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[SmilesJA]

Okay, I just didn't want to hijack this thread with my opinions when you had other intentions for it.

 

-  My first question would be one of facts.  We are aware that Solas lies to us throughout the entirety of DA:I.  One part of this was, for me, a bad storytelling trope of the "enigmatic omniscient" - a character who knows everything, but is being purposefully obtuse for no other reason than to serve the plot.  The other, he's a master manipulator, liar and thinks nothing of mortals.  They're beneath his concern and he admits this much in his last dialogue with the Inquisitor (I will visit this later). 

 

   What reason do we have to believe the story he feeds us at the end of Inquisition?  Here are things I would question about Solas.  

 

1)  Were the Evanuris "evil"?  Were they tyrants?  "How" were they going to destroy the world?  Solas DID destroy the world.  So, I'm not sure what he really achieved. 

 

2)  How did he create the Veil?  What means did he use?  Kill millions of elves?  Complete the "Veil Algorithm"?  Enchantment?!  

 

3)  He claims he was a liberator of his people, but then also that he did what he did out of vengeance to Mythal.  

 

4)  What are his plans when he tears down the Veil to take care of the Evanuris?  He claims "I have plans."  Yes, Solas... your plan to save your people failed.  Your plan to get your magical orb working failed.  And... as you claim.. you were wrong, again, about modern people. 

 

- The next problem comes with growth.  Solas tells us that he was wrong about seeing mortals as less than people.  He does nothing to show this.  He is caught in an endless loop of mistake and correction.  Actually, this is my entire issue with scientists and how they blunder through the world screwing it up and then screwing it up trying to correct their mistakes.  It happens in an endless loop.  There is nothing that shows me Solas is anything more than an egomaniac. 

 

1)  Solas recognizes that his intentions led to disaster.  He recognizes that his lack of consideration of consequences brought about the most dire of consequences.  Yet his assertion that "this time" things will work... while recognizing that he's going to bring abot disaster... shows, to me, a degeneration of his character.  Not growth. 

 

2)  Solas claims to see mortals as people because of the Inquisitor.  Yet, he never shows.  He still has no real issue wiping out humanity.  He is going through the motions of sadness, because he knows he "should" be sad about what he's saying - but he's rationalizing it with "I have to." because he doesn't actually feel what he's saying.  He's showing the same compassion for mortal-kind that an exterminator shows for insects.  There is no empathy regardless of his assertion. 

 

- My biggest issue is authority.  Solas claims he did what he did to liberate his people.  What gave him the authority to create the Veil?  What makes him morally superior to the other Evanuris?  What gives him the right to decide the elves need a second chance (can't help but think of Jurassic Park here)?  

 

1) He claims to appreciate spirits.  Yet, he decides what's best for Cole during Cole's personal mission.  I know this is a story construct to present an opposing view to Varrics, but it comes off as him being an authority on spirits.  He might be, but this does not suggest at all that he believes spirits are "equals" in any sense.  (Let's us forget the Avina console in the Elvhen library that suggests spirits were enslaved in their ancient kingdom).  

 

Knowledge might equip someone to action, but without empathy his actions have proven time and time again to bring only disaster.  Not only does an appeal to authority fail with Solas, I believe it should cause the opposite reaction.  He is everything that is wrong about the Cult of Personality.  

 

2)  What difference is there between him and the other Evanuris (Let's not pretend he wasn't.  He states clearly he missed courtly intrigues.)?   He decided what was best for not only the ancient elves, but for all of Thedas.  It seems clear that humans and dwarves existed at the time.  This isn't an independent man.  This is a demagogue and tyrant who shows no consideration for anything than his own myopic vision.  

 

Lastly... I would look to his "Approval" "Disapprovals" for an insight.  I believe he disapproves of anything that can potentially stop his plans.  The Templars... the Wardens... drinking from the Well.  

 

NOTE:  In hindsight I now actually regret NOT drinking from the Well... though I believe Morrigan will be the force that brings Solas to his knees (if not her, then several other factors I believe Mythal manipulated into place).  

 

I believe stopping Solas is the best thing Bioware could do with Thedas.  If Solas got what he proposed we will be dealing with a Mass Effect: Andromeda all over again.  The story we've known for three or more games will be wiped away for... a jump into Thedas' distant future and a re-write.  

 

To me - Solas represents knowledge without empathy - and, for me, that IS an evil I do not sympathize with.  He is a man not looking to come to grips with his failures, but to abolish them by committing to even more diabolical acts.  It won't work, because it doesn't work.  

 

If this being were either wise... or superior... in any way, he would be looking to transition not only "his people" (a racist and deplorable mentality derived from his sense of racial superiority and utter lack of conscience) but all people of Thedas... slowly, into a new age where the Veil could be let down slowly (if we MUST let it down) and a golden age of Thedas could begin.  

 

Would there be violence there too?  Yes, of course... the Qunari in particular would oppose it.  

 

But I draw a massive distinction between a being who takes the long, slow path... and a supervillain who wants to change the world all at once with quick solutions.  

 

Anyway, sorry for the ridiculous length... I tried to fit my thoughts here so I didn't take up more post space. 

 

Well to his credit, Solas withheld crucial information especially on how he created the veil. He didn't want the Inquistor to use that knowledge against him while he was trying destroy it.

[Ieldra]

Part 10: Wrapping things up, Emprise du Lion, part 1, and companion stuff.

 

Wrapping things up

 

On various maps, I had left some sidequests undone because I couldn't finish them at the time or because there were other sidequests I couldn't finish at the time and I didn't want to return to that map more than once.

 

So off we go to Din'an Hanin, which offers some nice insight into the events at Red Crossing. At this point I shouldn't be surprised that these events, too, didn't happen as told in the Chantry's history book. The place also offers another thing I want - the opportunity to get the final point of the "Gain the Trust of the Dalish" quest in the Exalted Plains, which for some reason I didn't get this time from doing their quests alone. Now I can wrap up the Exalted Plains - Cassandra's renegade, Vivienne's book, and - after I give the Red Crossing info to the Keeper and recruit Loranil - the final piece of the Invasion Mosaic. This is somewhat out of character, but I never finished this mosaic and I want one game where I have it. 

 

Next order of business: The Hinterlands. The problem: I don't have any Felandaris. Off we go to Emprise du Lion. Since I don't recall where exactly the Felandaris grows, I do the map's main quest until I capture the Tower of Bone camp - collecting a bit of Silverite and Fade-touched Silverite on the way - then do the not very interesting "Rocky Rescue" sidequest and finally explore the lake and find my Felandaris plant on the island in the lake. It rather odd on this map. On paper, the quests here look nice. There's a three-part "map main quest" that ends with capturing Suledin Keep and quite a few sidequests, but for some reason I can't explain I find this map boring. It may just be that at this point in a game, the open world maps have gotten rather old, but I usually go through this map fast, without paying particular attention to details. That's for later, though - after having explored everything around the lake and this side of Tower of Bone camp, I have the map again and travel to the Hinterlands. A short visit to Valammar to finish Varric's quest. Another case of contrived drama. I don't like Bianca's voice at all and I don't find her particularly interesting, but really, Varric, what *is* so bad about what she did? I don't understand. It's nothing I wouldn't have done in her place, and chewing her out for it is completely uncalled for. OK, since Varric annoyed me, I leave him behind at the next camp and travel to the hills beyond the farms. Place Felandaris (finally), kill the wraith, then collect the secret from the last map quest, go down into the cave to close the rift there. Finally, collect Vivienne's book from the tower above the refugee camp. That was it, Hinterlands wrapped up, too. 

 

Now for the Storm Coast. Two war table unlocks, and a bit of a slog again because of the long walking distances between the darkspawn caves. Something just *had* to put one of them in the cave at the end of the Long River. The Red Templar caves are a bit more interesting, if only because of several Codex entries you can collect there and because you can unlock a war table operation that puts a fast travel point at the end of the caves, making it easier to get to the dragon - which I won't do now. BTW, an odd way to get the key to the door: walk along until a Red Templar Horror rcorpse materializes under your feet. Definitely a quickfix for something.

 

Finally, a visit to the Western Approach to collect Vivienne's third book and kill the last one of Cassandra's renegades. 

 

If this sounds as if I was a little bored, that's because I was. These sidequests as such are ok, but most of them require retreading old ground, and because of the lack of interactive scenes, they get old rather fast compared to some other quests. Also, it's all too obvious that a significant part of Varric's quest was cut. It's noticeably incomplete, maybe that's the reason why the dialogue doesn't make any sense (see above).

 

Skyhold: Companion stuff

 

This part is considerably more enjoyable. Most notable: the Wicked Grace scene. I know if forward and backward but it always makes me smile. It hits my preferred humor balance perfectly: it's a funny scene but it stays completely in-world, without drifting off into parody like - most notoriously - Vivienne's scene in Trespasser. Also nice: you can insert your own funny story. Well, this seems to be the funny day at Skyhold because my next order of business is asking Varric for the next chapter of "Swords and Shields" for Cassandra. That, too, makes me smile. Little things like this - funny or not - make a character more complete, and I think "Guilty Pleasures" is one reason why Cassandra comes across as the most complete companion.

 

Meeting the Chargers is next. I don't find the right tone with my response after the introductions but all in all it's an ok scene. However, I avoid talking about Krem because I think the way Krem's inclusion into the philosophy of the Qun makes no sense. Bad retcon. Meanwhile, talking with Krem about the same topic after the Chargers scene is done goes well. I think Krem as a character is well-written and I have no issue with the responses I can use, but changing the Qun was neither necessary nor does it make any sense. Well, you *can* justify it, perhaps, since the Qun makes no sense in the first place, but you get the point.

 

After this done, I go back to Cassandra and the topic of the new Divine comes up. I really don't like the Chantry, but since of my main issues with it is the falsification of history, the woman who said "The world needs the truth this time, no more legends lost to the ages", comes across as a good choice. I wouldn't trust the other candidates to adopt such a policy, and since I can't reasonably expect the Chantry to just vanish, I might as well put a leader of my choice on the Sunburst Throne. Meanwhile, I avoid committing to any course with Leliana. 

 

Also at Leliana's place, we listen to Calpernia's crystal and unlock the Shrine of Dumat operation. I don't think I need to say how much I like it that we can turn Calpernia. She'd probably be up there with my other favorite characters had she had more content. Not that I'd support everything she did - far from it - but not being one-sided is what makes characters interesting, most of the time. 

