#rook will get solas dagger!?

[oflorelei]

IM HAVING SO SO MANY THOUGHTS RN BUT THIS IS THE BIGGEST ONE?? What are yall's opinion?? Corrupted Evanuris? More Magisters?? Forgotten ones? Something else entirely?🗣️🗣️🗣️

aLSO ROOK WILL GET SOLAS DAGGER???!!

[bas-taard]

now wait a second

[dragon-age-here]

Think my first Rook is just gonna be what I usually do for first playthroughs of lore-heavy RPGs when I don’t know the lore (or do but not as well as I maybe should)-

Self insert chaotic disaster making choices that hindsight will haunt me with!

Did it for Inquisition, and again for this! Might lean into my more chaotic and impulsive nature this time since I’m not watching 70+ hours of content to spoil the game before I play.

Just gonna pretend the start of the game sends an isekai!Me into Thedas full MGIT style so I can be giddy about griffons and magic secret bases and fighting dragons.

[mrs-gauche]

Yeah, I'm super curious about this as well! I'd also like to know how exactly Rook chose to get involved in all this in the first place before the Veilguard is even a thing. lol

Because if I was going about my daily life and then one day two dwarves would come up to me in a tavern and tell me that the world is going to end in like 5 hours and you gotta help us stop that elven god who btw created the Veil and now wants to destroy it but he's actually a nice guy, like he was our buddy 10 years ago, we're just gonna talk to him, it's complicated...... my first reaction would probably be more like asking if they had maybe too much of those purple cactus berries they talked about in DAI.

Still thinking about the ‘Rook is here because they chose to be’ sentiment…. Why do they want to be leading the Veilguard? Why do they have so much of a personal stake in this?

[deputyrook]

In Her Absence: Lucanis/Rook/Spite.

A03 link! Female Crow Rook x Lucanis. Lucanis POV.

Takes place when Rook is in the fade prison, because 1) I love angst and am a big softie; and 2) I wanted to try to work out the logistics of what the team did in Rook's absence, and how they managed to reach her.

---

In the four days that Rook’s been gone, the Veilguard has devolved completely into infighting.

Taash wants to know why they can’t just “break into the fade and pull her out.” And no one really wants to hear Emmrich’s overly technical explanation as to why that’s not feasible, least of all Taash, who’s grieving and angry. Davrin keeps saying that it should have been him instead, which isn’t helping, and no one even wants to think about what’s happening to Bellara right now. 

Harding is dead. Bellara is kidnapped by Elgar’nan and Maker knows where. They’re a mess as a group, angry and hurting. And Rook...

Rook’s gone.

Neve is the only person who remotely has their shit still together, and for that at least, Lucanis is thankful. 

Because he absolutely does not have his shit together. Maybe the others can’t tell, since he’s not arguing or yelling or breaking down, but his thoughts are spiralling so badly that he’s barely said a word in three days. All he can think about is Rook.

He loves her. He loves her. And she’s lost somewhere, trapped and alone, and they have no plan whatsoever on how they’re going to get her back. 

He never told her. It’s tearing him up inside. The thought that he might never hear her voice again. Never hear her make some stupid pun, or hear her teasing, or hear her give them all one of her legendary pep talks. Never hear her laugh again-

“Lucanis,” Neve’s voice is firm, dragging him out of his despondency, “You need to focus.” 

How can he possibly focus? “You’re right,” he says instead, voice tight, because Neve is right. Standing around brooding isn’t getting them any closer to getting Rook back. What he needs to do is act- but how?

Solas is a God, and even he couldn’t break out of that prison. This isn’t the kind of problem Lucanis can solve with a dagger. He can’t stab at the prison walls until they crumble away- but Maker knows if that could work, he would stab until his daggers shattered and his body collapsed. 

What is he supposed to do? What can he do? How can he help them, when all he knows how to do is kill things?

No. Spite says to his left, his voice hard and determined, No! We will find Rook. Won’t leave them there. 

Neve puts a hand on his shoulder, and gives it a squeeze. 

“When has Rook ever been content to sit and wait to be rescued?” Neve says, and he lets out a long, even exhale, because it’s exactly what he needs to hear. “I’m worried too. But Rook would chew off her own leg to escape a trap. If there’s a way to get out, she’ll find it. Have some faith in her. In all of us- and in yourself.”

“Thank you,” he murmurs, voice quiet. After a moment, he adds, “…Someone should let Viago and Teia know.”

That, at least, is a burden he can bear. 

But the days stretch into weeks. Elgar’nan seizes control of an already broken Minrathous, and even Neve has a hard time keeping herself together after that one. 

Lucanis is in no place to offer comfort. Without Rook’s leadership and steadfast optimism, the lighthouse has gone dark, leaving them all ships to smash into a rocky coast. He won’t soon forget the way Viago’s eyes widened when he told him what had happened to Rook, nor the look of horror that flashed across his face before his expression settled into stony devastation. 

Strangely, it’s Spite that keeps him from falling apart completely. He refuses to accept that Rook is gone. Every time that Lucanis’ mind whispers to him that this happened because he wasn’t good enough, and that he’ll never see Rook smile at him again- Spite cuts him off with an angry, defiant hiss of NO. 

Rook is strong. Rook is smart! Rook will not allow herself to die in a prison. She would not let you die in prison, either. We will not let her. We will find her. We will find her!

He repeats the words in his own head, holding onto them like a buoy. Right, yeah. She’s good at prison breaks. It’s enough to make it through the day.

Sometimes- although Lucanis would never admit it to the others- he realizes that Spite is the one who has been moving his body,  keeping him working while he’s been stuck in his mind, ruminating and aching with missing her. It’s been Spite that’s forcing him to eat, to bathe, to sleep. Spite is keeping him alive. 

Will not let you do this to us. Rook needs us.

It’s that thought that ultimately gets Lucanis to snap out of his despair. 

It’s not over yet. He agrees, finally. Rook needs us. 

Finally! Spite snaps back.

---

First, they try to make a copy of the dagger. Something that will be able to slice through the fade prison, so that they can cut Rook out of it. That’s how Solas left, after all- by tricking her, and stealing the dagger to cut himself free. 

But a dagger of pure lyrium isn’t exactly easy to replicate. Brilliant as they are, Emmrich and Neve can only do so much. So after days of meticulous work, they end up with a dagger that looks identical to the real thing, but doesn’t actually work. Great.

Next, Emmrich hypothesizes that in order to get to Rook in the fade, they’ll not only need to figure out how to access the fade prison, but also to figure out where the prison actually is, physically within the fade.

It is, apparently, not as simple as yelling out “ROOK? CAN YOU HEAR US?” from the top of the Lighthouse, which has been Taash’s strategy. Spite, too, is ready to start just travelling through the fade, for as long and as far as he needs to until he finds her. Lucanis is doing what he can to support the group, cooking the meals and making sure Emmrich and Neve are able to stay on their feet.

Word gets to them that Solas is in Minrathous, keeping the rebellion alive. The news poisons Lucanis so thoroughly with hate that he nearly can’t stomach it. Spite has been so determined to save Rook that Lucanis almost forgot how it felt when he was really, truly spiteful. 

Hearing Solas is pretending to be a hero in Tevinter, after consigning Rook to take his place in a prison? Yeah. That’ll do it. The things he’d wanted to do to Illario after his betrayal had left him conflicted. He is not remotely conflicted about what he wants to do about Solas.

What they want to do. Spite agrees with him on this one. He hurt our Rook.

Finally, Emmrich and Neve work out a real plan, with the help of the Veil Jumpers. It’s based largely on luck, but it’s something. It’s a sliver of hope. It’s enough to keep them all going.

First, they need to find a spot where the veil is particularly thin, where the fade peaks through the seams of reality. Then, they need to use an artifact of the Veil Jumper’s to do… magical, fade, location-y… stuff. Emmrich actually uses a bit of Rook’s blood for this part, located on some stained clothes that Assan had dug out in her room. 

Blood magic. Ordinarily, Lucanis would be opposed. But no one says a word against it. They are all desperate for this to work. 

The first day they try it, it doesn’t work. They make some adjustments, and try again.

The second day, it doesn’t work. They make some more adjustments, and they try again.

