tag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-04:266871KJKJKJ2022-06-03T01:51:07Ztag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-04:266871:918380Some random linky things2022-06-03T01:51:07Z2022-06-03T01:51:07Zokaypublic3<p>-- Mostly to save for myself for posterity, <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1j3lq6YjGqG4_B2lDpswBS8mbibIhHQifQyvUBNJf3GI/edit#gid=0">the WisCon 45 vid party playlist</a>, complete with links (where available) and detailed warnings.</p>
<p>-- A new gameplay trailer for Final Fantasy XVI <a href="https://blog.playstation.com/2022/06/02/new-final-fantasy-xvi-trailer-revealed-launches-on-ps5-summer-2023/">has dropped</a>. I don't know how I feel about an advertisement for a game that focuses way more on the summons than on any of the characters, and it's awfully dark and murky. Hopefully we get some more story- and character-focused content later. But after FFXIII and FFXV being a bit of a bust for me, I don't know how excited I can get any more.</p>
<p>-- However, I'm legit excited that Dragon Age 4 <a href="https://twitter.com/dragonage/status/1532406453071319045">has an official title now</a>! A release date would be a great next step. Do we dare hope for 2023?</p>
<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=owlmoose&ditemid=918380" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-04:266871:903047Dragon Age Fic: Harmonic Convergence2021-08-29T23:18:30Z2021-08-29T23:18:30ZAce Attorney for Piano Solocontentpublic3<b>Title:</b> Harmonic Convergence<br /><b>Fandom:</b> Dragon Age (DAO, DAI)<br /><b>Rating:</b> Teen I guess<br /><b>Wordcount:</b> 13,604<br /><b>Characters:</b> Alistair, Fergus, Stroud, f!Hawke, Leliana, Fiona; past Alistair/f!Cousland <br /><b>Spoilers:</b> For the Grey Warden quest line in DAI and the Redeemer ending of DAO<br /><b>Notes:</b> This is a sequel to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/3931498">Face the Music</a>, which is my "what might Redeemer ending Alistair be up to during the time of Inquisition?" story. Although I hadn't specifically planned to write a sequel at the time, the possibility was always in my mind; at some point, I started it, then set it aside; when I was setting my writing goals for 2021, I decided I would pick it back up as my entry for this year's <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://wipbigbang.dreamwidth.org/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png' alt='[community profile] ' width='16' height='16' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' /></a><a href='https://wipbigbang.dreamwidth.org/'><b>wipbigbang</b></a></span>. And so here we are! <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.archiveofourown.org/users/purpleyin/profile'><img src='https://p.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico' alt='[archiveofourown.org profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='https://www.archiveofourown.org/users/purpleyin/'><b>purpleyin</b></a></span> was my artist, and they created a lovely series of moodboards that I've embedded in the fic on AO3.<br /><br />The other thing that helped me finish this story was a realization that I wasn't going to wrap up the entire series just yet. I was trying to cram in too much plot and character growth, and the beat that'd I'd planned as the midpoint was actually the end of this story and the jumping-off point for the next. So yes, this will be a trilogy. I haven't decided whether I'm going to forge straight ahead with part three or give myself a bit of a break (I can make arguments for either way). <br /><br /><b>Summary</b>: Feeling the effects of the false Calling, Alistair leaves his home in Redcliffe (where he landed after Teagan rescued him from his lonely life in Kirkwall) to tell the Grey Wardens of the red lyrium he discovered in the Hinterlands. Instead, he discovers Stroud, who draws him into a much deeper web of conspiracy and drama. Along the way, he discovers some dark secrets about the Wardens -- and some surprising truths about himself.<br /><br /><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/33560392">On AO3</a><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=owlmoose&ditemid=903047" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-04:266871:899727I never signed up for this2021-06-15T00:52:19Z2021-06-15T01:00:58Z"Night Ride Across the Caucasus" - Loreena McKennittfrustratedpublic1<p>The story I've been working on for <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://wipbigbang.dreamwidth.org/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png' alt='[community profile] ' width='16' height='16' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' /></a><a href='https://wipbigbang.dreamwidth.org/'><b>wipbigbang</b></a></span> was supposed to be a simple sequel to "<a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/3931498">Face the Music</a>" but it's become increasingly clear that this series needs to be a trilogy. The sequel already 11k words (the original was 12k), I've hit one of the two most important open emotional beats left from the first story, and I have quite a ways to go before I can reasonably reach the second. </p>
