#Chantry

[cullenssweatyballsakk]

I love angst

Cullens nightmares after meeting mage inky are mostly just nightmares of them. Every night, a new torturous dream.

An accident death. Lavellan becoming possessed and Cullen having to put them down.

And worst of all, Cullen himself putting the tranquil brand to the fire. He can see it hearing up, the chantry's symbol become hot with Andraste's holy flame. Meredith watched from the corner approvingly.

A voice he swears he's heard before begs and pleads to spare her. Her voice is so pleasant to his ears, angelic like that of a spirit of faith, even though it begs and screams for mercy.

The brand is red now, glowing. He removes it from the ceremonial fire, pressing it into the Lyrium and steps towards her. His armor feels like solid stone, threatening to drag him directly into the fade.

The pleads get louder and louder, tears and emotions coming that she'll never feel again.

Other faceless Templars watch, their heads bent in prayer as they recite the Chant. He lines the brand up with her forehead, noting the elegant Vallaslin that would inevitably be ruined and marred by the brand.

She feels the heat, and screams as it's pressed to her head. Steam rises as her skin burns into the Eye.

He feels her magic seep from her. Her eyes go blank, all of her memories, her laughter, her smile, her anger and sadness, everything that made her HER leaving. Her screaming mouth slowly closes, the lack of screaming louder than any noise.

He presses the iron deeper, and whatever fear and dread that left her has made it's home in him now.

The iron clangs to the floor, and another Templar presses an elfroot extract drenched cloth to her forehead to prevent infection.

Cullen falls to his knees, his head in his hands. He looks up understanding what he's done, even when the Templars around him clap, Meredith included.

Why are they proud? He felt like he'd committed an unholy act, a sin no amount of repentance could forgive. He DID commit a sin in his eyes.

He looks up at her, his gauntleted hands holding hers. She looks down at him, her eyes devoid of life. She lived, but she wasn't alive.

"Knight-Captain." She says, her voice monotone. She was gone. She was Tranquil, nothing more than a body without a soul. A form of accepted necromancy in his eyes. The dead stood before him, never having died, but no longer LIVING.

Then the morning comes, the gaping hole in his roof casting a ray of sunlight on his sweat-slicked body. His chest rising and falling rapidly. His lungs required more air than they could take, and he tried to suck it all in, like a fish flipping helplessly on the docks.

He looked down, a hand across his chest and a head of dark brown locs splayed on his chest. He quickly brushed a few dreadlocks from her forehead, and saw nothing but the usual Vallaslin that decorated the dark skin of her forehead.

His movement woke her up, and she began to stir. She looks up at him, her dark brown eyes half-lidded. She rubs the sleep from her eyes, and sits up, the sheets dropping to reveal her naked form.

"Cullen? Are you alright?" She says, the tone of her voice soft.

She was alright, she was here. Alive. Living.

He breathed a sigh of relief, looking at her.

"No." He responds.

"Tell me about it Vhenan." She says, looking at him, the love in her eyes like a delicate blanket for his fears.

Lol I love angst cause it's so

Emotional

This really isn't a fic or a story, just me writing a headcanon which turned into a little blurb.

[nerywen]

Anders respects the Chantry

(in the form of fire or ruins)

[shewolfofvilnius]

i know I keep hyperfixating on the Solas/Ghilan'nain flashback but there is SO MUCH to unpack there and I want to talk about the VERY FIRST THING we see when we start the FIRST GAME. (DAV spoilers ahead)

The VERY FIRST

This is the very first thing we learn about the entire setting of the game. It's the foundational piece for the Chantry's concept of sin. And as we learned in one of the random Veilguard videos, The Chantry's interpretation is completely fucking wrong.

The Blight not only predates the first Archdemon, it predates the creation of the Veil and the sundering of magic into The Fade. It dates back to late period Elvhenan.

So where did the Canticle of Threnodies originate? Hint: NOT THE CHANTRY.

Slave uprisings? Oral tradition? Hmm, which people relied near-exclusively on oral tradition for centuries? Who did Tevinter primarily enslave? Who has a history of slave uprisings that predates Tevinter itself? Elves. What happened to the Elves of Arlathan after it fell? Enslaved in the founding of modern day Tevinter.

Ancient Tevinter Slaves (hint: Elves) have an ancient oral dirge about a "golden city" being "blackened", and about a singular pissed off narrator telling someone that their every step blackens the city and brings doom upon the world.

