Kitchen And Craft Wix Corner (Exciteable Bird, Enter At Own Risk)

ALRIGHT OP EDITED!

 

It's like a trainwreck, I keep watching bc I can't look away but every second statement hurts me in my soul
Eugene why are you this way

 

Tho i gotta agree witht he judges, blueberry lime ginger and scotch does sound like an amazing cocktail and those are all things i like so
eyes emoji

 

THEY DID ANOTHER BAKING ONE?

 

YEAH
honestly it turned out not as badly as it could have, but I am still appalled by half of the crimes against pie they committed bc I'm a horrible picky bitch :P

 

am also watching this one

and besides the fact that I disagree with a LOT of these opinions (bc again picky picky bitch, also allergic to a good bit or can't have them for other reasons)
and the whole 'what else can you do with these fruits'
and it's all desserts or cocktails while i'm over here
salty bc nothing is better than game meat with fruit sauces

 

though putting olives where they are is right and proper and as the gods intended it.
eta: i should say where eugene's mom put the olives, eugene is a heathen and I refuse to take his opinion into consideration

 

the true crime here is that currants are not included in that ranking. like. BITCH. CASSIS.

 

stop mixing sweet and savoury you heathen, you monster, you devil

 

I WILL NOT BE STOPPED
I HAVE NEVER BEEN STOPPED
NOT EVEN GOD CAN STOP ME

 

is now a good time to talk about how much I love salt 'n' vinegar crisps dipped in chocolate

 

It is always the time to talk about that and also holy shit that sounds so good?

 

ALSO
sticking these here too bc henlo i yell about the DA4 Trailer

Spoiler

 

One of my favorite flavor combos is fries dipped in oreo milkshake and I approve of chips in chocolate

 

Spoiler: mobile photos continue to be too damn big

PUNCH ELF PUNCH ELF
also why is drawing people doing the over the shoulder look so fucking hard
also also pls pretend I actually Bothered with her back tattoo, it's technically supposed to be a lettered piece saying Mien'harel - Nadas'nan but by the time I got there I couldn't be assed

 

The Dread Wolf Rises But I Haven't A Single Clue What The Fuck Any Of This Means
Aka a likely not-so-short beginner's guide to Dragon Age Lore in Honor of the Recent DA4 Teaser.
By Someone Who Cannot Shut Up To Save Their Life
​

Part 3.1: Major Organizations of Thedas (The Chantry)

I should most likely wait to write this post until I get around to writing up a big explanation of how the religion actually works, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The first very obvious parallel to be drawn is obviously Roman Catholicism, and the Orlesian Chantry certainly enjoys similar trappngs and stylistic flourishes as Vatican City, albeit with a French-Roccoco twist, speaking in real world terms. But the structure and some unique intricacies still make it worthwhile in my mind to properly go through all of this and examine the structure.

