#and i know i will feel the same about Bellara

[eliphasgraham]

I may be gay panicking months in advance because I planned on romancing Harding and Taash and I unfortunately cannot resist Neve's beauty, ice magic and snake coded outfit

[vilnan]

my holy trinity: zevran, fenris, solas

[felassan]

Just poring over some of the new images. ◕‿◕ DA:TV spoilers under cut.

Another shot of Rivain Coast, which we can tell from the image but is also known from the file name. this environment was seen in the Thedas Calls teaser. the remains of the large sea creature are really cool and interesting to me from a biological perspective. like is it a creature we know, or something like the Cetus, or something as-yet-unseen by us? it makes me think of Ghilan'nain's beasts of the deep, and the Tevinter Nights map, which showed all manner of sea monsters in the seas around known Thedas. it also makes me think of this codex entry, which talks about whales, squid, giant worms, dragons hunting underwater in the sea, etc, as well as the DA:TV concept arts we've seen which involves sea monsters. what if we held hands and got married.. while standing under the flower-bedecked arch of the jaw of this giant skull..? 🥺 in Thedas Calls we could also see the remains of some beast on the Rivaini shore; I wonder if this is that same area of the shore but from a different angle/viewpoint.

the other focal point of this screenshot is the boat. the red things on the side look like shields, and they remind me of a stylized version of the Qunari symbol. red is also a color associated with Qunari, from things like the distinctive red-rope clothing. but the boat also really reminds me of Taash's design and color scheme. maybe it's associated with Taash, or it's a Lord of Fortune vessel more broadly? if you look at Taash, two, the aquatic blue-green is her main color, accented by bits of red, just like the boat. the pointy bits and triangular shapes of the boat remind me of her pointy armor with triangle details. idk, even the hoop (even though it's a totally normal thing to have on a boat) 'feels' familiar. like I could totally buy that this boat is associated with Taash's group or something. or maybe, shut up MJ, ignore the hoop, but the blue-green and red is notable still. but also maybe I'm just seeing things that aren't there hh :)

in this first screenshot I also simply spent a while looking at the sunlight through the palm fronds :') there are coconuts or something similar in some of the trees. I'm also curious about the ruins here (right hand corner) - remains of fortresses or watch-towers that were guarding the coast against invasion?

Another shot of Rivain Coast, which we can tell from the image but is also known from the file name. this environment was seen in the Thedas Calls teaser. again, in this image we can see part of the skeleton of some giant creature, and I wonder again if we're seeing this (or one of these, if there's more than one) from a different angle in this screenshot. we can see more of the sea-ruins in this one, and part of the wall has a crenellated top like it was a rampart and the other part looks cylindrical like it was a tower/watch-tower of some kind. nearby we can see a campfire on the go with a cooking pot heating over it, and is that maybe a hammock set up behind it? camping near a giant skeleton like that would be so metal.. and I wonder if it's simply environmental art/scenery, or maybe there are a few maps where as we explore them we establish lil camps as we go again as like in-map waypoints or something. and in the top right, we can see part of the mast and rigging of a different boat, I guess a shipwreck.

what do you think this other wooden structure from the top right is btw? part of another ship's mast/rigging?

this shot is taken from a place in the shade, like from the mouth of a cave or from under an overhang of the cliff, which reminds me a bit of the perspective from under an overhang here. we can see a tangle of driftwood bleached by the sun, elf warrior Rook (love the ragged cape/cloak), Bellara, and Taash, looking soo cool and nonchalant as she Casually Leans, Casually. Taash is so cool aaa! love her piratey boots and in this shot we can see that her dragonscale-looking armor extends to her legs also. (I hope Rook can have piercings and jewelry like Taash's, whether it's from inside CC or items gathered in the world._ the big coins are ornamentation, part of Taash's outfit, just like how Lords of Fortune who have survived a couple of years are allowed to display.

also in this image are big green pots. I wonder if we can smash them open, RPG-style, to find loot or potion restocks. wasn't there something like that in the gameplay video? ^^

another thing that gets my attention in this screenshot is these blue-green banner- or standard-looking things.

whom do you suppose these standards are associated with, like which group..? in this area the Lords of Fortune are active, and the Qunari also have a presence in part of Rivain. the material that they are made from remind me of the blue-green gem of Taash's 'horn' and the blue-green material on the boat from screenshot one. if the standards are Qunari, I wonder where the familiar Qunari symbol is? for the Lords of Fortune, we don't know much about them or the specifics of their aesthetic yet but I'd be looking for their octopus symbol or classic piratey stuff like skull and crossbones or something. so who? I also can't place the standard from or being associated with anywhere else either (but if I'm missing something pls lmk ^^). here is what it does remind me of though.

The spine-like spiky pole with the suggestion of paired centipede-like legs coming off of it; the dual-prongs at the shoulders, even the crossed-over aspect, and especially the curved shape at the top.

In Thedas Calls, as the camera pans over Rivain and over its Coast, the speaker at this point says "Glory to the Risen Gods. They've come to deliver this world". I remember us wondering about the connection between these gods and Rivain. maybe these signs/standards were erected by new cultists of Ghilan'nain, and this is part of their spread? Rivain is a country surrounded by a lot of sea, and it has strong nautical themes like the piracy. Ghilan'nain has sea associations of her own, like her creatures of the deep and her monster-form rising from the sea in that one concept art. and something has caused the Lords of Fortune to lose dominion in the area and something seems to be unsettling the dragons in the area. and the Chantry has less influence in Rivain, there's more variety in religion there. but also maybe I am just reading waaay too much into the coincidental shape of a sign LOL. Ghil Goggles. maybe it's nothing and they are just fancy anchors or other pieces from wrecked ships hhh.

as an aside, I love the skybox here in 'screenshot two'. :)

This image shows Arlathan Crater, per a filename. Elf Warrior Rook, Grey Warden again by the look of their (massive!) shield, Bellara (looking all curious/inquisitive) and Harding, looking out over this beautiful and fantastical viewpoint. These ruins look so grand, even in this state and with magic gone from the world. Imagine what Elvhenan looked at its height, before the world was un-made.

For this screenshot, I highlighted some things. ^^ -

The detail of roots in and partially in the ground in the bottom left; the mist effect; the thought put into the Celtic knotwork-looking detailing on the 'tower' in the foreground; in the background just beyond that could that be a waterfall? Makes sense, there's a lake below and mist everywhere. The familiar curved arches and similar shapes of ancient elvhen architecture; gold-capped towers shining so brightly in the sun; the shimmer and reflections on the water; rocks and chunks of ruins floating in the air the way things do when Fadey stuff is going on or the Veil is disrupted/thin; the detail of small trees growing on top of a tower, having seeded there (this happens irl too). Also in general the detailing of things like paint or etc having faded off walls, the exterior parts of stonework on stone walls having crumbled away in patches, chips in the gold.

There is also a statue of a bald ancient elf. I wonder whom of? They lack a distinctive Evanuris head-piece shape, but I'm sure there were depictions of Evanuris without those, or depictions of other notable elves or other powerful elves like their chosen.

