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Dragon Age Inquisition - Blog Posts
I need to be able to play Cullen’s “to work” from Dragon Age Inquisition before I sit down to do something productive and then have it transition seamlessly into my productive music.
MY HEART
I would die for this man.
Rip
PLEASE tell me you guys have heard this……Cullen’s isolated vocals from The Dawn Will Come.
Imagine him singing the Chantry songs, outshining all the other templars and royally pissing them off.
MY HEART.
I can't believe I've never showed off my wonderful Inquisitor, Oromis Lavellan. Living rent free in my head since 2014, here is the boy !
Playful and charming, his flirting is as sharp as his arrows. Beware of his frivolous manners, he's more likely to order an assassination than extending a helpful hand with no strings attached.
Bonus outfits : Haven winter coat, dalish summer, Orlesian party
patreon * twitch * shop
💜 this piece means a lot to me! 💜
2014 to 2024, this is my character Asala Adaar, a qunari mage from dragon age: inquisition. 10 years of art progression & dragon age obsession.
[ID: two digital illustrations of a gray-skinned horned woman with yellow/red eyes and white hair, posing in a heart symbol. she appears young and timid, staring at the viewer tentatively in 2014. she appears confident, smirking, and takes up more space in the updated 2024 version. in the 2014 version, a green light crackles in the palm of her left hand. in the 2024 version, a glowing crystal prosthetic has replaced her left arm.]
Concept art of my inquisitor Sevra Lavellan. was going for a tarot style piece like in the games going for the Moon Arcana
XVIII - THE MOON
Upright: illusion, intuition, uncertainty, confusion, complexity, secrets, unconscious
Reversed: fear, deception, anxiety, misunderstanding, misinterpretation, clarity, understanding
A little Cole Chibi! I may make him into a stick as well as the rest of the Inquisition Crew!
✨If you want a chibi of your own or just want to support me, feel free to send me a kofi! :D my commissions are open~
I have a hot take.
And I understand that a lot of it comes down to opinion and interpretation. The "official canon" for the game is your own damned canon, and I frankly love that for all of us. It's beautiful and freeing and sets us up to celebrate a variety of different worlds and that's pretty rad.
But (of course there's a "but") I'm coming to understand that…
…my canon interpretation of this line is very different from a large majority of this fandom.
And I guess it's not really a hot take. No one's interpretation is wrong, and I would never want someone to think that. No one should ever have their fun taken out of the game, it's a game. I think mostly I'm just looking for folks who read this the same way I do. Because to me?
Solas' greatest fear is not to literally die all alone.
Like, all by himself.
Not only do I believe that that's a large oversimplification of the meaning behind that statement, but I'd also argue that dying all by himself is precisely what Solas intends to do. He has had every opportunity to avoid it, especially in a Solavellan run, yet he's made zero moves to do so whatsoever.
At the end of Inquisition, he was still a member of the single most powerful and influential religious and paramilitary organization across the entire southern half of their continent. Aside from defeating a sea of demons and darkspawn horrors, and closing a breach in the sky between the Fade and the material world, they've also singlehandedly redesigned the flow of commerce between two nations, they've seated a ruler on the throne in Orlais, and chosen the next Divine to serve on the Sunburst Throne in the Chantry. They're responsible for shaping the future for the whole of southern Thedas, and the leader of that organization is potentially very sympathetic to Solas' beliefs and perspectives. There was much they could have accomplished together, and yet…
He left. Vanished into thin air, even, for two years. With no word.
And when we finally got the chance to confront him, and wrestle a larger kernel of truth out of the man, he told us that he walks the din'an shiral. A journey of death. And he made it unequivocally clear that he intends to walk it alone.
By himself.
There are a lot of ways to interpret what the din'an shiral even is, but the solemnity and weight he used when he referred to it carried a sense of finality. He intends to bring about the death of the world, that much we know is true, whether he sees it that way or not. But could his own life be the cost?
