123 réponses à ce sujet

[Shizukai]

I'm sorry for this post. And sorry, if this is considered spam.

But I really need to put something off my soul and I hope, this is okay in here for I don't know where else to go.

 

First of all:

I love Dragon Age. It's my favorite Game-series in the world.
Origins got me, I fell instantly in love, exploring the world with my female mage warden and loved it.

 

Me and Dragon Age Inquisition/roleplaying:

Dragon Age Inquisition is a great game.

I finished it two times, the last time with all DLCs included.

Being an elven mage is my favorite choice of race/class. So I chose this two times.

I chose the Solas romance (or did it chose me?). I do like Cullen, for he was one of the first persons I met in DAO and I really love how this character developed throughout the whole series.

 

But I try to follow one way for my character. One strict line.

As a former pen&paper-roleplayer it is really important for me to play authentic. To differ between me and my characters, and the choices (but I always make them up with me, can't take a bad decision, those are leaving me sleepless).

 

The end of DAI was great, I liked it. It was hard being alone while other players enjoyed their romances, but I was fine with that, because... really, Solas told me since the very first minute that this isn't going to work. That's just fair. I was okay, ending the game - the closure of the story, the boss battle, having Morrigan at my side again. Simply great.

 

I started playing it again instantly, this time on Computer (for there were no DLCs for the ps3-edition and the ps3-loadingsscreens were just killing me). Nice graphics, I visited that detailed world, created with so much love again.

 

A hundred hours again. 

I laughed, I cried. Once again: One of the greatest journeys I ever took.

 

And at the end of Trespasser (which is a great DLC btw.)

My Inquisitor stood there and got... nothing.

 

1. No love

Don't get me wrong. The Solas romance is great, the greatest, deepest most mature one in my opinion.

I don't think I'll ever be  able to go through another one, for I want to know and see and understand everything that's connected. Of course this roots in my love for the elves in DA. I could not take having a "nice and simple" love after experiencing this.

 

But still. I knew there would be no Happy Ending. I love how the developers dealt with it and what they put in the credits/the story pieces which are shown after finishing. But this was so very hart to take for me, for my Inqusitor. 

 

I felt sad for her being left alone at the end.

Not able to follow, not able to safe him from himself (but still trying for what I love her).

 

I guess she would have left the Inquisition and her team instantly if he had asked for it. He didn't and he never would.

 

2. No home/roots

While playing DAI, I wondered if my Inquisitor is going to go back to her clan after defeating Corypheus and saving the word.

Now it seems impossible. She knows the truth, knows that everything the Dalish are living for is a lie, that they are just... long forgotten slaves... not on a journey but somehow escaping their past, unable to face their future.

 

A hollow life.

Abelas said, the Dalish are shadows, hiding under their vallaslin. Maybe he's just right.

 

3. No Inquisition

I could have chosen to keep the Inquisition going. Yeah. But controlled by the church? 

Only for the sake of politicians shutting their mouth? I was so angry.

My Inquisitor gave everything. She literally gave her arm for saving the word, closing the breach, for everything....

only to be a punching ball for frustrated politicians.

 

After everything she got to know, after being left by Solas, after loosing her arm...

She was angry. She disbanded the inquisition.

 

At the beginning of Trespasser, I really thought I would keep it.

Leliana brought the thought of "knowing, when to lay down your sword" in my mind.

 

4. No arm

This one really shocked me. I didn't expect that. But it was a logical thing, dealing with such a power without any consequences... no, that is not realistic, not fair. I guess I'm okay with that for it is a consequence of everything I got and did before.

 

What disturbs me is:

This disarms the Inquisitor. The special power she got is gone. Her "trademark" is gone.

And I'm also pretty sure that fighting isn't easy with only one arm left (what are two-handed-warriors going to do? Rogues?)

 

Bioware made itself very clear: The Inquisitor's time is over.

 

It has always been like that in DA-Games, new hero every time,

This is not Mass Effect.

But this time, in this combination of every story detail, it left me somehow unsatisfied. I feel like I (or rather my Inquisitor) is not going to be able to end her very own story. The end is somehow open, my character is not and never will be on peace.

 

5. At the very end...

... everything is lost. My Inquisitor is no Inquisitor anymore. She lost her love, her arm. She lost everything she used to believe in and has to deal with a big and bitter truth about her people, her culture, her everything...

 

This is the consequence of all my decisions.

Each one of them is logical, I can draw the line and I really think they are prepared and thoughtful.

But... "but".

 

Me at the end of Inquisition:

If I had chosen to play.. for example as a non-elvish andrastian Templar, living the happy ended-Cullen-romance and put the services of my Inquisition gladly in the hands of the chantry, the ending would have been happier and in a way there would have been a closure. Some peace of mind. Of course, Solas would be still on the loose, but this wouldn't hurt in a personal way. And all the things about the fade, the elves... they would not touched my Inquisitor this bad.

 

I don't want to miss a single thing I learned during my playthrough.

I've got no regrets.

But now, I really don't know if and when I'm able to go through DAI again.

Or through another part of the series, for I learned so much about things I... I knew since my very first moment in Origins. I don't feel like I could ever put a (future)-warden mage though the fade-eximanination in the circle at the very beginning again. Or play the Dalish-Origin again.

 

 

...............

Thank you for reading this. It really feels good to tell this to people who know the game and are able to understand what I'm saying and thinking.

Sorry for grammar mistakes, English isn't my mother tongue. And sorry for this long and somehow sad/negative post.

[Abyss108]

Good read, seems like you played in a very similar way to me! It definitely wasn't the most uplifting ending in the world, though I think that was expected. (Strangely, compared to the endings I got in the first two games, this was actually the "happiest" ending for me, even though I did the most Elfy character I could)

 

If it makes you feel any better, Weekes (lead writer) has said he does plan to give more closure to Solas and the Inquisitor in the next game, so maybe things will cheer up for them then! 

 

Or maybe it'll just get worse... 