<p>This is not what I wanted; I'd really hoped to be done with this. And the last story that turned itself into a trilogy was <em>Wardens of Ivalice</em>, part three of which has been unfinished for several years (I posted part 1 in 2011 and part 2 in 2017), and I'd really rather this not suffer the same fate. </p>
<p>But, there's nothing for it. I don't like dragging a story out past its natural end, and I suspect there is more than enough material for a full-blown Part 3. So it goes.</p>
<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=owlmoose&ditemid=899727" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-04:266871:897725"And then, it was over" - Devin Tabris edition2021-05-14T01:48:13Z2021-05-14T01:48:13Zsatisfiedpublic1<p>Well, I did it. I played an ultimate sacrifice for the first time ever. <span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://owlmoose.dreamwidth.org/897725.html#cutid1">I know we're way past the statute of limitations on spoilers, but I'm going to cut this anyway.</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div></p>
<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=owlmoose&ditemid=897725" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-04:266871:895382DAO Update, briefly2021-04-23T02:22:50Z2021-04-23T02:22:50Zthoughtfulpublic0<p>I let Alistair break up with my Warden after the Landsmeet for the first time ever, and I'm not quite sure how I feel about it.</p>
<p>She could have taken the right dialogue option, and I think it would have stuck -- he's hardened, her persuasion is pretty high -- but it felt right, and I guess I just want to see this scenario play out.</p>
<p>Anyway, off to Redcliffe and endgame, for the first time in forever. I wonder if I can stick to my guns and turn down Morrigan, too.</p>
<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=owlmoose&ditemid=895382" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-04:266871:892816DAO Update2021-03-30T06:49:46Z2021-03-30T15:16:21Zgoodpublic0<p>Devin Tabris is in Orzammar -- just starting on Jarvia's hideout. Three armies in, and I still haven't quite figured out who she is yet. A little violent, a little impulsive, genuinely wants to help people, but I'm never 100% certain what she's going to do. <span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://owlmoose.dreamwidth.org/892816.html#cutid1">Some thoughts on her choices, and on where I'll probably take my next Warden as a result.</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div></p>
<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=owlmoose&ditemid=892816" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-04:266871:890795DA:O report2021-03-11T06:27:22Z2021-03-11T06:27:22Z"King and Lionheart" - Of Monsters and Menpublic1Meet Devin Tabris.<br /><br /><a href="https://imgur.com/gJEfoC4"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/gJEfoC4l.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a><br /><br />Taken before the Joining. I wish one could get decent screenshots off a PS3, but for now iPhone snaps are the best I can do. Let's hope that the Mass Effect PS5 remaster sells well enough that they decide to do the same for the DA series. <br /><br /><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://owlmoose.dreamwidth.org/890795.html#cutid1">For length and spoilers, although really does anyone still care about DA:O spoilers?</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=owlmoose&ditemid=890795" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-04:266871:890497Weekend2021-03-07T09:28:00Z2021-03-07T20:03:26Zpublic4<p>Yesterday (Friday) was my birthday. I took the day off of work, spent the morning relaxing, the afternoon playing DA:I, and the evening eating crab for dinner and then playing <a href="https://garticphone.com">Gartic Phone</a> with friends. It was supposed to mostly be Among Us after a round of Gartic Phone, but GP was so hilariously ridiculous that we played it all night instead. It's an online implementation of <a href="https://www.greatgroupgames.com/telephone-pictionary">Telephone Pictionary</a>, which is one of my favorite party games, so I'm not at all sorry we shifted gears. Today I had a backyard visit with a friend I hadn't seen since the initial lockdown began, and tomorrow I'm having a backyard meal with other friends, so all in all, as a birthday weekend, it's been pretty nice, especially by current standards.</p>
<p>Also tonight I finally wore T down -- he signed us up for Disney+ and we watched the first three episodes of <em>WandaVision</em>. No spoilers please (although I've picked up a few hints of what might be going on Twitter and in other places); I am very excited to see where it all goes. I will definitely watch <em>The Falcon and the Winter Soldier</em> as it airs, or at least on the same weekend. I also need to catch up on <em>The Mandalorian</em> and probably some other things as well -- any recommendations?</p>
