qz6mqY9CsmpNTJUWPxF3xubO-nwrJizbTMBFjO64ow6wPiGsdGnOeDTqd8P4/w640-h284/conceptart5.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">This concept art is a lot of fun—it's a rare glimpse of characters in motion, and also conveys personality and humor, with a more comic-book-style than some of the others. There's been a ton of speculation here, because of course, the mustachioed gentleman on the left could certainly potentially be a certain beloved Tevinter mage (if it <i>is </i>Dorian, I'm still positing that he's present as an advisor, not as a companion, for DA4, but maybe this is one of his advisory away missions, like Cullen's in DAI?), and the rogue to the right could also be Isabela.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But if we zoom closer, the figure above Dorian (upper left) certainly appears to have a skull for a face, so is that our "normally flaming-head" mystery companion, and the one I've guessed is our Mortalitasi friend Audric, from <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2020/12/sylvia-feketekuty-answers-silly.html" target="_blank">Sylvia Feketekuty</a>'s "Down Among the Dead Men" in <i>Tevinter Nights</i>? </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0gVT-EtTUHqylsytqTzq_9K_lKROpH_pWNTK8HbpLySeizXkmSSN98YnAYnmKOx-TLr4HNB05wAMEEHn0cxheHE9Mg2HW4vi3pqJncHCPGEppQ-Dmxz8oLqHrFsiRG666HGAp98INnvO/s1144/MatthewGoldman.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="1144" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0gVT-EtTUHqylsytqTzq_9K_lKROpH_pWNTK8HbpLySeizXkmSSN98YnAYnmKOx-TLr4HNB05wAMEEHn0cxheHE9Mg2HW4vi3pqJncHCPGEppQ-Dmxz8oLqHrFsiRG666HGAp98INnvO/w640-h284/MatthewGoldman.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">Next, <b>Matthew Goldman</b> (Creative Director), is excitingly presented as a possible Cylon, and meanwhile he notes what's exciting about the new game in development: "It's got frontier, stories, it's got mystery, it's got hard-boiled detective stories... and of course it's all wrapped up in kind of a fantasy setting."</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd9UhF01acHLDpb4vICD2LGD-W7tdu_a3kkI-BmeYCeLjq0AmElDrDqvOqrOFJoNQXA07J7MGkvbnjavVji9zIqGrhgSrI8xV2dHWZ968AB9EAv6x_4bSmzaYMXOEA69ZVRvdLLuTNBJ2u/s1143/conceptart6.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="1143" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd9UhF01acHLDpb4vICD2LGD-W7tdu_a3kkI-BmeYCeLjq0AmElDrDqvOqrOFJoNQXA07J7MGkvbnjavVji9zIqGrhgSrI8xV2dHWZ968AB9EAv6x_4bSmzaYMXOEA69ZVRvdLLuTNBJ2u/w640-h284/conceptart6.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">Then this, above, an image that occurs on the mention of "<i>detective stories</i>"... a gorgeous concept image, and the idea of this? Solving mysteries in Thedas? I'm all in. And meanwhile, yay! We see our new potential Companions, certainly! Many have speculated on identities. I don't hold with those who think the woman with the braid is Scout Harding (although I would love that!). We see a Warrior, a Mage, a Warden, a female who, thanks to her bow and daggers, could be a Rogue?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Then this:</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVfZRimHeL_rskc5O2-yHadtaEsJdqQ3MoqUWUPHiq1Xvv0jGmCqD8rR4OLEmh7_ukmy7Km98Z0wZzS1ItgTV0zEY7RxpKmkcKhhMH2pUqDDjo5AQRHrzCqBlnSrVVRHTxNx5pkAvMdcFN/s1153/conceptart7.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="1153" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVfZRimHeL_rskc5O2-yHadtaEsJdqQ3MoqUWUPHiq1Xvv0jGmCqD8rR4OLEmh7_ukmy7Km98Z0wZzS1ItgTV0zEY7RxpKmkcKhhMH2pUqDDjo5AQRHrzCqBlnSrVVRHTxNx5pkAvMdcFN/w640-h282/conceptart7.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">I love this and again, I love the slight Byzantine aspect to the architecture. Based on the architecture of the tower above (and below), I feel like both of these HAVE to be the Grey Warden fortress Weisshaupt in the Anderfels, right? And it's so gorgeous, if so! I love the stark and forbidding landscape, the ridges of the Southern Anderfels mountains, the Broken Tooth, the climate, the obvious sculptures and visuals, etc. And the huge staircase we see on the right, as described in <i>Last Flight</i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Weisshaupt was built in -305 Ancient, during the First Blight, so it's as almost as old as the surrounding hills. What's interesting is remember, we've glimpsed Weisshaupt before, in the Fade, all the way back in <i>Origins</i>! Here's what we saw then, <a href="https://dragonage.fandom.com/wiki/Weisshaupt?file=Weisshaupt.jpg" target="_blank">from World of Thedas</a>... </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Now, what gets more intriguing before <i>Dragon Age 4 </i>is the reminder that Weisshaupt has gone mysteriously silent as of "Trespasser," and when we factor in the wealth of lore we learn in <i>Last Flight </i>(and that the griffons will certainly return), everything gets tremendously exciting.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And then, again, this below. GRIFFONS FOR THE WIN!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLviHDq9QICX4IQzNNbTFUnmnKxC_tNrDg2odxSaFunUlws2y_PYT06Oet9dgGre6cRIm0OJEBAYaGu1W7BN1EdhhrvFUfSIyN5pvRjCDIOFBFu4qQVb8NE_B0ecpnlXASK1Vh65w6uy6O/s1151/conceptart8.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="1151" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLviHDq9QICX4IQzNNbTFUnmnKxC_tNrDg2odxSaFunUlws2y_PYT06Oet9dgGre6cRIm0OJEBAYaGu1W7BN1EdhhrvFUfSIyN5pvRjCDIOFBFu4qQVb8NE_B0ecpnlXASK1Vh65w6uy6O/w640-h282/conceptart8.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">Other fun landmarks to note here beyond the griffon statue—the fortress, the watchtowers, the rugged, arid terrain, the bridges and visible roads, the river (probably the Lattenfluss), etc.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I'm so excited by these potential concepts for Weisshaupt. It's all pitch-perfect: The desert, THE GRIFFON STATUE, the lonely fortress! Sigh. I'll be so excited if we actually get to see it, or go there. Especially after <i>Last Flight</i>!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz2whlYDUw9qhSil-0vG8ST7ZwB00WLzsOKtdpGee4-10ViOM_8Vvlhy6fA9INIahM633-g37f0fprgAgnbAhWVzZwEYKwQ73EaQUq6XDWxdk3IHWVlR5D1zmef5io8S51mLbGYM1JvS7j/s1148/EstherKo.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="1148" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz2whlYDUw9qhSil-0vG8ST7ZwB00WLzsOKtdpGee4-10ViOM_8Vvlhy6fA9INIahM633-g37f0fprgAgnbAhWVzZwEYKwQ73EaQUq6XDWxdk3IHWVlR5D1zmef5io8S51mLbGYM1JvS7j/w640-h282/EstherKo.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Esther Ko</b> (Lead Creature Animator) then adds, "You really feel like YOU'RE the hero in the Dragon Age world, and YOU'RE saving people." I love this. It's the heart of RPG isn't it? </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmuuOYoiZOH_MXiFpnkjaodWCS1DQNU-dTSKrHAluTAGwxbQmcMfdMH69VRw5k9via591Yd3DGekfuihAgdeRANpI9Y1JAfmLsXGUlDoGl-iR6hHCDY3h9Yd55jAgyF49MQ8jHbWoNcORs/s1150/conceptart9.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="1150" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmuuOYoiZOH_MXiFpnkjaodWCS1DQNU-dTSKrHAluTAGwxbQmcMfdMH69VRw5k9via591Yd3DGekfuihAgdeRANpI9Y1JAfmLsXGUlDoGl-iR6hHCDY3h9Yd55jAgyF49MQ8jHbWoNcORs/w640-h280/conceptart9.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">Going onward in the video, in this additional concept art, above, we're seeing some fun stuff in action, and most of all, we're seeing how combat might (MIGHT) work in the new game—the new bells and whistles! We've got a mage sending shards of metal off against an antagonist shooting ribbons of black malevolence (tinged with RED SHARDS). We also see what could be a second mage in a bubble of shards either holding off the attack (fist upraised, runes visible), although there is something roguelike about the stance.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It's tantalizing if we still need to see it as just, "What could be..."</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG9CL5997B791Y6pdaoUAfxkTIy2-Vhayb1nGmzyoZuz-4_-PPNXrVchsqM8RdTkXlcJy8HmyKRgNV6IqTyNMFBpWP4n6N3TILrAldUQGYoLEFaWgFRpt2gTlIvNm_B-h0hE3tyU8ED127/s1142/LukeKristjanson.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="1142" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG9CL5997B791Y6pdaoUAfxkTIy2-Vhayb1nGmzyoZuz-4_-PPNXrVchsqM8RdTkXlcJy8HmyKRgNV6IqTyNMFBpWP4n6N3TILrAldUQGYoLEFaWgFRpt2gTlIvNm_B-h0hE3tyU8ED127/w640-h284/LukeKristjanson.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Luke Kristjanson</b> (Senior Writer): "<i>Dragon Age</i>, to me, is a wonderful world to play in." Luke is, for me, one of the best and most playful wordsmiths in Dragon Age. When writing for <i>Inquisition</i>, he basically invented a whole new faux-dialect for <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2017/08/sera-and-andruil-echoes-of-huntress.html" target="_blank">Sera</a>, and it was glorious.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMjG6y-oO2qKH_cWhULftflKOk_MVeNETdpre-okp92osLnlcAg-NE9lLtJvTraL5iaqS4RWSZ6tIYKNai7mOtC9Hu8KVx1Z7noJ3bbhvJCRgpgkzaK_KNvidDU2uzuNhW2QpXKtCfD0hl/s1153/conceptart10.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="1153" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMjG6y-oO2qKH_cWhULftflKOk_MVeNETdpre-okp92osLnlcAg-NE9lLtJvTraL5iaqS4RWSZ6tIYKNai7mOtC9Hu8KVx1Z7noJ3bbhvJCRgpgkzaK_KNvidDU2uzuNhW2QpXKtCfD0hl/w640-h282/conceptart10.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">Then, now, <i>this </i>new tantalizing image above. Sigh. LOOK AT IT. <i>Arlathan, honey, is that you?!</i> The image above offers some tantalizing glimpses. First off, concept art. No pressure. All bets are off. BUT—given that, a few ideas:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I think it's Arlathan. I think it's a flashback, possibly in the Fade, or possibly via Solas. The airships are lovely—they vaguely resemble aravels with that combination of the sharp prows and curved sails, but these look bigger, bulkier and more elegant, and of course they float above a world filled with floating images. Look at the mountainous terrain soaring up to the one lone mountain (probably The White Spire mountain near Arlathan forest—note, NOT the mage circle), the waterfalls, the floating stones and obelisks so familiar for those of us who played "Trespasser." </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The little details are as fun as always. The noble sculpted head at the center foreground. The area to the left with the staircase could either be an altar, or (given what we glimpse) perhaps a mooring station from which airships arrive and depart after fuel or food?</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7L08Juc_i0FTYXL7YDWyWeXzSIA-T6ZjpizTrazAFtQB-0jiBP4-vergo4Zd1Lv6BxJATIgUdZKUFXgS4IJmpZ-KoBxVHtjQlGed0JGtPVxbGWq8JDeaSCwCfrPbeDuseM3kwFEWQXEAr/s1153/conceptart11.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="1153" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7L08Juc_i0FTYXL7YDWyWeXzSIA-T6ZjpizTrazAFtQB-0jiBP4-vergo4Zd1Lv6BxJATIgUdZKUFXgS4IJmpZ-KoBxVHtjQlGed0JGtPVxbGWq8JDeaSCwCfrPbeDuseM3kwFEWQXEAr/w640-h282/conceptart11.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">Harkening back to David Gaider's comment that Rivain's city-state design was strongly inspired by Venice, once again, this one once again looks <i>awfully </i>Rivaini to me. This one, more than any of the others, also again evokes that Central European/Russian feel, which again really comes out of left field for me, but visually, it works so well. Look at all the domes and spires!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If you go back and look at some of the other scant sketches we've gotten, there is a similarity here with the <i>World of Thedas</i> sketch on Rivain, and it's certainly a gorgeous place—I would love to live out adventures here with my protagonist, playing the hero and running through the alleys and rooftops and waterways. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As far as this image versus some of the earlier, rose-and-purple-tinted images we've seen (also with domes galore), to me this one seems... not the same? There's a difference to me in the layout, which feels more Italianate and less "Tevinter," somehow.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So my guess is, the "purple sky" images are Tevinter, and the ones that match this one are probably Rivain.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6MVNz6WcVpxaTZyyGuBaQuvGJAv9A04jJEER5c5LaKVfIw3e2yvsrHxk15hDOyVlNXOnJkVMwNCLWTe7BvvM5XgG8VsMaQKysrrIEx8bQSCIDl81Q8pCA850v6cimfpbRql-n3bhyphenhyphenCwJL/s1150/conceptart12.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="1150" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6MVNz6WcVpxaTZyyGuBaQuvGJAv9A04jJEER5c5LaKVfIw3e2yvsrHxk15hDOyVlNXOnJkVMwNCLWTe7BvvM5XgG8VsMaQKysrrIEx8bQSCIDl81Q8pCA850v6cimfpbRql-n3bhyphenhyphenCwJL/w640-h294/conceptart12.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2hFnp5ztU8dwrkDCzyfjUOuatJMJN8N0kRSwxA-wCZP_6w9xvnhzK4sA01g9Y8HlnrS0esPBXhviCklOPV3P86nP3RxG6-qsVvNXZ7v9orsZQEsTZmfmwPnerXLL1vpoxNny5aNXUK20/s1147/conceptart12B_Zoom.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="1147" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2hFnp5ztU8dwrkDCzyfjUOuatJMJN8N0kRSwxA-wCZP_6w9xvnhzK4sA01g9Y8HlnrS0esPBXhviCklOPV3P86nP3RxG6-qsVvNXZ7v9orsZQEsTZmfmwPnerXLL1vpoxNny5aNXUK20/w640-h284/conceptart12B_Zoom.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">This is the part where, as the teaser progresses, <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2019/12/into-storm-with-inon-zur-dragon-age-day.html" target="_blank"><b>Inon Zur</b></a>'s iconic <i>Dragon Age Origins</i> theme soars, as we zoom into a pretty tempting looking temple in what looks like a rocky, snowy region. There's something very monolithic and dwarven about the architecture here too.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And then we get to that lovely zoom in on that tantalizing tree (which like many, I'm certain is a <i>vhenadahl</i>) that we saw in that <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2018/12/the-dread-wolf-rises-teaser-breakdown.html" target="_blank">earlier brief teaser</a>:</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGOJd88tZKSbP6GxbNBeEMAXa2Yd9dEFqM0al9wVa99WuhoUNuQUKt_iorzhd9aIEBNK-YZnX8AwvSfAdyRW__wTxfKbhkBwvGlALd6RgP0BMO_2EZpe6cUtUWPYvrDvCtkVzO0uMVOcnG/s1155/conceptart13.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="1155" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGOJd88tZKSbP6GxbNBeEMAXa2Yd9dEFqM0al9wVa99WuhoUNuQUKt_iorzhd9aIEBNK-YZnX8AwvSfAdyRW__wTxfKbhkBwvGlALd6RgP0BMO_2EZpe6cUtUWPYvrDvCtkVzO0uMVOcnG/w640-h282/conceptart13.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXK77HlXi2_ezmY0OG1vcNLcN5WmYRbjmxPWw28lj1I0gqVvsOTJ52y7FFHy7oJ3DTDcDd829jR5h_jLRJvC-a4XzMeZSSL37pGXJeTSypZXFxzOSzcA3JD0dRPPJHdctAiF8hmfsFJyJy/s1155/conceptart13B_ZOOM.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="1155" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXK77HlXi2_ezmY0OG1vcNLcN5WmYRbjmxPWw28lj1I0gqVvsOTJ52y7FFHy7oJ3DTDcDd829jR5h_jLRJvC-a4XzMeZSSL37pGXJeTSypZXFxzOSzcA3JD0dRPPJHdctAiF8hmfsFJyJy/w640-h282/conceptart13B_ZOOM.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">This zoom includes a lot of goodies if we look closely. First off, we get the tree, which I've already noted I feel is an abandoned, lost or possessed <i>vhenadahl</i>. So, to quote my darling Solas, it's elven. That sweet twisted spiral with its spindly, expansive, reaching arms, is another lost elven legacy. And as I noted in my previous <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2018/12/the-dread-wolf-rises-teaser-breakdown.html" target="_blank"><i>Dragon Age 4</i> teaser analysis</a>, a <i>vhenadahl </i>(notably burned as a main objective in an early <i>Origins </i>DLC<i>) </i>is a symbol in multiple senses: of the larger Elven loss of Arlathan, as well as of its local importance as a place for elves (even those locked in Alienages) as a community focus. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So this glimpse hints back to those images of community for elves. But there's also something plainly funereal here—not a celebration of life (even if locked away in an alienage) but of death and memorial. This <i>vhenadahl </i>to me looks like a freaking grave marker, especially with all of those little urns and statues that we've seen before in <i>World of Thedas</i>. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVAouXOVzqloWVqZxjIMIT7NfL2d7SdAVY4-LvRTu8gnEzj2uH2y4gaX9op8h7GfICAMuO4WtANC64deRYR4ibY-_mE5wc2jSNbxd6EEY-m98xDTm6-P96vgyU9tzfPAQRDCcZ7U3BvVjt/s723/creatureDA4conceptart.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="723" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVAouXOVzqloWVqZxjIMIT7NfL2d7SdAVY4-LvRTu8gnEzj2uH2y4gaX9op8h7GfICAMuO4WtANC64deRYR4ibY-_mE5wc2jSNbxd6EEY-m98xDTm6-P96vgyU9tzfPAQRDCcZ7U3BvVjt/w640-h270/creatureDA4conceptart.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">And then this cute creature above, as Matthew Goldman references the wildlife, architecture, and more (with a nice pan along the inside of another potentially dwarven-looking temple), that help make Dragon Age's worlds so much fun to discover.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">To me, it just looks like another fun creature for us to discover out there in Thedas—and something about it and the way it's presented makes me think it might be a mount? Which WOULD BE AWESOME. It doesn't really seem malevolent to me, although of course it could be. I just see the forearms and keep thinking of <i>TOY STORY</i> and the dinosaur's teeny arms. It also does look a bit Tauntaun-like to me, as well. Does it to you?</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8EdiED9ssaBCMX8TrETEGvXGukU9KjPRF6-7JZRkDtWSRMWCjOhq4VPmB1RMM9tNQpYrumnakgMbP9_xaFOAN17YB8xvQYpS1-JAbNzgQRd6fpLFmu51qgiJ6JR5Xy7vwfUT6gNbddJ-g/s1153/conceptart14.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="1153" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8EdiED9ssaBCMX8TrETEGvXGukU9KjPRF6-7JZRkDtWSRMWCjOhq4VPmB1RMM9tNQpYrumnakgMbP9_xaFOAN17YB8xvQYpS1-JAbNzgQRd6fpLFmu51qgiJ6JR5Xy7vwfUT6gNbddJ-g/w640-h292/conceptart14.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">Then some nice mountain passes, and look! A massive dwarven stone figure! Very much like those we saw in <i>Inquisition</i>. But seriously: You guys, we are <i>so </i>going to get Titans in the next game. Titans titans titans.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBz-9-LJEwyb72vepbfL2K_uL-YjogLwmJbAqWW0Sy_r_pRCrz56dJ2IIVgZMWt0WmjoKWnt8cy0CN-yI0J-FwvCmZrZtfDt17l9fZpIDdXOzaTAcqDrBOtkWmMcUWsINlxYZhQlPOfBJr/s1156/conceptart15.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="1156" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBz-9-LJEwyb72vepbfL2K_uL-YjogLwmJbAqWW0Sy_r_pRCrz56dJ2IIVgZMWt0WmjoKWnt8cy0CN-yI0J-FwvCmZrZtfDt17l9fZpIDdXOzaTAcqDrBOtkWmMcUWsINlxYZhQlPOfBJr/w640-h282/conceptart15.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">Mark Darrah returns with another big-picture comment that is rife with clues: "In the next Dragon Age, we get an opportunity to see new things, new places... and interact with people who lived and grew up in these spaces, as well."</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxXnUuQOlf01MISJXK0Gxdl88Vqyo6cZQGtJej2h8NKxaVb6nS2FswnqcEHboz8Ww3BNAyR_Vq9CoLvnmSrGa2VtwZ4fUO1lIiMw9lQz8Qmv0cJzVecuihpIhL3aCdhq8kSehl93nrGuBR/s1158/conceptart16.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="1158" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxXnUuQOlf01MISJXK0Gxdl88Vqyo6cZQGtJej2h8NKxaVb6nS2FswnqcEHboz8Ww3BNAyR_Vq9CoLvnmSrGa2VtwZ4fUO1lIiMw9lQz8Qmv0cJzVecuihpIhL3aCdhq8kSehl93nrGuBR/w640-h282/conceptart16.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">So, in the above? Mark IS TOTALLY TALKING ABOUT TEVINTER and DA4 subtext, right? Also, the above image is really fun, because it shows us our potential companions in their roles as they navigate a market (and an encounter with some kind of ruler or deity). We've got the (Crow?) rogue all in black on the left, then a glimpse of the gorgeous Qunari female who will hopefully be joining us, probably as a warrior? My only request to devs: Please don't make the overweight ruler's weight be a symptom of their greed or evil. It gets old. Seriously.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ZIz9zZlFDgU85AN55fA3Zd23gvus2vxn99UCOWC4J5CsalEJJHBLYR-EuiAtkzR6eivo088b_7LHgSS1XnlllMrxBrTvRzcA0ofXv0zEj1ziVYK5H0dbyESKs6bkvl0onPCyQJWowQs8/s1152/conceptart17.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="1152" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ZIz9zZlFDgU85AN55fA3Zd23gvus2vxn99UCOWC4J5CsalEJJHBLYR-EuiAtkzR6eivo088b_7LHgSS1XnlllMrxBrTvRzcA0ofXv0zEj1ziVYK5H0dbyESKs6bkvl0onPCyQJWowQs8/w640-h282/conceptart17.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">This is one of my favorite new images as far as concept art, and I think it's important and key that here, there are living beings (presumably our hero and at least a few companions) in the picture. I also think it's interesting that we only have a few, which makes me think it's from early in DA4, before we've amassed all those followers/friends to adventure with. Or, of course, it could just be the adventuring party on a quest.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I've seen comments on social media (I try to avoid reading or watching other people's analyses until I'm done) that this could be Minrathous, and that's an intriguing idea. I like it, and there's certainly a ton of water, but—SO MANY WATERFALLS. I went back into previous works and lore, from the DAI Codices to <i>TEVINTER NIGHTS</i>, and I just don't see how this can be Minrathous. I grew up on sailboats, and no sailor in their right mind would be able to sail here.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">STILL—it is possible that what we're seeing is a view from high on a mountaintop (our heroes are above the circling birds, most notably), and perhaps they're overlooking a kind of more sheltered bay or cove that we can't see, and that allows Minrathous to function as a port. But still—all that turbid water would make it really undesirable to sail into.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It's gorgeous, though, and as someone with a weakness for waterfalls—especially endless Escher-esque waterfalls—bring it on! And of course, since this is all concept stuff, it's such a pretty picture, and it definitely makes me want to Go To There.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5P5Py1f-srYrp1H3dtijdVuqzkC0JKr21uy0XtOSx9fYTLUr6rx8jfE2_3RFbscJsFqPiVwkM1obc7aY58ocAyXshTurleO0j_gyP8dnqsv1Gk95oiBd0YchfjJBrQYPd9cloVvWP09Fr/s1143/PatrickWeekes.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="1143" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5P5Py1f-srYrp1H3dtijdVuqzkC0JKr21uy0XtOSx9fYTLUr6rx8jfE2_3RFbscJsFqPiVwkM1obc7aY58ocAyXshTurleO0j_gyP8dnqsv1Gk95oiBd0YchfjJBrQYPd9cloVvWP09Fr/w640-h284/PatrickWeekes.