Fate of Thedas (SPOILERS)

[Lonethiella]

I posted this with a screenshot in the gallery outside of the forums but am moving it here. YES it does contain spoilers for the Trespasser DLC along with a lot of analytical eyeing of events over the course of the game and dlc's.

 

If you’re reading this you love Solas. I know I love the egg-headed bastard. Or if you don’t love Solas the title caught your attention. Our ancient elf has good intentions for his people, but suffers from a near sightedness that seems to blind him to the fate of his people in the semi close future. What he is planning to do may destroy more than just the current world of Thedas, it may destroy his people.These thoughts came about while I daydreamed about my Inquisitor speaking to Solas about his folly.

It latched onto my brain and would not let go as I pondered the realistic reactions of Thedas and the elvhenan to these drastic changes that Fen’harel wants to bring about. The fate I saw was not a happy one and makes the sundering of the Veil all the more dangerous. It is now my head-canon.

The ones to be affected the most would be the elvhen. A people that for two millennia have been stepped on, abused, used, usurped and betrayed; with lifespans equal to humans and mages random in their society would suddenly find their entire world, their entire culture, in upheaval. The impact of their almost immortal lifespans would sink in slowly, however the resurgence of magic among all elves would be felt immediately. Dalish and City Elves would have the means of overwhelming anyone who dared to try and force them back into servitude. Most amongst the Elvhen would want retribution for the suffering of their people, the power of their magic filling their head with a sense of godhood. City elves and most Dalish would have no training in controlling this newfound power and those already mages would be overwhelmed. Elves would fracture into groups: those wanting revenge, those confused and scared, and those who want nothing to do with the magic at all.

For the rest of Thedas the cities that housed a Circle would suffer catastrophic damage: Kinloch Hold, White Spire, Pemberton, Minrathous, etc. So much magical energy is stored in the Circles in the forms of artifacts, stable with the Veil in place. The might stored there would become unstable and explode, causing widespread death. Chaos would consume the kingdoms with everything in shambles; armies scattered, trade lines disrupted, a sudden enemy in the Elvhenan inside their lands and some seeking
revenge.

This would pale in comparison to the destruction that would come forth from the Qunari. Their elvhen converts would be forced into being Saarebas, or outright killed. Once the Qunari had purged the elves they would turn their sights on the mainland. The Viddasala’s planned attack on the South would be nothing compared to the Army that would take advantage of the turmoil to sweep across the lands. So many would be slaughtered, the human kingdoms scrambling to defend themselves and the elves would be key targets.

The Qunari would want Fen’harels’ head if he still lived.

I cannot see the future of Thedas being a pretty one. There would be a blood bath of extreme proportions staining the soil of the land.

 

Extra thoughts: Does the Veil encompass all of the world Thedas resides in or would it have a gradual end to it?

 

 

Extra Extra thoughts: I just realized that I forgot something else that he said that would have an effect on the future of Thedas.

He says that the world is colorless and full of Tranquil. The people of Thedas still have emotions, but what were they like before the Veil then? Would these feelings be doubled, or tripled, with the Veil torn down? Such a sudden strength of ones emotions would likely cause insanity as no one is used to dealing with them in such a force.

Is this also why Solas fell for Lavellan so deeply in such a short time? (I think they said the game branches over 3 years before Trespasser) This could also be why he's so manic on bringing back the past. His own emotions are stunted, or out of control next to a Thedosian, he could be being driven insane by it.

 

 

Extra Extra Extra thoughts: Unless... one of the ways to weaken the Veil that we already know about is through blood shed, through war, where spirits gather close to such spots and weaken the barrier. We've seen it in the games, the old Warden Keep in Origins, Ostagar, the Brecilian Forest, etc. A great war was to have been fought in the Brecilian Forest before humans ever settled there.

And Solas is collecting the elvhenan to him (as seen in the end game slides). Is he planning on a war? Blood spilt to weaken the veil enough that the power he's accumulated thus far can achieve his plans? He waged war on the Evanuris with freed slaves before the construction of the veil. What if part of the Veil's birth was widespread blood magic from battlefields?

Starting a war of elves vs. humans/qunari would weaken the Veil, give the power of blood (which he has said is just another form of working magic with no inherently evil base! ) to supplement what he has already. And if Lavellan knew... she could stop him in his tracks. Then Inquisitor still holds sway in nations and could rally an army while he gathers his, taking away the advantage of surprise.

 

 

DON'T FORGET: Patrick Weekes says there is HOPE for Solavellan!

[Qessanea]

Hope for Solavellan?! I'm utterly thrilled to hear that part. I don't do the whole social media thing, so I never hear these updates, other than second, third, fourth hand. But thanks for passing that nugget on :D

 

Certainly, the method you've outlined for breaking the Veil, i.e. mass killing, sounds workable. I would have thought, however, as a product of a world where magical wonders inconceivable to current minds reigned, Solas would have something more sophisticated in mind. Well, at least, he'd know of more sophisticated methods and want to use them. Whether he can actually get his hands on such methods/artefacts, or if things designed in the pre-Veil world would even function in a Veiled world, is another matter entirely. Of course, there is also the 'game' aspect to consider. Solas's methods have to allow the writers to create a method that suits the format of an RPG game, rather than just a straight narrative. That must be a fascinating challenge for a writer :smile:. The whole war-to-weaken-the-Veil would suit a game narrative, and what you said about not telling Lavellan if this was his long-term plan so she can't then interfere fits with this. Certainly, would work better for a RPG than Solas finding a Magical Veil Ripper then three, two, one, BOOM!

