Spoiler warning: The under interview accommodates FULL SPOILERS for Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard lastly debuted this Halloween, concluding with an intense remaining act stuffed with surprising twists and devastating penalties. Unsurprisingly, selection and consequence each ended up being integral threads in the material of the recreation. Whether or not it’s sacrificing one metropolis to avoid wasting one other, deciding the way forward for the griffins, or, sure, selecting simply what occurs to our bald elven antagonist Solas, you’re making some fairly large strikes on the continent of Thedas.
Followers have been fast to theorize what we would count on in a possible Dragon Age 5, particularly after the huge reveals we obtained on this installment of the sequence. Whereas DA5 stays unconfirmed and Bioware presently has no plans to launch DLC for The Veilguard, questions linger about the way forward for Thedas now that the battle with the elven gods has seemingly come to an finish.
With the mud settled, IGN sat down with Dragon Age Inventive Director John Epler and Sport Director Corinne Busche in a 45-minute dialog to dissect lore and speak spoilers for the conclusion of the recreation. This contains the chilling secret post-credit scene which incorporates a group of sinister voices whispering their plans for the way forward for Thedas and, doubtlessly, a future installment of the franchise.
Earlier than we get began, I truly simply obtained the secret post credit scene. Ominous! What’s the position or the goal of those mysterious voices in influencing the occasions of Thedas?
Epler: These voices have been influencing occasions in very delicate, very mild contact methods to get in the direction of a selected consequence. As to what their final aim is, we’re not going to get into that fairly but. However the thought is that they’ve all the time been form of in the background. They know find out how to say the proper factor at the proper time to nudge in the direction of an consequence that they need.
It does not imply that any of those characters, any of the individuals proven in that ending do not have free will. All of them nonetheless made their selections. Loghain nonetheless selected to betray Cailin due to his concern of what the Wardens had been going to do. Bartrand nonetheless locked Varric and Hawke away in the Deep Roads due to greed. However who gave Bartrand the concept that this was the expedition value taking? Who was the soldier in the room with Loghain who possibly simply casually talked about, “oh, I am certain glad the Wardens are on our aspect this time”? Nobody’s being pushed. Nobody’s being compelled to do something, however [the voices] are excellent at realizing the proper particular person and discovering that little place the place they will, with a delicate nudge, shift occasions of their favor.
Busche: I like the way you say that, John, as a result of it is nearly as if by their mild nudgings, their whispers, they’re simply stoking these emotions and these wishes or insecurities that these characters inside the world already had. That was already inside them.
Loghain, Bartrand, the magisters, and the Breach are the largest figures in these illustrations. Why them? Why, for instance, Bartrand versus Meredith and Orsino?
Epler: With out entering into what possibly the future holds for them, their aim is to take away the elven gods from the desk. Once more, [the gods] are the strongest forces on Thedas up thus far. And no matter [the voices’] plans could also be, one other highly effective magical drive on the desk like that’s going to pose some obstacles. And I feel the different factor about the Executors, they’re very danger averse. They have been enjoying the extraordinarily lengthy recreation as a result of the one factor they do not wish to do is depart any of their items in verify. They’re all the time going to go for the choice that retains them the furthest away from hurt, whereas additionally advancing these targets.
The gods are a giant unknown for them. Nobody actually knew simply till the Veilguard what was going to occur with them. So in case you look again chronologically to Dragon Age: Origins, there’s positively a series of occasions that leads from then to the gods being taken off the desk. Solas’ dagger is the pink lyrium idol from the Deep Roads. Corypheus clearly had a giant half to play in weakening the veil and setting occasions in movement. One factor that I feel is enjoyable to consider is Thedas has been round for a really very long time, however these world ending occasions are occurring with such unbelievable frequency abruptly. Why now? Why on this age, why this particular time? You begin to get a way of why that is perhaps – not as a result of anybody’s entering into and controlling kingdoms or taking on armies. Somebody is seeing the finish recreation coming and possibly they’re organising for it.
Hopefully we get to see these voices explored a bit extra in a possible Dragon Age 5?
