#rip orlais

[lizzybeeee]

DATV Spoilers - The Story We Lost

Posted earlier that I was compiling a list of lore/story threads that have been dropped with DATV's handling of Southern Thedas. The sheer number of things means that I've made this into two parts - this one focusing on all the story threads that have been effectively dropped.

Spoilers for the game ahead, of course.

If you've played the game then you'll know that Southern Thedas - everything from the past three games - was basically swept away by the blight.

A double blight should have catastrophic consequences for the entirety of Thedas, I don’t deny that, it’s nothing short of a mass extinction event – the absolute worst case scenario for all of Thedas.

However, waving away the fact that Southern Thedas - specifically every area you ever traveled to and interacted with in previous games – is gone, devastated by the blight, in a codex entry and line of dialogue makes it abundantly clear that BioWare is attempting to clean the slate so that they can move forwards with the game series with no ties to the previous ones.

The Warden, Hawke, and the Inquisitor effectively accomplished nothing.

As I put it in another post: I never expected them to consider every decision in game outside of the three options they gave us, but I certainly didn’t expect them to go scorched earth on the possibility of ever seeing the results of those decisions either.

How the lore has been handled in this game, summarized to “the elves did it” and “there’s been a shadowy organization in the shadows pulling the strings on everything” is absolutely devastating to the franchise.

The lack of care with which this was treated just bleeds, “There, we’ve answered all questions and finished with this era of Thedas. Moving on now.” At the same time, this destruction absolutely obliterated whatever story threads remained from the first three games.

Could BioWare bring these threads back? Yes, I suppose. But it doesn't change that it was so carelessly thrown aside in the first place.

If they didn't want people to care about their decisions and the impact they made on the world, perhaps they shouldn't have made that a feature of all the previous games.

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Story Threads/ Plot Points that were dropped:

Limited my points to what was in the Dragon Age Keep and what points were brought up frequently in codex entries, conversations, etc...

Edit: I never expected all of these points to be answered in DATV - this is just a list of what was effectively brushed to the side through very bad handling of lore and story.

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Dragon Age: Origins

What is the line of succession in Ferelden?

Things are looking very grim for Ferelden's succession and the Theirin/MacTir line if nothing is done. And nothing was done. The entire plot of DAO literally culminated in resolving this issue, yet no one seems to have learnt a thing from it?

- Anora ruling alone is unmarried with no heir - Alistair ruling alone is unmarried with no heir - Ruling together they have no heir - Alistair and a Cousland Queen have no heir - Anora and a Cousland King-Consort have no heir

The only potential candidate that can fit into several of those world states is Kieran.

Fergus Cousland, according to lore, is the second closest to the throne that is confirmed to be alive in DAI - potentially the brother in-law to the King/Queen of Ferelden.

Ferelden's succession with Alistair as King hinges on whether or not the Warden was able to cure the blight. Alternatively, it is hinted that he may be more resistant since he has dragon blood in him from Calenhad.

The potential implications of Kieran being the bastard son of the King of Ferelden.

Kieran being used as a political pawn to depose Anora using the Theirin bloodline.

DAI took away whatever destiny Kieran had with the Old God soul – that didn’t mean that BioWare had to take away everything else too. Regardless, it doesn't matter. Denerim and Redcliffe have fallen to the Blight - it's unlikely that any of this will ever be brought up again.

2. Did the Warden find a cure?

Unknown. Irrelevant.

Ferelden ended up blighted. Denerim fell. If Ferelden rises from the ashes, it will be without any sign of their influence. Any mention of them will likely be their title alone - no mention of their accomplishments.

3. General Questions about the Landsmeet

What happened to Anora if Alistair is named King? Who rules the teyrnir of Gwaren following the blight?

What happens to Alistair if he's exiled? We know Teagan finds him in DA2 but what happens after?

If Leliana becomes divine does that mean that Connor Guerrin is potentially an heir to Redcliffe?

4. Companion Plot Threads

Morrigan's sisters - the many daughters of Flemeth.

Shale's quest to reverse the process of becoming a golem.

Whatever the hell Nathaniel Howe was going on about when you run into him in DA2 in the blighted thaig.

What, if anything, Avernus leaned from spending a literal age or two studying blighted blood.

5. Zevran's Crusade against the Crows

RIP Zevran's one-man crusade against the Crows and their child slavery ring.

DATV messed up immensely by portraying the Crows as more of a ‘found family’ rather than the horrifically abusive organization it was set up to be.

The very same organization that preys on the weak and disenfranchised - honing them to be tools for the nobles/powerful of Thedas - are now the heroic freedom fighters of Antiva.

The literal decade he spent hunting down the Crows and their leaders is up in flames. No mention in DATV whatsoever.

Wasted a perfectly good opportunity to have a schism in the Crows, with Zevran at the helm of kicking out the antaam, taking in Crows who are are sick of what's happening.

6. The Dwarves of Orzammar

The impact of Bhelen/Harrowmont's reign - ruthless progression verses strict traditionalism

The rumours of an uprising of the casteless dwarves in DAI

Will we ever hear of noble House Brosca or Queen/Lady Rica? Nope.

Will we ever hear of the son that Aeducan can have with Mardy? Nope. (RIP Duncan Jnr - I still love you)

The Anvil of the Void and potential links it may have to the Titans.

If Branka lives what happened to her?

No more fine goods direct from Orzammar

The entire caste system has been simplified by Harding in DATV to effectively be: 'surface dwarves' and 'deep roads' dwarves.

7. The Magisters Sidereal / Awakened Darkspawn

According to a codex in the Descent: one went mad, consumed another, and the final magister fled into the Deep Roads.

Corypheous + Codex Magister + the Architect (most likely) = 4/5 magisters remaining? Possibly?

Reminder that it's hinted that there's an eighth Old God that was struck from the records of Tevinter.

The Architect and his Awakened Darkspawn.

No, it was all the elves. They're all dead now anyway. Thanks BioWare.

8. The Guardian and the Urn of Sacred Ashes

"Where did you come from, where did you go? Nobody in Thedas will ever knowwwww."

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Dragon Age 2

Dragon Age 2 was pretty self-contained, with most things being tied up in Trespasser or DAI. The worst of the plot points abandoned relate to the companions in the game and the lack of closure/answers about them.

General Questions:

Kirkwalls, apparently, endless line of 'provisional' viscounts and constant political instability since Varric ran off to go after Solas.

According to DA: Absolution the Red Templars are still in Kirkwall...yet the show is set after Trespasser - when Varric is viscount? When he mentions that they threw a parade when getting Meredith out of the Gallows?

Aveline, Varric, Merrill and whoever remains of the Kirkwall crew apparently just allowing red templars take over the Gallows?

What happened to Petrice if she lived?

What happened to Feynriel if he went to Tevinter?

If Hawke lives following DAI - where are they?

I have a whole list of lore that's also been brushed over: the Sundermount, Corypheous, the Band of Three etc... I decided to put them in Part 2 since I feel they fit in more with 'lore obliterated' rather than 'abandoned plot points'.

2. Companions

Merrill's Eluvian:

Merrill spent years fixing an eluvian with a piece of string, a potato, and some gum - managing to actually do it.

And it meant nothing.

Eluvians are now a fast travel hub - all mysticism and awe at this marvel of magic are completely gone. Whatever sacrifices Merrill went through to save her sliver of elven history is meaningless.

Imagine if Merrill's eluvian aided in the fight against Solas - if having it intact gave you an advantage against him. Imagine Merrill weeping as Bellara fixes every other single eluvian in ten seconds with her magical omnitool.

Fenris and Slavery in Tevinter:

DATV utterly trivializing slavery in Tevinter is abominable.

Disregarding everything Fenris went through, everything he ever fought for, and making it something barely touched upon in DATV is insanity.

You wouldn't know there was slavery in Tevinter if the Shadow Dragons didn't drop a line or two about it.

Fenris' entire story of going to help free the slaves is diminished because no one wanted to show the ugly, dark side of Tevinter in DATV.

DATV has retroactively made this choice for him to be so unfulfilling.

Where is Anders?

What happened with Sebastian's crusade against Anders? Was he ever captured? Was he executed? Are you telling me that no templars ever pursued this man fanatically after what happened in Kirkwall?

Does his fate vary if Hawke was friends/romanced him?

