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[Cee]

 *sigh* I really don't see the panic, regardless of what Weekes says, he simply doesn't strike me as a fawn startled by a clap of lightning in any way, sense or form. My interpretation is that he realizes that this whole thing (including his confession) is a terrible idea; I don't know if that can be counted as panicking, but it makes more sense to me that way, if I consider that he just doesn't see a way to do this without it ending very badly.

 

Well, anyway. I'll just speculate further on this in silence.

 

There is a split second where you see the sudden realization in his eyes and eyebrows. It's subtle, but beautifully done and heartbreaking. It's not exactly 'deer in the headlights' but it's a moment that is there and visible and he has to make a decision and he does.

 

 

Yeah, a lot of this is how I feel too. I find I tend to go for the romances that have an impact or are at least relevant to the game's story line. Which means my romances are Alistair, Anders, and Solas. And I 100% agree with the last bit. It's another reason I have a hard time running multiple playthroughs. 

 

Mine have been the story relevant ones too but I just stumbled upon them without spoilers. I just play a character and go for whoever I (and my character, as I develop her and get a good feel for her) am most drawn to. And my first choice through a game usually ruins me for any other romance options. I don't replay games very often and if I do, there's usually a lot of time in between. DAI is different since I started a mage Lavellan nearly right away this time and while she has flirted with others, I'm doing another Solas romance with her.

 

My canon Lavellan, who I headcanoned as bi so having the most options actually worked with that, I actually thought would wind up with Sera, but Sera's thing with elfy-ness and how much less regard she gives for your decisions as an elf were hard to make work. And then I found myself more drawn to Solas anyway. Though Sera was super polarizing with my Lavellan, I love her, and plan an eventual Seramance. I know she loves qunari but actually thinking of making a cute Cadash for her. 

 

 

[Alyka]

My first playthrough as a human mage was also my first time playing a Dragon Age game... or any RPG for that matter. My Inquisitor romanced Cullen and it was OK, but as the game progressed I became more and more interested in Solas and Cole as characters. Eventually I brought those two along everywhere. I knew there was something off about Solas, but being new to the game and not knowing much of the lore, I had no idea what. The ending was completely unexpected to me, and once I saw, of course I had to play again and romance him to gain as much information as possible.

 

I really didn't expect I would become so invested in the story, but I did, and I cried for my Lavellan for *days* after my second playthrough ended. 

 

I think I have three main reasons: 1) Everything about Solas is a mystery and a puzzle to be solved. I like science and I'm the type that can't stop thinking about a question, puzzle, or a math problem until I get the answer. Which makes waiting for a DLC and next installments such torture. 2) Except for his obsession with the past, I really agree with most of Solas' views on the world: that nothing is simply black or white, that wisdom is its own reward, that sometimes you have to do what's necessary. I find myself agreeing with almost everything that comes out of his mouth. It doesn't hurt that all his lines are so well written. 3) I can relate to his feelings of regret for mistakes long done, I emphatize with his sadness, and it reminds me of the things I regret about life. To me he's overall a very relatable character. 

I agree with this assessment. But I would also like to add a few more things of why I find him appealing:

- Some of his views already aligned with mine.

- I find it fascinating that he is a Dreamer. This alone was a bonus point for me because I'm a Pisces.

- He doesn't seem to be materialistic.

- He's not afraid to stand his ground. Nor does he come off as being flighty or a naive moon-calf.

- He is sure of who he is and is not apologetic about it, unless he has wrongly offended someone. Confidence with a bit of Pride.

- He can keep his cool and not always resort to violence unless it is necessary. (Although his actions in ANFFH with the mages is a little questionable) lol

- He doesn't posture or come off as being a misogynistic ***hole. (Though the same could be said about the other companions as well).

- He upholds the idea of the right to freedom.

- He's a badass mage.

- He's attractive.

Also, I bet he is a very sensual lover...... just a guess.

[Caddius]

And I'm NOT arguing about what you're trying to argue here. I mean YES, it is his choice that he leaves Lavellan, but whether it is an agreement between both people or not, you'd think that if he respects her, he takes her feelings into consideration and doesn't leave her in the dark the way he did. This is what I mean when I say that he decides everything for her - for whatever reason he at least doesn't appear to take into consideration how she feels or deserves to know. He likely does, but yet decides he won't be fixing anything and just leaves it at that. Therefore if it backfires on him, he'll only have himself to blame.

Bit late to this debate, but I'll offer my two cents.

