#i hope she and bellara talk about that

[girlbob-boypants]

Other concept art thoughts

1. So they were both never normal about Taash's body/armor but also went with the most boring armor?? Wish we'd gotten that one with the two handed axe tbh the gold armor screams way more Lords of Fortune and they couldve added tights or something to make her more covered if that was a concern (idk if it was given her exposed midriff and pointed armor).

2. Thank God the model designers just ignored the Harding concept art and made Harding instead of miss 5'1 100lb Disney Princess aldjskfj

3. the Silver Surfer looking thing is interesting? They were really considering Dwarven magic altering her body. Wonder if they followed that idea elsewhere or if they decided against it entirely and that's why she's not like that.

4. Whichever modeler went "well if Bellara doesn't wear a bra her tits are gonna sag" is a hero I like that her titties aren't perfectly perky in the photos we've seen.

[oopsallmabari]

also: i am doing my best to be careful about spoilers (apologies if i have spoiled something for you!!!) but especially now that the gameinformer article is out and discusses things past the gameplay reveal here are the veilguard tags i am using if you want to blacklist them:

da veilguard: anything that talks about the game, or references the veilguard characters/companions generally

dragon age veilguard spoilers: anything that discusses the game's plot or speculates about things based on the plot info we do have beyond the companion trailer

[cy-cyborg]

It's been confirmed that there are 3 amputees in the main cast of Dragon Age: the veilguard - Neve (leg amputee), Bellara (arm amputee) and your inquisitor (arm amputee). So as an amputee myself, here are some things I'd like to see.

Note: these aren't predictions, just things I'd really like to be included.

The inquisitor doesn't use a prosthetic (I already talked about this in its own post but with 3 amputees, and 2 of them already being shown to use prosthetics that, lets be honest, do look like "perfect replacement" prosthetics, it would be nice to see at least one who doesn't)

We will get to customise our inquisitor in chatacter creation, so I would love, if they do use a prosthetic, for there to be some customisability to it (im not holding my breath there but still).

Neve and Bellara's prosthetics aren't perfect prosthetics, and they are actually acknowledged as being disabled while still being active members of your party.

There's some kind of party banter between Neve and Bellara about some of the downsides/problems with their prosthetics, not necessarily in a "poor them" way, but in a "ugh, don't you just hate it when you can't get the stupid thing on in the morning" kind of way.

I get a kind of jokey/adventurous vibe from Bellara, I hope they aren't affraid to let her use her prosthetic for pranks or jokes. I don't think neve would, but I can see bellara having a blast with it.

I hope the prosthetics come off during down time. No amputee wears their prosthetics 24/7, it's uncomfortable, and they get heavy and sore after using them all day.

I hope we see Neve express some frustration or see her alter her walk animation on rough terrain. It's hard to get a clear look because the trailers she's been shown in are so dark, but her foot doesn't look articulated, which is going to change how she walks, even just a little bit.

I hope the prosthetics don't break - this is a trope I'm starting to notice more and more, where someone has a perfect prosthetic that is only not a perfect replacement when it breaks, usually for plot reasons, at which point the character in question is forced out of the action until its fixed. DA has forced companions out of your party for story reasons before (e.g. solas after you free his spirit friend and he needs to cool off) so I can see this being used for plot, and I really hope it's not.

The inquisitor, Neve and Bellara compair prosthetists (the maker of the prosthetic) and maker techniques.

I really doubt they'll do this but I'd love it if random NPC's approach you if you have any of the amputees in your party to ask what happened and/or make weird comments at them ("but cy, that would be so annoying and inconvenient!" That's the point. So many people do that to irl amputees, and it's never at a convenient or even safe time, and I've never seen it happen in media. A game is arguably the best place to have it happen, in, say, a random event similar to the ones that could happen in origins)

In that same vein, I'd love to see a scene where someone approaches the inquisitor to call them an inspiration- you and the inquisitor assume it's for, you know, beating corripheus (I know I spelled it wrong lol) and saving the world, but it's revealed the chatacter has no idea who the hell the inquisitor is and just means it's inspiring that they're out in public "like that" - referring to their arm. This also happens to me all the time, and you can't tell me some snooty orlesean or tevinter noble wouldn't make those back-handed compliments, lol. You also can't convince me that any version of the inquisitor would just accept that

I hope none of the chatacters are used as inspiration porn ("don't you worry Rook! I can still pull my own weight on the team despite being an amputee, you just have to give me a chance to prove myself!")

