33 réponses à ce sujet

[Gervaise]

I've been mulling over this one because a few extra ideas have come to me that I thought I would share.

 

Whilst the option is described as "redeeming" Solas, it seems unlikely that you are going to prove him wrong on moral grounds.  If having experienced the friendship and possibly even the love of a modern Thedosian and spent time in the world, enough for him to admit that they "deserve better", yet is still intending to go forward with his plan, then it seems unlikely that you could make any argument in the future that would convince him to abandon it.    Besides which he admitted to Cassandra that he doesn't believe in the concepts of good and evil but cause and effect.   This seems borne out by him disapproving of the Evanuris simplifying things in that way in the course of the war that led to their godhood.  

 

So if Solas believes in cause and effect, then clearly you have to prove to him that the effect of him going through with his plan is not going to be as he envisages it.    This might actually have some success because he would know that his original plan to imprison the evanuris had the unintended effect of destroying the world as he knew it and diminishing his people in his eyes.    So to prove him wrong you have to consider what he is trying to achieve and how the result might differ.

 

Solas' Aims: 

Restoring the World of the Elves - It is not clear exactly what he means by this.   Is it merely reunited the material world with the Fade or something more than this?    Certain Inquisitors are able to detect that the Crossroads and eluvian pathways are slowly breaking down.    This has probably been the case since he raised the Veil but because they sit in between the world and the Fade rather than across them (as the library and other structures did) that probably explains why it wasn't instantly broken apart.   The Crossroads is able to draw power from the Fade to maintain itself but this is in sufficient to preserve it indefinitely while the Veil is in place.  May be there are other structures like this.  Even the structures that were damaged may be also breaking down over time.    So may be it is not just rebuilding the world but preserving what is left of it that is important to him.    So is it going to be possible to find some way of preserving what is left of the old world of the elves without dropping the Veil?

 

Saving the Elven People - There is a lot of debate over whether this applies to modern elves as well as ancient ones and how exactly he intends to save them or restore them to what they were previously.     Leaving aside the modern elves for a moment, the ancient ones are mostly sleeping in uthenera receiving sustenance from the Fade.   It is reasonable to assume they are suffering a slow decay in the same way that the Crossroads is.   Abelas says that each time they awake there are less of them.   Gradually these ancient ones are dying off and Solas sees the only way of saving them is to remove the Veil and reconnect them with the Fade.    Is there another way of saving them?    Is it in fact possible that reconnecting them with the Fade is not going to achieve this?

 

Let's assume for the moment that Solas thinks dropping the Veil will restore the modern elves to what they should be before it is too late for them.   We know they have something different in their blood from other races that allows them to experience the eluvian paths in the same way as ancient elves and is magical in nature.    Yet this does not automatically give them magical ability and according to Merrill the number of mages in the Dalish is decreasing over time.    This seems odd because the bloodlines in the Dalish must be fairly concentrated and the evidence from Tevinter seems to show that you can breed for mages.   So unless Merrill is simply unaware that the reduction in mages is due to other clans dumping surplus ones in the woods, it would seem that something else is happening.   Is it the case that even the modern elves are gradually losing their magical signature as a result of the Veil?   Is this why elf bloodied humans show no sign of their elven heritage because of the weakening of the magical aspect to them?   (Was this always the case?)    There is a connected bit of lore relating to Tevinter that may have some bearing on this.   It would seem that Dreamers were once more common in ancient Tevinter than they are now despite the breeding for mages and focussing on these ancient bloodlines.   Likewise they are extremely rare among the elves.    Why is this?  

 

As for proving him wrong.    It is difficult what to suggest with regard to the ancient elves but in the case  of the modern ones, an elven Inquistior can actually walk in the Fade without it seeming to have any affect on them whatsoever.    So clearly simply coming into contact with the pure magical energy of the Fade is not sufficient to restore someone, even temporarily.    May be you need to be in contact with both the Fade and the material world at the same time but is it possible that the Fade itself has changed during its separation and so even removing the Veil will not restore things as they once were.   It may also have adverse effects on many of the spirits there having been separated so long to be reunited with the real world.  

