Very short Dragon Age fanfiction - "The Last Cousland"

I've been neglecting this page more than I mean to, initially since I started working on NaNoWriMo and even more completely when I joined Tumblr to actually participate some Dragon Age fandom more closely than I'd been doing before. But anyway, pretty much none of that is the point of this post.

This particular fic is that point:
The Last Cousland

It's short, less than 1,500 words, but blackthirteen (the current username of the author as of my posting this link, though that changes from time to time) makes every. word. count. This little ficlet or drabble or whatever you want to call it is absolutely fantastic, and is told from the point of view of the Grey Warden's--an alternate female Cousland who appears to be a mage--mabari war hound. If you like anything Dragon Age you should take the few minutes it takes to read this, and if you've ever played as a female Warden at all, it's even more of a must read. Just be aware that even though it's very brief, it's very much a tragedy. I literally started crying at about the halfway point and had to stop reading for a while just to get my emotions under control (and my eyes free of tears so I could actually see my screen) before I finished reading it.

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One way of implementing Dragon Age Origins face morphs on PC WITHOUT using the Toolset

Start out by downloading DAFaceReplacer and, if necessary, also downloading and installing Python (I use the Python version that I linked because I know it's compatible from experience. Supposedly up to version 2.6 is tested with the Face Replacer) to make the Face Replacer work. Once that's done, you can continue with my crappy guide below! (I'm still working on the image size, but if anyone wants the original Word doc I typed this up in--with proper, readable images, just email me and I'll send it your way.)

First, here's a link to the various alterations I've made for Vrania using this method; if you click on the photos in the link you'll get a brief description for each version of the character, plus the final two are the outcome of the specific morph I make in this tutorial and a copy of the original Elissa file I took features from in this example.

FOR THE WAY I ADJUST A CHARACTER USING DA Face Replacer, using my Elissa as the "copy from" and my Vrania as the "copy to" characters:

1. When you first open the Face Replacer, click on "Savegame"
   
   
   
2. "Open Savegame" will become an option, click here.
   
   
3. Browse through to your characters folder (typically in Documents/Bioware) and select the character you want to copy features FROM. In this case I'm going to use my original Elissa. Click "Open" then
   "Saves" and whichever savegame of that character you want to work from
   
1. I always use the most recent save from within the chosen character folder, but you can pick any of them. Pick first the folder for the save you want, then the '.das' file for the actual save.
   
   
4. After opening the save with the features you want to copy, click "Set as Source" just below the green box showing which savegame is selected. This will copy the info from the green box to the "SOURCE FILE" box in the middle column, as well as populate all the details like "Hair model" etc in the bottom half of the middle column.
   
1. I personally jot down the feature codes next to each feature I want to change on the destination file—we’ll do hair model (hf_har_hd4a_0), hair color (t3_har_blk), and eyes color  (pt_eye_dvg) this time.
   
   
5. Now we set a destination file similar to how we did the source file.
   
1. Repeat Steps 2 & 3, choosing the character you want the changes to be visible on.
2. Once the “FILE SELECTED” has changed to reflect the new savegame you’ve chosen, click “Set as Destination”
3. All facial features detail codes will be pre-filled in the right-most column once you click “Set as Destination”
   
   
6. Now you have two options to copy over the features you want from the old character to the new one. IF you were working with the exact face you wanted (for instance, the face morph for any given NPC) and that’s what you wanted to put on your Warden, you could just click “Copy selection to Destination File” and all the features of the Source File character will overwrite the values of the
   Destination File character
   
   
   
7. If you want to do move just some features instead (the way I do when I change Vrania) you can either:
   
1. Manually type in the feature codes you wish to copy. I like the control this gives and this is the way I do the feature changes, period.

                                                             i.     this is especially helpful if you want to use features from more than one source file—load source A, write down the hair model code and then source B, and write down the eye color code, for instance

                                                           ii.     To do this, click on the option in the Destination File column (I have Hair Model selected by default) then click the text box BELOW all the options and type in the new values and click “Set”

                                                      iii.     Repeat for any other features you wish to change. J

2. Uncheck all the boxes in the source file column that you DO NOT want to copy over (for instance, when both characters already have the same skin tone, and various make-up settings, but not the same hair, tattoo, eyes, etc). When only the features you want to change are checked, click “Copy selection to Destination File” like in Step 6 above.
7. Click “Save Destination File” when you’re done. 
8. 
   
   
9. Now boot your game and load the newest save of the character you chose for the destination file. If all the codes were copied/typed in correctly your character’s new appearance will display as if it were how the character always looked!
   
   
    We now have Vrania mimicking Queen Elissa Cousland!

NOTE: I don't know why in god's name it's giving two step 7s here, but it won't let me fix it in either rich text or html mode on this page or on Tumblr's composition windows and it's driving me up the wall. Also, I assume that if you have the face morph for an NPC you can load that morph in at step 2 & 3 using the "Face" and/or "Resource" options, but I haven't tested this far yet. However the morph is loaded, transferring features--or even the entire .mor--to the new character should follow the exact same steps as #5 through the end here.

Oh, fuck you, Paula Deen

Step 1: Promote incredibly unhealthy food. Step 2: "Announce" (finally fucking admit to) the fact that you have diabetes. Step 3: PROFIT.

Yeah, I know, there's no "Step n: ???" in there. That's because Miss Peas, Pls made it very clear where she's making her next buck from. How about giving some--like maybe all--of those fucking proceeds to diabetes research, and not just using them to think up more perverse ways to use butter.

Bites - Paula Deen on diabetes backlash: Some 'were kinda mean about it':

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PS Vita GET!

So yeah, I won't be home for another 10 minutes or so (I'm posting this from the car while Brian's in the grocery store) to be able to crack it open, but picked up my Vita today!
Best Buy only had two of the WiFi models and two of the 3G ones that I could find, and one of the WiFi ones was stashed behind some other items in another department like someone was saving it for later.
Even more, though, when we were at the store last Monday, they had a massive selection of all the launch games. Today? Three copies of Katamari, maybe three to five copies each of Hot Shots Golf & Mod Nation Racers, and nearly 20 copies of Uncharted. I'm a little sad I couldn't pick up a copy of Wipeout today, since I'm eager to test the cross-plat with the PS3. But I suppose if I get the urge that strongly to play the game sooner than later, I can just download it.
Anyway, I should be able to head home in just a minute now, so gonna cut this short.

formspring.me

Ask me anything http://www.formspring.me/BrennaCeDria

Facebook just now getting a feature Blogger's had for at *least* a year.

So according to the linked article, Facebook's going to get a bunch of new buttons users can use to rate posts (I'm assuming across the web, not just on FB itself). I'm just going to be a bit of a snob here and point out that not only has Blogger had "reactions" available for users to add to their blogs, but we're able to customize ours. True, I don't think people actually use the feature here (I know when I had mine enabled, almost no one clicked on any of the reactions) but way to catch up, Facebook.

Digital Life - Facebook's 'Like' button gets new friends: 'LOVE!' 'BOO!' 'OMG!' and many more:

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Silly little additions for SWTOR Early Adopters

Okay, so I'm guessing that I'll get the email mentioned in the fourth bullet point either tomorrow or Saturday; I've done everything else up to the point of "30 days of game time" which should expire tomorrow.

Star Wars: The Old Republic | "Founder" title:

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