going to say right away that this is not a horny post (although i make plenty of those too). this is genuine meta about the culture around sex in arlathan and solas' personal perceptions around sex and how they change and develop, especially with a relationship with the inquisitor
who i will be calling "inquisitor/inky" and using they/them pronouns for in this post! much love to all solasmancers
i am absolutely of the opinion that during arlathan era, sex was just normal. it was not exclusive to romantic relationships and it could have any number of meanings, or be largely without meaning
(could easily go down a rabbit hole here but i'll avoid it - maybe some other time!)
the evanuris were not always viewed as gods. that developed. and i think prior to its development, solas likely participated willingly and with enjoyment in the sexual aspects of the evanuris, as well as all else they did. but i think as time went on his participation changed... i don't think it necessarily stopped, but the meaning underlying it was different
if andruil pursued him, and he let himself be caught, it was not to experience her body, to take pleasure in her touch. if it was enjoyable, that was a side benefit, but not the goal. the goal was to see what she might say with her guard lowered. how she might behave in the bliss of afterglow. even to observe how she tried to use and manipulate him, and infer things from that
he was manipulative with it, and cunning, and strategic. and he was not alone in this. i think over time the meaning would have changed for all of them. sex as control. as changing a context. as disobedience. as subversion. as upheaval. as plot and ploy. as distraction. as coercion. as claim. as possession. as worship. as punishment. as reward.
sex does not exist in a vacuum, and it would not there, either. all of these goals are pursued in countless ways, and sex is just one tool among many, but it is a tool
none of this is to say that sex for pleasure or sex for intimacy did not exist in arlathan, even during the height of politicking. i think solas and mythal had more of that dynamic. i think andruil and ghilan'nain did as well. and while we know so little about them, i think it is fair to assume sylaise and june had that too
to me, that's pretty much solas' background with sex. it developed from something purely physical and exploratory into one of many tools in the "game" arlathan played, and his perception of it developed with it
the way solas returns the inqusitor's early flirtations... this, to me, is in line with the game of arlathan. it is so smooth, so eloquent, and so quick. someone approaches him with interest and he knows how to respond to that interest immediately
this isn't to say there's no truth in it at all, either. just that it's a learned behavior. and he gets a bit of a kick out of totally turning the tables and flustering them. but it's not anything super serious at that point
i think the fade kiss is one of the bigger, realer moments for him, but at the same time, he's still leaning on learned behavior. i truly think he wants them at this point and that there is an element of the intuitive, the reactive, the instinctual in the way he slots their legs together, in the way he deepens the kiss into something very intense, but it's also leaning a bit on what he's learned to do. it's hard to do otherwise! countless centuries of participation in these activities in arlathan, so much of this is deeply internalized
but the way he approaches them afterwards, wanting to talk... i think that's him trying to draw a veil (heh) between them, yes, and to minimize the pursuit he fell into, yes, but it's also because he doesn't want to play the game with them. he wants to know them. he's full of conflict, and is at his best, in a way, when any one behavior can have multiple benefits. in this case, he's distancing himself from the kiss, quickly steering the conversation away from physical intimacy and his own true and performed desperation, and into a much safer territory... while also being able to indulge in his own developing interest
and, lbr, this man likes to converse. i know the fandom jokes about how he talks so much, and he does, to a degree... but it's conversation that he enjoys, not monologuing. he relishes the chance to have a deep discussion with someone. he does not share his stories with the inky randomly, only when asked, and he approves of them asking him to tell him these things, but also asking questions afterwards, about keeping an open mind
but the absolute turning point in the romantic relationship is not in haven. it's not in the fade. it's on the balcony. it's after wisdom.
