I was tagged by @kogarashi-art and encouraged to post by @hedwigoprah @chaosherald @sorcerousadventurer @viagosbrother @mushrooms-x-moss @serialsforbellara and @picathartidae So this one is for all of you 💖
Who or What inspired the creation of your OC? A little game because I'm curious to see how everyone created their character, whether in personality, appearance, or aesthetics!
I'm going to apologize in advance for if this gets long and rambling. The inspiration for Jericho was, and continues to be, very strong, and aligns my two strongest hyperfixations. (Dragon Age and music). But it would really mean a ton to me for people to take the time to read it. This is a special story for me.
Despite Jericho being the 3rd Rook I played (Marina and Aleksi were first), Jericho already existed as a very strong concept in my head prior to Veilguard's release. If you want to know how that happened... then we have to go back to May 2024...
So, in May 2024, I went to a concert for a band that I've liked for a long time. What I didn't expect to find there, however, was a new favorite band, and the most creative inspiration I've ever had in my life. One of the opening acts was a band I'd never heard of before, Normandie. A Swedish group on their very first tour in the US (and adorably excited about that fact) I immediately fell in love with their music from the first song they played.
I went home and started working my way through their entire discography. 4 albums and almost 10 years worth of new music for me to get lost in. But their third album was the one that stood out the most. Dark & Beautiful Secrets.
Shadow Dragon vibes, anyone?
About a month into me listening to Normandie on repeat and them quickly gaining ground as my favorite band, Veilguard was finally announced and the first trailer dropped.
Time to start brainstorming Rooks!
Ideas for my first two Rooks settled in pretty quickly. Vague concepts for an Antivan Crow (that I'd wanted to play as for years) and a Veil Jumper (based on my favorite character from another franchise). But the 3rd was the one that took over my brain and wouldn't let go.
Listening to that album gave me such a clear picture of tortured character who struggled with his identity, freedom, faith, and love. It was so emotionally hard hitting and evocative that I couldn't let it go.
Before I even knew the Mercar backstory (which I threw out, because I already had such a strong idea in mind), the lyrics from these songs had given me the concepts for Jericho's entire backstory:
From the song Jericho (his namesake, a placeholder name that stuck): His feelings on the state of Tevinter, his own situation, the anger that lingers beneath the surface. Certain scenes in the music video also inspired his Rage demon sequence in Hostage.
From Hostage: The name of Jericho's backstory. The concept of his family forcing him into the Venatori, controlling his life, and his fear and anxiety and and sadness that came with it.
From Mission Control: The idea behind the darkest, most heart wrenching scene I think I've ever written. What led Jer to being possessed by Despair.
From Bury Me Alive: His guilt and torment over what he was forced to do for the Venatori, and the results of that on his mental health.
From Thrown In The Gutter: His need to get out. To leave everything he's ever known. He's drowning where he's at, and leaving may be hard, but he has to.
From Renegade: Elements of his struggles as a Dreamer and his situation's effect on his mental health, leading to his possessions by both Rage and Despair.
From Chemicals and Atmosphere: Elements of his relationship with Elek (didn't initially know that these would be about Elek specifically, but I knew they would be about a past love interest), the addictive nature of it, the highs and lows and realizations.
And then, from Babylon and Holy Water: Elements of his struggle with, and eventual complete loss of faith.
Eventually, even more songs worked their way in, and still continue to do so. I maintain that one of the best ways to get to know Jericho, is to listen to his playlists, as music was instrumental (no pun intended) in his existence: Main Playlist | Elek Playlist | Lace Playlist
The only thing left at that point was, what does he look like? The game wasn't out yet. No CC to play with. So, I decided to do something I rarely do, and pick a face claim, hoping I'd be able to recreate the look later in game well enough.
