#dragon age tinfoil
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"Dreadwolf" as an acronym
Without any chances of getting an answer before the game is out, the joined spelling of "Dreadwolf" has piqued some keen interest.
Due to a completely random association with an old school black and white spy series Stawka większa niż życie, originally aired by Polish TV between 1968 and 1969 and rerun almost all the time until this day right next to Czterej Pancerni, I got a tinfoil idea that might relate to DAD:
D.R.E.A.D.W.O.L.F. is an acronym made of member nicknames within a secret operative group.
It doesn't help that in the aforementioned series, the final villain of the week was a wanted mysterious "Gruppenführer Wolf" (sic), who turned out to be four dudes hiding behind the first letters of their surnames.
#dragon age dreadwolf#dragon age#dragon age: dreadwolf#dragon age meta#dragon age tinfoil#da meta#da tinfoil#old side blog reposts#probably#from cheapertevinterglam
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Everyone is always asking where is Solas and what is Solas doing
but no one ever asks about that stick he's been carrying around. It's clearly very important to him. Wolf has favourite toy ball and stick?
Jokes aside, I'm genuinely curious about the story behind it--like the jawbone amulet! As far as I know, that staff doesn't appear in the game anywhere, but it's in a lot of important imagery. And we know the artists are insanely meaningful and intentional with everything they do, so there is a story.
My basket of little headcanons & more below the cut
>Branch from an important tree, maybe related to the Tree of Mythal (seen in the vallaslin design)
>It looks vaguely wolf shaped, or halla shaped, and maybe he was literally like "this is hilarious" and went with it. Because he would. imagine if Felassan had been there when he got it and it was an inside joke and now he can't throw it away
> We know Skyhold isn't the original structure (at least, there are few pieces of the OG remaining if I recall) but I also entertained the Peace Tree.
There could have been several Peace Trees, idk. BUT, could it be possible the War Table is actually old as fuck and Solas took a branch for himself?
>Solas stole/took the branch from someone. Maybe from Andruil since she has a lot of Tree-themed stories (lol)
>It was a gift from someone important to him.
>Some headcanon from my fic:
"It was an old thing with a natural shape and a gnarled head, little more than a bough that looked as though he'd simply prised it from the roots of a tree and decided no other weapon could compare. There was no telling whether its length had been weathered smooth under the path of his hands or if the magic focused through its grains for years had changed its composition. It looked out of place with all the silver and gilded metal he was otherwise clad in. No one knew where he'd gotten it, or the story behind it—only that he'd had it the day he freed the first slave and every instance after. It had been in his hand the day of her liberation too.
All accompanying him knew the staff. Along with the wolf, the bough had become a symbol known amongst them as one of peace, friendship, and freedom. And all of them had been in bondage—a handful of healers and ex-sentinels—but now they were liberators. They followed Fen'Harel with his staff, fearless and proud."
Okay I'm gonna stop myself there because I can and will go on forever and then I will never do art or writing again.
BUT WAIT: bonus on the Peace Tree thing, cause this is fucking hilarious to me:
#solas#dragon age#dragon age meta#dragon age theories#solas tinfoil all day all night#I think about the stick every time I draw it. Like now. lul
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Let's talk about the Red Lyrium Idol
(…Because it's not like this thing has been discussed to death over the past ten years, right? 😂 *drops my two cents in the Scrooge McDuck money bin*)
Ah yes… The red lyrium idol. The one thing that's given me a headache since 2018, as I'm still trying to figure out how this damn thing could possibly fit into my bazillion tinfoil theories.
Whether it's the first official DA4 teaser in 2018, the Blue Wraith comic series or the entirety of the last chapter of Tevinter Nights, a lot of the supplementary media and promotional stuff setting up the course for DA4 seems to be centered around the idol. Quite literally, in some cases, like this mural from the first 2018 teaser:
It certainly led us to think that the idol won't just be another McGuffin (or so I hope lol), but other than that, it's still heavely shrouded in mystery…
Which is why I will now make an attempt to unravel this and gather every single bit of information we have on it (so far) and maybe that'll get us closer to some sort of answer in the end (actually, it won't, because this got SO long that I had to split this post in two parts lol No one's going to read all of this anyway 💀)!
Look, I just needed to get this behemoth of a post out before we might get an actual substantial trailer tomorrow and none of this will probably matter anymore. 😂💀
(Note: This whole thing was initially intended to be solely for myself to keep track of any information we've gotten about the idol since DA2. But since it's gotten SO long over the years, I figured why not just rewrite it into a somewhat coherent text and post it on here? :D ......Seriously, it's really, REALLY effing long.)
The Idol's Journey so far
To me, the idol always seemed to be something like "The One Ring" in LOTR. A forged ancient artifact with creepy unknown powers that is said to feel "alive", almost as if it possesses a will of its own, seeing as it has somehow found its way from countless random people, back to (presumably) its former owner. It also appears to be somewhat cursed, given that almost everyone who held it at one point seems to have died or gone mad by now (Yeah, I'm very worried about Varric and Hawke 👀).
Let us start with a quick summary of the journey the idol has made in the span of about 12-13 years (not counting the unknown timespan in which the last chapter of Tevinter Nights takes place):
First discovered by Hawke and Varric in an ancient Thaig in the Deep Roads.
Stolen by Bartrand, who then made a quick trip to Rivain.
Sold to Meredith, who turned it into a sword.
Taken out of Meredith's petrified corpse by Carta dwarves.
Sold again to a Tevinter mage, who brought it to House Qintara in Ventus.
Handed to a secret agent of Fen'Harel named Gaius (who was impersonating Magister Qintara).
Traded away to Tractus Danarius.
Handed to Magister Nenealeus at Castellum Tenebris to be used as part of a ritual.
Picked up by Cedric Marquette after the fortress fell, while trying to escape.
Handed back to Tractus Danarius, who then probably (not confirmed) went to Nevarra to perform another blood magic ritual.
Picked up by a Mortalitasi who (maybe) took it to Tevinter.
(Supposedly!) ended up in a vault under an auction house in Llomerryn in Rivain, where it was (supposedly!) retrieved by Solas.
That's quite the journey… that you wouldn't even know half about if you didn't read the comics or Tevinter Nights. But whereas the book and comics were all published after the first teaser trailer in 2018, after which the idol became the center of the fandom's attention and speculation, it should be noted that a connection to the idol was in fact already made way back in 2014, when people noticed that the image of Solas holding Flemeth's lifeless body at the end of Inquisition was very reminiscent of something else.
...Which brings us to the point of what the idol is even depicting to begin with.
Description
Before I'll start to give my own description based on the models in-game, the teaser and concept art, I'd like to quote the people who've actually seen it in person.
In the last chapter of Tevinter Nights, we are being told three tales by three different people, who all describe the same idol differently.
The Carta Assassin: "A couple hugging, too thin to be dwarves - but it's sitting there, glowing softly like a ruby lit by the grace of the Maker himself. […] It's heavier than you'd think - lyrium's heavier than you'd think, too, but this was heavy even for that. When I hefted it in my hand, it was like it wanted to keep moving, like it was liquid inside."
The Mortalitasi: "An idol crafted from red lyrium, which seemed to show two lovers, or a god mourning her sacrifice. It whispered in our minds when we saw it […]."
The Orlesian Bard/Solas: "He whispered something as he picked it up, tracing his gloved fingers gently along the crowned figure who comforted the other."
The one thing that all of these seem to have in common though is two figures who embrace each other in some way.
Which is interesting, because in all the depictions of the idol we've seen so far, it clearly shows three people instead of two. Granted, the third figure is a bit cramped up in the back of the crowned figure, but what's strange is that not even Solas himself mentions this third figure.
Most notable though is the crowned female looking figure in the center, which is holding onto the two other figures on each side of the ring shaped object (or it's the two figures holding onto the female?). The figures themselves look rather goulish, deadly or skeletal, with their bone structure clearly visible and all their expressions captured in a mix of horror or torment. The small carved-in lines coming from the middle figure's eye sockets also resemble black tears, much like we've seen on "The Mother" in Awakening.
There's also no sign of clothing, which is all the more apparent on the concept art of the idol, in which the breast of the middle figure is.. much more prominent. lol (We don't make fun of saggy boobs in this house, it's just nature and gravity after all, but for the sake of observation, I will note that they do remind me of Broodmother boobs, too 😂), aside from a hint of what could be a veil on the middle figure's head.
