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 ultimate act filled with surprising twists and devastating penalties. Unsurprisingly, selection and consequence each ended up being integral threads within the material of the sport. Whether 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 huge strikes on the continent of Thedas.
Fans have been fast to theorize what we’d anticipate in a possible Dragon Age 5, particularly after the large reveals we bought on this installment of the sequence. While DA5 stays unconfirmed and Bioware at present 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 Creative Director John Epler and Game Director Corinne Busche in a 45-minute dialog to dissect lore and speak spoilers for the conclusion of the sport. This contains the chilling secret post-credit scene which encompasses a group of sinister voices whispering their plans for the way forward for Thedas and, probably, a future installment of the franchise.
Before we get began, I truly simply bought the secret post credit scene. Ominous! What’s the position or the intention of those mysterious voices in influencing the occasions of Thedas?
Epler: These voices have been influencing occasions in very delicate, very gentle contact methods to get in the direction of a selected end result. As to what their final objective is, we’re not going to get into that fairly but. But the thought is that they’ve all the time been type of within the background. They know how one can say the proper factor on the proper time to nudge in the direction of an end result 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. They all nonetheless made their decisions. Loghain nonetheless selected to betray Cailin due to his worry of what the Wardens had been going to do. Bartrand nonetheless locked Varric and Hawke away within the Deep Roads due to greed. But who gave Bartrand the concept that this was the expedition price taking? Who was the soldier within the room with Loghain who perhaps simply casually talked about, “oh, I’m certain glad the Wardens are on our aspect this time”? No one’s being pushed. No one’s being compelled to do something, however [the voices] are excellent at realizing the proper individual and discovering that little place the place they will, with a mild 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 means of their mild nudgings, their whispers, they’re simply stoking these emotions and people 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 most important figures in these illustrations. Why them? Why, for instance, Bartrand versus Meredith and Orsino?
Epler: Without stepping into what perhaps the long run holds for them, their objective is to take away the elven gods from the desk. Again, [the gods] are probably the most highly effective forces on Thedas up thus far. And no matter [the voices’] plans could also be, one other highly effective magical power on the desk like that’s going to pose some obstacles. And I believe the opposite factor concerning the Executors, they’re very danger averse. They’ve been enjoying the extraordinarily lengthy recreation as a result of the one factor they do not wish to do is go away 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 an enormous unknown for them. No one 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 sequence of occasions that leads from then to the gods being taken off the desk. Solas’ dagger is the purple lyrium idol from the Deep Roads. Corypheus clearly had an enormous half to play in weakening the veil and setting occasions in movement. One factor that I believe is enjoyable to consider is Thedas has been round for a really very long time, however these world ending occasions are taking place with such unbelievable frequency abruptly. Why now? Why on this age, why this particular time? You begin to get a way of why that could be – not as a result of anybody’s getting into and controlling kingdoms or taking up armies. Someone is seeing the top recreation coming and perhaps they’re establishing for it.
Hopefully we get to see these voices explored a bit extra in a possible Dragon Age 5?
Epler: Never say by no means.
I do know that some individuals had been stunned to let go of the Keep this time round. Now that it is all stated and completed, are there extra decisions you want you’d carried over or included?
Busche: The huge 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 perhaps alluded to extra clearly within the recreation is the concept that simply because these decisions from the previous library of video games did not essentially impression this explicit story, that does not imply they’re gone. This is an opportunity for us to actually key in to what issues with these occasions and what’s taking place in Northern Thedas. I do totally anticipate that these decisions going clear again to Dragon Age Origins will once more matter. So simply wished to be on file with that. Every considered one of your decisions that individuals have made all through their Dragon Age journey, these are nonetheless your decisions. And in case you’ve seen the key 2D ending we talked about, a few of these occasions being fairly pertinent. It’s simple to see how these decisions can and might be related into the long run.
The Veilguard is stuffed with these huge lore reveals, which actually began after we discovered 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 top of Trespasser to now. If you’ve the artwork e book, 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 searching for creating the right kind. She’s all about experimentation. Elgar’nan is far more the tyrant. One factor that I 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 believe that speaks to his character. In Veilguard, he does not present up till Fire and Ice as a result of one factor he’s additionally extraordinarily, extraordinarily cautious.