The water makes me think of the concept art where the party are swimming underwater looking for treasure or something. Maybe swimming is a thing in this game? I would bet that over time and/or thanks to the recent reality-warping that has been occurring in Arlathan Forest, that some ancient elvhen ruins and artifacts have become submerged in water.

In the foreground is a chair with a tome on it. A book a Veil Jumper was using in their research, or found and was reading, and their resting/lookout point? ^^ we know that we will spot Veil Jumpers working away and researching in Arlathan. next to that is a golden object which I wonder, is it either 1) a telescope or spy-glass of sorts which a Veil Jumper has been using to study the ruins across the lake or 2) an ancient elvhen artifact that they've found (it is gold after all), and that maybe Bellara could use Tinker on it to use it. You can see a similar gold-orb type object in the distance in this shot of the team fighting in Arlathan (that one looks on/activated). between this object and all the floating rocks in this image, I'm reminded of the bit in the Game Informer cover story article that says to reach a certain place in Arlathan in the opening hours of the game, we must first remove the floating rock rings and how to do so, we must use Bellara's Tinker to interact with a nearby piece of ancient elven technology.

If these artifacts remove the floating rock rings.. maybe it's because they are reducing the 'Fadey'-ness of a place by.. reinforcing reality there. Which makes me think of the artifacts in Solas' quest in DA:I, Measuring the Veil. He said that when we activated them, they strengthen the Veil and help prevent additional Veil tears, and they were also gold looking things, and orby-looking too with their aura when active.

This image shows Arlathan Crater, per a filename. This time we have elf warrior Rook, Neve and Lucanis. This looks to be at a similar viewpoint located not far down from the one with the chair in the previous image; if you look across the water to the ruins, you can see the tower with the ancient elf statue with the two trees growing near its top, just from a slightly different perspective. I feel like the barrels, boxes, cart and planking is Veil Jumper stuff, like field provisions and equipment and stuff when they go on expeditions or something maybeukuh. ^^ another beautiful shot.

Lucanis is smoll. :)

This image shows Arlathan Forest, per a file name. Elf warrior Rook, Harding, and Lucanis (still smoll <3) explore ancient elvhen ruins. another beautiful shot. :D I love the big Totoro-style umbrella leaves and Harding looks so cute here. and I love purple as an 'iconic color' for Rook so much. we've seen this Grey Warden elf Rook in quite a few images now. I count at least 4 blades on Lucanis. On the stonework just behind Rook's head you can see more of the knotwork-esque pattern. also in the background here we can clearly see a door to this temple[?]-place. I really like how even the door is in this distinctive ancient elvhen shape, they really committed to recognizable distinct architecture and design styles for the different nations/cultures/asset-sets etc. ^^

The main point of interest in this screenshot of course is the pair of golden hands, an ancient elvhen artifact of some kind I assume. it brings to mind the artifact Bellara uses, which has been described as a "gauntlet" (something one wears on the hand/forearm). look at the diamond/triangle patterning on the inside of the wrist that we can see - like the triangles in the ancient elven tech/gear Veil Jumpers use. Maybe this artifact is designed not so much to look like 'hands' but specifically 'gauntlets'? it could just be the lighting, but the green glow around the hands look to me like this artifact's magic is active/that it has been activated. other gold pieces are magically[?] suspended in the air above it. I wonder if these pieces are actually moving, like they each spin on a slightly different axis/rotate? that's what the angling of them in this still looks like to me. Maybe they move when the artifact is active? also, up there is the triangle motif again, this time in a way that makes me squint. the biggest ones give that part the impression of a sun, with sunrays (also like the Veil BUBBLE shown in the Tevinter Nights map below). the curved lines give the impression of the 'concentric circles' motif which is sometimes used to represent the Veil. the paired triangles in one of the layers give the impression of the black-gold banding, and triangles like these seem to sometimes represent the Veil, Fade or magic.

(re-eyeing old bubble imagery now btw, since we know there are Veil Bubbles in DA:TV. like the giantest bubble, the whole-ass Veil itself, in the TN map, and the bubble around Solas in his 'me and my fursona cast the Veil' fresco. see also in these images - the triangles)

So I wonder if, when these 'hands' are activated, does it have some effect on the Veil? ^^

the other thing the hands remind me of is the Dead Hand landmark (see Trivia section) in DA:I. it's found in the Dales and contains an elven shrine. it's not far from Ghilan'nain's Grove, and it also has an interesting magic puzzle involving the lighting of torches and balls of light. detached stone hands in DA:I, detached gold hands in DA:TV, both 'holding' magic in them.

Lastly this image is included because it's actually a slightly different moment to the one here (ability wheel pointing at a different icon) ((I covered in the rest of the contents of this image in a previous post in this series)). where in the last one we could see Harding has a move called Shred, in this one we can see that Bellara has a move called Fade Bolts. it detonates, applies Shocked on hit and sunders the target. I wonder if these are bolts of Fade-energy in the shape of arrows that she fires, or arrows that she fires from her magical gauntlet-bow and because it's magic she never misses or they have extra effects on impact.

There were also two screenshots in this 'batch' which were stills from the gameplay video, which I won't include here: the one showing blood splatter, and one of Harding as she talks to Varric.

[bg3scenarios]

Taash: I just wanted to open up about something…

Taash: I… like girls

Harding: Same

Neve: Same

Bellara: Same

Lucanis: Same

Harding: Ok, you get out of here

Taash: Wow, I feel a lot better now

Harding: Because you know we’re all gay?

Taash: Because I got to see you be mean to Lucanis

[alanakod]

„Pride”

Lucanis Dellamorte x f!Rook

author's note: you want angst? I want angst. that short drabble for you.

(sorry if I made mistakes. english is not my first language, but I still learning. thank you for understanding).

Rook reached out to him with her hand to remove the dried blood from a collar of his armor.

Lucanis instinctively steps aside. His body tells:

“Wait. Wait. Wait.”

Her hand remains hanging in the air for a couple more seconds.

How stupid.

She feels fooled. Certainly charmed by him. Woman tries to smile brightly. Puts hand behind head, as if scratching her hair. Fingers catch hair painfully.

“He is not mine”.

The shadow of thought falls on her face. Dellamorte doesn’t know this expression, thoughtful and sad at the same time.

Spite shakes his head, clearly not approving happening. But remains silent.

Warmth of her fingers is so much to Lucanis Dellamorte. In moments of peace he is afraid to dream about warmth of her lips. Of her body.

Why is he giving it up right now?

(Cause she is already under his skin).

Rook says a few words about last mission, even praises him, wishes him good night. But something changed. There is nothing in her that betrays great sadness. The way she moves, the way she holds her posture, the way she asks about the well-being of others.

Only Bellara notices how wetly Rook's eyelashes shine. Barely noticeable. Rook takes books from friend’s hands. And then woman softly bares her teeth and straightens shoulders. For some reason the air becomes stale.

- Sometimes I think I can’t read. But I can, - a strange joke came out Rook’s mouth.

What if it is not sadness? Not even disappointment.

Goosebumps run across the veil jumper’s ears.

If Rook were possessed by a demon, it would be the demon of pride.

Cause she promised herself not to reach out to him anymore.