<p>Last but definitely not least, I set aside my m!Trevelyan game, because I think I'm to the point where I played DA:I endgame too recently, and I'm rushing him through when I really ought to give him his due. So instead, I rolled up a new Warden for the first time in five years? six years? (I went back to look it up, and the actual answer is NINE. July 2012.) It's finally time to play Tabris; she's a rogue, likely stealth-and-sneak because that's my favorite mode of gameplay in DA:O. I got her to Ostagar, and oh, starting up that game again, Denerim, Duncan, the music, random dogs barking everywhere in the background and, of course, Alistair... it does the heart good. I don't quite yet know who Devin Tabris is going to be (though she killed Vaughan with gusto, and while she had less than zero interest in an arranged marriage, she still put on the wedding ring that was on Nelarose's body -- all that must mean something), but I look forward to getting to know her.</p>
<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=owlmoose&ditemid=890497" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-04:266871:890004Today's DA:I report2021-02-24T07:05:09Z2021-02-24T07:05:09Z"Conquest of Spaces" - Woodkidpublic0I finally remembered how to take proper screenshots on the PS4 and get them downloaded! So, have some much better pictures of Mahanon and Alexander.<br /><br /><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://owlmoose.dreamwidth.org/890004.html#cutid1">Mahanon Lavellan; spoilers for the end of Trespasser</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div><br /><br /><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___2" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://owlmoose.dreamwidth.org/890004.html#cutid2">Alexander Trevelyan - much earlier, all from Haven</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___2" aria-live="assertive"></div><br /><br />So the snaps of my m!Trevelyan were all taken first; once I had those in hand, it became inevitable that I was going to reopen an old save and get some shots of Mahanon, for two reasons. First, because he is my best boy and I love him, and while I like Alexander well enough, it seemed silly to have screenshots of him and not of Mahanon. Second, because I hadn't been able to get rid of the nagging sense that I gave Mahanon the wrong ending, and playing the last few scenes again gave me the opportunity to try it the other way -- and it felt so much better that I knew it was the right choice. <span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___3" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://owlmoose.dreamwidth.org/890004.html#cutid3">More spoilers for Trespasser.</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___3" aria-live="assertive"></div> Mahanon is the first Inquisitor I've considered taking back to the beginning and playing out again, that's how much I enjoy hanging out with him. If I ever go back to a DA:I game and explore every nook and cranny of that map, it will be with him. <br /><br />Meanwhile, Alexander Trevelyan's story continues. I completed the Cassandra romance quest; it's quite cute, but I'm glad I had Mahanon pursue Dorian via gameplay instead. (I feel like I picked the right Inquisitor to play out each romance.) I have to decide whether to do Adamant or the Winter Palace next. I think the Winter Palace will win, but we'll see.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=owlmoose&ditemid=890004" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-04:266871:889497DAI: AU Trevelyan is a go2021-02-21T03:18:27Z2021-02-21T03:18:27Zcalmpublic0<p>Here he is! Alexander Trevelyan, Alec to his sisters and to close friends, mage formerly of the Ostwick Circle, Herald of Andraste, recently named Inquisitor.</p>
<p><a href="https://imgur.com/qH266SE"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/qH266SEm.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a></p>
<p>It didn't occur to me when I gave him that style and color of hair that it was going to make him look an awful lot like Anders; fortunately, except for being a mage, he is unlike Anders in almost every other way. Believes in the Chantry and in the system, and like his sister Kendra in another universe is certain that he is Andraste's chosen -- though a bit more humble about it, and not quite as quick to trust the templars or follow every bit of Chantry doctrine (he disbanded the Templar Order rather than taking them on as partners, for example, and is more trusting of Cole than Kendra ever was). He's a bit brusque, and has a ruthless streak, but I'm not sure how that's going to play out yet; I have a theory that he may walk some of the darker paths I haven't yet dared to tread (let the Chargers go, make Cullen take the lyrium, leave Blackwall to his fate, etc.), but we'll see if I stick to it. </p>
<p>Meanwhile the romance with Cassandra is off to a lovely start. I haven't yet gotten it any further than my Lavellan did, but it's early days since we just got to Skyhold. I look forward to seeing the rest.</p>
