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DAV Solavellan ending musings

This is too long to post on Twitter so it's going here, on the blog I haven't touched in years, because I have to scream into the void. I can't possibly compete with the hardcore Solavellans who have been following this saga for a long time (I only got into DA last year by playing DAI and the DLCs) so this isn't a comprehensive or deep analysis by any means, but I love them all the same.

I got into DA because the Twitter algorithm put Solavellans on my timeline and I am eternally grateful for that. I already knew all the story beats (and the big reveal that he's Fen'harel) before playing DAI and I enjoyed catching the moments where he's obviously hiding something. The scene in Crestwood and the parting in Trespasser still made me emotional, even knowing what was coming.

The final scene in DAV was short, but no less meaningful. I think that was mostly to avoid creating such a big gulf between romanced and non-romanced Inquisitors and I'm glad Bioware didn't create that inequality, on behalf of the non-Solasmancers.

The first thing I will say is that Gareth David-Lloyd does a phenomenal job with the acting. They've been great since DAI, and they're a big reason why Solas is such a charming, nuanced and compelling character. The whispered "vhenan", the strained "Mythal", the sobbing, how quiet "ar ghilas vir banal" is… They deserve at least an award (all of them in fact) for that.

The animation is amazing too: how Solas doubles over when Mythal finally acknowledges how she set him on this path and shares the blame, his wet eyes and facial expressions looking at the Inquisitor… The thing I love most is him not looking back when leaving, and her putting her hand on his shoulder as they enter the Fade. Very Orpheus and Eurydice, but he does what Orpheus could not: he does not look back. He trusts that she is there and if she is not and has a sudden change of heart and leaves him, he will not blame her. But she is there, and lays a guiding hand on his shoulder; "Ma ghilana, vhenan", as the Inquisitor tells him in Trespasser.

There are a lot of Trespasser parallels and a lot of people more knowledgeable that I have analysed them, but I love how much this scene is a response to that. So here's my two cents: "I walk the din'anshiral. There is only death on this journey." = "I am here, walking the dinan'shiral with you." Weirdly they spell "din'anshiral" differently in the subtitles LOL I personally think the Trespasser spelling is correct. This is the line that hits hardest, in my opinion. She says this the first time they see each other again, when they don't even know they are leaving together. She means that all this time, the years apart, she has walked with him. She has not stopped searching for him, trying to find a way to change his heart (as the epilogue of Trespasser says). All this time he thought he was alone, she was there with him: both have been feeling the pain of their separation, the burden that his duty to Mythal has put on each of them (him having to fix their mistakes and her trying to change his mind), the regret they both have that things might have gone differently.

"Var lath vir suledin." "I wish it could, vhenan." = "There is no fate but the love we share." The translation from elven is very sweet, but a very interesting choice. In elven she actually says "Banal nadas. Ar lath ma, vhenan." Two sentences that Solas says in DAI: "Banal nadas." / "Nothing is known for certain." Said by Solas to the nightmare demon in the Fade when it taunts him by saying "Your pride is responsible for everything that has gone wrong; you will die alone." The same quest reveals that Solas's greatest fear is dying alone. She reminds him of what he said then, that the nightmare demon is wrong: he is not alone, he can change that fate. "Ar lath ma, vhenan." Solas's confession of love to the Inquisitor. I don't think she ever actually tells him she loves him in DAI. Eight-ish years later, she says it back to him, proving that their love did indeed find a way to endure.

"I cannot bear to think of you alone." = "But you do not have to go alone." He is once again leaving to right a wrong. In Trespasser, he was leaving to do what he thought was best, what he wanted to do to fix his mistakes. Here, he is leaving to seek atonement, to soothe hurts not with violence, but repentance. And she once again offers to go with him. (I personally didn't choose this dialogue option in Trespasser because I don't think my Inquisitor agreed with what he wanted to do, but it's a very sweet line nonetheless) This time, with all that has changed, he is more open to letting her go with him, but he still cautions her: "Where I am going is terrible." I love the translation of her reply: "It won't be terrible if you're with me," because the order of the pronouns is interesting to me. Not sure if it's intentional, but I feel like I would have said "It won't be terrible if I'm with you." It's very subtle, but I think there is a difference: "if I'm with you" puts a lot of emphasis on the Inquisitor, i.e. "I make things better"; "if you're with me" means the same thing but it's humbler, less prideful, i.e. "I will be there for you to make things better".