 

Finally, I walk around and collect the remaining character quests - with the exception of Blackwall's, which I forget. Telling. This session was an odd mix, but that's what happens when you wrap things up. There will be one more of these.   

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

@Medhia Nox:

Obviously, don't agree with almost everything you said, but I won't reply here. Maybe I'll do it elsewhere. Where I agree is that it wouldn't be a good idea to let us make a world-changing decision like "Veil or No Veil" unless it's the last game of the series. I'm not seeing the next DA as the last game, so if Solas' story will be wrapped up in DA4 as Patrick Weekes said we won't have such a decision therein. I do, however, hope that we'll get a thematically related decision that doesn't make any fundamental changes to the setting. 

[Ieldra]

Part 11: More companion stuff, Emprise du Lion part 2

 

Companion stuff

 

It's time to do the remaining companion quests. Vivienne wants me to get the heart of a snowy wyvern. I pick up the note about her alchemical project after I agree to do that - odd stuff. Now it's back to the Exalted Plains for a stroll through the fens, where I find and kill the wyvern and I take the opportunity to kill the dragon along the way. So, what does Vivienne intend. I suspect ulterior motives because that's what I always do with Vivienne, but I see no reason to not deal honestly with her at this point. I give her the heart and she takes me with her as she visits Duke Bastien. So what did I just witness? A tragic accident or did I just help Vivienne kill Bastien? There appears to have been genuine affection between those two. In the end, I think she's fully capable of orchestrating that level of deception but I don't see a reason why she would, so I take everything at face value. I'd rather believe the better of other people if they don't give me reason to believe otherwise. Back at Skyhold, I talk with her and my impression is reinforced. I guess alchemical rejuvenation hasn't been invented in Thedas. Too bad.

 

It was some time back when I told Leliana to steal the contract on House Montilyet from the House of Repose, and in the aftermath, Josephine asked to meet me in Val Royeaux., which I do now. I get to hear another fascinating character backstory - things like this make the lore come alive - as we talk a bit while looking across Miroir de la Mère. Back at Skyhold, I ask her for more details of her life and her friendship with Leliana. Those parts I always ask even in replays, though I don't always let the full speech play. I have most of the information memorized at this point after all.

 

While I'm at it, I continue to speak with Josephine and she brings up two issues where I have to make a decision: what to tell people about the woman in the Fade, and whether to support Nevarra or Tevinter with a raid on a Venatori camp. I choose to tell them it wasn't Andraste and to support Tevinter. Very nice. While I would like to see more reactivity in the bigger decisions - I've often criticized the fact that the impact of decisions you get to make appears to be inversely proportion to their importance - leaving small things like this unfollowed-up is very much ok. They're good roleplaying tools that help me characterize my Inquisitor, and that's all they need to be at this point, as opposed to the bigger decisions where the impact must be shown because it's part of the story, and where, for that reason, there needs to be more visible divergence in their outcomes or they'll convey the impression that what we do doesn't matter.

 

Back to the tavern to speak with Iron Bull. He talks about an opportunity to co-operate with the qunari against Corypheus and the Venatori and possibly gain an alliance. Ugh. I do not want an alliance with the qunari, not even against Corypheus. I don't want to have anything to do with them, and I certainly won't have my organization tainted by association with them. It never hurts to listen though, and so we go to meet their representative at the Storm Coast, an agent named Gatt. I take Solas with me - since I can't express what I want here, even if it's only for diplomatic reasons, I'll let him do it. Gatt: "Have I done something to offend you". Solas: "You joined the Qun". "A slave can at least strive for freedom. In the Qun, they teach you not to think." Exactly that, and that's why in the end, I tell Iron Bull to save his men. Ki'ina is no stranger to pragmatism, but a small raid isn't important enough for suicide runs, and neither is an alliance with the Qun. It may be a short-term military advantage, but the political cost would be too great, especially since she'd betray such an alliance at the first opportunity. Better not to go there in the first place, and anyway I'm glad to have a nice excuse to wriggle out of what could've been a very unpleasant necessity.

 

Back at Skyhold, I find Blackwall has vanished, and after Leliana's courier gives me the evidence we follow him to Val Royeaux to witness the execution. Solas sarcastically comments on "human justice". Solas, I like you, but please try to be less hypocritical. Elven justice isn't any better and has never been better, which you should know perfectly well. After the interrupted execution scene is over, I go to visit Blackwall in his cell. I have to say, seeing him make a stand for what he believes in at cost of his life is rather more impactful than hearing him philosophizing about it. Sacrifice is just one of these things you can admire in action but not in word. In any case, I take his intent for the deed and decide to save him. From some moralistic viewpoint, maybe he doesn't deserve a second chance or maybe he does, but if he'll live chances are he'll end up doing more good than bad, and earning some redemption for himself. I guess it's rare to be able to see that in a man, so we often tend to value just payment for past crimes higher than the potential for redemption, but Blackwall/Rainier is as clear a case as they ever come.    

 

One more thing about Blackwall's scenes: I often miss a part of his dialogue while he's in his cell since the fact that you can "activate" him again after the interactive cutscene is finished is very unintuitive. There are several similar situation in the game. I don't know why these additional exchanges haven't been integrated into the interactive cutscene but it is somewhat awkward and should ideally be avoided in future games.  

 

Back at Skyhold, I have a backlog of judgments I don't want to deal with now, and so the decision about Blackwall is deferred until later. I go talk to Cullen, who's just gotten over his lyrium addiction and tells me about his time in Ferelden's Circle. Fond memories since my DAO Warden for this worldstate was a mage.

 

The theme of Leliana's character arc is perhaps the most personally annoying for me, since I have a particular stance on it that I can never express. Both "Our people aren't expendable" and "It's necessary", taken as general guidelines, are simplifying a complex matter to the point where you can't deal with it in a reasonably intelligent way. The realities of war are like that that spending lives is sometimes necessary if you want to achieve a particular goal, and some goals are critical enough that you may consider it unavoidable. It's a fact that such situations exist, and no harping on principles can change it. "There's always a better way" is a false proposition. On the other hand, being ruthless as a dominant character trait is not a good thing for a commander, for various reasons I don't need to go into. Which means that from my point of view, good commanders are those who can be ruthless if necessary, while generally taking good care of their people. It isn't about not caring, but about caring but retaining the ability to be ruthless on a case-by-case basis. My options in my talks about this with Leliana are too limited by a black-and-white approach to the topic. DA team, if you give us the ability to make a decision or express an opinion, please make sure to include a reasonable option. Making the options more extreme just to create conflict is bad.

 

So it's best to get over Leliana's expedition to Valette fast. I did it and she ended up ruthless because I didn't intervene in her first scene back at Skyhold, which brings me to another point of criticism: the weight of that first scene is too high. At that point, you're the newbie in the Inquisition and given your backstory (maybe with the exception of a qunari) you have neither the experience, the knowledge or the rank to tell Leliana how to do her job. Interfering here is out of character if you don't want to be intrusive. OK, enough about that. I've made my point. And with that, I think I'm finished with companion quests and interactions for this session.

 

Emprise du Lion, part 2

 

As opposed to companion quests and interactions, there's really not much to say about the rest of Emprise du Lion. It's a nice map with some stuff to do and some interesting locations to discover, but ultimately marred by the general imbalance between "walking and fighting" and character interaction it shares with the other open-world maps. Anyway, I go to capture Suledin Keep first (I already repaired Judicael's Crossing from the war table), and I have another instance of a flying giant - for some reason, the first giant you meet on this map sometimes rises up into the sky for no apparent reason, and when it falls down it's killed by the fall, which is nice since I get the loot without having to fight it. After some more fighting and exploring I meet Imshael. That disgraced knight back at Sahrnia whose name I always forget told me about it and I come prepared for a hard fight. That's what ultimately will happen, but I wish I'd meet a demon with a believable temptation scene for a change. Yeah, we all know that giving in is usually a bad idea, but if it's so obviously bad that you come across as stupid if you do then what's the point? 

 

After the inevitable fight I have the Keep and can speak with Baron Desjardins in order to get the two sidequests for the dragon area. Good. This has apparently been patched from earlier versions where I didn't get those quests if I had already repaired Judicael's crossing when I captured the keep. We go back to the Tower of Bone came and cross the old viaduct - apparently we could repair it in style, not just with wooden walkways as in the Exalted Plains. I kill the Red Templars at the three waypoint towers in order to unlock the fast travel point at the far end before I tackle the first two dragons, but there's no need. The Kaltenzahn falls before the awesome power of Ki'ina's Hail of  Arrows and the Hivernal in an unenhanced fight. My party is level 22 and I don't want to fight the Highland Ravager underleveled. I could probably do it but I've spent a few healing potions with the first two dragons and I'm out of focus, so I choose to walk away for now. Instead, I jump to the Storm Coast and to Crestwood and kill the two dragons there since they're easy at my level. 8/10 dragons killed. Time to leave this beautiful but inhospitable place.

 

Cradle of Sulevin

 

I'll give this an extra section because it's the reason why I put an extended crafting session in. I've experienced the Revenants here as most difficult, especially those accompanied by undead archers. I make some tier 4 armor and a tier 4 Wrath of Hak'kon bow for myself, and tier 3 armor and weapons for everyone else. Also, those companions I take with me more frequently get weapons with +5 guard on hit if I have the material, otherwise +3 guard on hit, and their armor usually has +30% focus gain as its masterwork trait.

As it turns out, it appears that the Revenant encounter has been nerfed. Either that, or I was particularly negligent with my equipment in my earlier games. Possibly my complete schematics collection also plays a part. In any case, these fights I recall as difficult are now easy. I collect the four pieces of the Sulevin Blade, read some veilfire runes and pick up all look in the place, including the last piece of the Freed Are Slaves mosaic which completes my mosaic collection - my first playthrough where I have them all.

 

Some minor wrapping-up

 

A visit to Val Royeaux reveals that I forgot to collect two Codex entries from Halamshiral. Odd - must've been a reload, since I'm usually thorough there. I also missed two Codex entries from Therinfal Redoubt which always happens because the place is too segmented and you can't backtrack to previous parts. Depending on your decisions there's also one area you can't explore at all, which I had taken in this playthrough. Hmm...I'll have to have a look at my Codex for other missing entries. It's almost impossible to be complete in a single playthrough without a map.

