Astraia Lavellan - Seven of Wands

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to commission @xfreischutz to make a card for my Inquisitor, Astraia Lavellan. The final result was more than worth the wait! Frei paid so much attention to details and had creative interpretations of my ideas, managing to take my massive amount of information about my character and distill it down into a wonderful image.

Aesthetic Board - Kirana Tarasyldhe-Lavellan, Arcane Warrior of the Inquisition

“Aye, I’ve met Tarasyldhe. She made a right fuss when she stormed into Haven in search of her sister. Seggrit’s nose has never been the same since, but he was a right git, thinking he could mouth off to a warrior of Tarasyldhe’s caliber, elf or no. Still, I don’t think anyone expected the blast of lightning that accompanied that right hook. Turns out the Dalish have this thing called an arcane warrior--an ancient order of warrior mages who can not only kick your arse in armed combat, but set it aflame to really rub it in.

I reckon things would’ve gotten ugly if it weren’t for the Herald’s timely arrival. Tarasyldhe damn near collapsed with relief the moment she saw her. That’s when we all learned that the sister she had been demanding to be freed from Inquisition custody was none other than the Herald herself! Let me tell ye, the collective sigh of relief when we realized that she was an ally--none of us were looking forward to getting our arses handed back to us if we tried to fight her.

Still, she struck me as the good sort. Respectful, if a little standoff-ish, but she clearly doted on her sister. She treated our men well and gave our enemies hell. What’s a prickly personality in the face of that, y’know?”

I was tagged by @missolitude, thanks for the tag! Yes, I cheated and added two to the list. To quote 2012 Tumblr, “I do what I want.” Here are some of my faves, in no particular order:

John Watson (BBC Sherlock)

He’s so beautifully, excruciatingly human. A deep well of self-loathing and guilt offset by a relentless commitment to doing the right thing. He fails, he suffers, but he still strives to be better. And contrary to popular opinion, s4 did nothing but solidify my love of this character, fight me.

Hawke, particularly sarcastic f!Hawke (Dragon Age)

Champion Snarkbucket gathers found family of fellow misfits, loves them aggressively, more news at 11

Rory Williams (Doctor Who)

Constantly overwhelmed, absolutely smitten with his wife, yet has the courage to stand up to the Doctor from the very beginning--way to go Mr. Pond, way to go

Benjamin “Hawkeye” Pierce (M*A*S*H)

Hawkeye’s streak of black humor in the face of the horrors of war is a thin veneer over a brilliantly scathing social commentary. What’s not to like?

Mark Watney (The Martian)

“Problem is (follow me closely here, the science is pretty complicated), if I cut a hole in the Hab, the air won't stay inside anymore.”

Riza Hawkeye (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Hawkeye is a queen and deserves every happiness instead of ENDLESS PAIN AND SUFFERING.

Ruth (The Dragonriders of Pern)

Everyone’s favorite snarky, clever, asexual dragon, who stuns the world by not only surviving against all odds, but by saving everyone time and time again.

Remus Lupin (Harry Potter)

I left a piece of my heart in San Francisco, where I read Deathly Hallows for the first time. No, I’m not over it.

Lucina (Fire Emblem Awakening)

My poor time-traveling video game daughter, you deserved so much more than what your timeline gave you.

Captain Amelia (Treasure Planet)

In which a young, “totally straight” Airstyle has confusing emotions about a very hot cat-lady that go unexamined for a solid decade #skills

Ms. Frizzle (The Magic School Bus)

Everything I aspire to be, to be honest

Aqua (Kingdom Hearts)

Aqua, Keyblade Master of My Heart, my moon and stars--

I’m tagging people who have recently been in my activity feed, don’t feel any pressure, but I always like to hear from you!

Aesthetic Board - Rowan Hawke

“Equal parts passionate and calculating, haunted and playful, charismatic and remote. As irreverent as she is loyal to that ragtag band of criminal outcasts she calls family, always ready with a quip and a disarming smile, yet to take her for a fool would be your undoing--never forget that she is the Champion and that frost may be delicate at first glance, but ice? Ice can freeze the bloody Arishok. They say she crushed his skull in ice after she had been run through with his blade, all with a blood-soaked grin on her face. She thrives on the knife-edge of death, a fury who throws her all into protecting others, as if daring death to claim her. As if she would welcome its embrace. She is the last of her family and none of them had gentle deaths. Yet despite this, or perhaps because of just how much she has lost, she loves fiercely. Fiercely. If you ever think you can force her hand by threatening her loved ones, you will learn just how fierce her love can be.

Do not test her. It is not worth it.

Do not make the mistake of Kirkwall’s leaders and think that Hawke can be controlled. She is a staunch defender of justice, but on her own terms. Any attempt to manipulate her will fail. If she feels as if her chosen family is under threat, she will not hesitate to act in their favor.

Let her retreat to safety. An absent Hawke is far preferable to forcing her hand and making an enemy of her. She has already proven capable of toppling or saving an entire city when pressed.”

I was tagged by @chaitea09 (again!) to go through this Self-Knowledge test for one of my OCs. I chose Astraia...as if that’s surprising. (Less surprising is the fact that I put this off for 6 weeks, way to go me). (Moderately surprising is the accuracy of the results. I really think they suit Astraia well!)

Anyway here are the results for Inquisitor Astraia Lavellan:

Rationality

You like clarity and intelligent simplicity and you get frustrated at messy thinking. This can make you seem unreasonably pushy to some, but it is actually a virtue: you are motivated by a horror at pointless effort and a longing for precision and insight into how things and people work. Your ability to synthesise and bring order is essential in producing thinking which is truly helpful.

Reverence

One part of you dreams of giving yourself up – perhaps just for a while – to a hero or mentor. In the right circumstances you can flourish by letting go of your ego. In your inner life, reverence plays out as a willing submission to your own conscience. In the outside world, you might get frustrated searching for something worth believing in – a country, a person, a company – but you will always be open to feeling respect, admiration and wonder.

Independence