Busche: One 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 means of the regrets that the Veilguard witness collectively within the Lighthouse. When we truly noticed these come collectively and we noticed the potential of the Crossroads, that is after we determined, truly we wish to go just a little bit deeper and let individuals relive a few of these moments by means of Solas’ riot and even see Ghilan’nain earlier than the total extent of the Blight, the corruption, the adjustments to her had taken form. And I believe 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 very enjoyable discovery.
Can you inform us concerning the destiny of the opposite elven gods like Sylaise and June? Are these gods now mortal within 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 have not been tremendous express 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 on the planet, there may be a part of that elven god’s spirit that’s certain to that dragon. It finds the closest 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 may be very completely different and what finally ends up taking place is actually 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 seem to be a shadow of their former self. But 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 primarily an in-between medium they usually can 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 huge 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 go away the door open just a bit bit. So questions like that, what occurs to the remainder of the gods? Those are themes that we wish to have the ability to discover, but additionally have the ability to advance the franchise.
We discovered that the Tevinter Old 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 looking for energy in varied methods by means of the method of rebuilding Thedas. Because once more, irrespective of the place you might be in Thedas, the battle in opposition to the gods had an impression. And I believe talking of Tevinter specifically, there are going to be those that really feel that sharing the reality goes to be the perfect course for individuals. There are going to be people who find themselves motivated to lie. There’s going to be people who find themselves looking for to be proclaimed the brand new prophets of the previous Gods and saying that that individual 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 perhaps not overtly on the aspect of the Venatori, however actually would not have been too upset in the event that they’d received – they will have their very own motivations.
Busche: It makes me consider the selection on the finish of Bellara’s arc, in reality, the place you are actually taking this repository of historical elven information and selecting to share it, to make it recognized or not. At the time, that looks like maybe an inconsequential choice for the second, however if you have a look at the way forward for Thedas and what it means for the elven individuals, it is maybe one of many largest.
After every thing the workforce learns by means of Solas’ reminiscences, Harding wonders in the event that they’ve disproven the Maker exists. Is that the case? Or is the Maker, just like the elven and Tevinter gods, actual simply not in the way in which that we expect he’s?
Epler: That’s one thriller that I personally do not wish to ever give a definitive reply to somehow. 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 expect it’s? Maybe, perhaps not. There might be one thing utterly completely different to what the Chantry is saying. I believe that is a kind of wells that we’re all the time going to wish to maintain 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 might be to everybody else might be two utterly various things.
Busche: I additionally love what it does, from a world constructing and storytelling perspective, to the facility constructions after which the extra private and intimate. For occasion, there is a dialog the place Rook and workforce are sitting across the desk within the Lighthouse and Rook will get to lend their perspective: “I nonetheless consider,” or “I by no means believed,” or “perhaps we did disprove it.” Those are questions of religion that I believe are so attention-grabbing to character and world constructing. And then contemplate the facility and political affect that the Chantry has. If these questions are raised, does that energy go away? Well, 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 within the Chantry are most likely going to make use of that as a chance to attempt to seize extra energy. The extra we shrink back from ever being 100% clear, the extra attention-grabbing tales we will inform there.
The reveal that the primary elves got here from spirits is big, clearly. Can you converse to {that a} bit? When will we see the shift from spirit-created elves to the elves we all know right now?
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 rapidly and so simply, how he is in a position to begin creating his military. We realized perhaps placing an enormous reveal that adjustments the state of a complete lineage of the world? Probably not one thing that should go instantly in a private quest. But yeah, I imply, it’s a huge reveal, it does change lots of their historical past.
That’s 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 know dwarves are the youngsters of the Titans. They can hear the track of the Stone. Knowing now elves have their origins from spirits. Really fascinating parallels that, once more, create some attention-grabbing storytelling potentialities.
Speaking of the Titans: we be taught Solas successfully made them Tranquil. We’ve heard rumblings that the Rite of Tranquility will be reversed. Do you suppose that is one thing that would occur with the Titans?
