#ancient elvhen
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Attempt to rebuild Ancient Elvhenan History
Inspired by the comment made by @gemini-press from the post “The Death of a Titan”. Ironically, as usual, I ended up derailing the question and then coming back to it. I’m sorry, lol.
Yes, I think that in the posts of the comics [The Silent Grove, Those Who Speak, Until We Sleep] we are hinted that the worlds were one, so we can be more or less sure about Fade and Waking World being one in the ancient past [Dragons seem to be the powerful creatures that ruled the skies, and everything "sang the same song"]. Where the humans were and from where they come in all this lore is a big mystery still. Some unreliable codex and books of Thedas claim that most scholars in Thedas think humans came from the north, beyond the map of Thedas. The unreliable Dalish knowledge says that humans came from Par Vollen. But we don't know for sure. Probably it will be explored with DA4, located mostly in Tevinter, since Neomerians [ancient Tevinters] were one of the first groups of humans in appearing in Thedas.
Curiously, we have some kind of proof in ancient elven codices that shows the presence of dwarves [workers of the pillars of Earth in Ancient Elven codices, Temple of Mythal and in Ancient Elven codices; Vir Dirthara] in their time but not about the humans. To me is impossible to speculate what happened with the Elvhenan when they saw for the first time the ancient humans walking Thedas/the Waking World. Because, there is no reliable lore about the origin of the humans, so far.
In Seheron there are ancient [apparently human (and Dwarven too) made] pyramids that seem to honour a religion based on the Sun [codex: The Pyramids of Par Vollen], which is related to the constellation Solium, and who knows if this is somehow related to Elgar'nan in a very obscure way? Are humans creations of Elgar'nan? of Ghilan'nain? We don’t even have hints to speculate, unfortunately. The fact that there is a proto-religion based on the Sun in this place only says that Humans may have inhabited this zone first.
Gaider said that in Par Vollen there was a unique horned race called Fex, but it was never explored or mentioned in another official material besides a guide [I think it was DAI game guide? It was a small paragraph that only claimed that there was a race called Fex, no more]. It seems to be a piece of Gaider’s lore that never made it to the canon seriously.
A bit of more lore about Par Vollen can be found in the tabletop corebook, but this source is always a big question if it is considered truly canon or just circumstantial canon for tabletop sessions.
We also have the war between the Evanuris and the Forgotten Ones, but the lack of lore about the latter ones makes hard to speculate about this part of the Elvhenan history where maybe humans may have been started to appear? [I support the idea that the Forgotten Ones may have been called Old Gods by ancient humans].
At some times, the lore seem to suggest that the Forgotten Ones were dragons that the Evanuris worshipped in the beginning but they hunt them down in order to acquire their divine power. So these dragons hid underground, like the comic The Silent Grove seem to imply. In other hints of lore, we can think that the titans were the Forgotten Ones, which, if it’s true, would make the titans dragons too [maybe colossus dragons?], since dragons and titans seem to have similar impressive power and ability to modify reality to their whims. But again, the proof and the links between these entities are really weak and it's too easy to find counter-arguments for rebuttals: think in each creatures' blood for that, lyrium vs dragon blood, and with that we can destroy this hypothesis.
Attempt to rebuilt Ancient Elvhenan History
So, so far, in order to see where the humans may fit, we could attempt to reconstruct the ancient elvhenan history first, which more or less may follow:
- The skies were ruled by dragons [The Silent Grove]. Maybe Titans, and their creations the dwarves, ruled the earth at the same time, but it's not clear. Everyone "sang the same song" [The Silent Grove], which I think it implies that there was an unclear yet harmonious connection between dragons and Titans. Both creatures have similar incredible powers of modifying Reality. Titans "enhance" and almost create the reality [read “After the end of the DLC” in The Wellspring], while dragons can modify it with somniari powers [they alter the Fade which modifies the Reality, details in lore section of Until We Sleep].
- Elvhenan may have worshipped these dragons originally [ancient codices speak of an association between winged shape and divinity in the Temple of Mythal]. We also have a visual hint of this in the mural we see in the comic The Missing, where we can suspect elvhenan, maybe Evanuris, were wearing dragon-like outfits, similar in design to the current Archon’s outfit in Tevinter [a culture that has worshipped dragons since its origins]
- Because the Titans put in danger Elvhenan society by shaping the Stone and making their cities shake [”Song of Elgar’nan” in Temple of Mythal], the Elvhenan made war against the Titans. By this time, the Forbidden Ones [ancient demons] are exiled from the Evanuris’ lands because they did not fight [against the Titans, I speculate] since they seem to like “form”; therefore, they are exiled to the deep Fade [we don’t know what or where it is, but it may be related to a Titan-like space, more details in “Exile of the Forbidden Ones” in Ancient Elven codices; Vir Dirthara]. Myhtal and Elgar’nan seem to display more symbols of victory against Titans [Elgar’nan has a statue in his honour [ Signs of Victory in Ancient Elven codices; Vir Dirthara] made out of stone that simulates a crumbled mountain, a symbol we can assume represents a defeated titan, while Mythal killed one by herself in the “The Death of a Titan”]
- Winning against the Titans gave Elvhenan more power and new skills. It’s not clear what element gave them the biggest advantage, but probably the use of lyrium or of “something else” [speculated to be a titan’s heart or a process related to changing shape, inspired by Ghilan’nain’s experiments that may include lyrium in it]. This allowed the Evanuris to stop being mere war generals and become “gods”, acquiring the shape of their, until that moment, worshipped gods: the original dragons that ruled the skies, or beign able to modify everyone’s else shape as a sign of power [as The Horror of Hormak seems to imply]. A lot of details and other speculations on this matter in “The Death of a Titan”. From this moment on, Evanuris warred against each other in order to have more and more followers.
-There is a potential danger that this obsession in acquiring “divine shape/power” and control of other beings may have induced the Evanuris to produce experiments as the ones narrated in The Horror of Hormak [General] and The Horror of Hormak [Personal Speculation]. So, they may have created the Blight or Red Lyrium, or some other disease previous to these ones that was hidden by Solas and his followers, when they collapsed some rooms underground. The immense rejection to the Blight and Blight magic that Solas has [Solas sharing Lore: read Part 2] seems to encourage the idea that the Evanuris may have created the Blight with these experiments. More concepts around the Blight in this ask.
- Once the Evanuris had “divine winged shapes” [Falon’Din was Winged Death, check his song and Elgar’nan’s song in Ancient Elven codices, Temple of Mythal], they did not need the original dragons anymore, so they hunt them down [Andruil was obsessed with hunting down the Forgotten Ones in Ancient Elven codices, Temple of Mythal].
