in Tresspasser, Solas mentions that the Evanuris rose to power because of a war (more Elf lore, I know). I have a Theory that that War was Elves VS Dragons. Not Dragons as we know them in The Dragon Age time, but Great Dragons like the ones in The Silent Grove Comic. I think that is why Mythal is so often depicted transforming into a dragon, and why shapshifting into a dragon is implyed to be reserved for the Evanuris in another Tresspasser codex entry; it is a trophy of their absolute victory. Running with this idea, perhaps the surviving Dragons/Dragonkin were drivien underground and they are the Scaled Ones. I can point to The Hissing Waste Codex entry for evidence Dwarves encounted dragons at least: A Journal on Dwarven Ruins, ""Urtok" means "dragon." Why was it part of an ancient crest? Why were these dwarves so worried about a monster they'd never see that they worked it into their weapons? " Not a lot of evidence for this, but I'm hoping to go to Kal'Sharok in DAD and get more lore
I like to think it's something to deal with the oldgods, these be their minions and I like to imagine that they are at constant war with the darkspawn now just like the dwarves, and are trying to defend the dragons tooth and nail (literally)
Great job! Thank you. I'll be doing Decent in the next week or 2 during my current play through. I've not really given much thought to the Forgotten War but will now!
Been thinking. Iron Bull talks about how the Qunari may have been mixed with Dragon Blood - hence the horns in most. Maybe the Scaled Ones are the rejects that somehow survived...
When you started discussing the “Talons” and “daggers”…my mind immediately went to the Rogues of Rivain! Did the Evanuris in the North decide they wanted to expand south as well? Did they drain the Titan in the North or corrupt that portion of the Titan? Was this the “wolf cuts off its leg to escape” part of a Titan? 😢 Which Evanuris ruled Tevinter, Freemarches, Rivain, etc? Is this why the Qunari hate magic so much? Were they created by dragons and abused elves/humans? Sooo many questions!
Another possibility as to why it wasn't recorded in the shady shaperate is that the group never returned and that the diary is the only surviving account. The being one of Gil'hanan's creations would actually explain the art in Dirthamen's temple. The Evanuris might have used them to fight the Titans and some got either left down there accidentally or escaped?
I always thought that Scaled Ones are very, very, veeeeery old dakrspawn before they were called darkspawn. We know from codex entries that the blight was known even in the Evahnuris times. So it is possible that blighted elvhen could be there somewhere. Also we only assume that their calling of Imperium means Tevinter Imperium... but Elvhenan is elven name. Dwarfs could have named them Imperium also... Then there is the darkspawn look... some of them does look scaly a bit. The only thing that is dragony are the cave paintings of some sort of lizardmen. However there are also seen in Elvhen temples. So the suspiscion of the blighted elvhen is still possibility. On the other hand the Reaver origin is also feasible... but Evanuris did probably fought dragons... or were dragons... one of Evanuris did brought blight... and spread it at least in some form... so let's up the original thought with... scaled ones are elves who drank dragon blood and were blighted and forced to hide underground
Could the Scaled Ones have gone to the Fade through their final ritual? Maybe to find the Old Gods or something? Or did they, somehow, become High Dragons, slowly transforming and steadily roaming Thedas through the coming ages? There's my 2 cents. Hope you can get a bigger tinfoil hat with it. 😂
Great video. Few random thoughts on the topic :). Some if not all of the Evanuris could turn into dragons. *see flemeth/mythal and well Morrigan* Though it was considered a divine right which pissed off Elgarnan when Ghilan'nain became one (if im remembering correctly... been years). If I were to venture to guess on this, the scaled ones are a product of the Forgotten ones - the enemies of the Evanuris. I say this because of their location in the abyss or void which has been mentioned a few times being in the deeps. Though.... the 'here lies the abyss' quest takes place strictly in the fade... so take that for what you will.
I suspect that the Scaled Ones are a race the reside in the Western Lands beyond Thedas and that the Scaled Ones that the Dwarves met was something of a scouting force. their task to study the deep roads and any inhabitants for some purpose. I suspect that while there where reports of attacks before the codex is the first time a Dwarf killed a Scaled one at all, a feat initially not excpected by the scouting force. While it is unkown if the Scaled ones learned everything they needed to know they still would perform one last ceramony before packing up and returning to their homeland to report what they did know. Since no report of scaled ones after this encounter my guess the scaled Ones back West ruled that the Deep Roads of Thedas are too dangerous or hazardous and so must be left alone.
