#westeros lite

[baratheon]

Whenever I sit down to play the Dragon Age games, I can't get over how HAPPY they are

I've read A Song of Ice and Fire. In comparaison, ANYTHING seems like a happy romp.

[baratheon]

30 Day Warden Challenge: Day 3

Personality:

List at least 5 personality traits your warden has.  

Idealistic, compassionate, impulsive, charming, bookish

What strengths/redeeming qualities does your warden have? 

Never let it be said that Philippa isn’t persistent in her goals. If she is given a task, she will see it through to the end, and to the best of her abilities.

She is also very personable and friendly. Her easy charm serves her well when she takes the time to think her decisions through.

What is your Warden’s biggest flaw(s)/weaknesses?

She lets her emotions rule over her, even when cold hard facts might tell a different tale. This is particularly obvious in the endgame, where politically she knows that Alistair and Anora SHOULD marry, but she can’t bring herself to follow through with the arrangement (even lying to Anora, by saying she couldn’t convince Alistair). At the actual Landsmeet, this also comes into play where she initially has every intention of having Alistair rule by himself, she decides she can’t let the man she loves face the burden alone, and convinces the nobles to allow her to rule by his side as queen.

In addition, she often dwells on the past, holding every “mistake” particularly close to her heart. She constantly second-guesses herself about Orzammar and her actions during the Landsmeet (to say nothing of doing Morrigan’s ritual and… everything that she does in Awakening pretty much). Initially, rather than learning from these mistakes, she continues to repeat them, often with more dire consequences each time. But, as she continues to grow, she learns to take a step back, rather than charging in headfirst.

How does your character change/develop during the Blight? Do they become more compassionate? Darker? Do they grow up? 

Probably Philippa’s biggest turning point was the succession crisis in Orzammar. Perhaps rather naively (given what happened to her family, perhaps she should have been more careful to begin with), she played right into Bhelen’s hand (for reasons which will be discussed in more detail later). It was only after he was crowned did she realize that Harrowmont was (in her eyes) the better man and the “better” contender for the throne. This, combined with Howe’s betrayal, definitely makes her less trusting, and really comes into play with the Landsmeet and Anora. The Landsmeet and what came after it also helped her realize just how much she was governed by her own emotions. By the end of the Blight, while she still lets her emotions rule over her, she HAS become a savvier ruler as a whole.

Awakening is probably where the vast majority of her development occurs. While the Blight generally went according to plan for Philippa (until the endgame at least), she found going with her immediate “gut” feeling as Warden-Commander only led to more problems (such as siding with the Architect and burning Amaranthine despite the fact she had fully upgraded the keep). These experiences lead her to distance herself from more emotionally charged situations, and to govern more with her head than just her heart. All in all, it helps make her a more effective ruler.

Does your character fit any cliches? 

Probably the “life isn’t a fairy tale, even if you marry the prince sometimes things just suck” type princess that are common in a lot of “dark” fantasy. In part, I based her off of Sansa Stark from A Song of Ice and Fire (though, given the fact that Philippa is older, she isn’t QUITE as ignorant to some of the grosser aspects of nobility as Sansa was). She’s also got a smidge of Arya Stark in her as well, and possibly a pinch of G(a)linda from the musical version of Wicked and Belle from Beauty and the Beast.

 What habits/quirks does your character have? 

 She is very particular about her hair, even if it never quite cooperates the way she wants it to. Leliana was probably the first one to comment on this, noticing Philippa constantly fiddling with it.

 What would your character Hogwarts House be? Why? 

Gryffindor for sure. In many ways, she embodies some of both the best and worst qualities about that house (particularly the charging head on to the fight). She DOES have a love for reading, but she isn’t quite oriented towards the intellectual side of things enough to be a Ravenclaw.

[baratheon]

As much as I really like Loghain as a character, none of my Wardens have spared him yet.

It's the slavery that's always the nail in the grave. There are lots of things you can do, but selling a marginalized group into slavery supposedly for the "good" of your country ends up being p. much inexcusable.