#bogfisher

[jawsofhakkontranscript]

Beasts at Bay; The Nox Morta

This entry contains two related side quests, Beasts at Bay and The Nox Morta.

Side quest: Beasts at Bay

Characters involved: Baron Havard-Pierre d'Amortisan, Dunwich

Inquisition soldiers face delays setting up camps due to interference from the local wildlife. Baron Havard-Pierre d'Amortisan believes his herb wards may keep the beasts at bay.

(Approach the baron in his encampment near the Basin Floor Camp.)

Havard-Pierre: Inquisitor. Baron Havard-Pierre d'Amortisan. I've come to consult with your soldiers on matters pertaining to natural threat. The beasts of these woods are fierce. I fear they've already claimed the life of my dear, devoted scribe.

[1] Dialogue options:

Investigate: Why are you here? [2]

General: Do you have a suggestion? [3]

I should go. [4]

[2] Investigate: Why are you here?

PC: What are you doing out here?

Harvard-Pierre: Once I was content to remain in the safety of my estate. Then, with the passing of my uncle, I was obliged to join an expedition to the stranger parts of Thedas. How little of our natural world is understood. What terrors creep across the soil while we lie ignorant and ill prepared? If you knew what I do of the common fennec, you would not sleep. From that day onward, I have studied the wilds and the beasts therein. [Back to 1]

[3] General: Do you have a suggestion?

PC: Are my soldiers running into problems?

Havard-Pierre: They face delays establishing camps due to pests of various nature. I offered to consider the matter. There is an herb mixture. Correctly placed, it could ward beasts away from their supplies. I would not presume to further involve myself in your organization's military affairs. Perhaps I might entrust these to you? [Back to 1]

[4] I should go.

PC: I should go.

Harvard-Pierre: Inquisitor. [Exits the conversation.]

(Place the herbs in the marked spots.)

Party comments:

Sera: Ooooh, scary herbs! Aaand... it's working. Well, great?

Dorian: Not to disparage the enlightened baron, but I didn't think these would actually work.

Blackwall: I didn't think this would actually work.

(If no companion makes a comment.)

PC: There. It seems to be working.

(Harvard-Pierre’s scribe, Dunwich, can be found nearby.)

(When you first approach Dunwich.) Dunwich: Inquisitor? Are those herb wards? (When you interact with him.) Herb wards. Those could assist the soldiers. I take it you've met Baron d'Amortisan.

PC: And you are?

Dunwich: Dunwich, Your Worship. The Master's scribe.

PC: D'Amortisan said you were dead.

Dunwich: (Sighs.) I'm merely late, ser. I was not to return until I'd gathered evidence on the Nox Morta. [5]

[5] Dialogue options:

Investigate: How did you get this job? [6]

General: Evidence for... what? [7]

General: Goodbye. [8]

[6] Investigate: How did you get this job?

PC: How did you get involved in all this?

Dunwich: I've been the Master's scribe these past ten years. The baron has made a study of a number of creatures. I'm assured my assistance is invaluable. [Back to 5]

[7] General: Evidence for... what?

PC: You're gathering evidence on a...

Dunwich: The Nox Morta. I was to set out apparatus for gathering information on the beast. Retrieving it proved difficult. Gurguts. If you're out here anyway, Your Worship, I can inform you that the baron's pockets are deep. He would no doubt appreciate any efforts made on his behalf. [Go to 9 or back to 5]

[9] Special: What is this creature?

PC: What is the Nox Morta, exactly?

Dunwich: A skulking beast the Master believes lies somewhere in the Basin.

PC: That's not very specific.

Dunwich: I'm afraid specificity eludes us, ser. Officially, the beast remains undiscovered and unwitnessed. [Back to 5]

[8] General: Goodbye.

PC: I should be going.

Dunwich: Very good, ser. [Exits the conversation.]

(Find the “apparatus for gathering information on the beast” - a trap by the river. It contains the Note: A Half-Chewed Label)

PC: This... whatever this is, it must be what d'Amortisan wanted.

