Wow, this discussion is lively.... Anyhoo >.>'''
It seems that we have been discussing about different things
I was discussing about whether somebody else could lead the inquisition. I wasn't talking about how suitable they are or not for the job. But if we talk about who is suitable for the job after the main events then it's possible that somebody else could be even more suitable for the job than you. I think it's hinted in the epilogue that not everybody approves that you are leading the inquisition. When times goes on people might forget what you have done and they might start to question whether you did all those things what you did. In that case you might not be the best person to lead the inquisition and it might be wise to give the position to somebody else.
I don't think anybody ever got universal appraisal, and existence of people disagreeing with Inquisitor, wanting to tear them down or jealous of his/her power are the most natural thing in the world. However, a large portion of epilogue - and how famous and revered Inquisitor is - depends in large part on the player. We can have Inquisitors who are generally well-liked and respected among people and nobility or those who are either meh, or bad enough to not guarantee themselves support of others after dealing with Corypheus.
Also - finding an easy replacement for Inquisitor is problematic, even if only for one reason: our Inquisitor is built throughout the story as someone who becomes legend; one that will either build power to save or doom Thedas. If Inquisitor can be replaced - just like that - it would undermine the entire setup of the story, which is all about the rise of Inquisition and its leader.
Add to that the conflict I mentioned before - Inquisitor being bound by duty to Thedosians, forced to make a decision between two (possibly equal) choices adds great dramatic tension to the story. I see no reason why Bioware wouldn't go that way, instead of providing easy way out for the Herald. That would be such a cop out.
I haven't been talking about a DLC concentrating on romanced Lavellan and her adventures with Solas. I have been talking about a situation which could happen in the DAI's last DLC where it could be possible for romanced Lavellan to join Solas. So their story is resolved in a DLC and DA4 could start with a new protagonist. It also wouldn't be an adventure. It would be a decision where Lavellan would leave the inquisition for good and move on with her life.
.... Um, what makes you think I've been talking about something different?
His mission comes first but it doesn't meant that he doesn't love Lavellan or doesn't want to be with her.
Did I say that he doesn't love her or he doesn't want to be with her?
I only said that it might be irrelevant - and he seems to think that way, since he broke up with her. The mission he's dedicated to apparently requires him sacrificing their relationship on an altar of either duty or redemption and so far he chooses it over being with her, no matter how desperately he wants it.
Whether something would happen that might change his mind is an unknown, but so far - as far as we know - he keeps her at a distance.
I thought that you were talking about steering suspicions away from elves because Solas would want to restore elves by changing the people's attitudes towards them. I was disagreeing on that because the reason why he wants you to get allies is because the orb is elven and when people find out about that it might have some negative consequences if you haven't proved that you are a good ally.
I think Solas is desperate and he needs inquisition to get his orb back and he sees that if he helps inquisition and inquisition succeeds in defeating Corypheus then he can get his orb back. That is the most important thing for him because he needs that orb to help his people. He would do whatever it takes to help them so revealing Skyhold to people is quite minor price to pay for achieving his goal.
The fact that he helps Inquisition to achieve his goal is a no-brainer; he even says that to Inquisitor at one point (after Halamshiral). However, where else he'd want to reinstate ancient elves if not to Thedas itself? Like I said, I think that there's more to his mission than just restoring elves to what they were - but I'm pretty sure it requires change of attitude in Thedosians; not just towards elves, but likely magic and the Fade itself.
I think it depends on the inquisitor whether they suspected anything. Some of the inquisitors are probably confused at the end about his disappearance and they didn't suspect anything while others might have some suspicions earlier.
Possibly. Depends on how people RP. But, logically speaking, most Inquisitors who are actually insightful - and especially Lavellans who'd choose to romance him and probably spent more time with him off-screen - would have to have an inkling that he's more than just a powerful apostate Dreamer.
Heck, even if Solas eventually lost his nerve and didn't tell Lavellan who he is in last scene they have, I wonder how many times and how overtly he hinted at it at suitable occasions? IF he was smart about it, he would want to prepare her for the eventual Grand Reveal.
Alas, maybe he wasn't smart about it - after all, it seems that after he falls for Inquisitor all his rational thinking gets thrown out of the window. I still have no idea how he thought that it wouldn't end with a breakup as disastrous as it ended up to be.
I suspect that Abelas knew who Solas is so most likely the ancient elves would know who he is.
Abelas only seems o recognize that Solas is an ancient elf.
There is probably fighting factions among ancient elves. But how does that differ from humans on Thedas? There are also fighting factions among them. I believe that it's also possible that you are not safe even if you are inquisitor. People might try to assassinate you regardless where you are. What comes to mark it can be a good thing or a bad thing.
It's most likely that the ancient elves wouldn't approve you at first and this doesn't differ from the situation what you had when you became inquisitor so what are you trying to say?
What I'm trying to say is that it's not a guarantee that ancient elves would approve of Inquisitor or that she'd feel less of an outsider with them as he did with other Thedosians. That was my entire point.
Besides it's more likely that some of the ancient elves would approve you eventually.
Um, just like many Thedosians did, during various stages of Inquisition's growth.
I think inquisitor would a bad ambassador for ancient elves. Why would they want an elven inquisitor to represent them? Why would they trust her when she is not ancient elf? People on Thedas would loose their trust in you if you would be inquisitor and ambassador for ancient elves at the same time.
It could be exactly the same if she'd just try and join them.
Also - I wasn't just talking about ancient elves, but elves in general. What about city elves? What about the Dalish? Even if elven Inquisitor was always skeptical of things Dalish claimed (as mine did), she still wouldn't want to just write them off. Shunning people or groups would not only make her no better than them - it's also something Solas seems to disapprove of greatly.