153447 réponses à ce sujet

[Raeona]

Art post.

Spoiler

Source: http://kistehvost.tu...259/lets-suffer

 

 

This reminds me of the Lord of the Rings pencil drawings from the books, it has that miry poignancy.

[Tess]

 

 

And lastly, I did a thing...

Spoiler

It's nsfw though...

Spoiler

... so putting the link under many tags...

Spoiler

...just in case.

Spoiler

Dum-dee-dum...

Spoiler

Still here? xD

Spoiler

Alright, so here it is: http://sunnyartx.tum...for-solas-smut 

Thanks. Just woke up my muse again. Now if I only could smoothen up the dialogue in the way of that.  

[Raeona]

Ugh, fight scenes. Can't I just say 'then they punched for a bit'?

 

Except for Solas of course. He's not really the punching type. Maybe Fade-slapping?

[Cee]

Ugh, fight scenes. Can't I just say 'then they punched for a bit'?

 

Except for Solas of course. He's not really the punching type. Maybe Fade-slapping?

 

 

This is a hilarious mental image of Solas attempting to slap someone. Like some ridiculous comedy fight.

[Cee]

Also:

 

 

"So that’s where Solas took his long nap after he erected the Veil."

 

http://fuckyeahvarri...ng-nap-after-he

[CapricornSun]

Art post time. 

 

Trespasser: A beautiful mural of Solas and Lavellan. (I LOVE THIS! )

Spoiler

Source: http://teaandinanity...e-so-here-is-my

 

 

Trespasser: Gorgeous artwork of Solas.

Spoiler

Source: http://nipuni.tumblr...l-im-so-in-love

 

 

Solas takes note (literally) to leave Dorian alone. xD Based on what Leliana mentioned in Trespasser of Solas knowing how the Inquisition operates.  (Warning for blood and gore.)

Spoiler

Source: http://dino-blankey-...-dlc-that-solas

 

 

Sera ruins a romantic moment. 

Spoiler

Source: http://lashizaw.tumb...over-solavellan

 

 

Smol and tol elf hug surprise hugs. (Solavellan) 

Spoiler

Source: http://in-solavellan...f-surprise-hugs

 

[dawnstone]

Grrr, someone was calling Solas a sociopath on reddit, and I got mad - but, I did not publish my huge rant over there, because I don't really want to have a fight. Anyway, someone else linked to this article which describes what sociopathic behavior is like for people who may be in an abusive relationship with a sociopath. Solas fits a few of these, of course like being intelligent, egotistical, and capable of manipulation.

 

 

Spoiler

I don't read Solas as a sociopath at all. Perhaps it's a matter of perceptions, or perhaps it's the fact that he is an actual thousands year old god who is trying to pretend to be a humble apostate (and doesn't actually want to be called a god even though he is) which kind of skews any reading of him.

 

Going down the list in the article:

 

1- Lack of Shame - To be able to have great pride requires him to be able to feel shame or perceive that something is shameful. Solas has shown remorse and shame for what he did to his people by creating the Veil. He feels responsible and wants to correct his mistake, even if how he intends to go about it is harmful to other peoples, as he sees no other way. He is very apologetic to a Lavellan whom he has responded to romantically and hurt, and again expresses shame and remorse in Trespasser because he truly loves her. He is very upset at having to go to Flemythal, who lets him take her power which kills her (though it may alternately be that she gains some kind of control over him) - and believes he should be the one to die, not she.

 

2 - Lying - He generally lies by omission or out of necessity - not wanting to seem like he knows too much. If he did not conceal his identity as an ancient elf god who gave Corypheus the orb, he would have been killed immediately, or tranquilized by the Chantry. Whether you like him or not he did help repair the damage the orb did, and helped stop Corypheus. He also generally tells the truth whenever possible.

