Entry 20: A Codex Entry

If you played an elvan Inquisitor in Dragon Age: Inquisition, you probably had a conversation with Solas about the old elven empire and how spells could take long periods of time to cast. But I imagine the effort of sustaining and building magical energy, Fade or Lyrium based, would take immense energy to prevent burnout. And that is roughly how I feel about this blog in a way. When I first stared in February of this year, I busily cranked out weekly blogs, then slowed my pace as I felt a mana drain coming on and posted two a month. And the last few weeks I fell into silence because not only did I burnout, personal health problems, the details of which are on my Instagram account, forced me to take even more time away from writing, cooking, and playing Dragon Age.

So in an effort to get back on track, I wanted to break down the fourth wall I have been dancing on and detail some changes to Gourmet Vegan Thedas.

First: Check out that lovely logo! Special thanks to Emeldi Art and Illustration for designing exactly what I was thinking. And he takes commissions! Check out the links below for more of his work and his weekly web comic.

Second: Many of you dear readers may have noticed my style of writing is somewhat both in and out of character. The premise for this is really just because it's fun. I enjoy applying Dragon Age symbolism and metaphor to my daily life. But there is a character here in this blog, an elven mage from the Circle Tower who works in Skyhold's kitchen. I use her as a catalyst for my writing. The real me is a very different person. 

My name is Sarah Marie, I occasionally go by "Essem" (because I'm clever), and I love Dragon Age and Bioware. I am presently on a few social media sites in different aspects. You can find me on Twitter under this blog name or search (@)FoodsofThedas. And if you are interested in following the real me on Twitter, you can find me at SMj (or by searching (@)Essem_Jay). I warn you though, I am mouthy, sarcastic, political, and make obscure intellectual jokes. The elven mage who runs the Gourmet Vegan Thedas Twitter account is much more polite.

Breakfast Smoothie Mix, from Entry 8

If you are on Instagram, you may notice that I dance on that fourth wall, in and out of character, along with sharing images of life around my home. Yes, that really is the view from my house. No, I do not actually believe there is a "Maker." I share other content on Instagram like quick recipes for household staples, cat pictures, and adventures in keeping up with my little firesprite.

I'm also on the Dragon Age subreddit, which I utterly love, under the username AGSamuels. I started my Reddit account well before I conceived of this blog and since it is well established, I did not bother to make a new Reddit account just for the blog. That's not really what Reddit is for anyway.

And I roam the servers of Discord. Bioware related, I am on the Dragon Age Universe and Freelancer Codex servers as Duchess Luca, and the Jackdaw Fanclub server as Essem.

And finally, I'm in the Dragon Age Universe Facebook group, which I adore to little pieces!

I dipped my toe in Tumblr once. It is not for me.

(Ever sit down and count all your social media accounts? Surprisingly, it took more thought than I initially anticipated.)

Tiny, Frilly Cakes, from Entry 11

Third: Changes to the blog, effective immediately! From here forward I will be posting new blog entries on the third Thursday of every month. This new schedule will allow me more time to create better quality of content, and accommodates for my new limits and capacities.

There will be some other changes, including new featured topics. I scrapped the Oghren's Drink Specials series and the Around the Web topic. I am also adjusting the Demands of the Qun topic to be its own series (and yes, these entries will have metaphors 😉). 

Take a look at the what's coming below:

Personal Favorites: this series focuses on my own recipes or versions of others' presented with a Thedosian twist. My next entry will be a Personal Favorite perfect for the fall season! I'll be sharing a sneak peek on Instagram the Tuesday before the blog is posted if you want to know more.

Foods of Thedas: my exploratory series, focused on examining food, drink, and trends portrayed in the Dragon Age franchise.

Double Feature - Personal Favorites + Foods of Thedas: in this series, I take a recipe or food concept from the Dragon Age universe, veganize it, and make it! This series is a lot of fun and really challenges me both in the kitchen and at the keyboard.

The Demands of the Qun: this series (my most popular believe it or not) is focused around sustainability and healthy living. This re-vamped series will be debuted in early 2019.

Codex Entries: This series will not be featured frequently. It is meant to be a diary and update series to let you know how things are in my Skyhold's kitchen and what to anticipate here on the blog.

Llomerryn Red, from Entry 5

Fourth: What is not changing is the format and image quality. I write this blog for fun alongside other hobbies I love. I work full time and have a family, too. I do not have a lot of funds or resources available for a more professional-looking site or better equipment. True to my philosophy mentioned in previous Demands of the Qun entries, I use what I have and do the best I can. So while my recipes, images, and site design are certainly not in the same class as most blogs you find through Pinterest, I still love what I have worked on here and don't really want to change my style. However, I will be adjusting my recipes to include prep and cook times, and approximate portion amounts.

And on the note of food and recipes featured, I realize it is not all text-book gourmet. Some of it could barely be described as fancy, but food is what you make of it ultimately (unless it's moldy, in which case it's compost). I may not be a gourmet chef by trade, but the food I make is gourmet to me.

Finally: Thank YOU! I have received an immense amount of support and encouragement from the Dragon Age and gaming circles I am a part of. I am humbled by it all. Thank you for reading my blog. I hope you have enjoyed it, increased your kitchen knowledge, and eat well.

So, from here... Into darkness, unafraid.


Like what you are reading? Great! New entries available on the third Thursday of each month. And have a look at my previous entries for other recipes and Dragon Age-related trivia and oddities!

Have any friendly suggestions or cool ideas? Want me to veganize your favorite recipe? Please feel free to comment below. You can also email me at foodsofthedas@gmail.com, message me at AGSamuels on Reddit, or tweet me at @FoodsofThedas on Twitter. You can also follow me on Instagram, @gourmetveganthedas.

If you try out any of my recipes, please share a picture on social media and use the hashtag (#)gourmetveganthedas or (#)GVTrecipe.


Walk always in the Maker's light.

_

Emeldi Art and Illustration: https://michael-l-davis.artstation.com//
Emeldi Art and Illustration on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/eMeLDi
Emeldi Art and Illustration, Lulu and Muffin on Webtoon: https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/lulu-muffin/list?title_no=192075
Emeldi Art and Illustration on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/emeldi_art

Want some custom artwork? He will draw for you!
_