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Patrick Weekes</b> (Lead Writer): "For the game we're working on now, we want to tell a story of what happens when you DON'T have power?"</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">NOTE: This is a frequent and effective theme for me in the Dragon Age games, since my canon DAO playthroughs usually start with more disempowered characters like City Elf, Circle Mage, or Dalish Elf. The Dwarf Commoner origin would fit with this as well. Then, of course, in DA2 we have Hawke's rise from the ashes as a penniless exile, and then the Inquisitor's arc in DAI, where they begin as an amnesia-burdened prisoner, rising to rule a powerful equivalent of small country.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But this theme would be even more powerful to me if we begin as a slave, as many suspect, in DA4, and perhaps do not this time actually rise to any position of high power? And in addition, it's a story that would nicely mirror Solas's backstory, and what drove him to begin with—that determination to free the slaves of the <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2018/05/meet-evanuris-mother-spirit-and-war-of.html" target="_blank">Evanuris</a>. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6Qvas5sH5hH_yker86V2zMynU11cLVS4lHOCPgQoHrG0-P0Ep5Ip71ddLGiWkS6EUYFXExz4TcSFzaTEvpELgheiXJaSCuNr2pfjrtcNtX3xlEfciqQ8cmENVZnW7CF6cKw3A2XFb9uP/s1155/conceptart18.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="1155" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6Qvas5sH5hH_yker86V2zMynU11cLVS4lHOCPgQoHrG0-P0Ep5Ip71ddLGiWkS6EUYFXExz4TcSFzaTEvpELgheiXJaSCuNr2pfjrtcNtX3xlEfciqQ8cmENVZnW7CF6cKw3A2XFb9uP/w640-h280/conceptart18.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">They continue further: "What happens when the people in charge aren't willing to address the issues?"</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqZGwhW4ozNW6VjKkUSJkrYLIgxXlEsXZCuQmxqjwDMVkUbTTqhmMb08B7xtMK51qxc75kWVm-9bUnAReb9mc7xnyrZ2DcrwlRGwBxt27qCwPcMPVaDUgzab3qpx8_Kqzn1MjE4MtPEgD/s1197/conceptart19.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="493" data-original-width="1197" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqZGwhW4ozNW6VjKkUSJkrYLIgxXlEsXZCuQmxqjwDMVkUbTTqhmMb08B7xtMK51qxc75kWVm-9bUnAReb9mc7xnyrZ2DcrwlRGwBxt27qCwPcMPVaDUgzab3qpx8_Kqzn1MjE4MtPEgD/w640-h264/conceptart19.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">Two things, here: One, Patrick had some hilarious exchanges with John Epler about shooting these moments on Twitter, and two? Again, they are TOTALLY talking about Tevinter here, right? Even Dorian has admitted that those in power there are pretty much the worst of the worst. So what if that flips? </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxhkuequu3KkR132G4y9VekJnhx0IO6TkyApz_rRrMpOSDX3akX5HL_J-tn9tcvD5HnzQxp27E30BINPVbk7N-G7Yk77rAn3LNbDanmT-trUOyGh_XKUe3b6pIKqlr4VjZtQ5NZEIDdlUL/s1147/JohnEpler.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="1147" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxhkuequu3KkR132G4y9VekJnhx0IO6TkyApz_rRrMpOSDX3akX5HL_J-tn9tcvD5HnzQxp27E30BINPVbk7N-G7Yk77rAn3LNbDanmT-trUOyGh_XKUe3b6pIKqlr4VjZtQ5NZEIDdlUL/w640-h284/JohnEpler.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>John Epler</b> (Narrative Director): "The things you can expect in the next installment are going to be stories that focus on the people around you, and the friends and family you make."</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0LVlDm4RXrEee6XKAzhjeK7bF31w1mNfge11-Q0ITg0x-3lUucmkVFCyeeqbs93kScc8x6Uak0NsAe2tmJ3iy1rH8fcsfvzodxbmOxhoQskBLQvCjfdVOtLnEYQgbAc06yvV5dQE3kOsy/s1195/conceptart20COMPANIONS.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="495" data-original-width="1195" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0LVlDm4RXrEee6XKAzhjeK7bF31w1mNfge11-Q0ITg0x-3lUucmkVFCyeeqbs93kScc8x6Uak0NsAe2tmJ3iy1rH8fcsfvzodxbmOxhoQskBLQvCjfdVOtLnEYQgbAc06yvV5dQE3kOsy/w640-h264/conceptart20COMPANIONS.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">And above, here's one of the most talked-about shots in the teaser, above—that big, wide hero shot! Presumably, a potential (POTENTIAL!) look at our companions.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">My guesses, from left to right (please feel free to look back on this and laugh!) are:</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Female Human</b> (?): Rogue. Possibly Bellara, whom we hear briefly in the trailer? She could also be a mage.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Female Qunari</b>: Warrior?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Human Male</b>: From their build, I'm guessing, Rogue? Could also be an elf.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Executor</b>? (It has to be an Executor!): I'd be so excited if this were true.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Silhouette With Big Stick</b>: I don't know. Maybe a pirate? Sailor? But what about that gleaming eye, which seems to imply the supernatural?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Crow Assassin?</b> Maybe Lucanis or Illario, for instance, from the story "The Wigmaker Job" by Courtney Woods in <i>Tevinter Nights</i>?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Avaar Warrior</b>? Has to be!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Mortalitasi Spirit</b>: Perhaps Audric from "Down Among the Dead Men?"</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-size: large;">I know these aren't even confirmed as a Companion line-up and that they may change—for instance, we know from this trailer that there's a major character named Davrin who's a Grey Warden, and I don't see that silhouette here. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And I also have to ask—where's Mae? I SO want Maevaris to be a Companion this time, so fingers crossed she shows up in some way! I'd also love it if she were an Advisor (I definitely think Dorian will be one, and possibly Varric too).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So who knows? </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixvrbsy6_7vE7YVQL8UoTS57GoT9LxgaTHhz63mw_ldkfnJiJUDkc7dBE4CuZtLWt3Kegh4iUGIQtUlyc0-Ef8z2c6afRdD_RaY3MmoV0HECopy3GKt01zplJjuG4B8H4EZJQ9nVydMDS1/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="729" data-original-width="1296" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixvrbsy6_7vE7YVQL8UoTS57GoT9LxgaTHhz63mw_ldkfnJiJUDkc7dBE4CuZtLWt3Kegh4iUGIQtUlyc0-Ef8z2c6afRdD_RaY3MmoV0HECopy3GKt01zplJjuG4B8H4EZJQ9nVydMDS1/w640-h360/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">And... an action shot... let's note potential classes here. The blonde (elven?) warrior center frame may be a Grey Warden, the warrior at left looks elven AND piratey, and left of them is what I'm betting is the Crow rogue, and to the far right is the beautiful Qunari companion (who here looks like she's wielding dual blades).</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbcTEYfe1CNkWFHoBt_FhFTZqYxxk9sRyXEq-CeaGJVhK6Z1DTaafE4MJVhXRfgmjobfAaP7ibuBGJEU7Ip_ZHNiNCjJaWwiC4131Kbibu7oI3fOT6jXrLUxXlO0kS7bL-01oIS_s_yikZ/s1141/JenCheverie.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="1141" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbcTEYfe1CNkWFHoBt_FhFTZqYxxk9sRyXEq-CeaGJVhK6Z1DTaafE4MJVhXRfgmjobfAaP7ibuBGJEU7Ip_ZHNiNCjJaWwiC4131Kbibu7oI3fOT6jXrLUxXlO0kS7bL-01oIS_s_yikZ/w640-h284/JenCheverie.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Jen Cheverie</b> (Associate Producer) (AND HER ADORABLE DOG): "Something that we'll be able to look forward to in <i>Dragon Age [4] </i>is a really close relationship with game characters who really become real for you."</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJp8ola2odN1-WvdP0zlU67oqVFqv-rY1sv6Uv-ZYWRz7DfR2-SEnzXqbOltnwRZLWewa16W7LSm9u5EUwPLtNXvzfiwgBRhneHspJuO979lpT01GNOZgmpx5pj56GJr5ahqXaiAORdu8/s1153/conceptart22.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="1153" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJp8ola2odN1-WvdP0zlU67oqVFqv-rY1sv6Uv-ZYWRz7DfR2-SEnzXqbOltnwRZLWewa16W7LSm9u5EUwPLtNXvzfiwgBRhneHspJuO979lpT01GNOZgmpx5pj56GJr5ahqXaiAORdu8/w640-h282/conceptart22.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">The above image is really powerful, and looks like a warrior protecting a woman shielding her baby. I see a glimpse of wing here, so is the warrior protecting them from... <i>a dragon</i>? And then...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0dRDAt3FOMWYtlp8DP6SV2_zHyzKZvIr35nEa5oH1oSb7JZObkq6zJUmzZgOILDQVvvXrgt1yCO40jSb6gZZiLvbP8wWK_awzdj6P7IPpa3fz-PmaLwauDi-NeNQpUWnHn1Jajroaped7/s1156/conceptart23.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1156" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0dRDAt3FOMWYtlp8DP6SV2_zHyzKZvIr35nEa5oH1oSb7JZObkq6zJUmzZgOILDQVvvXrgt1yCO40jSb6gZZiLvbP8wWK_awzdj6P7IPpa3fz-PmaLwauDi-NeNQpUWnHn1Jajroaped7/w640-h284/conceptart23.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">"We want characters to be either loved or hated," adds Jon Renish. "One of the best examples of that is Solas. Half the community wants to kill him, half the want to marry him, and the other part want to do both."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Let's just get it out there: <i>He's not wrong.</i></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNbIVP_Fs4PwxBXChY8m69oxJC0RaEsMbnEegukju6FLsawb7kUzXMxq60etFS1F7u5y_TvSBuCr_Eu1jZX_kQOGcre1KaRkOeagJyolRp0SN75N7tbOFhWXJBNcLoMC91yUGOEuTfKLeI/s1466/118146141_3749710815043466_4731419934646169494_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1466" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNbIVP_Fs4PwxBXChY8m69oxJC0RaEsMbnEegukju6FLsawb7kUzXMxq60etFS1F7u5y_TvSBuCr_Eu1jZX_kQOGcre1KaRkOeagJyolRp0SN75N7tbOFhWXJBNcLoMC91yUGOEuTfKLeI/w640-h274/118146141_3749710815043466_4731419934646169494_o.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">Then we get the already now-iconic concept art of my darling frustrating and probably doomed elven fiancé striding through a blue mist with a ginormous fluffy wolf next to him. There's magic emanating from Solas's eyes, hands, and entire body (it's like <i>all that hotness needs a place to go</i>) and from the ruff of the wolf.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And let's just get this out there once and for all. Anybody who STILL says Solas isn't hot is just delusional. LOOK AT HIM.</span></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Okay. I'm okay. Just had to breathe out of a paper bag for a minute or two. No problem.</span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBfpQjDQTfioaQGEGObCtoIUMhEdzj-B0UcMTTQ_-lU19vLKTxxpRnnb5rWgqJOarHH9d7iLl9Xa0AH8KY8IsOLXDhawoS4fk_9hYcWuSwx0S0QSAJfnJbnOtTp3BHihv0Y9tlPFWJVODR/s1204/conceptartSolas3D_Models.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="492" data-original-width="1204" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBfpQjDQTfioaQGEGObCtoIUMhEdzj-B0UcMTTQ_-lU19vLKTxxpRnnb5rWgqJOarHH9d7iLl9Xa0AH8KY8IsOLXDhawoS4fk_9hYcWuSwx0S0QSAJfnJbnOtTp3BHihv0Y9tlPFWJVODR/w640-h262/conceptartSolas3D_Models.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">(NOTE: We see some 3D models evidently of Solas. They look amazing, but my only (small) critique is that the scar on his forehead appears to be been slightly moved toward center, his face is more muscular, and his upper lip is far higher, more indented, and more pronounced, so that lower and upper lip are almost equal. Solas previously had a full lower lip, but a thinner upper lip (I liked the contrast, personally—it seemed to imply a nature that was paradoxically ascetic and sensual). </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkitHHvIq6nhMXBMSxkYhQW3XB12KHaf1cDeAqFi5crdEzgK92Rq2Fkphyphenhyphencfe-Q3zwrBYQSpxGD8IqCPPO5RTl5lMREGIBgyIBM7KO7q9jQMachyphenhyphenzeNrr-tB198NU9XqZUoCtu81XxuD-q/s912/conceptartSolas3D_Models2.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="912" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkitHHvIq6nhMXBMSxkYhQW3XB12KHaf1cDeAqFi5crdEzgK92Rq2Fkphyphenhyphencfe-Q3zwrBYQSpxGD8IqCPPO5RTl5lMREGIBgyIBM7KO7q9jQMachyphenhyphenzeNrr-tB198NU9XqZUoCtu81XxuD-q/w640-h364/conceptartSolas3D_Models2.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">The next 3D model we see of Solas has similar issues for me. The browline is also different in profile, and again, his lips are just too protruding (especially that top lip).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I know character appearances can change from game to game, but I really hope Solas doesn't change too markedly, especially since we got that earlier concept art above showing him striding along (SMOKING HOT, LITERALLY) with a wolf beside him. Because <i>that </i>is picture-perfect Solas from <i>Inquisition</i> and "Trespasser." But we'll see! If there's a new, updated take on him, I'll look forward to that too.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb1zyczuSyvQryq7miqyZdTJYg0YxFiXtTyavWsvXVbPfl4THeSaUURUfYM-7CD6xQLYV1LSdszXS-YpgTpFsLBGm7foHMSjOHWwwOS1nEUEBwi_-_omXwidXj1ZXv2GW20Og49p87YyTD/s1153/GarethDavid-Lloyd.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="1153" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb1zyczuSyvQryq7miqyZdTJYg0YxFiXtTyavWsvXVbPfl4THeSaUURUfYM-7CD6xQLYV1LSdszXS-YpgTpFsLBGm7foHMSjOHWwwOS1nEUEBwi_-_omXwidXj1ZXv2GW20Og49p87YyTD/w640-h282/GarethDavid-Lloyd.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Gareth David-Lloyd</b> (Voice Artist - SOLAS) (speaking in character): "They call me the Dread Wolf. What will they call <i>you </i>when this is over?"</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I promptly plotz all over the place, along with thousands of other fans, and answer... "Mrs. Solas? Or Ms.?" (My favorite answer from a fan-made meme: "Mrs. Dread Wolf?")</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">My favorite part here is the obvious parallel and callback to one of Solas's earliest lines of dialogue in <i>Inquisition</i>: "I'm just wondering what kind of hero you'll be."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Esther Ko</b> then talks about the advances in motion-matching technology, in the way they "walk, move and interact," and we see quick shots of motion capture sessions and wireframes in progress (I always think they're so cool, with all the dots).</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5eseQEmt2Qi7BgC_DV5mV_opVZXsWAcFZw3_8ZZXJ_OgrX2-nl8ihiH00aX2G3l2igblnycniXIw3ReEFghKWiu7zb_O8ZTWiPbYeuQWfVASGnqVlSFsv3K8k4d0de7lC4Ofctuxnm_Gi/s723/Motioncapture1.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="723" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5eseQEmt2Qi7BgC_DV5mV_opVZXsWAcFZw3_8ZZXJ_OgrX2-nl8ihiH00aX2G3l2igblnycniXIw3ReEFghKWiu7zb_O8ZTWiPbYeuQWfVASGnqVlSFsv3K8k4d0de7lC4Ofctuxnm_Gi/w640-h274/Motioncapture1.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Y5PJbu9bBN2FLOx7KLpRoRQxvwFoHAfbUKEpakGGLGMDl1h7JEhGaXS7vXPCPE3s0Hqss9319OsrOLIXoAA3eyvBkChmUPu2AKTfBLGT1xiN_MvBqd_wGNbIMzEPYHTxiHlzAKDW_9nc/s724/Motioncapture2.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="724" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Y5PJbu9bBN2FLOx7KLpRoRQxvwFoHAfbUKEpakGGLGMDl1h7JEhGaXS7vXPCPE3s0Hqss9319OsrOLIXoAA3eyvBkChmUPu2AKTfBLGT1xiN_MvBqd_wGNbIMzEPYHTxiHlzAKDW_9nc/w640-h274/Motioncapture2.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3yd3_R6hgU053VYA31sBtmYDu2QiwEz1dMl2Cs1EDbdXuj0Vq2A-yCRHFiWLugPULRjdAp6PMDo0gERpqRGhcUtEcCE3xb8xG9sDZjVIz9K2-PVVt403ToUVe2V53u7Wbod5PJfBvo41/s723/Motioncapture3.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="307" data-original-width="723" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3yd3_R6hgU053VYA31sBtmYDu2QiwEz1dMl2Cs1EDbdXuj0Vq2A-yCRHFiWLugPULRjdAp6PMDo0gERpqRGhcUtEcCE3xb8xG9sDZjVIz9K2-PVVt403ToUVe2V53u7Wbod5PJfBvo41/w640-h272/Motioncapture3.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdVTtZ8IEuunrmeF-ZsfSC8YuT0r3SNcX-P83c_PG1_5AyWF0AyRCfTILdt6oyCPYdsPwDT92VWPsFiHfNXS52u-Ztzgqgr0F5YdlZaqu4KNCSf2etEu-Q_nehdl2hrwXXOI698_xFsowf/s721/Motioncapture4.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="308" data-original-width="721" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdVTtZ8IEuunrmeF-ZsfSC8YuT0r3SNcX-P83c_PG1_5AyWF0AyRCfTILdt6oyCPYdsPwDT92VWPsFiHfNXS52u-Ztzgqgr0F5YdlZaqu4KNCSf2etEu-Q_nehdl2hrwXXOI698_xFsowf/w640-h274/Motioncapture4.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">This is all tantalizing, but we have to acknowledge that all of the above is just... it's sketches and ideas (as in fact are all of these concept images). It's fun stuff, I just don't want to over-analyze what won't be a vital part of the new game (yet).</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaunzZ72vq5iuljtDSGhcSN_uCf20z6_ezjW0oEGURkwwTn2aKxjwiYC5x9OLatpUnllB2w3bpNkVhqcEPggeuujNpIkE8nuwQoDFoR_2euB5f83DjcyPYEb3dkhFoeVe4j-z7_9YxKhd5/s1146/SylviaFeketekuty.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="1146" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaunzZ72vq5iuljtDSGhcSN_uCf20z6_ezjW0oEGURkwwTn2aKxjwiYC5x9OLatpUnllB2w3bpNkVhqcEPggeuujNpIkE8nuwQoDFoR_2euB5f83DjcyPYEb3dkhFoeVe4j-z7_9YxKhd5/w640-h284/SylviaFeketekuty.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">Next in the video, we hear from <b>Sylvia Feketekuty</b> (Writer): "Players want that suspension of disbelief that this wonderful collection of digital pixels is actually a living, breathing soul." On a side note, I've always loved Sylvia's last name. It's so percussive; it's like five typewriter keys being pressed in succession.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8mU_QsEHh4vjbXPkGX0z0BBQeG1Sg614UgStjSDmB5KCtq4kCD_VebfNjZUSqCk0sbqWDirPkodH_6t6_SFd6r10Luyvg58BZ7ylA5ykGNDfhVqO6FPcgYitGg0W5k2v8gAWUVmU_W1QW/s725/gwfight.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="363" data-original-width="725" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8mU_QsEHh4vjbXPkGX0z0BBQeG1Sg614UgStjSDmB5KCtq4kCD_VebfNjZUSqCk0sbqWDirPkodH_6t6_SFd6r10Luyvg58BZ7ylA5ykGNDfhVqO6FPcgYitGg0W5k2v8gAWUVmU_W1QW/w640-h320/gwfight.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">We then get lots of shots of motion capture and slips of early animation and combat clips. Among the most interesting to me is one that shows a warrior hero battling three Grey Wardens (Grey Warden insignia is clearly visible on their shields). </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYn6n7Rj7oDzcyw55jqVeCnr4UE0evc14tfBvdOklbyo4Nrk9P3vAwKrm0ZDNK-AtipgQx0kOnJySJpc_Jm5Ks3KlApRu4IUQ2HBxCAI_DNJhgj6bC2YZ5MRav0ZIQXxCvwUKCXEQw_S0Q/s1157/VO_Artist_Jee_Young_Han_Character_BELLARA.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="1157" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYn6n7Rj7oDzcyw55jqVeCnr4UE0evc14tfBvdOklbyo4Nrk9P3vAwKrm0ZDNK-AtipgQx0kOnJySJpc_Jm5Ks3KlApRu4IUQ2HBxCAI_DNJhgj6bC2YZ5MRav0ZIQXxCvwUKCXEQw_S0Q/w640-h280/VO_Artist_Jee_Young_Han_Character_BELLARA.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">We then get a tantalizing glimpse of our first new companion voiceover artist—<b>Jee Young Han</b>, Voice Artist for <b>Bellara</b>. "No, no, no! It's okay. That's the good kind of rumble."</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqGESZKZBPs-sg3o8oD4Xs6ezXJ4PWvUmAZ4_u0gUj5WslYd4ezqPtdZTyXV-QefQcBAQL1B67qtQ7Mlqw0a14hvlpcN9I0VDjG4_F6Hp5A8fLSwJ2Z058diWePyKcWshSeQbogevSD03s/s1152/conceptart26.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="1152" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqGESZKZBPs-sg3o8oD4Xs6ezXJ4PWvUmAZ4_u0gUj5WslYd4ezqPtdZTyXV-QefQcBAQL1B67qtQ7Mlqw0a14hvlpcN9I0VDjG4_F6Hp5A8fLSwJ2Z058diWePyKcWshSeQbogevSD03s/w640-h282/conceptart26.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">It's... a giant mindflayer? THIS IS SCARY! But super-cool!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Melissa Janowicz</b>: "I help design bosses. I actually help the creature design team as well, so I do all the big threats that you have to go up against."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Then we see this guy below, and she must have been delighted! This guy is MASSIVE, and covered visibly in red lyrium.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOz3gFDt-vHPXshyphenhyphenpqnexc8Iiu_BlSdBXlm8BWG8kHKlqnNLdU8wfZt8R3XzfNj2ETvh8b6XiuP48AcXSA1NuPfHJQhKiE_D9jX-tmtgkCTu0LboRGRmh2rEQSb2dqlF3mR7wtRV5Nkha1/s1151/conceptart27.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1151" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOz3gFDt-vHPXshyphenhyphenpqnexc8Iiu_BlSdBXlm8BWG8kHKlqnNLdU8wfZt8R3XzfNj2ETvh8b6XiuP48AcXSA1NuPfHJQhKiE_D9jX-tmtgkCTu0LboRGRmh2rEQSb2dqlF3mR7wtRV5Nkha1/w640-h284/conceptart27.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">Also, I'm thinking this is a Tevinter OR ancient elven boss fight. See farther down on this, but this is a wider view of a mournful area that includes some monolithic statues lifting their arms as if in supplication (maybe some ancient elven area in Thedas, near the Emprise du Lion, or near the Dales?). Notice that the trap of the bowl/recess would make for a terrific, nearly inescapable boss fight.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">There's a glimmer of potential Fade magic or simply magefire in the lonely light off to the left, which might prove interesting, and I still wonder about the snow. Is it a naturally snowy area, or one that is now nearly unlivable because Thedas is now out of balance?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Then we get a glimpse of THIS NIGHTMARE FROM MY NIGHTMARES...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7TEi8HeN_PYb6FlL3gWQ0baSYfsAsGXvme5sRNFoSqL7PgTFKOLKsYBa_B5falgYOHYnPbRLvol3MyMGBOdMvG1l3slaB0sCpoOwED2KDtKia4ATwOH6skGiQ_Rr7RrJHytbAK1t361uf/s1151/conceptart28.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="1151" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7TEi8HeN_PYb6FlL3gWQ0baSYfsAsGXvme5sRNFoSqL7PgTFKOLKsYBa_B5falgYOHYnPbRLvol3MyMGBOdMvG1l3slaB0sCpoOwED2KDtKia4ATwOH6skGiQ_Rr7RrJHytbAK1t361uf/w640-h282/conceptart28.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">Did I need this? A SPIDER WITH ARMS? As seen here, in footage of a giant spider attacking the hero, and the spider has HUMAN FOREARMS. Some DA fans love this creature and find it adorable, while for others (like me) it is pure nightmare fuel. A spider WITH HANDS can grab onto you after it jumps you! And then does horrible spidery things to you! (runs screaming)</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbIH6AgC_FNk0hplnfKT8ghKUiFmSFJtTH7ftNaQbT5qOtHI_96snGJnUdyHJ9DkRHFCxX19mvUTDT7uB2sXDIrTX_j6WM43fKf_s1045mJERdwKdyHt_pytm4WBgbF_2Wuknkbd0oiNT/s725/AOE+missile+wireframe.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="308" data-original-width="725" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbIH6AgC_FNk0hplnfKT8ghKUiFmSFJtTH7ftNaQbT5qOtHI_96snGJnUdyHJ9DkRHFCxX19mvUTDT7uB2sXDIrTX_j6WM43fKf_s1045mJERdwKdyHt_pytm4WBgbF_2Wuknkbd0oiNT/w640-h272/AOE+missile+wireframe.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">This wireframe above shows us fighting some kind of super-cool multiple-fireball or AOE magical missile. So... cool for us MAGES if it's something we'll be able to do as well? (Sorry, #magerights always, peeps!)