A dirge primarily sung during slave uprisings. Whose big thing was a massive slave uprising or uprisiings in Elvhenan and Arlathan?

I posit that Canticle of Threnodies 8:13 is the Chantry's translation/appropriation of Solas telling off the Evanuris once and for all, and was part of his final rebuke to them before trapping them in the Golden/Black City (Arlathan) and sealing the city off and creating the Fade.

The warning survived into Elven oral tradition as they were then enslaved by the humans in the founding of Tevinter. When the Magisters then breached the Black City and found the blight waiting for them (as Corypheus confirms, although I wonder where the Evanuris were hiding), it was retconned to apply to the Magisters when the original sin...was the Evanuris.

(PS: There are literally dozens of these examples of history retcon all throughout Thedas in past games.)

[loustica-lucia]

DATV — Aequitas II

The Black Divine/Imperial Divine🙏

(Ashur/The Viper)

Refs & Timelapse below:

Illustration from Dragon Age: World of Thedas Vol.1

[thefadecodex]

Cultural Views and Interactions with Spirits Across Thedas

The cultures of Thedas have vastly different relationships with spirits, shaped by history, faith, and tradition. While some societies embrace spirits as allies, teachers, or even deities, others regard them with suspicion, fear, or outright hostility. These views often reflect each culture's relationship with magic, the Fade, and the Chantry's teachings.

Broadly speaking:

Northern Thedas tends to demonstrate more openness and integration with spirits.

Central Thedas is likely influenced by both Northern and Southern Thedas, resulting in an amalgamation of cultural beliefs.

Southern Thedas is heavily influenced by Chantry doctrine, enforces stricter separation and suspicion. 

The significant exceptions, such as the Avvar tribes and the Dalish elves, whose unique spiritual beliefs set them apart.

Then, we have the Circle of Magi.

Northern Thedas

Tevinter Imperium

Cultural View: In Tevinter, spirits are seen as tools, allies, and occasionally even advisors. Magic and spirits are deeply integrated into society, and the Chantry's warnings are largely...interpreted differently than southern Thedas in favor of practical application. Tevinter mages will often bind spirits and compel them into service.

Key Spirit Interaction Example: In DAI, Dorian speaks openly about spirits with respect, showcasing Tevinter's pragmatic—if morally gray—approach to spirit magic.

(source: Tevinter, Spirit)

Rivain

Cultural View: The Rivaini people, heavily influenced by their Seers, view spirits as part of the natural and spiritual order. Spirits are seen as protectors, teachers, and sacred presences.

Interactions:

- Seers: Rivaini hedge witches, known as Seers, communicate directly with spirits. Southern Thedas believes that Seers often allowing themselves to be possessed willingly for the benefit of their communities. However, in the codex entry ‘Riviani Seers and Spirits,’ Taash notes that the Seers aren't possessed at all. The Seers simply open themselves up and share their body. - Spirit Amulets: Seers craft "Amulets of the Unbound," magical talismans that protect spirits from blood magic and binding rituals. - Spiritual Integration: Spirits are welcomed into villages and trusted to guide important decisions or provide aid in crises.

Key Spirit Interaction Example:  During Taash's personal quest, a Rivaini Seer allows a spirit to speak through her rather than fully sharing her body. The spirit, having spent considerable time around the Ancient Qunari, respected the Qun's beliefs about possession but still wished to offer its assistance.

(source: Rivain, Spirit)

Antiva

Cultural View: The Fade Codex is theorizing that it appears that in Antiva, spirits are neither overtly worshipped nor deeply feared but are instead accepted as a natural part of the world. The Antivan people generally remain untroubled by the occasional presence of spirits.

While Chantry teachings are widely followed in Antiva, they seem less rigid compared to the stricter interpretations in the South—likely a result of Antiva's origins as a nation founded by pirates and mercenaries, who valued pragmatism and adaptability over dogma.

Key Spirit Interaction Example: The Treviso marketplace, there are spirit cats lounging around, which reflects Antiva's relaxed approach to spirits, to some degree.

(source: Antiva, Spirit)

Central Thedas

Nevarra 

Cultural View: Nevarrans have one of the most unique relationships with spirits in Thedas, deeply intertwined with their cultural views on death and the Fade. Spirits are seen as natural caretakers of the dead and necessary intermediaries between the mortal world and the afterlife.

