153431 réponses à ce sujet

[Solas]

Really? Because... that's what your last post seemed to imply. 

 

Quoth: "It doesn't sound like there's going to be a place for modern elves in his proposed new world. Modern elves aren't his people or who he's trying to save or restore. Its his world or ours and he's understandably picking his."

 

How else am I supposed to interpret that post? 

 

The post was made in response to someone who was asking if anyone felt they understood why Solas wouldn't want the Inquisitor to join them. I threw out several possible reasons people have talked about that espouse why him not letting them join him is logical/understandable to them.

 

also what midnight tea said: ".... Though I also don't think this is neither about restoring a bunch of ancient elves or just modern elves or whatever. It's something much bigger, IMO." - stuff along the lines of what I was/am too tired and scattered to hash out in a mini essay tonight 

 

Solas' plan isn't "destroy all modern races, including modern elves". It's "restore the world of my people and undo my mistakes by tearing down the Veil + [insert cryptic technobabble here]". He isn't setting out with a plan of genocide, but he does seem to feel and indicate that the specifics of whatever it is he's going to do in order to achieve the goal in bold may potentially have highly destructive results ('world burning in the raw chaos', 'live well in the time that remains', 'even if it means this world must die', all of that stuff). That's a potential sideeffect, an unfortunate consequence, not his plan-plan. Make sense? Hence why I don't say "I think his plan is: Destroy All Modern Races". I don't think its absurd to think that modern elves might be included in his plans, just at the same time my interpretation of it was that it sounded unlikely that they were, and at the same time even if they are included I'm still incredibly concerned about the potential impact on the rest of the races in thedas. all that destruction he seems to think will happen... what if restoring the glory of and saving one race comes with great destructive cost to the other three? it might, it might not. or what if a restored elven empire = the good the bad and the ugly is restored, not just the good? elvhenan was awesome in many ways but also really crappy in others. either way it's all purely hypothetical at this point

 

the "few sleeping ancient elves" thing is a whole other thing entirely i could write paragraphs on, i don't think they're so few as some people think. even if they are it's not a big issue for me conceptually, an immortal race with serious magic powers have plenty scope to propagate again imo.

 

sorry this is so scrappy i really am wired and beat, with my medication today i dont know which way is up

[Cee]

Why am I watching the end of Trespasser again?

 

Oh right, the current discussion in here.

 

Hello, feels.

[Ellawynn]

Okay... this is not meant to sound angry, but I'm curious. Am I the only person in the whole fandom who doesn't believe Solas intends to let all modern elves burn with the current world? 

 

 

You're not, for the record. Seems to me that all this "Being in the Crossroads invigorates the elves, even modern ones" is there to set-up their return to ancient elfiness. I can't think of a reason why it'd be in there otherwise. And it'd make absolutely no logical sense if being close to the Fade empowers them, but then they die like every other mortal when the Veil goes down. Seems to me that the elves becoming empowered is a natural conclusion of dropping the Veil, modern or no.

 

Solas does say "my people mean the end of yours," though. But, I don't see how that really contradicts the idea that dropping the Veil will empower the modern elves. He could be saying your people will end because they'll become his, whether they want to or not. He could be talking about the mortal races in general, rather then the elves in particular, since he doesn't seem to make much designation between the two. Or maybe he's just acknowledging that the chaos and destruction inherent to his plan's process will likely kill a lot of elves (But not kill all the elves, as it might the humans or Qunari.). They'll be fine and dandy once the process is done, but their numbers will be so reduced and their existence so changed that they will basically have ended. 

 

*Shrug* But I dunno. We don't even know how Solas intends to go about his plan, or what specifically is so deadly about it. Obviously the answer to this question hinges on that. 

 

 

 

I already said in previous posts that I would have liked it if we didn't have to "harden" Alistair to save the relationship, or if the game didn't rub it in our faces how Alistair chooses to obey the nobles' unspoken expectation that he get a wife with a suitable uterus to produce suitable heirs, but we don't have that suitable uterus, so he's gonna dump us unless we convince him to keep us as a vag on the side.

 

Maybe it would have been nice if the game could let you convince him he doesn't have to marry a noblewoman and produce an heir just because the Landsmeet expects it (after all, the game lets you try to convince him even though he doesn't bite) so you two could remain together on slightly more honest terms. (Not just "the other woman" or "get dumped.")

