The Gaze That Cuts Through Masks

Meta, headcanons, creativity and fics inspired by Solas and Lavellan. Interested in themes, narratives, symbolism and mythos

[vhen-harel]

I love talking about Dragon Age - mostly Solas and Lavellan and Inquisition. For anyone following me - I'm an unapologetic Solavellan - they are my OTP.

World State -> Romanced Lavellan (female mage) x Solas -> Atonement -> Reunited.

VhenHarel on AO3 BlueSky

Navigation:

My Meta/Thoughts:

Solas ◈ Solas/Lavellan ◈ The Inquisitor ◈ Elgar'nan/Mythal ◈ Evanuris ◈ Solas & Mythal ◈ Felassan ◈ Mythal ◈ General Dragon Age ◈ Rook & Veilguard ◈

#I was Solas first / #vhen'harel / #dreadquisitor / #elgythal / #evanuris / #Wisdom as a Weapon / #the slow arrow / #the all mother / #Da Lore / #rook

My canon protagonists:

Saethre Lavellan ◈ Solas/Saethre ◈ Headcanons ◈ Dozer 'Rook' Thorne ◈

#the woman who blazes like fire / #Solthre / #lalorecanons / #oghren's son

Creativity:

Fanfics/Writing ◈ Creative Design/VP/Screenshots ◈ Event I organized: Solavellentine 2026 ◈

#lalorewrites / #laloreshots / #solavellentine

Feel free to message/ask me anything.

My interpretations are fluid and always evolving, because I am always evolving. Something I posted 2 months ago may change as my perspectives change. My posts are my interpretations and thoughts. I like exploring authorial intent as well as symbolic meaning, looking at how themes, narrative, dialogue, and lore shape character and relationship arcs.

My Official Dragon Age Canon OCs:

DAO: Ellindar Tabris, Female City Elf, Rogue - with Alistair

DA2: Hawke, Male, Warrior - with Fenris

DAI: Inquisitor Saethre Lavellan, Female Dalish Elf, Mage - with Solas

DATV: Rook Dozer Thorne, Male Dwarf, Warrior - with Bellara

[hoiist]

Was I everything you wanted?

[vhen-harel]

✨💙 TAG GAME : Meet Cute 💙✨

Thank you for taggin me @fadetouchedlurker and @amoaliquis. You two always inspire me for how deep you build your lore for your characters and world. This will be focused on Dragon Age.

🔹 WHAT’S A SMALL GAME DETAIL THAT YOU ALWAYS NOTICE AND LOVE?

When the characters in the game mention moments that we never see in the game. It makes me feel like the world is alive even when I'm not there to witness it all. Two examples that come to mind are when Solas and the Inquisitor are in their shared dream and Inky asks Solas why they're in Haven and when Solas responds with Haven being important, Inky comments that they already talked about that. When?? When did you guys talk about it? What did I miss? The other is also with Solas and Inky. At Skyhold Inky can ask Solas more questions about Corypheus and he says he already told them everything he knows on their journey to Skyhold. Of course we also get companion comments that stuff happened that we never got to see - like learning that Blackwall and Solas play cards.

To switch to Mass Effect - one of the sweet behind the scene moments I always liked was when Shep goes up to Kaidan and Kaidan says hey why didn't you wake me up before you left. It's so simple but it makes me imagine what their lives are like together behind the scenes.

🔹 WHAT’S ONE PIECE OF REFERENCE MATERIAL YOU’RE CURRENTLY OBSESSED WITH?

I'm just always obsessed with codices from DA. They help add additional colour to the world.

🔹 SHARE A SNIPPET OR VISUAL FROM YOUR CURRENT PROJECT THAT YOU’RE QUIETLY PROUD OF.

Some gifs I'm working on right now. I have no one way of working on gifs. Sometimes I know exactly the dialogue I want to write and then I go hunting for the right scene and moments. Other times I get the gifs first, knowing the overall vibe I want to convey but then it takes me a bit to draft the dialogue. The example here is me knowing exactly the scenes but still drafting the dialogue. It takes me a bit because I need to see the gifs in action to help me write the dialogue - part of it is wanting to write dialogue that matches the mouth movement. This gif set will be a scene where Dozer digs into Solas more on Lavellan, accusing him of not actually caring about her. Solas does NOT like that.

