if the inquisitor romances dorian, vivienne receives a letter from an acquaintance in tevinter expressing shock at the “disturbing rumors” of their relationship, and vivienne responds by ripping the acquaintance a new one
repeatedly expresses sorrow at civilian deaths (”the defenseless are always the first casualties of war”)
cole said this about her harrowing “no, I will not fall, no one will control me ever again…shaking, hollow, harrowed but smiling at templars to show them i’m me, i am not like that”
despite her insistence that cole is a demon, she was worried for him
unlike solas, she is afraid of demons
finds it delightful that varric is writing a story with her as the villain
“my dear, if i didn’t want people to fear me I wouldn’t dress like this”
wants to send a sternly worded letter to varric’s tailor
was born in wycome
has read hard in hightown
“i am the most dangerous thing in the room, darling”
treats bull like a favorite son and teaches him to dance
bull compares her to a qunari dreadnought, which she enjoys
greatly admired divine justinia
sees templars as a useful tool
“that which makes you different can be a burden or a source of strength”
was taken to the circle at such a young age that she doesn’t remember her parents
passes information on to sera and the friends of red jenny
worries for dorian’s safety in trying to reform the imperium, tells him to be careful
I’m sure someone’s added how distressed she is about the tranquil when you find out it’s their skulls being used for the occularum, but she gets so upset about it :( Vivienne :(
the worst of sera writing is not anything about sera, is the inquisitor options. they make me have to tell her "oh your people? you mean elves?" or "oh what do you choose templars or mages? most people pick a side" like are we asking this nonsense to varric? no of course not cause why would we. imagine varric talks about his friends and everytime your inquisitor was like "oh you mean the dwarves :)"
The dialogue tags are also bad. I remember once I picked what I thought was a fine option and it ended up with the inquisitor saying something so vile that Sera was like 'so you want me to leave?' and I had to reload a save. Like. It's crazy.
If you're anything like me, you made it your mission to collect every single horse breed in Dragon Age: Inquisition. However. If you're anything like me, it annoyed the hell out of you to not have good parallels to real-world breeds for art references. This post aims to help with that, using some tomfoolery and shenanigans to give some vague approximation of region, build and color in order to find horse breeds that exist in real life and would make sense in Thedas.
This will be put under a cut after the first pony because this post got LOOONG. Enjoy!
The Ferelden Forder, or the Cleveland Bay
The Ferelden Forder is described as a "proud animal ... [that] ranges well beyond its namesake, at home in stables and armies across Thedas." In the game, the Forder is a beautiful rich dappled bay, with darkened legs, mane and tail. Given that Ferelden itself seems to be vaguely inspired by the regions present in the UK, the stout appearance, tallness and shapely body of the Cleveland Bay lends itself near-perfectly to the Forders, in my humble opinion. The only thing about the Cleveland Bay that isn't truly represented by the Forders is their white markings--Forders have a big white blaze on their face in Inquisition, whereas real life Cleveland Bays are considered inadmissable in the studbook with markings any larger than a small white star.
Despite that, I think the Cleveland Bay is an excellent point of reference to use when drawing Forders, and the color variations are perfect for learning how to shade all sorts of variations of bay ponies.
The Amaranthine Charger, or the English Thoroughbred
The Amaranthine Charger is described as "spirited but not unruly" and an "uncommon mount, sure to impress." Amaranthine is still within the borders of Ferelden--or at least neighboring it--but its proximity to the Free Marches had me stumped. It's my opinion that the Amaranthine Charger could go two ways: a lighter, faster breed, or a thicker one that's been crossed with that fineness. So, there are two good options I feel are representative of the Amaranthine Charger.
The English Thoroughbred or the Irish Sport Horse (otherwise known as the Irish Hunter). Both breeds are brave, both have some speed, both are generally seen as being handle-able, and they both come in an array of colors that could be fun for any artist wanting to try their hand at some funky markings and patterns. I only chose a black coat since that's what we see in the game.
The Orlesian Courser, or the Selle Francais
The Orlesian Courser is breed that is spirited, with a "lineage longer than most noble names." While technically the Selle Francais is a newer breed, it is made of a bunch of older French breeds being merged into one studbook. The range of height (155-180cm at the withers), more elegant conformation and refinement lends itself perfectly to a faster, more 'respectable' horse that still may be capable of carrying a knight or mounted combatant.
The Selle Francais typically comes in shades of bay, grey and chestnut, but other coat colors are possible, especially when crossed with other breeds.