At the bottom of the idol, the lower bodies of the figures seem to fully submerge within its name-giving red lyrium and this "claw" type thing, which is coming off in the shape of crystalline red lyrium spikes at the tail end, though in the concept art and the DA2 model, these spikes were clearly more like red lyrium roots. But either way, the bottom makes it kinda look like it's been broken/ripped off?
We can also see tentacle like features, that remind me of the figures we've seen in the mural in the 2020 teaser and the depiction in the 25th anniversary book that revealed to us what the Archdemons were initially supposed to look like. 👀
I'd also like to point out that in the original concept art of the idol, the ears of the crowned figure look much more pointy to me than in later versions. 👀
There's also this "ring", that I've seen many people connect to how the Veil is often portrayed in Solas' murals.
But if this ring is supposed to depict the Veil, then what could it mean for the crowned figure reaching across to hold that ominous third figure on the "other side"?
And yes, I recognize that this ominous third figure also seems to be missing a left arm, just like another certain main character. 👀
The one thing that stands out the most though, is probably the crown itself. Most people might first associate it with Andraste, when the same shape can be traced as far back as ancient statues of Mythal.
Yeah, there's definitely a pattern here. 😂
That being said…
Connection to Mythal & Solas
Okay, we all know about the theory that Andraste might have been Mythal's previous host, right? We all know about the parallels between Mythal's story, Andraste, Flemeth, etc. And after comparing the idol to Flemeth and Meredith in their moment of death, considering all of the above/following and how old this thing potentially is, I will now make a wild guess here and argue that the idol is in fact depicting Mythal's death.
"He whispered something as he picked it up, tracing his gloved fingers gently along the crowned figure who comforted the other. But I could not make out the words, for I fear they were elven."
Not only does Solas seem to hold sentimental value for whoever the crowned figure is supposed to be, while also talking to it in elven, but the way he describes to "caress" the idol in Tevinter Nights does also seem to mirror how Flemythal was comforting him at the end of DAI.
However, I always thought it was a bit odd how Solas describes the idol as "a figure comforting another", when… tbh, "comforting" would probably be last thing that comes to my mind when I look at this...
"Agony" would be more fitting here, maybe? lol Kinda begs the question of how Mythal was murdered, too, with this being her expression in her moment of death? 👀
Without getting too much into it here, if there's one thing we can take from everything we've learned so far about their past, Solas' relationship with Mythal must've been a rather complicated one, to say the least.
"He did not want a body, but she asked him to come. He left a scar when he burned her off his face."
Solas calls Mythal "the best of the elven gods", calling her "the mother, protective and fierce", and Solas is even described in the designer's notes as "Mythal's oldest friend" who is all about free will, yet if the spirit origin theory is true and Cole's cryptic comments in Trespasser are in fact about them, it was Mythal who gave Solas a body against his will, potentially bound/enslaved him with her vallaslin, and maybe even forced him to act against his original purpose?
"You should have seen me when I was younger. Hot-blooded and cocky, always ready to fight."
Cole: "You didn't do it to be right. You did it to save them."
Inquisitor: "Solas, what is Cole talking about?"
Solas: "A mistake. One of many made by a much younger elf who was certain he knew everything."
How much of what happened was Solas acting out Mythal's will, or rather, acting out of vengeance and pain in reaction to Mythal's death? How much of it was him acting downright impulsive?
Solas: “Cole is a spirit. The death of the real Cole wounded him, perverted him from his purpose. To regain that part of himself, he must forgive.”
Varric: “You don’t just forgive someone killing you.”
Solas: “You don’t. A spirit can.”
Or was it Mythal's death itself that "wounded him and perverted him from his purpose", just like he described what happened to Cole?
And what does that say about Mythal then, when she clearly hasn't forgiven her murderers and still strives for vengeance after all this time? What if Solas' own perception of Mythal and all the circumstances surrounding her murder is warped because he was once bound to her? 👀
Anyway. To get back to topic.
So if we assume that the idol is in fact depicting Mythal's death, then that brings us to the next question of why the idol is even made of red lyrium? Or rather, what is Mythal's connection to red lyrium?
We know that red lyrium is tainted blood of a Titan. Mythal was the first to kill a Titan and mine their blood for things we won't get into in this post. So, how did the idol end up in the Deep Roads, anyway? How long had it been there? One thing that's kinda strange to me, is how the DA wiki page about the idol says that it was forged by the dwarves, solely based on the fact that it was initially found in the Deep Roads, when we have no actual evidence for that. We've seen statues of both Mythal and the Dread Wolf in the Deep Road section in Trespasser where the mining of lyrium was undergone, but we don't know if the dwarves even had any part in building them as well.
Would the dwarves forge an idol of the elven deity who conquered them and killed their Titan, if they were somehow forced to do so? We also have to remember that dwarves were and still are the only ones able to actually mine raw lyrium safely, but even the Carta dwarves in Tevinter Nights had to take several precautions in order to recover the red lyrium idol from Meredith's corpse. And even then, many of them still fell shaking or went mad in its presence like Bartrand.
So if it only takes that little exposure to have that much of an effect on someone's sanity, how were the ancient dwarves or anyone even able to create it in the first place? What if the idol was initially made of blue lyrium but was then somehow corrupted?
And if we take one moment to really think about what an idol actually is.
"An object representing extreme devotion and religious worship to a god."
While Solas doesn't think of any of the Evanuris as actual gods, he still seems to hold Mythal at such a high regard that he wouldn't even speak of her at a sacred place like the Temple of Mythal (whether or not that was because he just wanted to withhold any secret ancient knowledge). He's able to fully recite the invocation to Mythal if you bring him with you to her altar. He also looks exactly like the sentinels in Mythal's temple.
I could go on, but generally speaking, there are so many little hints pointing to Solas being a former slave/servant of Mythal that, again, we won't get into here, but it's important to mention when trying to figure out why the idol (presumably) even belongs to Solas.
"The idol's journey is now complete, and it has found its master."
In Tevinter Nights, the Dread Wolf claims that the red lyrium idol belongs to him. He also made sure to punish those who tried to misuse it, going so far as to march in with an entire army of spirits and snapping a guy's neck with his jaw. (Yup, you're better off not to touch the Dread Wolf's stuff for dirty blood rituals, kids.)
"You use my idol carelessly, and in doing so, you threaten all creation."
Additionally, in the last chapter of Tevinter Nights, Charter and other spies conclude that Solas must need the idol for whatever ritual he's planning, while Solas in Bard disguise claims that he's already in possession of the idol now and therefore, I quote, "cannot be stopped". (Though I personally still don't actually buy a single thing about his vivid tale at that auction house, but we'll get back to this later. lol)
And if the idol belongs to Solas, was he the one who created it, or did he order the dwarves or someone else to make it for him? But why would he intentionally make an idol out of red lyrium, anyway? He is fully aware of the dangers and corruption that comes with being exposed to red lyrium and its use. Especially considering that red lyrium is blighted and how he repeatedly expresses great concern over the Blights and gets furious over the Grey Wardens' attempts to preempt them by killing the Archdemons (because he obviously knows more than us).
So, does he know a way to use it without getting corrupted like everyone else? The Seekers of Truth are so far the only ones we've seen to be immune to red lyrium thanks to having their minds touched by a spirit of Faith during their vigil. Could Solas' connection to spirits/his hypothetical spirit origin allow him to use the idol without it effecting him?
But if any of this is true, then l'm again asking myself what even was the purpose of the idol to begin with? Why or when was it created? How does it differ from any other red lyrium, and what could Solas have used it for in the ancient past?
Powers & Effects
So, let's talk about what this thing can actually do (as far as we know).
(Btw, this is the part where I will shamelessly copy a lot straight from the DA wiki, because truth be told, I'm just a German struggling with limited vocabulary and I figured there's simply no way to summarize this any better than the wiki already has. 💀)
Just like any other red lyrium, we know that being exposed to the idol for too long will make you mad/paranoid/possessive/violent, while also grant you special powers, until overuse causes your body to be completely overtaken by red lyrium. It seems to thin the Veil wherever it is currently kept, allowing spirits or demons to interact with the physical world.
It also emanates a song that is slowly turning people who hear it insane.