🔹 WHAT’S SOMETHING YOU’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO CREATING OR FINISHING SOON?

I still have a bunch of gifs planned for my Wolf in Minrathous series - I know the scenes to use, have some dialogue for some of them, I just need to record a few more scenes.

I also have a cameo from GDL that I'm creating a video for, so it's in rough draft with the audio in and a few scenes, but need to record a few more, insert and edit.

🔹 WHAT’S A FUN OR SILLY TRADITION YOU HAVE WITH YOUR OCs?

I don't have one really. I don't have many OCs outside of DA. If there is one consistent thing with them is their hair is either going to be red or black. (My Shep in ME has red hair and my HoF is a ginger. Hawke has black hair like Saethre - and well, Dozer has red hair - so there you go lol.)

🔹 WHAT’S AN NPC YOU’D LOVE TO SEE IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT OUTFIT OR SETTING?

The Adventures of Kenric and Harding? I always felt those two had a little something. Also, The Adventures of Cole and Dagna, I don't know why but the thought of those two getting into things delights me.

🔹 WHAT IS A COLLAB PROJECT THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO DO?

I enjoy fan exchanges so those are fun and I'll do more of them in the future. But other than that, no ideas really.

🔹 WHAT’S A TINY HEADCANON OR DETAIL YOU’VE ADDED TO YOUR OC THAT BRINGS YOU JOY?

That Saethre always wears a sash. For anyone who hasn't read my previous posts about the sash in Metis culture (I'm Metis) here is some info, The sash is multiuse - can be used to gather, used for warmth, used for people to work together and carry large loads over distances, used for injury - it's not just about the culture but it was extremely useful and so I always have that for Saethre and that the Dalish weave these sashes and pass them on down through the generations and then each person it's given to mends it and adds their own thread to it. Saethre's sash was handed down to her by her mother, and the generations before her. Saethre ties it around her waste when travelling (she never knows when she finds wild herbs to gather), wraps it around her neck when she's cold, wraps it around her torso and waist when going into battle as it can hold lyrium poitions and other necessities in battle she might need to quickly access.

The other headcanon I have that I love is that Solas and Saethre essentially create a new kind of people in Thedas through their progeny, similar to the Dúnedain - the Sulevhen. This has to do with Solas' immortality and that the anchor essentially changed Saethre's physiology.

🔹 WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WANT YOUR FOLLOWERS TO KNOW ABOUT YOU?

Ummmm. I don't know. Relating it to the world of DA, I just really love canon and am a canon junkie. I enjoy taking what's in canon and making pieces fit.

Open tag for anyone who loves to lore build - but also tagging: @taschaka-blog @pooyaaaaan @haezelnut @kcwriter-blog @yolebrat @wickedsnack @unhingedjune @topaz-carbuncle @wingedblack @foxeareddevilish @exia-1 @fortheloveofsolas @meinafrenzy @lagunapoint @teamdilf @loreofthedasposts

[amoaliquis]

✨💙 TAG GAME : Meet Cute 💙✨

The bestus @galacticsparkles completed this, and I read it avidly! Love reading about that tall drink of water of yours: Elore Winterstone. [BG3 Tav]

I am excited to participate and actually get a chance to talk BG3, Dragon Age, and Fallout with the void!

Tagging some loves who might like to participate, just ya know, slightly adjust the questions for your game of choice!! Or hell, all the games, because I did NOT stick to one game. Go nuts.

@vhen-harel, @yappacadaver, @stormemes11, @fadetouchedlurker, @zennihilation, @ellessario [Rolan!! <3], @apothe-cary, @redaresss, @vishantikaffar and @tieflingsorcerer!!

But also: OPEN TAG.

This got a little long. I am not ashamed, just giving a heads-up.

🔹 WHAT’S A SMALL BG3/DRAGON AGE/FALLOUT DETAIL THAT YOU ALWAYS NOTICE AND LOVE?

I will revisit a post I made about the kisses in BG3 being tailored and very in character instead of a generic animation slapped over all companions. [Post Here], but that's not small to me. None of it is really.

What haunted me? Riven's facial expressions when I chose a route I normally wouldn't for her. She is HIGHLY expressive, so much so that during those scenes I could feel her revulsion. I'll have to cut some GIFs of it. Still makes me uncomfortable, but that just means it was very well done.

