#breecanons

[janearts]

why do you draw eyes so fucking far apart

It’s a deliberate character choice for my TES Altmer, Briisebrom. Not just her eyes, but her entire body is intentionally disproportioned. As far as her eyes are concerned, where most people have an eye’s width between their eyes, I’ve given Bree a smidge more space. Here’s a screenshot to help explain visually what’s going on:

If you want to know the full story, here is a link to a previous post that explains in greater depth how and why I created her to look the way she does. (Here is the link to the FAQ page about her character if you happen to be using a browser instead of the mobile app.) I have re-created this character for my playthroughs of different video games, so the very same disproportions apply to those incarnations (e.g., her Dragon Age version). 

Unfortunately, a side-effect of drawing this character so, so frequently means that sometimes her specific features bleed into my drawings of other characters. This habit is not limited to this character. In fact, if I draw any of my characters with any frequency, this sort of “bleeding” or blending occurs. For example, if I draw Lucelion, sometimes I give my other characters his strong, rounded chin; if I draw Bodran, suddenly my other characters have his hooded eyes or sharp eyebrows; if I draw Morowa, I tend to draw fuller lips on my other characters. So if you're seeing all my characters with wide-set eyes, know that to be an unfortunate consequence of drawing her so frequently and know that I’m aware of this problem. Only Brii and her multiple iterations are supposed to have those wide-set eyes.

Hope that clarifies things for you!

[janearts]

Wow wait after seeing that last ask I’m curious how tall your characters are compared to each other. I was surprised Morowa’s shorter than Bree, and how does Bodran compare to the two of them?

The only height I know 100% for certain is Bodran’s because I created him at a time when having those sorts of numbers at hand was important to me. He is 194 cm (6ft 4in). This is his original/canonical height as a Dunmer and I tried to change as little as possible about Bodran when I imported his Elder Scrolls character into Dragon Age 2.

Bree is around 183 cm (6ft 0in). I say ‘around’ because her original Altmer height is 188 cm (6ft 2in) or thereabouts. I was concerned that that’s a little too much Bree for anyone in Thedas to handle and I shrank her a wee bit.

Morowa is supposed to be just a pinch above average so I think she’d be around 168 cm (5ft 6in) or maybe 170 cm (5ft 7in). 

[janearts]

You mentioned that Bree dated both Zevran and Alistair and later instead of choosing she broke up with both. I guess Zevran was chill, but how this affected Ali?

Tbqh, I don’t have this part of Bree’s canon story worked out precisely–like I cannot for the life of me remember when this happens in-game or when in my story it ought to happen–but Bree didn’t dump them, they dumped her. I double-checked my screenshots from my original playthrough hoping to jog my memory and the conversations her lovers had with her independently went a little something like this:

Alistair raises the issue with Bree. He desires a monogamous relationship and while he apologises for putting the burden on her, he needs her to make a choice. When she can’t decide, Alistair steps aside, wishes her the best with Zevran, and says that Zevran is a lucky man.

Zevran also raises the issue with Bree. He is perfectly comfortable to let Bree pursue her fancies as she desires, but he suspects that Alistair does not feel the same. Zevran desires healthy, hearty polyamory–he does not want to be a cheat and if the relationship between them all cannot be an honest one, then there shouldn’t be a relationship at all. Zevran also steps aside for Alistair.

When Bree was paralysed with indecision, these two absolute gems 1) knew what they wanted out of a relationship, 2) recognised that this ain’t it, chief!, and 3) stepped aside to allow Bree to be happy with the other suitor. This, of course, left Bree utterly loverless.

[janearts]

Have you ever considered Bree getting pregnant? How would she handle it? How would she react to her changing appearence?

I hadn’t considered pregnancy outside of an AU scenario, but I probably should have because Bree treats her corruption as a form of birth control. This is obviously an extremely stupid and risky way of approaching birth control and sex, but nevertheless any resulting pregnancy would be unplanned as far as Bree is concerned because she honestly believes she cannot conceive in the first place.

If Bree got pregnant she would be an emotional wreck for the following reasons:

She was raised in a Circle–essentially raised by an isolated insular indoor village–and thus feels like she doesn’t know how to take care of a child or raise them to be a “normal” functioning member of a society she wasn’t really a part of until a decade or so ago!

She hasn’t got that long to live and she doesn’t want to run off to die and leave her child behind. As someone separated from her own mother at a young age, she knows what that pain feels like.

She doesn’t want to go through the throes of childbirth. 

Bree is incredibly vain and doesn’t want to get fat or lose her “shape” while carrying around a baby for a good portion of the year.

For all these reasons and more, she simply doesn’t want children.

In short, she would handle it terribly.

[janearts]

[WIP in question.]

Have you ever sat down and designed a canon armor for her?

I continually return to this armour, so I suppose that’s the closest I’ve ever come to drawing a “canon” armour set for Bree. I like playing with the idea that Bree has become the fairy tale knight that she dreamed would save her from the Circle Tower as a child.

I got carried away with my reply to your second answer, so the rest is below the read-more!