[robertmarilyn]

I understand what you are saying and thinking. Cullen is my main romance but for the first time in about 9 playthroughs, I'm playing a non human (elf) romancing Solas. I've had my happy endings and this time I'm going to have the heartbreak ending, when it comes to the romance. 

 

So far, with the only IQ that I've played all the way through Trespasser (the other IQs were before Trespasser came out), that IQ isn't broken because she romanced Cullen and married him. Her life isn't over, she still has things to do. I think my Solas romancing IQ will feel the same way but of course, she'll also be dealing with a broken romance and knowing the guy she was romancing wants to destroy her world. I still have a way to go in this play through so don't know all the decisions she will finally make. Still, all my IQs will have a future of doing good, even if they lost an arm. 

 

Good post Shizukai!

[Darkly Tranquil]

I quite like the fact that "happily ever after"s are hard to come by in DA, and that a hefty price is often paid for them if they happen at all. With all the upheaval that Thedas has gone through and all the trials and tribulations our characters have faced, the idea that they should simply emerge from the other side unscathed is daft. Having the Inquisitor rise to great heights, and then lose it all is much more interesting and believable than having them simply ride off into the sunset, or get conveniently "disappeared" to make way for a new protagonist.

Then again, I've watched a lot of samurai movies, so I consider everyone dying heroically to be a perfectly satisfying ending.

[TK514]

Nice read.  I like it when folks get invested in their stories, and share.

 

I don't disagree with you here, because how you feel is how you feel, but I would offer my own perspective on the loss of an arm and the anchor.

 

I didn't feel like the Inquisitor was diminished or that their time was over.  Being a leader, dealing with the threats that one must, is more than being the best fighter or the one with the special magic.  Disarming the Inquisitor does nothing to take away what (theoretically) made them the leader that commanded the loyalty and love of powerful individuals from every spectrum of society.  Or what let them command armies.

 

All taking the Inquisitor off the battlefield does is give them time to focus on the other aspects of leadership and the greater picture.  It lets them focus on what their companions and advisers have been teaching them all along.  This is an individual who learned about war from Cullen, Cassandra and the Iron Bull, Statesmanship and Spycraft from Josephine, Leliana and even Sera, and Magical theory from Vivienne, Dorian, and Fen'Harel himself.  The Inquisitor may not be as good as they are individually, but he can put the whole picture together in ways they never could.  And without wandering around the countryside wrangling magic cows for people, the Inquisitor has more time to absorb and direct the whole, instead of just reacting personally to parts.

 

In short, I think this gives the Inquisitor the chance to step off of BioWare's usual hero arc and take on a role as someone who truly understands the pieces that direct nations, and how to use them.

 

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't admit that I'm not sure BioWare knows how to use such a character, or how to make him compelling enough to take on any meaningful role in games that have, at their core, just fantasy hack and slash to collect loot gameplay.

[CardButton]

 

 

Me at the end of Inquisition:

If I had chosen to play.. for example as a non-elvish andrastian Templar, living the happy ended-Cullen-romance and put the services of my Inquisition gladly in the hands of the chantry, the ending would have been happier and in a way there would have been a closure. Some peace of mind. Of course, Solas would be still on the loose, but this wouldn't hurt in a personal way. And all the things about the fade, the elves... they would not touched my Inquisitor this bad.

 

I wouldn't be too sure about this, it really does depend on the Solas' timetable.  The thing is if Solas plans on bringing down the Veil sooner rather than latter than that happily ever after that an Inquisitor can get with one of the other Romance choice won't be so "ever after".  In the end the Inquisitor at bare minimum will still have to act against Solas to preserve that happy ending that they already have earned, because they wont get to keep it very long if he gets his way. 

 

For the Solas LI players they didn't get a happy ending (though perhaps they still wish to save Solas from himself), for the other LI players its about keeping the world around long enough to enjoy that happy ending. 

[Aren]

Dragon age n1 rule,if you want the happy ending don't romance the mage, evar!

They are full of problems...

[Dai Grepher]

Here's some consolation.

 

1. The Inquisitor's story is not over. The final scene shows that the Inquisitor will work to find people Solas does not know who will be capable of stopping him, and I believe this could include The Hero and The Champion, as well as the DA4 protagonist.

 

2. The arm can be compensated, especially by a mage. My male human mage for example is a Rift Mage. So he can simply conjure "stone fist" from the Fade and manipulate that to form a functioning hand. With practice this weakness may actually become a strength, and could in theory work better than his real hand. Of course, the anchor itself is probably lost.

 

So it all comes down to what your Inquisitor was. A Necromancer could have a spirit arm. A spirit can interact with physical matter, as we have seen. It could also have special abilities, sort of like Fennris' ability. A Knight Enchanter might be a little more difficult to compensate for. One option is to heal the arm completely using the focus ability, but this seems like a copout. An alternative is to have Dagna create a metal arm that is similar to the sword hilt of a Knight Enchanter, so that when energy is put into it, the arm functions as usual. This option is a little farfetched, but it's possible.

 

A 2H warrior is probably screwed. A shield and sword warrior can have a prosthetic arm and shield attachment. Since the amputation is past the elbow, it's possible to create something that will restore most functionality. In that case it all comes down to restoring the hand motions.

 

A rogue has more options than the warrior. Crossbow attachment, bow attachment, blade arm attachment.

 

It's also possible, though not likely, that Solas moved the arm into the Fade. Maybe DA4 will involve reclaiming that arm from wherever it is. But more likely, the arm is dead. But who knows?

 

3. The Inquisition itself will likely exist either way, it's just a question of whether you head it or not. If you disband, most forces and property will go to the Chantry and the Seekers and Templars. If you keep the Inquisition, then the same amount of forces and resources stay under the Inquisition banner but serve the Chantry as a whole. So there's only subtle difference here. And if you have an understanding Divine, she will let you run the Inquisition your way.

 

4. The romance. For a Dalish Female Inquisitor the situation looks pretty depressing. Either you hate Solas' guts, or you chase the concept of him through dreams. All I can tell you is that the romance will likely have relevance in the next game.