The original draconic gods may have been rejected and forced to be called “Forgotten Ones”--forgotten from history--so the Evanuris could have their divine place. That’s how Andruil may have gone to the “Void” to hunt them down. We know that the Void is closer to the Depth of Earth than to a pocket-dimension thanks to the analysis of the words Abyss and Void in “Elven God Andruil” from Temple of Mythal and The Uncharted Abbys, Bastion of the Pure.This means that the Dragons hid underground, to hibernate in safety, and Andruil went to the Abyss/Void, returning with madness [probably contaminated with raw Lyrium, The Blight, or whatever disease their previous experiments caused underground]. As a side-comment, I want to highlight that the only hint we have to assume the Forgotten Ones as Dragons is Hakkon himself: it was hinted in all the DLC that Hakkon, a dragon made out of Fade, was also a “forgotten” entity called Geldauran, that had a deep resentment against some of the Evanuris [details in Frostback Basin [DLC]: Elvhen Tomb]
- It seems likely that, since Mythal was naturally a dragon, the Evanuris may have tried to experiment with her too, and caused her death in a corrupted way [as the Red Lyrium idol seem to suggest], spreading a further more complicated diseased in the process. It is also likely that, since Mythal was the one who stole Andruil’s knowledge of how to reach the Void to hunt down the Forgotten Ones, Mythal was killed because she was protecting the Forgotten Ones. If the Forgotten Ones are the Archdemons/Old Gods, this hypothesis seems to fit this strange interest of Flemeth in protecting Urthemiel, “what once was”. Flemeth also taught Yavana whose role was to protect a grove of dragons. Flemeth seemed to have a strong interest in preserving dragons and ancient beings.
- The assassination of Mythal was somehow related to the power-thirst of the Evanuris, so Solas decided it was enough and banished them in an Elvhen City, the one we know as Golden City. Due to the corruption that potentially Andruil had, they all may have become corrupted/blighted. They seem to be the voice/song that all blighted creatures listen and think it comes from the Archdemons, but the true origin of this song comes from the Black City [this info comes from Avernus in Soldier’s Peak]. So the song we always heard along the games may likely be the Evanuris trapped in the Black City. They may also be the whispers in the Red Lyrium too. A lot of these ideas were worked on in the post: Songs and elements that sing and whisper in DA Lore. There is also a chance that the Black City doesn’t only trap the Evanuris, but the corrupted aspect of Mythal herself, when the Evanuris tried to take her divinity or kill her for experimentation or power. This hypothesis was recently developed in Speculations about the Vinyl Art.
- Solas isolated the Evanuris [and potentially a corrupted Mythal too] and the source of the disease that was going to destroy the world [and according to his words about the Blight in Part 2, it seems that The Blight is the biggest problem of Thedas]. He separated the worlds; Fade and Waking World became two different spaces, causing the crumbling of many elvhenan cities that had a deep connection with the Fade [like the Shattered Library]. Due to the weak hints in unreliable codices of Dalish knowledge, we can speculate that Solas may have sealed the Evanuris in Arlathan, and hid it underground [Ancient Elven codices; Din'an Hanin– Elgar’nan Bastion], gates protected by dragons/forgotten ones who are naturally resistant to this disease, deep below the Deep Roads. He also hid the city’s reflection in the Fade, producing a barrier that makes impossible the access to the Black City reflection from the Fade. It seems that, whatever the Evanuris managed to do and create, was so devastating that Solas used every bit of his energy to isolate it in all worlds, [even the reflection of it] so nobody would be ever tempted again to use such power.
- It is not clear if Red Lyrium appeared when the Evanuris used Titan’s power to acquire “divine shape”, or was an unexpected consequence that Solas may have accidentally caused when he hid the corrupted city with the evanuris sealed in it deep underground. So far, there is lore that claims that Titans are immune to darkspawn and The Blight [The Uncharted Abbys, Bastion of the Pure], but then again... there exist red lyrium [which is blighted lyrium, if we can trust the only source we have for this info: Bianca and her unknown source]. So there is a big chunk of lore we don’t have yet that should exist to make both facts consistent. I’m more inclined to think that Solas caused it accidentally, when hiding the city deep underground; he may have forced the corruption of a Titan from where Red Lyrium came out. So far we know, the first sights of Red Lyrium were in DA2, close to the coast of Kirkwall in the Primeval Thaig and, potentially, in Kal'Hirol: First sight of Red Lyrium, both places are close to one another.
-With the disappearance of the Evanuris, and the creation of the Fade, Elvhenan empire fell, elves lost their immortality, they became prone to illness, and most of them lost magic, becoming easy target to the human empire that has been developing for a long while. From this moment on, the history is all about the Tevinter Empire and its conquer and expansion over Thedas, which is well covered with many codices and lore all over the games and books.
So, this is the maximun I can do in rebuilding the ancient Elvhenan History. In which part of it humans appear is completely unclear to me, and so far I know, there are not trustworthy pieces of lore that explain it.
I suspect that Tevinter worshipped the same gods that the Elvhenan did: the original dragons that later were forced to be “forgotten”. Tevinter seem to have always had a deep rejection to elven things. They were always too eager to steal their knowledge and magic techniques, but it seems unlikely for them to worship the Elvhenan pantheon [however, we don’t know... The Tevinter Mosaics seem to imply that among the Sidereal Magister there was an elf]. Now, worshipping dragons is something we know Tevinter always did. If by that time these dragons had been forgotten by the Elvhenan Empire, it makes sense for the Tevinter to worship them without realising they were ancient gods for the race they always dismissed. So, in this speculation, what the Elvhenan called Forgotten Ones, became, for the humans, the Old Gods.
Were humans slave of the Elvhenan at some point? No lore seem to imply it. But again, there is no lore about humans in Elvhenan sources, so far we know. The most ancient chars that may give some enlightenment also say nothing on that matter: neither Imshael, nor Flemeth, nor Solas, nor Felassan or Abelas.
This hardly answer the question “when the humans appear in Thedas”, or from where, or how. The lore is so overwhelmed by fragments of elvhenan history, that there is nothing about humans until the fall of the Elvhenan empire. Avvar also have no lore about the origin of humans in these lands, their narrations are mostly focused on the expansion of the tribes from the west to the south lands that will end up being Orlais and Ferelden. I put my hopes that Tevinter exploration in DA4, and its libraries, will have a lot of alternative lore from human point of view, and may cover and explains some gaps in the history that we noticed in the elvhenan codices.
The four sides beyond the map of Thedas are filled with extra mysteries that only are commented in some isolated codices or in small paragraphs in the books of Thedas. Each of them more filled with legends and fantasy rumours than facts.
I hope all this long answer may have helped a bit.
