Thinking about the mage rebellion and Fereldan. My main Warden is a Surana that sticks Alistair with the throne so I never really gave it much thought about why Ferelden's ruler would accept the rebellion.
But I replayed and something stuck out to me: Connor was frustrated about them being in Redcliffe. He asks how that could be seen to be a good idea. And honestly? Given that the Wardens rule Amaranthine and it's a major point of entry from the sea it wouldn't be that hard to have set Fiona's people there and gotten fewer side eyes by the locals. They're used to Wardens, mages ain't that weird in comparison. Especially after the Warden-Commander let a possessed corpse follow them home from the swamp like a lost mabari.
But Ferelden has a population problem. Lots of dead young men and women just at Ostagar, let alone the southern hills, the bannorn via the rebellion, and Denerim. And the survivors of the Siege at Denerim would have had high chances of Blight Sicknesses, there were probably epidemics following 9:31. That would have crippled the fighting population. That doesn't even count that a lot of the refugees who made it to the Marches and elsewhere never returned.
Redcliffe is the fortified gateway to Ferelden from the /Orlesian/ border. The same Orlais that certain powers (Gaspard) want to return to being an expanding empire.
Celene's hold was weak. Weak enough the Inquisitor could arrange to break it entirely.
The Chantry is primarily Orlesian and that would give the mages a reason to not want Orlesian control if it came down to Gaspard as Emperor bringing chevaliers back across the Frostbacks.
I don't think Ferelden took the mages in out of generosity. At least not entirely. I think they saw a chance to add a significant military force to their country if their gamble paid off - and that's why Teagan agreed. Unfortunately for the rebellion the Tevinter thing is a definite point of no return - the mages weren't loyal enough to their own cause, to where they were, to continue the risk of keeping them.
three fools does not make a wise man i fear
Elf girls š„¹šæšø
DAI x BG3 matchups I need to see. Iām not good at writing crossovers nor am I clever at all. This is very much non-exhaustive and very much not the end point of these charactersā potential interactions with each other.
Karlach + Sera + Iron Bull
The absolute chaos. The absolute CHAOS. A powerhouse. Putting aside Karlachās demon heritage aside, she and Iron Bull tossing back tankards and swapping war stories as vets that have been dealt shitty hands but continue to chug along despite it. Karlach and Sera connecting over growing up mainly on the streets and having soft spots for little ragamuffins. Plus they all talk about womenās tits a lot. I feel Sera would find Karlach sexy and funny.
Wyll + Cole
Like Solas and Varric, Wyll would take to Cole because he recognizes Coleās desire to help others, even if his methods are a bit unorthodox. He would recognize Coleās soul as gentle and kind, and his efforts to atone for the murders he committed in the Tower as proof of his humanity. He will join the Uncle-Dad Duo and complete the Uncle-Dad Trio. Cole would gravitate toward Wyllās goodness in turn, and probably tell Wyll that him making a contract wasnāt foolish because in the end he saved a city, and if that was his desire, then he committed no sin in doing so.
Solas + Astarion
The messiest shit can only occur, and my messy bitch self wants to see it. Watch as Solasās upright and stiff demeanor utterly bores Astarion. Watch as Astarionās selfishness, penchant for violence, and casual disregard for the well-being of others utterly pisses Solas the fuck off. Watch as Astarion yawns or interrupts Solasās lectures with a āyes, yes, we get itā or the most dramatic eyeroll and overwrought āughā. Watch as Solas and Astarion immediately sniff each other out as liars and schemers from first jump and hold each other at a distance, the tension spiking at random moments early in them knowing each other where the other prods at their falsehoods. Watch as Astarion is dumbfounded by Solas expressing his condolences to Astarion upon learning of Astarionās enslavement to his master, because how could a man who holds such reproach for him still manage to feel pity? āIt is not pity, but compassion, which you are at liberty to reject. That is your right as a free man, just as it is my right to feel it.ā
In the best case scenario, Astarion calms down eventually, teasing Solas but still treating him like that friend of a friend that you grudgingly admit is useful. I think a part of Astarion would find Solasās penchant dislike of him funny.
Vivienne + Astarion + Dorian
We are all doomed. The haughtiness will be scarcely contained. Dorian and Astarion are definitely flirting. Fucking? Not sure. But definitely flirting and enjoying killing bad guys, playfully arguing over wine, snickering over Solasās shabby dress.
Shadowheart + Leliana
Tools forged to serve a religious order? Check. Crisis of faith? Check. Subterfuge preferred? Check.