</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp7hyXPsZFLBty9zte_A-vpweo00sjEORLcGpWk4nVLgdwsk9EhMgYsLfkN9dz4gDIV9e1St8FlDiOte9B0BiM8UHteDt_dUv4YuGFfaGFz8kvmQiHh7hxp0TLypsYL8ZRqo39rRQpICp7/s1154/VO_Artist_Ike_Amadi_Character_DAVRIN_forthewardens.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1154" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp7hyXPsZFLBty9zte_A-vpweo00sjEORLcGpWk4nVLgdwsk9EhMgYsLfkN9dz4gDIV9e1St8FlDiOte9B0BiM8UHteDt_dUv4YuGFfaGFz8kvmQiHh7hxp0TLypsYL8ZRqo39rRQpICp7/w640-h284/VO_Artist_Ike_Amadi_Character_DAVRIN_forthewardens.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">Then we see <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2941559/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0" target="_blank">Ike Amadi</a> (Voice Artist for a character named Davrin), growl powerfully, "Nobody dies on my watch. For the Wardens!" </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This is SO cool! So it looks like we're getting another Grey Warden companion? Or a Grey Warden advisor, or guest companion? Also, it's awesome to note that Ike Amadi also voiced JAVIK in <i>Mass Effect 3</i>! </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzGkRMku3tCqkbD1rILPPEFCL0PZWar7pnR8Ezu5MxSjnCX7tuiPpk_HAPSvnrZjyzENm6xtVsX9ZpBEDLS8MyHoguI6hJ1heXxiexn3Sa8k7azA8jfc0ahLifcFWbQ2dozE093eS0XMrD/s1147/AndreGarcia.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="1147" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzGkRMku3tCqkbD1rILPPEFCL0PZWar7pnR8Ezu5MxSjnCX7tuiPpk_HAPSvnrZjyzENm6xtVsX9ZpBEDLS8MyHoguI6hJ1heXxiexn3Sa8k7azA8jfc0ahLifcFWbQ2dozE093eS0XMrD/w640-h284/AndreGarcia.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Andre Garcia</b> (Gameplay Director): "Choice is a big part of what Dragon Age is as a franchise. The decisions you make can affect change in the world."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Side note: I love the beardiness of this teaser. It's like, somewhere, the moment this aired, back in Thedas, Blackwall instantly becomes uncomfortable and uneasy (well, more than usual), feeling a prickling on his skin, and he wakes from a nightmare and yells, "WHAT IS HAPPENING? There can only be one!"</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0015QPqHsx6-44Nk80EI7LFuv5uKs91ojGkfTHseCDXONdnQU1pUozIuJ0KEp8JiAYuQWIJG9KCRvxYovlmvW471pfLtolRwaADNZECN10R8X1pe4pBlpMvvtRS28Mifz859YrhbbaL75/s1155/conceptart29.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="1155" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0015QPqHsx6-44Nk80EI7LFuv5uKs91ojGkfTHseCDXONdnQU1pUozIuJ0KEp8JiAYuQWIJG9KCRvxYovlmvW471pfLtolRwaADNZECN10R8X1pe4pBlpMvvtRS28Mifz859YrhbbaL75/w640-h282/conceptart29.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">And then we get one of those tantalizing red lyrium-focused images... so many questions.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And this calls back to the one from EA Play earlier, with a zoom courtesy of <a href="https://twitter.com/ladyinsanity" target="_blank">@LadyInsanity</a>—that infamous zoom on the way to <i>another </i>zoom into what may be a figure and/or the heart of a Titan.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0SXJdW7Ujze-G8LmHmfhIFmrCq3ZJ5JVqqCxeM8dyIgNXdVtOXfiocfqX9XoioGyPzcerWeDfIY9PsrY1DS2PqbiKK2Sxwy6V9lT29XbEPWDeK-Ry-gCtwVgE-8hnq6CxRxjk2VQ2QFEb/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0SXJdW7Ujze-G8LmHmfhIFmrCq3ZJ5JVqqCxeM8dyIgNXdVtOXfiocfqX9XoioGyPzcerWeDfIY9PsrY1DS2PqbiKK2Sxwy6V9lT29XbEPWDeK-Ry-gCtwVgE-8hnq6CxRxjk2VQ2QFEb/w640-h360/image.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">My favorite thing about the newest glimpse of red lyrium above, is how organic it looks now. This absolutely looks like lyrium that is alive, and malignant, and that grows... and <i>grows</i>.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigoxUBTWbG4yCDbZFLux2UI0Wr3t2KpJ-5Us3mHt06j559jjwFynHDIe2RWQFYcHgbvHSFakvPfbVhTkM7lXwtlIqwGeV-qm9aOpK-_AMHbZ58c1lJZJEY0TpV1OVSBJ5vjsoGDpvxcuR9/s1140/KatrinaBarkwell.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="1140" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigoxUBTWbG4yCDbZFLux2UI0Wr3t2KpJ-5Us3mHt06j559jjwFynHDIe2RWQFYcHgbvHSFakvPfbVhTkM7lXwtlIqwGeV-qm9aOpK-_AMHbZ58c1lJZJEY0TpV1OVSBJ5vjsoGDpvxcuR9/w640-h284/KatrinaBarkwell.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Katrina Barkwell </b>(RPG Programmer): "Decision-making can mean that a party member lives or a party member dies! And it means owning your outcome, and reactivity to the choices that you do make."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">(NOTE: As someone with a Media Production degree who once wanted to shoot movies, I just have to add that I love that <i>everyone </i>is looking off to the right—toward the future—versus to the left, toward the past. It's a subtle but very effective grace note.)</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu8gkQz3IA5KUr-qkTR1tzRyI11w0OZ3-jhbf-X7aYavw3C9zoC1yAF2R4CYPjP6MsozM3KFaKxMjbBelfcq30FNpp08dKTS-MXESbfXuqjl-XopEC7sE0eBhHiv8dKiVSVpEfd5rXIGYf/s1154/conceptart30.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="1154" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu8gkQz3IA5KUr-qkTR1tzRyI11w0OZ3-jhbf-X7aYavw3C9zoC1yAF2R4CYPjP6MsozM3KFaKxMjbBelfcq30FNpp08dKTS-MXESbfXuqjl-XopEC7sE0eBhHiv8dKiVSVpEfd5rXIGYf/w640-h282/conceptart30.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">This is a beautiful shot of a potential adventurous path through the mountains, but I'm also seeing obstacles and breaks here, so what does this signal? To me, a clear sign that our new hero will once again be able to JUMP. Jumping for the win! Everyone loves jumping (even those who otherwise hated DAI, right?)!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4zG_DOc39Pq5bw5CD7GhtdV7-sghO8FzxilE0H-cqYdGxZ2KDkuMEherJAM6fHbiCrdj1c8RYxwOXDCqvCkcB4OForVkJ0SzDYC3JvOEmZ1Z-6-UIXTfoGnkmdIwWo7QHEjew2cgKJdcN/s1153/conceptart31_TITAN_QUESTION.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="1153" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4zG_DOc39Pq5bw5CD7GhtdV7-sghO8FzxilE0H-cqYdGxZ2KDkuMEherJAM6fHbiCrdj1c8RYxwOXDCqvCkcB4OForVkJ0SzDYC3JvOEmZ1Z-6-UIXTfoGnkmdIwWo7QHEjew2cgKJdcN/w640-h282/conceptart31_TITAN_QUESTION.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">And then we got this exciting footage that made me yelp and rewind because, y'all, this is totally a TITAN. And I mean, it's not a mountain, but more of a hill, so I'm guessing... BABY TITAN?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And I guess it's either going to attack us... or invite us to walk, er, into it? Me, I just want to give it little chin-scritches and call it George the Baby Titan. <i>Hi, George! Your eyes are so blue! You look sad! May I tell you a joke?</i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Anyway... maybe it's a titan we awaken. Notably, it's <i>blue</i>-accented, so it's not corrupted. I plotzed when I saw this. (Yes, plotz a lot. I am a plotzer. I'm always plotzing about something. Also, I just <i>really love the word "plotz."</i>) I love the design here—look at the subtle suggestions of a face, complete with eyes, eyebrows, and mouth in this mountainous thing, as well as the "hands" in the rocks in the foreground.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG5GQfJZ8poGSYD4-mdv0CQjCdb8BGjCYKuvW1rzTiVvcsV-qTGZY_mM4krCLZZIfoJta3bjRmzW3J4kIRUWh8XubA0MTyJH_KrKvSFQnx1KeQLRORzfwVRNY5Vp956Xx6oCKGD8HZiuB1/s1155/conceptart32.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="1155" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG5GQfJZ8poGSYD4-mdv0CQjCdb8BGjCYKuvW1rzTiVvcsV-qTGZY_mM4krCLZZIfoJta3bjRmzW3J4kIRUWh8XubA0MTyJH_KrKvSFQnx1KeQLRORzfwVRNY5Vp956Xx6oCKGD8HZiuB1/w640-h282/conceptart32.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">Above, there's so much potential combination of elements here to point out. First off, the statues feel plainly Tevinter to me, as a clear echo of their occupation of Kirkwall, and as images of subjugation and supplication. But it could also, to quote Solas, be ancient elven. The ancient elves, let's face it, probably did a lot of supplication to the Evanuris. Supplication was probably a normal part of the daily routine under those jerks. So, add in the bare branches, bleak environs, and interesting, glimmering lump of red lyrium and... what are we seeing here? It's hard to know. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">However. This does look like it could be a different perspective on the same clearing in which we saw that massive red lyrium skeleton giant, above, as well.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, the most important elements to me are the statues, and some kind of potential entrance or passageway between them in the upper left—and the graceful bare branches intruding at right, which look to me to be identical to some of those we've seen on the <i>vhenadahl</i>, the sacred tree of the elves. It may even be a linked location/image to that very same <i>vhenadahl </i>we see and that I'll explore further down.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2019/12/26-burning-questions-with-biowares-john.html" target="_blank">John Epler</a> further notes, "I just love the possibilities that Dragon Age offers us, and I'm excited to explore a lot more of them." (Epler, you tease.)</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNATvYAu7nAZ8PQ0q10OWHZfMWmeid-WIHeIlDRQvlrhth_GnHDwmSePOix-q4Aza3seNYOmpI7A4Pu4JGU9G2aM6g3tImo10vMXsV83p-8IjePhm4RgOECrC1F71IDWd7UUPWWiXF74eK/s1157/conceptart33.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="1157" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNATvYAu7nAZ8PQ0q10OWHZfMWmeid-WIHeIlDRQvlrhth_GnHDwmSePOix-q4Aza3seNYOmpI7A4Pu4JGU9G2aM6g3tImo10vMXsV83p-8IjePhm4RgOECrC1F71IDWd7UUPWWiXF74eK/w640-h282/conceptart33.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">Okay, so let's look at the above elements—obviously dwarven, ancient, and almost holy. So what are we seeing here? Interesting that sunlight seems to enter however—that it's not below the surface. So where is it? Beautiful design elements here, as always.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgH3NBnk8Gal2GlcEHJmilciEJYRiMGLAbM3yfALIkVfM2b1l85AUL0y3C8FgaFLmBVH11HrUoRVehIGhVm_e2yWDh-A2ILYjBVQuXd4V6RltSEj2lsZRJf_bvOzIOK6O-MEUC5PeadvqI/s1150/conceptart34_GW_Shieldbash_Question.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="1150" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgH3NBnk8Gal2GlcEHJmilciEJYRiMGLAbM3yfALIkVfM2b1l85AUL0y3C8FgaFLmBVH11HrUoRVehIGhVm_e2yWDh-A2ILYjBVQuXd4V6RltSEj2lsZRJf_bvOzIOK6O-MEUC5PeadvqI/w640-h282/conceptart34_GW_Shieldbash_Question.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">Luke: "To me, that potential is what gets you up in the morning. It's a fantastic opportunity, every time." Meanwhile, the Warden detonates what looks to me like a killer Shield Bash!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPIK94IXfPpkc-ZOnsTgMDVnVY-3j14O75jfw-6RK4UoYZySiiTtTThk5qaeAqmiAPausVm3UCG4_T49NbOF_gArPxERGBfX_PWGcp2lrjGypcZijHBOKqwWqFF6CYVH6QhymKEgbEA-S1/s1194/conceptart35.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="1194" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPIK94IXfPpkc-ZOnsTgMDVnVY-3j14O75jfw-6RK4UoYZySiiTtTThk5qaeAqmiAPausVm3UCG4_T49NbOF_gArPxERGBfX_PWGcp2lrjGypcZijHBOKqwWqFF6CYVH6QhymKEgbEA-S1/w640-h272/conceptart35.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">Then we got this tantalizing shot above, which I totally think gives off another "We are in Weisshaupt" vibe, this time from the interior. The architecture and arches match up pretty well, the altar sits up on a six-pointed star, it's high up, it's lonely and appears semi-abandoned, and is festooned with bravely waving banners and banners and banners with the Grey Warden insignia from the ceiling. The table in front of the hero character, to me, also totally resembles the War Table (and is possibly a twin, or from the same era).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Most importantly, WHAT is the green light we see outside those arches? </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">What's interesting here is that it looks like the all-too-familiar sight of a Rift, like those we saw and conquered by the dozens in DAI. But what if it's something more insidious? Because it also looks an awful lot like those exteriors in "In Hushed Whispers," in which the world existed in a state with a "shattered" Veil. Where the world is green with those Veil remnants. AGHGHGH.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Which means—is this just a Rift? Or is it an apocalyptic "shattered" world where the Veil has basically disintegrated? Or is it a world in which Solas has entirely pulled that <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2019/01/the-parallel-and-paradox-of-in-hushed.html" target="_blank">Veil DOWN</a>? Or what if he left it up, and the Evanuris smashed it to pieces while they escaped their prison? (Yes, I am totally picturing Zod and his companions in <i>Superman's </i>Forbidden Zone).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It's really interesting to consider because <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2018/06/the-wounded-veil-may-2018-map-and-lore.html" target="_blank">all of this is a possibility</a>.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-PlOzheZTLsd2gRpspp-CRocI1LvEMHmVfrA6UNZIiAZ-PxCiCCh1jOspCAIQBwBTTw9ptUAfX2edD8lChVe0bLOw-MZIKsoiEa9ZgGg9ZtabDqhk3UDMQ8EqyKksgibvP4gPddx5oZb/s1197/conceptart36Mortalitasi.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="1197" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-PlOzheZTLsd2gRpspp-CRocI1LvEMHmVfrA6UNZIiAZ-PxCiCCh1jOspCAIQBwBTTw9ptUAfX2edD8lChVe0bLOw-MZIKsoiEa9ZgGg9ZtabDqhk3UDMQ8EqyKksgibvP4gPddx5oZb/w640-h270/conceptart36Mortalitasi.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">Then we get this wonderful moment above (there's a vivid humor and almost cartoonish style to this piece that I love), which appears to take place among the Mortalitasi—most probably, Nevarra City? Maybe within the Grand Necropolis itself? The skeletons and green flames denote undead denizens, and I love the begging skeleton back-center, who appears for all the world to be pulling an Oliver Twist and saying "Please, sir, I want some more..." The mage we see at left may be actually controlling or animating them, given that we see that same green-colored flame?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Let's not forget that this almost certainly ties, even tangentially, to the wonderful <i>TEVINTER NIGHTS</i> story I previously mentioned a few times here—"Down Among the Dead Men," by <a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2020/12/sylvia-feketekuty-answers-silly.html" target="_blank">Sylvia Feketekuty</a>. I won't spoil you, but it is very purely about the wonders and delicate nuances of the Mortalitasi, and at levels we previously didn't suspect. The Dead, for Nevarrans, are still very much people, very much present, very much... who they were. And <i>still are</i>, even in death.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwI7nlwTgQKCAkOoNRoJzWN4bjv5mYicrWYDbmqSy_jtit2rXKFGexwuBq-yrPYyJFgff36oy96NHnEPJn1GAX6gUEpCMobSQ9Pd5y7C3QspXNYgaIgXaBsEdBn20BVuoz6iqxEFxcXWg/s1198/conceptart37.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="1198" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwI7nlwTgQKCAkOoNRoJzWN4bjv5mYicrWYDbmqSy_jtit2rXKFGexwuBq-yrPYyJFgff36oy96NHnEPJn1GAX6gUEpCMobSQ9Pd5y7C3QspXNYgaIgXaBsEdBn20BVuoz6iqxEFxcXWg/w640-h272/conceptart37.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">Okay, so... this is terrifying. That's a really really big creature, and OH HELLO, it TOTALLY reminds me of the monstrous boss Centipede (fused with the body of poor Warden Jovis) from Ghilan'nain's yucky army-creation machine from the <i>TEVINTER NIGHTS</i> story "<a href="http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2020/05/tevinter-nights-analysis-horror-of.html" target="_blank">The Horror of Hormack</a>," by John Epler! This looks an awful lot like a massive centipede, <i>exactly like what Ramesh and Lesha encountered there</i>, and it... does not look happy, if so. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_Nm9_NR7pQKxZOLsTMHlCHwNZWKRHJHmwe-Mquq24GnCw1-JtBq4rsKDggufQMAPrG3UcLLx-_v01qzgXS5BjMi5ZRW6id6Xo65Nhy8BEFxKrzCHl0_Mt0x5R2pdD1zYW5t72oRq7dll/s1194/conceptart38.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="1194" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_Nm9_NR7pQKxZOLsTMHlCHwNZWKRHJHmwe-Mquq24GnCw1-JtBq4rsKDggufQMAPrG3UcLLx-_v01qzgXS5BjMi5ZRW6id6Xo65Nhy8BEFxKrzCHl0_Mt0x5R2pdD1zYW5t72oRq7dll/w640-h272/conceptart38.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">This is another really tantalizing one for me. Looks an awful lot like a pirate character, but look at the SIZE of that ship! And the number of sweeps (oars)! That is incredible. What set it on fire? Where is this?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And... boom. The video ends.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So this was a lot of fun. It's so exciting to get this forward motion, and to see our potential companions and friends here! I'm definitely wishing the BioWare team all the luck on <i>Dragon Age 4</i>, with fingers crossed for new clues as more teasers are released.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But what did you think? And what did I miss—or get wrong? (I'm sure it's a very long list!)</span></p>Angela D. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-72675071798859655942021-05-28T19:27:00.001-07:002021-05-28T19:27:23.974-07:00Adventures in Lockdown... <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1VVrUSKaOTb9VhAdrSE1xUldhps65iAZ5Z54NxFofwR4iHs4YhvcdvSlbxsZSq4JA7BSsMwD01YelvXvNAZNgSCiqBvKX19G6orOzadxg8DpS_gJ8tNu1vfCSGkbBqmfmqD12BgY1_edD/s1680/freedragon_trespasser.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1VVrUSKaOTb9VhAdrSE1xUldhps65iAZ5Z54NxFofwR4iHs4YhvcdvSlbxsZSq4JA7BSsMwD01YelvXvNAZNgSCiqBvKX19G6orOzadxg8DpS_gJ8tNu1vfCSGkbBqmfmqD12BgY1_edD/w640-h400/freedragon_trespasser.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It's been six months. <i>Six months!</i></span></p><div><span style="font-size: large;">And I've had so many posts in progress, so much that I wanted to post and say here, that I just wasn't able to get to. I didn't mean this space to become so silent.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">So what happened?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Wait, I can answer that, actually. This stressful, worrisome, mixed-up, scary, frustrating <i>year</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">So I hope, first and foremost, that this finds <i>you </i>well and safe, despite the stressful times and traumas we've all been undergoing.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">As for me, I'm okay, but it's been a wild ride the past few months. In March—just a little over two months ago—I almost died of congestive heart failure. I didn't even know I was sick! I spent over two weeks in the hospital, where I gained a whole new appreciation for things like life, health, and little things I'd taken for granted... like walking. And breathing.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">It's been a pretty humbling experience—I'm still on the walker and oxygen for at least another few weeks, but honestly the entire thing feels like a gift. Like many of us, I'd had some economic and mental health challenges over this past year in dealing with the Covid era, lockdown, and everything that had gone along with them. I battled occasional depression, and my anxiety had also been through the roof.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">But almost dying can really simplify your outlook. It also got me to realize how lucky I am in so many ways, and to stop being so damn hard on myself. I'm here, I'm alive, and I'm incredibly lucky to be so.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">And I've missed writing this blog, and I've missed you all.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;">So thanks for hanging in there! I've just posted a new piece on Varric that I've been working on for MONTHS, and I promise there'll be more to come.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, take care of yourself, and keep in touch. I'm so grateful you're still reading, and it means the world.</span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Angela D. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-45802610636461699842021-05-28T19:20:00.003-07:002021-05-28T19:20:37.349-07:00The Secrets of Master Tethras<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij4KxiLt0Y9aTSbt_gtn1fpntSKXFzhUuH16fy9NG56yjuRiPIuPoFZhwlHgSPWJEuhdUZBQIoMMrg56lBBpjVd298YFhF1SeDlm-r2_AwS0LQjVeVce9uJO6k6RYId3NDIijlQMeVLRTv/s1680/Varric_cute.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij4KxiLt0Y9aTSbt_gtn1fpntSKXFzhUuH16fy9NG56yjuRiPIuPoFZhwlHgSPWJEuhdUZBQIoMMrg56lBBpjVd298YFhF1SeDlm-r2_AwS0LQjVeVce9uJO6k6RYId3NDIijlQMeVLRTv/w640-h400/Varric_cute.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><i>VARRIC: "That’s the world. Everything you build, it tears down. Everything you’ve got, it takes. And it’s gone forever. The only choices you get are to lie down and die or keep going. He kept going. That’s as close to beating the world as anyone gets."</i></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: large;">Well, shit.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">What do you do when you start to put together a blog post about the person who is arguably the most beloved character in the Dragon Age universe?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Sure, fans may be divided on characters like Solas, or Sera, Anders, Isabela, Merrill, Morrigan, and more. But if there's one thing that ninety nine out of one hundred Dragon Age fans seem to agree on, it's the fact that the furry-chested dwarf with the fancy crossbow is the Companion they'd most like to hang out with at the local tavern. And, for quite a few, he's also the Companion they'd also like to do a variety of, er, additional things with. Most involving a bedroom.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Note: I'm now expecting the flurry of tweets and comments from people who do NOT like Varric to land in three... two... one...</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I've always loved Varric myself, for his sheer complexity and richness—and for what is easily some of the most beautiful, lyrical and thoughtful dialogue in the games, thanks to writer <a href="https://twitter.com/BioMaryKirby" target="_blank">Mary Kirby</a>. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Beyond his magnificent chest hair (and yes, it is an especially cruel joke that such an openly sexy character is unromanceable), Varric's most visible trait is his status as the perpetual observer. As Dragon Age's resident scribe and storyteller, it's a role that perfectly encompasses Varric's complexity as a character, as well as his divided nature in general.