On the fifth day, Spite says it in his ear, voice sharp with excitement.

I can smell her- I can smell Rook!

Lucanis’ heart feels like it’s about to burst from his chest. He’s yelling, “Rook?” into the rift before he can stop himself, but the team’s caught on already that this isn't like the other times they’ve failed to make their plan work. The rift is spitting and spasming sparks of magic, and they can see through it in a way they’d never been able to before. They can see a light in the rift.

Emmrich seems to throw caution entirely to the wind, rolling up his sleeve and plunging his arm into the rift. The energy is wild, unrestrained, and they’re all calling out to Rook, reaching and trying to get to her.

“I’ve- I’ve got her!” Emmrich yells out, and Lucanis swears he can see Rook’s wavy form on the other side of the rift. Like looking through a fishbowl, or the walls of the Ossuary.

He reaches in too and grabs her hand with Emmrich, and they yank. Rook stumbles out, collapsing onto the ground.

“Varric’s dead,” she says, voice hollow and wobbly.

Neve shoots Lucanis a confused, concerned look, but he’s too relieved to care. He’s grabbing at her shoulders, pulling her into a tight embrace, and his throat feels like it’s closing up on him. Tears prick at his vision. She’s safe. She’s alive, she’s free, and she’s safe. She’s back with them.

They all want to hug her, and make sure she’s actually, really okay. But Lucanis gets to first.

Told you. Told you, told you! Spite repeats, ecstatic, She’s back!

“Are you okay?” He murmurs, pulling back and looking her over critically, trying to see if she’s been hurt or if anything has changed. But no. It’s just her. Like not a day has passed.

Rook nods slowly, and Lucanis smooths a hand down her hair, before cupping her cheek in his hand. All he wants to do is hold her, but he can’t be that selfish and drag her away from the others. Not yet, anyway. 

Pulling back, the others take the moment to rush in, making similar careful assessments and doting over Rook. The last few weeks have been almost unbearably difficult. There’s been little to celebrate. But this is joy again. Hope. With Rook back, not everything is completely fucked.

Davrin pulls her into a crushing hug, and Taash joins in, and they’re all hugging and crying a little. The trip back to the Lighthouse is a blur, with Rook thanking the Veil Jumpers and swearing to them she’ll get Bellara back.

How she can already be so determined, so ready to act, Lucanis will never know. He is, as he has so often found himself, in awe of her ability to forge forward, the light cutting through the swathes of dark that seem to surround them.

Spite is just about ready to try to crawl out of their skin in impatience, but they have work to do first. They all brief Rook on what has happened in her absence, and learn- horrifically- that she’s somehow been brainwashed into believing Varric has been alive, for months, by Solas.

Not for the first time, Lucanis feels anger and spite bubbling in his veins and vows to himself that he will not let Solas get away with hurting Rook. God or not. He finds it hard to fathom why he would mess with her head like that, if he wanted her to succeed in at least stopping Ghilan’nain. It reminds him too much of the mind games that his captors would play on him when he was in the Ossuary, tormenting and confusing him for no other reason than to break him down. Was that what Solas had tried to do to Rook, too? To break her down mentally, so she’d be easier to manipulate and trick?

It seems to take forever, but finally, Lucanis gets to see her alone. She’s lying down when he enters her quarters, her eyes closed, but the words spill out of him before he can even consider leaving her to rest.

“I cannot believe we found you,” he says, voice soft. All of the fear he’s felt for weeks, the doubt and the despair that Spite had helped him just barely keep at bay… the relief, now, is making him lightheaded. 

“I’m a little surprised too, honestly.” It’s a testament to the gravity of the situation that she’s not trying to make light of things. The words aren’t meant as a joke. 

“I thought I’d never see you again,” he admits.

“And I didn’t think I’d ever get out of there,” Rook tells him in turn. It leaves him cold, to think of her there, alone and believing she might never be found. “How do I know if I really did? This could be... more of the fade.”

Lucanis realizes then, that he’s never seen her vulnerable like this before. Emotional, yes, but lost? Frightened? Rook has always been the solid centre of the group. Unmoving, unyielding, steady. Utterly dependable. 

It’s almost surprising that she’s not actually invincible. She’s so consistently been their guiding light. But more than shock, more than anything else-

He wants to protect her. He wants to hold her until her worries melt away, to chase away the horrible memories of the last several weeks and see her smile at him. He wants her to know that he won’t let anything hurt her. He wants to kiss her until she feels safe and warm again. 

So he does. Kneeling down in front of her, holding her hands in his own, Lucanis reassures her she is real. There’s so much he wants to tell her, that he’s been praying he’ll get the chance to say. But now that Rook’s in front of him again, he can’t seem to find the words for everything he’s been feeling.

So he kisses her. So, so gently. And when he keeps kissing her, pressing her back against the chaise as she wraps her arms around his neck? It seems Spite is right there with him, because the wings unfurl right in that moment, curling around them both protectively, like he wants to help shield them from anyone in the world who might try to hurt them.

[internalloops]

DA:TV rant … if you are of the mind that BioWare can do no wrong /its games can be criticize or if you truly enjoying the game and are loving everything that you’ve seen so far this post is not for you. Please move along and if you don’t want me showing up on your feed please block me.  I will not be engaging with any fan that will not allow me to take up space and vent my feelings on the disaster that is this fucking game.

*Also a lot of spoilers!!

.. it’s horrible, like I knew I was going to be disappointed but holy fucking shit …

I’m about to finish act one and .. they destroyed their entire lore … BioWare destroyed their ENTIRE lore /world build of Dragon Age

Minrathous has NO SLAVES !!! They are briefly talked about via shadow dragons but they’re are none visible at all in the city ( but they have the animation to give a poor person “fake money” )

The qunari who literally fought and tried to kill solas in trespasser have been turned into mindless brutes who willingly joined the evil gods … because they command dragons ?

The blight except for one mission is harmless. They purposely turned it into a bio weapon and then (besides the dark spawn spawning from it like something out of an MMO) due to *plot armor, no one actually contracts the blight ???

The black chantry minus one building that you go through in a side quest doesn’t exist? No chantry members , no talk of the black divine ..

Dalish are all engineers now and part of the veil jumpers ( which should not exist lore wise) and all elven magic has been converted into cyberpunk technology and artifacts. Very little talk about their oppression and they are all very willing to drop all their history , even their distrust of solas , to flight the old gods .

Varric Has been demoted to inspirational speaker and narrator he has no other role and the entire team acts like he died , even when he’s in the room with him ( I think BioWare actually planned to kill him but then chickened out ) and is a husk of his former self

Same with Morgan , you can’t interact with her at all and she’s given the same mysterious background as flemeth ( the theory that she carries mythal spirit is very strong right now )

Lyrim potions don’t exist, in fact lyrim doesn’t exist at all besides the dagger. All magic has turned into technology, and if you play as a mage mana just has an automatic replenish rate /cool down effect that you can level up.

Evil gods go back and forth between an actual intense adversary and threat to the world, and a typical Disney villain.

These are just the few I can think of off the top of my head, there is so much more than this …

The game can literally be summed up as Mass effect andromeda x2 with God of war animations and marvel style writing ( not the avengers I’m talking about the recent shit)

Also for the people who want to kill solas or simply dislike him, the game pushes a sympathetic view of him on you ,even your companions who outrightly want to kill him will feel sorry for him. And I’m saying this as a solavellan fan. Yes they’re options to be mean to him and antagonize him, but you won’t get anyone agreeing with your actions ,at best they’ll be neutral about it. Now this might play out differently for those who picked the “chooses to stop him “ option , but for those who’s inquisitions wanted to save him but they wanted their rooks to hate him … you’re not gonna be happy about what you get ..

The only thing that keeping me playing is the reveal of history of ancient elves and Titans and solas’s story. And Assan!! Assan can do no wrong !! Everything else is a slog to get through.

[merrinla]

source

Rook: The gods are going straight for the throat. Unless we cut theirs first… Lucanis: Just get me close enough... Rook: With pleasure. Lucanis: Time to see what this letter-opener can do.

STORY SPOILERS

So our knife master had to deliver the final strike to halla mommy with Solas' dagger. A good line in his resume.