the inky can show solas that they understand that a spirit is his friend. that he cares about it. they can try and help him free it. (note: i haven't done alternative playthroughs of this particular quest because I Don't Fucking Wanna)
and that is the big shift. for many reasons! one of which is, of course, the fact that solas himself is a spirit. or was, but truly, i think he still is in many fundamental ways. but it is also about the inky being open-minded, not just in words, but in actions. because when they arrive, there is no gentle spirit waiting for them... there is a demon
the inky can choose to trust solas, to trust that even though it is a demon in front of them, that there may still be something they can do. that is the turning point for solas. that is why he approaches them on the balcony. that is why he brings up the kiss again. that is when he first tells them he loves them
because he does. he does
now, this is a meta about sex, and i haven't forgotten! things are left up for interpretation on whether or not solas and the inquisitor had sex. but setting that aside, i think it's worth considering what sex with someone he has fallen in love with would mean to him
now, i write him as demisexual. to be clear, this wasn't something i set out to do intentionally, but the more i wrote him the more clearly his demisexuality manifested. so he's had sex. he's also had sex with mythal, a woman he genuinely loves and is loved by (at least in my view), so intimate sex with a physical desire for the other person is not entirely unknown... but it was not something he thought to ever have again
and i think arlathan ruined sex for him for a long time. instead of a form of intimacy, it became a tool. a weapon. i suspect he and mythal's sexual relationship slowed until it was all but nonexistent, because it just felt fraught and complex
so to find his way back to it again...
i think he's fighting with himself. boldly leading, his body a tool... and he has to stop himself, because he doesn't want that. not with them. if it's during inq, he probably allows a certain amount of that. because he still has to manipulate them. he doesn't want to, but they still can't know who he is
but after... or even after veilguard, in the fade... confident hands on their arms turn to clutching ones, trembling, and his breathing sharpens. he's trying to bury the learned behavior. he wants to be here, to feel this. i can see it going many ways.... starting only to stop, maybe a bunch of times... or letting his partner lead, try to ease him into just reacting instead of guiding, to soften his learned behaviors until they eventually fade away and let something more sincere emerge
they could talk it out. they could feel it out. he could force himself to perform until the performance drops away (i doubt any partner would want that, but it could be solas' choice to do that anyway without consulting them)
and i think this is why being dommed is easier for him, in my view. and why especially being pushed all the way into subspace is easier for him. because suddenly the barriers drop and he's a raw nerve and he's all reaction. there's no performance left. and the fact that he's safe, that he's held afterwards, that as he shakes he's comforted, it makes all the difference
(because i like to explore him being in subspace in arlathan... and it being a vulnerability. whether it's used against him or not i tend to keep intentionally vague, but he knows it is a vulnerability, and any vulnerability can be exploited)
but i also think him finding his way towards his own desires - and particularly any desires around domination or sadism - would be very, very important and cathartic for him as well. anything he does with his lover is going to be completely consensual, but if they want to be dommed by him, if they are a masochist, then he can explore those desires in himself, too, in a safe way
because i do think solas probably has... a lot of kinks. ppl can have kinks for any reason, but ppl can also develop kinks based around their own traumas. so i think he'd have some where that is the origin. and that doesn't make them bad! but it's something i think he'd struggle with, and struggle with the morality of them
sex as a tool is easy. you use it to meet your own ends. you know how far you are willing to go, and that's how far you go. you're in control, even when you're play-acting at vulnerability, unless you're not in control because someone's using the tool on you instead...
but that's the complexity of it all for him. and i think being able to explore these things in a safe, affirming way would actually ease a tremendous weight that he has carried for a long time
also the last post made me realize i haven't shared the bulk of my arlathan cultural headcanons
i actually have a doc with a big list of things which i'll include, but first i will specify that, at its heart, i view arlathan as a artificially organic structure. much like the evanuris!
they are immortal, as are the elvhen. death does not touch them. very possibly disease does not, either, and certainly not rot. their bodies are built, designed, artificial yet entirely real, spirits now with blood pumping in their veins, with a heartbeat, with breath, with the feeling of cold or warm air on their skin...
