153429 réponses à ce sujet

[lynroy]

I'm weird about this, but he'll always be purely a friendmance for me. The purest of pure brotherly loves, but incredibly strong.

I'm the feel the same way about him. Best bro.

[DarkSun09]

You know, a month or so after Inquisition came out, Weekes made some comment on the break-up in Crestwood, about how Solas was ready to just give it up and be with Lavellan, but he pulled back at the last second because he realized he'd be "betraying himself." And even then, I remember getting caught up on the wording. It seemed like such a strange way of phrasing things - no "he'd be stringing Lavellan along" or "he'd be doing something that (From his perspective) is unspeakably selfish," but instead it was somehow a betrayal of himself.

 

At the time I chalked it up to simple weirdness, but it does make a lot more sense now. He was making the same "mistake" he killed Felassan for, and to let things continue - worse, to let it go and be with Lavellan - would mean he betrayed himself just as surely as Felassan had. 

 

It makes me wonder if some of Solas' stubbornness about the situation is born of the sunken cost fallacy - that he's sacrificed so much, friends, innocents, loved ones - to simply give up would mean their death was for nothing. He just... killed them for nothing. So he keeps going, because if he can't bring them back, at least he can give them meaning.

 

I dunno. Something to think about.

 

This is so awesome. You worded it perfectly. I think your reading of the situation is spot on.

 

My heart's breaking for him all over again, though. What a painful situation to be in. Can't say what I would do if I were in his shoes. Sacrificing so much for a cause, only to realize you were wrong, but the price already paid is too high for you turn back now. Ugh, that's awful. To live with regrets piled upon regrets. He probably wants to be stopped because he doesn't know how he can stop. Poor Solas. And poor Felassan. 

 

Ahh... I finally understand why the writer said to romance him if you want to see the utter sadness of Solas.  

[midnight tea]

He sounds like a character I would really like. Oh man, I've missed out.

Okay. At your recommendation, I just bought it for my kindle. It's even on sale. 

 

 

Oh dear. That's so sad. But then... at least he's not a hypocrite about it. The inquisitor may be real to him, but he's still going to continue his plan to destroy us. That's either laudable dedication and/or exasperating stubbornness. And... well, I've always thought he plans to die with us... what with him saying he walks the path of Din'anshiral. Maybe whatever he has to do will cost him his life and well as ours. 

 

Actually, I think his actions may have a lot to do with learned helplessness.

 

What's learned helplessness?

 

By definition on wiki it's: "is behavior typical of an organism (human or animal) that has endured repeated painful or otherwise aversive stimuli which it was unable to escape or avoid. After such experience, the organism often fails to learn escape or avoidance in new situations where such behavior would be effective. In other words, the organism seems to have learned that it is helpless in aversive situations, that it has lost control, and so it gives up trying."

 

IMO it fits I hear it especially when Cole says "It changes everything, but it can't".

[TheyCallMeBunny]

Actually, I think his actions may have a lot to do with learned helplessness.

 

What's learned helplessness?

 

By definition on wiki it's: "is behavior typical of an organism (human or animal) that has endured repeated painful or otherwise aversive stimuli which it was unable to escape or avoid. After such experience, the organism often fails to learn escape or avoidance in new situations where such behavior would be effective. In other words, the organism seems to have learned that it is helpless in aversive situations, that it has lost control, and so it gives up trying."

 

IMO it fits I hear it especially when Cole says "It changes everything, but it can't".

 

I'm not so convinced it is learned helplessness - usually people who suffer from this (like battered wives) fail to take any action whatsoever. They merely endure (Fenris probably suffered this at the hands of Danarius though). Solas, on the other hand, does take matter into his own hands... even when perhaps he should just let some things be.

 

I'm more inclined to think that Solas is simply fatalistic and deterministic by nature... although I would love to one day sit down and do a thorough analysis of his character. 

[midnight tea]

I'm not so convinced it is learned helplessness - usually people who suffer from this (like battered wives) fail to take any action whatsoever. They merely endure (Fenris probably suffered this at the hands of Danarius though). Solas, on the other hand, does take matter into his own hands... even when perhaps he should just let some things be.

 

I'm more inclined to think that Solas is simply fatalistic and deterministic by nature... although I would love to one day sit down and do a thorough analysis of his character. 

