The dwarves of Dragon Age have rarely been given the spotlight in the games. While companions like Varric are among fan-favorites, the vast majority of the Dragon Age games have taken place in the human kingdoms of Thedas, with the peripheral elven populations taking an increasingly central role as the Dread Wolf plotline from Inquisition develops. There’s good reason, however, for that all to change in Dragon Age 4.
There’s a lot of evidence that the dwarves will be at the forefront of some of the biggest changes coming to the world of Dragon Age 4. The answers to some of the biggest secrets in the series may rest in the hands of the dwarves and their subterranean kingdoms.
Here are the main reasons players should consider playing a dwarf in Dragon Age 4 to access some of the best roleplaying opportunities in the next game.
The Lyrium Connection
Dwarves have mined lyrium for centuries, giving them a natural resistance to magic and an inability to become mages, or even enter the Fade through dreaming. Lyrium is a mysterious mineral connected to the Fade, the realm of magic, and it’s at the forefront of some of the biggest mysteries in Dragon Age.
In Dragon Age: Inquisitions’ The Descent DLC, the Inquisitor and their companions ventured deeper into the Deep Roads than ever before. The Deep Roads once connected the ancient dwarven cities, but were overrun by the Darkspawn during the First Blight. The Descent revealed that parts of the Deep Roads compose giant macro-organisms called the Titans, with the roads forming a kind of vein with red lyrium running through it.
Shaper Valta, a dwarven character in The Descent, is struck by a vein of pure lyrium and then pushes the Inquisitor back with what appears to be a spell. This could hint that players will finally have access to dwarven mages in Dragon Age 4, and that the backstory behind them will reveal even more of the mysteries lying deep beneath Thedas.
The dwarves' new relationship with the Titans, which are hinted to consider the dwarves their children in The Descent, could see big changes coming to the diminutive race. Dragon Age 4 also appears to be setting up the reveal to some huge plot points which have big implications for the dwarves. If the Fade features heavily in the game and the game is set in the Tevinter Imperium, it’s very likely that the origins of the darkspawn which have plagued the remaining dwarven kingdoms for years will finally be revealed.
The Surface Dwarves
On the surface, the dwarves are also increasing their influence. Varric is now the Viscount of Kirkwall, putting him in a position to have a huge influence over the Free Marches and any potential alliance being made between them and the forces trying to stop Solas from bringing down the Veil.
The dwarves of Dragon Age 4 are set to be on the frontlines of the story more than ever before. The mysteries of red lyrium, the Titans, and the origins of the Darkspawn all likely lie in their hands, and the addition of dwarven mages to the mix could have big implications for dwarven society even at the start of the game. Players who have enjoyed the dwarves in the series so far will likely be pleasantly surprised when returning to the race in the next installment of BioWare’s flagship fantasy franchise.
Dragon Age 4Â is in development now.