And who better to be the face of Jericho, than the very person who wrote and sang all those lyrics, the very reason I made Jer a poet? Philip Strand:
Btw, if the rock music up top isn't your vibe, he also has a bunch of pop/dance/edm stuff, and covers. He's got you covered. You want recommendations, I've got them. (I've also had a few opportunities to chat briefly with him through Insta dms in the past few months, and he's super sweet)
All of this, figured out before the game even came out. I waited to write Hostage until I'd actually played him and got a feel for his voice and personality, but all the pieces were already there, and had been for months.
So... Jericho has given me more inspiration to write than I've ever had. Writing him, talking about him here, sharing the screenshots... it's brought me into fandom in a way I never thought possible, helped me make friends, and just been so fulfilling in a way I never thought possible.
And I owe it all to Normandie. I feel like the stars really aligned for something special when I went to that concert. Quite literally, life changing.
If you made it this far, thank you for reading all that. It means the world to me, and I'd love to hear your thoughts about... idk, literally any of this.
bitching about outdoor second hand smoke while simultaneously being in or around a car pollution encased bus stop is wild when u consider for even a moment how much worse general car pollution impacts u compared to occasional second hand smoke like …. let’s pick ur battles
Picture this, you're at a bus stop on your way to work when suddenly through the dense fabric of your kn95 mask which you wear every single day like you have for the past 5 years you smell something evil. A scowling, rancorous smell like someone walked into the Paris catacombs and took a long drag off a femur that once belonged to the world's most hateful frenchman. You glance upwind and see a dude with a manbun puffing fat clouds of malice out of a ghoul's severed finger. You post about it on tumblr and it gets just enough traction to find the one person on the whole website brave enough to say, "You can't complain about that. Because cars cause pollution and you don't wear a mask."
Black Roses - Hatred, Despair, Sorrow, Mystery, Danger, Death, and Rebirth
Jericho Mercar Botanical Portrait by the incredible @mistysblueboxstuff ❤️
Friend tags because I don't want anyone to miss this! It's so beautiful I can't get over it, and I need everyone to see my boy. (If you want on or off my tag list, please let me know! I included some newer moots as well, just in case)
While I'm posting, Cirys's ace Pokémon is dhelmise. I wanted to think it was gengar but a genderless kelp ghost that drags around an anchor is too accurate for them.
Harding's would be an arcanine that she raised from a growlithe. The fire stone was a gift from the Inquisitor. Lace takes naps with her frequently, and Cirys finds it adorable.
Illario would have a milotic that most people assume he bought, but Lucanis knows he raised from a feebas. It wouldn't stop following him around Treviso.
Ok this meme was too fun not to do, I haven’t posted in ages because I’ve been playing through all the Pokémon games as nuzlockes. (RIP Nutty Buddy the Linoone, you are missed) I got tagged by @sandcastlekings
Cirys “Rook” Laidir born in 9:34 Dragon as Kiana Laidir was originally from a no-name village near Kont-aar. They wouldn’t say they’ve had the worst life possible, they’ve met plenty with worse. Sure they had a kid and lost him but there are plenty of parents who have dealt with that. Their husband dying was… Unfortunate but still. The slavery on a galley ship they could have lived without. Although they doubt they would have met Isabela if that was the case maybe they would have never been a Lord of Fortune.
If Isabela had never introduced them to Varric they might have never helped save the world as Rook! Maybe they wouldn’t have fallen in love with Lace (although losing her hurt like a bitch). Treviso might’ve been blighted! Maybe the inquisitor would never have reunited with Solas.
They certainly wouldn’t have ever gotten to know Illario and eventually fall in love with him. He was a surprise, one they hadn’t ever expected. Yet now they're happier than they've ever been in life.
But what if...