His ritual artifact is a blade, believed to have been fashioned from his red lyrium idol after having been recovered and cleansed. But it could've remained an idol, or it could've been made into an orb. It could've been a staff or a crown, or a necklace with the jawbone of some other critter. But it's a blade. Is it simply because rending the veil involves a certain act of piercing or tearing? Or is it still a weapon? An implement of violence or self-defense? Or even… of self-harm?
Regardless of the interpretation, there's nothing about Solas' future that suggests to me that he's safe. Or accompanied by anyone who intends to keep him safe. And there's nothing about Solas that suggests to me that he isn't acutely aware of all of this.
I don't think Solas has any fear whatsoever of literally dying all alone, at least according to my personal canon. To me, I think Solas views his death as his duty and he will not bring anyone down with him.
I believe that "dying alone" means something much bigger and deeper and more meaningful to Solas than it does to us, the player. And he goes to great lengths to identify and define what this fear means to him through a series of conversations he has with Varric during party banter.
There's quite a bit of self-discovery Solas conducts through this dialogue. It starts when tells Varric that he read Hard in Hightown. He then asks him if there are other trickster figures in dwarven literature, presumably because stories of Fen'Harel stated he walked as kin amongst both the Evanuris and the Forgotten Ones and there could could be some tie or some clue about that here, whatever that means. He goes on from there to begin asking pointed questions about Orzammar and what he perceives to be a lack of dwarven ambition. He makes remarks about how they could have a larger hand in shaping global affairs through their control of the lyrium trade and he seems genuinely confused why Orzammar would never consider reuniting with Kal-Sharok.
But he really circles down into the heart of the matter when he asks Varric if he ever misses a life beneath the stone. Varric responds by asking how he could miss something he'd never had, having been born a surface dwarf. And he tells Solas that even if the stone called to him in the manner he's describing, he's very happy with who he is and the life that he has, and he has no wish to change anything.
And from there, we watch Solas grapple with his answer. To him, Varric is someone who is just as sundered from his own identity, and he cannot fathom finding satisfaction in a life like that - a mundane life without magic or the song of the stone. He cannot rationalize it against his guilt and his regrets and his pride, and cannot let it go. So he then spins up an anecdote of a man he saw in the Fade.
He saw a man, alone on an island. His tribe had fallen to beasts and disease, and his wife had died in childbirth.
He was the only one left.
He could have left to find a new land or a new people. But instead he stayed. He spent his days catching fish in a little boat and he spent his nights watching the stars and drinking fermented fruit juice. (That's wine, Solas. That's called wine. You can just call it wine.)
To Solas, this man has surrendered to his defeat. And he gives us our first glimpse into what his fear might actually mean, right here.
"Knowing it will all end with you."
From there, Varric even asks him, "What's with you and all the fallen empire stuff, anyway?" And they go on to discuss what it means to give up and what it means to fight back, what costs are truly associated with each, and how those meanings can vary so widely between individuals whose lives have been so different. The analogy we didn't see at the time however, that we can now examine through hindsight, is that the man on the island wasn't just a representation of the old dwarven empire, but also of the Elvhen.
The man on the island was supposed to be representative of Solas himself.
(I also think it's cool that Varric mentions Orzammmar being too proud to ask for help.)
We are supposed to hear the anguish in his voice when he asks Varric whether he has any concept of what his capitulation to live as a surface dwarf has cost him.
Because Solas knows. For whatever reason (that we're about to discover in Veilguard), the remaining Evanuris were so horrific after the death of Mythal that the only solution he could devise that had any hope of protecting the world was to create the Veil and drive a wedge between the dreaming and waking worlds. To create a divide between magic and reality. To silence the song from the stone. To create a barrier that the blighted gods could never cross.
But one that also trapped the spirits.
And afterward, while he slept a dreaming sleep for centuries, the toll of creating the Veil having been so great, he watched as his people also began to quicken and die. He watched as their spirits also crossed the Veil to be trapped behind it forever. Everyone he ever knew and loved. All the chains of slaves he broke were for nothing. They simply traded one cage for another. Because of him.
