What's in Your OC's Bag?
You can tell a lot about a character from what they bring on their person. Let's have a look inside your OC’s bag (and pockets!) Feel free to add a moodboard.
I was tagged by @kogarashi-art. Thank you!
I’ll be doing separate posts for each of the ladies as I won’t be able to fit everyone's into one post.
Meira Lavellan | Anaia Trevelyan | Elera Lavellan
Meira Lavellan
Starting from the top and then going left to right:
The bag itself: I imagine it to be a simple, but supple and well-crafted leather satchel with numerous pockets; not only to hold whatever she needs, but to keep things organized.
A small coin purse that, while simple, is beautiful for a touch of personality that the satchel doesn’t give. Probably made of velvet, or something similar, and in her favorite color. She has more than one--though three at most--and she changes them out from time to time. One is of a light purple color and embroidered with stars.
Her sketchbook. The first one she received from Cullen as a gift is much larger, but the style of it would be similar to the one I have pictured. Cullen had considered asking Harrit to add some tooled designs, but given the state the Inquisition was in, he opted for simplicity and utility while still requesting that it be quality. He was nervous it wasn’t “pretty” enough, but the breathtaking smile and slight shimmer of tears in Meira’s eyes at receiving it swiftly put him at ease. She’s received several since the initial one with a few being “pocket”-sized for traveling, but the first is her most treasured though she did "leave" it for someone to find so Cullen could look at his requested prize after they'd tied in a duel.
A leather roll for her pastels and charcoal for sketching and drawing.
The pigmented pastels that Cullen bought for her in the High Quarter of Halamshiral before the masquerade at the Winter Palace. It was a lovely little “date” for them until a couple of blasted Orlesians ruined it. They made up for it after the group returned to Vivienne’s “town home”, though.
An example of the writing pens she’d have. I wanted some kind of “pencil box” for the ink pens and inkwell she carries with her in order to write her letters, but I couldn't find anything that fit. There were a couple of examples of what scribes would carry, but they weren’t right either. We know by Josie’s pen that they have more than just quills to use for writing. So, imagine the kind of pen Josie has and a well-sealed inkwell sat inside some sort of box for travel.
Her drawing charcoal.
The next five are her “trinkets” (more one those below).
The hilt for her Spirit Blade as she’s a Knight-Enchanter.
Cullen’s dagger that he gifted to Meira. It was the first dagger he received from the Order. His initials are carved into it. Cullen gave it to her after the first time she (unknowingly) used her Dreamer abilities and entered his nightmares.
A pouch for prepared tinctures, poultices and potions as she's practiced in healing--though it's not big enough to actually act as a healer. It's more for personal use or "in case of emergency" when out in the field.
This armor is where the inspiration for her Spirit Armor from Solasan came from (in part). It’s a combination of this and a Revenant’s armor. Also, it’s comprised of blacks and dark grays with a long cape. The armor she wears regularly (once they’re settled into Skyhold; before that it was a lot of leather) is closer to the armor depicted here and the Spirit Armor transmogrifies it away.
The underlayers of her armor and what she’d sleep in when out in the field, though this is a tad more revealing than what she actually wears. A mixture of modesty for modesty’s sake and a desire to keep prying eyes off of her scars (she's covered in them from years of torture at the hands of Otto Alrik).
Her Spirit Staff received from the Doubt Demon after she, a Spirit of Purpose and a Spirit of Acceptance were transformed by Meira’s magic into Assurance. In my fic, it’s actually another sword hilt with the dragons as the grip/pommel. It acts more like the Blade of Tidarion—which is classified as a staff but acts like a two-handed sword unless using the Spirit Blade at the same time. So, Meira dual-wields magic swords vs using a staff, but the Spirit Staff can shape-shift into a staff as well (thus why it's the "Spirit Staff" vs just another Spirit Blade). Why? Because magic.
Obviously, none of this is exact (except the Spirit Blade hilt), but I tried to find things that at least gave the general idea. Meira is a simple woman. She was a nomadic Dalish elf as a child who took nothing with her when banished from her clan beyond a small pack with rations; a Circle mage to whom everything she “owned” was issued by the Circle (thus by extent the Chantry) and anything she did value at Kinloch Hold was destroyed during Uldred's revolt; and then she was a prisoner for years beneath the Gallows of Kirkwall with nothing but a filthy mattress and ratty blanket—not even clothes.
So, her bag is filled with the necessities vs the niceties—her sketchbook and sketching implements the exception. Over time, however, a trinket collection of a sort begins to build:
Between the pages of the sketchbook are pressed flowers and plants—some for study, some for pure enjoyment, and some to send to Cullen in her letters to him.
A bundle of letters from Cullen tied with a velvet ribbon that have a faint whiff of his oakmoss and elderflower scent.
A wooden comb with botanical carvings.
Wooden and/or bone hair sticks to put her hair up. Some are just plain and are hidden by her hair while others have decorative ends that are varied in their simple carvings, though she gravitates toward botanical and woodland animals.
Cullen's lucky coin that she actually wears as a necklace (much to Cullen's delight given its proximity to her heart...and bosom--his words, not mine).
(Not pictured: a water skin, food bag, foraging pouch and the occasional small box of chocolates Cullen slips in there. I’d mention womanly items as well but because of the trauma she’s suffered, Meira doesn’t have monthlies.)
xxx
Tagging @animezinglife, @dogot, @phillypumpkin and @raflesia65 as well as anyone else who sees this and would like to do it without waiting for an official tag. All fun and no pressure!