Varric appointing a new Viscount’s Keep healer called ‘Banders’ who just happens to sleep in the same room as Hawke and their children call him ‘daddy’ lmao

Does his fate vary according to who is Divine? Vivienne hunts him down, Cassandra puts him on trial, while Leliana pardons him?

How does he react to Leliana abolishing the Circles? How much does he weep when the rebellion fails and the mages are destroyed? This man instigated the starting event for DAI and drove most of DA2's major plot and he's just...gone.

The Hawke Siblings:

From DAI we know that Warden Bethany/Carver are safe, but what happened to them if they're in the Circle?

Give us Knight-Commander Carver and First Enchanter Bethany Hawke, you cowards! Have them dismantle the Gallows and be the shining examples of human decency we know they are.

What happens to them after DAI and the Mage/Templar War is concluded? In a world that can embrace or reject them - how do they find their place?

Varric

Trespasser gave him a satisfying conclusion - he's viscount, he's in his shit hole of a city, he's surrounded by the people that he loves and cares about. He has the chance to truly build up Kirkwall after all the shit its gone through.

It just feels so bitter, so meaningless, that they gave him the end that they did in DATV. Varric should never have been the one to go after Solas - the only reason it was him was because he's a popular character in the franchise and was used to draw interest.

Why not Cole?! Who was literally mentioned in Trespasser as being on hand to help his friends - who has the ability to get through to Solas in a way no one else could?

No proper send off - no acknowledgement from those who loved him as to his fate...Varric was reduced to a marketing gimmick to draw people in who wanted to see if he died or not.

Isabela

Isabela's story was brought to a close in DAI - she became an admiral, got a fancy hat, helped the Inquisition, and kept in contact with those she loved/Hawke if defended from the arishok.

Imagine bringing her back in a terrible outfit, having the most sex/gender positive character misgender another person, and making her part of the group that steals cultural artifacts from others.

The tomb of Koslun and Aveline would like a word with you?!

The entire Lords of Fortune group is also extremely bland? No commentary on the ethics/effects of colonialism/cultural appropriation - because confrontational topics/ideas are not allowed in this game. Just like topics of slavery/indoctrination.

Her entire character just seems to have regressed from DA2. Why bother having her cameo in the game if she's not going to meaningfully contribute/comment on whats happening?

Edit - Thanks to bunnyiscthulhu for reminding me that Isabela's mother sold her into marriage...yet she does nothing when Taash's mother is outright forcing them into a life they don't want. Isabela, who believed that everybody should be free - that no one should be forced into a life they don't want, just...lets it happen to another person?

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Dragon Age: Inquisition

What's going to happen to the Red Lyrium that's popped up across all of Thedas?

Ferelden, Orlais, Kirkwall - all areas are reported to have red lyrium on the surface.

What happens to the Red Lyrium in Suledin?

DAI speaks about how they can never stop the spread of red lyrium, only slow it – animals, insects, organisms - whatever life is in the ground is all susceptible to becoming blighted by red lyrium. Suledin Keep in particular was utterly devastated by the Red Templars - what happens to life there?

2. What happened to Corypheous' Inner Circle?

What happened to Samson? How long did he live *if* he’s given the chance to help Cullen? Can something good come from his cooperation?

What happened to Calpernia?

Looking at previous concept art for DATV she was a companion - freeing slaves, gossiping about Samson & Corypheous. Just...what a waste. Any potential insight we could have gotten into Corypheous is gone.

3. The Mage / Templar War:

How does the world vary if you conscripted vs allied with either?

How do the remnants of what faction was not chosen fit into this new world?

How does the world deal with abominations and weird magic shit now? Is an alternative to the Order made if it's wiped out in DAI?

How is Cullen's templar clinic doing? If the templars still exist, how is Divine Victoria changing/adapting the Order to better support mages/templars?

4. Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts:

How do Orlesian politics reflect who was made ruler?

Is Gaspard looking to expand into Ferelden once more? Are the elves being brutalized under his rule like they were by his chevaliers? Does he do away with the grand game like he threatened in DAI?

How does this differ if Briala has collared him? How do his supporters feel that Briala has his balls in a vice?

Do Celene and Briala stay together? Do things improve for the elves and for the culture of Orlais at large?

Do improvements for the elves mean that Solas' arguments to his elven agents are less persuasive?

If Florianne is alive what the hell is going to happen to her? How quickly does she fall on her blade after being forced to wear flat shoes for the rest of her life?

How quickly does shit fall apart if you get all three to cooperate lmao

Friendly reminder that DATV sets up that all of Orlais, except for the Winter Palace has been overrun by the Blight - and that a coup from the Venatori is inevitable, likely resulting in any ruler dying.

5. What is the line of succession in Orlais?!

Why does every noble family in Thedas have no contingency plans for if their head of government dies?!

Part of why we needed to resolve the leadership problem in DAI was because there was no clear, direct heir if Celene died!

Celene has no heir Gaspard has no heir

Florianne planned to frame Gaspard, murdering Celene herself, leaving no clear heir to the throne - Orlais was already in a civil war, the council of heralds/nobles would have all campaigned in their own interests...that was why this was so important!

Orlais shortsightedness and pride in their nation being the greatest in Thedas led to them almost falling in a single night!

6. Here Lies the Abyss:

What are the ramifications of having the Warden's exiled verses remaining in the south?

Trespasser literally states that there's a schism in the Order because some Warden's believe they should touch grass more often and not listen to some bloke up in Weisshaupt for what they do down in the south.

Perfect opportunity to have the wardens remaining in the south mean something! Greater numbers in the south means that there's a greater chance of holding against the blight - while greater numbers in the north can effect if Antiva/Tevinter end up blighted in the first attack!

How does public perception towards the Wardens/King of Ferelden change when they learn they were exiled for committing human sacrifice to demons?!

Give us a warden coup and First Warden Alistair / Blackwall, you cowards!

7. The Well of Sorrows:

What was the point of drinking Mythal's bathwater?!

It's been set up as something that changes you. Bound to Mythal forever?!

Retroactively, Solas feels like he's going mental about nothing! One of the few times he ever breaks - he begs you not to - and...for what? Nothing.

DATV does not acknowledge that in the slightest. Such a waste and disappointment of what was made out to be an impactful decision in DAI.

Imagine if the Inquisitor drinking from the well made us forced to fight against them during the fight with Solas - imagine if Solas, in a world state who hated the Inquisitor, used them as a puppet! Just like the envy demon in DAI - and no one notices until its too late. Imagine Mythal herself, wanting Solas to go through with his plan - (or one of the other evanuris) using an Inquisitor/Lavellan he loved as a puppet - imagine the horror he feels as another one of his friends is reduced to nothing more than a mindless slave of the evanuris once more. Imagine the devastation as he watches Lavellan lose all sense of self - perhaps swaying him to, maybe, not go through with his plan?! Imagine having Cole come back to help save the Inquisitor - or Solas begging Rook to save them.

8. DLC Implications:

What happens if Hakkon is not slain? What happens to Southern Ferelden and the Avaar?

How does the rest of Thedas react to the truth of what happened at Red Crossing and the Dales? How do they react to learning that Inquisitor Ameridan - First Inquisitor and leader of the Seekers - was a dalish, elven mage?

What happens if you do not save the mines in the Descent DLC? How badly is Orzammars economy crippled? There are already rumours of riots occurring within Orzammar - it this enough to push the caste system over the edge?

9. Elven Uprising and the War with the Qun:

The elven uprising that was implied to be occuring all over Thedas as a result of years of oppression, systematic abuse, and Solas’ influence? What happened to it?

Where are the agents of fen'harel?!

It was set up that Solas was planning to use this rebellion as a smokescreen for his plans - the elves, all rebelling for good reason, rallying to his cause while Solas planned to restore the world that once was. The rest of Thedas would only see an elven uprising, not knowing the true face behind it until it was too late!

The war between Tevinter and the Qun?!

Everyone conveniently forgetting that the Qun literally attempted to assassinate every noble family in Thedas? Why was there no exalted march because of this? This should have destroyed any accord between the chantry and the qun. There would absolutely be blood for this – Tevinter could have attacked the Qun and all of Southern Thedas would have applauded - no one would have differentiated between extremist qunari and the normal qun, especially not after Kirkwall.

The implication at the end of Trespasser that we could convince Solas to abandon his plans? Him saying that he welcomed giving us the chance?!