Party comments:

Cassandra: I'm sure he'll be able to attain information from it. Unless... was part of this eaten?

Vivienne: Rather chewed-upon.

Iron Bull: Looks like something tried to eat it.

(Return to the baron with the news.)

~

Side quest: The Nox Morta

Characters involved: Baron Havard-Pierre d'Amortisan, Dunwich

Baron Havard-Pierre d'Amortisan and his scribe, Dunwich, are searching for the Nox Morta. With assistance, they may be able to prove the existence of this mysterious creature.

Harvard-Pierre: That Dunwich yet lives while I was so certain of his passing... the Maker smiles on this endeavor.

[10] Dialogue options:

Special: About the Nox Morta… [11]

General: I have evidence for you. [12] (If you came across a trap with the evidence.)

General: I should go. [13]

[11] Special: About the Nox Morta…

PC: Your scribe, Dunwich, mentioned something called the Nox Morta.

Harvard-Pierre: Ah, yes. I have yet to lay eyes upon it… Pray, do not request details so soon. Not when concrete evidence lies yet unturned. [Back to 10]

[12] General: I have evidence for you.

PC: I've evidence of your Nox Morta... I think.

Harvard-Pierre: Yes—to observe the mark of the teeth. Let me see... gurgut and gurgut... but this. A beast unclassified and interested in the bait presented! What lies before us is an opportunity to greet the unknowable! Yet I confess fear, knowing I lack the skill to confront it. Surely Andraste's Herald does not share my limitation? If you would take the bait and confirm its existence, I would be in the Inquisition's debt. [Go to 14 or back to 10]

[14] Special: Tell me about the Nox Morta.

PC: What can you tell me about Nox Morta?

Harvard-Pierre: Mere scraps of knowledge gleaned from bloodstained papers. They speak of a creature enamored of shadow, lurking in the darkest places. Silence pays it favor, concealing its horrid bulk until a stretched mouth takes its prey. Of course, some of my colleagues deem the beast a mere fancy. [Back to 10]

[13] General: I should go.

PC: I should go.

Harvard-Pierre: Inquisitor. [Exits the conversation.]

(Go to Swamp Kuldsdotten and place the bait.)

PC: D'Amortisan said to place the bait here. We need to find a good spot.

Party comments:

Varric: Right. Because it might be picky.

Blackwall: How long before this Nox Morta takes interest?

Dorian: Oh, it's plotting the best way to strip the flesh from our bones right now. Just waiting for the invitation.

Blackwall: Very funny.

Sera: Think it's something big? Hope it's something big.

(A creature starts rumbling through the shrubbery.)

Party comments:

Solas: I don't— Wait. What was that?

Cassandra: Is that— Wait. Did you hear that?

Blackwall: So now we— What was that?

Iron Bull: What was— Something's coming.

(If no companion makes a comment here.)

PC: So now we— What was that?

(The Nox Morta appears.)

Party comments:

First comment:

Blackwall: Maker! Is that...?

Sera: What the...? (Laughs.) Yeah! Brilliant!

Dorian: You can't be serious.

Vivienne: That can't be a...

Second comment:

Varric: It's a bogfisher?

Cassandra: Bogfisher? It's a bogfisher?

Solas: Some sort of... bogfisher.

(If no companion makes a comment here.)

PC: A bogfisher?

Third comment:

Dorian: Not the ordinary kind.

Blackwall: Not like any I've seen.

Cole: I thought bogfishers were nice!

(The Nox Morta is killed.)

Party comments:

Blackwall: That was... not what I expected.

Sera: Best. Bogfisher. Ever.

Varric: Did that just happen?

Cassandra: I suppose it was a very... aggressive bogfisher. Not what I expected.

Iron Bull: (Laughs.)

PC: D'Amortisan will want to hear about this.

(Return to the baron.)

Harvard-Pierre: Pray, do not keep me in suspense. Your haunted stare speaks plainly of an encounter with the Nox Morta.

