The Dragon Age franchise from Bioware is rightly praised for its richly realized characters, intricate world building, and meaningful choices presented to players over the course of their gameplay. The Dragon Age franchise has never been afraid to discuss complex concepts and issues, whether about the nature of free will, the issue of safety versus agency, or the nature of slavery.
Dragon Age: 8 Reasons Dwarves Are Due For a Comeback
Dwarves are one of the many races in the Dragon Age franchise, and they deserve more time in the spotlight.
The character Solas, first introduced in Dragon Age: Inquisition, although alluded to much earlier in the form of the Elven god Fen'Harel or the Dread Wolf, is a character with legions of fans and detractors. Even in the world of Dragon Age, Solas attracts both allies and enemies as he embarks on a plan to change the very nature of Thedas itself. Here are seven characters who could join up with Solas in the upcoming Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
7 Abelas
An Ancient Elf
As one of the ancient elves who predated the modern world and the fall of elves and their decline into the Dalish peoples of modern Thedas, Abelas has a vested interest in the people and cultures long lost by the creation of the Fade. Although Abelas and his people follow Mythal, Mythal is known to be a friend of Fen'Harel.
A return to the natural order of things in Thedas, rather than the 'perversion' of the modern world created by the Veil, could be very alluring to ancient elves such as Abelas.
6 Briala
City Elf Revolutionary
Although Briala is a city elf, steeped in human Orlesian culture and the struggles of the elves of Orlais, she's a canny political operator. Seeking the power to protect her people and advance their rights, Briala could easily become tempted by Solas's claims of a restoration of the elven people.
Immortality and vast magical power would be tempting to anyone, but perhaps even more so to someone like Briala, who's spent her entire life scratching for some semblance of power and agency to protect both herself and her people. And since Solas controls her eluvians, he may well have exactly what she wants to coerce her to his side.
5 Merrill
A Dedicated Keeper of Knowledge
Since her introduction, Merrill has been dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, whether magical or historical - although Dalish elves often do both at the same time. Although Merrill as a character can go through a lot of personal growth and change over the course of Dragon Age II, it's clear that Merrill still heavily values the history of her people and knowledge of lost magical arts.
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Solas offers both things, and it's easy to see how someone like Merrill could become swayed to his side with tales of old Arlathan and the hope of an Elvhen renaissance.
4 Velanna
Hot-headed Dalish Elf
Velanna, a companion character from Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening, has a complex relationship with humans and depending on choices made by the player, may never get over her issues with the primary culture in Thedas. In some world states Velanna is dead or missing, but that's never stopped Bioware bringing back a character before, and Velanna could easily be swayed to Solas's side.
With her strong connection to nature and natural magic, her dislike - even hatred - of humans, and her search for her sister/desire for vengeance, Velana could see a lot of hope in the world Solas promises.
3 Fenris
Abolitionist Warrior
Although Fenris has a severe mistrust of mages and magic due to his personal history with Tevinter magisters, Fenris has shown himself to be somewhat flexible on the matter when it comes to specific people and situations - such as his potential friendship/romantic relationship with a mage Hawke.
But one thing which Fenris never compromises on is his extreme aversion to slavery and slavers. The issue of slavery, particularly elven slavery, is personal to Fenris and something that he has in common with Solas who, as Fen'Harel, freed thousands of slaves. Although the world Solas offers may be strange and dangerous, Fenris could be persuaded by Solas that the true answer to his problems is a much more radical proposition than he'd thought.
2 Zathrian
Obsessional Dalish Keeper
Although some world states have Zathrian as a dead man, in others he survives. Zathrian was obsessed with the practices of the ancient elves, seeking to rediscover many of them and spread them to his clan so that they could recover the true history and legacy of the ancient elves.
Although Zathrian's particular means for achieving his immortality were quite far from that achieved by the true ancient elves, Zathrian seems like an easy convert for Solas. Although he may harbor suspicions and fears about the Dread Wolf, what Solas offers - a restoration of ancient Elvhenan and an elven resurgence - may be too great a prize to let slip through his fingers.
1 Mythal
Witch of the Wilds and Ancient Evanuris
Although Mythal, in her guise as Flemeth, Witch of the Wilds, has a tumultuous and complex history with dozens of appearances throughout the history of Thedas, she is also presented as a kind of ally to Solas. Although never openly joining Solas in his various plans, Mythal has helped from the sidelines - or at the very least, not hindered.
Her precise condition at the end of Dragon Age: Inquisition and its DLCs is unclear, but it doesn't appear that Mythal is dead - merely incapacitated somehow. Given that Mythal has come back time and time again in a series of different bodies, it seems reasonable to think that she could do so again. And when she does, having decided to give her power to Solas, she may decide to ally him in a more concrete fashion. After all, the world of the ancient elves was her world once, too.
Dragon Age: 8 Reasons Dwarves Are Due For a Comeback
Dwarves are one of the many races in the Dragon Age franchise, and they deserve more time in the spotlight.