<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=owlmoose&ditemid=889497" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-04:266871:889208DAI update: Finished Lavellan; future plans2021-02-15T21:15:20Z2021-02-15T21:15:20Zaccomplishedpublic0<p>Yesterday I got Lavellan the rest of the way through Trespasser. A couple of surprises: <span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://owlmoose.dreamwidth.org/889208.html#cutid1">spoilers</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div></p>
<p>Playing Inquisition as an elf was very interesting, although there weren't quite as many background-specific conversations as there ought to have been. <span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___2" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://owlmoose.dreamwidth.org/889208.html#cutid2">More spoilers</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___2" aria-live="assertive"></div> But overall I found there were more specific options, and more interesting options, than for either a dwarf or Qunari inquisitor. To the point that, after I finish my m!Trevelyan based in the Elissa Cousland AU, when I do my brand new full canon run (it's finally time to play the City elf!), I think that Inquisitor will be a f!Lavellan who does what I always said I would never do and romances Solas. It just feels too important to the overarching story to avoid it completely.</p>
<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=owlmoose&ditemid=889208" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-04:266871:888937DAI Fic: Heroes2021-02-07T20:51:12Z2021-02-07T20:51:12Zpleasedpublic0<b>Title:</b> Heroes<br /><b>Fandom:</b> Dragon Age: Inquisition<br /><b>Rating:</b> All ages<br /><b>Wordcount:</b> 955<br /><b>Characters:</b> Dorian/m!Lavellan<br /><b>Spoilers:</b> Through the Arbor Wilds<br /><b>Notes:</b> Well, here we go. Turns out I'm pretty invested in this relationship -- who knew? Well, mostly I'm invested in Mahanon Lavellan, who is rapidly becoming one of my best beloved OCs. Anyway, this scene, following up on the events at the Temple of Mythal, hit me very hard as I was wrapping up yesterday's game, and I knew it wasn't going to get out of my head until I wrote it down. <br /><br />Meanwhile, it's become increasingly obvious that I need some more DA:I icons. I don't even know where to find icons any more; suggestions?<br /><br /><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29270574">Also on AO3</a><br /><br /><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://owlmoose.dreamwidth.org/888937.html#cutid1">The party who had ventured into the Temple of Mythal popped out of the eluvian one by one: first Morrigan, then Dorian, followed by Solas and Cassandra and -- after a wait that was most likely only a second or two but to Dorian felt like years -- the Inquisitor, Mahanon Lavellan.</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=owlmoose&ditemid=888937" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-04:266871:888775DAI ridiculousness2021-02-06T01:49:01Z2021-02-06T01:49:01Z"The King and Queen of America" - The Eurythmicsbouncypublic0<p>I haven't even finished my Lavallen game (doing character quests, buildings up enough power to go to the Arbor Wilds) and I'm already hyped up planning for the next one.</p>
<p><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://owlmoose.dreamwidth.org/888775.html#cutid1">Cutting because I don't want to bore you all with this level of detail.</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div></p>
<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=owlmoose&ditemid=888775" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-04:266871:888015DAI Romance and other stuff update2021-01-31T03:23:47Z2021-01-31T03:23:47Zgoodpublic1<p>Romance: My sweet kind Lavallen boy is really into both Cassandra and Dorian. The game <em>seems</em> to think he's romancing Dorian; I'm still getting flirt lines with Cassandra, even after she commented on the rumors about Mahanon being involved with Dorian, but my research suggests that I would have to cut things off with Dorian to get her to reciprocate, and since there's no guarantee that she'd go for it even if I did, I think it's better to roll with the romance that's clearly working right. Clearly, I'm going to have to headcanon an OT3, and then play another male Inquisitor who is more in tune with his role as the Herald. I've already thought it might be interesting to play a human mage who supported the Circles; no reason that can't be a dude. </p>
<p>Story: Given that neither the Qunari nor dwarf inquisitor had much extra content when they were running around out in the world, I've been pleasantly surprised to see more Dalish-specific reactions from NPCs both minor and major, especially but not exclusively among the other elves we encounter. There's something lovely and bittersweet about wandering around the Emerald Graves as a Dalish elf, even one who isn't actively angry at modern humans for what their ancestors did to his people. As we get more deeply into elven lore later in the game, I'll be interested to see if it gets even more specific. (When I was designing Mahanon, I picked one of the vallasin for Mythal, so... yeah.)</p>