 

Curing the World of the Blight - Solas never declares this as an aim but there seem hints it may have a connection with the Evanuris.  There was something in the depths of the earth that the elves were terrified of that appeared to have been released or was about to be unleashed by the Evanuris.   He also said the alternative to imprisoning the Evanuris would be they would have destroyed the world.    If raising the Veil contained the Blight in some way but the Tevinter Magister invading the Golden City released it into the real world, it may be that he feels the only way to prevent it from destroying the world now is to cleanse it with a rush of Fade magic.   Various people have been trying to find a cure for the Blight, Avernus; the Warden and the Architect seems to have managed it unintentionally with an amulet he gave to Fiona, so apparently it is possible.     When we ask Solas why the world has to die, he is evasive on the matter.   He claims it is so we don't have too much information so we can stop him but the reality is the writers didn't want to reveal too much.     If imprisoning the Evanuris wasn't solely about vengeance but preventing the release of the Taint and Solas is now aware that happened anyway and it is spreading, that would account for why he thinks dropping the Veil is the only way to save the elves in the long run.   He wants to restore not just the magical world of the elves but a pre-Blight world.    So could this be the way of proving him wrong by finding a way to cleanse the world of the Blight?

 

A rather long post I know but any thoughts on the matter?

[Tidus]

Doesn't matter.. Next time we see Solas will be as a baddie.. I could have save the coming Thedas crises in  DA game ?? by killing Solas  in DA:I or Trespasser.. Now we will have to play through endless hours killing him.

[LightningPoodle]

I expect the execution of Solas will go in a similar manner as to that of Saren in Mass Effect 1.

[Bizantura]

If they want to go strait as an arrow then Solas could be just the next baddie.

But since they put so much time in setting him up as a deep character I hope he is not just a simpleton baddie.

 

So I am more in for interesting plottwists one has to work for with diversified endings.  They can use this to prove they can make multiple endings after interesting story insted of different colour endings.

[Tidus]

I suspect Solas will be no pushover like Cory. I suspect we might even find out who or what Sera really is.. Something not quite right about Sera but,that's another discussion for another day.

[Dai Grepher]

Seemed pretty straightforward to me. The Inquisitor even says it, "You don't have to destroy this world. I'll prove it to you."

Tack that on to the prior possible responses of "Why does this world have to die for the elves to return", and "Solas, whatever you want, this world dying is not the answer". The picture becomes clear. We will have to prove that the current world doesn't have to be destroyed in order to restore the empire of Elvhenan.

I think this will be proven either way though. Those who simply want to kill Solas aren't interested in proving him wrong ("I'll have to stop you"), yet he'll be proven wrong regardless, as always.

My theory is that he is wrong about the Veil's creation, and his attempt to tear it all down will only open up gaps in the Veil where Elvhenan once existed. The parts of Thedas currently occupying these areas will be changed and altered, but most of Thedas will endure. Even some areas of effect may be able to withstand the Fade energies if proper wards are placed in anticipation for the Veil's removal.

For example, if the Inquisitor or even the Hero were able to set up a system of magical markings, runes, and bindings, those magical forces may reroute the flow of Fade energy to establish a stable environment in which soporati (non-mages) can exist and thrive.

Mages will likely be needed for these. In which case, the people of Thedas will need a close friendship with the mages so as to ensure their cooperation.

Also, Solas might expect the reawakened elvhen to be antithetical to any sort of coexistence with non-elvhen. They might not see them as people, just as Solas once did (or still does).

Solas might also predict that the titans will awaken, and shake the countries of Thedas to rubble, but I doubt that will happen.

[Tidus]

Dia,Stopping the Titans from waking up might make a good game.   

[The Elder King]

I suspect Solas will be no pushover like Cory. I suspect we might even find out who or what Sera really is.. Something not quite right about Sera but,that's another discussion for another day.

What Sera really is?

[Gervaise]

Some people have this theory that Sera is really Andruil in much the same way as Flemeth is Mythal.   This is largely because we have no history of her prior to the noble woman who took her in and she claims initially that no one taught her archery but she just learnt it herself.    Actually she later admits to a friendly Inquisitor that she did have people she learned from when she joined the Red Jennies, which I assume included how to use a bow.   The lack of childhood memories is probably just down to the fact that it was spent in the alienage and she wants to disassociate herself from anything elven.   Sera is just a rather abrasive and emotionally unstable person, at least to begin with.  Nothing really strange or mysterious about that but for some reason certain posters just want everyone to be the vessel of some ancient elven god, so Sera is Andruil, Shartan was Solas, Andraste was Mythal, etc.

