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

Regarding the number of games planned, I am pretty sure I remember Mike Laidlaw saying in one of his interviews leading up to DAI's release, or not long after its release that they had no cap on games in the Dragon Age setting. I often see the 'five game series' thing but I'm not sure where it comes from! Do any of you have a source for that?

I am trying to find the interview I remember to double check.

ETA: Here's a link to the video (which might not actually play video - it's hit and miss - and is embedded in a Game Informer article), but it actually does reference "the five-game plan, and further."  So you're right - this story arc is probably five games long, but they're not saying there will be no Dragon Age games after that (yet).  

www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2013/08/07/a-look-inside-dragon-age-inquisition-39-s-development.aspx

Actually I am nearly certain the Veil will come down, no matter what since there are THREE prophecies about it (one neutral - Sandal, one good - Canticle of Exaltations and one bad - Eleni Zivonia) 

Sandal:
"One day the magic will come back. All of it. Everyone will be just like they were. The shadows will part, and the skies will open wide.
When he rises, everyone will see."

Canticle of Exaltations:
"...
And I looked up and saw
The seven gates of the Black City shatter,
And darkness cloaked both realms.

I covered my face, fearful,
But the Lady took my hands from my eyes,
Saying, "Remember the fire. You must pass
Through it alone to be forged anew.
Look! Look upon the Light so you
May lead others here through the darkness,
Blade of the Faith!"

In dread I looked up once more
And saw the darkness warp and crumble,
For it was thin as samite,
A fragile shroud over the Light
Which turned it to ash.
..."

Eleni Zinovia:
"The prison is breached. I see the encroaching darkness. The... the shadow will consume all..." (the Veil is also a prison for the Evanuris)

Shadows/darkness is a repeating theme, Eleni Zinovias' prophecy is missing the part AFTER the shadows but I'm pretty certain it still foreshadows the removal of the Veil.
Eleni gave her prophecy while there were tears in the Veil around her, it probably allowed spirits to communicate with more ease (prophecies are given by spirits who exist out of time) with her but it also caused her a lot of distress. 

I am personally not worried about the whole "Everyone will be just like they were", it doesn't say "everyone will have magic", it just says magic will return. Notice not all the sentinels (whether alive or in spirit form) use magic, it's not very clear but I don't think everyone had the ability to master magic.
I personally think that if at the end of DA4 there will be no Veil it'll set up DA5 to deal with the Evanuris or something else, removal of the Veil doesn't mean there will be no conflicts between mages and mundanes, it may even escalate (maybe that's part of the whole "burn in raw chaos", Thedas as it is today isn't prepared to deal with more magic).

Shari'El - Solas say's that "magic was as natural to elves as breathing". I would assume that in pre-veil world every elf had potential to use magic. As for sentinels not using magic but rather psychical weapons, I don't know why wouldn't they be different from any post-veil elves who suddenly lost their powers (and, gameplay wise, imagine fighting mage sentinels on nightmare without dispel) . Solas was very lucky that he kept his talent.
That was about elves. But we don't know what humans and dwarves were before the creation of the Veil. Maybe the merging of the reality and Fade would not affect them in any way?
In this situation we have a world where spirits and demons run free, elves suddenly get magic powers and humans who are confused and lost. I can see plenty of opportunities for new conflicts and the escalation of already existing ones. Andrastians see that Black City are ruins of ELVEN city (if BC=Arlathan), Templars are surrounded by regular people turning mages, mages surrounded by spirits, which they have feared their whole lives. The material is endless.

And I agree. In DA4 we will likely see the Veil failing down, if in the proced we get proper closure for our Inquisitors, the DA5 will be have interesting setting and fresh problems for our new protagonists to deal with.

Shari'El - You are right, but I imagine that all ancient elves could use magic. Not all were gifted equally and only the ones with exceptional talent continued to be mage in post-veil world. We are not speaking of hurling fireballs on daily basis but rather "I can't reach that spoon, I will just reach it with magic", "oh! My master's shirt has torn, I will sew it with my magic"and so on.
That's why we see armories of mundane weapons. The Solas army was made from former SLAVES. They all had magic, yet they didn't known how to summon thunderbolt from their fingertips and it was too late to teach them. Simple shielding spell and sword would suffice. I can't imagine why they wouldn't. Arcane Warriors were unique because they were already trained soldiers in wielding magic, who used physical weapons too, I can imagine that average elf gifted in battlemagic would be more vulnerable for melee attack. Using slaves who imitated AW strategy would be great tactic. I may be headcanoning too much, but it's what I see.
As for spirit sentinels, I remember that Dorian in one of his bater with Solas says that Spirits don't have magical talent. Yet we see Wisps throwing their bolts of energy and Pride demons summoning electricity magic. This may be just gameplay, but I honestly don't know what to think.

Dwarven "magic" is definitely tied to Titans. Maybe elves are responsible for their severed ties? I find it unlikely. The memories of Titans were deliberately deleted from Sharperate. I think it was dwarves themselves. However, I don't think they would be effected by the returning of the Fade, they always have been connected to more "real" side of Thedas. As for humans, for me they are wild card.

I would be certainly interesting. In TES universe everyone can use magic, but they treat it more like painting, everyone can learn, but few have talent and determination to do so, and in Witcher-verse to gain magical abilities people have to undergo long, elite training. Everyone running amok with fire spewing from their hands would be certainly a breath of fresh air.

And I would really like to see world pre-veil, as someone earlier said, in memory in Fade or something. This would give nice perspective to all players of what could be.

