The Blanketfort (crying and throwing up) - The Official Solas Thread [Spoilers]

It's the execution I can't get behind, not that the only option for a happy ending is to join him in exile.

- How they mistranslated elven. She says "Banal nadas ar lath ma vhenan". Every word has appeared in the past games. Yet stead of "Nothing is inevitable, I love you my heart" they went with "There is no fate but the love we share". Which is worse. so much worse! As if she programs him that they must be together. And it's after learning the context of how Mythal exploited him and his affection for her. How he regrets not being able to deny her ("You will not be the first to sacrifice your morals for love"). Why on earth they kept it?

- He just seems resigned. He should have voiced his consent. His body language should have been different: he let her kiss him. Didn't even touch her as they disappeared to the Fade. This execution give me somewhat abusive/manipulative angle? Which is so not how their relationship went in DAI. If that is the angle Weekes went, with having Lavelan as an echo of Mythal and a chance for Solas to craft another narrative, then fuck it.

How is it that Rook going into the Fade with Solas is self-sacrifice, but Lavellan doing the same is "not so bad" and a happy ending?

Only in good ending Solas choses to atone and commits to sustain the veil, protect innocents (modern elves, dwarwe, humans and qunari included) and sooth the blight. He is essentially on the path of redemption.

In bad ending he is forced to keep the veil and does nothing (at least it's not states) to the blight, which is still present, even with all evanuris dead.

Question: Does he want to reunite? Is it a choice he makes himself? Lavellan is open and proactive during conversation, but he almost seems resigned. “There is no fate but our love” does he realise he can say no?
Weekes: My intention was that after almost destroying the world, he does not feel he deserves love until he fixes what he did wrong (just like he couldn't move forward until he fixed the wrongs he did in Mythal's service). That's why the Inquisitor has to reach out to him.

Question: Was the nature of that solas/Mythal was more queerplatonic than romantic? And if Solas had to choose between Mythal and Lavellan, with whom might he consider sharing his life or save in the face of great danger?
Weekes: Mythal is Solas's past. Horrible mistakes made with good intentions. Lavellan is the hopeful future Solas doesn't think he deserves until he fixes the world he broke.

I too was getting a sense of completely unenthused resignation from that scene. Like Solas didn't actually want the Inky there, he just didn't have the energy to object anymore.

Though I don't understand why he thinks he still owes Mythal anything. She was vile to him. He already gave her more than she ever deserved.

I think misinterpretation could have been avoided if they have either worded Inquisitor differently (instead of "We make this journey together, always" she could have said "Allow me to make this journey with you" or something less imperative than the original). Also the way Alix delivered the line "But you don't have to go alone" for me was a bit too authoritative? She used this tone a lot as Inquisitor. But Lavellan here speaks to her love, who is currently going through almost emotional breakdown. I wild like to have her say it more softly, and we know Alix can do it perfectly (every time I choose "Solas don't leave me, not now. I love you" it breaks both mine and Solas heart. Also in CC ne of lines to test the voice was "It can't end like this" and I SWEAR I thought it was pulled from interaction from romanced Solas because it was voiced so beautifully and sad  )

Another way would be to add a shot at Solas face right after the kiss, maybe where he looks at her and smiles a bit or looks relieved? Something to further confirm his attitude.
Because as it it this is how Lavellan looks at Solas after the kiss 

vs how he looks at her. Jut one extra second could have made interaction more clear.

I think their relationship is very complex. There was love, betrayal (on both ends), regret, pain. They don't call each other the oldest friends for nothing. Solas feels regret and responsibility for a) not standing his ground and following through Mythal plans, even when it went against his morals. b )for asking Mythal to deal with other gods about their usage of the blight, which got her killed (even though he didn't wield the blade himself) c) for killing what remained of her after Inquisition

There is really a lot to unpack here

It also does not help that any intended facial expressions here are really hard to see, covered in blood and gore as he is. The lighting is not doing any favors either. 

Seriously, the first order of business after all this had better be getting Solas a bath and a nap, cuz damn, that dragon fight was brutal.  Guy is in some serious need of a little TLC.

