I completed Descent for the second time, and was somewhat surprised to realize that I found it just as confusing as I did the first time, around.
I searched around online and found a few theories here and there but quite few, actually.
So what actually happened at the end of the Descent? What the heck was it about?
EDIT - here's all I could take away from it:
So ... yeah.
I've played it through twice now and I still don't really understand it. I don't think we're supposed to. I just hope we don't have to wait until DA 38 to find out. I won't be around that long.
1) The Titan was causing the quakes. It had been asleep for millennia but awoke due to the creation of the Breach. I think it sensed the end of the world was near and it was basically panicking, calling out to its lost children, the dwarves.
2) The Guardian was basically an automatic defense system meant to protect the Titan's heart. It tried to kill the Inquisitor because it thought they were a threat.
3) Connecting to Valta managed to calm the Titan down. Whether intentionally or not, it also gave her the power to "shape the Stone." The Sha-Brytol had a similar ability, but she is way more powerful.
4) It's suggested that ALL dwarves were like the Sha-Brytol at one time, but something caused some of them to break away from the Titans. Perhaps it was one of them dying? Although the Sha-Brytol protect the Titan, it doesn't need them; they're just monsters now, more like parasites than dwarves.
2) The Guardian was basically an automatic defense system meant to protect the Titan's heart. It tried to kill the Inquisitor because it thought they were a threat.
Additionally, we learn in Trespasser that the Ancient Elven "Gods" waged war against the Titans at one point.
So the most likely reason for why the Guardian (and Valta for a brief moment) were compelled to attack the Inquisitor was because the Titan sensed the Anchor on their hand, recognised both it and the Breach to be a product of Ancient Elven magic and believed the Evanuris were back and/or attacking.
Once Valta connected with the Titan proper and explained precisely what was going on, it immediately realised it's mistake and calmed down.
What made it all more confusing for me is that each time I fight the Guardian, the fight is over in just a few seconds and then Valta does whatever weird thing she does. I think the fight is supposed to last longer but it never does for me.
I then have to walk off while Valta acts all creepy, just like what happened with Hawke in Legacy, when he had to leave the old Warden. 
My take away is that everyone who is using lyrium is a vampire, since lyrium is titan blood.
THE WORLD IS A VAMPIRE.. SET TO DRAA-EEAAEEE-AIN. Sorry, I had a Smashing Pumpkins flashback to my misspent youth.
Seriously, what is more impressive is the artifical light in the middle of the planet when you are so far down in the bowels of the earth. I don't see how that could happen inside the bowels of the planet let alone on the inside of some kind of being.
So is the Titan that loud roar we hear when we first enter Valammar?
@Forsythia: Glow worms light up caverns really brightly. Look up pictures of them. There are caves in New Zealand that glow a beautiful blue.
As for the glow in Descent? Lyrium.
So is the Titan that loud roar we hear when we first enter Valammar?
There wasn't an earthquake with it and it goes off right after we get to the bridge, so I think it was probably just one of the Carta members spotting us and signalling intruder alert with a horn? Or them warning that the darkspawn had broken through in the lower reaches and it was just coincidence that happened to go off right when we showed up?
@Forsythia: Glow worms light up caverns really brightly. Look up pictures of them. There are caves in New Zealand that glow a beautiful blue.
As for the glow in Descent? Lyrium.
Those are not glow worms inside the center of the Titan. I'm okay with glow worms. But It looks like white light or sunlight in the center of the cavern.
Another strange thing was that with those streams, rivers and oceans of lyrium flowing around the place, according to World of Thedas 1 the mages in our party should have been going bonkers if they hadn't already expired from internal haemorrhaging. In fact they barely even acknowledged it in anything other than an interested observation.
The following is based on the Descent and Trespasser:
I think the Titans are the origins of the dwarves; hence being called the children of the stone. Their resistance to lyrium probably stems from this. They were originally all servants of the Titans but then the evanuris, in particularly Mythal waged a war that freed them but also broke their connection, so presumably they forgot their origins. Hence the Shaperate having no history of this; although it is also stated by Valta that she has evidence of them altering the histories, so may be this happened before. I'm pretty certain now that the lyrium idol we found in DA2 was in fact meant to represent Mythal because those particular ancient dwarves worshipped her. It is possible that in overthrowing one of the Titans she killed it and the magic used, or its death, corrupted the lyrium turning it red. Either way the evanuris probably became much more powerful as a result of discovering lyrium that could augment their spells. Some time after this, something was discovered that freaked out the elves. May be the darkspawn had their origins in the dead Titan or it was simply the discovering of red lyrium. Since darkspawn avoid a living Titan, it is presumably lethal to them, which could be helpful. However, that could explain why a killing a Titan corrupted its essence and gave rise to the darkspawn. Whatever the case they sealed off the tunnels with magic. If the Evanuris weren't happy about this and Mythal took unilateral action, may be this is why they killed her because they didn't like her taking away their lyrium fix. Alternatively it was simply Fen'Harel acting after her death.