 

Learned helplessness doesn't just apply to battered wives or people who do nothing, but AFAIK all kinds of perpetuated negative behavior, or seeming inability to escape given circumstances. I don't think I'm the only one who feels that Solas has resigned himself to his fate - he pushes through because he sees no other way out, but that doesn't mean that there's no way out: he simply doesn't see it, likely because he's too singed by previous failures and betrayals to try and dare hope for it. It's sort of a vicious circle. I also don't think I'm the only one who sees leaving Inky alive and aware of his plan as - in portion at least - a desperate cry for help.

[DarkSun09]

Actually, I think his actions may have a lot to do with learned helplessness.

 

What's learned helplessness?

 

By definition on wiki it's: "is behavior typical of an organism (human or animal) that has endured repeated painful or otherwise aversive stimuli which it was unable to escape or avoid. After such experience, the organism often fails to learn escape or avoidance in new situations where such behavior would be effective. In other words, the organism seems to have learned that it is helpless in aversive situations, that it has lost control, and so it gives up trying."

 

IMO it fits I hear it especially when Cole says "It changes everything, but it can't".

 

Um, I don't think "gives up trying" is Solas's problem. Lol. I wish it were! In fact, I don't think he's going to stop trying to fix things until it kills him.

 

...That look of relief on his face when I told him I'll keep trying to make the world a better place... argh, dammit, I should never have said that! I'm an enabler! And what this wolf needs is a good whack to the head, not positive reinforcement. 

[TheyCallMeBunny]

Learned helplessness doesn't just apply to battered wives or people who do nothing, but AFAIK all kinds of perpetuated negative behavior, or seeming inability to escape given circumstances. I don't think I'm the only one who feels that Solas has resigned himself to his fate - he pushes through because he sees no other way out, but that doesn't mean that there's no way out: he simply doesn't see it, likely because he's too singed by previous failures and betrayals to try and dare hope for it. It's sort of a vicious circle. I also don't think I'm the only one who sees leaving Inky alive and aware of his plan as - in portion at least - a desperate cry for help.

 

Hmmm I'm still not convinced... I'll look it up later in my books. It is hard to understand a persons mental state and motivations when you know so little about their past and their true motivations. I hope to find some time during Christmas to make a more thorough analysis. 

[DarkSun09]

Learned helplessness doesn't just apply to battered wives or people who do nothing, but AFAIK all kinds of perpetuated negative behavior, or seeming inability to escape given circumstances. I don't think I'm the only one who feels that Solas has resigned himself to his fate - he pushes through because he sees no other way out, but that doesn't mean that there's no way out: he simply doesn't see it, likely because he's too singed by previous failures and betrayals to try and dare hope for it. It's sort of a vicious circle. I also don't think I'm the only one who sees leaving Inky alive and aware of his plan as - in portion at least - a desperate cry for help.

 

Hell, I don't see a way out for him either. After what Ellawynn said in the post above, I can only see death as his saving grace. There are worst things than death after all. Maybe the help he needs isn't to be saved, but simply to be stopped. If that's the case, I'll do it. I'll be the Lavellan who loves him enough to put him out of his misery. Maybe that was his hope when he spared me.

[midnight tea]

Um, I don't think "gives up trying" is Solas's problem. Lol. I wish it were! In fact, I don't think he's going to stop trying to fix things until it kills him.

 

I think you may be thinking about "giving up" too literally. Just because Solas tries to do something, doesn't mean that he hasn't largely given up - in fact, he's almost entirely given up the idea that anything other than destruction of the world won't make things better and that he is utterly doomed to bear the cost of it all, which will eventually destroy him.

 

In fact he's so over the ears in hopelessness and self-loathing and carrying on with his plan, than when he coolly explains to Inquisitor what he'd have done if the orb killed Cory and Inky says that s/he never considered Solas someone who'd be able to do something so horrible, he's stunned and thanks them for it   And of course there's spirit!Cole says the the end of Trespasser - he's going back to the Fade to remind Solas  he is. Because he's given up so much that he's about to break his own identity and principles.

 

If that's not giving up, I don't know what is.

 

I mean... why do you think Lavellan can say to him, in a roundabout way, "I'm not giving up on you" (or at the very end Inky can say "we will save our friend from himself") at the end of Trespasser? Because he himself has largely given up a long time ago

And since he's removed what was previously probably his last tether to his... er.. humanity by killing Felassan at the end of TME, befriended/romanced Inky appears to be the only thing that remained that offer the last remains of hope for the world as well as for himself.