Dragon Age? Which game? /laughs. I noticed the shoe sole nails in Veilguard. I appreciated that. Still do. [Post Here] Now I find myself looking at the bottom of shoes in every game.

Fallout simply has to exist, and I love it. What? New Vegas crashed. AGAIN?! Love it. /chuckles

🔹 WHAT’S ONE PIECE OF REFERENCE MATERIAL YOU’RE CURRENTLY OBSESSED WITH?

BG3 - Surprisingly, it's everything about Drow for Riven. I cannot overstate how much I love that Drow are a matriarchal society. They're also highly sensitive to sunlight, leaving them vulnerable, so they travel beneath cloaks to shield themselves.

Keep in mind, I knew none of this before playing BG3. The only elves I was familiar with were Night Elves from WoW. So discovering all of this afterward, and realizing that Riven just so happened to romance Astarion, felt oddly beautiful in its own way.

Oh, and Drow have also developed their own intricate form of sign language for stealth, which is incredibly cool. It's also fascinating that elven races don't truly sleep; instead, they enter a four-hour meditative state known as reverie.

Yeah... I love Drow. I could keep going, but I'll spare you.

Dragon Age - anything on Qunlat and the Qunari. Reist and Arojan are directly responsible for this, by the way.

Fallout - Since I'm working on a cosplay, reference images from FO4. [I really want to replay.] But I'm always double-checking my information on ghouls and the layouts of places/settlements.

🔹 SHARE A SNIPPET OR VISUAL FROM YOUR CURRENT PROJECT THAT YOU’RE QUIETLY PROUD OF.

Nothing BG3 or Dragon Age. It's a little Fallout idea I'm fleshing out for Brenna and Hancock. A part of their canon if you will.

It isn't the fic yet; it's more about me "painting" the scene to visualize and make sure it FITS them, ya know?

[Since I'm not an artist. Unless you want me to draw you a booty. I ain't terrible at that.]

It's hard to share a snippet because I'm protective of widely sharing early-stage work/idea-spitting when it comes to these two. Yet, in the spirit of creative camaraderie and pushing against my comfort zone...

A claim. A promise. A deliberate choice to carry pieces of each other beneath their skin forever. Something raw and intimate that feels more honest than polished rings ever could.

🔹 WHAT’S SOMETHING YOU’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO CREATING OR FINISHING SOON?

My Fallout Cosplay.

🔹 WHAT’S A FUN OR SILLY TRADITION YOU HAVE WITH YOUR OCs/TAVS?

BG3 Specific Silliness regarding my Durge - Riven, blood-thirsty bitch she is, makes sure every companion has something she personally threw into their spot in camp. Teddy Bears (Clive needs a friend), Plush Owl Bears, Music Boxes, Crystal Balls, Hand Mirrors, Paintings, Jewels, Hookahs; she customizes it to each companion. Often giving them more than one thing. Why? Manipulation? Maybe she's simply trying to lull them into being complacent around a Bhaalspawn.

A general thing for all of my OC's no matter their origins? Every single one of them has some type of facial scar. They always will, and for the most part, I tend to eschew most "traditional" ideas of beauty. (Exceptions exist if it can be used to manipulate and make them more morally questionable bastards.) My very being revolts against them. So you'll see ink, scars, odd hairstyles, prosthetics if the game allows, whatever happens to fit who they are with body styles similar to my own. They're a strange mix.

🔹 WHAT’S A BG3/DRAGON AGE/FALLOUT NPC YOU’D LOVE TO SEE IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT OUTFIT OR SETTING?

HE WHO WAS!!!

No contest. Literally in any setting. Let Riven take the man out for a drink. Tie him up. Put him on Bhaal's altar so they can create the next line of Bhaalspawn. Or, you know, let her brush his hair and braid it. She's not picky. Leave the 'fit and bare feet though.

Dragon Age (Inquisition and Veilguard) - Off the top of my head? Professor Kenric, Chief Movran the Under (I LOVE the Avvar. A lot.), and Viago.

Fallout - Gob, Edward Deegan, and Maxson, please!

🔹 WHAT IS A BG3 COLLAB PROJECT THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO DO?