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">So let's take a look at our favorite dwarf—and apologies for the incredible length of this post, as it's all Kirby's fault for making him so darned fascinating!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbkM_QbDEWWtYfVvkDAK2Jb6fZMKuwDQz-MeTTxuX9xXo0rvB4OEVqiaxIYzTJJaZ_nW3kvB6uUstq6jobftxda5AGqy9965LsVT_-OBuiBh3d9JtHpx0vCisiC8mcDV5z_8Jf0vMo8SLr/s1024/Screenshot20170604041239587.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbkM_QbDEWWtYfVvkDAK2Jb6fZMKuwDQz-MeTTxuX9xXo0rvB4OEVqiaxIYzTJJaZ_nW3kvB6uUstq6jobftxda5AGqy9965LsVT_-OBuiBh3d9JtHpx0vCisiC8mcDV5z_8Jf0vMo8SLr/s320/Screenshot20170604041239587.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The Unreliable Narrator</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Varric's role in <i>Dragon Age II</i> provides a perfect introduction to our merchant prince and the shifting nature of his role, as he both narrates Hawke's story and features as one of its main characters. As he tells the story to a stern, then increasingly rapt, interrogator Cassandra, we're also given a close-up and intimate view of Varric's role in Hawke's gang of misfits, as he also participates in its many years of love, violence, intrigue, and tragedy.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">As the events in Kirkwall unfold, Varric shows up on the scene after the first year, when Hawke has begun to build a life and find success in a minor way. Varric joins the expedition to the Deep Roads, and right away (even before the discovery of the red lyrium idol) we witness the conflicts between Varric and his brother Bartram. There's affection there, sure, but there's also exasperation as well as a disconnection that doesn't look like it will ever be able to be overcome. Varric's path and Bartrand's are simply too estranged, with Bartrand feverishly working to repair their family's fortune after disgrace, still focused on the Orzammar life they lost, while Varric has no interest in life beneath the surface, and walks with his eyes on a sky he has never had to fear.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Then Bartrand, under the influence of the idol, betrays and abandons Varric and Hawke in the locked darkness of the Thaig, and Varric, upon his escape, swears vengeance on a brother who will either die or go mad. Suddenly, Varric finds himself in a position that will become all too familiar to him (and us) much later on—in which he's forced to lead, even if he doesn't want to. In which he has to choose a side, even if he'd rather not. The guy in the shadows now becomes a mover and shaker in the Merchant's Guild in earnest, grudgingly admitting his place as one of the elite, even though he still manages to fudge the rules and do things his way, over a tankard or a goblet at the Hanged Man tavern. He even uses his skills as a storyteller to support the mystery of his role, as he notes to Aveline:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Aveline</b>: You know the Tethras family businesses are registered in your cousin Elmand's name?</div></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Varric</b>: You don't say?</div></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Aveline</b>: But I can't find any record of you having a cousin Elmand.</div></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Varric</b>: I'll introduce you some time. He's a little on the shy side.</div></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Aveline</b>: Varric. He's imaginary.</div></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Varric</b>: Which makes him a much better head of the household than I am. He never misses the Merchants Guild meetings, for one.</div></i></span></div></blockquote><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">The saddest part here is that this role as keeper of his family's legacy is one that Varric will adopt permanently, whether he wants to or not, as by the end of <i>Dragon Age II</i>, Varric will have either killed his lyrium-maddened brother out of pity, or left him to his madness. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Varric has, meanwhile, built a new found family alongside Hawke and the other companions here, never joining them in their interconnected romances, but instead serving as their supportive, periodically worried, friend and confidante. As he relates their adventures, we occasionally get glimpses of Varric's purple prose and talent for pulp fiction, through occasional thrilling (and very funny) moments in which Varric mows down hordes of evildoers singlehandedly. It's exciting and fun stuff, and I can't help but wonder if this is when Cassandra became a fan of Varric's writing, because she may start out as his captor, but she ends up absolutely starry-eyed and entranced with the romance and adventure of the Champion's tale. So after she questioned Varric here, did she run right out and buy his books? I'm betting that answer is <i>absolutely yes</i>. Anyone who spends more than half an hour with Varric must surely walk away with the opinion that, hey, this guy can really tell a story.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Varric as the unreliable narrator also helps to explain <i>Dragon Age II</i>'s occasional rough edges (and I love them all) arising from its incredibly fast output. The Dragon Age fandom has further adopted an affectionate take on the game's somewhat repetitive tunnels and dungeons by explaining that it's all due to Varric's specific point of view that, well, they all looked pretty much the same to him. It's an amusing, creative, and certainly believable take! After all, a hallway is a hallway is a hallway. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I also believe that Varric's viewpoint as a biased and untrustworthy narrator means that there are other elements we can headcanon as well—like, I'll never believe in Orsino's last-minute heel turn, OR that he knew that Quentin was murdering women—not the guy who was so willing to give his life for us to save the city under the Arishok's attack. Instead, I'll always believe Varric was protecting Orsino with that Harvester story, and that <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/13617189" target="_blank">Orsino is alive and well</a> and living in peace somewhere in Seere.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Hometown Boy</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">One of the things I love about Varric's arc as a character is that Kirkwall is not just his birthplace, but it also seems to be his destiny. The old adage "You can't go home again," it has always seemed to me, becomes increasingly likely to be flipped into "You'll <i>have</i> to go home again," depending on how much you actually fear to do so.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Time and again, Varric admits to complicated feelings for his birthplace—emotions that involve more than a little reluctance and distaste. Yet deep down, in spite of everything, Varric genuinely loves Kirkwall. I remember being shocked at some of his dialogue in <i>Dragon Age II</i>, in which he genuinely expresses love for the place, and I just stared at my computer screen: "<i>This </i>shithole? Really, Varric?" </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I mean, come on, if there's a single possible contender for Worst Place in Thedas, my money would be on Kirkwall. But it's in Varric's heart, regardless. And while Kirkwall seems like a cesspool of corruption, stinking of blood magic and echoing with the cries of the slaves of the Imperium, for Varric it's home. Sure, it's a city with problems, but it's a place he knows and loves, a place where his brother rebuilt his family's fortunes on the surface, and where Varric discovered he had a knack for words, stealth, and secrets.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Varric leaves Kirkwall repeatedly, but he always comes back, so that by the time we encounter him again in "Trespasser," he seems to have finally accepted this fact</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">—</span><span style="font-size: large;">he's wryly accepting of his status as the Viscount of Kirkwall, and even invites the Inquisitor to come back there to live, if they ever need a home. The rascally wanderer has reluctantly admitted to himself that, love it or leave it, there's no place like home.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;">That's why it hurts him so much when that home is corrupted, first by Meredith, and then by the events that follow. The destruction of the Chantry by Anders shakes Varric deeply, to the point that he still alludes pointedly to those events (and his anger at Anders) in <i>Dragon Age: Inquisition</i>. For Varric, what Anders does here is grotesque, an abomination against the city he loves.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">And let's not forget</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">—</span><span style="font-size: large;">Varric doesn't talk about it often, but he is a person of faith. He believes in Andraste and the Maker, and to some extent is a true follower of the Chantry's teachings, compounding the sacrilege and ugliness of Anders' act for him.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">There's Something About Bianca</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">If Varric is mostly beloved in the Dragon Age fandom, surely there's no character who is more hotly debated</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">—</span><span style="font-size: large;">and loathed</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">—</span><span style="font-size: large;">than the woman who is the object of Varric's affections, Bianca Davri.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">In <i>Dragon Age II</i>, Varric warns Hawke against the dangers of love, and if there's anyone who understands those dangers, it's Varric, whose passion for Bianca once nearly led to all-out warfare. Varric doesn't just love Bianca, he also deeply respects her genius as a smith and inventor, and it is Bianca, we discover, who designed Varric's unique repeating crossbow. But their affair crumbled under the pressure of the Merchant's Guild, as Bianca chose to acquiesce to politics and family pressures, married someone else (Bogdan Vasca, or, as Varric refers to him, "What's-his-name") and gained stability and clout that would put her on the road to becoming a Paragon. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">There's definitely a Shakespearean aspect his relationship with Bianca—they're magnificently star-crossed, fatally entwined, and they know it. Yet even though they both seem to know that they can never truly be together, they also can't quite quit one another, either. Take this little exchange during our quest into Valammar with Varric and Bianca:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Bianca</b>: You'll have to stop by before Bogdan gets back. You should see my new workshop.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Varric</b>: I'll see what I can do. You know your family will kill me if I stop by, right?</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Bianca</b>: They're not gonna kill you.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Varric</b>: You always say that, and they always send assassins.</i></span></div></blockquote><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-CLN9Mk2hVtd7tRdIYN82hFRS9ZJxMg1QAGsMnNll3k_YCLfyHrInHXeCCYInr0EIIpBMMP1r31hEXPkpEshYH6t0_RBCvvRvTw9dfcvqBBrFkyX4wrOiJ8-p80R-etsOiEhemI5SV26/s1680/Bianca.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-CLN9Mk2hVtd7tRdIYN82hFRS9ZJxMg1QAGsMnNll3k_YCLfyHrInHXeCCYInr0EIIpBMMP1r31hEXPkpEshYH6t0_RBCvvRvTw9dfcvqBBrFkyX4wrOiJ8-p80R-etsOiEhemI5SV26/s320/Bianca.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">But we know Varric's gonna stop by, right? He'll have to. It's Bianca. They both know he will.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I love how clearly Varric sees Bianca</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">—</span><span style="font-size: large;">he doesn't seem to romanticize her imperfections or her pragmatism, for instance</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">—</span><span style="font-size: large;">he sees all, but those flaws don't matter to him. Even years later, at their meeting at Skyhold, Varric makes a faux-casual remark to Bianca that he's "the expendable one" of the two of them, and it's a pretty powerful punch to the gut, when you think about how easily he says it. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">There's another raw moment when, confronted by Varric over her attempts to atone for her role in the red lyrium secrets they discover, Bianca answers, "I can <i>try</i>, can't I? Or am I supposed to wallow in my mistakes forever, kicking myself, telling stories of what I should have done?" "Ha!" Varric shoots back. "As if I would tell stories about my own mistakes!" He can try to make jokes all he wants, but as always, there's an undercurrent of bitterness and loss there that rings, again, painfully true.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I find Bianca fascinating</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">—</span><span style="font-size: large;">and yes, I'll do a whole blog post about that fact one of these days. For the moment, however, I will simply point to a line of dialogue that many fans detest, in which Bianca departs Skyhold, but not before she quietly threatens the Inquisitor. "Get him killed," she says icily, "and I'll feed you your own eyeballs, Inquisitor."</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I know many fans hate this moment, seeing it as an undeserving Bianca making a posturing threat against the Inquisitor—an Inquisitor many see as more deserving of Varric's love and loyalty at this point. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Yet I see something different here. As delivered by voice actress and "<a href="https://amzn.to/2RSAi5z" target="_blank">Critical Role</a>" performer Laura Bailey (one of my favorite people on the planet, and who most recently won a BAFTA for her performance in <i>The Last of Us Part II</i>), for me there's a desperation to Bianca there, a sense that it's all bark and no real bite. For me, the power of the moment isn't that Bianca is threatening the Inquisitor, it's the fact that her facade has cracked. For just a few seconds, we clearly see how much she loves Varric, and how much she fears to lose him. For this reason, her threat to Inky doesn't bother me at all—I'm so much more interested in what's driving it. From everything we've seen in this quest, Bianca doesn't get serious often, and she's very good at maintaining an arch, deliberately bantering "aren't we amusing?" kind of mood between the two of them. So I wish Varric had seen this rare glimpse of the fact that if anything ever happens to him, it's going to absolutely wreck Bianca.</span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Still, Varric doesn't need anyone to tell him who Bianca is. He's always known—the good and the bad, the practical and the clinical, and he loves her deeply anyway—a love so encompassing that he named his crossbow after her. There's something funny and cute about this, yes, but to me it's also truly romantic. Varric can't be with his lover day to day, but he can carry the gift she designed expressly for him, and say her name constantly as tribute, tasting it on his tongue.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">But most of the time, the couple's details remain vague. Varric, like Bull later on in <i>Inquisition</i>, is adept at deflection and dissimulation:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Merrill</b>: Is there a story behind Bianca?</div></i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Varric</b>: There's a story behind everything, Daisy.</div></i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Merrill</b>: So tell me!</div></i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Varric</b>: I can't.</div></i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Merrill</b>: Why not?</div></i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Varric</b>: There was a girl, and I made a promise. Bianca is the only story I can never tell.</div></i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Merrill</b>: You can't say that! Now I want to know even more!</div></i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Varric</b>: That was the idea, Daisy.</div></i></span></div></div></blockquote><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I think that long ago breakup between Varric and Bianca was incredibly important</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">—</span><span style="font-size: large;">a definite milestone in Varric's life. I wonder if it's where he decided love hurt too much to pursue again</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">—</span><span style="font-size: large;">or did he simply decide that love was forever, and he'd take whatever scraps of it he could? Either way, I think it's also the point where Varric, meanwhile, doubled down on his desire to go the opposite route from Bianca</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">—</span><span style="font-size: large;">he didn't want stability or conformity. He wanted to tell stories, drink ale, live life his way.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">But that's easier said than done. If you start to care too much about people, if you put down roots, suddenly things get complicated. I think Varric wants to be detached in theory, but that he finds it hard to do so in practice. He's a shrewd, perceptive guy who sees people clearly, and he remains generous and clear-eyed even as he grows to love them. Which is why I think Varric loses objectivity and detachment, first in Kirkwall in <i>Dragon Age II</i>, and then again in <i>Dragon Age: Inquisition</i>. Once again, it's all about love.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Weary Captive</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">By the time we meet Varric again, as <i>Inquisition </i>begins, it's been a tough three or four years, and he's noticeably a quieter, more subdued dwarf than the rollicking storyteller we met in <i>Dragon Age II</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">And no wonder. He went through the events of the graphic novel trilogy <a href="https://amzn.to/3c2mDQ6" target="_blank"><i>The Silent Grove, Those Who Speak</i>, and <i>Until We Sleep</i></a>, adventuring with Alistair, Isabela, and Sten (now the Arishok) and discovering the brutal truth about King Maric's whereabouts</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">—</span><span style="font-size: large;">an adventure that included enough fear, danger, revelation, and death for three lifetimes. The escapade also led to a cruel nightmare temptation in which Varric was faced with a dream vision where Bianca had told him everything with the Guild had been resolved, and that happiness was finally possible for them. Varric being Varric, he rejected this nightmare as the lie it was</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">—</span><span style="font-size: large;">he knew already too well that there would be no happy endings with Bianca. Still, it had to have hurt him nevertheless.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Then, just when he thought he was safely out of all the big-picture intrigues, they pulled him right back in.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Losing Detachment</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Not long after Varric's return to the scarred landscape of Kirkwall, Cassandra returned, and, desperate for a way to find Hawke and help Justinia, she took Varric prisoner (again!) and brought him back to Haven and the Temple of Sacred Ashes. Varric evidently took his newfound captivity with wry patience, writing and thinking, and occasionally signing copies of his books (Justinia was evidently a fan). Of course, it's typical that Cassandra had multiple reasons for bringing him back and that those included a genuine wish for Varric to join her efforts voluntarily, yet in her usual blunt way she just hauled him back with her by force, and hoped he'd understand later: </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Varric</b>: You never did tell me why you dragged me to Haven, Seeker. I mean, what could I have told the Divine that you couldn't say yourself?</span></i></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Cassandra</b>: I thought she needed to see the chest hair for herself.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Varric</b>: Er... Say again?</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Cassandra</b>: I thought she needed to hear it from the horse's mouth, as it were. I also knew she would ask you to help us.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Varric</b>: Help the Inquisition? Me?</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Cassandra</b>: A crazy thought, I know, yet here you are. </i></span></div></blockquote><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Then, with the Conclave destroyed, Varric was no longer even a nominal prisoner, and Cassandra's attention was now focused on the Inquisitor and the aftermath, on solving the issue of the Breach and catching Corypants. What's interesting here is that Varric <i>could </i>have left, and we know he was actively concerned about the situation in Kirkwall, but he stayed around, watching, thinking, and fighting beside his new companions:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Cassandra</b>: Have you heard from any of your Kirkwall associates, Varric?</div></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Varric</b>: You're asking me? So you don't read my letters?</div></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Cassandra</b>: You're no longer my prisoner, much as you like to act like it.</div></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Varric</b>: Yet I still get all the suspicion.</div></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Cassandra</b>: I am not without sympathy, especially given recent events.</div></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Varric</b>: Why, Seeker, I would never accuse you of having sympathy! By the way I tend to refer to my "associates" as "friends." Maybe you're not familiar with the concept.