[Lonethiella]

The bloodshed might be all he needs to bring the veil down. It would just take some time, and for an immortal elf he has all the time he needs. It's the Evanuris that worries him. 'I have plans'. Yes, Solas, so why don't you divulge those plans to our Inquisitors like you did with the Veil? Stupid egg-head. I hope he isn't going to try to pull some Aslan s#*! or take them down with him. My Lavellan would have some s#*! to say about that.

[Aintiarna]

If as a elf, even an elf who is in a romance with Solas you select the "why must the world die?" dialogue option instead of "let me help you", you get the same response that all the other races get. Solas is not talking about restoring modern day elves, he's talking about restoring ancient elves. Unless this is a dialogue mess up of "Who's Mythal?" proportions, he does not see modern day elves as "people", not in the way that Mythal clearly does. Watch the youtube videos if you're not convinced or replay it yourself. He doesn't see modern day elves being restored, but killed like all the other races. People like Abelas will be the only ones left standing when he's done. Yes, he came close with a romanced Lavellan, but didn't quite make it in the end and I think one modern elf being "people" to him is still not enough to steer him from his course.

 

Of course all that is a moot point, because clearly it will go about as well as all his other plans have gone. ;) And there is the issue of Mythal now inside Morrigan who will be making a comeback to show us just how much she has been playing with him. "As long as the music plays, we dance."

 

I doubt he'll need blood magic to enter the fade and tear down the veil, now that he has The Hand.

[Lonethiella]

If as a elf, even an elf who is in a romance with Solas you select the "why must the world die?" dialogue option instead of "let me help you", you get the same response that all the other races get. Solas is not talking about restoring modern day elves, he's talking about restoring ancient elves. Unless this is a dialogue mess up of "Who's Mythal?" proportions, he does not see modern day elves as "people", not in the way that Mythal clearly does. Watch the youtube videos if you're not convinced or replay it yourself. He doesn't see modern day elves being restored, but killed like all the other races. People like Abelas will be the only ones left standing when he's done. Yes, he came close with a romanced Lavellan, but didn't quite make it in the end and I think one modern elf being "people" to him is still not enough to steer him from his course.

 

Of course all that is a moot point, because clearly it will go about as well as all his other plans have gone. :wink: And there is the issue of Mythal now inside Morrigan who will be making a comeback to show us just how much she has been playing with him. "As long as the music plays, we dance."

 

I doubt he'll need blood magic to enter the fade and tear down the veil, now that he has The Hand.

 

If that is true why is he waiting? And why gather the People to him if he's going to kill them all?

Argh, he makes my head hurt.

[Aintiarna]

 

If that is true why is he waiting? And why gather the People to him if he's going to kill them all?

Argh, he makes my head hurt.

 

 

I was slightly playing Devil's advocate in that last post. I'm still not convinced we can hang on the intricacies of Bioware's writing to the extent that some people have. Maybe he does intend to save modern elves and they just wrote it wrong. I suspect they'll adjust the details somewhat to fit in with whatever narrative works for them in the next game anyway. But you're right. It doesn't all add up. There is a possibility of modern elves being safely sequestered in the crossroads while the rest of Thedas burns when the veil falls. Who knows? Or maybe the elves following him are being deceived. Perhaps they believe he will restore them.

 

It all hinges on how they plan to allow us to end the next game. Sandal's little prophecy was quite clear that "one day the magic will return, all of it..." etc. Maybe it will not be up to the player to stop it, but to find a way to make sure it doesn't result in mass destruction. I can't imagine any ending of DA4 where every race apart from elves are wiped out and Solas is god king of Elvhenan restored. Game ending constraints may dictate the story more than anything else. I suspect it will be the forces of Mythal, Solas and the inquisition all playing a big role in any case. When the game talked about elves disappearing, I thought it was the writers setting them up as the next cerberus/venatori/red templars/multiplayer baddies/etc. than it was about creative freedom. Maybe I'm being too cynical.

[Aintiarna]

And yes, he makes my head hurt too. More than that I'm still bitter about how my Lavellan romance ended, even though I knew it was never going to end well. Next quizzy is getting married to nice safe Cullen.

[Qessanea]

Tinorney:

I'm sorry, please pardon my ignorance, but what do you mean by "Mythal now inside Morrigan"? I thought Mythal was now inside Solas, as was Urthemiel if your world state still has her in existence via Kieran. Well, that was my interpretation of the epilogue of the main game: Solas absorbing Mythal out of Flemeth without her consent. I know some have different interpretations, though I never saw anything that I thought could translate into Mythal going into Morrigan. Not that I wouldn't be thrilled if that was the case. I'd love Morrigan to play a significant role. I was a bit disappointed that she seemed to fade into the background once Flemeth/Mythal took Urthemiel from Kieran (if that's what happened).

[Aintiarna]

It was datamined and published a long time ago. Search for "flemeth datamined". It's on reddit somewhere. She passed on the essence of Mythal to morrigan before solas took what was left, presumably through the eluvian she was using during the post-credits scene. Solas has Flemeth's power, but not the essence of Mythal's being, and probably not Urthemiel either.

 

I do hope when Morrigan comes back in DA4 that the writers show her character a little more respect. She got far too much special snowflake treatment in Inquisition for my liking.

[Thandal]

 

... I do hope when Morrigan comes back in DA4 that the writers show her character a little more respect. She got far too much special snowflake treatment in Inquisition for my liking.

 

David Gaider has moved on from the DA-series, so no matter what it's unlikely we'll get a Morri like we had in DA:O.