16177 réponses à ce sujet

[MisterJB]

Hey Terra, could I bother you to take a look at the minuscule piece of writing I posted two pages ago?

[Terra_Ex]

I'll try and have a look at it either later today or tomorrow.

 

In the meantime, did we ever talk about or deduce why Morrigan talks the way she does,with the 'twas, 'tis etc, which is interesting as words which don't seem to have an old-english stand-in don't get contracted - 'we have' never becomes 'we've' for example, at least from what I've seen. So since Flemeth doesn't speak in that manner (lots of wishy washy BS but regular english nonetheless), where has she picked up or developed that dialect from, given that she's been taught by none but Flemeth (whether she is her real mother or not) and has limited forays out into regular society. Is it something she's consciously added herself, picked up from reading books or just something Gaider added just because?

[BurningLizard]

I'll try and have a look at it either later today or tomorrow.

 

In the meantime, did we ever talk about or deduce why Morrigan talks the way she does,with the 'twas, 'tis etc, which is interesting as words which don't seem to have an old-english stand-in don't get contracted - 'we have' never becomes 'we've' for example, at least from what I've seen. So since Flemeth doesn't speak in that manner (lots of wishy washy BS but regular english nonetheless), where has she picked up or developed that dialect from, given that she's been taught by none but Flemeth (whether she is her real mother or not) and has limited forays out into regular society. Is it something she's consciously added herself, picked up from reading books or just something Gaider added just because?

Well, I think the real answer is "Just because" but since we like to try and make sense of it, the main theory I heard is that she picked it up from old books. Which doesn't really make all that much sense since I read plenty of old books but I learned how to speak from the people around me. Though, some of the way I spoke was influenced by books (I'd use bigger words because I was reading way above my age range), but that eventually evened out as I spoke to more people. And since Flemeth doesn't talk like Morrigan, and Morrigan hasn't stopped speaking like that in ten years, it's clearly deliberate. My theory is that she thinks it sounds cool, or she thinks it gives her a sort of mystique. Since we do know she takes her witch persona very seriously, with Flemeth telling us she likes to dance in the moonlight. And since she potentially lives with a Warden that doesn't speak like she does, she clearly does it deliberately.

 

Though, anyone ever notice how you pick up speech patterns from your friends? I've got this thought where the Warden starts using 'tis and 'twas without even realizing it.

[Vigilance97]

Though, anyone ever notice how you pick up speech patterns from your friends? I've got this thought where the Warden starts using 'tis and 'twas without even realizing it.

lol, I've been thinking this too. My warden totally talks like that by now. btw, you're the Beautiful Madness guy, right? I'm really enjoying your work, can't wait for the next chapter!

 

---

I was wondering something about Kieran's soul. I think you guys discussed it before(been lurking for a while^^), but i don't remember anyone coming to the same conclusion as i have.

So back in Origins we thought the OGB would be a kid with the soul of Urthemiel. But when he turned out to be a (relatively) normal kid that can survive without the old god soul, everyone(iirc) assumed that he had two souls- Urthemiel's and his own, normal one.

My theory is that Kieran simply has no soul at all anymore. He had one, now Flemeth has it. We know from the awakened darkspawn that a soul is not required for life or intelligence, so it's possible.

 

And that got me thinking about afterlife. The chantry teaches that the souls of the (faithful?)dead travel through the fade to the maker's side. When a grey warden slays an archdemon, his or her soul is destroyed. I always took that to mean that this warden is permadead, no afterlife for him/her.

So if Kieran really has no soul, that could mean that there is no afterlife waiting for him.

 

What are you guys' thoughts on this? What would his parents think about this, would they worry? Does Morrigan even believe in any kind of afterlife(probably not) and how much does she know about souls?

[MisterJB]

It's impossible to prove you're wrong because the details about the nature of souls and Old Gods and Kieran are unberably vague. We know they exist and humans have them but that's it.

 

Still, consider this. The Warden that slays the Archdemon dies regardless of mortal wounds. Why? Because his or her soul is destroyed in conflict with that of the Archdemon's, implying the body can't live without the soul. Darkspawn may simply be the exception because they aren't natural to begin with.

[Vigilance97]

The Warden's soul is destroyed, while Kieran's is simply taken, so that might make a difference. But yeah, good point.

[Terra_Ex]

More responses to stuff, I'm tired but hopefully this makes some kind of sense.

 

Well, it's good to know I'm not the only one lost in Witcher 3 right now. Ping-ponging between that and Skate 3 (this game is hilarious... they need to make another one). I'm also reading the Witcher books, strongly recommend them. So well written.

I second this advice, I power-read through everything that has been translated & fan-translated into english just before playing W3 and it adds so much to particular plotlines and characters. You really come to appreciate just how well the developers captured the spirit and themes of the books in their games, especially in the 3rd game which just nails the notion of being a witcher perfectly. I haven't played a game of that calibre in years and it was great to be able to jump back into the fray with Geralt's buddies without the disconnect issues and half-measures DA is fraught with.
 

NEVER!!!!

But in all seriousness, I have enough material for about 20 chapters of Beautiful Madness, though that could always become longer if I just loose my marbles and keep writing.

I've got far too many ideas. I don't think most of them will ever be written. There are a few that might see the light of day, if only because I'm going to cut them down to the bare minimum. Maybe I should just dump all my ideas here and y'all can tell me which ones seem the most appealing.

Currently, among other things, the top runners are: "What if HoF was an advisor/the initial leader of the Inquisition?" Or, "What if the Couslands survive the assault on Highever and Eleanor joins her son's group to stop the Blight. Leading to awkward hijinks as HoF attempts to romance Morrigan."

I just really need to keep a list of the ideas, it's getting out of hand.

