“The Veil Jumpers have been in this since the beginning, and we'll be there for the end.”
Strife is a city elf from Starkhaven who eventually joined Dalish Clan Morlyn.[1] He is described as tall and silver-haired.
Background[]
Strife grew up in Starkhaven's alienage.[2] His outspokenness frequently got him in trouble, and he eventually had to leave the city after hitting a guard who was beating elven children. He was living in the woods when the Dalish found him and let him join their clan.
By the time of the fall of Ventus, Strife is at least fifty years old.[3]
Involvement[]
Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights[]
Three Trees to Midnight
Strife is among the prisoners taken by the Qunari from Ventus, under the guard of Bas-taar of the Antaam. He is put to work chopping wood on the outskirts of Arlathan Forest, shackled at the ankle to the human Myrion. Their relationship immediately turns antagonistic when Myrion calls him a "filthy knife-ear". Strife suggests that the Qunari shackle him to another elf instead of a "lazy shem," but Bas-taar tells them that racial distinctions don't apply to bas and to learn to work as one. As Strife complies, he calls him Bas-taard, to gauge how much Trade he speaks. The Qunari doesn't react to the insult.
When Strife tries to guess what his occupation in Ventus was, Myrion punches him in the face to shut him up, and gets knocked unconscious in return. The next day, Strife asks Bas-taar to be re-assigned, saying that he has alchemy training, like the elf Thantiel, who is also in the camp. When Strife is brought to Thantiel, he realizes that his friend has been turned mindless with qamek. Myrion saves him from suffering the same fate by killing their guard with a spell.
Strife reveals that Thantiel snuck into Ventus to get information about the Qunari invasion, and that they are part of the same Dalish clan. He kills Thantiel out of mercy, then retrieves the plans that he stole to finish their mission. As they head towards the forest, still shackled, Myrion gives all the other mindless prisoners a merciful death by setting their tent on fire, which alerts the Qunari to their escape. They meet Irelin on the outskirts of the forest, a shapeshifter mage from Strife's clan who gives him a bow, then leaves to warn the other clans that the Qunari are moving into Rivain. She claims she will return by midnight.
While chased through the forest by Bas-taar and the Huntmaster, Strife and Myrion learn to work together. Myrion closes his wounds with magic when Strife takes an arrow below the ribs. Strife takes out several Qunari with his bow. Irelin returns just in time to help them during their last stand. Using the chain that binds them together, Strife and Myrion manage to strangle Bas-taar, though he is ultimately killed by the Huntmaster, who reveals himself to be a member of the Ben-Hassrath called Saarbrak, investigating rumors that the Antaam did not act in accordance with the Qun in Ventus. Saarbrak orders the surviving Qunari to retreat.
Strife uses one of the axes they left behind to cut their chains. When Myrion says that he'll go on his way after a night's rest, Strife tells him that the clan isn't his place, but that, once upon a time, it wasn't his either.
Short Story: Ruins of Reality
- See also: Short Story: Ruins of Reality
Dragon Age: The Missing[]
Strife and his fellow Veil Jumpers (Irelin, Binde, and Tist) encounter Viscount Varric Tethras and Scout Lace Harding at the entrance of Arlathan Forest. After introductions, Varric and Harding reveal they are on a mission to find and retrieve the elven artifact known as the crucious stone in order to prevent it from falling into either the Venatori's or Solas' hands. Furthermore, with the crucious stone in their possession, Varric says they may be able to divert the Venatori's attention away from Arlathan and prevent the Venatori from using it against the Tevinter Imperium. Varric simply wishes for the Veil Jumpers to allow them passage through the Arlathan Forest but Strife asserts they'll never survive the chaos of the forest without their help. Irelin agrees and left with little choice, states that she and Strife will have to go with them. Strife acquiesces to the alliance since the Veil Jumpers would like to avoid hostile encounters with the Venatori.
To reach the temple where the crucious stone is being held, the group had to face a series of dangerous trials. First they had to travel through a gauntlet where spirits trade places with the living by body-possession. After they reclaim their bodies in the next section, they must go through a place where time runs out of order and they age in a different, rapid pace. Then they must travel through a place where up is down, and down is up. Finally, they must overcome the Varterral, the guardian of the temple. Irelin distracts the Varterral with a summoned swarm of stinging insects while the group sneaks past it.