The Mourn Watch (an elite group of Mortalitasi) avoids using the term "demon." Instead, they refer to what most of Thedas would call a "demon" as a "maligned spirit."

Interactions:

- Mortalitasi Mages: These spiritual leaders interact directly with spirits, often guiding them in rituals surrounding death and the Fade. - Guardians of Tombs: Spirits are sometimes bound to tombs or structures, protecting the dead and ensuring the Fade remains undisturbed. - Rituals of Passing: Spirits play an essential role in guiding souls to their rest.

Key Spirit Interaction Example: In DATV, we see a number of different interactions in the Grand Necropolis regarding spirit interactions. Such as benign spirits being placed in skeletons to help with the upkeep of the building, Curio and Keepsake helping with the return on Manfred, etc.

(source: Nevarra, Spirit)

Southern Thedas

Ferelden and Orlais

Cultural View: Both Ferelden and Orlais follow strict Chantry teachings, viewing spirits with fear and suspicion.

Interactions:

- Spirit interaction is largely confined to the Circle of Magi and heavily monitored by Templars. - Any uncontrolled interaction with spirits is viewed as dangerous, with possession considered an abomination.

Beyond the Chantry's Reach: The Avvar and Dalish Spirit Traditions

Avvar

Cultural View: The Avvar revere spirits as "gods," integrating them into their culture, mythology, and daily lives. Spirits are not merely distant entities but active participants in Avvar society, deeply interwoven with their survival, rituals, and spiritual guidance. Unlike the Chantry's fear of spirits, the Avvar see them as powerful allies deserving respect and proper rituals to maintain harmony.

Neither the Chantry nor its Templars are welcome in the Frostbacks, as Avvar rituals often involve spirits speaking through their casters—practices the Chantry would deem heretical. However, the Avvar are deeply aware of the dangers of spirit interactions and have developed rituals to safeguard against corruption and possession.

Interactions:

Augurs – Spiritual Leaders: 

The Augur, chosen from the hold’s mages, serves as a mediator between spirits and the hold, interpreting omens, guiding rituals, and advising the Thane. They appease spirit gods through ceremonies to protect the hold and drive away malevolent spirits. Augurs allow apprentices to host spirits temporarily, teaching mages patience and control over their magic. If an apprentice fails to release the spirit through ritual or risks corruption, they are quietly executed to prevent harm.

Spirit Bonds:

Spirits actively participate in Avvar life, guiding warriors, aiding mages, and protecting the hold from harm. These bonds are built on respect and reciprocity, with spirits offering blessings, wisdom, and strength in return for proper reverence.

Combat and Spirits:

During ritual combat, spirits are drawn to Avvar warriors, enhancing their reflexes, strength, or endurance. This bond resembles the connection seen in Spirit Warriors, with warriors embracing spirits as sacred allies in their battles.

Ritual Safeguards:

The Avvar use structured rituals to ensure spirits do not linger in mortal hosts or become corrupted. These traditions, developed long before the Circle of Magi, reflect a deep understanding of spirit behavior and the Fade.

Spiritual Duties:

Augurs also prepare the dead for the Lady of the Sky, interpret omens from nature, and preserve the old songs and lore of their people.

Key Spirit Interaction Example: In DAI, Avvar shamans openly invite spirits to aid their people, fostering deep trust and cooperation. Warriors receive spiritual blessings during combat, and mages learn magic through spirit guidance, reflecting the Avvar's balanced and structured approach to spirit interaction.

(Source: Avvar, Spirit)

Dalish Elves

Cultural View: The Dalish hold a deeply cautious view of spirits. While they do not inherently view demons as evil, they see all spirits as wild and dangerous, comparable to untamed animals.

Interactions:

- Dalish mages are expressly forbidden from using spirit magic, as spirits are considered unpredictable and inherently risky. - Felassan's Insight: The Dalish believe demons are not evil but are dangerous if treated carelessly. - Merrill's Perspective: In DA2 Merrill reveals that the Dalish believe "there's no such thing as a good spirit."

Key Spirit Interaction Example: Merrill's attempts to interact with spirits and her controversial use of blood magic highlight the tension between Dalish caution and the pursuit of knowledge.