I lose my marbles every time I venture into this thread, so you're in good company if that's your plan. Feel free to dump your ideas here and I'll write an appropriately sized wall of text for the ones I like at least. As for those you've presented already:
-HoF as advisor would have been interesting in game, might be okay for a fic even, but for me at least it's an Icarus meets the sun type affair. It's probably too close to what I'd have liked to see in the game in some respects for me to appreciate without a twinge of annoyance seeping in as I read it and imagining the what if scenarios.
-The second one I could picture carrying itself on the humour value alone, I recently wrote a nice couple of paragraphs that saw Aedan discussing with Morrigan the idea of her meeting his parents and that flowed pretty nicely into some stuff on Flemeth. So yeah, that could be good whatever direction it were to go in.

I can picture Morri confidently strolling into the Warden's tent, her robes "accidentally" falling to floor, a fresh take on the "'tis cold in my tent, you and me, right here" speech ready to roll off her tongue... except she wasn't expecting Aedan's mother to be there. Aedan just facepalms, Morrigan's reputation often preceded her and this latest tawdry display certainly wasn't doing her any favours. Still, it could be worse, at least his father wasn't here... Or so she thought. The tent flaps were flung open, revealing Aedan's father, now recovered from his injuries and eager to see his son again.

"Aedan, it's good to-wo-woah, son, who's this!?" Bryce exclaimed, hurriedly averting his gaze lest he attract Eleanor's ire. Stepping into the tent unannounced had earned him quite the eyeful.

While some social interactions still confounded Morrigan, she knew that being the centrepiece of this merry caper was far from desirable. After hastily gathering up what precious little remained of her clothing and dignity, Morrigan stepped outside. Trudging back to her own tent, the meddlesome bard soon came into view. The witch glared at her, with her evening entertainment plans now in tatters she was in little mood to have her patience tried further.

"You had something to do with this, I presume?"

Leliana just smiled. She watched the witch turn to leave before calling after her. "You know... 'tis cold in my tent too."

Morrigan offered her a snort of derision in response as she disappeared inside her own tent.

--
But I digress, I do think that exploring how Morrigan might be affected by an extended family who accept her and aren't crazy like her mother is pretty interesting in and of itself (which is just yet another reason why I find her romance and development to be the most interesting), in much the same way as seeing Morrigan get to explore and experience some of the stuff she didn't as a child was touched upon in DAI.  But I think that would only really pay off (outside of humour) in a post WH fic at the earliest.
 

Not nearly enough Morrigan/Warden stuff in my opinion. I really don't get it, why don't people like her? I mean I like Leliana well enough, but she's never appealed to me to the extent that Morrigan has. Am I missing something about her appeal? Or do people really just like the "nice girl" that much?

Strait-laced nice girls are a dime a dozen in games, really so unless they're exceptionally well done, I don't see the appeal. Key for me is probably story presence, so this is where Morri and Yennefer succeed, since their development is interwoven with much of the narrative, that tends to draw me in. Lel never even got a look in for me since Morrigan was already on the scene, you're already wrapped up in the whole mystery of who exactly Flemeth is and why she really helped you and Morrigan is tied into that from the start. I also think it was the conversational dynamic that stood out to me looking back, it's there with Morrigan & HoF like it is with Geralt and Yennefer, it's something that's inherently more interesting to watch and experience than the alternative. I think I appreciate a certain degree of friction at the onset that ultimately morphs into a subtle underpinning of their interactions in the future. Some people just *really* don't get that character archetype or seem to lack a certain degree of empathy, even when it's explained to them they seem to get stuck on Morri/Yen's "she's so mean" facet, fixate on it on and never move past it. I'm currently witnessing the same thing with regards Yennefer on forums and it's literally a verbatim copy of the "I hate Morrigan" school of thought. And of course, it stands to reason that it's from characters like Morrigan that you can ultimately get the biggest payoff, which is why I'm slightly amused when people are floored by some of the development she gets in DAI. We're like, "well, yeah, we romanced Morri for a reason." I do think Leliana is a good supporting character as a friend to HoF though, even moreso when HoF likes her but Morrigan isn't so keen, that brings more to the table imo.

With regards a lack of fan material, (I'll preface by noting I don't really bother with fan-works at all much anymore, general lack of time) I suppose the first thing to remember is post WH, while we did need that corrective ending and it was appreciated, you still couldn't do anything with it in terms of post-WH fan works without it being immediately rendered non-canon by DA3/and Morri being all nicey-nice wasn't expected. It is now possible to fill In the blanks at least up to a point, which wasn't possible before (which is why I was pushing everyone's buttons and sounding people out on what exactly they thought was plausible with regards to how much time Morri and HoF were together post-WH). But obviously in terms of things like a Calling cure and whether Morrigan goes off and meets up with HoF or not - whatever you dream up can and will be invalidated if either return in the future. This, at least to me (since I prefer additive type fanfics, which embellish, strengthen and add to the existing work, like what you have going on) acts as something of a show stopper for anyone wanting to create a fan work that fits within acceptable canon. And personal canon is so very important to people here. So, in that way, I can somewhat understand why nobody has done anything of significance with Morrigan and it's unsurprising for recent developments to bring renewed interest. Point being, now we've moved past the WH showstopper, a few more people want to fill in the missing puzzle pieces as it were. Is some of this kind of thinking not why you've started writing what you have right now? Interested to see how you plan to handle the cure in your current story, are you going to broach the topic, knowing that it could be overwritten in a future game or skirt it with a view to possibly continuing it (much) later?
 

