306 réponses à ce sujet

[Taiyama]

Feel free to ask if you want me to supply a title for something. Believe me, a lot of people already do. Names and titles are pretty much the things people come to me for anyway, so I don't mind another asking me about it. Reply may not be prompt, though. I often have to think a good deal about it. 

Ahahaha, I can just imagine Legam and Taiyama "arguing" over Leliana. I would so make a witty mock-conversation between the two if I wasn't so tired.

[DalishRanger]

I was jesting, but I shall keep that in mind.  I don't write stories often though, and I usually have no trouble titling artwork - which I do far more often.

Ha ha, same on both counts. Might even doodle it if my fingers weren't getting klunky typing. I really should go to bed, but I keep checking to see if anyone's posted here or in my art/fiction topic or Maker's Breath... Because it seems like nothing happens for hours but then when I consider finally sleeping, people start replying. Ah ha ha... xD;

[Shadow of Light Dragon]

DalishRanger wrote...

Taiyama, Alistair and Legam should start a Softie's Club... But then it might just degenerate into Taiyama and Legam fighting over Leliana in their... nonconfrontational... ways... Yeah...

Heh...

Taiyama: Leliana...I...I brought you flowers!
Legam: So did I! And did I mention I love your thighs?
Leliana: Well...I...gentlemen, please...

Alistair: *eyeing his rose* Seriously? Thighs? Hm. Maybe I should try that line...

Modifié par Shadow of Light Dragon, 07 février 2010 - 08:37 .

[Taiyama]

Don't do it, Alistair! Taiyama and Legam are probably some of the worst role models for romance!

Bahahahaha, that's great. Thanks for the laugh.

[DalishRanger]

Shadow of Light Dragon wrote...

DalishRanger wrote...

Taiyama, Alistair and Legam should start a Softie's Club... But then it might just degenerate into Taiyama and Legam fighting over Leliana in their... nonconfrontational... ways... Yeah...

Heh...

Taiyama: Leliana...I...I brought you flowers!
Legam: So did I! And did I mention I love your thighs?
Leliana: Well...I...gentlemen, please...

Alistair: *eyeing his rose* Seriously? Thighs? Hm. Maybe I should try that line...

I suppose if you hardened Leliana though, she might be willing to accept both mages...

... But it's out of character for Legam to harden Leliana, and I get the feeling it's probably the same for Taiyama. So on with the competition!

Legam: *Creates a heart made of fire with his magic* My heart burns for you!
Morrigan: *Hits him on the head with her staff* Imbicile! No fourth-wall breaking Avatar references! Especially not to those ridiculous chibi OVAs!
Legam: *Rubs his head* 

Taiyama wrote...

Don't do it, Alistair! Taiyama and Legam are probably some of the worst role models for romance!

Agreed. Unless you're a lady who enjoys the awkward, dorky types. Luckily for our respective mages, Leliana seems to be one of those ladies.

Modifié par DalishRanger, 07 février 2010 - 08:44 .

[Olwaye]

To Taiyama and DalishRanger

Guys, I hope what follow will trigger a small smile, it came to me after reading your previous posts.
Taiyama I hope you won't consider my garbage as a flood of your thread, I just really like your character and Dalishranger's Legam.
Take this as a gift from somebody who enjoy your stories.

Here it goes

The Ballad of Legam and Taiyama

There were two mages at the Circle tower
Who had a soft spot for a girl, a ginger.
Legam said “Stand aside, I bring her a flower,
Beautiful and fragrant, as once was her mother.”
Taiyama said “Away with you ! She’ll prefer my shoes,
Made in Orlais, same color as her eyes of blue.”

“A gift is not all it takes” answered Legam
“To win over the heart of this woman,
One must be gentle and sweet,
A bit goofy, perhaps, but strong on his feet.
I have fought Darkspawn and abomination,
To have in her heart the highest position!”

“So did I !”, angered, Taiyama replied
“I went against an archedemon, and he died !”
They stared at each other in great trouble,
For it seemed, their stories were like, double.
Taiyama softly asked “Do you know, Sten, Oghren, Morrigan?”
“Why yes! They were my companions”, said Legam.