Epler: By no means say by no means.
I do know that some individuals had been shocked to let go of the Hold this time round. Now that it is all mentioned and carried out, are there extra selections you want you’d carried over or included?
Busche: The large factor for us is we wished to make this story, each single selection you make, really feel related to it. One factor that we may have said extra clearly or possibly alluded to extra clearly in the recreation is the concept that simply because these selections from the previous library of video games did not essentially affect this specific story, that does not imply they’re gone. It is a probability for us to actually key in to what issues with these occasions and what’s occurring in Northern Thedas. I do absolutely count on that these selections going clear again to Dragon Age Origins will once more matter. So simply wished to be on file with that. Each considered one of your selections that individuals have made all through their Dragon Age journey, these are nonetheless your selections. And in case you’ve seen the secret 2D ending we talked about, a few of these occasions being fairly pertinent. It is easy to see how these selections can and shall be related into the future.
The Veilguard is filled with these huge lore reveals, which actually began after we realized the reality of the elven gods in Trespasser. What had been ways in which the Evanuris itself modified in growth between Inquisition and The Veilguard?
Epler: It’s humorous as a result of in actuality there hasn’t been a big shift in how we understand the Evanuris from the finish of Trespasser to now. You probably have the artwork guide, in case you have a look at a few of the previous visible designs from [Project] Joplin, we had this concept of this very clear distance between Elgar’nan and Ghilan’nain. Ghilan’nain is the mad scientist. She’s in the hunt for creating the good kind. She’s all about experimentation. Elgar’nan is rather more the tyrant. One factor that I really like about Elgar’nan – he spends a not inconsiderable quantity of his magic energy trying good-looking, trying regular, as a result of he is additionally extremely useless. I feel that speaks to his character. In Veilguard, he would not present up till Hearth and Ice as a result of one factor he’s additionally extraordinarily, extraordinarily cautious.
Busche: One in every of the issues that was actually attention-grabbing in growth, considered one of my favourite tales is we knew we had been going to discover a few of these themes by the regrets that the Veilguard witness collectively in the Lighthouse. Once we truly noticed these come collectively and we noticed the potential of the Crossroads, that is after we determined, truly we wish to go slightly bit deeper and let individuals relive a few of these moments by Solas’ riot and even see Ghilan’nain earlier than the full extent of the Blight, the corruption, the adjustments to her had taken form. And I feel it was simply actually an attention-grabbing signal that there was one thing there that captured our creativeness as nicely and to have the ability to clarify that and have gamers relive it was a extremely enjoyable discovery.
Are you able to inform us about the destiny of the different elven gods like Sylaise and June? Are these gods now mortal in the Fade after the defeat of their Archdemons, or had been they weakened sufficient to die of their jail?
Epler: Yeah, I imply, so we’ve not been tremendous specific about what occurs when the gods die. In my thoughts, they’re both useless or they’re the closest factor to it. When a Warden kills an Archdemon, in Origins and DA2 and DAI, earlier than the Gods are out in the world, there may be a part of that elven god’s spirit that’s sure to that dragon. It finds the nearest supply of Blight. Now, if it is a darkspawn, a darkspawn has a direct connection to the Blight. There’s sufficient vitality there for it to rebuild a physique, rebuild itself as an Archdemon. When it goes right into a Warden, that connection could be very completely different and what finally ends up occurring is basically the fragment of the God spirit and the fragment of the Warden annihilate one another. So nothing to return to the god. So in the event that they’re there, they are a shadow of their former self. However clearly when Elgar’nan and Ghilan’nain come out, there’s not that distance. There’s not that want to make use of the Blight as basically an in-between medium and they will simply regain that fragment of their soul. They’re now mortal, however they’re simply as highly effective as they had been earlier than.
Busche: And that is a part of a theme inside The Veilguard. We’re tackling some fairly large subject material, a few of the largest excellent mysteries inside Dragon Age lore. So we wish to tie up a few of these free ends, give actually satisfying solutions, however we additionally wish to depart the door open just a bit bit. So questions like that, what occurs to the remainder of the gods? These are themes that we would like to have the ability to discover, but additionally be capable of advance the franchise.