Dis Me, poking at the word collab for any fandom:

🔹 WHAT’S A TINY HEADCANON OR DETAIL YOU’VE ADDED TO YOUR TAV/OC THAT BRINGS YOU JOY?

I love every single tiny bit of information regarding any of my OCs.

BG3 - Riven specifically? Lately, I've been ruminating on how she wants to redirect any negative emotions Astarion has about the scars on his neck. Oh, and how rope/restraint has become synonymous with safety/care/love for her. Complex emotions that are strangely perfect for her.

Fallout - I love how Brenna's life is, in many ways, a Wasteland mirror of my own, especially when it comes to certain key aspects of her background and experiences. Write what you know.

Dragon Age - Senka? It's the fact that she still wears a torn strip of fabric around her calf, torn from Arojan's shirt and used to staunch her bleeding the day it helped save her life.

Loïc - He hates the very concept of grave gold and only wears one necklace hidden under his clothes/armor. A gift from Vorgoth on his ninth Found Day.

Reist - He has a heart-shaped freckle on his ass cheek.

Asena - Her favorite fruit is blueberries... which Solas tried to gank once to make a watercolor paint that matched her eyes.

🔹 WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WANT YOUR FOLLOWERS TO KNOW ABOUT YOU?

Send help. /laughs.

No, please interact. Let's talk about all the things!

I love you.

[fadetouchedlurker]

✨💙 TAG GAME : Meet Cute 💙✨

(Dragon Age edition)

Thanks for the tag @galacticsparkles!

🔹 WHAT’S A SMALL DETAIL THAT YOU ALWAYS NOTICE AND LOVE?

I love eavesdropping on all the folks in Skyhold and Haven.

🔹 WHAT’S ONE PIECE OF REFERENCE MATERIAL YOU’RE CURRENTLY OBSESSED WITH?

Really into combing through my shots of the Dalish camp on the Dirthavaren.

🔹 SHARE A SNIPPET OR VISUAL FROM YOUR CURRENT PROJECT THAT YOU’RE QUIETLY PROUD OF.

Okay so. Unfortunately I have quite a few things on the writing front for an event, so I'm sitting on those, and I've posted enough snippets from Obsession with Kitty and Love its starting to become a serial. So the chainmail again.

These are really coming along.

🔹 WHAT’S SOMETHING YOU’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO CREATING OR FINISHING SOON?

The leg guards for the chainmail project, I hope.

🔹 WHAT’S A FUN OR SILLY TRADITION YOU HAVE WITH YOUR OCs?

I don't think I have any? I just play the game and they happen?

🔹 WHAT’S AN NPC YOU’D LOVE TO SEE IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT OUTFIT OR SETTING?

Okay but. That's their outfit though. And that's where they live.

🔹 WHAT IS A COLLAB PROJECT THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO DO?

I don't know I would? I'd be afraid of letting my partner down. Running out of function juice and letting myself down is one thing, disappointing someone I've teamed up with is another.

🔹 WHAT’S A TINY HEADCANON OR DETAIL YOU’VE ADDED TO YOUR OC THAT BRINGS YOU JOY?

Lavellan has a stuffed druffalo.

🔹 WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WANT YOUR FOLLOWERS TO KNOW ABOUT YOU?

If I drop off the planet, it's me, not you and I probably malfunctioned instead of not wanting to talk to folks any more.

And a gentle tag to some folks who haven't been tagged yet: this was originally BG3, but as I am staunchly Dragon Age, I did it for Dragon Age. Pick your poison. @transhades, @sh00kspeared, @maagisterpavus, @elfyroot, @vanillastrange, @vhen-harel, @virshiral, @tinybatjoly

[pothos-art]

Creating the Veil

[melkeyway]

Swimmin’

[attyrocious]

The Queen of Wands Divine Victoria Vivienne for @dragonageannual

[vhen-harel]

Look, my Rook and Solas have major antagonistic brother vibes - they're stuck with each other but they sure as hell don't have to like each other. Though, over time, they begrudgingly come to respect each other.

That dwarf prefers his feet on solid ground and isn't interested in getting into the Dread Wolf's good graces. The old ancient elf is constantly needing to hide his annoyance behind a mask, though you know Solas, he can't help himself sometimes.