“Something is wrong! Is it the veil, am I in the Fade?”
“Oh stop bickering!” went a voice, sharp as a blade.
“They are hundreds of us, like you heroes of Ferelden!
Now stand aside, we’ve all come men and women,
To spend the rest of our life with Leliana,
So get over it, else you’ll go banana.”

For this my friends is the truth of this silly banter
Thousands have won your wars and seduced your partner
‘Tis the price you pay, when you’re a hero
Of a video game, the biggest of all woe.


Hope my bad poetry didn't made you

Edit :Oh and don't point out the geekiness of doing (bad)Fanpoetry about Fanfiction's chararcter, I'm well aware of that!

Modifié par Olwaye, 07 février 2010 - 01:18 .

[DalishRanger]

. . .



That was an awesome thing to wake up to! Thanks for that!

[Taiyama]

That was amazing, Sir. Thank you very much, I was grinning like a fool the whole time I read that.Don't beat yourself up over putting it on here--in actuality, I'm honored you thought it worth your time to create that little poem.

[Olwaye]

Glad you liked it both

I had something like that at the back of my mind looking at all the Fanfiction out there and all those playthrough we all did. How many Cousland did Alistair marry, how many mighty heroes did not get Leliana's hint... boggled the mind, it does.

Ah well, I shan't  keep you, carry on sharing your stories, they're like chocolate, once you've started you got to eat the all damn thing.

[DalishRanger]

Oh Maker... Alistair's harem of Cousland queens would be of Biblical proportions - probably put King Solomon's sea of wives and concubines to shame.

Modifié par DalishRanger, 08 février 2010 - 08:38 .

[Taiyama]

And yet, to those of us who play the characters, they all seem so very original and unique--like their own person--regardless of the similarities they have with other peoples' characters. I think Bioware really did great pulling off making me feel like my character was MINE and not, say, the protagonist of a movie or a book I just happened to be controlling--which is how I feel when I play Mass Effect 1 and 2.



Alistair sure does get the Couslands, though, doesn't he? He seems to be the subject of a great deal of fanfiction.

[DalishRanger]

Taiyama wrote...

And yet, to those of us who play the characters, they all seem so very original and unique--like their own person--regardless of the similarities they have with other peoples' characters. I think Bioware really did great pulling off making me feel like my character was MINE and not, say, the protagonist of a movie or a book I just happened to be controlling--which is how I feel when I play Mass Effect 1 and 2.

Alistair sure does get the Couslands, though, doesn't he? He seems to be the subject of a great deal of fanfiction.

I agree. As much as I love Mass Effect and my Hasani Shepard does feel like mine to some degree, I have a more personal connection with all my Wardens. I think part of it might have to do with them not being fully voiced and there usually being more dialogue choices than in ME.


Alistair art/fiction overpowers the fandom, especially Alistair/Cousland. As much as I like the guy, it does get a little monotonous for me sometimes when looking for art/fiction. "Oh, look, another Alistair/Cousland piece. Joy." It could even be really good, but I've started to become blasé about it.

I attribute his level of popularity to the fact it's mostly girls who write fanfiction, he's the kind that appeals to a lot of fangirls, and I think a lot of women have this desire to be a "princess/queen" - not necessarily just in the game or literally, but in Western culture, most girls are raised on fairy tales with "handsome knight rescues the beautiful princess" trope. I'm not saying fairy tales/princess stuff are innately bad, mind you, but I think there's too much emphasis on it from an early age. But I digress and that's a whole 'nother can of worms.

[DalishRanger]

Edit: Bah. Wrong topic. That's what I get for keeping my browser tabs of the same site right next to each other. Epic fail, me. Just move along, people.

Modifié par DalishRanger, 08 février 2010 - 10:56 .

[Taiyama]

All right, all right, time for me to stop procrastinating by reading The Art of Manliness articles. I'll get the new chapter done before I go to sleep. I really need to stop writing so late at night but, well, I gave my word that I'd have the chapter done today over at Maker's Breath. I don't go back on my word.

