Daathrata

“I said Treviso was the trap, and I meant it. The jewel of Antiva... she sings even while caged.”

Daathrata, also known as the Butcher of Treviso, is one of the main warlords to emerge from the rebellion of the Antaam against the Qun. He is the head of the occupying force in Treviso.

Background[]

This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

When the Antaam army fractured in rebellion, it split among warlords. Daathrata seems to have kept the most traditional discipline. The Butcher seems capable and has a gift for anticipating acts of sabotage. His conquest of Treviso was so effortless, that it is suspected that he had help from a Treviso traitor.^[1] The rank and file approve of his leadership, causing many rebel Antaam to flock to his banner. Daathrata gives daily speeches about how Treviso's occupation is merciful and speaks of Treviso with familiarity. He has even refused to besiege Treviso with bombardments. It is suspected that the Butcher used his new freedom to indulge in Antivan Crow culture, which was long forbidden to him,^[2] and has secretly embraced it.

Involvement[]

Dragon Age: The Veilguard[]

This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

In the quest A Slow Poison, Rook can overhear the Butcher giving a speech to his army and demanding absolute loyalty from them. The Butcher encourages his army to become their role as Antaam or be caged like the Qamekmaster. He exclaims that Treviso is theirs and if they all obey by example then the "cattle" will fall in line. Those who don't obey him have no role and thus don't exist according to his philosophy. He also mentions that traitors bartered Treviso and the Antaam should not respect traitors. The Antivan Crows, on the other hand, he respects for fighting for Treviso and believes Treviso a worthy prize for them to compete over.

Eventually, Rook learns that the Butcher had employed a Qamekmaster to create large amounts of Qamek, but after sneaking into the Butcher's garrison, the team find out that someone stole some of the qamek he made. This infuriated the Butcher, who confined him to a room. The Qamekmaster took up Ghilan'nain's offer of power and transformed himself, transforming himself into a monstrous reaver in order to spite his punishment.^[3] Rook and their team slay the Qamekmaster. After inspecting his room, they find the Qamekmaster's note. The note made mention of the Butcher's inside traitor, confirming the Antaam occupation had help from someone inside Treviso.

After saving a group of Dalish elves from Elgar'nan in Arlathan Forest, Rook receives a message from an unnamed informant in Treviso who claims to know the location of the gods' next ritual. They follow the note's directions to Cafe Pietra and discover that the informant is none other than the Butcher himself. He tells Rook that he has fallen in love with the city and wants to protect it from the threat the gods pose. If Rook is a Crow, he tells them that he admires the Crows for staying true to their roles, and that they are "as much a work of art as this city."

He also reveals that the gods have blighted him and other members of the Antaam, offering the soldiers strength at great cost. He gives in to the blight and leads Rook to the Drowned District, battling his own Antaam along the way before forcing Rook to kill him to prove they deserve his help. With his dying breath, he reveals to Rook that the gods plan to complete their ritual on Tearstone Island, and that the traitor who betrayed the city is none other than Governor Rayan Ivenci.