I'm torn between writing more Morrigan stuff because I love her character so much. Or selling out and writing something involving a popular ship. But then I remember that there are people like me out there dying for more Morrigan content. XD

If you were to "sell out," wouldn't you be part of the problem then? It's interesting, I haven't really wrote anything for maybe 6+ years I'd say, but back when I did I'd always notice each fandom would be dominated by a particular genre. As a sort of test, I wrote fics for what I perceived to be the under served, canon pairings (and in these cases, they were the canon or only official pairings in said fandoms) and what was interesting was they'd always receive more hits/reviews and general praise than the flood of other stuff, considerably more. So provided the status quo has remained the same, I'd expect the interest is there, it is just under served, no idea if it affects DA, but it's what I observed across several fandoms. In the gaming arena, the vast majority of the time, as a guy, after I finish a game, generally, gushing about the romance (if one was present) isn't the first thing on the agenda, usually moving onto the next game is and considering who Morrigan is aimed at, that could be a factor too. My works always came about as I got tired that nobody was doing justice to the "main pair" in the games I liked so I ended up doing it myself, never really cared which were more popular so if you like the characters, I say carry on doing what you're doing, not sure who you think you'd be serving by chasing the current vogue.
 

I like to imagine that the warden and Morrigan ended up with the same familiarity Geralt and Yennefer have with each other after so many years together in their complicated relationship
They tease each other, and know exactly how the other is and how they're going to react to things.
Gotta say I love those two together. They really resemble what a real long term relationship is like, especially with someone of a strong personality like Yennefer

Yeah, this is much like how I picture it, they do a very good job of it in W3 and I picture HoF and Morri having a similar to and fro dynamic. It fits with the warden's dialogue choices with her in DAO, pushed down the line a good few years. And the problem is now that I've essentially seen it (through Geralt and Yen), I can't unsee it nor kill the desire to want to actually see something of substance in DA. I don't want to get into W3 spoilers for those who haven't finished, but I'll just say I wish they'd have done a fraction of what they did with Geralt and Yen with Morri and HoF, because the parallels and story setup were so similar. As you get at, it's more interesting because you start off with that pre-existing relationship, which makes a nice change from the standard fare. But that's why I vastly prefer Witcher to DA these days, they have yet to disappoint me.
 

Hey Terra, could I bother you to take a look at the minuscule piece of writing I posted two pages ago?

Read it earlier today, I enjoyed it overall - a nice little snippit of Morri/Warden's pseudo-domestic bliss while trying to raise their kid. Definitely appreciated some of the little details and nods to the nature of Cousland & Morri's relationship, such as the opening line on the details of runes and his body. I think Morri should have had a more biting remark ready for when Aedan brought up Wynne, just to ensure he'd choose his words more carefully, or heck getting him to turn around and paint something he probably wouldn't appreciate on his back (Avvar paint equivalent of a kick me sign, I guess) as punishment. I also liked the part with the Warden playing with the ring to find his next argument. Only aspect I didn't like, which sadly (for me) affects the whole thing is the use of present tense, personal preference and all but I much prefer reading material in past tense.
 

Well, I think the real answer is "Just because" but since we like to try and make sense of it, the main theory I heard is that she picked it up from old books. Which doesn't really make all that much sense since I read plenty of old books but I learned how to speak from the people around me. Though, some of the way I spoke was influenced by books (I'd use bigger words because I was reading way above my age range), but that eventually evened out as I spoke to more people. And since Flemeth doesn't talk like Morrigan, and Morrigan hasn't stopped speaking like that in ten years, it's clearly deliberate. My theory is that she thinks it sounds cool, or she thinks it gives her a sort of mystique. Since we do know she takes her witch persona very seriously, with Flemeth telling us she likes to dance in the moonlight. And since she potentially lives with a Warden that doesn't speak like she does, she clearly does it deliberately.

I thought of the books rationale as well, you can maybe extend that when you think about how she was raised, and she might acquire/steal books and whatnot from the outside world and aspects of the wonderment/fantasy might appeal so like you say, maybe it's something she read and thought sounded cool and she decided to make it her own. I can certainly remember as a kid, I'd be falling all over myself to use the latest "big word" I'd encountered in a book in conversation, if you extend that idea and marry it with her apparently limited contact with the outside world, it's feasible that she could have been primarilly influenced by it. Though the witch persona seems a fitting reason too. Not to mention, her son also doesn't share the habit, at least not that I saw. Thinking it adds to her mystique and allure certain seems very in keeping with Morrigan.
 

Though, anyone ever notice how you pick up speech patterns from your friends? I've got this thought where the Warden starts using 'tis and 'twas without even realizing it.

It doesn't come as a surprise anymore, but yeah, my mind went to this exact place with regards the Warden maybe picking up Morri's language quirks. Now that I think on it, it's a shame there was any responses that allowed the warden to drop a 'tis or 'twas into a convo with Morri, would be good to see her reaction to that. Would she be amused or feel she's being mocked or somewhere in between? I can see him inadvertently landing himself in some hot water over that. This next bit is probably much funnier in my head than it is in reality.
 
Aedan & Morri emerge from some eluvian somewhere after otherworld shenanigans.

"'Tis a fine day," Aedan remarked, glad to back in a recognisable land.

She gave him a probing look. "Are you mocking me, Aedan?"

"No, no, 'twas a mistake, that's all."

"You just did it again," there was a rising anger in the witch's voice.

"I can't help it."

Just had a bizarre image of Leliana meeting all three. Morri says 'tis, Aedan says 'tis, Keiran says 'tis. Leliana looks at Morrigan quizically.

"What, why are you looking at me? They just started this foolishness of their own volition one day," the witch explained, her voice heavy with weariness. "'tis far less amusing than he believes."

[BurningLizard]

lol, I've been thinking this too. My warden totally talks like that by now. btw, you're the Beautiful Madness guy, right? I'm really enjoying your work, can't wait for the next chapter!