[Aren]

Well to his credit, Solas withheld crucial information especially on how he created the veil. He didn't want the Inquistor to use that knowledge against him while he was trying destroy it.

I will give to Solas everything that he want,if he will tell me the knowledge of the the veil,using it to lock magic and mages,that is the ultimate templars weapon.

Imagine if that knowledge will be in the hand of the Zealots of the chantry or the Qun.....

[Aren]

 

 

I fear that in DA4 the Solavellan will end up in the same way...

I didn't know however that Solas was in DAII....

[Ieldra]

Part 12: Shrine of Dumat to Arbor Wilds; Judgments

 

Shrine of Dumat

 

I am going here to uncover Corypheus' plans about Calpernia, as part of the quest "Under Her Skin". As a sidenote, I wish the mage path had such an interesting questline about Corypheus' second-in-command. As it is, I must always force myself to do the templar path because some of its follow-up operations and events characterize my Inquisition in a way I do not like. Core elements of the Shrine of Dumat are Corypheus memory crystals and Calpernia's old master, Erasthenes. The memory crystals give some insight into Corypheus's motivations - he really sees himself as the god the world needs after all the others have disappeared. Very odd. 

 

The decision about Erasthenes is an example of the problems caused by decisions whose options are reduced to the thematically relevant. He is caught in a permanent containment field, a slave of Corypheus in body and mind, forced to answer all his questions. You can keep him there or kill him by destroying the containment field, which is what he wants. This decision is thematically relevant and characterizes your Inquisitor because if you keep him alive, it shows you are willing to let others suffer for more knowledge, and if you kill him, you forego that knowledge and give him what he wants. Personally, I would prefer a third option: ask him whether he wants all his knowledge to be lost, offer him the opportunity to write down or dictate some stuff he considers most important, for as long as we have before Corypheus returns, and kill him then. However, to headcanon that, you'll have to keep him alive, and that's thematically significant enough that I usually don't do it. 

 

As for Calpernia, we now know Corypheus plans to use Calpernia is a similar way to Erasthenes, and we have the ritual schematics for the containment field. This will be very useful. I leave the Shrine behind feeling that I uncovered a very important secret and gained significant insight into Corypheus' mindset. For that reason, I like this quest all out of proportion to its size, and again it's regrettable that the mage path has nothing of the kind. No narratively significant secrets, no memory crystals, just something that helps in fighting Samson. And it doesn't even let me avoid the fight completely. Disappointing. But that's a different playthrough.

 

 

Hissing Wastes

 

There isn't much to say about this place. It's not that I don't like it - in fact, I love the landscape - but I spent 3.5 hours here, and most of that time was spent walking. There is exactly one plotline with six locations - "Sand and Ruin", where you follow the camps of a Venatori expedition and some landmarks to Fairel's Tomb. That treasure hunt is intentive in its mechanics, involving real landmarks, and rather enjoyable, easily one of the best treasure hunt quests I ever played in a crpg, even though the treasure in the tomb was very disappointing. Some companion spoke of a rune, but I didn't get one. What was supposed to be there except two high-level but standard items?

 

Apart from that, the walking distances are offputting, at least in a sixth replay. I guess I didn't absolutely need to uncover all of the map, but I am a completionist. This is also the only place with a collection quest I've never managed to finish without a map - "Notes on the Wastes". There was always one item left when I was finished with the place. 

 

There is one big advantage here: you spend a lot of time walking, and that means a significant amount of banter. I take that as an opportunity to say that the banter mechanics are unsatisfactory. On most maps, you don't even notice that the original banter bug is supposed to be fixed. In the Western Approach, banter seems completely dysfunctional. After I finished the Hissing Wastes in this playthrough, I looked up the available banter on the DA wiki, and it is astonishing how much I didn't get in all my six playthroughs, even from companions I use regularly. Which means that in order to get complete information about my companions - banter does some characterization - I have to use the banter collection video some fans collected and uploaded on YT. Whoever that was, thank you! I consider this video as important as a TES game's fan-made unofficial fixpack. DAI's banter mechanics, as far as I'm concerned, are very close to a complete failure. This is all the more disappointing because banter itself is usually written well and helps to characterize companions. Take, for instance, the series of banters between Cole and Dorian about Dorian's father. Both are regular companions in my games, yet I never got more than the first item of that sequence.

 

 

Judgments

 

It's time to deal with my backlog of judgments. First order of business: Barris' promotion. This is one of the follow-ups of the templar path I'd rather not have, since I don't believe in the templar cause - Ki'ina just thought they'd be more up to the task of helping with the Breach. I didn't want to conscript them, though, since Ki'ina values freedom, and once I have them as allies, I will deal with them honestly and wouldn't want to set them up for failure deliberately. So there's no way out of this promotion.

 

Right after that, Blackwall. Bah. When he claims the Inquisition is corrupt and I'm a criminal just like him, I want the option to put him back in his cell. If you have any kind of power, legitimate or not, the only way to remain "pure" is to do nothing, and as the leader of a big organization with a duty not just to defeat Corypheus, but also to keep my people alive and reasonably content with their service as much as I can, I don't have that luxury. He reminds me of people who always complain about "morally bankrupt politicians", meaning basically every single one of them. I'd rather see these people get anything meaningful done without avoiding any unpleasant deals, or treading on some people's toes. It's all too easy to complain if you don't have any power to affect the bigger picture in the first place, and can always wriggle out of the question whether a compromise is worthwhile by saying "I can't do anything anyway". As for Blackwall himself, standing up for his past, that took courage, but he has no business judging what he clearly doesn't understand. I make him join the Wardens for real since it appears the most appropriate outcome. No, I don't get vindictive in such things just because he annoyed me. That would be petty.

 

Now comes Erimond. Fancy talk, Erimond. I can't decide if you genuinely believe all that nonsense about "the next world" or if this is an attempt to manipulate me into not giving you a death sentence. It doesn't matter, there's no way I'll let this man live. I don't bear him any personal grudge, but I find it appropriate to make an example of him, and he'd be simply too dangerous if left alive, even in a cell. So it's death by the Inquisitor's sword.

 

Next order of business, Ser Ruth. Uh...that's an odd mindset, one I don't understand. Well, I can make her fate meaningful by sending her into the Deep Roads. A later war table operation has her join the Legion of the Dead. Very satisfying.

 

Two more. Florianne. I'm not in the business of playing with my defeated foes so no, it won't be the court jester. I can leave her to rot in a cell, but then I'd rather kill her, and apparently I forfeited that option when I didn't do it in the Winter Palace, even though I did it not for her, but because of the political impact and because I wanted to avoid a fight. I decide to make her useful but keep an eye on her. I guess Leliana can always end her life if she gets out of line. Also, I like her response "I acknowledge your mastery of the game even as I despise your victory." Well, I can be sporting about this. She may not really deserve that, but again, I am not petty, and letting her rot in a cell would be such a waste.

 

And the last one, Mistress Poulin of Sahrnia. I recognize her predicament and acknowledge that her decision had merit, unpleasant though it was. She can't be allowed to profit from it though, so I condemn her to spend all the money she got from the Red Templars to rebuild Sahrnia.

 

About the judgments in general, I see them as a very nice roleplaying tool, and they work well in that capacity. I can show that I try to be fair, that I'm not vindictive or petty but also not afraid of sentencing someone to death. What I didn't like is the Inquisitor's posture in some scenes. I don't know what triggers the "slouching on the throne" - I only got it in one scene - but about something this significant for characterization, I'd rather have independent control.

 

 

Arbor Wilds

 

As preparation for the Arbor Wilds, I go and talk with Morrigan. In my account of my first playthrough one year ago I said I loved how she was written here, and that impression hasn't changed. Being a mother changed her, and she's grown significantly in wisdom, but her independent spirit is unchanged, as is her typical snark. Her comments about her relationship with the HoF are perfectly in-character for her, and perfectly how I'd imagine things to have gone between them. I may be lucky in that regard, but that doesn't lessen my appreciation. She is, however, still a bit reckless about things important to her, and she'll pay the price for that soon.

 

Now off to the Arbor Wilds to claim the eluvian before Corypheus gets there, or so's the plan at this point. I recall that interview by David Gaider about Inquisition that was published a few days before I'm writing this, where he said the story had originally been much longer. Well, here's where you notice that. In the course of the main story, this mission, which rings in the endgame, comes very suddenly. I'd have expected about two more main plot missions before we got to this point. It's not the first time I say this, but two less open-world maps and two more main plot missions instead would have been a drastic improvement over the current state of things, in terms of story/exploration balance.

 

With that out of the way, I love the cinematic intro even though it wasn't, as I thought in my first playthrough, dependent on any of my earlier choices. It gives a good impression of preparations for a major campaign. The problem: once you're there, any impression of a major campaign is completely gone. There just aren't enough combatants on-screen. This is a prevalent flaw in almost all scenes where there should be many people on-screen but aren't. Having a few stand in for those many simply doesn't work. It doesn't work with the Lord Seeker and his templars in Val Royeaux, it doesn't work when promoting Barris, and it doesn't work here. There may be two or so more scenes of that kind I don't recall at this point, but in any case the effect is dissonant and frequent enough that it comes across as a prevalent flaw.

 

I have brought Cassandra, Solas and Dorian to this mission. We fight through the blockades and get close to the Temple entrance, where we find Corypheus destroying a magical ward but being killed by them while he's doing it. Well, this can't be the end of course, so I was never surprised when he entered the body of one of his Wardens and came to life again. It was what I suspected would happen, actually. The scene is well made, so I don't know why it comes across as unsatisfactory as it does. Probably it's because its function "Tell the player that Corypheus can't die" is too obviously its main purpose and it comes across as insignificant beyond that. It just hasn't the impact that it should have. 

 

We run to enter the Temple and close the door, which magically seals itself before the dragon can get through. OK, this will delay Corypheus for a while.