 

3- Eerily Calm - He does lack empathy to a certain degree, and may be disassociating due to the trauma of having unintentionally destroyed his entire race, but he is not unshakable emotionally. Patrick Weekes even said, in response to a tweet, he thought that there were times when Solas broke down and cried, though it was not something that was shown in the game. Solas is often compassionate, caring deeply about other people besides himself. He regularly loses his temper, or is emotional when it is called for, in fact. He's excited and fascinated when he finds out that Dorian and Alexius have successfully unlocked time magic. He's particularly horrified and angry at the Grey Wardens actions; he's venomous towards an Inquisitor who has negative approval, or at Vivienne for embodying traits that forced him to have to imprison the Evanuris; he is affectionate and genuine towards an Inquisitor who is romanced, is deeply agitated when his friend Wisdom is threatened, sorrowful when she dies, and vengeful at the mages who killed her. He's very upset when he is being asked by Cole to bind him, and is furious when he is confronted by anyone who willingly adheres to the Qun (if inconsiderate towards their feelings and reasoning). His attempts at stoicism are largely a front over a hot temper and a mountain of guilt, but his emotional reactions are never inappropriate for the setting.

 

4 - Charming? Mostly he comes off as a defensive, long-winded weirdo, not charming - and I say this as someone who has had a Lavellan romance him and enjoyed it. He can be charming when he tries, but mostly he's trying to stay in the background and observe because of his precarious position as an elf and a mage with a lot of secrets. Mostly people seem to think him blunt, opinionated and full of himself. What did Weekes say could often be said about him, "You're right and also kind of a jerk."

 

5 - High Intelligence - Yes, he is very intelligent. So is everyone in the Inquisitor's Circle, he's just had several thousand years to collect more experience and knowledge.

 

6 - Manipulation - It is heavily implied in Trespasser that Solas used to be Mythal's guardian before he was made an Evanuris. If he didn't know how to protect her, and play the Game as it existed in ancient Elvhenan he'd have been useless and/or dead. Especially with having to contend with seven other powerful bloodthirsty gods and their servants. Felassan said that Briala reminded him a lot of Fen'Harel, and they seem to have had some similar experiences. So yes, he knows how to manipulate people and use their weaknesses against them.

 

7 - Instigating Violence/Torturing the Weak - I have seen no evidence of him purposefully hurting people for no reason. In fact he mentions that killing is something that should only be done out of necessity and unless it is personal should not be celebrated. He does not approve of pointless violence or causing unnecessary pain.

 

8 - Huge Ego - Yes. His name is Solas, which literally translates to Pride. It's a problem. He believes that he has to do everything he considers important himself because he's too proud to do otherwise. Also seems to believe the elves are somewhat superior to other races because of his pride, which, yes, is also a problem.

 

9 - Can't Hold Eye Contact - Regularly holds eye contact with the Inquisitor, and other characters he interacts with.

 

10 - Face Reading - He has a very expressive face, that shows many different emotions through the game depending on how you treat him. Solas is good at reading other people, because he does know how to recruit spies and predicts how his enemies will act.

 

11 - Friendships - All of his friends are dead. Or are spirits. He does make friends though, possibly with the Inquisitor, shows camaraderie with Cassandra, Blackwall, Iron Bull and Cole, and was close friends with Mythal. He can't really afford to get too close to anyone because of his end goal however, which is why we don't get to see him play Wicked Grace, despite the fact that he seems to like playing social and intellectually stimulating games like chess and cards, and also, he breaks up with a romanced Lavellan in the end. If he didn't desire closeness or companionship, and was not incredibly pained and lonely without it, his greatest fear wouldn't be dying alone. 

 

12 - Isolates you - Solas never tries to keep the Inquisitor away from their friends if romanced. Actually, their relationship is built very strongly on consent - either one of them is allowed to back out at any time during the romance scenes. He's a great proponent of free will, and would never tie down someone who didn't want to be with him. The only instance I can think of where the Inquisitor is completely isolated, is in the end of Trespasser where he closes the eluvian to keep the companions out. Likely, so he doesn't have to kill them, when they inevitably try to attack, and so he can remove the anchor and tell the Inquisitor the truth - something he would never have done if he didn't care about their feelings, or did not want to give them a chance to stop him.