The parallels in animation are also great. The way he turns when she speaks as he's leaving, the bow when he says "ir abelas, vhenan"… THE KISS. God, the way they hold hands like they do in Trespasser is insane.

The music in this scene is the best in the game, and it's a crime that it's not on the official soundtrack. Not just the atonement music, but the way it shifts into "Lost Elf Theme" from Trespasser once the Inquisitor steps forward gives this scene the emotional weight the music in DAV honestly doesn't have. The music is a big part of why I cried watching this.

Side notes:

-My Inquisitor looks nothing like she did in DAI LOL Hey, I was already hours into CC, it frustrated me that the presets were so different from DAI and I did not have the patience to tweak everything. Also I'm horrible at distinguishing faces. She still looks pretty so I guess she got a glow up during their time apart LOL Vivienne and Leliana took her to get a makeover in Val Royeaux.

-The DAV soundtrack honestly isn't bad. I enjoy quite a few tracks on it; "Where the Dead Must Go" and "Not the Chosen One" are among my favorites. The main theme isn't compelling though, and "The Dread Wolf" track would have made a better main theme (it's the best track on the album). The OST lends the atmosphere that music is supposed to, but it doesn't have the character on its own that the music in DAI does (thank you, Trevor Morris). I could be anywhere in the world doing anything and if I heard the DAI main theme I would lose my mind. "Lost Elf Theme" always makes me so emotional; it's a plea, a feeling of hopefulness and being resigned to one's fate at the same time.

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You're on a path in the woods. And at the end of that path is a cabin. And in the basement of that cabin is a wolf.

You're here to slay him. If you don't, it will be the end of the world.

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Just losing my mind at the implications that the companions have all been trying to help Rook grieve Varric, and Rook doesn’t know

Emmrich, wise and long-familiar with grief, being told by Neve and Harding what happened; understanding why sometimes he overhears Rook’s muffled voice in the Infirmary, talking to no one. He takes Rook to the Memorial Gardens and mentions he talks to his parents, thinking Rook might be comfortable with the same. Rook lights candles and rings bells but Emmrich watches, sorrowed, to see Rook still seems in deep denial.

Neve takes Rook to the Wall of Light; a Shadow Dragon Rook knows just what this means but any Rook can understand the solemnity, the power of remembrance. Neve reenergizes Brom’s light and looks to Rook, hoping Rook will mention wanting to make one for Varric. Rook is kind and comforting to Neve, but Neve is lost in wondering why Rook doesn’t take the chance to open up. She can’t figure it. Maybe Rook just can’t face it, not yet. Maybe Rook does something privately. She isn’t sure but it nags at her.

Davrin’s not big on talking about feelings. He’d rather just move on. But he sees the way Rook seems a little hollow sometimes, a little distant; he sees how Rook takes so quickly to Assan. “Hey Rook,” he says, and invites them to come with him and Assan to safe places in Arlathan, where the woods are clean and green and growing, where real sunlight dapples through the trees. Rook always seems to love these outings, seems lighter afterwards. But Davrin feels a little confused in that Rook never seems to realize the outings are mostly for them.

Taash is another person not big on feelings. But they know how much feelings can twist you up and mess with your head. When Lace tells them about Varric they feel badly for Rook, and think to how they feel when they’re struggling. Epic fights, dragon fights, drinks with the Lords. Taash is perfectly capable of doing all that on their own. But maybe bringing Rook along will help get them out of their head a little bit. Does it help? Taash isn’t sure.

Bellara’s double-versed in grief after what happens to Cyrian. Rook helped her through trying to reach him, and Bellara wonders, in her own pain, if she can help Rook a little bit too. Especially if Rook is elven, teaching Rook about the braziers and the challenges is another tool she can share about her or their people, another way that might help Rook with their grief. Neve’s told her that the Wall of Light didn’t seem to help Rook much, but maybe a different funeral tradition could help them instead. Rook helps her light the braziers and Bellara feels her heart lightening, though she wonders at Rook, who seems more moved by Bellara’s reactions than anything else.