Unfortunately for him, it's not that simple, because she's not in her physical form.

That's why the companions are so surprised.

But he definitely figured it out, according to the release date trailer.

Though I don't think it killed her. Not in Weisshaupt, at least. Because she will definitely send her regards to Antiva.

[in-death-sacrifice]

Healing Word

Lucanis Dellamorte x GN!Rook (Mage)

Warnings: Injuries, Mentions of blood, NO Spoilers :) Summary: Lucanis gets injured as is too stubborn to ask for help with it. Hope you enjoy! Requests for Dragon Age are open

You spotted his limp almost immediately after the battle. The fight was a tough one, adding a few more scars to your already growing collection, no thanks to the Venitori. You watched as he limped through the Eluvian, whispering curses under his breath when his daggers would accidentally hit it. The group filtered out towards their rooms, getting ready to shed the armour that began to pinch at their skin after a long day. Magic hummed around them as they were greeted home.

The meditation chamber hummed in greeting when you walked through the doors. The sound of armour clattering on the ground as you peeled yourself away from it. You stood at the mirror examining the new collection of bruises and small scraps you had gained today. Your magic soothing the aches and pains away as the minor ones began to fade. Part of you wanted to join the others for whatever was for tea, the lingering exhaustion had finally caught up. You sighed as your body hit the chair in the center of the room, the cushions moulding around your body perfectly as you fell into a nap -praying that Solas would interrupt this one this time.

The sound of the door opening made you shoot up, your hair messy and sticking up all over the place. You rubbed the back of your hand over your eyes as you turned to face the intruder only to find Lucanis standing at the entrance. "Is everything alright?" You grumbled out. His posture was stiff even though he was hunched over, and a purple glow surrounded him to let you know that it wasn't him. "Spite?" You questioned again, sitting further up as you watched him walk around the chair in front of you. "The fool is injured and bleeding everywhere...help him" Spite gritted out before releasing his hold on Lucanis. You barely had time to catch him as the man fell forward collapsing half on you and the sofa. Then you could see the large patch of blood on the side of his leg. The blood had seeped through enough it lingered on your fingertips when you gently pressed it trying to find the wound.

"Maker Lucanis" you muttered as you manoeuvred him to lay on the chair. You knelt on the floor next to him, sending your healing magic to gently probe the area only to find that he had half wrapped it in a thick padding of bandages. You paused before, groaning loudly as your fingers began to undo the ribbons of fabric that held his trousers up before shimming them down to his knees. Your cheeks flushed at the intimacy of the situation; it had only been a few months and your constant flirting hadn't really got you anywhere besides lingering gazes and unspoken emotions behind his eyes. You cursed your fingers being so cold as you began to slowly unwrap the bandages on his legs, his body flinching as you accidentally made contact with his skin. The air between you both began to glow a light green as your magic had finally found its target, you watched carefully as the skin started to fuse together, the blood stopping its flow down his leg.

You moved from his side to grab a couple of washcloths and water before you began to gently clean the area. When you gazed back up at him, you were met with his eyes open watching you. The two of paused as you waited for him to speak first, you watched as his eyes flickered towards the light scar that lingered on his leg and then back to you. "Spite bought you here...He asked me to help" You spoke, your voice barely above a whisper as you waited for his reaction. "Of course, he did" Lucanis grumbled. You removed your hand from his leg, backing up away from the chair to give him room to move about. You eyed up the small whisps of hair that led to his underwear as he stood to dress himself. "I'm sorry for stepping in the wound was still bleeding and he asked me-"

"It's fine, Thank you"

You nodded as he stood up to leave. Your eyes lingered on his retreating form. Lucanis turned again, his fingers barely touching the door handle. "Hopefully next time I'm like that it won't be because of a injury"

He left you standing in the middle of the room like a blushing idiot, a grin on his face as he made his way back towards the pantry of the lighthouse, no limp in sight anymore.

[strawberry-halla]

yeah alright chat let’s buckle down and psychoanalyze the veilguard ‘atonement’ ending theme!

for those who wish to listen along, the lovely amazing ghil dirthalen was able to capture the music (bioware for the love of god PLEASE release this track i will sell my soul for it) on her youtube channel, here!

i am not a music professional! these are things i picked up on listening to the theme by itself and watching the ending. i try my best to identify instruments so i will make errors in correctly identifying them. please educate me if you know more than me! i don't want to discredit anything used here!

alright let’s get into it!

0:00 - 0:47

plays right after defeating elgar’nan, this is the dread wolf theme as solas is staggering down the steps monologuing to rook about how his plan to tear down the veil must go on.

rook intercepts the lyrium dagger and here is where they make the choice to either trick, fight, or redeem solas.

0:48 - 1:18

the music is tense, but the dread wolf theme slows and starts to morph into something else.

rook turns to solas, saying how they do not wish to fight him and are given another dialogue choice after choosing the ‘redeem’ option.

1:19 - 1:30

the music sort of dins out here to just the cello/violin(?).

rook is telling solas that his plan to bring down the veil is not what he needs to do nor is it in HIS best interest. i think the music fades out here because the three dialogue options you're given are very powerful in their wording and needed to be amplified.

1:31 - 1:57

the violin/cello(?) starts off and you can hear some notes resembling the inquisition theme. this is solidified by the harp joining in and then you hear notes of someone singing like the well of sorrows theme from inquisition. i like to think this is solas fighting with himself thinking of his time during inquisition (and with lavellan) and the well of sorrows theme is both playing as solas's unyielding devotion to mythal.

solas is given the lyrium dagger to make his choice. he looks down at it, and for a brief moment you can see him tapping the blade with his finger. he's pondering this plan. he looks up at rook briefly before looking back down at the dagger again. solas looks like he's going to say something, but turns away from rook and starts to walk up the steps.

1:58 - 2:05

the harp plays the inquisition motif, or at least a very short brief version of it. you can hear the singing still as lavellan steps into the doorway and looks up at solas.

2:06 - 2:23

the violin plays as solas finally reaches the top of the stairs. it almost sounds like it's pulling? it changes notes almost as if it's changing direction. solas fighting with the idea of tearing down the veil or binding himself to it.

finally he says he can't bind himself. that 'to stop those would dishonor those i wronged to come this far.' i don't know what instrument it is, i think it's a woodwind instrument and a rainstick? plays as solas says he can't bind himself to the veil. he chooses to persist in his plan despite being given a way out.

2:24 - 2:28

GOD THIS PART. the choir builds as the inquisitor's voice cuts solas off. this same string of notes sung is often used in inquisition when the inquisitor comes on screen in the past.

no other instrument is played here. it is just the voices of the choir.

'vhenan...'

2:29 - 2:37

one note of the piano drops as soon as solas turns his head from lavellan in shame. this was exactly what he feared, letting her see him like this. the inquisitor starts trying to reason with solas: 'you think you've gone too far to come back, but you're wrong.'

2:38 - 2:53

alright SO this part is EXTREMELY important and also INCREDIBLY hard to pinpoint but if you go back and listen to inquisition's 'thedas love theme' you CAN hear parts of it interwoven in this section. the cello is so overwhelming because the inquisitor is pulling solas away from his plan again.

he's wanting to listen but he's fighting so hard because he doesn't think he deserves this. even after lavellan says she forgives him! solas doesn't think he's worthy of her.

2:54 - 3:20

the cello is pulling faster to add tension to this part because once again solas rejects even the love of his life's plea! you become hopeless thinking that their love never mattered even against the fate of the world. solas says he cannot because he feels like he NEEDS to avenge mythal by bringing down the veil. he's bound by duty and pride, there is no wisdom here.

3:21 - 3:55

ALRIGHTY FOLKS THIS PART HERE OHHHH MY GOD. so the cello swells again because solas is about to tear down the veil it seems for good, because if not even his vhenan can convince him, who can?

morrigan shows up, and as soon as she stands before solas you get slammed with all three games' themes at once! first you hear origins and then 2, and then finally inquisition all interwoven together. this part is SO insane to me. holy shit!!!!!!!

i just want to say even though we are talking about the music, you will see that morrigan, rook, and lavellan are lined up from left to right. past, present, and future. i am so fucking feral over that. they did that on purpose i don't care what anyone says. anyways! back to the music.

