#esseastri

HELP this is my fav thing to explain... it's all bc of one artist on twitter some years ago... their original ship name is shuangxuan (meaning smth like double xuan since both their names contain 'xuan'), and the artist had made a privatter post where that was supposed to be the password. however as a hint they used the emojis 🍖🍃 (meat bc he xuan eats a lot, windy leaf bc shi qingxuan is the wind master) and understandably everyone got confused and hence beefleaf came to be AKJSKA

ALRIGHT ALRIIIIIGHT

2. Which Dragon Age game is your favorite so far?

You know, it feels like going against the grain to say this but I just... love Inquisition a lot. It's got a lot of flaws (I mean, they all do) but I find exploring the open world really satisfying, the landscapes are gorgeous, the story still compels me, and I love (most of) the characters. I do think the combat can be kind of dull, but I don't play Dragon Age for the mechanics.

4. What does your worldstate look like going into DAV?

lol you sent me this just so I could ramble about my overly complex worldstate structure didn't you? I love you.

anyhow, I have three:

Primary: Daine Surana/Kenina Hawke/Kepi Lavellan, all mages. Pretty much the 'lawful good' runs, very heroic protagonists trying for the best possible outcomes. Decisions that I think will be relevant... Morrigan did the dark ritual; Alistair remained a Warden and was later left in the Fade; Kepi drank from the Well; Leliana is Divine; Celene and Briala reconciled. The Inquisition was disbanded and Kepi swore to stop Solas.

Secondary: Tohora Mahariel/Signy Hawke/Faina and Isaak Trevelyan. Tohora was a rogue, Signy a warrior; Faina's a mage and Isaak is a rogue. Lore-breaking/reluctant hero playthroughs. Yes to the dark ritual; Alistair became king; Hawke survived the Fade. Morrigan drank from the well... I think Vivienne is Divine, and I can't recall what I did in Orlais! I have not played Trespasser yet, but Faina is a faithful Andrastian, so she'll keep the Inquisition together but still swear to stop Solas.

Tertiary: Luthe Cousland/Basil Hawke/assorted Inquisitors. Luthe is a rogue (archer); Basil will probably be a mage, as that seems like the laziest path for him. No dark ritual; Alistair becomes king. I have NO idea how Basil's playthrough will go, because his defining trait is that he doesn't want to do any work, so he's going to do the bare fucking minimum and probably end in disaster. I have not yet defined all of the inquisitors for this worldstate.

6. Do you have your Rook(s) planned out to any degree? If so, would you share some details or ideas you have?

I mean, I have to play a female elf mage first, but other than that... I'm waiting for more information (video/images/pre-release of the CC, info on how Rook gets to the point of meeting Varric, etc).

Faction-wise, I think the Shadow Dragons or the Veil Jumpers are most likely. I have a good idea for a later-playthrough Lord of Fortune character, and I want to see how the Crows are characterized in-game before I design a character for that faction. The Mourn Watch is just less appealing for a first run because necromancer is the one mage specialization I'm not considering, and the Wardens... well, I know you're going to play a Warden first, so I don't want to do two of the same. :D

9. Which romance, if any, do you plan to pursue first?

If the game was released tomorrow, with no additional information, I'd just let things happen organically. Since I expect we'll get lots more character info, I imagine I'll have decided between Bellara, Neve, and Taash by the time it's out. But historically, DA romances can sneak up on me, so I don't know!

11. What's one thing you'd really like to see in this next game?

KAL SHAROK KAL SHAROK KAL SHAROK.

I've wanted to visit Kal Sharok since first reading about it in Origins, and after not getting to go there in Inquisition OR learn more via The Descent... gimme gimme GIMME. It's clear from The Descent that there's a lot of un-plumbed depth (pun intended) re: dwarf lore and I want it SO badly.