The difference that the Inquisitors friendship, love, or hatred could have in either convincing Solas to take another path or damning him to go ahaead with his plan, no matter the cost?

Have our decisions in previous games matter! How we treated the elves - if we worked to better their lives or 'put them in their place' - can be used to convince him that the world can change! Have the ripple effects of these decisions be seen when the elven gods return, blighted - does the world turn against the elves, hardening Solas, or does the world defend the elves from those who would blame them?

Why was Sandal in the Crossroads?! Where is Bodahn?!

10. Divine Victoria!

How does the world of Thedas change with Leliana, Cassandra, or Vivienne at the head of the chantry?

How does Tevinter react to having a mage divine?!

Do relations change between both nations because of this?

Leliana allowing elves, dwarves, and even qunari to join the Chantry! Leliana also allowing members of the chantry to get married if she's romanced by the warden.

What happened to the Seekers? Are they being rebuilt?

Does the chantry inform the masses, the rest of the mages, that they can CURE tranquility?!

If either Leliana or Cassandra was romanced - what are the implications that may have on the chantry?

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No wonder the writers insisted that none of the past choices would have an impact on Veilguard - they literally went scorched earth on everything we ever did.

Ferelden is blighted - any legacy of the warden is gone.

Kirkwall is destroyed - any impact Hawke had is gone.

The hard won peace/order of the Inquisition was rendered meaningless since every single place that you went to and helped is now destroyed by the blight.

Orlais' ruler will likely be assassinated by the venatori who are plotting a coup with the nobles - making whomever you chose obsolete.

AND IT WAS ALL THE WORK OF THE MAGICAL ILLUMINATI FROM ACROSS THE SEA???

[lizzybeeee]

Manfred dancing on the bones of Southern Thedas

who said anything about spooky, scary skeletons in the Necropolis?

[frankensteined]

i love how i went through years of feeling like i was kinda over bioware's need to shoehorn alistair into every game only to immediately get emotional when i encountered him in this playthrough, my only one where he was still a grey warden😭 that's my buddy!!!! i can't believe boring king alistair cameo was all i had to sustain me for all these years!!!

[thedragonagelesbian]

one of the things that's always bugged me about this quest is that it railroads inky's response to the gift real hard: (a) you assume the gift is a serious escalation of the relationship; (b) you want to give her something in return; and (c) you have no idea what that should be

but for yiseeril, there's something very tense & vulnerable about realizing that this could be her first real relationship ever-- and all the suaveness and charm and wit melt away as it occurs to her that she has no idea what she's doing or how to love and not wanting to screw this up

and it turns out she didn't :)

[notebooks-and-laptops]

The right of annulment is horrific in and of itself, but it's aftermath is a trauma minefield too. Gregor tells you if the circle is destroyed that they just send word to Orlais and get new senior enchanters in. Can you imagine that? You're a mage and you're suddenly ripped without choice from your home and then brought somewhere where a month ago they killed everyone like you. Does your office smell like blood? Do you miss your old home? Are the templars harsher on you?

[other-cullen-ficrecs]

👏👏👏

If you sided with mages they're no longer random groups, they had to unify to get the knowledge around somehow. They fought for freedom they wont just give it away.

If you sided with Templars you have them at your side. Already well trained soldiers.

If your Devine truly subdued the Chantry, she has Orlais on a leash as well. No way they refuse to work with Ferelden against the Blight.

If your Devine organized the circles, you have mages perhaps less forceful but more obedient.

Either way you have the remaining loyal templars.

If your Warden is a King/Queen, there's no way they wouldn't be getting Ferelden ready. They saved the world from the Blight once already.

Not to mention they're a monarch and a gray warden, few people have that level of power to just take whatever they need.

Orzammar is more likely to cooperate if Bhelen is the king and if they already fought the Blight with the Warden.

The South is just not as weak as you're trying to make it look just to get rid of it.

Nice try Bioware, but I know the state of Southern Thedas better than you do.

First off, it matters if the Hero of Ferelden is alive or not. When the First Warden recalled all wardens, our hero knew that was a bad call and refused, finally splitting off from Weisshaupt after years of mismanagement and taking scores of wardens with them. Their presence and leadership makes all the difference, rallying southern Thedas once more against the blight. If you have only an Orlesian Warden Commander in Amaranthine they’re less inspiring, but as long as you’ve done Awakening they are a boon nonetheless. There is someone to lead the fight against the darkspawn while other focus on the Venatori.

If you 100% completed Awakenings and also Soldier’s Peak, the Ferelden wardens have never been so prepared. They’re organized, they’re outfitted and they’ve been ready for this for years. Also, if you allied with the Architect then you have scores of strange research to give you an edge.

If Merrill completed her Eluvian then she moves south once again and joins the effort. She’s managed to cleanse the blight before and she’s ready to try it again. And her knowledge of the crossroads gives the south an edge on their movement and supply lines. If Hawke’s sibling is a Warden they accompanied her.

If the Inquisitor let Briala have power in any way, the Dales become the leaders in the war against the Venatori, forming a formidable alliance with Ferelden, Orzammar and the Marches, the likes of which have never been seen. And if you completed Jaws of Hakkon then their alliances with the Avvar and Chasind are stronger than ever.

Of course, if the Inquisitor kept the Wardens around after Here Lies the Abyss then their numbers are bolstered. It may cost Wiesshaupt later, but that’s Rooks problem. And if you completed the Descent, then the Inquisitor and Warden had a much better idea of what was coming and spent ten years getting ready.

They will not be broken.

They will weather this storm.

[makimahinalno]

Rip to Loghain Mac Tir, who is imo the most morally grey character of DA series.

Bioware really said "Actually Executors have been controlling everything this whole time and Loghain was manipulated/brainwashed during Ostagar" Fuck you. I can't believe how much they retconned everything.

"There is nothing I would not do for my homeland."

Ferelden and Anora come first before everything else.

Loghain cared for Cailan, he was the son of his best friend and the woman he loved, he is his son-in-law. That didn't stop him from betraying his King because he viewed him as a romantic and naive fool who glorifies war like a fairy tale. There's nothing glorious about war, you are left with trauma even if you win. This is his hatred for Orlais. Which ties to the fact, that Anora (his daughter) was going to be discarded for Empress of Orlais (not to mention that Cailan was already disrespecting Anora as he was having affairs with other women). As for him locking Anora up later, he did it because no blame would be layed on her. These are HIS sins, he will pay for them alone.

So he didn't betray Cailan out of hatred, he didn't want throne out of thirst for power and he isn't a sadist. But that doesn't excuse his arrogance, he thought he was the only one who could do the job right when it comes to Ferelden's protection.

He feels human. He has flaws. He tried to do right in his own way, but he failed and made a terrible mistake which he realises in the end, and he accepts the players judgement to be executed or to join the Wardens.

I'm so pissed at what Bioware did to this character (and many others). So much potential wasted because magical Illuminati across the sea were the true villains all this time.

[viamutationis]

OH GREY WARDEN, WE'RE REALLY IN IT NOW.

ID in alt text, notes and oc infodump under the cut! PLEASE ask me about them they're my new babygirl of the week

Yeah. Ben-Hassrath Cousland is wild, I know. This was one of those 3 am thoughts that became a beloved oc and now they're my canon protag. Basically: She was being trained to be House Cousland's left hand to spy within the noble courts and intercept threats to her family's rule, and a large part of that meant being covertly sent to Orlais to train as a bard. Buuuut the bardmaster she studied under was an undercover Hissrad, and she wound up being converted to the Qun by her. Teenage Laurentia was in a spot where, like every kid, she was questioning the Andrastian beliefs she was raised with and all the unfair things she noticed in her society, so she was very open to the Qun.

Her role once she was sent back home was basically just to send reports detailing the inner workings of the Ferelden nobility and to be aware of any Tal-Vashoth activity in the area. Pretty benign shit, and the former task is what she was doing for her family anyway. Still recruited by the Wardens the normal way, via Duncan doing his "come with me if you want to live" shtick after the fam dies. None of the Blight Crew find her out save for Leliana, because Leli knows everything. She only reveals it to Sten just as he's about to hop on a ship back home LMAOOO.

