The Crestwood scene is probably one of the most heartbreaking romance scenes I have ever seen in a game. You can see the exact moment when Solas changes his mind, how his face falls in the realization that he cant tell Lavellan the truth and knows he has to end it. Brings me to tears, every single time.
Relatable. Also, I believe the reason he couldn’t remain with Lavellan is because his lies made him view her as a slave to his own agenda, and is also why he doesn’t allow her to join him if she asks in Trespasser.
the way the camera pans between them when he first pulls away, showing Lavellan in complete bliss and mesmerized by the man she loves, then to Solas looking regretful and almost in mourning was probably the saddest part of the entire game pre-trespasser
it's Schrödinger's bang. whether they boinked or not depends on the observer. fwiw, i'm undecided on whether they did it or not, it changes every solavellan playthrough for me.
I'm with you on the "They didn't" side. I think it makes more sense because its a tragedy written with emotional connection in mind. And I prefer the idea that since he's already so ready to almost throw the old world aside for a woman just based on romance- he definitely wouldn't of been able to put her aside if they'd actually done the deed. He had to stop before he'd betrayed himself. That being said- I hope they bone in Veilguard.
Same! Solas is very careful with how close he gets to Lavellan. When he wanted to confess the truth in Crestwood, he also wanted to cement the relationship and see if Lavellan would accept him. I strongly suspect that the sex scene they had in plans was supposed to happen in Crestwood, too.
@@pativi6643 I don't doubt it- since as far as I remember, that whole sex scene was repurposed for Jaals romance- Which correct me if im wrong, but doesn't it happen outside?
Also the dialogue before getting dumped at crestwood, when still at skyhold, if you pick the more silly option, he does say that he is doom and gloom, and that taking you into bed is just an enjoyable saide benefit.
The double entendre is intentional, for sure, but his response to "and he did" (saying that he wouldn't lay with her under false pretenses), makes me feel like it didn't happen. then again, his insistent denial could also be him trying to clarify the fact he was honest about his feelings so it wasn't under false pretenses, which would imply that they did get together.
As a french person playing the game in french, the trespasser dialogue was insane! Because the curse was translated as "May the Dreadwolf take you away" (no innuendo, no double entendre), so when he answered that he wouldn't have shared her bed under false pretenses, it really came out of nowhere. I'm team "They didn't" because of Crestwood, there's this dialogue at the beginning of the scene where they struggle to define their relationship. There are words for someone you're sleeping with even when you don't want to use BF/GF, but what do you call someone you love but haven't been intimate with?
i replayed it recently and when i confronted him in trespasser he says something along the lines of "i would never lay with you whilst not being able to be honest with you" or something like that. this comes right after a line about layimg down with the dreadwolf in some elven script.
@@sonnenblumefrau2048 im of the opinion that this can definiately be interpreted in different ways, i took it how you did but i think it can be seen also as him saying when we did 'lie together' i wasnt lying about my feelings with you... i like that its up to interpretation this way because i know some people would be uncomfortable about the implications of a more... intimate relationship given the ending
I firmly believe they didn't have sex. I think it was a more emotionally/mentally focused relationship. Also, it could be interpreted as Solas desperately trying not to fall too much or keep them from being permanently tied to eachother. Obviously, he failed. I mean, look at how Solas kisses! Whew!
I honestly feel like they got close to something but nothing happened. I also feel like because of Solas' pride he wouldn't have allowed it because that would be one more thing to make it "real" and regret.
Possibly so yeah, though I personally think of it more from a “nobility” argument - I do believe him when he says he would not lie with her under false pretences. Like, if he’s lying about his origins and motivations with respect to non-romance things (such as why he’s in the Inquisition to begin with!) and that would change whether his partner (Lavellan) would consent… that’s pretty fucked up, no? And I simply believe him when he says he would not do it.
@@mduckernz Plus it seems like in the elvhen empire there were strict rules over courting someone, if we are to listen to stories Felassan told Briala. While he seems to be full of decadence in the Halamshiral during the Wicked Hearts quest, I believe having sex with Lavellan would be a pretty big deal for him - not to mention he didn't engage with anyone in that way for thousands of years. With how much he allows himself to fall in Lavellan, and still failing, I have a hard time seeing them being so intimate (and yes, I know here in the West for most of us sex isn't a big deal anymore, but I do think it would be for Solas, perhaps Lavellan too) while they weren't even officially a couple yet - he took her to Crestwood, because he wanted to commit.
I can see the both sides (I'm on the they had a mature &intimate relationship side). In one dialog when we call him grim and fatalistic he goes " I am grim and fatalistic. Getting you into bed is just an enjoyable side benefit." which pushes me to "Oh they've done it" side. Also in trasspasser, if you chose the sad option for Dreadwolf curse dialogue by saying "and he did", he says "I would not lay with you under false pretenses" In the same dialogue he talks about how he was Solas first, the other names are given later, which also makes me think a) he was very much Solas with us, no pretense and they've done it. B) or he was thinking it was a pretense and they never did it. I can always be delulu in my OC's story in the end tho. But still, I hope they give them at least one happy end at Veilguard.
I replayed the entirety of the Dragon Age series for Veilguard, and this was the first time I romanced Solas, I went from not caring about him to being obsessed
My first playthrough of the game, I romanced Cullen because I'd wanted to since Origins, lol. Never paid much attention to Solas. I liked having him in my party, but never really looked at him closely. After the ending of the game and seeing that scene with him and Mythal, I *immediately* started a second playthrough and romanced Solas. 😂 Haven't been able to get over him ever since.
What's also interesting is that the line "I did not. I would not lay with you under false pretenses." is totally different in the German Dub. Bc there he says "I did not. My feelings for you were genuine."
While I would love for them to have done the deed, Solas's line in Trespasser "I would not lay with you under false pretenses," makes me love him more. The idea that if he slept with her it would g5e so deceitful, and part of him could not do that because he loved her too much, it tugs at my heart. I think we deserve our Solavellan romance scene ON SCREEN.
I actually have a third take, I think that they had "physical" relationship but only ever in the fade - hence it was never real. I don't think they boned in the waking world. More like... co-op wet dreams ? 😂 there's nothing to really back it up in game but I think since most of their intimate scenes take place in the fade and solas even says things are easier for him there. Clearly they both wanted each other and they were both very busy people so I think it makes sense that real physical intimacy would've been justifiably deprioritized. Good middle line between they did AND they didn't lol.
IMO, Solas's romance is all about emotional connection, while Blackwall's romance is all about forgiveness, understanding & mercy, Cullen's is about compassion, strength & healing, Dorian's is about acceptance & belief, Bull's is about hope, trust & finding yourself through a person who loves you, Sera's is about whimsy & grit & just being who you are, & Cassandra's is about softness & surrender & a joy in romance itself. But... as I said, this is all just my opinion. (Sorry if I missed any romances)
The “I would not” is directly contradicted by by his first statement, “I did not”. He’s talking about a fact at first. That he didn’t fool her into sleeping with him. Then he says he would never fool her. That is confirming that just because he slept with her and also is fen’harel doesn’t mean he was manipulating her. It means that not only did he sleep with her, he wanted to honestly bc he loved her and is not the type of guy, regardless of his title, that would manipulate a woman into sleeping with him in an effort to hide who he was.
I love how they wrote this so there is just no right or wrong answer. It's a Schrodinger thing. To me, I feel such a strong theme of star-crossed longing. So I feel they didn't. It fits the theme of longing better, with it unfulfilled. I really do want to see something more come of it in the next game.
As much as I want to believe they did do it, I think he truly loved lavellan so much he could never betray her like that. Such an amazing and tragic love story
Personally my head cannon is lavellan falls for solas, gets her heart broken then falls for Cullen and gets a happy ending. Totally not in game possible but I love it! ❤to each their own. Hope everyone’s choices are shown in Veilguard!
I love that it's open to interpretation and can be personally decided for each player. I have a feeling that doing this was intentional. Trick Weekes has shown that they understand how tricky Solavellan's dynamic is, given Solas omitting who he is. Even more, Trick Weekes seems to LOVE writing complex characters where you have to read between the lines and see the nuance in their behavior. By writing their intimacy as open to interpretation, it navigates some of the more morally grey lines that the Solavellan romance might cross, and respects players who don't want those lines crossed, while also respecting the wishes and desires of players who want them to be intimate. Very beautifully, in fact - given how, like you mentioned, Solas firmly telling the Inquisitor that he was careful not to cross any lines. That he was genuine in his love for her, throwing titles or his past to the wind in their relationship. The fact that players can interpret that however they like is so beautifully done. This video was great! Thanks for taking the time to make it.
Ah, you're asking the important questions 😂 Personally I don't really know how to feel about this, I can see both sides. Perhaps its more like something in between? Something like cuddling etc. But whenever things start to get too "steamy" he reluctantly backs off and gives her some excuse why now is not a good time for this. But then again, If that happens multiple times, wouldn't Lavellan start to wonder whats going on? And If she asked him about it, he'd have to directly lie to her, which we know he isn't good at and in Trespasser he says that he only lied to her by omission. So I really don't know 😅 I am so curious about what'll happen to Solas and Lavellan in Veilguard, I can't wait to play it myself. I'm not expecting anything "spicy" there either, but just the idea of a reunion (and possibly a hug and/or kiss) has me tearing up already 🥲 I love this pairing so much. Which reminds me, I am so happy for all this Solavellan content you're making! ❤ Looking forward to seeing what's next!
I will edit this comment when I finish your video and collect my thoughts, but I have to comment: took me ten years to learn that her legs buckle when they kiss, like he’s truly making her come undone. How breathtaking. EDIT: I lean more towards “yes they did it” but am content that it wouldn’t be shown on-screen. I always thought their romance path got its strength in how private it is (private, not secret). In the kiss scenes, there is no one but the player witnesses their love unfolding. There is an interview with Trick Weekes (I need to find the full one) where they reveal that in original drafts of the romance, there WAS an idea they were entertaining where it would show Solas and Lavellan have a scene of passion, but they scrapped it because it was too similar to the Blackwall one. In another world, we might’ve had to see Solas do a walk of shame.
I could be wrong, but I think I read somewhere that the devs made it very vague on purpose. I honestly love that though. What makes something tender and innocent vary a lot from person to person since people have different boundaries and leaving it vague is a nice way to honor that. I think leaving it up to the player makes it even more intimate of a story. Personally I think it adds a lot of tension to leave it unfullfilled. Not only romanticly, but sexually as well. I mean the edging in this romance is off the charts. I uh, worry a bit about how and if this will show up in Veilguard tho... Not how it will be handled, but if it will be handled at all
Oh, my Solavellan 100% made love, and I do not think that takes away any of the innocence in their relationship. S*x isn't just about desire. For my Solavellan, it was laying themselves in their most vulnerable, bare state at each other's mercy--bc they trust each other and they accept every inch of each other. When Solas tells my Lavellan that he did not "take her," it is bc when they laid together, he was *giving* himself to her, it was a mutual *gift*. Not taking. And he was 100% genuine in those moments. He was his truest, most simple self with her. Existing as a peaceful sharer of knowledge, helping foster wisdom and harmony. My Solavellan became intimate in all regards. And that is what is cool about Trick writing in a way that truly lets people roleplay this romance as we each choose to :) Everyone is right, whether we say they did lay together, or did not.