 

 

...That look of relief on his face when I told him I'll keep trying to make the world a better place... argh, dammit, I should never have said that! I'm an enabler! And what this wolf needs is a good whack to the head, not positive reinforcement. 

 

Er, you're not an enabler - or, I mean, you're an enabler, but in a good sense! Helping the world move forward =/= destroy it to restore the past.

So Inquisitor literally offers Solas a faint hope that pushing forward with what we have will eventually result in a world that is better than it ever was. The fact that he says that consequences are grave should tell us that whatever rote we pick - restoration or moving forward - will come at some kind of a a cost (well, creating the Veil certainly bore a substantial cost), but also apparently tat Solas harbors faint hope that there is another way.

 

So that option in particular is a good one to pick - it's the "I'll restore what was" that is bad! Solas even thanks us for the reminder!

 

 

Hmmm I'm still not convinced... I'll look it up later in my books. It is hard to understand a persons mental state and motivations when you know so little about their past and their true motivations. I hope to find some time during Christmas to make a more thorough analysis. 

 

True that we don't know much about Solas past, but we do have a good grasp on his character. He cares about people, he believes in right of all sentient creatures to exist, yet he forces himself on a path that will destroy many and himself in the result... :/

[DarkSun09]

I think you may be thinking about "giving up" too literally. Just because Solas tries to do something, doesn't mean that he hasn't largely given up - in fact, he's almost entirely given up the idea that anything other than destruction of the world won't make things better and that he is utterly doomed to bear the cost of it all, which will eventually destroy him.

In fact he's so over the ears in hopelessness and self-loathing and carrying on with his plan, than when he coolly explains to Inquisitor what he'd have done if the orb killed Cory and Inky says that s/he never considered Solas someone who'd be able to do something so horrible, he's stunned and thanks them for it   And of course there's spirit!Cole says the the end of Trespasser - he's going back to the Fade to remind Solas  he is. Because he's given up so much that he's about to break his own identity and principles.
 
If that's not giving up, I don't know what is.
 
I mean... why do you think Lavellan can say to him, in a roundabout way, "I'm not giving up on you" (or at the very end Inky can say "we will save our friend from himself") at the end of Trespasser? Because he himself has largely given up a long time ago
And since he's removed what was previously probably his last tether to his... er.. humanity by killing Felassan at the end of TME, befriended/romanced Inky appears to be the only thing that remained that offer the last remains of hope for the world as well as for himself.

Seems like you can apply that to anything in any situation, though. Is Corypheus also plagued by this learned helplessness? Is he filled with hoplessness and despair after we've beaten him so many times that he can't see a way out and thus continues his struggle against us? Has he given up on life because he can't picture the world existing without a god? What about Fiona? She doesn't want to ally with Tevinter, but sees no way out, so she hopelessly fights on, hoping we'd stop her? 

 

Did I eat this entire tub of ice cream because I've given up on my diet, knowing it is hopeless... or do I just really like ice cream?   

 

I dunno... this whole concept is so... ambiguous. Just to play devil's advocate, I could say that Solas has not given up on himself, and is simply determined to see his plan through because he still carries the belief that it is the right thing to do. I could say that he has tried to live among the current day elves, but find them obstinate and unwilling to learn so he has given up on them, and now wants to make the world right by restoring his people. Couldn't that be the case?

 

Eh, I don't know. My head hurts. Lol.

[NightSymphony]

Art time

 

Solas and The Dread Wolf

http://kittywizzard....-Wolf-576413719

 

Solas striking a pose (Vogue)

http://lily-girl414....spine-576343609

 

The Dread Mobster

http://little-tuss.d...bster-576218866

 

 

Beautiful Dalish elves cosplay

http://midknightdrag...least-576286058

[Tess]

I've been trying to get a cuddling mood of my system lately So going to drop this here.

 

http://umabbas.tumbl...ge/134656940194

Spoiler

[midnight tea]

Seems like you can apply that to anything in any situation, though. Is Corypheus also plagued by this learned helplessness? Is he filled with hoplessness and despair after we've beaten him so many times that he can't see a way out and thus continues his struggle against us? Has he given up on life because he can't picture the world existing without a god? What about Fiona? She doesn't want to ally with Tevinter, but sees no way out, so she hopelessly fights on, hoping we'd stop her? 

