So will we be getting Varric back? Plus good news about dorian.

According to Tevinter Nights he is doing the very important job of co-ordinating information gathering from his base in Kirkwall. This is, after all, where he gifted the Inquisitor an estate even before Solas' revelation, so it does seem as though he wanted to stay friends and now, of course, it can be the Inquisitor's base of operations as well. Thus he is not sitting things out but is involved at a distance from the action in Tevinter, whilst I can see Dorian as the contact up north to whom Varric would send any useful information and leads to follow up.   So we don't need to see him, just receive notes from him, or maybe hear his voice over the communication crystal.

If they do reduce that to just a story arc, that’s even worse than I imagined. I see it more like Solas’s plot will be like the Blight in DAO, or Corypheus in DAI (or Reapers in ME). The other plots are dealt with both to gain allies as well as disrupt the villain’s plans. If so, then it makes sense to use the Inquisitor.
Do like the idea of Antiva not being used though. Save that for a later game.

Disagree on Inquisitor being boring (also lol at Warden being better), but absolutely agree on all the negatives about being a NPC.

It matters in the sense that for example Solas has a weak spot with the Inquisitor. Anyone else he’d kill without hesitation, as we’ve seen.

It's not that I have anything against comics and I do read them but only when they are dirt cheap or free with comixology. Otherwise it is just a waist because I don't really appreciate the artwork even if it's great but I also am a speed reader and I just blow through them incredibly fast and comics can get expensive really quickly when you can read four hundred pages in a comic book in under two hours. If I was a billionare or a millionare though I would buy comics en mass.

Okay I keep hearing about this "charter" is the character from the comics only or game as well? Also does that mean you think lace Harding will be a squademate.

If I really want to read manga, I check it out at the free library. I'm a minimalist- not only do I not want to spend that money, I literally don't want it in my house in piles.

I'd certainly be curious to see who returns for DA4.

I feel that Scout Harding is a shoe-in. The devs seem to like her. And wasn't she present at the end of Trespasser? And had a bard song dedicated to her? Seems like they could be setting her up to be in the next game.

Dorian is very likely to return as well. I could also see Calpurnia returning. Maevaris from the war table mission and the comics will also be there as likely as not, given that there's various mentions of her in Inquisition and Tevinter Nights. As for Varric... I think it would be interesting if he had a similar role to Duncan in Origins. Someone to get the protagonist involved in the main plot.

Perhaps, he would even perish as Duncan did, upsetting his enthusiastic fanbase. Kidding. But it's possible.

They’d probably force our character to be super angry and depressed about it, instead of thankful to Solas.

The conflict between the Antaam and Tevinter seems definitely likely to be the setting at the start of the game. It could even be the catalyst to get our new hero involved. They said in the video they would be exploring what happens when the people in charge aren't dealing with important issues. If the comics and Tevinter Nights are anything to go by, the Magisterium seems to be doing sweet FA about stopping the progress of the Antaam down the east side of Tevinter. If our new hero actually lived on that side of the Imperium, they might feel somewhat aggrieved about the inaction on the part of their leadership. Alternatively, if they were a slave, it might give them the opportunity to grab their freedom but nevertheless they might still not be happy about how the Antaam are treating people. If, as Tevinter Nights suggests, they are progressing without the support of the rest of the Qun, then they will not have the requisite number of the priesthood that would normally be used to convert the population. Again, according to TN, it would seem the Antaam's way of dealing with this problem is to utilise the conquered as a slave workforce and use qamek on those who object. Our new hero might start off seeking to prevent this or help people escaping the conflict, may be escorting them as far as Minrathous. This gets them involved in the politics there. Additionally it brings them into contact with Dorian, our first link with the Inquisition, although at first he may not reveal this to them, just suggest ways in which they can help him with the situation. I'm pretty sure that there is going to be something important to stopping Solas in or under Minrathous.

Also, we should not forgot that it was an agent of Solas who was trying to escalate the conflict by bombing Kont-aar and framing Tevinter for it. We also know that the the Ariqun, through her Rasaan and Ben'Hassrath, is actively engaged in finding out information about Solas. So it would clearly seem to be in Solas' interests to escalate and prolong the war. Thus the conflict is not a mere backdrop to the main plot to stop Solas but an integral part of it.


Once again, I think the Grey Wardens are not going to be a side show we have to deal with in order to get assistance or some such against Solas but an important part of the plot to stop him. In this case, understanding the nature and origins of the Blight could be important because of the relationship of the Black City to the ancient elves and why he thought his previous action was necessary in raising the Veil in the first place. Or simply to understand how to deal with the problem of red lyrium. There is also that new development concerning the monster pools. Why did the one under Hormack become active once again? (Since it seems pretty unlikely it has been spewing out beasties these last few millennia and no one noticed up until now). So who is responsible for them reawakening? Is this due to some effect of Solas' ritual? Or is it some other rogue element in Thedas? Is that magic that created the pools and the magic that caused red lyrium in some way related? Is Solas so determined to go ahead with his plan because he thinks Thedas is already doomed to be destroyed by the blight? If so, even if we stop him, there is little triumph in it if the world dies anyway. Thus "saving the world" is more than just a hunt for some mad elf wizard and may well be something that cannot be achieved by simple force of arms.

Thus I agree with you that not only are the conflict in Tevinter and the Grey Wardens likely to be an important element in the game but also the main plot to save the world. It will bring together the various strands of lore we have acquired from previous games and ideas that started there. It is also why it will not be necessary to have the Inquisitor around to stop Solas because in many ways he is not the main focus of the efforts of our hero but simply one part of many threats to the survival of our world. In some ways I'm hoping that this isn't just the completion of the Solas arc but in fact the whole plot arc concerning the blight that was started back in DAO.

Then the world is reset ready for DA5, should that ever become a reality and we can begin afresh, may be with new political intrigue, may be with exploration. Whatever the case, the original story arc is complete, which would be just as well given any sequel would likely not be for another 10 years.

That's what the kindle is for. Although I admit I do love seeing all the books I own. But only if it isn't piled up in a clutter. I hate that.