Beautifully put. I'm undecided whether my Lavellan and Solas had sex or not, but it would definitely be an intimate sharing of souls on equal footing if they had.
I disagree because it is never about the physical. It is not what he loves, it's her spirit. The ONLY one who can be sexualizing the relationship is Lavellan. And those comments are cringy and creepy.
@Shinarydk "I adore the heady blend of power, intrigue, danger and **sex** that permeates these events." - Solas at the Winter Palace "It has been a long time..." - Solas after initiating a passionate makeout using tongue with Lavellan, which implies he has had physically intimatd relationships before. And there is so much more. I keeping it short bc I am on a break at work. But, Solas absolutely is a physical being as well as a spiritual being. He does indicate an interest in the physical world and sex and a large part of his character arch with Lavellan is that she helps him realize the value of the physical world. He is learning to love the physical world via her existence and her being. Plus, he is the one who consistently deepens the kisses, who places his leg between her's, and who touches her butt...so....lol What are you talking about?? Creepy for you? Ok, then I guess Solas is not for you either. Move along.
Haha, someone taking on the real questions! 😂 I definitely feel like the dialogue supports that they did, but despite my disappointment in not getting a cutscene for it, I appreciate that it is left so open, because all the reasons you listed are super valid, and giving people a way to think they didn't feels nice. Like, did you want them to? Then they did! Do you love delayed gratification in literally every sense? Then they didn't!! 😂
Really nice video i have to agree with your analysis , I so hope we get a satisfying outcome in Veilguard to this lovely romance, Solas so took my Inqy's heart.
I am one of those fan-fiction writers or I was one of two in the series I worked on years ago. It was fun to explore a side of Solas on if he and Lavellan had a child. (I wrote that series with someone else and it was their inquisitor. I wrote other characters in the series and it was fun to see the what ifs). That being said, I am a big fan of their romance regardless of if they slept together or not. I am replaying the game and Solas's romance remains my favorite out of all of them. Personally, regardless of the fan-fic I helped write, I see value in both sides of the argument. I would be lying if I didn't say I have sat in both camps. I honestly don't know which one I sit in now as both break my heart. Thank you so much for this video.
There are several ways to interpret their dialogues, especially in trespasser. I firmly believe they did not lay together, it makes the romance remiscient of l'amour courtois. A form of platonic love and adoration that is to its purest shape in old literature. Perhaps it could have become intimate, although Solas renounced Lavellan. Sera even taunts Solas in one banter towards this, to which you can laugh it off or get offended.
Solavllan Hell is so hard to go trough, I love so much that they make you decide if you did it or not, and I understand that since he is in fact lying to you all along, it could really hurt the player or triggers them to actually think they got used and put to trash. It was really smart for the writer to do so. I was suffering 9 years ago from solavellan Hell, and recently for veilguard I go right back in it, I hope so much there will be an happy ending for those 2, I needed it so bad T.T Oh and, in my heart, they did it =P
I've always liked the idea of whether or not they did to be dependant on who Lavellan is and what kind of dynamic they have. I could see a story where it would be perfectly plausible that they never did, depending on the Lavellan. That being said, with my particular cannon Lavellan, her personality, her disposition and their dynamic, it always just made sense to me that they did. However, that is his dynamic with this particular character and wouldn't necessarily translate to him with other Lavellans. I like that its ambiguous, and that it leaves room for you to decide what you want.
I am so here for the Solavellan content! I'm on the ''they didn't'' side as well. I think it emphasises the depth of their connection/relationship, and how they feel about each other, all the more. Similar to what you said in the video, in my headcanon their relationship isn't about the physical intimacy part, it goes deeper than that. It's about the personal, emotional connection that they have. They understand each other on a level that no one else does and they know that they love each other. The kisses and the flirting implies that it could've gone further than that, but I believe that they didn't need it to go further, and that the Solavellan romance not having a ''physical'' scene makes the tradegy of it all the more impactful since the emphasis (at least, to me) is on their emotional connection.
Honestly, it's really hard to tell even with some of the implications, but I guess that's one of the reasons why it makes it an amazing romance. You can interpret what Solas and Lavellan are up to and decide for yourself whether or not they've enjoyed each other's company in a physical way or not. I don't think it really matters to a lot of us since the tragedy and the hope of this romance is all that matters. The yearning between these two just gives us enough heartbreak and angst to fuel a steam engine Imo, they probably have never done it, probably just makeout sessions since I think that'd be a good way to reference all the times they got into bed together, however, this is just my own interpretation! I also believe they will get their happy ending, one way of another. I'm just that type of person, though. I much prefer angst with a happy ending than a bad one haha Great videa, Lady Sulevin! I'm sure there's gonna be tons of comments in here by the time the game comes out
My assumption is that if it did happen, it could’ve been in a dream. Otherwise, if they hadn’t yet, it was something Solas looked forward to until he was reminded of his past during the removal of the Vallaslin. I believe an actual intimacy scene simply didn’t make it because of time constraints, and is why his dialogue was very off (implying they have) before he removed the Vallaslin. I also believe the reason he couldn’t remain with Lavellan is because his lies made him view her as a slave to his own agenda, and is also why he doesn’t allow her to join him if she asks in Trespasser.
I'm solidly on Team Bed(ded) Wolf because Solas is all about wordplay, so 'not laying with you under false pretenses' to me meant he wasn't lying to my Inquisitor just to sleep with her, he truly loves/loved her. However, I am also solidly on "Everyone's headcanon about it is the correct interpretation for them", and I find the near-obsession that some Solavellans have with making their headcanon the 'correct' headcanon a bit disturbing.
I'm really curious if there will be a question about the romance in the Inquisition when we choose the options at the beginning of the game. If so, when my Inquisitor meets Solas I'll drown in tears. Just as I'm waiting for the theory to be explained, I'm waiting for this moment. 10 years ;) This romance is perfect. There's an incredible amount of emotion here. I don't think we even need it if something more happened or not. I've always interpreted this dialogue in Tresspasser as something more happening. That was my first thought. And that's how it stayed :)
I always interpreted "Dread Wolf take you," as cursing a fool. Or a person being taken for a fool. I liked your analysis of the language (i.e. "I would not have" vs. "I did not lie with you under false pretenses" and I think the grim and fatalistic banter where she says "You're hoping to get me into bed" also points to the fact that he is still hoping and has not done so yet at that point.
Fun video! And, fwiw, I completely agree with your analysis (esp. of the Crestwood scene ... it was intended to be *the* scene, but he couldn't tell the truth, thus he didn't go through with it.)
I always liked the writing for the romance between Solas and Lavellan. The first time I experienced it in the game, I smiled and then when he put a stop to the romance I cried, hard
My Solavellen definitely did it at least once towards the end of the game but that's my heart canon, cause I apparently needed that extra kick in the chest to the romace, I can certainly see the arguments for them not doing it but in the end I think it's a personal choice for each person, even if Bioware comes out and says they did or didn't that's still only for the Bioware cannon and not each individuals personal cannon. In the end the game is all about the choices the player makes so whatever makes your fandom heart happy (or full of angst cause let's face it it's called Solavellen hell for a reason) is ok and a deeply personal choice. Heart cannon over head cannon always 💖
I fall pretty solidly on the 'They didnt' camp. I always interpreted the line 'And so he did' to have the double meaning of 'he took her heart' & 'he took her in, ie he tricked her' I love how passionate they are towards each other even if they, even if its not going in physical direction quickly. Passion was for more than just the flesh, it was for the mind & cute sparing & wit. I honestly wouldnt mind not seeing any spicy scenes in veilguard between them, i feel their relationship would need more time to repair itself to that level of trust. I do think itd be cool though if Solas had a room or we found a place he'd been staying & we found a thick bound stack of envelopes that are letters he wrote to Inky but never sent. And the interaction text would say that they seem private & not to pry. Then when Inky shows up if their interaction goes well we could go back to his room & find the letters gone because he passed them on to her.
My take is that they did. When exactly, I'd guess after the balcony scene when Solas tells Lavellan he loves her for the first time. For me, because I'm an approval glutton, this scene triggers immediately after All New, Faded for Her is completed. Death and grief has a strange way of bringing people together physically, and we know Solas was trying (unsuccessfully) to keep himself apart from everyone in the inquisition--especially a romanced Lavellan. Following his Wisdom friends death, I can totally see Solas being vulnerable enough to break, allowing himself to be guided by emotion rather than logic. He knows a relationship with Lavellan is a bad idea, but emotionally he can't help himself. It's the whole heart in conflict thing, and I love it. It's immediately after this balcony scene that your companions (Sera and Viv specifically) believe something is going on between the two of you. Sera being pretty blunt about it. The barman makes his comment after this scenes completion as well, directly implying how people have been complaining about the inquisitor having time to bed her allies. You might have to spam the "Any rumors?" dialogue to get it. Then there's the grim and fatalistic line and in trespasser the, "I did not. I would not lay with you under false pretenses." line. I take the trespasser line as Solas defending himself, as he's not the kind of guy to tell a girl he loves her just to get her into bed. So yeah, I totally think they were sleeping together.
I have always been the team "they didn't", it just made sence to me. For me, my Lavellan was really expecting it when they went to Crestwood, and he was ready to give it all for her, but the breakup happened, so, you know.
I’m in the ‘they did’ camp. Per Solas’s line “Getting you into a bed is an enjoyable side benefit.” How would he know that, eh? 😂 Also, when he said ‘I would not lay with you under false pretence’ he meant it. With the Inquisitor, he was purely Solas. She was with the real him, the man, not the god in that sense. Good old male compartmentalisation. It’s also tremendously clever. There’s something about the fact you never seen them being physically intimate that is far more sexier than if you did. That tension keeps rising, is never broken and the audience’s imagination can fill in the gaps. Sex can be pretty unsexy, you know? Just my 2am thoughts 😂 I know the writers deliberately left it ambiguous, but they were definitely doing more than kissing imho.
I always romance Cullen but I was starting a new games as a Dalish elf and thought oh I try out the Solas romance since a Dalish female elf is his only romance option. Was not looking forward to it since I know how it ends and just didn’t get into it when watching other videos, but oh my gosh, when he drops that graceful line with my rogue elf I was blushing and smiling like an idiot.