[DalishRanger]

That... Is an awesome site. I'm bookmarking it and resisting the temptation to read more on it now, so I too can get back to writing.

[Taiyama]

Yeah, it is great. The best part is that it's not the stereotypical hard-drinking, perverted shell of "manliness" that our popular culture espouses but the actual kind of manliness that I believe in and try to follow: a virtuous and courageous type.

Anyway, done with the latest chapter and RIGHT before midnight too. Here we go!

[DalishRanger]

I know, and I completely agree. That's why it's an awesome site. 

Woot! XD/

Modifié par DalishRanger, 09 février 2010 - 06:14 .

[Taiyama]

A Bond Forged in Fire

Part 3: The Nature of Good and Evil

In this chapter, bold first-person narration is from Leliana’s point of view.

“Oh, Maker, hear my cry:
Guide me through the blackest nights
Steel my heart against the temptations of the wicked
Make me to rest in the warmest places.” –Canticles of Transfigurations 12:1.

I’ve been repeating this verse in my head all day ever since…ever since it happened. I’ve been trying to use it to keep the doubt away, to keep me from…from slipping.

It’s not working.
******************
“DAMNED KNIFE-EARED SON OF A ****!” Marjolaine yelled in a distinctly unladylike manner after getting hit by yet another of Taiyama’s fireballs.

Marjolaine immediately broke off from outflanking Alistair to charge Taiyama. In her hand she carried a single, beautiful dagger with an Orlesian word Taiyama didn’t know carved elegantly into the blade on both sides. One might be tempted to think that it was purely ceremonial and ineffectual in combat when one first saw it were it not for the blood that now absolutely covered the thing. Just because something is deadly doesn’t mean it can’t be beautiful, indeed.

“Hey! My mother is a very respectable woman!” Taiyama responded as he blocked the knife thrusts with his staff while he tried to collect his thoughts and focus his drained willpower one last time--casting so many spells in a long battle had a tendency to wear you out mentally.

A few more parried knife thrusts later—and a few that managed to cut him—Taiyama was ready. Just as Alistair, Leliana, and Wynne finished off Marjolaine’s mercenary lackeys, Taiyama pointed his palm at Marjolaine and let off a huge electrical discharge from it, the force of which flung her across the small room like a ragdoll. She smashed into the opposite wall in a sitting up position and was just about to stand up when it happened.

Taiyama had only to shout Leliana’s name for her to grasp what he wanted—the man had become a much better tactician and group leader since their experiences at the Circle Tower—and Leliana dutifully let loose a single arrow. The arrow pierce Marjolaine’s skull straight through, pinning her to the wall behind her. Blood seeped from the wound down the wall and to the floor.

Silence fell on the scene of carnage. Tables were overturned, dead bodies of mercenaries were strewn everywhere, all four of them were covered in blood—some their own, most that of others—and silence pervaded as Leliana’s mind wrapped around what she had just done, who she had just killed with a single arrow.

What horrified her the most, though, was not that these things were terrible to her by themselves. No, the worst part was that she was…satisfied. Almost…almost happy that she was gone.

“She’s dead…” Leliana stuttered out, hardly believing it. “She’s dead…because of me…” She saw Taiyama open his mouth to say something and spoke again before he could. “I’ll…I’ll need some time to think about this… We’ll…discuss it later.”

Leliana stared at Marjolaine’s body for a few more moments until she felt a calm, reassuring hand on her shoulder. She turned her head and wasn’t surprised at all to see Taiyama there, concern in his eyes and a smile that didn’t quite reach them.

“Come on, we should probably go…” Alistair supplied.

Leliana nodded. “Yes, you’re right…”

Just as Leliana turned to go, Taiyama said, “Wait a minute.”

