#astarion and cazador are also an appropriate swapout comparison for instance

[blightbright]

I need you all to know that one of my life missions right now is apparently to talk about Solas and Mythal by comparing them to DA2's Fenris and Danarius

really that's all I need to say probably because, uh... slavery

like, that's it??? but I will go on! I don't think Veilguard did a very good job of making it clear, considering how spoon-fed some of the other themes were! it took me a MONTH after playing to frame it in these terms, or maybe I'm just oblivious considering how obvious it is in DA:I in hindsight. 0% hate on people who don't get it right away, but:

s l a v e r y

realizing that Solas' storyline has ALWAYS been about resisting authoritarian slavers, including Mythal, was a revelation for me, and everything falls into place after that, literally everything this wise glow worm man ever says and does. everything.

it also means I am losing my mind a little bit now about the cuckolding jokes etc re: Mythal and Lavellan because Lavellan is not ~the other woman~ or whatever else. Lavellan is a consensual beloved who can be with Solas as his free, true self.

whatever flavor of interaction Solas had with Mythal, that's his slaver and abuser. swap Fenris, Danarius, and a romanced Hawke into the language of these convos and watch the YIKES unfold