#Mythal Talks

[mythalsknickers]

Mythal’s Thoughts about Veilguard: The Lighthouse and Arlathan Forest

And so we wake...

This is part two of my longer series regarding my thoughts in real time as progress my second playthrough of my canon Rook. Part one which can be found here covered the Character Creation, my nostalgia, the cold open and my thoughts on the fade prison. Beyond this point we will be covering everything past that point, so as our favorite Witch of the wilds says.

The Spoilers of New must be preserved. No matter how exciting they are.

Seriously these are large spoilers do not come knocking unless you have already reached the end of Veilguard.

The Lighthouse

Our first introduction to the lighthouse is interesting because not only are we removed from the fade in a manner similar to how Solas removed a romanced Lavellan with a simple command but also because when we wake we are greeted with a splitting headache that even I for a moment assumed was blood magic, rather it is a post crisis Rook having a breakdown. Only to be pulled from it by a friendly face; Varric, and there is more there than meets the eye. It is most noticeable that as we converse Rook is confused about him being there, and Neve or Harding (player choice dependent) does not notice him. The conversation leads us to the realization we aren't in the waking world, but rather fade. The Lighthouse will never have the reveal per say that Skyhold did, but it wasn't needed in the way Skyhold was. In the way the lighthouse was reveal it was beautiful and warming. Despite it being the fade, and the storm brewing in the background, it feels safe. Mechanically speaking there is not much to do in the lighthouse before you go to Arlathan, you can change your appearance via the mirror next to the bed you woke up in. Also temporarily there is a wardrobe next to the door in the infirmary. There is a singular puzzle outside which unlocks a music room of the right hand side as you enter the Library. But we will talk more about the lighthouse once everyone is recruited.

Among the Ancient boughs

It is extremely fitting our first foray into Arlathan since the ritual has seen it fundamentally altered by the Ritual going wrong. This is a forest we have been told in lore nobody survives entering. Be it by elven relic, or by the fade itself Arlathan is dangerous. My current theory from the origin of this rumor is likely the fact this is the site where Solas sealed the Evanuris into the fade and created the veil. Making a highly dangerous and unstable veil area due to the stress on it. Our task is given to us by the Veil Jumpers and it is to locate one of their experts, Bellara Lutare.

Bellara rightfully needs a moment to process, honestly I need a whole decade to cook with this game and the lore so I get it. Being told her gods have returned and are evil, its alot. To me Bellara feels like a mature Merrill, she still has the energy and the enthusiasm of looking for relics. Also I am enamored with her outfit, I very much want it. Partially for the pockets and just how comfy it looks. Bellara does introduce us to a concept I wish we saw more of in the game as a whole. Veil Bubbles. Which from my understanding of the world are pockets of the waking world saturated with so much raw magic it mimics what the world was like before the veil was formed. As far as we know in game extremely powerful elvhen artifacts can generate them but an over abundance of magic can generate ones that are not necessarily maintained. It is during Bellara's recruitment mission, that we learn a critical mechanic in the game for many of the puzzles. The Lyrium Power Crystal, on the nose this is a crystal filled with Lyrium and used as a spell battery if you will. They are socketed into mechanism that anchor the spell to create bridges.

Of Combat and Blight

I need to speak of combat somewhere and there is a fair portion in Bellara's mission, it is also where we get our first taste of the blight. Regarding combat as of right now I have only played Mage, and I play on keyboard and mouse. I understand that Keyboard and mouse are not optimal for this UI set up but to be honest I have had no issues playing. In fact I have to say Dagger & Orb mage have brought alot of enjoyment back for me. There is plenty of movement and flow, while the button combinations on keyboard are not the easiest for learning to flow. However none of this has never hindered play through for me or my enjoyment. Prying me away from dagger & orb to play rogue or warrior is going to be immensely challenging.

Now onto the blight. It pulses and that disconcerts me on a decent scale. The emergence of Elgar'nan and Ghil'nain appears to have fundamentally altered the way the blight and darkspawn behave as well as how they look in some cases. Honestly I do not have alot of opinions around this yet, that might change when I hit a warden playthrough.