 

---

I was wondering something about Kieran's soul. I think you guys discussed it before(been lurking for a while^^), but i don't remember anyone coming to the same conclusion as i have.

So back in Origins we thought the OGB would be a kid with the soul of Urthemiel. But when he turned out to be a (relatively) normal kid that can survive without the old god soul, everyone(iirc) assumed that he had two souls- Urthemiel's and his own, normal one.

My theory is that Kieran simply has no soul at all anymore. He had one, now Flemeth has it. We know from the awakened darkspawn that a soul is not required for life or intelligence, so it's possible.

 

And that got me thinking about afterlife. The chantry teaches that the souls of the (faithful?)dead travel through the fade to the maker's side. When a grey warden slays an archdemon, his or her soul is destroyed. I always took that to mean that this warden is permadead, no afterlife for him/her.

So if Kieran really has no soul, that could mean that there is no afterlife waiting for him.

 

What are you guys' thoughts on this? What would his parents think about this, would they worry? Does Morrigan even believe in any kind of afterlife(probably not) and how much does she know about souls?

Yup, I'm the Beautiful Madness guy. I am now officially a "(insert thing) Guy". Sweet.

 

The next chapter is being worked on I swear. Going back to the comedy well for this one.

 

Yeah, the whole thing about souls is confusing and you have some good ideas, however since we don't have much info to go on I just go with what feels right for me. Which is that Kieran had two souls in him rather than just one. Though the possibility of existing without a soul does tickle my plot idea nerve. Like, what if a Warden that refused the DR continues to exist without his soul. Now the question would be what does that mean for their personality/continued existence, etc.

 

I lose my marbles every time I venture into this thread, so you're in good company if that's your plan. Feel free to dump your ideas here and I'll write an appropriately sized wall of text for the ones I like at least. As for those you've presented already:

-HoF as advisor would have been interesting in game, might be okay for a fic even, but for me at least it's an Icarus meets the sun type affair. It's probably too close to what I'd have liked to see in the game in some respects for me to appreciate without a twinge of annoyance seeping in as I read it and imagining the what if scenarios.
-The second one I could picture carrying itself on the humour value alone, I recently wrote a nice couple of paragraphs that saw Aedan discussing with Morrigan the idea of her meeting his parents and that flowed pretty nicely into some stuff on Flemeth. So yeah, that could be good whatever direction it were to go in.

I can picture Morri confidently strolling into the Warden's tent, her robes "accidentally" falling to floor, a fresh take on the "'tis cold in my tent, you and me, right here" speech ready to roll off her tongue... except she wasn't expecting Aedan's mother to be there. Aedan just facepalms, Morrigan's reputation often preceded her and this latest tawdry display certainly wasn't doing her any favours. Still, it could be worse, at least his father wasn't here... Or so she thought. The tent flaps were flung open, revealing Aedan's father, now recovered from his injuries and eager to see his son again.

"Aedan, it's good to-wo-woah, son, who's this!?" Bryce exclaimed, hurriedly averting his gaze lest he attract Eleanor's ire. Stepping into the tent unannounced had earned him quite the eyeful.

While some social interactions still confounded Morrigan, she knew that being the centrepiece of this merry caper was far from desirable. After hastily gathering up what precious little remained of her clothing and dignity, Morrigan stepped outside. Trudging back to her own tent, the meddlesome bard soon came into view. The witch glared at her, with her evening entertainment plans now in tatters she was in little mood to have her patience tried further.

"You had something to do with this, I presume?"

Leliana just smiled. She watched the witch turn to leave before calling after her. "You know... 'tis cold in my tent too."

Morrigan offered her a snort of derision in response as she disappeared inside her own tent.

--
But I digress, I do think that exploring how Morrigan might be affected by an extended family who accept her and aren't crazy like her mother is pretty interesting in and of itself (which is just yet another reason why I find her romance and development to be the most interesting), in much the same way as seeing Morrigan get to explore and experience some of the stuff she didn't as a child was touched upon in DAI.  But I think that would only really pay off (outside of humour) in a post WH fic at the earliest.
 

Strait-laced nice girls are a dime a dozen in games, really so unless they're exceptionally well done, I don't see the appeal. Key for me is probably story presence, so this is where Morri and Yennefer succeed, since their development is interwoven with much of the narrative, that tends to draw me in. Lel never even got a look in for me since Morrigan was already on the scene, you're already wrapped up in the whole mystery of who exactly Flemeth is and why she really helped you and Morrigan is tied into that from the start. I also think it was the conversational dynamic that stood out to me looking back, it's there with Morrigan & HoF like it is with Geralt and Yennefer, it's something that's inherently more interesting to watch and experience than the alternative. I think I appreciate a certain degree of friction at the onset that ultimately morphs into a subtle underpinning of their interactions in the future. Some people just *really* don't get that character archetype or seem to lack a certain degree of empathy, even when it's explained to them they seem to get stuck on Morri/Yen's "she's so mean" facet, fixate on it on and never move past it. I'm currently witnessing the same thing with regards Yennefer on forums and it's literally a verbatim copy of the "I hate Morrigan" school of thought. And of course, it stands to reason that it's from characters like Morrigan that you can ultimately get the biggest payoff, which is why I'm slightly amused when people are floored by some of the development she gets in DAI. We're like, "well, yeah, we romanced Morri for a reason." I do think Leliana is a good supporting character as a friend to HoF though, even moreso when HoF likes her but Morrigan isn't so keen, that brings more to the table imo.

