Isera hopes

for kinder hearts and clearer skies. ((RP blog - mage city elf female OC [Dragon Age]. Multiship, multiverse. I follow back as @afroditeohki. Mobile links here.))

[iserahopes]

There is an entire world out there that I didn’t know. Will you show me more?

Indie city elf mage from Dragon age ✦ multiship ✦ multiverse oc/canon friendly ✦ nsfw friendly ✦ semi-selective ✦contains Veilguard spoilers✦

Rules ✦ Muse / Verses

[uvher]

// long-ass rambly post about my city elf culture headcanons (ok to rb if you like them and want to incorporate them into your own headcanons)

i have a lot of Thoughts and Feelings about city elves and since there are a lot of gaps in the worldbuilding regarding city elves i find it fun to fill those gaps with Ideas of my own. bc the world is my playground and i like to Play.

i'm gonna put a few different headcanons down in subsections here. this is v much a brain dump so it might be a little disorganized.

the vhenadahl

the vhenadahl is the heart of any alienage. as the tree of the people, many community traditions center around the tree. the hahren and their family are in charge of managing care for the tree, including coordinating community projects (taking down dead limbs, decorating, cleaning up after a storm or a purge, etc.). around da2 bioware added an aesthetical choice to put physical decoration on the vhenadahl in kirkwall's alienage (what looks like painted designs). these need to be maintained regularly, as the paint fades.

vallaslin

city elves don't have dalish vallaslin based on the evanuris, but tattoos are very important to many city elves. sometimes it's because they have family or community traditions similar to the dalish practice of vallaslin. they don't replicate the same ritual for bloodwriting as the dalish, and often regular tattooing methods are used instead.

religion

city elves are mostly converted to andrastianism, but many continue to perform rituals and traditions tied to worship of the evanuris and other old elvhen practices. the evanuris take a backseat to andraste and the maker, and there is some folk-based elevation of shartan, but the evanuris are still present in the same way some folk saints and other concepts are "sainted" in central american catholicism (think santa muerte, etc.).

stories

the divergence between dalish and city elf tellings of traditional stories is probably the most interesting marker of the cultural distinctions between dalish elves and city elves. whereas dalish tales tend to reinforce ideas of order, tradition, and reverence of the evanuris, city elf stories tend to favor cleverness and innovation and are less reverent. one distinct difference is the treatment of fen'harel. in dalish stories, he is a villainous trickster and agent of chaos who ultimately ruins the empire of the elves. in city elf stories, he is still a trickster, but one who outwits only his enemies and goes his way. this is partially because of the andrastian belief that the maker created the veil, thus either justifying fen'harel's role in its creation or removing him from it completely. much like many african american folk tales, city elf stories are lessons for outwitting those more powerful than you—an important skill for elves surviving under oppression.

[uvher]

"Ah," he replied, a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. "So not lost, but hidden. All the better to keep human treasure-seekers from picking over some of these ruins, no?"

Lucanis had not had much experience dealing with such things. His occupation didn't concern itself with artifacts unless they became an obstacle, or were valued enough to be retrieved for a client. He didn't ever come near elvhen ruins like the ones in Arlathan forest until he'd begun his contract for Rook. As a human, having such exposure to the subject was alien and fascinating in equal measure. Of course, he could have done without having the blighted gods to deal with at the same time.

He paused a moment in thought. "Although," he went on, "you seem to accept some humans among your ranks. How does that happen?"

[iserahopes]

"Not that it was intentional..." How much could she nerd out about the elvhen history with this guy before she pissed him off- "It's the broken pieces of what was left of the largest ancient elvhen city before it fell! Apparently it was so powered by and dependant on magic that a lot of it is still stuck around."

Her own experience with all this was fairly recent. Tidbits when she was with the Inquisition, most of it when the Veil Jumpers were formed - before all that, she had to never ask about being an elf at all, unless she wanted to be punished for it in Halamshiral. But now, it was as if Isera was making up for the time wasted, hyperfocusing completely on learning and discovering more and more. It was her life. That and creating things with what she learned, too.

"Well. Not all humans are disrespectful towards us, you see." She offered Lucanis a grin. "And a bunch of people just love history, and unearthing ancient things, and learning more about the roots of magic, and some people are even finding stuff that hints at maybe elvhen history explaining things unkown about human history. So they're welcome to stick around if they'll help."

She paused and looked ahead, quickly ducking behind a nearby tree. "Speaking of.... Yeah, sentinels." And sure enough, there were a couple of them ahead.

[iserahopes]

Seriously thinking of bringing back my Lavellan and making a blog for her. I wonder if that would interest people at all...

[iserahopes]

I did it

[corvidwrought]

Corvidwrought ✦ indie semi-selective private lucanis dellamorte from dragon age. est june 2025

oc / crossover friendly ✦ multi-ship / duplicate friendly ✦ not spoiler friendly ✦ carrd

all graphics by ©

[mimi-maru]

The First Kiss” (based on the painting by Salvador Viniegra and These Hands, If Not Gods by @gefionne ❤️)

[deathlieg]

𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐋 𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐄𝐋 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 / but the heart has its own memory and i have forgotten nothing. (albert camus)

[uvher]

He trailed just a step-and-a-half behind her, careful of his feet. Sunlight dappled the forest floor, confusing the ground and its little potential trip-ups. He mused on the information about the protections on the relic, humming to himself.

