fearsome pretty things

sideblog that shoulda been a mainblog. i follow/etc from @what-the-hezmana

[pickelda]

Recovered notes on the Anchor (9:40-9:41 Dragon)

Translated text:

(Top)

Double whorl matches orb, but pattern is disrupted by Anchor core.

(Bottom)

One year progression. Further expansion of the mark up the forearm. Expansion of Anchor core. Of note—Anchor core not expanding from initial root tear. New tears appear elsewhere within the mark. Monitoring growth. Most concerning is the Anchor's reaction to newly acquired body vallaslin. Mark pattern is present in the ink. A reaction between the orb's power and Elvhen magic? Blood? Inquisitor reported intense discomfort during application. [I] was not present. Mark on forearm has not grown to connect with vallaslin, but the Anchor's resonance has increased significantly. I can sense her the orb's power from a disconcerting distance.

[mrs-gauche]

In which everyone knew, but didn’t.

[thewardenisonthecase]

(warning i'm about to ramble over something small)

So, if cousland tells alistair that they're family was just murdered, he sayd "how stupi of me to forget" which means he was told prior, but before this conversation, the warden can never actually tell Alistair about what happened in Highever (as far as i remember, the topic never comes up. you can tell others you're from highever or that you're the teynr's child, but besides Cailan, you can't tell them you're whole family is dead)

now, considering that alistair says that you must be the recruit duncan talked about (if you tell him your name, he even says like ah right that was the name), that means between the duncan recruiting/conscripting the warden and them arriving at ostagar, he most likely sent a letter to alistair.

which leads me to this: i cannot stop thinking about duncan writing a letter to alistair ahead of time to tell him about the recruit and saying "oh yeah by the way, the arl of amaranthine kiilled their whole family so maybe don't bring it up"

[thewardenisonthecase]

"Alistair. I'm returning from Highever with the new recruit, (insert name here) cousland. Shit was bad, their whole family as killed. Alistair, they haven't spoken since we left, so by the maker's name i am telling you this so that you don't accidently bring it up and fuck it up. do not. bring up. their dead. family.

best regards, duncan"

[asphodelles]

drew that short italian guy from dragon age you guys like

[mippippippis]

Virginia Hey as Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan FARSCAPE S02E15 - Won't Get Fooled Again

[carabas]

Zevran: I am hardly the person to lecture on the worthier points of human nature, but surely this is a fine time to display the oft-lauded virtue known as mercy?

Zevran: I deserved to die, and you spared me. Why are you so quick to condemn these mages?

Warden: You’re a lot better-looking than most of the mages.

Zevran: Why, thank you. Flattery would normally distract me, but not today. Inconvenient, no?

Warden: You’re saying I made a mistake sparing you?

Zevran: (Nervous laughter) Perhaps. But you did it nevertheless, no?

Warden: Magic and knives are different.

Zevran: Magic can kill. Knives can kill. Even small children launched at great speed could kill.

Zevran: Why single out the wielders of one and not the others?

Warden: Mages can do more damage with one spell than you ever could.

Zevran: Mm. Touché.

Zevran: I’ve taken the lives of many throughout my career, but this is no measured act. There is no chase, no hunt, no dignity in this… there is only slaughter.

Warden: What about the people they might slaughter?

Zevran: Might, not will. Committing genocide just because something might happen is more than the mark of a weak mind. It is insanity.

Warden: Zevran, you’re a hypocrite.

Zevran: Perhaps I am at that, and a thief and a murderer as well. But I looked my victims in the face.

[thejoining]

#i could not believe how long and detailed zevran’s argument is during broken circle#there are so many dialogue branches#and the note specifically describing his laughter as nervous#the script actually just reads ‘chuckles’ but the VO comments say ‘nervous laughter’#the warden kinda just threatened him there! and this is a warden who’s willing to slaughter a bunch of mages so it’s a very real threat!#and zevran’s clearly very aware of that! and he keeps pleading for the mages anyway!#he is so ready to go to bat for this - no one else in the party argues the point in anywhere near this detail (via carabas)

[dragonreineold]

Zevran fights the most for the little people, the downtrodden, the ones forgotten and shunned by society. Because Zevran knows all too well (more than most of the other companions) how it feels to be trapped in a role that you cannot choose to opt out of, only because of an accident of birth. 

