#2) there’s no way binding solas to it makes it just as strong as it used to be. and it’s not like he’s never gonna figure out how to get out

[ch4nticle]

i wish they’d given us more than: veil go down bad

[hellafluff]

Thinking about a proper Bad End world state where every Bad Decision is reflected in DATV. Heres a few specific thoughts:

Origins:

Kill Leliana, and her ghost disappears at the end of Inquisition and she never comes back > She cant be or help the Divine > Divine less powerful, the South is more fucked.

Stab Morrigan in Witch Hunter > Injury causes permanent damage. She's just weak enough and/or jaded enough that by DATV she didn't accept Mythal and can't help you.

Sten Loses Sword > Never returns to Seheron and never becomes Arishok. The Arishok in DATV stays with the Antaam and makes them a stronger, more unified military under a power crazed leader controlled by the Evanuris.

DA2, imagining DA2 companions would have comeback to DATV otherwise:

Any of the companions dying/not loyal results in them being absent in DATV and weaker factions as a result. Merrill would have been a leader among the Veil Jumpers, Fenris would have been a key member of the Shadow Dragons but now they aren't. Isabela no longer leads the Lords and the Lords are fewer in number and weaker now, if she was taken by the Arishok, she's been made Qunari and you have to kill her (ala Jack in ME3.)

Anders may not have had much impact either way honestly bc I think him living would still be pretty contentious with a lot of characters and he's not having a great time either way. No Aveline means weaker/fucked Kirkwall as she's not there to be the interim Viscount while Varric's away. Dead Hawke siblings means weaker Grey Wardens.

Inquisition:

A lot of Inquisition decisions should make or break the survival of the south. Majority sidequests done > Stronger South. Otherwise they have less morale, less troops, and still recovering from the Blight and Corypheus. Sidequests in DAO can effect the South's Readiness here too (can you tell I like ME3?)

Companion loyalty affects returning characters again. No loyalty Dorian has way less resources, if not just ousted from the Magisterium all together. Absolutely no Archon Pavus. No Sera means worse off for the people, Red Jenny's less effective if not wiped out. No loyalty Viv or Cass means the Divine is not going to send much if any aide. They're too busy trying to protect the South. Cole's just gone, otherwise I think he should have come back at the end to help you convince Solas. Dead Blackwall is a less strong Wardens. Not helping Josie or Cullen means they are in absolutely no position to assist and Cullen is just dead from Lyrium addiction. So little help from the nobility and Templars. Varric's ending is the same. We already get an Iron Bull loyalty effect in Trespasser.

Speaking of Trespasser; keeping the Inquisition means you have a bit more resources but Inquisitor is mostly relegated to helping the South. Dissolving the Inquisition means the Inquisitor is available as an advisor/leader in the North but with fewer resources. Solas loyalty should also affect how bad Quizzy's arm is. If they weren't friends he ripped the anchor away and now they have chronic pain and are less combat capable.

Bonus: Lavellan who's clan died is extra depressed and the Veil Jumpers have less strength.

Bonus 2, this actually would have been good: Saving Avernus' research and letting the Architect live with a living Hero of Fereldan should have let us find a cure for the blight. This doesn't happen but will be factored in as if it could have in my following summary:

Have it all come together and a Rook who does everything right can barely scrape by, but with no chance of convincing Solas to bind the Veil to himself. The world is fucked and it will take decades to recover. The blight is still causing mayhem but it recedes as years go by. Tevinter doesn't survive at all, with the hit to its military strength with the massive loss of Venatori + the remaining Antaam absolutely decimating both sides. The Qunari in Seheron close themselves off and don't interact with any other country for years. Southern Thedas is nearly a wasteland and the Chantry breaks up into disjointed, often warring, sects despite the Divine's best attempt to keep power. Mages and elves persecuted everywhere, blamed for everything.

A Rook who does everything wrong just ends the world. Special options appear when encountering Elgar'nan and Ghilanain to agree with them or consider their reasoning. Taking these let's you change sides at the end of the game and let Elgar'nan rule. Potentially even cause Ghil to survive if Harding/Davrin aren't loyal or you can send someone unqualified to sabotage the plan. If you change sides with any companions still alive you have to fight and kill them. The world is engulfed in Blight and everyone dies.

Alternate Bad End: You become convinced by Solas to side with him. Everything is already so fucked that tearing down the veil sounds like the only good option remaining. You fight back your own companions while he finishes the ritual and the world is engulfed in raw magic, killing every non mage, awakening the magic in all elves, and unleashing every spirit and demon alike on an unprepared world. Also considering Dwarves kind of surviving but being thrust back into a world filled with magic but no connection to the Titans leaves them fully Tranquil.

