So, ever since I finished up my first playthrough of Inquisition, well actually from the moment I started it, I’ve had theories and story ideas flying around my head, colliding with each other. Suffice to say, the words were mush. So, I’ve decided to, yet again, share my ideas with any of you who care to read them.
Goes without saying, but...
Mucho mucho spoilers ahead.
Seriously. This is the point of no return....
Well sorry for the great old big wall of text... Now...
Where to begin, ah yes! The fate of the inquisitor!
Well, wut?[]
That epilogue left everyone pretty much gobsmacked, right? Solas is Fen’harel(?), or at least someone known by the mantle of “Dread Wolf”. And he wants to help the elves of Thedas, minus Sera. Since in his words, she is as much an elf as he is a horse. Wait, she’s gotta be pretty elfy then, since he’s a horses ass for being a deceptive pleb and not telling us!
Sorry, got a lil’ carried away there. Anyway, the story closes with the inquisitor, and maybe a LI, looking off into the distance and seeing the dawn rise. Solas has gone off to wherever he went to meet our dear old motherly friend Flemeth. Who is Mythal. And Mythal and Solas are good old friends. So much so that she sends away a small part of her godly essence to catch up with that flying water creature thing that came out of the well of sorrows and smashed up the Eluvian. Which will then seek out Morrigan and offer up said essence and power. Yeah, that isn't actually confirmed, but is a very likely possibility.
Wow, Morrigan had a win win this time around. She got the power of the well and Flemeth died, or she didn’t, Flemeth still died and she got some power anyway. And on top of everything, she has the choice to become a god…
The mysterious woman of the well and Vessel for Mythal's godhood.
So, back on topic, the game ends with the player basically saying: “Well, what happens now?”
The answer: A slew of Multiplayer based DLC which have literally no importance to the series, and the awesomeness of throwing our money at EA for the story DLC. The final one in particular. Like witch hunt was to Origins. And MoTA was NOT to DA2.
This DLC will revolve around “The Fall of the Inquisition.” Since, let’s face it, with the inquisition existing, the Inquisitor will become the new Shepherd, and we’ll be looking at a linear trilogy of games. Nah, Teetness (The Inquisitor) has to fall from grace so the series can continue. Or at the very least, get totally fucked over in such a way that they cannot be the protagonist of another game.
As they fall from grace, the force they created/helped create will crumble as well, and the Inquisition will become another chapter in the history books. Historians will debate whether we were a savage from the northern lands seeking to create our own kingdom in the weakened south of Thedas, others will still claim we were a devout Andrastian and her herald, despite publicly proclaiming the Maker to be a douchebag and 100% totally not real. That, and saying Andraste was a mage. Yeah, the writers at Bioware will have a field day in reminding us that we did not get to change people’s minds about how “devout” we were.
So, with the inquisition out of the way, the events of the next game can take place. Namely, Solas chopping our hand off and taking the anchor for himself and doing Maker knows what with it. What do mysterious immortal elves do with severed super-powered hands anyway?
Basically, Inquisitor falls from grace, gets the marked hand cut off, the Inquisition crumbles. But, the one handed Inquisitor will return in DA4! And will have a role as important as a nug. Maybe. They'll probably be a big story feature to be honest...
Wait, we’re not done yet! There’s MORE! Err, DLC, I mean DLC[]
With the conclusion of the story out of the way, (or should I say “The Destination” discovered?) I will now discuss my DLC ideas, as well as elaborating on the destination that seems appropriate for the series continuation.
Since I don’t work for Bioware everything here is basically a fanfic, but:
“Dear Bioware,
If you happen to be reading my blog filled with DLC ideas, thank you kindly, it makes me feel VERY special. Feel free to use my ideas, or abuse my ideas, or completely rip me off. I ask for nothing, except that you do any story justice. And please, please, please, please BRING SANDAL BACK! Oh, and don't forget to keep the quest names coming from the chant of light. That's just awesome.
Sincerely,
Deakial”
Yeah… that wasn't done seriously btw, I doubt Bioware would read my blog. But just in case, for the microscopic chance they do and they like it, its there.
Now, where to begin, well the obvious seems appropriate.
The Venatori & Red Templar remnants.
Regardless of who you choose to side with, the Venatori remain and the Red Templars still hold Suledin Keep in Emprise du Lion. So, there has to be some “other” remnant of these forces. And both options allow for us to explore other regions Thedas, like Tevinter for example.
On a side note, each section, from here on out, takes its name from what I feel should be the quest title in that DLC, not the DLC name itself. Oh, and each DLC gives us a new Anchor power.
All their power, and all their vanity[]
This would be your basic DLC, seek out and destroy what’s left. But they could hint at more stuff like Tevinter culture. Or, my favourite, Darkspawn and Red Templars. They both have the blight right? Shouldn’t they get along? Well... I’d certainly pay to find out.
They could even set it in an Elven Ruin, let us find out more weird stuff about the culture. Then drop a hint at what Solas is doing. But it would end up a lot better if it was set in a dwarven thaig, like, "I don't know Kal-Sharok!". That way we get to see what was missing from DAI, a dwarven city. Not including the Hissing wastes ruin. That was just strange, and not really dwarven.
