LOVE IT!!! 
When I watched the demo and saw some of the stills on the website, I wondered where all this red lyrium came from? and how it became so wide spread.... I wondered if word got out of Meredith's power from red lyrium and some templars actively sought it but how come it's out and about now and not underground. I mean Varric and his bro didn't even know what it was, right?
I think so, yes. And in the E3 demo Dorian seemed super fascinated by it. Regular lyrium can kill mages, right? And red lyrium drives people crazy and eventually turns them into automatons so... how would red lyrium affect mages? I mean, it was all over the castle. Did they hear about Meredith and cultivate it? If so, how?
I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the Fade. I just went into the wiki and found this on Batrand's page:
Three years later, in Act 3, it is discovered that Bartrand had chipped a piece of the idol off and left it in the house, which causes the house to behave as if it was haunted, as if the Veil was torn. When Varric picks up the piece of the idol, he starts to exhibit the same symptoms of madness Bartrand showed, at which point you can either let Varric keep the piece, or you can take it from him with the intent of having Sandal destroy it.
And from the lyrium page:
It is also known to thin the Veil, allowing Spirits and apparitions to interact with the physical world.
Hmm. Maybe this is a part of the reason why we have to stop the Red Templars? I mean, y'know, besides the crazy killing automaton part. They're spreading red lyrium and thinning the veil, making the Fade breaches worse? Or maybe this is just what's happening in general? Or the red lyrium appearing everywhere is a result of the Fade breaches, but is also in turn making the breaches worse?