</div></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Cassandra</b>: (sigh)</div></i></span></div></blockquote><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Me, I think he stayed because he cared. Because he was genuinely sorry at the death of Justinia, upset at the destruction of the Conclave (and no doubt thinking back to the destruction of the Kirkwall Chantry), and wanting in some indefinable way to help... and to see what happened next. After all, Varric loves a good story—and he may not always admit it, but he's also a good person who's consistently driven to help people, which is why he greatly approves if we save all the villagers as Haven is burning. His talent for compassion is effortless, as shown here in his conversation with Blackwall after we find out his real identity:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Varric</b>: Maybe I've been too hard on you.</i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Blackwall</b>: Oh, so you don't think I'm dreadful now?</i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Varric</b>: Actually, I thought you were boring before. Completely different. We're all dreadful. Every one of us, fundamentally flawed in a hundred different ways. That's why we're here, isn't it? Take all the risks, so the good people stay home where it's safe. With the whole "Blackwall" thing, you told a story so compelling even you started to believe it.</i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Blackwall</b>: That's much nicer than saying "You're a dirty liar.", I'll take it.</i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Varric</b>: A storyteller's got to believe his own story, or no one will.</i></span></div></div></blockquote><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">The chance to do good, to help others, <i>and </i>to tell a great story? There was no way Varric was leaving the Inquisition. Speaking of which... </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWfrUH-XGv86iSW0fafXveXZAsyoCl1jRuP9bD5x16GNxeyv_oy7hWpdBMMaBkH1yWczj2Jsu3PdlOoOgQ9jy7rif88ved1DLg4iPmR_ZDAs3E6YMm4nlFta9kkaWqxCQjA4P5nTv-BOPo/s1680/Varric_Inky3_Bianca.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWfrUH-XGv86iSW0fafXveXZAsyoCl1jRuP9bD5x16GNxeyv_oy7hWpdBMMaBkH1yWczj2Jsu3PdlOoOgQ9jy7rif88ved1DLg4iPmR_ZDAs3E6YMm4nlFta9kkaWqxCQjA4P5nTv-BOPo/s320/Varric_Inky3_Bianca.png" width="320" /></a></div>The Storyteller</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">When he's not smuggling, spying, or battling demons, abominations, monsters, or downright bad folks, Varric enjoys fame as one of Thedas's most famous bestselling authors</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">—</span><span style="font-size: large;">a pursuit he began early, publishing his first book, <i>The Dasher's Men</i>, when he was just seventeen years old.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">While Varric's novels often deal with the issues of life in the criminal world, they otherwise seem to have little relation to battle and adventure in real life</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">—</span><span style="font-size: large;">battles Varric knows all too well. Instead, they're presented as charming intrigues filled with world-weary heroes, sultry dames, shadowy spies, and</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">—</span><span style="font-size: large;">backflips. Lots and lots of backflips!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">In one of my favorite conversations, Bull perfectly sums up why this kind of stuff appeals to him, especially in a violent and grim reality: </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Iron Bull</b>: By the way, Varric, you write some nice fight scenes.</span></i></div></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Varric</b>: Well, thank you. I'm surprised you think so. They're not exactly realistic.</span></i></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Iron Bull</b>: I figured that out when the good guy did a backflip while wearing a chain mail shirt.</span></i></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Varric</b>: And that didn't bother you?</span></i></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Iron Bull</b>: Back in Seheron, I fell on a guy who tried to stab me in the gut. I felt the blade chip as it went through my gut and hit my back ribs. But I was alive, and on top. I sawed through the armor on the rebel's neck, back and forth, until it went red. I don't need a book to remind me that the world is full of horrible crap.</span></i></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Varric</b>: Impossible swashbuckling, it is.</span></i></div></div></blockquote><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Varric's bestsellers include <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3vtfyji" target="_blank">Hard in Hightown</a></i> (his most famous work), <i>Darktown's Deal, The Viper's Nest, The Tale of the Champion</i>, and his popular (and infamous) romance series <i>Swords and Shields</i>. Not only do we discover that Cassandra is a passionate fan of this last title, but she's basically obsessed with the entire thing, a fact Varric is delighted to needle her about:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Varric</b>: Seriously? <u>Swords and Shields</u>? How did you find that serial? Scrape it off the bottom of a barrel in Dust Town?</div></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Cassandra</b>: It was research! I thought I might learn more about the Champion.</div></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Varric</b>: I did write a book about the Champion. You might remember it. Had your knife stuck through it, last I saw.</div></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Cassandra</b>: I already read that one. Twice.</div></i></span></div></blockquote><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div> It's about this point in <i>Inquisition</i>, watching the two bicker at lightning speed like Skyhold's very own Roz Russell and Cary Grant in <i>His Girl Friday</i>, that I begin to wonder just how much her feelings have begun to include the author himself. It doesn't help that Cassandra's writer and former Lead Writer <a href="https://amzn.to/3ft6w0f" target="_blank">David Gaider</a> has a gift for flirtatious banter, as we also saw in his writing for Dorian, so between Gaider and Kirby, Cass and Varric are an irresistible ship for me, and curiously poignant:</div><div><br /></div></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div><i><b>Varric</b>: Think you'll ever go back to Nevarra, Seeker?</i></div></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div><i><b>Cassandra</b>: Why? Are you eager to see me go?</i></div></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div><i><b>Varric</b>: I wasn't, actually. But, now that you mentioned it...</i></div></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div><i><b>Cassandra</b>: How do you know I wouldn't just drag you along?</i></div></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div><i><b>Varric</b>: Be still, my heart. I've grown on you.</i></div></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div><i><b>Cassandra</b>: Like fungus.</i></div></span></div></blockquote><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">My favorite detail about Varric's books, however, is the touching story behind <i>The Mercenary's Price</i>, a novel that a very young Varric wrote during his mother Ilsa's terminal illness (a liver ailment probably brought on by her alcoholism after their disgrace and her husband's death) in 9:26. He read the book faithfully to her at her bedside, and then when she died, he quietly burned it. It's a testament to his love for his mother and a sad and lovely thing for me to imagine (burning his own book! ack!), so of course it's true. It's too painful not to be.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">It's tempting to wonder about the plotline to <i>The Mercenary's Price</i>, especially knowing that it was Varric's private and final gift to his mother, who was obviously someone Varric loved deeply (he even mentions her in <i>Dragon Age II</i>, remarking that the Grand Cleric reminds him of "a really tall version" of his mother, but "with a nicer hat"). So was <i>Mercenary</i> a story he wrote to give his mother peace about their fall from grace? Perhaps in that case, it was a tale about an Orzammar of Noble caste who was framed for rigging a Joining—and then later vindicated. Or was it less specific, and simply a story of fortunes regained, of honor and redemption? </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">We'll never know. Varric, like all of us, deserves his secrets. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Griefs and Fears</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Speaking of secrets, perhaps there's no greater secret Varric carries than that of his deepest fear. When the Inquisitor, Hawke, and the rest of the adventuring party are thrown into the raw Fade in <i>Inquisition</i>, we're given a powerful and poignant glimpse of their greatest fears on an assortment of gravestones in the shadows, and among the fears etched there, answers to an unspoken question, is Varric's own, which reads: <i>Become his parents.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">This makes sense to me on multiple levels. Varric's father, Lord Andvar Tethras, was high among the Orzammar Noble caste, before he brought disgrace and exile to his entire family by attempting to fix Provings. This was considered a massive sacrilege, an offense of the highest order, and it resulted in the catastrophic fall of House Tethras and its expulsion from Orzammar—including all those remotely connected to it. In one fell swoop, House Tethras—as well as its servants, warriors, artists, and craftspeople—had plummeted into disgrace and infamy.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7nXSHqYulpRYXexXW-PtILPkFI1Tq7rJAwpNdmi82rYDX0GhBGY812POqWdTkmCAwgP5JdSey6iF9m8PoJes24NCfSLvdhtCRREF5TIg5Mu4Y2ubyk4vqQLkK5AEZurN5rzPxZNcVI8KO/s1680/Varric_MCU.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7nXSHqYulpRYXexXW-PtILPkFI1Tq7rJAwpNdmi82rYDX0GhBGY812POqWdTkmCAwgP5JdSey6iF9m8PoJes24NCfSLvdhtCRREF5TIg5Mu4Y2ubyk4vqQLkK5AEZurN5rzPxZNcVI8KO/s320/Varric_MCU.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">It's all too easy to imagine this shame haunting Varric's father, who died when Varric was only two</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">—</span><span style="font-size: large;">and it's apparent that this shame also drove Bartrand on a constant basis. Unlike Varric, Bartrand had been born in Orzammar, and at ten years old, he had been old enough when they left to have retained some powerful memories. No wonder he'd dedicated himself to trying to rebuild the family's fortunes with the Merchant's Guild</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">—</span><span style="font-size: large;">a goal at which he ultimately succeeded. Varric, however, had been born in Kirkwall, and while this shame no doubt affected him constantly, he never quite knew what it was like to live without a sky.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Still, it's obvious that the merchant prince of Kirkwall was still haunted by his family's fall from grace in a very real way, and it's notable that the plots of his novels often hinge on tragic mistakes and sudden downfalls. I also suspect that this is why Varric becomes the capable spymaster in the shadows</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">—</span><span style="font-size: large;">information is power, and Varric doesn't like surprises, especially nasty ones. Of course, this spy network Varric builds will go on to serve him well in the disastrous aftermath of his affair with Bianca (when he is a marked man), in his travails in Kirkwall, and even later on in his dealings with the Inquisition.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Although it's not something he addresses directly, that headstone in the Fade emphasizes how much Varric has been haunted by his parents' fates</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">—</span><span style="font-size: large;">by his father's sudden disgrace (a father he may very well not remember at all), and by his mother's slow death to alcoholism. It's notable in Mary Kirby's <a href="https://dragonage.fandom.com/wiki/Varric_(short_story)" target="_blank">short story</a>, for instance, that Varric reveals to us that he does not drink while he expertly fleeces his companions at cards</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">—</span><span style="font-size: large;">he just keeps a cup of wine beside him for show. And that distinctive, thick chain necklace around Varric's neck? Kirby disclosed that it's actually an inherited piece from the father he barely remembers. Since Varric is never without it, again, for me this emphasizes how constantly Varric's parents are on his mind, and it's something he seems to cultivate in his drive to avoid their fates.</span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">What I find especially poignant about Varric's greatest fear is that he carries such a heavy burden as a son... and shows so much joy as one of Cole's many honorary fathers in <i>Inquisition</i>. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Life Lessons</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Varric can't help it—he's one of those people who's constantly assembling a family around himself, and it's something at which he excels. This is why, alongside Bull's good-natured joshing and Solas's gentle, more spiritual communion, it's no surprise that it's Varric who brings out Cole's humanity, and who attempts to share with Cole what it truly means to be mortal and alive. Varric affectionately calls him "kid," listens to Cole's musings and questions, and talks to him about life, teaching him about cards and jokes and shoelaces—and you haven't lived until you've seen one of Cole's attempts at knock-knock jokes:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Varric</b>: Okay, try it again, you'll get it.</div></i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Cole</b>: Knock, knock.</div></i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Varric</b>: Who's there?</div></i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Cole</b>: Me.</div></i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Varric</b>: (Sighs.) Me who?</div></i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Cole</b>: Me. And I'm telling a knock-knock joke.</div></i></span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Varric</b>: Um... that was... closer. Keep trying.</div></i></span></div></div></blockquote><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">These little parenting moments bring Varric a joy that is that much more painful to him, later on, if Cole chooses to become more spirit, versus more human, after confronting the truth about his origins. Varric is crushed at the choice, seeing it as a step backward for a Cole who had so nearly become an organic and truly living being.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">After the choice, and in an unusually cruel moment for him, he responds grimly to a questioning Solas that Cole's choice is a tragic one, as a more human Cole "could have been a person." Varric is usually kinder, but then again, he is caught in a moment in which he is bitterly mourning what feels like the loss of a son. While I don't agree that Cole becoming "more spirit" is an actual loss of Cole (in fact, I would argue that it is the purer of the two choices), I do understand Varric's point of view in that it does remove Cole's lovable and bumbling human aspect, leaving him once more detached and distant, with thoughts that flit like fireflies, no longer concerned with shoelaces or knock-knock jokes. It's key that out of all of our Companions, it's only Varric who mourns the human Cole might have become. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Pragmatist</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Still, despite his griefs, cares, and fears, I still think Varric is one of the lucky ones, one of those people who manages to find a rare kind of internal balance, happiness, and acceptance. He's tough and self-aware, and as a writer he's a natural observer who's seen all too clearly what happens when people pass by an opportunity for companionship, kindness, or beauty.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipL46q0h38Y3mj2vQ2vPZPBNO08qJyi0mduMwaGxQiaWRy-VVcYDC0x874IPb-RV18zQezOmmsVLrL3JB9tRd1QV5JoiaVW5EAElVivCXDxLEcaDS49_CngMmNdONSuKr0Oqv69xVkFby8/s1680/Varric_Haven_Andersreference.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipL46q0h38Y3mj2vQ2vPZPBNO08qJyi0mduMwaGxQiaWRy-VVcYDC0x874IPb-RV18zQezOmmsVLrL3JB9tRd1QV5JoiaVW5EAElVivCXDxLEcaDS49_CngMmNdONSuKr0Oqv69xVkFby8/s320/Varric_Haven_Andersreference.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">It's why, despite his grief and tiredness, he's one of the few people in <i>Inquisition </i>to ask the Inquisitor how they're coping with their newfound situation. After the sealing of the Breach, he encourages the Inquisitor to rest, relax, and take a moment, something nobody else really ever does (although I'm sure The Iron Bull greatly approves). The friendly approachability of Varric's voice, thanks to voice actor <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0089141/" target="_blank">Brian Bloom</a>, further infuses Varric with an immediate and palpable warmth.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Take the conversation between Varric and Solas about the status of the dwarven people. Solas is frustrated at Varric's apparent lack of ambition, at the fact that he isn't fighting for some great resurgence or reckoning. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">But Varric turns the tables, and the lesson Solas attempts to give Varric instead becomes a wise and subtle teaching moment from Varric instead:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Solas</b>: Is there at least a movement to reunite Orzammar and Kal-Sharok?</span></i></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Varric</b>: What is it with you, Chuckles? Why do you care so much about the dwarves?</span></i></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Solas</b>: Once, in the Fade, I saw the memory of a man who lived alone on an island. Most of his tribe had fallen to beasts or disease. His wife had died in childbirth. He was the only one left. He could have struck out on his own to find a new land, new people. But he stayed. He spent every day catching fish in a little boat, every night drinking fermented fruit juice and watching the stars.</span></i></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Varric</b>: I can think of worse lives.</span></i></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Solas</b>: How can you be happy surrendering, knowing it will all end with you? How can you not fight?</span></i></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Varric</b>: I suppose it depends on the quality of the fermented fruit juice.</span></i></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Solas</b>: So it seems.</span></i></div></div></blockquote><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Solas continues to spar with Varric about the fall of the dwarven empire, but Varric refuses to be goaded into a show of anger or resentment. Finally, an exasperated Solas asks for understanding:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Solas</b>: You truly are content to sit in the sun, never wondering what you could've been, never fighting back.</span></i></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Varric</b>: Ha, you've got it all wrong, Chuckles. This is fighting back.</span></i></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Solas</b>: How does passively accepting your fate constitute a fight?</span></i></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Varric</b>: In that story of yours—-the fisherman watching the stars, dying alone. You thought he gave up, right?</span></i></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Solas</b>: Yes.</span></i></div></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Varric</b>: But he went on living. He lost everyone, but he still got up every morning. He made a life, even if it was alone. </i><i>That's the world. Everything you build, it tears down. Everything you've got, it takes. And it's gone forever. </i><i>The only choices you get are to lie down and die or keep going. He kept going. That's as close to beating the world as anyone gets.</i></span></div></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Solas</b>: Well said. Perhaps I was mistaken.</span></i></div></div></blockquote><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I wish Solas had listened more closely to Varric, here. If he had</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">—</span><span style="font-size: large;">if he had <i>really listened</i></span><span style="font-size: x-large;">—</span><span style="font-size: large;">then Solas would have given up his hidden quest then and there. Because Varric is right</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">—</span><span style="font-size: large;">you can't beat time itself; the world will always win. It's a bitter lesson that Solas refuses to acknowledge, that what's gone is gone, and nothing will bring it back. All anyone can do is enjoy the beauties the world still has to offer, from the glittering night sky, to the taste of fruit on the tongue. The tragedy of Solas is that he is so busy looking back, he's missing every other glorious possibility still before him.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Varric doesn't fall into that trap. His father had, and his brother had, and it had ultimately destroyed them. But Varric's at peace with what he's lost, and he understands that part of dealing with loss is accepting that loss, in savoring whatever is left. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Secret-Keeper</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">It's amusing when you think about it, how absolutely <i>full</i> Skyhold is, not just of spies, but of spymasters. Surely it's unusual for a single Keep to hold not just one or two adept spymasters, but three: Leliana, The Iron Bull, and Varric. (Heck, an argument could be made that Solas is one, as well.)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Varric has a lot of secrets, and like Bull, he's often able to hide them in plain sight. It's easy to underestimate that aspect of Varric's life, since he's such a genial and likeable guy, and since he seems so up-front when we talk to him.</span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhotWQDNUnrlKtMZVHbwB73B8ywmkZv0mpBjiCNGoO8Mc_mn6QPSCHbh_MGYmoS5hOf4oL0jJfyFDXGFtnuINBUrS5K2rQZAI6jprQP4kf7SiX5Hmtmgq7IwDCu8x2aXwv9364BHDwDGlmh/s1680/Varric_Trespasser.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhotWQDNUnrlKtMZVHbwB73B8ywmkZv0mpBjiCNGoO8Mc_mn6QPSCHbh_MGYmoS5hOf4oL0jJfyFDXGFtnuINBUrS5K2rQZAI6jprQP4kf7SiX5Hmtmgq7IwDCu8x2aXwv9364BHDwDGlmh/s320/Varric_Trespasser.