At least one of the chatacter's stories of how they lost their limb is left untold in game (we don't always need to know how it happened if it's not relevent to the plot).

Like I said, these aren't predictions, just my hopes. I wouldn't hold my breath for any of these to be honest (bioware has not been the best in term of disability rep in the past) but A lot of them wouldn't be hard to implement and could take the representation from hardly even acknowledging their disability to something actually pretty decent disability rep-wise. It's also pretty rare to have so many characters with the same kind of disability in the cast of such a mainstream piece of media, and I really, really hope they do something with that because you can have a lot of fun with that.

[felassan]

Thoughts on the updated companions screenshots:

Lucanis: in a few screenshots now it's looked to me that Lucanis has a slightly 'crooked' nose and I love that feature! in this shot you can see that at the bottom of the 5 little vial things there's a small spike. the design of the opposite side has the impression of a ring pull. here the purple bit almost looks like fluid held in a sort of glassware. vials of poison for enemies (the Crows make use of poison), or something Lucanis needs to take regularly himself, with a sort of injection delivery system? or simply vials of something with a decorate spike at the base, and the part with the ring-pull looking bit is simply the lid/screw off top? in this shot you can also really appreciate the bird-like inspirations in Lucanis' whole character design. like he has an aquiline quality, the way his hair fluffs out a lil bit at the sides reminds of wings, etc.

Davrin: this shot is a more complete crop of one of the ones of Davrin from yesterday. ^^ in this widened crop, we can see that the person he's leaning in and leaning down to talk to is Assan (with Manfred and Rook appearing in other shots in this collection below, it means the gang's all here). 🥺 the expression on his face is so lovely and if you zoom in you can see that Assan has the impression of lil furry/feathery eyelashes. 🥺 the design of Davrin's jacket buttons reminds me of wheels. could this be a reference to aravel wheels? I hope that Davrin's relationship with his Dalish culture and clan is portrayed respectfully, that he's connected to them etc.

Bellara: this shot is a more complete crop of the ones of Bellara from yeserday. ^^ the wisps of hair around her ears.. 🥺

Harding: another shot of Harding injured 😭 aaah why 😭.. I count at least 5 now. (3 in that post, 1 from yesterday, and this one from today). again in this image she's clearly had her injuries for a while, she has stitches and the bruising is in fading mode. she's seated in her casual clothes - I think this shot was taken in the Lighthouse. it's a different seat, but the vibe is very much like Harding here. omg in her casual attire Harding's braid is down ♡ like still braided but not tied up. I feel like in the field it's more like tucked up or wound round her head? in this shot we also have a lovely and detailed look at the adorable flower pattern she has stitched on her shirt. Harding is never defeating the adorable allegations.

Neve: in the background is an eluvian, the way we've seen them look in this game when they have just been used or are just about to be used. I wonder if this is the eluvian that leads from the Lighthouse out into the world of Thedas, and if this shot is from an early point in the game. every time I see Neve I wanna drop to me knees lmao and even though we've seen it before, every time I see her I'm stunned by the care and detail by the devs that went into creating her outfit, every aspect of it. :') in the center at the bottom, just behind Neve near one side of the eluvian's frame is a purpley glow. I think that might be one of these (circled in yellow), from this scene in the release date reveal trailer.

these things presumably have something to do with how to work and use the ancient elven magic-tech of the eluvian. with her Veil Jumper experience and interest in ancient elven artifacts, Bellara presumably knows how to use it, or has an idea of how to do so. in the reveal trailer, it looks like she's demonstrating this, or 'opening' the eluvian, to show Rook and the party.

Emmrich: it looks like he's talking to the lady elven warrior Rook that we've seen a few times now in the promotional material (like in the recent warrior gameplay video). Emmrich has impeccable style. I love all the detailing on his clothes. like the skull pin at his collar, he also has two skull pins lower down on either side of his waist. (this is a fashion flair shared with Lucanis; he also has a pin at his collar and then two more, one on either side, elsewhere on his coat; only his are crow skulls of course). parts of the material of his clothes have that crushed velvet look. Emmrich has big "I tell the time by a beautiful antique pocketwatch I keep on a chain" vibes. :D on his shoulder pads there are arrow patterns. the background location looks Nevarran and/or Necropolis-y to me. it looks like there are candles which burn with green flame (I'm really curious about that. is it Veilfire?) and you can also see a hexagon. I wondered here based on prior screenshots if hexagons are an aspect of Nevarran art/design/tileset.