As previously mentioned, the Chantry is the dominant religious authority throughout Thedas, believing in the teachings of Andraste and worshipping her as prophet and bride of the one true god, creator of this world and the next, the Maker. The predominant belief is that the Maker has turned away from his children again after Andraste was killed at their hands, and will only return to this world if the chant of light echoes from all corners of Thedas, resulting in the religion being aggressively evangelist.
Practitioners of the religion are referred to as Anstrastean/Andrastian, although the word chantric is also occassionally in use. Chanter only refers to those who have taken an oath to only communicate in quotes from the Chant of Light to show their true devotion and spread the Chant so it may sound from every corner of Thedas. The religion was one of several fragmented and splintered cults operating hidden and suppressed in the Imperium after the Prophetess' death, though origins can be traced back as far as -130 Ancient as the beginnings of worshippers compiling a unified religious canon, referred to as the Chant of Light.
The first proper move to unify and formalize the religion lie in the founding of the Chantry in -3 Ancient by Emperor Kordillus Drakon I. of Orlais, himself fanatically devout. The main seat of power of the chantry is thereby in Val Royeaux, and this is also where the first Divine, Justinia I. was crowned in, well, 1:1 Divine.
Drakon's military success during the Second Blight (1:5 Divine - 1:95 Divine) lead to rapid expansion of the Orlesian Empire and the conversion of most Thedosians to the new religion, and though magic use had been illegal since the beginning of Drakon's rule, he (controversially) enlisted the help of mages in the battles against the Darkspawn, permitting them full use of their powers and only asking for them to be held in check by the original Inquisition, an organization founded in -100 Ancient to "Protect people from the Tyranny of Magic" and consisted of largely independant Andrastian hardliners hunting down blood mages, abominations, cultists and heretics, as well as protecting innocent mages from violent hate crimes. History is undecided on whether their reign was one of terror and violence, bringing down swift and brutal punishments on anyone who dared cross them, or if this is merely slander spread due to their crossing too many powerful groups in their quest to protect the population. Drakon himself likely arrived at the alliance with the Inquisition due to his close personal friendship with Inquisitor Ameridan, the man who would be known as the last Inquisitor and the first Commander of the Seekers of Truth to history.
This arrangement was finally formalized in 1:20 Divine by the Nevarran Accord, pulling the Inquisition into the ranks of the Chantry in full official capacity as its military arm and seeing the founding of the Circles of Magi. The Inquisition itself split, most of its ranks becoming the first of the Templar Order, while the Senior members formed the Seekers of Truth.

Andrastian Chantry

Heraldry of the chantry consists of two suns

Spoiler: chantry

The Orlesian Chantry's seat of power is the Grand Cathedral in Val Royeaux and it is lead by The Divine (informally also the White Divine), a woman who acts as the Voice of The Maker, ruling from the Sunburst Throne. The proper adress for the Divine is Most Holy or Your Perfection. She is assisted by the High Chancellor in administrative matters, the Right Hand Of The Divine as her principal enforcer to enact her proclamations, and the Left Hand Of The Divine in matters where secrecy and espionage are of the essence. She is the direct commander of the Knights-Divine (her bodyguards and protectors as well as enforcers) and the Seekers of Truth.
Below the Divine is the office of Grand Cleric, who in effect have the authority over all chantries of their wider region. Generally they remain within their region unless the College of Clerics is called to convene, normally every 10 years, or whenever necessary, for example due to the demise of one Divine and the need to elect another. The proper address for a Grand Cleric is Your Grace.
The principal clerics in charge of attending to the flock of faithful are the Mothers. Think of them as shift managers more or less. Should they be the woman in charge of any particular chantry as the principal attending cleric, her full title is instead Revered Mother. Both Mothers and Revered Mothers will be addressed as Your Reverence.
The rank and file of the Chantry are made up of Brothers and Sisters. These come in 3 principal varieties:
Affirmed Brothers and Sisters, also Lay-Brother/Lay-Sister and in some cases Warriors of Conscience are regular men and women who have turned to the chantry for penitance, support, shelter or simply out of belief but lacking any particular vows or oaths. Anyone and everyone may apply to become one of the affirmed, and they make up a vast number of the faithful attending to simpler duties needing done around a chantry. The past of an affirmed is not to be questioned, nor are they to be condemned for what they did before they turned to faith. In exchange for their dutiful service they are awarded a life of seclusion and quiet contemplation within the ranks of the chantry. Many of them are unfortunates fallen on hard times, former criminals, or orphans brought up by the Chantry. Warriors of Conscience are those willing to take up arms to defend the Chantry and the faithful, but lacking any of the virtues and qualities required of real Templars, or unwilling to take the vows of the Order. As such they are considered the lowest ranking of the Chantry Hierarchy but are still considered highly valuable.
Leliana was first met as a Lay-Sister in Lothering, though she is now Left Hand, or (conditionally) Divine Victoria.
Initiated Brothers and Sisters are those who have taken vows to remain with the Chantry, and who receive training and education to better serve the faithful, be it in Academic, theological, or martial matters. All Templars hold this rank in addition to their rank within the order. Anyone who takes the vows necessary is given academic education, only templars and templar-hopefuls are usually given training at arms. From this rank onwards romantic relationships are strongly discouraged if not forbidden outright. It seems that generally Initiates always take vows of chastity, while it is not quite as mandatory for Templars.
Sebastian Vael is an Initiated Brother.
Those Brothers and Sisters fully devoting themselves to academic pursuits and the cataloguing of new and recovered knowledge for the chantry are known as Clerics. Many of them are researchers, sages presiding over the libraries and archives and writing prolifically about many different topics. The senior Clerics in charge of these archives may be addressed as Elder, and they rank just below the Mothers of their chantry. Every other Cleric is addressed as Brother or Sister.
One of the most prolific writers of the Dragon Age is, for example, the Cleric Brother Genitivi.
Cleric is technically the highest rank a man can hold within the chantry, if one discounts the Templars and the Chancellors, lead by the Grand Chancellor, administrative and bureaucratic workers forming something of a "shadow army" to keep the chantry running. Chancellors are generally not seen as religious officials however, as they deal mostly with worldly matters.