#elvhenan#ancient elvhen#tevinter#humans#elvhen#evanuris#titans#dragons#old gods#forgotten ones#attempt to integrate all what we know from *more or less* decent sources#ask#High speculation
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Finally got around to doing some art of my ancient Elvhen twins, Uathalen (left) and Ceda (right)! I have a different post with screencaps of them that has their background, but long story short:
Uathalen and Ceda are twins who were separated at birth and sent to different Evanuris masters, Uathalen to Falon’Din, and Ceda to Mythal. They both survive the fall of Arlathan and flee with other refugees to the Cad’halash Thaig, where several dwarves take them in. When the thaig is attacked, Ceda and Uathalen are urged to go into uthenera, though unfortunately, only Ceda survives. She eventually awakens as a result of the ritual that the Warden, Finn, and Ariane perform, though she remains hidden because she knows she is too weak to face them and doesn’t know why they’re there. After some time, she leaves the thaig and begins to explore the new Thedas, post-Veil.
I have a more detailed backstory for them in this post: here. (Uathalen’s vallaslin is different in that screencap because I’d made him in the CC before deciding who his Evanuris master would be; the vallaslin in this art is the correct one.)
I’m quite happy with how this turned out, especially the shading! More practice with DA OC faces!
#dragon age#dragon age oc#dragon age inquisition#Ancient Elves#lavalampelfchild's art#uathalen#ceda#ancient elvhen
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At home in the shadows. Forgotten dreams.
Solas: Dragon age
Ink on paper
#I just wanted to paint our favorite sad elf#Who doens't cry a bit when you hear Solas thoughts through Cole??? It broke by heart#He hurts#an old pain from before#when everything sang the same. You're real#and it means everyone could be real. It changes everything#but it can't.#ughhjejnfkjeewf#sad egg#look at this pretty ancient elvhen baby#yes he made some questionable life choices but who hasn't? ha ha#I like my favourite character to carry a load of angst and unprocessed trauma on their backs just like the rest of us <3#dragon age inquisition#my fanart#dai#dragon age#again#dragon age: dreadwolf#dread wolf rises#solasmance#fen'harel#the dread wolf#original art#dragon age fanart#dragon age portraits#solavellan#solas#traditional illustration#traditional painting#illutration
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I have this headcannon that the veil weakened the elves significantly that’s also the reason why half elven children don’t look like their elven side. The veil has caused the elves to loose vital “nutrient” for them to grow well. That’s the reason why ancient elves are so much taller in comparison to modern elves.
#dragon age#dragon age inquisition#elves#dalish#elvhen#elvhenan#dragon age origins#dragon age 2#dragon age inquisition trespasser#ancient elvhenan#elf#fenris dragon age#solas#solas dragon age#solas dai#zevran arainai#veil#the fade
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Vir Dirthara: Duel of a Hundred Years
Small story of my elven Inquisitor Thia Da'halla. She is real ancient elvhen who was accidentally drawn into the mess with Corypheus
#dragon age#dainquisition#dragon age fanart#lavellan#inquisitor lavellan#ancient elven inquisitor#da ocs#dai#dragonage#Elvhenan#Arlathan#elvhen
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always want more chance to have Casual Intimacy Moments with romances in bioware games,,,
#dragon age#dai#solas#inquisitor lavellan#they/them lavellan#solavellan#did a paint version of this. learned things. couldn't post XD#so i lined it and made just a quick warm vibe bc........... yes#tevrael lavellan is an absolute nerd/cultural/history/magic buff and always wants to learn more so#solas + lavellan post (and pre) intimacy doing research and studying and discussing all manner of things is SO canon heh#also i just like Magical Pipes so. shhhhhhhh. lavellan found some Ancient Relic Of Arlathan/Post Fall Elvhen Culture and repaired/remade it#spicy herbs shhhhhhh its fine just magical.... somethin.................
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They’re gonna let us reunite with Solas and FINALLY get a romance scene then kill him right after aren’t they?
#please no#I don’t want a tragic romance anymore let me save him#I want dragon age: farming simulation with your ancient elvhen god husband#just let them be happy#solas#solavellan#dragon age 4#da4
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Patterns and Styles: Ancient Elvhenan
For this design there are only two temple/tombs in DAI to explore, and I’m not sure if I count them as an entirely different style than the Elvhenan one, but due to the worn-out of the structures and patterns, it feels different to any Elvhenan building, for example, the Temple of Myhtal [which flowers patterns are perfectly preserved in comparison with the same pattern in these tombs]. There are also some details that suggest this design has been slightly influenced by dwarvish style.
This series of posts are not exhaustive since I’ve developed a very detailed list of tags, tracking certain features of a given design. These posts merely try to gather in one place the symbols and elements I used most of the time when identifying buildings in my analysis of DAI.
[This post is part of the series “Patterns and Styles ”]
[Index page of Dragon Age Lore]
Patterns
The patterns of ancient Elvhen are similar to the Elvhenan ones but some seem to be unique.
1 – This is a curious patterns of five squares rotated 45º, that are repeated sometimes with long spaces in-between. Due to the fact that dwarven style is heavily squared, I think this is an element that shows their influence. We can’t find similar pattern in "Patterns and Styles: Elvhenan”. However, “squares rotated 45º” is a geometrical design used by Tevinter in many wall patterns or fence patterns, so we can assume a common influence: the dwarves, or simply that Tevinter took it from ancient elvhenan design.
2 - This one combines two patterns, one which is shown in 3, and the other is the equidistant square, that emulates a similar pattern than the one that represents strong barriers that we discussed in Murals in DAI: Basics. This is also similar to pattern number 4 in "Patterns and Styles: Elvhenan”.
3 – This one is a peculiar swirly pattern that it is hard to see completely since it’s worn-out. I didn’t find similar pattern among the Elvhenan ones.
4- This is the only pattern from the Elvhenan one that we can detect easily despite its worn-out state: the flowers made out of circles, pattern number 2 from "Patterns and Styles: Elvhenan”.
Architecture
There is little we can say about the architecture of these buildings since we only visited two: Solasan Temple and the Elvhen Tomb in the Frostback Basin. Both looked more like tombs than anything else.
The main characteristic of them is their doors: they kept the same shape in concept art as in game. We know that Tevinters have co-opted or managed to create exact doors in Ferelden, Hinterlands: Redcliffe - Future when Alexius is hidden behind one of these doors which is only activated with red lyrium shards, or in Western Approach: The Still Ruins,Inner Sanctum, where the staff that keeps the time stopped is hidden in a chamber which has this kind of door. It’s not clear if these shards are of the same kind than the ones we find around Thedas.