They're genuinely very compassionate and sweet. A lil whimsical. Highly loyal and protective. Very lawful good (emphasis on lawful). It's a weird sort of internal reconciling - they are genuinely kind to most people and love listening to others' issues and helping them out. It just so happens that this makes them an excellent spy, because they're exactly the sort of person people feel comfortable opening up to, and they see no issue with passing relevant information on to the powers they spy for. The kindness is genuine, but it's also a tool, if that makes sense. Their duty comes before any attachments. On that Master Coercion grindset.

No romance because they're aro, but they do have a little homoerotic espionage cat and mouse goin on with Leliana (singing campfire songs and trading stories and braiding each others' hair included). They get along with all their companions besides Morrigan and Oghren, and even Morrigan is more just.. cordial passive aggression.

They exist in the same worldstate as my Orlesian Warden-Commander Gavriel! He's a veteran warden who joins them on the road after Lothering because his ass snuck into Ferelden to help the Wardens solo, and then he'll later become the WC while they become Arlessa because they have more political experience and he has more military experience.

They generally make the nicey nice choices, albeit not where magic is concerned, and even then it's purely out of an abundance of caution. They do NOT annul the Circle, they do that secret third option where you tell Greagoir there could still be blood mages so he puts the mages into quarantine and Wynne still joins you but the game counts it as siding with the Templars. They let Isolde kill Connor, rip lil dude. (Not like they have a choice, they would rather that than the blood magic anyway, but they kill Jowan soooooo.) Besides that, all nicey choices. Bhelen on the throne, Anvil destroyed, Zathrian reconciles and everybody lives, Ashes are not tainted, Loghain recruited, Alistair and Anora rule jointly, Gavriel and Morrigan know they'd never agree to the Dark Ritual so they do it behind Laurentia's back and nobody dies lmao.

Small notes on their disabilities: Wynne was the healer that did their cleft lip surgeries as a kid!! Their last surgery was when they were 6, so they do remember her :D & their hearing aids are lyrium-infused lazurite, the runes are all enchantments that combine to make it collect and amplify sound like an actual HA does. I love bullshitting magic technology.

Their mabari is named Princess, because they got her when they were 10, okay.

[fomagranfalloon]

I like Hans Zimmer. I like Lorne Balfe. The new Veilguard theme they released today is plenty epic.

I still wish Trevor Morris was doing the music for Veilguard.

Imagine the Dark Solas/Lost Elf theme reworked for this it-all-falls-apart version of Solas? How everything he touches turns to shit? The Evanuris looms, he is trapped...so many places that theme could go.

I would have liked to hear Morris' take on Tevinter. How different it is in a music language from Orlais and Ferelden.

And if, as I suspect, the Dwarven Titans come into play in Veilguard, let's hear that rip-roaring Descent music updated for waking stone. (Admittedly Morris' Titan theme has a lot of Hans Zimmer bwah horns in it, so maybe we're covered there. 😅)

I do know this is how lots of people felt when Bioware switched from Inon Zur to Trevor Morris. On a personal level, I liked Zur's work on Origins and DA2 but never developed the attachment to it that I did Morris' scores. This is a very self-centered take I have about the scores, I know.

[maleficarlife]

Those are all wonderful points and make me think about my Red Schism AU, where the White Chantry breaks in several offshoots as a consequence of Hawke leading a more organized rebellion and underground since Dragon Age 2. While the Chantry of Ferelden, ruled by Queen Anora and with a college of priests subordinated to the landsmeet, is made only during Inquisition, when Justinia is dead and Orlais is too broken up by civil war to be a problem (and as bonus, the Empire got recently humiliated by Ferelden actually conquering a part of their land at the border and had riots in Val Royeaux after the mage rebellion sacked the Grand Cathedral, so they are really busy) the creation of it's institution is possible only because a second schism called Red Chantry already happened with the Free Marches and Nevarra supporting the rebel mages and fighting a long war against Starkheaven and allies + the pious Anderfels and winning.

With the events of Inquisition taking a wild different route where there is no Inquisition to fight Corypheus, the Orlesian Empire crumbling in a bunch of nations -including Briala taking back the Dales- after Halamshiral goes really bad for nearly all parties involved and the institution of the first pseudo-democracies (the Free Marches became a Federal Republic, thanks to Kirkwall winning the mage-templar war and shaping her ex enemy cities policies) in Thedas, Hawke is pretty much the controversial but rallying popular leader that allows Anora to say "you know what? we are leaving too, why should we obey the clerics of Orlais when Orlais is dying and Ferelden is resurgent" and being mainly unopposed. And while I didn't tought about it, it's true that Amaranthine and Denerim would 100% facilite the transition.

i know the chantry of ferelden thing was a funny bit but i would genuinely love to hear any thoughts you have regarding that as a serious option

oh sure. frankly, i wouldn’t be surprised if it happened; i’m surprised it hasn’t (yet). chantry schism 2: electric boogaloo

the dominant religion in thedas is the orlesian chantry. it was founded in the same breath as the orlesian empire, by the first emperor of orlais. it possesses an extensive military arm, the templars, who have historically been used outside to pressure foreign powers in favour of orlesian interests. this is obviously the very same orlesian empire that in living memory occupied and brutalised ferelden for about seventy years. considering loghain’s attempted deal with uldred, making moves against the chantry does seem like something in the heads of fereldan loyalists. alistair and/or anora can also potentially be attempting to free the circle depending on the warden’s choices, or give land to the dalish, not to mention they accommodate the mage rebellion

as for the idea of a new “chantry of ferelden”, it's worth saying that ferelden contains many major sites of pilgrimage, including denerim (the birthplace of andraste), the newfound temple of sacred ashes (rip, though i would be surprised if the ruins aren't still a place of pilgrimage and perhaps even more so with the associations with the herald), and amaranthine (where andraste first revealed the chant of light and from which maferath’s army departed to invade tevinter). it’s not hard to make a case for ferelden as a spiritual centre, it certainly has better claims than orlais. you could also make a case for ferelden, not an empire, highly valuing freedom, not having serfdom, etc., etc. as far truer to andraste’s original ideals. of course, i’m not sure who would make this case. schisms require religious leadership, and dragon age chronically fails to produce grand clerics outside of its base “motherly” archetype or the occasional “mad fanatic” because they hate complex women and complex religious characters and also me and my personal interests. i mean, ahem, it’s a writing flaw. but the idea of a grand cleric who is a real ambitious visionary thinker (as real religious figures were in medieval europe, who chose sides in conflicts and held spiritual diplomatic and military power that made them in a very practical way some of the most influential people of their time!) would make for such an interesting character and i want it so bad

even aside from the issue of needing like a religious movement to back a separation, i can see why ferelden wouldn't secede and why if it did it would be a big fucking deal. ferelden is in a pretty bad position, overall. it's severely weakened by the blight, it's physically isolated, and its current nobility is pretty insular leaving them with no particular strong allies. orlais and the orlesian chantry would not be able to take a move like this lying down. there could be no better excuse to retake ferelden—more than an excuse, from a religious perspective practically a moral obligation—and that excuse would always be available as long as ferelden was apart from the “true” chantry. we’re talking an exalted march and that type of conflict tends to have no restraint on violence. there is no chivalry for heretics

[yes-these-obsessions-are-healthy]

tbh i dont know how you could dislike Solas because even if I didn’t like him, I’d sympathize with the fucked up history he had and the impossible choices he was given. Either allow the elves to be wiped out or neutralize the titans. Either sit by and allow Elgar’nan to become a tyrant or lend your council in the hopes of maybe changing his mind. Either rebel to free the enslaved Elvhen or sit by and permit it. Either banish the Evanuris or allow the war and bloodshed to claim countless more spirits and elves forever.

In Trespasser, Solas intimates that the Veil was purposeful, but in Veilguard it’s said that the Veil was meant to be restricted to the “holding cell” of the Evanuris but it leaked out and spread across the world. The Veil was never meant to be a global phenomenon, which further justifies his desire to take it down in his mind. It was a slip-up caused during the (very grueling, dangerous, difficult, complex) ritual to seal away the Evanuris. If anything the Evanuris are the reason why the Veil is a huge blanket over reality instead of a small concentrated barrier in one pocket of the Fade.