 

Did I eat this entire tub of ice cream because I've given up on my diet, knowing it is hopeless... or do I just really like ice cream?   

 

I dunno... this whole concept is so... ambiguous. Just to play devil's advocate, I could say that Solas has not given up on himself, and is simply determined to see his plan through because he still carries the belief that it is the right thing to do. I could say that he has tried to live among the current day elves, but find them obstinate and unwilling to learn so he has given up on them, and now wants to make the world right by restoring his people. Couldn't that be the case?

 

Eh, I don't know. My head hurts. Lol.

 

Giving up and thinking that he has to do what is necessary to be done/is right are not two mutually exclusive things. It's erroneous to assume that a person has to be motivated just by one thing (be it learned helplessness, conviction that one is right or else), when we know these situations are more complex than that. This is why I said that his situation has "a lot" to do with learned helplessness, but not absolutely everything.

 

Also - the fact that the concept applicable to more situations shows just how pervasive it is, not necessarily how ambiguous it is.

 

Because yes - Corypheus has given up. In fact, I have to say that for all that he's done wrong, be it in the past or now, I feel sorry for him. He seemed to be initially a rather decent man acting out of concern for people who began forsaking their gods, at least before whispers he listened to began twisting his mind and made him sacrifice seas of blood and lyrium to pierce the fade and reach the Golden City; and then his mind was hopelessly twisted further by the Blight and he had nobody to rely on than it when he scrambled from his slumber and realized that his gods are either dead or a lie and the world is all wrong.

 

There likely was nobody to even slightly rely on or deal with his pain, so he lashed out against the world and his broken faith, given up to an idea that only his course of action can correct things. Heck, nobody can even approach him now and veer him from the course - the Blight itself guarantees that he shall be forever alone and broken.

 

Because it's a large thing in DA: that being alone and without support of others when we need it is oftentimes what leads people to resigning to a chosen course of actions, no matter how good a person may be. Look at Blackwall - he's completely given up on Thom Rainier. When Inquisitor asks in prison if his death would help repay his crimes, he asks "Wouldn't that be a start?". It's only thanks to a given chance and support that he tries to reclaim his name and make something good out of it.

 

What about Leliana? If we don't steer her away, she gives up her conscience "for the greater good" (this is literally what is written on a tile in DA Keep). Similar with Cullen - he was about to give up himself to lyrium addiction. If we don't help Bull with his identity crisis and give him up for alliance with the Qun, he recedes so far inside with the help of re-educators, that Cole feels like he's empty inside after the betrayal in Trespasser.

 

The theme of people giving up, or being ready to give up, and just settle to a given course of action unless we find those who help us and spark the seed of hope is a HUGE one in DAI, and given where the story leads to and currently stops at, I see no reason to think that Solas is much different in that regard. Not all is lot - he's not yet lost and we're for him to find some hope and redemption.... that is unless we don't screw everything over xD Because that's a possibility too

[Eliantariel]

You know, a month or so after Inquisition came out, Weekes made some comment on the break-up in Crestwood, about how Solas was ready to just give it up and be with Lavellan, but he pulled back at the last second because he realized he'd be "betraying himself." And even then, I remember getting caught up on the wording. It seemed like such a strange way of phrasing things - no "he'd be stringing Lavellan along" or "he'd be doing something that (From his perspective) is unspeakably selfish," but instead it was somehow a betrayal of himself.

 

At the time I chalked it up to simple weirdness, but it does make a lot more sense now. He was making the same "mistake" he killed Felassan for, and to let things continue - worse, to let it go and be with Lavellan - would mean he betrayed himself just as surely as Felassan had. 

 

It makes me wonder if some of Solas' stubbornness about the situation is born of the sunken cost fallacy - that he's sacrificed so much, friends, innocents, loved ones - to simply give up would mean their death was for nothing. He just... killed them for nothing. So he keeps going, because if he can't bring them back, at least he can give them meaning.

 

I dunno. Something to think about.

 

This is really good to know - if only Lavellan had this information too. As a player we have sometimes meta information that our characters haven't.