[vitaeplaysda]

Finally a complete set with all my planned Rooks! It's just a first take, depending on the CC and the game and how I will feel in the next months they will change for sure. Also the clothing is all random. Purple because... it's Rook. Time to go back to Elgar'dad, commissions and other artworks. I will talk about them under the cut!

◆ Nadir "Lil'Rook" Lavellan

Elf ◆ Transmasc nonbinary ◆ he/they Antivan Crows ◆ Orb/Knife Mage (Spellblade)

My little baby, my firstborn, the first Rook I designed. Used to work as a lil kid in Skyhold's kitchen, until he met the demon Enfenim in that abandoned library hidden there, befriending him (it's another OCs of mines, check my pinned!)

Long story short he gets adopted by my Lavellan after his magic manifested, in the kitchens. Near boiling oil. The left side of his face and shoulder is covered in burn scars. Still he grows up to be a great but VERY unlucky mage, to the point he considers himself bad news and slowly starts to embrace this side of him in a selfdeprecating way. After yet another incident, he leaves her mother and their community, deciding he wants to make just one single good thing for her: finding Solas. Hiding his identity he ends up joining the crows, finding out he's quite good as an assassin. Relationship wise I brutally ship him with Elgar'nan, but more specifically he's in a weird... double triangle romboid (?) relationship with also Sulenan and Bellara??? (aka Sulenan also has a relationship with all of them but Bellara and Elgar'nan don't deal with each other.... unless the game will state otherwise >:D) He's hella young, in his early twenties, but usually fakes his age and tries to pass as someone older. He's also the shortest elf you'll ever meet.

◆ Saara(?) "Rook"

Qunari ◆ female ◆ she/her Veil Jumpers ◆ Bow Rogue (Arcane Archer)

She's meant to be the real Rook, you know, the one who Varric recruits. Qunari who was taken in by a (very open minded) Dalish clan. I'm still unsure if she was born in the Qun or not, in any case she embraced the elven culture as her own. She can be considered diplomatic and understanding, a good bean. The idea behind her is linked to the Qunari having metallic like skin... I wanted to make a golden one since they're usually grey in games. I'm not sure about the name Saara just because I remembered now Sera has a very similar sound. We shall see if I'm going to change it.

◆ Sulenan

Elf ◆ Male ◆ he/him Shadow dragons ◆ Two handed Warrior (Slayer)

I idealized him as a... mortal form Elgar'nan would use to mingle and learn the hell has happened while he was gone but he became a whole unique character. A Liberati of dalish origin, he's one of the angriest characters I have, hating humans for what they've done to his people and their rotten society, hating the chantry for its comforting lies, hating the elvhen gods because... well apparently they're evil now. In the end he's just very lost and heartbroken, desiring only for things to get better. Alas he's also practical and knows you gotta make your hands dirty if you wanna achieve anything. Headcanon wants Elgar'nan can control him through Vallaslin, I also fantasized about Sulenan sharing the same blood of his god. He feels comforted by Bellara's presence tho, his "Official" relationship it's going to be with her. For the headcanon chaotic one check LilRook above 👀

◆ Anarca

Qunari ◆ Agender nonbinary ◆ they/them in game but any pronoun works Mourn Watch ◆ Staff Mage (Deathcaller)

It's just... chaotic. Take the Dnd core rules and turn them into a person. They're unpredictable, at times taking a kind choice, while another time they will act in scary ways. It isn't like they don't like rules and push against them, for Anarca rules simply aren't part of their world. Beside their peculiar behavior, Anarca loves to experiment but mostly they want to have *fun*. You want to see the skeletons dance? You'll have that. Look wise people are always scared as they're extremely tall, most of their face half covered by hair with just their horns poking out.

◆ Veronica

Elf-blooded Human ◆ Female ◆ she/her Grey Wardens ◆ Shield Warrior (Champion)

Melancholic gal whom had to join the wardens in order to survive not so different from the Hero of Ferelden and also the token human (?) of this group. While she has a rooted sense of duty which made her a good warden, she still misses and fantasizes about the kind of life she would have gone through if she stayed among nobles, instead she had and still has to fight monsters and to come into terms with her Calling being closer than not. The idea was to have her romance Emmrich, letting her coming to term with the concept of death through him.

◆ Raibeart

Dwarf ◆ Male ◆ he/they Lords of Fortune ◆ Daggers Rogue (Sabouter)

The cheerful and funny guy of the group but also the most clueless one. Honestly he doesn't know why he joined the Veilguard... he probably doesn't even know he's part of the Veilguard. Still, he isn't one to ask complex questions to himself or others, somehow he's able to work with whatever is at hand, navigating through every situation, hopefully bringing a smile on people's face in the meanwhile. He's goofy but still charismatic and enthusiastic, a disney princess in the body of a burly pirate drawf.

[5mcsinatrenchcoat]

8, 9, & 10!

Dragon Age: The Veilguard HYPE Q&A

8. What faction are you most excited to learn more about?

The Veil Jumpers. Hypocritical of me to say that when I still haven't read the comic they appear in, but regardless, from what I've heard and seen they are so cool? I wanna interact with them more!

Also definitely Lords of Fortune 'cause there's so little on them so far!

9. Which romance, if any, do you plan to pursue first?

I don't know

Okay listen. At first I was like "Pleeeease let Harding be a romanceable companion!", for, like, years. Lo and behold, they DID give me a romanceable companion Harding! Yay! But then the trailer kept going and I saw Bellara. And then I saw Taash. And then just as I told myself that at the very least Neve is not dangerously my type - the gameplay preview came out and now I'm not sure about that one either!

I swear if nothing comes to light that changes my mind I'll just have my Rook be a gay mess and flirt with all four of them. And then see whose romance path triggers first due to approval or otherwise happens naturally.

As of now, Harding is winning by some margin, because I've known and liked her for so long, but once I actually meet the rest... I have a feeling I'll like them too, and very fast.

10. Which location are you most excited/hoping to explore in-game?

We've been stuck in Ferelden for three games (eh, Orlais is. Orlais), I'm excited about everythiiiiing.

For some reason though I'm especially curious to see Rivain. But also Weisshaupt? Hello? We heard so damn much about it? Finally???

(Sorta related - I've seen people theorizing we'll see Kirkwall again, and in that case I think we should mentally prepare to not recognize it in the same way it was hard to recognize Haven and Redcliffe in DAI. Crazy what graphics do to a place!)

[invinciblerodent]

Hello!! I am so in love with the Veilguard companions already and I am 👀 very curious about your own opinions. Do you have an idea of what companion you would want to romance with your first character? Did you have a character that really stood out to you as a character you want to get to know better?

For Inquisition my immediate favourite character was Dorian for many a reason, but with Veilguard I'm less sure - from appearances alone I'm a little in love with Davrin and Bellara but I honestly find them all really interesting.

Oooh, bless your little SOUL for giving me a reason to rant!! Thank you for asking, I am blowing you many, many kisses and offering many an apology for the unfiltered thoughtstream below, lol.

