The Reluctant Inquisitor

I like that she has like, tiers of lying, some of which are more viable for her than others. It’s interesting to have a character who isn’t necessarily morally opposed, but just... sucks at it lol

Fact swap: Delton, despite what people assume due to his affinity for fire magic, is useless with spicy foods. The only heat he can handle is from an actual fire, and if he ingests anything with hot chilies in it he will do his best to save face but ultimately end up excusing himself to weep softly until the burn passes

It was your inky that led to the above image of Dorian stressing out, wasn’t it? :P But yes, it is good to have some kind of empathy for others, but I imagine it would set Dorian fretting quite frequently!

Fact swap: Of all the members of the Dawn Squad, Ralon and Connors have the best singing voices.

Ooooh nice! It must have been interesting (and possibly difficult) for him to be raised among the Dalish (and I imagine a bit of a shock to anyone speaking elvish later on, when he just ends up replying fluently)! And sweet short boy AH! Was Saari accepted into the Dalish clan, or just be the pair who raised him?

Fact swap: Anacrea often relies on a herbal mixture to help herself get to sleep at night. Often it just feels like her mind refuses to switch off, or she is taken back to the massacre at the Ostwick circle. It took some time, but she ended up making a sleeping aid that was non-addictive - more of a supplement - and while it works most nights, sometimes it is not enough and she just has to wait it out.

haha the accidental “NO YOU DON’T” with a shield would have not only been an impressive sight, but probably quite memorable for anyone watching :P Does she end up getting good at it? DOES IT RETURN TO HER LIKE A BOOMERANG???

Fact swap: Delton used to carry vials of poison in case he needed to off someone quickly, until one day he fell off a roof, shattered them, and poisoned himself. After a few days of sweating and the Rat Pack trying to work out how to counter it, he opted to stop carrying them on his person u_u

Ooooh the ballerina of death - I LOVE THAT because it sounds graceful and terrifying and if she killed me, I’d probs thank her for the impressive show with my final breath. And YES at the subtle revenge of outshining every Orlesian on the dancefloor with Bull. I bet he is smitten with her

Fact swap: Maraas has only ever been black-out drunk once (due to his size), and it was after going on a bender with a group of Dwarven mercenaries. Ever since, he has developed the healthiest of respects for Dwarves and their ale, and will never agree to a drinking contest unless he is more than willing to lose.

That poor thing! What a horrible thing for her clanmate to do; that’s so terrible! Gosh, what a heartbreaking backstory. Their mothers were so brave in such an awful situation; it’s clear they loved their children very much. Does Da’Nyal and her father ever end up finding her mother? And how does she feel about Solas’ betrayal, given her background?

Fact swap: Maraas tends to pick out lonely or awkward soldiers around Skyhold and hang out with them in the tavern. He usually wanders over with a drink and cracks a joke or starts telling a story. Sometimes they tell him to piss off, and he does, but most of the time he just ends up spending a few hours with someone who seemed down, and to him, that’s an evening well-spent.

Oooh i like that a lot, and I like that it is restricted to spoken language, which is super interesting! Does this work even for every language (including, say, new ones, or ones a small group of people might have just made up among themselves?). Also, I could see it leading to some potentially humorous translations on rare occasion lol

Fact swap: Delver’s Cipher ability is hereditary, passed down to him by his mother. Essentially, he was born knowing all the languages she knew, and she was born with the languages her father knew, so on and so forth. The Cipher ability doesn’t really present itself until between 12-24 months (often because some of the first words they speak are in a language they would not have otherwise heard).

For him, there is conscious effort when it comes to translations. It’s like searching through a catalogue in his mind. If it’s a common language, he can find it pretty much right away, but for things that are more obscure, it can take time before he locates a written or auditory match (anything from a few seconds to over an hour), and it is mentally exhausting. When it comes to learning new languages, he generally has to be taught, but only once (there is no need for repetition or study: when he is told a word or a phrase, he will remember it perfectly). That is what makes it easy for Ciphers to pick up languages very quickly and add them to their mental catalogue :)

I’m just gonna say she sounds completely BADASS and I love it! I really like the idea of fairies that aren’t necessarily tiny and delicate, and she just sounds like she’s lived such an interesting life (and continues to do so through her inventing work). The image of her flying around with her custom-designed wings is just too awesome for words, but it’s also lovely that she’s also a kind person as well as self-sufficient and determined. I can see why you love her so much!

Fact swap: I’ll go with a non-fandom OC too, because why not. Delver is from a line of Ciphers (people who possess a deep and unnatural ability to recall and comprehend languages), but keeps that fact hidden due to strong insecurities about his lack of relevance in a society where most texts have already been translated. As the only Cipher not in service to a particular noble, he wanders around, taking jobs where he can (generally by offering complete confidentiality and undercutting the rates of the local noble’s Cipher, pissing them off in the process). He is cynical, has gained a reputation for not adhering to the status quo, and tends to deal with jobs people want to keep hidden. He is also pretty much always flat broke.