The Song
"It sings… sick music."
"It eats you inside until you're nothing."
"It creeps into your thoughts, humming."
"They hear a different song. The song behind the door old whispers want opened. They are dead and dark and done."
"Songs screaming far away. It wants to wake up but can't remember how."
(- Cole's comments about red lyrium/red templars)
After Bartrand took the idol and left Varric and Hawke to die in the primeval Thaig, he started hearing voices, claiming the idol was "singing" to him. Even after selling it, Bartrand could still hear the idol and was eventually driven mad by its red lyrium.
Three years later, it is discovered that Bartrand had chipped a piece of the idol off and left it in his estate, which causes the house to behave like it was haunted and the Veil was torn.
Then during the "Haunted" quest, Varric himself remarks several times to hear music while walking through the estate, much like the Carta assassin in Tevinter Nights recalled to have heard "music in the wind, like some old song I heard as a kid but can't quite remember" when obtaining the idol from Meredith's corpse.
Important to mention here is that Varric seems to also be the only one in the party able to hear this song.
Varric: "Hey… is that music? Where is that coming from?"
Hawke: "In don't hear anything."
Varric: "Where is that singing coming from? You hear it, right, Hawke?"
Varric: "Where is that voice coming from?"
Hawke: "What voice?"
Varric: "I can barely hear it… I wish I could make out the words."
Varric also told us that, after Bartrand went mad, he tortured his non-dwarven servants by cutting pieces off them to help them "hear the song".
(And remember, the idol was found in an ancient primeval Thaig in the Deep Roads, sitting on something like an altar, indicating that it was being worshiped by the ancient dwarves as well. Presumably because they too were being influenced by the idol's/red lyrium's song?)
Haunted
During the "Haunted" quest, we learn that the mere presence of a shard of the idol in the estate causes:
"Voices whispering in the walls"
Random objects moving on their own
Apparitions/screaming spirits appear running across the floors
When Varric picks up the piece of the idol, he starts to exhibit the same symptoms of madness Bartrand showed, at which point Hawke can either let Varric keep the piece, or can take it from him with the intent of having Sandal destroy it.
If Hawke asks Anders to diagnose Bartrand in Act 2, he suspects a demon at work, however Bartrand is a dwarf. Instead, he determines that "his mind has been poisoned by something powerful".
In Tevinter Nights, the Carta assassin recalls that, in the attempt to retrieve the idol from Meredith's corpse, most of his colleagues fell shaking and whispering the closer they got to it.
Meredith
After Bartrand sold the idol to Meredith, she reshapes it into her sword Certainty, which does eventually drive her insane as well. It also gives her unnatural powers, such as the ability to animate the statues in the Gallows, and even limited flight capabilities.
(My question is though, were the things happening in that final fight directly caused by the idol or was this just the result of the Veil being already weakened that much by the many terrible things that happened at that place/Kirkwall in general?)
Anyhow, during the final battle at the Gallows, Meredith overuses the lyrium sword, causing it to burst into dust and petrify her into a statue.
Though as we all know now, some part of Meredith seems to have survived somehow, as her… mind(?) or something was shown to now still "live" within the red lyrium somewhere in Kirkwall at the end of Absolution. She (or "it") also seems to have somewhat control over the red templars now, too.
So, how is this possible? What exactly is she now, if it even is herself and not just a manifestation/echo of her memories or something? Could it have something to do with the idol? No one really knows (and we might never find out, if Netflix won't give us a second season, anyway lol), but I do think it's curious how the idol is likely depicting Mythal's death, who didn't actually die either and lived on through the ages as a type of lingering "wisp" clinging to various hosts. 👀
I also want to point out how Solas did suspiciously include Meredith's petrified corpse in his mural in the 2020 teaser as well, placing her right under that ominous upside down figure with the tentacles.
Furthermore, just like Meredith, the idol also seems to be somewhat indestructable. lol After Meredith's sword burst into dust, it regrew inside her petrified corpse (which Solas was apparently also aware of). What's interesting is that it regenerated in Meredith's chest of all places. You know, like, where the heart is supposed to be? 👀
Then there's also this curious line from Anders, when talking about Varric acting strange after obtaining a shard of the idol:
"This thing's magic seems only more potent when broken."
I've mentioned it before, but with the spikes (or roots in DA2) at the bottom part of the idol making it look like it was ripped or broken off of something, you have to wonder if its current state is somewhat broken, even after regenerating.
"Hot-Blooded"
During the Haunted quest, Fenris will remark this:
"Whatever is here is angry."
In DAI, Cole repeatedly comments on how red lyrium feels "very angry" and how it is "less angry when it's cold". We know for a fact that red lyrium emanates a noticeable heat. A corrupted Bartrand is especially weak to cold/ice magic.
While anger is generally associated with heat, I find this aspect particularly interesting, given that red lyrium is tainted blood of a Titan.
And building on that, while still searching for further connections between red lyrium, the idol and Mythal… Remember how the ancient sarcophagus in the Blue Wraith and Dark Fortress comic was used in a ritual, in which lyrium combined with fire of a Great dragon carved lyrium infused markings into Fenris' and Shirallas' skin, granting them special powers.
Not only was this ancient sarcophagus specifically built only for elves, and its design resembling that of Mythal's statues…
…but here we have a case in which lyrium is purposefully "set on fire" by a Great dragon to create "elven super soldiers". Mythal is always depicted as a dragon. And she mined lyrium in humongous amounts.
Again, red lyrium emanates heat. If this was common practice in ancient times, then I feel like it's not surprising that a Titan would eventually be pretty damn angry in reaction to its blood being continuously burned for centuries [insert boiling blood joke here].
So, aside from the red lyrium being blighted, could there be a connection in Mythal burning the Titans' blood? As far as we know, it did take a couple of aeons in which Mythal (presumably) continued to mine (and burn?) the Titans' blood, before the ancient elves sealed the Deep Roads for good, because they discovered something… bad. As Solas himself declares in the vision described at the mural depicting a Titan's death:
"Let this place be forgotten. Let no one wake its anger."
"The vision grows dark. An aeon seems to pass. Then the runes crackle, as if filled with an angry energy. A new vision appears: elves collapsing caverns, sealing the Deep Roads with stone and magic."
"Terror, heart-pounding, ice-cold, as the last of the spells is cast."
And there it is again. That anger we're talking about. What's so interesting to me, is how this does sort of come full circle with Mythal and the idol after all, since the motivation behind Mythal's actions, even after thousands of years, remains her unwavering desire for vengeance upon the people who betrayed and murdered her, which, in a way, does mirror the same anger/heat that the Titan is emanating from its tainted blood.
And speaking of blood……
A Ritual Blade
In Tevinter Nights, we learned that the idol is able to produce a blade, which is then used as part of a blood magic ritual.
"The Tevinter mage was killing his slaves. […] He had cut the throat of one of them, and then another, catching the blood of his victims on the idol as he made his way around the circle. […] The Tevinter mage raised the idol before him, and I saw a spike of lyrium spring from the base of the idol, so that all at once, it was not merely an idol, but a ritual blade. He slashed his own hand, and a wave of power pulsed through the cavern. It was as though we were the blood, and the cavern was the body through which it flowed, and we fell, all of us, to the ground, our minds pulled into the raw chaos of the Fade by the power of his ritual."
In the end of the Dark Fortress comic, the idol produced another red lyrium sword, that could be fully detached and was then placed onto the before-mentioned sarcophagus, turning Shirallas into a raving beserker that was pretty much invincible as long as he was in possession of that same sword.
While the blue lyrium infused sword that was used in Fenris' ritual simply dissolved in the process, the sword produced by the idol could "regenerate" and was especially resistant to Great dragon fire.
"Unlike the lyrium-infused swords of the so-called Arcane warriors, this sword should survive the ritual."
In the final fight against him, Marquette comments on how Shirallas "feeds energy to the sword from the red lyrium in his veins" and how in turn "the sword heals his wounds".
So in both the comic and Tevinter Nights, the idol/the weapon produced from the idol seems to draw power specifically from the blood of its wielder. It makes me wonder if it was initially intended to be used this way, since we have to remember that it still presumably belongs to Solas, who claims to not practice blood magic, because it seems to make it more difficult to enter the Fade.