<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=owlmoose&ditemid=888015" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-04:266871:887704Return to Thedas2021-01-26T07:30:55Z2021-01-26T07:32:26Z"Wake Up in New York" - Craig Armstrongpleasedpublic1<p>As <a href="https://owlmoose.dreamwidth.org/886015.html">threatened in my January writing goals post</a>, I figured out how to get back into Dragon Age Keep (which involved T digging out the password for his long-unused EA account; it has to be his, because that's the one connected to the PlayStation account we use to log into our PS4, something we found out the hard way the first time we played DA:I because our backstory save didn't load properly, and we lost something like 8 hours of gameplay to go back and start over again), created the upload file for Loral Mahariel's canon, and rolled up a new Inquisitor for the first time since 2016. This is my first Lavellan, and my first male inquisitor; he's an archer named Mahanon (the default name; I didn't think to prepare one and decided it would do), an utter sweetheart who is going to get <em>eaten alive</em>.</p>
<p><a href="https://imgur.com/V9M9EM2"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/V9M9EM2m.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a></p>
<p>Actually that is probably an exaggeration, because he does occasionally stand up for himself, but for the most part he's a kind and gentle soul who wants to help as many people as possible. Since, as I mentioned, I didn't put in much advance work on preparing the character (in part because I wanted to avoid spoilers about anything origin-specific), I was pleased to see that Clan Lavellan is more interested in co-existing with humans than most other Dalish clans, because that fits well with my initial concept for him. It also makes for a nice contrast with the Warden, because Loral was so anti-human and especially anti-Chantry. They may both be Dalish hunters handy with a bow, but personality-wise, they could not be more different. I know we won't see their shared background mentioned much in game -- my first Inquisitor was a dwarf in a world where the Hero of Ferelden was also a dwarf, and the connection was mentioned maybe twice -- but I am personally fascinated by the implications of two of the most famous heroes in the world both being Dalish elves. </p>
<p>It's early days yet -- I finished the mages of Redcliffe quest tonight, and now I'm faffing about in the Fallow Mire and the Hinterlands to get a couple of levels before closing the breach. But I have all the companions except for Cole, and have laid the flirtation groundwork for both Dorian and Cassandra. (My only real plan for this run beyond trying the last PC background was to focus on one of the two male-gated romances; I had assumed it would probably be Dorian, and that's definitely on the table, but Mahanon was quite taken with Cassandra almost immediately, so we'll see what he decides.) And it's already had the desired effect of getting me thinking about writing again -- I have one codex meme drafted, and ideas for others, and I'm paying super-close attention to all the Grey Warden content in preparation for getting back to the "Face the Music" sequel. So it was the right decision, and I'm looking forward to seeing where it all goes.</p>
<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=owlmoose&ditemid=887704" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-04:266871:884720Dragon Age 4 Trailer2020-12-11T03:14:24Z2020-12-11T03:14:24Zresignedpublic10<p>Okay, I am 100% aware that I'm going to be in the minority on this but...</p>
<p><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://owlmoose.dreamwidth.org/884720.html#cutid1">Cut for unpopular opinion so as not to harsh everyone's squee. I know everyone says their opinions are unpopular but no, this is legitimately not going to be popular.</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div></p>
<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=owlmoose&ditemid=884720" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-04:266871:883896DA Codex Meme: Letter from a Companion2020-11-30T06:32:21Z2020-11-30T06:32:21Zcalmpublic1<p>I didn't get anywhere near as much progress as I wanted on these, but I have worked on a few, and I think I will continue to do so. Maybe a project for by the end of the year. Anyway, I finished this one recently, and I'm pretty happy with it. Loral Mahariel's canon, a prelude to <em>Witch Hunt</em>.</p>
<p><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://owlmoose.dreamwidth.org/883896.html#cutid1">a letter to your OC from a companion they haven’t seen in a while</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div></p>
<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=owlmoose&ditemid=883896" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-04:266871:879375Dragon Age Codex Meme2020-11-03T00:51:00Z2020-11-03T00:51:00Z"Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte" - William Orbitpleasedpublic0<p>I wanted to give this a little more visibility than where it's currently hiding in my November writing goals post: two lists of prompts for codex entries about Dragon Age OCs. <a href="https://cassandrapentayaaaaas.tumblr.com/post/162845287783/oc-codex-prompts">One</a>; <a href="https://cassandrapentayaaaaas.tumblr.com/post/163462769032/more-oc-codex-prompts">Two</a>. The first is more generic; the second includes DA:I specific content. </p>