The Fade should come down, I think, but Solas’s way is far too wholesale fatalist. There has to be a way to take it down in a way that causes the least amount of discord and chaos. Instead of ripping it off like a shroud, could it perhaps be “thinned” over time, like how fabric is worn with friction? Gradual leakage over time like climate change, except it’s not going to spell the end of civilization. I don’t know, I’m spitballing. If the change is gradual, then wouldn’t the heat be off the elves, too? So long as you keep the truth a secret. I don’t know. What I do know is that at the very least, all of Thedas needs to install leaders who are sympathetic and progressive about elves. The Divines are huge keystones, as is the king of Fereldan, whomever is in charge of Orlais and Tevinter. That is imperative regardless and again, I feel like there was a huge missed opportunity to use the Agents of Fen’Harel to do some covert politicking during Veilguard to secure those liberties and rights for elves. Davrin’s concern that the elves would be blamed for everything is as pressing as it is because the gamea don’t seem that interested in granting us avenues to secure protections for elves. They’re just the permanently marginalized group. Even in the European and Middle Eastern medieval period, there were kings and such who secured protections for marginalized groups (of course they were lifted, reinstituted in a never ending cycle, but it happened). We are allowed to advocate for elves as HoF and then a tiny bit with Briala as Inquisitor, but despite having all of this supposed political sway we can’t fulfill the fantasy of making lives easier for elves? Lameeeeee

[c-billbaby]

"Waaaaaaahoo!" Gemma cried as the Tiburon darted through the valley, its arms flailing at the squad of battle armor latched onto it, their lasers and claws cutting into its thin armor. "Have at 'em, lads!" Gemma herself had her armor's battle claw dug deep into the internals of the 'Mech's shoulder and was riding it like she was trying to tame a wild beast, her right arm raised and the blunt nub of the laser where a hand would be on a person firing off red beams into the sky.

The Sea Fox Tiberon came cresting a small rise and turned hard, but it still couldn't shake the quartet of Inner Sphere Standard Battle Armor that was chewing it up like piranha on a sack of meat. Gemma knew that any moment someone would hurt something very important inside the clan machine and her ride would be over, leaving her and her swuad to go hunting the rest of this star, provided any were left after The Bloody Gash's conventional 'Mech troops were done with them.

She was just about to let out another whoop and go digging herself when she saw the forest coming up fast. Oh no. The bastard was going to car wash his problems away. With a shriek of despair she leaned forward, bracing the shoulder of her battle armor before her as the 'Mech entered the trees at over 90kph. Branches slammed into her and her visor was filled with nothing but a blur of leaves and broken wood. Over and over again she was buffetted and bashed about.

The feet of her armor slipped with the repeated impacts and she found herself flopping about atop the Tiberon, only still on because her armor's battle claw was stuck in a thick bundle of myomer muscle and wire inside the 'Mech. She was not too proud to scream in terror and her visor bounced off of jagged strips of ripped open armor, the edges of which she knew were sharp enough to go straight through her face and into her skull if the visor broke.

But it didn't. The venerable IS Standard was built tougher than that.

Eventually she emerged back into the light and the open plain of the valley, and she regained her footing. A quick look told her that the rest of her squad hadn't been so lucky and were lost somewhere in the forest behind. "Not so easy to lose Captain Gemma Orlais, is it Foxy?"

She rammed the muzzle of her laser into the hole her battle claw had made in the 'Mech's armor and cut loose a long burst that she held until the safety cut in to prevent her from melting the barrel. Somethingside sparked and fumed, then the Tiburon jerked once to the side and fell skidding to the ground with Gemma surfing it to a stop as she had a dozen or more times before on 'Mechs both larger and faster than the battle scout that was her current prey.

Gemma jumped off and turned towards the cockpit, but it was buried in the ground. Dead or alive, the MechWarrior inside was not going to be getting free any time soon. So, satisfied with a job well done, she turned away from the wreckage to head back towards the forest and the rest of her squad.

Movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention and she turned to see the Tiburon's leg moving. That wasn't good. She turned, preparing to leap back onto the 'Mech when the whole leg shifted and she saw, crushed underneath it, several suits of Elemental battle armor, the feared toads of the Clans smashed to pulp when the Tiburon fell on them. They must have been on their way to answer a distress call from the MechWarrior, looking to clean her squad off of him, but luck was not on their side and the sudden fall and skid must have taken them by surprise.

But now it is Gemma's turn to be surprised, and not by the two smashed suits of elemental armor under the leg, or the two she now sees smeared across the ground in the runnel left by the skidding 'Mech, but by the fully intact one throwing the Tiburon off of itself and stalking directly towards her.

Gemma waved, "Hello there! Rough day?" Then without waiting for a reply she fired her laser at it for a full burn and ignited the jets in her armor to propel herself away. The laser went wide as the Elemental roared up into the sky itself, chasing after her. When she hit the ground it was right on top of her, its own laser coming up towards her faceplate.

She grabbed it with her battle claw and wrenched it upwards so the beam fired up and away and instead of directly into her faceplate visor. But even as her claw crushed the clan weapon to scrap the elemental's own claw punched into the side of her armor and latched on. There was a great tearing as the bigger, stronger armor hefted her bodily into the air, visor to visor.

She could see a shadow there beyond the tint and the fog of sweat and rage inside, and it seemed to be smiling. The crunch and tear of metal near her ribs told her that her enemy was still very much trying to peel her open to get at the soft flesh inside of her battle armor. Gemma never thought she'd have to do this.

She let go of the elemental's laser with her claw, but it brought its damaged arm around to guard against any blows against it. Gemma however was not trying to do anything to it. Instead she reached for the chestplate of her own armor where she traditionally kept her last ditch weapon.

The elemental continued to lift her higher and higher, and something in the right side of her armor gave. She could feel air against her bare skin and then the hard coldness of one of the pincers of the clan battle claw. Now she was staring down into the faceplate of the elemental and seeing the reflection of her own armor's chest plate and the neon pink letters mirrored there.

LET'S BE FRIENDS! Right across the front of an antipersonnel mine. Her claw found the rigged up ripcord trigger for it and pulled.

Boom.

Warning. Catastrophic damage detected. Administering morphine. Error: Morphine supplies depleted. Seek immediate medical assistance.

"Probably shouldn't have partied that hard last night," Gemma groaned at her HUD, whose flashing warnings were superimposed on a clear blue sky above. The IS Standard had held, barely, but she was done, all controls unresponsive, laying on her back in the middle of a field. She could see smoke trailing up from her prone form.

With a groan she twisted her head and bit down on the emergency release, which set off explosive bolts at the front of her armor and sent it flying away, a twisted hunk of steel done no favors by taking explosions from both sides, and she pulled herself free and into the open air. The elemental was thirty meters away, its entire left arm and shoulder missing. Idly, she noted that arm was still stuck in her own armor, leaking blood from the severed stump at the end.

Gemma was about to go digging for her radio when she heard a hiss and pop from the elemental. "Oh come on," she grumbled and turned. A hugely muscled woman was climbing out of the clan armor, her left arm a blackened, bleeding stump. Several injectprs ripped put of her skin as she pulled herself free of the crippled machine, obviously part of that clan black box thing that kept its elementals full of an entire cocktail of drugs to keep them fighting past normal human limits.

"We could talk about this," Gemma offered the woman, but if she heard she made no indication, instead bellowing a cacophonous roar of defiance and charging right at her, one gigantic hand raised up like a claw coming for Gemma's throat.

Gemma sighed and pulled her howdah pistol, which was really just an anti-materiel rifle she'd taken an angle grinder to until it could fit comfortably strapped to her thigh and could generously be called a handgun and more accurately called a huge mistake. The elemental had the audacity to look surprised before the gun barked and her face, along with most of her upper body, turned into a moist red cloud and fluttered to the grass atop the rest of her.

The recoil sent the gun flying from Gemma's hand and off into the field behind her somewhere, but she ignored it and sat down in the grass with a sigh of pain and exhaustion. Then she pulled a fine fat Phactian cigar out of her cleavage and stuffed it between her teeth with a grin. "All's well that ends well."

[wendynerdwrites]

Pretty cringe on Bioware's part

Okay, so I do not work for Bioware, don't have connections, and what I'm writing is based only on some background and experience in social media and online marketing. I HAVE NO INSIDER KNOWLEDGE AND CLAIM NONE.

But... It VERY MUCH LOOKS TO ME that this new name change is a plot to try and circumvent SEO on the new Dragon Age release being about how delayed the game is and all the layoffs and the severance lawsuits and shit.