The Andrastian Chantry's colors are mainly white and red, with accents in gold and black. Their symbolism is the sun and fire. Funerary rites usually involve cremation in honor of Andraste's burning on the pyre. Many faithful undertake pilgrimages to Val Royeaux during the Ten Year Gathering, to receive the blessings of the Divine and the Grand Clerics there.
In addition to formal ranks within the chantry hierarchy, those who lose their life in service of the Maker during Exalted Marches are considered to preside in a special place at the side of the Maker and are referred to as The Exalted. Exalted Marches are religiously (though often also politically) motivated Crusades called by the Chantry and the Divine against specific heretical threats, although Andraste's march on Minrathous is considered the First Exalted March and thus predates the Chantry proper. The Second Exalted March lead to the shattering of the Kingdom of the Dales, and since then there have been several, notably against the Tevene Imperial Chantry and the Qunari, as well as contemplations of Marches against Orzammar and Kirkwall due to unrest and violence against Andrastians and chantries.
An even greater honor than being considered and Exalted is to be named Anointed. Anointeds are seen as the mortal hands of the Maker doing his work, and the title is exceptionally rare. Notable examples include Emperor Kordillus Drakon I. and the First King of Ferelden, Calenhad Theirin.

Next post: Circle of Magi

 

The Dread Wolf Rises But I Haven't A Single Clue What The Fuck Any Of This Means​

Aka a likely not-so-short beginner's guide to Dragon Age Lore in Honor of the Recent DA4 Teaser.
By Someone Who Cannot Shut Up To Save Their Life​

Part 3.2: Major Organizations

The Circle of Magi

The heraldry of the Circles, showing a circle unclosed at the bottom

Spoiler: Circle

The Circle of Magi is the primary institution responsible for the training and education of mages in Thedas, and is responsible for the housing and control of the mages of Southern Thedas specifically since their founding as part of the Nevarran Accord of 1:20 Divine. Any magically talented person is expected to be surrendered to the circles to receive their primary education there, and can be forcibly seperated from their families no matter station or privilige for this purpose, meaning most mages begin their career within the circles between the ages of six and twelve as this is when most begin to break through. It is noted that highborn mages are forced to forfeit any inheritance claims on their families' estates.
Hedge-magery, hiding mages from the authorities, or running away from the circle are not permitted by chantry law and such mages outside the control of Circles are considered Apostates. Apostasy is to be countered by templars and rooted out at all costs, although there are few and far between exceptions in which the ruling specific cases may get a bit more complicated.
Housing is generally communal for at least the apprentices and young mages, but seperate from any circle's templar contingent's housing, and many are given most of their property by the circles and chantry as is deemed necessary, rather than being permitted to take many personal affects when they are brought in.
The circles maintain a neutrality policy, in order to preempt any potential wrath invoked by the Chantry from taking sides in any given conflict, with the sole exception being Blights and potentially Exalted Marches, though most Circles tend to ignore if individual mages fight on either side in a conflict. It is often unclear whether this is courtesy towards the mages themselves and their right to self-police, or whether it is a matter of political play.
Romantic entanglements with mages are generally discouraged by the chantry. Despite that, there are many secret and not-so-secret affairs conducted by Circle Mages. Should any of these affairs result in a child sired, and this is found out, then the child will be considered as belonging to the chantry, and raised in a chantry orphanage. In the case that this child breaks through as a mage, policy is that the child will not attend the same circle as their parent. In fact, the chantry tries to prevent mages from having familial bonds within the same Circle to great lengths. Mages and Templars are expressly forbidden from having relationships with eachother, nevertheless this is still known to occur as well.