The Dalish All-Bred, or the 'Some Sort of UK Pony Breed'
Dalish All-Breds are described in-game as being hardy and sure-footed, as well as a breed of "humble origins." New Forest Ponies are generally well-temptered and loyal, often used as family mounts or for children. Being a breed that often roams New Forest, these ponies are also rather brave and perhaps exceptionally well-suited to navigating challenging terrain, making them great parallels for the Dalish All-Bred. Ironically, while piebalds and skewbalds (the pattern presented in-game) disqualify New Forests from being added to the studbook, it isn't entirely uncommon to find such patterning within the breed. Other options for Dalish All-Breds might be Exmoor and Dales Ponies.
Green Dales Feral, or the American Mustang
The Green Dales Feral is said to have descended from stock that escaped the Qunari invasions in the North, which sounds an awful lot like the Spanish horses that worked their way over to America and became feral. Mustangs aren't often used by your average Joe, and the Green Dales Feral is also "rarely seen on the field." The horses are hardy, sure-footed and brave, and come in a variety of fun and interesting colors and patterns that are sure to dazzle and make for fun art studies. Mustangs also come in a lot of different shapes, so you can really customize your pony however you'd like them to look.
The Free Marches Ranger, or the Oldenburg
The Free Marches Ranger is a palomino in-game, so I did want to make sure the breed I referenced had horses in this particular coat color. The Oldenburg is a German breed; it's sporty, athletic and also rather even-tempered. Other options might be Holsteiners or Hanoverians, depending on how stocky you want your reference to be. With the Free Marches being such a loosely connected place, it's difficult to really pin down each city-state as being of a certain region, so I used the idea that often gets circulated that the Marches resemble German city-states and worked backwards from there.
The Asaarash, or the Iberian Horses
The Asaarash was another one difficult to pin down, as the model in the game seems to just be an armored version of the Green Dales Feral. However, the actual information blurb tells us that the breed is Rivaini in origin, resilient, and is used to carry messages across Seheron. There's a couple different directions here, but I chose to focus on the Rivaini origins of the breed and chose the Lusitanos and Pura Raza Espanolas to represent the Asaarash. They're powerful breeds that are tall and stocky, capable of carrying heavier loads as well as being used to work cattle. They're brave and particularly adapted to war, having been used as cavalry horses. Both also come in the chestnut coat.
If looking for a horse that would more closely match the 'speed' and desert adaptability of Seheron, I would recommend Egyptian Arabians as your starting point.
The Frostback Mountain Horse, or the Trotters and Saddlers
The Frostback Mountain Horse is used by the Avaar in the Frostbacks, making the horse hardy and adapted to cold by nature. I chose to look to Scandinavian horse breeds for this and discovered the Swedish Coldblood Trotter, a horse with some feathering (hair) around the legs that matches the in-game equivalent and comes in varying shades of brown and black. The game codex describes the Frostback Mountain Horses as being "fierce, loyal and not quite tame" which doesn't exactly match the psychological profile of these Trotters, but I felt the region and build apt enough regardless to overlook it.
Other options for mountain horses would be the American Rocky Mountain Horse or the Kentucky Mountain Horse (sometimes referred to as the Kentucky Saddler/Saddle Horse).
The Taslin Strider, or the Italian Saddle Horse
The Taslin Strider is described as a refined breed and is most common in Antiva's warmer areas. It's also described as being suited to long distances and spirited charges. I thought the Italian Saddle Horse, or Sella Italiano, would best fit this particular description. The Sella Italiano is a breed with a great degree of refinement, as evidenced by the beautiful floaty trot above and pricked ears. The Sella Italiano is also bred for show-jumping, giving it a degree of power and force. The breed also competes in three-day eventing and endurance, meaning it checks off the boxes for long distance riding as well.
The Imperial Warmblood, or the Lipizzan
You may be familiar with the elegant Lipizzan from the Spanish Riding School of Vienna, with their elegant caprioles and levades. The Imperial Warmblood, being this beautiful grey and described as imposing, made perfect sense to be represented by the Lipizzan. The horses have all the refinement of a dressage horse with all the warlike structure of a good cavalry horse (the two are actually more entwined than you'd think). Additionally, the Lipizzan has near world-wide fame, lending itself further to the Imperial Warmblood's omnipresence when the Tevinter Imperium was at its height. Nowadays, the breed seems to feature more often in the Imperium's homeland, mirroring the current concentration of Lipizzan horses today.
