"Fate is such a tricky whore, isn't she?"

27 | she/her | NO LONGER DA:V SPOILER FREE| responding as @krackerka 🗡️Blog for all things Dragon Age🗡️ Anders was right. Appreciating all characters HOWEVER this blog might turn into a shrine for Zevran at any point - you have been warned.

[brother-genitivi]

I miss Zevran so bad

[dafeelscz]

is... is ao3 down.........

[queam]

Bringing Zevran on your team at any time

[crabs-with-sticks]

Thinking about the Inquisition wearing military dress to Halamshiral, and I actually love it as a choice so much. I fully get why lots of people don't like the choice (and lets be real, I love all the fancy designs people have done!!) but honestly. What a power move.

To me, the Inquisition showing up in military dress and sans masks reads as a refusal to play Orlais' game. The Inquisition arrives at Halamshiral on its own terms.

It is a refusal to make people comfortable, a refusal to let people act like it is just another ball, that they can continue as normal. It is a bold statement that Thedas is in crisis, and it forces the nobility to confront that. Its a constant reminder that these are peace talks.

And, it is also a firm statement of power. It is a statement that the Inquisition has order and stability where Orlais is caught up in a chaotic civil war. And it is the sort of move that only works because the Inquisition has the power to back it up, both in armed forces, but also social, cultural and political capital.

Because Orlais is in a very weak position. They have been in civil war for two years with little sign of reprieve. No war is good for a country, but civil war is brutal. You can't really gain anything as a country in a civil war, you can't plunder or take home treasures and new lands. And we see in multiple locations in Orlais how bad the civil war has been for the country, with farms and estates in ruins.

And even Orlais' other element of power in the Orlesian Chantry has been basically destroyed and replaced by the Inquisition. They have no Divine, and the Inquisition has control of either the mages or templars. Orlais is powerless and is only managing to hide that fact by the trappings of wealth and luxury. If nobody acknowledges the elephant in the room, is it even there? If everybody pretends like everything is fine and Orlais is still powerful then it might as well be.

But the Inquisition doesn't try to hide the chaos and conflict going on in the world behind beautiful riches. By dressing in military fashion it is an uncomfortable reminder of everything going on outside the palaces and music and jewels and masks. And played right, it really forces the two sides of the civil war to come to the table and attempt to solve the issue. Because it just calls those in power out.

Its such a bolshy move to wear military dress and I love it. It catches Orlais in its own delusion of power and forces it to acknowledge the influence and power of the Inquisition.

[klyukvav]

[doraingrid]

You came through.

[honeydwellerbee]

Another one. More varric and hawk hawke this time a little more rendered.

I know I am veeerrry late the party when it comes to timelapses but I haven’t done one yet and as it turns out it’s built into clip studio so no having to download something else.

[dragon-age-tournament]

Round #5 — Match 7 of 7

Josephine Montilyet

“her romance route is so sweet”

“okay so. shes the only reason why inquisition works in the first place since she's the one who keeps the nobles/the chantry in check. keeps them from getting rid of the inquisition. without her inquisition wouldn't last A DAY! she's so smart. and she's the prettiest character ever. i've even learnt how to spell gorgeous just to be able to say it about her. also she's got drama. you get to duel a dude if you're dating her that's actually so cool. no other character romance has a duel in it but she does since she's like a princess. and she's the best princess at that i love her so much. also she has dirt on everyone and if she doesn't, she can make some up. with maybe leaving some stuff to make it seem like the thing she needs it to seem like. that's so cool of her. have you ever seen a more cool character. also she's antivan.”

vs. Isabela

“Because she is literally the best. But other then that. The only character to be present in ALL Dragon Age games (DAI only in multiplayer but still)- in two of which you can have threesome with her and Zevran. She is funny, smart and hot and she supports other women. She cares so so much but pretends that she doesn't. She casually hangs out with pretty much all the most important people in Thedas. And she is a bisexual pirate queen.”

"oh boy do I love a character that has to learn to trust people around them. I love the uncaring facade that hides that she actually cares a lot. I love how it takes her ages to get comfortable and get actually close to you but if you put trust in her she comes back..amplified tenfold for the romance!! good shit!! (dai when I get to you 🔨🔨🔨)"

Who should advance?

Josephine Montilyet

Isabela

Voting ended onJan 27

[corvidkusnos]

Some musings about Leliana

A mix of Sacred Ashes with overall aesthetic & my own spin on her hair because I don't like the bob I'm gonna be so real lol

I wanted her to look like she can clean up to be a Chantry sister but can also be scrappy and rogue-like

[jack-of-blades]

[jack-of-blades]

[dragon-age-tournament]

Round #5 — Match 1 of 7

Morrigan

“she’ll hit you with the meanest take you’ve ever heard and then two hours later she’s like anyway. here is a deeply personal story i did NOT mean to tell you”

vs. Zevran Arainai

“he flirted with me while actively bleeding out and i respected the hustle.”

“Zevran is one of the most fun companions to actually talk to. He’s sharp, he’s nosy, he’s weirdly honest when it counts, and his banter carries entire stretches of the game.”

