#and seeing Avvar statues in Nevarra just killed me....

[lairofsentinel]

Lol, true.

You know? I can forgive that. They could have told me that the Crows were so entangled with the power forces of Antiva that even the Chantry had a small space dedicated to remember who was the true power in the shadows. Put me a Crow statue at the feet of an Andraste statue, and you are telling me something lore-wise about the power of this city [but they didn't care to do this work, since religion was completely erased from the game]. It's funny that some concepts in the game [like the Wall of Light in Miranthous] could have been great in-lore additions to the canon of these places, but they made them so bland, showing they had no idea what they were doing.

To me, it was more worrisome to have the main hall of the Treviso Chantry becoming a blood pool with a blood mage chilling there, taking a bath, and no fucking templars around, lol. Or at least their bodies? It takes a lot of time to set all that. Again, I would have believed it, if we saw templars bodies filling the pool. They cared about environmental storytelling? no, once again. They needed to tell all too explicitly because they assume players are stupid who can't process visual stories. Or maybe it was them, who had no idea about the lore, which was richer to implement than a generic DnD concept.

Where are the Antivan templars? Where is Andraste in Treviso? She should be a lot more present here than in Miranthous. Why Treviso has Dalish statues of Ghilanain/Andruil?

It's like the persons who designed the environments had no fucking idea of the minimum lore that the previous environmental designer had [Matthew M. Goldman and Ben McGrath]. In fact, I remember the big sheets Goldman did for all the artists to follow, putting all the DAI assets to have a good vibe and guide of what statues belonged to what culture, the colours, etc. He even made a video showing these as a presentation power point explaining all the details and thoughts put in these designs. They help me so much to understand places in DAI that had no markers for you to guess. But you had the patterns! They could have used these assets.

Also, imagine how little care they had that in Miranthous you also have statues of Havard. The AVVAR disciple of Andraste [remember that Tevinter always despised the "savages" all over Thedas] Now are you telling me they put the statue of one of them in their main city? And not only that... These statue were a replica of one commissioned by a noble orlesian who wanted to see her lover everywhere. So she made these Havard's statues resembling her lover. XD And that's what you see in backyard of the Chantry of Tevinter.

Every chantry symbol in Miranthous is wrong. Every detail, every big statue, every enviroment has been designed so carelessly in this game. They don't even know that the Imperial Chantry has a particular symbol that separates them from the Orlesian Chantry of the rest of Thedas...

[mywitchcultblr]

CALM DOWN INQUISITOR WILL BE BACK

okay there's people who are worried that Inquisitor wouldn't be in the next da, but Inquisitor definitely will be back, here's why (edited, I add another point about the red lyrium idol and my arguments against ALBEISM within the fandom)

1.Solas

Solas , Solas is a very very personal person for The Inquisitor, don't know about you guys but Francois is Solas Bff and he seen Solas like a brother he never had and he promised that he doesn't want to kill Solas ,hell and it would be disrespectful for people who are still stuck in Solavellan hell if they didn't get Answers!!!

Based on information from Tevinter nights, INQUISITION AND INQUISITOR IS STILL VERY MUCH IN ACTION

Solas literally gave message to charter to send his sorry to the Inquisitor , and Inquisition and Inquisitor have business in nevarra

2. Remember Josephine personal quest? Of somewhat a fallen fortune

Josephine literally said that when Inquisitor visited Antiva, the Montiliyet family would literally throw the biggest party as a thanks to The Inquisitor for helped The Montiliyet, and I'm sure antiva would be one of many northern country we will see, and based on Tevinter Nights (seems like qunari have a plan to fucking invade Antiva) and new DA4 tease of the female antiva crow, Antiva would be one of northern countries that would play a big role

3. Dorian Romance

Yeah no shit Dorian, you wanted to be with Inquisitor and Inquisitor also wanted to be with you, y'all better be get married ASAP, Tevinter would be one of major countries that definitely will play a hugeee role in whatever Solas doing right now.... And Inquisitor also stabbed Tevinter map with the war table knife at the event of exalted council , the next mission would be in tevinter everybody know that, if anything it's confirmed that Inquisition will move it's operation HQ to Tevinter, 'Some claimed to have seen The Inquisitor on the street of Minrathous on rare occasions, sneaking into the heart of Tevinter to aid his Amatus" It's fine to ask help from your lover Dorian....It's fiiinneeeeeee..... Hell I think Inquisition and Inquisitor moved to Tevinter, so Inquisitor can be closer with Dorian and for their missions........

Well hello there Magister Pavus *wink*

Seems like Isabella, Dorian, that skeleton boi and that woman jumped into the sea to avoid arrows? Are they on a quest?

Besides The Inquisitor status as 'The Inquisitor's and Dorian Pavus lover ,a Magister of great influence and power definitely would tremendously help Inquisition and the new hero.