The Anderfel Courser, or the Altai
The Anderfel Courser was a tough one, and I'm torn between two options. The Altai is a breed that is suitable for mountainous terrain as well as cold climates, which I think makes it perfect for the areas of the Anderfels that are freezing and rocky (think Hossberg in Veilguard). However, the Anderfels also has areas of arid, rocky and cavernous deserts, which left me stumped. I think a combination of the Altai and the loose 'Afghan horse' category (Qatgani would be an excellent keyword to start on those horses, or the sport of buzkashi for action-packed poses) would be best suited to this strange combination of climates. It also fits the Anderfel Courser's description of being highly uncommon across Thedas. Being bred for the Grey Wardens, I think the Altai and Afghan horses would likely be the best suited for their particular brand of excitement.
Some Quick Diagrams
I realize not everyone is as into horses as I am, and may be stumped on how to search for certain colors and patterns when looking up references. As a final little send off, I've compiled here a group of diagrams designed to help beginners look for color, markings and patterns without drowning in resources on [insert your search engine of choice].
As always, feel free to play with keywords and markings, and really, just go buckwild. These are fantasy horses, after all. But I know sometimes finding references that fit the image in your mind's eye can be tough, so I hope this post helps out, either with finding drawing references or just showing off some cool kinds of horses you may have never heard about before!
If you're interested in learning about medieval horses and their general uses and care, I would highly recommend watching Modern History TV's Everything You Need to Know About Medieval Horses for more information.
also it doesn’t makes sense for ur dad to be the previous keeper really timeline wise and i think it would actually be more fun and sensible for ur dad to be marethari’s previous first. bc there’s a dynamic where merrill since she was a 4 year old newcomer has been struggling to be the replacement for your dad, a dead grown man. and the clan clearly don’t like her! and seem to like you! which is a wild way for the two of you to grow up. were they always hoping his magic would show in you one day and you’d replace her? and also your dad died while out there alone disobeying his elders (to meet your mother) and maybe the da2 marethari behaviours can be partly out of that trauma, going to those ridiculous lengths and keeping the clan on sundermount year after year bc she’s unable to let go of another one
i’ve been thinking i would like the trip back to the cave to find tamlen to be the three young adults—mahariel, merrill, fenarel—acting on their own volition and against the keeper’s orders. it is so nonsensical to me that the entire problem was two kids going to this cave unattended and marethari is like “we will solve this by sending two kids there unattended again.” i know merrill is a mage but come on. what are all the hunters in camp doing that is more important than this? we don’t have anyone over the age of 30 we could send with them? we can’t call any of those search parties back? it makes way more sense to Me if duncan told the clan that tamlen is totally 100% dead out there, and the nearby humans are becoming a threat, and the clan & marethari have decided to fully give up and move on. and you three sneak out there to give it one last try. u can be reluctantly dragged along to save their skins or be super enthusiastic abt saving tamlen or be in it for the elven history with merrill or for some kind of treasure u didn’t manage to grab or whatever.
i feel like all this would introduce the dao themes of when it’s ok to sacrifice the one for the many and so on, and also give mahariel a sorely needed at least sense of agency instead of just getting sent from place to place, and also set up the future conflict between merrill and marethari. and the vibes of the brave and hopeful youngsters going against their elders and going to such lengths all for nothing would be endearing and tragic i think... honestly like i said i’d also consider killing off or doing something to fenarel to really hammer home the guilt and “was it worth it to try” like maybe it’s a cheap ploy but otherwise i don’t know the point of him as a character he’s just there. these are my humble proposals what do you guys think
Dragon age worldstates dont have this prepared cause it will too much to program, BUT it's still fun to think about how... characters change depending on the context of the world, even if they are programmed exactly the same.
For example, a Vivienne from a pro-mage worldstate is not the same from a pro-templar worldstate.
There is a world where the hero of Ferelden is a mage, saved the Kinloch circle from abominations, and is now either a lover or friend with Alistair, the king of Ferelden, wich means they have some political power. Hawke, who might be family with the hero of Ferelden, could also be a mage who fought for them to not all get killed in the rebellion. This means Cassandra deeply admires a mage who protected other mages, even if they are not considered "perfect". It means she knows that if push comes to shove, Varric will fight to defend mages against the templars. It means that Cullen, after living a tower full of abominations, and then lived Kirkwall, took side to protect one mage who killed half his templar coworkers so Meredith didn't kill them, cause he considers them the hero of the city.
In this world, Vivienne knows that an heroic mage, an example for all, might save themselves, but this doesn't change the public opinion of magic. People are still afraid of magic, people hate the mages in the rebellion cause they are now a personal problem to them. They might admire some mages but they are The Exception, and she has to fight to be one of the exceptions. In this world many could say "see? fighting back works!" but even a mage hero of ferelden ends up walking alone to try to find a cure of an illess that affects them, and can't change much the fate of the mages even with direct contact with the King of Ferelden and the Left Hand of the Divine. Hawke was a noble and hero of the city and still had to run away from it. And did they help mages, when many died in the rebellion? So it makes sense she tries to fix thing in other way.