3:56 - 4:20

the choir again! holy fuck! you can hear da2 and a little bit of origins? at least i think it's that. this is played as rook hands morrigan mythal's essence and she channels it for mythal to appear before solas. literal chills babes!

4:21 - 4:55

DO YOU GUYS FUCKING HEAR TRESPASSER? BECAUSE I SURE FUCKING DO. HOLY SHIT. I CANNOT EVEN DESCRIBE TO YOU WHAT THIS MEANS. lost elf. solas is lost. he's lost EVERYTHING up until this moment. his family, his friends, his soulmate, EVERYTHING. he's like a sad, lost, child in this moment.

anyways! lost elf starts off really quiet and slow and deep as mythal lays out her wrongs in front of solas, showing him that he alone was not the pariah of this story. mythal reminds him that she also committed the same wrongs as he did, it's not solas's alone to regret. she was there too. if not for her, solas would not have done what he did.

4:56 - 5:22

lost elf is still playing very quietly in the background! as soon as mythal appears the cello is more carefree, flowing, free! solas is free now! lavellan KNEELS before him as solas breaks down, an immense weight falling off him as he's finally free to be who he chooses. no longer bound by pride and regret.

solas stands up and realizes that what he wants is to atone. to fix his mistakes the right way, not the way mythal would have wanted or his pride would want. his wisdom sees that if he uses what he knows, he can at least start to mend the past wrongs.

5:23 - 6:02

ugh i don't know who let hans zimmer absolutely fucking COOK here but the cello starts to move faster in a more hopeful, determined state as solas binds himself to the veil and promises to soothe the titan's dreams, help find a cure for the blight, and atone for all his mistakes. it really fills you with a sense of relief and pride for him! like yeah babe you do that! proud of you!!!

6:03 - 7:14

ok so i actually have been crying the entire time lol! i literally cannot stop. so this part! so many big feelings. lavellan steps up to solas, telling him that he won't make this journey alone. the main chorus of lost elf starts to play and i cannot tell you when you hear the cello and the fucking violin start playing TOGETHER because solas and lavellan are finally TOGETHER after being literally put through the fucking wringer for 10 fucking years.

and the SYMBOLS CRASHING TOGETHER WHEN THEY KISS IS JUST HOW I FEEL ALL THE TIME ABOUT THEM. lost elf is THEIR theme. this is not just solas's theme anymore this is solas AND lavellan's theme. they made it their theme. this is about them now, your honor!

alright so that's how i feel about all of that because this theme literally has rocked me to my core. the entire sequence is insane. the past motifs of the past games being used destroys me. and then lost elf comes in and just smacks the nail in the fucking coffin.

thank you bioware for absolutely destroying me 10 times over with this theme. and thanks to all the people who actually read my insane ramblings! i will never shut up about this sequence for the rest of my life.

[felassan]

Thoughts on the IGN DA:TV 22 min gameplay - Lighthouse portion

this post is under a cut due to what some peeps may consider spoilers, and length.

This prev post was just some text-based info that I wrote down, mostly based on what was said in the commentary. this post is more of a looking at the visuals with a fine-toothed comb and a bit of theory/speculation stuff mixed in kinda deal. :)

The Lighthouse' Meditation Chamber. It has a comfortable-looking sofa on which to sit or lay down while you ponder and gaze at this fish tank. Back in the day, this would have been Solas' meditation chamber, right? maybe we can go here to commune with Solas via the Solas-Rook connection (whatever it is)? the fish tank gives me fond memories of the Normandy. :') can we collect different fish? do we have to feed them? are they real fish? Fade fish? wisps that are in the form/shape of fish? are they edible? can we eat them? can I swim in there? what would they taste like? I feel like Kargesh, the krogan from Mass Effect who wants to taste the fish from the Presidium lakes 💀 in this room, the light and shadow of the water moving on the ceiling is beautiful. I wonder where Rook's room is?

Top left: quest title referencing the phrase "After the storm". since this gameplay video is set after the siege of Weisshaupt and shows Grey Wardens lamenting what happened there, could the 'storm' here be what happened at Weisshaupt? Bottom left: collectable Codex entry, a tool-tip of some kind or does Rook have new mail? Center: pattern of ancient elven triangles on the wall, arranged like a sun. Right: this looks like a wardrobe. Maybe this is where Rook can change their casual wear? the Inquisitor had a Wardrobe in their quarters. maybe the Meditation Room is also Rook's quarters?

The Lighthouse Library. The seating area on the ground floor is the place we saw the companions gathered together in this group shot. the Lighthouse needs to manifest 4 more seats round the central table for the others hh (Lucanis, Bellara, Rook, Varric). The table has an icon on the mini-map, so it probably has some kind of interactable function. gather the companions? look at the world map?

What have we here, floating in the Library? 👁️ this looks ancient elven, magic, triangle-y and very important. It's not dissimilar to the one floating in Bellara's room, or to this place. The Lighthouse's power source? A strange map? Something that protects the Lighthouse from outside incursion or prying eyes? A model of the Veil and the different worlds? Could this become less broken-looking in terms of the outside 'rock' layer over time, or could more of the triangles light up blue over time as the story and look of the Lighthouse progresses? Does it have something to do with the Lyrium dagger? (the blue and gold color scheme reminds me of the dagger.) Is it connected to the rotating glowing roof of the tower of this part of the Lighthouse, which you can see later on when Rook goes outside into the Courtyard and looks up? I get the impression that the roof spins if this spins.

Left: something which resembles Elgar'nan's headpiece shape in the Lighthouse Library Center left: in the Library, there are books floating suspended in the air and floating upside down bookcases, arrayed around the magical artifact in the center Center right: there is one of these on either side of the Library entrance. they look like places where there were once frescoes or paintings, like what's left is very faded paint. I wonder if these restore overtime or can be restored over time? it reminds me a bit of the Skyhold mosaics. if these walls did hold paintings, I feel like it would have been Solas who painted them. Right: A floating book above a sidetable, from back in the Meditation Chamber

Next we progress into the Lighthouse Courtyard. Could the fragmented Courtyard become less fragmented and a bit more contiguous as the Lighthouse becomes less disrupted? Game Informer's cover story noted that since the Lighthouse is in the Fade, a realm of dreams that responds to your worldstate and emotion, the Lighthouse reflects the chaos and disrepair of Thedas. since the things in it can change, maybe as Rook completes more of the story and helps more of the world it will look less chaotic over time, including the fragmented Courtyard?

Some of the floating chunks have tree roots protruding from the bottoms

What happens to someone if they fall off the edge of a floating courtyard fragment in the Fade hh?

Left: big dog 👍 Veilfire glows in the scone on his chest Top center: this symbol was on the minimap, in front of the Fen'Harel statue. I think it's this one (left), which we saw in the high-level warrior combat gameplay video. it's some sort of collectable in the sort of way that gold/coin is. I guess this is where we go to use or spend this thing perhaps, whatever they are? maybe it's for Lighthouse upgrades? maybe it's what we spend at or trade to the mysterious "enchanter" who helps us with crafting at the Lighthouse? Bottom center: This is the head-shape of Mythal on the exterior of the Lighthouse Library building, like this statue in DA:I Right: the orangey-leaf trees, an ancient elven spaces classic :)

When Rook approaches Davrin's room, the minimap location title changes to "Guesthouse". That's cute 🥺 Is every companion space called a Guesthouse or is that just the name of Davrin's? Or just the name of the area Davrin's is in?

Left: What the glowing 'come talk to me pls 🥺' lamps look like. Some of the room-buildings, like Harding's, have two lamps outside of them though not just one like Davrin 🤔 Center: Rook carries the Lyrium dagger in their casualwear pocket when in the Lighthouse Right x2: Two lil chimneys puffing away, how cute!! Maybe one is the one for the kitchen where the cooking takes place, and one is connected to Taash's room? Taash's room has fires in it that could be forges.