 

There is a very large, nasty gulf between the average break-up and someone being left in the dark, and this situation. The relationship didn't end because Solas was 'going through some stuff', or because he was 'old and dodgy in the head'. By telling Lavellan the truth, he isn't just risking his happiness, their relationship, or even his life. He is risking his highest aspirations, goals he has been working toward for longer than most human civilizations have been in existence. We may not know what they are, but we know from Solas's actions and Weekes' commentary that he considers not fulfilling them absolutely unacceptable. The Inquisition is well-positioned to interfere with the retrieval of the Orb, and has a habit of overthrowing gods. As much as he trusts Lavellan, she is still a product of the modern Dalish, and her organization is still a militant Andrastian order that is determined to find everyone responsible for the Breach and bring them to heel.

At the time of the break-up, Mythal's Sentinels have been discovered. Mythal herself has endured the centuries since Arlathan fell. His entire game-plan and understanding of his future has been thrown into chaos. And he's tempted to put it all behind him and stay with Lavellan regardless. The moment he 

On the 'removing Lavellan's memory' part, I'd say that that would be the most intimate and unforgivable crime of all. In Lavellan's place, I could forgive the break-up after a few months of healing and growth. If I were her, and I eventually learned of the Dread Wolf business, and the real reasons behind the break-up, I could understand. I wouldn't like it, but I would understand it. But memory erasure ...For better or worse, those memories were mine. Our personalities and outlooks are shaped by memories. It can be argued that, intellectually, we are our memories. He would be ripping out a piece of Lavellan and leaving her a fragment of what she should be. More devastating by far than dumping her. I'd rather die than have my memories stolen. There's a reason many people, myself included, are more terrified of Alzheimer's than they are cancer.

And yes, Solas could have handled the break-up better, to spare Lavellan's feelings. But it seems to me that his being cold and making it hurt like he does is part of his tactic to make sure that, when he's vanished into the night with the Orb (or without), she doesn't miss him. Instead, she thinks, "Good riddance to the mercurial bastard." He's not a teenager fumbling with his emotions in his first relationship, or an unfeeling jackass. He's a god that specializes in manipulating people to his cause's advantage. In this case, it's Lavellan being safe and sound from the backlash of his plans. And a connection to him is going to prove dangerous, I dare say. In his mind, leaving her in the dark is the only way to keep her from joining him, and that separation is the only way to preserve both his plans' and his lover.

*shrug*

In other news, I'm nearing the end of Kingdom Hearts 2.5 for the first time. Because I didn't have enough video game feelz, apparently.

[Caddius]

You know, this kind of post might get dislikes if disliking posts was possible on here, but... Well, I have a thought about Solas. He fails a lot. He fails so often that he's still trailing behind his own failures, with more problems getting added each time he tries to stop failing. He failed when he locked the gods away, because elves went into decline. He failed when he gave the orb to Corifispits, which was an attempt to fix the last mistake. Then he failed when orb was destroyed instead of being recovered from Corphishits. Then he failed when he had to be the one to sorta-kill Mythal to try to fix the last 3 mistakes. He made a problem, and then made a bigger problem when he tried to fix the last problem, and then made and even bigger problem when he tried to fix the last problem that was meant to fix the first problem.

 

problem>try to fix>2 current problems>try to fix second problem>3 current problems>try to fix third problem>4 problems

 

I'm wondering where and how this pattern is going to finally break. He also did the same thing with the breakup, made a problem into an even bigger problem when he tried to fix it. I made a post a page or so ago saying no one is harder on Solas than Solas himself, but... Well, he has good reason to be hard on himself. He really needs to learn to cut his losses instead of constantly playing slot machines because he thinks he's going to get a jackpot soon, which he nearly did thanks to his girlfriend (either a jackpot of a loss cut). It's like he thinks that the best way to dig yourself out of a hole is to keep digging until you pop out on the other side of the planet after going right through the molten core.

 

 

...And now people will hate me. Don't get me wrong, I really liked his character. Nothing I said here means I didn't mean any of my prior posts, I just wanted to say my honest perspective about him. He's a flawed character, but that's partly why he's interesting.

I don't hate you.

But I do have to take issue with people's assumptions that Solas has failed. A lot. Where's the actual hard evidence? 

Take the fall of Arlathan. He may have sealed the gods away, yes. And this may have caused the downfall of Arlathan. But the Old Gods went silent, and a hundred year Blight hit Tevinter with the full fury of a min-maxed Arcane Warrior, and then the Alamarri and Avvar rose up to launch an invasion...And a thousand years later, Tevinter still stands. Empires never fall for singular reasons. They fall because a multitude of horrors and missteps occur at the same time and exacerbate each other. Rome didn't fall because the barbarians finally overrun the gates. They fell (in the West) because the flaws in their system itself had gone on for centuries, and the stress of dealing with that had weakened her, at the same moment that Germanic tribes were fleeing climate change, and a series of weak emperors who distrusted their dynamic servants instead of empowering them. A death as much economic and social as it was bluntly military. A cavalcade of 'oh goddammit' on a national scale, basically. 