Which is ironic, given what the mage in Tevinter Nights did to disrupt the Fade, but also how the Magisters Sidereal used a massive blood ritual to enter the Fade physically.
And oddly enough, in your first conversation with Solas about blood magic, he makes this curious analogy with daggers as an example…
Inquisitor: Every time I've seen blood magic used, it has been for some evil purpose.
Solas: I once saw a woman being stabbed in the stomach with a dagger. She died slowly, in angony. It was repulsive. If the Chantry outlawed daggers, would that stop the people from using it? Of course not. […]"
Inquisitor: "You don't need to sacrifice a slave's life to make a dagger."
Solas: "I suppose it depends upon the dagger."
So… Could Solas be referencing Mythal's death here? Or what if the dagger here is referring to the idol in its blade form? What the heck does he mean by "I suppose it depends upon the dagger"? Was a slave's life sacrificed to create the idol maybe?
But if blood magic wasn't the sole purpose for why it was made, then what else could the idol as a ritual blade be used for?
Which brings us to…
Dalish mythology
According to Dalish legends, Fen'Harel told the Creators and the Forgotten Ones that the Avvar had forged a "terrible weapon", a blade that would end the war between both clans of gods. He told the Creators that it was forged in the heavens, while the Forgotten Ones were told that it was hidden in the Abyss. And when the gods went seeking it, Fen'Harel sealed them both in their realms forever.
Okay. So, let's just assume for a second that the blade in this legend was actually the idol in its blade form. Because hell, what are the odds of having two "super powerful ancient blades that belong to Solas"? lol
If they are in fact the same weapon and the part about Solas tricking the gods is true, why were the Evanuris and the Forgotten Ones so eager to get this thing, to the point that they would fell into a trap?
And with this, I'd also like to point out the level design in the scene in which Flemeth takes Kieran's Old God soul in the Fade. I can't help but feel like the statue of Dirthamen being stabbed in the back with a sword, crying a stream of blood, resulting in a huge pool of blood, as well as a bloody ouroboros symbol on the ground, is a very deliberate design choice. Especially considering the context of this scene with the revelation about Flemeth and Mythal, I'd argue this is all in reference to how Mythal was betrayed and murdered.
Again, the idol could depict Mythal in her moment of death. In the final fresco in the rotunda, the one Solas never finished before leaving the Inquisition, we see a wolf looming over a dragon slain by a blade.
In the last visual of the 2022 cinematic that, going by Varric's narration, could potentially depict the destruction of the Veil, Solas appears to hold something that resembles a blade with a very destinct handle. Additionally, we've since discovered an icon hidden on the Steam page of DA4, that shows a dagger with an identical shape and the same glowy purple as the Dreadwolf title.
So we have the idol in its blade form, the blade Mythal was potentially slain with, the blade Solas is holding in the 2022 cinematic, Solas mentioning a dagger in relation to blood magic and Fen'Harel's blade in Dalish legends.
That's a lot of blades... and a lot of blood. lol
The Hunt of the Fell Wolf
"The Hunt of the Fell Wolf" is the title of a poem that can be found in the Jaws of Hakkon DLC. It tells a story of former Inquisitor Ameridan, his friend Haron and their fight against a demon wolf.
Along with numerous odd things in this tale that could be interpreted as some kind of metaphor (or just the devs messing with us, if you want to know more, please check out this post), it also mentions an "idol of fade-touched stone" in connection to the demon wolf.
The wounded knight in darkness
Found within the cavern’s gloom
An idol of fade-touched stone,
Which could prove the monster’s doom.
In the poem, after a grim fight, the wolf takes Ameridan's friend Haron to its lair, a "labyrinth of winding cave" (which many believe is referring to the Deep Roads, just like the ancient Thaig in DA2 where Hawke and Varric found the red lyrium idol originally) where Haron, oddly enough, also happens to find an idol. What's intruiging though, is that this idol seems to be connected to the wolf in such a way that he can only be defeated if both him and the idol are destroyed and struck down at the same time.
With burning blade, Ameridan
And monster met again
Whilst elsewhere did Haron valiantly
With demon-wards contend.
As demon-stone was shattered,
Ameridan struck true:
Beast and spirit—both felled at once,
Though neither hunter knew.
"Beast and spirit—both felled at once"
Two entities that are connected across two different places… as in the physical body and the spirit maybe?
As in the waking world and the Fade?
So, let's reiterate.
The red lyrium idol belongs to the Dread Wolf. Cole remarks how he can feel that Solas is "in both places". The word "Dread Wolf" itself is an anagram for "World" and "Fade". We've talked about the popular spirit origin theory before, Solas taking a physical form against his will because of Mythal. The whole matter of Solas' "true name" before he called himself Pride. Solas' entire personal quest, which may or may not mirror his own past, a spirit of Wisdom being denied its original purpose, turning into a pride demon ("He wants to give wisdom not orders"). His strange remarks at the end of Cole's personal quest ("We cannot change our nature by wishing"). The fact that Solas makes Cole forget about his true identity, just like spirit!Cole does. The visual portrayal of Solas "consuming" Flemeth's powers at the end of DAI. The way in which Solas doesn't recognize anyone in the waking world as "people", but will vehemently debate you on why spirits should be considered people.
"But the People… They need me." (- Solas to Flemeth at the end of DAI)
"Never again." (- Solas after burning the mages who were responsible for Wisdom's corruption)
"From this moment, should you ever bind a spirit, your life is mine." (- the Dread Wolf's final warning to the mages in Tevinter Nights)
All of this considered, what could the poem in JOH imply for the connection between Solas and the Dread Wolf/the Dread Wolf and the idol?
"They made bodies from the Earth, and the Earth was afraid. It fought back, but they made it forget."
One theory assumes that the creation of the Veil lead to the separation of the ancient elves' bodies and their souls/spirits, assuming that before the creation of the Veil, the Evanuris somehow made bodies from the Titans/lyrium for spirits to manifest and then enslaved/bound them to their will by marking those bodies with their vallaslin.
But if that's true, then what happened to Solas when he created the Veil?
"He broke the dreams to stop the old dreams from waking. The wolf chews its leg off to escape the trap."
In all the murals, tarot cards and illustrations, the Dread Wolf and Solas are always depicted separately.
What really IS the Dread Wolf? And what is he to Solas?
"It was a beast unlike any I had ever seen. Lupine in appearance, but the size of a high dragon, with shaggy spiked hide and six burning eyes like a pride demon, and it came to us on wings of fire that resolved themselves into a horde of lesser demons."
From what little we know of the Dread Wolf himself, he only seems to exist within the Fade (that is to say, before the Veil, Solas was already depicted as a wolf, presumably even before his rebellion and before the Evanuris "bestowed" him with the title "Fen'Harel"). In the Mortalitasi's tale in Tevinter Nights, his army of spirits follows the mages back to the waking world, yet the Dread Wolf himself remains in the Fade. In one of the frescoes in the rotunda, Solas portrays the Black City surrounded by the six burning red eyes that resemble those of the Dread Wolf, almost like he's keeping watch over the eternal prison of those he banished. In the Tower tarot card, the Dread Wolf is ominously looming over Solas, almost like it's about to consume him, while in one of the Trespasser murals, it looks more like the Dread Wolf follows his lead. And then there's the DA4 2018 teaser mural, in which they're opposing each other, only seperated by the red lyrium idol in the center of the Veil.
If the red lyrium idol is connected to Solas like the idol in the poem is connected to the wolf, could this be part of the reason Solas is so desperate to find it? Does it possess some kind of spirit? Can the Dread Wolf only be defeated if the idol is destroyed at the same time, just like in the poem?
Where is it now?
So where's the damn thing now?
Well, in my opinion, there are two options.
Option 1) The bard's tale in Tevinter Nights was complete bullshit. lol
Despite Solas trying to convince us that he already obtained the idol in a vault some time ago under an auction house in Llomerryn, it's possible that, much like his whole charade in that chapter, this tale was also entirely fabricated. lol
To make it short, here is a list of arguments for why the "bard's tale" could've been a complete lie:
Solas attended this spy meeting specifically for information on the idol's whereabouts (because he doesn't actually know where it is currently?).
Everything until the last two pages was an act.
Both the Mortalitasi and the Carta Assassin point out several contradictions within his tale.