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">But he also proves himself to be a knowledgeable spider at the center of that formidable web of his—that network of smugglers and spies who keep him informed above and below the surface. Again, it's easy to imagine Varric putting people at ease, making people dismiss just how smart and slippery he really is. If Varric doesn't want to be found, it's no wonder that, after the life he has led (and his successful evasion of dozens of threats, not to mention his skillful help to Hawke in disappearing from the grid), he's able to fade into the woodwork. One entertaining example of this is when Varric arrives at Halamshiral, visibly ill at ease. He mutters to the Inquisitor, then poof—he's gone. He simply vanishes for the remainder of the evening, unwilling to be seen or recognized.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;">It's an aspect of Varric that I think is too often unexplored—his keen ability to watch, listen, delegate, and hide. A rogue's stealth is his bread and butter, but with Varric it's his way of protecting an entire enterprise—or, sometimes, simply those he loves. While Bull spies for the Qun and Leliana spies for the Divine, it's touching in <i>Dragon Age II</i> that Varric is using his super-duper spy network for kinder, more personal reasons—to keep the gangs and Templars off Anders's back while he runs that free clinic in the sewers, or to sweetly ensure Merrill is safe (and able to find her way home) in the Kirkwall alienage.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Anders</b>: I just realized it's been a while since any of the gangs in the Undercity came to my door.</div></i></span></div></div></div><div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Varric</b>: They're busy people. Places to go, throats to cut. Maybe you've slipped their minds.</div></i></span></div></div></div><div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Anders</b>: Right. The apostate running the free clinic in the sewers. Easy to forget. You didn't have anything to do with this?</div></i></span></div></div></div><div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><div><b>Varric</b>: You must have me confused with someone else! I'm just a businessman and a storyteller.</div></i></span></div></div></div></blockquote><div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Finding Peace </span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Varric goes through a lot in the events of <i>Inquisition </i>and Trespasser, and some of those moments are genuinely devastating to him. He's horrified by what he discovers about red lyrium, and the fact that it now runs rampant through Thedas. The realization that Bianca has been secretly studying its effects and lying about it is another blow to him. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">But I believe we also see Varric returning to life here—that during the events of the Inquisition, there's a point at which he seems to wake up, to come back to himself. He admits that he's been standing on the sidelines, but the Inquisitor can truly win his loyalty, and if so, it's my belief that Varric is once more back within the kind of group he understands—the found family, much like the one he lost back in Kirkwall.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">The journey was rough, but as Corypheus's defeat looms, depending on our choices within the story, Varric may very well find himself back in form, teasing Cassandra with <i>Swords and Shields</i> updates, running games of Wicked Grace for his friends, and rediscovering his capacity for contentment. When he becomes the Viscount of Kirkwall not long after the Inquisition's victory, he's enough of his old self to generously offer the Inquisitor a forever home in Kirkwall (one, in my mind, right next door to Varric's), because that's what you do for family.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">He's lost a lot, but he kept on going. And as Varric knows, better than most, that's as close to beating the world as anyone gets.</span></div><div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Angela D. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-22264283761772845242020-12-06T09:12:00.000-08:002020-12-06T09:12:24.352-08:00Playing the Dragon Age RPG (and Gathering Your Party)<p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLXx189TYmoRs7ilXOBi0gBg-XnpmJutdqHlcgbAXeEKrrz4Qd8X_Zfm5MBXdcVMBBX4vj25YtDsGJHmZc2-sNA9_ukR_NI7N14vHyTOuscpnXYgFr_jLZIElXcEwDg3-gN8g2ehs_IMV/s1680/WickedGrace_OverheadShot.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLXx189TYmoRs7ilXOBi0gBg-XnpmJutdqHlcgbAXeEKrrz4Qd8X_Zfm5MBXdcVMBBX4vj25YtDsGJHmZc2-sNA9_ukR_NI7N14vHyTOuscpnXYgFr_jLZIElXcEwDg3-gN8g2ehs_IMV/w400-h250/WickedGrace_OverheadShot.png" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Hello, all you lovely <i>kadans </i>and <i>lethallen</i>!</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">First off, thank you for helping to make <b>#DragonAgeDay</b> our most successful ever! Thus far, we've raised over $12,400 to benefit the <b>NAACP Legal Defense Fund</b> -- and we still have lots of amazing items left for auction! You'll have two more weeks to grab some of those last delectable reward items, or to simply add your donation to the tally, so we hope you'll <a href="https://tiltify.com/+dragon-age-day-2020/dragon-age-day-2020" target="_blank">stop by Tiltify</a> and take part! </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, one thing that came out of this year's series of videos and streams for Dragon Age Day was a lot of appreciation for the <b>Dragon Age tabletop RPG</b>, and a frequent wistful expression from many viewers that they would really love to play the DA RPG, but they either can't find a group in real life to play with, or they aren't sure how to do so.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This is where I hope I can make a difference. I thought, here, that I'd give you a really simple intro to the DA RPG game (and how to play online with others), and then send you over to Discord, where my group's very kind and talented GM Pat "<a href="https://twitter.com/SnarkKnight1" target="_blank"><b>SnarkKnight1</b></a>" (whom you may remember from this year's DA RPG panel and one-shot) has generously created a permanent open invitation to join a Discord group called <b><a href="https://discord.gg/Wraz7Nkmq8" target="_blank">Dragon Age: Discord</a></b> to help you get started, ask questions, connect, and more!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As far as this little intro, please do note that I am not an expert in any way! I've only been playing Dragon Age RPG for about two years, and there is still so much for me to learn (just recently, I realized I'd goofed on adding spells to my spell slots, so I am really a dork on this stuff). But Pat is terrific, as are many in this community, so this is just to get you started.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Getting Started with the DA RPG</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">What do you need to get going? Not much! </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHBlcDMpw2KxaL4CHl0OHNnPRDm16X2dMNp89n1aK0YiupnZu1PP5d_3bL9rxlYlSvDN-e9r1iWKN7qSmKzUIY_QT1AymDVyV0darQMoO_KIh4-fUoMt2rOqBe6fPheb6I8Qc5Fzzkrrb/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="396" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHBlcDMpw2KxaL4CHl0OHNnPRDm16X2dMNp89n1aK0YiupnZu1PP5d_3bL9rxlYlSvDN-e9r1iWKN7qSmKzUIY_QT1AymDVyV0darQMoO_KIh4-fUoMt2rOqBe6fPheb6I8Qc5Fzzkrrb/" width="190" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">It's really easy to get started playing the Dragon Age RPG, and while the rulebooks are incredible (more on those in the next paragraph), you don't necessarily need those to start playing.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Because Green Ronin is fabulous, they offer some <i>incredibly </i>helpful free files that mean you can jump right in, super fast! These files include instant, wonderfully useful downloadable PDFs -- I'm also including one from Roll20 as well:</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/529063351481794570/785180893245472808/Fillable_Character_Sheet.pdf" target="_blank">Roll20 Dragon Age Fillable Character Sheet</a> (one of the best you'll find)</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://freeronin.com/dragon_age_rpg/DA_charsheet_2page.pdf" target="_blank">Dragon Age Character Sheet</a> </span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://freeronin.com/dragon_age_rpg/DragonAgeRPGQuickstartGuide.pdf" target="_blank">Dragon Age Quick Reference Guide</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://freeronin.com/dragon_age_rpg/FantasyAgeCoreRulebook_StuntTables.pdf" target="_blank">Fantasy Age Core Rulebook STUNT TABLES</a> (I keep this open every time I play)</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://freeronin.com/dragon_age_rpg/DragonAge_SampleCharacters1.pdf" target="_blank">Dragon Age Sample Character Sheet</a> (Filled out for example)</span></li></ul><p></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Larger Resources</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i><a href="https://amzn.to/2JVdyNM" target="_blank">The Dragon Age Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook</a></i> should definitely be on your wishlist at some point though. The game eventually led to the Fantasy Age engine, and every once in awhile, Green Ronin has even given away PDFs for free. And then there's the <i><a href="https://amzn.to/2VKiqby" target="_blank">Faces of Thedas</a></i> sourcebook, which was released after <i>Inquisition</i>, and which further expands on lore, history, and more. Pat just reshared <a href="https://snarkknight.com/2020/12/06/reposted-faces-of-thedas/" target="_blank">his past review of this</a>, along with pros and cons, as well.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, on a side note</span><span style="font-size: large;">: In addition to creating the new Discord space, Pat very nicely helped to give me a little more description on the progression of the Dragon Age RPG system from Green Ronin:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-size: large;"><span>"Green Ronin released three box sets, each one had more rules and supported levels 1-5, 5-10, and 10-20. Then, after <i>Inquisition</i> came out, they released the <i>Core Rulebook</i>, which combined all the box sets and cleaned up some of the rules. T</span><span>hey then released Fantasy Age as the generic version of the ruleset." He adds, "</span><span>Fantasy Age has rules for Halflings, Orcs, and some additional rule changes, and </span><span>it also cleans up a few things like how in Dragon Age, magic is all that mages need. Fantasy Age splits that between willpower and intelligence. It got rid </span><span>of magic as an ability and brought in Accuracy and Fighting as abilities to balance things a bit better."</span></span></blockquote><span style="font-size: large;"></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>Meanwhile! As far as the </span><i>Game Core Rulebook</i><span>, do me a favor and don't panic when you read this sucker. Because while it's beautifully written by Chris Pramas (with bonus Genitivi sidebars from Mary Kirby!), flawlessly produced, and it's thorough and incredibly useful, it can also be intimidating. It's 440 pages long. So as you start off, just maybe use it as a reference -- get the info you need, and keep in mind that this game can be as intensive as you choose for it to be, if that makes sense.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ZbllrIx8s-o6pOBrOZRsDUu6iFs7obtbIahWjqpSXkvesKyxxKU9kRXRN8Kc24rwmTTPgbnNjEXUGShkl6qu9vz_oneontkayqvfdAXZZ6sjCgreDQshdY_eyXtPPlCaKiqUodYlSR5E/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="290" data-original-width="220" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ZbllrIx8s-o6pOBrOZRsDUu6iFs7obtbIahWjqpSXkvesKyxxKU9kRXRN8Kc24rwmTTPgbnNjEXUGShkl6qu9vz_oneontkayqvfdAXZZ6sjCgreDQshdY_eyXtPPlCaKiqUodYlSR5E/" width="182" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Meanwhile, if you're a GM, or looking to become one, you might consider getting the <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3lMnYwz" target="_blank">Dragon Age Game Master's Kit</a></i>, which includes a three-sided hardback screen that puts the basic information right in front of you, and which also includes a lot of simple, useful information that helps you get started quickly on your campaign.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Next, you'll need the following:</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">1. Internet access</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. Discord</b><br />Visit <a href="https://discord.com/">https://discord.com/</a> to get the app. It's probably the easiest way to jump on headphones and chat/play aloud with other players.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>3. Roll20</b><br />Visit <a href="https://roll20.net/">https://roll20.net/</a> and sign up for a free account. Your GM should ideally already have a game link for you there, but if they don't, or if <u>you</u> are the GM, Roll20 makes it easy for you to create your online game space.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Roll20 has some useful features that make it easy for you to get going, and that I found really helpful to me when I was a new player.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">These include:</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">An <b>online chat option</b> (extraneous if you're using Discord)</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">An <b>online dice roller</b> (it's easy to use but no substitute for the satisfying feel of using real dice!)</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Character Journals</b> for all participating characters, and where you will create your own character journal and access their character sheet. Each Journal includes:</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Your Character <b>Bio and Info</b> -- general info on your character (and where you can jot down your character's life, experiences, details and physical attributes.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Your Character Sheet</b> -- this is the single most important thing for me on Roll20! More on the character sheet farther down, along with tabs for Persona, Powers, Focuses, and Magic.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Attributes & Abilities</b> worksheets</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Handouts</b>, which are extra lore items you can share with other players about your own character's past or experiences.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">As well as some fun options for GMs and players with stuff like a lore <b>Compendium</b>, online <b>Jukebox</b>, etc.</span></li></ul><p></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Building Your Character Sheet</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLSszYgM7iIrN505EYdo2vHOp5yGfUxOEc41R5EMx_lH-WILsD9cdQt6Nv8Y0bcQ3ylEVTzFwGC9uxXsukMET15qtbBXmxvFXTKnrDW836lwqR55soFvl1Zi5eQOb7sB60Smqh3LCsLcFC/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="825" data-original-width="626" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLSszYgM7iIrN505EYdo2vHOp5yGfUxOEc41R5EMx_lH-WILsD9cdQt6Nv8Y0bcQ3ylEVTzFwGC9uxXsukMET15qtbBXmxvFXTKnrDW836lwqR55soFvl1Zi5eQOb7sB60Smqh3LCsLcFC/" width="182" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />You have some great decisions as you begin when it comes to race, class, and character, and very much like <i>Dragon Age Origins</i> itself, you have an incredibly diverse amount of options when it comes to your character's history and experiences because these will have direct impact on your character's talents -- on everything from what classes they can play, what languages they speak, what their talents are, and more!</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">For instance, if you're a mage, are you a Circle Mage, a Magister from Tevinter, or an Apostate hiding your nature? Are you an elf who believes in the Creators, a Chantry faithful, a Tal Vashoth, or a Grey Warden?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The best part of all this, though, is if you've played the Dragon Age videogames already, you've already absorbed much of this information and can use that to inform your choices!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">True to Dragon Age, you can choose from four races for your character: elf, human, dwarf, and qunari.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">You can then choose from three classes: Warrior, rogue, and mage. Where it gets interesting is choosing your subclasses, or specializations, and these will arise from your character's chosen backstory. And let's face it, as most of us know from <i>Dragon Age Origins</i> and beyond, these specializations can be incredibly rich and specific.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Character Sheet</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Your Character Sheet is so much fun to fill out, and your GM can help you do that if you're starting from ground zero.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As with most tabletop systems, you'll start with the following basic categories (the Dragon Age versions are very similar to those found in Dungeons and Dragons, although not identical):</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Health (your life force/total health)</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Mana (your "power" or "magic" source)</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Speed, Defense, and Armor</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Communication</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Constitution</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Cunning</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Dexterity</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Magic</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Perception</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Strength</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Willpower</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">All of the above will evolve and potentially increase as your character progresses.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">You'll also be able to use your sheet to fill out your Attacks (and applicable ranges), Weapons, Spells, and other Equipment. You can also note how much money you have in Currency.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Dice, Your Dragon Die, and Stunt Points</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Plus, ideally, <b>at least three (3) 6-sided dice</b> (with one of a different color, recognizable as your "Dragon Die"). Everything in Dragon Age RPG comes down to your 6-sided dice, and all ability checks, for instance, are simply rolling those 3d6 and seeing what fate has in store.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">What's fun, though, is the inclusion of "stunt points" in the gameplay. Stunt points happen if you roll for an ability test and succeed, and two of those dice are doubles. Depending on how high the doubled dice are, the more stunt point options you'll have.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">For instance, let's say you roll a 16 for dexterity -- two 5s and a 6. This means -- if you succeed -- you have 5 stunt points, which you can "spend" as either Combat Stunts, Spell Stunts, Exploration Stunts, or (my favorite) Roleplaying Stunts. If you choose roleplaying stunts, you can spend your points on charismatic moments, jokes and bon mots, flirtations (ALWAYS CHOOSE FLIRT), or on actions that increase your willpower or that deliberately enrage your opponent.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And, like I said, while you <i>can </i>use Roll20 for online dice rolls, honestly, get some physical dice. Because there's something wonderful about actually rolling the dice! And before you know it, you'll be collecting dice, hoarding them in dice bags, and purchasing things like dice trays! Good times.</span></p><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Gathering Your Party and Moving Forward</span></b></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">And don't be intimidated. All you really need to get started with the DA RPG is you, the Internet, a basic knowledge of Dragon Age, a character you create, and three 6-sided dice. Don't stress yourself out as you start, just have fun, allow yourself to make mistakes, and do what's most fun for you, whether that means playing yourself as a character, or playing someone who is truly unlike you at all! Bonus points if you try playing with an accent! (And be kind to others who do so -- accents are TOUGH.)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As I mentioned, the fabulous Pat (<a href="https://twitter.com/SnarkKnight1" target="_blank"><b>Snarkknight1</b></a>) has generously launched a carefully organized and categorized channel on Discord that offers a space where you can learn the ropes, ask questions, and connect with other players seeking groups across the globe!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I hope this helps you get out there and play the wonderfulness that is the Dragon Age RPG tabletop game. My favorite thing about it -- beyond the terrific friendships and fun with others in my group (and with the groups of friends -- an ever-widening circle) is the way it brings you into Dragon Age in a new and very strangely immersive way.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As I mentioned in our recent Dragon Age RPG tabletop discussion for Dragon Age Day, the tabletop game can really change your perceptions in fun ways. Like, I'd never gotten the real and visceral fear of being an apostate in Thedas until playing the game, when it became quickly apparent that my elven apostate was a constant target, despite her clumsy attempts to disguise her mage staff as a "fishing pole." Every city street became a minefield, so that even a simple walk through a new town was filled with the dangers of templars and other potential enemies.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I've been playing the Dragon Age RPG for two years, and it has brought me so much fun, as well as in-game moments of adventure, tension, laughter, betrayal, sadness, grief, and joy! I hope the gameplay does the same for you.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Gameplay Startup and Resources</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As you connect with other potential groups, keep in mind what kind of playstyle you think you might prefer -- hardcore roleplay, hardcore tabletop gameplay, or more casual approaches? My own advice is that you look for a friendly mix of experienced and new players -- new players can bring so much fun to the experience, and experienced gamers can be wise and wonderful guides to those first battles and hurdles, too.