Soo… the Red Templar quest would take place in a dwarven thaig, close to a deep roads opening and there would also be Darkspawn about. Lots and lots of Darkspawn. ANNNNNNDDDDDD... If they go the extra mile and include a small, hidden elven ruin, they can bring back a corrupted Eluvian. Would be nice to see another one of them again.
The DLC would grant us new powers for the Anchor, after touching said Eluvian with the marked hand. Would be nice if it was something special and Lyrium related, appropriate for the DLC, or taint related. Like maybe being able to just “explode” any corrupted lyrium in the area, thus greatly weakening any red Templars and disorientating Darkspawn, just because... Anti-red-lyrium magic should have an effect on the ‘spawn.
I want to see a corrupted eluvian just so they can elaborate on what that “underground city” Tamlen mentions is. Or do they want us to forget about that?
So, as for the story, it goes a bit like this. The inquisition is informed about stories coming out of the reclusive Kal-sharok. A fierce darkspawn presence is being seen, and many in the area have seen the same. Fears of a new blight running rampant in the area. Harding sends back her report.
She admits that there are an unusual amount of Darkspawn in the area, but she believes it is tied to the notable Red Templar force that have been venturing into the deep roads from a nearby Elven ruin. Cullen begs us to take care of the matter personally, and even joins us as a playable character. F*** YEAH. (He replaces Cassandra nicely).
So, by the time the Inquisitor arrives with Cullen, the red Templars have moved out and have left a skeleton force in the elven ruin. Harding also joins us as a rogue character, and Bioware will introduce a brand(ish) new mage. Rhys. Evangeline will also join us eventually. In a future DLC.
So, together we set out and venture into the elven ruin to determine the reason the Red Templars are there, and also capture and interrogate one of them to discover who is now leading them. After defeating the skeleton force remaining, we find that they were left to guard a corrupted Eluvian. Everyone tells the inquisitor to not touch it, but it is active, and no one knows why. So the Inquisitor goes ahead and touches it, since y’know we’ve been through one. YAY, NEW POWERS. The corrupted eluvian becomes the source of a new power for the Anchor.
Everyone yells at you, Cullen has a growing fear of you in his heart, Lace Harding doesn’t know what to make of your carelessness, and Rhys seriously questions your abuse of magical artifacts.
Anyway, we interrogate one of the captives, and discover the Templars are being led by an Elven Templar…. Wait what? Elves can be Templars? A half-blood elf to be precise, who has secretly investigated his elven heritage whilst remaining vigilant over the mages in the circle.
The captive informs us that they have begun a siege on Kal-Sharok, in an effort to find the location of the hidden buried city, for the Red Templars can feel the need to go there. Much like the calling, the Templars are drawn to it, an inescapable urge to step through the eluvian and bathe themselves in whatever is held there. But alas, the eluvian does not act as a portal. Only a window.
Then, we head of to Kal-sharok, break the siege a few hours too late. We then set off on a chase through the deep roads which culminates in a bloody duel on a bridge. A bridge over a chasm that houses the largest horde of Darkspawn seen in centuries. Oh yeah, we stab the Templar guy in the face and send him flying over the edge of the bridge, and down into the depths with the horde.
Now, the way it ends depends on what the new Anchor ability does. If it does something like I suggested, then the inquisitor will collapse the tunnel by exploding all the red lyrium lining the wall, buried beneath the fleshy mush of the Darkspawn nest.
If it’s something completely different, then Rhys will probably just start throwing big big fireballs about and cause the tunnel to collapse and bury the horde below. Or they rush back to Kal-Shirok and pick up some lyrium explosives. Lots and lots of lyrium explosives. Then there’ll be a line back at Skyhold about how it would take years to search the deep roads for the ruins, and would cost enough to bankrupt Orlais if they tried. As well, Josephine has made contact with Orzammar and they have not been forthcoming with any knowledge on the subject.
The End.
Tl;dr summary:[]
- Main quest: "All their power, and all their vanity" - Locate the remnants of the Red Templar force laying siege to Kal-Sharok in search of something located in the Deep Roads.
- Location: Kal-Sharok and the surrounding above ground/deep roads area. Similar to Valammar and the Hinterlands.
- Companions: Harding (Rogue), Cullen (Warrior), Rhys (Mage)
- New Specialization: Rogue/Scout (Similar to ranger, but has birds), Mage/Circle Enchanter (Similar to spirit healer, but more focus on Offense), Warrior/Abstinent Templar (Unique abilities akin to Seekers, special anti-magic/lyrium powers)
- New Anchor Power: Red Lyrium explosion. Cripples Red Templars, disorientates Tainted enemies.
And the men of Tevinter heard[]
Now... The Venatori remnants.
With their god and master, Corypheus, defeated, and banished to the fade in a crippled and destroyed body, slowly fading from existence. Corypheus finds himself in the Fade, desperate to get back to the real world, but lacking a physical form. He has essentially become a spirit. The only way back for him now, is to possess someone, but due to the taint he bears, it requires an incredible amount of magic to perform, and he can only possess a host who bears the same blood as he. Tainted Amladarius blood.
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j281/08hr/docwholand/01%20Big%20Bang/birthpicspamimage02.jpg
Basically, the only way Cory can come back is in a similar method to the Master in this pic...