After reaching the temple, the group discovers that the crucious stone has already been stolen by Solas. Solas left a note for Varric that states that he would never have let the crucious stone fall into Venatori hands, that he is trying to limit the damage his plans will cause but further interference from the Inquisition will make things worse, and a plea for Varric to cease pursuing him. Varric reveals to Strife and Irelin that Solas is Fen'Harel, the Dread Wolf. Strife and Irelin are taken aback by this information but Irelin deduced that an elven god with the crucious stone could explain the chaos happening in Arlathan.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard[]
Strife is first seen alongside his companions Irelin and Tarith while being chased by a Sentinel attacking them because they were in possession of an artifact that Irelin couldn't deactivate. Ultimately, Strife is forced to destroy the artifact before it could kill Tarith, causing the Sentinel to collapse. They soon noticed Rook, Lace Harding and Neve Gallus standing behind them. If Rook is a Veil Jumper, it is revealed that Strife bitterly blames them for a previous incident in which Rook destroyed a priceless map to save others; otherwise, Harding will introduce the Veil Jumpers. Strife notes the sudden surge of wild magic in ancient elven artifacts and correctly suspects that it had something to do with Solas's ritual, leading Rook to explain about the escape of Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain. The news of Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain's release into the world shocked and horrified Strife and Irelin as they've been known to be tyrants; Irelin noted there's a reason why Solas led a rebellion against the Evanuris.
Irelin then stated they needed to move Tarith back to camp. Strife added they still had dozens of Veil Jumpers unaccounted for. As Rook volunteered to help, Irelin advised the party to find Bellara Lutare. When Bellara and the Veilguard return to the Veil Jumper Camp, they find their situation has worsen while they were away. The Veil Jumpers have been struggling to defend Arlathan from new darkspawn attacks but many have become wounded or ill in the fight, while other Veil Jumpers are still unaccounted for. Three Dalish settlements were evacuated for their safety and Strife notes they are running out of Veil Jumpers to deal with the threats. Irelin and Strife sent two Veil Jumpers to investigate D'Meta's Crossing, who they've recently lost contact with. When Bellara revealed they recovered the Nadas Dirthalen, Irelin had hoped it could provide some insight into the elven gods but the elven artifact is broken. Irelin and Strife asks the Veilguard to check on two Veil Jumpers that were sent to investigate D'Meta's Crossing and also to search for any signs that the elven gods may have been there. The Veilguard discover that Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain sacrificed the two Veil Jumpers in a blood magic ritual that unleashed the Blight on D'Meta's Crossing.
The Veilguard return to report the fates of the Veil Jumper scouts and D'Meta's Crossing to Strife and Irelin. Morrigan arrives at the Veil Jumper Camp and Strife introduces her as a Veil Jumper acquaintance who Strife has asked for aid. Morrigan believes D'Meta's Crossing was a show of force meant to cow the people of Thedas and advises the Veilguard to retrieve Solas' lyrium dagger, as such a powerful artifact cannot be permitted to fall into the elven gods' hands.
If Emmrich Volkarin is not romanced by Rook and does not become a lich, he and Strife get together.
During the quest Blood of Arlathan, the Venatori gathered deep in Arlathan Forest to witness Elgar'nan's elven sacrifice of Dalish prisoners. It falls to the Veilguard and the Veil Jumpers to stop them before Dalish lives are lost. After being supplied disguises by Strife, Rook, Neve Gallus, and the rest of the Veilguard infiltrate the gathering. There, they witnessed Venatori slaughtering halla for fun and Elgar'nan awaken his dragon thrall, Lusacan, once worshipped as the Old God of Night. Elgar'nan used his mental dominating magic to influence the gathering, which tempted the gathering with their desires in exchange for complete obedience to him. Bellara Lutare and Neve however, used their magic to dispel the hold Elgar'nan had on the Veilguard's minds. Sensing there are intruders who broke free from his domination, Elgar'nan ordered the Venatori to capture Rook and their team. While Strife and the Veil Jumpers attacked the Venatori to distract from Rook's team, the Veilguard faught their way to the Dalish prisoners. Eventually, the Veilguard escaped with the Dalish prisoners thanks to Solas distracting Elgar'nan with his goading.
Strife participates in the Battle of Minrathous. Depending on Rook's choices, Strife can survive the battle with only a non-fatal injury, or die from Venatori blades.
Quests[]
Trivia[]
- In Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights, Strife was said to have no vallaslin.[4] However, in Dragon Age: The Missing he is depicted with vallaslin. Trick Weekes clarified that Strife obtained his vallaslin sometime between,[5] which is roughly a 7 to 8 year gap.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Short Story: Ruins of Reality
- ↑ Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights, Three Trees to Midnight, p. 41
- ↑ Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights, Three Trees to Midnight
- ↑ Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights, Three Trees to Midnight
- ↑
Trick Weekes (April 4, 2024). "Close-ISH to real-world passage of time. Strife has been working with the Dalish for a few years (and later, in the comic, the Veil Jumpers), so he picked up the vallaslin along the way." . Bluesky.