 

5. The Elven lore. So your way of life is a lie and a big joke. So what? Why let that get you down when you can turn things around? Accept the misery. Rise above it. If the evanuris can become "gods" from nothing, why can't you?

 

Or, reject everything the trickster god said and keep the faith.

 

Or, be the lead elf in converting the heathen Dalish to the truth that is the Maker.

 

Or, at least get the Dalish to rethink their beliefs.

 

I started a Dalish Female Mage whose patron god is Falon'Din. I'll make her a Necromancer, naturally. She might romance Solas, or she might not. Depends how well they get along. But I plan on having her take the position of embracing the knowledge Solas reveals, concluding that Falon'Din is still out there somewhere, and then after Trespasser deciding the best course of action would be to find Falon'Din, release him, ingratiate herself to him, exalt him as the true god, and then join him in taking revenge against Fen'Harel.

 

So the Dalish Female has plenty of options.

[Venus_L]

Great post. And yeah, that's pretty much the feeling you get once you finish DAI as a Solasmancer, that you're left with nothing. Just some shady hopes that "maybe" you will find him and "maybe" you can save him. Who knows what DA4 will bring us... I still hope that something good is gonna come out of this. Can't be all tears and sadness. Every sad story can have a happy ending. Team optimism here!

[Ieldra]

Yes, OP, that's how I'm feeling as well. Yet, I consider this a "good sad ending". It was so intense, so well-made, so poignant, triggered such a complex mix of emotions, and at the same time revealed so much and connected to the world's lore, that I find it perfectly appropriate. You can read my impressions in more detail in my one-year-after account, currently on this forum page.

 

Also, Solas is now *the* romance for me. It's hard to imagine playing anything else but a female Lavellan. I've always thought the best romances are those which are part of the main story arc. Trespasser proves it again.

[Gervaise]

I sympathise with you.  Unfortunately the Solas romance was very much a case a art mirroring life for me, both in the main game and in Trespasser.   

 

 My first run was as a female elf mage who romanced Solas.    I usually play elves and being a true Dalish, her only option was going to be to romance another elf.   This isn't racism; the elven people will die out if you romance other races because any children won't show any trace of their elven heritage.   I played her as being a bit bewildered by the whole Herald of Andraste thing and feeling very isolated and alone among all the humans, so she really looked to Solas for guidance and support.    When he broke it off, it wasn't so much the fact that he had done so as the way he did it, without any real explanation of why.    Then when he left after the final battle, it was a very upsetting because he'd promised he'd explain and yet he hadn't.    She was convinced it was something she had done; may be breaking the orb.  So she didn't feel any sense of elation at defeating Corypheus, just empty.    Everyone was enjoying the party while she just went through the motions before going back to her room to stand there, alone.    Everything she felt was my personal reaction to it; it left me really depressed, particularly when I saw the epilogue and had the first realisation that Solas had been deceiving her.    What was annoying was that whilst I knew this, she didn't, so there was no closure.    I had to play through again with a different romance just to get rid of all the negative feelings I was having.   I had a much more positive experience with Dorian and actually ended the game feeling the elation that everyone else did at defeating Corypheus and actually enjoying the celebration party.   As a result I transferred my emotional attachment to Dorian as it was far healthier for me.  

 

Then came Trespasser.     My elf girl is even more depressed at the end of it.    She has discovered that all the time she thought they were working together to save their world, in fact Solas was simply giving it a temporary reprieve so that he can destroy it on his terms so he gets the result that he wants (he thinks) and have the world he wants.     (Analogies with real life again for me - for 'world' read 'relationship').     So I agree, for my elf girl there is not much left, not because of the loss of the arm and the revelations about the Dalish, but because he has broken her emotionally.     

 

Personally I had enough of that in real life, so I can do without the angst in the game.     PW says they included the Solas romance to try and create a bit more sympathy for him  which made me feel rather used when I read it.     I do think the writers were rather cruel to the Solas romance.    You can in fact end up with no clan either if you make the wrong choices at the war table, and yet no one acknowledges that you have had that trauma.   Then in Trespasser Varric plays that awful joke on Cassandra that has her bringing up the subject of marriage which in the case of a Solas romance was absolutely heartless (did no one realise how badly that would come across?).   Every other romance has that person there to support them at the end (well all bar one and at least he never made any secret of what he was).   Poor Solas romance is all alone, again.    

 

So as I say, I completely understand how you are feeling.   I suggest you really try romancing someone else so you can enjoy playing the series again.   It worked for me.

[ComedicSociopathy]

1. Solas broke up with you over two years. It was sad, but Inquisitor's life isn't over because of a bad breakup and even sadder reunion. If anything his explanation for his reasoning and his decision to destroy the Veil even if kills you and everyone else you ever loved (your clan, the members of the Inquisition, etc) makes moving on a lot easier. At least to me. Also you got to find out that it wasn't your fault that he breakup with you. That blame and fault lies completely with Solas and his actions. Just headcanon that your Inquisitor was able to emotionally move on after your confrontation or at the very least found some solace with with your true companions in the Inquisition who stood by you.

 

Sera: I don't have the words to make the hurt go away, but you have friends Inquisitor. Remember that. 

 

I really dig that line. 

 

2. Abelas is full of it. You, your clan and the elves as a whole aren't broken. Yes, you don't have immortality and a connection to the Fade, but that doesn't define what makes you a person or a people with value. Even Solas saw that and even if the Dalish's past is just as checkered as everyone else's that shouldn't mean that their existence is a shadow or a lie. They'll endure what truth the Inquisitor tells them and they'll find a way to move on and find another way and another purpose. And the Dalish aren't slaves. Their not slaves to Tevinter, not slaves to Orlais and not slaves to their mage-king gods. They're free. Perhaps that freedom isn't perfect, but its better then living like a serf in a human kingdom, a dwarf in the caste system or a qunari in the Qun. If the Dalish can take pride in anything its that.