With regards a lack of fan material, (I'll preface by noting I don't really bother with fan-works at all much anymore, general lack of time) I suppose the first thing to remember is post WH, while we did need that corrective ending and it was appreciated, you still couldn't do anything with it in terms of post-WH fan works without it being immediately rendered non-canon by DA3/and Morri being all nicey-nice wasn't expected. It is now possible to fill In the blanks at least up to a point, which wasn't possible before (which is why I was pushing everyone's buttons and sounding people out on what exactly they thought was plausible with regards to how much time Morri and HoF were together post-WH). But obviously in terms of things like a Calling cure and whether Morrigan goes off and meets up with HoF or not - whatever you dream up can and will be invalidated if either return in the future. This, at least to me (since I prefer additive type fanfics, which embellish, strengthen and add to the existing work, like what you have going on) acts as something of a show stopper for anyone wanting to create a fan work that fits within acceptable canon. And personal canon is so very important to people here. So, in that way, I can somewhat understand why nobody has done anything of significance with Morrigan and it's unsurprising for recent developments to bring renewed interest. Point being, now we've moved past the WH showstopper, a few more people want to fill in the missing puzzle pieces as it were. Is some of this kind of thinking not why you've started writing what you have right now? Interested to see how you plan to handle the cure in your current story, are you going to broach the topic, knowing that it could be overwritten in a future game or skirt it with a view to possibly continuing it (much) later?
 

If you were to "sell out," wouldn't you be part of the problem then? It's interesting, I haven't really wrote anything for maybe 6+ years I'd say, but back when I did I'd always notice each fandom would be dominated by a particular genre. As a sort of test, I wrote fics for what I perceived to be the under served, canon pairings (and in these cases, they were the canon or only official pairings in said fandoms) and what was interesting was they'd always receive more hits/reviews and general praise than the flood of other stuff, considerably more. So provided the status quo has remained the same, I'd expect the interest is there, it is just under served, no idea if it affects DA, but it's what I observed across several fandoms. In the gaming arena, the vast majority of the time, as a guy, after I finish a game, generally, gushing about the romance (if one was present) isn't the first thing on the agenda, usually moving onto the next game is and considering who Morrigan is aimed at, that could be a factor too. My works always came about as I got tired that nobody was doing justice to the "main pair" in the games I liked so I ended up doing it myself, never really cared which were more popular so if you like the characters, I say carry on doing what you're doing, not sure who you think you'd be serving by chasing the current vogue.

 

I thought of the books rationale as well, you can maybe extend that when you think about how she was raised, and she might acquire/steal books and whatnot from the outside world and aspects of the wonderment/fantasy might appeal so like you say, maybe it's something she read and thought sounded cool and she decided to make it her own. I can certainly remember as a kid, I'd be falling all over myself to use the latest "big word" I'd encountered in a book in conversation, if you extend that idea and marry it with her apparently limited contact with the outside world, it's feasible that she could have been primarilly influenced by it. Though the witch persona seems a fitting reason too. Not to mention, her son also doesn't share the habit, at least not that I saw. Thinking it adds to her mystique and allure certain seems very in keeping with Morrigan.
 

It doesn't come as a surprise anymore, but yeah, my mind went to this exact place with regards the Warden maybe picking up Morri's language quirks. Now that I think on it, it's a shame there was any responses that allowed the warden to drop a 'tis or 'twas into a convo with Morri, would be good to see her reaction to that. Would she be amused or feel she's being mocked or somewhere in between? I can see him inadvertently landing himself in some hot water over that. This next bit is probably much funnier in my head than it is in reality.
 
Aedan & Morri emerge from some eluvian somewhere after otherworld shenanigans.

"'Tis a fine day," Aedan remarked, glad to back in a recognisable land.

She gave him a probing look. "Are you mocking me, Aedan?"

"No, no, 'twas a mistake, that's all."

"You just did it again," there was a rising anger in the witch's voice.

"I can't help it."

Just had a bizarre image of Leliana meeting all three. Morri says 'tis, Aedan says 'tis, Keiran says 'tis. Leliana looks at Morrigan quizically.

"What, why are you looking at me? They just started this foolishness of their own volition one day," the witch explained, her voice heavy with weariness. "'tis far less amusing than he believes."

For me the appeal of doing a "Morrigan with an extended family" would definitely be the humor, while also exploring what it would do to her personality. Morrigan having "in laws" that are good people, exposing her to different types of positive relationships and so on. Though I'll be honest, the idea came about entirely from a "Morrigan and Cousland trying to have a sexual relationship with his family getting in the way. Tee hee hee."

 

I keep seeing that as well, and I just don't get how people can't get past the "she's mean" aspect of the character's personality. Which pisses me off at times because if you take an example from anime, Sasuke from Naruto has a huge fandom, and yet I'm sitting here thinking "He's a bland sociopath, how do you people like him?" And yet they're going on about how he's had such a tragic past, etc. The difference is that I feel like characters like Morrigan and Yennefer actually have some depth to them. So it almost comes across like people don't want to bother getting to know the jerk character if there's more to them than what's on the surface. Or, and I hate to play this card, maybe it just comes down to gender. If a guy is a jerk they're a rebel, if a girl is a jerk at best she's tolerated and at worst she's loathed. Which really is a loss for everyone. Characters that act like jerks are definitely interesting, but only really if they get us asking questions. Trying to figure out why the character acts the way they do. 

 

Yeah, it all does come down to trying to fill in the blanks/what I wished there had been more of in the game, when it comes to writing my fanfiction. The beauty of written fiction is that ultimately we can do whatever we want, no budget limitations, no technology limitations, etc, so it's really satisfying to take what we've been given and expand on it. With Wardens of the Grey, that I just started recently it's expanding on the story by adding more characters than what the game has, but I'm planning to take some ideas and add to the story of the game itself with new concepts, using characters that show up in later games, etc. But the best fanfictions I enjoy reading are definitely the ones that slip their way into the canon without disturbing the actual story too much. 