 

 

[Thematic interlude: the old world vs the new world]

 

I can now speak with Morrigan about the temple, and about herself. I consider this very important because what she says touches what I see as one of the major themes of DA: the old world vs. the new world, old magic vs new technology, wonder vs. understanding. All in all, an implementation of the trope Romanticism vs. Enlightenment. It may not be apparent at first glance, but the Qun is an appropriate representative of the Enlightenment side, even though the typical tendency towards utilitarianism is emphazied to a point where it almost nullifies the association in the minds of many. However, the point here is that Romanticism is usually the more individualistic philosophy, represented by the old world and its magic which is invested in individuals, and unfettered in the main representative of Romanticism - Tevinter - as opposed to power tamed by an intricate political system like the Qun, at a cost to individual freedom.

 

I happen to like this presentation very much. I am usually a pro-Enlightenment hardliner, but I can't be that in this scenario because I can't accept the Qun's level of control. I am also a pro-autonomy hardliner, but of course I neither can I accept Tevinter's unbridled individual ambition as it comes at a too high cost of life and freedom to others. As you see if you read the trope page, there is a lot of variation in the ways these philosophies can be presented, and what I like here is that both sides emphasize at least one aspect I highly value, while also emphasizing one aspect I despise, which means that a decision between them will never be simple. I admire the way the Qunari go about understanding the eluvians in Trespasser, while despising them for destroying them and of course for their rejection of individual freedom. I admire Tevinter for keeping magical knowledge alive and to exert less control over their mages than Southern Thedas, while also despising the atrocities that this allows them because their control is *too* loose.

 

I think we'll see more of this dominant theme when it comes to dealing with Solas in the next DA game. We may not get a decision about restoring the old world or not, but if the writers do things well, we will have a lot of discussion about the merits and flaws of either. I certainly wouldn't want a pure implementation of either side. I agree with Morrigan that some parts of the old world need to be preserved, but I certainly wouldn't want dragons near human settlements. I would want a less unequal distribution of innate power, but I'd rather combine "everyone has magic" with "magic can be understood as science", because that would improve autonomy for everyone, than take the Qun's approach and create a totalitarian civilization on the rationale of taming the wild, within human nature and without.

   

 

Arbor Wilds continued

 

As for going forward, I choose to do the rituals. I do that almost always. It costs me nothing and avoids some fighting, and it puts me on better terms with the guardians. That's most often IC for my Inquisitors. While we're walking about, I can listen to Solas, Morrigan and Cassandra talking about gods. Morrigan: "What is a god but a being with immense power"? Solas admires the idea of the Maker as a god who doesn't need to prove its power by intervening, but - and this is why I find it important - doesn't take it for granted that he's worthy of worship. "I admire your faith Cassandra. I hope your Maker is worthy of it". Well, I'd rather answer him that if the Chantry tales are true, he did intervene, and did it in a way that wasn't particularly fair. Anyway, this was another interesting discussion. There's a lot of that in the Temple, and for that I value this mission much higher than the rather unimpressive sequence of events on the way here.

 

Finally, we enter the inner temple and meet the guardian, Abelas. I choose to accept his offer because at this point I don't know about the Well and its power. If I knew, I would also know it couldn't be allowed to remain unclaimed because of Corypheus. I also would never allow it to be destroyed, so it's better to make the deal with Abelas. Morrigan disagrees though, and flies off. The rest of the party moves through some temple rooms following the guide, and reading some veilfure runes and the unreadable lore - in form of Codex entries - contained therein.

 

Finally, the Well. We confront Calpernia - or perhaps it would be more correct to say she confronts us - and we present her with the evidence for Corypheus' betrayal. She says she wants to raise up the slaves and paints a picture of what a reformed Tevinter could be: "A crafter of wonders, standing against the savage qunari. A beacon for all." I rather like this vision and agree to let her go. Perhaps, as an added benefit, she's become immune to the promises of would-be gods. People are altogether too obsessed with gods in this world.

 

Morrigan has beaten Abelas to the Well and we now stand in front of it. After a discussion, it becomes clear that the Well can't be allowed to remain unclaimed, and along with Morrigan, I wouldn't allow it to be destroyed either. From a realistic viewpoint, I wonder why Abelas doesn't claim it since he considers us unworthy. Anyway, I can decide to claim it for myself, at the cost of "being bound to Mythal's will forever" or let Morrigan claim it who isn't afraid of "a goddess who no longer exists". I also recognize what's in the Well: the collective knowledge and will of past priests of Mythal that may exert control over the one who claims it. Abelas confirms that it's "All that we were", which will now exist in the mind of one person. I should mention the mood of the scene - almost an elegy for the old world, and the elves who ruled it. I know now what this old world was like, but I remain aware that there are wonders that were lost. As for the Well, I must pass. I am an elf, and this is the history of my people, even though Abelas disclaims that. Yet I no longer believe in the gods of my people, if I ever did. If anything, I can't take for granted that Mythal is worthy of giving up my autonomy, and it would feel like giving in to the Qun. I cannot do it, whatever the benefits, so I pass the cup to Morrigan. Should I envy her or not? The scene that follows makes it clear how desirable that knowledge is. The risks will manifest in short order. I consider the possbility of picking Morrigan's brain, at least about the old language. That would have to remain headcanon though.

 

We flee into the eluvian as Corypheus arrives - who is the figure rising from the emptied well? - but the mood lingers. The Temple of Mythal, an elegy to the old world. The knowledge that that old world was as harsh as it was wondrous. I remain conflicted, and it appears I can't envision an Inquisitor who would pick one side unreservedly. So be it. There will be more to say about this when I get to Trespasser, but the Temple of Mythal sequence is perhaps the most thematically important part of DAI, as In Your Heart Shall Burn is the most narratively important. I am mostly content with my roleplaying options, there and here. I am also content with the story aspect of this place and the thematic problem it presents me with. After this, defeating Corypheus will be nothing more than wrapping up.

[Cobra's_back]

What i got out of Hissing Waste was another mystery place. You have to find all the notes, journal etc. to get the whole story. You have the Chantry lady ghost story and you have the tomb of Fairel story. What i found interesting was that Dwarven history is not totally accurate. They may have purposely withheld or changed it. 

 

"The statues here were chiseled thousands of years ago, I'm sure of it. Either these people loved dwarven architecture, or the "commonly known fact" that dwarves never built cities on the surface is wrong. This is the stuff world—famous treaties are made of."

 

"Hundreds of years ago, several houses left their thaigs to settle here under one leader. They were running from a war, or running so there wouldn't be a war? I read and re-read the pillars until the light faded, but I know I'm missing something."

 

"It's a Paragon. The man who lead the people here, who built this city, was master smith Paragon Fairel.

 

Legend says he died in the Deep Roads during a war between two thaigs who used his runework to build fantastic weapons of destruction. If he escaped up here, that means the records are wrong, or someone a thousand years ago tried to pretty-up the truth about his leaving.The most talented Shaper of Runes in dwarven history, escaping with his entire house to the surface—now that will fluff some beards in the Shaperate!"

 

"I was tracing heraldry etched on a wall when I noticed pictures of weapons with winged lizards worked into the decoration. I spent the rest of the day translating the inscriptions. This verse was apparently passed down through Fairel's house, through his father to his father's father and so on for hundred of generations:

 

"From the Stone, have no fear of anything, 

but the stone-less sky betrays with wings of flame. 

If the surface must be breached, if there is no other 

way, bring weapons against the urtok, and heed their 

screams."

 

"Urtok" means "dragon." Why was it part of an ancient crest? Why were these dwarves so worried about a monster they'd never see that they worked it into their weapons?"

 

Dwarves didn't go to the surface because they were afraid of dragons. They love the stone and feel its protection so something really bad happens 1000s years ago for this paragon to leave.

[Ieldra]

Part 13: Revelations and Endings (I'll be doing the DLC after Corypheus)

 

Solas ends it

 

I guess there isn't a good way to end things. Best make it as short as possible. Nonetheless, it hurts more if it comes after an important scene that appears to cement the connection between Ki'ina and Solas. In the light of what's revealed later - and Ki'ina suspects he's more than he seems, given how he slipped a few times and revealed odd things about himself. Some connection between him and Fen'Harel suggests itself throught the wolf's jawbone he's wearing, but the truth....has to wait for Trespasser. Anyway, I decide to have the valasslin removed. After knowing the truth, I couldn't continue to wear them no matter that they're a thing of beauty. Also, I answer with the stoic option to his leaving. I won't lay open what I really feel at a time like this. A matter of pride if nothing else. However, there will be questions left in Ki'ina's mind, and I almost feel it nagging at her even though I as the player know the truth. Whatever you can say about the odd way Solas tells you it's over, the scene works nicely in the end.

 

 

Morrigan and Mythal

 

This, too, I'm playing for the first time since Trespasser came out. I follow Morrigan through the eluvian into the Fade and help her seek Kieran, who we find together with Flemeth, who reveals she's Mythal. Morrigan's statement about Flemeth and how she possesses her own daughters comes across as extremely stereotypical in tone. "Wicked Crone", eh? Really, are we in a parody? Regardless, the encounter is written and acted well in almost everything else, but post-Trespasser, it makes me ask: "The world was betrayed" - what does that mean? If this is about the Veil, then Mythal would be with Solas and his plans to tear down the Veil. It it is not, then what kind of event could be behind a statement like that? Flemeth/Mythal comes across as vengeful, but also friendly since we're not the targets for her revenge, but who is? The Evanuris who killed her are gone, are they not? And anyway what could be done to them that would be worse than a few thousand years of banishment? Questions, questions. 

 

In the end, Flemeth/Mythal takes the Old God soul from Kieran and leaves without further intervention. So far, she's been the only character revealing a perspective I'd attribute to a god-like being. That includes Solas in Trespasser, who comes across as rather too human in spite of everything. I wonder what her plans are, or were? What is an Old God soul anyway? A piece of what once was, she calls it. A remnant, not the true being. These questions keep nagging in my mind. Meanwhile, we go back to Skyhold to plan.

 

Looking over my journal, I also make a short visit to the Emprise du Lion in order to kill the last dragon, which brings me to level 24.

 

 

Corypheus' End

 

As I said, this almost feels like wrapping up, like everything really important has been done and there's just this minor little thing to clean up. The fight is surprisingly hard - I manage to get downed once - because Corypheus appears to have some extra attacks at this difficulty level, something akin to an Arcane Horror's only stronger. Odd, I didn't notice that before. Regardless, the fight is over in short order....and that was it. There really isn't any more to say about it. I fight an ancient evil darkspawn magister who's throwing a temper tantrum endangering the world. Sounds almost as ridiculous as it is. Next time, DA team, give your antagonist a less disappointing end scene. 