(source: Dalish, Spirit)

The Circle of Magi: Doctrine, Control, and Spirit Interaction

Spirit Healers

Cultural View: Within the Circle of Magi, Spirit Healers represent a unique and often controversial branch of magical study. These mages form bonds with benevolent spirits—typically those embodying fortitude, compassion, hope, or faith—to channel restorative magic that far exceeds the capabilities of traditional healing spells.

While the Chantry acknowledges the value of Spirit Healers, particularly in times of war or crisis, the Templars remain deeply suspicious of their practices. Spirit Healers walk a precarious line in the eyes of the Circle, seen as both invaluable assets and potential risks, as their reliance on spirits is viewed as dangerously close to inviting possession.

Interactions with Spirits:

Benevolent Bonds: Spirit Healers summon and form connections with spirits of compassion, hope, or fortitude, persuading them to lend their power to heal wounds, restore vitality, and alleviate suffering.

Spirit as an Ally: The spirit does not typically cross the Veil fully but instead channels its power through the mage, acting as an ally rather than a master or servant.

Advanced Healing: While standard healing spells can mend physical injuries, Spirit Healers can cure grievous wounds, cleanse diseases, and even stabilize those on the brink of death with their spirit’s aid.

Role Within the Circle:

Desirable Yet Distrusted: Spirit Healers are highly valued for their unparalleled healing abilities, especially in times of war, plagues, or crises. However, their reliance on spirits causes them to be monitored closely by Templars for any signs of corruption or possession.

Rare Practice: Few mages pursue this path due to the intimate bond required with a spirit and the risks associated with such relationships.

Templar Suspicion: Templars remain wary, fearing that the line between collaboration and possession is dangerously thin for Spirit Healers

(source: Spirit)

[elderscrollsconceptart]

Snow Elf Sanctum

Concept art for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Dawnguard DLC

Art by Lucas Hardi

[knife-eared-jan]

Anyone else deck out Skyhold overwhelmingly with Chantry and Orlesian custumisations when playing a Lavellan, to really drive home the theme of them being swallowed up by this organisation and the narrative of the Herald? Or am I being problematic?

Not like we get a Dalish throne or decor anyway. Wonder why that is.. And since we don't actually get to influence the Inquisition in any way towards a more Dalish take on what is happening, no matter what we learn in WPHW even, and our own identity as a believer in the Dalish gods gets just brushed aside all the time and in CotJ a noble even gets to make flippant quips about the Exalted March against the Dales to you as if he's talking about the weather, and all of this is kind of the point of the narrative even... idk, I feel like this little customisation choice can really drive these constant slights and erasures home.

Lavellan gets to pick the curtains maybe and the bed in their own room, but the throne room will be whatever makes the Inquisition most pallatable to the Andrastian hegemony. Cause this isn't about them.

[greatpoetrychopshop]

Do you believe that when the Chantry finds out that The Herald of Andraste helped convince Solas to let the Veil as it is, they become completely hysterical about it and use the fact as propaganda?

Conveniently hiding the fact that the same Dread Wolf belonged to the Inquisition for a time, in their twisted narrative…

"The Herald of Andraste, by her unyielding Determination and Grace given by the Maker, stops the infamous Dread Wolf in his attempt to tear down the Veil and killing thousands !"

"Be thankful for the action of the Herald, for she saved our world again fighting against falsely self entitled Elven God! "

(This might be even more ironical if Solas is ever confirmed as the Maker as one theory suggests)

And of course, no mentions of the actions of Rook and Morrigan, or maybe as footnotes (lol)

[silent-words]

Anders' Mage Freedom Manifesto

In Dragon Age 2 Anders writes a manifesto, and in Dragon Age: Inquisition we can find a part of it on the Storm Coast. As I have never found the full text of the manifesto, I took the liberty to write it myself.

I hope it helps those who need the text of the manifesto for their fan works.

[dragonageconfessions]

CONFESSIONS:

Sometimes it does annoy me because like. The Chantry is an ancient, continent spanning institution made of people from all walks of life, and I think it deserves a more nuanced take than what some of the fandom has. All the awful stuff people see in it is real, but it’s also more than that.

[kingclowsif]

Sometimes you just gotta blow up a building after facing decades of horrendous suppression <3 <3

Original Meme under cutoff

[cullenssweatyballsakk]

I just had an epiphany.

There's a tiktok trend, where people post pictures of them and their father/mother/paternal figures. Typically the parental figure was emotionally absent, a deadbeat, or manipulative/abusive.