because of all this, i think there is a cultural fascination with the organic, the biological, and those particular parts of it that they have no access to - death, disease, and rot. and very importantly, i see none of this as being grim or disturbing, either to the evanuris or the elvhen. it might eventually become disturbing to the elvhen as slavery begins or escalates, as slaves are "spent" in the creation of things, but it is not something that immortal beings have an inherent or instinctual aversion to. there is instead a deep academic fascination with anatomy, with death, with biology, with organic compositions
(btw, as with all my headcanon stuff, u have full permission to take this and run with it without crediting me!!!! u don't even NEED permission i don't feel, but i am explicitly giving it)
also i'm not a big pinterest user in general but working through my ideas for arlathan, it did help a lot. just bugs me that there is sm inevitable theft on that site... :/ but, nonetheless, i will include the link to my pinterest board for arlathan, with the BIG IMPORTANT NOTE!!! that a lot of it is explicitly anatomical, some with violent connotations, and that it might be disturbing. with that in mind... link
low pools with grand columns rising from them
perfectly round ponds, outlined with dense and perfect planting, always in bloom, an artifice of nature
winding staircases which provide glorious views
vines winding through railings, but never dropping leaves or dead flowers
buildings arranged to take advantage of light, where certain times of day create elaborate patterns of filtered light
surreal beauty
colors like an oil slick
curves everywhere, the predominant shape is of curves and circles
everything is so high... tall towers, and great, open structures where u can stare up and see all the floors above
a fascination with death, disease, rot - these things that do not touch the evanuris or the elvhen
skeletal depictions
huge, beautiful murals that show skeletons and rot but are surrounded by this almost ethereal beauty, all gold and gilt and vivid unreal colors that flow together so that every single piece is a piece of art unto itself
an entire building could be a skeleton. a ribcage making up the main room, its arms supporting each side, almost cradling the structure
Watcher!Mythal and Her Period of Imprisonment in the Lyrium Dagger - Two Theories
please do not add hate to this post, bring up the art book, or bring up the books/comics. thank you!
Imprisoned the Entire Time Solas was in Uthenera
Freed During the Rebellion
Imprisoned the Entire Time Solas was in Uthenera
mythal was killed by the evanuris and imprisoned within the dagger, and it is unclear whether solas was aware of this imprisonment at the time. her murder drove him to imprison the evanuris for all eternity, and while his reasons may have been primarily or even exclusively about avenging mythal, it was also something that needed to be done. not just for the elvhen but for the entire world, as the evanuris were accessing the blight
the dagger was used by the evanuris to kill mythal. to me, it is most likely that they kept the dagger, although it is also possible that they left it, perhaps even embedded in mythal as a message to solas
in favor of them keeping it: the lyrium dagger is immensely powerful and in veilguard, elgar'nan and ghilan'nain are both familiar with it and its capabilities
in favor of them leaving it: in veilguard, they arranged challenges for solas based around his deepest personal regrets, so it is entirely possible that they weaponized his regrets against him back then, too
it is possible that solas had the dagger and knew she was imprisoned within it, but did not know how to free her. it is also possible that his ability to free her was dependent in some unexpected way on the creation of the veil, itself an unintended consequence of imprisoning the evanuris
regardless of the particulars, in this view, he released her sometime after his awakening. if we are taking him at face value - a risky thing to do, i admit - then he woke a year before inq began. he could have freed her during this year, during the events of inquisition, between inquisition and trespasser, or between trespasser and veilguard
but it is felassan who noted that solas created a place for mythal, somewhere he thought she would be comfortable, and that is where watcher!mythal ends up
flemeth existed prior to solas' awakening, so that part of mythal was already in the world. whether she was unable or unwilling, it is clear that she did not release the other aspect of herself. based on what morrigan tells rook in the crossroads, she may have been wary of being attacked, and it is also possible that she was just as loathe to see that mythal as that mythal would have been to see her
with the evanuris imprisoned and solas asleep, the dagger was lost. i keep coming up with new ideas so i'm just going to jot them down real quick:
