[backpack-mug]

i mentioned that already on another post but i need the da:dw protagonist to be beaten up by solas. i want to have to reload several times because he's that powerful. i want to see the protagonist scared to fall asleep because he might be lurking in the fade. i want to feel dread whenever i see him

i want solas to be scary as fuck

[rosella-writes]

solavellan rivalmance things

since I'm replaying Virelan's file and she and Solas are actively hostile to one another in Haven, I thought I'd write up my idea of how it'd go if the da2 rivalmance system stayed in place and was better

the only two elves at the heart of chantry forces in the middle of a mage rebellion for how long? surrounded by people who assume they'd get along by nature of their matching ears? just adds insult to injury that Varric jokes about their conflict from the very first instant they speak (they're not Fenris and Merrill, Varric, please I'm begging)

they're drawn together by familiarity that's on this side of wrong, more willing to sit together and fight than be alone and at peace

the nights grow longer and so do their arguments, which turn into debates, which turn into stories, until it's almost dawn and neither of them have slept

Lavellan calls him 'flat ear' — he curses them in elvhen so old that their Dalish dialect can't parse it apart

Lavellan clings to Dalish tradition and prays the prayers every morning in camp, just to spy Solas regarding them with something like pity, or grief

he corrects their elvhen pronunciation and grammar — they call him 'hahren (derogatory)'

"I saw it in the —" "Elgar'nan, we know!"

Lavellan dismisses blood magic as evil and spirits as non-persons but they keep asking questions, more and more questions, and Solas isn't sure if they're asking because they're curious or because they want to mock him

he doesn't stop answering though

Lavellan notices at first that he only looks at their vallaslin when he speaks to them... and by the time they close the Breach, he glares into their eyes

Lavellan protects him, like they promised, and they shout at him to be more careful

Solas heals their wounds and scolds them under his breath… but it sounds suspiciously like worry

Lavellan tells Solas to go when Corypheus attacks Haven, pushes him towards the Pilgrim’s Path and doesn’t let him follow as they distract the dragon alone

He searches for them in the snow in the aftermath, a mournful, enraged wolf howling in the storm — why could they not have listened?

Lavellan’s alive

The sensible choice is to lead them to his home, his heart, where he held the sky back — he feels it too as Skyhold falls in love with Lavellan and their Inquisition

They find him in a dream, and things are easier for him in the Fade

“You’re the one who started with tongue” “I did no such thing!”

I mean I could go on lol

[shelacula]

Bad End.

[dragonie]

i've been playing dragon age 2 again

[sad-orlesian]

Live well, my love. While time remains

I forgot, with the Solavellan ending, how gutting his last words are with a frienly inky. Like ugh.

[hawkeshepshots]

Funny how true colors shine in darkness and in secrecy

[grandpasauce]

brb channeling ancient powers to ensure solas gets a sexy giga boss battle in da4 where he turns into some big slutty pride demon-esque final boss monster shit

not like in a horny way I’d just think it would be neat but like definitely NOT in a horny way

[annahenriart]

Or you could just… kiss? you don’t have to!! But you could😌

[mrs-gauche]

THE HEADS THOUGH!!!! IT’S THEM!!!

[jackkdaniels]

thinking about. post Arishok duel. Anders healing Hawke (difficult) (extensive healing needed) (takes an uncomfortably long time) in front of the nobles and the Templars. Meredith holding them back, allowing Anders to heal her newly appointed Champion (for appearance’s sake)(can’t let him die)(the nobles are watching), but as soon as he’s done, she has her Templars move in to arrest him

but Carver (Templar)(does not like Anders)(clutching his brother’s (bloody, unconscious but alive) body) says No, actually, we can’t arrest him, because he’s a Grey Warden and outside our jurisdiction

and Aveline (guard captain)(never liked Anders)(loyal to Hawke) steps in and says He’s right, I’ve been aware of Anders’ assignment the whole time, I’d be happy to show you the paperwork except my office has been destroyed by the invasion that just happened, and the paperwork along with it :/

so Meredith (in public) (watched by nobles (who for once are on the mages (heroes) side)) relents. lets Anders stay free

[grandpasauce]

Big fan of dissociative solas btw where he’s experiencing reality more like a dream yknow out of touch, out of focus, especially in the beginning of inquisition and then as he begins to care more and more about the people around him and reality starts to actually matter and suddenly now there’s Texture and he’s noticing things an ever-observant fade expert like himself Should have noticed a long time ago yknow like harmless quirks about people, things personal to Them Only and liiikkkeee ugh his arc in inquisition is soooooOOOOOooo

[wailing-willow]

Realized Lavellan can say they love Skyhold before they say 'I love you' to Solas and it makes me sofffft~

[lulii999]

I think its a rule of thumb that when drawing Varric, you gotta draw him super hot. Anything less is an insult.

[lorandesore]

Varric Tethras

[immawraffle]

Tell me I’m wrong.

[geherino]

The Dread Wolf

(aka solas from dragon age inquisition)

[kaija-rayne-author]

Bear with me here. I only started playing DA games a couple months ago, so still a huge special interest for me.

Perspective is such an interesting part of these games, and I love how they juxtapose that against current events and characters' personal goals/needs.

Let's say you're the bodyguard of someone you really respect. You fail in your job to protect. You're doing your damnedest to save people who need to be free. You're a freedom fighter, because you care, deeply.

Your protectee is murdered, but you survived. I would imagine this would be something that could piss you off.

You imprison the perpetrators in the only way you can.

Then because it was such a big magical undertaking, you pass out and slip into uthenera for thousands of years.

You wake up, a bit groggy, find out how weak you are (which, to someone who has never been lessened in power is awful) possibly panic a little and fuck up.

You see you fucked up, while dealing with some pretty massive mental illness issues (PTSD, Depression, anxiety, survivor-complex) just for starters).

The entire world feels like a bad dream. Like it felt for people seeing the alternate future.

Humanity, a species you last remember as 'beings setting up tents in mud, selling bone beads, who stank a lot' have somehow flourished and enslaved the very people (or the descendants of your people?) you gave so much to free.

I don't see how, given that, at the beginning of the game Solas could honestly feel any different.

It'd be like waking up and finding out some sort of creature you thought of as vermin (sorry human lovers, perspective here) was running the world and harming your grandkids.

And worse, because of how you imprisoned the murderers, it actually tore the world you were trying to save apart, dooming said grandkids.

Except, familiarity can breed caring as well as contempt. He learns over time, as he's repairing his strength and healing his mind, that these 'tranquils' are still actually people. If romanced, you even fall in love with one of them!

Aaaand, you're probably also (originally) a wisdom spirit with any spirit's ability to demonize. Into Pride in his particular case.

It's a miracle he's not even more stand-offish with people.

Pride can blind us to a lot of things. In many established world religions, pride is bad. It's a deadly sin in xtian mythology.

And Solas is both wisdom and pride. Two sides of the same coin.

It's warped into his very being.

His character growth arc from who he is at the beginning of the game, to who he is at the end is so well written.

I hope Dreadwolf continues his growth arc in some way. I really love growth arcs. He might even have a redemption arc.

I think it's utterly delicious when authors play with perspective like this. It's really well done with Solas.

I only wish I felt more of the other characters were as well written so I could analyze them, too. But honestly, most of them really aren't well characterized. On a professional level, I'd send them back to the author with a gentle suggestion that they do some more character development & much needed writing for them.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Note that I base all my analyses on the base game and DLCs. I haven't managed to afford the books yet. (Being poor sucks.) So there could easily be information I don't have access to. And wasn't there a show? Was that any good? (I struggle with passive entertainment like tv shows.)