As the Venatori start performing a ritual, they begin kidnapping a large number of slaves, and this causes unrest among the Magisterium. Dorian’s father will contact the Inquisition, and soon after they head out. This time accompanied by Evangeline, the Templar carrying (possibly) a spirit of Faith from Asunder. The other two companions will be obtained upon arrival. An elven cutpurse with a penchant for slitting throats in his spare time, possibly an Antivan crow. And a controversial companion, Maevaris Tilani, who has secretly returned to the Imperium to gather a few personal effects and also meet with a Qunari informant. Yes, the Qunari invasion will be hinted at.
Upon arrival, the cutpurse attempts to steal from the Inquisitor but is stopped by Evangeline. Magister Halward Pavus then greets us at the Magisterium and explains the situation in more depth. Claiming that the Venatori still follow Corypheus’ will and are attempting another assault on the heavens, but under anothers rule. While in the Magisterium, a messenger greets them carrying a message from Iron Bull. One of his contacts, or former contacts, has let slip word of a Qunari agent in the city meeting with an informant by the name Telani. Enter Maevaris.
Completely unaware that the Inquisitor did not actually kill Corypheus, they begin their search for the ritual place. Evangeline seeks out the cutpurse once again, trying to get their assistance with searching the more secret parts of the city. He also reveals that rumours of an uprising are surfacing, the elves are eager to free themselves from their shackles, and the Imperium is suffering from recent events, politically and financially, and morally.
Word reaches you that the Venatori have assaulted a warehouse of magical curiosities. You go there, fight them off, but they escape with a vast quantity of Darkspawn blood. They then lay siege to the Magisterium, and remove very precious and very secret material’s from the vault. A vault which only a few have ever been privileged to set foot inside and examine the material. Namely, material corresponding to the original seven magisters, the second sin, and more importantly the relics looted from the fallen Arlathan.
In this vault the inquisitor gains a new power. The ability to locate a thinning veil, and repair it. Now, the anchor doesn’t just seal rifts, it can mend the veil entirely. But as the Inquisitor will find out soon enough, it works but at a great cost.
The inquisitor uses the new power to locate the ritual site, just as the ritual begins. The Venatori begin feeding Darkspawn blood to Irian Amladaris, while performing the blood ritual. The effects are immediately visible, and they are not just “ghoulification”. They bleed the slave captives, and eventually the veil weakens, allowing Corypheus to push through. In his desperate attempt to possess his descendant, Magister Irian Amladaris, the Venatori neglect to cover their backs.
The Inquisitor storms through the Venatori, and the mages are powerless against Evangeline. As the group enters the ritual hall located in the catacombs deep beneath Minrathous, they witness Corypheus so very close to possessing Irian. Evangeline instinctively removes all the magic in the area, disrupting the ritual. The final fight ensues and when it is over, all that remains is a weakened veil with Sethius Amladaris’ soul peering through. Corypheus sees he is doomed to perish.
Then the weird part occurs, the Inquisitor is able to have a conversation with the Magister who once assaulted the fade. You can question him in his final moments. For all he wants is to not die alone. You can either deny him that, or help him pass in exchange for knowledge thought lost to the ages.
His final words are: “Use it then. I will trouble you no longer, repair the veil and continue on the path to your doom.”
Then he’s gone. Nothing. Finito. Ding Dong the bastard’s dead. Forever. He ain’t ever coming back from that.
And that is when the Inquisitor uses the new power for the first time. They repair the veil, but to do so requires more power than the inquisitor has, even if they drunk from the well. Their life is threatened, they begin to cough up blood, when the cutpurse grabs your marked hand. Unknowingly he sacrificed his own life to save yours. Every fibre of his being is pulled into the mark, and used to repair the veil.
I would use the spirit in Evangeline for this, but given how things can play out with Wynne in Origins, I don’t know what the “canon” story is for her, and the spirit passed on by Wynne.
Tl;dr Summary:[]
- Main quest: "And the men of Tevinter heard" - Locate the Venetori cultists wreaking havoc in Minrathous, and set free the captured slaves. Also attend to Corypheus' disciples.
- Location: Imperial district - Minrathous/Tevinter - An area similar to Emprise Du Lion, only bigger and more populated by people and buildings.
- Companions: "Cutpurse" (Rogue), Maevaris Telani (Mage), Evangeline (Warrior)
- New specializations: Rogue/Thief (Heavy stealth focus with the ability to diminish an enemies armor rating, and do assassin like moves), Mage/Magister (Similar to Blood Mage with a powerful, yet costly, offensive spell), Warrior/Spirit Knight (Similar to Spirit Warrior from Awakening)
- New Anchor power: "Veil-shift" - Briefly disrupt all magical talents in the area, instantly banish demons, and instantly disrupt rifts. Grants Passive ability: Rift-Pulse (Search funtion will now locate areas where the veil is weak)
In the absence of light, shadows thrive[]
The Silence from Weisshaupt
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This next DLC idea, focuses on the aftermath of Adamant. Whether or not the wardens were exiled from southern Thedas, Weisshaupt still goes silent. For some, this means the potential for Hawke/Alistair/Loghain/Stroud to return, depending on what happened in the fade during Here Lies the Abyss. They’ll probably both return in my opinion, but more on that later.