“They didn’t do it even though they said they did it which is a whole headache if you’re trying to analyze the scene.” ??? what? they say they did it so they probably did off screen in the fade. is that what you mean? like it doesn’t count bc they did it in the fade?
in my canon playthrough i decided they didn't. tbh i didn't even ask myself any of it until the trespasser convo. I just assumed they didn't get to that point bc solas always seemed conflicted, so the relationship stayed more on an emotional and intellectual level to me. I'm also ace so it really doesn't change anything for me, in fact it almost makes it deeper in my mind bc that's how i experience love lol tbh it didn't even cross my mind that they did until i saw people only debating lol i do get that side now, but i just didn't think of that option at all lol I always took solas jumping to the clarification that he didn't lay with you under false pretenses to mean that he really worried about it. About your agency and consent every step of the way because he couldn't tell you the truth. He kissed, loved you, took your heart while hiding who he really is and thinking you would reject him if you knew the truth, so he has to reassure himself that it WAS true and real, that he never lied about it or who he is at his core, but also that he drew the line before it went too far physically. Lavellan saying Solas took her is simply a declaration of love, past or still present to me. He took her heart with him when he left. that said i do have other lavellans who i definitely headcanon slept with him, because it can really go both ways lol
I agree, generally. Of course sex/making love with someone you love is one of the most intimate ways you can connect with your partner, in my eyes it only makes the relationship stronger/more intimate/more vulnerable. I think the main issue with Solas and Lavellan having sex taking away from the relationship would be about how much he lies/avoids talking about. He is the Fen'harel and thousand of years old. He caused the explosion in the conclave delibaretely to cause chaos, and a lot of people died there, some important to the Inquisition members - like divine Justinia, or Cassandra's lover. He subtly raised Lavellan to the position of the Inquisitor. The mark that caused her pains, that could eventually kill her, the one that will make her lose her hand is of his origin, his fault. He is lying about using the whole organization to his own ends, to fix the mess he caused. He is omitting his plans - the fact that the world Lavellan loves, and people she cares about will "end" and "be destroyed" whatever the hell that means, he was always so vague to her, even in the Trespasser. By the time Crestwood happens Lavellan implies that she doesn't even know how to call them, what are they? This is why Solas brought her there, to tell her the truth about everything, see if she would accept him, and cement the relationship.
@@pativi6643 I don’t dispute any of that, nor do I have skin in the solavellan race, my issue is solely with the implications surrounding sex in general, because those attitudes contribute to harmful stigma in the real world and it matters how we talk about such things.
I think they did. He was excited by the sex and deceit in the air at the Winter Palace, and I can’t see him being shy about it-especially when it comes to the fade. And add in the good natured banter with Sara and Blackwell about spirits and him messing around, and it leads me to believe all their intimate interactions were just regulated offscreen. I think if the devs had more time we we’ve gotten the romance scene we deserved, but alas, it’s probably only in fan fiction.
I'm team they didn't what it's make their relationship even more tragic. There is longing, there is physical attraction, passion but their bond is deeper than that.
My h/c is that they were both very tipsy at the winter palace and feeling the victory but it was only that one time, they had a talk about it in the morning, and just never said anything about it I would think Solas definitely regrets that it happened when they were not sober or completely ready for it. Lavellan is okay with it but she is also very much focused on Corypheus, distracted and probably has some things to work through before comitting to a sexual relationship. Now she has some more things to work through but she's had 10 years to do that
Sometimes I think if my Inquisitor would have tried to get in other relationships after and how that would go So I have a theory that if they did get in a romance, Lelianna would probably try to hush hush it after the truth came out but the rumors are already out there probably. Would people be even more intimidated knowing she had an emotionally intimate relationship with a god? What he defines himself aside, this is how he's viewed. I personally think Solas would probably be fine or even relieved if Lavellan sought other romances. But would people assume that he would not be okay with it? Also how would Thedas handle the rumors that Inquisitor Lavellan had a thing with the Dread Wolf, who has been a solid menace for the past several years. Would she be a target by his enemies just cause like... He likes her? Ah, I'm going off on a tangent now
I understand that all of this is meant to be what the player wants it to be. However, my Lavellan was risking her life every day, and if she wasn't getting adult shenanigans, she'd be mad as hell and drop him quick. Of course it's self insert, but lordy, I wouldn't put up with that from a man in any way, lol. If some forest Fade hermit was getting like "Oh no, I have a headache" every time we got close, my alarm bells would be ringing. As far as thinking he wouldn't do it because you didn't know the truth, I mean, he didn't even know he was going to get drawn in as hard as he did. That happens in relationships, it's common enough. Adult shenanigans doesn't cheapen or strengthen a relationship, IMO, though I know for some people it is that way. Think what you want, but my Solavellan was tearing it up on the regular, lol.
I'm on the "They did" side because the implications and the angsts it adds to their relationship are very interesting to me! We know what his goal is, and how hard it is for him to make it real, especially now that he got to get attached to certain people in the Inquisition. He's been so close to spirits and the fade that Lavellan becomes his literal Anchor back to Thedas, back to what he tried to ignore to avoid any more pain. On top of that, I let my Inquisitor drink from the Well of Sorrows, and I headcanon she was unknowingly pregnant when he left her after Inquisition. I had many thoughts for years, imagining the way that baby would be, with her mother having a part of Mythal's soul because of the Well, and his father being the literal Dread Wolf from their legends... Especially since I imagine the child to live with her mother and her close inquisition friends, and not Solas. He would be like Telemachus in the greek myths, wondering what/who is father truly is, only knowing stories about him but never meeting him (maybe that will change once The Veilguard arrives haha) Anyway, interesting video! ♥ I love both sides because they both work and bring out another perspective to the table, especially when we'll see our Inky come back in DATV! (Also fun fact, my Inky's name is Sulevin! ♥ haha Great day to you, if you read through this massive delulu comment, sorry! XD)
Gosh my one wish with Veilguard is that there is /somthing/ for Solevellan. Either Lavellan talking about the love she had((because my inquisitor is going to be romanced Lavellan that's my cannon) or a scene where Solas's mask slipps when he sees her in the confrontation. Somthing ahhh
I always see the line " may the dreadwolf take you " as many things. The way he brings up here i find it hilarious. So the" take you " can mean lies as well. As fen harel lies to the dailish to trick them. And lure them away from the clan and it's rituals and it's beliefs. It can mean m***er or other things. But it's funny how he places it here. He states it as "what was the line. May the dread wolf take you ? "The she replies yeah you did. She's saying You lied to me basically. Cause that's what It can also mean. Then he hilariously goes. No I wouldn't lay with you under false pretences. And I never did. Which is why she makes kindof an awkward face. Cause it hurt her him lying . But he's taking it as a way to say physically he'd never take her under any lie. That he generally had feelings but he lied on who he was and itd be wrong to lay with her . She says " I loved " you and it breaks me. Cause the reaction is real she does love him she saw solas as solas. This was the first time he could be Solas'. No one knew he was the dread wolf. She fell for him as the person he was but. He lied about his title. She didn't know he was her clans enemy. Who she was meant to protect her clan from. Ect. But he was still "solas" . It would be interesting if he treats everything he showed her as himself as she doesn't know the real me now as a way to push her away. Or how they'll handle it in dav
Ah, decade long question) I personally prefer first option for my Solavellan based on fact my canon Inky is well in her thirties and far from being innocent in this relationship. It was more of a couple lone wolves starting it playfully and casually gradually catching unexpectedly strong feelings against their will while trauma bonding kind of romance. So rather explicit flirting followed by confessions of love and fallout following their break up would not be organic if all they had is couple kisses and modest hand holding. They would come off as to emotionally immature in their reactions if that was the case, which I find hard to believe, considering he is well in to his eight thousands😅 But the same argument applies for other option if Lavellan is very young, like eighteen-twenty young. Than it would make perfect sense to keep it purely as romantically platonic infatuation, making her fall over hills with heightened passion of youth for mysterious stranger due to lack of experience, and him keeping it in his pants because she is a literal child compared to him and that kind of intimacy can mess her up real bad.
When I played DAV on release I was intrigued by Solas as explorer of the Fade but was super put-off by his dismissal of the Dalish who try and keep their culture afloat after centuries of opression. I kinda liked other options, but none gripped me, then technical difficulties happened and I never got further than the Fade after strating 2 more times with more issues. Then my saves got wiped by EA and I got even more put off finishing the game for several more years Then the Dreadwolf announcement happened and everyone buzzed with discussions about Solas, which is when I found out the big twist of Solas. Super intrigued, but with all the layoffs I didnt think the game would come out. With the announcement trailer I went right in and PAYED ATTENTION. And every time the Dread Wolf was mentioned I looked at Solas like "hm? wanna say anything?" And the romance took me fully by surprise and by storm. The growth? My characters are always curious and NPCs often explaining things a lot as a way of telling things to player, but Solas was written in a way that HE liked sharing the information. The way spirits opened up from a completely new side- when he talks about spirits coming and going freely in Haven and you've only ever seen demons you're like "ooook buddy, whatever you say 👀". But then you meet Cole, and they bond, and at one point in Tresspasser Cole even shouts "they dont understand! He doesnt want to hurt people! Solas is not that kind of wolf!" and Ive read all the tablets in Emerald Graves where it said that elves used to have companion wolves like Fereldenians have mabari And Im kind of glad I was spoiled because it kept me focused on sometimes tedious amount of lore texts in DA, and I saw just HOW DEEP the relationship goes, both in Solavellan's personalities AND the way history repets itself: Fade and Reaity, wolf and elven protector, the Dreamer and the Inquisitor (I want to try completing Hakkon before Corephius just to see if anyone would say anything different, cuz when Ameridan says "find joy where you can" and Lavellna JUST lost Solas I was losing my mind). I don't think they did it. I think they slept together (non-innuendo) as a way to explore the Fade, and never discussed their relationship the way ppl don't sometimes, especially in tight knot groups, especially when there's a fear of rejection. I also LOVE a theory some people's headcanon that "May the Dread Wolf take you" initially had "and keep you safe" at the end because he was the protector but everyone forgot (just as the forgot Ameridan and will forget Lavellan) 😭
I’ll be very interested to see if the Solas romance has an ending or any mention of what became of him and the inquisitor. I romanced him even knowing the outcome cause I wanted to feel that pain. My main romance is Cullen and the two romances are so vastly different and absolutely charming. I doubt we will get any physical scenes between solas and the inquisitor.. and I am 100 percent okay with that. His romance has so much depth as is 😂 ugh
I've definitely seen people interpret the trespasser line "I wouldn't lay with you under false pretenses" as he wouldn't sleep with you while deceiving you therefore nothing happened. My personal opinion is based on the writers intention, and I feel like they purposefully wrote it so that either could be true. My inky definitely banged though.
"touch-starved wolf" I can't 🤣🤣 There's actually a tag on Ao3 that says something similiar. I also wholeheartly agree with the "They didn't". Also everything you said about what their romance is about - I see that portrayed in SO many fanfics.
Hello hello, I love Solas as a companion and hope that my first playthrough is from the standpoint of redemption, but I've only romanced him once. Since there is already at least one child at play, it's super awesome that that could be possible even if it isn't likely. My favorite romance is Josie, but now I have to find the video that explains that part of the game. My biggest concern is Varric, I'm really worried Thedas' greatest storyteller is going to need to be avenged.
Honestly I feel theres the tension to be something more but, him hiding his true self was holding him back and he didn’t want to hurt Lavellan in the sense she was lied to about who he is (which kind of failed). But, with her knowing know now and him still being distance is what hurts her that she is willing to throw away everything for him/his love and he still doesn’t want to commit due to fear of rejection until he was ready. And I think everything he was planning was complete then he would try to come back for her.
I am surprised people are debating this at all. Dragon Age may not always be explicit sexually (Veilguard is so horribly vanilla it's painful) but if you play all the games it is always abundantly clear, when you and your chosen one "do the deed", even if it's just Emmrich offering you breakfast in a coffin after your exertions. Solas is so emotionally dramatic he probably contemplates one lovemaking session for the next century. A few kisses with Lavellan, and he remembers her for years and almost changes his plans for world domination. I think that's why he knows he can't sleep with her. Because he wouldn't be able to stop that wave, he wouldn't be able to think coolly about his plans anymore, and his focus would move towards love and serving Lavellan. In fact, Solas is kind of physically hesitant and he even states things are easier for him in the Fade. And he is so afraid of how his love for Lavellan changes him, he can't even stomach Fade intimacy. Them NOT doing it is the point of this romance being about so much more than sex.