[PapaCharlie9]

Tack that on to the prior possible responses of "Why does this world have to die for the elves to return", and "Solas, whatever you want, this world dying is not the answer". The picture becomes clear. We will have to prove that the current world doesn't have to be destroyed in order to restore the empire of Elvhenan.

That was my original thought as well. It nicely sets up DA5, for muggles vs. fadies tension, among other things.

But recently, I've thought about a more cynical direction Bioware might take, a more pat answer. Solas is defeated by his own denial about how things actually were, his nostalgia can't survive reality.

Meaning, when Solas frees his People, they all turn out to be a$$holes in comparison to modern people. Where he tries to be compassionate or at least merciful to the modern muggles, his People want to kill/rape/destroy them, and totally enjoy doing so. They act like the thugs he finds so distasteful. So, perhaps with your PC's influence, Solas turns against them (again).

Moral of the story: our memories of who we were are always more gilded than reality.

[Dai Grepher]

But recently, I've thought about a more cynical direction Bioware might take, a more pat answer. Solas is defeated by his own denial about how things actually were, his nostalgia can't survive reality.

Meaning, when Solas frees his People, they all turn out to be a$$holes in comparison to modern people.

Well they will probably blame him for all of it and reject him. But I think he is prepared for that judgment. He eludes to it in the meeting with Flemeth.
 

Where he tries to be compassionate or at least merciful to the modern muggles, his People want to kill/rape/destroy them, and totally enjoy doing so. They act like the thugs he finds so distasteful. So, perhaps with your PC's influence, Solas turns against them (again).

Not sure Solas would care, especially if he dislikes the Inquisitor. I think his moment will be regarding the evanuris, not so much "the people".

If asked about freeing the false gods if the Veil were removed, he'll say, "I had plans". I think his plans were based on the assumption that the evanuris would have entered Uthenera rather than endure thousands of years of being locked in their respective palaces or temples in their Fade/Crossroads worlds. Solas planned to simply kill them while they were asleep, or if they happened to wake before he got there, they would at least be too weak to offer any resistance, which was the case with him when he woke from his slumber. So he would either kill them at that point, or imprison them via physical means. Or if one of the evanuris managed to hide from him, the first logical place they would go is to the lyrium spring to recover their power. This might have been the lyrium mine that the Qunari had found in Trespasser. Maybe Solas cleared it out ahead of time intending to use it as a trap for any evanuris careless enough to wander in, desperate to recover their powers.

The backfire in this will be that some of the evanuris won't have entered Uthenera. My theory is that Elgar'nan will have been too enraged to sleep, and thus rampaged and stalked his Fade world for millennia inflicting pain and horror on his own followers. I also think Falon'Din wouldn't sleep. I could see him simply sitting in front of the inactive eluvian starring at it unflinchingly, patiently waiting for it to become active again even if it never might. He'll just be sitting cross-legged with calm eyes and steepled fingers, his lantern-hook staff laid in front of him. Then when the magic returns to the eluvian, he'll casually grab his staff, stand up, turn around, wake his brother up from his Uthenera, and he'll carry Dirthamen out of there to go get their revenge. After replenishing Dirthamen's strength they might seek to ally with Andruil and Ghilin'nan. I think Dirth and Ghil had dealings at one point. Elgar'nan will probably tear out of his eluvian immediately and kill/destroy anything he sees upon exiting, but Falon'Din will have made a grand plan of his own in all that time. I think his response will be more calculated, and because of this Solas will end up getting wrecked. Mythal will probably reveal herself as well and tell him that this was her plan all along and she knew it would end this way.

Seems like the only way to really make Solas want to run back to his Levellan, or finally listen to his friend.

[Gervaise]

Problem is by that point all the other ordinary people will probably be dead.   I'd like to prove him wrong before he actually takes irreversible action that results in annihilation for much of the known world.

 

I agree though that the Evanuris won't have been calmly sleeping all this time.   Besides which the Dalish believe that the ancients could see what was going on in the world while in Uthenera.   Solas seems to have blocked their ability to contact their followers from their prison but that doesn't necessarily mean they can't see what is going on and be alerted when things seem likely to become interesting again.