In these door we see some of the few patterns we detected before, some that emulate the “veil” pattern seen in murals,
and a more rectagular-based design that can be seen in the top and bottom of columns as well. In the lock mechanism we see a figure that looks like a germinating seed or a growing plant, where the shards are introduced. The top of the door displays a star/sun symbol that can be related to the Asterisk Symbol in the elvhenan, or lately, to the sun-like figure that Tevinter kept using to decorate some of its elements.
The shards are another element unique of these doors: they are their key, and design-wise, they are made of stones [strange material for elvhenan] with a skull from which roots emerge, or where roots enter. Around the skull there is a circle that may be related to a proto concept of a Golden Ring.
The shards have been spread all over Thedas since long time ago, invisible to mortal eyes unless a spirit touched said mortal. The Tevinters developed the oculara system to detect them, in which a tranquil has to be killed in the same moment they are possessed [Oculara]. Through the possession, their perception of reality changes because, apparently, their whole person, blood included, changes. I think this has some “in-game scientific foundation” justified by the unique book of Grim Anatomy [eventually I will do a post about this one].
The Avvar, however, could see these shards when Hakkon touched them and guided them to pick them [Leather-Bound Hakkonite Journal], so it seems that this Grim Anatomy book may have some right concepts since Avvar, including the Hakkonite, have a more accurate perception of how the spiritual world works.
With the weakening of the Veil in DAI, these shards seem to have been spotted by other people [ A Worn Diary], apparently without the need of means such as an oculara, but they seem to have been possessed by spirits.
At the top of the temple we see that the shape of the general symbol has been kept the same from the concept art, but not the inside design: the circular figure has been replaced by some layers that emulate scales, as well as the five squares rotated 45º. These elements give the impression of scales, while the overall shape, so squarish, reminds me the shape of the head of Caridin in DAO. What I mean is that this symbol has more dwarvish flavour than what we usually see in elvhen architecture.
The columns of the temple in the concept art did not make it into the game. There are no figures with snakes crawling up, skulls as heads, and a ring behind them as a halo. Instead, this figure was replaced by flowers made out of circles [pattern 2 from “Patterns and Styles: Elvhenan“]. What has been conserved, however, is the column design: they have in the bottom and in the top a series of piled up concrete planks that give a more dwarvish flavour to the design. This kind of column doesn’t exist in Elvhenan design nor in Dwarvish design, curiously.
These columns caught a lot my attention; they appear inside and outside these buildings and even though they give a dwarvish impression, I could not find similar design in dwarvish architecture. In some cases, the columns cross the ceiling to give support to the structure.
Another detail I find very curious is that these temples are carved into the stone instead of being made out of bricks as elvhenan buildings seem to be constructed. This enhance the dwarvish flavour they have.
Decoration
The walls of these buildings have little decoration, likely more as a consequence of the passage of time, I guess. The original patterns, if there were any, may have faded out with the natural erosion, leaving only the patterns of flowers made out of circles. In the walls we also see a shape of what looks like a window frame that, unlike the elvhen architectures, is not the shape of an eluvian, even though the intention seems to be there. In fact, it could be understood as the shape of an eluvian in a dwarvish, geometrical style.
These shapes carved into the stone resemble oversimplified versions of dwarven doors [left side] instead of elvhen ones.
There is really few decorative elements in these places since they are tombs.
The most important ones are the sarcophagi, some elvhen or generic urns like these with a skull at the top, the columns I spoke about above, and the carved windows on the wall. The only extra detail in these places is the Stone in Razikale-Ceremony-style, which I talked about in the post “Razikale Ceremony and Dumat’s Warrior tablets“.
It’s also important to remember that in Solasan Temple, we find a Grey Warden banner in the chamber of fire, when the order did not exist yet [not even the blights did] which I think hides some lore concept hard to guess.
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left to his own devices I wonder if solas is more partial to ancient elvhen fashion or would he go for something more hobo-esque??
point is idk what solas’ real fashion taste is and it’s bothering me like we’ve never seen the man just…. dress for himself. he’s always dressed intentionally depending on what ‘role’ he’s fulfilling.
what he wear on the weekends huh????? what he wear when he isn’t the big bad dread wolf nor an inconspicuous hobo apostate???
#like….. was hobo solas more in line with his personal tastes?#or is the elvhen dread wolf look more his style idk!!!!!!!!!!!#idk why I care about this so much either but it’s IMPORTANT#dragon age#dai#solas
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Dreadwolf won't be centered around Solas
Dreadwolf's big reveal won't be Solas' plan.
It'll be the Titans. More accurately, their connection to Arlathan, the Golden City and the true source of its magic.
The big magical mystery revealed in Inquisition - actually, in Descent - wasn't the Elvhen empire. We already knew the elves made a magical empire where they were immortal.
Sure, we were hit with a few surprises, like the fact that the elven magisters thrived due to slavery, to enslaving their own people.
Other surprises were: part of the empire was located in the realm of dreams, immortality ended with the creation of the Veil, spirits served the elven magisters, etc.
But the biggest reveal was the DEATH OF A TITAN. And by the hand of an elven magister, no less.
By now, every DA player knows about it. And how the afresco where it is presented is in a secret area. As if hidden on purpose.
Add to that Kieran's mysterious lines about ancient magic and a time before the Chantry, such as the ominous line to the dwarven origin Inquisitor - you can't be taller. Not without the Titans - and Shaper Valta's discovery of a living Titan, plus how she broke the age old taboo that dwarves cannot cast magic and you have one of the biggest magical mysteries of Dragon Age.
There are several other indications that Titans will take center stage in DA:D (such a weird acronym):
One, the arrangement of the eluvians around a water pool in the Well of Sorrows mirrors the shape of the Titan's core, where its beating heart is located and where we fight the Guardian.
This means the kings and priests of Arlathan were aware of the existence of Titans and where their heart lay. They likely traveled inside a Titan for some unknown purpose.
And if they did, they learned that the Titan is the source of magic, and that their blood is a way for you to acquire magical powers, even open portals to other realms, such as the Fade and possibly...the Beyond and the Void.
Two, plenty of codexes show the Titans were destroying the cities of the People. For what purpose, we do not know. But the discovery of Titan magic hints that magisters may have mined their bodies for lyrium, angering the stone giants, which lead to Mythal having to kill a Titan.
Three, we find a strange poem in the Fade in DA:I that hints at creatures of same nature being sundered, tainted, asleep and enduring while they wait for the moment to awake. There's every reason to believe they are the Titans, and that the Sundering might refer to when the Veil was created and they lost their connection to the Fade.
Four, Shaper Valta's fate teaches us that dwarves were actually made Tranquil for some reason since their connection to Titans was severed. The reason for it may be the creation of the Veil by Solas' hand.
I want to call your attention to parts three and four because I believe this is the most important fact we know so far: the Sundering, caused by the creation of the Veil was felt by the Titans and turned all dwarves Tranquil.