Taiyama walked over to Marjolaine’s body alone. Clumsily and while getting a great deal of blood on his hands, he removed the arrow that stuck Marjolaine to the wall in such a grotesque fashion and laid her down on the floor. He then took her hands and clasped them together above her heart—much as one would do to a loved one’s corpse at a funeral. Kneeling beside Marjolaine, Taiyama spoke:

“Death is always a sad affair, every life is precious. Forgive me, my lady, but I saw no other way. May whatever comes after this life free you from the fears that drove you to these ends.” Taiyama shut Marjolaine’s eyes reverently. “Rest in peace.” He clasped his hands together and said a quick prayer.

Taiyama stood up wordlessly and led the way outside. Leliana followed, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

Why couldn’t I be like him?

Why couldn’t I see Marjolaine off like that? Why didn’t I have the moral fortitude to feel the sorrow that Taiyama did at her passing? He’s such a good man, a great man…he’s so much better than me. He didn’t even have all the good experiences with Marjolaine that I did and he still did that.

Why am I slipping?

What’s wrong with me…?

Help…someone…please…
***********************
Oh, Maker, hear my cry:
Guide me through the blackest nights
Steel my heart against the temptations of the wicked
Make me to rest in the warmest places.

No matter how much she thought that verse or any other verse in the entire Chant, it didn’t help.

She had been staring into the fire for quite some time now, not her usual self by any stretch of the imagination. The normal Leliana would be telling stories, singing, keeping notes to use for the eventual composition of a ballad, or—as she was more and more wont to do lately—talking with Taiyama. The entire camp seemed to lose a great deal of its life and cheer simply by her silence.

The night around seemed darker and the camp fire seemed less luminous.

“Leliana…”

Leliana jumped, startled from her reverie, and turned to see Taiyama sitting down beside her—she hadn’t even noticed him there.

“Oh, hello, is there something you wanted to talk about…?” Leliana asked, though she realized it was silly to even ask.

“I’d…” Taiyama struggled to find the right words, “I’d like to talk about what happened today.”

“It’s…It’s nothing, I’m fine.” Lies. “I’m just thinking.”

“What about?” Taiyama gently prodded.

“I can’t get what happened out of my head. I’d been in Lothering for years and she still thought I was plotting against her. She didn’t trust me…maybe she never did…” Leliana felt like she was being stabbed in the heart just thinking about that. “She loved me when she could use me and control me, and now that she can’t she wants me dead… It…It hurts to realize that I never really knew her.”

Sorrow showed on every facet of Taiyama’s features. “Is there anything I can do to help…?” he asked, wanting with all his soul to be able to do so.

“You’re already helping so much by listening to me, Taiyama.” Leliana sighed. “I knew she was ruthless but I didn’t know how far she could go. She is self-serving…cruel… She uses people then discards them but that’s how she survives in the life she leads. What if she’s right…? What if we’re the same?! I…I should have just stayed in the Chantry,” Leliana said, longing for the peace, quiet, and perhaps ignorance of her true nature that the Chantry represented to her.

“But you said the Maker wanted you to leave, Leliana…”

“I could have been wrong about the Maker. I-I know you doubt me sometimes.” Leliana could feel her throat turn dry and her eyes well up with tears as the pent-up emotions poured out of her. “Maybe you’re right! Maybe I just tell myself He’s there…to console myself, to know someone’s watching out for me, to know I’m not alone!”

The tears started flowing freely now. First one, then two, then a steady stream down her face—once unblocked, unable to be dammed again. Taiyama immediately pulled Leliana into an embrace, struggling to keep from crying himself.

“You’re not alone, Leliana. Not while I’m alive…”

Leliana sobbed softly and hugged Taiyama back, burying her crying eyes in his shoulder. “But I was. I was alone and desperate when I fled to Ferelden. I went to the only place I knew would take me!”

The two held each other for a few minutes that seemed to stretch for an eternity while Leliana let herself cry in someone else’s arms for the first time in many years. All of their companions pretended not to notice and went on with their nightly routines, knowing that Taiyama was likely the only one who could fix this. Leliana cried until her tears were spent and then let Taiyama go.

Leliana sat back on the stump that had been her seat, gazing into the fire and wiping the remains of the tears from her face. “Sorry…”

Taiyama smiled softly. “No, it’s all right.”