 

Back at Skyhold, we have a nice victory party. Apart from reminding me of DAO, this brings home to me how close I've come to some of my companions and advisors. I really feel we're a group that did - and continues to do - things together, and I've only stood out because of my leadership role and the Anchor. I look around in the hall as they're partying and can say....well, I like you all, even those I don't like. The companions in DAI felt more complete than in any other of Bioware's games. Not all of them were equally well-written and presented, and not all of the interactions with them were satisfactory - Leliana comes to mind - but all in all I'd rather have all of them than missing one.

 

One other thing I did differently than in all other playthroughs: I always left the game when I paused for more than a minute, because I wanted to know how long the game really is. The counter cheats because it continues to run if you're standing on the options screen or while you're pausing. This playthrough took 65 hours, and since I haven't done any DLC before now this should be reasonably correct. I shortened quite of bit of dialogue so maybe this would've been 70 hours otherwise, but that should be about the net length of a completionist run of DAI, without DLC.

 

 

Main story arc epilogue

 

I recall how pleased I was with the epilogue after my first playthrough, and after every other one until Trespasser came out. Morrigan's narration is nice, and the epilogue makes sense, though I actually don't notice much of that "world forever changed" she speaks about. Maybe it's just me, but the only kind of event that would merit such a phrasing is something like what Solas is planning, or the destruction of several major powers. The Inquisition is a new major power and I appreciated more than anything else that it was set to continue, and the Inquisitor was set to continue, so it's really not hyperbole if I say that Trespasser ruined the ending for me, and I'm not at all satisfied with things fell out for my Inquisitor after Trespasser.

 

For every major faction, though, the epilogue is nice as far as it still stands after Trespasser, even - perhaps especially - in those cases where it raises more questions, like the Wardens'. People have criticized the ending for not being conclusive enough, but I do not agree. This is a complete story for the Inquisitor - or at least it was a complete story for the Inquisitor before Trespasser came along - but only a chapter in the story of the world. Of course some of the epilogue scenes are sequel hooks. That's how it should be. It would be worrying if there were none, since there would be no hook for our questions.

 

As for the post-credits scene, I love this revelation. It came as a surprise in my first playthrough but it still captures me. Does Solas kill Flemeth/Mythal? Does he take her "god soul" into himself? Has she managed to pass something to Morrigan or was her advice to listen to the voices her farewell? Did she know what would happen, and if yes, did she agree to it or was Solas' action a surprise attack? What are, or were, her plans, is she still active somehow or not, and if she is, is she against Solas or with him? Is she, perhaps, in control of his actions? I must admit it's almost unbearable to have to wait for the resolution to this tangle of questions for two or three years. Nonetheless, I'm leaving leave DAI's main story arc quite satisfied. Much more so, in fact, than I left any other of Bioware's games since DAO, and even Trespasser can't mar it enough to take that place away. 

 

To be continued with Descent, Jaws of Hakkon and Trespasser. I am somewhat disappointed by the fact my advisors and companions don't have any more Skyhold dialogue except for one-liners after I finish the main plot. Maybe it would've been more satisfying to do the first two DLC before Corypheus, but I want to know if the stories told in the DLC react to the fact that I already defeated Corypheus.  

 

@Cobra's back:

Thanks for posting this. I missed some of that. Reminds me I have to go through the complete Codex since I don't always read everything while playing. I wish Bioware would publish something I can read that contains all the lore including what we find in the Codex. I'm really not good in reading fiction on screen. I get distracted.

[cindercatz]

Ieldra, brava on the amazing posts, first of all. I just went back and played all the dlc with my first character. I finally broke down and bought all three main releases, had some to burn and picked the game up for the first time this year, I think, first time since the major gameplay patches were released. I thought about posting a re-review, but you've put a lot more time and effort into it than I had considered, and they're very well presented, so I'll just say props to you, and make a note that Trespasser has made me fall in love with the game again. The gameplay feels so much better now in general, as well, than when I last left off. So also, thank you to the Dragon Age team for really delivering, exceeding my expectations and bringing my love for the series back. Even Cass in the credits, I love her character after that. Alright, all yours. :-)

edit: I still have the same issues with too much aimless sightseeing and general presentation of most of the side content, but the game is just so much more fun now, and Trespasser really puts a cherry on the story. Ok, that's all. :-)

[Madfox11]

The book would need to be constantly updated and carefully monitored. Why do that if your fans do it for free (the Wiki)?

[Ieldra]

Part 13: The Deep Roads (Descent)

 

The story of Descent can be summarized quickly: We are called to investigate some earthquakes which are thought to be caused by an intelligent agent. We fight our way through the Deep Roads, killing many darkspawn on the way, and arrive at a fantasical underground world where an entity called a titan dwells, We find that the Breach made the titan stir, which caused the earthquakes, and it is calmed after we kill its lyrium golem defender and our temporary companion Valta links with it mentally.

 

Atmosphere

 

...is Descent's main selling point, as I see it. At its heart Descent is a dungeon crawl, and I usually don't like those, but Descent is so different from the typical ones that it almost manages to redefine the genre. We have the typical narrow hallways and dank, claustrophobic caves, but the dominant feature are gargantuan caves filled with ruins of ancient underground settlements, and later a whole underground civilization illuminated by lyrium veins, featuring an underground ocean and rock pillars carrying beautiful buildings and actual green plants. Meanwhile, the scenario never loses its identity as a dungeon crawl, as we explore deeper and deeper into the unknown and lifts carry us over hundreds of metres first into the Deep Roads and then into a completely dark unknown, from where we emerge into the aforementioned underground world where the titan dwells. All in all, the scenario I can only call utterly fantastic. Exploration - and in fact, just looking at - these places is highly enjoyable.

 

In addition, the soundtrack supports the mood perfectly and doesn't come across as canned as most of DAI's music.

 

Combat and Treasure

 

This deserves its own section since it's different from the fighting in most other areas. The enemies here are typically more resilient and take a long time to defeat. While that's not so good for people like me who don't like to pay a lot of attention to the fighting, the result is that you, for a change, have the opportunity to use a mix of abilities on one enemy, and that alone makes the fighting significantly more interesting. It's also perfectly appropriate for a dungeon crawl. Needless to say, the amount of loot matches the difficulty of the enemies. When I came out of this, at last I had enough stuff to equip all of my companions with purple rings. I also went back to sell stuff several times, which is rather unusual for a 3-hour session.

 

Having said that, occasionally the combat designers went too far. For instance, The time it takes to kill a Shal-Brytol Earthshaker is annoying. Note that it isn't exactly hard to kill those guys if you have good equipment, since their damage output is moderate, it just takes forever. I wish my own tanks were that resilient under constant fire from four enemies. Also, while the enemies are interesting to fight for about half the questline of Descent, it does get rather old, since after a while, you're more interested in reaching the next area than to fight yet another group of enemies with dragon-level health.

 

Exploration:

 

As I said, highly enjoyable. Exploration of every nook and cranny is encouraged by a number of collection quests that give you keys (in form of gears) to rooms full of loot (and sometimes, enemies). This was my third playthrough of Descent, and I managed to get all gears and dwarven mugs for the first time. Some of the hiding places are rather inventive.  Also, the way between two points of interest is not always obvious, and while some jumping is involved, it's almost always downward, so you don't have the jumping puzzle problems typical of the shard hunting on the surface. Apart from loot, you're rewarded with lots of lore in form of Codex entries and some very nice views. The downside: if you really want to get everything and don't already know how from a previous playthrough, you end up falling frequently. This adversely affects immersion since you don't die, but are placed at the point where you jumped off if you fall beyond a certain distance.

 

Story and Lore

 

Descent introduces a new domain of life into the setting: the titan. Titans are gargantuan creatures - we end up moving around inside one with enough open space to keep a dragon happy - said to have sculpted the world. They have a close connection to the Stone of Dwarven religion, which is something that apparently really exists in some way, or so the story appears to suggest. The titan has some sort of vein-analogue through which lyrium flows, which means that lyrium is essentially titan's blood. One can imagine the possible complications resulting from that revelation, but a dialogue with Valta, our shaper companion, reveals that the limits of lyrium mining apparently haven't reached a level where the titan would be harmed. Taking some of its blood is apparently perfectly ok.

 

We also get to know that there was a war between dwarven factions a very long time ago, and that the Shal-Brytol, translated as "Revered Defenders", are of dwarven origin and turned themselves into what they are now by the use of lyrium.

 

Our companions in this quest are two dwarves, the shaper Valta and the Legion warrior Renn. We can ask them questions and Valta reveals quite a bit of dwarven lore and speculations about the titans, and we can infer more from their near-constant bickering. Heh...I wanted to say "get a room you two" so much, but that line had been used, too bad. Both Renn and Valta are written and voice-acted rather well, enough so that I never noticed any oddities in the ways they speak, and when Renn dies in the Forgotten Caves you feel it. Damn it, Renn, I came to like you more than most other dwarves in DAI, why did you have to die? Valta's fate is odd. She apparently links up with the titan mentally in some way, and becomes its....servant? Avatar? Mouthpiece? Guardian? Hard to say, except that in Bioware's stories, such things usually don't end well and people end up insane or evil or both. Which is why you can express concern as you leave. It would be nice, however, if the DA team broke the pattern with Valta. If anything, it would be regrettable to lose such a beautiful face. Valta is probably the most beautiful dwarf that was ever on-screen in a DA game.

 

I'm sure I forgot to mention a lot of worthwhile stuff. Descent is nicely rich in lore, and between that and the fantastic atmosphere it's a very nice addition to the main game. The only downside: I ended up at around level 26.75 after I was done here, which means that I have to play most of Jaws of Hakkon and all of Trespasser already maximized at the level cap of 27. At about 3.5 hours of length for a completionist run, it's somewhat expensive measured in €/h compared to the main game, but that's ok with me - Descent has a clear and distinctive identity and adds to the main game not just in quantity, but in quality. 

[Ieldra]

Sorry for the delay - some problems kept me away from home for a few days.