 

13 - Immature - He's happy to share stories, his talents, and his wisdom as needed with everyone, including people like Sera and Josephine. He calls himself out as selfish when he allows a romance to take place and breaks up with the Inquisitor, and also apologizes and admits he has done her wrong. He also apologizes to Blackwall after yelling at him for lying, as he'd been projecting on Blackwall. His ego is huge, but he doesn't seem obsessed with himself so much as his perception of his duty as something that is his responsibility alone to fulfill. Not particularly needy or demanding in a relationship as far as can be told from canon, and Weekes has said Solas tries to be accommodating to the needs of a partner he is intimate with. As far as responsibility - he's quite capable of taking on huge responsibilities and organizing people, and gives credit where credit is due - like when he commends the Inquisitor for building the Inquisition.

 

So basically, Solas has some qualities that can be considered sociopathic, which he has acquired for survival's sake, but his emotional life is very much that of a person who desires to be around other people and have loving, caring, equal relationships with them - which sadly is only possible, when they do not know who and what he is - an immortal elven god who destroyed the world once to save it, and may have to do it again.

[Illyria]

Grrr, someone was calling Solas a sociopath on reddit, and I got mad - but, I did not publish my huge rant over there, because I don't really want to have a fight. Anyway, someone else linked to this article which describes what sociopathic behavior is like. Solas does not fit this at all - and let me tell you how many ways he is not:

 

Spoiler

I don't read Solas as a sociopath at all. Perhaps it's a matter of perceptions, or perhaps it's the fact that he is an actual thousands year old god who is trying to pretend to be a humble apostate (and doesn't actually want to be called a god even though he is) which kind of skews any reading of him.

 

Going down the list in this article:

 

1- Lack of Shame - Solas has shown remorse and shame for what he did to his people by creating the Veil. He feels responsible and wants to correct his mistake, even if how he intends to go about it is harmful to other peoples, as he sees no other way. He is very apologetic to a Lavellan whom he has responded to romantically and hurt, and again expresses shame and remorse in Trespasser because he truly loves her. He is very upset at having to go to Flemythal, who lets him take her power which kills her - and believes he should be the one to die not she.

 

2 - Lying - He generally lies by omission or out of necessity - not wanting to seem like he knows too much. If he did not conceal his identity as an ancient elf god who gave Corypheus the orb, he would have been killed immediately, or Tranquilized by the Chantry. He also generally tells the truth whenever possible (though I'm not buying that he'd never seen veilfire before, as it's literally all over his temple).

 

3- Eerily Calm - He does lack empathy to a certain degree, and may be disassociating due to the trauma of having unintentionally destroyed his entire race - but he is not unshakable emotionally. Solas is often compassionate, caring deeply about other people besides himself. He regularly loses his temper or is emotional when it is called for, in fact. He's particularly horrified and angry at the Grey Wardens actions, venomous towards an Inquisitor who has negative approval or at Vivienne, is affectionate and genuine towards an Inquisitor who is romanced, is deeply agitated when his friend Wisdom is threatened, sorrowful when she dies, and vengeful at the mages who killed her. He's very upset when he is being asked by Cole to bind him, and is furious when he is confronted by anyone who willingly adheres to the Qun (if inconsiderate towards their feelings and reasoning). His attempts at stoicism are largely a front over a hot temper and a mountain of guilt.

 

4 - Charming? Mostly he comes off as a defensive, long-winded weirdo, not charming - and I say this as someone who has had a Lavellan romance him and enjoyed it. He can be charming when he tries, but mostly he's trying to stay in the background and observe because of his precarious position as an elf and a mage with a lot of secrets.

 

5 - High Intelligence - Yes, he is very intelligent. So is everyone in the Inquisitor's Circle, he's just had several thousand years to collect more experience and knowledge.

 

6 - Manipulation - It is heavily implied in Trespasser that Solas used to be Mythal's guardian before he was made an Evanuris. If he didn't know how to protect her, and play the Game as it existed in ancient Elvhenan he'd have been useless and/or dead. Especially with having to contend with seven other powerful bloodthirsty gods and their servants. Felassan said that Briala reminded him a lot of Fen'Harel, and they seem to have had some similar experiences. So yes, he knows how to manipulate people and use their weaknesses against them.