We never see this said directly in the game because not even the dwarves are aware of it. They completely forgot that part of their history. It's not recorded in the Shaperate, and Shaper Valta hints that the implications of it are quite severe. The entire early period of dwarven history was erased, and it revealed the existence of the Titans and their role in Thedas in the time of Arlathan.
Hence why I believe Dreadwolf will inevitably reveal this big truth, this missing big chunk of Thedosian lore, one that is behind the secret of Arlathan's magic, Elvhen immortality, the true nature of the Golden CIty, of the Fade, the Beyond and the Void.
Once the Veil is no more, the Titans may possibly awake from their slumber. They will be fully connected to the dreaming world, and that can have terrible consequences to the physical aspect of Thedas. If they awaken, they might destroy entire continents, kill millions, entire kingdoms may disappear overnight. They can literally reshape the surface of Thedas. Hence why I believe the consequences of Solas' actions will be apocalyptic. And he's fully aware of it.
As he states to the Inquisitor, as the world burns in the raw chaos, I will rebuild it. What he doesn't mention is that the chaos will be caused not by the arrival of demons or even the Evanuris, but by the cataclysmic actions of the Titans.
I'm really curious to see the full impact of this revelation on a dwarven protag and if they will suddenly develop magical powers once the Titans awaken...
#dragon age#dragon age 4#dreadwolf#dragon age dreadwolf#dragon age speculation#da: dreadwolf#dreadwolf theory#dragon age theory#solas#solas dragon age#dwarves#titans dragon age#arlathan#golden city#theory
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Solas: Dragon age Inquisition
Also known as Fen'Harel, the Dreadwolf. An Ancient Elvhen god.
I had to draw my favorite rift mage all armed up, looking casual yet intimidating and slightly sexy.
Because look at those thighs. I mean, damn.
Made with fineliners, and acrylic ink on paper.
#my fanart#solas#dragon age inquisition#da: dreadwolf#dread wolf rises#solasmance#solas dragon age#dai#solas illustration#illustrations#da fanart#dragon age#the dread egg#I mean it took me quite some time to get the shine going on that armour#but it wanted to do it justice#trespasser#da tresspasser#original artwork#my art
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Unpopular opinion time: I really don’t care for the Titans as a concept. Or rather, I don’t like the way they fit into the worldbuilding of Thedas. It’s a symptom of this ongoing problem BioWare has where everything has to have some grand, shocking twist and an intricate backstory that connects with the intricate backstory of everything else. It’s like a slow power creep to the lore that honestly reminds me most of Supernatural in how desperate it is to outdo itself.
The Dalish Creators aren’t apocryphal characters used to impart moral lessons or explain natural phenomena – they were real, and they weren’t really gods, just super powerful mages who enslaved a bunch of people and used them to build statues!
The Fade isn’t just another, natural layer of existence that only a few can tap into – it was created by Some Guy who decided to fight the Actually Real Elvhen Gods and then had a nap about it for several thousand years!
Lyrium isn’t just a toxic mineral that causes neurological degradation but also happens to enhance magical ability – it’s actually the crystalised blood of an ancient race of giant beings that were hunted to extinction by the Actually Real Elvhen Gods!
The dwarves don’t have Stone Sense because of their specific cultural identity and because their society that’s based underground needs to know how to navigate without the sun – they were literally created by an ancient race of giant beings who decided to make them to the same vague shape as other bipedal mammals for some reason!
(these aren’t the only examples, they do it with everything from character backstories to religious schisms)
It’s like they don’t trust the player to suspend their disbelief in a fantasy world where magic and dragons are real, and the ironic thing is that by dissecting everything instead of just letting these story elements just be, it makes everything about Thedas feel smaller, and less like an intricate, organic world.
In DAO, we’re introduced to many gods – Avvar, Elvhen, Andrastian, as well as the dwarven concept of “the Stone” – and they exist in the role that gods fill in the real world: cultural artifacts that create a shared sense of identity. It makes sense for there to be similarities between the Elvhen Creators and the Avvar pantheon, given the amount of interaction between the two groups before they became isolated by persecution. Similarly, it makes sense that dwarves would have an entirely different theology structured around the material that literally encases them their whole lives and marks them as distinct from the surface-dwelling races. to reduce these belief systems to single, quantifiable truths makes as much sense as trying to claim the Real Zeus was [specific guy] from [specific time period]. It also does such disrespect to the individuals who make up these cultures, and who would have, through history, changed it simply by being part of it.
With the Titans specifically, they weren’t needed. We already had a concept of dwarves that worked well as a framework for the stories being told in the games: insular, rigid caste system, hub of the lyrium trade, collective PTSD from a millennia of fighting darkspawn. It’s cultural background radiation that adds motive and flavour for character actions, and that’s all it needs to be.
We don’t need to know precisely how Stone Sense works, just that it does. We don’t need to know where dwarves – or elves, or qunari, or humans – really come from, it’s enough for the story that they exist within a collective cultural identity. We don’t need to know what lyrium is, we just need to know that bad things happen when characters play with it.
It's fantasy. A wizard did it. The wizard shouldn’t feel the need to pull back his own curtain and then also rip the casing off the mechanism, just to prove how clever he is.
#dragon age meta#bioware critical#let a little ambiguity in guys#just a little mystery#like with chinese painting you want the suggestion of mountains#the imagination fills in the rest
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Mini-headcanons section "Did you know that:"
The ritual puzzles in the Elven temples were not constant and changed on their own from time to time (magic is no doubght~~), and the order of solving them changed accordingly.
For some reason Thia constantly got confused with those puzzles. She could spend hours struggling to find the right solution of these magic tiles (“The Void take them!”) without any result. The inhabitants of the temple chuckled at this without malice, Oracius openly laughed, but refused to give any solving hints😈. And Thia felt very embarrassed when she, the main priest by the way, once again could not solve these stupid puzzles☺
#dragon age#dainquisition#dragon age fanart#ancient elven inquisitor#lavellan#inquisitor lavellan#dai#da ocs#dragonage#Thia Da'halla Lavellan#Elvhenan#Arlathan#Elvhen
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DA Elvish
I separated all of Dragon Age's known Elvish into Nouns, idioms ect
Nouns
Titles/Types of people/Groups
Anaris: – according to an old tale, he was once tricked by Fen'Harel while dueling the Great Hunter Andruil
Andruil: Goddess of the Hunt is the elven Goddess of the Hunt, known also as "blood and force" and the "great hunter."
Arlathvhen: Meeting of the Dalish clans that occurs every ten years. Means "for love of the people."
Asha'bellanar: "The Woman of Many Years." How the Dalish refer to Flemeth.
Da'len: Little child; little one.
Daern'thal: Known Forgotten One
Din: The dead.
