- I've mentioned this as a response in a few places but I wanted to discuss it in more depth here. Without getting too deep into what the Old Gods are or what their connection to the elven pantheon is, I want to raise a question
- Why do we think the Old Gods WANT the darkspawn to infect them. The Architect pointedly mentions what a loss it is that their beauty is corrupted when they touch it.
- Are the Old Gods consciously calling to them? The Architect and the wardens can hear the calling and assume that this means the Old Gods want people possessing the Taint to come and free them. However the Calling seems to be simple visions and to lack direction. Corypheus seems to be capable of imitating it. If the calling is not being purposely generated by the Old Gods then they may not desire the darkspawn to find them and infect them. The Call might simply be something the Old Gods do which others can hear through the blood magic of the Taint. Something similar to a magical animal call.
- My theory is this: While several people have been inclined to compare the Archdemons with the elven Forgotten ones (described as Gods of sickness and plague) the Old Gods are not themselves infected by the Taint. They must be infected by the darkspawn. If they created the Taint and want it to be spread, why don't they have it themselves? Why must their weak servants infect them with it? Did the Maker (or whoever) cleanse them before imprisoning them? Why would he? What would be the point?
- What if the Old Gods aren't the Forgotten ones but some form of ancient elven deity? Mythal's form looks very much like an Archdemon with its crown of spikes. What if the ones who goaded the Magisters into going to the Golden City were not the Old Gods but the Forgotten Ones? What if the whole purpose of manipulating the magisters into releasing the Taint was to bring back a weapon for a battle between gods? To infect the Old Gods while they were sleeping and helpless?
- We can assume that the elven gods can be infected by the Taint due to the story of Anduril which we learn in DA:I.
"Andruil put on armor made of the Void, and all forgot her true face. She made weapons of darkness, and plague ate her lands. She howled things meant to be forgotten, and the other gods became fearful Andruil would hunt them in turn." I might be reaching here but it seems like they're describing someone infected by Blight. Anduril's use of sacrifice and blood sounds very much like a practitioner of Blood Magic. It's hard to say for sure, we certainly don't have the full picture yet but DragonAge has made a habit of telling us myth and legend and then telling us they weren't entirely true. We've been assuming that the Old Gods and the Darkspawn are on the same team but maybe we should question that assumption. 75.67.132.192 (talk) 03:16, August 17, 2015 (UTC)
Flemeth may be (or have been) Mythal Possessed but the Dragon was just her being a shapeshifter like Morrgian. Alertfiend (talk) 04:06, August 17, 2015 (UTC)
- No, it's more than just that. There are statues of Mythal in her dragon from in the Temple, and one at the Altar. For all we know she is/was a dragon that shapeshifted into a human (or elf or whatever). It's also worth noting that the both Brecilian ruins and the ruins where the first Eluvian was (the one that Duncan shattered in the Dalish Elf Origin) both feature statues that are similar to the ones in the Temple of Mythal. And then there's the statues the darkspawn make...there's clearly a connection there, we just don't know what it is. Silver Warden (talk) 07:54, August 17, 2015 (UTC)