Highlights

  • The Qunari, a unique society in Dragon Age lore, will return as playable lineage in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
  • Taash, a female Qunari companion, will be introduced in Veilguard, marking the first appearance of a woman from the Qunari race.
  • The game's setting in the North will bring a closer encounter with the Qunari's homeland of Par Vollen in this newest installment.

The Qunari are one of the most interesting parts of the Dragon Age lore. Their society and history are unique in both Thedas and in video games in general, with the Qun being a formidable force and looming possible antagonist. Despite the constant threat of the Qun, which will be closer than ever in Dragon Age: The Veilguard thanks to the North's proximity to the Qunari's homeland of Par Vollen, Qunari remain popular and return as a playable lineage in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

The Qunari have had a presence in the Dragon Age games since Dragon Age Origins, with Sten as a party member. Dragon Age: Inquisition then went on to have the Iron Bull as a companion. Dragon Age: The Veilguard will be the first game in the series to feature a female Qunari companion with Taash, which is something many fans have been asking BioWare for years. Taash's inclusion in Dragon Age: The Veilguard is appropriate as the game is set in the North, a region where the Qunari are far more common than the previous games set in the South.

solas magic ritual from dragon age the veilguard
Related
Dragon Age: The Veilguard's Antagonists Officially Confirmed

The main villains of Dragon Age: The Veilguard have been revealed – and they may not be exactly who many fans expected to face off against.

Taash in Dragon Age: The Veilguard

It's been ten years since Dragon Age: Inquisition, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard's reveal trailer introduced Taash, a Qunari companion. Patrick Weekes, Taash's writer, has said that her name is derived from the Qunlat word for dragon, "ataashi", and she's introduced in the middle of a battle with a high dragon. Not much else is known about Taash at this point, aside from the fact that she's a romance option and a Warrior.

It's taken four games and sixteen years of waiting to get a female Qunari companion in Dragon Age, but Dragon Age: The Veilguard is about to deliver. Both Sten and the Iron Bull were loyal to the Qun, while it's likely that Taash is Vashoth or Tal-Vashoth because of her association with the Lords of Fortune. As the Lords of Fortune are from Rivain, and Taash's battle appears to occur there, it's likely Taash hails from the nation. Aside from the Lords of Fortune, Rivain is also known for its proximity to the Qunari, and openness to being converted. While seeing Qunari in the South is unusual, as in previous Dragon Age games, encountering them in places such as Rivain is more common.

The Role of Qunari Women in Dragon Age Games

While the Qunari have had a prominent role in Dragon Age since the very beginning, female Qunari weren't depicted in the games until Dragon Age: Inquisition. The Qunari Rasaan in the comic Dragon Age: Those Who Speak was the first female Qunari to be depicted in the series. Rasaan is a high-ranking Tamassran who is destined to become the Ariqun, one of the three leaders of the Qunari. Rasaan appears again in the story Genitivi Dies in the End in Tevinter Nights.

Rasaan's introduction to Dragon Age was the first look at female Qunari, and some fans were expecting one as a companion in Dragon Age: Inquisition. The Qunari made a return as a companion but, rather than a woman, the Qunari companion was once again a man. However, it was possible for the Inquisitor to be a female Qunari, but she would be the only one in the game until Trespasser. The main antagonist of Trespasser was the Viddasala, a high-ranking Ben-Hassrath and a female Qunari. The Viddasala wasn't the only female Qunari in Trespasser, though, with several of the NPC enemies in battles over the course of Trespasser being women.