Well, I mean... he was able to manifest the entire town of Haven (and surrounding valley and mountain ranges and everything else) in exacting detail. And that was when he was still weak. I'm fairly certain a tub and some warm water is well within his capabilities. I don't believe they went back to the Evanuris prison, but just the raw fade.

Which would also mean they should start looking for a way to restore Lavellan's immortality fairly quickly, since mortals don't really do well bodily in the fade for extended periods. Hmm.

Did I watch a different scene ? I didn't get this impression. He's obviously physically and emotionally exhausted from everything that happened, including a tear-jerking farewell with Mythal, and *obviously* he doesn't want Lavellan to be there at first because it hurts him and he warns her that wherever he goes will be terrible/doesn't expect her to go, yet her willingness to follow him and the kiss prompts him to enthusiastically (for the state he's in) thank Rook for helping him see reason and get a chance to reunite with Lavellan. That's the only cutscene where he does it, unless I'm missing something from non-romanced redemption scene.

Also, I gotta say that the epilogue image for Solavellan is cute as heck.

I personally quite like how confident of her feelings for Solas Lavellan/Alix (I didn't hear the other VO) is - the emotional performance Alix gave in Inquisition/Trespasser is great, but it was at the time where it was Lavellan who was emotionally perturbed, and it's not the case anymore.

At the end of Veilguard, if Rook doesn't discourage her from harboring feelings for Solas when she still has some doubts, she ultimately comes to a conclusion that she still loves him and is not afraid to declare that - and while she's firm, her voice is gentle and steady, which IMO is what Solas needs at the moment, being an emotional gordian knot for most of that scene.

I mean, since they know him so well, both Mythal and Lavellan figure he needs clear declarations that cut through his turmoil right to the heart of the matter, which is why I think Mythal's effectively short, but gut-punching admission of guilt and farewell gets to him as well.

And before there are any misunderstandings of what I said - I totally don't buy the "Lavellan is a rebound from Mythal" or "she's to him like Mythal" aka unhealthy and maybe even abusive, because while many problems stemmed from the fact that Mythal ultimately took advantage of Solas' deep affection for her/didn't heed his warnings when they could make a difference, she's as complex of a character as Solas is, so IMO it's unfair to treat her entirely as some sort of wholly toxic figure from his past, as I noticed some do (not necessarily on this thread). As Weekes mentioned already, most of their actions in the past began with good intentions, even if they spun into a tragedy for them both, and both of them also appear to genuinely care about one another.

So, I have no problem stating that Lavellan and Mythal clearly know him best and know what he needs to pull him from a destructive path, and accept that he's deserving of Lavellan's love, even if it means her leaving everything behind for him and face struggles he will be facing.
But this is just a frame from him starting to speak while turning to Rook and thanking them for a chance to basically have his happy ending with Lavellan. He shoots Rook a small, grateful glance and goes back to looking at Lavellan, and while the shot is very short, the expression is very soft (even if still just damn bloody).

the redemption scene one is just such a good medley of Veilguard and Inquisition music - and then they hit us with Lost Elf right when it matters

I really like that after Solas is released from underneath his crushing guilt by words of Mythal and words of support from Inquisitor, he basically immediately reverts to his soft, kind self - he just binds himself to the Veil, like it was always the most obvious course of action to take, vows to protect people and work on soothing blight's anger, and then hands his dagger to Rook in the gentlest way possible.

Haha... well, I have to have a bit of a petty chuckle about Solas having to live for Thedas to survive in more-or-less current shape - people get to punch and stab him, but he can't be killed 

Although that does beg the question of what happens next - because anyone who'd like to remove the Veil would just have to hunt him; so does that mean that he may potentially play some role in future DA? DAVe and devs make it quite clear that we saw a conclusion to his story, but he nonetheless becomes a fundamental part of the world - now more than ever, in fact. So, the story of his fight against the Evanuris and his misguided crusade against his own creation is over, but we'll just have to see what happens next.

I can't say I'm TOO worried though, as Solas is an expert in survival. He's survived centuries of fighting with gods much stronger than him, trapping all those gods, and being drained to the point of severe exhaustion, as well as avoiding dangerous things in the Fade while he's slept.

Although I suppose him being the sole pillar of the Veil may be part of the reason it is implied that he's going back to regret prison to work on the ways to calm the blight - not easy to get out, and likely not easy to get in.