Lucanis is nearly as allergic to dealing with feelings as Davrin is, but he immediately clocks how Neve and Harding are acting, and asks what happened before he joined them. They tell him about Varric and that they’re worried about Rook, that Rook seems to just be shoving those feelings down without dealing with them. Lucanis is no stranger to that, but while it’s fine for him, he doesn’t want to see someone who risked their life to save him share that struggle. He brings Rook to Caterina’s funeral planning to show Rook it’s okay to admit the loss and honor it. When that doesn’t seem to make a dent, he falls back to his standard - lavish meals, small gifts, coffee. He knows it would help him. He just wishes it helped Rook too.

Lace hurts the worst after losing Varric and Lace is where Solas’ magic comes the closest to faltering. Rook can see Lace is down, she’s quiet, she’s afraid after what happens with the gods escaping; but Solas’ magic holds and Rook can still never see quite why. Lace would love to sit over drinks one night and share stories about Varric, but she sees that Rook doesn’t seem ready, and she doesn’t want to push. Instead she writes letters to Ma, to the Inquisitor, to Cassandra, to Aveline, maybe even to Hawke. She writes out her stories with Varric’s old quill and she carries a bolt of Bianca with her. A dozen times she goes to talk to Rook about him, and when she tries Rook turns away or changes the subject. It hurts, but Lace knows she can’t make Rook talk about him, and she hopes in time it will get better.

This just absolutely crushes me the more I think about it 😭

Edit: Varric’s death is Rook’s personal companion quest every other single companion tries to help them with, and can’t 😭😭😭

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EXCUSE ME LOOK AT HOW HE'S LOOKING AT HER WHEN HE'S ABOUT TO LEAVE TO THE FADE. HE WANTS HER TO COME WITH HIM SO BADLY, HE WANTS HER SO BADLY BUT HE KNOWS HE DOESN'T DESERVE TO EVEN ASK THAT.

I'm not ok bye.

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Get haunted idiot

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Happy new year from @felassan and Solas!

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To my fellow Solavellans who have been my companions in the seventh circle of hell these past 10 years, I just want to salute you.

May we all ascend to a higher plane soon.

#VarLathVirSuledin

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Dragon Age: The Veilguard | ▶ dev. Bioware

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All I want to do in DA4.

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so this is the “another world” \(≧▽≦)/

elves and their girlfriends.

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和な雰囲気で

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ハロウィン用で描いた浮世絵風(ukiyo-e style)、思いがけず沢山の方に気に入っていただき驚いたのなんのって、ありがとうございます。 そんな訳で他のキャラも描いてみました。

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Solas and Lavellan are just…

They deserve each other. He’s doomed by the narative the moment he’s born. He takes a body because the person he respects the most demands it. He fights a war for Mythal. He fights so his people might know peace. He destroys his world. Everything. The moment he took that first breath of fresh air he was doomed.

Lavellan is doomed by the narative. She snuck into the conclave to spy where she shouldn’t. She got blown up with the rest of them. She fought her way out of the fade and claimed the anchor as her own because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She was doomed the moment she came back from the fade and took that breath of fresh air.

Both of them were put in positions to be exalted. Solas as Fen’Harel; the leader of the rebellion and their saviour. Lavellan as the Herald and the saviour. They were both put into positions of knowing what was best, of making all the hard choices and sacrifices. They both knew the strain of religion and war and sacrifice and the choices it took to get that happy ending.

The only difference is Solas was plagued by what he did and Lavellan was not. Solas thought his actions made him a monster; ugly and unloveable. He thought for sure that any who followed would only suffer the same fate as before. Lavellan… she had free will. She had the power and ability to choose freely and accept the consequences without shame. She knew when she chose to be a monster and knew it was the best option. Lavellan knew what Solas was and had become by the end of it all and she couldn’t help but see the spirit of wisdom; the man behind the mask. How could you not love someone so devoted to righting those wrongs? How could you not love someone so torn apart by the war and bloodshed?