Upon hearing the other spies assuming that he needs the idol, it would just make sense that he would want them/Charter to believe that he’s now in possession of the idol and “cannot be stopped”, so that they would drop all effort to find it before him.
On the very last page of the book, there's a lists of bullet points of information when Charter is about to write down her report, and it does not explicitly say “He has the idol” but rather just what it looks like, which suggests that Charter didn’t buy his story either.
So if this was all lies, the last known location of the idol would therefore be the unknown person who took it when escaping from the Dread Wolf's spirit army in the Grand Necropolis in the tale of the Mortalitasi.
Meaning that Solas would therefore still be searching for it now. (Which would actually be kind of hilarious, considering how there's likely gonna be a ten year timeskip since DAI, so he would've been searching for the flippin thing for the better part of a decade now. 😂 We know from the end of the Blue Wraith comics that he had followed the idol's path via eluvian, but maybe he just lost track of it at some point? In fact, the last we heard from him, Solas was apparently busy pursuing some Venatori people to get another ancient artifact called the Crucious Stone in the The Missing comic, much like he prevented the Tevinter mage in Nevarra from using his idol. Solas after ten years of searching for the idol was probably like "Oh fuck it, I give up, on to McGuffin Nr 2 then". lmao)
In an interview with the comic writers Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir, they talked about how in their initial draft of Dark Fortress, Solas actually *got* the idol(!!) from two of his agents by using the eluvian located at Nenealeus' place before BioWare stepped in and requested a change. 👀 That version would've explained how Solas was able to track the idol through the eluvian we see at the end. Their own interpretation was that Solas can only overlook a certain radius within the area of where another eluvian is located. Which would actually support the assumption that Solas might've lost track of the idol at some point after Nenealeus left the place… but that's just their interpretation and not official BioWare canon (yet), sooo…. Hm.
Option 2) Solas has the idol now.
So let's assume that the part about him obtaining the idol in Tevinter Nights was actually true and it's now in his possession.
Aside from this, the only thing that could speak for Solas already having the idol in the beginning of DA4, is once again the final visual in the 2022 cinematic.
If this cinematic is in fact playing at the beginning of the game as a general re-introduction to the lore and the last visual is depicting Solas in the middle of destroying the Veil using the idol, then.. well yeah, there it is, in his hand…. at least, for now. Making Solas succeed in the first 10 minutes, I guess? lol
……Unless!
See, a few years ago, I speculated about how the idol might actually be the perfect plot device/motivation for our new protagonist to get involved in the whole Solas deal without even knowing who he is.
Let's say the last visual in the 2022 cinematic is actually showing us a hypothetical scenario, and not something that has already happened/is currently happening. Like, Varric gives this expository narration explaining who Solas is and what might happen if we don't succeed in getting the idol. (Notice how Varric says "And we're the only ones who can stop him" at the end… Like there's still a chance to stop him before this actually happens.) We know from Tevinter Nights that Charter knows that Solas needs the idol for whatever ritual he's planning. And Charter obviously informed the Inquisition/Varric about this as well. So the next logical step for the Inquisition now would be to obtain the idol (whether or not the bard's tale in TN was true) to prevent this ritual at any cost, right?
The comic The Missing re-emphasized that Varric is now in charge of getting people that Solas doesn't know. And this might be where the new protagonist gets recruited by Varric (who is still a spymaster after all) and gets assigned the alias "Rook" for a heist mission to obtain the idol. (And after a very thorough observation of the DA4 reddit leaks from 2023… it looks like Rook might've actually succeeded in this potential quest?)
While we don't know when the stuff in the leaks actually takes place within DA4's storyline, I think it's safe to say that Rook will obtain the idol at some point in the story and that it will play a pivotal role, if the blurb on the Steam page for DA4 is to be believed. lol
As well as what could likely end up being the game's icon, found on the Steam page.
And again, remember how in the Hunt of the Fell Wolf poem, it seemed like Ameridan struck the wolf’s body in the waking world, while his friend Haron killed the spirit (inside the idol?) in the Fade. What could this imply for DA4 then, if we are applying the role of Ameridan, Haron and the wolf in this tale to the Inquisitor, Rook and Solas?? 👀 Is this how we can stop him? The Inquisitor confronts Solas in the waking world, while Rook has to destroy the idol/fight the Dread Wolf in the Fade?
Or could it just be a metaphor for the Inquisitor in DA4 keeping Solas occupied to distract him from Rook, while they can figure out another secret way to deal with him/how to get/destroy the idol?
See, the thing is, we have to remember that this is after all, a video game. lol Meaning that, if our protagonist gets to carry around a powerful ancient artifact/weapon, I would assume that this has to be somehow implemented in the gameplay as well. What we can take from the short footage of the 2023 reddit leak, is that Rook might carry the idol (if it really IS the same thing) while still fighting with their own main weapon in combat. So, what if the idol serves as more of a special power tool outside of combat, for example, like the anchor did in DAI, where it can only be used for special occasions? Let's say, the idol in its blade form can't be used in battle but is able to "split" the Veil or reality, like the anchor was able to open and close rifts? Or, if we assume that the idol is something like an ancient phylactery (which btw is my favorite theory and I will talk about in my second post), maybe it can be used as some kind of "tracking device"? Actually, I'm super curious to learn how Rook is even able to carry it like this in the first place, since we know what kind of effect it usually has on people. lol
~~~~~
Anyway, I'll make a hard cut here now and save the rest of this behemoth of a post for a second separate post (because I also just realized that tumblr doesn't let me add any more images 😂💀), so if any of you actually made it this far... thank you for being just as crazy as me about this and I will post the second part shortly after. lol ❤
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still thinking about the DA4 gameplay reveal, now with wild speculation about the Evanuris:
So, i think thedinanshiral's breakdown of which Evanuris is which is probably right, based on everything we've seen so far. The circle-shaped headpiece almost certainly belongs to Elgar'nan and the bow-shaped headpiece is very possibly Andruil. (Also this means Elgar'nan's statue is the one that fell on Solas.)
And Andruil and Elgar'nan aren't exactly an intuitive pair, they don't have much in the way of myths linking them together - if you (the game devs) want to unleash two and only two elven gods, why them? Wouldn't the lovers Andruil and Ghilan'nain be a more natural pair? Or the twins Falon'din and Dirthamen?
But. Assuming there's a link between the seven Old God archdemons and the seven trapped Evanuris.
I tend to believe that Elgar'nan corresponds to Dumat, and that Andruil who hunted in the Void and went mad and "howled things meant to be forgotten" corresponds to Zazikel the Dragon of Chaos.
In other words, the archdemons of the very first and second Blights. The very first two archdemons to die, in order.
Which makes sense if, as previously suspected, the archdemons were part of Solas's method of keeping the evanuris sealed, and that's why he was so upset about the wardens killing them. There are a whole lot of ifs piled on top of ifs here, but. If the order the archdemons were killed in is the same order the elven gods are breaking free, then Elgar'nan and Andruil are exactly the first two gods you'd expect to see.
#dragon age#da4#dumaker'nan#getting out the conspiracy theory board putting on my tinfoil hat - dragon age is truly back
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Are we going to talk about how the Inquisitor customization is implied to be at the start of the game?
All I’m saying is,
if the Inquisitor ever does confront Solas, there would probably need to be an NPC fallback for apathetic inquisitors or new players who don’t care about the cameo
the Hawke CC popped up right before they appeared
#dragon age the veilguard#da4 spoilers#da4 speculation#dragon age inquistor#dragon age inquisition spoilers#dragon age inquisition#hawke dragon age#yes I’m aware this is peak tinfoil#but tbh it could be an elegant way to get the Inquisitor out of the picture fast#would explain why the ritual is at the start of the game
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is he holding a dagger? 👀
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Dragon Age Thoughts: Elvhen Gods, Old Gods
The High Dragons exist in the waking world of Thedas, holding the Evanuris at bay. I like to think each High Dragon is a Seal for an Evanuris but they are also the point at which each Evanuris is closest to interacting with the world, like a small bared window of the door to their prison, they whisper through them.
These High Dragon are also intelligent. With the whispering of their prisoners they grow wiser and more powerful. The Elvanuiris could be the Old Gods, but I think that High Dragons after so long being so close to power because Teventer’s Old Gods.