 

It is a shame when old fanfics get invalidated by canon sequels, but eh, that's the risk you run. Just gotta make sure it doesn't bug you too much while you read it, though I have come across long fanfics that act as direct sequels to Origins before anything else came out and it's almost impossible to ignore that little voice in your head going "Well they're just being silly, that's not what happened at all." Especially if it's a fic that tries to go for a large plot, instead of something more toned down/slice of life. Which is why even if it's been proven non-canon, something like "Demons Within" works even knowing that the OGB is a boy and not a girl. What matters is the emotional aspect of the story is the focus, which is what we all ultimately crave more of. Sure a "Warden and Morrigan team up to defeat all the Reborn Old Gods" can be fun, but what I think most of us are looking for is a continuation of the emotional journey our Warden started with Morrigan. So even if the details of your story are proven wrong by sequels, the emotional aspect continues to ring true. Kind of like "Okay, so maybe they DIDN'T fight a conglomeration of all previous Old Gods absorbed into a previously unknown daughter of Flemeth, but that part where Morrigan and the Warden talked about abandonment and commitment issues was really good."

 

As far as dealing with the cure goes, I'm afraid to think of what I think the cure is really since I know I'll get it wrong. Really though the effect of the cure comes down to two options, complete cleansing like what happened to Fiona, or perhaps something that cures the calling but allows them to retain their Grey Warden abilities/it removes the abilities but retains an immunity to the taint. I like the latter since it opens up new plot windows, basically ushering in a new type of Grey Warden as a possible plot. I'm probably going to go with the latter, but unless it's crucial to the story won't bring it up too much.

 

There's also a certain level of appreciation from other fans when you don't sell out and instead create content for an underserved portion of the fanbase. It's working in a saturated market or being the lone voice in an underserved market. Definitely the better way to get attention when you think about it. Maybe the fandom in general won't read it, but a smaller group will be well aware of it. And even if I did decide to "sell out" as it were, I just don't have the same passion for, say "Alistair/Cousland or Cullen/Trevelyan" that I do for Morrigan/Cousland. So it would be harder for me to think of ideas, harder to write, harder to do justice to what people that do like the pairing enjoy, and ultimately would be a less satisfying product.

 

...he says while planning to do a large fic that includes romances with Alistair, Leliana, and Zevran for the larger crowd to enjoy. Well if it crashes and burns you'll know why.

 

Though I do cheat a little by trying to think of ideas that would allow me to write Morri/Warden while also having a more popular pairing as part of the story. Like a story that is set in Inquisition and features a popular pairing for the Inquisitor but it's more a background while I focus entirely on Morrigan.

 

And yeah, I think a lot of Morrigan's behavior can be explained by the fact that she is trying to cultivate a very specific reputation. One she won't allow to negatively affect Kieran, but I wonder if a small part of her doesn't want anyone to know, for fear that it will ruin her mystique, just how much of a loving, devoted, and possibly doting mother she actually is.

 

Or Morrigan plays along with the exaggerated "Tis thines and thous" and Leliana comes across them and has a Homer Simpson moment. "I'm living in a cuckoo clock!"

[MisterJB]

Thank you, Terra. I am very glad you enjoyed it.

I think my preference for present tense comes from reading so much awful fanfiction over the years. Nearly everyone writes in past tense so, when you find a story in the present tense, it usually tends to be average, at least.

Of course, most of my favorite books are in the past tense.

 

Something I have never seen us consider is how, when Flemeth came, the Warden likely felt everything Morrigan was feeling. He didn't know the why, but he knew his family was in danger. And there was nothing he could do.

[Aren]

Bah, I just finished playing Witch Hunt. Thought this place would be appropriate to get some feedback. 

Spoiler

After playing through the Dark Ritual on two characters (replaying after 5 years?) I came to despise Morrigan. I actually liked her before I replayed DA:O. I guess never gave much thought about the Ritual ... She basically tells you that it was her whole purpose of even joining the group. The whole thing was dirty and mean. It didn't help that she showed no empathy when she told the Warden about it (lol, Morrigan and empathy). Yes it saved the Warden or Alistair's life, but there's something about it that just screams wrong.

But when she reappeared in Witch Hunt and started talking again, I began to regret and doubt if I should get vengence. 

... I decided to stab her. I feel so bad! The Warden and Morrigan were good friends until the ritual! 

 

I'm really struggling if I should make this cannon or not. I did have 2 playthroughs so maybe I'll give one the stabbing and one without. 

Actually i believe that is determined more for the fact that the perspective on her character is completely altered by the "metaknowledge mode".

During the 2nd playthrough the fact that the player already know her double game(especially during Flemeth quest in which she lie) from the beginning doesn't help at all,especially doesn't help Morrigan at all.

Actually i was very impressed that the game allow the player to discover if partially her double game before Redcliffe,you have only to be more clever than her,agree with Flemeth,than return to Morrigan (Morrigan restoration patch is required) the warden "say" that S/he has discovered her game thanks to Flemeth,she looks surprised and respond with something on the line

"so,I'm the liar then,while my mother is not,believe what ou want" 

and the she leaves.

There was no point for me in playing WH, simply because i have never give to her any power over my decision,so she was by any means someone to fear (the No pain Loghain ending) and i don't care about old gods/ elven gods.

 

 

 

kick them through a magic mirror.

Actually i have seen the scene,and actually i have the same interpretation of the scene,Morrigan do not escape from the warden,is the warden who push her across the portal and decide to spare her,the Eluvian at the end of that scene is still functional,proof that the Warden has decided to spare her.

