A fun little questionnaire about how you were inspired for Rook! Feel free to upload your own photo or make yourself with this picrew alongside an image of your Rook!
I didn't get tagged, but I saw a few people doing this and wanted to join in! I'm tagging friends, though: @bring-thelight @neveschampion @future-ghoost @crackedskel @olileigh-art @pintura @mew-ix @melikochan @shadowcrow
How did you pick your Rook's name?
I'm a sucker for any representation of one of my cultures, armenian in this case. I don't often do it as I didn't grow up with a lot of influence from it aside from language and food, but I try my best.
I had checked for a few armenian names back when I first created Qaxni (for a DnD campaign a few years ago), but none sounded "fun" as wordplay. As far as I know, Qaxni isn't an actual first name, the closest is Karnie or something of the sort. It means "secret" and I had some plans for the character outside of DnD, hence why I kept the name. I can't change it now, I like it too much. (And torturing english speaking friends with the pronounciation is fun)
Quick language lesson: the "x" is a harsh "r" sound unlike the regular "r" which is a rolled one (think italian/spanish rolled Rs). We have to differentiate them with the latin alphabet since the armenian one has specific symbols for each.
Is your Rook older or younger than you, or a similar age?
Older, she's 30 in the Veilguard Setting, I'm in my early 20s. OG Qaxni doesn't really know her age, but make it DnD elves so it's probably OLD old.
Any physical traits you share with Rook?
Does the badly self-cut wolfcut count? We do share the famous "armenian nose", though mine is very tame because of french heritage. We share the big bug eyes too.
Any personality traits you share with Rook?
We share the love for piano/harpsichord, the "eating the same meal for weeks on end" trope, the wide eyed stare and constant tiny smile slapped on the face. The need to learn a lot of crafts and do something with our hands. Maybe the silent until comfortable, and then unstoppable yapping, but it's not 100% accurate.
Any personal abilities/mannerisms/habits/hobbies you passed onto Rook?
Abilities: having people open up to her real fast, no matter how long she's known them. Picking up how to do something very easily after looking at others doing it.
Mannerisms: I'm going to call myself out. The stimming. Always moving, the echolalia, imitating accents/voice/sounds and all that, the leg trembling. Biting the inside of her cheeks. Picking her skin too. Anything restless.
Habits: it's hard to answer this one because of how different our lifestyles are with the DA setting and all. The only thing I could think of is regularly asking others if they need anything, are fine, want/need any help?
Hobbies: I already spoiled it last question, but the musical hobbies. I restrained her to piano only for the logic of her backstory in DA, but the love for music stayed the same. The fiction reading is also a big factor, I just know she gets excited whenever Bellara gives her new drafts to drool over. If eating counts as a hobby, then that too.
Where do you and Rook differ the most?
She's more resilient than I am. I know for a fact I wouldn't be able to handle all the things that happened to her, even if I was her. She's more forward than me, whether it'd be romantically (I would've fumbled Neve so bad, you have no idea) or with people in general. A few exceptions aside, she speaks her truth better.
Also she doesn't have stage fright, and damn I'm jealous.
What trait/ability does Rook have that you wish you did?
More seriously, her physical abilities. I draw her beefed up, but it's useful strength and not for show. Plus she can stick to her workouts easily. I also wish I could be as quick with comebacks as she is. I know I'm the one writing her, but I need time for it to be as good as I try to make her appear.
In a situation where you existed in Thedas, would your Rook be friends with you? Or alternatively, if your Rook was your roommate, could you live with them?
If I manage to survive in Thedas long enough to know her, yeah, we'd be buds. Not necessarily best friends, but we'd get along just fine. I'd like to think I'd be able to be an archivist or work in something similar. A musician would be nice too. In any case, we wouldn't struggle to form a friendship, thanks to our shared interests, but we could tire each other out if not careful.
As a roommate? Depends. Were we friends before becoming roommates? Then yes. I assume we'd already have planned everything so we could live together without too many struggles regarding our personal lifestyles.
If we meet as we move in? Hell no, at least the first few months. If, and only if, we manage to survive said few months, then it could be doable. We're too deep in our own ways of living, we'd step over each other and get upset easily, which is made worse since we'd still be strangers living in each other's house.
If you could give one piece of advice to your Rook, what would you say?
Allow yourself to live a little. Accumulate stuff you deem useless, it's not forbidden (not anymore). Being a warden and having a shorter lifespan doesn't mean you have to dread the day of your death the entire time you're alive and well.
