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

(Wow, I step away to make tea, and when I post this the discussion has already moved on to Mythal? This forum moves fast!)

first person she fell in love with

Solas was still her first real love

Solas was her first love

Flemeth has been gently nudging things the way she wished them to go throughout the previous centuries, then perhaps there is something of a self-fulfilling prophesy at work in her predictions

With mine, she wasn't a complete shambles immediately before Trespasser but was in a pretty bad state straight after it. Back when Solas originally broke up with her she was mostly confused. Before the defeat of Corypheus she thought that perhaps he felt their relationship was a distraction to the job at hand. He had seemed to have promised to tell her more once they had; she didn't imagine that she would have to wait for two years though. She was hurt that he went off straight after the battle and it did take the shine off the subsequent celebrations, particularly when Leliana revealed that the village Solas claimed to have come from had been unoccupied for years, which was the first intimation he could have been less than honest with her. I thought the balcony scene was very sad with her standing there alone and that is pretty much how it was for her the next two years. It didn't help that her BFF Dorian disappeared off back to Tevinter too. Still, she did have some other members of the team for company. It must have been noticeable the effect it had had on her though because even Vivienne asked her how she was coping in Trespasser, so those close to her knew she hadn't "moved on". As others have said, if Solas was her first love, which he was, it is going to have a profound impact. Also, I'm sure I read somewhere that the Dalish mate for life, or may be I just assumed it based off the story about our Warden's parents. Their mother pinned away after the death of her husband even though she had a child to care for who needed her. So, I don't think it was unreasonable that Lavellan was still waiting for Solas to come back to her and convinced that eventually he would.

Standing on the outside it is far easier to question her devotion. From that PoV, I always questioned Solas' timing in breaking up with her. Yes, it could help her focus on Corypheus but it could just as easily unsettled her equilibrium so she was less effective, particularly because he implied that there was more too it when he promised to tell her more. Of course, we know now that he was planning on recovering his orb. Had it not shattered, presumably he would have immediately embarked on his original plan. Thus, the break up was purely for the sake of his state of mind. He needed to distance himself from her so he could maintain his resolve to carry through with it. PW explained this. Solas would have abandoned his plan if he had told her the whole story back then and seriously considered doing so, but ultimately he felt he could not be true to himself if he didn't carry through with it, so broke up with her instead. By the time he caught up with her at the end of Trespasser, his ritual for Plan B was already underway, so he felt more able to reveal the truth without it compromising his resolve. It is why I find it hard to see how he can be "redeemed" at this point and Lavellan is deluded to think she can "change his heart" and deflect him from his course.

Deep down I think my Lavellan knows this, which is why it hit her so hard. Seeing Solas brought back all her old feelings for him but in the end he rejected her for his plan a second time and this time she knows the consequences of his decision, which are no longer hers to suffer alone. Now the two wolves are warring within her psyche: the gentle wolf that still loves him and wants to save him; the savage wolf that would gladly tear him to pieces in defense of her people. It remains to be seen which wolf wins.

Is this from Tevinter Nights? I admit, I'd been putting off reading it till closer to DA4. I hope it doesn't change our opinions of him too harshly.

after fighting hundreds of Qunari and sprinting through Elven ruins to find him, that she would be uninclined to humour him at that moment

Yes, I hope that isn't too big a spoiler for you

I've asked this before, but I have a poor memory and I need to ask again...

What is Briala's likely future without the Inquisition, in the scenario where she rules through Gaspard?

Do you guys think Solas was trying to manipulate the Inquisitor into disbanding, with that whole speech about spies and corruption?

Nah. I think he just genuinely believes that any longstanding organization will be eventually become prone to corruption.