Sentinels were a pain, but not impossible targets. Lacking organs, their vital weak-points were their unarmored joints. The necrotic poisons on his weapons would have no effect, but he could still do some real damage disrupting the magic keeping the things together. It was all a matter of avoiding those massive axes for long enough to break them down, really.

He nodded at her concerns. "Then let's hope we get there first," he said. A curiosity struck him and he ventured to ask: "How did you find out about this relic in the first place? I thought most knowledge of ancient elvhen artifacts was lost."

[iserahopes]

For all that Lucanis was used to the city, and Isera was a Veil Jumper elf, she definitely didn't appear much more comfortable in the woods here than he did. She did trip here and there, but was quick to gather herself to keep from flat out falling, and seemed resolute in her task nevertheless.

Now, the talk of hows and whys seemed to be much more her thing. "Oh yes, a lot has been lost, but the entire point of the Veil Jumpers has been digging up elven history. And honestly, between you and me only?" She looked at Lucanis, with a playful wink of someone who shouldn't be saying what she was about to say. "A lot of this stuff wasn't really lost, just people were too cowardly to dare venture into the Arlathan Forest. Too much old magic going unpredictable, you see." Something that didn't seem to stop her at all, and for all her gentle-looking demeanor, such things seemed to keep her alive.

[iserahopes]

Which Evanuri is your Rook OC most like?

Nobody tagged me for this, I yoinked it from someone else not in the rp community. Whoever follows me, feel free to do it!

RULES: Color the words that most resonate with your Rook. Count where you collected most words, and then search for the corresponding Evanuris codex and add it to the post! Add a pic of your lovely Rook as well (if you want).

Isera

"We dedicate all our crafts to June, for it is he who taught the People to bend the branches of trees to make our bows, and to fashion coverings of furs and ironbark." In narrative, June is the means, and the tools by which needs are met or obstacles conquered. His will hides in the actions of others.

"The Dalish call Fen'Harel a god of deception, but I posit a far more accurate translation would be 'god of rebellion'." His narrative role changes with the curse of perspective. He has as many faces as names. His arrival is as much profanity as prayer.

I've always seen (and written) Isera as a creature of June, so much that her Elvhenan verse has June vallaslin - I must confess I didn't expect a tie with Fen'Harel. I swear, this was not planned, even though I never try to hide my love for Solas. Her hopeful nature does shape itself much in the form of rebellion and dreams of big changes, so perhaps this fits.

Mythal (8)

maiden-mother-crone, diplomacy, motherly instincts, supportive, extinguishing fires, deeper meanings, idealism, resilience, survival, fine leathers and fine silks, silver filigree, raven feathers, driftwood, the iris flower, overwhelming yet restrained power, the dark moon, ultramarine fire, double meanings - double desires, hope, the Hawthorne, undeterred belief in oneself, veiled yearning for power

Elgar'nan (3)

the black sun - the blood moon, Patriarch archetype, possessive protection, authoritarian, hunger for power, relentless yet sometimes passive, subjective, strategic, leader, restrained emotions, tradition, heavy leathers and heavy golds, envy and desire, retribution, a fiery temper, conditional generosity, consuming fire, thorny roses, wings of gold, birds of prey, domination, manipulation and temptation, obsessive, abundance

Falon'din (9)

black waters, myrrh, dark soil, hushed sounds, white, dark side of the moon, rebellion, vanity, the fade, journeys, shadows and reflections, illusions and deep knowledge, arcane, the dark arts, immortality by looking at the abyss, owl calls through the darkness, mania, desire to be admired, the Undertaker's hands, Nightshades, easily corrupted, deep emotions, ambition and competition, onyx

Dirthamen (6)

ravens and bears, hunger for knowledge, whispers, mercury, thick fog through pine forests, North, mountains, blacks and purples, books and libraries, deep blue ink, matters and facts, initiation through knowledge, masters and disciples, order and discipline, loyalty, delve deep, power through knowledge, know-it-all, teacher, curiosity

Andruil (2)

the hunter's moon, fur, iron, anger, spilled blood, dense woods, swamps and dark lakes, the beating of hooves, autumn rains, moose racks, thick moss, the thrill of the hunt, courage, determination, sensual desires, will to possess, purpose, strength and clarity, bluntness, blind to nuance, restless, victory through blunt force, physical prowess and flexed muscles, strained bows, blood-red

Sylaise (7)

harvest moon, flowers and herbs, warm bread and home, everlasting fires, tales around the hearth, healer and protector, hiraeth, the call of the home, beauty and warmth, respite and refuge, potions and balms, intoxicating scents, flower crowns and white gowns, sensuality, fertility, a large family, deep devotion to a partner, hidden devastating power, high goals, underestimated yet beloved, glory and creation, dreams come true, pink gold and apple flowers, sun rays filtered through leaves