No hold on, I'm going somewhere with this.

Cullen and Meredith.

I want to dive deep into their relationship, and how we actually don't see much of it. This is where headcanons come in.

By the time Cullen came to Kirkwall, he was traumatized, mentally broken, and grieving not only his friends in the circle, but his parents that died during the blight. Now let me explain where I'm going.

I have a theory.

A game theory, if you will.

I believe that Cullen, in his broken state, began to idolize Meredith, and view her as a mentor at least, and a sort of maternal figure at most. I believe somewhere in-between.

Meredith was cruel to the mages, treating them unfairly and making many mages tranquil for small offenses. Cullen most likely saw this as justified, because of the trauma he went through in Kinloch Hold and how he viewed mages as 'non human'. Meredith saw how full of hatred he was, and how he idolized her heavy-handed punishments. She played into his fears, feeding him skewed beliefs. She wanted him to feel his hatred, and to let it consume him as it did her. As long as he was full of hate, angry, hurt and traumatized, he would be a perfect pawn to enact her bidding.

So she favored him, almost like a favorite 'son'. She promoted him quickly, and made him her right-hand man. In reality, she didn't give much of a fuck about him. She only cared about him because he was useful. Maybe in her own way, she cared about him, but probably not much.

Cullen thinking so highly of her is probably why her red Lyrium poisoning went unnoticed for so long. He didn't want to have any doubt in his mind about Meredith. To him, she was 100% right, and after all he's seen, he probably wouldn't have been able to handle her being wrong.

He most likely thought that the sheer numbers of blood mages was why Meredith became more and more strict, without realizing the reason as to why there were so many blood mages. The vice grip is that Meredith had on the Kirkwall circles balls was why the mages there began to resort to blood magic. They were tired of being harassed and beaten, which Meredith allowed under her supervision.

Okay thanks for coming to my ted talk

[pupkinpumpkin]

I'm curious. Is there anyone in the Dragon Age fandom who fully supports the Chantry or genuinely likes it?

I suppose as an addendum, I'll say that when I put "I love or like the chantry" as an option, it doesn't mean "I am fascinated by it and think it is very interesting", I mean "I support it's goals and actions", just as "I don't like the chantry" means "I do not support it's goals and actions"

Had to explain it to a friend of mine, so I thought I might also add that here

[andrevalias-tes]

'Kvatch is lovely enough, once you tune out the chanters yelling about Akatosh in the streets.'

-- Stops-His-Heart, on Kvatch

[loustica-lucia]

Dragon Age Theory: The Maker was a Titan? Elgar'nan?

READ WITH CAUTION, THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR EVERY DRAGON AGE MEDIAS UP TO DATE!!

Just some thoughts I wanted to put down:

The Maker is a Titan lying under Orlais?

"Weep not for me, child. Stone they made me and stone I am, eternal and unfeeling. And thus shall I endure 'til the Maker returns to light their fires again." — Eleni Zinovia during the Mage Origin (Dragon Age Origins)

The Chant of Light could be an attempt to re transcribe the Song of the Stone — which actually comes from Titans.

“Blessed are the righteous, the lights in the shadow. In their blood the Maker's will is written. — Benedictions 4:11

There’s this constant mention of voice and songs shaping the world for or by The Maker. It’s a common theme between Elves, Humans and Dwarves:

The Maker created the world with his voice.

Andraste made the Canticle hymns to praise the Maker.

Leliana is nicknamed the Nightingale, a song bird.

Isatunoll = Dwarven (Isana → Lyrium but Isatunoll is, according to Lace Harding:

"Isatunoll is an affirmation. A statement of existence. Of… being. Isatunoll is the eternal hymn that encompasses all time. All spaces. I am. We are. This. And that. Here. There. Now. And forever.”, like a hive mind)

Ir sa tel'nal = Elven (I am empty, full of nothing)

Asala = Qunlat (Soul) Referred to as “The voice of the Maker”, the song of the Lyrium, Titan’s blood.

"It's singing. A they that's an it that's asleep, but still making music.” — Cole, Dragon Age Inquisition

The Golden City is sometimes called the Wellspring of Creation in the Chant of Light. In The Descent DLC, the inner sanctum is also called the Wellspring.