 

May be before Solas drops the Veil totally, it will weaken in some way that allows the Evanuris to escape.   Then they will have power to start trying to take over the world but the modern races will at least be still in good enough state to resist them. 

 

I'm still drawn back to that original trailer that was voiced over by Morrigan.   There the Veil is shown as tearing open, not simply a hole and a huge screaming dragon appears to have just alighted having escaped through the tear.   Now that could be one of the Evanuris.    That whole sequence seemed to be a lot darker and more deadly than we have experienced up to now. "None shall be untouched by the fires above."    And then there is Morrigan's question at the end.  "Darkness closes in.  Will you stand against it, or lead this world to its bitter end?"   That sounds so much more like what Solas was predicting would be the result of his actions than anything we experienced with Cory.   And DG said that only half of what they originally planned as the story has been told.   I think what we were shown there is what should have been instead of what we actually experienced.

[myahele]

What Sera really is?

 

She's Andruil

[Tidus]

The Elder King,There's  hints that Sera may be more then she pretends. Solas doesn't like her-is that a clue? Perhaps. Sera didn't see anything  while she was in the fade and totally flipped out and was scared of Cory's pet. She is terrorized of magicks. Then she doesn't like Elves  if they're too "Elffie".

[Lazarillo]

Meaning, when Solas frees his People, they all turn out to be a$$holes in comparison to modern people. Where he tries to be compassionate or at least merciful to the modern muggles, his People want to kill/rape/destroy them, and totally enjoy doing so. They act like the thugs he finds so distasteful. So, perhaps with your PC's influence, Solas turns against them (again).

I think this is really the key, though I don't necessarily see it as being "cynical" by necessity. Solas has already made up his mind; even if you convince him that there are good things in the modern Thedas by romance ("She's real") or just by being a cool sorta person, he's already weighed that on the scales and decided the world as it was, was better. I think the only realistic way of getting him to change course would be to convince him that what he's lost isn't worth bringing back in the first place.

[PapaCharlie9]

Problem is by that point all the other ordinary people will probably be dead.   I'd like to prove him wrong before he actually takes irreversible action that results in annihilation for much of the known world.

That's definitely one of the million dollar questions -- will Bioware go all the way and break Thedas permanently, effectively rebooting the world-lore for DA5 (ala Defiance) -- or will they just bring the crisis to the brink, showcasing the PC as the hero that pulls the world back?

I'm probably in the minority for rooting for the former (tear it up!), but there seems little chance of that happening. The safer thing for the franchise as a business is the status quo.
 

May be before Solas drops the Veil totally, it will weaken in some way that allows the Evanuris to escape.   Then they will have power to start trying to take over the world but the modern races will at least be still in good enough state to resist them.

I'm hoping there is no "maybe" about it. One of my (many) pet theories is that taking down the Veil will happen slowly, essentially spanning the entire main quest for DA4. This enables many options for the narrative:

• Your idea of the "bad" Evanuris getting out early, causing havoc
• My idea that the modern peoples will rally and adapt to the Fade. Sure, plenty will end up dead by the settling of old scores with newfound magic, but a core will survive, maybe the Wardens? The Qunari? Then they will use this newfound magic to battle Solas, his People and the "bad" Evanuris
• "Outbreaks" of demons and abominations will keep the Heroes chasing after short term problems, while Solas runs free creating the big problem
• The heroes work towards re-establishing the Veil while some opposing party (Magisters? Qunari?) try to thwart these efforts, towards trying to utilize the Fade for their own power-grab agendas. Creating a multiway conflict: Heroes vs Solas vs Evanuris vs Magisters.
• The heroes block Solas's ritual at every critical step (although this would be a rerun of DAI/Corypheus)
• Some combination of the above.

[Dai Grepher]

Problem is by that point all the other ordinary people will probably be dead.   I'd like to prove him wrong before he actually takes irreversible action that results in annihilation for much of the known world.

Yes, I forgot to mention that in my last post. We probably will discover all the secrets before he takes action against the Veil, but ultimately it depends on his willingness to believe the (ex)Inquisitor. Doesn't it? And I don't think he will, because the only way we get to fight the evanuris is if Solas undoes whatever he did to trap them.

My theory is that Solas is actually being used. It goes back to a theory I had before Inquisition was even announced, but I figured the Forbidden Ones were trying to tear down the Veil and merge the Fade and the Real, and they were doing that in cooperation with the remaining old gods. If the Veil falls, then the old gods may be able to release themselves from their underground prisons using their superior knowledge and mastery over the Fade.