Cullen is my favorite romance in DAI,Alistair in DAO and Fenris in DA2 :)..He says he never went all the way because he wasn't being honest with you or something along those lines..I only romanced him twice ..I do not remember the exact words.
The Inquisitors serving man Solas! Just makes me laugh in that let’s just say he told Lavellan and she accepted him there is no one that can match him, no matter what they’ve accomplished no matter their title duke empress etc. He is fen’harel an elven “god”
Surprised some thought this was ambiguous, it never seemed that way to me. To my mind, it's all very "courtly love" and that's the appeal. If he had been intimate with her, without being honest about who and what he was, that would be something darker and wholly unappealing. It wouldn't be love.
frankly i love that this is still something that can be debated so long after inquisition's release, and the fact that it's really up to each individual person's preference and perspective! i for one am a "they absolutely did" truther, but specifically because of that scene on the balcony in the winter palace. i was surprised to not see it mentioned, actually! it's the one scene where we really see solas take the initiative, clearly swayed by the night and his own pleasure to be back at court, even if it's not HIS court. he's the one who approaches lavellan, he's the one who reaches out to touch her back (!!!) as he offers her support, and he's the one who proposes they dance "before the band stops playing." he seems so happy in that moment, genuinely, carefree in a way i don't think we really see him get to be again. it's the one time he lets himself reach for lavellan without hesitation, completely unprompted, and it's the one time we're allowed a glimpse into the private intimacy they have, and what it might look like when we can't see it. ugh, it's so short but i love the winter palace dance scene. "before the band stops playing, dance with me." solas knows his time in the inquisition won't last, the truth will come out eventually, and his time with lavellan will be over. dance with me, before we can't anymore. IT KILLS ME.
While I wish I could bring in all the choices I made in previous games I understand why they don't. The amount of spiderwebbing that would occur after 3 previous games would cause certain parts of the development effort to be like 7x more. It was never a sustainable endeavor. That being said.... I really hope there are a lot of choices to be made in this and future games as you said... even if they don't amount to anything they still happened and matter to you.
My favorite topic, Solavellan 😍 I think they did not do it, but they would have gotten there if Solas just stayed and put his plans aside. There is passion between them, but the deeper kind of it. They really love each other in such a pure way :‘) I really hope that there will be some kind of happy ending for Lavellan and Solas. Would break my heart into a million pieces if she can‘t save him.
My joke answer is that Solas is a virgin My real answer (and bear in mind that I’ve never romanced Solas and tbh I don’t really intend to) is that they didn’t do it because Solas can’t bring himself to be intimate with someone that he’s actively lying to.
I can see both sides to the arguement but the joke she makes about being taken by the dread wolf makes me believe they did. You wouldnt use the words "to lay with someone" in any other context other than having sex it just doesnt make sense. She is literally making a joke of the word "take and to be taken by him", if he was merely talking about her heart or trust he would not use the word lay he is simply saying that in those moments he was Solas and that he did not decieve or trick her into sex as he really does love her. To say I wouldnt have sex with you even though we didnt have sex is such a bizarre choice of words 😂 Lets not forget that Solas was a last minute decision to be romanceable in the game which is another reason its not as detailed as say Cullens, im sure if they had more time then his romance would of been like the others. Also you're telling me that a man so set on destroying the world and unshaken on the path he must walk was about to be undone by 1 kiss (exlcuding the fade and crestwood) and that he loved her so deeply after the balcony scene he was ready to throw it all away? Nah theres no way. Solas prides himself in being right, that he cannot trust anyone but himself yet this mortal elf takes him by surprise, she changed his view on the living people of the present world, she tempted him and i imagine he was selfish in the attention she gave him allowing for moments of passion. No doubt he hated himself afterwards but hes still flesh and blood and to have a woman who willingly seeks him out whether it be for stories or guidance is simply a temptation even the Dread Wolf could not resist.
I've been in relationships where we dramatically talk about sex we didn't have as a sort of in-joke, playing up our roles like we are characters in a bodice-ripper. Their romantic banter definitely comes off to me as a sort of similar playful theatrics.
They talked about having sex more than once-plus this whole “oh it was an emotional connection and that’s so beautiful” or that he stopped himself before it crossed some kind of threshold is such a gross and immature argument. Sex doesn’t cheapen emotional connections, and a lot of times it can deepen them. It also doesn’t permanently bond you to someone lol if love is there he crossed that threshold regardless and sex is irrelevant. I think the point is that the sex wasn’t that important to the story, not that it didn’t happen. Plus the “getting you into bed” and “I would never lay with you” lines are cringe at best if it never happened.
And a lot of times it can cheapen them, especially with a character defined by denying his physical desires who prefers to focus on spiritual matters. "Getting you into bed" feels like it is supposed to be cringe, like the other times the facade almoat drops. "I would never lay with you..." makes sense as "I refused that because I cannot be committed to you." You are correct that the love is itself a boundary that was crossed, but that's Solas being wrong in not recognizing that fact. All in all, intentional ambiguity.
you're correct, i think the extreme reactions here show a level of s-xual dysfunction in the general populace (the idea that s-x cheapens a relationship is wild - like maybe it does for you, but for me personally i only have s-x with people i love and adore and s-x has only ever deepened the bond between us). emotional connections are deepened by s-x when people are in love, not made lesser by it. like sure if you guys were in a casual relationship, s-x would cheapen and even taint the relationship due to the manipulative nature of it (the relationships was about s--x not love so the relationship being about love would be a lie), but there is nothing casual about solas and lavellan, (unless your lavellan was using him for s-x which is definitely possible, but solas wouldn't do that, it's literally not in his character. he's not written that way). that is why i can also see solas NOT wanting to have s-x - to not deepen further something that was already way deep, way fast (lol). solas knew she deserved someone who wouldn't leave her and didn't want to tie them together further. but to me that's not necessarily as romantic as them doing it, it seems like a fckboy move, because they're already in love so the boundary has already been crossed, and not deepning that bond through s-x is a huge missed opportunity for the tragic romance we all love so much. but i can also see it on the other side too, him having s-x with her and dumping her is a horrible thing to do ((but that also is assuming solas only wanted to bang and go which goes against his character, it's much more romantic to assume he is in love w her no matter what option u choose). so it can go both ways. the emotional connection is there whether they did it or not, unless OUR lavellan was using HIM. but yes, the reactions to the idea of them having s-x are more telling of the interpreter than the characters themselves. i think there is a lot of projecting of personal traumas around s-x onto whatever choice is being made (if there are extreme emotions or beliefs involved on the player's part).
@@thomaswillard6267 it CAN cheapen a relationship, that doesn’t mean it DOES. You’re approach is very childish. If Solas set a boundary “this relationship I would prefer to keep emotional” or something, fine, but he already crossed that boundary by discussing sexual things with Lavellan. You can argue oh those dialogues aren’t there if you don’t pick them, but that requires meta gaming and the fact is they’re there. The problem isn’t they have sex, the problem is, if that was a boundary of his, he needed to state that. But no, he consistently flirted in a sexual way. His whole character revolves around his impeccable integrity and just randomly pretending like you’re gonna sleep with some chick without intending that, ruins his integrity and character.
@@carlyofearth I just don’t like people acting like sex makes the relationship worse. The physical aspect never seemed important to Solas (as compared to Fenris or Astarion, for example), so idk why it matters. It wasn’t that important to Solas, and that’s fine.
@@thomaswillard6267 I mean, and can you imagine her response? How could she believe anything? “Oh he was just manipulating me?” I don’t think he was doing that, but that’s what she would think, if he flirted sexually with her then left. How humiliating
I’m in solavellan hell with all the rest of you…but are we forgetting that he is choosing to end her world (and her) by taking down the fade? When he says “I’ll never forget you” he’s saying that becuase he is immortal and will eventually kill her
The issue with romance in these games though is there are a lot of people out there that think romance means sex. You can be romantic with someone without having sex and you can have romance with sex. But some of these people literally think if there is no sex, then there is no romance. Things like this are why there are issues when you bring up romance in games like Hogwarts Legacy too and get called a Pedo. People assume you mean sex, when you have people like me thinking more along the lines of wondering Hogsmede holding hands, or giving the guy or gal you like a gift. lol
I, personally, am on team They Didn't. I imagine they may have had stolen moments of intimacy, but I don't believe Solas would have let it progress to full consummation, for lack of a better term. I do find it fascinating that many understood the Trespasser scene as an acknowledgement that they did, in fact, have all out sex because my read of it was always that he was insisting he did not and would not lay with her unless she knew the truth. All of it. I think you did a fair job of explaining the reasoning behind those who see it as an admission of his love being genuine, so much so that it wasn't a violation of trust, so well done you! Consent is such an important matter to me. I will always love that Trick took the steps to give we, the players, the agency to decide what we would or would not have seen as a lack of consent in this matter. It turned something potentially distasteful to me into something nuanced and well written. In fact, iirc, I didn't romance Solas until after Trespasser dropped, because I heard about the dialogue and felt so relieved by its addition that I felt comfortable enough to play through the game, Solavellan style, lol. It is not my canon Inquisition run - or, well, as close as I get to them anyway - despite The Iron Bull being my all time favorite LI. (Don't come after me, Solas is a VERY close second!!!) It's why, heading into DAV, I'll be going with a Solavellan Inquisitor and not a Bull Rider: I am 100% satisfied with my IB runs. Whereas there is still so much more need for closure - good or bad (good, I hope, please BW!) - with Solavellan. And no, that doesn't mean I think this Romance should get all of BW's attention or that I feel any other Inquisitor choice is invalid, an argument flung about more times than I can count. It simply means I have an ongoing emotional investment in my Solas romancing Lavellan that I don't have with my other Inqs, Hawkes or HoF's, with whom I feel satisfied and happy with their conclusions and only peripheral mention in proceeding games.
![Solas' Character - Measuring the Veil [spoilers]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/5aOjoUPBJXE/mqdefault.jpg)
![Solas' Character - Measuring the Veil [spoilers]](/img/tr.png)
The Crestwood scene is probably one of the most heartbreaking romance scenes I have ever seen in a game. You can see the exact moment when Solas changes his mind, how his face falls in the realization that he cant tell Lavellan the truth and knows he has to end it. Brings me to tears, every single time.
Relatable. Also, I believe the reason he couldn’t remain with Lavellan is because his lies made him view her as a slave to his own agenda, and is also why he doesn’t allow her to join him if she asks in Trespasser.
the way the camera pans between them when he first pulls away, showing Lavellan in complete bliss and mesmerized by the man she loves, then to Solas looking regretful and almost in mourning was probably the saddest part of the entire game pre-trespasser
it's Schrödinger's bang. whether they boinked or not depends on the observer.
fwiw, i'm undecided on whether they did it or not, it changes every solavellan playthrough for me.
best comment ever 🤣
I'm with you on the "They didn't" side. I think it makes more sense because its a tragedy written with emotional connection in mind.
And I prefer the idea that since he's already so ready to almost throw the old world aside for a woman just based on romance- he definitely wouldn't of been able to put her aside if they'd actually done the deed.