Dirthamen: Keeper of Secrets, is the twin brother of Falon'Din and is the elven god of secrets and knowledge, and master of the ravens Fear and Deceit. Dirthamen gave to elves the gift of knowledge and taught them loyalty and faith in family.
Elgar: Spirit.
Dirth'ena enasalin: "Knowledge that led to victory"; the Elvish term for the Arcane Warrior or, more recently, Knight Enchanter disciplines.
Durgen’len: Children of the stone; the Ancient Elvish term for the dwarves.
Elgar'nan: God of Vengeance also known as the All-Father, the Eldest of the Sun and He Who Overthrew His Father—represents fatherhood and vengeance, and leads the pantheon with the goddess Mythal.
Elvhen: Elven name for their own race; our people.
Elvhenan: The name of the elven civilization before the arrival of humans in Thedas; the place of our people.
Era'harel: Demon-mage; similar to an arcane horror.
Evanuris: Leader; Translated by Dorian in context as "mage leader"; what the elvhen called their gods.
Falon: Friend.
Falon'Din: Friend of the Dead, the Guide is the elven God of Death and Fortune and guides the dead to the Beyond. He and his twin brother, Dirthamen, are the eldest children of Elgar'nan the All-Father and Mythal the Protector.
Fen'Harel: The Dread Wolf is an enigmatic trickster god of the elves, whose supposed betrayal of both the benevolent Creators and the malefic Forgotten Ones is the only explanation most elves have for the destruction of Arlathan. Dalish clans view him with wariness and seek to protect themselves and their kin from his treachery. It is revealed by Solas in Mythal's temple that this could be a misinterpretation by the Dalish and instead he was the god of rebellion.
Geldauran: Known Forgotten One
Ghilan'nain: Mother of the Halla is called the Mother of the halla—white deer-like creatures revered by the Dalish and used to pull their aravel, or "landships"—and goddess of navigation.
Ghil-Dirthalen: "One who guides seekers of knowledge true."
Ghilan'him banal'vhen: "The path that leads astray": a derogatory term for Arcane Warriors among those elves who eschewed physical combat.
Hahren'al: A gathering of hahrens during the Arlathvhen.
Hahren: Elder; used as a term of respect by the Dalish as well as by city elves for the leader of an alienage.
Harillen: Opposition.
June: God of the Craft is the elven Master of Crafts. He is variously described either as a brother to Andruil and Sylaise or as Sylaise's husband. He taught the elves to make bows, arrows, and knives to hunt Andruil's gifts.
Lethallin/Lethallan/Lethallen: Casual reference used for someone with whom one is familiar; generally, lethallin is used for males while lethallan is used for females; lethallen has been stated to be the appropriate gender neutral term unless otherwise stated later in canon, though it is likely to remain the same. Note: Though "lethallin" is usually used for males and "lethallan" for females, as stated above
Lethanavir: Another appellation of Falon'Din the elven god of death and fortune who guides the dead to the Beyond.
Mien'harel: Rebellion; depending on the interpretation, a violent call for justice; a concept that when humans push the elven population too far they must remind them that even a "short blade" must be respected; most commonly a term used by city elf.
Mythal: the Great Protector, the Protector and the All-Mother, and goddess of love, is the patron of motherhood and justice and leads the pantheon with her male counterpart, Elgar'nan.
Shemlen: The original name elves use for the human race; continues to see use as a slang term amongst the City Elves ("shems") even though its meaning has largely been lost; literally "quick children".
Somniari: Dreamer.
Sylaise: the Hearthkeeper is the goddess of all the domestic arts and the sister of Andruil the Huntress. Sylaise gave the elves fire, and taught them how to weave rope and thread, and to use herbs and magic for healing purposes.
Vhenallin: Friends of the People.
Nature
Adahl/Adhal: Tree.
Adahlen: Wood.
Alas: Earth, dirt.citation needed
Dahl'amythal: Tree of Mythal from which Dalish Keepers’ staves are cut.
Durgen: Stone.citation needed
Elgara: Sun.
Felandaris: Demon weed.
Vallas: Set, as in the setting of the sun.
Vallasdahlen: Trees planted in remembrance of those who dedicated their lives to the Dalish kingdom that grew into a mighty wood; life-trees.
Vhenadahl: The tree of the people.
Vhen'alas: The land itself, as in "the ground"; literally "our earth".citation needed
Vunin: Day.
Animal
Fen: Wolf.
Hallas: are a type of horned stag; some are herded by the Dalish—who use them to pull their aravels, or landships. Their milk is also made into cheese and butter.[2] The Dalish do not consider them beasts of burden but noble companions. To get them to accompany a clan, the Dalish elves ask rather than force them to.
Hanal'ghilan: Elven name for the mythical golden halla said by the Dalish to appear during times of great need; the pathfinder.
Body/Self
Banal'ras: Shadow.
Renan: Voice.
Taren: Mind.
Vallaslin: Blood writing; The art of tattooing adopted by some elves to more prominently display their worship of the traditional elven pantheon.
Vhenan: Heart; often used as a term of endearment.
Concept
Abelas: Sorrow; to be sorry.
Aravel: A wagon used by the Dalish; also a physical and spiritual path, a journey with purpose. Humans call them "landships."
Atish’an: Peace.
Athim: Humility.
Bellanaris: Eternity.
Din'an: Death; end.
Din'anshiral: A journey of death.
Dirth: A term for knowledge or secrets; tell; speak.citation needed
Enasalin: Victory.
Enansal: Blessing.
Enaste: Favor.
Halani: Help.
Hamin: Rest.
Harellan: Trickster; used by the Dalish to mean "traitor to one's kin".
Melana: Time.
Melanada: All time.
Melava: Time;
Revas: Freedom.
Shiral: Journey.
Sulahn'nehn: Rejoice; joy.
Sulevin: Purpose.
Vir: Way; we.
Weapons/Equipment
Assan: Arrow.
Bor'assan: Bow.
Felassan: Slow arrow.
Mi: Blade.citation needed
Places
Arlathan: The major city of Elvhenan, original homeland of the elves; from the phrase "ar lath’an" meaning, "This place of love".
Banalhan: A name for the Blight or its place of origin; the place of nothing.
Dirthavaren: The promise; the Elven name for the Exalted Plains.
Halamshiral: The capital of the second elven homeland in the Dales; the end of the journey.
Setheneran: Land of waking dreams; a place where the Veil is thin.
Tarasyl'an Te'las: The place where the sky was held back; Ancient Elven name for Skyhold.
Vhenas: Home.
Vir'abelasan: The place of the way of sorrows; refers to the Well of Sorrows.
Other
Aravel: A wagon used by the Dalish; also a physical and spiritual path, a journey with purpose. Humans call them "landships."