From the least changes to their backstory to the most:
Shadow Dragon:
Key Mercar
Instead of Isabela it was another face that saved them? Looking in through the bars of the window at them and the rest of the galley slaves. A picked lock and some broken chains later they were once again a free elf. But what to do? They followed their savior like a lost puppy and were eventually brought into the fold of the Shadow Dragons. A determination that in another life led them to gold and glory was focused into the cause. The name Kiana was shed in favor of a nickname and a joke. They had needed a key to be free, now they were always a Key. While they could not care less about Tevinter they dearly loved the Dragons they’d come to know and they enjoyed Dock Town’s rough demeanor.
Sure they fucked up with being rash but, well, that was always their way.
Major Changes:
Key saves Minrathous over Treviso (those are their people in Dock Town. The dragon can burn the higher ups but it’ll go through them if it wants to burn their town.)
Romances Bellara (After she shows an interest in the Shadow Dragons Key regales her with tales late into the night then spends the rest of it listening to her talk about what she’s working on. Bellara falls first but Key falls harder.)
Personality wise, they'd be more subdued without the boasting and teasing they learned in the Lords. They are still kind and inclined to joke, though.
Mourn Watch:
Ixio Ingellvar
Instead of hiding that they were literate they let it slip? A literate slave could actually be worth some money, if one knew how to sell them. Add to the fact that they’d hidden it with speaking qunlat and the right magister would pay double. So they were sold to the highest bidder and forced to be a scribe. Poor penmanship aside, they didn’t mind the work even as they strained at the edges of their leash. Unfortunately the noble who owned them made the mistake of taking them to Nevarra and the Grand Necropolis. Slipping the lead wasn’t easy but their hands hadn’t lost the deft touch of a rogue with all that writing. The depths of the Necropolis were wildly dangerous, and stunningly beautiful. With an affinity for spirits and a love of exploration they actually enjoyed their time roaming the Necropolis. Until they scared a group of young mourn watchers who were on a level they should not have been. Once again freed they agreed to join the Mourn Watch and found a sort of peace there. Even finding a new name in the process from one of the graves they tended. They were even able to speak about the grief of losing their son and Javis amongst those who worked with the dead and find healthy coping mechanisms.
Had that damn undead noble not started shit they would have spent the rest of their days peacefully tending the graves and exploring new parts of the Necropolis.
Major Changes:
Emmrich remains human. (Cirys encourages Lichdom for Emmrich due to their own fear of losing anyone else. Ixio would encourage humanity.)
They would know how to grieve for Lace and probably not romance Illairo. I think they’d still befriend him in the end because Lucanis loves him and maybe he just needs a friend.
Personality changes would be much like with a Shadow Dragon. A Mourn Watch!Cirys would be much more proper and a bit reserved at first. They always felt a little out of place among the Mourn Watch as a non-mage.
Warden:
Vesper Thorn
Instead of staying home when Javis begged they left as they had intended after Briathos’s death. First to Kont-aar then to Seere. Then further south. Lost in a haze of grief as they sought for something they didn’t know. A drunken fist fight with a warden conscript pulled them into the fold by their scruff. Quite literally, if Alma is to be believed. Surviving the Joining was a surprise but the camaraderie they found on the other side was a balm to their pain. Here their past didn’t matter and never would again. After losing their mentor they honored him by taking his middle name as their first.
If only the First Warden had less of a stick up his ass, they’d be golden.
Major Changes:
Romances Emmrich (Cirys has been a warden for nearly 20 years by the time of Veilguard, they’re on a timer. Plus they think Emmrich’s sweet. Between their similar view on spirits and how adorable they find Manfred they’re a sucker for him from the start.)
They would keep the Griffons with the Wardens.
Changes to their personality would be minimal. I imagine they'd get pretty close to Davrin and Lucanis would walk into the kitchen to find both of them shirtless comparing scars. Quick with a grin and a blade when Davrin and them are on the battlefield they fling taunts back and forth.
"Looking a little slow Davrin, should I leave a few for you to kill?"
"Oh, is this you taking the fight seriously? Here I thought you were taking it easy!"