Left: The dev narration tells us that this companion home is Harding's, and it makes sense - there's roots/vines growing up to or down from the ceiling, and the roof has the appearance of glass, like a greenhouse. Perfect for growing things and letting in the sun. There might not be any literal sunlight in the Lighthouse, but as the rooms shape themselves according to the companions, it's just all about Harding and what suits her. Right: I think this is Neve's room. Compare the windows on the front to the windows on the sides in the screenshot of Neve's interior. (same pattern & placement, in a row of 3)

As we can see from when Rook enters there, opposite Neve lives Davrin.

Left: Who lives here? this is next-door to Davrin. Right: And who lives here? this is opposite Harding.

^ the dev commentary at this point mentions Bellara's home at the same time as pointing out Neve's, but I'm not sure which of these two is hers. and this makes 5 homes, I wonder where the other two rooms are? perhaps attached to the main building which holds the Library? btw, how cute is it that the found family basically have their own cozy lil family neighborhood in a pocket dimension? 🥺

At the top of this tower it looks like a lil balcony no? potentially with a door leading out to it? maybe this is the balcony from Rook's room?

This Rook's casual wear has bare feet and triangles on it. Maybe this Rook was a Veil Jumper? I know the Veil Jumpers wear boots or shoes in the field, but this is casual wear. Veil Jumpers also seem quite orange in their color palette.

💜💜

💜💜 I LOVE

Rook standing next to Davrin here gives an idea of how tall it's possible for qunari Rook to be.

There was some debate over whether this room was Davrin's or Taash's. this vid confirms it as Davrin's. (some thoughts on how it reflects Davrin here). in that post I wondered what the green things were - here we can see that they're hanging corked jugs filled with.. sand? :D also interesting to note is that at this point in the storyline, Davrin's room lacks the big monster skull hung over the fireplace in the screenshot. however, it still has the other monster stuff - the skull on the other wall, the spine hanging from the ceiling, the 'horn chandelier' thing. hear me out. what if.. the skull that eventually goes above the fireplace is the skull of the Gloom Howler..? 👁️ if it was your nemesis, and you finaaally felled it, you'd put it in pride of place as your prize, above your fireplace.

Left: in the post about Davrin's room I wondered if the things on the floor in front of the fire next to the armchair were a rug and chew or bone for Assan, and here we can see that is the case. ^^ Right: I think this here in this side alcove is Davrin's bedroll. makes sense that it's tucked out of sight there - it's not visible in the perspective that the screenshot of his room was taken from, so I was wondering where it was.

On the left as Rook exit's Davrin's, we can see what looks like more wooden carvings that he's been working on, like this ogre.

In the Davrin and Assan portion, Davrin and Assan both look so good. I was really happy to see a Davrin focus in this video and Assan is so cute, with adorable animations, sounds and rigging. Assan stretches like a cat before getting up when Rook comes in.. the tail swishes, the ear crooking, the ear twitching.. 🥺 when Rook comes in, it looks like Davrin is warming his hands up by the fire - how do you think the physics of things like temperature work somewhere magical like the Lighthouse? 🤔

I love the purple sparkle effect around gaining approval. :D when hovering over a dialogue line, the wheel sparkles, and when you choose one, it spins. and Rook's name is in purple in the subtitles. its cute!

The Quest Acquired pop-up.

Another quest, this one called "The Price of the Past". A Davrin-associated quest? Davrin's past, or something the Grey Wardens did historically, like what happened to the griffons..?

The purple mist in the dialogue wheel moves and billows, I think that's a cool touch. :)

🥺🥺..

Rook then heads back into the Library.

Top left: two more highlighted interactable scrolls Bottom left: this mini-map icon looks like Varric. :) the dev narration mentions that this video takes place well into the game, and that Hossberg is a later game area. if it's Varric, this means that at this point in time, Varric is still alive and based in the Lighthouse with the rest of the crew, that he doesn't die in the prologue. I feel like this isn't really a surprise as the 'death' flags (at that specific point) in the prologue were a lil.. I dunno how to phrase it, it would have been too telegraphed if that was when? and also if his death is to happen at some point in the game, it will have more of an impact if Rook and new players actually have had a chance to spend time with Varric beforehand. yet, it's somehow still a big relief. :D it's like destroying Bianca was retiring him from active field duty. however, I do feel that he's still at risk and might die later in the game. 😭 just that the moment wasn't the prologue.. 😭 that he's not death-flag free, just that the prologue wasn't the time. btw, if Varric is living in the Lighthouse too I hope he has his own lil area too, at least somewhere to sleep etc. Right: this circle is on one side of the Library walls. it could just be a design on the wall, as it's solid and doesn't go anywhere, and it doesn't look like it goes anywhere at that point on the mini-map either, but idk, the circle has the appearance to me of an entryway and on the outside it has gold with blue triangles like the floating artifact in the Library air. maybe this is a dead end for now, but becomes an opened up/unlocked part of the Lighthouse later?

I wonder what's up the corridor past Varric? there are a few other corridors/places we could see on the Lighthouse minimap but didn't explore in this video, I'm so curious to explore it all :)

Lastly we have the Eluvian Room. this eluvian takes you to the Crossroads, and it's the eluvian we see at timestamp 1:00 in the release date reveal trailer. it sounds like the dev narration calls it the "Vir Revas", which could translate as "Way/Path of Freedom". it's fitting - one lens of Solas' rebellion is Solas as a noble freedom fighter. and it makes sense, an eluvian is a portal that takes you somewhere. on the right is a pretty floating elfy thing.

Eluvian pop-up info, including percentage of the map discovered, how many of the (I assume) treasures you have discovered, and how many (I assume) of the bosses you have killed. Is the symbol at the very top the symbol of the Crossroads? I also love the language of "A path has emerged from the mists of the Fade that leads to a gathering point where all eluvians meet - the Crossroads." it's pretty.

Close-up of one of the magic-gizmos that makes the Lighthouse eluvian work. it's a purple pentagon and inside it it has a pointy shaped thing floating and rotating. these look like the magic-gizmo Bellara is seen interfacing with in the release date reveal trailer, pictured below for reference. (also a purple hexagon with the pointy thing floating in it).

General thoughts/speculation on commentary & such:

I think it's hard to know what qunari Rooks can look like til we see CC itself. ^^

"Willingly or unwillingly" - it sounds like you can agree to take charge of the Lighthouse from Solas after the ritual interference goes awry, and if you don't you end up getting it anyways.

Being able to inhabit, explore and shape the space Solas lived in millennia ago when he first fomented his rebellion against the gods is a dream come true, like I wanna yell. it's so crazy (in a good way) and cool/surreal to think this is the case. I'm soo curious to get in there and rifle around. Rook is the one who leads the band of people living in the Lighthouse now, Rook is the one who wields the Lyrium dagger, Solas sees himself in Rook. Rook is potentially on a path towards inheriting the Dread Wolf mantle as well (that could also be willingly or unwillingly..)

'It shapes itself around your personality' - I wonder if some of the changes in the Lighthouse reflect Rook's world choices and their personality (like dominant dialogue tone) or something?

The glowing companion 'talk to me' lamps is a nice quality of life feature.

Considering that the spaces shape themselves around the companions, I wonder about Lucanis' room. 🥺 maybe he feels safer in a dark open space with nowhere to hide in it so nobody could sneak up on him in there? maybe it's an ingrained tendency owing to the harsh upbringing he had growing up, often going without necessities? maybe he's simply extremely practical and pragmatic, or it's to do with his relationship/history with food and cooking that makes him want to be in the storehouse? maybe this sort of space is familiar, or his room screenshot was taken earlier on in the game before his arc progressed much?

A secret Warden base where people have no idea what goes on there.. this never ends well hh, the Wardens in these sorts of places are always up to something untoward or extreme in the pursuit of their goals of stopping / defending from the Blights. nervous sweating. I wonder what revelations await us there!!

I wonder what could the Gloom Howler be? its name reminds me of the Sandy Howler from DA:I, which was a dragon. if the skull that gets put above Davrin's fireplace is of the Gloom Howler, what clues can we get about the type of entity it is from the shape of the skull? Stalking Wardens and kidnapping griffons implies that whatever it is, this entity has a level of sentience and has plans of a sort, it isn't a mindless beast. what could it possibly want with the griffons? And I wonder when this creature became Davrin's nemesis? Is he a monster hunter because of it? Or was he a monster hunter before it? Also, how does one get mail in the Lighthouse :D

"What's left of the Wardens" implies that the Wardens faced great losses at the siege of Weisshaupt. I wonder, did the First Warden make it? where are they?