As much as I've been yearning for a romanceable dwarf companion for a literal decade and a half, and as delighted as I am to see Harding most likely fill that niche (fingers, toes, and all crossable appendages crossed), I can't deny that I'm just.... immediately drawn to Davrin, to a degree I absolutely did not expect. Which is honestly not like me at all, but there is just something about the introduction, his voice, and the fact that he is (or seems to be) a genuine Grey Warden, from Weisshaupt (who probably knows the Warden-Commander!!!!), that just struck such a chord with me.

I've always loved the sheer dramatics of the Wardens: that sense that a happy ending is pretty much impossible for them, them being duty-bound and required to throw their lives at the threat in the event of a Blight regardless of their personal feelings, the constant ticking of the clock from the moment of their Joining that's counting down to their tragic deaths, the undercurrent of doom that they inherently carry just by being who they are, them being both the sickness and the cure at the same time, it just.... I love it.

Even if in the game there will be an opportunity to cure him of the Taint (which I'm guessing might happen, since it's been kind of a thread that's been following the story since Origins, and it sounds like a fitting story arc to give to the one Warden character guaranteed to show up), I think without knowing anything else, that already makes for a nice, solid base for a story, even a romance. And, him being described as a bold and charming monster hunter on top of that, that's just really, really appealing to me. He's got kind of a slight Wyll Ravengard, but there are a number of characters that fit that description that I really like (my partner's first thought was Xenk Yendar from Honor Among Thieves)- AND he's gonna share a voice actor with Javik from ME3, so I'm like, sold immediately. Like, listen to this man speak. Come on now.

...... This, of course, could be overwritten in a second- my immediate first impression is that the character I have planned (only in the vaguest of terms) might very reasonably fall for someone like that, but it's almost equally likely that any one of them will just bat their eyelashes at my girl, and she'll (I'll. lbr, I'll.) be a lost woman, lol.

There's honestly not a character in this lineup that I can't see myself getting very interested in. Davrin is a definite standout (god I hope we'll get to call him Dav), but Bellara is is kind of giving me a similar feeling as Peebee did when Andromeda was revealed, so I'm very curious as to how that'll work out (she's SO CUTE??? and described as a ROMANTIC????? HELLO??????), and Taash's vibe, I really like so far- especially her name. Like, I'm sure it's derived from "ataashi" (yknow, qunlat for dragon) and means something like "Glory" or "Greatness", but I'm very curious to see how she and these "Lords of Fortune" will play into the overall plot. I only vaguely recall them being mentioned in the netflix show (Absolution) which I've only seen once when it was released, so I'm flying totally blind on them, lol.

But also, a Mortalitasi companion is inherently just really cool, especially considering how little we know about Nevarra, Neve is the POV character in Streets of Minrathous (from Tevinter Nights) which I'll HAVE to reread but remember also being cool (upon a quick googling that's not the one Dorian shows up in, I got excited because I could have sworn and thought she'd know him then), and Lucanis is in The Wigmaker Job (same book) which I'll ALSO have to reread but ALSO remember being one of the stories I liked most in that book, and just.....

Head in my hands, they all sound so fun, every last one of them. I'm reading The Missing (the comic, I think the only one I've not read yet) in another tab literally right now, and I'm like bouncing in my seat over the buddy-cop back-and-forth between Harding and Varric. I don't remember being this giddy about a game release.... literally ever. The only comparable event was Andromeda for me (I didn't have time to be excited about Inquisition, I was still oblivious and playing DA2 for the first time when it came out), but even though I love both, deep in my heart of heats I'm so much more of a Dragon Age girlie than I am a Mass Effect fan.

..... For my Rook, I decided I think sometime around 2017-2018 or thereabouts that her name is going to be Verbena (like the plant, Ver for short), and I think she's going to be human warrior, or the closest thing to it, depending on how classes are gonna work- because as much as dwarves are my favorite, and as much as I think the trade relationships with dwarves that Tevinter have could play really interestingly into the story, I've learned my lesson from playing a Cadash, and I'm gonna go with a standard height race for my first run. (I don't wanna miss the action the first time around because of a slightly off camera angle and a misplaced table leg, lol.)

I've only thought of Ver in the vaguest of terms, no backstory, just vibes and associations (primarily based on the name), and kind of a voice, but I don't wanna plan too far ahead or too specifically on anything, I'm just very excited to just explore things as they come! ❤️❤️❤️

[autopotion]

Ok here are my companion predictions for DATV:

Two humans, a Grey Warden and an Antivan Crow. The Warden has pretty much all but been confirmed (Davrin) and the Crow is almost certainly Lucanis or Illario. Judging from the voice clip Davrin probably hails from Ferelden or the Free Marches. Possibly Tevinter but I'm thinking Ferelden

Female dwarf rogue, also pretty much confirmed (Bellara). Sadly I don't think my dwarf mage companion theory is true. That being said, considering the new mechanical details, I do wonder if companions are going to break the typical m/r/w tradition and have more hybrid classes? In which case... Give her a little magic, Blease. I'd love it if she was from Kal-Sharok too, but idk how likely that is.

Mortalitasi skeleton. Considering how much art we've seen of these glowing skeletons I will be extremely surprised if we don't get one.

Lady Qunari/Tal-Vashoth. Same as skeleton, we are for sure getting a Lady Qunari, but that's all I can definitively say about her. Would not be surprised if she's Tal-Vashoth to finish the pattern, since Sten was Qunari and Iron Bull could be Qunari or Tal-Vashoth.

The remaining two companions I'm less certain of. Options:

Veil Jumper. I think someone has to be, right, but anything about this Veil Jumper is pure speculation. I personally feel like elf would make sense, maybe a Dalish elf... We haven't had a Dalish elf companion since Merrill!

We know that each companion represents a different faction, and I haven't accounted for two of the likeliest factions yet: Lords of Fortune and Shadow Dragons. I'm convinced a Lord of Fortune will be present in some capacity, but whether they're a companion or an option for the PC remains to be seen. I suppose Lady Qunari could belong to one of those factions, which would be cool.

Keeping with the typical DA trend, I don't think there will be a ton of crossover between potential PC origin factions and companion factions, meaning I'm not sold on Antivan Crow as an origin. We'll see though. (Just please don't be a GW again...)

This one is a stretch, but I would love an Executor companion. I'm just picturing that shadowy group concept art with a hooded figure holding a rifle... That would be so cool IMO. And it would make DATV the DA game with the most fantasy diversity among companions!

On that note I'm going back to sleep.

[liaragaming]

Dragon Age: The Veilguard HYPE Q&A

What was the first Dragon Age game you played?

Origins. My husband encouraged me to play it, saying that he thought I would like it. And then I loved it more than he did. lol!

2. Which Dragon Age game is your favorite so far?

Inquisition. That cast of characters just sucked me in.

3. Do you usually play as a warrior, mage, or rogue? Which class are you planning to try first this time around? Which subclass?

I tend to switch it up. Origins, I played rogue because that was recommended to me. Exodus (DA2), I played warrior because I wanted Bethany in my party. And then Inquisition, I was like, well, I haven't done mage, so I'll do it. Thinking of going full circle and going rogue again in Veilguard.

