Summoner's Sketchbook

Figured it was about time I create a masterpost to pin on my blog.

Name: Kogarashi, Amanda, "hey you"

Editor, (fandom) writer, freelance artist

Multifandom geek and generally crafty jack-of-all-trades (master of none)

~ I Draw ~ I Write ~ I Craft ~

Outside links here, but the most relevant is probably my Archive of our Own page.

You can buy me a cocoa (Ko-fi) if you want to throw a tip my way, and you can buy things with my art on Redbubble (slowly adding to inventory).

I also have a side blog for reblogging art I like, and now a side blog for reblogging other people's fiction.

I have a tag list for things like tag games. Want on (or off) the list? Just leave a comment on the linked post.

Fandoms, collected posts, commission info, etc. below the cut to keep this shorter on my page.

Quick links to my OCs: Castelin Cousland | Aelinn Hawke | Tyria Lavellan | Saadrah Mercar

I've got a main project planned for sharing for @shadow-dragon-week this week, but I figured it would be a fun bonus thing to share some of my favorite Minrathous-related screenshots I took while playing this game. One a day seems good.

Let's start with the shot I used for the header on the event blog, in the Safehouse's mess hall. I love the way the lighting contrasts here, with the dominant blues but then the warmth around the candles and coming from the fireplace room.

Ooh, I don't think I've had an anonymous ask before. This is exciting!

Five things that make me happy?

Obligatory first answer: my husband and kids

Sea salt caramel

Access to video games that I love

Thunderstorms

The Sonic and Shadow Squishmallows I keep at my desk for cuddling

For all four DA ladies AND Shepard! (I love the new choice!)

#21: Your character has been granted 3 wishes; what would they wish for and why?

Oh man, what a question to ask all of them! Granting my OCs three wishes can be dangerous. ;)

Castelin Cousland:

Okay, assuming that she doesn't feel the need to use one of the wishes to end the Fifth Blight...

Have her family alive and well again

Have a viable and trustworthy option for ruling Ferelden so she and Alistair don't have to do it (Anora only counts if the wish rewrites her trustworthiness as far as Castelin perceives it)

Have her own ship she can be captain of (with Alistair on her crew) and the freedom to be a sea raider like her mother, in service to Ferelden

Aelinn Hawke:

The obvious first three for Aelinn are: get her sister back, get her father back, get her mother back, and if she can somehow finagle a fourth wish in there, have Carver unblighted. So if we skip past those options...

Heal Fenris's trauma

Fix Kirkwall's problems

Freedom for mages without the baggage blowing up a chantry brings

And if someone pushes her to change her list to do more things for her, it looks more like this:

Heal Fenris's trauma

Retirement house in the countryside

Mage freedom still, thanks

Tyria Lavellan:

Tyria doesn't have any "obvious" wishes (she can handle the Anchor and Breach and Corypheus stuff without having to spend a wish on it, thanks, her team's got this), so we've got...

Help Cullen heal

Help fix the problems mages have by getting the Chantry to listen

Something complicated she spends time finding the perfect wording for (probably with Varric's help) to do kind/helpful things for each of her companions and advisors all rolled into one wish

No, none of the wishes are actually for her, except by extension. No, you can't convince her to change the list to make any of the options for her. Cullen's going to have to get three wishes of his own just to make sure Tyria gets something (she insists that helping her friends is reward enough).

Saadrah Mercar:

Saadrah would wish for Varric back, but he'd probably complain about her "wasting" a wish and insist it was his time, his choice, and she shouldn't take it from him. So her wishes are (as written out by her)...

Bring Baba* back

Separate Lucanis and Spite nevermind they say they're fine Help Lucanis deal with Caterina don't need a wish for that one Taash's mother back? Taash says no (very mature, rethinking first wish now) Rebuild Minrathous might be more character-building for them to do it themselves Stability for the eluvian network to make travel easier (wish PLEASE includes reasonable people in charge of managing it so there aren't fights THANKS)

Get Davrin and Assan back (could do it ourselves but this would make it easier)

Ask Tama* about opinions on first wish. Maybe replace it with new knives?

(* "Baba" is what she calls her father, and "Tama" her mother)

Alex Shepard:

Shep is very responsible and would obviously wish for an end to the Reaper War with the minimal number of casualties. If we don't let her wish for that...

TIM (the Illusive Man) punted right out an airlock (Javik approves)

Honorable discharge with the Normandy as her severance pay

Retirement on a beach with Garrus raising whatever kids they choose to adopt with no paparazzi or reporters bothering them

1 - What position do they sleep in?

7 - How does your character perceive themselves?

Thanks for the asks! These are good ones. :) Uncommon asks here.

#1: What position do they sleep in? - Well, assuming she hasn't just wedged herself into a corner or other perch to catch a few Z's while on the prowl, but that she's actually got the luxury of a proper bed and pillows... She starts as a back sleeper, especially when she's got someone (Lucanis) snuggled into the bed with her. Pillows keep her horns from being a problem. But if she's especially restless, she may roll onto her side or even her stomach as she tosses and turns and tries to get comfortable.

#7: How does Saadrah perceive herself? - I think she sees herself as a good person overall. She does see shadows around herself—darker personality elements that may stem from being Qunari (as the Iron Bull seems to fear when you talk to him in DAI)—that she works to keep contained or focused on the right targets, but she also knows she's capable of light and tries to push that forward. She's not always sure she's successful, but what matters is that she tries.

And I think she may see herself as a little more of a slip-up than she actually is, but she won't admit it out loud, especially around certain people (Tarquin). Or she'll try to brush it off as "everyone's critical about themselves, right?" around other people (her colleagues/friends).

For the uncommon asks

Oof, just one? Make this hard, why don't you? 😉 Uncommon asks here.

And my goodness, just one song. Answering for Saadrah on this one.

Let's go with "Right Where You Belong" by Blame My Youth (from the soundtrack for Bill and Ted Face the Music.

I think this is a good demonstration of Saadrah's life uprooted, on the move, from constantly traveling with her family when she was young to feeling out of place in Minrathous as a Shadow Dragon to traveling with Varric to crashing in the Lighthouse during the events of Veilguard. And the thing is that the places in her life are where she's needed to be, and she's the person she's needed to be. She's felt adrift, but she's managed to build home around her, bring it with her.

Thanks for the ask, Beasty!