Taash: I would like to see a new screenshot of Taash beloved 👉👈

Manfred: he looks so cute and happy, this is a really detailed shot of him and I'm really curious about the material that composes the lenses of his goggles. they look like they could be cut gems. if you look closely at the detailing on them, there's a pattern like an eight-pointed star or something etched on each lens. it gives his expression a permanent "🤩"-type impression hhh. and I'm really curious again about the purpose of his goggles. depictions of them like in Emmrich's tarot-style card art make it look like they have something to do with the necromancy. he is very helpfully handing us a lantern. the glow of the light in it looks green, like the lighting fixtures we've seen in the Necropolis.

Bonus Neve shot: what are these lights in the background I wonder? ^^ this shot is a good reference for the handle of her wand-cane thing. I think the blue-lustre finish on the gold parts is pretty. btw, do you think the orb held in Neve's wand-cane functions the same way for Neve the way the orb in dagger-and-orb style does for dagger-and-orb/Spellblade mages?

[bloedewir]

Dragon Age: The Veilguard and Mass Effect companions

If talking about Bioware there's always a familiar personality types from game to game (and it's totally ok because despite well known archetypes the devil is in the details). So. I was bored and thinking about the da4 squad. Let's just say it's kind of a comparison and a try to guess what to expect. No serious stuff included, just for entertainment.

(also it would be hilarious to wait the release and found out I failed dramatically)

Bellara Lutara

Peebee

As devs said Bellara is the one who always has a solution and so as Peebee.

She may seems immature and careless yet is actually smart and resourceful despite the first impression. A true adventurer in a search of truth and new knowledge. Savvy of the team.

Lucanis Dellamorte

Garrus Vakarian

Archangels, as celestials, are supposed to be with wings so Dellamorte with his wings is a perfect match.

I mean. Kills shitbags. Outrageously skilled yet surprisingly awkward in a matter of personal relationship. The job must be done even if not a nice one. Dedication of the team.

Emmrich Volcarin

Mordin Solus

Academic mind. Responsible and quite a work enthusiastic yet morally questionable. Calm, polite, discreet. Tremendous vocabulary (I hope the speed of speaking isn't salarian tho). Wits of the team.

Lace Harding

Wanted to say Liara T'Soni because of VA, but it's Nyreen Kandros

Moral compas always point in a right direction. You have to do anything that is possible to help those who can't protect themselves. Conscience of the team.

Neve Gallus

Miranda Lawson

Smart and capable. Ice queen at first sight but if you can earn the trust is the loyal friend. Determination of the team.

Davrin

Liam Costa (??)

Having a problem here. Not much known about Davrin yet. Liam Costa seems fitting because he's not a hero or a chosen one or something. A good person who cares a lot, wants to help and tries to make things right. And he is bold and charming so as Davrin was described. Heart of the team.

Taash

Aria T'Loak

Strong, confident, brave as hell. You need to get shit done? It's your lady. Yet has a soft side you can see if prove yourself trustworthy. And then the most loyal ally who goes with you to hell and back. Courage of the team.

[pouzzzy]

it's a rare day that i miss writing about video games for the internet but the new dragon age trailer has me feeling insane

i haven't been this excited in a while!! i pulled out my journal like i'm still getting paid a salary to write about games lmfao. these are my notes:

varric is OLD!! silver fox heyo, look at that biker dad 'stache!

harding looks incredibly good and i'm so happy for the ppl who were feening for a dwarfmance

neve and lucanis are from the book tevinter nights! both were cool altho neve was slightly cooler imo. i was hoping for a neve companion! lucanis should scratch a lot of ppl's itches tho

i say this as an asian person: bellara had me HOOTING and HOLLERING. we've never had an east asian companion!!!! and she's an elf to boot!!!! she will never not be in my party except when she absolutely has to take a break.

i have a hard time talking about davrin without word vomiting because he's gonna be so INTERESTING, like he uses a sword and shield, he's DALISH, and he's also a warden???? if u can't already tell i'm an elf shill and i'm muito excited for this dude, he will also be heavy in the rotation.

also there was a griffin????? i was so ready to keep freaking out about the companions but then i did a double take and was like oh there's just a fucking griffin, and it looks like a baby???? like is that your son, sir, is that your baby??????? hello??????????

i was so ready to disregard emmrich bc he's just like The Old Man but in my experience these kinds of characters end up being the ones i love the most, see: Vicar Max in outer worlds, so i'm fully ready to ride that old man until his sciatica acts up

taash is a shortened version of the word "ataashi," meaning glory, usually in the context of dragons! fitting and appropriate, and yeah we're eating, we got a lady qunari! i do know that some people are about to be very weird with her so i just hope her characterization is well-rounded enough to combat this lmao