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Last but not least, just in case it helps, here's a final overview of some resources you might want to check out, including all the links I referenced here throughout as well:</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://discord.com/" target="_blank">Discord</a></b></span></li><li><b><a href="https://roll20.net/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Roll20</span></a></b></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://discord.gg/Wraz7Nkmq8" target="_blank">Dragon Age: Discord</a></b> (Getting started and finding group connections to play with)</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/529063351481794570/785180893245472808/Fillable_Character_Sheet.pdf" target="_blank">Roll20 Dragon Age Fillable Character Sheet</a> </b></span></li><li><a href="https://freeronin.com/dragon_age_rpg/DA_charsheet_2page.pdf" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Dragon Age Character Sheet</span></b></a></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://freeronin.com/dragon_age_rpg/DragonAgeRPGQuickstartGuide.pdf" target="_blank"><b>Dragon Age Quick Reference Guide</b></a></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://freeronin.com/dragon_age_rpg/FantasyAgeCoreRulebook_StuntTables.pdf" target="_blank">Fantasy Age Core Rulebook STUNT TABLES</a> </b></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://freeronin.com/dragon_age_rpg/DragonAge_SampleCharacters1.pdf" target="_blank">Dragon Age Sample Character Sheet</a> </b></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-1-what-is-the-dragon-age-rpg-and-why-should-you-play-it/id1109746641?i=1000367814630" target="_blank"><b>Wonders of Thedas Podcast</b></a> (includes help on getting started with the DA RPG)</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/DragonAgeTabletop/" target="_blank"><b>Reddit (Dragon Age Tabletop</b>)</a></span></li></ul><p></p></blockquote><p> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I'll look forward to seeing you in Thedas!</span></p><p><br /></p>Angela D. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-91124530694992110302020-12-04T16:14:00.000-08:002020-12-04T16:14:02.913-08:00Mysterious Answers from Solas, Cole, and Bull!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmxGbmKtqKme-_hIz0h72O5J0yfp3LpLXmyXD5TmiQiM1Mo5ObNyxSbYwugi4MVJlXqby0QXcMOtKoeE9tfvRC4B1Z4SA-5vXqh-KkFbt4UY8Pp4xspui80qDDQgZEy226piz4ipVgPZpU/s1680/Bull_Drunk_Inquisitor3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmxGbmKtqKme-_hIz0h72O5J0yfp3LpLXmyXD5TmiQiM1Mo5ObNyxSbYwugi4MVJlXqby0QXcMOtKoeE9tfvRC4B1Z4SA-5vXqh-KkFbt4UY8Pp4xspui80qDDQgZEy226piz4ipVgPZpU/s320/Bull_Drunk_Inquisitor3.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">In celebration of <b>#DragonAgeDay</b> 2020 (OUR BEST EVER, PEOPLE), I received a mysterious e-mail from the always awesome <b>Patrick Weekes,</b> who was nice enough to forward on answers from characters beyond the Fade!</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So here we go!</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Which would you pick? Earth 2020, or Thedas during Blight, Meredith’s Kirkwall, or the Breach?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>SOLAS</b></u>: The Breach is far too close to home, reminding me of my regrets. I would not live there if I had the option. <br /><br />I could not bear to watch the Blight destroy the world of Thedas, so I chose your Earth, and sought to share my wisdom.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Wikipedia did not like my citation, “Witnessed in the Fade.”</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Would you undergo The Joining?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>THE IRON BULL</u></b>: I get to fight monsters AND there are free drinks?</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What's your weapon of choice?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>COLE</b></u>: No rhythm, so the worm doesn’t come. He’s dancing again, like before when he sold music. Laughing, leaping, but they always say he’s walking.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Which demon would show up to tempt you at your personal Harrowing?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>IMSHAEL</u></b>: <i>Choice. Spirit.</i></span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What's your personal canon/favorite race and class in Dragon Age?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>SOLAS</u></b>: Each race has their own majesty, a beauty almost tangible, and each in their own—</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>THE IRON BULL</u></b>: Just say “elven mage.” We all know you’re thinking it.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Your literary read of the day: <i>Swords and Shields</i>, <i>Hard in Hightown,</i> or <i>The Randy Dowager</i>?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>THE IRON BULL</b></u>: I think that <i>Swords & Shields</i> has a more compelling love story, but it also steers into some problematic territory.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>KREM</u></b>: He has a subscription to <i>The Randy Dowager.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>THE IRON BULL</u></b>: For the ARTICLES.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Which Dragon Age follower CHARACTER would you romance?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>SOLAS</u></b>: I cannot give away my heart, for knowing what regrets will come would tarnish any momentary solace.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>BRIALA</u></b>: I have so many questions about ancient elven culture! If only someone could explain it to me!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>SOLAS</u></b>: Oh, <i>no</i>. </span></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">And y'know, y'all, I'm just leaving it here. It's just so good. HAPPY DRAGON AGE DAY! And thank you to Patrick for sharing their</span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;"> secret access to some of our most loved/hated characters!</span></i><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></p>Angela D. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-91850293456860600372020-12-04T15:34:00.000-08:002020-12-04T15:34:04.584-08:00Dragon Age Audio Wizard Presley Hynes Shares Even More Silly Answers...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ixYRVAxoG7nFrl4edLJpizk41nJY88NY2i2_WRYTsFGf3tsleEDKh7XkVCHU7qJ3REsNFvLqVy_CAUfdqPsgOC-O7YvM1T8QUeWivnjfZEwab0jeuGgrYpP3TXkaonuetg_zRFh_T3Hr/s1680/KremChargers.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ixYRVAxoG7nFrl4edLJpizk41nJY88NY2i2_WRYTsFGf3tsleEDKh7XkVCHU7qJ3REsNFvLqVy_CAUfdqPsgOC-O7YvM1T8QUeWivnjfZEwab0jeuGgrYpP3TXkaonuetg_zRFh_T3Hr/s320/KremChargers.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Presley Hynes</b> is a talented audio artist at BioWare, and recently shared answers to our diabolical silliest (and unsilliest) questions for Dragon Age Day. Check out Presley's answers below!</span><p></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Which would you pick? Earth 2020, or Thedas during Blight, Meredith’s Kirkwall, or the Breach?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">PRESLEY: Thedas because Mabari.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Warden, Hawke or Inky -- which are you, at heart?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Hawke.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">You wake up with the Anchor/Mark. What do you do?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Probably scream. Then start figuring my life out.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Would you undergo The Joining?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">NOPE.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What's your weapon of choice?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Bow and arrow usually. Daggers as a side weapon.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What do you name your Mabari?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Bambam.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What's your personal canon/favorite race and class in Dragon Age?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I will forever love any kind of elves and that will literally never change, so Elf Rogue is my life.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Which demon would show up to tempt you at your personal Harrowing?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Envy or Pride.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Which Dragon Age follower would you romance?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">DORIAN.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Who's your favorite Dragon Age villain and why?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Solas because I want to punch him.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What's your favorite romance ship? (Canon or non-canon, platonic or romantic)?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Krem/Bull.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">You get beamed to Thedas: What's your job--and would you survive?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I’d just follow people around with coconut shells and Monty Python it. Whether or not I survive for more than a day is up for interpretation.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Your literary read of the day: <i>Swords and Shields</i> or <i>Hard in Hightown</i>, or <i>The Randy Dowager</i>?</span></b></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Hard in Hightown.</span></i></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Favorite Dragon Age herb or plant?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Unsure on how to answer this plant question.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Who do you feel is the most misunderstood Dragon Age character?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Bull.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Which quarters at Skyhold would YOU pick for yours?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Unsure about quarters.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What would be your approval rating at Halamshiral during Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts? Are you prim and proper or dancing on tables?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Oh... 2? Maybe? I'd be on the tables FOR SURE.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Favorite Dragon Age creature?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">NUG.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Favorite Qunari or Elven term?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Ma vhenan</i>... my heart.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Favorite Inquisitor mount?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Harts!</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What would be your Dragon Age "watchword?" </span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I'm laughing too hard to answer this one.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Last but not least... what are your feelings on Plaidweave?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It's the one true high fashion.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Now on to the UNSILLY questions! </b><b>What was your role (or roles) in working on the Dragon Age games?</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I'm an audio artist on the upcoming Dragon Age.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What does increasing inclusivity and diversity in the games industry mean to you?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">SO MUCH. I think everyone will be better off with diverse teams and ranges of backgrounds.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What's your favorite book?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>GOOD OMENS</i>, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">I love that book so much. I've read it a dozen times, literally. Meanwhile, what's your favorite movie?</span></b></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Into the Spider-Verse.</span></i></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">So gorgeous! Meanwhile, who's your favorite artist?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Barenaked Ladies, Astrid S, Dua Lipa.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Who or what inspired you to work in the games industry?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I’ve been a gamer all my life. Seeing the amazing audio work being done in games made me really interested in learning more.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What's your favorite thing about your work?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The creativity and passion I see in everyone around me. It’s an amazing atmosphere filled with incredible minds.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What's your favorite thing about being part of the BioWare team?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Everyone is so in love with what they do and the games they’re making. BioWare really does seem to attract amazing people.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What was your proudest accomplishment with BioWare so far?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Designing the audio for the Luminary in Anthem. I was only here for a few months at that point, and the fact that the team trusted me to make something really cool for it so early on was an honor, and was very encouraging.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What was your proudest contribution to Dragon Age?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I’m working on the newest game and haven’t been here for the others, so I can’t say much, but being a part of the creature team and working with the animators and gameplay designers to make the creatures come alive and feel fun to encounter has been an incredible experience and I’m super proud of the work I’m doing on them.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What part of your work is most challenging or satisfying for you?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Most challenging is probably keeping my creative energy focused. Sometimes it’s tough to really stick to ONE idea when so many things can be done with a new feature, and sorting it out and focusing on a smaller part of it can be rough. Most satisfying is when we start seeing a creature come together for the first time. Meshes are in place, VFX are in place, sound is in place, and suddenly it’s a living, breathing organism.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What’s your funniest moment on Dragon Age work?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We did a recording session of a bunch of percussion instruments and found out that a squeaky horn squeaked into a timpani while manipulating the timpani’s pitch is an absolutely HILARIOUS sound and we have a bunch recorded, but don’t know what to use it for.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What was a favorite team or collaboration moment for you?</span></b></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">NOTE: BIOWARE REDACTED THIS. (Shout-out to the devious MAD BEE!)</span></i></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Which Dragon Age team member(s) did you always want to call out as deserving of special praise?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Esther Ko is an incredible human. She is always so passionate in her work, she’s outspoken and does everything she can to make sure everyone on the team is not only happy and satisfied with work, but also makes sure everyone feels included and that their voices are heard. She is amazing to work with.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Is there a song or music style that inspired your work on Dragon Age?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This is a tough one, ha ha ha ha ha. <i>The Lord of the Rings </i>soundtrack comes to mind. Trying to hear all of my sound design within Middle Earth has been fun.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Thanks so much for taking part, Presley!</span></b></p>Angela D. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-83267310134424431672020-12-04T14:45:00.000-08:002020-12-04T14:45:03.134-08:00Sheryl Chee Gets Silly for Dragon Age Day!<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP02G6PKrwVTvWbi1bSIv1p6fCvjiZwYGqeRJhXIjSumg79jENeT2N1mjyzo5urJMYMYanpnGqrWPkE9j9vw_QhT3f-vwl_L8pgGdlsUkDS6SgCnjc5I6PmdmiigUZ5GT6hUzDiHCTjKc1/s1680/Blackwall_toy+-+Copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP02G6PKrwVTvWbi1bSIv1p6fCvjiZwYGqeRJhXIjSumg79jENeT2N1mjyzo5urJMYMYanpnGqrWPkE9j9vw_QhT3f-vwl_L8pgGdlsUkDS6SgCnjc5I6PmdmiigUZ5GT6hUzDiHCTjKc1/s320/Blackwall_toy+-+Copy.png" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Sheryl Chee</span></b><span style="font-size: large;"> is a talented senior writer at BioWare whose work is an intrinsic part of the Dragon Age universe, and whose philosophy degree reveals itself in her characters' complex and compassionate conundrums.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Luckily for us, Sheryl has shared her thoughts with us despite my very silly questions for Dragon Age Day 2020, and we are so excited and privileged! Let's see what she has to say -- onward!</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Okay, Sheryl! You wake up with the Anchor/Mark. What do you do?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Panic. Then drive to Patrick’s house to panic some more. Everything DA-related that happens is now Patrick’s fault, obviously, because they are the lead writer.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">This is the BEST ANSWER EVER. Meanwhile, what's your weapon of choice?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">A stale baguette.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What do you name your Mabari?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Rabbit.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Which demon would show up to tempt you at your personal Harrowing?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Imshael, the Choice Spirit. They seem like a fun time.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">I LOVE IMSHAEL. (ahem) Okay, onward: What's your favorite romance ship? (Canon or non-canon, platonic or romantic)?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Not romantic, but I love the friendships between Blackwall and Sera, and Isabela and Aveline.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">You get beamed to Thedas: What's your job--and would you survive?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I’d bake bread. I hope I’d survive.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Your literary read of the day: <i>Swords and Shields</i> or <i>Hard in Hightown</i>, or <i>The Randy Dowager</i>?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Randy Dowager’s new satire inspired by Hard in Hightown.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What would be your approval rating at Halamshiral during Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Not great. They’d throw me out for embarrassing myself.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Favorite Qunari or Elven term?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It’s more of a phrase, but “<i>Meraad astaarit, meraad itwasit, aban aqun</i>.” And also, the classic <i>“Taarsidath-an halsaam</i>,” of course.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Now for some UN-silly questions! What's your favorite book?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">That’s such a difficult question! One of my all-time favorites is <i>Fingersmith</i>, by Sarah Waters. In the last year or so I’ve been obsessed with the <i>Murderbot Diaries</i>, a series by Martha Wells.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What was your proudest contribution to Dragon Age?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I’m probably proudest of the various characters I’ve written for the DA universe. They’re always fun to write, and I enjoy seeing the fan reactions, whether it’s love or hate.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Is there a song or music style that inspired your work on Dragon Age?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">There’s never a specific style of music that I listen to while writing. It always depends on my mood. I love making Spotify playlists and I frequently put one together that reflects the character or area that I’m writing for. I have noticed that I listen to a lot of electronica if I’m trying to pump myself up to write something that’s a little more tedious. For instance, combat barks. I think I listened to Kesha’s “Timber” on repeat for an entire day while writing barks for Inquisition’s multiplayer mode.</span></p>Angela D. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-29991378506094345072020-12-04T12:08:00.005-08:002020-12-04T12:11:06.991-08:00Asa Roos Gives the Scoop!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicAptTmGy8qFxpQ_Pur0Z0zXAwJg4-iAzMjozeUPBGQVgMFcZarGJ3Q1Em90gcG0EBQ7-syCvpse8D0p9aYZbGlUL-KHohBJSDgf_bVI7FM0qqzvvZeEmXi_jNtOORR1U3bzVvV5_4bdWu/s1680/DragonFlight_Hinterlands.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicAptTmGy8qFxpQ_Pur0Z0zXAwJg4-iAzMjozeUPBGQVgMFcZarGJ3Q1Em90gcG0EBQ7-syCvpse8D0p9aYZbGlUL-KHohBJSDgf_bVI7FM0qqzvvZeEmXi_jNtOORR1U3bzVvV5_4bdWu/s320/DragonFlight_Hinterlands.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>MORE GOODIES!<br /></u></b><br />As we celebrate <b>#DragonAgeDay 2020</b>, BioWare's talented team has blessed us with an assortment of wonderful insights from its writers and creatives, and I'm so delighted to be able to share answers to our silliest questions from the talented Åsa Roos, a UX-designer at BioWare in Edmonton!</span><p></p><p><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">SILLY QUESTIONS</span></u></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">ME: Which would you pick? Earth 2020, or Thedas during Blight, Meredith’s Kirkwall, or the Breach?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">ÅSA: Meredith’s Kirkwall. At least there wasn’t a pandemic and it’s close to the sea.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Warden, Hawke or Inky -- which are you, at heart?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I am totally Hawke. Not very important, really, just someone who wants to take care of their family.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">You wake up with the Anchor/Mark. What do you do?