And yeah, maybe this'll seem obvious to some of you, but I kind of just want to word vomit: (and this is a further musing on a TWITTER thread I made earlier. Sorry I just have to get this manic-episode cynicism out)

Why else at the supposed 11th hour would you change the game title to one that is just, so bad for so many reasons?

(It should be obvious that I'm editorializing here, but I like to cover my ass more these days)

So yeah, reasons why I think this name change is so bad and nonsensical it could only be made for desperate reasons:

Okay, so because I like to overthink stupid shit like video game name changes and have become quite Dragon Age fixated over the years, I was going over this bullshit too much.

Like, I tried to explain things to myself because sometimes I want a break from feeling cynical even with shit like this.

So I read this and mulled it over:

"BioWare general manager Gary McKay explains that while Solas is “still very much a part of the story of Dragon Age: The Veilguard,” the team wanted a title that reflected a “really deep and compelling group of companions.” --- Kat Bailey for Gameinfomer.com

Okay, fine, well, the last game is called "Dragon Age: Inquisition" and not "Dragon Age: Corypheus" or "Dragon Age: Elder One." And you know, stuff like "Leliana's Song" focuses on, you know, Leliana."

But you what, me? That doesn't hold up.

For one thing, Leliana's Song is a DLC. No one is going to mistake a main series Dragon Age release as being not about an ensemble cast of characters and just being about Solas because of a naming convention in the DLC. Especially given how common that can be in RPG's anyway.

First thing you often learn about Dragon Age as a series is that it's story focused RPG with strong cast of supporting characters and a lot of lore. Granted, that may not be the case for EVERYONE depending on when they or how they got acquainted for the series; but that's how it's commonly characterized.

In one game, Solas was given far more significance plot and character wise than Corypheus had in two.

Corypheus has good points. He's got a backstory that is couched comfortably by the lore and significant to the story. He's got motivation - he's pissed about there not being Gods and Tevinter falling, so he's trying to become a God now to restore the world he wants. He's got one of the most FUCKING BALLER VILLAIN REVEALS:

He also works very well thematically. He's a good symbol of corruption and the results of hubris and tyranny when Thedas is being torn apart by it's various authorities and their abuses of power. Civil War in Orlais. Templars have broken from the Chantry, the mages from the Templars, and they're all at war. From the first game we know that this is what is left of the peace and safety won by your Warden and their people. And we know a few reasons why. In Dragon Age II, we know how that happened and SO MANY MORE reasons why. THERE'S CORRUPTION IN THE WARDENS AND WTF IS EVEN HAPPENING IN WEISSHAUPT??? OR THE DEEP ROADS??? We add in an Orlesian Civil War and also, boom! Whoops! THE GUY WHO CAUSED ALL THOSE BLIGHTS WE'VE DIED IN IS BACK AND HE WANTS TO RIP THE SKY APART! OOH LOOK HE JUST DID!

He's the anthropomorphic personification of all of that.

But, uh, even with fabulous voice acting, Corypheus is not much of a character in his own right. He is more of a device for both plot and theme than, like, a person. As far as more humanizing antagonists, we get that from Samson, Calpernia, and Alexius than Corypheus.

Corypheus wants to restore Tevinter to the Empire he wishes to be God of. He's pissed at there being no Gods. So now he wants to rule over everything (while also destroying it.) "THIS CORRUPT WORLD NEEDS TO BE MADE ANEW BLAH BLAH BLAH I'M AN RPG BIG BAD"

And that's fine with me. Never had a problem with Corypheus turning into Darkspawn Skeletor.

Corypheus is a dick who wants to be God. But he works as a device to save the world from and lead to lore revelations and shit.

I don't know if Corypheus ever had anyone he cared about. I don't know what he like(d?) to eat. He has no goals that don't serve glorifying himself and being a tyrant. I don't know if he hates Thedas as anything other than standing in the way of the Tevinter he can be god-emperor of. I don't know what he really thinks of anything in the world of Thedas other than "inferior, kill it." He doesn't have complex motivations or thoughts on the world we're playing in. We don't know if any of his thoughts or perceptions have changed over the course of the thousands of years he's lived. If there's anything he enjoys. We don't know what kind of personalities he's drawn to. What he actually enjoyed about the world he came from.

We get all of that shit and more from Solas. Even if you don't like him, don't play with him much, he has a distinct personality. And his significance to the lore of the world actually reveals a lot more than Corypheus's. Solas CREATED THE FUCKING VEIL. ALSO THE ELVEN LEGENDS ARE ALL FUCKED UP. FLEMETH IS ACTUALLY HIS ANCIENT DIVINE PLATONIC DOMMY MOMMY FROM BACK IN THE DAY WHEN THEY WERE BOTH LITERAL GODS! DID WE MENTION HE CREATED THE VEIL?! BECAUSE THE DALISH ARE FUCKING WRONG ABOUT EVERYTHING! AND TEVINTER DIDN'T DESTROY ARLATHAN! AND WE'RE ALSO GOING TO LEARN SOME SHIT ABOUT THE FORGOTTEN ONES! ALSO DID WE MENTION HOW THE VEIL CAME TO BE????

All this through this Elven God of Bad Decisions:

Also, yes, Solas has got major thematic importance but I feel like that's a whole other rant and this is getting too long.

Point is: Solas is, flat out, more significant to the world all of these characters inhabit than Corypy-tits. The literal fabric of their plain of existence is woven by him. The entire way magic has worked and been handled, (something that is extremely significant character-wise for at least a third of this game's cast) is because of him and his history. There was a century between the fourth and fifth Blights. And, you know, the veil he created played a part in their origins.

Even putting aside that legacy characters like Varric, Cullen, and Leliana all have personal history. Solas is why Circles exist/ed. Those Magisters who started the Blight did so by fucking with his creation. He is why elves age and live as a diaspora.

And that's just what we know him to be responsible for. What about those hints about the Forgotten Ones? Exactly how did his rebellion work? What is his plan for the other Evanuris and will it work? [(No.)] What will that reveal about what the others are/were capable of? And what exactly happened between them and the Titans?

Look, I'd go on, but I don't want to go on too much longer like the Solas girlie I totally am. Point is: Solas's backstory alone has had significant ramifications for everyone in Thedas. And the ways he's affected their lives varies between races, generations, magical ability, etc. And that's through creation of the Veil alone.

And we know a shit ton about who Solas is as a person.

You don't need to be a Solas pro, Solas-anti, neutral, or Solas-mancer for this to be true.

So yeah, I would say he's "very much a part of the story." But also, in a way that informs and contributes to the characterization of the ensemble cast.

Inquisition's antagonist was no Fen'Harel. And you're not going to subtract from your ensemble, but rather enhance them (if you care at all about writing them well) by having a focus on him.

Now, I totally think the idea that the final big antagonist will be the Evanuris or someone else lurking behind the veil has merit. But Solas will ultimately be that catalyst.

"Okay, but maybe Bioware doesn't see it that way. Maybe they saw some social media complaints about too much Solas focus and did a hasty rebrand."

Well, for one, that complaint has been around for years now. And it's valid. The problem isn't a lot of Solas, it's that we got so little else. The promotion is bad, not the character or their role in the story. But if that's really it, why now? Why are they only changing the name now?

Now, okay, but Inquisition was still called Inquisition.... This game is about the Veil Guard. It's called Veil Guard.

Cool, but once again, then why hold onto Dreadwolf for so long? Why focus so much on Solas? Why haven't we gotten any glimpses of companions?

And, um, if this is really what you want, shouldn't the title be... better?

Inquisition is a good, solid, and communicative title. While the Inquisition of Thedas is not exactly the Spanish One, there is enough association there to give a general idea. Origins had a group of dumbass misfit fugitives drawn together to save the world. II was similar except they were mercs who get drawn into shit against their will and unwittingly. Inquisition: okay, so this time they'll probably be more of an official, religious-quasi military organization. It'll probably be controversial.

You can be a complete noob to Dragon Age and figure that out.

Veil Guard sounds like something last minute they got from Game of Thrones at the last minute. Okay, the Kingsguard are cool. They guard the king. We're stopping the veil from being torn down, so Veil Guard.

Here's the thing: none of the main ASOIAF series is called The Kingsguard, and you don't need to know anything about A Song of Ice and Fire to get it. Everyone knows what the fuck a king is and why he should be guarded. So even if there is a book called "The King's Guard" we'll get it. It's a book about fuckers guarding a king.