<p>This strikes me as something fun and light to work on this month. I probably won't post them all individually, but here's the first:</p>
<p><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://owlmoose.dreamwidth.org/879375.html#cutid1">A description of your OC from someone who hates them</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div></p>
<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=owlmoose&ditemid=879375" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-04:266871:844700Crossover Fic: "In Death, Sacrifice"2019-08-25T20:13:35Z2019-08-25T20:13:35Zpublic0<b>Title:</b> In Death, Sacrifice<br /><b>Fandom:</b> Dragon Age, Critical Role<br /><b>Rating:</b> Teenish (for peril and mild violence)<br /><b>Wordcount:</b> 10,170<br /><b>Characters:</b> Vax, Vex, Percy, Loral Mahariel, Scanlan, Keyleth, Kashaw, Nathaniel Howe, Kima, many others. No overt romantic relationships.<br /><b>Spoilers:</b> For Critical Role, Campaign One, Episode 44, "The Sunken Tomb" and implied for the Dalish elf origin.<br /><b>Notes:</b> This story was initially inspired by fanart of Vax in armor that resembled the Deathwalker's Ward-- except that it was emblazoned with the symbol of the Grey Wardens. Unfortunately I don't have a link, so I can't give the artist proper credit. I might have seen it on the "Search for Grog" pre-show reel. I started writing it in early March 2019, but it became clear early on that I was going to struggle with completing this story if I didn't have any structure. Soon after, the <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://wipbigbang.dreamwidth.org/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png' alt='[community profile] ' width='16' height='16' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' /></a><a href='https://wipbigbang.dreamwidth.org/'><b>wipbigbang</b></a></span> challenge opened for business, and I decided joining up would provide that structure. In the end, I finished the story about a week before my posting date.<br /><br /><span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://penaltywaltz.dreamwidth.org/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png' alt='[personal profile] ' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' /></a><a href='https://penaltywaltz.dreamwidth.org/'><b>penaltywaltz</b></a></span> was my artist! They made a banner and three variant wallpapers, all of which are excellent. You can see the artwork on <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/20383432">AO3</a> or on <a href="https://owlmoose95.tumblr.com/post/187264523119/art-for-in-death-sacrifice-by-owlmoose">Tumblr</a>.<br /><br /><b>Summary:</b> When his sister is overtaken by Blight poisoning, Vax'ildan bargains with the Raven Queen for her life. But is he ready to accept the terms of the deal?<br /><br /><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/20368510">On AO3</a><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=owlmoose&ditemid=844700" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-04:266871:833012Drabbling!2019-04-02T00:04:11Z2019-04-02T00:04:11Zpublic0I was wrong about <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://multifandomdrabble.dreamwidth.org/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png' alt='[community profile] ' width='16' height='16' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' /></a><a href='https://multifandomdrabble.dreamwidth.org/'><b>multifandomdrabble</b></a></span> -- author reveals were not anonymous, so everything is up today! I received SIX -- count 'em, six -- stories, all of which I truly enjoyed.<br /><br /><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://owlmoose.dreamwidth.org/833012.html#cutid1">One Critical Role, two Agent Carter, three Dragon Age -- of which TWO are about Anora!</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div><br /><br />I feel like a slacker in comparison for writing only one story, although it was a series of seven linked drabbles, so I suppose I did okay. <br /><br /><b>Title:</b> Deferred Maintenance<br /><b>Fandom:</b> Babylon 5<br /><b>Rating:</b> Gen<br /><b>Wordcount:</b> 700<br /><b>Characters:</b> Lennier, Vir, Zack Allen, Lyta Alexander, Susan Ivanova. Shades of Zack/Lyta.<br /><b>Spoilers:</b> Through mid season 3 (specifically the episodes "Shattered Dreams" and "Sic Transit Vir")<br /><b>Notes:</b> Written for Sys, to the prompt "Stuck in an elevator".