The Basics:
I romanced Emmrich with a nonbinary Qunari Mournwatch Rook named Adder Ingellvar. They're in their mid to late 30's (36-39 range). Their build is a bit slighter than their in game model, and they are a bit shorter and less muscular as well, having spent most of their time in and around the necropolis. I included some spoiler info at the end of the post to keep from ruining any late game content for folks.
Rook:
If you played your Rook a mix of purple and good, you'll have them down, mostly. They tend toward masking discomfort with humor, but they will soften themself when they sense that whoever they're talking to needs a softer hand, and harden themself against people that are clearly antagonistic, often with a bit of biting sarcasm thrown in for good measure. They are not super Qun aligned, having grown up with the Mournwatch. They can also be a touch more bewildered and internal than the in-game rook, given more easily to wonder and appreciation, and also more easily thrown into the occasional bit of rumination or self-directed anger. Adder has always been very focused on their work. They're fast to make accquaintances, and charming/disarming in a completely unintentional way, but they are very slow to accept people into their heart because they tend to form strong attachments in their relationships. Often, those attachments are simply unable to be reciprocated by others the way Adder needs them to be in order to feel secure, and they err on the side of avoiding intimate connection by default.
Together:
I like a lot of what happens by default in the game, though I would say Adder has a softer approach to flirtling, and they express interest more cautiously. Often they'd try to play a flirt off as a joke before even waiting to see how it was received, and would spread the flirting out somewhat evenly in an attempt to enjoy flustering Emmrich without tipping him off too soon. The necropolis is small enough that Adder and Emmrich likely knew of each other before the events of Veilguard, but they didn't know each other personally, and primarily moved in different circles. Adder shares a similar history of fear revolving abandonment and a lack of close relationships. They yearn for people that see and treat them the way they do the people they care about, but frequently disappointment, and a tendency to go from zero to a hundred has soured most connections they've made before they've had time to blossom. This has made them much more careful and witholden in their approach to potential new connections, and is the primary reason why they haven't had what they'd consider a real relationship yet by their late 30s. This also means that once mutual attraction was formally established, their relationship with Emmrich probably did deepen more quickly than it should have, and the new relationship energy was both intense and likely a touch insufferable to the people around them. Limerance aside, their relationship, even before they expressed their feelings, was full of affectionate teasing, exasperating each other, inside jokes, and a lot of quiet discussions or periods of silence where they realised how much they truly reflected one another. They did get to know each other rather well before putting their cards on the table.
Visual References:
Spoilers:
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- I made Emmrich a Lich. Adder was positive toward this change, realising how central to Emmrich's identity it was, and they encouraged it, even after Manfred died. Coming from the Necropolis themself, they understand the nobility in Manfred's sacrifice, and the beauty in his willingness to face death for a friend.
- Adder also wishes they hadn't been the one to influence Emmrich's final decision, and they initially regret the choice they made when they witness Emmrich's grief in small ways. They feel powerless to help him as he consistently insists he is okay to spare Rook's feelings, given their role in the decision. Instead, Emmrich insists he is simply adjusting to the intensity of his new state. Either way, it is clear to Rook that he may not have been ready to make the transition when he did, and that he could have waited longer to allow himself time to prepare mentally and grieve his lost friend.
- The two of them do argue a bit about it when Adder attempts to bring up their concerns. Emmrich, still grieving and defensive, interprets it as an admission that Adder wasn't as comfortable with his transition to lichdom as they'd insisted they were. Adder counters with the fact that change is discomfort, and whether or not they were able to bounce back quickly they'd rather not shy away from the important things simply because they are uncomfortable. But Adder does admit that in the moment, it felt as though they were being forced to bear the brunt of an incredibly personal and life changing decision for Emmrich, and they felt pressured to choose an outcome. They believe that perhaps they'd chosen wrong because becoming a Lich leaned into Emmrich's already avoidant nature, though they don't say this thought out loud. Realising how Rook had felt pressured does shift Emmrich's perspctive, and he tries to apologise, but they resolve the fight in a somewhat non-comittal way when Adder becomes overwhelmed and says they'd prefer to talk about it later. They don't talk about it, of course, and it crops up again in a big way in the fight they have before facing Ghilan'nain, where Adder finally directly alludes to both Emmrich's avoidance issues and his perception that Emmrich has simply transfered his fear of death to them.
No comments:
Post a Comment