Alright I'm actually just curious but about the interaction between Arla and Thalon. Idk if that counts as TMI tuesday but yeah.
Ohh, shit, yeah! You def sent me one of those “speech bubble” thingies for the OC interaction meme, and I think it was one of the ones that fell into the (lengthy) inbox backlog. I’m so sorry! Of course it counts for TMI Tuesday. :D
I think Arla and Thalon have a lot of common ground between them – both mages who took on the burdens of family and clan at a young age, who both identify with Mythal the Protector, and both made sacrifices trying to protect/save a younger sibling.
I could see Thalon and Arla having…a quiet sort of kinship, if that makes sense. They’ve both seen some…awful things, and lost someone dear to them, and I think they have similar values and convictions. So yes, I think Thalon would find a friend in Arla, quite happily.
Thalon might even be good for her. It seems like, at least pre-Inquisition, she’s still holding on to a lot of bitterness and pain from her past, while Thalon’s learned to let go of most of his. So maybe they could kind of help each other – as two people of a similar age and from the same culture, a kind of steadying influence on one another perhaps?
Also, Arla’s both intelligent and beautiful, of course, and even though he’s gay Thalon’s not blind to that. You know how Dorian tells a female Inquisitor that “in another life” he might have been interested in more than friendship? I can definitely see Thalon feeling that way about Arla. :)
Do any of your OCs speak some language other than their native language? + If Ierys suddenly gained magical abilites (bc of SOMEONE :P) how would she react / how would she handle it?
Ohhohoh! Ohh boy, do I love you for asking this question! Hahahah. I’m a massive language nerd, and almost all my characters speak at least two languages. :D
Trade Tongue is the de facto native language for all my characters, as it is for (almost) everyone in Thedas. I should note that I don’t believe the Dalish actually speak Elvhen, beyond a few rituals and common phrases. Elvhen as a language no longer exists in modern Thedas. All that’s left are the broken remnants the Dalish were able to recover from what was lost during their enslavement to Tevinter.
The fluency scale I’ve used here is native > fluent > proficient > broken > crude. (Think of “crude” as like…just the swear words and basic pleasantries.)
So without further ado, here’s the complete list of languages my characters speak in addition to Trade Tongue:
Thalon Lavellan: Elvhen/Orlesian (broken), Antivan (crude). Josephine taught him rudimentary Orlesian and Antivan during his three years as Inquisitor, but he never got much beyond the basics. As the Keeper’s First, he studied both written and spoken Elvhen.
Telhara Surana: Antivan (native), Elvhen (crude). She was born to an Antivan Dalish clan, and grew up bilingual in both Trade and Antivan. She didn’t finish her studies in Elvhen before her clan was killed.
Ghilethari Lavellan: Elvhen (broken). Like Thalon, she studied written and spoken Elvhen with Keeper Deshanna.
Halahn Lavellan: Elvhen (fluent), Orlesian/Tevene (proficient), Qunlat (broken), Antivan (crude). As a Dreamer, Halahn is able to understand the voices of the Well of Sorrows, and can even converse with them. Over time, he learns ancient Elvhen beyond what the Dalish know. The other languages he picked up from various acquaintances as Inquisitor, mostly just to show off.
Ihsaan Adaar: Qunlat (proficient). Her parents were natively fluent in Qunlat, but Ihsaan refuses to speak what she considers to be a “heathen” language.
Ierys Venati: Tevene (fluent), Qunlat (proficient). Like any well-educated Tevinter, Trade is her native tongue but she learned Tevene in school. She picked up Qunlat much later, during her years in Seheron.
Oliver Pentaghast: Orlesian (fluent). As the son of Nevarran nobility, Ollie learned Orlesian as a child. Now that he’s employed at the University of Orlais, he uses it on a regular basis.
My two newest OCs, Allegria Hawke (Fereldan, of course) and Aeden Fletcher (a Free Marcher from Starkhaven), speak only Trade Tongue.
And now for your second question….
How would Ierys react if she suddenly gained magical abilities?
I think her initial reaction would be…conflicted. On the one hand, there’s a part of her that’s wanted this her entire life. She’s never forgotten her parents’ disappointment on her fourteenth birthday, which in Tevinter marks the point when a child is considered unlikely to manifest a talent for magic, if they haven’t already.
Ever since then, she’s had a bit of a case of sour grapes, and takes a vain sort of pride in all that she’s accomplished without the advantage of magic. It’s a part of her identity, so gaining magic and losing that identity would be unsettling, to say the least.
Ierys was raised to believe that magic is power – something to desire, something to revere. But she’s also seen terrible abuses and atrocities committed at the hands of the magisters. And in Seheron, she saw that power wielded against helpless, innocent civilians in the name of Imperium.
In the end, I think Ierys would not be happy to gain magic out of the blue – not least because it’d mean she failed to stop Solas’ world-altering plans.
But after the initial shock wore off, she’d take it in stride and think of it as another tool at her disposal to finish the job Inquisitor Lavellan entrusted to her – and that job, as long as she’s still breathing, is stopping Solas. She’d find a skilled mage to teach her how to control her newfound magic, because Ierys knows any tool is only as good as the person wielding it.
If this did happen, Ierys would definitely be an elemental/primal mage. As an archer/Tempest rogue, she’s used to throwing the elements around on the battlefield; as a mage, she’d be no different.