Spoiler: Hierarchy

Every newly arrived member of the Circle begins as an Apprentice and is given training and education both in purely academic matters, the theoretical intricacies of magic and practical as well as military applications of their talents. Independant study is usually not yet permitted and their day-to-day lives are structured around a rigorous curriculum of classes, training sessions, smaller tutoring sessions and chantry mass.
Upon Joining, the First Enchanter takes a few drops of the new Apprentice's blood to be placed in a specially enchanted vial that is kept by the Circle and the Templars, a phylactery. This is used to discourage attempts to run away, as phylacteries contain a simple tracking spell, making it impossible to hide from the templars sent after the rogue mage for long.
Once an Apprentice reaches adulthood thethe higher ranking senior enchanters of the circle have a choice: either the youngster is made Tranquil, cut off from the Fade and thereby their dreams and talents entirely by use of a lyrium brand, rendering them emotionless, or faces the Harrowing, a ritual aided by lyrium and supervised by templars, in which the young mage enters a state similar to lucid dreaming, exploring the Fade in full consciousness and tasked with only one thing. Face the demon pulled close for the Harrowing and resist them. The full extend of what must be faced during the Harrowing is kept secret from Apprentices and the outside world entirely, and the apprentices are woken up in the middle of the night to be taken to the ritual. The Harrowing is presided over by both the First-Enchanter and the Templar Knight-Commander of a Circle, as well as a few additional Templars, one of whom has the duty to deal the killing blow assigned to them ahead of time, in case the mage fails to resist the demon, and the rest of which contain any potential threat the second they show signs of being possessed, or step in should there be problems.
Mages may volunteer for the Rite of Tranquility as well, instead of facing the Harrowing, but a mage who has passed the Harrowing is by chantry law safe from the threat of Tranquility being leveled against them.
Adults who have passed their Harrowing successfully are referred to simply as Mages. They are now given run of most of the library and the circle's stores and are left to their own devices with regards to studying. Many will take this time to research, publish academic writings on magic or other topics, or begin working towards expertise and specialization in any given field.
Once a mage has sufficiently gained experience and knowledge in any given field they may be promoted to Enchanter, provided they are willing and capable to tutor Aprentices, either in the form of teaching classes on their personal fields of study or in a more direct and personal Mentor and Student capacity. This is also when it is generally expected to join one of several Fraternities, essentially political parties within the Circles advocating for different stances.
Forming the higher authority of a Circle are then the Senior Enchanters and their assistants and chiefs of staff, the Junior Enchanters. The Senior Enchanters are considered the most experienced mages of any given Circle and make up a council of members to advise their leader. Newly appointed Senior Enchanters are sent to Val Royeaux to be introduced to the Divine in a ceremony.
The First Enchanter is the mage's leader of any given circle, ruling over the mages within in cooperation with the templar's equivalent. Their duties as heads of the institution aside, First Enchanters are also regularly asked to convene in Nevarra's Capital, Cumberland, at the College of Magi, to discuss various matters as well as the stance the Circles should take, and represent the interests of the enchanters, mages and apprentices under their authority. The College also invites representatives of the Fraternities, no matter their actual rank.
This College of Magi, and the attending First Enchanters is finally asked with electing from among their number the Grand Enchanter, who acts as representitive of the mages and advisor to the Divine. Lothaire Hardouin was the first Grand Enchanter, by personal appointment of Kordillus Drakon. Currently the seat is held either by Fiona, a former Grey Warden who returned to the Circles for mysterious reasons and was appointed in 9:39-40 Dragon and caused the dissolution of the Circles that led to the Breaking of the Nevarran Accord and the Mage-Templar War, or potentially Madame Vivienne de Fer, formerly First-Enchanter of Montsimmard and Arcane Advisor of the Empress.