What is not clear is if there is a Creator God/Maker for definite in the universe where do the Titans fit in to the whole scheme of things? Drakon had a vision of the end of the world that talked about the Veil ripping open and "Seventy times seven men of stone immense rose up from the earth like sleepers waking at the dawn". So if Solas succeeds in his plan, the flood of magic into the world could possibly cause the Titans to arise from the depths.
I am not sure if I think the Titans and the Shar Brytol are benevolent beings. Valta seemed to be creepy and crazy after she melds with whatever-force. Also, someone took Renn's body from its grave before the door to the Titan was sealed, and the War Table text references a "scream" - and the wording implies that it was not a pleasant sound. The Shar themselves are horrific, dead-looking things, not pleasant by any stretch.
On the flip side, the city we find within the Titan is peaceful, serene, and beautiful. We even hear birds of some sort. I took it that the Titan is actually at the core of Thedas itself, and the sunlight exists because it is emanating from the center of the core. I had thought the guardian was protecting the Titan's heart because, well, it looks like a heart - but since it actually ruptures it during the battle, and we know the Titan continues to live, that obviously isn't its heart. So I'm thinking maybe the core of Thedas is also the heart of the Titan.
However, that doesn't make perfect sense because the elves apparently slew a Titan or multiple Titans - I don't see how a Titan which is as all-encompassing as the one we apparently are inside of, could be slain by elves, unless the elves were actually gods, and the whole thing is a metaphor for the destruction of worlds.
We fight something - not a Titan. A bad thing? A guardian? An evil lyrium cancer? We don't know.
BSN, in spite of everything, I love you. Please never change.
Which part? What the Titan was or why it looked like a tilt-a-pus ride at an amusement park?
And the pretty blonde girl beneath is an accurate real life depiction of Valta.
Fish tail included and everything.
I am not sure if I think the Titans and the Shar Brytol are benevolent beings. Valta seemed to be creepy and crazy after she melds with whatever-force. Also, someone took Renn's body from its grave before the door to the Titan was sealed, and the War Table text references a "scream" - and the wording implies that it was not a pleasant sound. The Shar themselves are horrific, dead-looking things, not pleasant by any stretch.
On the flip side, the city we find within the Titan is peaceful, serene, and beautiful. We even hear birds of some sort. I took it that the Titan is actually at the core of Thedas itself, and the sunlight exists because it is emanating from the center of the core. I had thought the guardian was protecting the Titan's heart because, well, it looks like a heart - but since it actually ruptures it during the battle, and we know the Titan continues to live, that obviously isn't its heart. So I'm thinking maybe the core of Thedas is also the heart of the Titan.
However, that doesn't make perfect sense because the elves apparently slew a Titan or multiple Titans - I don't see how a Titan which is as all-encompassing as the one we apparently are inside of, could be slain by elves, unless the elves were actually gods, and the whole thing is a metaphor for the destruction of worlds.
Mythal killed one Titan.
Mythal killed one Titan.
Spoiler
Seems like a good guess at this point, eh?
Spoiler
Seems like a good guess at this point, eh?
Glad to see months later people are still confused as hell as I am lol.
What I got from it:
1) One of the Evanuris(Mythal) killed an evil Titan(How many are these things?) and freed some of the Dwarfs, who began worshiping her, and began building her statues in the deep roads?
2) The Titan(A Titan?) awakens due to the breach, and starts an earthquake due to calling its children(Sha-Brytol, Dwarves?)
3) You run into and are attack by ancient Dwarves, who are incase in Lyruim infused armor(And have superior Technology?)
4) Long story short, you fight a rock gaurdian, defeat it, and Valta gets Dwarf magic.Then she explains the Titan was afraid and wanted to connect with its children(Dwarves?), also your walking in the Titan(watch your step).
What I don't understand:
1) Wtf is the Titan? Is it a one entity, or are there more Titans?
2) Mythal killed an evil Titan, so some of them are bad? Due to the blight?
3) The Sha-Brytol have advance ancient technology, and are dead/alive?
4) The underground sky city was you walking inside the Titan?
5) The Titan can move? But I thought it was the WHOLE underground city?
This s#$% is confusing lol
Basically, what happened is
Which part? What the Titan was or why it looked like a tilt-a-pus ride at an amusement park?