 

During the break-up he might have come to think that it would be selfish to live a happy life with Lavellan and let the world just be instead of trying to "restore" it. He would live a happy life for some decades and likely grow old and die of age too. In the end he and Lavellan will both be dead, but the veil would still be there. While he did it to save the world from the evanuris it seems he now sees it as a mistake that he really has to correct to return the world to a natural state. 

 

Maybe in DA4 we can find a safe® way to bring down the veil or find a way to change his mind. I am not willing to give up on Solas yet, but whatever happens, I guess it will be the story that Patrick wants to tell and Solas is his (and Davids) character so I think they will not waste his development and character just so we have a new boss battle in DA4.

[Eliantariel]

Speaking of Mythal... any of you guys ever wonder if they were more than friends at one point? He was awfully upset that the evanuris killed her. I was surprised to learn that that was the line they crossed to push him into action. 

 

Oh, that reminds me... what did he do to her at the end of the main game? I thought he killed her and took her powers. But now... that can't be it, right? He was so pissed at the evanuris for killing her. Why would he harm her, too? So... what did he do?

 

Solas and Mythal doesn't have to be lovers for him to be upset and to fight against the evanuris. Maybe they were more than friends for a time, no idea. But as you can see with his friend wisdom, he likes to take revenge for a friends death and maybe killing Mythal showed him how far the evanuris are willing to go. 

 

I am not sure if Mythal really had a husband and kids among the other evanuris but to kill one of their own and with Solas the only one good to the people might just be enough for Solas. Mythal might have been the one holding the evanuris back to save people and with Mythal gone things weren't looking to get better.

 

I do wonder why Solas is killing Flemythal - couldn't he just team up with her? Her power, his knowledge? I do think Mythal is still alive and possibly transferring to Morrigan - I guess in all the time being Flemythal she has recovered some power and he takes just this. Quite interesting that this is so easy to do for him, I mean absorbing her power. 

 

And concerning his lost orb: maybe there are other orbs, from Mythal, from the other evanuris that can be found and used? 

[Zafireria]

I have a theory on all this, based on the information you get within the game and how Solas acts throughout the game.
Be warned tho, its heavy reading

 

Spoiler

Solas is Fen'Harel also known as Dread Wolf. He is said to be the elven god of betrayal (or the god of rebellion depends on who you ask I suppose) he is also known as Lord of Tricksters, Roamer of the Beyond, the old wolf, and Bringer of Nightmares and more, tho I believe those to be less accurate. He was known as kin to both the Creators and the Forgotten Ones.
He and his people were the immortal ancient elves who had a very strong connected to the Fade. But some grew power mad and greedy and killed Mythal when she opposed them, she cared about her people and protected them. This made Solas create the veil in order to lock up those who killed her, a simple prison would not do. But in doing so he destroyed the elves connection to the Fade and made them mortal. I am assuming he fell asleep (due to power overload or something)

When he awoke several years later (1 year before joying the inquisition) He saw what the world had become as a result. Elves were used as slaves, treated closed to vermin, and their connection to the Fade was either gone or very weak. Man was brutal and made war almost everywhere and mages were seen as dangerous beings not worth life. Upon seeing this, he was hit by despair and guilt, he felt that the elves fate was his fault. He caused them this suffering, he betrayed them (hence why he sometimes mention as "the Great Betrayal") he had to right his wrong doing, no matter the price. But as he was rather weak after waking up he didn't have the power to enter the fade himself and tore down the veil as he believed that was the way to undo his doings. He wanted to unlock the orb so he could enter the fade as the orb works as a key, but he didn't have the power do to so, so he tipped of Corypheus about the orb, hoping he would unlock it for him and die in the explosion as a result. But sadly the inquisitor appeared and changed everything. With the anchor now in someone else and Corypheus still alive, he felt he had to get the orb back. So he decided to tag along, helping out and trying to study the anchor as well.

But being part of the inquisition showed him that perhaps this is not all lost. Perhaps the world isn't as bad as he first thought. He sees how 1 person, can be such a big hope for so many and how everyone gathers around this one person to commit themselves to a cause of defeating evil and correct wrongs. He sees that this world has more than meet the eye. Still its not enough for him to change his plans, but he realizes that if we stays with these people he might be steered away from his path and so decides to leave them all when Coryphues is dead. With the orb destroyed he has to find another way of entering the fade.
Now if he was romanced, there is a part where he is this close to reveal to his love/heart who he actually is and what he plans to do, but chickens out in the last moment. During the kiss he realizes that if he continues to be with her to give up on everything and just be with her, he would betray himself and his path. So with a broken heart himself he breaks it off so he can focus on his path and to move on. As tiring down the veil will most likely kill her as well as everything else.