Andraste’s Sacred Ashes temple is underground, maybe where the Maker/Titan rests? For something unravelled for decades/centuries, it’s still in perfect shape. Maybe they weren’t “magical” but the place they remained in made them so? Pure Lyrium mixed to her ashes? That’s why Leliana turns into a Red Lyrium ghost if you defile the Urn and fight her in DAO?

The amount of Dwarven statues in the Hissing Wastes (Orlais) and the rest of Thedas.

“Seven times seventy men of stone immense Rose up from the earth like sleepers waking at the dawn, Crossing the land with strides immeasurable, And in the hollows of their footprints Paradise was stamped, indelible.” — Canticle of Exaltations

The Avvar — one of the Allamari tribes — and Dwarves stories are intertwined, with Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother

Then did Tyrdda look to Hendir, dwarf-prince friend, children-giver, Took her freedom, Hendir glad, wished her what he could not give her. Chose her child to stand as chieftain, after all last wrongs were righted, Gifted goods of worldly want, left her tribe no more benighted. Skyward, one last trek she made, To her lover, dream-delivered, Raven-feathered, reunited, Hearts both whole, now neither aching. — Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother, 8th stanza

Let’s not forget the Inquisition, allied with the Chantry the origin of the Seekers of Truth and Templar Order, believes in the Maker. Yet, their symbol was most likely created based on the Avvar’s symbol Visus, the eye of the Lady of the Skies.

Titans live beneath Orlais.

"The Stone lives beneath Orlais." "Mathas gar na fornen pa tot isatunoll" — The World of Thedas, Leliana’s letter “We Who Did Not Belong”

She translates it to "I regret the sacrifice of my kin, but it means we will find our way home", but now we know isatunoll doesn’t truly mean “home”.

The Occularum are made from Tranquil skulls. They’re reveal the location of hidden magical shards in Inquisition, and these are nicknamed the “Elfstones” by Avvar.

Tranquils got their connection to the Fade completely cut off, the same way the dagger severed the dreams of the Titans.

As far as I’m aware, only the Chantry performs Rites of Tranquility. Which is why I’m mentioning this here to support the links between the Maker and the Titans.

Random additional thought: what if the Void was the Maker’s titan heart? His got broken by Andraste’s murder in the Canticle, maybe a little too literally? The Void is the contrary of the Maker’s creation, right? An empty abyss where even spirits cannot dwell… Where Lyrium, magic and souls are gone :’)

My other theory is that The Maker was indeed Elgar’nan:

In Veilguard, upon fighting him, he says he’s the creator:

“Such arrogance, thinking you can hide from your creator. And I am this world’s creator.” In French, we call the Maker “the Creator”, so he uses the same exact words.

The Chantry symbol is a Sun, with a tinier “sun” making it hollow. Kinda like the eclipse, it could symbolize the moon and the Sun overlapping.

The Golden City was released to be Elven in Veilguard. The place supposed to be crafted by the Maker, his throne.

What does it mean for Mythal?

Andraste might be one of the first person who carried Mythal’s fragment.

Morrigan said her fragment of Mythal "fell in love with an alamarri leader" and I assume that's Maferath?

It wasn't the Mythal Solas knew back in the Elvhen days though, but a human carrying a fragment of Mythal, the same as Flemeth did ages later.

It also works for Conobar & Flemeth, since the story seems to be repeating through the ages.

Final thoughts:

The deities in Thedas are all inspired by each other, tales long lost and modified to fit a narrative. It’s not surprising to want to compare and figure out the truth behind all the lies and half-truths we find in those games. In the end, I think the Maker, as we imagine Him, was probably extremely different from how the Chantry pictures Him.

He might as well be the entire World of Thedas itself, the first Soul, a Spirit, something alive or dead. Who knows. It’s just interesting to think about all the cultures of Thedas, stealing things from each other across the Ages, slowly forgetting the true with their traditions, rewriting, censoring and modifications.

The Chantry edited and removed Canticles.

The Qun forgot most of its history on tablets only Adaari can read.

The Dalish forgot the origin of most of their traditions.

The Dwarves and their Shaperate edit and destroy ancient records that doesn’t fit what they like.

There’s no way to know what’s absolutely true. It depends on the point of view, the time, the people. And that’s why I love theorizing about this game so much.

What do yall think?

[thefadecodex]

As discussed in the Theory of Spirit Complexity, spirits can evolve into more complex forms through direct interaction with the physical world or by observing and mirroring these interactions within the Fade. This concept builds upon and expands ideas introduced in the Spiritual Alignment Classification System and When Purpose Falters.

