Dragon Age 4 Theory: Solas, Red Lyrium, And Blight Ambitions

2 years 8 months ago
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BioWare has revealed a lengthy 'behind-the-scenes' look at Dragon Age 4 that both told so much and so little at the same time. Since then, we've had numerous concept art drops to reveal even more puzzle pieces about what the future of Thedas looks like. True to BioWare's nature, we won't actually know how much was hidden in plain sight until after launch, as was the case for previous entries in the franchise, but that hasn't stopped fans from diving deep into everything we've learned thus far. Hi, it's me. I'm fans. 

I've done literally nothing to hide my love for BioWare since starting here at Game Informer, and with over 20 playthroughs of the Dragon Age franchise and numerous re-readings of the books and associating comics, that love isn't going away anytime soon. That much time spent in Thedas has given me a lot of up-close-and-personal time with the Dragon Age lore and I can't quite absolve the nagging theory that is always in the back of my head revolving around a certain egg-headed elf. 

Obviously, there will be spoilers for Dragon Age Inquisition below. Last chance to back away slowly and pretend this never happened. It's not you, it's me; I understand. 

Full disclaimer: all of the views seen in this article are opinion-based with experience in the games and the lore surrounding them. Nothing is said as a "shot in the dark theory," but please don't take these theories as confirmed for the upcoming game. This is a speculatory article digging into pivotal moments in the series. 

Backstory, Meet Solas

When Dragon Age 4 was first revealed, it was with a simple teaser video with nothing but a Dragon Age 2 throwback and the voice of Solas. Solas was a key character in the third game, Dragon Age: Inquisition; A strange elf with no affiliation to the Dalish or the city elves, Solas spent as much time in the Fade as he did either dissing or smooching our Inquizzies. A complex character to be sure, made even more so at the very end of Inquisition and the corresponding Trespasser DLC. It was in that final DLC for the third game that we were finally introduced to his true nature: The Dread Wolf.

In Elven legend, the Dread Wolf was a trickster that lied to lock away his fellow gods in an inescapable prison. In Trespasser, we learn that the story wasn't quite how the Dalish remember it. Instead, Solas aimed to free his fellow elves from slavery, revolting against his fellow gods and creating the Fade in the process following Mythal's murder. 

By his own confession, Solas has a master plan to restore the Elven empire back to its original glory (interesting parallel here with Tevinter philosophies represented throughout Dragon Age lore, but that's a whole other discussion) after he closed off the "Forgotten Ones" within the Fade's realm. When the veil was created, its conception stripped the ancient elves of their immortality and incredibly powerful magic. This choice eventually led to the complete downfall of elves as a people, resulting in the elves we meet in-game that are either among the nomad-like Dalish or the impoverished city elves stuck within the alienage, ripe for slavers to pick. 

While Solas seemed regretful, that didn't stop me from wanting to punch him in the face. When our Inquisitor was seen stabbing a dagger into a map of Tevinter with a promise to hunt down the Dread Wolf, my vengeful heart sang with the chance to take him out. The downside to that is that I haven't been able to stop obsessing over his arc since then, something that the teasers for Dragon Age 4 have only amplified. 

Red Lyrium

While Solas seemed authentically regretful of his past actions and his need to "tear it all down" for the elves, damning non-elves to non-existence, I think there might actually be a more sinister narrative here than what meets the eye. The TLDR is that I think Solas is even more of a lying bastard than we realized. Hear me out, Solasmancers. 

The red lyrium idol we first saw in Dragon Age 2 was immensely obvious in the reveal teaser for Dragon Age 4. Found within the deep roads of an ancient dwarven thaig, a lone red lyrium idol was found, and once unleashed upon Thedas, its corruption immediately spread. Though it drove Varric's brother and Knight-Commander Meredith mad within the second game, we actually saw the full force of the altered lyrium state in Dragon Age: Inquisition. We saw how it did even more harm than the "blue stuff," and was parasitic in its need to grow and thrive. Wielded as the ultimate weapon, players were left wondering just where the heck this variant originated from. I think it originated from Solas.

Still with me? 

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While the behind-the-scenes Dragon Age 4 video offered a lot in terms of which characters could be returning (I swear, that one shot was Dorian) and who is new, the true heart of this theory relies on the very first teaser with the mural. In Inquisition, Solas worked on a mural in his space below the library, a hand-painted tribute to the world around him. Unbeknownst to the Inquisitor, Solas was also hiding his true nature as the Dread Wolf in plain sight. The first Dragon Age 4 teaser uses a similar art style to his mural, though this artistic tribute was sinisterly dripped in red lyrium and his voice? Reeked of corruption. 

At the end of Dragon Age: Inquisition, there was a cut scene where a transference of power could be witnessed between Solas and Mythal. We also know her as Flementh, an incarnation that kept Mythal from permanently fading away. This is key, but first, let's backtrack to when we actually got to see the red lyrium's effects on Solas. 

During the mission to recruit mages in Redcliff, the Inquisitor and Dorian are thrust forward one year into the future, a future destroyed by The Elder One and his army of demons. If you take Solas with you during this mission, you'll free him from a cage where he was used to farm red lyrium. During the first interaction within this setting, Solas eyes are an eerie red and his voice is cracked almost beyond recognition, a sound similar to that of the Dragon Age 4 teaser. Is Solas corrupted? To me, that answer seems obvious, but I'm trying not to allow my own personal theories to be conveyed as fact because BioWare itself has been very tricky in how they share information. 

Exhibit A: Below is an image of Solas' Inquisition mural of the Dread Wolf: 

BioWare

Now for comparison, here is his tarot card that shows off the same Dread Wolf but with red lyrium-infected eyes and a more feral demeanor: 

One thing I absolutely loved about the tarot cards in Inquisition was how they changed and evolved with the choices made in-game. Pre and post-loyalty missions, post-romance - they were just a few small pieces to a much bigger picture. Loyalty, like in most BioWare games, inspires both love and loss within the narrative and every major turning point in those character arcs impacted the art style of each individual tarot card. The above card is the final entry for Solas before his identity was eventually revealed and, to me, this spells out that it was his intention all along to become infected by red lyrium. Ultimately, to infect himself. 

Author
Liana Ruppert

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