So he wanders for 2 years, gathering strength and trying to find another way to enter the fade and then stumbles into the inquisitor and there he explains everything, who he is, what he plans to do, and that you have shown him that he can be wrong, and hopes to be proven wrong yet again as he takes no pleasure in doing what he feels he must do.
If its his love he encounters its clear to see that he hasn't forgotten her or has moved on. It breaks his heart to say goodbye and he does wish they could be together. But the guilt is stronger.

What happens next depends on Bioware. Personally, I think there is hope to save him to prevent him from tiring down the veil, or we get the option to kill him. Either way, I just hope we get a choice, based on all above, I think there is hope

[DarkSun09]

I've been trying to get a cuddling mood of my system lately So going to drop this here.

 

http://umabbas.tumbl...ge/134656940194

Spoiler

 

 

His hand needs to be on her ass or it's not accurrate. 

[Tess]

His hand needs to be on her ass or it's not accurrate. 

It's their first kiss. Give few minutes. It's actually from a 13th chapter of my fanfic. I'll make sure to include buttgrabs asap. 

[CapricornSun]

Art post.

 

Lavellan introduces Solas to her... umm... "parents".

Spoiler

Source: http://eggsquisite-d...uces-you-to-the

 

 

Lavellan holding the wolf jawbone necklace, and Trespasser Solas and Lavellan.

Spoiler

Source: http://eggsquisite-d...eamboat-a-thank

 

 

Lavellan lets Solas try some fancy chocolate.

Spoiler

Source: http://solavellangar...847074/epilogue

 

 

Epilogue:

 

 

Trespasser: Lavellan and the Dread Wolf.

Spoiler

Source: http://cthulhulahoop...-could-be-happy

 

 

Solavellan and Dorian "draw your oc" art based on this meme.

Spoiler

Source: http://dr-equia.tumb...nows-the-source

 

 

Smiling Solas. 

Spoiler

Source: http://tuliparts.tum...log-for-a-while

 

[DarkSun09]

Giving up and thinking that he has to do what is necessary to be done/is right are not two mutually exclusive things. It's erroneous to assume that a person has to be motivated just by one thing (be it learned helplessness, conviction that one is right or else), when we know these situations are more complex than that. This is why I said that his situation has "a lot" to do with learned helplessness, but not absolutely everything.

 

Also - the fact that the concept applicable to more situations shows just how pervasive it is, not necessarily how ambiguous it is.

 

Because yes - Corypheus has given up. In fact, I have to say that for all that he's done wrong, be it in the past or now, I feel sorry for him. He seemed to be initially a rather decent man acting out of concern for people who began forsaking their gods, at least before whispers he listened to began twisting his mind and made him sacrifice seas of blood and lyrium to pierce the fade and reach the Golden City; and then his mind was hopelessly twisted further by the Blight and he had nobody to rely on than it when he scrambled from his slumber and realized that his gods are either dead or a lie and the world is all wrong.

 

There likely was nobody to even slightly rely on or deal with his pain, so he lashed out against the world and his broken faith, given up to an idea that only his course of action can correct things. Heck, nobody can even approach him now and veer him from the course - the Blight itself guarantees that he shall be forever alone and broken.

 

Because it's a large thing in DA: that being alone and without support of others when we need it is oftentimes what leads people to resigning to a chosen course of actions, no matter how good a person may be. Look at Blackwall - he's completely given up on Thom Rainier. When Inquisitor asks in prison if his death would help repay his crimes, he asks "Wouldn't that be a start?". It's only thanks to a given chance and support that he tries to reclaim his name and make something good out of it.

 

What about Leliana? If we don't steer her away, she gives up her conscience "for the greater good" (this is literally what is written on a tile in DA Keep). Similar with Cullen - he was about to give up himself to lyrium addiction. If we don't help Bull with his identity crisis and give him up for alliance with the Qun, he recedes so far inside with the help of re-educators, that Cole feels like he's empty inside after the betrayal in Trespasser.