Leliana gazed into the fire for a minute, gathering her thoughts before continuing. “I forgot my life as a bard while in the Cloister, I felt safe. I didn’t have to watch my back all the time. That’s what made Marjolaine the person she is, don’t you see? It ruined her.” A pause, then a statement of her greatest fear. “It will ruin me too. It’s already happened. When we killer her, I…I enjoyed it. Seeing her dead gave me satisfaction.”

“She did you a great injustice, Leliana…”

“But that is no reason to rejoice over her death. That is what she would do, I don’t want that.” Leliana frowned deeply. “What we’re doing…what we’ve done… Hunted men down…killed them… Part of me loves it. It invigorates me and this scares me. I…I feel myself slipping.”

Taiyama put his hands on Leliana’s shoulders and looked into his eyes. “You are a good person, Leliana. You always will be.”

He said it with such confidence, too. Like he was stating an immutable law of the universe.

“How can you be so sure…?”

“Evil doesn’t worry about not being good, Leliana.” Taiyama smiled. “You don’t think I didn’t feel the same sense of satisfaction when Marjolaine died? She was threatening you, one of my best friends, and I wanted her dead so you wouldn’t be hurt.”

“But…but you treated her so kindly after she was dead.”

“I know. Leliana, you are not what you feel. We can’t control our feelings, they are separate from us. You are what you do, what you choose. Me? Even though I was glad to see Marjolaine gone, I chose to be respectful to the dead. That choice defined who I am, not what I felt inside. You’re no different. You left Lothering, your home for many years, to travel with me and defend Ferelden from the Blight. That is who you are, Leliana. You are a good person and that will never change because no matter what you feel, I have faith that you will always do what’s right.”

Leliana’s lips drew up into a smirk then slowly grew into a wide smile. “That…that is true. I can always trust you to show me things from a different perspective. I would like to be alone for now. I have many things to consider. …Thank you for listening to me, Taiyama.”

Taiyama smiled that crooked smile of his. “My pleasure, my lady.”

Taiyama let go of Leliana’s shoulders, stood up, and walked over to his tent.

He really is one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met.

Author’s note: I’m actually rather proud of this chapter. I feel pretty good. What do you guys think?

Also, any fanartists who are bored enough feel like drawing the part where Leliana cries into Taiyama’s shoulder? I can’t say I’ll offer any rewards but it’s just an idea if you’re bored enough. I certainly want to see it if anyone does it.

Also: damnation, three minutes after midnight. Damn my love for italics. If I hadn't had to go through this and re-italicize everything I did in Word I would have gotten it done sooner. Ah, well.

Modifié par Taiyama, 09 février 2010 - 06:22 .

[DalishRanger]

Good battle descriptions (I actually cringed at the skull-pinning arrow bit), overall nice job. Only line that bothers me is "while he waited for his mana to regenerate." Sounds too... Game mechanic-y? I don't know if mages have actual mana in the gameplay sense, and if they do, it just doesn't seem like it would be worded that way. Perhaps something like "while he waited to recover his energy" or something?

Taiyama said...
Also, any fanartists who are bored enough feel like drawing the part where Leliana cries into Taiyama’s shoulder? I can’t say I’ll offer any rewards but it’s just an idea if you’re bored enough. I certainly want to see it if anyone does it.

Heh, is that supposed to be a hint directed at me? It is tempting though, I'll admit. I already have one fan art idea I want to do first though, but I might try that. I haven't don't crying faces in a while, so I could use the practice.

(Psst, if it's not too much of a bother, can you look at the last few posts on pages 5 and 6 of my fan art/fiction topic? As a fellow Leliana fan/player who romanced her, your input could help a lot with me writing my current chapter. I'm still stuck)

Modifié par DalishRanger, 09 février 2010 - 06:18 .

[Taiyama]

Yeah, that line did kind of feel unnatural when I was writing it. I think I WILL change it now that you mention it.



Well, not directed at you per se. I wouldn't mind if any fanartists gave it a shot, I just wanted to suggest it in case anyone was bored enough to do it.