There are a lot of hints pointing to the Creators having been corrupted by red lyrium. Of Falon'din slaughtering thousands to gain more power. Dirthamen playing spymaster. Sylvaise filled with hatred for her brethren. Andruil becoming crazed and hunting her own people. Civil war among the elvhen. The Forgotten Ones trying to ascend to godhood and setting themselves up as rivals to the Creators. Conflicts against the shadowy creatures on the murals. Humans encroaching on their territory, with some of them even beginning to explore the Fade. Mythal, the great stabilizing force that likely kept the peace through sheer force of personality, assassinated. An empire divided against each other. The possible loss of immortality. The slaves rising up against their Dreamer masters and slitting their throats in their sleep.

While the gods' being sealed away didn't make things better, I'm willing to bet that it kept them from getting worse. Meredith and Samson caused enough chaos and misery. A multitude of gods tainted with red lyrium is the stuff of nightmares. Solas may have lost the empire, but it may have been the price for saving the world.

 

His great failure in-game is also ambiguous. How did Corypheus get the Orb? If he was able to deceive him and get the Orb willingly, then that's an embarrassing failure. If Solas believed that Corypheus would simply unlock its power and blow himself up, how was he to know of his resurrection? If he stole it from Solas in his slumber, then it's still not too bad.

His handling of the Inquisition itself was superb.

His failures in that one boss fight that one time are not admissible, as I was accidentally playing on Nightmare at the time.

 

Tl;dr: Failure God Solas is mostly fanon and jokes. Solas seems reasonably competent, just with a terrible habit of taking on unwinnable causes. 

[Caddius]

You know, this kind of post might get dislikes if disliking posts was possible on here, but... Well, I have a thought about Solas. He fails a lot. He fails so often that he's still trailing behind his own failures, with more problems getting added each time he tries to stop failing. He failed when he locked the gods away, because elves went into decline. He failed when he gave the orb to Corifispits, which was an attempt to fix the last mistake. Then he failed when orb was destroyed instead of being recovered from Corphishits. Then he failed when he had to be the one to sorta-kill Mythal to try to fix the last 3 mistakes. He made a problem, and then made a bigger problem when he tried to fix the last problem, and then made and even bigger problem when he tried to fix the last problem that was meant to fix the first problem.

 

problem>try to fix>2 current problems>try to fix second problem>3 current problems>try to fix third problem>4 problems

 

I'm wondering where and how this pattern is going to finally break. He also did the same thing with the breakup, made a problem into an even bigger problem when he tried to fix it. I made a post a page or so ago saying no one is harder on Solas than Solas himself, but... Well, he has good reason to be hard on himself. He really needs to learn to cut his losses instead of constantly playing slot machines because he thinks he's going to get a jackpot soon, which he nearly did thanks to his girlfriend (either a jackpot of a loss cut). It's like he thinks that the best way to dig yourself out of a hole is to keep digging until you pop out on the other side of the planet after going right through the molten core.

 

 

...And now people will hate me. Don't get me wrong, I really liked his character. Nothing I said here means I didn't mean any of my prior posts, I just wanted to say my honest perspective about him. He's a flawed character, but that's partly why he's interesting.

I don't hate you.

But I do have to take issue with people's assumptions that Solas has failed. A lot. Where's the actual hard evidence? 

Take the fall of Arlathan. He may have sealed the gods away, yes. And this may have caused the downfall of Arlathan. But the Old Gods went silent, and a hundred year Blight hit Tevinter with the full fury of a min-maxed Arcane Warrior, and then the Alamarri and Avvar rose up to launch an invasion...And a thousand years later, Tevinter still stands. Empires never fall for singular reasons. They fall because a multitude of horrors and missteps occur at the same time and exacerbate each other. Rome didn't fall because the barbarians finally overrun the gates. They fell (in the West) because the flaws in their system itself had gone on for centuries, and the stress of dealing with that had weakened her, at the same moment that Germanic tribes were fleeing climate change, and a series of weak emperors who distrusted their dynamic servants instead of empowering them. A death as much economic and social as it was bluntly military. A cavalcade of 'oh goddammit' on a national scale, basically. 

There are a lot of hints pointing to the Creators having been corrupted by red lyrium. Of Falon'din slaughtering thousands to gain more power. Dirthamen playing spymaster. Sylvaise filled with hatred for her brethren. Andruil becoming crazed and hunting her own people. Civil war among the elvhen. The Forgotten Ones trying to ascend to godhood and setting themselves up as rivals to the Creators. Conflicts against the shadowy creatures on the murals. Humans encroaching on their territory, with some of them even beginning to explore the Fade. Mythal, the great stabilizing force that likely kept the peace through sheer force of personality, assassinated. An empire divided against each other. The possible loss of immortality. The slaves rising up against their Dreamer masters and slitting their throats in their sleep.

