Dragon Age: Last Flight is a novel set in the Dragon Age universe. It was published in September 16, 2014 by Tor Books.
Synopsis
The Grey Wardens are heroes across Thedas once again: the Archdemon has been defeated with relative ease and the scattered darkspawn are being driven back underground. The Blight is over. Or so it seems. Valya, a young elven mage recently recruited into the Wardens, has been tasked with studying the historical record of previous Blights in order to gain insight into newly reported, and disturbing, darkspawn phenomena. Her research into the Fourth Blight leads her to an encoded reference scrawled in the margins of an ancient map, and to the hidden diary of Isseya, one of the last of the fabled griffon riders. As the dark secrets buried in Isseya's story unfold, Valya begins to question everything she thought she knew about the heroic Grey Wardens. . . .
Plot
In 9:41 Dragon Age, the elven mage Valya and a group of mages from the Circle of Magi in Hossberg join the Grey Wardens at Weisshaupt for safety from the ongoing Mage-Templar War. With rebel templars rampaging through Thedas and rebel mages assembling a terrifying army at Andoral's Reach, the Wardens are the only safe harbor for both neutral mages and templars seeking to flee the conflict. The organization is beginning to see groups of both seeking asylum and purpose.
Upon reaching Weisshaupt, Valya is tasked to search the fortress' library for accounts of Wardens abandoning their posts and behaving unusually, as well as records of talking Darkspawn, beginning with the Fourth Blight. From these instructions, Valya locates a lyrium-laced war map inscribed with Elvish, which leads her to a hidden journal detailing the last days of the elven blood mage Warden and griffon rider Isseya and her brother, the legendary hero Garahel who ended the Fourth Blight.
As she reads Isseya's first hand account fo the battles during the Exalted Age, the journal reveals that during the Wardens' struggle to defend and evacuate Antiva City, as well as secure the assistance of the Free Marches in ending the Fourth Blight, Isseya was tasked by the First Warden to put the Wardens' griffons through a Joining ritual. This ritual ultimately led to the creatures' corruption. As Garahel and the Wardens attempt, along with the dwarven Warden-Commander of Antiva, Turab, to secure Antiva City and also make diplomatic ties with Starkhaven's ruling family, the Vaels, Isseya also begins to regret condemning the griffons to madness and death.
In secret she contrives a way to remove the taint from griffon hatchlings and contain it within herself, accelerating her own corruption but--hopefully--protecting the new generation of the Wardens' battle brothers and sisters. This effort becomes particularly poignant after Garahel falls slaying the archdemon Andoral during the Battle of Ayesleigh, along with the deaths of many of the mature griffons and their Warden riders in the final battle of the Fourth Blight.
Isseya manages to purge the taint from a clutch of eggs obtained from Amadis Vael's griffon. Amadis was Garahel's lover and the eggs of her griffon, Smoke, were sired by Garahel's griffon, Crookytail. Convinced the Wardens of the Exalted Age are not fit stewards of the griffons and hoping those of the future will be, Isseya uses magic to hide the eggs in suspended animation in a remote location that would later become home to a statue of Andraste, the "Red Bride." Isseya then takes her griffon, Revas, on one last flight before secreting her journal away at Weisshaupt rather then live in a world without the noble creatures.
Driven by her research to find this treasure in the present day, Valya then travels with a small group of companions to the site and is able to reanimate the eggs. They hatch, one chick in particular looking identical to Garahel's Crookytail. The hatchlings appear to be free of the taint, bringing Valya hope that they will rise again.
Characters
- Caronel, an elven Grey Warden mage from Ferelden stationed at Weisshaupt Fortress
- Laros, a dwarf and former Templar, now a Warden-Recruit
- Reimas, a former Templar and a Warden-Recruit
- Sekah, an apprentice mage from the Hossberg circle and Warden-Recruit
- Valya, an elven mage from the Hossberg Circle of Magi and a Warden-Recruit
- Amadis Vael, the leader of the Ruby Drakes mercenary company
- Calien, an Antivan Crow and Blood Mage
- Edelys, a female dwarven Grey Warden who was recruited shortly before the end of the Fourth Blight
- Garahel, Grey Warden and Hero of the Fourth Blight
- Isseya, Grey Warden and sister of Garahel
- Lisme, a gender fluid human mage and a Grey Warden
- Munk, a Grey Warden dwarf and brother of Tunk who defended Hossberg during its siege by the darkspawn
- Ogosa, a female dwarven Grey Warden of casteless origin assigned to Fortress Haine
- Tunk, a Grey Warden dwarf and brother of Munk who defended Hossberg during its siege by the darkspawn
Locations
- For a complete list, see Category: Dragon Age: Last Flight locations.
The novel features a variety of locations throughout Thedas, including the city of Wycome in the Free Marches, Red Bride's Grave, the capital city of Hossberg in the Anderfels and the city of Ayesleigh in Rivain.
Trivia
- The cover art for Dragon Age: Last Flight is by Tom Rhodes.[1]
- In 5:12 Exalted, Garahel makes a quip about seducing a Qunari. However, Qunari didn't arrive in Thedas until 6:30 Steel.[2]
- In Chapter 19, in 5:20 Exalted, Isseya speaks to someone with the title Champion of Kirkwall. This conflicts with a codex in Dragon Age II, which states Hawke is the first Champion Kirkwall has ever had. This is an editing error and it is actually the Champion of Starkhaven who speaks with Isseya.[3]
- Ser Gaston de Montfort, ancestor of Duke Prosper and Lord Cyril de Montfort, is briefly seen speaking at Garahel's war council.
- Amadis Vael is also related to Sebastian Vael, a potential companion in Dragon Age II.
- Isseya observes that Garahel's helm has fallen off at some point during the final battle. Garahel's Helm eventually wound up in Kirkwall during the Dragon Age.[4]
References
Liane Merciel (September 29, 2014).
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