on a second DA:I playthrough i’m noticing so much more foreshadowing in companion/advisor dialogue of how cadash/adaar/lavellan/tracelyan as a person HAS to be obliterated by the inquisition as a political, religious, and narrative force and the title of inquisitor.
mother giselle tells you from the beginning it doesn’t matter what you believe about being/not being the herald; you are an icon to the common people and the chantry.
josephine tells you after the truth about “andraste”/justinia is revealed in the fade—it doesn’t matter what you saw or felt, only what is remembered collectively.
dorian tells you if you ask to go with him to tevinter—you can never undo being the inquisitor, and would take away his agency just by being there.
varric tells you in haven that you’re a tragic hero, and asks at the wicked grace game if there is still a “you” separate from the inquisitor.
solas tells you in skyhold, if you tell him you intend to disband the inquisition, that the power you’ve amassed can’t be destroyed, and will only pass to less worthy hands if you relinquish it.
and all of that is just off the top of my head and comes up before ameridan’s name is ever mentioned.
and it’s all been said before but like! fuck! truth is the game was rigged from the start! you’ve been COOKED, inquisitor! YOU CAN NEVER GO HOME! it’s so fucking good
Shadow Dragon Rook was adopted into a military family… Shadow Dragon Rook was adopted into a military family… Shadow Dragon Rook was adopted into a military family…
(Some silly headcanons about Mortalitasi and Nevarran traditions that ended up leading me to Emmrich. How typical.)
We don't actually know all that much about Nevarra and their customs. World of Thedas and some of the in-game codex tells us some key points: strong royal families, a rich history of dragon hunting, an elite group of mages rumored to be heavily involved in makings of the country, and, of course, the thing that this country is most famous for - the fascination with the dead.
Our very own Nevarran companion mentions a couple of things about her home country:
And even though she doesn't seem fond of Mortalitasi practices or Nevarran customs surrounding the dead, she admits that some stories that pervade the South are greatly exaggerated:
(I feel so called out)
This makes me think that this interest in the dead is still a personal choice. I doubt that an average Nevarran is obsessed with those rituals any more than an average person from Ferelden is with theirs - those are just a part of their traditions that obviously affect their lives in unique ways, but that is all.
Now, Nevarran nobility are a different matter. They are said to start the construction of their tombs very early in life - lavishly decorated palaces with gardens, ballrooms and bathhouses. A sign of power and wealth for them, and that I can believe.
But when it comes to Mortalitasi, do they, in general, care as much? Do they take all these things, all these rituals, to extreme somehow, professional pride and all?
How much would a Mortalitasi care about their own tomb? Would Mortalitasi friends and colleagues ever promise to lead the other's ceremony depending on who dies first? "Oh, I'll totally mummify you if you're the one to go first, don't you worry, I know you think that Markus is getting sloppy".
The coffin sharing is also not unheard of (the spouses from The Flame Eternal), and I wonder if it's ever used as a grand gesture - to ask someone to be placed in the same tomb?
(And just imagine how messy this could get, the way people are. Building a tomb together only to have a falling out, what are you even supposed to do after that?)
Would it be romantic then, to tell your significant other that you don't want to ever part from them, even in death?
Beacause imagine Emmrich writing a quick letter to his friend from the Mourn Watch (Johanna, if they are still friends after all these years, or Myrna), "doing fine, on a saving the world business trip, will be back when I can; could I trouble you with a favor - a bigger coffin, installed in my tomb, not urgent, just whenever you have the time."
When the reply comes and his friend is (obviously) asking for a reason for such a sudden change, he just looks at Rook from the corner of his eye and replies with "no particular reason, just felt like it."
♡ 𝐩𝐲𝐫𝐲 𝐤𝐚̈𝐡𝐤𝐨̈𝐧𝐞𝐧 𝐠𝐢𝐟 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐤
click the source link below to be redirected to 140 gifs (268x151px) of pyry kähkönen in the vikings: valhalla season 3. all of these were made by me from scratch so don’t claim as your own or redistribute. please like/reblog if you found this helpful. remember, my gif commissions are open ! in case you’re interested you can find the information here.
possible tw: weapons, blood, violence, body image.
Will you shrink from what you set out to do? Or will you see it through.. and make your sacrifice?
The Oh Hellos Prompts
➣ writing prompts from The Oh Hellos songs. feel free to edit as you see fit.
"The terrible fire of old regret is honey on my tongue." - Bitter Water
"There is beauty in the way of things." - There Beneath
"I am not the fool I was when I was younger." - Exeunt
"I am not afraid to die." - This Will End
"They were quick to recognize the devil in me." - Second Child, Restless Child
"I can't shake this feeling that I was only pushing the spear into your side again." - Passerine
"We have lived in fear, and our fear has betrayed us." - I Have Made Mistakes
"I want to be more than this devil inside of me." - Dear Wormwood
"I know I shouldn't love you." Bitter Water
"Leave the ruins where they fall." - Grow
"You can't take any gold or rings further than the grave." - Eurus
"I can see how this will end in all its bitter tragedy." - This Will End
"You'll bury me beneath the tree I climbed when I was a child." - Bitter Water
"The heavens can be both sacred and dust." - Hieroglyphs
"I cannot trust what you say when you're grieving." - Exeunt
"When I saw my reflection it was a stranger beneath my face." - The Lament of Eustace Scrubb
"Suffering is all there is to gain in life." - This Will End
"The sight held me fixed like a bayonet against my throat." - Pale White Horse
"We were born in the shadow of the crimes of our fathers." - The Valley
"My palms and fingers still reek of gasoline from throwing fuel to the fire." - Passerine
"You were the brightest shade of sun I had ever seen." - Like the Dawn
"I know that wicked shape to your smile." - Where Is Your Rider
"You have always been there in my mind." - Dear Wormwood
"I am coming home to you." - Thus Always To Tyrants
"I wanna give it all I've got, and I want nothing back." - Theseus
"I want to spin something out of nothing." - Zephyrus
"Blood was our inheritance." - The Valley
"I think that you're worth keeping around." - Soap
"I've got holes in my pockets burned by liar's gold." - In Memoriam
"You were the light that the fire would bring." - Passerine
"All the memories come flooding fast." - Grow
"Like the wind it slips again out of my fingers." - Eurus
"You've been too busy thinking ahead of where we're all going after we're dead to maybe consider our bodies are worth more than the dust that we can return to the ground again." - Hieroglyphs
"You were the song that I'd always sing." - Passerine
"We were born in the valley of the dead and the wicked." - The Valley
"Like the dawn you broke the dark and my whole earth shook." - Like the Dawn
"Death, she is cunning and clever as hell." - Eat You Alive
"They saw trouble in my eyes." - Second Child, Restless Child
"I stole from my father all I thought I could sell." - Wishing Well
"When I saw my demons I knew them well and welcomed them." - The Lament of Eustace Scrubb
"I was torn between my god and my Father." - I Was Wrong
"The rain will strengthen your soul." - I Have Made Mistakes
"If there's two things I know, it's that the sky looked white and then the water like wine when I first met you." - Lapis Lazuli
The Rings of Power | Season 2 | Aug 29 - Oct 3, 2024 S2.E1 ∙ Elven Kings Under the Sky
I saw a template similar to this one (though unfortunately with unknown credit to the original) floating around. I wanted to do it too, but I wanted to do it with a more expansive version.
Feel free to fill it out yourself as we collectively anticipate the release of The Veilguard!
Fingers crossed for the return of Hawke style badassery with Rook 🤞