While the gods' being sealed away didn't make things better, I'm willing to bet that it kept them from getting worse. Meredith and Samson caused enough chaos and misery. A multitude of gods tainted with red lyrium is the stuff of nightmares. Solas may have lost the empire, but it may have been the price for saving the world.

 

His great failure in-game is also ambiguous. How did Corypheus get the Orb? If he was able to deceive him and get the Orb willingly, then that's an embarrassing failure. If Solas believed that Corypheus would simply unlock its power and blow himself up, how was he to know of his resurrection? If he stole it from Solas in his slumber, then it's still not too bad.

His handling of the Inquisition itself was superb.

His failures in that one boss fight that one time are not admissible, as I was accidentally playing on Nightmare at the time.

 

Tl;dr: Failure God Solas is mostly fanon and jokes. Solas seems reasonably competent, just with a terrible habit of taking on unwinnable causes. 

[Gwyvian]

There is a split second where you see the sudden realization in his eyes and eyebrows. It's subtle, but beautifully done and heartbreaking. It's not exactly 'deer in the headlights' but it's a moment that is there and visible and he has to make a decision and he does.

 

 

 

Mine have been the story relevant ones too but I just stumbled upon them without spoilers. I just play a character and go for whoever I (and my character, as I develop her and get a good feel for her) am most drawn to. And my first choice through a game usually ruins me for any other romance options. I don't replay games very often and if I do, there's usually a lot of time in between. DAI is different since I started a mage Lavellan nearly right away this time and while she has flirted with others, I'm doing another Solas romance with her.

 

My canon Lavellan, who I headcanoned as bi so having the most options actually worked with that, I actually thought would wind up with Sera, but Sera's thing with elfy-ness and how much less regard she gives for your decisions as an elf were hard to make work. And then I found myself more drawn to Solas anyway. Though Sera was super polarizing with my Lavellan, I love her, and plan an eventual Seramance. I know she loves qunari but actually thinking of making a cute Cadash for her. 

 

Sudden realization I most definitely see - and a lot of hesitation crammed into a few seconds - it's merely the interpretation of that look which I cannot quite ascribe to panic. Perhaps my read on such emotions is different, and perhaps I'm completely wrong. The way I read this is that he's the type of character who instantly rationalizes everything and, in this case, he has a lot of really good arguments to defend his split-second decision not to tell Lavellan a damned thing, yet with such an emotion there is no way that he could rationalize so quickly or cover up so smoothly if he truly were gripped by that level of fear. What he does say really seems like the smooth-talker quickly conjuring a relevant subject to fill the silence so to speak, and even the way he executes that indicates to me that he wasn't panicking - but perhaps that's where all of this starts from, my interpretation of what 'panicking' means.

 

See, firstly, I can say about someone that they "chickened out" about something without actually meaning that the quintessential emotion driving the lack of action/divulging is fear, let alone a strong and inexorable fear, so even taking that on evidence would merely indicate to me that he literally backed out of his decision to tell her the truth. It's an idiomatic expression that need not be taken literally, even though we tend to nitpick such announcements, especially Weekes announcements, to the point where every shred of feedback is suddenly emblematic of everything Solas. (Including myself, naturally, though in this particular case I am forced into the role of disgruntled protesting even if I know I'm wrong.) Secondly, "panic" by my definition is being struck by overwhelming fear and reacting using instinct - this is usually accompanied by behavioral indicators, such as verbal stuttering, lack of concentration, physical cues such as drawing away, heavy breathing, averting the eyes, etc. - and usually it involves a complete lack of control of one's self. Solas does not display any of these indicators, which tells me he did not panic, even if the base motivator emotion was, indeed, fear. I can accept the presence of fear in him, yet he rationalizes and skillfully diverts Lavellan without raising her suspicions that he held something back, so this indicates to me that he had a "sinking feeling" or a "sickening realization" or "painful moment of revelation" or whatever, which might mean that he suddenly realizes that he's incapable of facing Lavellan knowing the truth, whereupon he retreats back to his safe shell of not divulging anything whatsoever, or it may indicate that he simply reasoned all of this out in the span of those few seconds and recognized that if he does this, tells her everything, he's taking a risk that he isn't willing to go through with, or that perhaps there will be a price to pay that he isn't willing to pay. Yes, this is a kind of fear and I'm pretty sure that he's in denial about the fact that he is afraid of taking that leap, I just don't agree with the idea that he lost courage in that instance in the way that these idiomatic expressions usually imply, like some lost puppy who cannot bear the thought of being rejected or some such. I think his mission is far more important than his insecurity, because I believe he has very few insecurities and those don't really cover his romantic prowess, i.e. in my mind he cannot panic in this situation, but he can harden himself and reject accepting her into his confidence for some concocted reason (regardless of whether or not he is right to do so, I'm not touching that argument).

