#dragon age weisshaupt

[squigglebirdie666]

This is how I imagine the talk between Davrin and Sadaar would go when first going against Ghilan'nain in Weisshaupt.

Davrin: It's more than just a dragon. And you can't fight it with just a ballista.

Sadaar: Why not? My mother defeated the Fifth blight using a ballista against the archdemon.

Davrin:

I am a wimp when facing the archdemon in Dragon Age Origins. So, yes, I had all my characters fight the archdemon with only the ballistas and let my team face the darkspawn.

[maia-beans]

Weisshaupt mission was insane I still think about it ghghghhg

[skelebellie]

the “and now, i die.” line from rook during weisshaupt is one of the funniest lines in the game because it represent how much they are that guy (tm) that just showed up. they know how ridiculous it is that their trying to fight an elven vape cloud god and it’s neo pet. they just are like “well fuck it, we ball”

[sky--phantom]

Rook and Lucanis' banter during the Siege was a highlight

[0ccuria]

🩸Grey Warden Tapestries🪽

[maxx-the-queer]

The Siege at Weisshaupt is honestly one of the best missions of any Dragon Age game, let alone Veilguard.

The stakes are already high: kill an Archdemon and then kill Ghilan'nain.

Killing an Archdemon - the big bad at the end of Origins whose very presence means apocalypse and certain sacrifice - is just the first step to killing an even greater force.

Ghilan'nain - an Ancient Elven Goddess blighted beyond recognition, whose unchecked ambition unleashed great horrors upon the world - is the real threat to face or else the Darkspawn Army will be the least of Thedas' worries.

The leader of the Grey Wardens, the only mortal force who have thus far been able to protect Thedas from utter annihilation, categorically refuses to face reality. Rook only has a ragtag team of half a dozen guys from all over to face an entire Darkspawn army with.

It's exactly as terrifying and daunting as it sounds, and neither task is something anyone treats with any amount of levity. Everyone is confident in their abilities to perform their task and get Lucanis to the right place to finish this contract, but there's no playfulness or divine certainty about their success.

Rook, whose only game plan is "get in and win by any means necessary," is then immediately confronted with the reality of their situation as absolutely everything goes wrong.

The Eluvian isn't where they thought it would be, the Grey Wardens are overwhelmed by Ghilan'nain's forces, and just to add to the sheer horror - there's a young child running through this battlefield of Darkspawn in search of her father and she will not listen to your pleas for her to get to safety.

All of that happens in the first ten minutes of the mission, mind you. This isn't even including the fact that Ghilan'nain appears as a damn spectral cloud face - which Lucanis rightfully points out is who he has to kill and "how am I supposed to kill a damn cloud?!"

Rook runs through the fortress, makes it to the East Battlements and hears the sounding of a horn begging for reinforcements, only to realise that they're the only ones coming and everything is falling apart, but they have no choice but to keep going.

Retreats are called, everywhere Rook goes is the wrong way, the forces are overwhelming beyond measure, and this battle is no longer about killing but surviving, because they're cornered like prey by horrors beyond comprehension.

When all of a sudden, the world's bravest little girl rushes in like a hero and guides them through impossible odds to somewhere with some semblance of safety. She's the only reason they haven't succumbed to death already and despite the waves upon waves of Hurlocks, Spikers, and Ogres - she finds her father.

Thanks to Mila, there's a moment of reprieve. Rook gets a chance to breathe. The Veilguard regroups, replans their approach. Distract Ghilan'nain with the dagger, trap her Archdemon in a dragon trap, and kill it to render her mortal. With time to breathe comes time to doubt, to fear.

A Warden has to die to kill the Archdemon. Davrin knows this, and is ready to go. But is Rook? What if they can't do this? What if this is how they die? Can they even spare the time to think about it?

Regardless, they fight through to the dragon trap. The Archdemon approaches as Rook all but dangles the dagger within reach. She takes the bait and sends her Archdemon forth, it seems all too easy - like putting cheese out for the mice.

The Archdemon is trapped. Davrin says his goodbyes, but the First Warden surges forward insistently. He plans to end this according to tradition. He'll die with dignity, he's not asking for your permission to do what all wardens must. He steps forward. Sword in hand, ready to end the Blight.

Ghilan'nain will not be so easily beat. She will not play by the rules they're used to, and the First Warden does not get to die a hero. She seizes him in her grasp, sucks the life out of him to empower Razikale, and changes the game once more. Her Archdemon is unlike any seen in history, and there's no time to revel in it because it's do or die and Rook cannot afford to die yet.

Every blow brings it closer to death, and therefore Ghilan'nain herself as she becomes more and more desperate. One snakelike head becomes two, becomes three, with blight everywhere - the time is at hand.

Davrin is the only one left who can kill the Archdemon, his death is inevitable, and he's ready to go as he sinks his sword in for the final blow.

Except, if there's one thing this seige should have taught them all, it was this: the rules have changed. Davrin is still standing, and he doesn't have time to think about why, because Ghilan'nain is mortal and the time to strike is now.

Rook tosses the Lyrium Dagger to Lucanis. He surges up, wings of Spite propelling him up to kill a goddess like she's any other target, because it's all that he came here to do.

And then, he misses.

With everything at stake, and everything to lose... Lucanis Dellamorte misses.

They don't have time to try again. If they stay, everyone dies. And so, the Veilguard flees through the Eluvian and back into the Lighthouse. It was a victory, but at what cost?

Nothing is how it's supposed to be. Weisshaupt is fallen. The Wardens are scattered. Razikale is dead, Ghilan'nain is mortal. And yet...

It wasn't enough.

[voltaical-art]

whatever it takes

[ode-to-fury]

And if I said Lucanis definitely thought Rook was dead? And if I said he gave up the second Solas appeared instead of Rook? And if I said the only thing keeping him alive those weeks Rook was gone was Spite and the thought that if he waited long enough for the others to get over this delusional idea that Rook was coming back he might just get a shot at Solas? Might just be able to die taking revenge for the love of his life? And if I said he refused to listen to the others telling him they weren't gone because if he allowed himself even a little bit of hope the pain if it wasn't true would be worse than what he could handle without going insane? And if I said he gave up because not giving up was more than he was capable of after everything he'd endured? If I said Rook was the only bright spot he had in his life and they got taken away? What then? What would happen if I said all that?

[thesummerstorms]

Okay, but this is the post-Weisshaupt scene. Please pause with me to admire the symbolism of the "Warden Killing the Ogre" Statue's shadow blending with Davrin's shadow until the Wardens sword appears to be pointed at Davrin's neck, poised for the killing blow.

[sodaequalsbubbles]

Datv after Weisshaupt: "We need to fix our personal problems before doing anything else."

(threw this together in 5 min)

[lhunuial]

I think this sums it up quite nicely.

[rookinthecrownest]

Ghilan’nain when I catch you

When I catch you Ghilan’nain

When I

[galedekarios]

the map of dragon age: the veilguard

[source: x]

[housederiva]

A collection of Weisshaupt entries that made me have to set down my controller for a few minutes

[pausegame]

Rook & Lucanis + the lyrium dagger

[lavendarr00]

THE SIEGE OF WEISSHAUPT | DRAGON AGE THE VEILGUARD (4/4)