NOW... There is a world where the hero of Ferelden is a Cousland that is now the ruler of a kingdom, annulled the Kinloch circle and killed all the mages. Then a pro-templar Hawke also supported the annulment of the Kirkwall circle and killed all the mages. Now this means Cassandra admires this Hawke a lot and wanted them to be the Inquisitor. It means Varric is best friends with them and admires them a lot and also killed a fucking ton of mages and helped kill them. This means Cullen lived a circle full of abominations and the only solution was killing them all, and then lived another problem with mages and the solution was killing them all. 2 of these people are high ranking people of the inquisition. And include Leliana who may be pro mage freedom but still be best friend or lover of someone who chose to kill them all. She gets disapproval for this but is not a deal breaker.
Now you can imagine how fucking horrible is being a mage in this worldstate, and you can understand perfectly why Vivienne acts the way she does. Rebellion means demons and is death for everyone. She has to be perfect and she and Morrigan would be the only mages alive that are seen favorable by society, and they are both disrespected and feared anyways! It's lonely and it's bleak as fuck.
And you can do this with every chara! A Dagna that was ignored by an Aeducan who told her the circle of ferelden was destroyed, with Harrowmont ruling Orzammar so it's more closed of, is more lonely and far away from her hometown, while a Dagna that had a Casteless Brosca helping her (when she is not also technically Casteless), and Bhelem rules and Orzammar is more open, has more chances of making her dream come true of a cultural exchange with orzammar and surface mages. A Sera in a Tabris HoF worldstate is not the same as one with an Amell HoF selling elves from her alienage as slaves to Tevinter. An Anders besties with Surana pro-mage is not the same as an Anders who was lucky enough to survive the Kinloch annulment and lost every single mage he was raised with, etc etc the possibilities are endless and it's super interesting to think about
The thing of the friendship in inquisition is that. The only charas I actually feel you end up being actual friends is Sera, Dorian and Vivienne. And I think in part is cause Sera and Vivienne are the ones who less kiss your ass, so it feels like you have to make an effort to gain their trust. And their high approval scenes are them actually giving you some token of their friendship and actually spending time together. Sera gives you cookies and hang out time in the roof, Vivienne gives you a ring to show her appreciation and also the spa scene in trespasser where she makes you take a moment to relax. People who care about you and want you to feel human and chill for a bit.
Meanwhile, so many other charas have you in a pedestal from the start and then put you higher in the pedestal. I feel this with high approval Cassandra and Blackwall, you are their hero and inspiration, more than their friend. In Dorian case you can feel he puts you in a pedestal from the start, but getting higher approval with him is him trying to see you more as a person and less as the idol, and because he insist a lot in your friendship it feels more genuine and how he is making an effort.
In Varric and Solas cases is that thing where their high approval scene feels like you are less close with them than before. Varric tells you he struggles to see you as a person in His Last High Approval scene (while Dorian tries to get rid of this way earlier). Solas tells you the worst thing he can say about you and your race in his last high approval scene.
In Iron Bull case, because his spy role he is just friendly from the start, and you can see how he is with Krem and the chargers, his real actual friends. And he is not like that with you. In this case is a bit like Varric of "I know how you are with your closest friends and the inquisitor is not in that list." You help Cole to change, but he doesn't treat you any different than any other person. And because the advisors have not approval system, there is no way for them to become friends for your specific actions and personality. They are always profesional with you no matter what.
it’s wild how the mahariel origin hadn’t even totally figured out to what extent the elves had lost their immortality. like this is the only explanation i can imagine for ilen talking about his dad being present in a battle right after the fall of the dales and ashalle telling you your father was the keeper before marethari who was “with us for a long time”. but at the same time they do explain to you in the origin that the elves lost their immortality. what’s with that.
Quick thought while I doodle because I just realized something re; Rook x Lucanis with a Mourn Watch Mage Rook
He's believed dead for a year, then is rescued by Rook, and now has a demon hanging out in him.
How fast do you think before rumors start about 'The Necromancer who brought Lucanis Dellamorte back from the dead using a demon and is now his partner'
An absolutely breathtaking YCH commission of Davrin and Wyll by @drathe!!! The details were executed perfectly! They look so tender and in love, I can barely breathe. Bladewarden, my beloved! 😭💙
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