This game is about fuckers guarding... a veil....? The veil?

If you're up on your Dragon Age lore and are really into it, yes, you know what that means. If you're a noob or a casual who hasn't given much thought to Dragon Age in, say, a decade, uhh...:

Noobs: "The game is about fuckers guarding... a veil...? The veil???? Is it some sort of artifact, like it has Jesus's face on it? Or if they mean veil between worlds like some Lovecraft shit, is the new Dragon Age a horror game? Are people trying to travel to different worlds and we're trying to stop them? "

Casuals: "Or wait, is this about that dream world thing? That demon place that spits out demons? Didn't we just get done fixing that in the last game??? Wow, real original. Bioware Magic! "

It also just sounds uncool. Inquisition is an imposing title. Dreadwolf is an imposing title. The Veil Guard sounds like a sartorial maintenance product.

You want people to focus on your ensemble cast? SHOW IT! Because as long as all the promo keeps giving us new Solas anyways, it's just weak sauce.

Nah, this has panic move all over it.

Now, I'm trying to spin this optimistically in that I think this means we may actually get the game within this decade. Because I refuse to believe a) "Veil Guard" is the best they got out of a proper round of workshopping and b) That if this was truly about trying to avoid focussing on Solas too much, they'd announce this without a bunch of promo for the rest of the cast to accompanying it.

Bioware: "We wanted people to know the story is just all about solas, but more about our ensemble cast! We wanted this enough to change the name this late in the game!"

Everyone: "ALRIGHT! SHOW US THIS ENSEMBLE!!!"

Bioware:

Nah bitch, that's not what this is about. Bioware needs this to be a hit, and they need a hit soon. But they don't want their long-awaited blockbuster release to be mired in bad press. They don't want the general audience googling their new massive title only to find articles and reddit threads about layoffs, labor disputes, Mary Kirby's departure, the massive delays, the contract non-renewals happening in the midst of severance lawsuits.

BioWare wants to get their title out finally and they want to bury all the bad shit that's been plaguing this project. All the stories about the labor disputes, layoffs, firings, and lawsuits have mentioned the "Dreadwolf" team.

And quite frankly, it's just shitty. It looks bad. It's desperate.

[saintlethanavir]

Wolves Without Teeth Chapter 8

Rating: M General Warnings: Depictions of Violence, Eventual NSFW content, Depictions and Descriptions of Mental Illness Chapter Warnings: Panic Attacks/PTSD flashbacks, Dissociation, Hallucinations/Delusions, and descriptions of light to moderate gore.

Chapter Summary: The ragtag team of Solas, Cassandra, Varric, Cullen, and Calliope find themselves in a challenging position dealing with the Herald's magic that's spiralling out of control -- all the while something odd is happening in the city of Val Royeaux. Haunted by the meeting with Dorian Pavus the previous night, Calliope is on edge, only to find that something incredibly sinister is brewing just as they attempt to leave for Madame de Fer's soiree.

When the world fades away and the silence finally creeps in, there is no rest for the so called ‘Herald’. Usually there isn’t – nightmares are a regular occurrence, Calliope’s father says they are wounds attempting to scar over and heal. ‘ When one witnesses traumatic things they blossom into a concept the mind can deal with while we sleep’ , he mused one evening – or very early morning – when Calliope could not and would not sleep.  ‘Do you not wish to heal, da’len?’ A sharp pain seizes their lungs and sends them into a coughing fit while their fathers words echo against their skull. Eyes snapping open, however, they realise with a start that they are not in a bed safely within the confines of Val Royeaux. There’s a sinister chill to the air that makes it hard to breathe and snow clings in large clumps to their bedclothes – only a light linen tunic for the late summer weather of Orlais. Certainly not meant for the dead of winter, much less a howling blizzard. The gale buffets shards of ice into Calliope’s face, cutting up their cheeks and stinging their eyes as they attempt to stand. At least this isn’t real, it couldn’t be unless a rift opened and swallowed them whole - right? In the whirling storm a spot appears, growing darker and darker – a spreading stain in a sea of white. All Calliope can do is stand there on trembling legs, hoping and wishing for this nightmare to end. Anything but this corrupted memory. They know what’s coming, the clatter of steel and the shouting of a templar over the storm – a splatter of blood steaming in the tall drifts of snow.  ‘Child! Are you alright?!’ If only it could have been stopped, if only they had listened to their mother and not strayed too far for that one halla. There would always be another come spring, but it had been the runt, and they had grown attached. Too bad they never did find that halla, no doubt buried within a snowbank somewhere. Agony slices up through the soles of Calliope’s feet into their calves, making one of their knees give way and they fall ungracefully to the ground. Their strength has gone entirely, ripped away with the wind – and it is terrifying. With every crunch of the templar boots hitting the frozen ground and the screech of his armour, Calliope’s heart quickens to a maddening pace. The telltale buzz of magic builds beneath their flesh and rattles their marrow, threatening to implode and take both of them with it. They know if the templar survives that he will whisk them away to a tower where they will rot in a damp, musty dungeon – never to be seen or heard from again. Just like that night.

Continue reading in the link below

[musicfeedsmysoul12]

Okay so: Izuku as Inquisitor.

We keep everything from the last post. Izuku is actually the child of Solas and fake Mythal, the gods are actually not the Evanuris who pretend to be, Solas worshiped as Fen’Harel is a god now as unlike the fakes he is the only one. Izuku and his friends leave their world because society has just kept going and nothing changed.

But this time they get to Thedas before the explosion, and Izuku makes it his mission to bug his father about not going through with it. He ignores it, and argues back. It ends up coming to be Izuku runs to try and stop the Temple from blowing up but can't.

No instead he's now the Herald of Andraste and like… Izuku has ALREADY pulled together a country and fought in a war. Sure he came to Thedas knowing he might need to kill his birth father, but for the LOVE of THE GODS, are you joking?

His friends laugh at him and he is Problem Child Forever.

Now he's got to run this stupid organization.

He hates it so much.

Izuku does his best though. He tries to be a fair person while also shoving his father’s face into the changes of the world.

I do think he'd be slower to confess the truth of him being from another world here. He would eventually do so because he has to. (he would not continue to lie to those who have bled for him).

Solas instantly runs with the narrative he was trying to find his son since he went missing, and Izuku just is angry he's not doing anything but he won't rat out his dad. Not unless he has to.

I think there would be a lot of confusion and a lot of eye opening but everyone accepts it. They even accept Nezu who is thrilled he gets to walk around like normal without the cloak. They figure out someway to make it acceptable to others (AKA Cole messes with their minds to make them accept it).

Izuku would just be the kindest Herald/Inquisitor to those in need while also RIPPING apart Orlais and Ferelden and everything he can.

“This is BULLSHIT,” he says at the Winter Ball before he goes off and blackmails Celene and Gaspard while handing over everything he has to Briala so she can rule through them.

“I fucking HATE this,” he grumbles when he's dealing with Nobles. Ugh.

(Aizawa hates dealing with Fereldens and their dogs)

I'm also gonna talk about the others to:

Yaomomo is a fucking Goddess who helps Josie. I also am saying she ends up with Dagna and when Sera joins in (encouraged by Ochako) chaos reigns. When the secrets are out, Dagna and Harrit basically beg for all the help. Sadly she can't make the more fantastical elements but steel? Wood? She can. Silks to.

(she takes over the entire winter ball cause those are ugly as hell uniforms)

Aizawa works as an advisor and helps spread rumours when he can. He'll slip out and lurk in corners being a ‘drunk’ while picking up info. Also he's trans and upon learning Krem is goes: same.

They then proceed to spread rumours Solas and Aizawa are Eri’s parents for the hilarity.

But yeah Aizawa is his grumpy self.

Midnight I am 100% pairing with Blackwall and she susses out the truth early. Convinces him to confess but work to rebuild. He regrets what he's done it's obvious. And frankly, look at the Templars and their abuses. Yes what he did is horrific but he does better training people to fight back and defending the weak. She and Blackwall now run a minor training boot camp for the ambush fighters.

Nezu is Nezu and happily plots with Leliana who delights in her new friend. Perhaps he is the one to help her back into the light to.

