Remembering Those We Lost in the Dragon Age Fandom
IN MEMORIAM
This year, the Dragon Age Day team would like to take a few moments to honor our fallen Thedas heroes— loved ones from our Dragon Age community who were lost too soon over the previous year or two.
Please note that some texts include gender neutral pronouns. Thank you.
Geraldine Blecker
(Shale, Dragon Age: Origins)
Geraldine Blecker, the voice of Shale in Dragon Age: Origins, was an incredible voice actress who brought our beloved golem companion and her unique humor to life. She passed away in December 2021 and is survived by her husband Howard Scarr. They had been together for 26 years, married for 6, and in his words "she was a wonderful person and a wonderful wife."
Fans of Shale particularly love her humor, and how much she despised birds.
One fan said, "Can you blame Shale? I'm sure many of us have gotten pooped on the head by birds ample times to sympathise with Shale. I think that's one of the things I love most about the character and Geraldine's delivery of each line. The humour, the sarcasm, the banter, and the respect Shale garners for the Warden, all delivered with intent, making Shale likeable and personable. She voiced a wonderful character whose company I enjoy every time I play DAO."
The news was first shared in a Reddit post by DragonAgeShale, where fans have chimed in with their favorite lines and dialogue in honor of Geraldine's unforgettable work. She will be greatly missed by the Dragon Age fandom.
Demeta, "MamaNeeda"
Demeta, known to her friends on Twitter as @MamaNeeda ("PoorlyMadeWindSounds") was a passionate Dragon Age fan who was one of the community's funniest, warmest and most joyful voices. She suffered a heart attack and brain damage on October 13, and tributes immediately poured in from across the fandom.
Her friend @ElementalAmber remembers: "Demeta was a lover of fire, her two children, BioWare, a good dirty joke, horror movies and Solas. She loved everything about GDL's performance."
Amber points out a favorite moment from Demeta that illustrated her love of Solas:
Solas: We could make camp?
Demeta: Solas, stop FLIRTING with me!
Amber adds, "She fought hard for everything, and kept most of her struggles to herself. But she was always there if I needed her. She made me laugh in delight or horror every time we talked. She was ready to burn it all down for the people she loved."
Upon Demeta's passing, hundreds of tweets shared grief and sadness, including BioWare writers like Patrick Weekes.
Amber welcomed the chance to pay tribute to a friend loved by so many in her community. "She was our flame princess, our grinning inferno mage. We were lucky to know her."
Keith “Deathwalks61”
Keith, known as Deathwalks61 or “Keefy,” was larger than life. He is remembered as a complete joker who was always laughing. He was caring, kind, and compassionate. He loved the characters in Dragon Age, especially Morrigan. He was also a big fan of the movie Underworld.
His girlfriend of ten years has fond memories of laughing with him until her sides and face hurt, and cherishes the fact that he taught her to never give up. In one of her favorite stories, she remembers him “running down the road, slipping on the curb doing a commando roll and carrying on running as if he meant to do it.”
In speaking about how Keith affected her life, his girlfriend says: “[He] completely changed it, helped me heal, [and] was the love of my life.” Keith will always be remembered for his smile, his laugh, and his love for life.
Keith’s Cousland Warden from Dragon Age: Origins was featured in two of Andrastini’s videos:
We Will Rock You & Warden Friends.
Lyn Lavellan
Lyn Lavellan (they/them) was a massive self-proclaimed nerd who loved fantasy games. In Dragon Age, Lyn particularly appreciated the dwarves—they loved so much about their lore, and were always trying to come up with reasons why the next game in the series should include dwarven mages. They were also a big fan of D&D and Critical Role. Their cats were named Vex and Vax, and Jester was their favorite character.
A good friend of theirs has a particularly special memory of the first night they played D&D with Lyn:
“They were joining an ongoing campaign, and their character was a goblin that myself and the rest of the party rescued from a cell while going through an encounter. It was the jumping off point for our friendship, as we hadn't spoken much until then. At the time I didn't realize it, but it's a favorite [memory] of mine now because of what followed.”
Another treasured memory of Lyn illustrates the love and care they demonstrated towards their friends:
“Last year one of my friends started playing the Dragon Age games for the first time, and she streamed it on Twitch so I could watch her. Lyn joined in and the both of us would be in the chat, making bad jokes and trying to give advice. After that, we all formed a Discord group to keep talking outside of the streams. It became a very comforting place for us all to feel safe and share in our nerdiness, and Lyn would always check in on us to make sure that we were okay.”
Lyn had a tremendous effect on others’ lives. The friend who submitted their memories of Lyn to the Dragon Age Day team notes:
“They were one of my best friends. We spoke nearly every day and even when things were rough for either of us, we still made sure that we knew how much the other cared. Especially last year, being their friend was a very grounding experience that helped me get through 2020 until their passing.”
Lyn is remembered by their friends as compassionate, witty, and clever, with a pun for every situation. They brought joy and light to nearly any conversation. One lesson Lyn imparted to those who knew them is to always remind friends that you love them.
Their friend remembered this with sadness. “I feel like I never said it enough when they were still here. Their passing made me realize that I wouldn't trade a single moment I had with them, and that the heartbreak of losing them was absolutely worth the chance I had to love them.”
A Friend Lost to COVID...
One Dragon Age fan reached out anonymously to say that their friend had lost a sister to COVID-19 last year.
Dragon Age gave them space to grieve, and the chance to remember how they used to share good memories and game tactics together.
They would like to send peace, love, and the Maker’s light to all those who grieve a family member lost to COVID-19.
A Fond Farewell
Thanks to all who submitted your remembrances… and fond farewells to those we lost. We’ll miss you… and we’ll see you in the Fade.