So, what is it that has the wardens so spooked? Another magister maybe? How about this. The Architect. Many have suggested the possibility of him being one of the magisters. Then someone says, but how come he doesn’t have Cory’s ability to body hop. Simple. He does. Only it’s weaker. He can only jump into ghoullies. Wait, didn’t we all forget about Seranni? Y’know Velanna’s sister? Damn Deakial, you’re on to something. The Architect lives on through her, but more importantly, he lived on only to be eaten...
Wut?
Yup, he got eaten. By that different darkspawn guy. I think, The Architect was a disciple of Lusacan, hence the mask over his eyes, what better way to worship the Dragon of Night than to walk around in darkness. And, this will please Razikale fans, was eaten by the disciple of Razikale... Yay, Razikale’s gonna be a big de- No. Razikale’s disciple will be a big deal. Since he’s eaten two, maybe more, of the original. And since Cory is wayyyyyy ‘’beyond’’ his reach, hehe, he can only consume three more.
And for no particular reason, let’s say these three are the disciples of: Urthemiel, Andoral, and Zazikel. Beauty, slaves and chaos. Sort of fitting for the current state of the world.
Anyway, one of these Magisters is known as the Founder. The one who shows the Wardens how to slay an Archdemon. The creator of the joining ritual, and also a reaver. Hence, the knowledge that the joining would need an Archdemon’s blood.
Oh, yeah, The Founder is not the nice darkspawn from the codex, nor is it the one that ran away. Timeline’s don’t match up right. Wish they did would make things simpler.
That codex entry, is said to be 20 years old, so at the time of Inquisition, it would mean it was from the year 9:21. The writer also mentions that his Grandsire’s Grandsire witnessed three oversized darkspawn dressed as kings, most likely magister’s. So that means it probably happened during late Steel Age, or mid-early Storm Age.
Anyway, the reason I think that one of the Magisters is involved in the founding of the Grey wardens, is because of the game changers we saw in Inquisition. Flemeth is actually Mythal. The elven gods were more akin to tyrants, Valasslin is actually slave marking. Qunari don’t feel out of place in the crossroads, that world through the Eluvian. The Wardens could not have magically formed, and the discovery of the joining has to be explained at some point.
My guess is that it’s either Flemeth’s doing, or a magister’s. But since the joining was created in the Ancient age, I doubt that it was Flemeth, or Mythal, since I believe Flemeth to be Andraste and Mythal was apparently a wisp of what she was before. So a Magister, in my mind, seems more likely.
Especially one, who despite being corrupted, is repentant for their sins, and the doom they brought on the world.
So, basically, having a DLC in which we visit Weisshaupt and discover the things going on with the wardens gives us the opportunity to learn more about the history of the order. Bioware can get rid of another three ancient magisters, and basically tell us we won’t be seeing them again. That will please a few people I suppose. I actually really liked Corypheus as a villain, but he was underwhelming. Despite this, I still want to explore the whole Magister Darkspawn thing. Especially the one who ate another one.
Now, as for the plot. Whoever was spared from the fade, goes to Weisshaupt. They manage to pass a message onto Valya, the elven mage from Last Flight, basically telling us that shits going down. Valya manages to get to Skyhold quite quickly, and we get to question her on this, she will drop a few hints about the return of Griffons.
And also the line, which will be said to Cullen, “Sorry, there won’t be Griffons in this story swooping in to save the day.”
"I've heard Swooping is bad, anyway..." - Cullen
Cullen will join us again, this time only as an advisor. He will remain stationed a short distance from Weisshaupt in the event that we have to invade the fortress. So, our companions for this mission will be Harding (once again, we’ll learn more about her and also have the option to properly romance her), Valya (The elven mage from Last flight, we’ll get to know even more about her), and a Tal-vashoth warrior who has taken the joining. He currently has no name…
Upon arrival at Weisshaupt, not on Griffons, we are greeted by the First Warden, who has known of our coming for some time. We question where the survivor of the Nigtmare is, they play dumb.
We then get “free reign” of the fortress, but have to be escorted by “No Name” at all times. We do some snooping, and have to avoid getting a suspicion bar up to max. So basically, it’s a bit like “wicked eyes, wicked hearts”. We find loads of clues, and also a whole bunch of new information on the order, and their deeds.
Then, once we have amounted enough evidence, “No Name” challenges us. He says he was not aware of the Warden’s misdemeanors and offers his assistance in bringing the first warden to justice. Yeah, the First Warden has been doing underhand dealings with Tevinter cults like the Venatori, and is just a generally bad person.
We go snooping in the wrong place where we find Hawke/Loghain/Stroud/Alistair chained up. We free them and are then forced to fight our way out. Kind of like Fort Drakon. Sadly, we have to kill some wardens again, and these guys aren’t actually all that bad. It’s is pretty much just the First Warden whose being an asshat. Anyway, we fight our way deeper in, which is where we find a Deep roads entrance. It’s more of a cavern, with some light dwarven architecture, actually. However, there is a heavy darkspawn presence. All because of the Founder making his home here.