This would be the most logical conclusion but I reckon it's a piece of lovecraft type lore that they've added in. I doubt it will amount to anything more than scary horrors to make us wonder more about the Deep Roads.
I love your deep dive into this. I also adore the fact you haven't seen Superman. Highly recommend it, especially the 1978 film with Christopher Reeve.
Darkness can exist without the Sun so no contradictions there about experiencing light. Light doesn't automatically equate to sunlight. Everyone has different reference points depending on how and where they grew up. I too would love to see them truly explore the other races and fringe lore pieces in the future more thoroughly but it's okay if they don't at the same time. Some things can stay as mysterious and mystical and that in itself adds to the world of a story. Not everything HAS to be explained, like the Maker for example. They've already confirmed that they would never truly confirm nor deny his existence and that's fine. The Scaled ones I assume COULD come into play in Veilguard, but probably not unless they go really deep into the Dwarves and Titan storyline that they set up in the Descent. Though I don't see them doing so because there would be way too much content to fit into one game. They'll for sure touch on the Titans and it'll probably be very major because a "double blight" is likely coming, but the Scaled Ones in particular probably aren't going to be dove into too much.
Honestly I view the “conspiracy theory” codex entries as far more true thanks to thinks like the scaled ones being mentioned and literal child fall from space in origins. Like yeah it’s meta, but there’s no indication that it’s non canon. If anything that space child could be what those moon men are. The guys probably completely right about these snake kings and such.
Tinfoil hat, do u think the scaled ones might be the executors? Both are introduced into lore in inquisition. In the last book one is described as covered in all black with a vail so you can't see what they look like. I believe solas also makes a comment in one of the comics to veric, not to trust your new friends across the sea. If they were around during the ancient elves, then they could have fought each other back then. Also in the codex when they disappear, could it have been a teleport spell? Just a theory after watching your video.
I don't think they've been wiped out by the Darkspawn or that they came into contact with them. If they had come into contact, we should have a Scaled One Darkspawn during the course of the game. The humans have the Hurlock and its variants, Dwarves with the Genlock and variants, Elves with the Shrieks, and Qunari with Ogres. It feels off that the Scaled Ones won't have a Darkspawn version if they encountered the Darkspawn at any point. They seem powerful enough to tainted and included. Or since they have more dragon in them than most races, they would be more resistant to the taint. Something tells me that they are where the Darkspawn haven't reached them and they might have teleportation spells as recounted in the codex (i.e. disappearing with the entire encampment, the basin and the blood were the medium, thus left out. Probably.) I'm inclined to believe they may be the earliest dragon cults in existence since they predate the appearance of the Darkspawn. Possibly an earlier version of the Qunari but with more dragon than human elements. These are all speculation based on existing information.
This is a great video. You caused me to stop playing DAI for a split second when you said people become Reapers. I just imagined a human turning into a Reaper-not a bunch of people like in ME-no, just one. It made me pause in fear. Good job.
I think they're either reavers or experiments by Tevinter mages. What if the Qunari are what happens when you mix elves, dragon blood and magic and scaled ones are what you get when you mix humans dragon blood and magic?
Make you wonder what would have occurred if Godrick attempted to Graft Godwyns remains. The entire problem with Godwyns death is that it only killed the Soul. The Body though degraded is still living, if degraded and missing half of what made it alive. His whole body seeming to be like a transferable form of cancer. Yet couldn’t the addition of Godricks own soul, revivify or substitute the damaged and missing ingredient? I suppose not. Because it is shown to infect the living, rather than be stabilized by the addition of it to a body and soul. It is also possible Godrick would simply be too weak to survive that malignancy. It makes you wonder. Another potential way to view Godwyns Body is attempting to consume souls, and bring them in as a consequence of the lack. An unconscious hunger. So perhaps nothing could withstand it. Couldn’t you slay the rest of him with the full Death Rune too? Making the separated portion permanently severed?
in Tresspasser, Solas mentions that the Evanuris rose to power because of a war (more Elf lore, I know). I have a Theory that that War was Elves VS Dragons. Not Dragons as we know them in The Dragon Age time, but Great Dragons like the ones in The Silent Grove Comic. I think that is why Mythal is so often depicted transforming into a dragon, and why shapshifting into a dragon is implyed to be reserved for the Evanuris in another Tresspasser codex entry; it is a trophy of their absolute victory. Running with this idea, perhaps the surviving Dragons/Dragonkin were drivien underground and they are the Scaled Ones.
