So, at this point, most of us who’ve seen it can agree that Dragon Age: Absolution slaps supremely, and it’s a must-watch for anyone who’s a fan of the series. Absolution went above and beyond in bringing us back to Thedas and getting us excited for what’s to come.
But the really neat thing is that it also dabbled in some new territory that perked my ears up like a curious dog. Call it desperation, since I’m just trying to absorb as much info as I can in anticipation of Dreadwolf. Or call it super duper good sleuthing, if you wanna flatter me. Either way, these are some of the little hints Absolution dropped that allude to potential new lore in Dreadwolf.
New forms of magic
Fans were excited to see some classic spells being used in Absolution, such as Crushing Prison and Fade Step. There was, however, one spell that really stuck out to everyone:
At one point, Hira, the mage love interest, hops off a rampart and uses a magic disc to float back down, à la Kirby. This kind of magic has never been seen before, most likely because it would affect gameplay in a way that prior engines couldn’t handle. But we’re in the modern age, baby, and we’re gonna be messing around in Tevinter—the most magically advanced kingdom in Thedas.
We already saw in an old teaser for Dreadwolf that they have bow magic, i.e. bows literally made of magic. I have a feeling that mages are really going to be eating well in this new game, with a plethora of spells to toy around with. Just leave some fun for the rest of us rogues and warriors, please!
A Pavus family unraveling
Absolution hinges on a heist plot, wherein the coveted treasure is the “Circulum Infinitus.” This bracelet-like artifact is apparently instrumental in a ritual that can bring the dead back to life (for a price, of course, there’s always a price).
And … it was made by a Pavus. Amelia Pavus, to be clear.
And who are the Pavuses? Why, none other than the family of our dearest Dorian: a champion of Tevinter’s new dawn.
We already knew that Dorian was fleeing exile for choosing his own path, and that he’s now returned to his home country with the intentions of making it much better. We know his tragic reasons for fleeing in the first place, and the dark secrets his immediate family tried to keep hidden. But apparently there’s quite a bit more to unpack!
It’s very likely that we’ll continue to meet various Pavuses throughout the story, since they’re clearly a much more storied family than we’ve been led to believe. I just hope we get a chance to support and ally with our ol’ guy through it all.
Potential future companions
Let’s be frank, the crew in Absolution goes astronomically hard. While it’s unfortunate that we lost Fairbanks, we should also be happy we got the likes of Roland, Lacklon, and Qwydion—all of whom have the potential to join us for our next adventures in Dreadwolf.
Of those three, I think Qwydion might be the most likely candidate, since she has the least ties to the cast of Absolution. I’m not entirely sure she’s the woman in the concept art above, since they have different horns and hair color. However, anything’s possible.
Tassia, the Tevinter Templar who has piss-poor taste in men, is also a possibility. I’m on the fence about her, but some people apparently like her a lot. Either way, she’s now something of a free agent, and she’s got her own intriguing history with Tevinter, so it wouldn’t surprise me to see her amongst our ranks.
Now, as for the protagonists: I really doubt we’ll see Miriam or Hira as companions—especially Hira, given her sudden antagonism. But hey, let’s be clear: If we do get Miriam, I’ll be over the moon. She’s a fantastic character with a lot of narrative potential, and if nothing else, I want to hug her and give her the cheese she’s been dreaming of.
Qunari and dragon blood
A long-running fan theory is that the Qunari possess the blood of dragons. Yes, the horns are an obvious tell, but other things have lent credence to this theory. For one, Iron Bull has a lot of dragon-related opinions and feelings, from his excitement upon seeing one to his ability to smell dragon’s blood on a Reaver.
Then, there’s the short story The Horror of Hormak in the novel Tevinter Nights, in which it’s revealed that Ghilan’nain—supposed elven goddess of creatures and halla—was actually something of a mad scientist who put the souls of her slaves into newly formed bodies she toyed around with.
Tying these two together, if you play your cards right, you can meet Morrigan’s son Kieran in Inquisition. If Kieran possesses the soul of an Old God, he will comment on a Qunari Inquisitor by saying, “I noticed your blood. It doesn’t belong to your people. I just feel bad about what happened to your people.”
All things considered … it really sounds a lot like the Qunari have dragon blood and were most likely infused with dragon blood years ago! And Qwydion’s uncanny, never-before-seen ability to soothe the dragon and convince it to leave peacefully only adds to this theory.
Then again …
How To Tame Your Dragons
Maybe this just means dragons are tame-able and I’m blowing smoke out my ass, re: the blood thing. I’ve always felt bad hunting dragons in past games. They’re just apex predators like the rest of us; they’re not inherently evil or anything.
I’d love to be a squishy lil druid-like character who can somehow recruit a shitload of dragons to our cause in Dreadwolf. I’m tired of killing them! Getting Bull’s approval is nice, but is it worth the slaughter of such beautiful beings? I want a dragon baby. Gib me dragon baby.
A return to Kirkwall?
Hira was heading to Kirkwall to rendezvous with the next little lore point on this list, but I wanted to focus on the possibility that we, too, will return to our beloved shithole of a city. Varric’s been running the show since Trespasser, and since he seems to be returning in some capacity for Dreadwolf, it’s very likely that we’ll get to visit Kirkwall yet again.
At least, I hope we’ll get to see it. It was such a beige, dumpy little city, but it was home, you know? I’m curious to see how it’ll look on an updated engine (and budget).
The Crimson Knight
Okay, here we are, the big one: The Crimson Knight whom Hira has been serving is none other than Knight Commander Meredith Stannard, the big bad Templar from Dragon Age 2. Meredith was already a prat before drinking the kool-aid (i.e. Red Lyrium), but the kool-aid really did turn her into a completely alien being. Red Templars are like super-mutants, what with the virus-like crystal growing out of them and addling their senses. The fact that Meredith has continued to survive after being completely encased in this virus is just plain nutty.
I really have no idea where they’ll go with this. Will she be contained to the show? Or will she be a subplot antagonist in Dreadwolf? What has she been hiding all this time? And what’s there to find in the Gallows, where all this Red Lyrium has apparently been growing right under Varric’s nose?
Oh, the possibilities. BioWare. Baby. Feel free to break my heart, as you do so well, but please, stop playing with it.
(featured image: BioWare)
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