But Solas won't want to believe any of that. As Sarel said in Origins, even the wisest can fail to see the truth, nor do they always wish to. Solas is like Zathrian in some ways. But he won't realize you were right until after he opens things up for the evanuris to return, and probably the old gods too.

I agree though that the Evanuris won't have been calmly sleeping all this time.   Besides which the Dalish believe that the ancients could see what was going on in the world while in Uthenera.

The Dalish believe a lot of wrong things. Solas could see what was going on in the real world because he was physically in the real world, and he was familiar with the Veil's magic. So seeing events would be easy for him. The evanuris were supposedly trapped in the inert Crossroads dimensions though, so they may not have been able to see anything. I would think Solas would want it that way, to make it feel more like prison.

Solas seems to have blocked their ability to contact their followers from their prison but that doesn't necessarily mean they can't see what is going on and be alerted when things seem likely to become interesting again.

It's possible that they will be able to sense it coming.

May be before Solas drops the Veil totally, it will weaken in some way that allows the Evanuris to escape.   Then they will have power to start trying to take over the world but the modern races will at least be still in good enough state to resist them.

Kind of hokey though, isn't it? The Veil thins out so the evanuris can escape, but no burning in raw chaos for Thedas? It would seem like just an excuse to get more high-level villains into the series.

I don't think all of Thedas will burn in raw chaos, but I think certain parts will. I think we need to be able to see this happen in order to appreciate the magnitude of it all.

I'm still drawn back to that original trailer that was voiced over by Morrigan.   There the Veil is shown as tearing open, not simply a hole and a huge screaming dragon appears to have just alighted having escaped through the tear.   Now that could be one of the Evanuris.    That whole sequence seemed to be a lot darker and more deadly than we have experienced up to now. "None shall be untouched by the fires above."    And then there is Morrigan's question at the end.  "Darkness closes in.  Will you stand against it, or lead this world to its bitter end?"   That sounds so much more like what Solas was predicting would be the result of his actions than anything we experienced with Cory.   And DG said that only half of what they originally planned as the story has been told.   I think what we were shown there is what should have been instead of what we actually experienced.

Inquisition was a great game, and a step in the right direction (back toward Origins' level of quality), but when I heard Laidlaw's old quote about how this is the Dragon Age game we've always wanted to make, I thought, no it's not. Most of the stuff they were touting in the demos weren't even in the game. And like you wrote, the early trailer displayed a much darker themed game than what we got. It seemed to me like the Inquisitor's story was more one of hope and a people steadily rising to overthrow a misguided and chaotic evil rather than a calculating and morally ambiguous villain. The Inquisitor doesn't have any real failures, which would be fine, except that Corypheus never really had any victories against Thedas itself. Entire regions weren't destroyed, demons didn't constantly pour from various breaches or rifts. Even the environments were more serene and peaceful than not. The manufactured movie clip of Varric mourning the deaths of the Crestwood villagers the Inquisitor chose to bypass is what Inquisition needed, but didn't have.

That's another reason why I think only parts of the Veil should fall. Solas' intended result fails, the evanuris are released, and certain parts of Thedas are engulfed in chaos, which we will have to fix.

The Elder King,There's  hints that Sera may be more then she pretends. Solas doesn't like her-is that a clue? Perhaps. Sera didn't see anything  while she was in the fade and totally flipped out and was scared of Cory's pet. She is terrorized of magicks. Then she doesn't like Elves  if they're too "Elffie".

By that criteria, most people in Ferelden could be Andruil.

I think this is really the key, though I don't necessarily see it as being "cynical" by necessity. Solas has already made up his mind; even if you convince him that there are good things in the modern Thedas by romance ("She's real") or just by being a cool sorta person, he's already weighed that on the scales and decided the world as it was, was better. I think the only realistic way of getting him to change course would be to convince him that what he's lost isn't worth bringing back in the first place.

Or that his plan won't work. Or that he can bring back the elvhen without destroying the current world.

But I think he sees restoring the elvhen as his obligation. He took everything from them, so now he has to do right by them, and then pay the consequences for his mistakes. That's how he feels, I think.