We fight our way into the very Architect-esque lair and confront the Founder. They admit to us exactly who they are, they say they know who we are and what we have done. They say they mean us no harm, and will guide us out. They also say it is pointless to try and kill him, since they will just body hop to the nearest warden. The Inquisitor reluctantly accepts the offer of help, after being persuaded by Valya. Along the way, the magister explains what has been happening to the wardens. Another magister is stalking the halls of Weisshaupt, this one able to hide their true face due to the feeding on other darkspawn, and Magisters. They claim to know who they are, The First Warden, but not how powerful they may be.
The Founder leads us to a surface opening, and we reunite with Cullen and the Inquisition forces. Then we lay siege to Weisshaupt.
Lots of wardens die in the process, dazed and confused as to why we are attacking. We try to explain that a Darkspawn Magister walks among them, they ignore us. We continue with our attack, our small group a special force with a sole purpose. Locate the First Warden.
Upon finding the first warden, we are forced to fight through more Wardens to reach the main towers parapet. Where our battle with the First Warden will take place. A fearsome fight follows, the First Warden has magic far beyond his stature.
Eventually we kill the First warden, “the Survivor of Adamant” does it for us actually. Shoves a sword right through his chest. Then nothing happens. There’s no return of a Magister, like we saw with Corypheus. Just a dead warden. The Inquisitor then looks down on all that they have wrought. And then they realize what had happened. The minor detail they neglected. When they entered the Founders lair, there was a deformed skeletal corpse laying on the table. That was the Founder. The Magister who lead them out, was the one who fed on others.
Hastily, the party return to the lair, only to find it empty of Darkspawn. They had all gone, there were none left. The only remains were the library of the Founder. Even the bones had been taken.
The quest ends with Valya, “No Name”, “the survivor of Adamant” and Cullen standing around the War Table discussing the turn of events. Josephine enters and informs us that the Inquisitions standing has just been put into jeopardy. Our alliances are beginning to falter. The throne of Orlais and Ferelden are both questioning their alliance with the Inquisitor.
Valya, “the survivor of Adamant” and “No name” leave, saying they intend to find the only warden still held in high esteem at this date, the Hero of Ferelden. The Inquisitor adds that they are currently seeking a cure for the calling.
“A noble quest, for an even nobler hero.”
Tl;dr Summary:[]
- Main Quest: "In the absence of light, shadows thrive" - Uncover the secrets behind the silence from Weisshaupt.
- Location: Weisshaupt - A larger more action orientated version of Halamshiral.
- Companions: Harding (Rogue), Valya (Mage), "No Name" (Warrior)
- New Specializations: Rogue/Hunter (Similar to Legionnaire), Mage/Blight-Mage (A version of battlemage and Blood mage combined with an emphasis on enemies with Tainted blood), Warrior/Nightmare (Similar to Beserker)
- New Anchor Power: Vortex - Super Upgraded Mark of The Rift. Now pulls enemies to the center where damage is greatly increased. Can also open Rifts to Insta-kill an enemy. Well, most enemies. Bonus: New passive to improve armor rating against an enemy with Tainted Blood.
In that void shall they wander[]
Nightmare exiled
This one, pretty obvious. That big spider crab enemy we don’t get to fight properly? Yeah, it’s back. With a vengeance.
This DLC opens with the Inquisitor sitting in their quarters recapping the events that have transpired. A mountain of letters sit in one corner of the desk. Unopened. Skyhold is emptying. People are losing their faith in this new age Herald. Their power grows, and it frightens many. They decimated an underground chasm, causing instability in a nearby town and turning it into a sinkhole. The aided a Qunari agent despite the rumours of an impending invasion. They sparked outrage after sacrificing an elven “slave” with their “Wicked elder one’s magic”, Tevinter had a hard time stopping a rebellion from starting after that. And now they have laid siege to one of the oldest fortresses in Thedas and almost decimated the order of Grey Wardens.
Your friends have begun leaving you. Josephine is done. She will no longer have any part to play. The agents you gathered during the game have left. A sliver of the merchant trade you built up remains.
What calamity will befall us next? What good deed will we turn sour?
A raven flies in to the quarters, bearing a message from Varric Tethras. Viscount of Kirkwall.
“Dear Inquisitor.
Kirkwall finds itself in need of your... unique abilities. While you may not know this, Kirkwall has seen a lot of blood of the centuries. The veil is thin here, possession happens often. I was surprised to return here and not find a rift the size of Skyhold had opened. But, alas, we have finally found one.
A few years back, a group of scholars calling themselves "The band of Three" unlocked some doors they shouldn’t have. Turns out that when the mages began their uprising and the blood filled the streets, it began draining off into a single room.
Maker, it was horrible. The walls were so red. The floor, was so deep and thick with blood. That’s when I saw it. We did enough travelling for me to know the glow of a rift. We’ve got one. And it’s a biggie. Looks like it might stretch quite far, but if it opens, Kirkwall is going to be swallowed.
Please, help me this one last time.
Varric Tethras, Viscount of Kirkwall”
The inquisitor ventures across the waking sea alone this time. Cullen says he will rally the forces, gather Templars and Mages in an effort to keep the rift stable. Provided there are demons, this is something the Inquisitor can do alone. They assume there will be no trouble.