4. Song about Inquisitor

Maryden song is not just a song about Inquisitor glory, it's about fear and uncertainty of what's to come NEXT, and people who rely on The Inquisitor as their leader,people who place hope on the Inquisitor to guard them from darkness to come, this isn't a song about 'yaaayy the world is saved y'all can be happy and go back home's

Inquisitor is still the hero people rely on and needed to lead them against the future threats that definitely will threaten Thedas.....Again and....Solas (whhyyy T.T )

Inquisitor....Lyrics

A soldier, a savior 

A hero, a leader

Inquisitor fought for our souls

A battle, a breach

The one we beseeched

To protect our lives and our homes

Now how do we follow

The battle is all but won

Peace can't last forever

Guard us from what's to come

Inquisitor, take your breath

A soldier, a savior 

A hero, a leader

Inquisitor fought for our souls

A battle, a breach

The one we beseeched

To protect our lives and our homes

Now you all shall follow

The breach is all but closed

Light can't last forever

Guard us from darkness to come

A soldier, a savior 

A hero, a leader

Inquisitor fought for our souls

5. The ragtag people in DA teaser we have seen lacked resources power and support.

Hell even they are described as a bunch of people who wanted to change things but lacked the power to do so....Sounds familiar with Inquisitor and companions at the beginning isn't? Now Inquisition and The Inquisitor is a forces to be reckoned with, Inquisition is not actually disbanded, The Inquisitor and Inquisition simply refused to be collared by chantry and Orlais (ewww besides tf want to be collared by chantry and Orlais) and they went rogue, and Inquisitor once again will save the world, and need an agent that Solas doesn't know.....

Who can give those groups of people resources and chance to be something more? If anything Sutherland and company group of adventures is a foreshadow of the new ragtag bunch of groups, and who gave Sutherland and Co resources and chance? Inquisitor who believe in them. The Inquisition and Inquisitor is the only group that can give these people chance and resources they needed, and as foreshadowed and basically confirmed by The Inquisitor song, Inquisitor is the leader and boss of Inquisition and that new group.

Come on who's gonna trust them and give them resources if not Inquisitor and Inquisition? Even on the brink of destruction, state leaders always preferred to fights against each other rather than save the world and fix shits!!!! People like Gaspard and other state leader would prefer to perish on their throne rather than fixing problems they have.

6. Have you seen the red lyrium idol?

Link for proof that the red lyrium idol have three figures, and much more clearer picture of the red lyrium idol:

The red lyrium idol actually have three figures, Solas who's hugging mythal and Mythal who hugging him back (that figure dragon tail and crown? Come one that's Mythal) and hugging the third person behind them, and then there's the third person behind Solas and Mythal, a figure who lost their LEFT ARM! And we knew one person who have close ties with Mythal and Solas who also lost their left arm:

Inquisitor.

7.Stop ALBEISM within the fandom

I don't want to hear another person who think.... and absolutely believe that disabled people are helpless or cannot be relied on, stop that shit okay? It's just rude, and let me tell ya ladies and gentlemen and people of any other identities and genders , The Inquisitor is a badass hero, I have wrote in point 4 and 5 that The Inquisitor is the leader and hero people relied on and needed, and Inquisitor still kicking ass after the event of exalted council, Inquisitor is a seasoned hero and veteran, Inquisitor feats:

• killed Ten high Dragons

•killed Corypheus

• leading Inquisition Armies to fight against legions of red templar and many other Corypheus followers

• literally murdering demons here and there as if it's just a walk in the park

•sealing rifts all across Thedas

• survived time travel and psychically entered the fade

• Successfully ended Orlesian civil war , so The Inquisitor do have great talents in politics

• Darkspawn? Darkspawn is just another noob enemies The Inquistor eradicated with companions

• have seen Titan's heart and defeated it's guardian, survived deep roads

• defeated a mother fucking avvar god aka Hakkon Winterbreath

•probably surpassed Ameridan as Inquisitor

There's nothing that stop The Inquisitor to fight like a badass and to be in action, losing one arm can be solved with prosthetic ( there's Dagna) and I have said that in the red Jenny tresspasser slide, The Inquisitor have crossbow/hook arm,I don't know man Francois is one of the most powerful mage in Thedas? He's a mage. So the arm problem also definitely can be solved with magic!

Besides Inquisitor definitely would be boss of the new hero, Inquisitor is a capable and seasoned leader and veteran,who has been proven time and again as a legendary fighter (just like HoF and Hawke) and a great leader both in politics and military, I will make second post about my theory and covering Thedas newest political leaders and state also the continuity of this post.