 

3. People can be ungrateful arseholes, especially politicians. It is sad that you couldn't keep the Inquisition and its armies, spy networks and staff of diplomats, but like I said you can still call your companions. Companions that can potentially muster for you power of an order of possession immune Seekers, a famous mercenary company, a voice in the Grey Wardens, a spy network that stretches across Thedas, a spirit that can read minds, an entire Free City, the Circle of Magi, a growing political faction in Tevinter and the Chantry itself. 

 

You definitely didn't leave this Inquisition with nothing if you disband.

 

4. First, like everyone else said the Inquisitor definitely coming back in DA 4 in some role, so don't worry that much about your story being complete. Second, Sera being a total sis gets you an arm prosthetic so you can still have wacky adventures if you join her Red Jennies. I'd imagine that if Sera can get you something for you arm then Dagna (Sera's girlfriend who probably made it the first place) will hook (puns!)  you up with something. And of course there's potentially always healing magic to help. 

 

5. Like I said. You still got your friends. You probably still got your clan, who could doing better then any clan in Thedas with being allowed in Wycome. Your arm can be replaced most likely. Your culture and its history doesn't define you and loss in faith in some parts of it doesn't mean everything is over.  

 

Also, Andrastians don't have it easy either. They get to see the Chantry condemn them as a false prophet. They get to see their narrow beliefs about the Fade and spirits destroyed. And they get to find out repeatedly about how the Chantry has rewrote history to serve their own ends. And of course there's seeing the Templars and the Seekers look like mad fools throughout the game.  

 

Finally, I just want to point out that Eros love (romance) isn't the end all and be of relationships. Philia love (friendship) and Storge love (family) is just as important and fulfilling. People tend to forget that sometimes, especially after a bad breakup. 

 

Hope that helps.    

[Karmel]

From me - as a consolation:

1. Playing as Dalish Origin Inquisitor (especially - Solasmancer), you are able to learn more about the history, the world and Fen'Harel himself. The more you know, the better you can evaluate the risks. And you can find a better solution. And the knowledge we may gain is not easily accessible in any other way.

2. Hope dies last. It's not the end of the story, at all.

3. Relating to the mark - we needed it to close the Breach and Rifts. I am afraid that when the situation was brought under control, the Inquisitor used it less frequently, its power began to accumulate and damaged the hand. Solas did not take the arm, but only the Anchor. When he goes hand is still in place. It is amputated later in the Winter Palace, I think.

4. And a curiosity, which may be forgotten even by the authors...

In Dragon Age comic published by IDW, specifically in its fifth part, happens something that may interest you (and others - because I have not seen anyone mention it so far).

The main character (Gleam), inexperienced magician, tries to heal the broken leg of one of her companions. It just so happens that this is a one-armed dwarf, Minderel. Result of her treatments passes their expectations ... Do I need to say more?

If not, then, Dagna, Sandal and Bianca certainly come up with something ...

 

I do not think it could be comforting, but the romance with Blackwall, is not the easiest one, as well. And while Trespasser, Iron Bull can turn against his beloved. It is enough that one sentence from Viddasala. Also, Dorian returns permanently to Tevinter. So, every relationship carries a risk ... (maybe not the one with Cullen, since he is "fluffy blanket" type. To each, his own   )

[Korva]

Inquisition has issues, some new and some frustratingly familiar to me due to recurring over and over in Bioware games, but nonetheless I enjoyed the game quite a bit. Still, as much as I looked forward to Trespasser, those frustratingly familiar issues made me spoil myself on its ending before decided whething to buy it, because I was worried that they would ruin the DLC and the whole story for me. And yeah ... they did. It's pretty much a worst-case scenario. My character, her accomplishments and her friendships (I don't give a toss about romance, but platonic bonds really get the short end of the stick in most Bioware games) were basically destroyed, worse than I expected they would be. Retroactively, I'm kicking myself for hoping that all this would be allowed to mean something in the end. While I didn't have any delusions about single-handedly and permanently changing the world for the better, I was hoping to be a force for some lasting positive change at least, and no small part of my emotional investment hinged on that.

 

So as far as I'm concerned, the base game (plus JoH) is probably the end of the line for me, because I have a hard time imagining how I'd be interested in anything they do with the series from here on out. And yeah, that includes Solas' story. The connection they built between him and the Inquisitor, be it as friend or foe, could be the basis for something interesting if they pull it off properly and don't woobiefy him or fail to bring the Inquisitor back under playing control to deal with Solas in person. But Trespasser just wrecked too much for me, including my opinion of and interest in that character. He was probably my third favourite though he always had huge flaws, now I pretty much just loathe him for in-world and out-of-game reasons both.

 

As for devout Andrastians having their worldview destroyed too, not necessarily. It depends on how educated, pragmatic and open-minded they are. Mine was badly shaken at times, sure, and terrified by implication of the "Herald" title whether it's true or false, but wrestling with the (sadly too shallow) issues of faith was one of the more enjoyable aspects of the game for me.

Modifié par Korva, 21 novembre 2015 - 10:12 .

[Obsidian Gryphon]

Here's some consolation.

 

A 2H warrior is probably screwed. A shield and sword warrior can have a prosthetic arm and shield attachment. Since the amputation is past the elbow, it's possible to create something that will restore most functionality. In that case it all comes down to restoring the hand motions.

 

 

For an elf, that may be true. For a human noble, unlikely since I doubt any noble scion aspiring to being a warrior would limit fighting skills to just using the greatsword during their training stages. However, a 2H warrior elf can learn other ways of fighting if determined to move on and not sit around moping. Or just give up fighting totally because, only one hand. Does that really suit the char of a Inquisitor?

 

I've little interest in playing other races for DA so it's human female warriors all the time but I understand OP's feelings. Playing a human warrior doesn't disallow some similar feelings though. I've always regard Solas as a fascinating char, with interesting, differing views that no one had ever offered before and was willing to consider that his insights on the Fade and spirits have merit and perhaps truth. I actually looked upon him as a guide and friend.

 

For the final dialogue with him, I only feel sad, not anger nor betrayal. In a way, I can see the world where he came from, why he was forced to do what he did. I don't agree with he intends but understand why he wants to do it. I chose to try to redeem him.