The Veil Jumpers

I think each section I do like this, I will try to wrap up with my thoughts on the faction, speculation, what we know in pre-existing lore. On first impression of the Veil Jumpers, I did not know who Strife or Irelin were, or how Harding knew them. We meet them as we come back to Arlathan from the lighthouse. I did some digging because I was curious and this is what we know. Strife and Irelin and the Veil Jumpers as an organization are introduced in the comic, The Missing. We know they are are Dalish founded organization that accepts anybody willing to handle Arlathan's unpredictable life.[source] Beyond that we don't know much else other than they seek to contain the annomalies happening in Arlathan and return it to a natural state. To be honest I have always been biased for the Dalish and this is the first time my playthrough did not start with the Dalish, I didn't immediately mesh with the Veil Jumpers, but I do know I want to know more about them, and who they are and see them in future games, books etc.

[thebaldursmouthgazette]

I’m sure Dumat being defeated the same year andraste was born means nothing

I’m sure this has nothing to do with the fact that andrastes mother was part of a tribe who helped the grey wardens fight and defeat dumat the same year she was born, meaning that she could have been a fetus affected by the taint in the proximity of a dying arch demon

And the fact that nobody knows which grey warden killed dumat, as seven wardens died from injuries from his death throes, and therefore we cannot actually identify a warden who absorbed his soul, means nothing

And I’m sure it is a complete coincidence that andraste had dreams and visions of the being later referred to as the maker her whole life, and behaved strangely, talking about hearing lost voices and seeing strange auras. That absolutely doesn’t sound like anyone else we know

[liaragaming]

The problem with Solas' view of Mythal

Listen, this has been bugging me for a while, and I finally found a way to articulate it...

In Trespasser, Solas sounds completely devoted to her. And he's so bitter discussing her murder. It's almost like he didn't rebel to free the slaves but to avenge her. (He says he wrote that story "in desperation," so I'm not sure.)

In the Inquisition post credits, he takes Mythal's power, and in his mural he paints it as a betrayal. But it also seems like she gave him permission? She knows he needs her power, and there's no doubt in my mind she could stop him from taking it if she wanted. And we saw her put a soul through the eluvian. She's planned and prepared for this. And he's so wrapped up in his own grief that he doesn't see it.

And she tells him she's "sorry as well." And I don't think she's commiserating with him. It's almost like she's apologizing for something she's done that he doesn't realize? Solas thinks he's done something terrible, but I think he did exactly what she wanted him to do.

Like, I'm sure Solas believes Lavellan loves an idealized version of him that isn't true. But I'm thinking maybe he needs to look into a mirror about Mythal?

We've known Flemeth for three games. She always has a plan. She was waiting for you to come kill her in Origins. Just because she was curious about what you and Morrigan would do. You didn't just happen to be the only Grey Wardens she could save. She hand-picked you. Just like she did Hawke.

And Solas comes to this woman at the end of Inquisition thinking he stabbed her in the back??? Honey, sweetie, do you know this woman at all???

I have so many alarm bells going off in the back of my head.

[defiledtomb]

If the gods are blighted and Mythal, the all mother; if her will passed onto morrigan through the well and the spirit of flemeth who carried it before...

why such an odd fashion choice, bioware?! It's a statement from composition to similarity in the bust. SURELY. SURELY.

[inanshalla]

the fact that this has to be stated means that it was not clear and it wasn’t lol

[vir-tanadahl]

Evanuris and Spirits Part 2

Evanuris and Spirits Part 1

I'm going to expand more on topic here, like I did on this reddit thread because it is fuuuun. This is also me just completely theorizing things because it is fun, but I also didn't explain my thoughts in my initial post.

Another person commented on Reddit that they thought that the Evanuris were more complex spirits and that DAV confirmed this; however, I don't remember this but the idea of that they could be more complex spirits is fun to me because spirits are represent emotions and there are different "levels" of emotions so to speak.

We have our Reflective Emotions (emotions that require more thought), Routine Emotions (our day-to-day emotions), and our Reactive Emotions (based on survival).

The idea of some spirits being more complex also is interesting because it also plays into the idea of more complex emotions. For example, happy and excitement are similar emotions, but one is more high energy than the other.

We experience different types of emotions, each serving unique roles. Reflective emotions require deeper contemplation and introspection, routine emotions are the ones we experience daily, and reactive emotions are immediate responses rooted in survival.

The idea that some spirits are more complex is intriguing, as it parallels the concept of layered emotions. For instance, happiness and excitement are closely related, yet they differ in intensity; excitement is a higher-energy state than happiness--but one can argue that excitement is still a form of happiness.

We also see hints of this complexity in the game, where some demons we encounter are more nuanced than a typical rage/despair/desire demon.

