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

Hmmm... this passage sort of tells me that we may actually not be talking about the Fade.

Why?

Because - consistently - the synonym for "Fade" in Thedosian literature is "air" (and sometimes "sky" or heavens"). We find it - most importantly - even in Vir Dirthara, where spirits are called by elves to be their "brethren of the air".

I think what the song is referring to may actually be the Void. I mean, even the name sort of suggests that it's a place that is sort of empty, hence 'airless'. And when Solas's spirit friend had died, he has specifically mentioned that there are 'stirrings of energy in the Void', even though this is probably the only time when he uses this word in any reference to Fade or any immaterial realm.

I mostly mean what Falon'Din and Fade are generally associated with:

Falon'Din - death, night and shadows (already I imagine him as goth!Evanuris of the bunch)

Fade - air and sky (oftentimes songs/melody too), something breezy and light

Even more so, a Song to Falon'Din has these verses:

Lethanavir, master-scryer, be our guide,
Through shapeless worlds and airless skies

That IMO is sort of the biggest hint so far - if the Fade is thought of as being the 'air', then his 'airless' domain (or places he's capable to guide people through) can't be the Fade.

Or at least not the whole of it - we do know that there are areas or aspects of the Fade (though some sources claim that it's in all of things) that are called the Void, and that place is generally thought of across various religions as nothingness, which 'shapeless worlds' and 'airless skies' fit quite well.

Heck, the Void for Adrastians is basically an equivalent of our hell - but also apparently where the 'well of souls/life' is.

Here lies the abyss, the well of all souls.
From these emerald waters doth life begin anew.
Come to me, child, and I shall embrace you.
In my arms lies Eternity.

I assume that's why Solas mentions the Void when he tells us that there are stirrings in it after his friend's death. Big clue - this is likely where spirits (and souls?) go when they get destroyed, but also where they get reborn or reforged.

If such is the case, then it makes perfect sense for Falon'Din to be the lord of death whose domain is the Void - guiding people to that strange, dark place where everything ends, and likely begins anew.

That also makes him quite goddamn important - at least in terms of function in the realm. That is of course if we assume that he didn't just usurp his power or position as the guide and exploited the whole thing to unknown ends.

IMO? The Void is one of those places which is important to the world, but also one that is dangerous - in fact we do have good basis to claim it's dangerous, if we assume that codex about Andrul speaks things that are accurate:

She began stalking The Forgotten Ones, wicked things that thrive in the abyss. Yet even a god should not linger there, and each time she entered the Void, Andruil suffered longer and longer periods of madness after returning.
Andruil put on armor made of the Void, and all forgot her true face. She made weapons of darkness, and plague ate her lands. She howled things meant to be forgotten, and the other gods became fearful Andruil would hunt them in turn.

That sounds more than spooky. Another interesting thing is that it's mentioned that Void is apparently a place the Forgotten Ones dwell - and as we know at one point or another Solas was thought of as kin both by Evanuris and Forgotten Ones. So he knows the Void (based on both this and his personal quest), yet apparently it doesn't pose the danger to him as much as it does to Andruil. Maybe it's almost a situation like the one with demons: if he knows its nature and brings no corrupting influences, the the Void will not become twisted or twist the one who enters it.

Either way, it's highly possible that both he and Falon'Din knows a safe way to either cross or enter it.

But - probably unlike Solas - Falon'Din likely sought something in the Void that should probably be left alone or did something that has disturbed the general balance. It's a far fetched assumption, but I really wouldn't be surprised if such was the case. Because while the Void is obviously characterized as dangerous and shapeless, it's probably not just a straightforward 'evil realm', while we do know from both records in the world and Solas's comments that Falon'Din wasn't exactly made of sugar, spice and everything nice