Dragon Age 4 has slowly been releasing hints and concept art to tease small parts of the upcoming game, while the location of the game appears to be set in the northern country of the Tevinter Imperium, where Dorian of Dragon Age: Inquisition comes from.
The Imperium is a country run by mages and funded by slavery, which not only puts it in strife with the Fereldens and the Orlesians, but also the Qunari from across the sea.
The History of the Qunari's Invasion
In the long history of the Dragon Age series, the Qunari first made an appearance in the world of Thedas in full all the way back in 6.30 Steel (some believed they arrived in Ferelden sooner but were overrun by Darkspawn), and they began a war in hopes of converting the whole world to the Qun. They started in Par Vollen, north of Antiva, and spread quickly to Seheron, an island north of the Imperium's lands. After a massive war with losses on all sides, a treaty was signed in 7.84 Storm, giving the Qunari Par Vollen and ending the war. But since Tevinter refused to sign the treaty, the war between the Qunari and Tevinter continues into time of Dragon Age: Inquisition.
Since the fighting continues hundreds of years after the beginnings of the First Qunari War, there's a lot of bad blood between the mage-worshiping Imperium and the Qunari, who aren't fans of magic. And this could make for seeing a new side of the Qunari in the next installment of the DA series.
The Story of Dragon Age 4
Unlike Dragon Age: Inquisition, the focus will not be on people like the Inquisitor who start with an incredible amount of power. Devs have confirmed the next game is about people who don't have any power at all in Dragon Age. This, coupled with the rumor that Tevinter will be the home of DA4, sheds some interesting light on what the game could be like.
This most likely means that Bioware will be returning to a more Origins-like game. Like when the Warden's life was stolen from them and the character was forced to build a team from nothing, Dragon Age 4 seems as though it will follow a similar path, most likely focusing on the lower rungs of Tevinter's society. This could be just those Soporati who are poor, or even those humans, elves, and Qunari that are enslaved in the Imperium.
The Qunari in Dragon Age 4
While most of the Dragon Age series' glances into the Qunari have been from those devoted wholeheartedly to the Qun, like Sten, Tallis, and the Arishok, players got to see a little of those who rebel against the tight scripture in Iron Bull. But Dragon Age 4 could have some possible new Qunari characters, maybe even female Qunari, with different backgrounds from those players are used to seeing.
The war between the Imperium and the Qunari could make for some amazing possible companions, main characters, or NPCs in the upcoming title. Qunari who have become slaves and prisoners of war under Tevinter rule who perhaps have never known the Qun would be Vashoth. This type of Qunari would make for an interesting companion or love interest, similar to the Inquisitor's background and history if their race is Qunari. Some of the Dragon Age 4 concept art has hinted at a possible Qunari slave-woman, giving players a more diverse cast of possible companions.
But the Tevinter-Qunari war could also open up a whole new avenue into the world of the Qun. While talking to Iron Bull in Dragon Age: Inquisition, Sten in Origins, and the Arishok in Dragon Age 2 gave players insight into what the world under the Qun is like, players have yet to fully experience what it feels like to be a Qunari worshiper. Actually playing as, or having a possible romance-able Dragon Age companion that is someone who properly worships the Qun would give players new insight into that world as they have never had before.
Possible Changes to the Imperium
While Dorian chooses to return to the Tevinter Imperium to take his father's place in the Magisterium in the Trespasser DLC of Dragon Age: Inquisition to change the country and fight corruption, he is just one man. In spite of his desire to make reforms, Tevinter is ancient and very set in its ways. It has long relied on Blood Magics, slavery, and the oppression of magicless Soporati to keep their Imperium afloat. Making changes to the Magisterium would take years or maybe decades.
Regardless of how the Qunari are handled in Dragon Age 4, hopefully players will get to dive further into the Qun and their culture. There is a lot of untapped possibilities that could help fill out the world of Thedas for fans who are already invested in the lore of the world. Many complaints about the previous games also revolve around the lack of diversity in Dragon Age races for romance options, and adding more Qunari and a Dwarf or two to the companion list would make a lot of fans very happy. Unfortunately, fan still have a long time to wait to find out more about the story and cast of characters in Dragon Age 4, as it's estimated to release in 2022.
Dragon Age 4Â is in development.
Image Credit: Konrei-Sama