[Dai Grepher]

That's definitely one of the million dollar questions -- will Bioware go all the way and break Thedas permanently, effectively rebooting the world-lore for DA5 (ala Defiance) -- or will they just bring the crisis to the brink, showcasing the PC as the hero that pulls the world back?

I'm probably in the minority for rooting for the former (tear it up!), but there seems little chance of that happening. The safer thing for the franchise as a business is the status quo.

Why not both? Have parts of the Veil fall and cause changes to the more boring parts of Thedas that are in need of a refresh, like the Silent Plains. What is it now, a bunch of sand? The Exalted Plains, for that matter. Not much to see there. Bricillian Forest? Been there. Drop the Veil. Maybe it will make the Mad Hermit's secret tower appear. The forest near Serault, if you've played Last Court to the end you'll know why this would be a great location for the Veil to drop. Kirkwall? Who needs Kirkwall? The Veil is practically gone there anyway.

But no, BioWare can't just do away with all the lore and history that has been built up to this point. If it were the final game in the series, perhaps, but not now.

[Gervaise]

How do you know the next game isn't going to be the last "Dragon Age"?    However, it wouldn't be complete annihilation, because let's face it Solas invariably gets the consequences of his actions wrong, but a transformation.    May be the result is that the modern world isn't totally destroyed, just has an open border with the Fade (as it did in ancient times) with all the problems and benefits that might give.    It could result in a shift in power so the elves are the ones ruling the show and the humans are now the oppressed class (and interesting twist), with just pockets of human resistance.   The qunari as a race might revert to their true forms, whatever they might be and reject the Qun.  The dwarves might be able to do magic.    So in the transformed setting you have a whole new set of problems to overcome, whilst still retaining much of the lore because people can still remember the old days.     It could work if done right.   Just so long as it isn't a rehash of the ending of ME3.  

[Dai Grepher]

Yeah... well... what you suggested is similar to what I suggested, just with differences in location and magnitude. Of course if BioWare goes back on the "burn in the raw chaos" prediction then the lore would survive. That was my point. They can't go with a plot that destroys the DAS, otherwise it's a new game series, basically.

Also, I read somewhere that the devs want five Dragon Age games at least before the series is over.

[TheJediSaint]

Well, if we get the chance I figured I'd just hit him until his hitpoint pool runs dry.

 

That's generally how I win most of my arguments in RPGs.

[ModernAcademic]

I believe Solas will set a chain of events in motion which will slip from his control once again. Whether he'll manage to help the elves or not, things will evolve in such a way that his help may result in unforeseen consequences for the People.  

 

Solas committed three horrible mistakes.

 

1. He failed to protect the elves by destroying Arlathan and robbing them of their immortality after creating the Veil.
2. He failed to wake up with his full powers by delivering the orb to Corypheus.
3. He failed to recover the orb from the Magister intact, as he hoped when he sided with the Inquisitor.

 

Every plan this guy set in motion failed. Now he wants to wake up the Evanuris, a group of ancient mage rulers who killed Mythal, performed blood magic rituals and enslaved the People and tells our Inquisitor 'everything is fine, I have plans'. Really, dude? You're going to give a free pass to the demon bosses of the seven hells to come to Thedas and insists you alone are going to be able to contain the situation should the worst come to pass?

 

I just hope our PC can choose a third solution that goes beyond merely siding with Solas or trying to stop him; also, one that isn't a mix of them both in a dreadful attempt at a synthesis kind of ending.

 

This manichean philosophy of love or hate said character is something I really despise. It feels superficial and confining. BW is cleverer than this and (I hope, strong emphasis on hope) will write a decision regarding Solas' actions that won't force the player into a binary system of choice.

 

 

PS: I really wish I could understand how some people can justify the mistakes this character makes. Solas believes he alone has the answer to every problem and is fully capable of solving things on his own. He's ready to wager the future of all life on Thedas based on his misplaced confidence rather than learn from his mistakes and avoid ruin and the death of innocents.

 

There's another character who also used to think like this. His name was Loghain. Let's just hope no 'Cailans' will have to die this time to prove him wrong.

[German Soldier]

 

 

So I am more in for interesting plottwists one has to work for with diversified endings.  They can use this to prove they can make multiple endings after interesting story insted of different colour endings.

Different endings and to what end? They will have the same outcome.