Solas would tear apart the world to prove he had the ability to fix it. Lavellan would show him that there was nothing to fix, only regrets to release. They truly were made for each other

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from now on when I will play DAI all I would think about every time I see Solas is: "hold on, my guy. just give me ten years and I'll save your sad wolf ass. banal nadas, you stupid hobo god (affectionate)"

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The Distinct Eras of Solas's Existence

Solas’s life isn’t one-dimensional. He’s lived through three distinct eras of existence, each defined by transformation and struggle. What draws me to his story time and again is the tension between detachment and connection, immortality and change, and the weight of eternal choices.

Because Solas has lived through such vastly different phases of existence, each has forced him to adapt, rethink his perspectives, his morality and confront the consequences of his actions.

This constant cycle of transformation and resilience is why I believe he is capable of change.

I'm looking at his journey through 3 eras of his existence: 

Pre-Veil: Becoming a man (lyrium crafted) and living before creating the Veil.

Uthenera: Veil newly created. Centuries of slumber and existence in the Fade. 

Post-Veil: Waking in modern Thedas, reengaging with the world, joining the Inquisition, and culminating in Veilguard. 

First off: this post isn’t about the concept of Solas learning what it’s like to have a body for the first time. While I’m sure that experience was equal parts traumatic and exhilarating, that’s a post for another day. 

I’m also steering clear of the horrors and wars of Solas’s Pre-Veil existence - we already know he suffered terribly, made devastating choices, and carries immense regret. The blood on his hands and the weight of those decisions are undeniable. 

Lastly, I’m not entertaining the idea that Mythal had him bound or wielded some magical power (like a geas) to control him (you can read more here). To me, that narrative diminishes the complexity and the writers say you can interpret it how you want. I see their bond as one rooted in duty, loyalty, and complicated and twisted by shared choices. Every awful thing they endured and enacted together only deepened their connection, forged in the fire of mutual commitment and consequence. It's still a chain in it's own right, but a different kind.

Long post below. Everything below the cut is my imagination and interpretation.

Pre-Veil (Roughly 8,000-10,000 years – Time with the Evanuris / Rebellion Wars) 

I’m certain Solas’s time in Elvhenan wasn’t solely defined by war and rebellion. He served as Mythal’s second-in-command, likely handling battles and strategies, but he was also immersed in politics and court intrigue. His role was probably a combination of strategist, diplomat, and advocate for fairness and balance among the elven people. 

We know he enjoyed life in the courts, as he reveals at the Winter Palace in Inquisition: 

"I do adore the heady blend of power, intrigue, danger, and sex that permeates these events." 

He wasn’t just an observer of Elvhenan’s grandeur; he thrived in it. Heady - intoxicating. With a core essence of wisdom, Solas would have fully embraced the era’s philosophical debates, artistic endeavors, groundbreaking inventions, and empire-building. When he refers to “our great cities” and “our deepest mysteries” during his confrontation with Elgar’nan, he speaks as being a part of Elvhenan’s beauty and innovation - not separate from it.  

Solas’s Independent and Rebellious Nature - Hot Blooded and Cocky

Solas was far from a submissive figure, even in service to Mythal. He was independent, rebellious, and stubborn - “unmanageable, even by Mythal’s reckoning.” (I love this line from Elgar’nan. Even Mythal, who knew Solas best, was scratching her head at times because she couldn't control him – and also why I don’t buy the geas concept.) This fierce individuality is one reason the Evanuris gave him the name Fen’Harel. 

A Sensual and Spiritual Man 

Solas strikes me, based on the games, as someone deeply connected to life (how could you not be when you see spirits as people too), both spiritually and sensually. His conversations in Inquisition and Veilguard hint at an appreciation for the world’s beauty and experiences. He loved dancing (Inquisitor: Do you have any interest in dancing? Solas: A great deal…), savored food and drink, and created beautiful art and music. This isn’t someone detached from his physical form or the material world - he immersed himself in its richness. 

A man who composes music and paints intricate frescoes, full of symbolism and emotional depth, usually has a vibrant inner life – which makes sense for wisdom.  His art and creations are tools for reflection and introspection, ways to process his choices and regrets. But where did this come from? Did he learn these skills from a spirit? Was he taught by a wise elf or an inspiring companion? I love the mystery of these glimpses into his life - they humanize him and add layers to his character. 