 

(I also think Warden Aeducan should be able to become King/Queen of Orzammar at the very least by the end of the game, and Lady Aeducan should potentially be able to marry King Alistair on account of her noble heritage. Sure, she's a dwarf and they wouldn't be able to produce little royal heirs, but if Lady Cousland can convince the nobles that the "two Wardens = effective infertility" isn't an issue, so should Lady Aeducan. BUT that's just me.)

 

Hmm.

 

I would've liked to see them include a scenario where you convince Alistair to take you as Queen, non-Cousland-ness aside... only for the Landsmeet to throw a fit and reject him as a viable candidate. (Or to otherwise include such a scenario in the ending slides.) Would've been very Obsidian of them. Maybe wouldn't have been as much of a punch in the gut as making him King and having him dump you, but it would've been an interesting path to have.

 

But that's the issue, right? They can only include so many scenarios. I generally try to go easy on BioWare for not including this or that choice, because I know it's a lot of time and money to program in alternate routes, especially when you have to include voice acting and new asset creation, etc. And Origins was already the best in the series as far as offering you different options goes. The Landsmeet alone already has a mess of options you can take, and they have to reflect those options for every subsequent game in the series. It would've been nice to have that option. But I can't be too upset that it isn't there. They already did a lot.

 

But, onto the bulk of your post - can I ask how you think BioWare's rubbing Alistair's break-up in the player's face? I can understand thinking that fandom might be, a little, especially with the sheer abundance of Coulistair fic - but I'm not sure where BioWare's doing that.

 

Now as for Alistair's choice - I'll put my essay on that beneath the spoiler, because I'm sure you've heard similar before and maybe you aren't so interested in hearing it again. But to cut things short, I just want to say that it's not really Alistair's choice. Oh, he made the choice to put duty over love, but everything that follows is simply him doing what needs to be done. 

 

 

Spoiler

 

Personally, I liked the way they did it. It's such a subversion of the expected fairy tale format. It's a pretty common trope to reward a hero by giving them a title and a crown. How many stories can you name that end with the triumphant hero returning to be crowned, the rightful heir restored to the throne? But the Landsmeet in Origins shows how messy that can be. The classic fairy tale reward is shown to not be so rewarding after all, but another burden to bear, to sacrifice for.

 

Maybe that's why I'm not into the Queen Cousland ending so much. It completely washes it hands of such a fascinating story. It's too perfect for me. I actually used to find it a little unrealistic - I mean, Cousland can't have kids, and that would obviously be of primary concern to Alistair, Eamon, and the Landsmeet. Why would they just ignore that? But then I had a few things pointed out to me - obviously the Landsmeet doesn't know about the Warden's infertility. Only Alistair does. The Wardens keep everything secret, even their inability to have children. You don't tell the Landsmeet it's not a problem, because they don't even know the problem exists - the only person who's aware of the problem is Alistair and the fact that he just brushes it off shows how idealistic and short-sighted he is. I imagine if you said "Yeah, we probably won't have kids, which will almost certainly result in a bloody war of succession for the crown when you die, but at least we're together, right?" he'd have been horrified and called it off. Alistair's a man who values duty above everything, even love. You don't convince him otherwise. You just convince him that they aren't contradictory - and in my opinion, if the Warden picks that option they're either being extremely manipulative or being pretty short-sighted and idealistic themselves.

 

Secondly, there's the cost/benefit of marrying a Cousland vs. marrying a non-Cousland. The costs of each side are obvious - non-Couslands are mages or non-humans, and the Landsmeet discriminates against them all (They probably wouldn't be sure what to make a dwarf trying to marry the King, but regardless of whether or not they're Orzammar royalty, I doubt they'd stand for it. I'm not sure Orzammar would stand for it either, actually, and that's assuming they will stand for a surfacer becoming Queen.) Both Couslands and non-Couslands probably can't have kids, but only Alistair knows that, and he thinks you'll be able to overcome it. Now, what are the benefits? Initially, I simply said that the benefit is Alistair getting to be with the love of his life, for both sides. But then it was pointed out to me that there's actually a massive political advantage to marrying Cousland. She's been taught in statecraft. She's got experience with the lives and going-ons of Fereldan nobility. She's from the second most powerful family in Fereldan, the family that was almost made royalty over the Theirins. Not only would matching her with an unknown and untested candidate soothe a lot of fears over Alistair's inexperience, it'd win the favor of everyone who wanted Bryce to become King over Maric. As long as the infertility is kept under wraps, there are countless positives to marrying her and almost no disadvantages. 