 

And in further consideration, I put my thoughts in another thread elsewhere, taking down the Veil in a controlled manner (forewarned) is a good thing than having it disrupt and crash down / explode on unsuspecting heads / with worst results (I doubt Solas can accurately predict the true impact). Solas tells the inquisitor there will be time, time for her and everyone to have some peace but I also think he needs the time too, to prepare. To place the wards and those who follow him to defend against the return of the false gods. For all his assumptions that they're suffering for their crimes in the place of banishment, again, he only assumes it. Assumption is a false sense of victory to fall back on and I doubt he alone, is strong enough to take them on.

 

Even if he didn't awaken from the exhaustion / effort of putting up the Veil in the first place, nothing lasts forever. The Veil would inevitably be meddled with, if not Corypehus, then someone like him, and taken down. The only question is when.

[Dancing_Dolphin]

Nice post, Shizukai. I felt much the same way after completing my first game.

[Commander of the Grey]

As did I. My Lavellan was a loner who found a friend in Solas first and came to trust him a great deal. Before falling head over heels. She lost her clan, was dumped and then left with no answers as to why. It was pretty devestating for her and me as the player and made worse that I knew more than she did, a fact that irked me like crazy. There was no moving on for her because she had nothing to move on to.

I went into Trespasser determined to be done with it all if there wasn't at least some semblance of happiness. You can only be punched in the gut with sadness so many times before it just goes numb and while I enjoy a good story (and it's certainly that) I just didn't want to invest in more sadness down the line. Surprisingly, Trespasser gave me more hope than I ever had. I don't quite know why, more a feeling than anything and the fact that they did such an amazing job showing just how much he really does love her, but I'm looking forward to how it might play out. I might be doomed for another gut punch but it'll be a shock if they go that route a third time.

[Tigress M]

My Treyvelan, even after marrying Cullen, felt a deep sense of loss after Trespasser.  She looked to Solas as her savior, and while she wasn't sure she agreed with all of his actions, she deeply respected him. She also had respect for Iron Bull and it had pained her greatly to ask him to give up his Chargers for a chance at an alliance that she knew would help turn the tide against Corypheus.  And then there was Blackwall who gave her faith that the Wardens could be redeemed only to find out he was a total lie. 

 

So yeah, even with the "happy" ending with Cullen, she truly felt the cost of saving the world.  And I say "happy" in that way because in the end she regretted marrying him. My Inquisitor is all used up. There's nothing left for her to give and Cullen is now married to a husk of a woman that knows she'll never be able to give him what he deserves.   

 

But, I have no regrets. I liked having those difficult choices to make and then facing the consequences afterward.  

[Dutch's Ghost]

Overall Inquisition is just a waste of time. I uninstalled it and I don't think I'll be playing it for quite a while.

[Qis]

Any bad ending games are not worth playing...sorry to say this but why want to waste time then it will end badly?

 

Players will only play once, when knowing it will going bad and no way to make it other way.

[Medhia_Nox]

Interesting - my Inquisitor felt invigorated. 

 

You see - I loathe Solas - and now I want nothing more than for my Inquisitor to be one of the key players behind the scenes to put the sword in the hand of my next PC who will kill, imprison, tranquilize, de-power and turn mortal - Solas.

 

Nor would I ever play an elf character.  I dislike most elven representations as it is (outstanding exceptions are Tolkien's elves or Warhammer's elves - both Hgih Elves and Eldar)  I despised the Dalish before it was cool.  I can toot my own "I told you so." horn because I was posting that the ancient elven empire was evil back on the DA2 boards... of course, I didn't know how profound their evil went and that literally every other race suffered beneath their rule.  But it delights me to no end to be vindicated (in a "this is game lore and totally irrelevant in any real sense sort of way). 

 

I would "almost" play an elf in DA4... solely for the poetry of being an elf that kills Solas.  
 

Then I remember that elves are a "lithe pointy eared people that excel at poverty".  Not everything from DA:O has been proven a lie.  (In fact - I think several things are still very much validated by DA:O and some people just want to see Thedas they way they want Thedas to be... but, that can be said about me too - so I digress.)

Anyway - sorry it feels so hopeless for you OP.  I'm not sure I've ever cared about a video game IP quite so much. 

[kimgoold]

1. Solas broke up with you over two years. It was sad, but Inquisitor's life isn't over because of a bad breakup and even sadder reunion. If anything his explanation for his reasoning and his decision to destroy the Veil even if kills you and everyone else you ever loved (your clan, the members of the Inquisition, etc) makes moving on a lot easier. At least to me. Also you got to find out that it wasn't your fault that he breakup with you. That blame and fault lies completely with Solas and his actions. Just headcanon that your Inquisitor was able to emotionally move on after your confrontation or at the very least found some solace with with your true companions in the Inquisition who stood by you.

 

Sera: I don't have the words to make the hurt go away, but you have friends Inquisitor. Remember that. 

 

I really dig that line. 

 

2. Abelas is full of it. You, your clan and the elves as a whole aren't broken. Yes, you don't have immortality and a connection to the Fade, but that doesn't define what makes you a person or a people with value. Even Solas saw that and even if the Dalish's past is just as checkered as everyone else's that shouldn't mean that their existence is a shadow or a lie. They'll endure what truth the Inquisitor tells them and they'll find a way to move on and find another way and another purpose. And the Dalish aren't slaves. Their not slaves to Tevinter, not slaves to Orlais and not slaves to their mage-king gods. They're free. Perhaps that freedom isn't perfect, but its better then living like a serf in a human kingdom, a dwarf in the caste system or a qunari in the Qun. If the Dalish can take pride in anything its that.

 

3. People can be ungrateful arseholes, especially politicians. It is sad that you couldn't keep the Inquisition and its armies, spy networks and staff of diplomats, but like I said you can still call your companions. Companions that can potentially muster for you power of an order of possession immune Seekers, a famous mercenary company, a voice in the Grey Wardens, a spy network that stretches across Thedas, a spirit that can read minds, an entire Free City, the Circle of Magi, a growing political faction in Tevinter and the Chantry itself. 