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Scream for a few hours and proceed to find Solas to ask him what the hell he was thinking. Wasn’t once enough?</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Would you undergo The Joining?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If I had a choice no. If I didn’t have a choice I would, and then promptly die.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What's your weapon of choice?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Sarcasm.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What do you name your Mabari?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This one I got from Karin and Patrick Weekes. The Dread Woof. Or just Dog, like in most of my playthroughs. I’m so lazy.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What's your personal canon/favorite race and class in Dragon Age?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Elf Rogue or Elf Mage. I prefer to keep the Darkspawn at a distance. And the Qunari. Pretty much everyone, now that I think about it.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Which demon would show up to tempt you at your personal Harrowing?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Pride, probably. Or Envy. Close call.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Which Dragon Age follower would you romance?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">All of them. Well. I’d probably have a crush on Varric that I never told him about, and then I’d be best friends with Dorian and eat cheese with Alistair. I’d have a crush on Alistair as well, but I’d never tell him either.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Who's your favorite Dragon Age villain and why?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Solas, because he is multifaceted and very, very human in all his fallibility.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What's your favorite romance ship? (Canon or non-canon, platonic or romantic)?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I would really like it if Morrigan found a friend she could drink tea and talk magic with. She deserves it.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">You get beamed to Thedas: What's your job--and would you survive?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I’d probably end up in Denerim, making rivets and chainmail for Wade and Herren, having Wade stress me to death with his attention to detail. Most likely I’d be killed in the siege of Denerim, but not in any noble fashion. I’d probably die from an ogre sitting down on me by accident or something.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Your literary read of the day: <i>Swords and Shields</i> or <i>Hard in Hightown</i>, or <i>The Randy Dowager</i>?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I’d slip <i>Swords and Shields</i> into a cover of Hard in Hightown.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Favorite Dragon Age herb or plant?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Bees. No wait. Dawn Lotus.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Who do you feel is the most misunderstood Dragon Age character?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">That Chantry sister outside the Chantry in Denerim who just can’t seem to get the Chant of Light</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">right.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Which quarters at Skyhold would YOU pick for yours?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I would kick everyone out of the library and put a bed in there.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What would be your approval rating at Halamshiral during Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts? Are you prim and proper or dancing on tables?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Sad to say I’m prim and proper, but my sarcasm would probably tank my approval score.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Favorite Dragon Age creature?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Dragons. Especially the sleeping dragon in the Hissing Wastes. It’s so cute!</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Favorite Qunari or Elven term?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Vashedan.</i> It’s very useful and not many people who haven't played Dragon Age know what it means.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Favorite Inquisitor mount?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">War nugs!</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What would be your Dragon Age "watchword?"</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Please don’t hurt me!</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Last but not least... what are your feelings on Plaidweave?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If Anders wears it as a kilt, I’m all in favor!<br /><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>UN-SILLY QUESTIONS</u></b></span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What was your role (or roles) in working on the Dragon Age games?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I am a UX designer on the coming Dragon Age game.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What does increasing inclusivity and diversity in the games industry mean to you?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">A lot. This is why I eventually found my way to BioWare. These games have meant the world to me, and as a game developer, I wanted to be part of creating something that would mean just as much to new players and returning players.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What's your favorite book?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Unfair question. All of them! It’s actually a series of books. Martha Wells’ the Murderbot Diaries.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What's your favorite movie?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Another unfair question. It depends, but my fall back is always Alien or Mad Max Fury Road.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Who's your favorite artist?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The limitations! I really like Bat for Lashes almost all the time, but I also enjoy Puscifer.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Who or what inspired you to work in the games industry?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I started playing TTRPGs really early, and I was always fascinated by them, the fact that you could build a world and people could populate it but it didn’t really exist. When I had the opportunity to work in games, I took it.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What's your favorite thing about your work?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Everything. But I love problem-solving and systems so when I can dig into a really complex system and figure it out, that’s what keeps me going.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What's your favorite thing about being part of the BioWare team?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The people I get to work with. We have an outrageously smart team and people I really admire and appreciate working with.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What was your proudest accomplishment with BioWare so far?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I could tell you, but Darrah would kill me. No seriously, I can’t say anything about it because it’s part of development.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What was your proudest contribution to Dragon Age?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I can’t tell you that either.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">EXCELLENT! Meanwhile, what part of your work is most challenging or satisfying for you?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The most satisfying part is when I find a solution to a really tricky problem that just works. I work with user experience design so a lot of what I do is smooth the way and enhance the work of other teams.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What’s your funniest moment on Dragon Age work?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">When the puns about Darkspawn spun out of control in a meeting chat. People had to tell us to get serious. We punned about that as well.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What was a favorite team or collaboration moment for you?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">All of them are. My team is amazing.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Which Dragon Age team member(s) did you always want to call out as deserving of special praise?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Game development is a team effort, and everyone does important work. I don’t think anyone specific should be called out. Everyone’s work is important for us to be able to build the game, from QV to programming via art and design and production.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Is there a song or music style that inspired your work on Dragon Age?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Not really, although I do spend a lot of time listening to game music because it’s instrumental and it helps me focus.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Is there anything we haven't asked that you always wished someone would ask about working on Dragon Age?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">“Does Mark Darrah really drink that much tea?” Yes, yes he does.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Last but not least: What was your most inspiring moment in 2020, if you feel like sharing it?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I think any time we reach a point when a part of the game comes together and we can see all the work we’ve been doing is pretty amazing. Because we’ve done it while working from home, all of us.<br /><br /><b>Thank you so much, Åsa!</b></span></p>Angela D. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-41430310116738940232020-12-04T09:47:00.001-08:002020-12-04T09:47:25.209-08:00BioWare's Brianne Battye Answers our Silliest Questions (and Some Serious Ones Too)!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXksSgwON_u6z1Uw598t5ljEaAdt_vR7dMG5WnIpGfokntJUirkpcn8Oe0uHv-UBo6M6bFBhZC_W0tHLIzSvk92W7CIOdkxVCaS3Pp_bWOmnYMLm1PDMPbkE5ywvxJcnUle0Hc7jGhSSpe/s1680/Leli_Cullen_Advisors.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXksSgwON_u6z1Uw598t5ljEaAdt_vR7dMG5WnIpGfokntJUirkpcn8Oe0uHv-UBo6M6bFBhZC_W0tHLIzSvk92W7CIOdkxVCaS3Pp_bWOmnYMLm1PDMPbkE5ywvxJcnUle0Hc7jGhSSpe/s320/Leli_Cullen_Advisors.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">As most of us Dragon Age fans already know, <b>Brianne Battye</b> is a talented writer at BioWare who contributed her talents to <i>Dragon Age Inquisition, Tevinter Nights</i>, and who is also a poet in her own right.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Here, to celebrate #DragonAgeDay, she's provided us with an inside look at her own answers to our silliest (and not quite silliest) questions for 2020!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Here goes!</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">So, Brianne! Warden, Hawke, or Inky – which are you, at heart?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">BRIANNE: Hawke. Mostly Purple Hawke.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">You wake up with the Anchor/Mark. What do you do?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">1. Panic.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2. Poke at it.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">3. Panic.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Which demon would show up to tempt you at your personal Harrowing?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Have we seen an Anxiety demon? It would be an Anxiety demon.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">I feel this on a very personal level. If there was a 2020 demon, it would <i>totally </i>be Anxiety, right?</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Onward!</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">You get beamed to Thedas: What’s your job and would you survive?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Could I still be a writer? Maybe Varric could introduce me to his publisher. I hope I’d survive, but this IS Thedas.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Favorite Dragon Age herb or plant?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Dawn lotus. They look like lily pads and I love lily pads.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Which quarters at Skyhold would YOU pick for yourself?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I mean, there’s a lot of spare rooms so probably a room no one’s using. If it’s out of the follower, advisor, or Inquisitor rooms… Leliana’s space. It’s quiet, not too bright, has a proper roof. I’d make friends with the messenger birds.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What's your favorite Dragon Age creature?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Definitely fennecs! I would love a fennec friend.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Favorite Inquisitor mount?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">All of the harts!</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What are your feelings on Plaidweave?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Okay, I’m one of those Canadians with five different button-down plaid shirts in her closet. So, it’s all good.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What’s your favorite book?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It changes depending on when you ask me. A book I read this year and loved: <i>This is How You Lose the Time War, </i>by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What’s your favorite movie?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Like books, this answer changes when you ask me, but a lot of the time it’s <i>Howl’s Moving Castle</i>.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What part of your work is most challenging or satisfying for you?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I love writing and creating stories, but work isn’t always easy. There have been a lot of challenging and stressful times over the years. When I’ve heard from people that something I helped create meant something to them—something serious or something that just made them smile—I can’t express how much that means to me.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Which Dragon Age team members did you always want to call out as deserving of special praise?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Our transfer to Work From Home was very abrupt. Everyone working on IT support has done an incredible job getting the team set-up and (virtually) coming to the rescue when issues arise. I also want to call out our Facilities team who helped coordinate our transfer to Work From Home and who continue to arrange virtual events to help people feel connected.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Thank you so much, Brianne! And happy DRAGON AGE DAY!</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p>Angela D. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-64280184182114589642020-12-04T09:30:00.000-08:002020-12-04T09:30:04.843-08:00Sylvia Feketekuty Answers Silly Questions for Dragon Age Day 2020!<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja0jpPPjqr37FYQiHFYNhS-N2hGx95-siSwrkqVLqLzPO0NQO18S54gHZFmF_H6llB1ArzhOd1PNhM_5nGMbxCUsdW4cKRiB7LyP7lLYO_8mKKKG0apoIstFBEM6IpDwYZ5NvBIzaLcPxe/s1680/Josie_princess.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1680" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja0jpPPjqr37FYQiHFYNhS-N2hGx95-siSwrkqVLqLzPO0NQO18S54gHZFmF_H6llB1ArzhOd1PNhM_5nGMbxCUsdW4cKRiB7LyP7lLYO_8mKKKG0apoIstFBEM6IpDwYZ5NvBIzaLcPxe/s320/Josie_princess.png" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Happy Dragon Age Day 2020!</span></b><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Hello all you amazing Thedosians! Thanks to our wonderful friends at BioWare, we've gotten some fabulous responses to the incredibly silly list of questions I sent over to them for 2020. We're so proud that this is our third consecutive year for <b>#DragonAgeDay</b>, and this year we're raising money and awareness for the <b>NAACP Legal Defense Fund</b>!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Sylvia Feketekuty is a brilliant writer on the BioWare team, and she was nice enough to respond to my silly questions list with the following wonderful and whimsical answers!</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">ME: Sylvia, you wake up with the Anchor/Mark. What do you do?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">SYLVIA: Probably panic!</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What's your personal canon/favorite race and class in Dragon Age? </span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I prefer mages in RPGs. That said, when I was playing through my content during DA:I’s development, I created a dwarf warrior just to change things up. I’d like to replay Inquisition as my standard female human mage one day, maybe just before the game I’m working on now releases. I think that could be fun.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Which demon would show up to tempt you at your personal Harrowing? </span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This is tough! Fear, sloth, despair? All good candidates.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Who's your favorite Dragon Age villain and why? </span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Probably one of the ones I’m working on now.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">SO EVIL! (sigh)</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile: What's your favorite romance ship? (Canon or non-canon, platonic or romantic)? </span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As Josephine’s writer, she’ll always be my favorite!</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">You get beamed to Thedas: What's your job--and would you survive? </span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If I can read the language: time to be a Chantry clerk! My survival probably depends on whether a fresh disaster is rolling across Thedas or not.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Your literary read of the day: <i>Swords and Shields,</i> <i>Hard in Hightown</i>, or <i>The Randy Dowager</i>? </span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I’m very curious about <i>Swords and Shields</i>, after Cassandra’s reluctant endorsement.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Favorite Dragon Age herb or plant? </span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Crystal Grace. The bellflowers are beautiful.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Favorite Inquisitor mount? </span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The harts, because I was not prepared for the sound they make when I first tried them out.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Last but not least... what are your feelings on Plaidweave? </span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I’m True Neutral on Plaidweave.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">And now, for a few more serious questions! What was your role (or roles) in working on the Dragon Age games?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I’ve been a writer at BioWare for eleven years now, but Inquisition was my first Dragon Age game. When I came on, I remember a whiteboard with quick descriptions of the core cast. “Diplomat?” was scribbled under the advisors. Our lead writer at the time, David Gaider, told me I could pitch that character, and that was the start of Josephine.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I was also the writer on three wildernesses, developing quests with the level designers for Crestwood, the Fallow Mire, and the Hissing Wastes. For our critical path story, I wrote “Champions of the Just” (though most of Abernache was Luke Kristjanson) and “What Pride Had Wrought” (though Dave did some of the conversations inside the temple). And I was also one of the writers on Jaws of Hakkon and Trespasser.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What does increasing inclusivity and diversity in the games industry mean to you? </span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">For anyone who wants to make a game to be able to do so in safe, supportive environment. That’s a pretty broad statement, but I think removing extra hurdles and bad practices is the only way forward. </span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Who or what inspired you to work in the games industry? </span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Playing games as a kid. They were these weird, wonderful worlds you had to explore on their own terms. That’s still very special. The magic’s never left.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What was a favorite team or collaboration moment for you? </span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I wasn’t positive we could get a sword duel for Josephine’s romance. Then her cine designer, Richard Boisvert, arranged for motion capture of people dueling and was able to craft the scene. I was amazed, and still am, he figured out a way.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Another favorite collaboration was developing Crestwood with level designer Raylene Deck. Because we had a dungeon available, we were able to tie it into the Fade Rift in the lake and the dam and the overall story of the area. I was really pleased with that, because I’d always wanted to write an old-fashioned dungeon jaunt.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Is there anything we haven't asked that you always wished someone would ask about working on Dragon Age?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Good question! Probably “what little-seen people or places in the Dragon Age universe would you like to explore?” Which is a tease, because that’s exactly what I’m doing now at work. One day!</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Last but not least: What was your most inspiring moment in 2020, if you feel like sharing it?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It’s not one single moment, but I’m grateful every day for my friends for keeping in touch, playing games with me over the internet, and generally helping me through.</span></p><div><span style="font-size: large;">Thank you to Sylvia for sharing her thoughts with us! And <a href="https://tiltify.com/+dragon-age-day-2020/dragon-age-day-2020">HAPPY DRAGON AGE DAY</a>!</span><br /><br /></div>Angela D. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.com0