We realized that the Tevinter Outdated Gods had been simply the dragon thralls of the elven gods. What are the implications for Tevinter right here? Will this completely reshape how they perceive their historical past and their tradition?
Epler: There’s going to be lots of people in search of energy in numerous methods by the strategy of rebuilding Thedas. As a result of once more, irrespective of the place you’re in Thedas, the battle in opposition to the gods had an affect. And I feel talking of Tevinter specifically, there are going to be those that really feel that sharing the reality goes to be the finest course for individuals. There are going to be people who find themselves motivated to lie. There’s going to be people who find themselves in search of to be proclaimed the new prophets of the previous Gods and saying that that particular person over there may be liar. In a world with so many unreliable narrators, sensible and savvy political operators can use that to their very own profit. And, I imply, Tevinter is rife with individuals who bluntly had been possibly not overtly on the aspect of the Venatori, however definitely would not have been too upset in the event that they’d gained – they will have their very own motivations.
Busche: It makes me consider the selection at the finish of Bellara’s arc, in actual fact, the place you are actually taking this repository of historical elven data and selecting to share it, to make it recognized or not. At the time, that looks as if maybe an inconsequential determination for the second, however once you have a look at the way forward for Thedas and what it means for the elven individuals, it is maybe considered one of the greatest.
After all the things the workforce learns by Solas’ reminiscences, Harding wonders in the event that they’ve disproven the Maker exists. Is that the case? Or is the Maker, like the elven and Tevinter gods, actual simply not in the approach that we predict he’s?
Epler: That is one thriller that I personally do not wish to ever give a definitive reply to at least one approach or the different. The second you begin to attempt to clarify it or attempt to present a definitive reply, I do suppose that takes a few of the thriller out of the world.
For what Harding’s saying, the query you requested: is the Maker what we predict it’s? Perhaps, possibly not. There may very well be one thing fully completely different to what the Chantry is saying. I feel that is a kind of wells that we’re all the time going to wish to hold open as a result of I do suppose it provides some attention-grabbing context. What the Maker is to Andraste followers and what the Maker may very well be to everybody else may very well be two fully various things.
Busche: I additionally love what it does, from a world constructing and storytelling perspective, to the energy buildings and then the extra private and intimate. As an example, there is a dialog the place Rook and workforce are sitting round the desk in the Lighthouse and Rook will get to lend their perspective: “I nonetheless imagine,” or “I by no means believed,” or “possibly we did disprove it.” These are questions of religion that I feel are so attention-grabbing to character and world constructing. After which think about the energy and political affect that the Chantry has. If these questions are raised, does that energy go away? Properly, I doubt it.
Epler: In a world that is rebuilding, in a world that is simply had these huge revelations happen, I can see individuals in the Chantry are most likely going to make use of that as a possibility to attempt to seize extra energy. The extra we draw back from ever being one hundred percent clear, the extra attention-grabbing tales we are able to inform there.
The reveal that the first elves got here from spirits is large, clearly. Are you able to communicate to {that a} bit? When will we see the shift from spirit-created elves to the elves we all know at the moment?
Epler: One attention-grabbing factor about that reveal truly is initially it was going to indicate up as a part of Bellara’s private quest. That was going to be how Anaris was in a position to flip elves into demons so shortly and so simply, how he is in a position to begin creating his military. We realized possibly placing a large reveal that adjustments the state of a whole lineage of the world? In all probability not one thing that should go instantly in a private quest. However yeah, I imply, it’s a huge reveal, it does change lots of their historical past.
That is one thing that’s the theme of opening these questions on the place all these teams got here from and what their origins are.
Busche: And I do personally actually love what you simply touched on there, John, which is the variations but additionally parallels behind the origins of every of the lineages. Taash’s arc explores having dragon’s hearth in your veins. We all know dwarves are the youngsters of the Titans. They will hear the tune of the Stone. Figuring out now elves have their origins from spirits. Actually fascinating parallels that, once more, create some attention-grabbing storytelling potentialities.