But they arrive at the gallows to a strange sight. A rift has opened before a petrified statue. And no one is around. The Inquisitor attempts to seal the rift, but Aspects of Nightmare break through and must be defeated before anything can be done.
The city is eerily silent. There is no movement anywhere, even the ship he arrived on has left. The only thing remaining is a small rowboat. You are then given the options:
- Locate the Viscount.
- Investigate the circle/college.
Either option will reveal that a sleeping state has taken hold in the city. The residents are all locked in an unending nightmare. Both routes will have a rift, but the rowboat is a quicker route to Varric.
As you make your way to the Viscounts keep, the ground shakes and rumbles. The rift is close to opening and the veil is weakening further. A new breach could open here.
We pass through Hightown and Hawke’s estate, and then eventually up the steps to the keep. Varric, Aveline and Finn (Yup, Finn from Witch Hunt) lay on the ground together. The Anchor begins sparking and then the Inquisitor can see the source of the unending sleep. Literally, your vision shifts to a filter and reveals them to be case in webbing, with Aspects of Nightmare all around. You then look around and can see that all of Kirkwall is shrouded in a web.
You kill the mini nightmares, and cut these three loose. They soon wake up. Shocked to see you, regardless of your actions during the game as well, Varric thanks you for coming. Aveline says you should have gotten here sooner. Finn says “Am I bleeding? I think I’m Bleeding…”
Now begins an arduous exploration of Kirkwall and its hidden depths. The webbing is coming through the rift, causing it to expand with each passing minute, and the only way to stop it is to destroy the web nodes, get everyone out of the city, and open a new rift.
That first part is short. You’ll literally run around Kirkwall revisiting all the old places, kill some spiders, and break some webbing. Then chat with some old faces as well. The companions and characters who remained in Kirkwall will get everyone out for you, while you go down to the blood filled vault and assess the situation. You could use the new power and seal it off indefinitely, but it would cost you your health or someone’s life. So that doesn’t happen.
During this bit, Finn explains why he came to Kirkwall. To find Varric for the Hero of Ferelden. For reasons not yet disclosed. Aveline and Varric will also explain what they’re doing at the moment, and they question you on recent events.
After returning back to Lowtown, you meet with everyone and discover that the evacuation has been a success. To their knowledge at least, they say a prayer for any soul left in the city, then begin their journey out of Kirkwall to Sundermount, a former camp site of the Dalish and a suitable safe haven for the coming nights.
Now, the challenge begins. The Inquisitor opens a new rift and the party go through into the fade. Again. They arrive a short distance from a whirling storm, the larger rift beneath Kirkwall. They can see webbing tied to a hulking mass. So much larger than before. The Nightmare is back.
A gruelling gauntlet to reach the Nightmare ensues. And then it’s finally over. You climb a steep staircase and drop down into an arena-like area. In the centre stands a column. With a Tevinter looking relic shaped into a mass of spikes sitting on top. Varric is the first to see it. Chained to the column with webbing is a dishevelled looking human. And soon it becomes clear that it is the one who stayed behind to fight the nightmare.
Then the nightmare appears before us. First it sets its spiderlings on us. Then its releases Terror demons, followed by fear demons. Then it’s a real fight. You have to attack it leg by leg. When one leg goes, it collapses and you have to pummel its face. But eventually, it is defeated. It’s crippled body hanging from the webbing. The fade island shakes. The webbing is coming through, being pulled through. The entire Island is falling from its place. We were metres from the black city we see as we fall. In a rush, we free the captive and the Inquisitor is forced to open another rift, as Kirkwall begins being ripped into the fade.
The rift opens. The party fall through. And arrive somewhere in the deep roads. Varric recognizes the area, it’s near the primeval thaig. He takes us to the way out.
On the surface we come over a rise, and see what remains of the once mighty city of Kirkwall. A ruined crater. A husk of what it once was. As everyone stares with sad eyes, the “captive” collapse to the ground. It would seem that such a prolonged time in the fade has driven them mad. They cannot bear the light of the sun. They’re just another tragic piece of collateral damage from the Inquisition.
And then the Sequel-DLC-Bait starts. Finn tells Varric why he came to him in the first place, for the location of the Primeval Thaig. Then Finn tells the Inquisitor that they too will be needed to aid the Hero of Ferelden.
Thus begins the quest for the cure to the calling... Or not. Depending on where you stand on the return of the HoF, Finn is easily replacable with "Generic Mage Companion"
Notes for this DLC (Nightmare exiled):
We get to return to Kirkwall, see the aftermath of DA2, and maybe bump into some of the old companions. Then, we get to return to the fade, properly fight the bigass spider crab monster, not a puny Fear demon. AND we get to find out what happens to the one left behind.
The choice does say that they will likely die if you leave them to fend off the demon, so that doesn’t mean they’re dead. We can see the effects of remaining physically in the fade for a prolonged period of time.
More importantly though, we’ll learn more about the Band of Three’s cryptic messages. Yeah, that’d be great. But as much as everyone hated having to walk the streets of Kirkwall, the new engine could give us free reign of the entire city. We’d get to find out what the whole “streets are carved into runes” thing means, and go exploring darktown’s deepest recesses. All while fending off an army of spider demons, saving an already devastated city, reuniting with some old friends, and killing a big bad, once and for all.