 

Marrying a non-Cousland, by contrast, presents nothing but a disadvantage to an already tenuous candidate - and think of the position that puts Fereldan in. The position Fereldan's already in. They're a backwater country, lacking allies, surrounded by water on two sides, wastes on the third, a ravenous empire on the last - and empire they've only recently broken free of, an empire they're in serious danger of falling prey to again, and now, they're forced to stand alone against a Blight that's already devastated swaths of their land. Fereldan's position in Thedosian politics is horrendous. And a new, radical, unproven King, marrying a mage, or an elf, or a dwarf? Well, he'd certainly lose the Chantry's favor. And probably the favor of a lot of others, too. And people will be expecting Alistair to have kids with whoever he marries - which means the bloodline will be forever "tained" with them. They can't afford a misstep like that, especially in their poor position. The Landsmeet knows that. Eamon knows that. He probably made Alistair aware, if Alistair didn't figure it out for himself. 

 

And that's why Alistair doesn't do it. It's not him bending to peer pressure. It's not him trying to save face - because it's not about him at all anymore. You put him in charge of a nation. You made him responsible for that nation's needs. And what that nation needs right now is security. Certainty. He can't make a shake-up like that. He can't do anything that would put his nation at risk. He can't take a chance like that, not when the only benefit is his own personal happiness. He can't gamble the kingdom for his own personal desires.

 

So he doesn't.

 

He leaves you.

 

That's his life now. That will always be his life.

 

 

[CapricornSun]

Art break.

 

Beautiful Lavellan tarot card with Solas in his white wolf form.

Spoiler

Source: http://thereisnomadn...ission-card-for

 

 

Another lovely artwork of a Solavellan Howl's Moving Castle AU. 

Spoiler

Source: http://pauvre-lola.t...cause-it-needed

 

 

Looking Glass fanart: Pride and Lavellan huggles.

Spoiler

Source: http://somnui.tumblr...use-they-are-in

 

 

Adorable artwork of Lavellan and Bagel!Pride from Feynites' AU of an AU, Bagelverse. 

Spoiler

Source: http://chococonut.tu...-very-tired-now

 

 

Goodbye Vhenan.

Spoiler

Source: http://monstertree-a.../goodbye-vhenan

 

 

Looking Glass comic: Pride denies tripping a lot when he took a body.

Spoiler

Source: http://bluegirlbooks...r-7-page-17-so 

 

 

Solas and the Dread Wolf.

Spoiler

Source: http://stella-draws....ve-you-alone-to

 

 

Red lyrium!Solas and AU!Fenris based on this fic.

Spoiler

Source: http://thelyonface.t...nt-be-fucked-to

 

 

[Solas]

finally sat down to properly check out the blanketfort writing group today after lurking in it and making only short perusals before now, and I'm really impressed by what's in there you guys 

[Cee]

We are a puddle of weird and wonderful. In the best way.

[Addictress]

Video game characters are modelled off of real live actors or models, right?

So....who is the model irl for Solas?

Do they hide his identity for fear of stalkers? I won't stalk him, I promise. I'm too lazy.

I would just do a quick google search hnnng

[lynroy]

No, not all the time. Mass Effect has a handful of characters that are: default dude shep (Mark Vanderloo), Liara (NOT her VA (derp me)) Samara (Rana McAnear) Miranda (her VA) off the top of my head. I am not aware of any in DA though.

[Addictress]

No, not all the time. Mass Effect has a handful of characters that are: default dude shep (Mark Vanderloo), Liara (her VA) Samara (Rana McAnear) Miranda (her VA) off the top of my head. I am not aware of any in DA though.

I know Leliana and Morrigan are based on real models. Some men's magazine had a photoshoot of them.

[lynroy]

That's the first I've heard that, but it still doesn't mean they all are.

[Addictress]

this anguish

[CapricornSun]

Another art post.

 

After Halamshiral, Lavellan is a little drunk.