 

You definitely didn't leave this Inquisition with nothing if you disband.

 

4. First, like everyone else said the Inquisitor definitely coming back in DA 4 in some role, so don't worry that much about your story being complete. Second, Sera being a total sis gets you an arm prosthetic so you can still have wacky adventures if you join her Red Jennies. I'd imagine that if Sera can get you something for you arm then Dagna (Sera's girlfriend who probably made it the first place) will hook (puns!)  you up with something. And of course there's potentially always healing magic to help. 

 

5. Like I said. You still got your friends. You probably still got your clan, who could doing better then any clan in Thedas with being allowed in Wycome. Your arm can be replaced most likely. Your culture and its history doesn't define you and loss in faith in some parts of it doesn't mean everything is over.  

 

Also, Andrastians don't have it easy either. They get to see the Chantry condemn them as a false prophet. They get to see their narrow beliefs about the Fade and spirits destroyed. And they get to find out repeatedly about how the Chantry has rewrote history to serve their own ends. And of course there's seeing the Templars and the Seekers look like mad fools throughout the game.  

 

Finally, I just want to point out that Eros love (romance) isn't the end all and be of relationships. Philia love (friendship) and Storge love (family) is just as important and fulfilling. People tend to forget that sometimes, especially after a bad breakup. 

 

Hope that helps.    

Sera is a treasure! I loved her in Trespasser especially for that line. I was gutted by the betrayal and it will be worse if we cannot play in some fashion the inquisitor in DA4, the inquisitor doesn't have to be a fighter/mage to stop Solas; she is a leader and shrewd tactician, we need to the that character development in the next game.

[Shizukai]

Wow, I have to thank all of you for reading, caring and taking the time for all these great answers. I appreciate all of them. They comfort me and I know that I’m not alone with a strange and sad feeling at the very end of DAI. A feeling that haunted me for a few days even though I consider myself as a grown-up person… sometimes, at least. I feel better now, feel understood at last. And I feel less stupid.

 

You guys are wonderful.

 

...............

 

I simply HAVE to answer some posts.

Be assured I appreciate everyone of them for they really helped me through this difficult situation and even gave me new perspectives and new ways of understanding.

 

Good read, seems like you played in a very similar way to me! It definitely wasn't the most uplifting ending in the world, though I think that was expected. (Strangely, compared to the endings I got in the first two games, this was actually the "happiest" ending for me, even though I did the most Elfy character I could)

 

If it makes you feel any better, Weekes (lead writer) has said he does plan to give more closure to Solas and the Inquisitor in the next game, so maybe things will cheer up for them then! 

 

Or maybe it'll just get worse... 

 

 

Feels good sharing a way of enjoying the game with someone else.
And thanks for reminding me, that there are bad ends at DAO and DA2 too. I was okay with my ends, even very happy in DAO, so I may forgot that other players weren’t that happy and/or satisfied. A good reminder for sure.

Also thanks for telling me about Weekes’s statement, I didn’t hear about it and knowing it has been said… is really uplifting. Maybe I can start looking forward to DA4 soon.

 

I understand what you are saying and thinking. Cullen is my main romance but for the first time in about 9 playthroughs, I'm playing an non human (elf) romancing Solas. I've had my happy endings and this time I'm going to have the heartbreak ending, when it comes to the romance. 

(...)

 

Good post Shizukai!

 

I somehow wish I did it your way: First experiencing some sort of “happier ending” for the first impression always stucks.  But that makes it even more difficult, especially when it comes to me: I normally stick to one romance and one kind of playstyle (decisions, how to do things).

 

I quite like the fact that "happily ever after"s are hard to come by in DA, and that a hefty price is often paid for them if they happen at all. With all the upheaval that Thedas has gone through and all the trials and tribulations our characters have faced, the idea that they should simply emerge from the other side unscathed is daft. Having the Inquisitor rise to great heights, and then lose it all is much more interesting and believable than having them simply ride off into the sunset, or get conveniently "disappeared" to make way for a new protagonist.

Then again, I've watched a lot of samurai movies, so I consider everyone dying heroically to be a perfectly satisfying ending.

 

 

You got a point. The fall from grace is indeed a strong thing to happen, leaving a bitter impression in the mind of those who went through this whole journey. It is a interesting way of telling (and ending) this story. But a way that hurts and a way I’m not sure I want to be confronted with one more time again.

 

Nice read.  I like it when folks get invested in their stories, and share.

 

I don't disagree with you here, because how you feel is how you feel, but I would offer my own perspective on the loss of an arm and the anchor.

 

I didn't feel like the Inquisitor was diminished or that their time was over.  Being a leader, dealing with the threats that one must, is more than being the best fighter or the one with the special magic.  Disarming the Inquisitor does nothing to take away what (theoretically) made them the leader that commanded the loyalty and love of powerful individuals from every spectrum of society.  Or what let them command armies.

 

All taking the Inquisitor off the battlefield does is give them time to focus on the other aspects of leadership and the greater picture.  It lets them focus on what their companions and advisers have been teaching them all along.  This is an individual who learned about war from Cullen, Cassandra and the Iron Bull, Statesmanship and Spycraft from Josephine, Leliana and even Sera, and Magical theory from Vivienne, Dorian, and Fen'Harel himself.  The Inquisitor may not be as good as they are individually, but he can put the whole picture together in ways they never could.  And without wandering around the countryside wrangling magic cows for people, the Inquisitor has more time to absorb and direct the whole, instead of just reacting personally to parts.

 

In short, I think this gives the Inquisitor the chance to step off of BioWare's usual hero arc and take on a role as someone who truly understands the pieces that direct nations, and how to use them.

 

Thanks for offering your point of view in here, you brought in a new and interesting  perspective for me regarding my Inquisitor.

 

What I really like about DAI is are the politics, the different fractions, the lobbyism. And the knowledge which is connected to all of the points. Knowing that my Inquisitor learned about all this things (the public ones and the hidden, the ones on the battlefield and the ones at the ball room) and grew a lot throughout the game… you are right, that gives the impression, she became a person with a great overview, a strong opinion. With wider view and a sharp mindset.