Could even be an expansion pack this one... if it was combined with some other story stuff, like the next one.
Tl;dr Summary[]
- Main Quest: Meet with the new Viscount of Kirkwall and assist in sealing the rift opening beneath the streets of the city.
- Location: Kirkwall/Free Marches - This time round we have more of Kirkwall to explore, and can also venture out to other DA2 locations revamped in the new frostbite engine.
- Companions: Varric (Rogue), Finn/Or generic mage companion (Mage), Aveline (Warrior).
- New Specializations: Rogue/Merchant Prince (Unique abilities styled after Varrics DA2 Specialization, and Bianca), Mage/Scryer (A ranger-like power for a mage, only with wisps and shades. Also features some light blood magic, and Keeper abilities), Warrior/Guard-captain (Similar to vanguard. Only better and more improved. More offensive talents that create Guard)
- New Anchor Power: Fade-Vision - Shift vision to locate hidden rifts and things of the fade and magic, like weapons caches. Also sheathes weapons in a unique damage type critical to Non-mages, and with a high chance of being critical to demons.
A great voice called out[]
The fan favourite DLC, the “cure for the calling” quest, reuniting with our beloved Warden from origins. Maybe they can kill them off and just say, yeah, that happened. How many people would be all “WHAT! NO. BIOWARE YOU CAN’T DO THIS.”
Anyway, the previous DLC ends with Finn telling us we need to go with him.
Having discovered the location of a corrupted Eluvian, the Hero seeks to find the buried ruin in the hopes that it houses a cure to the calling. But after learning of Red Lyrium and its origins, they have realized that it is also needed for a cure.
For this DLC, we get Finn, Ariane and the Hero of Ferelden. Shale, or just a regular golem, will also appear. As an optional Companion. That way we maintain the option to have a Mage/Warrior/Rogue party. Oh, yeah. Sandal and Bodahn are also helping out for some reason.
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"ENCHANTMENT!"
So, we’ll end up travelling from where we left off, through the deep roads to where Shale/Golem, Ariane and the Hero of Ferelden wait. Finn carries with him a portion of red lyrium, safely stored away in a super magically sealed container procured from Xenon at the Black Emporium.
Stuff happens then….
DUN DUN DUN…
That undefeated Magister from Weisshaupt appears and tries to foil your plans. But, the Hero slays him, good and proper, kind of/maybe. Because the concoction has been drunk, either then or now. As a requirement for the cure. Those are words from Avernus himself/his notes.
The Inquisitor helps, and in doing so is rewarded with restored faith in the Inquisition. I don’t really have much of a plot for this one though. But the Hero of Fereleden role need not be the Warden from Origins. The way I see it, if the hero dies, the Orlesian Warden completes the events of awakening. And then goes on to complete Witch Hunt. They can “handwave” the explanation they gave in game, and make a better one, they can say that the Hero’s LI tasked them with tracking down Morrigan, or if Morrigan was the LI it was Anora/Alistair who made the request.
Or that the OW felt compelled to do it, out of duty and respect for the sacrifice made. Tracking Morrigan leads to the search for the cure, and the events of this DLC. Which is basically here to finally close the HoF story and shut all those who want a return up. It also means tying up the loose ends of that Weisshaupt DLC so that we don’t get a Corypheus repeat…
Tl;dr Summary[]
- Main quest: And a great voice called out - Assist the Hero of Ferelden/Warden Commander of Vigil's Keep in finding a cure for the calling.
- Location: Unknown.
- Companions: Ariane (Rogue), Finn (Mage), Shale/Generic Golem (Warrior)
- New Specializations: Rogue/Shadow (An updated version of Awakenings specialization, combining talents similar to Tempest with talents similar to Assassin), Mage/Shapeshifter (Similar, but not. Can change the shape of an ally/Enemy), Warrior/Runemaster (Runes are engraved into your armor, orchestrated by Sandal, which grant even the weakest warrior the strength of a Golem, basically granting the typical Golem abilities)
- New Anchor Power: Bound - Summon and bind a powerful spirit or Demon to your will for a time. Higher tier Focus will draw a more powerful spirit/Demon. 50/50 chance of either being summoned. Ranks are: Justice/Faith/Hope - Rage/Despair/Fear
Violently they were cast down[]
The finale. The fall of the Inquisition. The fall from grace.
Or, an alternative name: “Halam garas” – “The end has come”
A cutscene starts us off. An elf is wandering solemnly through the Arbor wilds. He climbs over a hill to discover a great sight, the Temple of Mythal. Boom. The temple begins to crumble. The elf turns and walks away, bearing a smile on his face.
“Ban enansal nan” – “Many blessings on your revenge”
Fade to black.
At Skyhold, Cullen talks with the Inquisitor. He tells them of the coming storm related to recent events and actions of theirs. There are a lot of people who want justice. But the actions taken to help the Hero of Ferelden find a cure for the calling has restored some faith, as well as saving Kirkwall from the Nightmare despite the chaos that resulted. There are still refugees of the war with the Elder One seeking refuge. Seeking to join the ranks of the Inquisition. But the force that awaits them, vastly outnumbers them.
