hair from the prompts list :)
I think the oc who has the most personal and impactful relationship with their hair is Lorelei, and I’ve put some of my thoughts on the matter in this post, so I’m going to talk about Feja here!
There’s not really much canon lore about beauty routines in Thedas, let alone Orzammar, so I just need to make my own.
I don’t imagine Orzammar has many materials that could be used in cosmetic products other than fungi, so I’d assume many dwarves in higher Castes use products from the surface. As Orzammar’s largest trading partner, many cosmetics are bought from Tevinter.
Given the whole “surrounding a lava pit” thing, one would assume that Orzammar is very dry, but because it's a cave the water can't evaporate. So 100% humidity. Every day. In that type of environment, sealing in hydration is key. One of the traditional hair products used in the Thaig is bronto fat infused with different deep mushroom oils to mask the scent.
As an Aeducan, Feja always had access to the finest hair oils, soaps, balms, combs and accessories in Thedas. She often used vinegar or another astringent to rinse out the grime and then used olive, jasmine, and grape seed oils to keep her hair soft and her curls defined. Because the humidity is always so high, she'd also use a small amount of cocoa butter to keep frizz at bay. Then she’d perfume her hair with felicidus aria--an an endangered and expensive flower--and other luxury herbs as a display of her wealth.
Most days, she kept her curls pinned in a plaited updo as befit her warrior status and to keep it safe from breakage. Elaborate styles were reserved for royal appearances.
She also had a large collection of bejeweled and enchanted hair pins with a myriad of effects. Some were more practical, enhancing her combat ability or wit. Others were more mundane. A personal favorite of hers was a minor ward against tangles that she personally commissioned from the Shaper of Runes.
But then she was banished from the Thaig with nothing but the rags on her back. Abandoned. Then found. In the beginning of her journey across Ferelden, there were too many things to worry about and her hair was simply not a priority. She resigned herself to combing it out with her fingers and wearing a helmet or coif.
When she and the rest of her party got more established, she began to think about her hair again. First, she tried a soap purchased from Bodahn that was way too harsh on her hair. Before she resolved herself to trial and error, Feja to swallowed her pride and asked her fellow Warden Elias how he kept his curls so defined and bouncy.
He told her of soapwort, deer tallow soap, and a few oils he knew were good for hair like burdock root and walnut. Their hair textures aren't the same though, so some of his recommendations were just too heavy for her hair. She did manage to find a routine that worked well for her in time.
Immediately upon her return to Orzammar, Feja picked up a nug bristle brush and two pins with anti-tangle enchantment. One of them was gifted to Elias as thanks.
(I clearly got lost in a research hole on this one.)
OC Character Design Questions