So, take Wisdom for example:

What if a Spirit of Wisdom could be formed through various experiences, emotions, or interactions with other spirits/the world? There could be multiple pathways leading to wisdom, with this being just one possible example.

Now, let's turn our focus to the Evanuris - for the sake of this post, I will only focus on her. I might break down my thoughts about the other Evanuris a bit later though.

Mythal: Benevolence (as confirmed by Morrigan)

[Justice] + [Compassion] = Benevolence

Fairness + Integrity = [Justice]

Love + Empathy = [Compassion]

Benevolence is a virtue that embodies kindness and goodwill, often driving acts of charity, care, and support for others--it's more than just kindness. Benevolence is active and purposeful, driven by a desire to make a positive impact on others' lives, which is where we might see the manifestation of Justice.

I think it could be more than just if X is corrupted, it must be corrupted into Y.

Some may see this as a retcon of the lore, but I view it as an expansion. Much of Dragon Age lore is presented through only a few perspectives, and when it comes to spirits, the Fade, and other similar topics, they have historically been demonized and regarded as dangerous. This fear likely obscures a great deal of knowledge, suggesting there is much more we don’t know.

[dark-elf-writes]

Morrigan: I know more about American Girl Dolls ancient elves than you do, genius.

Solas, the second ancient elven god she has failed to recognize: Child, if you don’t shut up.

[dungeons-and-dragon-age]

Wait till they find out that it runs in the family

[shieldhawke]

crying over the veilguard debating whether mythal and solas were fucking. this is exactly what i wanted from these solas memories

[arlathen]

can we all take a moment to imagine dorian spreading the news about Where Inquisitor Lavellan Went to the rest of the inner circle.

[mythalsknickers]

Mythal’s Thoughts about Veilguard: D'Meta's Crossing & Return to the Ritual Site

A Beacon on the Edge

Welcome back to part three of my longer series regarding my thoughts as I progress through my second playthrough with my canon Rook, Part One and Part Two can be found here. In this section we will cover the quests following the return to the Veil jumper camp with Bellara. Beyond this point will be covering more of the game. So as the favorite witch of the wilds says.

The Spoilers of New must be preserved. No matter how exciting they are.

This is my spoiler warning for D'meta's Crossing and subsequent Quests including Harding's personal Arc. Please read at your own risk. Additionally I am adding a Trigger Warning for Body Horror, Blight Gore, NPC Non Companion Death. This is not a "Disney Game" or a "Disney-ified verison of Dragon Age" The blight in this game is in many way more disturbing than in previous installments. I advise caution. If you are sensitive to Body Horror, and Zombification please take care of yourself.

A Crossing of Blight

We return to the Veil Jumper camp and are greeted with grime news they have evacuated three Dalish Settlements and lost contact with a settlement known as D'meta's Crossing. Locationally speaking D'meta's Crossing is across the lake from the Veil Jumper camp, we don't know how far that is exactly. We do know it is a hub of trading for all the local dalish settlements and clans. D'Meta's Crossing is very early in the game, I would argue it is still Prologue because the world has not opened up yet, and the Vi'Revas (Solas' Eluvian) is still locked only sending you to Arlathan. We are greeted upon first look a deserted and quiet settlement. Up until you hop over a barricade you'd be forgiven for thinking this game is not dark, and lacking the typical darkness of a Dragon Age installment.

We are immediately greeted with the Blight devouring a village the likes of which we have not seen since Dragon Age: Origins and the very beginning of DA:2 in the case of Lothering which we did not even truly get to see. Ostagar was dark, but it was not a bustling village where the citizens could not escape. It is very apparent here more so than in Arlathan that the blight is quicker, and alive. Notably this comes from a dialogue with Harding where she says the blight is typically "...dead, and static but this is alive." This blight pulses, and has a heartbeat. It spawns darkspawn from the pools of just blight ooze.

You learn from blood magic addled villagers that lived, that they were to gather everyone in the center of town, and find the veil jumpers and bring them to the mayor. In addition to being under the influence of blood magic, the villagers that survived are blighted. Upon finding the Veil Jumpers you learn that they were used as the catalyst for the gods; Elgar'nan and Ghil'nain's ritual. D'meta's crossing was beautiful expansion on the unnerving feeling of the Blight being changed in Bellara's introduction quest, as it is unexpected and sudden. I know when I went in on my first playthrough I was expecting a Redcliffe Village situation, but to find that was very much not the case.