<br /><br /><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/18265439/chapters/43223027">On AO3</a><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=owlmoose&ditemid=833012" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-04:266871:825483Snowflake Challenge: Day 13; Dragon Age 2 fic2019-01-14T02:18:07Z2019-01-14T02:18:07ZColdplay - "Lost!"goodpublic2The Day 13 challenge is to <a href="https://snowflake-challenge.dreamwidth.org/42787.html">set some goals</a>, but I've <a href="https://owlmoose.dreamwidth.org/823022.html">already</a> <a href="https://owlmoose.dreamwidth.org/823309.html">done that</a>, so instead I'm backing up to <a href="https://snowflake-challenge.dreamwidth.org/42225.html">Day 10: Create a fanwork</a>. Possibly this is cheating, because I didn't write this today, nor on the actual Day 10 -- most of it was drafted over a week ago, and I've edited bits of it over the intervening days. But I polished it up yesterday, and got it posted, and editing and posting is an important phase of creating a fanwork, at least for me. So here it is!<br /><br /><b>Title:</b> Constructive Solution<br /><b>Fandom:</b> Dragon Age<br /><b>Rating:</b> Teen<br /><b>Wordcount:</b> 660<br /><b>Characters:</b> Isabela/f!Hawke<br /><b>Spoilers:</b> Yes, through All that Remains<br /><b>Notes:</b> Written for <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://ladiesbingo.dreamwidth.org/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png' alt='[community profile] ' width='16' height='16' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' /></a><a href='https://ladiesbingo.dreamwidth.org/'><b>ladiesbingo</b></a></span>, "Episode Tags and Missing Scenes" prompt. Starts in the final moments of All That Remains. I have now committed fic of this moment for every romance I've played. The Hawke is Sylvie, my purple mage; I haven't talked about her much here, although I'm sure I will once I finish her playthrough.<br /><br /><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/17399255">On AO3</a>.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=owlmoose&ditemid=825483" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-04:266871:819669What I did today2018-11-30T08:50:00Z2018-11-30T08:50:00Zaccomplishedpublic2Today contained two main accomplishments: I finished a complete draft of my Adventure Zone fic (about 15k words, the longest I've written in quite awhile), and I played a good chuck of Dragon Age 2. <br /><br />I don't think I've said much or maybe even anything about my current DA activity. This is the long-delayed continuation of my <a href="https://owlmoose.dreamwidth.org/738948.html#cutid1">Mahariel's</a> universe -- delayed mostly by Inquisition, which I played three times, beginning to end, between its release and July 2017. I actually took a break from my Qunari mage, Nazlin Adaar, to finish Loral Maharial's canon, and then a little while later spent a little while starting up the DA2 run that follows. A few weeks ago, I picked the game back up again, and today I got to the point of triggering the final battle of Act 2.<br /><br />In this universe, Hawke is named Sylvie, and she's a snarky mage with a side of aggression. About the only person she's consistently nice to is Merrill, who she sees as the little sister she didn't adequately protect and support the first time. More often, she's a gleeful anarchist, out for her own profit and freedom and power -- and, okay, she also helps people sometimes. My main goals for this playthrough were to romance Isabela for the first time (so far, so good), and to get two of the companion paths I'd never seen before: friend Merrill, rival Aveline. Getting Aveline into rival territory was surprisingly easy; befriending Merrill took a little more work, but it seems to have succeeded -- to the point that, without my having ever taken a single flirt option, I got the scene where Merrill shows up at Hawke's mansion. (Sylvie let Merrill down gently -- or at least, gently for Sylvie.) <br /><br />If the pattern holds, by the end of the game I will have successfully friended every DA companion, and rivaled everyone except Varric and Isabela. My Garrett Hawke should probably have rivaled Isabela, but it never quite gelled that way, and if even HE couldn't be too much of a stick-in-the-mud for her, I'm not sure I can ever make it work. Marissa, my best beloved red mage, started out down the rivalry path with Varric, but it was so disturbing to me that I walked it back, and they wound up as BFF. A Hawke who would rival either of those folks is probably not a Hawke I would want to play, and that's all right with me.<br /><br />Such a wonderful series of games. I don't know that I'll ever truly be done with them. Next up after this would be my Dalish Inquisitor; I'll probably pull the same trick I did with DA:O and play a male, so I can hit one of the gender gated romances (I'll let him decide whether he wants Dorian or Cassandra). I look forward to seeing what happens.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=owlmoose&ditemid=819669" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-04:266871:801168DA Dwarf Exchange!2018-03-03T19:25:38Z2018-03-03T19:26:24Zpublic1Hey hey everybody, guess what? There's going to be a fanwork exchange focused on the dwarves of Dragon Age!<br /><br /><span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://cotsexchange.dreamwidth.org/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png' alt='[personal profile] ' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' /></a><a href='https://cotsexchange.dreamwidth.org/'><b>cotsexchange</b></a></span> / <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://childrenofthestoneexchange.tumblr.com'><img src='https://www.tumblr.com/favicon.ico' alt='[tumblr.