4. What does your worldstate look like going into DAV?

That's a little difficult to get into since we don't know what will be important. But:

Romanced Solas / vowed to save him

Leliana Divine

Inquisitor didn't drink from the Well

Do you typically use a preset character and name or spend hours in the character creator coming up with a custom one?

I can get overwhelmed in the character creator. I tend to start with a preset and then customize it a bit and then jump into the game. I'll make tweaks to the character overtime though as I play. I prefer coming up with a my own name though, just because I don't want my character to share the same name as other players. And I will spend hours on that.

Do you have your Rook(s) planned out to any degree? If so, would you share some details or ideas you have?

Waiting for more information, but I'm thinking elven and red head. I like the idea of a non-magic user who joined the Veil Jumpers. Just because you can't use magic, doesn't mean you can't be fascinated with it.

Which character from the previous games or other media are you most hoping will make an appearance in DAV?

FENRIS! I need, need, need Fenris!

Dorian feels like a given.

There's more, but those two are tops!

What faction are you most excited to learn more about?

Veil Jumpers!

But also, all of them, to be honest. I can't wait to learn more about each one.

Which romance, if any, do you plan to pursue first?

I was thinking Bellara because I like elves. And then I heard about Lucanis being the angst romance, and I'm a sucker for that (as long as it end happily - I'm already in hell over Solavellan). But then I heard Emmrich is a total nerd and loves learning - and like... I don't know anymore!

Which location are you most excited/hoping to explore in-game?

It was Tevinter, but now... Arlathan forest? I also really want to see Rivain and learn more about the culture there.

There's so many place we'll be visiting. I'm excited for them all!

What's one thing you'd really like to see in this next game?

Resolution to the Solas romance. I've been in hell for 10 years! Please release me from this prison!

What's one thing you're hoping we DON'T see in this next game?

Anyone dying. Please Bioware. DO NOT give me the Hawke / Warden choice again.

What's one thing you've seen confirmed so far that you're a fan of?

The theme of regret. I can't wait to dive into that.

Developing a relationship between Rook and Solas. I have no idea how that is going to work, but I am so excited.

The Lighthouse. Just... gimmie.

What's one crack theory you subscribe to (yours or someone else's)?

Solas and Ghilan'nan were a thing (mine).

Are you interested in all the lore and speculation or do you focus more on the games and stories themselves?

All of it. All the lore, all the stories, all the characters. I just eat it up.

Which aspect of fandom are you most looking forward to? (e.g. reading/writing fic, the bounty of gorgeous art, getting to know new people, etc.)

Very excited for all the companion fanart and meta that is going to come out. Also all the fanfic I'm sure I'm going to write.

Are you planning to replay any of the previous games, watch Dragon Age: Absolution, or read any of the books/comics/short stories, or are there other games you want to play in the meantime?

Reading through Tevinter Nights now. Then going through the World of Thedas books. I WISH I had time to add the comics in there as well.

Post a picture or gif that conveys your current level of excitement for Dragon Age: The Veilguard!

[kogiopsis]

DAV ask meme 2 4 6 9 11 !! God damn I really miss ask memes this is great.

ALRIGHT ALRIIIIIGHT

2. Which Dragon Age game is your favorite so far?

You know, it feels like going against the grain to say this but I just... love Inquisition a lot. It's got a lot of flaws (I mean, they all do) but I find exploring the open world really satisfying, the landscapes are gorgeous, the story still compels me, and I love (most of) the characters. I do think the combat can be kind of dull, but I don't play Dragon Age for the mechanics.

4. What does your worldstate look like going into DAV?

lol you sent me this just so I could ramble about my overly complex worldstate structure didn't you? I love you.

anyhow, I have three:

Primary: Daine Surana/Kenina Hawke/Kepi Lavellan, all mages. Pretty much the 'lawful good' runs, very heroic protagonists trying for the best possible outcomes. Decisions that I think will be relevant... Morrigan did the dark ritual; Alistair remained a Warden and was later left in the Fade; Kepi drank from the Well; Leliana is Divine; Celene and Briala reconciled. The Inquisition was disbanded and Kepi swore to stop Solas.

Secondary: Tohora Mahariel/Signy Hawke/Faina and Isaak Trevelyan. Tohora was a rogue, Signy a warrior; Faina's a mage and Isaak is a rogue. Lore-breaking/reluctant hero playthroughs. Yes to the dark ritual; Alistair became king; Hawke survived the Fade. Morrigan drank from the well... I think Vivienne is Divine, and I can't recall what I did in Orlais! I have not played Trespasser yet, but Faina is a faithful Andrastian, so she'll keep the Inquisition together but still swear to stop Solas.

Tertiary: Luthe Cousland/Basil Hawke/assorted Inquisitors. Luthe is a rogue (archer); Basil will probably be a mage, as that seems like the laziest path for him. No dark ritual; Alistair becomes king. I have NO idea how Basil's playthrough will go, because his defining trait is that he doesn't want to do any work, so he's going to do the bare fucking minimum and probably end in disaster. I have not yet defined all of the inquisitors for this worldstate.

6. Do you have your Rook(s) planned out to any degree? If so, would you share some details or ideas you have?

I mean, I have to play a female elf mage first, but other than that... I'm waiting for more information (video/images/pre-release of the CC, info on how Rook gets to the point of meeting Varric, etc).

Faction-wise, I think the Shadow Dragons or the Veil Jumpers are most likely. I have a good idea for a later-playthrough Lord of Fortune character, and I want to see how the Crows are characterized in-game before I design a character for that faction. The Mourn Watch is just less appealing for a first run because necromancer is the one mage specialization I'm not considering, and the Wardens... well, I know you're going to play a Warden first, so I don't want to do two of the same. :D

9. Which romance, if any, do you plan to pursue first?

If the game was released tomorrow, with no additional information, I'd just let things happen organically. Since I expect we'll get lots more character info, I imagine I'll have decided between Bellara, Neve, and Taash by the time it's out. But historically, DA romances can sneak up on me, so I don't know!

11. What's one thing you'd really like to see in this next game?

KAL SHAROK KAL SHAROK KAL SHAROK.

I've wanted to visit Kal Sharok since first reading about it in Origins, and after not getting to go there in Inquisition OR learn more via The Descent... gimme gimme GIMME. It's clear from The Descent that there's a lot of un-plumbed depth (pun intended) re: dwarf lore and I want it SO badly.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard Hype Q&A

[felassan]

Notes and thoughts on the Companion Week day 1 screenshots

This screenshot of Harding looks like the same scene as this one. why are there so many screenshots of Harding injured? this is at least 4 now 😭 In this one it looks like she's had some of her injuries for a while - the big cut on her forehead has stitches.

as always the texture on her clothes, like the fur collar, and the raindrops on her clothes and things like that, look incredible. she has cute lil spiral patterns on her collar. the green lighting coming from stage right is ominous.

This screenshot of Davrin we first saw here, it's a crop of that one. he is so ears.

This screenshot of Bellara I think is new. she looks happy here and I'm eyeballing the details of her vallaslin. in the center of her forehead it almost looks like a sun or a sunburst.

This screenshot of Taash we first saw here. it's a crop of that one. thoughts on that one at the bottom of this post.