Davrin preferring Direct dialogues and approaches makes me curious to find out ingame what the preferences of the other companions are.

Davrin's voice is amazing.

"Turlum", the name for the bond between Wardens and griffons (presumably the one they ride, when the griffon is an adult) moving in unity as one is new lore I think. I wonder what language/culture the word originates from? how does one forge this bond? I can't help but think of Tsaheylu from Blue Avatar dhdjfej

On the gods assaulting the Crossroads.. to take control of the network to assist in their plans for the world? (Briala saw the network's potential of the Crossroads' functional back in the day, for totally different plans tho ofc) you could spread your darkspawn armies all over the world more easily by sending them through the Crossroads. like the Deep Roads, but cubed. or simply to wrest control of it from Rook and the team because they know they are the only ones that can stop them and that that's where they're holed up? and what stops the assaulting enemies from entering the Lighthouse eluvian from the Crossroads? Is it something to do with the dagger, or Solas' own power?

[source]

[shoutydwarf]

Veilguard spoilers

- juggernaut lore retcon for no reason. They were supposed to be golems.

- one singular line for a dwarf rook to confront the evanuris about what was done to the titans. That line is @ mythal, not solas, the one that created the dagger to commit the genocide with.

- white man casually commits genocide on said titans but the part he regrets about it is the blight that strikes back at him. not the inconceivable pain, death and horror he inflicted on an entire race to cause it.

- you cannot talk to him about it.

- dwarf!rook holds that dagger the entire game without once remarking on what it did to the dwarves.

- we went to kal sharok and still know nothing about it. All dwarf content is restricted to harding’s quests.

- you can establish that you believe in the maker or the elvhen stories, but not the stone. There is not a single line where a dwarf rook can express that they have dwarven faith.

- on the other singular time you can mention the titan genocide, it’s just one minor part of a list of reasons you still don’t trust him. To which weekes’ mouthpiece, morrigan in this case of all people, insists you should forgive him because he is very very sad about it.

- harding, the single dwarf mouthpiece, also insists on forgiving him and having compassion for him. This is AFTER I chose to have her honor the titans anger.

- this is all while every other villain in the game is 100% one dimensional and unforgivable.

- all dwarf dialogue options you get with harding are variations of “im not connected” “i dont know what you’re talking about” “i dont get it”

- not a single Ambassadoria mention.

- Orzammar is thrown away in a codex entry in which harding says they’re purposely suppressing the titan reveals in order to uphold the caste system. Because having corrupt society like every other nation in the world means they’re undeserving of the truth. Doesn’t matter that the king I and most people selected has been working to undo that system for 20 years now. It could have had to do with the fact that they’ve been selling their peoples blood to survive for the past thousands of years but yeah let’s strip away the nuance and paint Orzammar as the bad version of kal sharok.

- dwarves can apparently dream now except they can’t because rook tells harding they can’t except they’re contacting solas in their dreams every other night and it’s never elaborated on and they’re never particularly weirded out about it

- I counted 6~ special dialogue options in the entire game, the bulk of which happened in a single cutscene. I got more than that in act 1 alone for my elf.

I’ll write out more on why all of this specifically feels like shit later. But tldr: dwarves are pitted as the first victims of the evanuris, which you expect to be a big deal, and then it is Not. Combining this with an utter lack of ability to clock weekes’ mouthpiece characters when they’re trying to convince me to forgive the man that committed genocide on my people, because he’s so very very sad about it you see, the game’s entire thematic message is dogshit

[marmie-noir]

DATV SPOILERS

Hi, just popping in to remind everyone we were robbed in veilguard.

I wanted to see Spite and Lucanis losing it over Rook being pulled into the fade. I wanted to hear him scream our name, charge at Solas who simply picked up the dagger and disappeared. Who worked tirelessly, endlessly, for the WEEKS you are gone to get you back.

I want the companions snapping at one another. “Emmrich, you are the fade expert, act like it.” “There has to be a clue Neve, fuck Minrathos, without Rook every city is doomed.” “We had to miss something, Bellara what did the legends say of the Dread Wolf?” “So the dagger wasn’t even worth the trouble if we cant get to them.”

Because Rook? They are the marshmallow goodness in this friendship s'more. They are the one who pulls everyone together, sticks to them, makes them a team. Have they grown close? Of course. But imagine watching one friend get killed, and the other is just gone?? No. There is going to be aggression, even if it is from being frustrated at the general lack of control.

I wanted to see them in rough shape. I wanted to see my team exhausted and near weepy when they finally found me, Taash’s hand around my arm to PULL ME FROM THE FADE, for us all to collapse together into an exhausted pile. Because they still lost one, but just one, Rook is home and now they can save everyone else.

edit to add: I STILL LIKE THE GAME. I WILL CONTINUE TO PLAY THE GAME AND SMOOCH MY CROW HUSBAND.

[maharellasa]

so I've had some time to gather my thoughts on that episode and these are my (solas-focused) observations & conclusions from reading other people's comments:

he fully intended to trap elio in the fade from the beginning, probably to stop the venatori from ever being able to use him to unlock the eye

however, elio's gallantry and nadia's cries for her lover once again showed him "these are real people with real stories" hence why he was so distressed in the end and wanted to save her

elio and nadia both greatly represent the high approval and low approval relationships between solas and the inquisitor. elio trusting and respecting him, nadia being the not so clever one in his eyes. plus the "take my hand" and "i'm sorry" lines in the end.

we never got an actual description of the Eye, except that it's made from a rare gem and goes boom. also elio using his power formed a bond between him and the relic, which sounds pretty similar to what happens to rook. I'm not saying the Eye is the dagger, but also, there's a very high chance that maybe it is? I know that something called the Eye gives the idea of an orb-looking thing, but idk maybe that's on purpose

this man planned out every detail of the events in this story, he's not getting trapped in the Fade "by accident" lmao

[vir-tanadahl]

The Burden of the Dread Wolf

Summary: Solavellan ending told from Solas' POV. Obviously, Veilguard spoilers.

Solas—no, the Dread Wolf—stands battered and broken, bruises blooming like shadows on his skin, a dull ache thrumming through him with every breath. After all these years, he’s so tired. How could these last ten years weigh on him more than a millennium of existence? He, the Dread Wolf, has sacrificed so much to come this far. To claw back the power stolen from his people. To avenge the death of Mythal.

The regrets have always clawed at him. He regrets leaving the Fade. He regrets not stopping Mythal from becoming a god, from following the path that led her to death. Most of all, he regrets… not saving her. She called to him, once, asking for his aid. And he came, heart open, reverent. His love for her was beyond romance, something ancient and deep, an adoration etched into his very being. Her death was the final twist of the knife that cleaved wisdom from pride.

He regrets claiming her power, believing he could mend a shattered world, erase the pain he himself had wrought. He regrets the blood he spilled, even Mythal’s vessel, to seize the strength he thought he needed. He regrets the death of Varric, another thread severed in his relentless pursuit. And he regrets not staying by his vhenan’s side—his heart, the Inquisitor. His light.

He regrets his betrayal of Felassan. Of Rook.

Yet here he stands, the Dread Wolf, carrying the weight of those choices, haunted by the choices he has made.

"Please, Rook. I don't want to fight you." His voice trembles, a rare crack in his guarded tone, pleading and raw. There's no deception in his words this time, no clever twist or hidden intent.

Rook tries desperately to reach him, her words filled with a pleading urgency. Rook tries to reason with him, pleading with him to see the pain caused by Elgar’nan and Ghilian’nain. She tries to pull him back, to make him understand the cost of his path.

But Rook doesn’t realize he carries a burden heavier than just their sins. He believes he broke the world—because he is the one who broke it—and only he can restore it. Unbreak it. He feels that duty, thrumming in his very bones. He has to make it right. He will make it right.

Yet, he can’t see what lies just beyond his reach. His wisdom, once clear and guiding, has been twisted into something darker. Pride whispers that he can undo this mistake, that he alone can reshape what was lost. But true wisdom would show him beauty even in the scars of his unintended creation. The Dread Wolf has been trapped in his own prison of regrets long before he was accidentally trapped in the prison he created for the Gods.