[BurningLizard]

Thank you, Terra. I am very glad you enjoyed it.

I think my preference for present tense comes from reading so much awful fanfiction over the years. Nearly everyone writes in past tense so, when you find a story in the present tense, it usually tends to be average, at least.

Of course, most of my favorite books are in the past tense.

 

Something I have never seen us consider is how, when Flemeth came, the Warden likely felt everything Morrigan was feeling. He didn't know the why, but he knew his family was in danger. And there was nothing he could do.

Past tense is the preferred tense of publishing, hence why so many people use it and are used to it. There's also just something awkward about reading something in present tense unless it's also in first person and one of those choose your own adventure books.

 

Since I like to imagine that over time the connection between the Warden and Morrigan grows stronger I'd say it's almost certain that he felt what was happening, but didn't necessarily know what. Morrigan's distress must have been some of the strongest/intense emotions she's felt in a long time, so he'd definitely know something was up. Might even cut his quest short and hurry back since no way you could stay focused after something like that. I like to imagine a scene where he's trying to find some way to get to them, maybe having a mage companion push him into the fade in his sleep so he can reach them, or something. Even if that doesn't work, I could see him desperately trying to figure out SOME way to get to them even suggesting things he knows aren't possible.

[Miss Golightly]

 

I second this advice, I power-read through everything that has been translated & fan-translated into english just before playing W3 and it adds so much to particular plotlines and characters. You really come to appreciate just how well the developers captured the spirit and themes of the books in their games, especially in the 3rd game which just nails the notion of being a witcher perfectly. I haven't played a game of that calibre in years and it was great to be able to jump back into the fray with Geralt's buddies without the disconnect issues and half-measures DA is fraught with.

 

Yeah, I would say Witcher 3 is one of the best games I have played in recent years (along with Bayonetta 2). I haven't seen side quests done this well since Majora's Mask. They kind of take on their own life and personality, and I think that's really neat. The combat can be challenging and entertaining. Ciri is awesome. Solid 10/10 from me. Not even close to finishing the game... I finally decided that I would choose Yen over Triss, after a disgustingly long period of time debating with myself.

 

There are indeed some great fan translations out there for the volumes that haven't had an official English release yet. I read a fan translation of "Sword of Destiny" (seeing as it won't be out in North America until December... ugh). I think I'm on the last fifty pages of "Time of Contempt", and I have "Baptism of Fire" sitting on my nightstand, ready to be read next. I absolutely agree with you on this, if you read the books you get more out of Wild Hunt. 

 

Then you have Dragon Age's "it's a small world" syndrome and the haphazard connections. Don't get me wrong, I love Dragon Age and it's always good to see your favourite characters pop up... but again... I think they should either start doing direct sequels or just have a blank slate.

Of course, I think we're too far down the rabbit hole to get a blank slate. Realistically, all I care about is Flemeth's saga. We finally got some answers in DAI, but I just have more questions now because of them. A blank slate would be a big "up yours" to the players.

 

 

But anyway! Back on topic!

 

I haven't written fanfic in years. When I was in high school, I casually did to help sharpen my writing for school (and I think it helped). But when I wrote fics, I used to just write what I wanted to write and I wrote for the pairings that I liked and knew I could actually write well. If people read it, great... if not, whatever. To me it was just a writing exercise. So sure, I could write Warden/Leliana or Warden/Alistair fics (or whatever is most popular these days), but I wouldn't enjoy it as much as doing Warden/Morrigan, and I think there'd be a drop in quality because of that. Writing fics should be fun, and if you're not having fun, you won't want to do it. That's why "selling out" isn't always the best option.

Tossing around the idea of doing a sort of episodic series of one-shots about Morrigan and the Warden's time together post-WH which would lead up into Morrigan weaseling her way into the Orlesian court.

[MisterJB]

 

Wonder what is the symbolism here? The two fountains of blood are clearly directed towards Kieran and Flemeth.

Is that meant to be Urthemiel slain?

 

[Aren]

 

Still, consider this. The Warden that slays the Archdemon dies regardless of mortal wounds. Why? Because his or her soul is destroyed in conflict with that of the Archdemon's, implying the body can't live without the soul. Darkspawn may simply be the exception because they aren't natural to begin with.

Riordan is ignorant into the matter Darkspawn have a soul

[Aren]

 

 

Wonder what is the symbolism here? The two fountains of blood are clearly directed towards Kieran and Flemeth.

Is that meant to be Urthemiel slain?

 

 

 

It is obvious, another blood magic ritual (see the paint under her feet) that will allow to her to absorb the Old god Power that later on are absorbed by Solas,the blue light present in this scene.

[line_genrou]

Talking about meet the parents, I actually think Morrigan would get along surprisingly well with Eleanor Cousland.

Eleanor seems to have been a strong woman and I believe she would appreciate Morrigan independence.

[Brockololly]

I know I've been remiss in my Morrigan ramblings of late but guys, guess what? The Witcher is a pretty amazing game. Just did the Last Wish quest today... I think in my own headcanon of the Warden/Morrigan, I'm just going to imagine my Warden turned into Geralt, Morrigan turned into Yen and Kieran turned into Ciri. Even though I've spent about 90 hours in TW3 so far, I feel like I'm no where close to the end, so maybe it all ends terribly, but the Yennefer/Geralt dynamic kind of taps into what the Warden had with Morrigan. Just Yen's condescending attitude that's sort of masking her real feelings for Geralt or their banter back and forth (loved the one moment with their wolf puns). And it makes me wish we'd get to experience first hand a Morrigan/Warden reunion but that's wishing some impossible wish right there.

Just the end of that Last Wish quest with

Spoiler

Yen and Geralt just sitting there, looking off at the horizon...

