Andraste - from Prophet to Party Member in DA4?

I voted for what I think is closest to "Alamarri priest, most certainly mage, who encountered a perculiar spirit". Temporary host of Mythal might also work, given that vengeance could be seen as a thing.

The closest way I would ever want "Andraste" to be in party is if it came in the form of a modern person who is under the impression they are her reincarnation, distant descendant, or something along those lines.

Leliana in DAO believed she was receiving visions from the Maker (which is preposterous in current Chantry doctrine), so having a potential companion believe they were Andraste's reincarnation or something similar wouldn't be too far out there. Like Leliana, we would be free to believe that she was either a delusional fool or the genuine item as we saw fit. All while the game itself did nothing to confirm or deny either viewpoint. But that's about all I'd be willing to tolerate. I would be beyond disappointed and even angry if we got a genuine Andraste in our party.

As for the poll question, I chose "Crazy Normal Woman" as that was closer to my personal theory that she was an alamarri tribeswoman who was influenced by a spirit of some kind that she interpreted as the Maker. I do not believe she was a mage per se, but it is a definite possibility, but I also would not be surprised if she was a warrior with magic-like abilities (Spirit warriors anyone?). Or an ancient Seeker. Similarly, her being influenced and/or possessed by Mythal's wisp is also a distinct possibility, but I hope this is not the case.

I'm not so sure, I doubt Solas isn't the only Evanuris will encounter from looking at the concept art of him facing some other figure (Falon'din?)


The Executors too are probably gonna be apart of DA4 and Solas is  afraid of them from reading the TN short story, so that's means them or their leader must be on at least the same footing as Solas (Elven God/Old God/The Maker/ Eldritch Abomination/etc)

Even if Andraste isn't the Makers Bride or what the chantry claims she was, that doesn't have any real bearing on whenever the Maker exists or not, just that the Chantry version of him and the myths built around Andraste are incorrect. 
The Maker is largely absent from Thedas anyway, so either they're a deistic God (Which is what the Chantry teaches) or just isn't around at all.

Nah, leave that bitch in the ground.

I definitely agree they can get around this one (see previous post). However, I do think Andraste would be most interesting as a reincarnated soul who doesn't fully remember their past but just gets flashes of insight via their dreams. The Avvar, and thus by extension the Alamarri, believe this to be possible and not just for former gods.

I'd also point out that if Solas did succeed in bringing down the Veil and they decided to go with Drakon actually having received a genuine vision of the future, then in addition to the return of the Elven Gods, it is entirely possible that Andraste could be restored too. What has never been made clear is what exactly does happen to souls after death. If they have been trapped somewhere, or just the souls of great heroes, then perhaps we will get some sort of cosmic battle between the forces of light and darkness.

Black Magic Ritual Where is the header image art from? If it's not Bioware's, would be nice if you linked back to the artist.

I'm pretty sure that's an invention of the "Orlesian" Chantry. It's the excuse used for their female only clerics and Divine, while the old/Tevinter Andrastian cults referenced in-game aren't limiting clerical power based on gender.

The DA series has a theme of "how people, time and the Fade deform history". It's brought up a few times by Flemeth (all 3 games), Cassandra and Solas. "The Bride of the Maker" is probably just another one of those things. Like all the Dalish lore being sideway compared to what actually happened.

That doesn't clear Hanako's main point though, that being: if Bioware is so committed to neither confirming or denying the Maker's existence, why try to dismantle the Chant?

Solas taking (rightful) credit of the veil is one thing, but answering questions pertaining to 'the truth' of Andraste and her supposed union with the Maker will more likely than not just paint the Chant as a book of fanciful lies. One where everything that has happened pertaining to Andraste can be explained by spirits, magic, Mythal, or so on--thus leaving the Maker as little more than a fabrication mortals came up with as an explanation. And while it is true that the game can still claim that the "it was the Maker's will" or some such, but come on now, that explanation will only feel forced at best and cheap at worst at that point.

At the end of the day, I think the best thing Bioware can do pertaining to Andraste is leave the 'truth' pertaining to her feats largely undiscovered. Lost to ambiguity and historic inaccuracies. Because for all of Dragon Age is about 'discovering lost lore' and 'recovering lost history', the biggest--and most unfortunate--reality for a good amount of lost history is that it stays lost. So lost that it is virtually impossible for the truth to be recovered. Andraste should be like that. A story and a legend with various forms, but nothing more than that. A gloriously incomplete portrait wherein players are more than free to paint any number of theories on her.

To be clear, I would not be opposed to hearing different viewpoints on her life or, say, some historian pointing out how spirit visions can be used as an explanation for her 'miracles'. But I would be opposed to us being put through old fade memories belonging to her, or it being confirmed that she was being manipulated by an ancient elvhen god in some form. I know that last one may be where they are taking things, but hey, just my two cents.

"Andraste as a party member" seems like a bad idea. Lets not.

And? I know accounts both within and out of the Chant are prone to error and contradiction. I know that historical accounts are likely to be taken out of context or have metaphors taken too literally. I know that bodies of text can be warped by political agendas. I know that the Chant is more of a compendium of various folk tales from various cultures (or appropriated from other cultures). I know that different cultures have different beliefs on Andraste and what she did/was. It's something I appreciate within the setting with how it can show just how much Thedosians get wrong and how easy it can be to lose accurate accounts.

But my questions is "Why should we know the 'actual' Andraste?". Why can't we let the contradictions stand? Or the different accounts? Or the differing viewpoints? In a franchise so dedicated to uncovering ancient mysteries and dismantling almost everything modern thedosians know, why can't Andraste be one of those mysteries that can remain a mystery?

Sometimes there is great value in a mystery that continues to go unanswered.

Because Andraste and the chantry's past are likely going to be unearthed in DA4 regardless anyway, either through Solas and Flemeth having a connection with her (which is plausible), her being the carrier of Dumat's OGS (which is also, considering the year of her birth, plausible) or the Executors turing out to being a cult that venerates her, the maker of some other Evanuris. (which considering Solas fear of them, is also plausible.)

My logical guess is that Andraste was the original Old God Baby, and Mythal/Flemeth was either her half sister Halliserre or the alchemist that propositioned to her father about doing the ritual in the first place. The person who slew Dumat then was either him or The Guardian we meet in The Temple of Sacred Ashes.
Considering the nature of the Old Gods, I'd say Andraste likely survived her supposed death by fire in Tevinter and is likely still alive somewhere in Thedas (most likely wherever the Guardian & the Urn of Sacred Ashes is now.)    
Flemeth/Mythal got the short end of the stick, which would explain why she needs to keep having daughters in order to prolong her life, and where Morrigan would've first learned how to do the Dark Ritual.

I don't get either why people want it to remain a mystery for the sake of it.
That argument had merit back in Origins release day but now I just want a clearer answer instead of all these contradictions and confusing rewrites from the writers. 3 games in now and the player hasn't the faintest idea why Morrigan or Flemeth wanted the OGS soul for anyway besides cryptic lines like "she awaits the new age."