Dragon Age 4, the eagerly-awaited sequel to BioWare's fantasy RPG series, is currently in development. The new game will follow on from the story of 2014's Dragon Age Inquisition, which ended with plenty of unanswered questions. Just like in the previous sequels, we can expect plenty of returning characters in Dragon Age 4, including more than a few fan favorites.
One favorite who is already confirmed to be returning is Varric Tethras, dwarf rogue and head of House Tethras. Varric isn't just popular with fans however, he's also been central to the past two Dragon Age games. There are few characters in the series who are as important as Varric, both as a companion and as a storyteller.
Who is Varric Tethras in Dragon Age
As well as being one of the most popular characters in the entire Dragon Age series, Varric Tethras is also one of the most important. He was born in the city of Kirkwall, the youngest son of a noble family from the underground dwarven kingdom of Orzammar. His father had been exiled from Orzammar for corruption before Varric was born, giving him no loyalty to the traditionalist kingdom.
Following their exile, House Tethras joined the Dwarven Merchants Guild, a sprawling organization of wealthy and powerful surface dwarves. While his older brother Bartrand ran the family business, Varric spent his days before the events of Dragon Age 2 drinking and telling tall stories in the Kirkwall taverns. This was mostly, but not entirely, a cover for his real task of running the House Tethras spy network.
Varric is rarely seen without his unique repeating-crossbow, Bianca. In fact, it's become one of his most iconic features. Due to Bianca's power and unusual design, Varric has always been purposefully vague about its origins. This is due to the danger of its schematic falling into the wrong hands. Up until his loyalty quest in Dragon Age Inquisition, the most he ever says about the name of the crossbow is that involves a girl and a promise. It's finally revealed that the bow is named for its creator, Bianca Davri, a former lover of Varric's that he's protecting by keeping its origins a secret.
Varric as the Dragon Age Narrator
The first time players see Varric is in the opening cutscene of Dragon Age 2, where he's being interrogated by Cassandra Pentaghast. As a Chantry Seeker of Truth, she's essentially a member of a religious secret police, and is looking for information on Hawke, the Champion of Kirkwall and protagonist of Dragon Age 2. This interrogation is the framing device for the entire game, as Varric tells the story of how he met Hawke, and their adventures together leading up the Mage Rebellion.
In actual gameplay players encounter Varric fairly early into the story, not long after arriving in Kirkwall. As a core companion, Varric features heavily throughout the rest of Dragon Age 2's plot, and many of the games most impactful quests are in some way connected to him and his brother Bartrand. No matter which choices the player makes, Varric ends the game by Hawke's side, making him one of the few companions that can't be lost throughout the story.
While Varric isn't used as the framing device for Dragon Age Inquisition, he still takes the role of a storyteller. It's through Varric that the Inquisitor manages to make contact with Hawke, revealing the details of their adventures in Dragon Age 2 at the same time. In addition, many of the books that players can read in-game are Varric's novels, which are very popular in the world of Thedas.
Varric in the Dragon Age Story and in Dragon Age 4
Varric, his brother Bartrand, and House Tethras have a core role in the overall Dragon Age story. In Act 1 of Dragon Age 2, Hawke and their companions discover a Red Lyrium Idol while on a expedition funded by House Tethras. Bartrand steals the idol, which quickly drives him insane before he sells it to Knight-Commander Meredith, the final boss ofDragon Age 2.Â
Red Lyrium, which is later revealed to be Lyrium that has been corrupted by the Blight, has an even bigger role in Dragon Age Inquisition. After the opening of the Breach, Red Lyrium begins growing all across Southern Thedas, spreading like an infection. It soon corrupts those who spend too long near it, and a splinter group called the Red Templars begin ingesting it to gain incredible powers. However, Red Lyrium is as unstable as it is dangerous, and the Red Templars soon begin to be corrupted by its evil.
Varric's guilt over his brother's fate, and over the evil he helped introduce into the world through the Idol, are a big feature in Dragon Age Inquisition. Although Hawke originally helped him face what happened to his brother, his friendship with the Inquisitor is clearly very important to him too. It's these character arcs that introduce a darker side to Varric's story, and tie him into the main plot.
With such a storied history, it is not at all surprising that Varric Tethras is returning in Dragon Age 4, and the game certainly wouldn't feel the same without him. As of now, the more important question is what role he will have in the new game. Based on his narration from the first trailer, it seems most likely that he'll be stepping back into his old position as a companion to the protagonist. This will make him the only companion to have featured in three of the four Dragon Age titles.
During the events of Dragon Age Inquisition's Trespasser DLC, it's revealed that Varric has been named Viscount of Kirkwall. While this could make him a particularly powerful ally to the protagonist, it may also hamper his ability to join adventures. Given Varric's personality, though, it's likely he'll find a way to give up his responsibility-laden title in order to join another epic story.
Dragon Age 4Â is in development.