Between Dragon Age 2 and Dragon Age: Inquisition, there was a little text-based Dragon Age game officially made by BioWare. The text-based game was utterly story-driven and took place in a marquisate called Serault. In the game, called The Last Court, the player would take the role of the Marquis of Serault and make decisions to try to get the marquisate back into good standing with Orlesian society. The old ruler of Serault (the players' grandfather) was simply called the "Shame," and was a ruthless apostate mage that became an abomination.
As punishment for the Shame's actions, the Divine stripped the family of their ancestral mask and locked up Serault's chantry. Due to the actions of the Shame, the veil is very thin in Serault, and it possesses a forest renowned for both its mystery and hunting. Its religion is unlike any other in Thedas, mixing in the Andrastian Chantry with local customs and cults. Its industry is built specifically on glass, and its people are odd, unnamed, and quite superstitious.
Serault's Culture
Ruled by the de Serault family for generations from an ancestral chateau home, Serault's symbol is a stag in a mirror. The family motto relates to the glass industry of Serault, which is "Payment in Glass." The town is always referred to as a "her" or "she" rather than "it." The best word to describe the Andrastian religion in Serault is "tilted." They know that are not accepted by the Chantry's Grand Cathedral already, so the religion has deviated from the norm. For example, the Cult of Masked Andraste worship Andraste in the form of a masked huntress, and built shrines of her around the forest. They conduct rites in black robes and masks made of charred wood.
The art of glassblowing is a big deal to the town. It is so prized that those with talent in glass often are not allowed outside for fear they will be poached by a rival marquisate or perish from all the oddities that occur in Serault. The glassworkers begrudgingly accept these limitations in order to pursue their art. Despite its beautiful and famous glass, the town's economy has been in a constant struggle. Due to its shameful history in Dragon Age lore, strange woods, and odd citizens, not many people make the journey to trade wares.
Locations Within Serault
Within Serault is a large forest called the Applewoods. Within it are regions called the Greenwood, the Deepwoods, and the Greenvault. Within the woods lives the Horned Knight, a spirit from the Fade that was conjured, bound, and abandoned in Thedas by the Shame of Serault. He rules over the forest with enslaved individuals under a magical influence that form their own version of a forest styled Orlesian Noble court. This spirit regularly kidnaps people from town and sometimes makes appearances to demand justice for unfair hunts against his children.
The Chateau Serault is described as a location to behold, being known as "The Thousand-Windowed Castle." At the castle's highest point is a place known as the "Tower of Lights" which was built as the heart of a heliograph network made by the Shame. The castle has three other towers, the Heron Tower, West Tower, and Tilted Tower. The bridge from the castle to the town proper is called the "Bridge of Masks."
A river borders the Chataeu and much of the town, giving it a port area. The town has sometimes faced river pirates and the port is poor due to not being well managed by the people. There is also the Abbey of the Bans which is an unorthodox Chantry. The Chantry itself remains locked, though the player can break in and find out that the Shame actually had a second child, who is a mage that he hid away.
The Fate Of Serault
The Last Court was a hidden gem to Dragon Age fans, as it had appearances of familiar characters like Carver Hawke and Morrigan and had the same intrigue in its story as the main games. The RPG elements were also well done for a text-based game, allowing players to make all kinds of choices and even pursue romances. However, it was eventually taken down in November 2020 and had very little impact on Dragon Age: Inquisition. In all likelihood, it will be forgotten in Dragon Age 4, which is a very missed opportunity.
Serault was a little like Kirkwall in terms of its rich history, odd cultures, and misfortune. It's forest and glass, though, gave it a unique and haunting beauty that Kirkwall lacked. Fans who played it hoped it would be a place to go in Inquisition, but it was only mentioned by an NPC and was a mission on the war table. Those that played it did get a unique prize in their Inquisition games though, Serault-made glass for the windows of Skyhold.
Dragon Age 4 is in development.