Poverty in his case, magic in theirs, but it is hard to not see the parallels. 

[s1ithers]

—You should have your ball of twine back, Varric. I don't think I'll be getting lost in the market again any time soon. —Keep it, Daisy. You never know when it might come in handy.

[inthevoidzone]

Hey so I really love how Davrin's vallaslin is handled in Veilguard and how it ties into not only his arc, but his internal conflict between two halves and the choice at the end of his character quest.

First of all, I'm gonna say god/Creator rather than Evanuris for this post because I'm not talking about the actual historical elves with all the associated baggage and atrocities, but the maybe-false but still culturally meaningful constructs the Dalish created out of ancient half-remembered history to be their gods. In reality and even most fantasy, Gods aren't literally real, but are always meaningful. In universe, vallaslin are unique. In opposition to the default set that a player character gets to choose between and is also applied to generic NPCs, Dalish characters with bespoke facemorphs have unique vallaslin designs. Identifiying a particular Dalish elf's vallaslin in-universe isn't so much checking a chart for an exact match as it is studying the design elements and recognizing the symbology of a given Creator. Elgar'nan is represented by a play of light and darkness. Mythal by the boughs of a great tree. Falon'din by a design that is "as above, so below." And Andruil and Ghilan'nain are represented by a bow and horns respectively, as the hunter and the mother of halla. Writers have confirmed that Bellara and Cyrian's vallaslin honour Dirthamen, god of secrets, mysteries, and lore. And of course they did! It's pretty obvious where these two truth-seekers would be aligned. But the same writers were cagey about answering who Davrin's tattoos represent, and I think this is on purpose, because Davrin's vallaslin are meant to be ambiguous.

Assume they're for Andruil, the hunter who loved testing herself against stronger and stronger foes, who was revered by the Dalish as a warrior and a protector and who could never bear to remain at home. You can see the curve of the bow, the point of the arrow. Now, assume they're for Ghilan'nain, the nurturing creative spirit who created the gentle halla and then cared for them as if they were her own children. Now you see the delicate lines curving up into the shape of horns, crowned by a second set at the top.

(Davrin's mentor, Eldrin, wearing Ghilan'nain's vallaslin, alongside a render of the player character's options for Andruil's Vallaslin.)

You see where I'm going, right? This is Davrin's character arc! His internal conflict! The brave and fearless warrior ready to throw himself into the arms of death vs the caring and soft-hearted surrogate father to a magical creature. The young man who couldn't bear to stay with his clan vs the boy who sang to the halla. And the choice he and Rook make together at the end of his quest, where Davrin's conflict is reflected onto Assan and the other griffons. Brave fighter or nurturing caretaker? The hunter or the shepherd? Schrodinger's vallaslin. Devs won't clarify which it's intended to be because it's intended to be both.

[antivancorvo]

the crows send their regards

[eonianshadow]

"Guide me on the path that splits the land between sun and moon."

[llysaan]

Bird boy done!! And his hair took FOREVER 🫠

I have mixed feelings about how this one turned out. I’ve drawn Zevran in his armor so many times, I opted for a more angsty, symbolic piece for this one, tho I’m not really sure the meaning came through 😅 oh well, at least he looks pretty

Countdown to Veilgaurd: 52 days!!!

[perplexingly]

Sera’s romance is the best Inquisition romance for this quest alone lol

[goatanarchy]

Joining 🍷🌟

[kanis-things]

[rejisol]

oh she's so back

[hanatsuki89]

Vivienne’s line upon reaching Skyhold made me think about the saddest ending ever. The character that fits the quote the most is a Solas-romancing Lavellan who sent the wrong Advisor during a certain War Table mission

[bdafic]

My man has shades and a fanny pack lookin like he's getting dropped off at summer camp