the dagger was imprisoned with the evanuris, and those mortals who broke into the "golden city" took it and, with it, introduced the blight into the world. they became the first darkspawn, at some point retreating underground, which is also where the dagger was found
it could have been left in arlathan and was plunged underground following the destruction of the city
or it might have been plundered from the ruins of arlathan by someone else - possibly from tevinter? - who chose to store it underground
or perhaps it was plundered by a human but seen by a dwarf, who either bought it or took it, perhaps recognizing it as part of the titans... if the dwarves of that time still held that knowledge. or they could have seen it as a unique form of lyrium
regardless of how it got there, it was found by varric, bartrand, hawke, and the others during da2 and brought to the surface. it is unclear when it became red lyrium, but that's certainly what varric and the rest found down there. in the dragon age keep, as well as in-game in da2, it is possible for varric to keep a piece of the red lyrium for study, which is interesting to consider when taken with the rest
solas woke years after this discovery, and at some point found out about the dagger, and knew immediately what it was. how could he not? it was pure lyrium, one of a kind. so at some point he located it and transformed it back to blue lyrium
this might have involved freeing mythal, but i tend to think the two are unrelated. she is an evanuris, a spirit turned elf. the red from red lyrium is not a byproduct of evanuris rage, but titan rage
if solas did not know her fragment was trapped in the dagger, trying to restore it to its prior state may have been when he discovered this. alternatively, he knew she was in there and something allowed him to free her: the veil, perhaps, and the subsequent weakening of magic; or the way time might have eased the power that kept her trapped; or something else, something we didn't see or hear about in the games
but he finds a way to release her, yet cannot free her entirely, and places her within that which he had built for her at some point, presumably early on in his rebellion.
in this case, watcher!mythal's line to rook about watching for thousands of years would mean that she witnessed through the lyrium dagger, and also that she possessed a level of conscious awareness while within it, although the exact manner of that awareness is up for interpretation. it would also mean that solas did not visit her over a period of no more than ten years: still considerable! but not an absolutely heinous abandonment
Freed During the Rebellion
in this view, solas becomes aware of her imprisonment earlier, and manages to free her... but it is not a clean freedom. this is true in both views, of course, but somewhat more relevant in this view. she is changed, unable to make her way between realms. it is entirely unclear if solas knew this would be the case prior to freeing her, realized during the process, or only understood afterwards
but whatever the timing of his realization, the fact remains that she was released from one prison only to be placed in another. no, the place solas had designed for her was never meant as a prison: in fact, it was designed to make her feel comfortable, welcome. but with the current situation, she is restricted to that one area, seemingly separated from all other living beings. after all, she makes no mention of any spirits visiting her
it also appears that this particular crossroad has been in disuse while solas slept, only becoming active again when the evanuris escape and begin to try to penetrate it. and while the passage to watcher!mythal's area is blocked in a similar way as all the other passages, it is also unclear if that blockage was new, courtesy of the evanuris, or ancient, perhaps even from solas
it may have even been from watcher!mythal herself... or from flemythal. there is a codex entry in the crossroads, a page ripped from a grimoire, which i firmly believe to be from flemythal. if true, then she was within that particular crossroad, only a short distance away from the imprisoned watcher!mythal, and may have chosen to do something about that situation... whether for herself, for solas, for watcher!mythal, or for the world is uncertain, but then, her having any role in this is also uncertain
setting aside mythal's (either version's) involvement and assuming for the moment it was solas who sealed the way... what was she like? how does she act, when she is freed so soon after her own murder?
in the first view, her statement about watching for thousands of years necessitates that she was conscious while in the lyrium dagger: this view does not. and if she was not conscious, then she would be waking up at the moment of her death at the hands of those she had worked alongside for so long...