A lovely GIF/animation of Solas twirling Lavellan around while kissing in fancy clothes. 

Spoiler

Source: http://bloodwrit.tum...-a-little-drunk

 

 

And the still images of the above.

Spoiler

Source: http://bloodwrit.tum...16325/the-ideal

 

 

Solavellan Hell based on Doctor Who.

Spoiler

Source: http://babes-of-thed...cape-this-he-ll

 

 

 

Young Solas with a jewfro. 

Spoiler

Source: http://jbr-art.tumbl...e-it-was-direly

 

 

A 'Draw Your OC' artwork starring Lavellan, Solas, Varric and Sera.

Spoiler

Source: http://babes-of-thed...r-i-have-sinned

 

[Barnzi88]

Haha, Afro-Solas reminds me a little of Tom Baker now.

[Elessara]

You're not, for the record. Seems to me that all this "Being in the Crossroads invigorates the elves, even modern ones" is there to set-up their return to ancient elfiness. I can't think of a reason why it'd be in there otherwise. And it'd make absolutely no logical sense if being close to the Fade empowers them, but then they die like every other mortal when the Veil goes down. Seems to me that the elves becoming empowered is a natural conclusion of dropping the Veil, modern or no.

 

Solas does say "my people mean the end of yours," though. But, I don't see how that really contradicts the idea that dropping the Veil will empower the modern elves. He could be saying your people will end because they'll become his, whether they want to or not. He could be talking about the mortal races in general, rather then the elves in particular, since he doesn't seem to make much designation between the two. Or maybe he's just acknowledging that the chaos and destruction inherent to his plan's process will likely kill a lot of elves (But not kill all the elves, as it might the humans or Qunari.). They'll be fine and dandy once the process is done, but their numbers will be so reduced and their existence so changed that they will basically have ended. 

 

*Shrug* But I dunno. We don't even know how Solas intends to go about his plan, or what specifically is so deadly about it. Obviously the answer to this question hinges on that. 

 

 

 

 

Hmm.

 

I would've liked to see them include a scenario where you convince Alistair to take you as Queen, non-Cousland-ness aside... only for the Landsmeet to throw a fit and reject him as a viable candidate. (Or to otherwise include such a scenario in the ending slides.) Would've been very Obsidian of them. Maybe wouldn't have been as much of a punch in the gut as making him King and having him dump you, but it would've been an interesting path to have.

 

But that's the issue, right? They can only include so many scenarios. I generally try to go easy on BioWare for not including this or that choice, because I know it's a lot of time and money to program in alternate routes, especially when you have to include voice acting and new asset creation, etc. And Origins was already the best in the series as far as offering you different options goes. The Landsmeet alone already has a mess of options you can take, and they have to reflect those options for every subsequent game in the series. It would've been nice to have that option. But I can't be too upset that it isn't there. They already did a lot.

 

But, onto the bulk of your post - can I ask how you think BioWare's rubbing Alistair's break-up in the player's face? I can understand thinking that fandom might be, a little, especially with the sheer abundance of Coulistair fic - but I'm not sure where BioWare's doing that.

 

Now as for Alistair's choice - I'll put my essay on that beneath the spoiler, because I'm sure you've heard similar before and maybe you aren't so interested in hearing it again. But to cut things short, I just want to say that it's not really Alistair's choice. Oh, he made the choice to put duty over love, but everything that follows is simply him doing what needs to be done. 

 

 

Spoiler

 

Personally, I liked the way they did it. It's such a subversion of the expected fairy tale format. It's a pretty common trope to reward a hero by giving them a title and a crown. How many stories can you name that end with the triumphant hero returning to be crowned, the rightful heir restored to the throne? But the Landsmeet in Origins shows how messy that can be. The classic fairy tale reward is shown to not be so rewarding after all, but another burden to bear, to sacrifice for.

