Here is part 2 of 3 treatises on lyrium so far! It’s nearly 2000 words. Why am I doing this? Because science, and I think this is a plausible explanation of how some of Thedas works. And because my nerdy brain won’t let me rest until I get these headcanons down.
Part 3, Pathophysiology of the Blight Disease and the Origin and Rise of Red Lyrium, has been split off because this is getting really, really long; I’ll post it tomorrow.
ALSO if you actually read this all the way through THERE MAY BE ANATOMIC ILLUSTRATIONS I DOODLED as a bonus!
In Dragon Age: Inquisition, Bianca Davri tells Varric that lyrium is alive, and the cause of red lyrium is the Blight, which only affects living things.
But what is naturally occurring lyrium, anyway?
Lyrium’s most likely analogue in our world is a fungus. Lyrium does not appear to grow in sunlight, making photosynthesis impossible, and is found deep within the earth, as are many molds, deep mushrooms, and lichens. Lyrium also shares characteristics with fungi like mycelia, AKA a fungus’ branching, thread-like vegetative form. There are reports of fungi that may cover over a mile (there is a fungus in Oregon that is believed to be 2.4 miles in diameter and is still only one organism) by way of these projections… which could also be referred to as veins. Lyrium veins are present in both Dragon Age: Origins and DA2, and it is constantly mentioned that lyrium must be mined, despite the fact that you can walk into pieces of it in the Deep Roads – clearly there must be more, much more, beneath the surface.
If lyrium is a living fungus, that allows it to be infected by the Blight.
Why hasn’t lyrium been known to be alive before? There may be several answers for that. Its fruiting bodies or rhizomorphs (the bits of lyrium that Hawke or a Warden stumbles upon in the deep roads) may be so hardened that it seems like to a soft type of mineral, like talc. Given that a rhizomorph is made up of millions of tiny threads of hyphae, you could take a rhizomorph and crumble it, and if the fungus is rather hard, it would not seem unlike a mineral. Keep in mind that no one has developed the microscope in Thedas.
I am a beautiful person. I have a great day. I have a
I love you too much to even be friends with her trying to pick up
The fact I can get it right away with a lot more fun
I am a beautiful person. I am a beautiful person. I am a
the fact I can get it right away with a lot more fun
the fact I can see you soon as possible and to get my
I am so sorry! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
The fact I can get it right away with a lot more to go back
The fact I can see it as an excuse for the next few weeks of
the information contained in this message is not the intended recipient you are not the intended recipient you are not the intended recipient you are not
That is profoundly weird
“I think I can type faster than the speed of light.”
The first time to the first time to the first time to the first time
Thanks again and we have a good to and then the other use of the bath
“I am a complete idiot. Nobody tell Natasha or Kate.”
….is my phone haunted by Hawkeye?! Am I Hawkeye??
“The only thing that would make its way into my life is the only thing.”
Profound.
The fact I can get it right away with the best of the day before I
I am an adult and this is a bit of a sudden it’s like a
I am so glad you are not the intended recipient, you can find a
I am dying this comic will kill you. I am a beautiful person.
“Dragon Age Inquisition the same time as well as the way to work and every.” Yea ok
‘Dragon Age Sebastian romance to be honest I was thinking about few days of using’ me being a Sebastian Vael trash is showing
The fact I can see you soon as possible and to get my nails are
I am not the first time to be able and the best for a few weeks
Modern Alistair is the kind of guy to take out his phone and show people he just met photos of his dog and his girlfriend.
“This is my dog”
“This is my dog hanging out in the backyard”
“This is my dog napping on my girlfriend”
“This is my girlfriend, isn’t she beautiful, don’t answer that, I already know the answer”
“This is the rat that snuck it’s way into our house and was eating all our cheese. I called it the Archdemon. My girlfriend killed it and saved us all. Isn’t she cool?”
Modern Morrigan is the girl groaning in the background as he shoves his phone in everyone’s face.
defending each other to scathing tertiary or otherwise minor characters but ONLY WHEN THE OTHER ISN’T AROUND
reincarnation or time loop or OOOOH TIME TRAVEL SCENARIOS
dramatically saving each other from certain death or barely surviving something that almost makes the other break down and just smirking wearily and mumbling flippant smartass remarks to HIDE THE DEPTH OF THEIR FEELINGS
undercover as lovers, the classic
ALMOST KISSING. like getting so close that they start to close their eyes and hold their breath and then SOMETHING HAPPENS and they jump apart, that is MORE VALUABLE THAN ANY ACTUAL KISSING
casually sitting on each other’s laps during ensemble cast conversations or scenes
If Cullrian were to turn Cinderella, am I right in supposing that Cullen would be the prince to Dorian’s Cinderella?
this was actually the first au I ever thought of for cullrian, I’m p sure
Though I think I made it backwards, in that Dorian was still Cinderella, but he was a prince that wanted to escape the confines of his castle and explore the kingdom around him, and I made Cullen into an awkward stable hand that shows him around the city, totally oblivious that Dorian is the prince, and they become friends because Dorian just keeps sneaking out to go see Cullen but always leaves before dawn instead of midnight and y eah
as you can see, i make AUs as convoluted as possible
I thought it was farm boy Cullen as Cinderella and then rich prince Dorian who longs after him. Then Cullen helps Dorian run away from his oppressive family and they go start a life anew under obscurity and with the riches Dorian brought along with him
im p sure i had two scenarios, and that was the other one
I’m in an RP that takes place after DA:I and somehow got myself into the role of Anders & Justice who became semi-involuntary leaders of the mage revolution which is about to start some shit with the Inquisition for siding with the templars and abandoning Hawke.
Skyhold is currently missing the bridge due to Gaatlok. Just sayin’.
Greek/Roman Inspired Clothing: 1st dress source unavaliable, 2nd dress by Hana Touma, 3rd dress on ebay, 4th dress found here, 5th dress by Madame Gres ,6th dress by Kaufman Franco , 7th dress by J.Mendel, 8th dress by Madame Gres, 9th dress by Jean Desses, 10th dress by Marchesa, 11th dress by 33Jewls, 12th (last) dress by Samuelle Couture
Delicious Fish 