“Destroying everything won’t fix your mistakes,” Rook says firmly, her gaze steady as she extends his lyrium dagger toward him. “If you want to save this world, bind yourself to the very thing you’re trying to erase.” Her voice is low but resolute, her outstretched hand unwavering. Another regret, he thinks, already settling like a weight in his chest.

The Dread Wolf takes a deep breath, turning slowly toward the place where the ritual will begin. His head falls forward, and he closes his eyes. “I… I cannot.” His voice is strained, heavy with exhaustion. “To stop now would dishonor everyone I’ve wronged to get here.” The terrible things he’s done, the lives he’s destroyed—they press down on him like shadows, demanding he see this through. If he stops now, what meaning would all that suffering hold?

“Even if…” Her voice, barely a whisper, cuts through his thoughts, and he turns, feeling his heart twist at the sound. “Even if those you’ve wronged asked you to stop?”

He knows that voice. His breath catches sharply, a tremor of recognition running through him as he meets her gaze. The dagger slips lower in his hand, almost forgotten, as he turns further to face her, his mouth parted in stunned silence. “Vhenan…” Solas breathes, the word heavy with disbelief. His voice wavers, pride crumbling as the guarded walls around his heart begin to fall, leaving him raw and exposed in her presence. His chest tightens, a tremor passing through him as he struggles to comprehend the impossible—she is here, standing before him

She is the woman he never meant to love but couldn’t help himself. The one who helped him see worth in this world he’d crafted out of his own wounded heart. She saw him—truly saw him—for who he was, asking questions that peeled back the layers he’d hidden behind for centuries, curious and kind.

“You think you’re beyond saving, but you’re wrong.” Her voice is soft, coaxing, her words weaving into his mind like a lifeline. “I’m here, walking the dinan’shiral with you.”

Pain and confusion cloud his gaze, and Solas bows his head, his voice rough. “I lied to you. I betrayed you.” Shame ripples through him, and he dares not meet her eyes.

She steps closer, her voice unwavering. “I forgive you. All you have to do… is stop.” He turns fully to her, his expression strained, the weight of regret etched across his face. “Ir abelas, vhenan,” he murmurs, his voice barely above a whisper as he lowers his head again. “But… I cannot.”

Solas turns back toward the ritual site, his shoulders slumped. “Long before I met you, I failed my oldest friend. She died because of that failure. If I leave the Veil in place, I am destroying the world she wanted. And I will have…” his voice trails for a moment. “She would have died for nothing.”

He lifts the dagger, preparing to begin the ritual, when a raven’s sharp caw cuts through the silence. The bird swoops down, shifting midair into a figure cloaked in shadow and mystery.

“And whose fault is that, Dread Wolf?”

Solas whirls, momentarily stunned. “Morrigan?” Surprise flashes across his face as he tries to reconcile the sudden appearance of the Witch of the Wilds.

“One appellation among many I wear,” she replies, her voice smooth and enigmatic. “Advisor to Orlais, Witch of the Wilds, Daughter of Flemeth…” She pauses, her gaze piercing. “And once, long ago, an old friend.”

Solas’s gaze shifts, realizing he’s now surrounded by three women. Rook steps forward, her expression resolute as she lifts a small statuette of Mythal. “Mythal lives on in her,” she says quietly, “and in this.” She places the statuette in Morrigan’s outstretched hand, who, with a knowing glance, activates it.

A soft, ancient glow pulses from the statuette, filling the air with an ethereal light. Memories rush forward—fragments of Mythal, fragments of that fateful moment of betrayal when he failed her. Solas stands frozen, the weight of the past pressing down upon him, as Mythal’s essence shimmers, a reminder of the failure he made.

He gasps, his breath hitching as his gaze falls upon the form of Mythal as he once knew her, luminous and fierce, yet filled with a serenity that pierces his soul. His head lowers slightly, his mouth parted in silent reverence. “Mythal…” he manages, his voice barely a whisper, as if any louder would shatter this fragile moment.

The essence of Mythal stands before him, her form imposing yet gentle. “I pulled you from the Fade you cherished and thrust you into war. I turned your wisdom into a weapon…” She pauses, her eyes softened by an ancient sorrow. “And it broke you.”

Solas bows his head, shame tightening his posture, his voice trembling with regret. “The things I have done…” His words are heavy, laced with anguish and remorse.

But Mythal raises a hand, stopping him gently. “Are not yours to bear alone, my friend,” she says, her voice warm and kind. “The wrongs we committed, we committed together.” She reaches out, resting a hand on his shoulder, and a warmth spreads through him—her forgiveness, her absolution.

Solas’s shoulders slump, his head low, his hands trembling as he holds the dagger close to his chest. It’s the very blade that severed her life, a symbol of his failure and the pain he’s carried.

“I release you from my service,” she commands softly, her voice both gentle and resolute before disappearing. He no longer needs to be the Dread Wolf.

A shudder passes through him as the words sink in, releasing a weight he’s held for far too long. He leans forward, hands braced on his knees, head bowed, processing the unexpected mercy she has offered. Pain lingers, but beneath it… a flicker of relief, tentative and bittersweet.

The Inquisitor kneels beside him, her presence steady and warm as she places a gentle hand on his arm. “There is no fate but the love we share,” she murmurs, her voice soft and unwavering. Her words hit him like a tidal wave, and his breath falters, a tremor running through him as he clutches his chest, feeling the sharp ache of despair radiate through his being. He closes his eyes briefly, the weight of his choices pressing down on him.

Slowly, he rises, shoulders still hunched beneath the burden he carries. He turns, his gaze trailing over the tears in the Veil that continue to spread, multiplying like dark wounds in the sky—a reminder of his failures, his responsibility.

With a final look at the three women before him, he raises the lyrium dagger and, with grim resolve, slices the palm of his hand, letting his blood flow to complete the ritual. His voice is quiet but steady as he speaks, binding himself to the Veil. “My life force now sustains the Veil. With every breath I take, I will shield the innocent from the consequences of my past failures.”

He feels the connection take hold, a bond now woven between himself and the Veil, and though he stands, he feels as if a part of him has willingly surrendered to bear this eternal penance. “The Titans’ dreams are mad from their imprisonment. I cannot kill the blight, but I can help to soothe its anger.” He tells them as he hands the lyrium dagger to Rook.

“I will go and seek atonement,” he says quietly, turning back toward the gaping tears in the Veil, the rifts he has sworn to mend.

“But you don’t have to go alone.” Her voice, gentle yet resolute, pulls him back, stirring something fragile within him. His heart clenches as he twists to face her, disbelief clouding his expression. That she would even suggest such a thing… after everything he’s done, everything he’s caused. And yet, her hand slips into his, warm and grounding.

He shakes his head, his voice laced with quiet desperation. “Where I’m going is terrible,” he whispers, pleading for her to understand. But her gaze remains steady, unwavering, filled with a fierce, unyielding love.

“It won’t be terrible if I’m with you,” she replies, her voice filled with a soft strength. “We’ll make this journey together, always.”

Before he can protest, she draws him close, her arms wrapping around him as she presses her lips to his, a kiss filled with love and a vow of loyalty he can hardly believe. He’s overcome, struggling to comprehend that she would willingly join him in his path of penance—and yet, a surge of gratitude and wonder swells within him, easing the shadows of doubt and despair he has carried alone for so long.

They pull apart, his gaze lingering on her for a heartbeat longer before he turns to face Rook. “Thank you, Rook,” he says softly, his voice full of gratitude and respect. He holds her gaze a moment, then, with a final nod, turns toward the largest tear in the Veil, his path stretching out before him.

Fear gnaws at him—fear that, at the last moment, she might choose not to follow, that the enormity of what lies ahead might make her hesitate. He keeps his eyes forward, too afraid to turn back, his heart pounding with the uncertainty.

But then, he feels it: her hand resting firmly on his shoulder, the warmth of her fingers curling around his forearm, grounding him. A quiet strength flows from her touch, and he closes his eyes briefly, a wave of relief washing over him. She is here, unyielding, choosing this path with him.