[wayshrines]

this episode was so good!!

god DAVRINS VOICE HES SO HOT AND THE WAY HE TALKED ABOUT SOLAS GOOOOD

nadia is still annoying but i get her (she needs to find her love) i wish dreyden was the main character i love them. dreyden best character

seriously dreyden is sooo nice and interesting AND DAVRIN CALLED THEM CUTE dreyden is just like me when davrin.

also? davrin can read an ancient elvhen dialect??? 👀👀 well i hope the writers now what they are doing👀

im so excited for next week’s episode. I NEED VEIL JUMPER INFO!!!! my rooks gonna be a veil jumper pls bellara dont dissapoint me

[solitaireships]

As cute as Bellara is, I also hope that people don't just spend the entire time they talk about her comparing her to baby animals or calling her a cutie patootie or whatever else. It's a bit odd to see that for her when she's the only east Asian character in the series. Like she's a grown woman, her writer said she's around 31-32, you can thirst for her in the same way you do other characters. The way people act rn just feels a little infantilizing towards her

[ashenlavellan]

Dragon Age: Veilguard - Thoughts

Disclaimer: This is MY opinion - please note that everyone has differing opinions and that I am not intending to offend anyone. Simply voicing my concerns/thoughts.

First off - the name change.

Honestly, I'm not too bothered with the name change from "Dreadwolf" to "The Veilguard," because it still feels like it will involve the Veil/Solas/etc. It's sort of like an extension to the "Inquisition" for me and I'm alright with that.

Secondly - the companions.

Now, I'm pleased to see our favorite aged characters - Varric Tethras and Lace Harding, who have had an understandable change to their appearances, which means more time has passed since Inquisition. I'm happy that Varric will return as a companion once more and Harding will join us, rather than just being a scout for the Inquisition.

Now, the listing of new companions -

Neve - 'The Detective'

I like their design and the fashion slightly reminds me of Vivienne de Fer from Inquisition. Obviously, there is more of a Tevene twist to their clothing due to the placement of where we'll be heading towards. I can't necessarily gauge their personality from the few seconds we saw them in the trailer, but I admit that I'm intrigued and was somewhat reminded of Vivienne.

Lucanis - 'The Mage Killer'

Honestly, I'm always drawn to the (possible romance) companions that are the rogues/assassins of the party (ahem, Zevran and Isabela); I'm intrigued by the bestowed title and wonder if it's simply contract work, or if they opposed the mages... I believe it would make an interesting connection, especially if you get to play as a mage.

Taash - 'The Dragon Hunter'

We love a woman (if they identify as one or not) that could not just kick our ass, but a dragon's too. I'm glad to have another qunari companion within this game (I loved Sten and Iron Bull too); I can tell that they'll be such a badass and if they're romanceable, I can't wait to see what it's like.

Bellara - 'The Veil Jumper'

I really like their name and their design; I can't fully gauge their personality, but it seems like we have our adrenaline-junkie of the group and I would be lying if I said I wasn't interested in their story.

Emmrich - 'The Necromancer'

Honestly, I was pleased that necromancy was a specialization within Inqusition, so I'm a little hesitant with this character, due to their class already and what specializations could be offered. Intriguing character, but a little concerned about how they'll be built.

Davrin - 'The Warden'

Anytime there's a warden involved, it always makes me wish that we could have our own Warden make an appearance of some sort, but that won't be possible. Simply mentions - however, I was extremely surprised to see that a griffon was accompanying them in their fight against darkspawn. I have questions as to how much time has passed and what they've learned.

So, overall - I'm intrigued by what I'm seeing for our future companions, but I'm a little hesitant. Mainly due to how many stories there are and what/how/when they tie into the plot and how they're approached.

Thirdly - cameos?

We've all mentioned/talked/seen others posts about this, but there's hope that we'll see some familiar faces and possibly tied into the story too.

Will we see Zevran? Shale? Isabela? Sebastian?

That's just a couple to list off, but I'm seriously hoping that we see some of our favorite familiar faces or more mentions of them because I'm a little upset with how quite a few were wiped out Thedas' existence.

Is there a possibility that we may run into Sten after all this time, since he had returned to the Qunari at the end of Origins? Maybe we'll run into Zevran, who has successfully slipped from the minds of the Crows yet is still out there? Hell, maybe we'll run into Admiral Isabela at a docking port in Tevinter?