and, indirectly but meaningfully, at solas' hands
to be very frank, she might have been dangerous. i think most people would be, rising after being murdered. if she was not conscious in the dagger, then the passage of time between her death and her emergence is immaterial, for it is the difference between moments for her
solas might have raised the exterior barrier we see for her own protection and the protection of others. knowing she could not leave, he creates a barrier that prevents her from destroying herself by trying... but also prevents other people, should they arrive at the crossroad, from going to her. i don't imagine at this point he thought he would end up in uthenera for thousands of years with her remaining isolated the entire time
now, the watcher!mythal we see is bitter and angry. justifiably! entirely justifiably. but she also cares about solas, openly says she loves him still. it's not unrealistic to think that the state we find her in is the product of centuries of that fury being cooled, crystallized, hardened, but also processed, to a degree. centuries of isolation, nothing but what she can think and what she can feel and what she can observe to keep her occupied...
which also brings up interesting questions all its own. how does she watch? what has she seen? one possibility is that she is still bound to the lyrium dagger somehow, and sees through it
but... benevolence and retribution. to me, neither of these characteristics would imply a willing passivity. contrasted with solas' wisdom, which could easily take the form of a passive academic observation - which is how i think he existed as a spirit, and part of why he was so hesitant to leave that life behind - mythal's nature seems fundamentally more active. whatever kindness solas tried to give to her in designing this place, whatever mercy he tried to offer by freeing her from the dagger...
in the end, he has done to her what she had done to him. puts her in a situation where her - literal, in their case - spirit is denied its own fundamental nature
actually the more i think about it, the more instances of these role reversals i find with them, and there's something to be said there about loving each other, yes, and about changing, yes, but also about mirroring, and about being changed by the other... another post someday, perhaps!
i am thinking again about how important it is to me that the evanuris - these supposed gods, but not really - are just people
obviously they were not always. they were spirits first! but after they took form, they have clearly changed. solas says that spirits are simpler, purer, and i have taken that - and cole's entire arc in dai - to mean that spirits are, in a way, quite linear and precise
by some views, this could be conceived of as limited or narrow
by others, this could be viewed as pure and unburdened
neither is entirely true, and neither is entirely false. but i think that in-world, the reality is simply that spirits are other, their ways of being not fundamentally better or worse than those of mortals, or physical immortals like the elvhen were
but upon taking flesh, the spirits were changed. that simplicity of purpose became tangled up with other perceptions, other needs; with all the messy complexity and dissonance of physicality
beings who once embodied their aspect(s) still do, but also experience hunger. cold. heat. they experience physical pleasure, and desire. inebriation. joy. grief. jealousy. anger.
they are ancient things, these spirits, but newly in flesh, a transition that is almost more like becoming a different species and having to navigate all the inherent complexities and differences therein
but this is why i like to depict them - and i like depictions of them - as fairly regular. i think that they were not too different from the elvhen of the time
to be clear, i don't have anything against media that depicts figures in very unique ways. like showing elves as ethereal beings. but to me, what i enjoy the most is definitely when they're Just Normal. like ofc they have physical differences - for elves, it is typically the long ears, with media otherwise shifting quite wildly between varying depictions - but they are still Just People
Thedas: Hygiene, Body Disposal, and Germ Theory - Arlathan
please do not add hate to this post, bring up the art book, or bring up the books/comics. thank you!
I've discussed this before, but with Veilguard—and more insight into some of the other in-game cultures—I want to explore it again!
CW: Sewage; bodies; various forms of burial; quarantine; murder; slavery
This is absolutely just an interpretation and going off of my (limited) historical knowledge in these matters.
For simplicity I say "germs" here but please know that this includes viruses, bacteria, fungus, etc. etc.
Overview:
I see them as simultaneously the best and the worst. In my view, they are the safest and most hygienic culture... but it is not through any fundamental comprehension or technological innovation. It is magic.
It seems that pre-Veil, magic was everywhere. Strongest in the Fade, presumably, but still present in what I will call the physical realm. And the Evanuris, as we learn, were spirits first. The way Solas talks about the pre-Veil world implies that magic was everywhere, yes, but also that magic was heavily used by the Elvhen. He doesn't speak about the Evanuris or the "Creators" at that point, but it's safe to assume they also used magic heavily, especially given that spirits/demons(/"demons"*) seem to have a deeper and perhaps more organic relationship with magic from the Fade than mortals—or even immortals who are still physical beings, such as the Elvhen—do.