Solas wasn’t a solitary figure either. He built connections beyond the Evanuris - with spirits, other elves, and likely even lovers (Ghilan’nain, anyone?). Far from being a lone wolf, he seems to have been actively engaged in the cultural, social and political dynamics of his thousands of years. His relationships, creations, and experiences paint the picture of a man tied to life, even as his long painful journey eventually pushed him toward isolation. 

Witnessing the Fall of the Evanuris 

But life in Elvhenan wasn’t all beauty and splendor. Solas witnessed firsthand how power corrupted even those who began with noble intentions. He saw the Evanuris rise to tyranny, and the defeat of the Titans - a major regret of his - became a foundational moment. While it enabled the empire’s growth and stunning cities, it came with immense moral cost to Solas. 

The Rebellion and Isolation 

Solas eventually reached a breaking point. When the Evanuris’ tyranny became unbearable - when they wouldn’t listen, not even Mythal - he walked away. He forged his own path, leading a rebellion to free the elven people. 

During this time, his relationships likely narrowed. He tells Rook it took him centuries to build bonds during this time (but he still built them). Playing a long game of strategy and sacrifice required isolation, though key connections, like Felassan, remained. Mythal’s murder drove him into despair, and he became even more isolated, pouring himself into planning the ritual that would change everything. 

The Creation of the Veil 

The Veil was a desperate solution to stop the Evanuris and the blight, but something went horribly wrong. It didn’t just destroy the world he knew - it reshaped reality. The Veil severed the Fade from the world, altering existence forever. And for Solas, it left him shattered. His physical body remained in the world he destroyed, while his spirit/mind retreated into Uthenera. 

Uthenera: The Dreaming State (1000-2000 years) 

During Uthenera, his long sleep, Solas existed in a liminal, dreamlike state - a place between worlds.

It’s striking that he entered Uthenera at the exact moment the Fade was severed from the physical world. The mental fortitude required to withstand such a monumental shift and prevent his total annihilation - or even a psychological collapse - speaks volumes about his strength. Solas’s power is undeniable, but for me, this also confirms that he is a deeply reflective man, one who cultivated a strong mind to endure such force, isolation and emotional cataclysm. (All New Faded for Her - now I must endure - again.)

From this vantage point, he could witness the catastrophic aftermath of his actions: the loss of elven immortality, the severing of the Fade from the physical world, and the corruption of spirits into demons. He saw the rise of humans, the fall of empires, and the continued oppression of his people. Each new event added to his layers of guilt and grief. If the Fade reflects emotion, can you imagine Solas’s overwhelming feelings during this time? His emotions would have rippled through it, shaping the dream realm itself. 

In the Fade, Solas remained detached, able to observe and reflect without directly engaging in the chaos of the broken world. He likely encountered the demons and maddened spirits born of his actions, forcing him to navigate this unfamiliar, broken Fade. 

Perhaps this is where his greatest fear - dying alone - began to solidify. Without the complexities of relationships or the challenges of the waking world, his isolation left him emotionally detached and vulnerable to increasingly rigid thinking. After centuries of war and rebellion, his retreat to Uthenera may have offered recovery, but it also severed him from the connections that had once grounded him in “humanity”. 

It’s assumed that during this time, Solas began to shape his plans to tear down the Veil – to fix his mistake. It also seems that it’s during this period at some point that Felassan reconnected with him, leading to yet another tragedy. Unlike Solas, Felassan had lived in modern Thedas for a time. He had built relationships, forged bonds, and seen the value in the world as it was. He urged Solas to give this new world a chance. But Solas, entrenched in his painful guilt and unable to let go of his vision, refused - killing his friend and brother-in-arms, adding yet another layer of grief and regret to his already growing burden. I wonder - Solas killed him in this detached state, in a highly emotional Fade state - could Solas have killed him physically face to face? 

For Solas, time in the Fade didn’t march forward as it did for mortals. What probably felt like yesterday to him was ancient history to the rest of the world. This disconnection from the flow of time would only deepen his sense of detachment, a gap he could only begin to bridge when he awoke in a world utterly changed from the one he remembered. 

So eventually he does wake up – a year before the Inquisition. 

