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

Gacha games: exist
me: oh no
gacha games: have waifus
me: oh no
gacha game: has a cover of don't be lazy
me, shaking as i clutch my phone: oh no

 

-sticks legy up real far-
I got three more books on historical gardening and farming and plant usage and a workshop on herb gardening start up and stuff because mom is enabling me

 

soon you will be able to feed your entire larp party on your own, with historically accurate methods. Time traveling ivy.

 

oh i mean that's already the plan lmao.
The real problem is keeping me from using the 100 historical apple and pear cultivar book as a shopping list
we have apple and pear trees, self, and they're perfectly serviceable, you don't need to ask some fuck from the 1800s what new trees to get.

 

drags in crestwood murals like a cat with some poor fuzzy victim
you like Elfy Art History right

I found these in the wyvern cave, which Also has two giant statues of deer (halla? antlers look too palmate for previous halla models, but I've not seen any Proper Halla in inq yet)

Spoiler: pictures

Left of the entryway:


Right of the entryway:


Halfway down the "right" wall (same wall as the above 'templar' image, towards the pond):

the last one in particular pings me as Interesting, between the one (1) use of BRIGHT YELLOW and the "erasing" of parts of the figures
but also: #2 is the only instance I've seen of a templar specifically targeting elves? (see: pointy bits coming up from the white figures' heads in roughly the right spot for ears) which might be useful for figuring out time period, something something exalted marches

 

>:O
(yes those statues have been claimed to be of ghilan'nain, despite not depicting halla, the real halla are running round the dales, specifically the exalted plains if u wanna look, and have the twisted up corkscrew antlers still)
1) definitely depicts Emerald Knights, I'd wager, wolves are present and they are riding on Halla Harts in accordance to legend?
Mh. I think there may have been a famous templar operating during the exalted march? let me check that actually.........
... Aha!! Jesus Christ what a horrifying weapon, but! Ser Mhemet Of Rivain was apparently elevated to the status of Anointed due to his horrifyingly large number of elven victims during the Exalted March and his name is still considered A Curse Among The Dalish To This Day.
The last one looks kinda like a few that are found in the dales, but usually with darker stuff around them!!!! And I thought they might depict the blight, but the yellow thing is kinda where solas' furry murals usually have the Golden/Black City, innit?

 

hah yeah I haven't done Shit in orlais yet, and if solas is doing his murals yet I ain't seen em
the price I pay for abandoning skyhold to fuck around chasing dragons

 

his furry murals are part of trespasser, yer not gonna see em for a while yet xP
tho... i think he has the depiction of the black city in the rotunda too, so that's one thing you definitely have if you've visited him in skyhold already

 

I have but it was literally Right after we arrived, he had a table and a ladder and a whole lotta empty wall space :p

 

On returning: three of four wall panels are heavy Black City references, and Solas is doing some Interesting shit with his panel boundaries

Spoiler: pictures

Rightmost, we have Black Figure with Magic Orb (possibly himself encased in Another magic orb-- a barrier? or a trap?), and a line of power leading to the city at bottom center. The Black City is almost concealed in this panel-- it's hiding behind the desk if you look at it straight-on. (Thus the angled screenshot.)


One panel left of that, a different robed figure, half black, half white, dividing Black City from Golden. (Also Solas making excellent use of contrast. Dammit Solas, who let you have millennia of practice.)


The next panel over is the only one not overtly Black City related, instead the Inquisition symbol surrounded by howling wolves. Real subtle, Solas. An IC argument might be made for the votive statues clans make to ward off Fen'Harel, but those are typically alert and level; these four are baying, not watching.


Aaand the rightmost, again with the Black City very small but in a compositionally relevant position. Something something always distant when viewed in the Fade? And it's.... raining fire and/or light down the panel, and surrounded by Multi Eyes. Too many even for the Dread Wolf we've seen images of.

What's neat that I couldn't really capture in one screenshot is that the outermost wolves in panel 3 seem to be involved not in their "own" panel, but are instead placed under the events in 2 and 4; Solas cut panel 3's edges diagonally around the room, where the outermost panels are perfectly straight. Your Fursona Isn't Subtle, bud.

so technically we're 1:1 for positioning of the black/golden city in Solas' murals, if we ignore the split-panel one, and Yellow Orb in the crestwood mural might be something else entirely

 

>:3
There are actually some panel variants for some of these, they do display certain easily identifiable things, but the black city is in a lot of the things (and for good reason! It's kinda relevant after all). The identity/relevance of the second robed figure is easy enough if you're familiar with designs/color-palettes/lines for some of the involved factions, which then makes the first one p obvious by process of elimination/due to the sequence displayed.