There are also 7 Magisters Sidereal, each a High Priest to one of the Olds Gods, who breached the Golden City. Each one was called to enter the Golden City by their god with promises of power.
I think it is important to note that there was no longer communication between the Old Gods and their followers after the Magister’s entered the Fade. I think it could be because this is when the dragon were made to sleep.
My weird thought is that the Taint might be the trapped Elvanuris’ corrupted attempt at the same magic that they used for the slave markings which Solas removed in the past.
I think those original Slave Markings, written in lyrium (titan blood), were not just for show. I think they were a form of binding and way to control. That the Taint has a psychic, hive-mind component makes me think this even more so.
I think this attempt is also what created the qunari, but perhaps because they are dragon-like the Old Gods / Arch-dragons were trying to copy cat the Elvanuris in a way since they are so old.
Reciprocally we have met only two of ‘The Seven’ Magisters, Corypheus and the Architect. I would have thought it was because theirs were the Gods who had dragons still sleeping but that is not so. Coryphyeus was High Priest to Dumat, the first archedemon. The Architect’s Old God, Urthemiel, was the Archedemon killed in the 5th Blight (DAO) and possibly the soul saved by Morrigan. Sadly the Architect had been trying to cleanse his God of the Taint prior to it’s awakening.
There is another fan theory that Andraste held Dumat’s soul which I am inclined to believe. If this is so then that would be 2 souls saves, 3 souls lost, and 2 souls remaining.
I am wondering if saving the two remaining dragon soul might be important. This would be interesting because it would make a choice from DAO have an extreme consequence later in game.
(Also very random and maybe nothing, but there are seven points on Andraste’s crown)
Do you like my tinfoil hat?
#dragon age thoughts#andraste#dragon age meta#tinfoil is a fashion statement#dragon age dreadwolf theory
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stuff i was thinking out loud about on discord-- it makes me wonder if red lyrium is the result of a failed or undermined (sabotaged?) immune response, or if it's a fail safe, which still leaves the question of if it's of material origin. of what it predates. of who or what conceived of it originally. was it a conscious implementation? a disease-based weapon, used in war? a contamination?
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Now I’m wondering if the fact that you have a quest to earn the Avvar favor like you did the Dalish favor is on purpose or a recycled mechanic.
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A friend's been playing through DAI for the first time and it's been AGONY having to be like "oh you know ☺️ it's up to you" when they've come asking about "should I support Celene or Gaspard" and "Inquisitor or Morrigan??" because I just want to lore dump SO BAD but I want them to be able to experience the game without being influenced by my 13 year long hyperfixation lmao
#olivia plays dragon age#they spoiled themself about the Solas stuff by watching the latest dreadwolf trailer so at least we can talk about that 😂#but I'm so excited for them to finish so I can convince them to read Tevinter Nights and then#then the tinfoil discussions can begin
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Why is Hades 2 Nemesis accidentally designed with physical resemblance to Flemeth and her daughters. Pls I am seething in themes and patterns
#rant#hades 2 spoilers#hades 2#dragon age origins#dao#dai#morrigan#yavana#flemeth#nemesis hades#dragon age tinfoil
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I don’t give a shit how long you have been waiting for Dreadwolf. Don’t play it. Don’t buy it. Don’t talk about it. Bioware destroyed itself so that EA shareholders could squeeze more blood for a stone.
#it also looks an awful lot#like bioware destroyed itself#so it could starve union efforts#but that’s tinfoil hat stuff#bioware#dragon age#da: dreadwolf
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So, on the new teaser published on DA Day this year, while I won't even try to go as in-depth as the amazing @felassan already did, compiling everything of note in this excellent post, like the sleep deprived German with limited vocabulary that I am, I'm just gonna add my little two cents to it, hopefully not repeating too much of what has already been mentioned. 😁
So why not start with the caption here!
This honestly made me snort out loud. 😂 I mean, it's like BioWare is not even trying anymore to be subtle about the fact that Thedas has we know it is 100% doomed. lol And yes, I know we all joke about Thedas constantly being in Apocalypse mode, but this time it really feels like some massive change is approaching.
But to be specific, I am pretty confident in that this is referring to both the destruction of the Veil, as well as the freed Evanuris dooming the world through some kind of mega Blight.
When I first read the word "revelation", it immediately made me think of Solas' Tower tarot card. The Tower literally represents sudden, disruptive revelation and potentially destructive change. While "damnation" is the concept of a divine punishment, to be "doomed to suffer in hell forever".
And as felassan theorized, if the last person in the teaser speaking is Elgar'nan, and if he is in fact connected to the Old God Lusacan, who is the God of Night, bringing about the "eternal night" and darkness…
“Lusacan, the Dragon of Night, calls to you. He lives where it is darkest and waits for the day he will rise. Drink of his blood and know the power in darkness: either fear the Night or wield it."
"The darkspawn yearn to awaken and corrupt Lusacan to start a new age of darkness."
“A night that will never end”
...Whereas the "revelation"/Solas tearing down the Veil, to me at least, always seemed to be associated with light or "purification" (for lack of a better word), with how it was described in Sandal’s prophecy and the way the destruction of the Veil was portrayed in the 2022 cinematic, almost blindlingly bright. (Also, "Solas" literally means "light" in Irish. lol)
„One day the magic will come back. All of it. Everyone will be just as they were. The shadows will part. And the skies will open wide. When he rises, everyone will see.“
So I think, like this "revelation" contrasts the "damnation", like Light and Darkness, at least in terms of visual language, there could be a hint of a figurative, as well as a literal "clashing" of two opposing forces? Like, both are destructive, but like The Tower represents destruction in order to rebuild/to enforce new growth/for the soul to evolve, while the damnation is nothing but irreparable corruption?
Anyway! So generally speaking, the teaser highlights yet again three of the factions/places we've seen in all the 2020 teaser/concept art/books/comics. It looked absolutely gorgeous and the voice over gave me goosebumps, as well as the amazing score again (that may or may not be composed by Hans Zimmer and/or Lorne Balfe lol I wonder) and the sound design! <3333 Though what’s curious to me, is that neither the Shadow Dragons of Tevinter or the Veil Jumpers from the Arlathan Forest were mentioned this time around…
So, I think this time the teaser might be more about the main plot beats/quests in the game than about the protagonist's potential origins, like how in DAO and DAI, you travelled to various places gathering allies and completed their respective narratives first before facing the main threat. Each of the places shown is coupled with a voice over from what is most likely gonna be an important character in each of these plot beats.
The fact that they changed the word "hero" in the plot blurb on the official DA website to "leader" is also.. interesting. It kinda reminds me of when Mark Darrah mentioned that the "vision statement" for Joplin was gonna be "We would be heroes, but the records are sealed". 👀 Or maybe the new protagonist might not be so heroic after all and more on the morally grey spectrum, which is always nice to explore. lol Makes me also yet again wonder about the "They call me the Dread Wolf. What will they call you when this is over?" line, meaning that, no matter how heroic our actions might be, in the end history might still remember us as the villain.
Antiva
This looks phenomenal and if they actually manage to realize a city as big as what this suggests AND fill it with meaningful content and people (side-eyeing you, Val Royeaux lol), it will blow my mind! lol Like felassan said, I'm very curious if we're gonna do some Assassin's Creed style "parkour" here, like what was kinda described in the short story "As We Fly" from last year! The Crows as the only real military defense of Antiva, particularly in Treviso, seem to be in deep trouble now, having been invaded by the Antaam and if you look closely, you can actually see the banner of the Qunari being displayed in the city!
"We fight for everyone. And we always will. The Crows rule Antiva."
My first thought hearing the voice here was actually Caterina Dellamorte. The lines express authority or leadership and it's also a more elderly sounding voice (to me at least), so Caterina as the First Talon would make a lot of sense to me! There have also been lots of speculation about her grandson, Lucanis, being a potential companion as well.
Rivain
(Oh no, all of Rivain got eaten by a squid. lol)
I've been hoping to go there ever since I first saw concept art of Rivain, and this is still giving me huge Pirates of the Caribbean (but with magic) vibes. 😂 As someone who thoroughly enjoyed playing AC Black Flag like ten years ago, this looks VERY promising! Though please, if we're getting any kind of underwater combat (like with the Vinsomer mentioned in the codex entry from last year), just don't make me fight dragons underwater, I'm still traumatized by the Lagiacrus in Monster Hunter Tri. 💀
"Glory to the risen gods. They come to deliver this world."