He had to stop before he'd betrayed himself.
That being said- I hope they bone in Veilguard.
😆 same
Same! Solas is very careful with how close he gets to Lavellan. When he wanted to confess the truth in Crestwood, he also wanted to cement the relationship and see if Lavellan would accept him. I strongly suspect that the sex scene they had in plans was supposed to happen in Crestwood, too.
@@pativi6643 I don't doubt it- since as far as I remember, that whole sex scene was repurposed for Jaals romance- Which correct me if im wrong, but doesn't it happen outside?
@@anna-friedavandyk indeed! Near a small pond as well.
@@anna-friedavandyk wait wait wait, seriously? JAAL SCENE? Now I'm gonna be more furious if they don'T give our babies a chance in Veilguad.
It's definitely implied, at least. "May the Dread Wolf take you" - "And he did." Yeah. Super subtle.
Also the dialogue before getting dumped at crestwood, when still at skyhold, if you pick the more silly option, he does say that he is doom and gloom, and that taking you into bed is just an enjoyable saide benefit.
The double entendre is intentional, for sure, but his response to "and he did" (saying that he wouldn't lay with her under false pretenses), makes me feel like it didn't happen. then again, his insistent denial could also be him trying to clarify the fact he was honest about his feelings so it wasn't under false pretenses, which would imply that they did get together.
As a french person playing the game in french, the trespasser dialogue was insane! Because the curse was translated as "May the Dreadwolf take you away" (no innuendo, no double entendre), so when he answered that he wouldn't have shared her bed under false pretenses, it really came out of nowhere.
I'm team "They didn't" because of Crestwood, there's this dialogue at the beginning of the scene where they struggle to define their relationship. There are words for someone you're sleeping with even when you don't want to use BF/GF, but what do you call someone you love but haven't been intimate with?
i replayed it recently and when i confronted him in trespasser he says something along the lines of "i would never lay with you whilst not being able to be honest with you" or something like that. this comes right after a line about layimg down with the dreadwolf in some elven script.
"What is the Dalish curse? May the Dreadwolf take you?"
"And so he did."
"No. I would not lay with you under false pretenses."
@@sonnenblumefrau2048 yes, that's it! thanks.
THANK YOU YESSSSS THIS
@@sonnenblumefrau2048 im of the opinion that this can definiately be interpreted in different ways, i took it how you did but i think it can be seen also as him saying when we did 'lie together' i wasnt lying about my feelings with you... i like that its up to interpretation this way because i know some people would be uncomfortable about the implications of a more... intimate relationship given the ending
This.
I firmly believe they didn't have sex. I think it was a more emotionally/mentally focused relationship. Also, it could be interpreted as Solas desperately trying not to fall too much or keep them from being permanently tied to eachother. Obviously, he failed. I mean, look at how Solas kisses! Whew!
I honestly feel like they got close to something but nothing happened. I also feel like because of Solas' pride he wouldn't have allowed it because that would be one more thing to make it "real" and regret.
Possibly so yeah, though I personally think of it more from a “nobility” argument - I do believe him when he says he would not lie with her under false pretences.
Like, if he’s lying about his origins and motivations with respect to non-romance things (such as why he’s in the Inquisition to begin with!) and that would change whether his partner (Lavellan) would consent… that’s pretty fucked up, no? And I simply believe him when he says he would not do it.
@@mduckernz Plus it seems like in the elvhen empire there were strict rules over courting someone, if we are to listen to stories Felassan told Briala. While he seems to be full of decadence in the Halamshiral during the Wicked Hearts quest, I believe having sex with Lavellan would be a pretty big deal for him - not to mention he didn't engage with anyone in that way for thousands of years.
With how much he allows himself to fall in Lavellan, and still failing, I have a hard time seeing them being so intimate (and yes, I know here in the West for most of us sex isn't a big deal anymore, but I do think it would be for Solas, perhaps Lavellan too) while they weren't even officially a couple yet - he took her to Crestwood, because he wanted to commit.
I can see the both sides (I'm on the they had a mature &intimate relationship side). In one dialog when we call him grim and fatalistic he goes " I am grim and fatalistic. Getting you into bed is just an enjoyable side benefit." which pushes me to "Oh they've done it" side. Also in trasspasser, if you chose the sad option for Dreadwolf curse dialogue by saying "and he did", he says "I would not lay with you under false pretenses" In the same dialogue he talks about how he was Solas first, the other names are given later, which also makes me think a) he was very much Solas with us, no pretense and they've done it. B) or he was thinking it was a pretense and they never did it.
I can always be delulu in my OC's story in the end tho. But still, I hope they give them at least one happy end at Veilguard.
I replayed the entirety of the Dragon Age series for Veilguard, and this was the first time I romanced Solas, I went from not caring about him to being obsessed
My first playthrough of the game, I romanced Cullen because I'd wanted to since Origins, lol. Never paid much attention to Solas. I liked having him in my party, but never really looked at him closely. After the ending of the game and seeing that scene with him and Mythal, I *immediately* started a second playthrough and romanced Solas. 😂 Haven't been able to get over him ever since.
10 years and I finally get to see the next chapter in less than 2 months
What's also interesting is that the line "I did not. I would not lay with you under false pretenses." is totally different in the German Dub.
Bc there he says "I did not. My feelings for you were genuine."
i've heard that!
While I would love for them to have done the deed, Solas's line in Trespasser "I would not lay with you under false pretenses," makes me love him more. The idea that if he slept with her it would g5e so deceitful, and part of him could not do that because he loved her too much, it tugs at my heart. I think we deserve our Solavellan romance scene ON SCREEN.
I actually have a third take, I think that they had "physical" relationship but only ever in the fade - hence it was never real. I don't think they boned in the waking world. More like... co-op wet dreams ? 😂 there's nothing to really back it up in game but I think since most of their intimate scenes take place in the fade and solas even says things are easier for him there. Clearly they both wanted each other and they were both very busy people so I think it makes sense that real physical intimacy would've been justifiably deprioritized. Good middle line between they did AND they didn't lol.
IMO, Solas's romance is all about emotional connection, while Blackwall's romance is all about forgiveness, understanding & mercy, Cullen's is about compassion, strength & healing, Dorian's is about acceptance & belief, Bull's is about hope, trust & finding yourself through a person who loves you, Sera's is about whimsy & grit & just being who you are, & Cassandra's is about softness & surrender & a joy in romance itself.
But... as I said, this is all just my opinion. (Sorry if I missed any romances)
The “I would not” is directly contradicted by by his first statement, “I did not”. He’s talking about a fact at first. That he didn’t fool her into sleeping with him. Then he says he would never fool her. That is confirming that just because he slept with her and also is fen’harel doesn’t mean he was manipulating her. It means that not only did he sleep with her, he wanted to honestly bc he loved her and is not the type of guy, regardless of his title, that would manipulate a woman into sleeping with him in an effort to hide who he was.
Yep. That's exactly how I interpreted the line as well.
I love how they wrote this so there is just no right or wrong answer. It's a Schrodinger thing.
To me, I feel such a strong theme of star-crossed longing. So I feel they didn't. It fits the theme of longing better, with it unfulfilled. I really do want to see something more come of it in the next game.
As much as I want to believe they did do it, I think he truly loved lavellan so much he could never betray her like that. Such an amazing and tragic love story
Completely agree with your interpretation of the "May the Dreadwolf take you" conversation, that's how I always saw it as well
I'm 100% convinced that Solavellan is the canon story for Inquisition. Its tooooo perfect ❤
I don't think it is. It's kinda a secret only to those who romanced him. It fits perfectly with a friendship, which is the story most people went for.
Qunari mage inquisitor and divine Cassandra prefer to disagree.
It is for my thedas timeline that's for sure.
Personally my head cannon is lavellan falls for solas, gets her heart broken then falls for Cullen and gets a happy ending. Totally not in game possible but I love it! ❤to each their own. Hope everyone’s choices are shown in Veilguard!
@@Purpletoastacon this one is actually kinda possible but the pacing is screwed up lol
I love that it's open to interpretation and can be personally decided for each player. I have a feeling that doing this was intentional. Trick Weekes has shown that they understand how tricky Solavellan's dynamic is, given Solas omitting who he is. Even more, Trick Weekes seems to LOVE writing complex characters where you have to read between the lines and see the nuance in their behavior.
By writing their intimacy as open to interpretation, it navigates some of the more morally grey lines that the Solavellan romance might cross, and respects players who don't want those lines crossed, while also respecting the wishes and desires of players who want them to be intimate. Very beautifully, in fact - given how, like you mentioned, Solas firmly telling the Inquisitor that he was careful not to cross any lines. That he was genuine in his love for her, throwing titles or his past to the wind in their relationship. The fact that players can interpret that however they like is so beautifully done.
This video was great! Thanks for taking the time to make it.
I'm a hardcore 'Solavellan boned' truther
Preach, sister!
Look up on Wikipedia "Rape by Deception," read it carefully and kindly reconsider your stance.
@@julilla1 Lol you guys
Same, there's too much innuendoes from Solas. I guess at the end ti's a matter oif taste and interpretantion, but... team they boned.
🤣 1000% agree!! Just cause we didn't see it, doesn't mean they didn't do it. Plus, the dialogue is unbelievably awkward if they didn't.
The announcements in the discord make it so easy to be this early thank you!!
Ah, you're asking the important questions 😂 Personally I don't really know how to feel about this, I can see both sides. Perhaps its more like something in between? Something like cuddling etc. But whenever things start to get too "steamy" he reluctantly backs off and gives her some excuse why now is not a good time for this. But then again, If that happens multiple times, wouldn't Lavellan start to wonder whats going on? And If she asked him about it, he'd have to directly lie to her, which we know he isn't good at and in Trespasser he says that he only lied to her by omission. So I really don't know 😅
I am so curious about what'll happen to Solas and Lavellan in Veilguard, I can't wait to play it myself. I'm not expecting anything "spicy" there either, but just the idea of a reunion (and possibly a hug and/or kiss) has me tearing up already 🥲 I love this pairing so much.
Which reminds me, I am so happy for all this Solavellan content you're making! ❤ Looking forward to seeing what's next!
Love the content, keep it coming!
I will edit this comment when I finish your video and collect my thoughts, but I have to comment: took me ten years to learn that her legs buckle when they kiss, like he’s truly making her come undone. How breathtaking.
EDIT: I lean more towards “yes they did it” but am content that it wouldn’t be shown on-screen. I always thought their romance path got its strength in how private it is (private, not secret). In the kiss scenes, there is no one but the player witnesses their love unfolding.
There is an interview with Trick Weekes (I need to find the full one) where they reveal that in original drafts of the romance, there WAS an idea they were entertaining where it would show Solas and Lavellan have a scene of passion, but they scrapped it because it was too similar to the Blackwall one. In another world, we might’ve had to see Solas do a walk of shame.
Touched starved wolf he is! THIS IS THE BEST LINE EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"touch-starved wolf" but yes! That's what I would've called him, too. He is ravenous for her.
I could be wrong, but I think I read somewhere that the devs made it very vague on purpose. I honestly love that though. What makes something tender and innocent vary a lot from person to person since people have different boundaries and leaving it vague is a nice way to honor that. I think leaving it up to the player makes it even more intimate of a story.