And in conclusion

8. Double hero/ protagonist?

Duo/double heroes (Inquisitor and new hero) is the best way, the new hero need sponsor and resources , The Inquisition and Inquisitor need new agents, besides it's confirmed by the red Jenny slides (Inquisitor have prosthetic ) , tevinter nights, the song and romance with Dorian that The Inquisitor is still the hero and leader and still kick ass like a badass, it would be so great to see them disagreeing and agreeing about stuff, come on it would be so interesting to see dynamic of their approval, to see them interact with each other, and fight together.

They'll work so well together!!!!!

Seriously guys....Pavelyan romancer....Dorianmancer....It's all fine calm down....Inquisitor is back........

Sorry for grammatical mistakes.... I am south East Asian so English is like my third language and I try to fix typo here and there....

I am so excited.....I'm too excited

[bossuary]

Having just finished Tevinter Nights, I have un fucktonne of questions and theories. But, below are a few of the subjects/problems that I can’t stop thinking about.  I’m curious how other people interpret them, or if I’ve missed some critical details, because it seems like there’s some retconning going on.

so, spoiler warnings apply, since i’m about to discuss the Big Doings below the cut.

The most immediately relevant items come from the final story, right? BUT, because of the nature of the characters, I sort of assumed that much of “The Dread Wolf Take You” is a study in unreliable narrators. Can any of the tales be believed after Charter exposes the Bard? Do we move forward assuming the puzzle pieces we’re trying to fit together are the correct ones, or tread carefully on the word of a known liar?

Nothing about the Assassin’s Tale fits the facts we know: 

Meredith’s corpse didn’t actually stay in the middle of the square in uptown Kirkwall. Her remains were taken away to The Black Emporium. (iirc, Varric mentions this in one of the recent comics)

Pieces of her sword (Certainty) were re-forged for Samson to use in service of Corypheus, a sword which eventually passes to the Inquisition.

A shard of the idol continues to exist outside of Meredith’s remains, or her re-forged blade. Depending on worldstates, the shard is either a weapon rune--forged by Sandal and given to Hawke--or it was given to Varric (who then gave it to Bianca to study, I think). 

In the comics, and in a few of the short stories, the fiasco of Fen’Harel’s agent losing the red lyrium “item” is cleverly handled from a lore-continuity perspective. It’s only ever referred to as a “weapon,” which could mean a lot of things, and allows for greater freedom in describing it in later media. Until the Assassin’s Tale, I firmly believed they were talking about Certainty. Now we’re supposed to believe it’s been the magically re-formed Primeval Idol this whole time, freshly revealed (by the equally untrustworthy Mortalitasi) as a go-go-Gadget ritual blade.

So, are the Tales a cheeky narrative lie, or is it all lore retcon? If it’s a retcon... -What ritual could the blade have originally served? -Might it actually be a key, as lots of people have theorized? -Is there really a potion that can melt lyrium? -Does Solas actually have the idol now, or was his entire story a lie to cover the truth that he still hasn’t found it?

Also, uh. . .Can Solas just. . .kill people while they sleep/dream, even dwarves? I mean, he has demonstrated the ability to create a “dreamlike” state for a dwarf Inquisitor. But, this power seems OP, even for him, and narrative reach. Possibly it’s further evidence that nothing in “The Dread Wolf Take You” can be trusted. 1. If the plans for the Fade are already underway, what does this mean for people like Evangeline, Anders, Grandin, and Sigrid, who’re possessed by spirits/demons? It’s possible they’ll be forcibly separated. Those (like Evangeline) who’re only alive because of their spirit, will likely die. Without Justice, Anders might finally succumb to the taint. 

There are probably thousands of people across Rivain and Seheron, and among the Avvar and the Dalish, who’re contentedly hosting spirits. Would these spirits allow their mortal hosts to be harmed by Solas? Or could there be resistance to his plan from the Fade side of things?

Lots of the stories in Tevinter Nights include the theme of outliers breaking ranks from within a seemingly monolithic society: the Ben Hassrath don’t support the Antaam in their campaign, the Venatori and their supporters operate in defiance of Tevinter, the Crows had one of their Talons disrupt a centuries-old pact.

Going forward in the next game, we might see a spirit faction that, for any number of reasons, acts against The Dread Wolf’s plan to sunder the Veil.

2. Why does everyone in this book describe the red lyrium idol as having only two figures, when every depiction of it that we’ve seen clearly shows three? The crowned figure is (if Solas is to be believed) comforting one person, but no mention of the other poor soul, an even more skeletal figure who seems to be missing their left forearm, and is stuck on the other side of the large ring. No love for that dingus, I guess. Very curious.

And no mention of the serpentine shape that surrounds all three of them.