As to who is saying this, honestly, no idea. 😂 The blurb on the website mentions dragons in this place acting up for some reason, and the line sounds very cultist. lol But I'm definitely with felassan here, too, that this has to be connected to the Evanuris as well, given this GIANT squid thing on the map and all of the horrifying ocean related stuff linked to Ghilan'nain and her monstrosities, my money is also on her being one of these "risen gods".
And honestly… If I was a simple sailor or pirate and then one day I would see this emerge from the ocean…
….I'd probably start believing in these "gods", too. lmao
Anderfels
Next up, we're going to the Anderfels and Weisshaupt and I don't really have anything to add to what has already been said, other than "Shit is definitely Going Down Here". lol Lorewise, it would be crazy to go there and learn more about the very beginnings of the Wardens at their headquarters, so.. given the lines, the ominous sound of battle in the background here and some *things* from those reddit leaks earlier this year (felassan made a great post about this too, but spoiler warning of course!).. I just hope there will be enough left of Weisshaupt to explore after all this. lol
"Grey Wardens don't hide in our castle. I won't ask good soldiers to turn tail and run."
My first guess was the First Warden as well, but felassan actually made a few very good points here that make me question it… 🤔
I was also wondering what these "pillar ring" things are and while I first thought some kind of magical defense mechanism, I saw a reddit user suggesting that these rings could be part of a griffon training flight path?? Hell YEAH. #BringBackGriffonsInDA4
"Tremors have been creating disturbances of late. Their cause is unknown. Upon the distant horizon, a storm of ominous intent brews and darkens the skies."
That is a very interesting description, given that the sky in *this* concept art (which is definitely also showing Weisshaupt), is quite clearly the opposite of "dark". lol
(*looking suspiciously at the things I mentioned at the beginning here about "Light and Darkness" clashing* 👀👀👀 Maybe Solas came to visit here, too, because he just loves the Wardens, right? lol)
You know, if I read the words "tremors" and "Grey Wardens", my natural conclusion is "Something something Old Gods Underground + Grey Wardens Trying to Kill Them Before They Awake = Nothing Good" (and let's not forget about the eleven(!!) mountains/Ghilan'nain's ancient pools underground mentioned in Tevinter Nights as well), keeping in mind that Solas gets furious about the Wardens deliberately searching them out and slaying them (because he obviously knows what's gonna happen if all of them are slayed(!)), and in DAI there was already something ominous going on at Weisshaupt...
And all of this coupled with the new vinyl artwork and all the promotional stuff for DA4 so far, makes me feel like the Wardens will be busier than ever before...
Seven semi-circles with two of them still "lit" and the "tambourine"/Veil looking more broken with each new update....
Seven Old Gods/Evanuris that were banished when Solas created the Veil.....
Seven mirrors shattering....
Seven gates of the Black City, which Kordillus Drakon prophesied will someday shatter and cover both the mortal and spirit realms in darkness....
And speaking of "DARKNESS COVERING BOTH REALMS".....
Tevinter
One word: TENDRILS. lmao
So the last shot shows a big part of Tevinter on the map, most of it covered in purple clouds and tendrils...
Followed by a voice that had me like
"All the world will soon share the peace and comfort of my reign."
First off, that voice actor sounds SO familiar, omg, who IS that?? Someone suggested Joseph Capp, the voice of the Shadow Prince from Divinity 2 and that fits perfectly (DOS2 has quite a few VAs from DA actually and funnily enough, the Shadow Prince is part of Sebille's main quest, who's voiced by Alix Wilton Regan lol) Whoever it is, they're doing a great job at sending a shiver down my spine. lol Like, you can just TELL, he's the Real Deal. "Peace and Comfort" never sounded more menacing. 👀
Alright, so I'll make this short, and say that I'm also very very confident that this is Elgar'nan speaking.
People have suggested the Archon, the Black Divine, some Venatori or Qunari leader, but honestly guys, none of these make much sense to me when looking at the bigger picture here (aside from the visual hints I've talked about earlier). Like, this teaser is obviously trying to set this person up as a serious threat to *the whole world*, and the only way I can see this work would be if this person held just as much or more power than Solas, because if they don't, they would just end up being a secondary concern, like another Corypheus…
You just don't market a game by suddenly introducing a new smaller threat to *"AAALL THE WORLD"* less powerful than the one we already have, you know. 😂 And imo, the only one "outmatching" Solas in terms of power, at this point, would be Elgar'nan or any of the elven gods. Or literally the Blight itself/the Titans.
And then there's this
"Hundreds of years in the making."
We know who has been directing the course of history for ages behind the curtains… I mean, the entire series has been building towards Mythal getting her vengeance.. and what better way to finally get to that point than to bring her husband into the narrative, the one who was potentially the main instigator of the Evanuris's betrayal and Mythal's murder. 👀
(There's one thing I need to say though, and I know this is the silliest of nitpicks, but.. if that guy really does turn out to be Elgar'nan, am I the only one who thinks it's really funny how he's just… talking British English/the common tongue like that? 😂 I mean, I 100% get why they cannot make the actors talk in ancient elven with subtitles for the whole game (something I personally really appreciated when they did it for some of the ancient elves and spirits in DAI), like Corypheus wasn't talking in the old tongue either, and I feel like there are multiple reasons for why this just wouldn't work. And if we're looking for a lore reason, I guess even the imprisoned Evanuris had somehow enough access to people's dreams over the course of thousand years to learn the languages of present Thedas as much as Solas or any other ancient elf like Abelas or Felassan did, but it's still funny to me nonetheless. lol)
Anyway, the teaser ends with a dragon's growling sound and then another wolf howling in the back, which I interpreted as Solas giving Elgar'nan a fair warning here that he's indeed still the title-giving DAD character. lol If we get to see these guys battling it out for real, like Giant Demon Wolf vs Black City Sized Blighted Dragon, it's already the best game in my book. lol
You just know someone at BioWare is having a blast at coming up with as many references to Solas' Trespasser dialogue to put in these blog posts as possible. 😂 I just hope they can keep this promise, cuz I have a LOT of questions (and I need Solas to answer ALL of them lol).
Hmmm... You "hope so", yes? Well, after *this* teaser I sure *hope* that the sentiment of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" still holds true in this particular situation, because I'd rather still be on Team Solas if I have to choose between "revelation" and "damnation". 👀
I guess we'll see next summer... 😁
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Based on the odd number of companions in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, may I present a tinfoil theory?
Solas is the 7th companion and can be recruited, Loghain-style if the protagonist opts to/is able to spare him.
We'll have two companions for each class, which leaves an odd one out, and it would make sense if the 7th companion has strings attached, because you don't technically need a third mage/rogue/warrior with the way the game is set up.
I just really love the idea of Solas having to work to clean up his mess and that his story ends with more than just "redemption through death", and this would also allow people who want to kill him to do so because they'll already have a full party.
This would also work with the tradition of BioWare always bringing back a previous companion in the subsequent game.
Also I would love if Solas survives so he and Iris are able to go off and disappear somewhere.
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DA: The Veilguard Predictions/Theories, pt. 3
Okay, last one, I promise. And this one is, uhhhhhh, real strong on the tinfoil. Bear with me.
Read part 1 here :)
Read part 2 here :)
3. DA:D’s Real Big Bad™
Okay, this is probably my most outrageous and unsubstantiated theory - but it’s also the one I’m most excited for. Buckle up, kids, because I think The Architect is back!
So, when Bioware released the Dragon Age Day 2023 Thedas Calls trailer, Mark Darrah mentioned in the corresponding blog post that there was more to the trailer than just location reveals, “for those who listen closely.” Well, lemme tell you, I listened real close over and over again until something struck me.
“All the world will soon share the peace and comfort of my reign.”
That voice… I know that voice, don't I?
“I do not seek to rule my brethren. I only seek to release them from their chains.”
The Architect told the Warden in Dragon Age: Awakening that it intended to use Grey Warden blood to return self-awareness and “freedom” to the Darkspawn, freeing them from their tethers to the Archdemons.