This screenshot of Lucanis is new - the background looks like a wall of ice? Are they in a very cold place at this point, or has a mage (perhaps Neve? :D) cast a wall of ice spell not long before this shot was taken? in this screenshot we have a better view of the bird skull adornment that he wears at his collar, and the two on his jacket. I'm still really curious about what are the five purple vial-looking things on his chest? he looks like he would have Crows feet when he smiles, and is that a knit-wear jumper he's wearing under the jacket?

This screenshot of Emmrich is new. adorable Manfred photobomb. in the background it looks like shelves with [?] goblets and rolls of parchment/scrolls - maybe this shot is from Emmrich's area in the Lighthouse? Manfred is so cute here and Emmrich looks super charming. Emmrich has a skull pin at his collar. (the slim cropped version of this screenshot is criminal as it cuts out Manfred hhhh nooo)

This screenshot of Neve I think is new. I'm not sure if it's inside or outside, but I think the background looks like Docktown. in the background, someone is cooking some kind of animal over a fire, and there are links of sausage (how do you call them?) hung up behind them. the general vibe makes me think of inside or just outside this Docktown tavern.

This screenshot of Davrin I think is new. he's so handsome, I trust him immediately. idk, something about this screenshot feels like 'hey we are meeting them for the first time' vibes. there's greenery in the background, so this looks to be outdoors somewhere. I wonder if it's the same scene as when he appears at around 1:09 in the release date reveal trailer. like he jumps down from the rock and this shot is from the subsequent conversation or something. there are some neat thoughts on the design of Davrin’s armor here. :>

This screenshot of Lucanis is new. with the ice in the background and general atmosphere, it looks like it's from the same scene as the Lucanis screenshot above. after rewatching the release date reveal trailer, I'm thinking this scene is the "I'm ready" scene. in the background of that moment in the trailer is a big wall of ice. the vibe is 'this is Lucanis during the conversation you have with him after the Venatori are dead' or something.

This screenshot of Bellara I think is a different crop of the one of Bellara above.

on the flaming cards.

lastly, from the flaming cards, the fire on each companion's card was a different hue. it seems like each companion has a color.

Harding - green. compared to Emmrich's green it's more limey Davrin - blue Bellara - red? I don't know how to describe it but it's a slightly different shade to Neve Lucanis - purple Taash - orange Emmrich - greenish. compared to Harding it's more turquoise/cyan Neve - red? I don't know how to describe it but it's a slightly different shade to Bellara

it looks like the flame colors correspond to the colors each companion pin was at SDCC. (you can see the companion pins from SDCC here). there, Harding was green, Davrin was blue, Bellara was red-red, Lucanis was purple, Taash was amber/orange, Emmrich was a slightly more tealy green, and Neve was a pinky-red or magenta kinda vibe.

[tardis-sapphics]

20 + Thasmin (also i love your blog)

hi i love your blog too!!

20: ‘breaking the rules’

so this became a oneshot, not a ficlet, for which i apologise. more to read, i guess? also, i’d recommend listening to this song while you read. i am a little obsessed with it and had it on repeat when writing this Temptation is a cruel mistress. The perpetual out-of-reach; the ghost on her fingertips when she can’t quite close a hand around what she wants. It whispers quiet enough to let her continue with her day, but loud enough to muddle all else in muffled sound. It is the constant whine in her ear; the image in her head sticking to the insides, like paint. The conjurer of impatience and reality’s favourite trickster.

It has the glossiest voice. A touch like satin. But it has teeth like toothpicks, whining and desperate to bite down into rationality.

Aiming for the jugular and sinking in. Its claws have her in its clutches.

An undercover mission is not meant to last this long. Her previous attempts have all been fraught with boredom, a mounting frustration. She can’t stay in one place—she never has. Her freedom is her lifeline.

But the end result must be worth it. This missing princess and her entourage—they must be worth it.

Landing on this planet went from a brilliant idea to an awful one very quickly. Important—but still awful. To the local king’s delight, his daughter Tanza has been found. He brushed off Tanza’s proclamations that she was not a princess, but a time-travelling alien, and these were not her personal attendants but her human friends. He put it down to shock. Being kidnapped with one’s servants and being left for dead in the wilds of the Bostara Jungle would make even the strongest man mad.

So they’ve been forced undercover. And still, no real princess has returned. The Doctor has no idea what happened, only that she needs the real Tanza back. Taking her place is burning all her patience to ash.

Ryan, Yaz and Graham have settled into life as the princess’ personal attendants—as well as one can when rapidly learning new skills and customs. It isn’t unlike medieval life on Earth, except her fam were never medieval—and this king, this land, this world, is not human.

As personal attendants, the fam are there when she calls, but their interactions are coded if the presence of someone else forces it. If they are left alone—the two of them, the three of them, the four of them—then they can discuss matters. The Doctor leads discussions, but they glean information from wherever, and whomever, they can. Servants enjoy a gossip about their masters, and Tanza is no exception: Graham hears from the porters that she enjoys long walks; Ryan hears from the cooks that she will ask for enormous amounts of food, but leave most of it.

Yaz learns that the princess is always close to her treasured personal attendant, Bellara. Always. She was the first to disappear, alongside her princess, to the surprise of no one. Nobody gives a second thought to “Bellara” spending as much time with the Doctor as she does, because she always did.

She is the first to arrive in the morning, and the last to leave every meeting. She personally oversees the Doctor’s routines in the mornings. She helps the Doctor get a hang of all these ridiculous clothes, all of them exponentially more complicated than her rainbow, trousers and braces. She often says as much to Yaz, when they are both alone and both sure of it.‘You’ll be back in them soon,’ she reminds her, lying down the third outfit of the day: a frilly shirt, a flowing skirt that affords some manoeuvrability. She always passes over the pencil skirt, and the Doctor is grateful.

Every day is a minefield of too much: of being too close to Yaz, and too far from her. Yaz’s fingers trail down expensive silk like a caress, each fingertip light on the material. Each piece of clothing is blessed now, the Doctor thinks—and it has become part of a routine, to have this be the closest thing to touch between them. Life would not feel the same without it. She would itch, constantly. As if she does not already.

The Doctor has no qualms about changing in front of others. But it is forbidden here, especially between a royal and her attendant, and humans—never mind Manarans—are more conscious of these things.

But Yaz stays close. Just on the other side of the door. If the Doctor stills, she can hear her breathing.

Temptation is the fox in the night. Its eyes are upon her, not quite doleful and not quite curious. It knows what it wants. It lies in wait.The dark is felt more strongly for knowing it is there. If she forgets, it will call, a baying sound that sits uncomfortably in her ears, her head.

Not that she would ever forget.

Yaz is always polite. Hesitant. When the Doctor emerges, unsettled, in her frilly top and strange skirt, the Doctor hears the slightest inhale. She swears, for a moment, she can see Yaz reach for her., but she stops herself. The Doctor does the same.

A maroon top and navy blue skirt. It feels closer to home. Yaz’s own outfit is rougher, a roughly-cut piece of cloth wrangled into a dress. Still sleek, but unkempt no matter the effort.

