bellisadinosaur:

The following is an essay that is the result of extensive playing, reading and Codex research. Please keep in mind the unreliable nature of many of these sources; they can be written from unreliable and biased POV’s, can be interpreted incorrectly, or be extrapolated poorly. I highly encourage civil discussion, debate, and disagreement, as well as presentation of facts I may have misinterpreted or overlooked. This deals with spoilers for Dragon Age: Origins, Awakening, Witch Hunt, Dragon Age 2, Legacy DLC, the Silent Grove and Asunder. The entire essay is 2300+ words; the majority of it is beyond the cut.

Special thanks to Reg for her help!

Mages in Thedas, mainly in non-Tevinter lands, are treated like pre-emptive criminals from their manifestation onward. They are rounded up, locked in towers or prisons, made Tranquil or killed. In the course of the Dragon Age games, you have two major decisions regarding the extermination of a large group of mages, ignoring all the smaller choices of mage life and death. In Origins, your words to the Knight Commander will doom or save the mages, though you do not actively participate in that massacre. In Dragon Age 2, however, the culmination of the game hinges upon your choice to protect or annul the Circle.

As a fandom, this is an oft-debated choice that usually ends with similar conclusions: in a nutshell, the mages are mortal (human and elven) beings who are unfairly oppressed. Some fans are kinder towards the templars as well; after all, they are not only indoctrinated, but also oppressed themselves by the Chantry, which feeds them lyrium until their addictions addle their brains and make them useless for little more than door guards. However, in the course of my personal attempts at lore-heavy character study, I have found that there is actually another facet that must be explored, which drastically affects the moral implications of your choice:

Mages, as they are presently, are responsible for the systemic destruction of both the Fade and Thedas, making their massacre a more complex conundrum than the oppressed versus the privileged oppressed. Namely, that the issue of survival of life as a whole hinges upon the sacrifice of a large portion of the population for something they have very little control over (sans divine intervention).

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This is a super interesting read. Even if you’re 100% pro mage, I think Bell brought up some really spectacular world-building points that are worth consideration. :3

artsek:

commission - Elissa and Alistair for Reg by ~rsek

alistair and reg’s warden, elissa cousland, with some disney princess-esque fanciness going on. the dress is loosely inspired by restoration-era gowns. the designs on alistair’s medals are borrowed from da: o achievement icons.

*sobs*

This is so perfect I have no words. I just love everything about it, and the fact that the medals are borrowed from achievement icons and just sldkfjlsdkjf you put a lot of work into this bb and it shows - just the little details, the fact that you can pin her dress to an era BUT IT LOOKS LIKE A SCHMOOPY AWARD BAIT SONG SCENE. LIKE THEY’RE DANCING AROUND A BALL ROOM IN DENERIM SINGING TALE AS OLD AS TIME SONG AS OLD AS RHYME AND LSDKFJSLDKFJ.

I just really love this okay you’re amazing. Thank you SO much.

LOOK WHAT CAME TODAAAAAAY.

Jay did these for me a while back, and while they caused her no end of trouble, I really, really love them. Elissa and Alistair in totally inappropriate but absolutely stunning outfits. :3 Bb, thank you so much for pushing through with these in spite of fickle muses. <3333

For one really strange minute, I thought he was in a suit, and my pants almost flew against the nearby wall.

Then I realized it was armor. And they flew off anyway.

brennacedria:

kinlochhold:

trilliumg:

This…happens?

It does! I’ve seen it happen when I give him trapmaking, and buff his cunning. *shrug*

It must be his cunning stat; I upped it a little while back for some talent or another I wanted him to learn.

You can take that any way you wish. ^_~

I think it’s luck on how the AI moves him around the screen, because I’ve been in those spots where there are six foothold traps lined up side by side, wall to wall, and gotten my entire party across without anyone getting caught. I usually run with Alistair, Morrigan, and interchangeable third party member that’s usually Wynne because I don’t ever pay attention to my health.

artsek:

Elissa And Alistair For Reg Wip 4 by ~rsek

im in the process of reworking a lot of the forms in an attempt to lend it more solidity + fix some anatomy issues.

between that and easter it hasnt been progressing as fast as i might like, grumble

I’m sorry it’s giving you troubles bb DDD8

It is, however, absolutely stunning and entirely gorgeous and and and and I LOVE ALISTAIR’S FACE AND THE FABRIC LOOKS LIKE DIFFERENT KINDS OF FABRIC OH GOD HE’S WEARING LEATHER BOOTS MY HEART YOU WOULDN’T BELIEVE WHAT IT JUST DID IN MY CHEST AND I’M IN LOVE WITH ELISSA’S FACE AND THEIR BODY LANGUAGE IS JUST GREAT LIKE HE’S ALL OPEN AND SHE’S ALL REACHING FOR HIM AND EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS IS GORGEOUS AND YOU’RE AMAZING. :3

Translation: Reg likes

bardsongsandbloodmagic:

ashstoner:

subterraneanbunnypig:

Finished Amethrow commission by ashstoner (Tumblr, Deviantart).

I’ll be over here crying over how gorgeous this is, don’t mind me.

Ash you are amazing, thank you so so SO much for making this vision look so goooood! You captured the attitude between these two perfectly. lkasdlfjdsf I just love it so much XD

Waaaah, I’m so happy you like it!  It was really fun to work on and play with textures.  I’m still convinced that blood magic occurred, because some of this shit I’ll NEVER be able to replicate again.  XD

aaaaaaAAAHHH, amazing work, Ashybaby! I adore the scene. AHHH THAT STAFF, PERFECTO.

…

what

are

words

how do.

english

Girl, the way the hair is rendered, all the textures, ahhhh, this is just AMAZING and beautiful and I still love how he looks like he’s about to eat her.

kakumei:

You’ll know it when you see it.

I don’t care what you intended that to be, Kaku bb, all I can see is that creeper as me being a creep as one does.

weirdoqueen:

brennacedria:

kinlochhold:

brennacedria:

antivan-jesus:

I think he’d be an awesome companion.

Definitely a waste, though I’d never have thought that far ahead the first time through.

My first Warden (a Tabris rogue) was all kinds of smitten with Daveth, and they would have made an amazing couple. Now, I always get sniffle-y as the Joining approaches, because I really do like having him around (even if he can’t open chests). 

Elissa would have definitely been fond of Daveth in the right circumstances. Too bad for Daveth that Alistair was already wrapped around her pinky finger by the end of their time in the Wilds (though she wasn’t trying at the time).

xan would’ve hit that alllllll night awwwyeee

but see, then she, daveth, and zev would be stuck having threesomes til the end of time and the blight would eat everyone

so i guess it’s a good thing

lmao I must be the only one who doesn’t care for Daveth. He always came off as smarmy and a little gross to me.

Also he was kind of useless at picking locks, and I won’t lie, I kept going “WHEN WILL I GET SOMEONE WHO CAN ACTUALLY PICK LOCKS GAWD YOU SUCK DAVETH GTFO OF MY PARTY.”