Laeāzel + Cassandra
Soldiers recognizing soldiers. š«” āWhy are the men around me so annoying.ā
Minsc & Boo + Cole
Cole might be able to understand Boo! If not his speech, then his little hamster feelings. Minsc might be wary of Cole for the information that he manages to glean from Minscās head, but his unquestioned understanding of Boo would probably smooth that bump in the road, right?
Solas + Gale
A friend remarked that Gale would remind Solas too much of himself (prideful, ambitious) and thus they would not get along. There is that. I think that Gale would get a small smile out of Solas every now and then with his quips, because Solas himself is clearly a fan of banter; Gale would provide more of the energy in the same way Dorian does with his and Solasās more civil banters. Gale and Solas also both hold a great measure of respect and adoration for magic as a force, an element, a piece of entirety that is beautiful for its own existence. Not simply just what magic can do for them as wielders of magic, but what it is and how it does so much to enhance a personās understanding and interaction with the world, as precious as sight or sound.
Minthara + Iron Bull
Oh she will have him cowed in a goddamn minute. Oh man. Oh no. āYes maāamā, āno maāamā.
Minthara + Cassandra
Oh this would be so interesting. Disciplined, serious bulwarks with little time for silly little menāMinthara would share Cassandraās frustration and lack of amusement with Varric, though Cassandra would consider her suggestions to maim him.
Solas + Halsin + Iron Bull
I see potential here. Iron Bull and Solas already have a dynamic of Iron Bullās āI have a pretty good idea of who you are, and itās a liarā toward Solas, while Solas grudgingly respects Iron Bullās strength and mental acumen in the same way you would respect a very intelligent bearādo not draw attention more than necessary, but stand tall lest it smell fear. Halsin feels like a softer Iron Bull, a mediation between the two. Like Iron Bull, his stature and build belies a thoughtful and sharp mind. Like Solas, he sees everything as connected, feeding into the other as part of a system, and would too feel a sense of loss at magic and mundane being so dramatically split as it is in Thedasāan aberration against what is natural. Also like Iron Bull, heās frank with his sexuality. Iām certain the two would swap stories over booze. The trio would be arguably the three most mature and experienced in a room in any given situation. Not only that, but Halsin is far more actively in touch with his heart and honest with his feelings than Solas or Iron Bull. The latter two very much care about their loved ones, but with Solas it is under the surface and with Iron Bull itās mixed up in cultural trappings of romance not being a āthingā in his culture, and thus both struggle with their feelings. Halsin however is very much in touch. There is next to nothing obstructing what his head and heart wants. He listens to his heart and he follows it. Solas and Iron Bull could learn a thing or two from him, tbh
Also I feel like Iron Bull, Halsin, and even Solas have a bit of a brat tamer streak in them so thereās that
Also Astarion would outright reject the notion of drinking Cullenās blood cuz it smells like battery acid.
no but how popular are marydenās songs?? i know sheās playing in every tavern we go to but that could be a conveniently identical npc because inquisition didnāt have a ton of models lol
like what kind of notoriety does Scout Lace Harding have? is rook going to feel like theyāre meeting, idk, billie jean. eleanor rigby. jolene herself
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
It is said that during her Harrowing, Madame de Fer refused to leave the Fade until she settled as a form which pleased her. Vivienne has not dispelled such rumors. Adelbhert is much like his human in style and strength. His wing strokes can break bones; his bite is crushing; and he looks impeccable! Beneath all the glamour lies a hardworking soul, whose efforts are rarely seen yet always rewarded. And heās frightening.