Hitoshi works with Josie as an assistant and she finds he is just as good as her at reading people. I already mentioned how she gets him losing her voice differently then the others. Hitoshi isn't just his Quirk and his ability to speak and manipulate are things she gets. It's very adorable.

Tenya and Shouto work as inner circle folks and help Izuku. They also run around as his messengers and as intimidation because Izuku is still damn short and knows it's cause he's an elf.

Ochako? Ochako is inner circle and causing CHAOS as much as she can. Her quirk is so good with bombs and weapons and getting into position on a roof. She is the ‘DEATH FROM ABOVE’ Queen. Sera loves her so much.

Eri of course is being cute but she's also being portrayed as Izuku’s sister which gets attention. Luckily she has Cole around who will stab. She also works with the doctors and when her secret comes out uses her powers. Carefully, oh so carefully with Cole right by her side. Just in case.

I think romances would stay the same. Bull/Aizawa, Tenya/Shouto, Izuku/Dorian, Ochako/Sera and all that to. It's just like… as Inquisitor Izuku is more involved and more willing to dig down roots. He doesn't get a choice. It's not just murder your dad and fuck off. No it's serious. He has to build firm bonds with these people.

Here he sits down and listens to Vivienne more, tries to understand Cassandra’s faith. He sits with Cullen and they work through the bullshit he has internalized (I run with an AU Cullen in my head because otherwise I could not get through the game and my head version actually admits his faults). He talks with Sera and learns of Pride Cookies. He sits with Bull who fears madness (but will never regret saving his men). He holds Blackwall’s hands and say he is a good man. He stands by Dorian, facing down a monster who hid behind kindness. He helps Cole learn who he is. He sits with Varric as he tells stories and tells his own, eventually being hugged by a man who thought he'd lose his friend. (Izuku wouldn't let it happen. No, not when Iida can run faster then anyone else, can cause a distraction so that they all get free. No never. Hawke and Alistair live, both of them)

Izuku is himself and shines so brightly. And the others want to shine to. Vivienne still believes in the circles but now thinks of a school system like the ones from their world. Cassandra believes but also knows that the ashes of corruption can linger so it is best to be careful. Cullen begins making amends more and more (a letter sent to a mage who makes her partner read it, the Antivan elf carefully speaking the apology from within, the mages harmed in Kirkwall, Templars so scared of him dropping to their knees in shock). Sera who learns to bake. Bull who figures out he is not a monster. Dorian, who does not speak well of slavery but speaks against it, plotting to tear down Tevinter with his bare hands. Cole who stays both human and spirit and is all the better. Varric who laughs and smiles like he once had.

And what of Izuku’s friends?

Tenya and Shouto who lost everything (Tensei choking on his own blood after refusing to give up valuable intel. Fuyumi blowing herself up with Dabi to beat him. Natsuo dying trying to protect Rei who died to. Endeavour still around with NOTHING changing) being happy again. Laughing and getting married with everyone they love there.

Ochako who lost an arm and refused to back down, who lost Tsu and mourns her so badly. Who nearly was killed because her naivety over Toga’s manipulation almost cost her life.

Hitoshi who lost his voice and only got pity, no help. Now he's regained it in a way, working with his wife who loves him dearly to be able to be the diplomat he was born to be. (and who makes it stylish to learn sign language)

Momo who is burned and hurt. Whose girlfriend left because they could not keep up, she's to much. Who was taught to keep her head down. She's creating things again. Laughing and smiling. Is kissing someone oh so sweet who has the same mind.

Midnight who lost her sex appeal and caused people to toss her aside. Acting like she's not human anymore. She's now happy with a man who ADORES her and all she is. She's smiling again.

Nezu who has tried over and over again to change the world. He now has in his paws the chance to help and make a difference. Who joins the Chantry when Leliana is Divine and helps shake things up. He's happy.

Aizawa who lost his husband and mourned so deeply. Who felt useless and broken. He has a purpose. He's working to help others, has a man who helps with aches and pains, who loves and accepts him.

Eri who was a lab rat and who had to learn to smile. Her smiles are bigger and wider here, her laugh echoing in her joy.

Izuku did this. He brought about change and happiness. He feels good.

He still hates Orlais.

@dark-elf-writes the second option if you want!

[siennadraws]

Wenalen is probably gonna be my DA:D protagonist. And he's absolutely loving it 🙃

At least there's Fado?

Tuning the guitar was already second nature to Wenalen, so as he fiddled with the strings, one by one, he scanned the tavern.

It was a strange sight to Tevinter, to have a Dalish elf playing Dalish songs as he spoke Elvhen with a fellow Dalish elf and drank Tevene wine. But times were strange, or changing, or, most likely, ending.

Terys sat diagonally to him, the corner of their small table separating them, one of her legs stretched to have her foot rest on his bench, as she leaned on her wooden arm and smoked. But her eyes never really laid on him, behind their laziness he recognized restlessness- no matter how much elfroot she smoked, he couldn't remember the last time he saw her relax.

No, that was a lie. He remembered it vividly. The day before she went away, to that Shem temple. They had smoked and drunk that day too- in their Aravel, smelling of rosemary and lilacs. She had joked about every danger she'd find at the Conclave, and he had laughed along, because his soultwin was strong and brave, and invincible as far as he could tell.

The twelve strings were tuned, so he started picking on them with his nails, as his voice remembered the words to match the chords. It was a sad song, but when were Dalish songs happy? He couldn't remember any. Or, at least, her uncle had never taught him one (his father had only taught her to kill, so it was only fair).

She seemed almost distracted by the song, now. He could see her fighting it, but she was losing. He hated it, hated how she resisted any reprieve given to her. If she hadn't gone away, if she hadn't surrounded herself by those self-flagelating Andrastians, she'd be okay- another lie he told himself.

But it was still their fault anyway, wasn't it? They were the ones who made them both change their paths, who made them need to wield blades. He had thought his anger died down with Wycome, with breaking bread with them.

He hoped everyone listening to him here could feel it too. He wished they'd feel everything, cry at both their feet. Maybe he could get that from the other elf, the one that dragged her here to Tevinter, who dragged her to Ferelden and Orlais. Away from her life and family and him.

He'd always been so certain of the future, he had walked that tightrope with his eyes closed, only to have it ripped from his feet. And he couldn't even hate the man who did it- he could still taste him on his lips and tongue.

She was looking at him now, her foot following along with the beat, but her shoulders remained tense even at the final notes.

His face twisted as he swallowed back a shaky breath. "You need to go home, Terys. You need to rest. And I really mean rest."

"The world is ending," she enunciated each syllable, baring her teeth in disgust at his words.

"I know that- I'm here, aren't I?" he locked his eyes on hers, daring her to get out of the conversation.

"Then what would you have me do?"

He almost hated her then, the patronizing tone, like she was above this conversation, just humoring him. Almost hated how clear the facade was and how she acted like he, of all people, wouldn't see past it.

"I wouldn't have you do anything! I just would have you try to be happy sometimes. You may have left us-"

"I was forced by circumstances bigger than any of us-" she didn't look at him as she interrupted.

"-but, I have always, and will always stand by your side, Terys. Talk to me. I came here to help you, make me more than your pawn."

"What?! 'Pawn'? Why are you calling-"

"Then do something with me other than moving me in that game of yours with him! Talk to me! I have known you for our whole lives, we've shared every breath."

"We both know that's not true."

Redcliffe- it was all he could do not to roll his eyes. She had played that card as often as she had woken up screaming about it, as often has he had been woken by her screams to comfort her.

She was angry, but the more he looked into her the more certain he was that it was not directed at him, even if a part of her hated that. He hated it too.

He kept his gaze steady and mouth sealed into a tight line.

"You know I would still love you, even if I never saw you again," she broke the silence.

"But can't you love me, seeing me every day?"

She kept her silence then, tracing the lines of the bark in her arm with her flesh fingers.

"How am I supposed to feel safe when not even you do?" his voice was soft now, only a whisper he knew she heard. "You can't even feel safe around me?"

"It's not about feeling safe, Wenalen. But this burden I carry is mine alone. I can't share it, even if I wanted to. And I'm not going to show it just for you to feel helpless."

"I feel helpless already."

She slid then to his side, wrapping him up in her arms, "It'll be over soon. I promise I'll be back."

He held her too, as tight as he could, as he shook the dread from his chest. As if she hadn't told him that so many times, so many years ago.