Epler: I imply, within 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’s a tough query as a result of I’ve been on since Origins, however I was in QA and Cinematic, so I wasn’t as aware of the deep lore discussions again then. I’ll say since Trespasser, since Inquisition, these are all issues that we have been speaking about for not less than that lengthy. So it is a part of the franchise for so long as I’ve been round on the lore aspect of issues. But I imply, that is the factor, as we inform tales, as we begin to determine the place we wish the franchise to go, what we wish to occur, concepts change. Another purpose why I’m so hesitant to simply drop lore into the world with out a storytelling purpose is typically one thing we thought we wished to will we notice perhaps is not probably the most attention-grabbing approach to deal with that. And then 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 also you by no means wish to outright contradict one thing you stated 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 believe the straightforward reply is that each approaches are true. There are components that had been heading by means of to a fairly clear conclusion. There had been some that had been just a little bit extra mysterious, however a few of the most enjoyable that, not less than for me we have had are these moments if you and I are these follower arcs and the impression 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 actually it influenced a few of our choices and a few of the reveals alongside the way in which.
Varric – might he relaxation in peace – reveals that Solas’ dagger is definitely the notorious purple lyrium idol. How was Solas in a position to restore it to its authentic kind?
Epler: Would it shock you to understand it was one other ritual? Solas does love his rituals.
Classic Solas.
Epler: Yeah, so within 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 of the explanations it was hidden within the idol was to maintain it hidden. It’s an extremely highly effective artifact. It’s not the type of factor you need falling into the fingers of a Venatori magister or an Antaam. Obviously, on the finish of DA2, Meredith tries to make use of it, turns it right into a sword. We all know what occurred there. Rest in…I might say relaxation in items Meredith as a result of she’s now a large piece of purple lyrium. But it’s an artifact that’s tremendously highly effective. Only Solas knew how one can make it its strongest, which was the cleansed model of the dagger. As lengthy as its purple lyrium, it nonetheless has the Blight in it, which suggests you are all the time going to be inclined to the whims and whispers of Blight. We noticed it occur with Bartrand. It drove him utterly 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. Obviously, the Evanuris made their very own dagger out of purple lyrium. They do not care, they’re already blighted. It’s all the identical to them. But for Solas, it was a ritual that he needed to do. We speak concerning the elves following Solas on the finish of Trespasser. It’s not stated explicitly within the recreation, however one of many issues they’re serving to do is getting this ritual prepared so we may cleanse this dagger.
Busche: One of the attention-grabbing properties of the idol has all the time been how inherently malleable it’s. That’s 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 within 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 puzzled what the idol is definitely to.
Epler: Solas is a really nostalgic individual. I’d say an idol to Mythal. It’s his guilt, his regrets poured into this factor. Because, as Corinne stated, it is malleable. That’s the form it took.
The ultimate act has decisions with resounding penalties. Solas’ destiny, as an example, can differ 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 can not reply the second but. It was the three fantasies of coping with Solas. We have Solavellans or individuals who like Solas, they wish to redeem him. They suppose he wants to return again to the great aspect. At the top, we wished to be sure 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 opposite aspect of that, nevertheless it was essential to us to be sure that Solavellans had that chance.
I’ll say I used to be personally the one who actually wished a chance to punch out Solas. I used to be the large advocate for the battle ending approach again when. I had it pictured as an enormous knockdown drag out battle the place you and him mainly fist fought. In my thoughts, it was very excessive. I believe what we bought was a greater ending, however I wished to be sure that the gamers who selected the choice in Trespasser the place they stated “Solas, have I ever wished to listen to considered one of your huge lengthy explanations?” That’s for them, that is their alternative to say: “nope, Solas, you are the dangerous man. I’m simply going to beat the crap out of you. Here we go.”
I believe outsmart is a really particular fantasy. Because here is this man who’s been type of needling you your complete recreation, he is been type of just a little 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 chance 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 approach to cope with this smug jerk who’s been in your head barking at you for the final 40 to 60 hours on the finish the place it issues probably the most, than to be the one who outsmarts him. It was essential to provide gamers that chance to tug one over on him. And I like the road he says on the finish. Because in battle, clearly he goes off, he is screaming, he is frothing, he is indignant. At the top 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 believe 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 just a little bit, that needed to sting. I’ll completely verify that in so many conferences, greater than I can rely, John would inform me about this fantasy of punching out Solas and that knockdown drag out battle.