Aside from this Hierarchy there are some members of the circles who hold unique postions. Enchanters who join the Formari, as well as all Tranquil, are those who use mundane techniques to craft items used or sold by the circle, as well as craft enchantments and runes in the case of Tranquil. As such, the Formari are less a political faction and more something akin to a tradesman's guild. Formari generally are not particularly politically motivated and are not considered a proper fraternity, thus somewhat falling outside of the classic six step hierarchy.
Also somewhat unique in their position, yet so rare they tend not to be mentioned are the Knight-Enchanters, a highly specialized order of front-line combatants that combine magical techniques with warrior training. Within Orlais they benefit from a great deal of respect and authority, and as their title's structure implies, are considered something of the martial equivalent to templars in their prowess, as well as in their role in the defense of the Chantry. While the specialization originates from old elvhen techniques of the Arcane Warriors, modern Knight-Enchanters do not fight with physical weapons, rather conjuring swords from thin air when needed. The only known ranks are those of Knight-Enchanter and Commander.
Lastly, Wynne of Kinloch Hold is occassionally referred to as Archmage, a title that does not appear anywhere else, but seems to imply that she has authority and experience to make her a close second to Kinloch Hold's First Enchanter.

Spoiler: Fraternities

The Fraternities make up the vast bulk of political maneuvering within the Circles, and hold a surprisingly diverse spread of positions. Known Fraternities include:
Aequitarians, a relatively dominant faction in general and in Ferelden's Kinloch Hold in particular, a fraternity promoting a moderate and popular position of using magic responsibly and ethically regardless of whether forced by chantry law or not, though generally conceding that Chantry Law is not unreasonable and should be obeyed as long as it remains so. Aequitarians believe that mages should help people and follow ideals and rules to do so best in a way that is responsible and save. Wynne and her son Rhys are Aequitarians.
Isolationists are a rather small group of mages who wish to break away from the chantry, templar scrutiny and even civilization altogether so they may practice magic without negatively affecting "ordinary" folk, but in peace and without being bothered.
Libertarians wish the Circles to become an autonomous and selfregulating institution independant of the Chantry and Templar Order. This faction gained popularity due to many different factors in the last decade, and while most of them only support peaceful solutions, such as a Bill of Secession proposed in 9:31 Dragon to the College of Magi, there is a vocal subgroup called Resolutionists who are willing to commit to violent manners of ensuring independence. Grand Enchanter Fiona is a Libertarian.
Loyalists follow the letter of the Chantry's laws and the Chant of Light to the letter. They are often derided as 'chantry apologists'.
Lucrosians prioritize welath and political influence above anything else, but are very few in number.

Spoiler: Annulment

During extraordinary circumstances, any Grand Cleric or her de facto successor may invoke the Right of Annulment upon a Circle, requesting reinforcements and ordering the Templars to put any last mage to the blade should a Circle be ruled irredeemable. It can be requested from the Grand Clerics or the Divine by any Knight-Commander, though it may not be granted depending on severity of circumstances. If there is no way to ask a Grand Cleric to invoke this, and matters are time-sensitive enough, a Knight-Commander may invoke the Right without authorization. This is considered an absolute last resort, meant to reduce risks of abominations and possessed mages escaping into society at large or remain hidden among the mages of a circle until an opportune time. As such it has been invoked 17 times by the beginning of the Fifth Blight, and requested 3 times between 9:30 and 9:40 Dragon, 2 of those instances being carried out with definity, while whether the Annulment of Kinloch Hold was carried out depends on the actions of the Hero of Ferelden during the course of Dragon Age Origins.

Next post: The Templar Order

 

I should make a like... family tree/ancestral chart/relationship chart for my OCs at least in so far as they are relevant to the Big Shared Double Quizzy AU
the only unfortunate thing is that the Brejan/Andy verse has no connection points to the Valo-Kas so I'd be leaving Tacitus and Yiannis and thereby Teggy and Polly off, but eh.

 

actually are there like tools online to make these kinds of things????