Banalhan: A name for the Blight or its place of origin; the place of nothing.
Elgar'arla: Spirit-trap; a binding circle to hold a spirit or demon.
Eluvian: Mirror; literally "seeing glass."
Mi'durgen: Diamond; literally 'blade stone'.
Adjective
Eth: Safe.citation needed
Mirthadra: Honored.
Sa: One; one more.
Shem: Quick.
Tan: Three.
Then: Awake; alert.citation needed
Verb
Abelas: Sorrow; to be sorry.
Dirth: A term for knowledge or secrets; tell; speak.citation needed
Dirthara: Learn;
Dirthera: To tell tales.
Enfenim: To fear.
Ghilana: To guide.
Ghilas: To go.
Harel: To trick or deceive;
Him: Become.
Las: Grant; give.
Lasa ghilan: Grant/give guidance.
Lath: Love of being; to be in love.
Numin: Cry.
Nuvenin: Say, as in “as you say”.
Samahl: Laugh.
Somniar: To dream.
Sulahn'nehn: Rejoice; joy.
Sulahn: Sing.
Uthenera: The name of the ancient practice of immortal elves who would "sleep" once they tired of life; immortal; waking sleep; literally "eternal waking dream".citation needed
Pronoun
Ar: First person pronoun; I, me.
Mala: Your.
Mir: My.
Var: Our.
Vir: Way; we.
Ect
Banal: Never.
Dar: To be.citation needed
In: In.
Ir: I am.
Iras: Where.
Irassal: Wherever.
La: And.
Na: Is.
Pre/Suffix
-an: Suffix indicating place or location.
Da: Diminutive prefix; small.
Idioms
Andaran atish’an: "Enter this place in peace." A formal elven greeting.
Aneth ara: A sociable or friendly greeting, more commonly used among the Dalish themselves rather than with outsiders.
Ara seranna-ma: A way to excuse oneself, such as after a sneeze or belch.
Banal nadas: Nothing is known for certain./Not necessarily.
Boranehn: Lost joy.
Dareth shiral: farewell; literally "Safe journey."
Enasal: Joy in triumph over loss; a variation of joyful relief.
Falon’Din enasal enaste: A prayer for the dead.
Fen'Harel enansal: The Dread Wolf's blessing.
Fen'Harel ma ghilana: "Dread Wolf guides you." Indicates someone being misled.
Halam'shivanas: The sweet sacrifice of duty.
Hellathen: Noble struggle.
Ir abelas: I am sorry.
Lathbora viran: Roughly translated as "the path to a place of lost love," a longing for a thing one can never really know.
Nadas: Inevitability; something that must be; used as an expression of obligation, i.e. "must".
Ma nuvenin: As you say.
Ma vhenan: My heart; sometimes shortened simply to vhenan, "heart"; a term of endearment.
Ma serannas: My thanks./Thank you.
Mana. Ma halani: Help me.
Mythal'enaste: Mythal's favor.
Penshra! Ghilas vellathan!: Politely translated as "I prefer that you remain close."
Revasan: The place where freedom dwells.
Sahlin: Now; is come.
Sa'vunin: One more day.
Solas: Pride; to stand tall.
Solasan: A prideful place.
Suledin: The concept of finding strength in enduring loss or pain; endure.
Tel'abelas: I'm not sorry.
Telanadas: Nothing is inevitable.
Var lath vir suledin!: Our love will endure
Vir enasalin!: We will win!
Vir sumeil: We are close.
Commands/Threats/Curses
Bellanaris Din'an Heem: "Make you dead."
Dirthara-ma: "May you learn." Used as a curse.
Fenedhis: Meaning officially undefined as of yet; a common curse.
Fenedhis lasa: Meaning officially undefined as of yet. A common curse.
Fen'Harel ma halam: "Dread Wolf ends you." A threat.
Garas: Come.
Garas quenathra: "Why are you here?/Why have you come?" Spoken by the voices of the Vir'abelasan
Masal din'an: A threat, meaning unknown.
Na abelas: You'll be sorry.
Na din'an sahlin!: Your death is come!
Na melana sahlin: Your time is come.
Specific Sentences
Ar lasa mala revas: "You are free." More literally "I give you your freedom."
Ar lath ma, vhenan: "I love you, heart/my heart"
Ar-melana dirthavaren. Revas vir-anaris: Fen'Harel’s secret greeting. Meaning unknown.
Atish'all Vir Abelasan: "Enter the path of the Well of Sorrows."
Dirth ma banal. Mar solas ena mar din: "You have learned nothing. Your pride will be your death/downfall." A Dalish saying.
Dirth ma, harellan. Ma banal enasalin. Mar solas ena mar din: Roughly means: "Your pride is responsible for everything that has gone wrong; you will die alone."
Ir abelas, ma vhenan: "I am filled with sorrow for your loss, my heart."
Ir tel'him: I'm me again.
Ma banal las halamshir var vhen: You do nothing to further our people.
Ma harel, da’len: You lie, child.
Ma harel lasa!: You lied to me.
Ma ghilana mir din'an: Guide me into death.
Ma melava halani: You helped me.
Mala suledin nadas: Now you must endure.
Malas amelin ne halam: I hope you find a new name.
Melana en athim las enaste: Now let humility grant favor.
Sulevin ghilana hanin: Roughly translates to "purpose guides to glory". This is an inscription on the back of the Dalish shield called "The Path to Glory".
Sylaise enaste var aravel. Lama, ara las mir lath. Bellanaris.: Dalish marriage vows.
Tel garas solasan: Come not to a prideful place.
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An Argument in Favor of Solas as the Family Dog
It’s been posited, sometimes facetiously, that Solas was the “family dog” in his younger days. It’s a theory I have been kicking around for a while. If I’m right (and I’m probably not) Solas as the equivalent to the family dog makes a lot of sense – especially when it comes to what he has done in the past and what he plans to do in the future.
My theory is based on the number and positioning of the many Fen’Harel statues found throughout Thedas and in some of the places our Inquisitor travels to in Trespasser. There’s also the odd role wolves seem to play in Elven cuture. Finally, there is Solas’ personality. More under the cut.
We see statues of wolves all over the place but generally they are found in front of ancient Elvhen sites. There are statues at the Temple of Mythal, the Temple of Dirthamon and the grove in Crestwood. I also recently found one near Ghilan’nain’s grove. We see a lot of wolf statues in the Dales (we will get to the Emerald Knight companion thing, presently). Given that Fen’Harel was a rebel in ancient times and the equivalent of the Dalish devil in current day Thedas, what gives? Why all the statues? At the very least they should have been destroyed when he rebelled. It doesn’t make sense.