Talking of the Titans: we be taught Solas successfully made them Tranquil. We have heard rumblings that the Ceremony of Tranquility could be reversed. Do you suppose that is one thing that might occur with the Titans?
Epler: I imply, in the fullness of time something can occur. I’ll say that is a kind of mysteries that we’re most likely going to maintain near the chest.
Have a few of these reveals all the time been a part of the historical past of Thedas? Or had been sure issues developed as a part of The Veilguard?
Epler: It is a tough query as a result of I have been on since Origins, however I was in QA and Cinematic, so I wasn’t as aware about the deep lore discussions again then. I’ll say since Trespasser, since Inquisition, these are all issues that we have been speaking about for no less than that lengthy. So it is a part of the franchise for so long as I have been round on the lore aspect of issues. However I imply, that is the factor, as we inform tales, as we begin to determine the place we would like the franchise to go, what we wish to occur, concepts change. Another excuse why I am so hesitant to only drop lore into the world with no storytelling purpose is usually one thing we thought we wished to will we understand possibly is not the most attention-grabbing option to deal with that. After which we return to the drafting board. The balancing act is all the time, you by no means wish to have lied to the gamers, and you by no means wish to outright contradict one thing you mentioned earlier than, however the great thing about unreliable narrators is you’ll be able to twist the reality about 45 levels to the left and do one thing attention-grabbing with out ever contradicting your previous self.
Busche: I’ll say that I feel the easy reply is that each approaches are true. There are parts that had been heading by to a reasonably clear conclusion. There have been some that had been slightly bit extra mysterious, however a few of the most enjoyable that, no less than for me we have had are these moments once you and I are these follower arcs and the affect of the tales and conceiving of how does this tie collectively after we revisit a few of these themes. So there may be an intentionality about what we do going ahead. And once more, we do not wish to share an excessive amount of on that, however definitely it influenced a few of our selections and a few of the reveals alongside the approach.
Varric – might he relaxation in peace – reveals that Solas’ dagger is definitely the notorious pink lyrium idol. How was Solas in a position to restore it to its authentic kind?
Epler: Would it not shock you to realize it was one other ritual? Solas does love his rituals.
Basic Solas.
Epler: Yeah, so in the time between Trespasser and The Veilguard, Solas was in a position to cleanse the Blight from the dagger and restore it to its former form. One in every of the causes it was hidden in the idol was to hold it hidden. It is an extremely highly effective artifact. It is not the form of factor you need falling into the arms of a Venatori magister or an Antaam. Clearly, at the finish of DA2, Meredith tries to make use of it, turns it right into a sword. Everyone knows what occurred there. Relaxation in…I might say relaxation in items Meredith as a result of she’s now a large piece of pink lyrium. However it’s an artifact that’s tremendously highly effective. Solely Solas knew find out how to make it its strongest, which was the cleansed model of the dagger. So long as its pink lyrium, it nonetheless has the Blight in it, which suggests you are all the time going to be prone to the whims and whispers of Blight. We noticed it occur with Bartrand. It drove him fully mad. Even when Varric picks up the piece in DA2, he can nonetheless hear a few of the whispers.
So for Solas, earlier than he used this factor, he wanted to ensure it was purified, it was cleansed. Clearly, the Evanuris made their very own dagger out of pink lyrium. They do not care, they’re already blighted. It is all the identical to them. However for Solas, it was a ritual that he needed to do. We speak about the elves following Solas at the finish of Trespasser. It is not mentioned explicitly in the recreation, however considered one of the issues they’re serving to do is getting this ritual prepared so we may cleanse this dagger.
Busche: One in every of the attention-grabbing properties of the idol has all the time been how inherently malleable it’s. That is one thing very distinctive to it that we completely wished to lean into. What was so enjoyable for us is there have been theories we noticed on the market in the fandom YouTube movies about what was this idol? And certainly did Solas convert it to the dagger and a credit score to these followers that figured it out. I do not know the way they pieced it collectively, however cheers to them.