Ohhh gosh, the Fallow Mire and Storm Coast must have been quite uncomfortable for him! D: Poor thing. Maybe he can close up the windows and draw the curtains so it doesn’t feel so bad being up high u_u

Fact swap: Anacrea rarely gets involved in field work (as in, fighting), but will sometimes tag along with squads heading to exotic areas so she can study the native flora and try to create new potions to help in the fight with Corypheus. That and her brother, Jaime, keeps telling her she needs to get out more lol

Oooh I like that; a bit of a surprise for his enemies on the battlefield, that’s for sure! 

Fact swap: Darren mumbles in his sleep sometimes, but has no idea because no one on his squad has the heart to tell him and potentially make him feel self conscious. Plus it’s quiet and kinda adorable.

Awwww ISIAH. I love those ‘hard on the outside, soft on the inside’ characters - especially when they hide it so well. I hope they find what they are searching for, and that they get to keep in touch with old friends wild than he was expecting?

Fact swap: Cyrus had panic attacks quite frequently, growing up. After being kicked out of home, he was surprised to find he had none at all... until he received the news that they were heading back to Orlais for the Winter Palace.

djsakdja ohhh no! That is not a weakness you want Sera discovering hahahah - poor thing! Hopefully he finds a way to have his mischievous revenge! I imagine he is on High Alert after she finds out (but on the plus side, no one will ever catch him by surprise lol)

Fact Swap: Delton sometimes hides food in his pockets entirely on instinct. He’ll get back to his room, take off his coat, and a breadroll will just tumble out and plop onto the floor. Mercifully, it has yet to happen in public, but he honestly has no memory of taking it in the first place.

Very interesting (and yeah the CC is really… not diverse at all). I think Sindri seems like a very proactive kind of person who likes actually getting up and involved in the thick of things, which is awesome! Plus making potions day in and day out would get very tiresome, I imagine. And yeah, it would be pretty odd behaviour for a Commander to deny healing to the soldiers, so it’s good Sindri gets out there.

Fact swap: Lyrene sometimes really misses her clan. Even though she made the ultimate decision to leave and go help the Inquisition, it wasn’t easy, and there are times she finds herself missing that feeling of community with a group of people. While she has the Dawn Squad, the Inquisition as a whole just doesn’t have that same sense of closeness (and while she knows it isn’t meant to - it’s essentially an army - she just sometimes misses truly feeling like part of something). 

ADSJKLA he sounds like such an adventurous cutie! Gosh I have QUESTIONS. Did the Inquisition end but being what he expected it to be? Did he enjoy his time there, or did he get homesick? Was the Keeper okay with letting him go?

Fact swap: Ralon always wanted siblings, but his mother had such a difficult pregnancy with him that his parents never tried for more kids. That is part of why he loves being surrounded by people and developed such a charismatic personality; he enjoys human interaction. Having the Dawn Squad is essentially like having that wish for a larger family fulfilled (even if they are a bit dysfunctional)

(GOOD LAD)

Ahem, I mean, yes. Excellent. A solid culinary choice. Hear hear.

Fact swap: Maraas paid off his tab with Cabot one (1) time, and the dwarf nearly had a heart attack. He resolved, for the barkeep’s safety, never to pay off his tab again. 

It was just too dangerous.

Ahhh, I like that though, and it IS interesting! So often it’s the younger sibling feeling jealous of the older one, but this is an interesting shift in dynamic. I imagine it would be quite difficult, for one’s sibling to be born with magic while the other is not (particularly for the Dalish, who aren’t as threatened by Circles and the Chantry). But I like that there is a reason for him being overbearing. I wonder, is there ever a situation where he would come clean to his brother about it?

Fact swap: Cyrus still has nightmares about the first person he killed. They were bad, at first, but over time they became more like vivid dreams, where he stood as spectator, watching it all happen. In a way, that helped him come to terms with the trauma of it. By taking a step back (even if only in his dreams), he could see that it had been a terrible accident, and he had been fighting for his life.

Ohh I can definitely see how that would grant a sense of security - being in control for what might feel like the first time in her life would undoubtedly help! I love that she’s focusing on that sort of magic, rather than the more wild/unpredictable elemental forms, because it completely makes sense given her experiences!

OC Fact: Delton uses fire magic because it is the only type that comes somewhat naturally to him. He’s picked up a couple of little illusions spells to swindle people at taverns (although most are still just sleight of hand), but he has never been able to cast any combat spells other than fire. He lacks complete control, and still only tends to use magic when at the height of anger or fear. Sometimes, the fire leaps to his fingertips before he even realises it’s there, and although he has improved significantly, he doesn’t fully trust himself to contain it.