[lairofsentinel]

Working in this endless reading of codex and associations, using my axiom that only certain characters are the ones that have the best hints to approach “the truth”, I got a bit overwhelmed (especially with Solas) and took a moment to think in terms of “the Big picture”. Dragon Age Lore as a whole.  Beyond the main plot of each game, we have the DLCs, and by seeing “what they give to the general History lore” that sustains the following game, I did a short list with an explanation of the lore-elements we found in them. Some of them are still in draft version;

What did we learn in each DLC, lore related?

This is a list “under construction”. If anyone wants to add their two cents, feel free to tell me. Last Update: 2022 Dec

Dragon Age: Origins

Darkspawn Chronicles: Not much really. Mostly how the Arch-demon ‘s commands work. We don’t even notice the “song”. 

Leliana's song [details here]: A subtle hint of Titans with Tug? The existence of Dorothea, who would turn into Justinia who probably is special in some way since she was the main target of Corypheus [for details about my speculation, read here]. 

Return of Ostagar : Celene is introduced in the ingame-lore showing her relationship with Cailan. 

Soldier's Keep [details here] : The Taint can be slowed down with magic to the point to “almost” cure it (Avernus gave us this info).  It allows that a non-mage Warden can have a access to “magic” via Taint magic. First implication that Taint magic doesn't come from Fade but somewhere else. Despite the use of blood, Taint magic's source is not the demons but the Taint itself. We also learnt a bit of Warden History .

The Golems of Amgarrak  [details here] : Introduction of the name Tethras (the family founded this expedition!). New golems—Harvester—can be crafted, using flesh of corpses and binding a spirit to it via blood magic (this was later used in DA2 with Orsino). The repetitive theme of “power via binding spirits causing a curse/disease/corruption” becomes a bit stronger here. We are also introduced to the idea that there are more planes than just the real world and the Fade.

Witch Hunt  [details here] : Some Darkspawn lore (Broodmother and the Song). Introduction of  the concept of Eluvhian (which is going to be used in DA2 and DAI). The truth about the Cadash Thaig: runaway Elvhenan were helped by dwarves after the fall of Arlathan. Because this relationship could harm the business between Tevinter and Dwarves, it was decided to destroy the Thaig and forget that part of the history. It introduced us to the concept that “the lost Thaigs are more complex that just being darkspawn nestles”.

Dragon Age 2

Legacy [details here] : Introduction of the existence of Corypheus (main villain in DAI) and the wide use of Blood Magic in the Grey Wardens (including their dirty ways to use it) . This is a glimpse of what we are going to see in DAI.

Mark of the Assassin [details here] : Introduction of Qunari aspects and the Ben-Hassrath, used in DAI later. It also reinforces the concept that Sten kept repeating in DAO: qunari will invade Thedas.

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Jaws of Hakkon [details in DRAGON AGE: INQUISITION ] : The explicit information that a God can be bind to a Dragon and make it “as strong as Dumat”. When Hakkon's vessel is slain, the god is free. Bounding a god makes it silent to their faithful. With this concept, plus Corypheus and his red dragon we can assume that Archdemons are Old Gods bind to dragons victims of the Taint, and (as we know via Kieran) their souls can be recovered and free (if the vessel is not tainted). We have some ancient Dalish lore confirmation too with Ameridan. The repetitive theme of “power via binding spirits causing a curse/disease/corruption” becomes a bit stronger here. There is also mysterious Tevinter 

The Descendant [details in  DRAGON AGE: INQUISITION] : The existence of Titans and some Ancient Dwarven lore.

Trespasser [details in DRAGON AGE: INQUISITION] : A lot of lore about the Eranuvis, Fen'Harel, and the extension of the Eluvhian net. Here is where the Qunari have access to Eluvhians (there is more lore related to Qunari, but I need to check).

[scurvgirl]

All evens for Kass?

Hoo boy, okay. Cut for length!

2. How would they meet the Inquisitor?

Overheard conversation at the Crossroads.

“You hear about that giant woman living out in the woods?”

“She still alive? Maker.”

“Poor thing’s got that daughter of hers.”

“A menace she is, damnable apostate.”

“Hush now, she’s just a child!” 

