#the necropolis

[dragonagegallery]

The Necropolis

In these first concepts for the Necropolis, I thought of it as an inverted Tower of Babel. Instead of seeking knowledge and power from the stars, the Mortalitassi are seeking it in the grave. By Matt Rhodes

Concept Art 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

[curiouswisp]

Learn to rizz with Papa

[cybershock24601]

Imagining a Ingellvar who still on reflex does things like have their breakable things sufficiently anchored in case gravity changes and keeping important documents under things in case of blood rain and just having a whole bunch of quirks that they don't really think of as quirks just because they're things she grew up doing because she grew up in a place where reality's rules change and twists. The team tries to ask her why she does what she does. Her and Emmerich's explanations raise more questions than they answer.

Ingellvar having a bunch of weird little habits from growing up in the Necropolis that everyone just passes off as personal quirks until Emmrich shows up and does the same things and suddenly what everyone wrote off as weird quirks become a bit of a mystery. The team does ask about it but everyone's convinced that Ingellvar and Emmrich are fucking with them because what do you mean you always carry an umbrella around in case of blood rain??

At least everyone is convinced they're being messed with until they're accompanying Rook and Emmrich to the Necropolis and start to experience how fucking weird it is.

Harding is tagging along behind Rook and Emmrich and suddenly Emmrich vanishes out of thin air and Harding starts freaking out while Rook's all like "chill, it's just a Chronological Incontinence Incident. Emmrich will be fine" and Harding's like "What does that even mean???" and Rook starts to explain going full Watcher mode and by the time she's almost done Emmrich is back and it's all good though he does disagree with Rook's preferred theory behind the phenomena and they end up having a rather spirited debate on the subject while Harding is slowly losing her mind and also takes note that Rook really does talk different in the Necropolis.

Neve's helping Rook and Emmrich clear out some more Venatori that have snuck into the Necropolis and suddenly the gravity turns off and everyone starts floating. Rook and Emmrich barely pause in their spell slinging while everyone else is freaking out. Neve too is freaking out but does an admirable job of composing herself after she falls on her ass when she hits the ground while Rook and Emmrich nimbly land on their feet.

Davrin's trying to keep Assan from turning the bones lying around into chew toys when suddenly the room is submerged in total darkness and he suddenly gets an armful of freaked out baby griffin as Assan tries to climb his way up Davrin in a panic at being suddenly blinded. Or alternately Assan ends up going right to sleep like a bird, I'm not sure whether the bird side or the cat side would win out here. Either way while Davrin's wondering what the fuck is going on, Rook and Emmrich are being super chill about the whole experience because sudden unexplained darkness is not that uncommon in the Necropolis.

Lucanis is the lucky one who gets blood rained on. It starts out like little droplets of water which is strange enough because they're inside but the smell of iron is unmistakable and the red color is pretty unmistakably blood like and Lucanis barely gets out a very emphatic "what the fuck" before it suddenly starts pouring blood rain. Luckily Rook and Emmrich always carry an umbrella around so Lucanis gets to share with Rook. Bonus points for this being pretty early in their romance and Rook is swooning over how romantic it is to have a nice walk through the blood rain sharing an umbrella while Lucanis is Going Through It and experiencing the horrors of Necropolis. The fact that Rook and Emmrich are so unfazed about the fact that it is literally raining blood almost makes the situation worse.

Bellara is the one that handles the weirdness of the Necropolis the best because Arlathan Forest gets pretty freaky too. Remember the story about the guy stuck in the clouds? So while the Necropolis' shenanigans are generally creepier, she takes the weird shit in stride and is actually very interested on the why and how of why all the statues in the room suddenly started crying blood.

Taash is the only one to escape the madness because they nope the fuck out of ever going to the Necropolis once everyone starts mentioning the weird stuff that goes on there. Necromancy is already bad enough but they are not going to haunted super cemetery.

Because I am a fan of semi-sentient locations, the reason the Necropolis keeps acting up like this is because it's excited it's Crypt Baby is back and that excitement is manifesting in weird unexplained phenomena.

[galedekarios]

Veilguard The Necropolis In these first concepts for the Necropolis, I thought of it as an inverted Tower of Babel. Instead of seeking knowledge and power from the stars, the Mortalitassi are seeking it in the grave.

[source]

[avernusreject]

There’s something tragic about a mourn watcher rook that loses a romanced Harding/Davrin. They’ve spent their life devoting themselves to the sanctity of death and all the rituals that go into honoring the dead. Rook firmly believes that the necropolis’ rituals are a love letter to a life well lived. Then their lover dies. There’s no body, no way for closure, nothing to honor. A part of their worldview could shatter at this. What were all those rituals worth in the end? To glorify shitty dead nobles when those that actually deserve veneration are stripped of the dignity of a proper burial. How do they deal with this? Does this push them to leave the order permanently? Do the other mourn watchers, specifically Emmrich, help them through their doubts?

[lighthouse-heroes]

The Basalt Hypogeum of the Necropolis.

[waxlyricalmoon]

The Sweet Child Ingellvar

It’s Black History Month in America and in one of my home countries, and I feel like chit chat chatterboxing before bed! My OCs is are shaped by my own experiences as an African and a Black European. It’s an integral and intrinsic element woven into all my writing.

no segue let’s gooo

I lost all creative control over Sweet Child very early on because my kid cousins are the boss of me 🤷🏽‍♀️ they call me auntie and then make demands. Incredible.

Sweet Child is Black, short, and fat…and sports two cute little afropuffs. They look about five years old (and technically, they are). The Necropolis is their mother, they are very well behaved…and they’re a cutie patootie!!

I've written quite a few short stories for them that I've yet to post; it’s only right that my cousins get to have a read first.

I love writing them; I find them comforting. I love that they’re an ancient, unknowable, seemingly immortal being aging so slowly that they consider the elven pantheon “even littler” than they are. I like that they get to be a kid so long! I didn't get that as a Black kid; I fear my cousins won’t either. We're denied childhood and childishness, and I like that Sweet Child gallivants around on their own terms.

Another thing I really like is that they're so mischievous in their innocence and so innocent in their mischief. Every one of their stories sees them dashing into the Necropolis to "seek great rumpus" while their (absolutely terrified) babysitter dashes in after them, knees all a-shiver with fear and fright.

What can I say, my cousins wanted something scary aaaand they like the idea of kids getting one over on the adults.

The Necropolis is their actual mother. I will never make it make sense (honestly it does make sense, but the mystery is so much more fun lol). I love the idea of the literal infrastructure seeming like it should be hostile, but being incredibly indulgent and nurturing instead

No segue

Here are some tidbits about them!

Sweet Child understands the bell Emmrich rings during his recruitment quest to be a dinner bell. Yes, they did eat the rage demon. HOW?! How else? Their trusty spork, of course!

The don’t like saying the word five. They worry about the incident. A slight mispronunciation that caused Thedas’ 2nd moon!

At night, they put their little face right up to others’ sleeping heads. WHY?! To watch their dreams! Mother says not to sit so close. Their eyes might get all dream-shaped…

They’ve created a desire path between the Lighthouse and the Necropolis; to follow it, you merely need to trundle off the edge of the Courtyard, plummet through the Fade for a few forevers, gaining the necessary momentum to crash through the Veil in a meteoric blaze…and then crash through several layers of rock before rolling to a gentle stop upon Mother’s bedrock.

My cousins suggested some of the above. I suspect they’re trying to tell me something.

[nananarc-vp]