And while Abelas and his company still guard the Well of Sorrows, they are bound to Mythal. (Also, I'm pretty sure you can make a choice to kill them? I never have, but I think you can?) They are still creatures that are beholden to her, and thus they are expendable. Mythal was even willing to sacrifice Flemeth to gift her power to Solas, to cure his weakened state after waking from uthenera, and hopefully prevent the risk of future mistakes being made. Like Corypheus.
Even Solas is expendable in the line of his duty, if it means he will succeed. He would gladly sacrifice himself to rectify his greatest mistake, and restore his people to themselves. Because they've been sundered for so long, they've forgotten who they are. And they are not his people anymore. He will make them remember.
He will restore their connection to the Fade, he will reveal lost paths to ancient libraries, and he will reawaken their relationships with their spirits - archivists, and spirits of purpose and wisdom and valor and faith and all of their ancestors that lived before them. He will make them what they were, as they were when he knew them. Because without that, they are incomplete. The spirits are incomplete. He is incomplete.
Our job in Veilguard will be to either help him find a better way to accomplish his goal, or help him find a way to find satisfaction and completion in this world. (Or, you know, kill him, but not in my canon, thanks.) Either way, we have to get him to accept help.
Because the burden that he carries within himself is the sole memory of a vast nation, and it is heavy. Far too heavy to bear alone. He is the last living key, a fragile remnant, a final, solitary link through dreams to the history, the knowledge, and the entire cultural identity of the Elvhen people. (The People people? Is that redundant?)
And without him, all of that is lost.
Forever.
To him, he is the last of the Elvhen.
So, my interpretation of Solas' greatest fear is not that he is afraid to die all by himself. It is something I feel is truly much more heartbreaking.
It is that he is afraid to die the last of his kind.
He is afraid to die alone.
1 and 2 from the Inquisitor as a companion meme for Aran :D
Under cut!
1 - If not for the Conclave, what would drive your character to join the Inquisition?
Aran lost their only remaining friend to the Conclave explosion, and afterwards didn't really have anything else going for them other than the burning desire to find whoever was responsible for her death and kick their teeth in. They'd been extremely reluctant to join the mage delegation in the first place, and once most of the surviving magi opt to indenture themselves to a Tevinter magister instead of trying to figure out what happened at the Conclave, Aran just nopes out and starts searching for another way - quickly coming to the conclusion that the Inquisition is looking for the same answers as they are. When it becomes apparent that the Inquisition might be more than simply an upstart organization that'll shrivel within weeks due to chantry opposition, Aran seeks them out themself. Tbh at first they're mostly just driven by their desire for vengeange, but gradully they begin to see the organization as a possibility of bringing on a more lasting peace to Thedas.
2 - How would they meet the Inquisitor?
Even if the top brass of the chantry has openly discredited the Inquisition it's still an organization stemming from it, making Aran initially slightly wary of them. Chances are that they'd would spend some time scoping out their operations before deciding to intercept the Inquisitor on the road – giving them the possibility of backing out and running in case the Inquisition would rather opt to execute Aran on sight as an apostate instead of hearing them out.
Aran and Issala’s ridiculous difference in size gives me life ok
For the Inquisitor drawing challenge: 3. Their portrait as done by some fancy Orlesian court artist because Josephine insisted.
a bit sketchy still but I refuse to spend any more time on this, so yeah let’s just take a while to pretend that fancy Orlesian court artists have the same goldfish-level attention span that I have
LINK TO THE PLAYLIST
Merry super belated Christmas, @peippodraws ..! I think I might be around two years late with this gift as of now?? But at least I made it..! A playlist for Inquisitors, Issala Adaar and Aran Trevelyan!
Random numbers - 4, 19 and 22!
Under cut bc this got way longer than anticipated whoops
4 - What would their romance route looklike? Would they be romancable?