That's how you do relationship moments BioWare.


Anyway, I'll try to reply to some of the more recent posts later.

 

Wonder what is the symbolism here? The two fountains of blood are clearly directed towards Kieran and Flemeth.
Is that meant to be Urthemiel slain?
 

I always kind of guessed maybe it was some allusion to Flemeth being Mythal and some representation of Mythal's betrayal? What with the one figure seemingly being stabbed in the back?

[BurningLizard]

Talking about meet the parents, I actually think Morrigan would get along surprisingly well with Eleanor Cousland.

Eleanor seems to have been a strong woman and I believe she would appreciate Morrigan independence.

I'm actually in the process of gathering ideas for a fic based on this idea. Endgoal: Smother Morrigan with extended families.

[Aren]

Bah, I just finished playing Witch Hunt. Thought this place would be appropriate to get some feedback. 

Spoiler

After playing through the Dark Ritual on two characters (replaying after 5 years?) I came to despise Morrigan. I actually liked her before I replayed DA:O. I guess never gave much thought about the Ritual ... She basically tells you that it was her whole purpose of even joining the group. The whole thing was dirty and mean. It didn't help that she showed no empathy when she told the Warden about it (lol, Morrigan and empathy). Yes it saved the Warden or Alistair's life, but there's something about it that just screams wrong.

But when she reappeared in Witch Hunt and started talking again, I began to regret and doubt if I should get vengence. 

... I decided to stab her. I feel so bad! The Warden and Morrigan were good friends until the ritual! 

 

I'm really struggling if I should make this cannon or not. I did have 2 playthroughs so maybe I'll give one the stabbing and one without. 

I don't understand why players wish to complicate things in this way.

I was in a similar situation with Morrigan,she has deceived my Warden the whole time,so i have simply decided to punish her by deny the DR,it was more a punishment meant for her,given the fact that My Warden has never need to do this in order to survive

(the beautiful Loghain redemption with warden king),in WH she was by no means in the position to argue that she has saved my warden life,actually she was less confident (non DR version).

The murdered knife option is useless,you gain nothing of permanent,nothing substantial,is just a psychopathic option.

My punishment was simply to use her, to help the peoples of Ferelden and give to her nothing in return (this is by far a worse punishment for Morrigan).

[Andres Hendrix]

Bah, I just finished playing Witch Hunt. Thought this place would be appropriate to get some feedback. 

Spoiler

After playing through the Dark Ritual on two characters (replaying after 5 years?) I came to despise Morrigan. I actually liked her before I replayed DA:O. I guess never gave much thought about the Ritual ... She basically tells you that it was her whole purpose of even joining the group. The whole thing was dirty and mean. It didn't help that she showed no empathy when she told the Warden about it (lol, Morrigan and empathy). Yes it saved the Warden or Alistair's life, but there's something about it that just screams wrong.

But when she reappeared in Witch Hunt and started talking again, I began to regret and doubt if I should get vengence. 

... I decided to stab her. I feel so bad! The Warden and Morrigan were good friends until the ritual! 

 

I'm really struggling if I should make this cannon or not. I did have 2 playthroughs so maybe I'll give one the stabbing and one without. 

People really need to cut Morrigan some slack, and really think about what it means for your Warden to murder knife her. Before DA: I this was the situation that you were looking at: Murder knifing Morrigan is the paranoid cynic's option, and it's like the ultimate betrayal of Morrigan. Think of the dire circumstances she had lived through in the Wilds before the Warden, and juxtapose that with what the Warden's friendship and or love do for her. Morrigan went through life thinking that she needn't care for anyone but herself, that everyone was trying to use each other in some way and that unconditional love was a delusion. Then you warden changes her. Your Warden is the only person she has ever loved or truly cared about, and then in Witch Hunt your Warden fools here so as to kill her, basically justifying everything that the old Morrigan thought before meeting the Warden in Origins. If Morrigan were a real person, one would expect if she was not physically killed, she would wind up being emotionally destroyed by such a betrayal.

She even waits for your Warden. A lot of people don't understand that Morrigan did not have to wait for your Warden, she could have left without ever seeing your Warden again, but she waits to see your Warden, because she wants to and perhaps needs to (this is at a great risk, but perhaps she has come to accept those risks when it comes to your Warden, her love and or friend). If you stab her it is especially treacherous if Morrigan was romanced. She became the mother of your Warden's child, are you role-playing a Warden who would murder his two year old's mother which would leave said child with no one else in the world to take care of him? Meaning that he would more than likely be left all alone and slowly die. Even if you did not romance her, and went through with the ritual what is the best outcome for your Warden who stabs Morrigan? It's that she dies, which still orphans the OGB who is far too young to fend for himself. Let's say that Morrigan does not have the baby, or the added emotional baggage, still there is no good reason for stabbing her-- not to mention DA: I makes most of these points even more clear. We find out that Morrigan lives no matter what you did to her (and if you went though with it, she's not too happy about being stabbed), and the OGB was in no way what many of the cynics said it would be back in the day when they were scrambling for a justification to stab Morrigan.

[BurningLizard]

The option to stab Morrigan exists so that we can know in the real world who never to trust. 

[Andres Hendrix]

The option to stab Morrigan exists so that we can know in the real world who never to trust. 

That makes no sense.

[BurningLizard]

That makes no sense.

Well would you trust someone that makes snap judgements about people based on their first impression rather than getting to know them?

[Andres Hendrix]

Well would you trust someone that makes snap judgements about people based on their first impression rather than getting to know them?

I think you need to discover 'context'.

[BurningLizard]

I think you need to discover 'context'.

I was making an attempt at a joke. It obviously fell flat. So let's move on to a different topic before this devolves into pointless back and forth sniping.