For that matter, how much time does Bree actually spend in her armor?

I go back and forth on this one. Most days I’m convinced that Bree would be most comfortable dressing as whatever version of ‘Peasant Girl’ entered into her head that day or wearing the Chasind and Tevinter robes that she would find during her travels.

But then I get to thinking about how unlocking the Arcane Warrior tree is a pivotal moment for Bree and her growth during the narrative of DAO. She has this new ability that allows her to pour some of that steely resolve and strength of will that she feels but is not reflected in her physique–an Amazon warrior she ain’t–into her actual corporeal form. Those memories endowed by the spirit of the Arcane Warrior give her a martial confidence and courage that she didn’t have up until that point. I think she’d be encouraged to put down her staff and robes and pick up heavier armour and weaponry. I specifically chose plate armour and a sword & shield for her for the reason specified in my answer above.

I also go back and forth because I just frikkin love thinking about her using her mage’s staff like a giant hunk of inert wood instead of a tool to channel her magic (like here and here). I get all bent out of shape when I have to think about her battle moves with a sword and shield. >:IIII

Also, it’s just awesome that Bree, a cute, sweet, pampered noble’s daughter is going around whacking the crap out of baddies :D

Thank you!!! But I cannot stress enough that Bree spent a solid chunk of the 5th Blight bumbling and fumbling around, combat-wise. She was absolutely useless as a fighter prior to the Broken Circle quest when Wynne was able to take Bree under her wing and especially prior to the spirit of the Arcane Warrior literally hot-wiring her brain with some old ass memories. She whacked things with her staff out of sheer panic. Ok, so she did better than Princess Buttercup during the ROUS scene from Princess Bride–that woman just poked the thing with a stick–but there was still a lot of shrill, panicked screaming for Alistair.

[janearts]

What do you think Bree's voice sounds like?

I really struggle with describing voices, so I’ll give you some sample sound bites so you can get a sense of the sort of voice I’m imagining: 

I think of Kathryn Beaumont’s voice when I think of Bree as a wee one/pre-teen. 

I think of Evelyn Darvell’s voice when I think of Bree as an adult. Unfortunately, Evelyn Darvell’s acting career is a short one, but you can hear her here and here as one of the supporting characters in The Madonna of the Seven Moons (1945). 

[janearts]

A follow up to this. I’m still in a DA headspace and I keep coming up with different variations of DAI’s major scenes for my Warden. L-R: a Skyhold outfit, an example of an Interim outfit (”interim” referring to her AWOL period between DAO and DAI), and a dress + fur rug combo for when I thought I’d draw a comic where Bree thought it would be cold at the Winter Palace (jokes on her, the entire point of the Winter Palace is to get away from the cold).

[janearts]

Just saw your post about Bree's opinion on Loghain and I'm wondering something what does Bree think of King Cailan. As I would argue that it was his fault that everything went to shit as: He name a successor to throne in case he died (which caused the nobles to argue meaning they're to busy to help), refused to listen to tactics (despite the fact Loghain is a seasoned general), charged into battle while being a shit warrior and forcing everyone to try to win a war with single battle.

Tried to keep my answer brief underneath the cut.

Bree liked King Cailan. Keeping in mind, of course, that she didn’t really know him beyond the man she saw at Ostagar. She thought him handsome.

She wouldn’t agree with you and here are the reasons why she would object:

Loghain protested Cailan’s idealism in Ostagar, that’s true; Bree was there and she witnessed it. He thought the situation was too dangerous and yet nonetheless devised a strategy for Cailan anyway (Cailan says, ‘Fine! Speak your strategy.’). Bree would say that Loghain could have put his foot down then and there: ‘This is a lost battle, Cailan, and I won’t lead my men to slaughter. I’m quitting the field of battle.’ Loghain quitting the field of battle prior to the actual battle itself would have forced Cailan’s hand: stand with the Grey Wardens and die, wait for the Orlesian reinforcements, or come to your senses and listen to me.

But he didn’t do that, did he? Loghain protested and then that was it. He went along with Cailan’s plan in which he and his army played a critical role. Light the beacon, charge from cover.

Loghain did end up putting his foot down, but it was during the battle itself: he retreated not prior to battle, but after the beacon was lit. To have quit the field of battle prior to the battle itself might have drawn ire–Loghain could have then had the chance to defend himself to other seasoned sensible warriors who would have understood what was at risk and seen how weak Cailan’s position was–but to quit the field of battle at the exact precise moment when your king needs you is Treachery with a capital T. 

Moreover! Bree would object that Cailan did not turn to the Circles and say, ‘Align with me and you’ll be free of the Chantry.’ Loghain went out of his way to curry the Circle’s favour and did so by encouraging the desperation and the dreams of Libertarians like Uldred. This entire post was almost universally concerned with the Circle–that is Bree’s priority and Cailan didn’t do diddley-squat to help or hinder it. Loghain, however? He set in motion the events which would cripple and destroy her home and the people she loved.

Loghain, not Cailan, is to blame. Loghain, not Cailan, is the source of Bree’s pain and hurt.