 

I feel like I'm not really explaining my standpoint very well, I realize that "losing courage" implies that you literally do not dare and technically that's what happens - but denying that is not the gist of what I'm getting at here: it's the associated deductions that bother me. See, if he lost courage, panicked or whatnot, that implies that he is controlled by his fear, whereas I see it more along the lines of "there wasn't enough juice to keep the trust machine powered long enough to leap off the ledge" if that makes sense. It was almost enough, but not quite. When someone faces something they're terrified of they have a primal reaction and that is what I associate with terms like "panic" - and I don't see Solas as being that way during the breakup scene. When I associate those particular emotions to someone I imagine that what goes down in their emotional world is something akin to a cascade failure: first there's a desperate need to get out of the immediate situation and run away as fast as possible (which is refuted by the cold way he acts later on without outright turning Lavellan away at all costs, he's very deliberate about the boundaries of their discussions without being irrationally hostile), second, there's a need to up the emotional/mental defenses (being argumentative no matter whether or not someone is actually arguing with them) - while Solas is cold, he evidently feels bad about what he does to you and he's accepting of your verbal abuse, ostensibly because he feels he deserves it, and this is not indicative of a defensive reaction, third, utter denial about both their role in the situation or that there even is a situation, which he does not do at all, and I could go on. So I resent the idea that this decision amounts to "he lost his nerve" when I think it wasn't nerve that the issue was with, it was the magnitude of what he was revealing and while there is fear accompanying such a decision, it's the other way around to being centered on Lavellan and her acceptance of him. In short, his decision regarding the revelation is so much weightier than a mere consideration of whether or not his lady love will reject him or still love him and that kind of magnitude bespeaks of emotions being less significant because of his responsibility and sense of duty, not more, i.e. once again, it simply cannot be panic in my mind.

 

Really, I don't even know why I'm arguing this when it's clear I'm the one who's misinterpreting based on the evidence of what Weekes said.   But as demonstrated above, I can and will argue that a stone is liquid if I want to.  Sorry guys. You know I love you all.

[Caddius]

Yes I agree.

I sort of imagine a young Solas to be kind of like Hawke in a way. Somebody very charismatic that rose up as a folk hero, but was either betrayed, or did the betraying himself, or a little of both. He did something he thought would be saving his people, but then had a rude awakening when it didn't turn out the way he hoped. Solas is jaded after so many years of failed causes, betrayals, etc. Nothing he builds lasts, and I see a lot of that in his banter with Varric. They seemed to be picking up on those sorts of themes with his character anyway. Speaking of which, anyone notice Varric gives him the same nickname he gives sarcastic Hawke?

This.

Someone needs to write Arlathan-era DA2 style fan-fic. Except instead of Chuckles and his merry band of misfit sociopaths helping one of their number become Champion of Kirkwall, they all become gods.

And the Forgotten Ones are the guys who almost made it, but pissed off Elgar'nan and were spared by Chuckles.

I may have to write that now...

[ChuChu]

So, there is a trending quote that pops up on this forum that I want to politely challenge in the hopes of adding more optimism during our months of waiting.

 

I'm a game developer. I'm not trying to be a smarty-pants or an authority on games, but I want to offer some insight. Particularly, around assumptions that Solas fans will not be getting a satisfying romance DLC because "80 percent of players play a human". That quote keeps popping up as some kind of trump card and it just isn't. 

 

E.g. I worked on FarCry3, and if any of you recall the "map editor" you'll understand where I'm heading here. Not many players use the map editor, but the ones who have in the past LOVE it. I mean LOVE it and are vocal about it. No matter how overburdened the team was shipping FC3 we knew we had to ship that map editor and it had to be cool. I cannot tell you all how many times the team (in desperation) suggested putting it on the chopping block because of time, resources and relevance to the larger audience. We didn't because a vocal group LOVED it and they talked about and championed it's continuation. It didn't matter that they were in the minority. It's not alllll a numbers game guys. I know it seems like that from the outside, but players really matter! If a feature is passionately cherished by any segment (even a small one) of the audience we loathe to cut it, because it will impact the overall perception of the game. Hell, it will impact how we feel about what we delivered to our players! 

 

At my current studio it's no different. It's not uncommon that a minority of players will take to the forums to critique a change or oversight and instantly all the devs are on Reddit reading about it and problem solving ASAP.  We don't spend that much time counting how many are unhappy - we measure the overall impact of the players who are getting vocal and take it seriously. Unhappy players make us sad too. 