June (15)

creation and invention, bronze and quartz, puzzles and labyrinths, lyrium, leather and wood, smoldering embers, anvils, geometric shapes, innovation, mastery, desire for progress, technology, high tech, logic, hard work, diligence, bolts and oil, welding sparkles, practical outfits, protective gear, sharp blades, mechanic whirring, sharp logic, discovery, technical drawings, teamwork

Ghilan'nain (7)

devotion, mystery, fearless, experimental, direction and motivation, medical knowledge, objective morals, orchids and hallas, love for animals, deeper understanding, emotional and sensitive, delicate, persuaded by loved ones, blurred lines, hyper focus, cruelty, ruthless, childish, shrewdness, flesh, blood and bones, creator, perfector, blood garnets and trembling sinews

Fen'Harel (15)

the wolf moon, pride and vulnerability, wisdom and mania, sharp teeth, furs and leathers, rebels and isolationists, planet Pluto, the great change, uproot, unearth, fixations and deep knowledge, paradoxical subjectivity, hypocrisy, eyes that see it all, silent judgement, adaptability, revenge, blind purpose, grey morality, unfulfilled purpose, ether and dreams, mournful howls, thwarted purpose, thwarted heart, Loki arketype, well laid plans that fail, sharp tongue, sharp mind

[rpcarticulation]

PSA: Stay out of RP tags for a while.

For the uniformed, over the previous week there have been sock accounts that have indeed been posting shock images of irl gore of a variety of subjects in the tags. Even if that doesn't make you personally squeamish, the clear intent is to expose people to it to potentially trigger / traumatize them. The tags they're spamming with these images range from 'oc rp' to outright '(fandom) rp'. While other blogs have been informing people of these accounts to block, and thankfully tumblr staff appears to be taking the blogs down within a 24 hour timespan, the fact that as of writing this person (or a copycat) is on their third blog and probably won't stop. And if they do, it might just be for a short period of time to get people's guards down. The best way to avoid this is, for the time being, stop browsing rp tags for a while and try to stick with the dashboard. On top of that, while I imagine it is tempting to commentate on these situations, outside of telling people the new URL to block, simply try to continue to use your blog as normal. Don't feed the troll, especially when this is a blatant case of using 'shock images' to elicit a reaction out of a niche community. The 'person' will get bored or realize that their blogs will continue to get banned eventually. PS. If you're concerned that you may get stuff sent directly to you, remind yourself of tumblr's safety features and how if a non-mutual tries to send you an image, it will be blurred out. You are safe as long as you stay out of the tags and avoid the 'for you' page (I'd recommend blacklisting popular rp tags if you feel exceptionally antsy about this situation).

[beebssources]

Reblog  this  post  to  let  your  followers  know  you're  fine  with  being  tagged  in  random  starters.  Additionally,  reblog  this  post  if  you're  all  right  with  being  sent  old memes,  no  matter  how long ago you reblogged them.

[ladyelspethart]

Golden Wolf🌾 (bsky)

[scarletsourcesarchived-deactiva]

This is an oc x canon safe zone.

[indie-rp-lists]

𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐒!

We are making a masterlist for the Dragon Age Roleplay community on here! Before you REBLOG this post, please list the following in the tags so we can put you on the list accordingly:

Name of Muse/Character 

Canon, Canon Divergent, OC, etc. 

Origins, DA 2, Inquisition, Veilguard, All, etc.

Multi-muse or Single muse blog

Thank you! Be sure to REBLOG this post to help spread the word around. Likes do not count. 

LINK TO THE MASTERLIST

[sunlight-shunlight]

i'm always gazing into the distance thinking about city elves bc, despite bioware forgetting them entirely, there's stuff like this dagger from the tabris origin in dao:

elves are not allowed to own weapons in denerim to begin with. so this means that they went to SIGNIFICANT effort to keep this thing at all.

it survived hundreds of years from the dales collapsing to the present day thedas, with the name and story attached, despite the various displacements and woes the elves went through in between then.

the fact that it's named after fen'harel, and yet has this positive connotation of defending a home rather than betraying allies, is huge actually! like that's wild. not only did the city elves remember fen'harel at all As A Concept despite their forced conversion to andrastianism, they ended up with a very different view of it than the dalish.

i would argue that given how the city elves are always struggling under corrupt and brutal nobility, they might have retained a stronger cultural memory of the arlathan rebellion as a positive thing in their stories. and the dalish clans are technically descended from dales nobility too, so that would also have an effect on their ideology?

FURTHERMORE. if we assume there were multiple felassan-style immortal elves running around, with varying loyalties and agendas, then... i am once more on my "the dalish Historical Misinformation Nightmare has been fomented intentionally by immortal elf agents to keep them worshiping the evanuris" ted talk.

which also explains why the city elves didn't get affected by that! bc... the type of immortal elf who would be an evanuris partisan, would also see the city elves as hopeless and not even worth the trouble to influence.

THIS is how the city elves can still win-

[denise-elviras]

''what if my writing isn't good eno--'' what if it's a reflection of your soul. what if it has a place in this world. what if you write it anyway

[iserahopes]

Seriously thinking of bringing back my Lavellan and making a blog for her. I wonder if that would interest people at all...