I can point to The Hissing Waste Codex entry for evidence Dwarves encounted dragons at least: A Journal on Dwarven Ruins, ""Urtok" means "dragon." Why was it part of an ancient crest? Why were these dwarves so worried about a monster they'd never see that they worked it into their weapons? " Not a lot of evidence for this, but I'm hoping to go to Kal'Sharok in DAD and get more lore
Great video! I really want to see the scaled one one day
I like to think it's something to deal with the oldgods, these be their minions and I like to imagine that they are at constant war with the darkspawn now just like the dwarves, and are trying to defend the dragons tooth and nail (literally)
I love this, new headcanon/theory 🥰
Great job! Thank you. I'll be doing Decent in the next week or 2 during my current play through. I've not really given much thought to the Forgotten War but will now!
Been thinking. Iron Bull talks about how the Qunari may have been mixed with Dragon Blood - hence the horns in most. Maybe the Scaled Ones are the rejects that somehow survived...
You rock for making these vids! I’ve been burnt out on DA until recently, and I’m very happy to have them
When you started discussing the “Talons” and “daggers”…my mind immediately went to the Rogues of Rivain! Did the Evanuris in the North decide they wanted to expand south as well? Did they drain the Titan in the North or corrupt that portion of the Titan? Was this the “wolf cuts off its leg to escape” part of a Titan? 😢 Which Evanuris ruled Tevinter, Freemarches, Rivain, etc? Is this why the Qunari hate magic so much? Were they created by dragons and abused elves/humans? Sooo many questions!
Another possibility as to why it wasn't recorded in the shady shaperate is that the group never returned and that the diary is the only surviving account.
The being one of Gil'hanan's creations would actually explain the art in Dirthamen's temple. The Evanuris might have used them to fight the Titans and some got either left down there accidentally or escaped?
I always thought that Scaled Ones are very, very, veeeeery old dakrspawn before they were called darkspawn.
We know from codex entries that the blight was known even in the Evahnuris times. So it is possible that blighted elvhen could be there somewhere. Also we only assume that their calling of Imperium means Tevinter Imperium... but Elvhenan is elven name. Dwarfs could have named them Imperium also...
Then there is the darkspawn look... some of them does look scaly a bit.
The only thing that is dragony are the cave paintings of some sort of lizardmen. However there are also seen in Elvhen temples. So the suspiscion of the blighted elvhen is still possibility.
On the other hand the Reaver origin is also feasible... but Evanuris did probably fought dragons... or were dragons... one of Evanuris did brought blight... and spread it at least in some form... so let's up the original thought with... scaled ones are elves who drank dragon blood and were blighted and forced to hide underground
Could the Scaled Ones have gone to the Fade through their final ritual? Maybe to find the Old Gods or something? Or did they, somehow, become High Dragons, slowly transforming and steadily roaming Thedas through the coming ages?
There's my 2 cents. Hope you can get a bigger tinfoil hat with it.
😂
Great video. Few random thoughts on the topic :).
Some if not all of the Evanuris could turn into dragons. *see flemeth/mythal and well Morrigan* Though it was considered a divine right which pissed off Elgarnan when Ghilan'nain became one (if im remembering correctly... been years). If I were to venture to guess on this, the scaled ones are a product of the Forgotten ones - the enemies of the Evanuris. I say this because of their location in the abyss or void which has been mentioned a few times being in the deeps. Though.... the 'here lies the abyss' quest takes place strictly in the fade... so take that for what you will.
My mind first went to this being an in lore explanation for the Krogan heads we see mounted here and there.
I suspect that the Scaled Ones are a race the reside in the Western Lands beyond Thedas and that the Scaled Ones that the Dwarves met was something of a scouting force. their task to study the deep roads and any inhabitants for some purpose. I suspect that while there where reports of attacks before the codex is the first time a Dwarf killed a Scaled one at all, a feat initially not excpected by the scouting force. While it is unkown if the Scaled ones learned everything they needed to know they still would perform one last ceramony before packing up and returning to their homeland to report what they did know. Since no report of scaled ones after this encounter my guess the scaled Ones back West ruled that the Deep Roads of Thedas are too dangerous or hazardous and so must be left alone.
This would be the most logical conclusion but I reckon it's a piece of lovecraft type lore that they've added in. I doubt it will amount to anything more than scary horrors to make us wonder more about the Deep Roads.
i wonder how they connect with the Executors. the one we met was thin, obscured, had a strange voice...
I love your deep dive into this.