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='http://childrenofthestoneexchange.tumblr.com'><b>childrenofthestoneexchange</b></a></span><br /><br />The tagset is open for nominations until March 11th, signups open the next day, and I could not be more excited. Will this be the motivation I need to get <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://dwarfappreciationsociety.tumblr.com'><img src='https://www.tumblr.com/favicon.ico' alt='[tumblr.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='16' height='16'/></a><a href='http://dwarfappreciationsociety.tumblr.com'><b>dwarfappreciationsociety</b></a></span> up and actively running again? Let's hope.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=owlmoose&ditemid=801168" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-04:266871:768911Okay, so DA Kiss Battle, y/n?2017-02-04T00:00:25Z2017-02-04T00:00:25ZPassion - Peter Gabrielcuriouspublic9The Dragon Age Kiss Battle got so little participation the last time I ran one, in 2015, that I didn't do it last year, and no one asked where it was. So maybe I should just assume that the time for this game has come and gone... and yet, I also feel like it could be the perfect thing for a tough time, to have some no-pressure, light-weight fandom fun.<br /><br />So I throw it out to the masses. If I ran a Dragon Age kiss battle (<a href="http://owlmoose.dreamwidth.org/580315.html">here's the 2012 edition</a>, for anyone who's not familiar), would you play? Would you create, leave prompts, and encourage others to do the same? My biggest concern is actually prompts; so few people left prompts in 2015, and without prompts there's no game. <br /><br />Let me know your thoughts! And if your honest thought is "sorry, no one cares about that any more", I genuinely want to know. Thanks.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=owlmoose&ditemid=768911" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-04:266871:768290New Fic: Wardens of Ivalice Part 2: The Rising Mist2017-02-02T06:24:32Z2017-02-02T06:24:32Z"Foreign Shores" - S. Zeilengarelievedpublic1<b>Title:</b> The Rising Mist<br /><b>Fandom:</b> Dragon Age and Final Fantasy XII<br /><b>Rating:</b> Teen (moderate DA-typical violence)<br /><b>Wordcount:</b> 26,903<br /><b>Characters:</b> Ashe, Balthier, Basch, Penelo, Fran, Elissa Cousland, Alistair, Nathaniel Howe, Alim Surana, Sigrun, Leliana, Zevran, many others.<br /><b>Spoilers:</b> Yes, for all three games and Dragon Age 2. Contains a couple of DA:I references but no spoilers. <br /><b>Notes:</b> So. I kept saying I was working on it, and here it is. Only five and a half years later. Many, many apologies for the wait, but I'm really happy to be able to share it now. A couple of comments. First, because huge chunks of this were plotted and written before DA:I came out, it's not entirely compliant with its canon. Second, huge thanks to everyone who ever talked story meta with me (names that come to mind are <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://sarasa-cat.dreamwidth.org/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png' alt='[personal profile] ' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' /></a><a href='https://sarasa-cat.dreamwidth.org/'><b>sarasa_cat</b></a></span>, <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://lassarina.dreamwidth.org/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png' alt='[personal profile] ' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' /></a><a href='https://lassarina.dreamwidth.org/'><b>lassarina</b></a></span>, and <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://alias-sqbr.dreamwidth.org/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png' alt='[personal profile] ' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' /></a><a href='https://alias-sqbr.dreamwidth.org/'><b>alias_sqbr</b></a></span>, although I'm sure that's not everybody), and especially to <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://justira.dreamwidth.org/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png' alt='[personal profile] ' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' /></a><a href='https://justira.dreamwidth.org/'><b>justira</b></a></span> for providing an amazing and detailed beta read, above and beyond the call of duty. Finally, my love to everyone who left a review on Part One asking for more, or who commented with enthusiasm whenever I added WoI to my monthly writing goals. Knowing that people were looking forward to this second installment kept me pushing forward, and I look forward to being able to say it's finally completely done whenever I get to writing Part Three (currently targeted to publish in 2018).<br /><br /><a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/9550112">Posted on AO3</a>.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=owlmoose&ditemid=768290" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> comments