 

7 - Instigating Violence/Torturing the Weak - I have seen no evidence of him purposefully hurting people for no reason. In fact he mentions that killing is something that should only be done out of necessity and unless it is personal should not be celebrated. He does not approve of pointless violence or causing unnecessary pain.

 

8 - Huge Ego - Yes. His name is Solas, which literally translates to Pride. It's a problem. He believes that he has to do everything himself because he's too proud to do otherwise. Also seems to believe the elves are somewhat superior to other races because of his pride, which, yes, is also a problem.

 

9 - Can't Hold Eye Contact - Regularly holds eye contact with the Inquisitor, and other characters he interacts with.

 

10 - Face Reading - ??? - He has a very expressive face, that shows many different emotions through the game depending on how you treat him. Solas is good at reading other people, because he does know how to recruit spies and predicts how his enemies will act.

 

11 - Friendships - All of his friends are dead. Or are spirits. He does make friends though, possibly with the Inquisitor, shows camaraderie with Cassandra, Blackwall, Iron Bull and Cole, and was close friends with Mythal. He can't really afford to get too close to anyone because of his end goal however, which is why we don't get to see him play Wicked Grace despite the fact that he seems to like playing games like chess and cards, and breaks up with a romanced Lavellan.

 

12 - Isolates you - Solas never tries to keep the Inquisitor away from their friends if romanced. Actually, their relationship is built very strongly on consent - either one of them is allowed to back out at any time. He's a great proponent of free will, and would never tie down someone who didn't want to be with him. The only instance I can think of where the Inquisitor is completely isolated, is in the end of Trespasser where he closes the eluvian to keep the companions out. Likely, so he doesn't have to kill them, when they inevitably try to attack, and so he can remove the anchor and tell the Inquisitor the truth - something he would never have done if he didn't care about their feelings, or did not want to give them a chance to stop him.

 

13 - Immature - He's happy to share stories, his talents, and his wisdom as needed. He calls himself out as selfish when he allows a romance to take place and he has to break up with the Inquisitor - and also apologizes and admits he has done her wrong. He also apologizes to Blackwall after yelling at him for lying, as he'd been projecting on Blackwall. His ego is huge, but he doesn't seem obsessed with himself so much as his perception of his duty as something that only he can do. Not particularly needy or demanding in a relationship. As far as responsibility - he's quite capable of taking on huge responsibilities (until he overextends himself and destroys the world), and gives credit where credit is due - like when he commends the Inquisitor for building the Inquisition.

 

So basically, Solas has some qualities that can be considered sociopathic, which he has acquired for survival's sake, but his emotional life is very much that of a person who desires to be around other people and have loving, caring, equal relationships with them - which sadly is only possible, when they do not know who and what he is.

 

 

This is why I'm glad Weekes too pains to avoid the unfortunate bisexual tropes (and I think why the decision was made to make him white).  I mean - the guy who is constantly interpreted as a sociopathic racist would cause BW to get a lot of criticism.
 

[dawnstone]

This is why I'm glad Weekes too pains to avoid the unfortunate bisexual tropes (and I think why the decision was made to make him white).  I mean - the guy who is constantly interpreted as a sociopathic racist would cause BW to get a lot of criticism.
 

Yeah, I agree that is probably why they made him straight and white.

[FernRain]

Did 11 hours of arting, finally finished Abelas' face. Tomorrow I'll be working on his armor..

 

*cries* there's more armor than his face..

[TheyCallMeBunny]

Grrr, someone was calling Solas a sociopath on reddit, and I got mad - but, I did not publish my huge rant over there, because I don't really want to have a fight. Anyway, someone else linked to this article which describes what sociopathic behavior is like. Solas does not fit this at all - and let me tell you how many ways he is not:

 

Spoiler

I don't read Solas as a sociopath at all. Perhaps it's a matter of perceptions, or perhaps it's the fact that he is an actual thousands year old god who is trying to pretend to be a humble apostate (and doesn't actually want to be called a god even though he is) which kind of skews any reading of him.

 

Going down the list in this article:

 

1- Lack of Shame - Solas has shown remorse and shame for what he did to his people by creating the Veil. He feels responsible and wants to correct his mistake, even if how he intends to go about it is harmful to other peoples, as he sees no other way. He is very apologetic to a Lavellan whom he has responded to romantically and hurt, and again expresses shame and remorse in Trespasser because he truly loves her. He is very upset at having to go to Flemythal, who lets him take her power which kills her - and believes he should be the one to die not she.