Post-Veil: Modern Thedas – 14-16 years (Inquisition to Veilguard) 

When Solas woke up in modern Thedas, it was a world that had moved on without him - alien and unrecognizable. The magic he revered was now feared, spirits were seen as monsters, and elves were fragmented and oppressed. It was a rude awakening, and Solas had no choice but to reengage with life, relearning how to "be human" in a world so far removed from the one he knew - in a world that he broke. 

Solas initially tried to reconnect with the Dalish, but they rejected him (interesting how one of his first actions upon awakening was to seek connection...hmm). Then came the disaster at the Temple of Sacred Ashes, Corypheus, and the Anchor. Suddenly, Solas had a path: join the Inquisition, study the Anchor, observe the one who wields it, and figure out his next move - all while avoiding personal entanglements. 

Fail. 

Connections in the Inquisition 

Despite his best efforts to remain detached, Solas formed bonds with the Inquisition’s members, particularly the Inquisitor (in my world, low approval doesn’t exist for me but I won’t torment you either with my Solas Lavellan love).  

The exact timeline of the Inquisition is debated. While most agree it spans 1.5–2 years, there’s also an old fantastic post by @threestories that argues for closer to 4–5 years (complete with a detailed spreadsheet and timeline goodness). Either way, it’s plenty of time for Solas to weave himself into the lives of those around him – and for them to sneak their own ways in. 

During this time, Solas wasn’t an aloof observer. He shared meals, debated philosophy, laughed, argued, and played cards and continued painting. He fought alongside people like Blackwall, Iron Bull, and Cole, relying on them for survival. Solas is not the powerful being he once was. Weakened, he’s forced to navigate the world in a more vulnerable state. I believe this humility provides him with new insights and forces him to see value in collaboration and diversity once again (reflections of Elvehnan). 

The messy, imperfect beauty of life began to creep back into his perspective. Living and fighting beside mortals for this period of time forced Solas to confront the reality of their fleeting but rich experiences. It wasn’t something he could experience in the detached safety of the Fade. If romanced, his love for the Inquisitor only deepens his inner conflict, tearing him between personal connection and his mission. (He possessed knowledge beyond any mortal, yet even the Dread Wolf could not foresee what it would mean to fall in love).

Yet, despite these connections, he remained steadfast in his mission. After Corypheus’s defeat, Solas leaves. But he wasn’t quite done; he wanted the Inquisitor to know the truth of who he was. Two busy years followed, leading to one final reunion - a moment where we see a shift in Solas’s perspective. His relationship with the Inquisitor was important enough that Solas set this whole thing up. There was a part of him that would love to be turned away from his path, but not yet.  

The Decade of Isolation 

After Trespasser and his final goodbye to the Inquisitor, Solas retreated into a new kind of isolation - active but distant. For ten years, he worked through agents, manipulated events, and positioned himself for his ritual to tear down the Veil. This period seemed to harden him. If he was in love, he made the painful decision to try and sever that bond, he forced Cole to forget him so Cole wouldn’t follow him - Solas hardened his heart to a cutting edge, and put that pain to good use.   

And then, he killed Varric. 

The act wasn’t premeditated - it might even be argued as accidental - but it wasn’t without weight. Solas never intended to kill Varric, and we see the regret flicker in his expression, his eyes turning down for a moment. Yet, the symbolism of that moment is striking. If Varric embodies persistence - whether it’s the refusal to give up on life, friends, or hope - then his death by Solas’s hand reflects the cost of Solas’s mission. In hardening his heart, he’s cut away the very persistence Varric represented. 

But then came Rook.

Conduits and Catalysts

Forced to interact with Rook and the team, much like he was forced to interact with the Inquisitor and the Inquisition, Solas once again found himself entangled in the lives of others. What makes Rook interesting to me is their role as a conduit. While Solas is trapped in the Fade prison, Rook becomes his connection to the outside world. For someone who had been isolated again for a period of time, being compelled to engage with another person is significant.

Rook and Solas's conversations may seem simple at first, but they force Solas to talk, to reflect, to bring up memories, people, and choices he thought he had left behind. Regardless if he's lying to Rook, these conversations would stir things up for him, peeling back the layers of detachment he has built. They compel him to think about his past, his connections, and his mistakes - reminders of life beyond his mission.