This creator is theorizing based on the lore that there are multiple, flexible pathways to purpose (or corruption) and evolution for spirits. An example of this train of thought is below:

In previous games and established lore, our understanding of spirits' purpose and corruption remains limited, often resulting in rigid assumptions about how corruption manifests. 

For example:

When Justice merged with Anders, he transformed into Vengeance, reinforcing the belief that a Spirit of Justice, when corrupted, must inevitably become a Spirit of Vengeance. (side note from the creator: I suspect this might be linked to the Blight present in Anders, which is discussed further down)

This narrow perspective overlooks the potential nuances and variability in how spirits might experience corruption or transformation. 

Instead, let’s look at other forms that a Spirit of Justice could possible become if it is corrupted: 

What determines what a spirit will be corrupted into? The creator of The Fade Codex theorizes that it is based on the situation that put the spirit against it’s original purpose. Going with the example above of Justice being corrupted:

Fear: A Spirit of Justice becomes so afraid of failure or further injustices it can become paralyzed or overly reactive.

Despair: A Spirit of Justice witnessing endless cycles of injustice and failure to make meaningful change.

Vengeance: A Spirit of Justice becomes consumed with frustration and anger leading an overwhelming desire to punish rather than balance.

Tyranny: A Spirit of Justice becomes obsessed with enforcing order and fairness to an extreme that it suppresses freedom and choice.

Passivity: A Spirit of Justice becomes overwhelmed by the scale of injustice or believes that intervention will always lead to unintended harm, leading to inaction.

Case Study: The Blight Within – Justice and Anders

Subject: The Spirit of Justice

Host: Anders, Grey Warden and Apostate Mage

Corrupting Influence: The Blight (disembodied rage of the Titans)

Background: Justice, a Fade spirit inhabiting the corpse of Grey Warden Kristoff, merged with Anders, a Grey Warden mage consumed by anger at the oppression of mages. Anders’ Blight-tainted blood, carrying the Titans' disembodied rage, began corrupting Justice's purpose.

Observation: Initially driven by balance and fairness, Justice was twisted by the Blight's primal fury and Anders’ deeply personal anger regarding the treatment of mages. The Blight amplified Justice’s purpose into something violent and unyielding, warping it into Vengeance—a spirit driven by rage, punishment, and destruction rather than resolution.

Case Study: Manfred

The same line of reasoning can be applied to Manfred, a Spirit of Curiosity inhabiting a skeleton. However, Manfred's case differs significantly from Anders and Justice or Wynne and Faith, as the skeleton he occupies lacks a pre-existing soul.  

Emmrich observes that Manfred is actively learning, with his progress accelerating after leaving the Grand Necropolis, where his growth had been gradual.

Emmrich notes Manfred's increasing engagement in various behaviors and his eventual ability to speak, albeit very rudimentary. Additionally, Winter Wise (@winter-wise) highlights that Manfred seems to be mimicking Emmrich's actions, suggesting that his learning is not purely instinctive but shaped by observation and imitation.

Manfred has a stick he likes to point around - Emmrich uses a staff Manfred walked into a rose bush - Emmrich loves flowers Manfred likes to collect shiny things, including gilded things - Emmrich wears a lot of gold

This suggests that Manfred is actively learning and evolving.  

Several codex entries reflect Emmrich's ongoing contemplation of spirit consciousness. In 'The Dawn of Consciousness,' he questions when wisps begin to change, pondering "which can name its own interests…[and] own self-reflection." 

In another entry, ‘Emmrich: Note to Harding on Souls,’ he defines a soul as "the richly numinous force within every living being… and a spirit as an entity formed entirely in the Fade from raw magic." We receive this codex immediately upon recruiting Emmrich, so it does predates Solas's revelation about his transition from a spirit in the Fade to a physical form

This implies that spirits and souls may not be as fundamentally different as once believed, hinting at a shared essence that bridges the Fade and the physical world.

What, then, is Manfred evolving into? Will he become a “person” as defined by the majority of Thedas? Or is he developing into a more complex spirit, perhaps transitioning from a Spirit of Curiosity into something like a Spirit of Learning? 

The creator of The Fade Codex leans toward Solas's perspective—that spirits can be considered "persons," regardless of whether they possess a physical body or not. However, at this stage, the answer remains uncertain.