Chaos Elves and Other Disasters

All of this is all well and good from a horny standpoint, but I think it also illustrates something important about Shadowheart's personality: No matter how prickly she tries to present herself, she's a lover at her core.

She loves life, even when she attempts to mask this love behind cold violence. She loves cute animals and pretty flowers. She loves her parents, even as she struggles to remember them. She loves her goddess (In her own, fucked up way). She loves trashy romance chapbooks and good wine. She loves her friends, even when they annoy her. She loves herself, after a fashion, and loves her body, loves other people's bodies. Even before fully abandoning Shar, as a partner she's caring, affectionate, even a little girlish and goofy behind the veneer of brooding mysteries.

And these things manifest even after being raised in Shar's cloister, after several decades of trauma and memory wipes. So strong is Shadowheart's love that Viconia literally has to erase her multiple times to build a colder, more callous acolyte. So strong is her love that even when mind wiped and personally guided by the hand of the Lady of Sorrows, she still harbors doubts about the thing that tells her to abandon her love.

It's the love of and for her companions, and the gnawing feeling of absence where her she knows her other loves should be, that ultimately leads her away from Shar. Her first priority after enduring timeless torments in the Shadowfell is affirming her love to a romanced player character. If her parents survive, she abandons what would have almost certainly been a life of fame, fortune, and power to care for them on a cozy farmstead, surrounding herself with the things and people that she loves. And if it comes up, she sees any proposed nonmonogamy not as an indictment of her partner's loyalty or their bond with her, but as a chance for them to spread and share and revel in the love that she holds so dear.

oops... I redesigned them again 🙈 just in time for artfight! (you can find my profile here!)

I worked hard on their previous design but realized it didn't quite fit the aesthetic I ultimately want to shoot for. they're an alchemist first and foremost so I really wanted to bring out a more scholarly side. I needed something prim but still simple and functional. I also limited the color palette even further than before and went for a darker look overall.

Lo and behold!

We are excited to announce Dragon Age Nostalgia Month, a month-long event meant to celebrate the world of Thedas once again, looking back at Dragon Age tetralogy and all it encapsulates.

Event dates: August 1th - August 31th

🎨 Calendar Artist: doriandotexe

Dorian is a full-time artist from the UK. They have been a long-time fan of Dragon Age ever since Origins released. He is thrilled to finally be part of this project after missing the application deadline every year previously!

🎨 Calendar Artist: Elnawen

Elnawen is a French artist and tumblr grandma who likes reading, cooking, video games, bubble tea, and D&D! She loves drawing characters, depicting their stories, and trying to translate emotions into pictures.

We’re excited and proud to introduce the artists, writers, beta readers, and graphic designers that will make Dragon Age Annual 2027 possible! Our creative team is already hard at work on some incredible designs that will blow you all away 💜🥳

Keep an eye out in the coming weeks to learn more about each of our contributors, and see previews of the art and fic they’re cooking up!

Because Davrin clearly cares a lot about being elven. He’s the first to point out how the actions of Solas and the Evanuris will negatively impact elves. He talks about how important the halla are, and the Way of Three Trees is core to his approach to life. It’s heavily implied that HE named Assan.

And yet he’s never gone back home. He didn’t fit in with clan life, and he’s obsessed with finding a purpose. I wonder if he feels guilty, like he needs to have an ultimate justification for why he left to “redeem” the choice. Because otherwise he’s betraying his people, his culture, to become part of the world at large— the world that harms elves and persecutes them. Is he afraid he’ll be scolded? That he won’t fit in anymore? That he won’t be seen as “really elven”?

This is why the scenes with Eldrin are so important. When Eldrin says “I’m glad you took the road less traveled” essentially, he’s giving Davrin permission to not feel guilty for his choices. He’s telling Davrin that he doesn’t have to Be A Specific Way to still be Dalish. He’s allowed to be himself and ALSO a Dalish elf— which goes hand in hand with the conflict between being a hunter and being a caretaker.