 

2 - Lying - He generally lies by omission or out of necessity - not wanting to seem like he knows too much. If he did not conceal his identity as an ancient elf god who gave Corypheus the orb, he would have been killed immediately, or Tranquilized by the Chantry. He also generally tells the truth whenever possible (though I'm not buying that he'd never seen veilfire before, as it's literally all over his temple).

 

3- Eerily Calm - He does lack empathy to a certain degree, and may be disassociating due to the trauma of having unintentionally destroyed his entire race - but he is not unshakable emotionally. Solas is often compassionate, caring deeply about other people besides himself. He regularly loses his temper or is emotional when it is called for, in fact. He's particularly horrified and angry at the Grey Wardens actions, venomous towards an Inquisitor who has negative approval or at Vivienne, is affectionate and genuine towards an Inquisitor who is romanced, is deeply agitated when his friend Wisdom is threatened, sorrowful when she dies, and vengeful at the mages who killed her. He's very upset when he is being asked by Cole to bind him, and is furious when he is confronted by anyone who willingly adheres to the Qun (if inconsiderate towards their feelings and reasoning). His attempts at stoicism are largely a front over a hot temper and a mountain of guilt.

 

4 - Charming? Mostly he comes off as a defensive, long-winded weirdo, not charming - and I say this as someone who has had a Lavellan romance him and enjoyed it. He can be charming when he tries, but mostly he's trying to stay in the background and observe because of his precarious position as an elf and a mage with a lot of secrets.

 

5 - High Intelligence - Yes, he is very intelligent. So is everyone in the Inquisitor's Circle, he's just had several thousand years to collect more experience and knowledge.

 

6 - Manipulation - It is heavily implied in Trespasser that Solas used to be Mythal's guardian before he was made an Evanuris. If he didn't know how to protect her, and play the Game as it existed in ancient Elvhenan he'd have been useless and/or dead. Especially with having to contend with seven other powerful bloodthirsty gods and their servants. Felassan said that Briala reminded him a lot of Fen'Harel, and they seem to have had some similar experiences. So yes, he knows how to manipulate people and use their weaknesses against them.

 

7 - Instigating Violence/Torturing the Weak - I have seen no evidence of him purposefully hurting people for no reason. In fact he mentions that killing is something that should only be done out of necessity and unless it is personal should not be celebrated. He does not approve of pointless violence or causing unnecessary pain.

 

8 - Huge Ego - Yes. His name is Solas, which literally translates to Pride. It's a problem. He believes that he has to do everything himself because he's too proud to do otherwise. Also seems to believe the elves are somewhat superior to other races because of his pride, which, yes, is also a problem.

 

9 - Can't Hold Eye Contact - Regularly holds eye contact with the Inquisitor, and other characters he interacts with.

 

10 - Face Reading - ??? - He has a very expressive face, that shows many different emotions through the game depending on how you treat him. Solas is good at reading other people, because he does know how to recruit spies and predicts how his enemies will act.

 

11 - Friendships - All of his friends are dead. Or are spirits. He does make friends though, possibly with the Inquisitor, shows camaraderie with Cassandra, Blackwall, Iron Bull and Cole, and was close friends with Mythal. He can't really afford to get too close to anyone because of his end goal however, which is why we don't get to see him play Wicked Grace despite the fact that he seems to like playing games like chess and cards, and breaks up with a romanced Lavellan.

 

12 - Isolates you - Solas never tries to keep the Inquisitor away from their friends if romanced. Actually, their relationship is built very strongly on consent - either one of them is allowed to back out at any time. He's a great proponent of free will, and would never tie down someone who didn't want to be with him. The only instance I can think of where the Inquisitor is completely isolated, is in the end of Trespasser where he closes the eluvian to keep the companions out. Likely, so he doesn't have to kill them, when they inevitably try to attack, and so he can remove the anchor and tell the Inquisitor the truth - something he would never have done if he didn't care about their feelings, or did not want to give them a chance to stop him.