I also adore the fact you haven't seen Superman. Highly recommend it, especially the 1978 film with Christopher Reeve.
30:24 I stand with you
ESPECIALLY In fantasy settings
Darkness can exist without the Sun so no contradictions there about experiencing light. Light doesn't automatically equate to sunlight. Everyone has different reference points depending on how and where they grew up. I too would love to see them truly explore the other races and fringe lore pieces in the future more thoroughly but it's okay if they don't at the same time. Some things can stay as mysterious and mystical and that in itself adds to the world of a story. Not everything HAS to be explained, like the Maker for example. They've already confirmed that they would never truly confirm nor deny his existence and that's fine. The Scaled ones I assume COULD come into play in Veilguard, but probably not unless they go really deep into the Dwarves and Titan storyline that they set up in the Descent. Though I don't see them doing so because there would be way too much content to fit into one game. They'll for sure touch on the Titans and it'll probably be very major because a "double blight" is likely coming, but the Scaled Ones in particular probably aren't going to be dove into too much.
Honestly I view the “conspiracy theory” codex entries as far more true thanks to thinks like the scaled ones being mentioned and literal child fall from space in origins. Like yeah it’s meta, but there’s no indication that it’s non canon. If anything that space child could be what those moon men are. The guys probably completely right about these snake kings and such.
Tinfoil hat, do u think the scaled ones might be the executors? Both are introduced into lore in inquisition. In the last book one is described as covered in all black with a vail so you can't see what they look like. I believe solas also makes a comment in one of the comics to veric, not to trust your new friends across the sea. If they were around during the ancient elves, then they could have fought each other back then. Also in the codex when they disappear, could it have been a teleport spell? Just a theory after watching your video.
I think we should be able to date them.
JAIL
As a monster lover I agree
They might not wear helmets due to some cultural notion or spiritual notion related to guarding the head? Maybe it’s considered dishonorable?
oh, maybe!
I don't think they've been wiped out by the Darkspawn or that they came into contact with them. If they had come into contact, we should have a Scaled One Darkspawn during the course of the game. The humans have the Hurlock and its variants, Dwarves with the Genlock and variants, Elves with the Shrieks, and Qunari with Ogres. It feels off that the Scaled Ones won't have a Darkspawn version if they encountered the Darkspawn at any point. They seem powerful enough to tainted and included.
Or since they have more dragon in them than most races, they would be more resistant to the taint. Something tells me that they are where the Darkspawn haven't reached them and they might have teleportation spells as recounted in the codex (i.e. disappearing with the entire encampment, the basin and the blood were the medium, thus left out. Probably.)
I'm inclined to believe they may be the earliest dragon cults in existence since they predate the appearance of the Darkspawn. Possibly an earlier version of the Qunari but with more dragon than human elements. These are all speculation based on existing information.
I don't think they were going for conspiratorial so much as lovecraftian. It's in a lot of Bioware games. I'm with you on the real world references
Krogans! 😉😆
This is a great video. You caused me to stop playing DAI for a split second when you said people become Reapers. I just imagined a human turning into a Reaper-not a bunch of people like in ME-no, just one. It made me pause in fear. Good job.
Hopefully we will learn more about them in Dreadwolf.
I think they're either reavers or experiments by Tevinter mages. What if the Qunari are what happens when you mix elves, dragon blood and magic and scaled ones are what you get when you mix humans dragon blood and magic?
i wonder if we will learn more about the scaled ones in dreadwolf
they sound like the missing link between dragon/qunari/elves
Probably Krogan easter egg unfortunatly
Maybe one reference but not codex entries and images all over Elven ruins. They are something and not just an easter egg.
The warriors and worshipers of the old gods?
Make you wonder what would have occurred if Godrick attempted to Graft Godwyns remains. The entire problem with Godwyns death is that it only killed the Soul. The Body though degraded is still living, if degraded and missing half of what made it alive. His whole body seeming to be like a transferable form of cancer.
Yet couldn’t the addition of Godricks own soul, revivify or substitute the damaged and missing ingredient?
I suppose not. Because it is shown to infect the living, rather than be stabilized by the addition of it to a body and soul. It is also possible Godrick would simply be too weak to survive that malignancy. It makes you wonder.
Another potential way to view Godwyns Body is attempting to consume souls, and bring them in as a consequence of the lack. An unconscious hunger. So perhaps nothing could withstand it. Couldn’t you slay the rest of him with the full Death Rune too? Making the separated portion permanently severed?