Tilt-a-pus. Best. Word. Ever.
1) The Titan was causing the quakes. It had been asleep for millennia but awoke due to the creation of the Breach. I think it sensed the end of the world was near and it was basically panicking, calling out to its lost children, the dwarves.
2) The Guardian was basically an automatic defense system meant to protect the Titan's heart. It tried to kill the Inquisitor because it thought they were a threat.
3) Connecting to Valta managed to calm the Titan down. Whether intentionally or not, it also gave her the power to "shape the Stone." The Sha-Brytol had a similar ability, but she is way more powerful.
4) It's suggested that ALL dwarves were like the Sha-Brytol at one time, but something caused some of them to leave the Titans' servitude. Although they protect the Titan, it doesn't need them; they're just monsters now, more like parasites than dwarves.
1) I don't think it was sensing the end of the world. The game indicated that the Veil was what put the titans to sleep, and opening the Breach started to wake them back up. I think the dwarves lost their connection to the titans at the same time that the Veil went up and the elves lost their immortality. The titans need direct contact with the Fade to be fully aware.
3) The cut scene doesn't show this well. We actually defeat the guardian before Valta regains consciousness. So there's no way of really understanding that it's Valta who calmed the titan. It's guardian is already rubble. It would have been helpful to me if she had woken up at the end of the fight and in a cutscene made the guardian stand down. Maybe that's too explicit of a connection to show between her and the titan, dunno.
4) Did the ancient dwarves encase themselves in lyrium suits, though? I got the impression that it was just the crazy Sha Brytol who did that, and that the titan didn't necessarily appreciate it, from what Valta says. I have to believe that they were crazy and not how all dwarves connected to titans would act, otherwise we're in for trouble if and when the dwarves regain their connection.
So is the Titan that loud roar we hear when we first enter Valammar?
Titan farts.
There are multiple Titans, think of them as semi-sentient tectonic plates.1) Wtf is the Titan? Is it a one entity, or are there more Titans?
The Evanuris went to war with the Titans, it was a war of conquest and they then used the dwarves to mine for lyrium. Some on these boards think Mythal killing the Titan actually created red lyrium.2) Mythal killed an evil Titan, so some of them are bad? Due to the blight?
They're essentially lyrium infused automatons bound within sealed armor. They're more like golems than dwarves at this point.3) The Sha-Brytol have advance ancient technology, and are dead/alive?
It was a massive cavern lit by absurd concentrations of lyrium (presumably), and yes that was part of the Titan.4) The underground sky city was you walking inside the Titan?
Its like a tectonic plate, so it can move. The underground city was just carved inside the Titan's body.5) The Titan can move? But I thought it was the WHOLE underground city?
This s#$% is confusing lol
Thanks Heimdall for the answers.
My take away is that everyone who is using lyrium is a vampire, since lyrium is titan blood.
THE WORLD IS A VAMPIRE.. SET TO DRAA-EEAAEEE-AIN. Sorry, I had a Smashing Pumpkins flashback to my misspent youth.
Seriously, what is more impressive is the artifical light in the middle of the planet when you are so far down in the bowels of the earth. I don't see how that could happen inside the bowels of the planet let alone on the inside of some kind of being.
Edgar Rice Burroughs explained it all in his Pellucidar series. <just kidding>
I am not sure if I think the Titans and the Shar Brytol are benevolent beings. Valta seemed to be creepy and crazy after she melds with whatever-force. Also, someone took Renn's body from its grave before the door to the Titan was sealed, and the War Table text references a "scream" - and the wording implies that it was not a pleasant sound. The Shar themselves are horrific, dead-looking things, not pleasant by any stretch.
On the flip side, the city we find within the Titan is peaceful, serene, and beautiful. We even hear birds of some sort. I took it that the Titan is actually at the core of Thedas itself, and the sunlight exists because it is emanating from the center of the core. I had thought the guardian was protecting the Titan's heart because, well, it looks like a heart - but since it actually ruptures it during the battle, and we know the Titan continues to live, that obviously isn't its heart. So I'm thinking maybe the core of Thedas is also the heart of the Titan.
However, that doesn't make perfect sense because the elves apparently slew a Titan or multiple Titans - I don't see how a Titan which is as all-encompassing as the one we apparently are inside of, could be slain by elves, unless the elves were actually gods, and the whole thing is a metaphor for the destruction of worlds.
What made it all more confusing for me is that each time I fight the Guardian, the fight is over in just a few seconds and then Valta does whatever weird thing she does. I think the fight is supposed to last longer but it never does for me.
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