 

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 3.3: Major Organizations of Thedas (The Templar Order)
(CW: drug use, addiction)


Heraldry of the Order consists of one of six variations on the flaming sword of mercy motif

Founded in 1:20 Divine with the signing of the Nevarran Accord and now in times of deep turmoil, the Templar Order of Southern Thedas was once tasked with both protecting the world from misuses of magic, as well as protecting mages from a deeply suspicious and hateful world. As the military arm of the chantry their hierarchy used to be complexly interwoven with that of their more religious siblings, yet it should never be forgotten that due to their unique abilities Templars have a great deal of both authority and responsibility.
Their Headquarters are set in the White Spire of Val Royeaux.
Due to an incident in 9:40 Dragon and Lord Seeker Lambert's formal withdrawal on behalf of the Templars and Seekers, the Nevarran Accord is currently dissolved, with the status of Templars, Mages and Seekers in the South differing in accordance with several decisions and political actors' positions after 9:44 Dragon (Trespasser DLC)

Spoiler: Recruitment

Seen by the common folks as saviors and protectors, Templars are primarily chosen for their martial prowess and religious dedication, though unswerving loyalty and steadfastness in the face of horrors are also important qualities. In fact it is said by some that the chantry prices a Templar's obedience over their moral center's integrity in many ways.
Recruitment and training are rigorous, thorough and harsh, oftentimes taking place in monastic refuges segregated from the common folk, to properly instill the sense of duty, piety and sadly often times zealotry into recruits. At the end of their training, before taking vows (not necessarily vows of chastity, but Templars are discouraged from marrying or having children as they are often not able to be around their dependants, though it may be permitted if their partners have means of supporting the family on their own. Romantic entanglements between templars, or a templar and a mage of their own circle are considered fraternization and thus forbidden.), Templar-Hopefuls undergo a vigil which is said to change them forever, before being given their philter, and their first dose of lyrium.
Most templars are male and human, though neither women nor non-humans are barred from service, though they are rather unusual sights.

Spoiler: duties and abilities

Aside from watching their charges in the Circles and hunting down blood mages, Templars are also expected to find mages freshly come into their power, deal with demonic possessions and spirit meddling, and defending mages as they go about their business outside the Circles, as well as recollecting escaped mages. Though not wholly confirmed, it seems like Knight-Commanders leading branches without an associated Circle may also have the ability to call to Exalted Marches should they deem it necessary.
They go about this using their unique abilities to "reinforce reality", making them perfect foils for mages as well as spirits, specially trained to deny them access to their gifts by inhibiting access to the Fade, though apparently it feels different from dispels cast by fellow mages and more like the templar making the material realm "stubborn".
This unique skillset is partially a result of special training regimes, but mainly bolstered by their regular ingestion of lyrium, granting them heightened immunity to magic and the ability to suppress and smite spellcasters. It is claimed by Cole during Inquisition that this is due to their bodies becoming "incomplete" due to the lyrium, and their being reaching to something bigger and older. This connection fills them and makes it so the magic can't "come in".
This 'incompleteness' is also why the side-effects of lyrium ingestion are so horrifying. Slow loss of memories, then lucidity and self, confusion, auditory hallucinations and dementia are not uncommon in older Templars, if they maintain their doses throughout service.
Withdrawal effects, however tend to be much more violent and horrible, among others painful cramps, muscle weakness, shakes, irritability, paranoia and nightmares. This can often kill former templars discharged from the order for whatever reason, enforcing the chantry's ideal of obedience further, as The Chantry, Order and Circles have exclusive trade relations with Orzammar, making it very hard to come by lyrium outside their official channels, leaving many at the mercy of the Carta smugglers. Notably, although rare, dwarven initiates are not immune to either set of side-effects.
It should however be noted that even without lyrium, Templars are some of the best trained and most viciously effective warriors and rogues in Thedas, given their elite training and constant exposure to highly volatile and dangerous opponents. As such they are not to be taken lightly, whether one is a spell-caster or not.

Spoiler: Hierarchy

The Order consists of numerous branches with various different priorities and needs, depending on their station and community. Some may be assigned to individual Chantries, some may serve and reside in the Circles of Magi, size and mandate of the branch often reflecting this as well.
A Branch of the Order is lead by the resident Knight-Commander, who answers to the Grand Cleric of the region, and is in theory supposed to be an equal partner and support of their Circle's First Enchanter, if they are stationed there, though there are many instances of the relationship between the two being strained or even openly contentious.
Other ranks on the individual branches' levels include the simple Templar, Knight-Corporal, Knight-Lieutenant and Knight-Captain, the latter seeming to be something like the Knight-Commander's second in many ways, though we do not have confirmation either way whether this post is held by only one man or woman at a time. A Knight-Captain is also authorized to (forcibly) relieve their Knight-Commander of their duties should they feel their Commander is overstepping their authority or abusing their power. This same right is held by the Divine and the Grand Clerics.