But this was not The Architect’s first plan. No, its first plan was much, much worse. In The Calling, Maric, Duncan, Fiona and the other Grey Warden’s meet The Architect in the Deep Roads and learn that its plan is to spread the Blight over all of Thedas, thus ensuring a “lasting peace”. Nevermind that two-thirds of the population wouldn’t survive the process. **stares in solavellan**
A “lasting peace.”
“The peace and comfort of my reign.”
Now, sure, The Architect has stated that it doesn’t want to rule over its brethren, but that was in 9:31 Dragon. It’s been working on this plan since at least 9:10 Dragon (when The Calling takes place) and Dreadwolf is likely to take place somewhere around 9:52 Dragon. The Architect has had 40 years to scheme and experiment and come to the bitter realization that – if there is to be peace – it may have to rule after all.
And I’m sure Corypheus’s rise and fall did not go unnoticed by The Architect. With Solas’s machinations putting a ticking clock on Thedas’s existence, perhaps The Architect feels the pressure to end the Blights once and for all, and bring its corrupted brand of “peace” to Thedas.
When you need to spread the Darkspawn taint in record time, what do you do? Oh, I don’t know. Maybe awaken two Archdemons simultaneously and unleash them upon the world? (as a treat?) After all, there can be no more Blights once all the Old Gods have been corrupted…
Which would directly pit The Architect against Solas AND the protagonists of DA:D. And, basically everyone, because no one wants a double Blight and/or to suffer a continent-wide Darkspawn plague.
So, yeah. That’s my super-duper tin-foil hat theory for Dreadwolf (now The Veilguard). Obviously, I could be completely wrong about everything. There’s so much lore in Dragon Age, and yet so little of that lore is unequivocally proven true. It’s all in-world texts that can be – and frequently are – wrong. So, even with exhaustive research and codex mining, there’s ALWAYS a chance that some fundamental piece of “evidence” turns out to just be… incorrect.
In my opinion, that’s part of what makes this series so. effing. compelling. The whole world feels like an excavation, one where every interaction holds the potential for yet another clue. So, even if I am wrong, I can’t wait to learn the truth.
#dragon age#da4 meta#dragon age: the veilguard#dragon age: dreadwolf#the architect#the magisters sidereal#dragon age: the calling#dragon age: awakening
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Lore: Titans
What we know about titans is little and sparse pre-DA4. Somethings that we do know about them are:
Also known as "the pillars of the earth"
They created the dwarves, they are potentially "The Stone" that dwarves refer to.
Alternatively the titans themselves are children of "The Stone", but created the dwarves. They consider the dwarves to be their children.
Lyrium comes from titans, it is considered to be their "blood".
The titans emanate a song from lyrium, it is different from the Blight.
Titans use earthquakes to shape the earth, they also previously used "Shapers" to carve valleys into the earth.
Their size is so vast it is impossible to describe it according to Valta. They're large enough to support life within themselves, from plants to dwarves like the Sha-Brytol.
Titans enable the dwarves to have a hive mind connection with it and others.
History
At least one titan has been killed by the Evanuris - specifically Mythal. Though it is suggested that it was multiple titans.
Ancient elves mined the bodies of titans' for lyrium, but out of fear, they eventually sealed them with stone and magic. They cited that "what the Evanuris in their greed could unleash would destroy all in its anger."
Before the Dragon Age, the last time a titan was known to be awake was -1170 Ancient. Before the fall of Arlathan and before the First Blight. Both instances were the same titan.
After -1170 Ancient there is no mention of the titans in Orzammar's memories. Though there are two texts that mention titans, they predate the First Blight.
Orzammar became the capital of the dwarven kingdom after the titan awoke in -1170 Ancient.
Known Titans
We only have the confirmed location (specific or general) of two titans.
Heidrun Thaig - it is the focus of the entire Descent DLC
Orlais - It is a super general and non-specified location but it is mentioned on the handle of Tug's axe that "The Stone lives beneath Orlais." It is also mentioned by the Nexus Golem in da2 in the Abandoned Thaig. Given that the stone is a reference to titans, we know there is one somewhere in Orlais.
Theoretical Titans
These are locations for titans that are mostly theory and locations I've seen others in the fandom talk about.
Temple of Sacred Ashes - I have seen this one floating around and I have some doubts. Mostly since we don't really know how big titans are, we can't rule out that it is the same titan as the one under Heidrun Thaig.
Which, considering they can cause earthquakes and are described as impossibly vast, more so than a giant or a high dragon, they're erring on the side of large for sure. Coupled with Valta saying she wanders through the body of the titan for an unknown amount of time and hasn't seen all of it, only adds to just how inexplicably large it is.
Along with that, if you keep with the scale of Ferelden being the size of England then from the thaig to the temple is only a 16 day journey (240 miles/386.24 km). Adding on the scaling math I have for the depth of Heidrun - being deeper than Mariana's Trench - the Titan could very well stretch that far.
Primeval Thaig - If this was indicative of a titan location, let alone being tainted, I feel that there would have been a discovery of red lyrium so much sooner. We know how infectious that stuff is, how impossible it is to destroy and how rapidly it grows. Not only is the thaig not deep enough to be directly connected to the titan, but it was completely sealed off to prevent it spreading.
That said, I do think there is a possible titan under the Vimmark mountains. So far the only titan we have a definite location on is underneath mountains. Considering they cause seismic activity, I can definitely see one slumbering under there.
Anvil of the Void - This one does seem a bit plausible to me depending on where you put the thaig. This post by @/wyrdsistersofthedas explains the plausibility quite nicely. It is a bit tinfoil-y as is anything about dwarves and titans at this point. Especially when the source is dao and with how much BioWare has set aside in terms of lore. In essence though, Cariden's anvil is connected and supplied by a massive lyrium vein. His anvil and its location is also the only location where the creation of golems has resulted in functional creations. The rest went wrong or were driven mad in some way. The golems Branka is making from the Casteless in DAI if you give her the anvil are still consistently failing.
Sternann Peak, Anderfel - There is a lyrium mine out here near the town of Geltberg. Which also implies that there is a thaig as well. Whether this is run by Orzammar dwarves or the Carta is unclear.
Beneath the elven crossroads - The lyrium mines in Trespasser might be connected to an entirely different titan or the aforementioned titan beneath Orlais. It is unclear where the the spaces you go through the crossroads even are.
Cryptic Comments From Cole and Keiran
Cole
"It's singing. A they that's an it that's asleep, but still making music."
"Their ancient shapers were mountains drawn of all their wills, walking their memories into valleys of the world".
"They made bodies from the earth, and the earth was afraid. It fought back, but they made it forget."
Keiran
"But you can't be taller. Not without the titans."
Titan Tidbits and Theories
Cole implies that templars have established a connection with the titans through their use of lyrium when asked for his opinion on the templars. Solas also echos this by describing how templar abilities work, that they pull in the reality of the world around them to shut out magic.
Though this doesn't quite explain Seeker abilities, the use of they lyrium brand and the touch of a spirit may forge a different kind of connection.
Cole comments on how "They (ancient elves) made bodies from the earth, and the earth was afraid. It fought back, but they made it forget."
This suggests that maybe the original elves who are implied to be originally spirits, made bodies out of the titans (earth) and that this is one thing that instigated the war between titans and the evanuris. Though this is a speculative interpretation of what he means.
In the tabletop it is implied that in the past, the thaigs were carved from living rock - potentially the titans.
The dwarves of the elder days filled the thaigs, large open caverns beneath the earth, living in great cities carved from the living rock.
Adding to the above point, we see two instances where the old gods' prisons were under/nearby dwarven thaigs. In the Shimmer Stone Mine in the Western Approach and the Dead Trenches near the Ortan Thaig where Urthemiel amassed his army.
If the oldest thaigs were carved from titans, it brings to question if the old gods were buried before or after the dwarven kingdom started building their thaigs given the "newer" thiags are above the old god prisons, and the prisons are above the titans.
If the old gods were buried after the start of the dwarven kingdom, which would be after the fall of the titans, it brings to question if the old gods are connected to Arlathan and the founding of the dwarven kingdom, and if this was one of the relics of the ancient dwarf and elf emipire collaborations mentioned in the tabletop that was forgotten about. Sandwiching them between titans and thaigs for safeguarding.
#dragon age lore#lore#theories#titans#dwarves#dragon age inquisition#dai#thaigs#dragon age meta#long post#lore: titans#reference: titans#reference: dwarves
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