They would be, no restrictions on raceor gender. Aran would have some initial reservations due to stillbeing on constant high-alert after spending several months on the runand fighting for their life, but once they grow more accustomed totheir surroundings and the inquisitor they’re quite forward an unshyabout their own desires and feelings. It’s prob the first time inAran’s life that they’re free to have a relationship with someone ontheir own terms and just be happy with a person they love; theinexperience might show a bit but overall they’re really openlyaffectionate both verbally and physically and love people reallyfiercely. A sappy little shit seriously. Whether they and theinquisitor are lovers or simply friends, it’s overall justincreadibly meaningful for them to be able to feel safe and peacefularound someone again. They’ve already lost so many homes, it’s good to find something like it in another.
19 - OnceCorypheus is beaten, what do they do during the party? Do they staywith the Inquisition, or go somewhere else? What could the Inquisitordo to convince them to stay?
Probably chatting and laughing with Dorian, seeing as the man would most likely become one of their closestfriend in the Inquisition despite anything. As to their choicespost-Inquisition though… If the circle remains, they’ll return toit with slighty mixed feelings and continue chasing their originalgoal of becoming grand enchanter (even having a friendly bet withVivienne about taking over her title of ”youngest mage to becomefirst enchanter”). If the circle system is nulled, they’ll expressfeeling both exitement and trepidation at the prospect of completefreedom after leading a such a sheltered life up to that point - theywere born and raised in circumstances where they never really had thechance to learn to look after themself and make their own choices,and when that chance came after the escape from the circle, they weretoo busy being constantly afraid to make the most of it. This alsomeans that they have a fierce need to make their own path after theInquisition, so convincing them to stay for long would be quite the feat. A romanced Aran might remain a while but theywould ultimately always choose to follow their own ambitions, carryon with the relationship as a long distance one, and after wanderinga while probably go to the now much more liberal College of Magi andbegin doing magical research and teaching other mages.
22 - If you have another Inquisitor,how would those two get along, specifically?Sulahn, Kietajan andAran would be amicable with each other, not the greastest of friendsbut would get along well enough. On the other hand, they’d probably be quite friendly with Ornello since he’s much easier to get along with than the first two mentioned. On a somewhat similiar note though,if you want to mention sigil-of-eligos‘ inquisitor, Issala, anyonewho’s followed this blog long enough probably knows exactly how wellthese two would get along.
Emoji challenge 1/2
1st tier giveaway prize for lavehllan of her inquisitor, Mahon.
Third tier giveaway prize Lavellans, Irah for hell-yeah-hawke and Pyrr for agentremnant
Yeah my and sigil-of-eligos’ inquisitors kinda happened again I’m just gonna leave these here and run in the other direction
@Peippodraws !! Congrats on so many new followers, have a pretty pic of Aran nvn!!
I should be studying but life is fleeting and full on failures anyway so I might as well be doodling my casteless kids
anyway I really like kieta’s vitaar mod and my bored ass shouldn’t be let near make-up after 23:00
WIP - I still haven’t gotten around to finishing Trespasser, but I happened upon Dorian’s friendship goodbye scene and have spend about 20 min sobbing uncontrollably on the floor I’m sorry
Your inquisitor just looks like heaven hngg- Give me more of that QT!
I’m assuming you’re talking about my Trevelyan??? In that case worry not, anon, bc I love and adore my tiny bigender mage child and have about an essay’s worth of unused drawing ideas about them that I’ll try to get to in the future
Post-Trespasser looks??
Issala Adaar is sigil-of-eligos’ son
Aran Trevelyan is mine
tbh doing this just seemed more appealing than my history homework did
A few new WIPs from this week
I’m really looking forward to Trespasser, my and sigil-of-eligos’ inquisitors probably aren’t
I suspect someone’s already done something similar but I’ve never been this fucking salty about a piece of armor before so here we are
I can’t sleep so have a dumb sketch of my dumb inquisitor otp
expression memes part 1
weird 4 am vent art
I found me-za-me-ro’s sketch brush and I’m in love tbh
//Issala Adaar continues to be the-tallboy-that-fell’s