 

So what I'm saying is that numbers like "80% play humans" doesn't = Bioware skimping on our romance. Developers are not all about numbers guys. Believe me. They care when players care. I can give you so many more examples but I don't want my point to get lost in a block of words. 

 

Let me just admit, I joined this forum because I want that DLC and I believe that devs. have a soft spot for passionate fans of their games. Stay positive and encouragingly vocal

Definitely. The reason for that negativity is a lot of people tend to attribute end-game production results to the 'suits' behind the creatives... or whatever makes money-sense... and expect the worse for it. Indeed, while budgeting and micro-management from the non-creatives can really detriment a product -- Bioware really isn't the sort of company with that reputation. Sure they have to bend sometimes. People feared for it when EA ate it up for that reason. But for the most part, they are very dedicated to their story and their fans, and work to deliver what they know we will love. I really don't think they will let us down in regards to Solas and that's why I, personally, have never supported that semi-popular assumption.

I wonder if the devs still frequent this thread at all?

 

Soooo.... does he just silently badass all the way through Frostback Basin if we choose to take him on this adventure   ???  Or is the fact that he himself is (as far as we know) someone powerful/ancient diminishes Hakkon's effect on him??

It's all theory at this point... there could be a number of explanations. I like to hold to a crackpot theory that Solas and his kind are 'complete' Dreamers, with a balanced connection between the Fade and the Physical. All the rest with access to the Fade are 'incomplete', lacking in a spirit manner, and so they don't resonate well with corrupted spirits (ala demons). It'd be like poison seeping in to the emptiness they possess.

Alternatively, it could be a myriad of other things... or just a brief narrative hiccup.

 

And yes, Solas could have handled the break-up better, to spare Lavellan's feelings. But it seems to me that his being cold and making it hurt like he does is part of his tactic to make sure that, when he's vanished into the night with the Orb (or without), she doesn't miss him. Instead, she thinks, "Good riddance to the mercurial bastard." He's not a teenager fumbling with his emotions in his first relationship, or an unfeeling jackass. He's a god that specializes in manipulating people to his cause's advantage. In this case, it's Lavellan being safe and sound from the backlash of his plans. And a connection to him is going to prove dangerous, I dare say. In his mind, leaving her in the dark is the only way to keep her from joining him, and that separation is the only way to preserve both his plans' and his lover.

 

Agreed. And I think most of us in the thread agree, if my memory serves: Solas did what he does to protect his plans as well as Lavellan. To hell with his personal desires. You worded it quite well, though, and I think it sums up what happened very nicely!

He likely thinks he is acting selflessly, of course on the flip side it can almost be seen as quite the opposite. I tend to think of Solas as quietly and unassumingly selfish, though... but I don't blame him for it. In fact, it's something I quite like about his character.

[Cee]

One thing I've said a lot myself is Solas' perception of his actions and the state of the world is that he failed, he made mistakes, etc. But whatever compelled him to act, even if he was once "hot-blooded and cocky", it doesn't mean we must accept this at face value. He is regretful, but he's also somewhat blinded to certain aspects. A few pages ago I posted the banter between Solas and Varric where Varric takes his 'life is hard but making the most of things you can carve something out for yourself' while Solas is talking all doom and gloom and tragic downfall. Much of Solas' head is in the past, and he seemingly can't forgive himself for certain actions, but what we're relying upon is perception and Cole's perception of Solas' feelings and pain. It's not like we have the details. We have pieces.

 

I wonder if his perception, especially if what triggered his actions included betrayals and other nasty things, is too hard on himself.

[CapricornSun]

Happy Solas Positivity Week! Got a bunch of artworks here to share.

 

To every "Ellana".

Spoiler

Source: http://yayoifumi.tum...-to-guide-me-in

 

 

Ar lasa mala revas. 

Spoiler

Source: http://yayoifumi.tum...lasa-mala-revas

 

 

Solavellan sketches.

Spoiler

Source: http://yayoifumi.tum...st/123301648697

 

 

Lovely Solas portrait.

Spoiler

Source: http://tillustration...positivity-week

 

 

A sinister-looking Solas.

Spoiler

Source: http://rinniethemous...hat-i-figured-i

 

 

"My friends. Inquisitor, you must come with me."

Spoiler

Source: http://harellanart.t...iliar-flares-of

 

 

Solas portrait for Solas Positivity Week.

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Source: http://apostatesalwa...positivity-week

 

 

Another one done for Solas Positivity Week.

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Source: http://devilfern-art...ity-week-3-i-do

 

 

Man of Secrets

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Source: http://tillustration...ought-solas-had

 

 

Tiny Solas custom toy.