Together, they step forward and vanishing into the Fade.

[in-uthenera-we-wait]

It's been a few days since I completed the Veilguard and I am going feral about the dynamics between Mythal, Solas and Lavellan...

It's just a bittersweet kind of pain when I think of them and I want to get my thoughts out before I am overwhelmed by them. Also, this post took way longer than expected to write!

Detailed deep-dive under the cut (to avoid spoilers)

Colour-coded because my brain is weird like that!

Also this is a loooooong post... you have been warned!

On Mythal:

It is clear right from the start (of when we discover the memories of the Dread Wolf) that Mythal is an integral part of who Solas was... Or should I say, who Fen'Harel was/is.

Solas, as a spirit had no desire to take a body and took one for the love of Mythal.

And when I say love, I do not see it as something purely romantic... It goes above and beyond that and not always in the right way.

She sought to mould him into someone she could use. She saw it as Benevolence (the attribute that her spirit is supposed to represent), but I think her purpose had been corrupted even then, even before Solas gets his body at her behest.

The reason I believe it's so is because, true Benevolence doesn't discriminate and denotes a desire to do good for others. Compassion is that desire enacted.

Mythal's benevolence was conditional. Her benevolence came at the cost of suffering for the Titans. So, there was a sliver of selfishness to her purpose. This isn't necessarily bad but this means that she is no longer truly what her Spirit was supposed to depict, not completely. And this sliver of selfishness is what permeates the entire relationship she has with Solas.

We, as the player, have only ever seen Mythal either through the very rosy lens of the Elvhen who worshipped her very much like the way Solas does, or through Flemeth. The latter is no longer the Mythal that Solas knew. She is a fragment of the original who has gained the wisdom and experience of millennia through the hosts she inhabited.

The truest depiction of what Mythal must really have been like is the fragment we encounter in the Crossroads. She honestly, isn't as likeable as Flemeth/Morrigan was/is.

She is openly haughty, expecting her petitioners to convince her of the dangers to the world outside, and sounds almost bitter that her most ardent devotee hasn't visited her once since she was killed and the remnant of her essence was extracted from the dagger to reside in the Crossroads. She faults Solas to an extent for her fate, and clearly doesn't hold him as beholden as he does her.

So, it felt weird to me that she would be so willing to release him from her service, even more so if you had to fight her for the fragment (as I had to).

The only way I can see her being moved to help convince Solas (especially if we fought her in her dragon form) is that she was observing the world outside the crossroads when she is in Rook's possession, the way Rook interacted with Solas, and even more so the way the Inquisitor speaks of her friend/vhenan.

On Solas:

Solas... the man, the myth, the legend! Where do I even begin to unravel the mess that he is!

Originally, a spirit of Wisdom, tied to Mythal in a way that has him put through the thumbscrews of War and Strife, so much so that I see his transformation into Pride as something like a callus that forms over skin that has been rubbed a few times too many.

His love for Mythal was the start of his doom, and right there, his purpose was changed from Wisdom. Because, wisdom would have remained a Spirit.

Now, the nature of that love is up for debate. Again, I don't see it as something that is purely romantic. Though, I think the way he feels for her is different from the way Mythal feels about him. There is more devotion on his side. He says that he will follow wherever she goes and takes on a physical form for her.

And then, slowly, one step after another, he strays away from the path of wisdom - crafting the Lyrium dagger, making the Titans tranquil, allowing the other Evanuris to claim godhood, letting Mythal persuade him to each of these steps, his regrets have her face.

Remember the following dialog he has with the Inquisitor after they drink from the Well of Sorrows? When he asks them how they will ensure the Inquisition doesn't fail, and when the following dialogue ensues...

Let me present you with evidence on how much he was hurt by that.

INQUISITOR: I trust my friends.

SOLAS: I know that mistake well enough to carve the angles of her face from memory.

We had already posited that the 'her' in the dialogue above was about Mythal. But back then, we had assumed it was because of the trust Mythal had in the evanuris that caused her death. What if it wasn't so? What if he was speaking of the trust HE had in HER?! He trusted Mythal to stand by him as he had stood by her. And she had failed him.

It could be that this is after her death, but something tells me this was before. Because Felassan's response to Mythal not joining them would be different if it was because she was dead.

So, we've established just how hung up he is about Mythal, because he has this vision of hers that might not even be true. He views her through the lens of adoration and worship that ends up putting her on a pedestal rather than view her as the flawed person she is. He could never be truly free unless he sets aside these feelings he has for her.

I also found it interesting that he has refused to visit the fragment of Mythal that was stuck to the dagger when she was killed. That fragment is the truest version of his friend as she was when she died. He refuses to acknowlege Flemeth and even Morrigan as Mythal.

Even in the end, it is this fragment of Mythal that he knows and remembers that releases him from her service. Because he wouldn't accept it from anyone else!

And with that established, let's move to the final part of this triptych.

The Inquisitor is a tricky one to analyse because they can be so many different things depending on the player. But for this essay, I will be focussing on Lavellan who romanced Solas and sought to change his heart.

On the Inquisitor:

She is everything that Solas believes is wrong with the veiled world his actions resulted in. A shadow of his people, tranquils with no connection to the Fade (especially true if Lavellan is not a mage). He also begins to believe that the anchor is what makes her who she is. That has to be the case, because any other explanation would make his future plans questionable!

But then, she walks into his life, curious and bright, kind and caring, asking him questions with an open heart! The first thing she does is assure him she would protect him from prosecution. She changes everything!

He tries to justify his feelings for her by assuming that the anchor has changed her. But nope! She shoots that down as well. She is truly herself, with or without the anchor. A rare and marvelous spirit.

Lavellan sees him for who he truly yearns to be seen as. Wisdom. She seeks to understand him and asks nothing in return. She is ready to help him whenever he asks for it, and even when he doesn't. She tells him he does not need to mourn alone, when his spirit friend passes!

His one true fear: Dying Alone... and she allays it by promising to be with him, no questions asked.

He almost decides to give it all up and stay with her... as just Solas. To be with the one true person who truly saw him beyond the cool and collected mask he wears. But he doesn't... In another world perhaps but not this one.

And so, he leaves her in the end, because his regrets are too much to be set aside so easily. He also sees bringing down the veil as an act of self-sacrifice, now more necessary than ever because this would mean She would live on happily in a world where his mistakes don't exist anymore. Also, he doesn't want her to see what he would become.

But she perseveres. Every time he pulls away, she reaches out. The parallels between the Solas/Mythal and Lavellan/Solas relationship is just *Chef's kiss*!

She represents Hope for me. And I'd say, she is true to her purpose that way. Even when things don't go the way she wishes it did, she still hopes. Her Hope springs eternal. And that is what saves her, Solas and the entirety of Thedas!

So, towards the end, her Hope burns bright against his Regret. But he is unable to see it until he sets his own regrets aside. And for that to happen, he needed Mythal to release him.

Mythal was his past. But Lavellan is his eternal future. It was up to him to move from one to the other.

Once he was free from that bondage, he could look towards Hope.

Only then could he truly see it... that she had seen him as he truly was, and she loved him... that she loves him still.

In the end, her love did endure, and how!

'Var lath vir Suledin' indeed!

[mythalism]

does anyone actually understand how solas manages to “castle” rook. like yes i understand he “molded them into someone the prison would accept” but what the fuck does that actually mean. why does the prison only accept certain people? did he design it that way? did his molding even work if they were just able to leave? what happened that made him know it was time to switch places? am i supposed to believe it’s that rook sent one of their friends to die and solas knew and went “ok well now we’ve both killed our friends so we can switch now”??? what? what’s the magical mechanism by which the switch happens? the blood magic connection? if the davrin/harding death was the signal then how did solas know it happened? has he been able to see through their eyes this entire time? or was it an emotional distress that he sensed??? how does he appear to them visually before he’s left the prison?? is he a hallucination?? how does he get them physically into the prison? what kind of magic is he using to do this?? blood magic??? it is it classic fen’harel fade magic? he uses the dagger to escape so did he just need the dagger? how did he get rook from the island to the fade physically to take the dagger from them to leave the prison?? what kind of magic does that? im just supposed to accept this and not ask questions?