 

13 - Immature - He's happy to share stories, his talents, and his wisdom as needed. He calls himself out as selfish when he allows a romance to take place and he has to break up with the Inquisitor - and also apologizes and admits he has done her wrong. He also apologizes to Blackwall after yelling at him for lying, as he'd been projecting on Blackwall. His ego is huge, but he doesn't seem obsessed with himself so much as his perception of his duty as something that only he can do. Not particularly needy or demanding in a relationship. As far as responsibility - he's quite capable of taking on huge responsibilities (until he overextends himself and destroys the world), and gives credit where credit is due - like when he commends the Inquisitor for building the Inquisition.

 

So basically, Solas has some qualities that can be considered sociopathic, which he has acquired for survival's sake, but his emotional life is very much that of a person who desires to be around other people and have loving, caring, equal relationships with them - which sadly is only possible, when they do not know who and what he is.

 

 

People always throw these labels around (along with other diagnoses, such as Bipolar disorder, Borderline or ADHD) without considering what they truly mean or what harm it does to bandy it about so casually. I've studied psychology at the university, and although certainly no expert, Solas to me does not come across as having an antisocial personality disorder (i.e. a psychopath or a sociopath). This is what one of my psychology books says:

 

 

Severe irresponsible and antisocial behavior beginning in childhood and continuing past age 18; impulsive need gratification and lack of empathy for others; often highly manipulative and seem to lack conscience.

 

I will agree that Solas can be manipulative, but then again so is Morrigan, Flemeth, and on occassion Anders. The only character in any Bioware game I played that might fit the description is Morinth.

[MayriyaNoori]

Did 11 hours of arting, finally finished Abelas' face. Tomorrow I'll be working on his armor..

 

*cries* there's more armor than his face..

[FernRain]

 

I must. I must.. try.

 

And I inadvertently added a little smirk, which looks niiiiiceeeee .

 

Oh and no lipgloss. No.

[MayriyaNoori]

I must. I must.. try.

 

And I inadvertently added a little smirk, which looks niiiiiceeeee .

 

Oh and no lipgloss. No.

Everything is hotter with a smirk.

 

Everything is not always hotter with lip gloss. In fact, I'm a matte person myself so.......yeah.

[FernRain]

I am in total agreement.

 

I don't think he meant to have AS glossy lips, the game engine seems to go overboard on the shine sometimes.

 

And yes, matte for me. I actually have matte lip gloss, so perhaps Abelas bought the wrong brand..

[Illyria]

Yeah, I agree that is probably why they made him straight and white.

 

Yup.  While more diversity is good it seems BW are making a conscious decision to stay away from unfortunate implication tropes.
 

[Shari'El]

Did 11 hours of arting, finally finished Abelas' face. Tomorrow I'll be working on his armor..

 

*cries* there's more armor than his face..

 

11 hours?! You'll kill your back! And your neck! And your shoulders!

 

Btw did anyone notice this? Found it on tumblr

 

Comparison of Solas' Trespasser tiles to his tarot cards.

 

Source & more here:

http://teaandinanity...dragon-age-keep

[FernRain]

@Shari:

 

My body is used to this kinda thing by now! Though my butt feels kinds bruised .

 

That comparison is good. I wonder what the sphere represents .

 

Also I pm'ed you a link of my progress. Do you think I need to put as much detail into his armor? Thankfully there isn't anything as detailed as eyes/mouth/vallaslin.

[Maria13]

He's no socio/psychopath, quite to the contrary, he's an idealist, ideas, a purpose, a cause greater than himself means everything to him and motivates his every action. Psycho/socios are just all about the ego, there is nothing of that in Solas. Oh, he's an introvert and a nerd but he shows an intense interest in the ideas of others.

[Shari'El]

@Shari:

 

My body is used to this kinda thing by now! Though my butt feels kinds bruised .

 

That comparison is good. I wonder what the sphere represents .

 

Also I pm'ed you a link of my progress. Do you think I need to put as much detail into his armor? Thankfully there isn't anything as detailed as eyes/mouth/vallaslin.

 

Possibly a way to divert focus?