You put it in far better words in your post, that was inspiring and gave me the idea of the Inquisitor being a wise and strong person at the end. Not a broken one.

 

I wouldn't be too sure about this, it really does depend on the Solas' timetable.  The thing is if Solas plans on bringing down the Veil sooner rather than latter than that happily ever after that an Inquisitor can get with one of the other Romance choice won't be so "ever after".  In the end the Inquisitor at bare minimum will still have to act against Solas to preserve that happy ending that they already have earned, because they wont get to keep it very long if he gets his way.  

 

For the Solas LI players they didn't get a happy ending (though perhaps they still wish to save Solas from himself), for the other LI players its about keeping the world around long enough to enjoy that happy ending.  

 

 

You are right, absolutely.

But I really think that another ending, other choices, would maybe gave some more satisfaction to the Inquisitor… and to the player. Some feeling of getting rewarded for all the effort. But yes, I should not determine my ending as the only one with bad parts in it.

Self-centered me on the loose, sorry!

 

Here's some consolation.

 

1. The Inquisitor's story is not over. The final scene shows that the Inquisitor will work to find people Solas does not know who will be capable of stopping him, and I believe this could include The Hero and The Champion, as well as the DA4 protagonist.

 

2. The arm can be compensated, especially by a mage. My male human mage for example is a Rift Mage. So he can simply conjure "stone fist" from the Fade and manipulate that to form a functioning hand. With practice this weakness may actually become a strength, and could in theory work better than his real hand. Of course, the anchor itself is probably lost.

(...)

 

3. The Inquisition itself will likely exist either way, it's just a question of whether you head it or not. If you disband, most forces and property will go to the Chantry and the Seekers and Templars. If you keep the Inquisition, then the same amount of forces and resources stay under the Inquisition banner but serve the Chantry as a whole. So there's only subtle difference here. And if you have an understanding Divine, she will let you run the Inquisition your way.

 

4. The romance. For a Dalish Female Inquisitor the situation looks pretty depressing. Either you hate Solas' guts, or you chase the concept of him through dreams. All I can tell you is that the romance will likely have relevance in the next game.

 

5. The Elven lore. So your way of life is a lie and a big joke. So what? Why let that get you down when you can turn things around? Accept the misery. Rise above it. If the evanuris can become "gods" from nothing, why can't you?

 

Or, reject everything the trickster god said and keep the faith.

 

Or, be the lead elf in converting the heathen Dalish to the truth that is the Maker.

 

Or, at least get the Dalish to rethink their beliefs.

 

I started a Dalish Female Mage whose patron god is Falon'Din. I'll make her a Necromancer, naturally. She might romance Solas, or she might not. Depends how well they get along. But I plan on having her take the position of embracing the knowledge Solas reveals, concluding that Falon'Din is still out there somewhere, and then after Trespasser deciding the best course of action would be to find Falon'Din, release him, ingratiate herself to him, exalt him as the true god, and then join him in taking revenge against Fen'Harel.

 

So the Dalish Female has plenty of options.

 

Thank you for your detailed list of possibilities and new ideas. I guess, that took you quite some time and I really appreciate the fact you took it. I like how you think and that you, like me, see more than the things which are in the game. You have an idea of your characters, some kind of red line to follow even though it is not mentioned in the games’s storyline. Some kind of mindset, ideals.. that kind of things. I like that for this is what makes every RPG perfect: The ideas, fantasies and feelings a player puts into it. For me it is just that I'm somehow caught in only one way to feel and response to what happened, at least with this Inquisitor.

 

For your female Dalish, I wish you the best. It will be a great journey, enjoy it.

I really like the idea you connect her to one of the evanuris.

 

Great post. And yeah, that's pretty much the feeling you get once you finish DAI as a Solasmancer, that you're left with nothing. Just some shady hopes that "maybe" you will find him and "maybe" you can save him. Who knows what DA4 will bring us... I still hope that something good is gonna come out of this. Can't be all tears and sadness. Every sad story can have a happy ending. Team optimism here!

 

That is what we need at this very point – optimism. (: 

 

 

@leldra

Same here. But not only for Solas, for everything within the game I love to be a Dalish, mage if possible.

 

@Gervaise

I’m sorry to hear that you got involved in a very personal way, concerning your real life. That is  not the way a game should touch for it is touching old scars in hurting in a real way. It is always important to draw the line, so you won’t feel bad after this.

Hope, you are okay now. Thanks for your advice!

 

1. Solas broke up with you over two years. It was sad, but Inquisitor's life isn't over because of a bad breakup and even sadder reunion. If anything his explanation for his reasoning and his decision to destroy the Veil even if kills you and everyone else you ever loved (your clan, the members of the Inquisition, etc) makes moving on a lot easier. At least to me. Also you got to find out that it wasn't your fault that he breakup with you. That blame and fault lies completely with Solas and his actions. Just headcanon that your Inquisitor was able to emotionally move on after your confrontation or at the very least found some solace with with your true companions in the Inquisition who stood by you.

 

Sera: I don't have the words to make the hurt go away, but you have friends Inquisitor. Remember that. 

 

I really dig that line. 

 

2. Abelas is full of it. You, your clan and the elves as a whole aren't broken. Yes, you don't have immortality and a connection to the Fade, but that doesn't define what makes you a person or a people with value. Even Solas saw that and even if the Dalish's past is just as checkered as everyone else's that shouldn't mean that their existence is a shadow or a lie. They'll endure what truth the Inquisitor tells them and they'll find a way to move on and find another way and another purpose. And the Dalish aren't slaves. Their not slaves to Tevinter, not slaves to Orlais and not slaves to their mage-king gods. They're free. Perhaps that freedom isn't perfect, but its better then living like a serf in a human kingdom, a dwarf in the caste system or a qunari in the Qun. If the Dalish can take pride in anything its that.