Personally I think it adds a lot of tension to leave it unfullfilled. Not only romanticly, but sexually as well. I mean the edging in this romance is off the charts.
I uh, worry a bit about how and if this will show up in Veilguard tho... Not how it will be handled, but if it will be handled at all
Same. I have doubts
i love that you did a whole 30 minutes on this (and imo yeah, they did it)
Oh, my Solavellan 100% made love, and I do not think that takes away any of the innocence in their relationship. S*x isn't just about desire. For my Solavellan, it was laying themselves in their most vulnerable, bare state at each other's mercy--bc they trust each other and they accept every inch of each other. When Solas tells my Lavellan that he did not "take her," it is bc when they laid together, he was *giving* himself to her, it was a mutual *gift*. Not taking. And he was 100% genuine in those moments.
He was his truest, most simple self with her. Existing as a peaceful sharer of knowledge, helping foster wisdom and harmony. My Solavellan became intimate in all regards.
And that is what is cool about Trick writing in a way that truly lets people roleplay this romance as we each choose to :) Everyone is right, whether we say they did lay together, or did not.
Ooo I love that, nicely done sister
Beautifully put. I'm undecided whether my Lavellan and Solas had sex or not, but it would definitely be an intimate sharing of souls on equal footing if they had.
THIS, thank you for putting it beautifully into words, we share the same canon! ❤
I disagree because it is never about the physical. It is not what he loves, it's her spirit. The ONLY one who can be sexualizing the relationship is Lavellan. And those comments are cringy and creepy.
@Shinarydk "I adore the heady blend of power, intrigue, danger and **sex** that permeates these events." - Solas at the Winter Palace
"It has been a long time..." - Solas after initiating a passionate makeout using tongue with Lavellan, which implies he has had physically intimatd relationships before.
And there is so much more. I keeping it short bc I am on a break at work. But, Solas absolutely is a physical being as well as a spiritual being. He does indicate an interest in the physical world and sex and a large part of his character arch with Lavellan is that she helps him realize the value of the physical world. He is learning to love the physical world via her existence and her being.
Plus, he is the one who consistently deepens the kisses, who places his leg between her's, and who touches her butt...so....lol What are you talking about??
Creepy for you? Ok, then I guess Solas is not for you either. Move along.
Haha, someone taking on the real questions! 😂 I definitely feel like the dialogue supports that they did, but despite my disappointment in not getting a cutscene for it, I appreciate that it is left so open, because all the reasons you listed are super valid, and giving people a way to think they didn't feels nice. Like, did you want them to? Then they did! Do you love delayed gratification in literally every sense? Then they didn't!! 😂
Really nice video i have to agree with your analysis , I so hope we get a satisfying outcome in Veilguard to this lovely romance, Solas so took my Inqy's heart.
I am one of those fan-fiction writers or I was one of two in the series I worked on years ago. It was fun to explore a side of Solas on if he and Lavellan had a child. (I wrote that series with someone else and it was their inquisitor. I wrote other characters in the series and it was fun to see the what ifs). That being said, I am a big fan of their romance regardless of if they slept together or not. I am replaying the game and Solas's romance remains my favorite out of all of them. Personally, regardless of the fan-fic I helped write, I see value in both sides of the argument. I would be lying if I didn't say I have sat in both camps. I honestly don't know which one I sit in now as both break my heart.
Thank you so much for this video.
There are several ways to interpret their dialogues, especially in trespasser. I firmly believe they did not lay together, it makes the romance remiscient of l'amour courtois. A form of platonic love and adoration that is to its purest shape in old literature. Perhaps it could have become intimate, although Solas renounced Lavellan. Sera even taunts Solas in one banter towards this, to which you can laugh it off or get offended.
Solavllan Hell is so hard to go trough, I love so much that they make you decide if you did it or not, and I understand that since he is in fact lying to you all along, it could really hurt the player or triggers them to actually think they got used and put to trash. It was really smart for the writer to do so.
I was suffering 9 years ago from solavellan Hell, and recently for veilguard I go right back in it, I hope so much there will be an happy ending for those 2, I needed it so bad T.T
Oh and, in my heart, they did it =P
I've always liked the idea of whether or not they did to be dependant on who Lavellan is and what kind of dynamic they have. I could see a story where it would be perfectly plausible that they never did, depending on the Lavellan. That being said, with my particular cannon Lavellan, her personality, her disposition and their dynamic, it always just made sense to me that they did. However, that is his dynamic with this particular character and wouldn't necessarily translate to him with other Lavellans. I like that its ambiguous, and that it leaves room for you to decide what you want.
I am so here for the Solavellan content!
I'm on the ''they didn't'' side as well. I think it emphasises the depth of their connection/relationship, and how they feel about each other, all the more. Similar to what you said in the video, in my headcanon their relationship isn't about the physical intimacy part, it goes deeper than that. It's about the personal, emotional connection that they have. They understand each other on a level that no one else does and they know that they love each other. The kisses and the flirting implies that it could've gone further than that, but I believe that they didn't need it to go further, and that the Solavellan romance not having a ''physical'' scene makes the tradegy of it all the more impactful since the emphasis (at least, to me) is on their emotional connection.
Honestly, it's really hard to tell even with some of the implications, but I guess that's one of the reasons why it makes it an amazing romance. You can interpret what Solas and Lavellan are up to and decide for yourself whether or not they've enjoyed each other's company in a physical way or not. I don't think it really matters to a lot of us since the tragedy and the hope of this romance is all that matters. The yearning between these two just gives us enough heartbreak and angst to fuel a steam engine
Imo, they probably have never done it, probably just makeout sessions since I think that'd be a good way to reference all the times they got into bed together, however, this is just my own interpretation! I also believe they will get their happy ending, one way of another. I'm just that type of person, though. I much prefer angst with a happy ending than a bad one haha
Great videa, Lady Sulevin! I'm sure there's gonna be tons of comments in here by the time the game comes out
My assumption is that if it did happen, it could’ve been in a dream. Otherwise, if they hadn’t yet, it was something Solas looked forward to until he was reminded of his past during the removal of the Vallaslin.
I believe an actual intimacy scene simply didn’t make it because of time constraints, and is why his dialogue was very off (implying they have) before he removed the Vallaslin.
I also believe the reason he couldn’t remain with Lavellan is because his lies made him view her as a slave to his own agenda, and is also why he doesn’t allow her to join him if she asks in Trespasser.
I'm solidly on Team Bed(ded) Wolf because Solas is all about wordplay, so 'not laying with you under false pretenses' to me meant he wasn't lying to my Inquisitor just to sleep with her, he truly loves/loved her. However, I am also solidly on "Everyone's headcanon about it is the correct interpretation for them", and I find the near-obsession that some Solavellans have with making their headcanon the 'correct' headcanon a bit disturbing.
"bed(dread) wolf" - but yeah, some people take this way too seriously (along with other things in this fandom).
I'm really curious if there will be a question about the romance in the Inquisition when we choose the options at the beginning of the game. If so, when my Inquisitor meets Solas I'll drown in tears. Just as I'm waiting for the theory to be explained, I'm waiting for this moment. 10 years ;) This romance is perfect. There's an incredible amount of emotion here. I don't think we even need it if something more happened or not. I've always interpreted this dialogue in Tresspasser as something more happening. That was my first thought. And that's how it stayed :)
I always interpreted "Dread Wolf take you," as cursing a fool. Or a person being taken for a fool. I liked your analysis of the language (i.e. "I would not have" vs. "I did not lie with you under false pretenses" and I think the grim and fatalistic banter where she says "You're hoping to get me into bed" also points to the fact that he is still hoping and has not done so yet at that point.
Fun video! And, fwiw, I completely agree with your analysis (esp. of the Crestwood scene ... it was intended to be *the* scene, but he couldn't tell the truth, thus he didn't go through with it.)
I always liked the writing for the romance between Solas and Lavellan. The first time I experienced it in the game, I smiled and then when he put a stop to the romance I cried, hard
My Solavellen definitely did it at least once towards the end of the game but that's my heart canon, cause I apparently needed that extra kick in the chest to the romace, I can certainly see the arguments for them not doing it but in the end I think it's a personal choice for each person, even if Bioware comes out and says they did or didn't that's still only for the Bioware cannon and not each individuals personal cannon. In the end the game is all about the choices the player makes so whatever makes your fandom heart happy (or full of angst cause let's face it it's called Solavellen hell for a reason) is ok and a deeply personal choice. Heart cannon over head cannon always 💖
I fall pretty solidly on the 'They didnt' camp. I always interpreted the line 'And so he did' to have the double meaning of 'he took her heart' & 'he took her in, ie he tricked her'
I love how passionate they are towards each other even if they, even if its not going in physical direction quickly. Passion was for more than just the flesh, it was for the mind & cute sparing & wit.
I honestly wouldnt mind not seeing any spicy scenes in veilguard between them, i feel their relationship would need more time to repair itself to that level of trust.
I do think itd be cool though if Solas had a room or we found a place he'd been staying & we found a thick bound stack of envelopes that are letters he wrote to Inky but never sent. And the interaction text would say that they seem private & not to pry. Then when Inky shows up if their interaction goes well we could go back to his room & find the letters gone because he passed them on to her.
My take is that they did. When exactly, I'd guess after the balcony scene when Solas tells Lavellan he loves her for the first time. For me, because I'm an approval glutton, this scene triggers immediately after All New, Faded for Her is completed. Death and grief has a strange way of bringing people together physically, and we know Solas was trying (unsuccessfully) to keep himself apart from everyone in the inquisition--especially a romanced Lavellan. Following his Wisdom friends death, I can totally see Solas being vulnerable enough to break, allowing himself to be guided by emotion rather than logic. He knows a relationship with Lavellan is a bad idea, but emotionally he can't help himself. It's the whole heart in conflict thing, and I love it.
It's immediately after this balcony scene that your companions (Sera and Viv specifically) believe something is going on between the two of you. Sera being pretty blunt about it. The barman makes his comment after this scenes completion as well, directly implying how people have been complaining about the inquisitor having time to bed her allies. You might have to spam the "Any rumors?" dialogue to get it. Then there's the grim and fatalistic line and in trespasser the, "I did not. I would not lay with you under false pretenses." line. I take the trespasser line as Solas defending himself, as he's not the kind of guy to tell a girl he loves her just to get her into bed. So yeah, I totally think they were sleeping together.
I have always been the team "they didn't", it just made sence to me. For me, my Lavellan was really expecting it when they went to Crestwood, and he was ready to give it all for her, but the breakup happened, so, you know.
I’m in the ‘they did’ camp.
Per Solas’s line “Getting you into a bed is an enjoyable side benefit.” How would he know that, eh? 😂
Also, when he said ‘I would not lay with you under false pretence’ he meant it. With the Inquisitor, he was purely Solas. She was with the real him, the man, not the god in that sense. Good old male compartmentalisation.
It’s also tremendously clever. There’s something about the fact you never seen them being physically intimate that is far more sexier than if you did. That tension keeps rising, is never broken and the audience’s imagination can fill in the gaps. Sex can be pretty unsexy, you know?
Just my 2am thoughts 😂 I know the writers deliberately left it ambiguous, but they were definitely doing more than kissing imho.