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Source: http://darthasterisk...ny-solas-has-an

 

 

And here's my latest NSFW artwork.

[Cee]

I enjoy that version with the plant.

 

Tumblr with Solas positivity week has been so full of great art and posts today.

[ChuChu]

And it makes for good inspiration to bring extra feels to us all through your comics.

 

He's definitely underestimating an Inquisitor, romanced or not. He admits he has trust issues and to an inquisitor he dislikes, if told to trust in friends, he talks about having been betrayed and that made him unable to do so. Of course, after his quest he does say he will try, and he does try. He almost gets there. Almost.

 

And yet so far.

I forgot to say it, but thank you that comment 8D

There will be lots of feeling coming up! Feelings. Feeling. I don't even know.

[CapricornSun]

I enjoy that version with the plant.

 

Tumblr with Solas positivity week has been so full of great art and posts today.

 

LOL! Thanks! I'm actually quite fond of the plant version myself, tbh. xD

 

Yes, so much great Solas art and posts today.

[NightSymphony]

my turn my turn...hehe

 

I only have one art to share - another new liliumsnow comic. 

 

http://liliumsnow.de...-Game-544375647

[Gwyvian]

@ MayriyaNoori- De da’rahn, 

 

I'm curious given everything we have inferred about Solas, the relationship with Lavellan, and the possible tragic ending lingering on the horizon for us Solmancers, what is so appealing about his romance? I know the answer for myself, but I would love to hear other people's opinions on the matter. Also, have any of you romanced another LI as a femLavellan?

 

For myself, I feel like his romance makes for a better overall story. I started the game romancing Cullen, got about half-way through a playthrough and was like, Cullen is sweet and all but his romance *shurg* it didn't hook me. I haven't tried to romance anyone else yet. Once I settle on a romance and a race for a Dragon Age game, it is really hard for me to deviate from it. 

 

Oooh, question time!

 

It's the ANGST! I looked at him and just knew he was going to be the source of massive angst.

 

No, not really.   I just looked at him and decided that if he was a romance option, he'd be the first I'd try, but as to what's appealing about the romance, that's a question I can better answer after having experienced it:

 

...it's the angst!   I love romances that make you work to keep it together and I'm especially attracted to characters with difficult complexes, secrets and most especially palpable regret and things of that nature. Plus the darker they are, the better, because that's like an irresistible puzzle to me that I itch to assemble. Plus I have a soft spot for misunderstood loners who are constantly mocked for their scholarly ways and love of tradition, because I'm like that, too.

 

And no, f!Lavellan belongs to Solas for me. Cullen gets a human mage, others get a qunari or a dwarf and my m!Lavellan is for Dorian, but f!Lavellan is all for Solas.

[Cee]

I forgot to say it, but thank you that comment 8D

There will be lots of feeling coming up! Feelings. Feeling. I don't even know.

 

 

Well, I try to let people know I enjoy their work when I can. I'm a writer, I understand.

 

Also feelings are some of the best creativity fuel around. And we know that all the feels happened here.

[Cee]

my turn my turn...hehe

 

I only have one art to share - another new liliumsnow comic. 

 

http://liliumsnow.de...-Game-544375647

 

 

I love this. 

[ChuChu]

Random question, probably something Sunny or other tumblr-ians can answer: when does Solas positivity week begin/end? o.o

[Cee]

Random question, probably something Sunny or other tumblr-ians can answer: when does Solas positivity week begin/end? o.o

 

Began Sunday the 5th and through Saturday. There are themes for each day. Saturday is Solavellan day. Day one was Solas on his own. There should be a post somewhere with the full guide but the tag is full of wonderful things.

 

https://www.tumblr.c...positivity-week

[Sah291]

But I do have to take issue with people's assumptions that Solas has failed. A lot. Where's the actual hard evidence?

I think perhaps people are just picking up on his comments about having supported many causes, etc. But as you say, it may be down to many of them being difficult or unwinnable, or at least, not permanent. The general impermance of things seems to be an issue with him in particular, it's why he can't just let the past go. But that was another thing I liked about the character and his romance. It evokes that feeling of mono no aware, that I find very beautiful and bittersweet.

[ChuChu]

Began Sunday the 5th and through Saturday. There are themes for each day. Saturday is Solavellan day. Day one was Solas on his own. There should be a post somewhere with the full guide but the tag is full of wonderful things.

 

https://www.tumblr.c...positivity-week

Got it! Thanks Cee. I dunno about all of you other creatives, but I'm definitely going to drop something on Solavellan day

[MayriyaNoori]

So, I may or may not be learning to draw and have access to a Microsoft Paint like program.

 

I also may or may not have an idea.

Warning, terrible art and ideas abound.