If humans (and possibly Qunari) did in fact not exist before the Veil, then a Veil-less world, if we go with Sandal's prophecy, where "everyone will be just like they were" suggests that humans might no longer exist, or, if they were dwarf/elf hybrids bred to be soldiers or to withstand the Veil, they'll become dwarves and elves again, but I'm not sure how that would happen. Maybe only if they have kids - the kids will be dwarves or elves. Anyway, that's another concern I have about the Veil-less world. Presumably BioWare has a way to keep humans in the game. If not, I suspect a majority of fans will be very disgruntled.

I think it's more a metaphor to the post-veil Thedas being unnatural state of this world. I would assume that humans will be fine (except that "world burning in raw chaos" Solas you pessimist). The good direction in which story could go is that humans could be overthrown from the position of top species. With all elves suddenly gaining powers, dwarves reuniting with Titans, whatever qunari would do, it could give Thedas severely needed balance of powers.

And Qunari are definitely super-soldiers created by Ghilan'nain. I just really wanted to say that. 

Form the meta point of view, Bioware can't eradicate any of existing races, so I think your speculation is unlikely to happen.  

Recently I tried to interest my boyfriend in Dragon Age and since he loves the Mass Effect trilogy, I showed him the Krogan head in Winter Palace. Then we started theorizing that DA planet is somewhere in Mass Effect universe and Protheans planted humans on Thedes, because they were competing with Ancient elves who was more snobby race.
It's highly unlikely that Bioware will officially join those two universes, but what if humans are really from beyond of DA world? Like for example the Hist trees, and in consequence the Argonians aren't originally from TES universe and migrated from another.
Humans being the invasive species in Thedas world would answer many questions. 
 

It'll also will raise other question like if they aren't from the world of Thedas then how come they can connect to the Fade and use magic?
I did wonder myself though if their origin is those moon men that Helsdim talked about, the quest is even called "They Came From Somewhere Else" Helsdim is the king of conspiracy theories, he wears a crown made of tinfoil. I don't take him seriously but I do wonder if BioWare hid truth in his ramblings (I kind of expect them to, they are such trolls).

Anyhow, they still could be from out of Thedas but just from another continent. Makes me wonder if there are other sentient races in that world that we don't know of...

That reminds me - those reptilian beings, the elves knew them, the dwarves knew them, where did they disappear to? Where did they come from?
I wonder if they'll show again once the Veil falls.

My canon Lavellan would look better in pink. And when Solas and she would exchange their vows, the clan Lavellan would come, because they aren't really dead, just went hiding. And everyone lived happily and long, rebuilding the Elven Glory. Team optimism too! 

I just really want Solas and Lavellan alive and well (without severe depression/guilt/wanting to die) at the end of DA4 as one of endings. Weekes has history of being that one writer in team who was always favouring multiple solutions for quests, so I think we really can count on him, giving us at least one possibility of bitter-sweet ending. 

Edit: Shari'El I think that the most possible (given the evidences we have) theory of human origin is that they are descendants of spirits like elves, but are indeed from the other continent. We know that Spirits can turn flesh and be human not elven (Cole) and humans are like dumbed down versions of elves (they have magical talent and connection to the fade, but for elves it's more common, they built advanced civilizations, but on the ruins of Elvhen). This is quite boring theory, but might as well be true.     

Blah...I don't remember if I posted this already or not. Oh well...


Solas and Lavellan - The Dread Wolf

Source - nero749.deviantart.com/art/The-Dread-Wolf-560543255?src=MC_deviation_stack

Throwing in this "Solas is Fabulous" Screen shot

Source - dalishlady.deviantart.com/art/Solas-is-Fabulous-628790314

Wow. This must be the best portrait of young Solas ever!  *____*



2019?



But most of the players will forget what was going on in Inquisition by that time, not to mention the relationship with Solas, which is crucial for the feels in DA4, regardles if Solas is your friend, foe or lover...

Anyway, if this is true, Blanketfort will need some considerable supplies of booze / chocolate / ice cream to get through this...

*starts hoarding supplies Nanny Ogg style*








Aww, Bunny, you are not a failure! It's completely normal to fail at an exam, it happened to most people, and in a few years you won't even remember it, or you will laugh at it

It will be all right, you'll see *hugs TheyCallMeBunny*

Elf hybrids are not impossible - Alistair, Michel de Chevin, and Feynriel are all the offspring of an elven and a human parent, so they are all hybrids. The elf traits do not get expressed in the hybrid, though. I think that is what you mean.

David Gaider explained elf genetics in a post on the old BSN, which I've made a screen capture of since I can't link to it anymore:




So, the offspring of an elf and a dwarf, like that of a human and a dwarf, will look like a tall dwarf or a short human. That's partly why I wonder if the ancient elves bred humans from elves and dwarves, either to build soldiers or to survive the world after the Veil went up. In the former case, I can easily see an ancient elf noble forcing elven slaves to mate with dwarves. In the latter case, I think if an ancient elf was worried about their line carrying on and thought there was hope of it continuing if they mingled their blood with dwarves, some would do it. Humans since that time could have evolved to be taller, so they no longer appear to be tall dwarves.

I have seen some fan theories that humans only have magic if they have elf blood - that might be the ONLY way elf traits get expressed - by conferring magical ability. We do know magical ability IS an inherited trait in Thedas - it's why nobles are careful not to marry people who are known to have mages in their bloodline. They don't want to have mage offspring.