 

Maybe that's why I'm not into the Queen Cousland ending so much. It completely washes it hands of such a fascinating story. It's too perfect for me. I actually used to find it a little unrealistic - I mean, Cousland can't have kids, and that would obviously be of primary concern to Alistair, Eamon, and the Landsmeet. Why would they just ignore that? But then I had a few things pointed out to me - obviously the Landsmeet doesn't know about the Warden's infertility. Only Alistair does. The Wardens keep everything secret, even their inability to have children. You don't tell the Landsmeet it's not a problem, because they don't even know the problem exists - the only person who's aware of the problem is Alistair and the fact that he just brushes it off shows how idealistic and short-sighted he is. I imagine if you said "Yeah, we probably won't have kids, which will almost certainly result in a bloody war of succession for the crown when you die, but at least we're together, right?" he'd have been horrified and called it off. Alistair's a man who values duty above everything, even love. You don't convince him otherwise. You just convince him that they aren't contradictory - and in my opinion, if the Warden picks that option they're either being extremely manipulative or being pretty short-sighted and idealistic themselves.

 

Secondly, there's the cost/benefit of marrying a Cousland vs. marrying a non-Cousland. The costs of each side are obvious - non-Couslands are mages or non-humans, and the Landsmeet discriminates against them all (They probably wouldn't be sure what to make a dwarf trying to marry the King, but regardless of whether or not they're Orzammar royalty, I doubt they'd stand for it. I'm not sure Orzammar would stand for it either, actually, and that's assuming they will stand for a surfacer becoming Queen.) Both Couslands and non-Couslands probably can't have kids, but only Alistair knows that, and he thinks you'll be able to overcome it. Now, what are the benefits? Initially, I simply said that the benefit is Alistair getting to be with the love of his life, for both sides. But then it was pointed out to me that there's actually a massive political advantage to marrying Cousland. She's been taught in statecraft. She's got experience with the lives and going-ons of Fereldan nobility. She's from the second most powerful family in Fereldan, the family that was almost made royalty over the Theirins. Not only would matching her with an unknown and untested candidate soothe a lot of fears over Alistair's inexperience, it'd win the favor of everyone who wanted Bryce to become King over Maric. As long as the infertility is kept under wraps, there are countless positives to marrying her and almost no disadvantages. 

 

Marrying a non-Cousland, by contrast, presents nothing but a disadvantage to an already tenuous candidate - and think of the position that puts Fereldan in. The position Fereldan's already in. They're a backwater country, lacking allies, surrounded by water on two sides, wastes on the third, a ravenous empire on the last - and empire they've only recently broken free of, an empire they're in serious danger of falling prey to again, and now, they're forced to stand alone against a Blight that's already devastated swaths of their land. Fereldan's position in Thedosian politics is horrendous. And a new, radical, unproven King, marrying a mage, or an elf, or a dwarf? Well, he'd certainly lose the Chantry's favor. And probably the favor of a lot of others, too. And people will be expecting Alistair to have kids with whoever he marries - which means the bloodline will be forever "tained" with them. They can't afford a misstep like that, especially in their poor position. The Landsmeet knows that. Eamon knows that. He probably made Alistair aware, if Alistair didn't figure it out for himself. 

 

And that's why Alistair doesn't do it. It's not him bending to peer pressure. It's not him trying to save face - because it's not about him at all anymore. You put him in charge of a nation. You made him responsible for that nation's needs. And what that nation needs right now is security. Certainty. He can't make a shake-up like that. He can't do anything that would put his nation at risk. He can't take a chance like that, not when the only benefit is his own personal happiness. He can't gamble the kingdom for his own personal desires.

 

So he doesn't.

 

He leaves you.

 

That's his life now. That will always be his life.

 

 

 

I actually *like* the fairy tale endings.  Everything doesn't have to be all surgary sweet but happy (or mostly happy) endings tend to be my favorite.  But even Cousland/Alistair endings aren't exactly fairy tale as they certainly don't live happily ever after.  The commoners might love them but the nobles are causing issues, they can't have heirs, Orlais is breathing down Ferelden's neck again, the queen sods off to who knows where,  Ferelden's closest ally (Kirkwall) gets attacked by qunari and then other massive chaos, the mages and templars break out into war and use Ferelden as their stomping grounds.  They may have what appears to be the fairy tale ending in DAO but it quickly goes downhill from there.

[thaali]

Ah. The person who first told me about Dragon Age let slip that the elves are the "Jew/Gypsies" of Thedas (that city elves are a lot like European Jews living in ghettos, and the Dalish are like wandering gypsies), so I got stars in my eyes and bought the game immediately.