[artschoolglasses]

Finally, I can photomode in Dragon Age! (Bless This Post and This Post for the info on how.)

Dragon Age: Inquisition

[hare-of-andruil]

Big buff gf big buff gf big buff gf

[fadetouchedlurker]

Which WIP: A follow up.

Since the WIP I am actually working on at the moment is the chainmail, (though we are probably at check yourself before you wreck yourself today and I will need to do something else like tea, probably) here it is. (And thanks for the tag @gallamorte, this is what I'm doing.)

So. They did lace shut at the ankle, as being a medieval method for closing your chainmail, but with the power of flycam I was able to take better close-up shots of the Dalish scout armor, and I had thought that the strip down the front was garters for keeping the leather leg guards up, but then, looking at the arms, there is a similar strip on the arms which just ends. So I thought hey, what if it's an opening, and the edges are bound with leather and then it's clipped shut? So I hypothesized that, and the lovely @elkattacks who has a gorgeous mage Inky cosplay and doing a very nifty Bellara hairpin thought that too and was kind enough to say, so I was like yay! 🤗 expert agrees! (the mage armor chainmail is not the same style as the scout armor chainmail though, which is super interesting. It has a high neck and the foot is different and it doesn't have the cutouts of the scout armor.)

So I split them up the front enough to get them over the heel, and then I'll finish splitting them later, and I need to figure out how to manage the knee, so right now I have lower leg and a bit of upper thigh, but the clip thing is going to be great. I will probably fabricate those out of bronze rod.

So, @vanillastrange, pictures of the actual chainmail.

(I just have them tied up and clipped together with open jump rings at the moment, but you get the idea.)

As you can see, the knees are going to be tricky, but honestly probably easier to figure out split down the front. This project was on hiatus for quite a few months because I jacked up my thumb joint setting rivets and it did not want to heal, so I'm being careful now.

Up to the juvenile shrikes and my beetles, now, which feels like a significant accomplishment.

[fadetouchedlurker]

Bedtime update of the chainmail; figured out the knees. Now I have to set in all the rivets about it, but that's a later me problem.

Gave me a little more length too. Yay! And I ran a marker ribbon up the front so I can cut it there when I'm ready to run the binding along the edges.

I can kneel in these, but it's like kneeling on gravel.

But! I think that it being split up the front, with the leather binding, will actually keep it from doing that nearly so much, which is really cool.

And I'm very glad that the foot is covered with those leather guards, because I don't have to figure out a foot, and it does look like that's what's going on in the reference to me.

[scribeherself]

the absolute devastating intimacy of a forehead rest. when you are both just so tired from existing in a world that demands you to be a rigid, functional individual, and you finally collapse into each other and just lean your forehead against theirs, or against their shoulder. it’s the physical equivalent of dropping your shields. it’s saying i am entirely heavy right now, and i am trusting you to bear a piece of that weight. and the most beautiful part is that the other person doesn’t even flinch. they just adjust their stance, tuck you a little closer, and absorb the impact. we were designed to divide the burden of being alive.

[celesenova]

Solas Ascending

Solas x Leilah

I was looking through Pinterest and I came across a photo of the 'Orpheus Ascending' sculpture by Richard MacDonald and I was immediately drawn to it. So, here we are, Solavellan.

I have lost track of exactly how many days I've been working on this piece. Hours upon hours and still many more than that and although it's not exactly where I wish it were, I think it's the best I can accomplish at my current skill level. (I'm not entirely happy with the border but I also have no idea what to do with it.)

[vanillastrange]

I missed the last bit of Evanuris Week due to technical difficulties, so here's some unfinished Ghilan'nain and Fen'Harel for y'all ❤️

[pooyaaaaan]

Post by @pooyaaaaan

💬 1  🔁 6  ❤️ 33 · In one of the DAVG endings, Solas and Lavellan go into the Fade together. For the two of them, it is the moment Lavella

2026/6/29 Today's drawing.

Stories change. Myths grow. People say whatever they like.

But for Uisce, perhaps it was simply this:

“Ar lath ma!”

and

“Vir shiral malasa, bellanaris♡”

And… perhaps she does have a soft spot for “the Wolf’s Bride.”

[ashillayn]

It's like looking in a mirror