Cullen and the inquisitor walk the battlements together. Cullen informs us that this is his final fight. For real this time. He cannot stand idly by while blunders of their doing threaten to upset the balance yet again. He seeks to make amends, but remains stalwart to his duty. He must see this final battle through. Then the Inquisitor collapses….
Cullen rushes us to a healer, who informs us that the mark has become unstable. She claims that too much magic has been poured into it. Too much magic has been poured into something we barely understand, but not just magic. Blighted magic, blood magic, ancient magic, and forbidden magic. Magicks that should never have been combined have been, and now the inquisitor’s life is forfeit.
Then, the Inquisition hears of the ruin. The chaos at the temple. The death. Many historians had flocked to the temple in an effort to study it. The Dalish have even flocked there, holding the Arlathvhen, discussing the revelations that have been made. The chaos brought about by the temple’s ruin was more severe than Anders’ attack on the chantry. Entire clans of Dalish were wiped out. The scholars studying the temple buried beneath the rubble. Fearing a greater threat, the Inquisition chooses to investigate.
As the Inquisition investigates, they discover the existence of this elf who had been present. A hunt for him ensues. But not before the Inquisitor gains a new power, the power create a stunning pulse strong enough to stop dragons in flight. Now the mark has enough power contained within it to tear open the sky, but only one person knows this.
Solas returns. After a meeting with Briala, in which the elf from the beginning is described, she comments on how he reminds her of Felassan. Yup, it’s Felassan. We’re finally going to find out who killed him in the fade, and it wasn’t Solas.
As Solas walks into Skyhold, the guards are intimidated. Solas enters the throne room and approaches the Inquisitor and simply says “They are coming.” Before he collapses to the ground.
Blah blah, story progression stuff happens, but the main point of the DLC is a massive assault on Skyhold.
We end up facing an overwhelming force which turns out to be a witch hunt against the Inquisitor. While we know the mark has resumed its destructive path on the Inquisitor, guaranteeing their death, the world of Thedas is oblivious. They see the Anchor as a threat and the one who wields it dangerous. They’ve decided you have to die, or surrender.
The witch hunt has been egged on by not-Felassan, a rival to Solas. More importantly, either THE one who betrayed Mythal, or a servant of it. The Wolf and The Dragon was Solas and Mythal. Maybe we have another Wolf and Dragon, Felassan’s master and Elgar’nan?
Anyway, a big fight scene happens, the scar in the sky seems to pulse. The anchor cripples the Inquisitor. Solas comes along takes the sword given to you during the coronation, and *SLICE*. The marked hand is cut off. Meet the one handed Inquisitor.
Solas now has the Anchor. But the scar in the sky is still doing its thing. Solas does something….
“Te’las Tarasyl Banal” – “Hold back the sky no more”
Skyhold begins to fall apart, the magic that has filled the walls has been freed. The siege demolished your force, your army is shattered, your fortress a hollow carcass. As Skyhold crumbles around Solas, staring intently into the green of the mark, everyone flees across the bridge. The ramparts begin to slide down the mountain, the mountain itself shakes and creates an avalanche. The attacking force is made to flee or be buried beneath the snow. Lots of death. As this scene closes, the Inquisitor turns back to Skyhold’s courtyard from across the bridge, Solas is still standing there, then *poof*, debris obscures the view for a moment, and then he vanishes from sight. The bridge collapses and Skyhold is no more. Oh, and the scar in the sky has stopped pulsing.
There is the option for a closing scene which would explain exactly what happened and the fact that the Inquisition is gone, the Inquisitor has lost their title and their power. But their actions in the War against the Elder One have not been forgotten. So, no execution or anything drastic. Leaving it open to the inevitable reappearance of the Inquisitor in DA4.
But yeah…. That’s the end of everything we built up in Dragon Age: Inquisition. How cruel is that? We build it up, they tear it down. Oh well, we still have… nothing, damn. Guess we’ll have to wait for DA4 and see what that may hold.
Tl;dr Summary:[]
- Main Quest: Violently they were cast down - Discover the source of the attacks on Elven ruins that now threatens to return Thedas to chaos. And then, Defend Skyhold from the threat, both within and without.
- Location: Skyhold, Orlais, and Ferelden. Various cities visited, elven ruins also visited. A meeting with the monarch of Ferelden and the emperor of Orlais also occurs.
- Companions: New dwarf character from Orzammar, an envoy and an exile (Rogue), Solas (Mage), A devout andrastian chevalier sent by the new divine (warrior).
- New Specializations: Rogue/Usurper (Combination of Champion and Assassin, lots of focus on challenging an enemy then hopping into a backstab position), Mage/Heretic (Combination of Tempest and Rift Mage, buffs and whatnot), Warrior/Zealot (Combination of Reaver and Templar, magic dispelling powers at the cost of health and not stamina).
- New Anchor Power: Stun the Sky - The Anchor can now generate a gigantic pulse from the scar in the sky greatly damaging and stunning all enemies in the vicinity. Requires full 3 tier focus.
So.... those are my ideas so far. I've got another part to this planned discussing what happens in Inquisition, but no ones interested in that... so it will be up in a few weeks/months/whenever.
Hope you enjoyed, feel free to comment. And thanks for sifting through the wall of text I felt the need to litter with pictures. Just to make it pretty...