I’ve all the time questioned what the idol is definitely to.
Epler: Solas is a really nostalgic particular person. I would say an idol to Mythal. It is his guilt, his regrets poured into this factor. As a result of, as Corinne mentioned, it is malleable. That is the form it took.
The remaining act has selections with resounding penalties. Solas’ destiny, as an illustration, can range wildly. How did y’all land on the completely different endings for him? Will his destiny have an effect on future video games?
Epler: I am unable to reply the second one but. It was the three fantasies of coping with Solas. We’ve got Solavellans or individuals who like Solas, they wish to redeem him. They suppose he wants to come back again to the good aspect. At the finish, we wished to ensure that these gamers had that chance, particularly Solavellans who wished their Inquisitor to have that tragic embrace in eternity with Solas. We had been very obscure about what occurs on the different aspect of that, but it surely was essential to us to ensure that Solavellans had that chance.
I’ll say I used to be personally the one who actually wished a possibility to punch out Solas. I used to be the large advocate for the combat ending approach again when. I had it pictured as a giant knockdown drag out combat the place you and him mainly fist fought. In my thoughts, it was very over the high. I feel what we obtained was a greater ending, however I wished to ensure that the gamers who selected the choice in Trespasser the place they mentioned “Solas, have I ever wished to listen to considered one of your large lengthy explanations?” That is for them, that is their alternative to say: “nope, Solas, you are the unhealthy man. I am simply going to beat the crap out of you. Right here we go.”
I feel outsmart is a really particular fantasy. As a result of here is this man who’s been form of needling you the complete recreation, he is been form of slightly condescending. Even in case you construct a rapport, you’ll be able to all the time inform he thinks he is just a bit bit extra intelligent, just a bit bit smarter than you. So getting the alternative to outsmart the Dread Wolf was one thing that we thought was essential to permit gamers to do as a result of what extra satisfying option to cope with this smug jerk who’s been in your head barking at you for the final 40 to 60 hours at the finish the place it issues the most, than to be the one who outsmarts him. It was essential to present gamers that chance to tug one over on him. And I really like the line he says at the finish. As a result of in combat, clearly he goes off, he is screaming, he is frothing, he is indignant. At the finish of outsmart, he says, “And I’ve lastly met my match.” There’s simply this acknowledgement of, sure, that is proper, Solas. I used to be smarter than you, eat it. And yeah, I feel there’s simply these three fantasies of coping with it.
Busche: Even in that second, John, he nonetheless cannot fairly recover from that little little bit of smugness of how nicely he is taught you. And that one has to sting slightly bit, that needed to sting. I’ll completely verify that in so many conferences, greater than I can depend, John would inform me about this fantasy of punching out Solas and that knockdown drag out combat.
Put ’em in the ring!
Busche: And, look, as the resident Solavellan, that is appalling! I may by no means. I’ll say I completely love that there is two variants of the redeem ending as nicely, whether or not your Inquisitor romanced Solas or not. Crucial to us that you possibly can have that satisfying ending whether or not you had been sympathetic to Solas, even when you already know he was misguided. However, additionally, in case you cried like I did at that epilogue slide at the finish of Trespasser with the Solavellan romance we knew we would have liked to pay that off. And my goodness, that one issues to individuals. It was actually intimidating to method that with the weight and reverence it deserved.
I’ll say additionally, we did not contact on the sacrifice ending.
Let’s speak about it.
Busche: All people dies. There is a second there that I feel is considered one of the strongest, the place you see Solas, your mates speeding up that can assist you and to strive and cease Solas, and seeing him unleash his powers to show individuals to stone on your companions, seeing them fall in that approach, that sense of helplessness, that one actually rips my coronary heart out. It does.
It is such a reminder that every one of those occasions have all the time been on a knife’s edge. John, such as you mentioned, these world-ending occasions have occurred with a lot frequency. It is solely been due to luck, in some instances, that an individual has stopped it.