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

I also may or may not have about 20 scripts of this idea written up......

 

I may have a problem.

[CapricornSun]

Random question, probably something Sunny or other tumblr-ians can answer: when does Solas positivity week begin/end? o.o

 

Began Sunday the 5th and through Saturday. There are themes for each day. Saturday is Solavellan day. Day one was Solas on his own. There should be a post somewhere with the full guide but the tag is full of wonderful things.

 

https://www.tumblr.c...positivity-week

 

 

Here's the full schedule for Solas Positivity Week under the tag.  

 

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Solas Positivity Week [Sun, July 5th to Sat, July 11th]

 

Recently, I’ve been seeing a trend of positivity weeks for characters that are somewhat controversial. I do understand that Solas is a “popular” character, in some senses, but because he is wildly debated, I thought it would be a good chance for those who see him in a positive light to have a chance to share their work. 

 

Of course, I’m making this post now to give you all plenty of time to work on anything you will be producing. Any and all Solas-related creations are welcome: artwork, edits, fic, meta, headcanons, cosplay, fanmixes, mods, and whatever else you can devise. They don’t have to be new pieces of work but it suggested you repost old work rather than reblog it as only new material will appear in the tags. 

I will be tracking the tag #solas positivity week. It is my wish that people with every kind of hedcanon can use this tag, so please be sure to tag your nsfw art as sexual solas or nsfw so that everyone can use the tag. 

 

Daily Themes

 

By now, everyone will have seen enough positivity weeks to know how this works. Of course, each day will have a theme. I’ve done my best to provide examples of things that you can produce to celebrate Solas’ relationships and character arc, but of course my examples are meant to inspire, not to limit. 

 

Sunday, July 5th: Solas, on his own 

 

Solas by himself in all of his glory, bald and seemingly innocuous (or as a six-eyed wolf terror, if you want). Anything focused on Solas and just Solas is welcome on this day, including meta about why you like Solas, art of Solas you are proud of, or fanfiction that focuses on Solas and his thoughts. Share your favorite quotes and make gifsets, just share your Solas love.  

 

Monday, July 6th: Fen’Harel + The Pantheon 

 

Most of us have different ideas about what Fen’Harel was like when he was a young man. Draw art, write fic and meta, and explore Fen’Harel on his own or expand upon his relationships with the Creators and The Forgotten Ones. 

 

Tuesday, July 7th: Wolf Hunt DLC

 

What would your ideal Wolf Hunt DLC look like? How would all the characters react to Solas returning? What sort of plot lines would you explore? How would you resolve the tension? Let your imagination run wild and share your dreams for future DLC (we hope).

 

Wednesday, July 8th: Solas + His Interests 

 

We all know Solas loves the Fade and The People. Write meta about the manifestations of his interests, draw and write modern AUs about how they could be translated to modern times, or focus on telling Fade jokes, if that’s your heart’s desire. Wednesday is the day to express just how nerdy The Egg can be. 

 

Thursday, July 9th: Solas + Friendships

 

Solas’ friendships are important and represent a broad range of his interactions. Whether its chess games with Iron Bull, philosophical discussions with Cassandra, or spending time with Cole, Solas has a broad range of relationships that are just as important as any possible romantic relationship he could have. If your Inquisitor befriended Solas, this is the day to show him love. 

 

Friday, July 10th: Solas + Rare Pairs/OT3

For this day, focus on any rare pairs (non Solavellan). This includes, but is not limited to, works or pieces involving Solas x Male!Lavellan, Solas x Trevelyan, and Solas x Any Canon Non-Oc. Celebrate Solas and his relationships with unconventional or seldom talked about pairings and let your love for them shine. 

 

Saturday, July 11th: Solavellan Day

 

This day focuses on the ever popular Solas x Female!Lavellan. Some ideas for this day are stories that revolve around any aspect of the Solavellan relationship, including Solavellan children, headcanons, or even art celebrating the break-up. Share your love and your Lavellans with other fans!

 

SOURCE: http://fenharelwin.t...5th-to-sat-july

 

EDIT: I'd love to draw something for Solavellan Day if I have the time. xD (Because I am certified Solavellan trash.)

[Alyka]

So, I may or may not be learning to draw and have access to a Microsoft Paint like program.

 

I also may or may not have an idea.

Warning, terrible art and ideas abound.

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

I also may or may not have about 20 scripts of this idea written up......

 

I may have a problem.

lol This is awesome! Moar please!

[CapricornSun]

So, I may or may not be learning to draw and have access to a Microsoft Paint like program.

 

I also may or may not have an idea.

Warning, terrible art and ideas abound.

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

I also may or may not have about 20 scripts of this idea written up......

 

I may have a problem.

 

Love this!