The fact "stop Solas" is entirely focused on Solas and "redeem Solas" is almost entirely focused on the Inquisitor is interesting to me.

In the first Fen'Harel is on a layer above the circles, and Solas has his own thin circle and in the latter the circles are on top of the wolf and Inky, the wolf's face is lit up by the circle.

 

Either way in the "stop Solas" we see Fen'Harel/Pride pretty much devouring Solas' figure (encompassing him on both sides and the big circle encapsulates the smaller one), and in the "redeem Solas" there is only one form that represents both Solas and Fen'Harel, a normal looking wolf.

 

Anyhow, I should stop before I start over-analyzing stuff, I need to workkkkkkkkk

 

[Kadan]

Grrr, someone was calling Solas a sociopath on reddit, and I got mad - but, I did not publish my huge rant over there, because I don't really want to have a fight. Anyway, someone else linked to this article which describes what sociopathic behavior is like. Solas does not fit this at all - and let me tell you how many ways he is not:

 

Spoiler

I don't read Solas as a sociopath at all. Perhaps it's a matter of perceptions, or perhaps it's the fact that he is an actual thousands year old god who is trying to pretend to be a humble apostate (and doesn't actually want to be called a god even though he is) which kind of skews any reading of him.

 

Going down the list in this article:

 

1- Lack of Shame - Solas has shown remorse and shame for what he did to his people by creating the Veil. He feels responsible and wants to correct his mistake, even if how he intends to go about it is harmful to other peoples, as he sees no other way. He is very apologetic to a Lavellan whom he has responded to romantically and hurt, and again expresses shame and remorse in Trespasser because he truly loves her. He is very upset at having to go to Flemythal, who lets him take her power which kills her - and believes he should be the one to die not she.

 

2 - Lying - He generally lies by omission or out of necessity - not wanting to seem like he knows too much. If he did not conceal his identity as an ancient elf god who gave Corypheus the orb, he would have been killed immediately, or Tranquilized by the Chantry. He also generally tells the truth whenever possible (though I'm not buying that he'd never seen veilfire before, as it's literally all over his temple).

 

3- Eerily Calm - He does lack empathy to a certain degree, and may be disassociating due to the trauma of having unintentionally destroyed his entire race - but he is not unshakable emotionally. Solas is often compassionate, caring deeply about other people besides himself. He regularly loses his temper or is emotional when it is called for, in fact. He's particularly horrified and angry at the Grey Wardens actions, venomous towards an Inquisitor who has negative approval or at Vivienne, is affectionate and genuine towards an Inquisitor who is romanced, is deeply agitated when his friend Wisdom is threatened, sorrowful when she dies, and vengeful at the mages who killed her. He's very upset when he is being asked by Cole to bind him, and is furious when he is confronted by anyone who willingly adheres to the Qun (if inconsiderate towards their feelings and reasoning). His attempts at stoicism are largely a front over a hot temper and a mountain of guilt.

 

4 - Charming? Mostly he comes off as a defensive, long-winded weirdo, not charming - and I say this as someone who has had a Lavellan romance him and enjoyed it. He can be charming when he tries, but mostly he's trying to stay in the background and observe because of his precarious position as an elf and a mage with a lot of secrets.

 

5 - High Intelligence - Yes, he is very intelligent. So is everyone in the Inquisitor's Circle, he's just had several thousand years to collect more experience and knowledge.

 

6 - Manipulation - It is heavily implied in Trespasser that Solas used to be Mythal's guardian before he was made an Evanuris. If he didn't know how to protect her, and play the Game as it existed in ancient Elvhenan he'd have been useless and/or dead. Especially with having to contend with seven other powerful bloodthirsty gods and their servants. Felassan said that Briala reminded him a lot of Fen'Harel, and they seem to have had some similar experiences. So yes, he knows how to manipulate people and use their weaknesses against them.

 

7 - Instigating Violence/Torturing the Weak - I have seen no evidence of him purposefully hurting people for no reason. In fact he mentions that killing is something that should only be done out of necessity and unless it is personal should not be celebrated. He does not approve of pointless violence or causing unnecessary pain.