Epler: Properly, yeah, precisely. I imply, you had the Warden who occurred to fetch the treaties. You had the Inquisitor who occurred to be in the proper place at the proper time to get the mark as a substitute of Corypheus. And I imply, that’s finally, I feel considered one of the, simply form of circling all the approach again to the starting. One in every of the traits of all the heroes is that they act in surprising methods, and that is how they’re in a position to thwart the finish of the world so many instances in a row is that they’re simply the proper particular person, at the proper place, at the proper time. I feel, yeah, the sacrifice ending is a good instance of generally that luck can run out. You want luck and preparedness. One in every of the issues we actually wished to emphasise with that ending is it is nonetheless a victory, but it surely’s extra of a pyrrhic victory than the different ones. You gained, you cease the finish of the world, however the instance that you just set form of dies with you to a point. There is a monument arrange, however Thedas goes to be in a darkish place at this level. I feel it is an attention-grabbing approach to have a look at that ending specifically.
In the remaining act, there are two main companion selections. First, whether or not or not Neve and Bellara are blighted and captured by Elgar’nan. Second, maybe the hardest selection: whether or not or not Harding or Davrin will lead a distraction workforce and, finally, die. Why these selections and why these companions?
Epler: So for Neve and Bellara. The two teams which have been the most instantly affected by the gods up thus far are clearly the elves – it is their gods which can be again – and Tevinter, Minrathous. , the Venatori have both absolutely seized energy or have made some fairly large inroads in Minrathous, relying on which metropolis you save. And the gods have come again and introduced their dragons and proclaimed them as the gods of the Tevinter individuals. So each Bellara and Neve have a direct funding. Not that everybody else would not, however they’ve the most direct funding in stopping the gods at this level. We wished to present you that selection between these two characters who, once more, have a really private rating to settle with the gods and are each mages whereas Emmrich clearly needs to cease the finish of the world, however would not have fairly that very same connection to the occasions which can be going on. So these two made the most sense as to who would disable them.
The different factor is one thing that reveals up in the visuals. Minrathous, Tevinter basically has all the time been form of…there’s echoes of historical elven magic in all the things to Tevinter and Minrathous does as a result of it is meant as nearly a cargo cult imitation of what the historical elves had been able to. The historical elves labored lyrium into their buildings, Tevinter makes use of gold and jewels as a result of they do not have the capability to work lyrium. So it made the most sense for them.
I am going to say for the different selection, we knew Harding needed to be considered one of them, and then we needed to ask ourselves: we have got a fan favourite returning character from Inquisition. Who may presumably equal that by way of making this tough selection? It is like, nicely, Assan. Assan and Davrin. Davrin clearly has a direct hyperlink to this at this level due to Weisshaupt. He is obtained a really private stake in it, and it made sense for the two of them to be the ones to be the selection to guide the distraction workforce, as a result of once more, we wish to discover these private connections between the characters and the occasions which can be going on. And, you already know, the case of Harding, she has a lot funding on this story as a result of she’s been residing it since Inquisition. After which Davrin. Davrin’s complete order simply fell at the finish of the earlier act. He’ll have an actual sturdy funding in stopping the guys too right here.
Busche: One factor that is so attention-grabbing about that selection too, the Harding and Davrin selection is it truly introduced some attention-grabbing complexity and some emotional funding we may tie into, which all the time makes for a extra satisfying, I’ll say more durable option to make. I am going to say in considered one of my playthroughs, Taash and Harding had been in a relationship collectively and I occurred to be romancing Davrin. Inconceivable. Inconceivable determination in that second.
I do have one final query. We hear throughout Taash’s private quest about this “coming storm.” Does which have something to do with the voices throughout the sea? Is it one thing we will discover?
Epler: How do I put this? There are lots of clues scattered all through the recreation of how all these items might join. I might say Taash’s arc is clearly an excellent one, the finish of Bellara’s arc and a few of the codex entries in Arlathan could also be one other place to begin digging for clues. I am a giant fan of scattering lots of little hints and seeing what individuals decide up.
Alyssa Mora is an Affiliate Syndication Editor at IGN. Gaming & Leisure are her lifeblood, notably once they contain romance and/or moody vampires.