There's no way that we won't run into some familiar faces rather than just Varric, Lace, possibly Leliana (since she's appeared in every single game). I'm alright with some mentions here and there, like what they did for Inquisition, but please don't practically erase some of our favorite characters.

Fourth - the combat.

This. This will be my biggest concern and I'll make an edit or reblog this once I've seen the official gameplay trailer once it's released. This will make or break the game for me.

I'm slightly hesitant to the change of the amount of companions that will be deployed - we'll be going on missions with two other companions, rather than three. It's been mentioned in conversation that this is a likely consequence due to the time limit that Bioware has - that makes sense and I understand that now.

However - depending on this trailer, this could be a big change... in the worst case scenario, I won't play it and with my fanfiction stories will simply purge it from existence and come up with something else. The good scenario (since I'm not sure if there will even be a best), it'll be tolerable and I can implement it to an extent within my headcanon universe.

There's some other stuff, but I'll hold off on it for now. I don't want to hope too much since I witnessed the events of ME: Andromeda and all of the troubles it had and it brought out some distrust. So, I'm intrigued yet I'm on the fence for the time being...

It could be another character for me to write a story for and develop, or it may simply be erased from my headcanon universe and will have a different ending in my series.

[invinciblerodent]

welp, I listened to yesterday's episode of Vows and Vengeance...

and I'm really kind of bummed that it didn't make me more excited about Bellara.

She's been the one I've been kind of lukewarm on lately (I'm not uninterested, and I don't dislike her, I don't have reason to, I'm just... idk, once I got past the design being super cute, and being happy to see an East-Asian character, I feel like I kinda know what to expect from a Dalish mage who is Into Magic and Ancient Stuff, and am more interested in what the others have going on), and I was hoping that hearing her talk would make me more excited. but, I'm apparently more burnt out on the whole "~~~ooh Ancient Elven Magicks~~~" angle than I thought.

I don't like- or want to make comparisons to other characters, but it's not the first time BioWare has done the bubbly, scientifically minded, excitable type of character, and despite having been very excited then, that other character didn't wind up being my favorite in her game either. (They both even have ancient flying gizmo-construct pets they've fixed up too, now that I think about it.)

[duxvitrum]

i'm bored so might as well fill the entire thing out

What was the first Dragon Age game you played? Dragon Age: Origins in 2011, I didn't know shit, I didn't understand shit, but I LOVED IT. It was dark and grimy and waaayyy to hard for me at the time, and I've fucked up so many things I'm sure, but I mostly can't remember it.

Which Dragon Age game is your favorite so far? It's DA2. I've played through it at least seventeen times, with full playthroughs being like seven, six or seven. I have my Hawke's story down to every little minute detail and I absolutely adore the story and the companions and EVERYTHING. Sure, it has some flaws, but eh. I love it nonetheless.

Do you usually play as a warrior, mage, or rogue? Which class are you planning to try first this time around? Which subclass? Oh, mage, mage all the way. And yes, I do play blood mage Hawke (trailer canon!) but I never use the sacrifice spells because it feels wrong. Technically in my HCs she only started using blood magic after the events of Kirkwall, so eh. And my Inqui is a riftmage. My Warden is a dalish elf, so she's an assassin duelist - and I don't really know mage classes in DAO whoops.

What does your worldstate look like going into DAV? Uhhhhh I can't possibly state every single choice, but. Alistair is king, Kieran is his son. Hawke supported mages. Inquisitor drank from the well and promised to talk Solas out of his bad choices.

Do you typically use a preset character and name or spend hours in the character creator coming up with a custom one? I customized my elves, but I love the default Hawke so damn much she is as she is. I will customize my Rook though, that's for sure.

Do you have your Rook(s) planned out to any degree? If so, would you share some details or ideas you have? Not yet, to be honest, but I'm glad we have n/b options! Lately I've been loving non-binary protags (the remaster of Saints Row and Baldur's Gate 3 have blessed me with those options).

Which character from the previous games or other media are you most hoping will make an appearance in DAV? Dorian is a given, Fenris too. I hope for DAA cameos - like Miriam! And Qwydion!!

What faction are you most excited to learn more about? Veil Jumpers, most probably, although Shadow Dragons sound cool as fuck. Hell yeah, resistance!!