can you talk about misinterpretations of wynne and zevran's dynamic??? i'm chewing on your analysis
i think itās a very basic case of people simply taking what is said at face value, in a way that comes up a lot with your classic zevran misinterpretations and uhhh oversimplifications. zevran and wynneās banters are full of his classic exaggerated flirtations. all of their banters hinge on this joke and theyāre very funny. but iām always mildly stunned when i see people taking that as... zevran actually literally just being horny AGSHSKKSKS
i donāt think people give zevran enough credit for how clever he is at dancing around the other companions. nobody ever really gets one up on him. i can think of one specific instance in banter where i do think something gets under his skin, which i think oghren of all people manages essentially by accident the one time heās actually not really trying
anyway: wynne opens their first banter with āyou must know that murder is wrong, i assume.ā itās very wynne; she makes a judgement and announces it as fact. zevran is slightly stunned by this and also how funny it is: āiām sorry... are you speaking to me?ā with this incredible disbelieving pause because, like, heās the party assassin. but heās also playing for time quickly on how to react to this out of nowhere. wynne then explains the simple narrative sheās constructed that joining the party is due to a crisis of conscience on zevranās part about being an assassin. and zevran immediately jumps into exaggerated agreement, and once he gets a better idea, the first of his flirtations with her, until she gives up in exasperation. itās an evasion tactic zevran is very, very good at and has been doing to you, the player, since his first appearance on screen. he wants to play on the characters he performs when theyāre useful shields, whether itās the victim or the flirt or what have you. but also always with that ironic air that heās clearly doing a bit; thereās the charm of letting you in on a private joke, but also he needs everything to be a faintly ridiculous game to him, so he doesnāt have to be affected
zevran keeps this joke up for the full extent of his banters with wynne through the whole game, because he finds it wildly entertaining, of course, and because he has no interest in ever inviting the conversation she wants. he so badly doesnāt want to deal with her asking this that he decides to run this bit into the GROUND, and starts doing it pre-emptively to ward her off even after she stops trying to instigate the conversation. bc wynne may be a good way off the mark, and, ironically for someone wanting zevran to take this seriously, not able to imagine that his life and feelings may be more complex than assumed (absolutely classic spirit behaviour once again), but she is needling at his reasons for leaving the crows, which is the last thing wants to be honest with anyone about
making the assumption that zevran is flirting with wynne out of genuine interest is, to me, the same mistake as thinking zevran when you first meet the warden is flirting out of genuine interest. this is how he knows to stay alive. if he let his guard down, heād be dead; if he wasnāt charming, heād be dead; and if he ever stopped to dwell instead of being the āeternal optimistā, always instinctually grasping at one more chance to live another day, heād be very, very dead. heās not going to casually discuss vulnerabilities for someone elseās peace of mind and he definitely doesnāt have the kind of insecurity to need to explain himself to people who donāt know him or what theyāre talking about. so, rogue evasion abilities activate! itās time for him to dodge! which is what he spends the entire series of banters doing. but also heās just still finding it funny throughout. she just gives him so much ammunition. itās like taking candy from a baby. zevran loves an old and terrible joke repeated for several months solid, they age like wine to him
i also think wynneās comments are a light jab at how zevran does get read by players. heās not ashamed of being an assassin. thereās this great line in one of his dialogues with the warden that asks why he shouldnāt continue to do what heās good at when so few have come by his skills āhonestlyā, as he believes he has. thereās a tendency to characterise him and characters like him as, ah, the guilt-ridden victim in need of a pure-hearted saviour to show him the light, etc etc, but thatās never been who he is. thereās no ending where he suddenly quits being an assassin lmao
I think a lot about the fact that Leliana and Sera were young orphan girls from working class families who were adopted by human noblewomen... how Leliana took to that life like a fish to water and Sera rejected it wholesale: the material excess when others have nothing, having pride in something you didn't earn but were lucky enough to be born into. But Sera being an elf meant her life with Emmald was never going to be the same as Leliana's with Cecilie. The music and etiquette lessons that carried Leliana are harsh reminders of a life that didn't make room for someone like Sera.
They're both religious but their faith leads them to the same conclusion: no one should be excluded based on who they are and no one is without worth. They're rogues who love pranks and teasing their friends, they love āØļø WOMEN āØļø and are vocal about it, they're willing to sacrifice themselves and gut their enemies if it means protecting their people. They're steadfast friends and devoted lovers. Leliana learned her archery skills from Marjolaine - a nobleman's sport, a game to mirror The Game, 'I made you, Leliana. I can destroy you just as easily' - while Sera learned by the sweat of her brow, practicing until the arrow hit its mark more often than not and her arms no longer shook. There are no tutors in back alleys.
Leliana forswore her old ways for the ascetic life of a Chantry sister (before taking up arms to defeat the Blight); Sera inherited Emmald's fortune and gave it all away to orphaned children despite herself being hungry and homeless, because Sera is kind and because the knowledge of where that money came from was more painful than the joy of spending it.
Bioware will find any excuse to introduce Morrigan to a game via a set of stairs.
i think bioware should let the hero of ferelden return but every time they're in a shot they're cut off at the neck like the lady from powerpuff girls
and every time they try to add something to a conversation a dragon flies by roaring so you can't hear what they're saying
One thing origins did is make me a Ferelden nationalist. That's my HOME COUNTRY right there and i want my MABARI. LONG LIVE YHE KING!
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