She wants better for Yaz. For Ryan and Graham, too, with their too-thick collars. But especially for Yaz—she sees, day in, day out, her unease in the bodice, and she wants Yaz to wear some of these clothes that the Doctor has no need for. She wants Yaz to be comfortable.She wants to take—

But, no. These are the rules.

‘M—ma’am,’ Yaz stutters. She takes a step back, and then flits off. The only trace of her left is the smell of kitchens that cling to her clothes.

Animal fat, and woodsmoke, and mint. And underneath all that, her own scent, something the Doctor seeks to uncover over and over again.

She stands there, helpless.

Among the rest of her duties, Yaz escorts her to all her meetings and to the balls the Doctor must attend. She watches on from the sides, assimilating with all the other servants waiting for their masters to finish with their frivolities.

Except, tonight, Yaz has not once stopped watching the Doctor. And the Doctor has not stopped watching her.

She is meant to be more careful. She is meant to be painstakingly accurate when she dances. She could not anyway, but she absolutely cannot now.

Manaran bodies do not touch, ever. Intimacy is reserved for the words; affection laced into the beauty of language. When Manarans dance, they do so with ample space between them. Even amongst prospective suitors—of whom there are many at this ball, and the Doctor is interested in precisely zero of them—there is no touching, only glances, only words.

The Doctor only looks at Yaz, and Yaz only looks the Doctor. And the King writes the whole ball off as a gargantuan failure.

It is strange, being infinitely older than this man, being bossed around by him. But they are undercover. They have to find Tanza. For themselves, so they can be free—finally—but also for the King.

He is a man of too many words. He lavishes verbs and adjectives onto Tanza—the Doctor—as if they were roses, but even in his ornate dining room, all the riches of a life well-lived, the words conflate themselves. Each of them struggles to fit in amongst the many others, rubbing and squeaking against each other like too-big balloons. The Doctor wonders when they’ll burst, and what—if anything—they will leave behind.

At least, she can tell from his eyes, there is a hint of relief whenever she is around.

She escapes from time with the King to laze around Tanya’s quarters, all of it too much space for so little to do. There is plenty for a person like Tanza to occupy herself with—clothes, dresses and trousers, all sharp lines and pastels; or embroidering pictures of the local fauna. But it is lonely stuff, discovering a personality of a woman no longer here. As dictated by the royal culture, Tanza is a very lonely woman.

She digs through Tanza’s belongings and traces every line of writing with her fingertips. Diaries, letters, requests. A gaping sense of something missing lives in all of them: in the ink, the push of pen. The words, in contrast to the world around them, are strangely vapid. Like father, like daughter: too many words and too little meaning. For a woman of so much power, she seems uninterested in it.

It all helps. She presses her fingertips down on ink again, the pretence of connection.

She throws herself into invention: her requests for metal parts and wires invokes the ire of the King, but she puts her foot down. The Doctor knows Tanza’s character well enough to hazard a guess at the reasons behind the disappearances, and she will use that unhappiness to get away with what she can. She cannot reconcile the two without this.

And it doesn’t take long, even when crafting a device in secret. It is a simple thing, working with mechanical olfactory receptors to recognise and discover specific smells across time and space. The untouched pencil skirt comes in handy, unsullied by the Doctor’s or Yaz’s hands.

As soon as it works, the Doctor hatches a plan. It takes two days to tell her fam, and three more days to launch it. In the in between, she sees Yaz watching from doorways and in mirrors, and temptation claws at her patience again, and again, and again.

The King finally commences his annual hunt—and then, they are free to do as they please. “Tanza” immediately announces a trip to the next country. It should take a day to Falada, personal attendants and all. There they will find the princess, and convince her to officially abdicate.

The journey requires warm clothing. For Yaz, Ryan and Graham, this means a coat. For “Tanza”, warmth was never a simple affair. It means layers: jackets and scarves and materials slipped onto her arms. It is all so ridiculous, really, all so unnecessary. But this is the mission. These are the rules.

Beneath all the layers, she has donned a shirt, designed to be laced up at the back.

‘Yaz,’ she mewls, feeling sorry for herself. She knows what this means. She has no patience, now. It has all turned to ash.

Bellara really must have been treasured, she thinks, for Tanza to allow this. Yaz approaches slowly, and the Doctor, unlaced, feels tightly strung.

She feels hands grab at the silk ties and pull. Her body follows, persuaded. She has to tug a few times to tighten the material, thread it over and under, over and under, the corresponding thread—and the Doctor feels the motion every time. It is like an electric shock to her midriff, the small of her back.

Yaz is barely breathing.

Deft fingers tie a bow, and when she is finished, before she can think she pats the Doctor’s back in confirmation.

They both still. The Doctor, also, is hardly breathing.

And then she spins round. Gaping at Yaz. Yaz staring back at her.

Every moment they have been together, calling each other the wrong name. Never saying anything about their real selves until they were alone, truly alone.The Doctor has been lonely except for these moments.

‘I think the carriage is ready, ma’am,’ Yaz murmurs. But she makes no effort to move.

They have been seconds from this, from reaching out and grabbing, this entire time. Temptation screams at her now, a burning chill just under the surface of her skin, and it blocks out all sound but Yaz.

Yaz, breathing quickly, eyes wide open.

‘Shall I tell them to wait?’ she wonders.The perpetual out-of-reach? The Doctor is not so sure.

She reaches out a hand.‘Doctor, we—’ Yaz clears her throat. ‘The rules,’ she tries.

This is all-consuming. The Doctor’s reach pauses for a moment. Her hand is suspended in the space between, the forces of want and necessity pulling it this way and that.

‘I know,’ she whispers, watching her hand dangling there. ‘I can stop, Yaz. If you want.’

And Yaz swallows. Quietly, ‘No.’She can feel Yaz’s breath tremble as her hand settles on Yaz’s front. Feels it on her palm, in her veins. Like an electric shock. Clothes soften the touch, but she knows underneath the Yaz’s midriff is firm, strong. She knows. She knows how strong Yaz is.

And this is a choice. Not a surrender.

This knowledge allows the Doctor to continue, her other arm coming forward to rest on Yaz’s hip. Her hand moulds to the curve of it. She watches, entranced, when a huff of air leaves Yaz’s mouth involuntarily.

‘Doctor.’ It’s a murmur, an anticipation. Yaz steps closer: the Doctor’s hand on her midriff moves to mirror the other. ‘Please.’

The Doctor cocks her head to the side. Brown eyes are almost black now. ‘Please what?’

‘I don’t know,’ Yaz admits. She huffs again, this time in laughter. The Doctor’s body is being bracketed, now, and gripped. Electric shock, every moment. ‘Just please.’

‘Okay.’ She can work with please. She can work with touch.

They spend the few moments savouring the sensation of it—sensation they have been deprived of for months now. Only when they have reached a breaking point they have finally relented, caved to the need of each other. They will treasure this as much they can.

Ryan and Graham are still waiting for them outside. They don’t care.

Yaz’s hand wraps around to the Doctor’s landing at the silk ties. It pulls the Doctor closer: chest to chest, a fingertip grazing at exposed skin.

The temptation is eating her alive. Right there. Yaz is right there. She is painted in it, all of her.