When Solas finally escapes the Fade prison, he doesn’t retreat back into isolation. Instead, we find him fighting alongside the people of Minrathous and then eventually Rook and the team. While his goal remains focused - defeating Elgar’nan and tearing down the Veil - he’s participating in life again.

Even amidst the chaos of battle, Solas can’t help but connect. He talks with the team, echoing the camaraderie of his time in the Inquisition. In one of my favourite moments, he and Emmrich share a brief but mutual appreciation of spirits - on a battlefield, no less. It’s a small yet powerful reminder: no matter how much Solas tries to harden himself, connection finds him. And maybe, just maybe, he still seeks it.

If Solas’s experiences prove anything, it’s that he struggles to stay detached.

Solas’s Shifts 

The bonds Solas formed through his long life were personal. Sure, anyone can argue they weren’t, pointing to his lies and the secrets he kept while plotting the entire time. And yes, he absolutely had an agenda. But whether you played a high- or low-approval Inquisitor, Solas admits he grew fond of the mortal people in the Inquisition. These connections gave him new perspectives on this modern world, connections forged through the shared intensity of battle and survival, and filtered through his reflective, intellectual, and philosophical nature. 

And no, I don’t believe the Inquisitor alone could have swayed him from his path. His growth wasn’t tied to a single relationship or event. While his time with the Inquisition may seem insignificant compared to his millennia-long existence, it planted the seeds of change. I maintain that the foundation for his change was established in Inquisition. As I’ve said before in this post, his eventual shift at the end of Veilguard wasn’t an overnight revelation but the accumulation of these disruptions to his worldview (warning, that post is totally Solavellan). Rook, as a conduit and mirror, brought their own voice as well as the voices of Solas’s past back into focus, reflecting and reminding him of what he had learned.  

By the end of Trespasser, Solas went from planning total destruction to preparing a host of spirits to preserve as much life as possible in Veilguard. You can call him a liar if you want, still question this morally grey choice, but this is a fascinating shift to me.

Enter Sola's Fourth Era

And now, we stand on the edge of Solas’s fourth (and likely not final) era of existence. How will he step into this stage? As a broken, beaten man forced into submission? Or as a man of wisdom, finally able to see another way forward?

This is why, for me, the only ending that feels true to Solas’s arc (as I see it) is the Atonement ending and the only one that exists for me. It aligns with his defining trait: choice. It offers him the agency to forge his own path, just as he did when he walked away from Mythal and the Evanuris.

Whether Solas enters this stage alone or with his heart is up to the player, but the ending feels significant regardless. He returns to the Fade, not in the detached slumber of Uthenera, but with his eyes wide open - awake, active, and ready to face what comes next.

And yes, I’m a sucker for redemption stories.

A Journey of Growth 

The Inquisitor once called him a terrible liar of the heart, and I think it speaks to the core of who he is: wisdom seeking connection. At his heart, Solas is driven to reflect, connect, and understand - even when those impulses clash with his mission. 

Solas’s life isn’t a straight line, nor is it defined by detached indifference. Instead, we see a complex web of relationships, regrets, and moments of growth. His post-Veil life shows us that even an immortal can be shaped by the mortal world. While his immortality makes change slow, it doesn’t make it impossible. Every person he lets into his life - whether reluctantly or intentionally - leaves a mark. Figures like Felassan, the Inquisitor, Cole, Varric, and Rook all serve as mirrors, reflecting his flaws and his potential. That's the beauty of relationships - we are all reflections of each other.

For Solas, change isn’t the result of one grand revelation. It’s a slow, deliberate process, shaped by his experiences, choices, those around him and the experiences they shared together. If his journey proves anything, it’s that even the Dread Wolf isn’t bound by fate. 

[dardisorange-blog]

After all this time, I am still finding these small details in Dragon Age Inquisition.

I believe that he is counting how many of the evanrius are left.

5 Blights, 5 gone. The half scratch is for Mythal.

Two remains...

Damn you, Egg!

A close-up of Solas’s desk at Skyhold.

[dardisorange-blog]

I just needed a legitimate reason to draw Ameridan.