The Knight-Commanders answer to the Knight-Vigilant of the White Spire, when it comes to matters of the Order, him or her being the supreme leader of the Templar Order and Commander of the Knights Divine, though it is not quite clear if this is really the case or if the Knight-Vigilant may not be nothing but the public face of the order, with the Knights Divine acting as a council, or potentially them electing one from amongst them to serve as Knight-Vigilant for a time and oversee the Order while they attend to the needs of the Divine. In fact, many matters of internal management are rather opaque and hard to follow for outsiders, but public perception has a singular leader in the Knight-Vigilant, when necessary.
Thanks to their military prowess and training, Templars are often seen as impossible to oppose once their fanaticism is pointed in a certain direction. This is however not true. Despite Clerics often not having the ability to truly oppose the Order when push comes to shove, this is exactly the reason why the Nevarran Accord put safeties and checks and balances in the form of the Seekers of Truth in place. Even more elite and ruthlessly trained than Templars, the Seekers answer directly to the Divine and are meant as the Watchers of the watchers, investigating allegations of abuse against the Templars, controlling their power and seeking out corruption and deceptions and correct this where possible and necessary. This places the Lord/Lady Seeker in command over the Templar Order in absence of the Knight-Vigilant or Knights Divine, a state of things which lead to the withdrawal of the Order from the Chantry and dissolution fo the Accord during the lead-up to the Mage-Templar-War.

It should be noted that not all Templars fanatically oppose mage freedom. Knight-Commander Harrith of Redcliffe for example is a contact shielding the Mage's Collective, a large independent and loosely organized network of apostates.

Next Post: The Seekers of Truth

 

thsi is now also my accountability and project thread so
here They Go

2019 i really want to get back into music, and also work on character design more, and sort of tangentially related, This Is The Year I Get Into Doll Customizing Come Hell Or High Water.
I have 2 MH girls
I have a Concept
I have some materials
And most Importantly
I have Her

Spoiler: BIG

Her name is Quartz and she had an Accident(tm) that caused her body to mutate from stray magical energy. And I will resculpt a whole arm on my first doll custom. I have to pre-do a staff topper that gets incorporated into the structure of her shoulder. Ideally I want swap-able gems/gem-shards on at least a few bits of the arm.
The hair, I'm thinking, will just be unravelled, unstraightened acryllic yarn in wefts most likely, rerooting won't be good for my hands at all. I need to check what the Big Skein Of Tie-Dyed black-white yarn i have is, i think it may have too much cotton in it to hold its shape enough for the tight ringlet curl texture I want.

 

I don't have a concept yet for what to do with the Frankie Stein I have? But I just realized one concept I really want to do is also half-woodened dryad kinda look based on witch hazel because that's The Freakiest Coolest Plant Ever. And I can do something with Fake Snow on that girl :P

 

the big skein of yarn I have is weird texture and also woven rather than spun so alas. I need to buy yarn. what a tragedy :P

 

thinking further, I think I want a different doll for the witch hazel idea.
Maybe I'll do the frankie up in sigils and crawling ritual script and ink? Have her be a rogue construct, a bespelled homunculus or reanimated corpse or something at accidentally energy-vampires off of the magic of living beings, which is why she's with the League Of Extraordinarily Fucked Girls. They're all experiments or accident victims, or mutants, or tragedies, but they stick together and keep eachother working and thriving in peace, in a small cave somewhere.
The Frankie's name I think should be... hm. Inky? Ohh what if she's a scroll born construct so her bodily fluids are all literally ink.
Inky and Quartz are super in lesbians. It's okay, Quartz grows charged crystals that Inky can actually eat, and similar crystals grow around the cave they live in which is on a big well of magical energy. Inky enjoys the sensation of eating and occassionally tries to "bake" with crystals she mills down into a fine powder.

 

Sib wants to potentially make their new D&D character (a warforged monk of the Catch These Hands school named copper) as a doll custom too, so potentially I have another Crafting Pal

 

things I actually need for inky and quartz, bc my memory is a fucking sieve:
the sealant kite uses (the citadel one was the one that has a rly neat broken/fractured/cracked look when applied from too close iirc? but the other one I don't remember)
decor rocks and pebbles and glass shards and shit from like ikea or whatever
xps foam if possible
magnets??? maybe???? stick magnet to keep the joints together how i want them essentially, so the elbow joint can rotate a little
other things to Construct Joints (tm)
skeins of cheap acryllic yarn, spun, grey white and black probably, maybe another color if it strikes me
easily distressible fabric that looks good at doll scale
moosgummi for Quartz's chestplate
superglue and baking soda
gotta survey my stock of rocks and rock shards and beads and shit
some sort of skewer or something for the staff topper embedded in quartz's shoulder?????
sib's mica water colors

things i need for Hazel:
hotglue bc i think you can make curls that look like witch hazel flowers by dragging a blade of hotglue bits, but i don't *need* need that, i have several sticks of colored hotglue i could use
wood!!! I'm thinking of making her a (lower) leg made of actual real wood detailed with the burny tool!!!! I need to look at the actual dimensions of the cherry leftovers we have still but I like working with that and it's p pretty, even if actual hazel/witch hazel would be more appropriate but like shush ivy no one will notice or care.
eta: A DOLL. I NEED. A DOLL FOR HAZEL.

 

oh i also need big ole half globe of EPS foam studded with hotglue/resin/epoxy/whatever shards of "crystal" done up to look like a geode as a throne for Quartz bc She Needs That Drama and doll stands are boring, sorry not sorry

 

stares at parts of the anti-anders fandom
some of you have never played awakening and it really shows