I saw your first post saying that and I posted there. I would have let you know that I saw the message but I kind of have this thing about double-posting. I hope my advice helps.

[DalishRanger]

Good. The new description is much better. I made a similar mistake years back when writing some Forgotten Realms stuff and had a druid refer to his spells in levels. D'oh.

I know, I was kidding. I still might do it, though.

I wasn't sure, as your post popped up right after I edited it, hence why I moved it to my second reply. I actually just finished replying to your post on my topic. Keep just missing each other's posts, eh?

Modifié par DalishRanger, 09 février 2010 - 06:27 .

[Taiyama]

Well, I've got these pictures of Taiyama's stats lying around, I guess I might as well show them to you. Of course, I realized after I took the picture that this isn't counting the bonuses (like 12 defense) from his Libertarian's Cap (Maker, I hate the mage hats) and however much defense you get from the arcane shield spell. If I recall correctly, his defense with those things is somewhere in the 80-100 level. Still, this will give you a good idea of how powerful level 23 Taiyama is at end-game: 

All right, first his statistics: 




His spellpower is pretty massive as is his mental resistance. When I was doing Return to Ostagar with him, my party once got hit by a fireball from some darkspawn mage. All of the characters were blown off their feet except Taiyama, who didn't even flinch. It was one of those "Holy crap!" moments in the game because I had never seen that happen before.

Now for spells: 





The hexes are my best friends. I love them so. You'll also notice Taiyama's a Spirit Healer. That'll come into play story-wise, which is a subject for a later story. Because he's so heavily into the primal school, Taiyama's definitely my main damage dealer. I go with the same party everywhere yet even with that Taiyama still has done ~65% of the damage in the game. He's easily the most powerful of all of my Wardens.

Modifié par Taiyama, 09 février 2010 - 07:31 .

[DalishRanger]

Very nice - I haven't actually tried the hex spells much myself, as Legam's all Primal and some Spirit school. For a guy who hates combat, almost all his magical abilities are very aggressive/offensive spell based. He hates that. xD



On the subject of screencaps... Have you ever tried installing the DA:O Character Creator? Even if your PC can't run Dragon Age, it's possible it can run the character creator. That way you can make Taiyama in there and upload him to the site so you can use his face (or whoever's) as your avatar and you won't be stuck with the default NWN no portrait - male pic.

[Taiyama]

The hexes are absolute lifesavers, especially misdirection and death hexes. Misdirection hex turns all regular hits from enemies into misses and critical hits into normal hits--useful beyond words when your clothy mage gets rushed. It's the reason why I was able to beat Loghain without getting hit once--he only managed to get once swing in on Taiyama when I dueled him and that one missed. Death hex turns every hit on that enemy into a critical hit, which is perfect for boss fights.



By the way, I checked out your characters and noticed that you place a high value on a cunning score. Mind if I ask why?



Hrmm... That's actually a very good idea. I DID install the character creator on here before DA:O just to experiment a bit then promptly uninstalled it. I didn't know you could upload pictures for use here from the Character Creator alone. I'll go do that right now. Thank you very much.

[DalishRanger]

Indeed, I've seen them put to good use. I use tactics based around ice and electricity spells mostly, and for good effect. I'm especially fond of freezing Ogres with cold spells and then shattering them with Stonefirst. Heheh.

Because I value the ability to persuade my way out of/into things. I rarely play characters that can't talk their way out of or into trouble at least sometimes. I like having more options open to me. Of course, how that cunning/persuasion can manifest in game isn't always just having a silver-tongue; sometimes it boosts bluffing/lying or other forms of dishonesty, which is handy when I'm playing shadier characters.

And in the case of Legam, despite his awkwardness, he's quite book smart/educated, and I've found Cunning often plays into that in dialogue, so I made sure he had a good score to reflect that.

In the end, I'm more interested in the potential for dialogues than the potential for combat. I focus more on the story than the fighting in games.

No problem. All my characters for the PC, save Legam and Ahmed, were made in the CC; I used Fasais' as my avatar for months before switching to Legam's.

Modifié par DalishRanger, 09 février 2010 - 08:28 .