Veiljumper:
Kinathis Aldwir
Instead of letting his niece live in that quiet, loveless home, Towarin snapped? Taking Kiana on an ‘extended hunting trip’ it soon reveals itself to be a journey to Arlathan. Kiana realized right before they hit Dairsmuid that he never intended to return them to their home. Even through raging and crying, Towarin held strong. Knowing the jungles of Rivain would be unkind to a lone girl, they were forced to keep going. Arlathan was a beautiful place, and they fell in love with it and the village they stayed at. When Towarin wanted to accompany the first Dalish clan that passed through, they tried to protest. Still, he was the only person they really knew. Eventually, the anger fell away as they slotted into the clan as if they were born to it. Traveling and learning more about the history of their people suited them just fine, and when they began to question their identity, Towarin and the First helped them immensely. Towarin was the one who suggested their new name, and he cried when they accepted it. A testament to their father and the person they had been.
When the Veiljumpers formed they readily joined. It would’ve been a good life for them had they not saved Varric Tethras from that damned trap and become Rook.
Major Changes:
None, but Veiljumper!Cirys is in a much better emotional position to lose Lace than LoF!Cirys. They still romance her, still trust her to head the second team, and still lose her. However, they don’t go through the downward spiral of ‘Everyone I’ve ever loved is dead because of me’ that LoF!Cirys goes through.
Personality wise they're more humble. While they're quick to share stories of their youth there isn't the bragging that comes from a Warden or Lord of Fortune.
Antivan Crow:
Laidir De Riva
Mara Laidir, with no remaining family in the north, had taken a job down south? There she would find out she was pregnant with another child and would hope they looked like Theris. When they didn’t she was disappointed. Still she named them after his grandmother and focused on work. As a servant in a noble house she didn’t make much but she could support them just fine.
When the noble had a contract put on them, both Mara and Kiana were at risk of being collateral. Mara hid Kiana in the last moments they had. Dying while begging for her life. After the Crow left, Kiana ran to the docks, seeking out ships leaving that night for Antiva. It wasn’t easy, but they found a boat and snuck on. Hiding in a barrel for a full day, they exited to grab food and water when they heard a voice they had last heard when their mother begged for her life. Without thinking, they took the small pen knife they carried and tried to attack the man.
Even impressed by their tenacity, he had to make a point, so he dangled them over the railing above the dark sea below.
“Even if you can swim you will still die in those waters. Agree to come with me and you just might live."
So they’d agreed. With a new recruit and a filled contract the de Riva Crow returned home.
Still, Laidir De Riva would be a terror of a Crow. Ruthless and efficient. A warrior wielding a sword and shield to channel their anger into purpose.
The people in charge of training them, however, were now faced with a problem. Kiana was ferocious and willing to fight. Anyone. Including anyone who tried to teach them. Even beatings didn't dissuade their rebellion.
One of the higher-ups suggested giving the stray to the ‘prodigy’ Viago to train. (To humble him. They believed Viago would fail.) The rest fell in line, and soon enough, Viago, a new crow, had a protege. On the one hand he’d been given a lot of responsibility. On the other he’d been given a liability. Before he struck a deal with them, he gained a scar in the shape of their teeth.
When they transitioned, they took their former surname as a name, something Viago hated.
That enabled them to destroy an entire squad of Antaam. It caused them to have to join Varric Tethras after Viago threw them out.
Major Changes:
They romance Neve. After learning to relax while traveling with Varric, she laughs at some of their first jokes. They fall hard for her.
Crow!Cirys leaves Treviso to be blighted and can't hide their contempt for the Crows even as Lucanis is mourning the city. (Those two don't like each other very much.)
This would be the largest personality change. Viago would force them to take things more seriously. There would be no joking and a lot more bitterness. Their natural kindness was burnt out of them, only starting to return at the start of Veilguard. Through inspiring Neve and seeing the hope the Shadow Dragons give to Tevinter, they soften in kind.