 

Part 14: Frostback Basin (Jaws of Hakkon)

 

It is a shame that this excellent map is set to be played late, meaning at a point in time where exploration of DAI's open-world maps has *really* gotten old. I'm tempted to call it "DAI distilled", since it follows the main design, but has the best of it. 

 

Exploration and sidequests

 

We arrive here at the camp of Professor Bram Kenric from the University of Orlais. His excavations have uncovered hints that something about the history of the first Inquisition might be hidden in this area. I'll get to that in its time, but for now I go exploring the map. Frostback Basin is an unusual map in that it isn't dominated by one type of terrain. Between the hills in the East, the Flats and the Island "The Lady's Rest", the forested riverland in the West and the swamp in-between, there's enough variation in the terrain alone to make exploration worthwhile, since all of it is realized according to DAI's high standards. Some of the camps are like treehouses with walkways to cliffs and lifts down to the river, and there are various beautiful structures from Tevinter and Avvar culture which play a role in various quests. All in all I think this is the most beautiful and interesting map of DAI.

 

As for sidequests, there are *some* collection quests, but they don't dominate the map like almost everywhere else. Instead, many sidequests are lore-relevant and together involve more character interaction than almost the complete set of sidequests of the rest of the game, barring DLC. My favorite example of good sidequests is the series that contributes to "Guests of the Hold". Not only do they require you to immerse yourself in Avvar Lore and to speak with several NPCs in Stone-Bear Hold and elsewhere, they're also not quests in the sense that someone gives you a task, but it feels like you stumble on situations and can choose to involve yourself. That makes them feel more natural than most other sidequests in DAI. Attention Bioware: I think I speak for almost everyone when I say we would very much like to see more sidequests like this.

 

Spirit Lore

 

While I'm walking around the map, in order to explore it fully before I start the main quest, I come across several spirit-related quests, which deserve special mention because they shed more light on the spirit world. The Avvar live in close company with spirits and relationships with them, while not perfect as evidenced by the quest "In Exile", aren't any more problematic than relationships between humans. So here we have a culture that has managed a mostly peaceful co-existence. Another nail in the coffin of Chantry orthodoxy. Ki'ina is not surprised because of what Solas told her, but it's still impressive to see living proof. Sadly, I can't bring Solas here in this game because he's already gone.

 

There's also a spirit-related quest not tied to the Avvar which illustrates the difficulty of judging spirit-human relationships. In "The Loss of a Friend", we look for Harding's friend Grandin, a scout of the Inquisition. After finding him, you realize that he has a spirit companion which enabled him to kill several Jaws of Hakkon in revenge for killing his friend. It's not completely clear which kind of spirit this is - the situation seems similar to Anders and Justice/Vengeance - but there is a personality change, which makes me think this is not a good relationship, and I so I decide the spirit can't stay, with leads to a difficult fight. I am reminded of the fact that abominations should be hard to fight but never were. Here at last is an appropriate one, and once the fight is done, some doubt remains about whether your decision was justified. For all that, I like this quest.

 

Inquisitor Ameridan

 

Now for the main quest of the map - ok, technically it's a sidequest but it feels like a main quest. We follow the path of Ameridan, the first Inquisitor, when he was here about 800 years ago. Of this quest I especially like the fact that this is a project of scholarship which is presented in a reasonably plausible way. It also establishes that Thedas has standards of scholarship which appear quite advanced compared with other cultural achievements, and that critical methodology exists, both in archeology and history. Very nice. Anyway, our first station is the island "The Lady's Rest" where we find a spirit that remembers Ameridan's Lover Telana, who apparently waited for him to come back from his dragon hunt and died from unknown causes. We can release the spirit from its task and leave. Professor Kenric is delighted that we can confirm her existence. We also find that Ameridan was here because his friend Kordillus Drakon, the Emperor of Orlais, asked him to fight the dragon here, which is said to be Hakkon Wintersbreath, an incarnated god of the Avvar in dragon form.

 

Now we can ask Thane Svarah Sun-Hair of Stone-Bear Hold about Ameridan, follow-up on her information by following the river to an old Tevinter ruin, where we find a shrine apparently set up by Ameridan and Telana (notable: this is to both Andraste and the elven gods) and a rune that hints of a trail of markers we can activate. These are the odd Tevinter structures we found while exploring the map and transport Veilfire along their path. Following those far across the map, we find a frozen gate and open it with the Veilfire ray. After speaking with Svarah Sun-Hair again, we can gain her alliance in the fight against the danger of a reborn Hakkon Winterbreath and assault the old Fortress held by the Jaws of Hakkon - where we find Inquisitor Ameridan, who surived here in a magical stasis holding the dragon at bay for 800 years.

 

What can I say....I simply love this quest. It has everything a good quest in a crpg should have - mysteries to unravel, a reasonably good story, people to talk to, others to fight, and tons of lore. The best parts are the revelations about Inquisitor Ameridan. I first thought there would've been a conspiracy against Ameridan by his "friend" Kordillus Drakon, but that was proven wrong. Nonetheless, what we did uncover is such a kick in the face of Chantry orthodoxy that it still makes me laugh when remembering it. I must say Bioware laid it on thick, almost too thick, for I could hardly imagine anything that could shake up the Chantry's old guard like this: Inquisitor Ameridan was an elven mage who had a spirit companion, and his lover was an elven Dreamer. Even more importantly, this Inquisitor Ameridan was a hunter of dragons and abominations, and since he had a spirit companion, he would know when the term really applies. For all of my Inquisitors, he would be an admirable example to follow, and it's enough to make my peace with the title of the game, even though some of my friends would give me very odd looks if I told them I play a game called Dragon Age:Inquisition and I like it.

 

Combat

 

The combat in Jaws of Hakkon is more difficult than in the rest of the game but mostly manageable. There is one problem though: it introduces a new type of enemy: one with the damage output of a dagger rogue and the resilience of a sword-and-shield warrior. The Hakkonite spies are extremely annoying enemies, but I can still deal with them somewhat successfully. The problem is that they set a pattern for Trespasser, where we get the guardian spirits which are similar only stronger, and those I found completely impossible on the same difficulty (hard).

 

That was Frostback Basin, the most interesting open-world map of DAI. If most of the other maps had received such attention when they were designed, there would've been much fewer complaints about the balance between main story and open-world elements. As I said, it's just too bad that this map is set to be played late, which means I'm fed up with exploring maps and tend to rush through the exploration part on low-difficulty settings in repeated playthroughs. On the other hand, the character interaction never gets old, and there's as much of that here as on all of the main game's open-world maps put together. Thedas' Lore has so much more impact if it's presented in more than Codex entries and quest-related documents.

 

Onward to Trespasser, the last part of this account.  

 

 

  

[dragonflight288]

I haven't finished most of what you have written, which is very nice, but you did say something and I'm not sure if anyone responded but I will just in case.

 

 

 

 Vivienne - I recall someone posting about evidence she orchestrated her entrance, which I'd like to know (is there such evidence?)

 

Yes, there is.

 

The evidence is Vivienne and Cole party banter. Cole starts quoting the Marquis and how he insults her, and how she manipulated him to antagonize the inquisitor as payback, and she tries to shut him up, fast. 

[Ieldra]

I haven't finished most of what you have written, which is very nice, but you did say something and I'm not sure if anyone responded but I will just in case.

 

 

Yes, there is.

 

The evidence is Vivienne and Cole party banter. Cole starts quoting the Marquis and how he insults her, and how she manipulated him to antagonize the inquisitor as payback, and she tries to shut him up, fast. 

Thank you. I've written about how disappointing it is that we hear so little of the available banter, so this may be of some help for anyone who wants the complete set.

[Medhia_Nox]

For what it's worth - I don't think Shaper Valta is going to go insane.  I think she is going to herald something new for the dwarves and their taking a center stage once this elf nonsense is over.  

 

Also - given what I believe the story tells us about the Titans... I think the reckoning against Solas and his plot might actually come from Valta. 

[vbibbi]

What gives him the right to decide the elves need a second chance (can't help but think of Jurassic Park here)? 

I agree with most of your post, but this most of all. Semi-confirmed rumor that ancient elves will be riding dinosaurs in DA4!

 

I personally found Solas a bit dull for my first playthrough, similar to Blackwall in a lot of ways. Both characters rely on a big reveal late in the story to retroactively make them interesting. I am not a fan of this device, as writers focus more on the gotcha set up than actually developing the characters as full personalities. Yes, looking back on subsequent playthroughs I can say "ahhhh Blackwall was lying about that, I see it now!" or "Solas misses courtly intrigue?! Do tell..." This doesn't take away from the fact that they're fairly boring personalities.

 

Now that I think of it, they fall into the Sebastian trope! Drastic change of heart and have become boring watered down versions of their past selves! It's a conspiracy!

 

 

If this sounds as if I was a little bored, that's because I was. These sidequests as such are ok, but most of them require retreading old ground, and because of the lack of interactive scenes, they get old rather fast compared to some other quests. Also, it's all too obvious that a significant part of Varric's quest was cut. It's noticeably incomplete, maybe that's the reason why the dialogue doesn't make any sense (see above).

I have not heard about Varric's cut content before, though maybe I'm just overlooking the obvious. Could you explain what clues you found as to his cut content? The recycled Valammar zone for the quest or something else?

[Ieldra]

I have not heard about Varric's cut content before, though maybe I'm just overlooking the obvious. Could you explain what clues you found as to his cut content? The recycled Valammar zone for the quest or something else?

Think of the end of the quest: you close a door that isn't even there. Also....that's it? All that talk about red lyrium being transported was never followed-up. The quest ends suddenly with no resolution, it feels incomplete.

[Ieldra]

For what it's worth - I don't think Shaper Valta is going to go insane.  I think she is going to herald something new for the dwarves and their taking a center stage once this elf nonsense is over.

Neither do I think that. I just wish that Bioware's standard "taking unknown magic into yourself ends in insanity" pattern would be broken for something I care about more.  
 

Also - given what I believe the story tells us about the Titans... I think the reckoning against Solas and his plot might actually come from Valta.

That seems rather plausible, indeed.

@all:
Didn't finish Trespasser today, so the rest of my account will have to wait another day.

[vbibbi]

Think of the end of the quest: you close a door that isn't even there. Also....that's it? All that talk about red lyrium being transported was never followed-up. The quest ends suddenly with no resolution, it feels incomplete.