 

I know this who Dalish are Jews/Gypsies thing is popular but I don't get it.  Personally when I think Dalish I get a much stronger comparison to the Native American tribes.  Strong connection to the Earth, people start arriving to North America, Europeans specifically come and f*ck everything up, who doesn't get killed off by disease is killed off in mass genocide, then they get pushed into "reservations" which if you've ever been to one they are essentially slums, where they still live today and everyone just accepts it, they also are still mistreated in many ways

[FernRain]

Dorian picked Varric up and proceeded to use him like a weapon:

 

 

(I wish, that would be hilarious).

[Riot Inducer]

Dorian picked Varric up and proceeded to use him like a weapon:

 

~snip~

 

(I wish, that would be hilarious).

haha! No wonder Dorian and Bull can end up together, great minds after all!. "Think of the mayhem!!!"

[ladyiolanthe]

No, not all the time. Mass Effect has a handful of characters that are: default dude shep (Mark Vanderloo), Liara (her VA) Samara (Rana McAnear) Miranda (her VA) off the top of my head. I am not aware of any in DA though.

 

Tallis was definitely modelled after her VA, Felicia Day.

[Cee]

No, not all the time. Mass Effect has a handful of characters that are: default dude shep (Mark Vanderloo), Liara (her VA) Samara (Rana McAnear) Miranda (her VA) off the top of my head. I am not aware of any in DA though.

 

Liara was based on Jillian Murray but her VA is Ali Hillis.
 

[Illyria]

Tallis was definitely modelled after her VA, Felicia Day.

 

I think she's based a little too much on Day.  Tallis has an oddly human face (thank goodness for mods).

[lynroy]

Liara was based on Jillian Murray but her VA is Ali Hillis.
 

Yes! Thank you. I knew that but derped big time. I should not try to brain on two hours of sleep.

[lynroy]

Tallis was definitely modelled after her VA, Felicia Day.

Tallis slipped my mind as I never bothered to purchase that DLC. Thank you.

[Barnzi88]

Not Solas art, but I hope you don't mind me dropping off art of my Lavellan's siblings here. Since I spared her clan in my second run, I thought it'd be fun to draw up some family members, and here they are. 

 

Spoiler

 

EDIT: Awwww SHIIIIYET...top post again. Let's see....

Here. A WIP of my Solavellan Art. Had to think quick on my feet XD

 

[CapricornSun]

Not Solas art, but I hope you don't mind me dropping off art of my Lavellan's siblings here. Since I spared her clan in my second run, I thought it'd be fun to draw up some family members, and here they are. 

 

Spoiler

 

EDIT: Awwww SHIIIIYET...top post again. Let's see....

Here. A WIP of my Solavellan Art. Had to think quick on my feet XD

 

 

Your Solavellan art is lovely! 

 

And I love seeing artwork of Lavellan's family members. Makes me want to draw my Lavellan's family members as well.

[midnight tea]

I know this who Dalish are Jews/Gypsies thing is popular but I don't get it.  Personally when I think Dalish I get a much stronger comparison to the Native American tribes.  Strong connection to the Earth, people start arriving to North America, Europeans specifically come and f*ck everything up, who doesn't get killed off by disease is killed off in mass genocide, then they get pushed into "reservations" which if you've ever been to one they are essentially slums, where they still live today and everyone just accepts it, they also are still mistreated in many ways

 

I think it's more a matter where the player grew up. I didn't know a thing or two about races in DA when I began playing DAI, so my very first impression of the Dalish was indeed gypsies, since quite a lot of Roma people live here... and if I'm perfectly honest, they've faced/still face a lot of discrimination as well

 

As for comparison with Jews... well, the history of Jews in Poland is very long and complicated, and while I get where it's coming from and see comparisons myself, it wasn't the first thing that came to my mind.

 

So, like I said, I think it's mostly a matter of frame of reference and for each person it would be different, based on where and how they were raised - I mean, given that Poland itself had its share of hardships (regional hegemony lost to partitions and occupation that lasted for centuries, vicious destruction of culture, mass immigration, fighting a lost fight, etc) I totally see some comparisons here as well.

 

...In fact, when Sera had her rant about the Dalish after ToM and mentions about how elves think that those who don't complain at their lost, grand history stolen from them at all times are not proper I almost exclaimed at the screen "... Are those elves POLISH?"