A Return to the Ritual

Our return to The Veil Jumper encampment is heralded by a raven that Scout Harding seems to recognize, and the well versed player recognizes her a moment later. Morrigan, reportedly an old colleague of Strife's Bioware I will sell my soul if you give us that lore. She offers her assistance as an Arcane Advisor and advises Rook very briefly to journey back to the Ritual Site and recover Solas' Lyrium dagger. Before we get into that, I do want to talk a little bit about Morrigan. In this iteration of her we get more of what I feel is a Mythal/Flemath influence in her wardrobe and how she speaks. Her words seem more deliberate and less scathing than usual, none of this is a bad thing in my humble opinion. As for her new outfit, I am personally a fan, I love the detail and layering work. It still maintains what I would call "The Morrigan" feel and vibe while also looking more substantial than her previous non formal wear outfits.

Our return to the ritual site is marked with a conversation with Harding and Neve about the regrets and what could have been done better, before heading in and meeting the antagonist of this quest. A Lyrium Ghoul. I have some questions as to what this is, and the how and why of it all. We have a chase to the end of the ruins, where we finally recover the dagger and something happens to Harding. It seems on first glance during the cutscene she is infected with a type of lyrium poisoning, before the cliff face gives way and Harding falls. However the anxiety of her impending death is short lived as she reappear emerging from a Lyrium vein claiming "Isatunoll" and the imagry around this brings me back to Descent and Shaper Valta when she was struck by the Titan.

It becomes clear as we enter phase two of fighting that Lyrium Ghoul, that Harding has gotten some kind of magic from the Lyrium dagger, and that is not necessarily a good thing, or a bad thing. It is only in the mission wrap up back in the lighthouse does the group (Neve, Harding, and Rook) toe around the idea of Harding being reconnected to a titan, which if it the case Harding would be our first dwarf that did not have to go deeper to the Titan to survive reconnection.

The Criticism of Mythal

This is finally the first time I have solid criticism of the game. Morrigan's sudden appearance is something I both love and hate. It is extremely on brand for the character. However with the lack of available information on how long the Veil Jumpers have been working in Arlathan, and the additional lack of information regarding Strife and Morrigan working together in the past, a little too nebulous for me. Additionally up until Veilguard, as far as we knew in Lore Arlathan was not habitable, or at very least welcoming to outsiders. Which begged the questions of how did the Veil Jumpers establish their foothold, and when was D'Meta's Crossing founded? While I was over joyed to see a permanent Dalish settlement, why was the mayor a human appearing man? None of these were quite explained at all and I doubt we will be going back to D'meta's crossing in the game but maybe it can be expanded on in an artbook or world of thedas book. Though I'd like to see some of this fleshed out in games.

[timeacola]

I can’t help but wonder how the whole ordeal with the Well of Sorrows will come into play in DAV, if it even will. Mostly because I feel like it definitely should have an impact, considering what happened to Mythal.

Mythal might be dead, her soul potentially consumed by Solas who is now somehow in possession of it. (Someone correct me if I’m wrong and there’s more information I’m missing)

What if the fact that the Inquisitor (who we know will definitely be in DAV) drank from the Well means Mythal’s soul could be transferred into her body by Solas like some form of betrayal.

And if the Inquisitor did not drink and Morrigan does not return to the game, this threat practically disappears, because Solas is unable to track her down.

I just feel like there are so many possibilies of how it could go down!

[hoboblaidd]

Solas looking at the religion talk on the dash and just ‘there are no gods and religion is a prison.’ 🚬

[faerune]

why does morrigan keep saying solas and her are old friends and shit u guys are barely acquaintances

[sayilovedragonage]

So, if the inquisitor drank from the well, they now have thousands of spirits now in their mind that can technically control them (under mythals guidance), and they have no autonomy with it.

Are we just going to ignore the fact they are by literal definition an Abomination.

Are... are we gonna talk about it.

[okthisway]

had a dream i was at some interactive theatre play where an actor asked me what my goal is and i replied "my current mission is to find morrigan". he pointed at her sitting in the audience and flemeth appeared. morrigan started mumbling to herself "no no she wasn't supposed to find me" and i felt so guilty and kept saying sorry. flemeth said "don't blame yourself dear, i would've found her either way", then snapped her fingers and morrigan disappeared. "she'll find a way out. she always does"