If she had to pick one element to specialize in – lightning.
TMI Tuesday for Ollie! What is his first impression/opinion of his friendly office cubicle neighbour, Cathaire Duran?
“Monsieur Duran is quite a capable researcher, and has served the University of Orlais longer than almost any other research assistant, as I recall. He has more experience and insight in his field than many tenured professors I have met. One might call his dedication to his work…admirable.
Some people at the University avoid conversation with me except when necessary, because I am Tranquil, but Monsieur Duran does not seem to mind that we share an office. In fact, he often inquires after my work or tells me about his own. I enjoy his company.
Ask me anything about my OCs! SFW and NSFW both welcome! :D
Telhara Surana // Canon Warden // Entropy Mage + Arcane Warrior
Romanced: Zevran Arainai
→ Dalish snark Warden extraordinaire and ex-Circle mage. Legend claims she slew the Archdemon with pure unbridled sarcasm.
Allegria Hawke // Canon Champion // Primal + Force Mage
Romanced: Sebastian Vael
→ Kirkwall’s second most infamous citizen -- after Anders, of course. She hasn’t quite forgiven him for that...or for ruining her life.
Thalon Lavellan // Canon Inquisitor // Spirit Healer + Knight-Enchanter
Romanced: Nin Lavellan (@vishantekafas) + Rion Severan (@wardenrion)
→ First of Clan Lavellan. Herald of Andraste. Lord Inquisitor. He’s given a lot of titles, but they stand beside him to remind him of his name.
Is there anything Thalon would like to change about himself, or is he mostly comfortable with who he is as a person?
That’s a great question. The answer will change depending on when it’s asked, but in general, Thalon’s a man who’s outgrown most of his insecurities. He knows who he is and what he believes, and although he makes mistakes, he can take them in stride without falling into self-doubt.
When that changes is after Adamant. The Nightmare does a number on Thalon in the Fade, and after he leaves Hawke behind in the Fade for reasons of dubious morality, he suffers a huge crisis of confidence. Nothing he’s done seems justified anymore, and he’s afraid of the person he’s becoming, the person the title “Inquisitor” is making him become.
It’s Rion’s letter to him that starts to end this internal crisis for him – not right away, but over time, with Nin and Rion’s constant faith in him, he regains that confidence and sense of sureness about himself and his convictions.
Is there anything he would change about himself? He sometimes wishes he had the strength of faith Nin has in the gods of their People, or even Rion’s faith in the Maker and Andraste. It’s not a true wish, because he’s come to his own atheism through a great deal of introspection and soul searching, but occasionally he wishes he had that faith to turn to at the darkest times.
Thalon chooses to place his faith in them, instead – in Nindarhmen and Rion, the men he loves.
If your four OCs were sranded on an island, what would happen? Who would want to get off the island as quickly as possible and who would focus on suriving? Who would take charge and would they even get along with each other?
What a question! Well, I think Telhara would want to get off the island as quickly as possible, for sure. She’s been stranded in the wilderness before and nearly starved to death, so she’d probably be panicking, in the beginning. Ghilethari would also want to get off the island quickly, and probably wouldn’t know what to do. She’d defer judgment to whoever took charge.
Thalon and Ihsaan would both focus on surviving. Thalon is level-headed in a crisis and knows what to do to keep people calm and organized. Ihsaan would probably be a bit more every-man-for-himself, especially in the beginning, until they establish a regular supply of food.
As for leadership, I think Telhara and Ihsaan would fight over who’d take charge. They wouldn’t get along at all. They’re both far too bullheaded (haha…qunari puns) and have opposite opinions about almost everything.
Meanwhile, while Telhara and Ihsaan prepare to duel to the death, Thalon would be the one actually taking charge, making sure everyone has enough food and water, healing any injuries, making sure the shelter stays dry and they have a supply of firewood. After Telhara and Ihsaan got the rage out of their system, they’d fall in line under Thalon’s leadership.
Assuming they’re stuck on this island for at least a few days or weeks, I do think they’d learn to get along eventually. They’d have to, in order to survive. Ihsaan wouldn’t make it easy, though. She’s rude and unapologetic, which might even get on Thalon’s nerves after a few days if she’s being selfish instead of contributing to the group effort.
Telhara would spend a lot of her time with Ghilethari, comforting her with stories and jokes. Telhara has a strong maternal instinct, and I think Ghilethari would trigger that for sure. Telhara and Thalon together would keep Ihsaan in line, and eventually (hopefully) they’d all get off the island…and go their separate ways.
Thanks for the question, that was a really creative one! :D
TMI Tuesday! Ask my OCs anything! SFW and NSFW both welcome. :)
For the TMI Wednesday/talking about OCs (and I feel your pain, I'm going to be completely offline for a few hours)-- Facts about my OCs: Raj's favorite breakfast is grilled river-trout, Rhys hates the mouth-feel of custard, and Elaine's favorite magic parlor trick is making ice sculptures.
Ohhh man, I took a peek at your OCs page and they’re ALL SO BEAUTIFUL! Raj and Rhys are both incredibly fine-looking dudes, and Thalon Greatly Approves. ;)
Hmmm, a related fact about one of my OCs then. Telhara disdains the idea of “parlor trick magic.” For her, magic is a weapon, used to take life or protect the lives of others, not to show off at parties. (This attitude may be the reason Telhara isn’t invited to many parties, hahahh.)