Which romance, if any, do you plan to pursue first? To be honest, as much as I love all the companions already, I'm not looking forward to any romances. I've joked about my love for elven boyfriends and Lucanis looks pretty sick, but so does Bellara. So, we'll see! Maybe I'll go the CBP route and pick an NPC who can't be romanced to headcanon our relationship lol.

Which location are you most excited/hoping to explore in-game? Minrathous looks SICK. I can't wait to run around this dark and gloomy magic city like DAMN. Also the nevarran Necropolis!!

What's one thing you'd really like to see in this next game? Not sure there is anything in particular, I'm just excited about the game itself. Unexpected cameos would be banger tho.

What's one thing you're hoping we DON'T see in this next game? Erasure of past historical events to smooth out the plot. Like. Please.

What's one thing you've seen confirmed so far that you're a fan of? The battles. I know people like strategy and tactics, but the flashy battles are amazing. Also mages can MOVE WHILE CASTING FINALLY.

What's one thing you've seen confirmed so far that you're NOT a fan of? Uhhh there was something, but it was so miniscule that I can't even remember it right now.

Do you have any unpopular opinions about DAV so far? Nope, not that I know of.

What's one crack theory you subscribe to (yours or someone else's)? That Solas sucks with his plans and we'll have him as an ally yet again lmao. Does that count?

Are you interested in all the lore and speculation or do you focus more on the games and stories themselves? I don't read books/comics myself, but I enjoy reading theories of people that do. I mostly am interested in the plot of the games.

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.) NEW ARTWORK. I don't read much DA fanfiction, but ARTWORK.

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? I am currently replaying DA:I :)

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

[ajaxskingdom]

The amount of Excitement I feel for Dragon Age 4 is immense, I can't fucking wait, man. I watched the Behind The Scenes video they put out with @sunshine-boii75 and we were going absolutely apeshit during it.

There's two characters we know about already and that's Davrin, a warden, and Bellara, who didn't give any hints as to what or who she is. We also get a glimpse of Dorian in the concept art with three characters under water finding treasure. Then we watched the trailer and, obviously, we see Solas and then Varric is the narrator, but I don't think he'll be in the actual game as anything other than the narrator. If he is in the game, he won't be companion again.

Now, I mentioned a concept art with Dorian and two other characters under water, yes? That implies there's going to be underwater sequences in DA4 and that is a thrilling idea. We've never been able to go far into water before, it always kills the player and takes them back to shore, but if that concept art is something they go through with in the game, we'll get to go into the water properly and that's honestly so exciting to think about. That means more monsters and maybe even a new race or two that we'll get to meet.

Dorian being in a concept art is interesting as well because that implies we might have a connection to the faction he and Maevaris put together in the magisterium. I don't think he's going to be a companion again, not after Inquisition, but I think he may be something similar to what Morrigan was in that he joins you only on very specific missions that need him.

We also get a glimpse at a rogue and a qunari in the trailer, though we don't know if they're companions or just npcs we'll meet. A part of me hopes they're companions because, from what we've seen in the trailer, one of them is a rogue who looks like they may be targeting a Magister while the qunari? Her bow looks like a staff and the string appears out of midair, it looks magical. Is it something similar to the prismatic greataxe you can get in inquisition? Or is it something new, something more exciting? I don't know, none of us do, but I'm looking forward to finding out.

We also watched an IGN video about the trailer (neither of us like it much tbh, this is the only thing we actually latched onto from it) and he brought up an interesting idea. While talking about the Qunari in the trailer, he points out her bow and also comments on how it looked/worked like I did up above, and suggests something interesting. What if we get a new class? Or the existing classes begin to get magical aspects to them if that's the route you go with the class? The veil weakened magic when Solas put it up, so it'd make sense if the Breach caused magic to show itself a little more, the veil isn't totally stable anymore, so it'd make sense for magic to become more prominent. So a new class with magic mixed with the other classes or new specializations for the existing classes would be exciting.

Koby and I also talked about possible characters we could come across that we've already met and there's two that we both got very excited about. We know Fenris has gone to Tevinter and we know the game takes place in Tevinter, so? What if he's there? What if the player character gets to meet him and he's a character similar to Morrigan (like I theorized with Dorian) where he helps during specific quests?

We also talked about Zevran. The Inquisitor in DAI ends up helping Zevran flee from the Crows If you accept his help on the war table and what's a better place to hide him than in Tevinter? The Crows are an Antivan organization and while, yes, they travel to other places, would they really go to Tevinter just to hunt down Zevran? They might, they hunted down the Warden in Origins in an attempt to hire them as well as tried to kill Zevran in Origins if you recruit him. They also might not risk going to Tevinter, it's a place not many like to go after all.