 

8 - Huge Ego - Yes. His name is Solas, which literally translates to Pride. It's a problem. He believes that he has to do everything himself because he's too proud to do otherwise. Also seems to believe the elves are somewhat superior to other races because of his pride, which, yes, is also a problem.

 

9 - Can't Hold Eye Contact - Regularly holds eye contact with the Inquisitor, and other characters he interacts with.

 

10 - Face Reading - ??? - He has a very expressive face, that shows many different emotions through the game depending on how you treat him. Solas is good at reading other people, because he does know how to recruit spies and predicts how his enemies will act.

 

11 - Friendships - All of his friends are dead. Or are spirits. He does make friends though, possibly with the Inquisitor, shows camaraderie with Cassandra, Blackwall, Iron Bull and Cole, and was close friends with Mythal. He can't really afford to get too close to anyone because of his end goal however, which is why we don't get to see him play Wicked Grace despite the fact that he seems to like playing games like chess and cards, and breaks up with a romanced Lavellan.

 

12 - Isolates you - Solas never tries to keep the Inquisitor away from their friends if romanced. Actually, their relationship is built very strongly on consent - either one of them is allowed to back out at any time. He's a great proponent of free will, and would never tie down someone who didn't want to be with him. The only instance I can think of where the Inquisitor is completely isolated, is in the end of Trespasser where he closes the eluvian to keep the companions out. Likely, so he doesn't have to kill them, when they inevitably try to attack, and so he can remove the anchor and tell the Inquisitor the truth - something he would never have done if he didn't care about their feelings, or did not want to give them a chance to stop him.

 

13 - Immature - He's happy to share stories, his talents, and his wisdom as needed. He calls himself out as selfish when he allows a romance to take place and he has to break up with the Inquisitor - and also apologizes and admits he has done her wrong. He also apologizes to Blackwall after yelling at him for lying, as he'd been projecting on Blackwall. His ego is huge, but he doesn't seem obsessed with himself so much as his perception of his duty as something that only he can do. Not particularly needy or demanding in a relationship. As far as responsibility - he's quite capable of taking on huge responsibilities (until he overextends himself and destroys the world), and gives credit where credit is due - like when he commends the Inquisitor for building the Inquisition.

 

So basically, Solas has some qualities that can be considered sociopathic, which he has acquired for survival's sake, but his emotional life is very much that of a person who desires to be around other people and have loving, caring, equal relationships with them - which sadly is only possible, when they do not know who and what he is.

 

No Solas doesn't fit the sociopath profile. He is nothing like my ex-husband! Poor Weekes, I don't think he expected such animosity for his character when he wrote him.

[FernRain]

Speaking of design, I've seen that cracked texture in DA art before (like that Deep roads pic I referenced from). Is it a brush? Cause I'd much like to have one rather than trying to draw cracks manually.

 

Also threes, threes all over the 'stop Solas' picture.

 

I'm not topping on this tablet that refuses to post links. Besides, I already contributed to the top today with smoking Abelas .

[Illyria]

No Solas doesn't fit the sociopath profile. He is nothing like my ex-husband! Poor Weekes, I don't think he expected such animosity for his character when he wrote him.

 

I think he did.  He made several conscious choices to ensure that Solas' more constriversal aspects wouldn't play into unfortunate tropes.

[Kadan]

Where is that Wreck it Ralph  gif? Solas may be the bad guy, but that doesn't make him a Bad Guy!

[CapricornSun]

Another art break.

 

ChuChu's League/DAI crossover comic. Starring Sera and Solas. 

Spoiler

Source: http://lothlenan.tum...inquisition-rlr

 

 

Modern AU Solas in a christmas sweater. 

Spoiler

Source: http://inquisiliciou...itadel-okay-but

 

 

Gorgeous sketch of concept!Solas.

Spoiler

Source: http://starthea.tumb...-the-old-dalish

 

 

Cute sketch of Solas and Lavellan dancing.

Spoiler

Source: http://shirrill.tumb...st/132817813252

 

 

Some lovely artworks based on Chapter 2 of the Kid!quisitor fanfic.

Spoiler

Source: http://coffeependulu...ons-another-few