3. The sea is going to be a big part of the next stage of this story. 

-Mythal’s origin has her emerging from the sea. -In “Luck in the Gardens, the 8 Venatori who were tasked with keeping the “formless” monster in its sealed prison each wore a clay amulet depicting a thin four-winged dragon rising above a sea. -“The Horror of Hormak” describes the viscous gray transformation fluid (and the monsters it creates) as stinking of brine. -The Mortalitasi’s Tale includes a reference to The Dread Wolf screaming about the Sea of Dreams. -The Executors appear to be stepping into the action, finally. They are known as ‘those across the sea.’ -Among the murals discovered during Trespasser, there are some that include imagery of flowing water: The Death of a Titan, and  Lifting the Vallaslin -Before ascending to godhood, Ghilain’nain killed all of her creations. . .except the giant monsters in the deepest waters. Lore says “Pride stopped her hand,” which could mean that she spared them because she was too proud of how perfectly-made they were. Or, that an aspect of Pride (as a demon or spirit), convinced her to let them live.

4. I’ve always thought that the painted murals of Trespasser and those completed at Skyhold are actually of a different sort, in a very specific way. Much of the ornamentation, symbology, and iconography that’s used in the various frescoes in Trespasser. . .isn’t found in Skyhold’s frescoes.   My feeling, based on these differences in style, and the uneven quality of the paintings in the Vir’Dirthara, is that the murals in Trespasser have been painted-over. 

-Thanks to Gatsi, we know that the mosaics we worked so hard to complete for the Inquisition were all re-carved by several hands over the ages, making it difficult to get an accurate interpretation from them.

-During “The Horror of Hormak,” Ramesh and Lesha encounter mosaics depicting elven kings and queens, and their subjects. But the mosaics shift and change the longer they stare at them. The scenes transform from a glittering parade of nobility offering succor to their subjects. . .to a death-march of tyrants forcing magical torments on their slaves. 

-In “Genitivi Dies in the End,” our industrious well-traveled Brother is humbled when he discovers an elven tome that depicts the continent of Thedas in superior and, crushingly, more correct detail to anything he’s ever seen. Which means that either the continent has changed dramatically, or all the maps that exist in modernity are based upon a flawed (altered) source.

There’s an established trope of people from all parts of Thedas altering relics in order to change history’s interpretation of them. So, why would the frescoes/murals be any different? I believe that either Solas, or someone loyal to Solas, altered the murals in order to obscure the truth behind them. 

If we believe Philliam, a Bard! (though, again, an unreliable narrator), the Qunari Rasaan disbelieves all of the names attributed to Solas, either by his enemies or himself. As Philliam posits, to know Solas’ true name would be know the best and worst of him, his flaws and weaknesses, and what he’d “failed to be.”

Essentially, I think we’re being misled at every turn. And this leads me to. . .

5. None of the stories in Tevinter Nights expands on the role of dwarves in past and future conflicts. We get lots of new and juicy stuff on Tevinter, Nevarra, mages, elves, the Crows, the Lords of Fortune, even the Qunari. Noticeably and glaringly absent is any mention of dwarves, titans, and how they fit into the unfolding lore.

One of the largest and most influential groups of dwarves in all of Thedas (The Ambassadoria) lives right in the heart of Minrathous. Above ground. Vulnerable to the invading Qunari and Fen’Harel’s agents.

Dwarves are as tellingly absent in this set of stories as dragons were in all the Evanuris revelations.

The one place where those two things intersect. . .is out in the Hissing Wastes, near the Sunstop mountains (which has always sounded to me like the same naming convention as Skyhold).  

Out there, we come across a dwarven thaig, the only thaig to have been built above ground, that pre-dates the first Blight. It’s called Kal Repartha, which means ‘a place where we may meet in peace.’ Paragon Fairel and his sons appear to have built the thaig as a way to escape some huge conflict in the Deep Roads. 

Statues of Mythal’s dragon form are arranged in places of honor outside Fairel’s tomb. As if in protection. 

Fairel was a rune-smith, one of the greatest who ever lived. Mythal might have worked with Fairel toward some common goal, relying on his skills to make devastating weapons, runic keys for hidden places, or repositories of knowledge best kept secret. She might have protected Fairel as a respected friend and ally.

Reaching a little deeper, Mythal may have helped separate the ancient dwarves from the hivemind control of the titans, freeing them to create their own vibrant society, far from the “witless, soulless” existence they lived as drone-like workers. 

(As an interesting aside, Fairel wrote about dragons, proving that dragons, dwarves, and the Evanuris existed at the same time)

It just seems like the root of this unfolding elven lore is the Titans themselves, the life they created in the dwarves and the tangible world, the innate power of their blood, and the knowledge that was stolen from them. Why don’t dwarves feature more heavily in the anthology?

That’s it. That’s my tinfoil haberdashery at the moment. Thoughts? Corrections?