Dialogue options:

General: I found the Nox Morta. [15]

[15] General: I found the Nox Morta.

PC: Is the Nox Morta a bogfisher, by any chance? A large, aggressive bogfisher?

Harvard-Pierre: "Bogfisher" That quaint nomenclature inadequately describes its lesser kin, and here is whom they must serve!

PC: Why didn't you—

Harvard-Pierre: I told them! To have proof of its existence—minds shall be enlightened. Though when enlightenment comes at the cost of such fearful truths, I must wonder at its toll. Permit my humble gratitude to reflect the risk taken, Your Worship. Where's Dunwich? I must draft a letter to the university.

[endless-bestiary]

BOGFISHER

It's uncommon for a monster to be ugly as sin and retain its cute factor. That's not to say it's impossible - look at the entire line of UglyDolls - but it requires a tightrope walk along the center of the uncanny valley of human affection. Too far to the cute side, and it reads as being an attempt at cuteness with something capital-W Wrong with it. Too far to the ugly side, and you just lose sight of the cute altogether. Fortunately for the Bogfisher, it straddles the line perfectly. This squishy little critter has all the personality of a seriously-loved teddy bear. I can't pinpoint any one thing that makes me like it, but my gut reaction is "chubby baby". 

Unlike the demons and "true" monsters that inhabit Thedas, the wildlife has a surprising amount of realism to it, feeling less like fantasy monsters and more like a different set of possible creatures. The Bogfisher has a sort of boar-like body that's adapted to trudging through muck instead of solid land. Its thick, stocky legs end in broad paws that seem to be perfect for digging through mud in search of its preferred prey, frogs and pond-eels. Even its snout is narrowed and bulbous to better snuffle through the muck. You just KNOW that that upturned pig-like nose is flattened to help it sniff out and dig up prey. Although its teeth look cruel and twisted, this is no savage predator; it just turns out that more and sharper teeth are kind of good for carnivores regardless of what they're doing with them. This, too, follows in the hoofprints of what boars do, wielding impressive teeth for self-defense against larger predators in its habitats. Even the eye and ear placements show thought was put into them. The ears are recessed to just pinprick holes far back on the head, kept clear of getting blocked up while the Bogfisher digs or swims in muck, while its eyes are small and beady, sort of secondary to its ears due to the poor lighting conditions of its preferred habitat. 

I've touched on this before, but the Bogfisher is the sort of animal that doesn't *need* to be in a video game. However, it enriches the experience if it's included. The presence of discrete bad guys like demons and bandits is mandatory - there's no game without them. Atmospheric animals that serve no gameplay purpose (outside of the occasional hide or tusk) on the other hand are critical to expansive, immersive RPGs that hinge on player investment. You can't just throw anything in, though; you have to really stop and think about what kind of animals live in your fantasy world and how they've adapted to your landscapes. The Bogfisher, for example, is mud-colored so it can just settle in and look like a great lump of sludge while dragons and demons stalk through its home. Your animals better not be flashy and ornate unless they're able to go toe to toe with those dragons or at least get the hell out of Dodge when they show up. Just look at the poor Bogfisher's legs. It couldn't even get to Dodge city limits if you gave it a head start.

SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF: 10/10 DESIGN COHESION: 9/10 GRUMPY SQUISH: 10/10 PERSONAL RATING: 8/10

[mamaplaysdragonage-blog]

BABY HIPPO!!!

Mama, re: bogfishers

[sabredance]

felix/piers cubicle au

“That has to be against company regulations.” Piers stopped typing and turned around to see an unfamiliar man leaning against the entrance to his cubicle. He was wearing a sharp suit, and had dark brown hair slicked back in a stylish way. Piers frowned and glanced around his cubicle. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary to him. In fact, there wasn’t much at all in his workspace besides office supplies and a small framed picture of his mother. But still… he was new to the company, and maybe this stranger new something he didn’t? He swivelled around fully to face the man. “I’m sorry, what seems to be the problem?”