This was super fun! I did toy with playing Cirys as a Crow when Veilguard first came out to do a Lucanis Romance then realized pretty quickly that they wouldn't stay with the Crows unless someone forced them.
I don't really have anyone in mind to tag, but I'd love to see more of these if anyone else wants to do it. I loved Jericho's and I'm going to go scroll through some tags to see if I can find more to read.
I finally finished weaving my snowy band! Instead of being done and moving on, I've decided to sew a little drawstring project bag to feature it. This will be the first time I've incorporated my weaving into a larger project, which I've been meaning to do for a while now! It'll also be my first time sewing a bag.
I was planning on embroidering a couple scattered stars on the fabric to tie it into the band, but things quickly got out of hand.
Several days and many, many, podcasts later, this is where I'm at. The embroidery is done, and I've very roughly mocked up the bag so I can plan out the rest of it. The starry fabric to the left will be the bag's lining.
I really want to weave or braid the drawstrings with the remainder of the loom waste, but it's all a bit too short. I don't think it'd be worth knotting them together to add length. Currently debating what to do. (I played and won a dangerous game of yarn chicken with 3/5 of the fibers I used. The loom waste is all I've got)
I'm so happy with how it turned out! Thanks to various interfacings and the lining, the bag stands up nicely on its own but is still soft and crumply.
Having a white flannel bottom was objectively a bad call, but it had to be done. For the aesthetics. Star shaped stitching was also non-negotiable.
Drawstring holes were stitched up with more handspun yarn. It took a long time for me to decide what I wanted to do for the drawstrings themselves. I eventually decided to try tubular weaving, which was a great call. Weaving plainweave tubes is so fast??? Extremely satisfying after how painfully slow the band was.
I see more woven cordage and handmade bags in my future.
Ok now I'm just trying to imagine what Illario was up to in the year that Lucanis was "dead." Like he had to have been going on contracts right? He couldn't exactly be like "Sorry I'm a little too caught up in Venatori traitor business to work right now." It would be interesting if he tried to convince people that he was grieving too much to be able to take them, but I don't think that's an excuse that would have flown with Caterina. Also surely he wouldn't want to undermine the whole reason he did all of this in the first place, right? Anyway he's surely a competent Crow in his own right but man I have to imagine how those first few solo contracts must've felt when he started to fully realize exactly what he signed himself up for.
What if Illario not only has to work alone but he realizes that he still can't live up to the ghost of Lucanis, both in his mind and in the minds of his colleagues and Caterina? Someone who's gone often takes on a legendary status, and when they actually were the best, how much of a shadow would that cast? He's also got to balance this relationship with Zara now and his work, wherever that takes him.
All of this is great. Consider: the imagery of shadows in their relationship in general.
Under the cut 'cause it got away from me and became longer than I expected
As boys, Illario always followed Lucanis, probably like a shadow.
("Who am I going to follow now?")
As adults, Illario feeling like he could never be close to as good as Lucanis, always in the shadow of his achievements.
After Lucanis' "death", Illario still isn't free of the shadow Lucanis casts. Only now, like what @genjyoandgojyoandhakkai said, that shadow is deeper and darker and longer than the horizon is wide.
While alive, Lucanis' deeds were the ruler to which Illario could never match. After death, that ruler's measurements stretch to even more impossible metrics.
Because he'll never be Lucanis.
He knows Caterina thinks, even though she may never say, "It should have been you"
Lucanis' shadow was stifling before. But now the shadow is suffocating in ways he never even contemplated as possible.
And the only one who could have helped ease his own (self-inflicted) suffering is dead — because of him.
Honestly, I kind of wonder if Illario would have lasted much longer under that strain. Like, had Lucanis not been recovered, a lot of events would have been different of course, but focusing in on the remnants of the Dellamorte family, that future is especially bleak.
Lucanis' shadow cast over the Villa like a pall, darkening it forever.
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