But then I remembered something. We see a character with a crow mask and crows flying around them (I can't remember if it was in the BTS or the Trailer) and that got us thinking. A Crow companion? So, if there's a Antivan Crow companion, could the Crows be hunting down Zevran? Who's to say.

We also get to see Solas, as I've stated already, which has me excited. I'm kind of hoping the Inquisitor returns in 4, kinda like what Hawke did in Inquisition, when we confront Solas. They deserve to be there, they trusted Solas with everything (even their heart if you romanced him), and he leaves them, only for them to find out he's a Dalish 'god' that is planning on tearing their world apart. If anyone deserves to be there for the confrontation with him, it's the Inquisitor 100%.

I have more thoughts about the game, but I'll probably talk about that later. I'm replaying DAI and I wanna finish Trespasser.

Anyways, I can't wait to play Dragon Age 4 when it comes out and don't think I won't liveblog my playthrough once it does.

Don't worry, I'll tag it as spoilers, too, so no one has to see it until they're ready.

[felassan]

Notes and thoughts on some of the new companion information:

I wonder what clan Davrin was raised in. Is it a known named one, or one we haven't encountered/heard of before? He went to be a Grey Warden - maybe his clan wandered in the Anderfels? Dalish have been known to live in the lands called the Anderfels:

In the far north, where the hills wander the plains and the earth is eternally baked beneath the uncaring sun, the lands which the shemlen call Anderfels, a clan of our people lived, struggling to survive the Blight. Iloren was their keeper. A hunter in his younger days, crafty as any wolf, he led his people always just ahead of the darkspawn who chased them. But the old hunter knew that even halla cannot run forever. They must turn and fight, or be run down.

Davrin would "rather make history than reflect on it"; Bellara is "obsessed" with uncovering the secrets of ancient Elvhenan. there is a bit of contrast there and so I'm curious to see their similar and differing perspectives on elf-related topics. (I hope they are friends).

I just love that Bellara has a strong sense of self, a clear idea of who she is, and a clear idea of what she wants. we love to see it.

Neve not believing in the superiority of mages, being born and raised in a working-class neighborhood of Minrathous: you can see how this ties to what was said about Neve in the SDCC panel -

John: "So Neve, as you can see in the video, is one of the first companions that you encounter in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. She’s from Tevinter, Minrathous specifically. And anyone who’s played Dragon Age before knows that we’ve always talked about Minrathous, we’ve always talked about Tevinter, so we wanted to have a character who showed, not the parts of Tevinter that we’ve touched on before, you know, obviously slavery is a big part of it, it’s a mageocracy, but somebody who was pushing back, fighting back against that." Jessica: "I love her loyalty, I love her dedication, I love how much she loves Docktown and its people and how she really sees a different vision for Tevinter than, as John said, than what’s previously been depicted. And she’s really really fighting for those people, and she loves those people, and so yes she’s cynical, and yes she’s kinda tough and brusque and all these other things, but when they say there’s a heart of gold, there really, like to have that kind of a passion and dedicate your life to something like that, I think that, that’s my favorite part about her."

Lucanis, please level up from specializing in executing powerful mages to specializing in executing powerful mage god-kings (pls. we are in danger).

In Tevinter Nights, a Vint says of Lucanis after The Wigmaker Job, "They're already calling him 'the Demon'". It turns out that his full title is "The Demon of Vyrantium". (hh, it makes him sound like a speed-demon, a boy-racer tearing up the streets and drifting). of course, this is likely a reference to what he did during The Wigmaker Job, a story which was set in the Tevinter city of Vyrantium. the body count from that party was over forty people (all Venatori, sympathizers or 'I'm okay with it'-izers), including Venatori blood mage and sick wigmaker Ambrose Forfex.

I love that Emmrich is serious about his duty to protect innocents. :') a real kind-hearted gentleman.