Put ’em within the ring!
Busche: And, look, because 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. Very essential to us that you could possibly have that satisfying ending whether or not you had been sympathetic to Solas, even when he was misguided. But, additionally, in case you cried like I did at that epilogue slide on 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 load and reverence it deserved.
I’ll say additionally, we did not contact on the sacrifice ending.
Let’s discuss it.
Busche: Everybody dies. There’s a second there that I believe is among the strongest, the place you see Solas, your pals dashing up that will help you and to attempt to cease Solas, and seeing him unleash his powers to show individuals to stone in your companions, seeing them fall in that approach, that sense of helplessness, that one actually rips my coronary heart out. It does.
It’s such a reminder that every one of those occasions have all the time been on a knife’s edge. John, such as you stated, these world-ending occasions have occurred with a lot frequency. It’s solely been due to luck, in some instances, that an individual has stopped it.
Epler: Well, 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 on the proper time to get the mark as a substitute of Corypheus. And I imply, that’s in the end, I believe one of many, simply type of circling all the way in which again to the start. One of the traits of all of the heroes is that they act in sudden methods, and that is how they’re in a position to thwart the top of the world so many instances in a row is that they’re simply the proper individual, on the proper place, on the proper time. I believe, yeah, the sacrifice ending is a good instance of generally that luck can run out. You want luck and preparedness. One of the issues we actually wished to emphasise with that ending is it is nonetheless a victory, nevertheless it’s extra of a pyrrhic victory than the opposite ones. You received, you cease the top of the world, however the instance that you simply set type of dies with you to some extent. There’s a monument arrange, however Thedas goes to be in a darkish place at this level. I believe it is an attention-grabbing approach to have a look at that ending specifically.
In the ultimate act, there are two main companion decisions. 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, in the end, die. Why these decisions and why these companions?
Epler: So for Neve and Bellara. The two teams which were probably 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. You know, the Venatori have both totally seized energy or have made some fairly huge inroads in Minrathous, relying on which metropolis you save. And the gods have come again and introduced their dragons and proclaimed them because the gods of the Tevinter individuals. So each Bellara and Neve have a direct funding. Not that everybody else does not, however they’ve probably the most direct funding in stopping the gods at this level. We wished to provide 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 top of the world, however does not have fairly that very same connection to the occasions which can be happening. So these two made probably the most sense as to who would disable them.
The different factor is one thing that exhibits up within the visuals. Minrathous, Tevinter basically has all the time been type of…there’s echoes of historical elven magic in every thing to Tevinter and Minrathous does as a result of it is meant as nearly a cargo cult imitation of what the traditional 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 probably the most sense for them.
I’ll say for the opposite selection, we knew Harding needed to be considered one of them, after which we needed to ask ourselves: we have got a fan favourite returning character from Inquisition. Who may presumably equal that when it comes to making this troublesome selection? It’s like, nicely, Assan. Assan and Davrin. Davrin clearly has a direct hyperlink to this at this level due to Weisshaupt. He’s bought a really private stake in it, and it made sense for the 2 of them to be those 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 happening. And, , the case of Harding, she has a lot funding on this story as a result of she’s been dwelling it since Inquisition. And then Davrin. Davrin’s total order simply fell on the finish of the earlier act. He’s going to have an actual robust funding in stopping the blokes 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 a few emotional funding we may tie into, which all the time makes for a extra satisfying, I’ll say tougher option to make. I’ll say in considered one of my playthroughs, Taash and Harding had been in a relationship collectively and I occurred to be romancing Davrin. Impossible. Impossible choice 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 ocean? Is it one thing we’ll discover?
Epler: How do I put this? There are lots of clues scattered all through the sport of how all these items might join. I might say Taash’s arc is clearly a superb one, the top of Bellara’s arc and a few of the codex entries in Arlathan could also be one other place to start out digging for clues. I’m an enormous fan of scattering lots of little hints and seeing what individuals decide up.
Alyssa Mora is an Associate Syndication Editor at IGN. Gaming & Entertainment are her lifeblood, significantly once they contain romance and/or moody vampires.