[German Soldier]

Why not both? Have parts of the Veil fall and cause changes to the more boring parts of Thedas that are in need of a refresh, like the Silent Plains. What is it now, a bunch of sand? The Exalted Plains, for that matter. Not much to see there. Bricillian Forest? Been there. Drop the Veil. Maybe it will make the Mad Hermit's secret tower appear. The forest near Serault, if you've played Last Court to the end you'll know why this would be a great location for the Veil to drop. Kirkwall? Who needs Kirkwall? The Veil is practically gone there anyway.

But no, BioWare can't just do away with all the lore and history that has been built up to this point. If it were the final game in the series, perhaps, but not now.

You are assuming that the veil can be removed in part which doesn't seem to be the case it's more like either you remove it completely or either you do not.You can't create a big breach in the brecilian forest and then hoping that it will not grow.

[mgagne]

I have long suspected that what inspired the DA world was this trilogy by C.S. Friedman:

 

https://en.wikipedia...oldfire_Trilogy

 

 

The synopsis reads:

 

 

"...The entire surface of Erna is wrapped in a powerful energy field known as the Fae. The Fa(d)e is a type of energy that comes up to the surface from the core of the planet via the plethora of volcanoes and earthquakes that rock the planet's surface. This is an energy that the native animals of Erna sense, and utilize to a small extent to help them survive (i.e. the Fa(d)e is often able to tell a Sensitive individual when an earthquake is coming, or if the tides are about to shift). This energy field that encompasses the planet is likened to Earth's magnetic field. Author C.S. Friedman explains how her idea of the Fa(d)e was shaped by Isaac Asimov's essay arguing that if magic existed, it would be a natural force governed by consistent rules. "Like fire, it should be useful when controlled, dangerous if uncontrolled," she says. "The fact that we build windmills does not mean we stop fearing hurricanes."^[1]

 

^{--> [and doesn't that sound exactly like Solas speaking about a 'fast flowing river that can drown careless children but also carry a merchant's goods?]}

 

 

The energy is also sensitive to the human psyche, as the colonists discovered to their dismay. The Fa(d)e reacts to human cerebral activity, bringing to life dreams and manifesting fears. In fact, many of the first colonists were killed by Fa(d)e-constructs, demons and beasts that fed off of their human progenitors, both physically and mentally. It was only by a Great Sacrifice, the loss of all the technology and knowledge the colonists had brought with them, that humanity came to terms with the Fa(d)e, at least enough to learn a rudimentary level of control over the power.

 

For a few hundred years, humanity has managed to eke out a scant existence on the harsh surface of Erna, keeping an uneasy balance with the Fa(d)e. Mankind grows weary of its tumultuous battle with the energy-force however, and multiple organizations try to find ways to render the human psyche unable to mold the Fa(d)e. One of these groups was the Church of Human Unification (the Chantry?), an organization that sought to bring mankind together in prayer to accomplish two things: 1) make the Fa(d)e recognize man as a regular race on Erna, allowing them to live in harmony with the energy, and 2) allow for a human afterlife by bringing mankind to the bosom of a God that either already exists, or will be made by the power of the faith of man, and the Fa(d)e it will mold. This Church eventually brought forth a man who would be their salvation and damnation, their Prophet, one Gerald Tarrant."

 

 

 

The above represents the origins of that world.  As the story progresses we discover that Erna had a native species, the Rahks (an indigenous species ... that rapidly evolved from cat-like mammals to feline humanoids thanks to the Fa(d)e and the presence of the humans) ...(who) are able to Work this Fa(d)e extensively.

 

And doesn't *that* ring any bells?

 

In any case the trilogy ends thus:

 

The main antagonist (Tarrant - who has been redeemed) sacrifices himself to make the Fa(d)e more impervious to manipulation, thus insuring that humans could have a chance at building a future without interference.

 

How much of this has been (will be) translated in-game?  I have no idea.  Perhaps those books were only the starting point and were never intended to affect the endgame.  But the similarities are too striking IMO to be dismissed completely.

 

Too many coincidences are at work here: 7 Old Gods - 7 Evanuris imprisoned - 7 Magisters breaking into the prison - with the Blight as a direct result.  And the Blight contaminates everyone it touches, compelling them to do what?  Search and free the Old Gods, who then lead the hordes of darkspawns on a rampage.  Perhaps that was the Evanuris' way to try and free themselves?