Let’s look at the positioning of the statues. Invariably we see a reclining wolf placed outside what we’ll call the inner sanctuary. That is, they are always at the front before you go into the place you would pray or make your offerings. It’s not a stretch to believe these statues are guarding the temples. We also see wolf statues placed all over the Vir Dirthara. That’s an even weirder place to see them because Solas implies that he isn’t called Fen’Harel until after his rebellion – so why a statue and why one in a guardian position? We do see howling wolves sometimes. They are mostly seen decorating eluvians. Again, they seem to be guarding or protecting something.
Moving along, we learn about the wolf companions the Emerald Knights have. This is also odd. Why wolves? Fen’Harel is theoretically a Trickster God and responsible for locking up the other gods. Usually, when a culture equates a god with negative attributes, people are wary around the animal representing it. Not in this case. These are guardian wolves and there are statues of them all over the Dales. I don’t think all the statues are of wolf companions. Many of the wolf statues are carved into mountainsides and they are gigantic. It would take a long time to create those without magic. And let’s not forget the statues we see underneath waterfalls in Watcher’s Reach and the Exalted Plains. They should be worn away by the water but aren’t. Watcher’s Reach is an old Elven ruin. Magic presumably keeps them from being worn down. Why? Because Fen’Harel is guarding the Dales.
Fen’Harel as guardian can also be seen in Dalish practice. A statue of Fen’Harel is always placed outside the camp to guard against demons. Given that he is thought of as practically a demon himself, this is again, weird behavior.
The stories we hear about him in Masked Empire are also interesting, particularly the Slow Arrow. In it, a village is beset by a monster. The other gods refuse to help so they turn to Fen’Harel. He answers their prayers by showing up. He realizes he can’t defeat the monster. He is then presented with a hard choice. He can attempt to kill it, even though he knows he will probably die and if that happens so will everyone in the village, or he can do something clever and save some of them. So, he launches the slow arrow. The monster comes, kills the adults but dies before it can kill the children. This is in keeping with Solas’ fairly pragmatic personality. It also, illustrates that Fen’Harel, out of all the gods, even Mythal is always willing to come to the aid of the People.
So, what can we make of this? I believe Fen’Harel was and still is tasked with protecting the People. In a sense he fulfills the position of an Aavar hold beast. How did this happen? I’m not sure. Mythal could have called him out of the Fade with the purpose of protecting the People during the war with the Titans. His spirit could have been bound to a giant wolf. In the Deep Roads there is a codex that indicates depictions of Mythal were found alongside those of Fen’Harel. We know spirits can be reborn. If the giant wolf fell in battle, it might have been reborn and placed in an Elvhen body. Was it a body of it’s own or did it share a body in a similar fashion to Anders and Justice?
Solas as guardian of the People fits in other ways. If he wasn’t one of the Evanuris, he would have been part of the inner circle. He has some very nice castles and talks about missing court intrigue. He had status. If he wasn’t one of the Evanuris, serving as their gurad dog would give him that status
Also, in the library, the spirits replay the final days of the elves when the Veil goes up. They are shocked that Fen’Harel would do something like this. Why? He’s been rebelling for a while so why the surprise? Maybe because he’s supposed to protect The People, not hurt them.
What could have happened? As the Evanuris became more corrupt they began hurting the People. They enslaved them, used them for experiments, hunted them and sacrificed them. If your purpose is to protect the People, what do you as a spirit do?
We see how Cole is diverted from his purpose as a spirit of Compassion into a spirit who performs mercy killings. He’s not the exact opposite of Compassion but he isn’t fulfilling his purpose either. A spirit with a body seems to be more complex. It’s not so binary. If Solas was a bound spirit, the only way to protect his charges might be to do what he did.
Fast-forward to the present day. He wakes up, sees how his people are treated and feels duty-bound to do what he can to save them. In this case by tearing down the Veil. It could be seen as a compulsion.
I’ve probably missed a ton of other evidence but in my opinion, all signs point to Solas at one time being the Protector of the People whose purpose was then twisted. I’d be interested in knowing what other people think.
#solas#dragon age inquisition#dragon age#solavellan#dai#solasmance#fen'harel#solas dragon age#solas dread wolf#dai solas#solas meta#dragon age meta
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As a disclaimer: This is very deep in the DA2 approval lore. And this is a very buggy game and I can in no way guarantee that this wasn’t just a programming mistake. And beyond that I think many of the approval point calculations in DA2 were poorly considered, and I would totally be brushing this as one of them if it was about any other two characters. But I’m going to let myself indulge this one and feed my merders agenda m’kay.
Very obsessed with the change in Anders approval rates between the first and second passes on giving Merrill the Arulin’holm. And I really do wonder if it was on purpose and what, if anything, the writers intended to say here.
Without, like, installing the new EA app on my dying laptop and running off to get the screenshots as proof, iirc the first pass happens right after Marethari has given Hawke the Arulin’holm. Merrill is at that point breathing a sigh of relief that Marethari has relinquished it in the first place, and largely taking for granted that Hawke will hand it over.
It’s after that first pass that Merrill realises she has to make a rhetorical claim to the artefact. And her argument is basically this isn’t Hawke’s decision to make and she knows what she’s doing.
And Anders doesn’t have any dialogue here between these two choices but I am intrigued by the possibility that he did find that argument at least partly convincing. Note you do still get +10 approval for refusing to hand it over, so he’s def not broken up about whether Merrill actually gets what she wants here or not. But I like the idea that for a moment he recognises part of himself in Merrill. Like, he may not support what she’s doing or approve of giving her the Arulin’holm, but maybe he approves of the fact that Hawke is deferring to another mage’s decisions and expertise. They are living in a time when the general consensus is that mages shouldn’t be allowed to be in charge of their own lives, in a time when Anders himself is constantly dealing with others’ judgement about the choices he’s made with Justice and the Underground and the sacrifices he’s made with his time and health to sustain them. So maybe Hawke understanding that and responding in defense of mages’ right to those choices is as important in his eyes as whether Hawke agrees with his feelings about the actual choices themselves.
(And all that being said, Marethari handing an ancient Elvhen artefact to a human, knowing Merrill would do anything to get it, knowing Merrill is isolated in an environment when Hawke holds clear social privilege over her, is fucked up in ways Anders won’t even begin to understand. So, yeah, this post isn’t trying to erase any of the ways he’s still being awful in this scene as much as trying to examine the specific nature of how.)
#merrill sabrae#anders#lork dragon age opinions#let's pour one out for fenris whose impulse to defer to authority and jealousy about merr having a mommy when he doesn't#were so fucking strong he forgot all his braincells at home#love you fenris <3#i'm sure he'll find a convenient logical argument to justify the feelings he was already having tho#fenris: blood magic bad#thank you fenris <3
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