 

The theme of people giving up, or being ready to give up, and just settle to a given course of action unless we find those who help us and spark the seed of hope is a HUGE one in DAI, and given where the story leads to and currently stops at, I see no reason to think that Solas is much different in that regard. Not all is lot - he's not yet lost and we're for him to find some hope and redemption.... that is unless we don't screw everything over xD Because that's a possibility too

 

I don't know about this. It kinda undermines personal agency, don't you think? The idea that people are settled into a given course of action, a certain mindset, or a certain fate unless an outside force (the player) act upon the character to "save" him/her. What's to say this outside force is even a good influence? Or the right influence, rather. We can push Leliana either way and both results could be argued to be the right one. Perhaps Blackwall was always going to turn himself in and answer for his crimes. Perhaps dying in the place of the man they were about to hang was his redemption. Perhaps Solas was on the right path all along, and it is the player who blindsided him, and put him in the wrong path. Perhaps someday a different part of history would paint my Inquisitor as the villain in this story, the heartless traitor who sided with the others to undermine the restoration of her people. I don't know... I'd like to think that even should people fail and fall into despair for a time, eventually, some will find the strength within to save themselves.

 

Also... l really don't see what part of Solas's history put him in this learned helplessness category. He was/is a powerful mage, a revered leader to his people. He's led numerous slaves in a rebellion against their oppressors. Yes, he has seen a lot of pain and death and loss, but I haven't seen anything that's broken him yet (well, except for loving someone he maybe shouldn't). He remains convinced of his purpose, even if love/friendship made him hesitate for a little while there. I just don't see how this learned helplessness applies to him. His mistakes were his own. Every step of the way, he has been agent to his choices. Yes, the consequences of his actions hasn't been great, but feeling sadness or regret for what he's unwittingly done in order to help his people is not the same as falling into hopelessness and giving up. You ask him what the alternative would have been had he not stopped the elven gods and he says "the evanuris would have destroyed the entire world." He believes he's done the right thing, still. And I kinda believe he has as well.

[DarkSun09]

It's their first kiss. Give few minutes. It's actually from a 13th chapter of my fanfic. I'll make sure to include buttgrabs asap. 

 

*This Lavellan greatly approves*

[DarkSun09]

Art post.

 

Lavellan introduces Solas to her... umm... "parents".

Spoiler

Source: http://eggsquisite-d...uces-you-to-the

 

 

Lavellan holding the wolf jawbone necklace, and Trespasser Solas and Lavellan.

Spoiler

Source: http://eggsquisite-d...eamboat-a-thank

 

 

Lavellan lets Solas try some fancy chocolate.

Spoiler

Source: http://solavellangar...847074/epilogue

 

 

Epilogue:

 

 

Trespasser: Lavellan and the Dread Wolf.

Spoiler

Source: http://cthulhulahoop...-could-be-happy

 

 

Solavellan and Dorian "draw your oc" art based on this meme.

Spoiler

Source: http://dr-equia.tumb...nows-the-source

 

 

Smiling Solas. 

Spoiler

Source: http://tuliparts.tum...log-for-a-while

 

 

Ahh, that second one. I really wished he'd given us that necklace as a keepsake. My Lavellan has nothing to clutch to her bosom as she gaze mournfully into the sunset. Inconsiderate wolf.

[Cee]

After just catching up and reading this morning's posts, I want to go listen to the Trespasser soundtrack again but it means inevitable sinking into the feels corner.

 

I think I appreciate Felassan more now after Trespasser, with his role having become even clearer, and what he meant.

 

When I read TME, the character I came to love that stood out for me most was Michel.

[almasy87]

Wow those comics.. about the parents and the chocolate.. I just can't hold my smile

Plus now I feel like having chocolate. Damn!

[Sable Rhapsody]

When I read TME, the character I came to love that stood out for me most was Michel.

 

I like Michel too, but TBH, I think a lot of that was due to the rest of the Orlesians being the worst

 

Celene and Gaspard are interesting characters but awful people.  And most of the background characters (Orlesian and Dalish alike) are...not particularly likable either.  That left Briala, Felassan, and Michel.  Briala and Felassan I genuinely like as characters.  But I think I liked Michel by virtue of him being the least obnoxious of all the Orlesians