Love this analysis ❤️ both are valid, but I prefer that they didn't get there yet, for the same reasons. Very hopeful for Veilguard 🙏
I think whatever people feel is right for there Lavellan is cool. I think they did the deed. But respect those who think otherwise.
I always romance Cullen but I was starting a new games as a Dalish elf and thought oh I try out the Solas romance since a Dalish female elf is his only romance option. Was not looking forward to it since I know how it ends and just didn’t get into it when watching other videos, but oh my gosh, when he drops that graceful line with my rogue elf I was blushing and smiling like an idiot.
yeah when his romance hits you it slaps
“They didn’t do it even though they said they did it which is a whole headache if you’re trying to analyze the scene.” ??? what? they say they did it so they probably did off screen in the fade. is that what you mean? like it doesn’t count bc they did it in the fade?
Omg solas flirting with mage lavellan had me blushing. I did not remember that line! I just finished my canon playthrough
in my canon playthrough i decided they didn't.
tbh i didn't even ask myself any of it until the trespasser convo. I just assumed they didn't get to that point bc solas always seemed conflicted, so the relationship stayed more on an emotional and intellectual level to me. I'm also ace so it really doesn't change anything for me, in fact it almost makes it deeper in my mind bc that's how i experience love lol
tbh it didn't even cross my mind that they did until i saw people only debating lol i do get that side now, but i just didn't think of that option at all lol
I always took solas jumping to the clarification that he didn't lay with you under false pretenses to mean that he really worried about it. About your agency and consent every step of the way because he couldn't tell you the truth. He kissed, loved you, took your heart while hiding who he really is and thinking you would reject him if you knew the truth, so he has to reassure himself that it WAS true and real, that he never lied about it or who he is at his core, but also that he drew the line before it went too far physically.
Lavellan saying Solas took her is simply a declaration of love, past or still present to me. He took her heart with him when he left.
that said i do have other lavellans who i definitely headcanon slept with him, because it can really go both ways lol
“Aww he so fine and sweet!!”
My gf:
“MF CALL ME A SIDE BENEFIT ONE MORE TIME” 😂
I really don’t understand why sex apparently erases wholesomeness or innocence in the minds of so many people. I don’t like what that implies.
I agree, generally. Of course sex/making love with someone you love is one of the most intimate ways you can connect with your partner, in my eyes it only makes the relationship stronger/more intimate/more vulnerable.
I think the main issue with Solas and Lavellan having sex taking away from the relationship would be about how much he lies/avoids talking about. He is the Fen'harel and thousand of years old. He caused the explosion in the conclave delibaretely to cause chaos, and a lot of people died there, some important to the Inquisition members - like divine Justinia, or Cassandra's lover. He subtly raised Lavellan to the position of the Inquisitor. The mark that caused her pains, that could eventually kill her, the one that will make her lose her hand is of his origin, his fault. He is lying about using the whole organization to his own ends, to fix the mess he caused. He is omitting his plans - the fact that the world Lavellan loves, and people she cares about will "end" and "be destroyed" whatever the hell that means, he was always so vague to her, even in the Trespasser.
By the time Crestwood happens Lavellan implies that she doesn't even know how to call them, what are they? This is why Solas brought her there, to tell her the truth about everything, see if she would accept him, and cement the relationship.
@@pativi6643 I don’t dispute any of that, nor do I have skin in the solavellan race, my issue is solely with the implications surrounding sex in general, because those attitudes contribute to harmful stigma in the real world and it matters how we talk about such things.
yeah it's not a healthy way to view sex
Amazing video ❤ Thanks!
I think they did. He was excited by the sex and deceit in the air at the Winter Palace, and I can’t see him being shy about it-especially when it comes to the fade. And add in the good natured banter with Sara and Blackwell about spirits and him messing around, and it leads me to believe all their intimate interactions were just regulated offscreen. I think if the devs had more time we we’ve gotten the romance scene we deserved, but alas, it’s probably only in fan fiction.
I'm team they didn't what it's make their relationship even more tragic. There is longing, there is physical attraction, passion but their bond is deeper than that.
My h/c is that they were both very tipsy at the winter palace and feeling the victory but it was only that one time, they had a talk about it in the morning, and just never said anything about it
I would think Solas definitely regrets that it happened when they were not sober or completely ready for it.
Lavellan is okay with it but she is also very much focused on Corypheus, distracted and probably has some things to work through before comitting to a sexual relationship.
Now she has some more things to work through but she's had 10 years to do that
Sometimes I think if my Inquisitor would have tried to get in other relationships after and how that would go
So I have a theory that if they did get in a romance, Lelianna would probably try to hush hush it after the truth came out but the rumors are already out there probably.
Would people be even more intimidated knowing she had an emotionally intimate relationship with a god? What he defines himself aside, this is how he's viewed.
I personally think Solas would probably be fine or even relieved if Lavellan sought other romances. But would people assume that he would not be okay with it?
Also how would Thedas handle the rumors that Inquisitor Lavellan had a thing with the Dread Wolf, who has been a solid menace for the past several years. Would she be a target by his enemies just cause like... He likes her?
Ah, I'm going off on a tangent now
I understand that all of this is meant to be what the player wants it to be. However, my Lavellan was risking her life every day, and if she wasn't getting adult shenanigans, she'd be mad as hell and drop him quick. Of course it's self insert, but lordy, I wouldn't put up with that from a man in any way, lol. If some forest Fade hermit was getting like "Oh no, I have a headache" every time we got close, my alarm bells would be ringing. As far as thinking he wouldn't do it because you didn't know the truth, I mean, he didn't even know he was going to get drawn in as hard as he did. That happens in relationships, it's common enough. Adult shenanigans doesn't cheapen or strengthen a relationship, IMO, though I know for some people it is that way. Think what you want, but my Solavellan was tearing it up on the regular, lol.
I'm on the "They did" side because the implications and the angsts it adds to their relationship are very interesting to me!
We know what his goal is, and how hard it is for him to make it real, especially now that he got to get attached to certain people in the Inquisition. He's been so close to spirits and the fade that Lavellan becomes his literal Anchor back to Thedas, back to what he tried to ignore to avoid any more pain.
On top of that, I let my Inquisitor drink from the Well of Sorrows, and I headcanon she was unknowingly pregnant when he left her after Inquisition. I had many thoughts for years, imagining the way that baby would be, with her mother having a part of Mythal's soul because of the Well, and his father being the literal Dread Wolf from their legends... Especially since I imagine the child to live with her mother and her close inquisition friends, and not Solas. He would be like Telemachus in the greek myths, wondering what/who is father truly is, only knowing stories about him but never meeting him (maybe that will change once The Veilguard arrives haha)
Anyway, interesting video! ♥ I love both sides because they both work and bring out another perspective to the table, especially when we'll see our Inky come back in DATV!
(Also fun fact, my Inky's name is Sulevin! ♥ haha Great day to you, if you read through this massive delulu comment, sorry! XD)
Eyy "Lavellan got pregnant before Solas left" headcanon gang ✌️😎
@@alexisdorris272 Let's go (we're terrible sdfghjk Poor Lavellan, raising a kid in this situation, with her vhenan gone TWT)
Gosh my one wish with Veilguard is that there is /somthing/ for Solevellan. Either Lavellan talking about the love she had((because my inquisitor is going to be romanced Lavellan that's my cannon) or a scene where Solas's mask slipps when he sees her in the confrontation.
Somthing ahhh
I always see the line " may the dreadwolf take you " as many things. The way he brings up here i find it hilarious. So the" take you " can mean lies as well. As fen harel lies to the dailish to trick them. And lure them away from the clan and it's rituals and it's beliefs. It can mean m***er or other things. But it's funny how he places it here. He states it as "what was the line. May the dread wolf take you ? "The she replies yeah you did. She's saying You lied to me basically. Cause that's what It can also mean. Then he hilariously goes. No I wouldn't lay with you under false pretences. And I never did. Which is why she makes kindof an awkward face. Cause it hurt her him lying . But he's taking it as a way to say physically he'd never take her under any lie. That he generally had feelings but he lied on who he was and itd be wrong to lay with her . She says " I loved " you and it breaks me. Cause the reaction is real she does love him she saw solas as solas. This was the first time he could be Solas'. No one knew he was the dread wolf. She fell for him as the person he was but. He lied about his title. She didn't know he was her clans enemy. Who she was meant to protect her clan from. Ect. But he was still "solas" . It would be interesting if he treats everything he showed her as himself as she doesn't know the real me now as a way to push her away. Or how they'll handle it in dav
Ah, decade long question) I personally prefer first option for my Solavellan based on fact my canon Inky is well in her thirties and far from being innocent in this relationship. It was more of a couple lone wolves starting it playfully and casually gradually catching unexpectedly strong feelings against their will while trauma bonding kind of romance. So rather explicit flirting followed by confessions of love and fallout following their break up would not be organic if all they had is couple kisses and modest hand holding. They would come off as to emotionally immature in their reactions if that was the case, which I find hard to believe, considering he is well in to his eight thousands😅
But the same argument applies for other option if Lavellan is very young, like eighteen-twenty young. Than it would make perfect sense to keep it purely as romantically platonic infatuation, making her fall over hills with heightened passion of youth for mysterious stranger due to lack of experience, and him keeping it in his pants because she is a literal child compared to him and that kind of intimacy can mess her up real bad.
When I played DAV on release I was intrigued by Solas as explorer of the Fade but was super put-off by his dismissal of the Dalish who try and keep their culture afloat after centuries of opression. I kinda liked other options, but none gripped me, then technical difficulties happened and I never got further than the Fade after strating 2 more times with more issues. Then my saves got wiped by EA and I got even more put off finishing the game for several more years
Then the Dreadwolf announcement happened and everyone buzzed with discussions about Solas, which is when I found out the big twist of Solas. Super intrigued, but with all the layoffs I didnt think the game would come out.
With the announcement trailer I went right in and PAYED ATTENTION. And every time the Dread Wolf was mentioned I looked at Solas like "hm? wanna say anything?"
And the romance took me fully by surprise and by storm. The growth? My characters are always curious and NPCs often explaining things a lot as a way of telling things to player, but Solas was written in a way that HE liked sharing the information. The way spirits opened up from a completely new side- when he talks about spirits coming and going freely in Haven and you've only ever seen demons you're like "ooook buddy, whatever you say 👀". But then you meet Cole, and they bond, and at one point in Tresspasser Cole even shouts "they dont understand! He doesnt want to hurt people! Solas is not that kind of wolf!" and Ive read all the tablets in Emerald Graves where it said that elves used to have companion wolves like Fereldenians have mabari
And Im kind of glad I was spoiled because it kept me focused on sometimes tedious amount of lore texts in DA, and I saw just HOW DEEP the relationship goes, both in Solavellan's personalities AND the way history repets itself: Fade and Reaity, wolf and elven protector, the Dreamer and the Inquisitor (I want to try completing Hakkon before Corephius just to see if anyone would say anything different, cuz when Ameridan says "find joy where you can" and Lavellna JUST lost Solas I was losing my mind).
I don't think they did it. I think they slept together (non-innuendo) as a way to explore the Fade, and never discussed their relationship the way ppl don't sometimes, especially in tight knot groups, especially when there's a fear of rejection.