It would have been nice to have some follow up to that, even a war table mission about taking down any remaining transport lines.

[Ieldra]

Part 15: Trespasser

 

The Divine has called an Exalted Council at the Winter Palace in Orlais, and the Inquisition must attend, for among other things, its future hangs in the balance. Right from the start, I had my misgivings when Trespasser was advertised as determining the fate of the Inquisition, for with my main Inquisitor, I wanted it to become a permanent political presence in Thedas. Little could I know that however good the storytelling was - and Trespasser is perhaps the best-told chapter of the Inquisition's story - the reality and the choices I had to make and couldn't make could be summed up as "I lose". Ki'ina Lavellan is less invested in the future of the Inquisition, and since she romanced Solas the final scene is so much more intense that the negative points don't matter much - which is why I make this account with her - but the outcome for the Inquisitor personally is rather bad even so. Before that, however, a look at this chapter in detail.

 

Halamshiral: Exploration and Talks

 

We arrive at Halamshiral with big ceremony, with Ki'ina Lavellan riding an armored mount of a kind I don't know, having never paid any attention to riding after my first playthrough. Not for the first time I wonder if Bioware works with canned animations, because yet again - as I observed in my one-year-after account of ME3 - non-standard animations suck. Cullen and Josephine aren't riding, they're floating.

 

Josephine and Cullen talk about the political situation. Ferelden calls for the Inquisition to be disbanded, which I guess the Divine could be since another Divine legitimized it. Orlais wants to influence it instead. Clearly, I am dealing with opponents here rather than the allies they had been two years ago. This is notable because it will contribute to the feeling that I lose in the end - either Ferelden gets what it wants or Orlais gets something of what it wants, but I don't - at least not if I'd prefer the Inquisition to continue. Ki'ina has no strong preference for it, but she won't be pressured by Orlais and Ferelden, so the starting point for her is "We're not going anywhere", as you can express to Mother Giselle at a meeting in the council room. Before that, however, I get to meet a few people on my own.

 

A little later I'm standing in the courtyard and can go exploring. There are a large number of people to talk to, among them all my companions who I'm supposed to not have seen for two years. That feels odd, given that I've just come out of Frostback Basin. Anyway, the little scenes are very nice and I like them all with the exception of Vivienne's, which has a kind of humoristic touch I don't at all care for. As for the others: Varric as viscount of Kirkwall. LOL. The world has gone weirder and weirder. But what about Bran's clothing? If this is some attempt at caricaturing DA2's prevalent clothing style it's completely misplaced. This man is seneshal after all. Blackwall - I should rather say Rainier - is his usual not quite likeable self, I don't speak with Iron Bull and Sera, and Cole brings Maryden and Krem together. Nice. I get a hint of things to come when I talk with Leliana - who raises the possibility of a fake disbanding and turning the Inquisition into a secret network. Ki'ina finds this idea appealing since she's always left the politics to Josephine. I envision her as being good at diplomacy, but at the same time she doesn't really care for it.

 

Meanwhile, Dorian is ambassador of Tevinter and I meet him in the company of Duke Cyril de Montfort - yes, the same one from DA2: Mark of the Assassin - who is just as falsely friendly as almost everyone of the Orlais upper class. Cassandra I meet in the company of Arl Teagan, who's more obviously hostile. As unpleasant as that is, I prefer it to Cyril's attitude. I am reminded why Dorian is one of my favorite characters. I simply love his attitude.

 

As for exploring, apart from quite a few more and less interesting documents and chapters from Varric's Hard in Hightown (btw, why does that sound like a porn title to me) there are a great deal of random bits and pieces to be found. I wonder if they have any meaning. I collect some, but I can't figure anything out right up to the end. There are also two mounted telescopes which serve to....make you look at nicely-realized landscapes? I recall in my earlier playthroughs, I stumbled upon a trail of hints that led to....uh, I don't recall, but it was nothing important, so I'm not too displeased that I don't manage to find it again in this playthrough. More displeasing is that I can't figure out what the occasianol purple fires mean that appear here and there as you walk along only to vanish again within a second. If anyone knows, please tell.

 

I can now start the Exalted Council, where Ki'ina almost nods off - very appropriate, though I would rather have a choice about that. Some of my Inquisitors are very politically-minded. Ki'ina, however, is more inclined to answer Teagan's question "Are we not worth the Inquisitor's time" with clear "no" after he complained that we still hold Caer Bronach. As if Ferelden had done anything to reclaim it on its own. So the interruption that calls me away from the Council is welcome.

 

Hints of an Invasion

 

After talking with Leliana about the qunari corpse she found, I follow the trail of the blood to an eluvian. On the way there I manage for the first time to get the thing - I don't even recall what it was - on the wooden lattice. Ugh, I hate jumping puzzles, but I'm a completionist. Through the eluvian, we find ourselves in the Crossroads - that space that's not quite the Fade but also not the solid world - and follow the trail of blood to another eluvian. This one is inactive no, so we look for alternatives and find another one. After a little sidetrack to another hidden room containing a part of the "The Taken Shape" equipment set, we enter and find ourselves in some elven ruins.

 

Now the most interesting aspect of the story starts to surface. As we follow the path, solving a little puzzle and killing qunari on the way, we learn more about the elven god Fen'Harel. Except that he didn't claim divinity but rebelled against those elven mages who did claim it, the Evanuris. Ki'ina can't but be fascinated by this revelation, curious as she was about what Elvhenan was really like after Solas removed her valasslin. Also, the Anchor starts acting up. An unpleasant hint of things to come. Also, Dorian makes an observant comment about Fen'Harel as a rebel. After we find hints of a qunari plot and an unknown mage working against them, we go back and inform Leliana of the qunari plot which is yet to be uncovered in full. So, after another round of exploring and talking to people to see if they have anything more to say, we enter the crossroads again and find ourselves in the Deep Roads.  

 

Deep Roads

 

We find a large qunari lyrium mining operation, and meet an ex-templar who explains that the qunari leader is some "Viddasala" and their project is named, rather pretentiously, "Dragon's Breath". In short, we wreck this operation using the qunari's own gaatlok, uncover some more lore, find evidence of gaatlok being smuggled into the Winter Palace and go back, where we find that indeed, someone has been trying to smuggle gaatlok into the palace. We discuss this and I set out on another exploration tour through yet another conveniently uncovered eluvian...

 

Hmph. I like the different parts of this questline, but the way they're strung together, with eluvians and walkways conveniently appearing where they need to be to keep the story linear, feels artificial and game-y.

 

Shattered Library

 

This is perhaps the most interesting area. There are may Codex entries to be found detailing life in old Elvhenan, and we can speak to the spirit librarians. We hear that the Fade and the solid world were once one, and that it was its sundering that destroyed old Elvhenan. Most importantly, one librarian spirit says "The Vir Darthara was made with world and Fade. When they sundered, so did we." Thus, we get a hint that not only locations and things were sundered, but living entities as well. My mages, Dorian and Vivienne, comment on this in various places. The way these comments are triggered - by little glowing clouds you can activate - is no less artificial than the questline connection, but at least we won't miss anything this way. Also, I like the gradual revelation of lore about old Elvhenan, Fen'Harel and the Veil. 

 

As for what we're doing here, we solve some walkway puzzles and the occasional random puzzle that gives us some loot, like the one with the wolf statue and the veilfire bowl, in order to reach an upside-down place named the Inverted Ward, where we meet the Viddasala who hints at some of her invasion plans before she leaves, leaving her goons to deal with me. How typical. We acquire from her a Darvaarad keystone, which is apparently the key to the first eluvian, where the trail of blood from the first corpse ended up. We now have the key to the HQ of the qunari operation and can go back.

 

I have my issues with the scene that follows. We discuss how some of the Inquisition's elven workers have been spies for the qunari, which gives me the option "We are part of the problem" and makes Josephine think that maybe the Inquisition should be dismantled. Well...that's a fallacy if I ever heard one. NO, my dear Josephine, that we have spies in our midst is just normal, as it is in every nation and big organization ever created. If that is reason enough to dismantle us, then you might as well call to dismantle Orlais, Ferelden and every other nation and continue life in tribe-sized communities. And since this debate has clearly been created to give the dismantling option that comes later a positive face, it's a major storytelling failure. It's as if the writers want me to accept those tribe-sized communities as a preferred means of organizing human life just because they're better at ensuring loyalty. Grrr.... Perfection may well be our measuring stick, but to discard everything that's not perfect only makes sense if perfection is actually achieveable at an acceptable price. I actually do think that Leliana's fake dismantling is a good option, and the reasons are indeed like Leliana says, it might work better as a secret organization, but NO, the fact that we were set up by qunari spies does not de-legitimize the Inquisition as a whole. To think so it utterly stupid.

 

The Darvaarad

 

After I've expressed my completely out-of-game annoyance by making the Inquisitor utter a string of curses, I set out to the Darvaarad to dismantle (sic) the qunari operation there. We fight our way to the heart of the operation, solving the last wolf-statue veilfire puzzle along the way, and find that "Dragon's Breath" involves an actual dragon. I have no idea how a dragon could contribute to the qunari cause, but there's that. I decide to free the dragon, and follow the Viddasala through yet another eluvian. Did I say this setup is artificial? 

 

A finding of note: there's a mural in a tower with a note saying this is said to be a self-portrait of Fen'Harel. It reminds me suspiciously of my friend and lover Solas.

 

Interlude: thematic considerations:

 

At this point, we know how the world as it is came to be, with the Fade and the solid world being separate. This raises questions about the place of the old magic in the order of things, and I think everyone who plays Trespasser will consider the question: what is more desirable: a world without the old magic like the qunari wanted, a world full of it, as old Elvhenan was, or that which we have now.

 

This question carries aspects of quite a few themes. Usually, an "old world" is painted as a state of innocence, where people lived in harmony with the world and were largely uncorrupted, in spite of the dangers that existed. At the very least, the usual portrayals of old worlds carry hints of such. It has been the same with the tales of Elvhenan, but with Solas revelations in the romance and the revelations in the shattered library that aspect has been completely negated. Meanwhile, the "new world" is often said to be one of order and industry, where the old magics are either gone or tamed, the mundane is predominent in people's lives, and people in general are bound more completely into their communities because more complexity creates more dependencies. This would be the world the qunari want to create, but it is as undesirable as a return to the old world if it gave rise to something like the Evanuris.   