*For more information on my views here, see this meta.
Below: Germs; Sewage; Body Management; Conclusions
Germs:
Given the nature of the Evanuris as spirits who built bodies rather than fully-organic beings, I think that their immune systems would've been incredibly weak or incredibly strong. And since they clearly survived, I lean towards incredibly strong. Thus, I don't think that bacteria, viruses, germs, etc. would be any kind of significant threat to them.
The Elvhen may not have that level of immunity. Given how little we know about the Evanuris and the Elvhen and their dynamic throughout the history of Arlathan, it's hard to say that there was a single fixed reaction to Elvhen becoming sickened. But I think it unlikely that the Evanuris would care that much about sick individuals, unless that individual was uniquely important to one of the Evanuris.
But if a plague hit Arlathan that the Elvhen were susceptible to, then the Evanuris risked losing their society to inaction. Quarantine is possible… but I don't think it's particularly likely. They might have killed the infected Elvhen: this would be a brutally efficient approach, and may even be viewed as somewhat desirable, since the Elvhen are immortal. The burdens of a constantly-growing society would be substantial, and as it is clear that the Elvhen of Arlathan were the ancestors of modern elves in Thedas, it is equally clear that they can have children. So wiping out the ill or otherwise weakened would be a way to keep the population more manageable.
This is an extremely shitty, cruel thing to do, to be clear. But it's also something I could see the Evanuris doing, especially closer to the time of Solas' rebellion—not in relation to his rebellion, just that the Evanuris as he described them seem quite capable of this kind of brutality. They were then seen as gods, after all.
However, it's equally possible that they could magically control, cure, or prevent illness of any sort, or that the Elvhen were imbued with a pronounced immune system. Something that may once have been intended as a generosity becoming a cruelty, keeping slaves alive for eons so that skilled labor is never missed or absent until/unless they are "spent" in the creation of "marvels."
Sewage:
As for sewage, I truly cannot see the Evanuris tolerating chamberpots. I think that they would have developed some form of plumbing, and waste was deposited a substantial distance away, due to distaste about being near it rather than a hygienic caution. Alternatively I suppose it could have been magicked away, or else immolated en masse. Regardless, it is not stored near the cities or dumped into local waters or anything like that. A non-issue, not through knowledge but through aversion and luck.
Body Management:
I think the treatment of bodies would vary significantly depending on whose body it is. The body of a slave would likely receive a different treatment than the body of someone dear to one or more of the Evanuris. And should an Evanuris die, their body would receive yet a different treatment… and since I do not expect, given what we see and hear about, that an Evanuris could just die, it is more likely that a deceased Evanuris was killed, and the way their body is handled afterwards would have some relationship to that fact.
I imagine that Arlathan had some form of caste system: perhaps not as rigorous as what dwarves develop, but still a ranking system that delineates various types of skilled labor. Warriors, crafters, artisans, cooks, servants, and slaves. The bodies of most slaves would most likely be magically immolated without fanfare. This has the—unintentional—benefit of likely being hot enough to destroy many potential concerns. The bodies of highly-ranked/respected individuals might be magically preserved or interred/buried in some way. Magic would allow for separation of the body from the living in some manner or other. Perhaps a stasis field around preserved bodies, or some variation of a barrier around buried bodies to prevent wildlife and people from getting to it.
For the others—traders, crafters, etc.—it could be that disposal is left to the family or perhaps the group they come from. Alternatively, it might be that magical immolation is the standard for any non-Evanuris/non-beloved-by-an-Evanuris individual. Of course, what early Arlathan did versus what late Arlathan did may be substantially different, too.
Conclusions:
So in a big way, they have just lucked out. Their inclinations, cultural characteristics, and the way magic is always right there to help with mundane tasks in various ways has made them not really have to know what's going on, because for them, it is not going on.