The man’s expression was completely neutral, to the point where it was almost disarming. “Your ass. I’m pretty sure there’s something in the employee handbook that prohibits such a tight bottom in the workplace.” 

There was a moment or two of silence where neither person reacted, then Piers’ eyes widened.

“Felix?” he blurted, “Is that you!?” Now that he looked twice, it was really obvious that this fashionable businessman was his college roommate- there was even the telltale scar on his chin from when he had accidentally shattered a bong that one time. 

Felix blushed a bit and ran a hand through his hair, messing it up a bit. “Is it really that hard to tell?” he asked. Piers gave him an amused stare.

“It’s the hair, for sure. What finally convinced you to chop it all off?” This time Felix groaned, taking a step further into the cubicle and sitting on the desk next to Piers’ computer. 

“It was Jenna,” he began mournfully. “We got drunk and she convinced me that we should both get haircuts to symbolize a new beginning or whatever.” Piers barked out a laugh. 

“A new beginning for what?” 

Felix shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. But we did it, and now she’s on her way to running Time magazine and I’ve got a job that pays the bills and more. So I guess it was for the best.” Piers gave a low whistle.

“That is awesome for Jenna, although to be fair I think she would have made it there no matter what. You, on the other hand… that was a bad move on your part.” Felix raised his eyebrow questioningly. Piers swivelled around again, showing Felix how his long blue hair was being kept in an immaculate braid. “I never cut mine. You lose.” Felix was quiet for a moment, then swore loudly. 

“Fuck, fuck, I forgot about the bet, oh my god!” He put his head in his hands and groaned deeply. 

“Doesn’t seem like such a good decision now, does it? What were the rules again… oh yeah. I believe you said ‘whoever cuts their hair first has to be the other person’s bitch for all eternity’, or something like that.” Felix glared at Piers through his fingers. 

“Fine. You win. Asshole.” Piers laughed and punched his knee gently before leaning back in his chair. He looked thoughtful for a moment, then spoke.

“Okay, how about this for a deal. You come out for dinner with me tonight and I’ll let the ‘for all eternity’ thing slide. Sound good?” He tried to keep a calm demeanour while he spoke, but he could feel the tips of his ears turning red and cursed his paleness. Felix gave him a quick once over, then gave Piers his trademark half-smile. Piers wasn’t at all surprised that it could still make his heart skip a beat even all these years later. 

“I’ll take you up on that. How does 7:00 o’clock sound? Chez Jude? My treat of course.” Piers snorted.

“Of course it’s your treat. I’ll see you then.” Felix looked at his watch and slid off the desk.

“Perfect. Wear something nice.” he teased, pulling gently on Piers’ braid as he made his way out of the office. 

Piers watched him go, reaching back and touching the spot where Felix had pulled. After a few moments, he took a deep breath, turned around, and did his best to keep typing despite his shaking fingers. 

[imwiremother]

bogfisher replied to your post “iv heard unromanced sera and dagna get together and that pleases me”

YEAH ITS CUTE

its also biowares first background pair thats f/f!

[imwiremother]

bogfisher replied to your post “bogfisher replied to your post “i always forget blackwall/josie was a...”

ok did you know cole and bard lady get together. and if they dont cole gets krem and bard lady together.

bogfisher replied to your post “bogfisher replied to your post: i always forget blackwall/josie was a...”

THEY DONT EVEN TALK ONCE??? itd be fine if you caught them talking or had them interacting at all but????????????

ok now thats Random?its so hard for me to see cole in a relationship what happened in those two years

[imwiremother]

bogfisher replied to your post “i always forget blackwall/josie was a canon thing i found out about it...”

do you mind trespasser spoilers

haha nah it will probably be ages before i play it myself if i ever do

[imwiremother]

bogfisher replied to your post: i always forget blackwall/josie was a ...

SAME. Like why.

like had i seen that in a tagged on a fic i would be like ‘‘wow how did you come up with that?’‘