 

Where does that leave us? People in present Thedas yearn for the wonders of the archetypical old world at times, and for the order of the new world at other times, but those worlds have never existed or will never exist in the forms envisioned, simply because people are people and our cultures could never be perfect, even if we could agree on what perfection actually means. Also they're one-sided. The picture presented by Thedas is complicated. Usually the old world is a dreamtime, a world of chaos and unpredictability, where fewer phenomena can be investigated and understood. Pre-Veil Thedas was different though, or the elves could have never created an empire. Usually the new world is a reasonably happy one, where people may miss the romantic but generally lead happy lives, but the extreme collectivism of the Qun is different, nobody who values individual freedom could be happy there. In the end, it is probably a desirable goal to keep the status quo - the world has enough of each aspect to satisfy both yearnings, as long as the Fade remains accessible and the legacy of the old world is not destroyed completely. I think of the precision of the qunari understanding of the world, as evidenced by their documents, and I know I want that, but not at the price of freedom. I think of the wonders of Elvhenan as evidenced by the documents from Vir Darthara, and I know I want that, too, but not if it gives rise to would-be gods. Most of all, I do not want either side to be anathema to the other, and I hope that's not the direction the bigger story arc is going.

 

Solas

 

The eluvian in the Darvaarad sends us into another set of elven ruins. The Anchor has become deadly and I need to discharge it every few minutes. We fight our way through a horde of qunari including a lyrium-boosted Saarebas of a type hinted at in one of the documents in the Deep Roads, until at last I leave my companions behind and follow the Viddasala through a final eluvian, where I find Solas petrifying her - as he did her whole squad - with magic used as casually as other people use a knife. It doesn't need more than an act of will.

 

When my other Inquisitor Maelyn saw this, she thought "This is magical power I want". That was another playthrough, but I can't but recall it. Heck, why must all people with this kind of power end up as opponents?

 

Ki'ina is no mage, but she knows she's in the presence of a being which may as well be considered god-like for how far beyond normal mages they are. She's also figured out that this man she came to love - and still loves - is Fen'Harel. Uh...I do not recall having seen the option "You are Fen'Harel" before - what did I do differently this time? A little research tells me it was some documents and veilfire runes I picked up. The one piece of information I didn't have before was the one from behind the pile of rubble in the Deep Roads, which you can remove with the Anchor's pre-final upgrade.

 

The scene with Solas is....poignant and heartbreaking. He tells me he wants to tear down the Veil to restore the elves, and that this will destroy the world as we know it along with most of its peoples. Do I want that? How can't I want it? How can I? Ki'ina is torn, but the scale of destruction is not acceptable. She thinks of all the people he has come to know, all would be gone, for the dream of a past she has never known since most of the tales were false. Maybe there is a different way. That Sonallium in the document from the library, wasn't that a device to travel to other worlds? Could perhaps the elven civilization be restored in another world, leaving this one alone? Odd that Solas hasn't considered such alternatives. I understand him. He says waking up to the present was like waking to a world of tranquil. I don't understand him. He can't be swayed. I still love him, damn it. What *did* the Evanuris do anyway? Killing Mythal, no, that can't be it. Something with the titans, perhaps? A document hints that Mythal once killed one. Killing more might have destroyed the world. Every alternative was worse? That would be about the only thing imaginable worse than sundering it into the Fade and the solid world.

 

Solas explains, but time is short. The Anchor can't be denied. We share a final kiss....I am kissing the one who would destroy my world and would orchestrate my death along with that of the world as we know it. I understand, some things are more important than love. That I do not hold against him, but I want to live. I want my people, those I know personally, to live. I also want the elves restored. Can I have both? Time is not of the essence, if I could only convince him to look for other solutions before he acts. That he doesn't, that I do hold against him.

 

Maybe you who read this have gotten a hint of it: I consider this scene the most intense, one of the most thematically significant and the most personally touching storytelling scene Bioware has ever made. It's the reason why I now consider Ki'ina my main Inquisitor and a Solas-romancing Inquisitor pseudo-canon. The romance gives the scene such an added dimension that I'll have a hard time playing a non-elf in future. It feels like the story is supposed to be that way. I said that I don't like losing the anchor, and I still don't, but I can live with it since it came about in such a scene.

 

Just to be complete: there's a small contradiction in the scene: Solas says the Evanuris are exiled forever, but later implicitly admits destroying the Veil might bring them back. I'd rather like some clarification on that.

 

The Fate of the Inquisition

 

Now to the more disappointing part. I get back to the Council and see things are coming to a head. With great disappointment I see I only have two "I lose" options. I'd hate losing almost all of my organization, but I'd hate losing my independence more. So I decide to disband, but I'm not happy about it and I let everyone know. Later, I'll make my peace with it but for now, after losing against and losing Solas, I find I also lose against Orlais and Ferelden. And I lost my arm, my magical extra and my castle. I lose in a big way, really. It is rather annoying, but I can't deny the situation resulting from this is rather interesting, and since as opposed to Maelyn, Ki'ina isn't as invested in her magical extra and her political power, it's not all that bad.

 

Thís is the end. The scene with Solas lingers in my mind as I watch the very nice epilogue scenes and the scene where Leliana, Cassandra and I confer about what's to be done. More than ever, I understand those who would prefer to continue playing the Inquisitor. I want to have a hand in the resolution of things between Ki'ina and Solas, too, and I can't imagine doing that while playing someone else. On the other hand, I'd rather be rid of the unloved "Inquisitor" title and play someone with a moniker more to my liking. And for my mage Maelyn, I do not want to be reminded of how much I lost. Perhaps two protagonists are the solution. I don't know. What I do know is that I want more. More of Thedas, more of its lore and its characters, and more of the kind of storytelling as in the final scene with Solas.

 

That's it. The end of this account. In summary, I should perhaps mention that Trespasser was an unusually intense experience, and extremely enjoyable in those aspects of Bioware's games I like most: storytelling and lore. Roleplaying was also very good, even if it was mostly restricted to key points and you couldn't influence the main events on a big scale like in the main game. Finally, as opposed to Corypheus, Solas actually has the stature for someone who is an object of Sandal's prophecy. I am, btw., quite delighted to see one of my predictions coming true, albeit late: I said the possible destruction of the Veil would become a topic before DAI came out. Most notable is the difference made by the character you play: with my mage Maelyn, I could still appreciate the excellent storytelling but I came out of it angry, but with Ki'ina, I am perfectly happy. Well, happy in a sad way, since she's lost so much, but you get what I mean.

 

 

THE END. Comments welcome.

[robertmarilyn]

Thanks for writing all of this...it was another way to relive the game and I enjoyed reading your thoughts, as you played. 

[Ieldra]

Nice to hear
 
I'll add a few pictures.....
 
Ki'ina's dream team:

 
Don't BS me:

 
Profile shot:

 
Pensive Ki'ina:

 
The early days:

 
Smirk:

[SmilesJA]

She looks beautiful!

[Ieldra]

She looks beautiful!

Thanks......I found it was rather hard making an elf beautiful, compared to a human - though I must say that it's a little disappointing to see comments about my pictures but not what I've written...

[Medhia_Nox]

Well, I read what you wrote - but, of course - I simply have a different view of all of it.  

 

Do you, Ieldra, believe that your romance changes the morality of the situation?  Not how Ki'ina feels about it, but how you approach it.  For example, for me - I could play Ki'ina - but my motivation for telling that story would be how love blinds a person to what should be clear.  The same question applies to being an elf.  Racial pride is not - to me - a reasonable factor in determining how I feel about Solas' plans.  Of course - I could play a character blinded by racial "dignity" - but that's how I would approach the character.  

 

NOTE:  I'm not arguing whether your character IS blind.  I'm asking how you see it.  Do you think species and love alter the morality of Solas' plan?  

 

My view truly colors everything I see about Solas and any character I would play that is interested in knowledge, magic, the Fade, etc. would still disagree with him on nearly every point.  I cannot actually wrap my head around the idea that any modern Thedosian would genuinely want the Veil to come crashing down at the whim of someone who claims they were an ancient elven "whatever".  That, of course, only matters to me - not to anyone else who's experiencing the game.

 

But because of it - I cannot feel anything other than drive to defeat Solas.  To bring him low before his plan comes to fruition.  To drive him, and anyone else like him that would decide what is best for all of Thedas based solely off their will back into whatever prison they escaped from.  So, I do feel strongly about it... but in an entirely different fashion.  

 

I "could" create a character that agrees with Solas - but, I simply don't find him compelling enough to spend 30+ hours on that playthrough.

 

Question to anyone out there:  Is there anyone who played an elf that disagreed with Solas?  I'd be very interested in an elf that opposed him and I might try that for myself (though I suspect it wouldn't add enough to warrant an entire playthrough).  

 

Whereas you are interested primarily in magic and the Fade... I am curious more about the Qun, Tevinter, the Avvar and - of course - the dwarves and their new Titan creators.  I have a rather large disdain for people as individuals - but I find cultures fascinating and far more interesting to explore than the undercurrents of the world (both IRL and in IPs).  I am more interested in how people feel about magic... than how it works .  How they deal with mages - than why mages have magic.  (mostly because I think without being a designer - discussing it is just a lot of pareidolia)

 

So - that's probably why I am so dead set against this Solas stuff - which I consider absolutely deranged nonsense.  

 

Descent was my favorite new addition - though I truly enjoy anything about the Avvar as I have a weak spot for more animist oriented religions in general.  I have really high hopes for Shaper Valta.  Though I originally wanted Golems like Shale to be "dwarven mages" as I think it would have been a far more original take... I am pleased to see that the dwarves have no been completely forgotten,  I have to admit - I like that their burdens have been infinitely greater than that of the elves and yet - they don't spend their entire lives looking backward.  Quite the opposite - I'm not sure I like that the Shaperate has destroyed dwarven history. 

 

Whereas I have no interest in Solas... I wanted to spend an entire 100+ hour game exploring the Deep Roads now... learning about the dwarven people, the Titans, their relationship to lyrium, the "potential" hive mind nature of the original dwarves (eusocial creatures fascinate me) 

 

So much so, my "main" Inquisitor is going to be the new dwarf I make.  

 

Anyway - glad you enjoyed it, Trespasser really worked for you.