 

3. People can be ungrateful arseholes, especially politicians. It is sad that you couldn't keep the Inquisition and its armies, spy networks and staff of diplomats, but like I said you can still call your companions. Companions that can potentially muster for you power of an order of possession immune Seekers, a famous mercenary company, a voice in the Grey Wardens, a spy network that stretches across Thedas, a spirit that can read minds, an entire Free City, the Circle of Magi, a growing political faction in Tevinter and the Chantry itself. 

 

You definitely didn't leave this Inquisition with nothing if you disband.

 

4. First, like everyone else said the Inquisitor definitely coming back in DA 4 in some role, so don't worry that much about your story being complete. (...)

 

5. Like I said. You still got your friends. You probably still got your clan, who could doing better then any clan in Thedas with being allowed in Wycome. Your arm can be replaced most likely. Your culture and its history doesn't define you and loss in faith in some parts of it doesn't mean everything is over.  

(...)

 

Finally, I just want to point out that Eros love (romance) isn't the end all and be of relationships. Philia love (friendship) and Storge love (family) is just as important and fulfilling. People tend to forget that sometimes, especially after a bad breakup. 

 

Hope that helps.     

 

It helps a lot.Your words are really comforting, solacing. I have to thank you for bringing in an optimistic way to look at all the things that happened. And I like how you point out all the relationships the Inquisitor has next to her/his love interest. I spent so many hours laughing, they can’t be destroyed by the tears I shed at the very end. And also: My Inquisitor’s friends still stand with her, ready and willing to stop Solas from destroying everything (including himself).

 

From me - as a consolation:

1. Playing as Dalish Origin Inquisitor (especially - Solasmancer), you are able to learn more about the history, the world and Fen'Harel himself. The more you know, the better you can evaluate the risks. And you can find a better solution. And the knowledge we may gain is not easily accessible in any other way.

2. Hope dies last. It's not the end of the story, at all.

3. Relating to the mark - we needed it to close the Breach and Rifts. I am afraid that when the situation was brought under control, the Inquisitor used it less frequently, its power began to accumulate and damaged the hand. Solas did not take the arm, but only the Anchor. When he goes hand is still in place. It is amputated later in the Winter Palace, I think.

4. And a curiosity, which may be forgotten even by the authors...

In Dragon Age comic published by IDW, specifically in its fifth part, happens something that may interest you (and others - because I have not seen anyone mention it so far).

The main character (Gleam), inexperienced magician, tries to heal the broken leg of one of her companions. It just so happens that this is a one-armed dwarf, Minderel. Result of her treatments passes their expectations ... Do I need to say more?

If not, then, Dagna, Sandal and Bianca certainly come up with something ...

 

I do not think it could be comforting, but the romance with Blackwall, is not the easiest one, as well. And while Trespasser, Iron Bull can turn against his beloved. It is enough that one sentence from Viddasala. Also, Dorian returns permanently to Tevinter. So, every relationship carries a risk ... (maybe not the one with Cullen, since he is "fluffy blanket" type. To each, his own    )

 

I agree. I learned so much about the history, the ancient cultures… I would not trade all that knowledge for a better ending. Never. Also thank you for the optimism, it lifts me up… 

Are the comics worth reading?

 

My Treyvelan, even after marrying Cullen, felt a deep sense of loss after Trespasser.  She looked to Solas as her savior, and while she wasn't sure she agreed with all of his actions, she deeply respected him. She also had respect for Iron Bull and it had pained her greatly to ask him to give up his Chargers for a chance at an alliance that she knew would help turn the tide against Corypheus.  And then there was Blackwall who gave her faith that the Wardens could be redeemed only to find out he was a total lie. 

 

So yeah, even with the "happy" ending with Cullen, she truly felt the cost of saving the world.  And I say "happy" in that way because in the end she regretted marrying him. My Inquisitor is all used up. There's nothing left for her to give and Cullen is now married to a husk of a woman that knows she'll never be able to give him what he deserves.   

 

But, I have no regrets. I liked having those difficult choices to make and then facing the consequences afterward.  

 

I somehow feel better knowing that this "empty"-feeling is known by others players and even known by people who didn’t walk the same path as I did. That makes it to something just naturally connected to DAI and not some strange thinking, some twist in my mind. Also, thank you for telling what you and your Inquisitor felt at the very end. It is interesting.. for some people, the Cullen Romance seems to be the happiest “Happy End” but you pointed out a quite different aspect..

 

@Medhia Nox

That was brutally honest, but I see your point and I accept that opinions are different. It would be sad if we all had the same way of approaching a game or something similar. I like elves. The Tolkien ones, The D&D ones, even the Shadowrun ones and of course the DA-ones. I like them for somehow being untouchable, which makes this whole slave-things far more intersting in my personal opinion.

 

I care a lot for great stories, indeed. I do not differ if they are brought to me in a book, a movie or a game. When it’s great – it’s great. And when it’s touching, it’s touching. I feel deeply for it then and I’m okay with that normally, only this time it hits hart.

[Shizukai]

(it double-posted, sorry...)

[Ieldra]

@ComedicSociopathy:

 

You are, of course, completely correct. The OP's point isn't just about Solas and the romance though. Consider what you lose at the end of Trespasser:

 

(1) All independent political and military power

(2) The Anchor

(3) Your arm

(4) Your castle

(5) Your lover

 

Also, you had four opponents in Trespasser - the Viddasala, Solas, Orlais and Ferelden - and you lost against three of them:

 

(1) Ferelden

(2) Orlais

(3) Solas

 

That's a lot of bitter pills to swallow. Personally, I love the Lavellan/Solas scene at the end of Trespasser. I've always understood that some things are more important than love, and it may not hurt less, but at least there was a reason for the breakup I can understand. It's not the end of the world in any way, but things pile up at the end of Trespasser, and the whole pile can make you feel despondent.

 

Having said that, every ending is a beginning, as long as you're not dead. I'd don't really mind having to start from -1 (0 would be with nothing but at least complete), I just hate that I'm not allowed to keep anything I gained in the course of the story, and end up worse than when I started out.