[felassan]

Snippets. 🐺💜

Corinne Busche celebrates 5 years at BioWare! [source]

Devs Michelle Flamm and Gabe Graziani: "feels weird that 'the last game informer cover game is a game I worked on' is a thing I can say now" / "And all of the exclusive coverage we did with them is just... gone." [source, two]

Jon Renish: "It's just a coincidence but, the last cover for Game Informer is 'Dragon Age: The Veilguard', the last printed Prima strategy guide was 'Anthem'." [source]

John Epler: "christ. seeing game informer shutting down is awful. seeing them shut down literally three months after spending time with them is fucking me up. hope everyone lands on their feet. unbelievable." [source]

Jay Ingram (on GI): "Oh my gosh. It was always so exciting to see what the cover story of a month would be, and then even more so as a dev when you showcase games I've been privileged to work on. This is so sad. Thank you for everything. I wish you all the best. Truly the end of an era" [source]

Derek Wilks: "Seriously hate to see Game Informer go. They’ve been my go to for years. Always loved their magazines. They will be greatly missed. It’s a bittersweet honor to have our game as their last cover story. Wish they could have continued forever. 💔" [source]

User: "Will Briala make another appearance in the future (not necessarily in Veilguard)?" Trick Weekes: "Anyone who didn’t die onscreen could potentially show up again someday." [source]

[Here] is the link to costume builder Ladytoxie's SDCC V-log! Ladytoxie was invited to the DA:TV@SDCC Fandom party, at which they cosplayed Bellara. In the vlog, they discuss their Bellara cosplay, the process of creating it, their experience going by the BioWare booth at SDCC, and their Fandom party experience with the devs. The vlog also includes a bonus short interview with the devs from SDCC. In the vlog you can see that, along with the dragon screenshot, an alternative option for the background of the DA:TV photo booth pic was this tavern screenshot that we've seen. Ladytoxie also mentioned in the vlog that it's clear how much love and work the devs have put into the game [source]

^ The devs talked a bit about DA/the game & characters in the bonus interview. I'm not 100% sure if I heard all these details right, so apologies/correct me if I misheard, missed or misunderstood any of it (listening to the original source first-hand is of course always most advisable!!), but it sounded like: Corinne Busche feels most connected to Maevaris Tilani. Corinne Busche loves the qunari and would cosplay as Taash, as she loves the scale, armor and Rivaini gold. Her favorite companion is Emmrich. John Epler would cosplay as Lucanis, calling him so stylish and suave. It sounded like he said he wrote Bellara and a few other characters. Ashley Barlow would cosplay as Neve, saying that she has [awesome] dialogue, quick wit and is sassy. Parrish Ley would cosplay as Davrin. He said that Davrin has some awesome armor pieces, with the hands and feet being lots of interlocking pieces of metal. Parrish Ley is a big face and hands animator, so when he's animating Davrin's armor, his hands and feet get a lot of focus, so that he looks great in any pose from any angle. [source] <- Check out the vlog here!

User: "bioware, it is now the second of august." Dev Jess: "Soon 😄" [source] User: "On my knees groveling for more information on Taash" Jess: "soon :)" [source]

User: "Coming back to say Thank you so very much for Veilguard! Coming back to Thedas feels like Home!!". Derek Wilks: "It’s absolutely our pleasure. We’ve truly made something that we love, and hope you all love it too. 🧡" [source]

User on Fenris in DA2: "coolest character introduction ever". Derek Wilks: "So far 😊" [source]

[bloedewir]

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

I like the Lighthouse rooms but I can't get rid of the thought: that was a Solas' place first. I mean, I can understand companions possibly can bring some stuff. Some, not all of it.

The place itself belongs to Solas. And I have some questions (and comments).

Like... what for this room exactly? It's a torture chamber? Prison? Who you planned to keep in here, sir? I hope that Grey Wardens heraldic shield (?) wasn't here before Davrin moved in because I don't want to connect the dots with prisons and wardens.

Next is creepy library. I guess Emmrich could bring dozens of skulls to the Lighthouse. Maybe it was a really special skulls but ???

Bellara could bring some artifacts for sure. But not the big thing on the wall. What is this anyway? Some kind of heraldic hunter stuff? Looks like deer/halla head + arrows. It's like Ghilan'nain and Andruil in one. Reference to the dalish legend?

I've no adequate questions here. Is this an ancient globe head bar?

Also I noticed a nice detail ಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ

Neve's prosthetic leg. The only question is: is this decorative or she can use it depends on clothes/armor she wears?

No way all those nugs belongs to Taash (presumably it's Taash room). Nope. It's been here all the time.

And wooden bears? Hinterlands flashbacks, aye?

(upd: as @vxlkarin rightly reminded me: Davrin is the one who can make wooden figures, so it's more likely his room and his wooden nugs and bears. minus one question)

Solas buddy wanna talk about it or something?

(I really want to believe it's not the strategic lair where all his mastermind plans were created.. although it actually could explain a lot)

Precious Elfroot. Greatly approve.

And this is just sad.