Hearing this conversation will activate a side quest to go investigate a small hut in Bear Country Hinterlands. I mean Hunter’s Woods. The Inquisitor stumbles upon a small cottage, inside is a Vashoth girl. She pleads the Inquisition for help. Mercenaries have taken her mother and she doesn’t know what to do. the Inquisitor then goes to where the mercenaries are camped out to find that they’re all dead, a tall Vashoth woman standing over them with a bloody axe. The Inquisitor can ask Kass to join in exchange for providing safe harbor in these troubling times for her daughter. Kass will readily accept.

4. What would their romance route look like? Would they be romancable?

Slooooooooooooooow burn. Romancing Kass takes dedication, you only firm lock into the romance until after the game is over. The big finale scene comes after defeating Corypheus. Before that, the Inquisitor may flirt plenty with Kass, but the key to romancing her is making good with her daughter, Ashokara. Ash has to like the Inquisitor in order for Kass to soft lock the romance. This romance takes time, dedication, and some planning. It’s not easy and some even consider it a hidden romance because it’s tricky to navigate. 

However, Kass’s romance is deeply rewarding. She will call the Inquisitor Kadan and will be the one to offer the necklace. 

6. Write some of their party banter (in reaction to major events, scenery dialogue, or just shitting around. Askers can specify for which character/event, or leave it up to the writer).

Iron Bull: Sooo, Vashoth.

Kass: Tal-Vashoth, actually.

Iron Bull: *uncomfortable grunting*

Kass: Yes, yes, get it out your system. I’m a baaaad, evil rebel. 

Iron Bull: *more uncomfortable shifting*

Kass: Oh look at me, being all savage and mean. Grrrr.

Iron Bull: But you bake cookies.

Kass: Evil rebels get the munchies too, you know.

~

Sera: *giggling* Woooow.

Kass: Excuse me?

Sera: You’re all...you. It’s pretty grand.

Kass: Are you complimenting me?

Sera: *more giggling*

~

Solas: Kassaran, I have a few questions if you would oblige.

Kass: No, my thighs are not strong enough to crush a man’s head, I don’t know who’s spreading that rumor, but it needs to stop.

Solas: That...was not what I was going to ask.

Kass: Oh. Alright, then.

Solas: You are Tal-Vashoth, but your daughter is Vashoth.

Kass: I’m searching for a question here.

Solas: You left your people, may I ask why?

Kass: You may, doesn’t mean I’ll answer it. 

Solas: Fair enough. 

~

Solas: I think it is very brave of you to have left your people.

Kass: Oh...thank you? 

Solas: It is not easy to choose a path that goes against what you’ve been taught.

Kass: ...I left for my daughter. She is my reason.

Solas: Thank you for telling me.

8. What kind of Inquisitor would drive them to leave the Inquisition/confront them about their actions (what gets their approval low? what does that scene look like)?

Oh man. A terrible Inquisitor. The WORST. A reckless Inquisitor who does not care about people. If the Inquisitor doesn’t help Crestwood, this would start essentially a death spiral of approval for Kass. If the Inquisitor sides with the Templars in any capacity, she disapproves. If the Inquisitor makes Gaspard Emperor without Briala, she disapproves. 

10. If Inquisition operated like DA:O, what would their gift items be? What would their approval and disapproval Feast Day items be?

Oooooh okay. Kass’s big gift would be a dress that fits her perfectly. It would be a whole romance scene where the Inquisitor takes her to Val-Rayoux to get her fitted and everything, it would be marvelous. Her disapproval item would be terrible smelling perfume.

12. Do they believe the Herald of Andraste is really the Herald of Andraste?

Nope! 

14. What nickname does Varric give them?

Mom.

16. What would the Fear Demon say to them in the Fade to try and discourage them?

“No matter what you do, Kassaran, they will find you. They will find her. Bind her, cut out her tongue, make her Saarebas.”

18. What’s their reaction to a dragon showing up?

“Well, isn’t today exciting!”

20. How do they react to learning abominations can retain their consciousness and identity, and even live peacefully with their spirits/demons, as seen in Stone-Bear Hold?

She’d be fascinated, thrilled, and a bit terrified. It’s one more way the Qun is wrong about mages and it gives her reassurance for Ash. She is very keen to understand this Avvar magical process and requests to spend time in the Hold.

22. If you have another Inquisitor, how would those two get along, specifically?

Kass would mother Miriel, particularly after discovering Miriel’s mother died. They’d get along well.

24. What are their plans for after the Exalted Council? Will the Inquisition staying in tact or being disbanded make a difference?

Get rid of it. Anyone who stays in power for overlong is prone to corruption and doing more bad than good. She is completely for dissolving the Inquisition by that time, as long as the College stands.

Thanks for the ask!