“zevran joining the party is still one of my favorite “dragon age is insane” moments because you’re like “so you tried to kill me” and he’s like yeah. anyway. do you want to hear a story and also maybe kiss. and then somehow it works?? he’s charming in a way that feels practiced, but you get enough little cracks of sincerity that it’s hard not to get attached.”

“DAO really said “Here’s Your Assassin.” and he said “Here’s My Number.” i folded immediately.”

“zevran rules because he makes the whole party feel more alive. he’s constantly poking at people, testing the vibe, making jokes, flirting as a hobby, and then occasionally dropping a line that makes you go “oh you’ve been Through It huh.” i also love that he has opinions about the crows that aren’t just “i hate them forever” or “i love them forever,” it’s complicated and messy and very believable. plus he’s one of the few companions who can turn a grim quest into something bearable just by opening his mouth. vote zevran because he’s entertaining, he’s layered, and he’s the kind of character who keeps origins from being nothing but mud and trauma for 60 hours straight.”

Who should advance?

Morrigan

Zevran Arainai

Voting ended onJan 25

[dragon-age-tournament]

BONUS POLL (Requested): Which of the Dragon Age games have you personally played?

All of them

None of them

Origins only

DA2 only

Inquisition only

Veilguard only

Origins + DA2

DA2 + Inquisition

Inquisition + Veilguard

Origins + DA2 + Inquisition

DA2 + Inquisition + Veilguard

Some other combination

Voting ended onJan 27

[dragon-age-tournament]

Round #5 — Match 1 of 7

Morrigan

“she’ll hit you with the meanest take you’ve ever heard and then two hours later she’s like anyway. here is a deeply personal story i did NOT mean to tell you”

vs. Zevran Arainai

“he flirted with me while actively bleeding out and i respected the hustle.”

“Zevran is one of the most fun companions to actually talk to. He’s sharp, he’s nosy, he’s weirdly honest when it counts, and his banter carries entire stretches of the game.”

“zevran joining the party is still one of my favorite “dragon age is insane” moments because you’re like “so you tried to kill me” and he’s like yeah. anyway. do you want to hear a story and also maybe kiss. and then somehow it works?? he’s charming in a way that feels practiced, but you get enough little cracks of sincerity that it’s hard not to get attached.”

“DAO really said “Here’s Your Assassin.” and he said “Here’s My Number.” i folded immediately.”

“zevran rules because he makes the whole party feel more alive. he’s constantly poking at people, testing the vibe, making jokes, flirting as a hobby, and then occasionally dropping a line that makes you go “oh you’ve been Through It huh.” i also love that he has opinions about the crows that aren’t just “i hate them forever” or “i love them forever,” it’s complicated and messy and very believable. plus he’s one of the few companions who can turn a grim quest into something bearable just by opening his mouth. vote zevran because he’s entertaining, he’s layered, and he’s the kind of character who keeps origins from being nothing but mud and trauma for 60 hours straight.”

Who should advance?

Morrigan

Zevran Arainai

Voting ended onJan 25

[ikarons]

um. i think it's interesting bc da2 is possibly the game that's most willing to be critical of the templars, that presents the most unpleasant view of them in the series, but it's also a game with Notably quite a few "good" templars, who are shown to go out of their way to try to be kinder to mages than their peers — thrask, emeric, and samson (who is no longer a templar when we meet him because he was fired for his transgression. of. passing love notes.) & of course carver's namesake.

& the thing that they all have in common is that they subvert their orders. the "kind" templars in da2, across the board, all defy orders and expectations— thrask comes to you behind his superiors' backs to plead for you to stop his own colleague from catching up to some runaway mages for fear of what he'll do to them, emeric begs you to help investigate a series of murders of young women after both the city guard and his own superiors have already expressly told him to drop it, and. samson passed love notes between mages. (and when you meet him he may also ask for money in exchange for information on feynriel, but iirc he expresses hope that you're successful). maurevar carver helps malcolm escape.

and pretty much all of them suffer immensely for it! thrask and emeric are both ultimately killed. samson spends the entirety of the game homeless and suffering lyrium withdrawal before ultimately breaking, turning on you and returning to meredith.

& i think these characters and their actions and the consequences they suffer for their, let's be real, Basic Decency... really highlight what it is to be a templar who is still comfortably employed. like. the existence of these "good" templars, and the specific things they do in order to be "good," highlights how the only Good, kind, compassionate actions in this position are to Refuse To Do what templars do, especially in kirkwall. because these acts — stopping mages from being slaughtered, even passing harmless notes between them — are fireable offences. so, like, the templars that remain employed, that are Not going behind their commander's back... what are They doing?

[ikarons]

@bleedthebeat no exactly lmfao like none of these people succeed in changing anything. but it is telling that they tried. and from a writing/intent perspective i think it’s telling that they’re Brand New characters being written to try while a returning character is Not!

[pyomatic]

an orleasian bard 🗡️

[tallyoh]

Because he is the Original Antivan Husband

[sino-666]

Demon Possession