‘I missed you,’ the Doctor whispers, eyes alight. ‘It’s been awful.’

‘I’ve been here,’ Yaz responds, but she is nodding along, her eyes flicking down to her lips. ‘But this is a different kind,’ she adds, almost plucking the words out of the Doctor’s brain.

‘Something we couldn’t have. Not without breaking the rules.’

Yaz gazes at her again. ‘So break them.’

The Doctor needs no more persuasion. She brings her hands up to Yaz’s jaw, brushes a knuckle over it, gently. Caresses her cheeks, the soft rises of them. Temptation is silent now, satisfied. Electricity takes over. And the Doctor leans in.

Their lips have barely touched when a cacophonous smash breaks through their haze, the sound of metal hitting a wooden floor.

‘By the gods!’ a maid screeches.

They jump apart, hearts in their throats. 

send me some numbers!

[miriani-lavellan]

Crap DA4 Speculation

Because I’d like to shout into the empty auditorium, innit

Locations

I think we’re going to see more urban locations, and very few wilderness locations.  The ones in DA3 were beautiful, and I loved exploring them, but they did at times feel empty.  I feel like I’ve seen clues indicating they want to go the other direction for DA4.

My second crap prediction is that we’ll see Nevarra (at least the Grand Necropolis), Antiva City, Minrathous, Kal Sharok and Weisshaupt Fortress - I’ll honestly eat my hat if we don’t see Antiva City.  I suspect the maps won’t be huge, whole city maps, but sections dedicated to certain quests.

Sorta think either (or both?) Minrathous and Antiva City will have commerce hubs where we can buy/sell items.  

I’m also thinking we’ll see a few other locations - perhaps other Grey Warden sites, Elven ruins, parts of the in-betweenish Fade/Mundane locations and wilderness areas that serve a very specific plot quest.  I wouldn’t be surprised if we briefly make a jaunt in the Arlathan Forest, but I don’t think we’ll see anything as open or expansive as the DA3 maps.

I was expecting that we’d be visiting the Horror of Hormak-esque locations, but I have my doubts they’ll make us do all eleven as there were indicated to be??  Unless they’re vastly varied somehow doing the same thing eleven times doesn’t seem amazing in terms of gameplay.

I don’t think we’ll be seeing Ferelden, Orlais or the Marcher cities at all.  We explored the south pretty well in previous games.  

I’m excited to see what player hub we get.  Jackdaw on Youtube suggests by way of Isabela being in the concept art (it seems!) that we might get a ship, which I think sounds amazing.  A mobile hub would be novel, and would make sense if we’re going to be moving around the north coast and up the Minanter River with a small band of companions.  Technically, I feel like it might be tricky to pull off though?  But I’m not a game dev so wtf do I know.

Companions 

In DAO and DA2, not counting temporary members and DLC, we got 2 of each class.  In DAI, we got three.  As much as I would love 3 of each again, I think with this game they’ll focus on being a tighter experience.  I’m expecting to see 2 of each class again, so 2 mages, 2 warriors, 2 rogues.  Although I’ve speculated more here.

A Crow - Again, I will consume my chapeau if we don’t get a Crow companion.  Lucanis (who I keep wanting to call Luciano) Dellamorte seems like a perfectly set up companion - a killer with a conscience who has a choice ahead of him about whether he’ll accept his position as his grandmother’s heir.

A Lord of Fortune - Be shocked ‘n’ amazed if they introduced that new faction and don’t give us a pal and a friend from it.  Hollix is fun speculation, but I think it’s just as likely to be a stranger.  I very much like the idea of Isabela having ties to them, considering her job these days.

Harley Qun - Or someone with a similar background.  We got someone Ben Hassrath last time but I’m not sure that’s a reason they won’t give us another. The ol’ BH were were noticeably absent from the table in Dread Wolf Rises - but other stories seem to hint they’re keeping their finger on the pulse.  Hopefully a character who can give us a more nuanced and sympathetic view of the Qun.  

A Mortalitasi Mage or Dead Boi - Now I saw that concept art that LOOKED like a skeleton boi (his posture even looks shuffling, and in that underwater picture? that doesn’t seem like a mask).  They’ve given us “dead” companions before in Justice and Cole - spirits that have attached themselves to a host.  From the start they’ve set up the ‘spirits are people’ thing and let us see them as more complex.  With everything going on with Solas, it would be mad interesting to have a spirit willing to stand against him.  

A Tevinter Mage - I would love to see Feynriel again - I’m d e s p e r a t e to have a Dreamer in the fight against Solas.  He can be made Tranquil in DA2, but not killed, and as we know from DA3 there is now a perhaps more widely known way to cure tranquility.  I think it’s more likely to be Maevaris Tilani though, considering her political ties and her experience with these eldritch monsters we’re seeing, or someone else we haven’t met yet.

A Dalish Elf - Seems like a given, considering who we’re up against initially.  Who better to understand the dangers of Fen’Harel?  I suspect there’ll be secrets to uncover in the Arlathan Forest, and we’ll need a guide innit.  Irelin and Strife seem like fun options.

A Kal-Sharok Dwarf - Kinda loosely basing this on the ‘Bellara’ glimpse of voice acting we got, as well as the whole Titan thing.  Like with the Wardens, we’ll need someone who knows (as far as they can) what they’re talking about.  

A Grey Warden - A real one, this time.  We got a brief glimpse of Davrin’s voice actor - I would love it to be him.  Either way, with the fact that the real enemy is not Solas but the Blight, which we learned a huge amount about in the recent game and comics - I think it would be odd not to try and get a Warden onside. 

Plot Points

There seems to be three ‘big things’ coming up: 1) the Qunari invasion of Antiva, 2) Solas, the Fade plan and more ancient Elvhen bullshit and 3) The Blight. 

I don’t actually expect there to be a Blight starting, but the Blight really is the true enemy in Thedas.  I’m not sure whether we’ll have any real influence on the actions of the Qunari, but I do expect we’ll have a pivotal role in stopping Solas, including his ultimate fate.

I also expect we’ll learn Extremely Important things about the nature of the Blight.  Tempted to say we’ll even discover it’s true origin and source, and perhaps even a cure.  There’s been lots of hints about blood magic and the Blight in the form of Isseya (Last Flight) cleansing the Griffon eggs of Blight (by transferring it to herself, although she didn’t feel any different), Merrill cleansing the Eluvian via the ol’ sanguine treatment and the work of Avernus in DAO.  Our Warden, if they live, also goes after a treatment for the Calling.

I expect it to tie in the the ancient Elvhen nonsense (everything is elves) and have visiting ruins or uncovering that lore the vector for learning some sweet sweet key world saving knowledge.

Also - the folks across the sea.  The Executor is such a tantalising lil clue, and we did have one in DAI with the chalk markings etc.  I’m thinking we might meet them, for the first time.

Ultimately, my Big Theory is that there’s one more game after this (EA and shareholders allowing, I guess), centred on the 6th Blight.  It’s a return to the origin (heh) of the series, only this time, we’ll have the tools to end it altogether.  I don’t see this game as being the one to round off the series like that.

Anyway thanks for joining me on this episode of crap speculation!  I apologise fully.