I also LOVE a theory some people's headcanon that "May the Dread Wolf take you" initially had "and keep you safe" at the end because he was the protector but everyone forgot (just as the forgot Ameridan and will forget Lavellan) 😭
I’ll be very interested to see if the Solas romance has an ending or any mention of what became of him and the inquisitor. I romanced him even knowing the outcome cause I wanted to feel that pain. My main romance is Cullen and the two romances are so vastly different and absolutely charming. I doubt we will get any physical scenes between solas and the inquisitor.. and I am 100 percent okay with that. His romance has so much depth as is 😂 ugh
I've definitely seen people interpret the trespasser line "I wouldn't lay with you under false pretenses" as he wouldn't sleep with you while deceiving you therefore nothing happened. My personal opinion is based on the writers intention, and I feel like they purposefully wrote it so that either could be true. My inky definitely banged though.
"touch-starved wolf" I can't 🤣🤣 There's actually a tag on Ao3 that says something similiar. I also wholeheartly agree with the "They didn't". Also everything you said about what their romance is about - I see that portrayed in SO many fanfics.
touch-starved-wolf is such a perfect way to describe him 😭
They totally did it. Bioware were just too classy to show anything as it wasn't that type of romance.
Not me rebooting just to romance my man again ❤😂😭😭😭
Hello hello, I love Solas as a companion and hope that my first playthrough is from the standpoint of redemption, but I've only romanced him once. Since there is already at least one child at play, it's super awesome that that could be possible even if it isn't likely. My favorite romance is Josie, but now I have to find the video that explains that part of the game. My biggest concern is Varric, I'm really worried Thedas' greatest storyteller is going to need to be avenged.
Honestly I feel theres the tension to be something more but, him hiding his true self was holding him back and he didn’t want to hurt Lavellan in the sense she was lied to about who he is (which kind of failed).
But, with her knowing know now and him still being distance is what hurts her that she is willing to throw away everything for him/his love and he still doesn’t want to commit due to fear of rejection until he was ready. And I think everything he was planning was complete then he would try to come back for her.
How? She and her world would be dead?
I am surprised people are debating this at all. Dragon Age may not always be explicit sexually (Veilguard is so horribly vanilla it's painful) but if you play all the games it is always abundantly clear, when you and your chosen one "do the deed", even if it's just Emmrich offering you breakfast in a coffin after your exertions. Solas is so emotionally dramatic he probably contemplates one lovemaking session for the next century. A few kisses with Lavellan, and he remembers her for years and almost changes his plans for world domination. I think that's why he knows he can't sleep with her. Because he wouldn't be able to stop that wave, he wouldn't be able to think coolly about his plans anymore, and his focus would move towards love and serving Lavellan. In fact, Solas is kind of physically hesitant and he even states things are easier for him in the Fade. And he is so afraid of how his love for Lavellan changes him, he can't even stomach Fade intimacy. Them NOT doing it is the point of this romance being about so much more than sex.
Cullen is my favorite romance in DAI,Alistair in DAO and Fenris in DA2 :)..He says he never went all the way because he wasn't being honest with you or something along those lines..I only romanced him twice ..I do not remember the exact words.
The Inquisitors serving man Solas!
Just makes me laugh in that let’s just say he told Lavellan and she accepted him there is no one that can match him, no matter what they’ve accomplished no matter their title duke empress etc.
He is fen’harel an elven “god”
Surprised some thought this was ambiguous, it never seemed that way to me. To my mind, it's all very "courtly love" and that's the appeal. If he had been intimate with her, without being honest about who and what he was, that would be something darker and wholly unappealing. It wouldn't be love.
LADY SULEVIN!!!! DROP THE CRESTWOOD ANALYSIS AND MY LIFE IS YOURS 😭🙏🙏
ma nuvemin, da'len 🐺
I know it's "canon" that they didn't, but in *my* canon they definitely did
I don’t believe it’s confirmed cannon either way. Weeks seems to have written it to have been intentionally ambiguous and up to player interpretation
frankly i love that this is still something that can be debated so long after inquisition's release, and the fact that it's really up to each individual person's preference and perspective!
i for one am a "they absolutely did" truther, but specifically because of that scene on the balcony in the winter palace. i was surprised to not see it mentioned, actually! it's the one scene where we really see solas take the initiative, clearly swayed by the night and his own pleasure to be back at court, even if it's not HIS court. he's the one who approaches lavellan, he's the one who reaches out to touch her back (!!!) as he offers her support, and he's the one who proposes they dance "before the band stops playing." he seems so happy in that moment, genuinely, carefree in a way i don't think we really see him get to be again. it's the one time he lets himself reach for lavellan without hesitation, completely unprompted, and it's the one time we're allowed a glimpse into the private intimacy they have, and what it might look like when we can't see it. ugh, it's so short but i love the winter palace dance scene. "before the band stops playing, dance with me." solas knows his time in the inquisition won't last, the truth will come out eventually, and his time with lavellan will be over. dance with me, before we can't anymore. IT KILLS ME.
While I wish I could bring in all the choices I made in previous games I understand why they don't. The amount of spiderwebbing that would occur after 3 previous games would cause certain parts of the development effort to be like 7x more. It was never a sustainable endeavor. That being said.... I really hope there are a lot of choices to be made in this and future games as you said... even if they don't amount to anything they still happened and matter to you.
Interesting that actually solas and josephine are my favourite romances
My favorite topic, Solavellan 😍 I think they did not do it, but they would have gotten there if Solas just stayed and put his plans aside. There is passion between them, but the deeper kind of it. They really love each other in such a pure way :‘) I really hope that there will be some kind of happy ending for Lavellan and Solas. Would break my heart into a million pieces if she can‘t save him.
My joke answer is that Solas is a virgin
My real answer (and bear in mind that I’ve never romanced Solas and tbh I don’t really intend to) is that they didn’t do it because Solas can’t bring himself to be intimate with someone that he’s actively lying to.
Merrill also screams May the Dread Wolf take you to enemies in battle, so the sexual part I thonk it's bot yhere traditionally 😊
I can see both sides to the arguement but the joke she makes about being taken by the dread wolf makes me believe they did.
You wouldnt use the words "to lay with someone" in any other context other than having sex it just doesnt make sense.
She is literally making a joke of the word "take and to be taken by him", if he was merely talking about her heart or trust he would not use the word lay he is simply saying that in those moments he was Solas and that he did not decieve or trick her into sex as he really does love her.
To say I wouldnt have sex with you even though we didnt have sex is such a bizarre choice of words 😂
Lets not forget that Solas was a last minute decision to be romanceable in the game which is another reason its not as detailed as say Cullens, im sure if they had more time then his romance would of been like the others.
Also you're telling me that a man so set on destroying the world and unshaken on the path he must walk was about to be undone by 1 kiss (exlcuding the fade and crestwood) and that he loved her so deeply after the balcony scene he was ready to throw it all away? Nah theres no way.
Solas prides himself in being right, that he cannot trust anyone but himself yet this mortal elf takes him by surprise, she changed his view on the living people of the present world, she tempted him and i imagine he was selfish in the attention she gave him allowing for moments of passion.
No doubt he hated himself afterwards but hes still flesh and blood and to have a woman who willingly seeks him out whether it be for stories or guidance is simply a temptation even the Dread Wolf could not resist.
💯
i see solavellan i click
I've been in relationships where we dramatically talk about sex we didn't have as a sort of in-joke, playing up our roles like we are characters in a bodice-ripper. Their romantic banter definitely comes off to me as a sort of similar playful theatrics.
Do the community have a discord for when Veilguard get us all by surprise?
What if they did do it, but only in the Fade?))
I think they did, but I’ve also thought that maybe they got frisky in the Fade even if they didn’t do anything in real life. 😂
They talked about having sex more than once-plus this whole “oh it was an emotional connection and that’s so beautiful” or that he stopped himself before it crossed some kind of threshold is such a gross and immature argument. Sex doesn’t cheapen emotional connections, and a lot of times it can deepen them. It also doesn’t permanently bond you to someone lol if love is there he crossed that threshold regardless and sex is irrelevant. I think the point is that the sex wasn’t that important to the story, not that it didn’t happen. Plus the “getting you into bed” and “I would never lay with you” lines are cringe at best if it never happened.
And a lot of times it can cheapen them, especially with a character defined by denying his physical desires who prefers to focus on spiritual matters.
"Getting you into bed" feels like it is supposed to be cringe, like the other times the facade almoat drops.
"I would never lay with you..." makes sense as "I refused that because I cannot be committed to you."
You are correct that the love is itself a boundary that was crossed, but that's Solas being wrong in not recognizing that fact.
All in all, intentional ambiguity.
you're correct, i think the extreme reactions here show a level of s-xual dysfunction in the general populace (the idea that s-x cheapens a relationship is wild - like maybe it does for you, but for me personally i only have s-x with people i love and adore and s-x has only ever deepened the bond between us). emotional connections are deepened by s-x when people are in love, not made lesser by it. like sure if you guys were in a casual relationship, s-x would cheapen and even taint the relationship due to the manipulative nature of it (the relationships was about s--x not love so the relationship being about love would be a lie), but there is nothing casual about solas and lavellan, (unless your lavellan was using him for s-x which is definitely possible, but solas wouldn't do that, it's literally not in his character. he's not written that way).
that is why i can also see solas NOT wanting to have s-x - to not deepen further something that was already way deep, way fast (lol). solas knew she deserved someone who wouldn't leave her and didn't want to tie them together further. but to me that's not necessarily as romantic as them doing it, it seems like a fckboy move, because they're already in love so the boundary has already been crossed, and not deepning that bond through s-x is a huge missed opportunity for the tragic romance we all love so much. but i can also see it on the other side too, him having s-x with her and dumping her is a horrible thing to do ((but that also is assuming solas only wanted to bang and go which goes against his character, it's much more romantic to assume he is in love w her no matter what option u choose). so it can go both ways. the emotional connection is there whether they did it or not, unless OUR lavellan was using HIM.
but yes, the reactions to the idea of them having s-x are more telling of the interpreter than the characters themselves. i think there is a lot of projecting of personal traumas around s-x onto whatever choice is being made (if there are extreme emotions or beliefs involved on the player's part).
@@thomaswillard6267 it CAN cheapen a relationship, that doesn’t mean it DOES. You’re approach is very childish. If Solas set a boundary “this relationship I would prefer to keep emotional” or something, fine, but he already crossed that boundary by discussing sexual things with Lavellan. You can argue oh those dialogues aren’t there if you don’t pick them, but that requires meta gaming and the fact is they’re there. The problem isn’t they have sex, the problem is, if that was a boundary of his, he needed to state that. But no, he consistently flirted in a sexual way. His whole character revolves around his impeccable integrity and just randomly pretending like you’re gonna sleep with some chick without intending that, ruins his integrity and character.
@@carlyofearth I just don’t like people acting like sex makes the relationship worse. The physical aspect never seemed important to Solas (as compared to Fenris or Astarion, for example), so idk why it matters. It wasn’t that important to Solas, and that’s fine.
@@thomaswillard6267 I mean, and can you imagine her response? How could she believe anything? “Oh he was just manipulating me?” I don’t think he was doing that, but that’s what she would think, if he flirted sexually with her then left. How humiliating
I’m in solavellan hell with all the rest of you…but are we forgetting that he is choosing to end her world (and her) by taking down the fade? When he says “I’ll never forget you” he’s saying that becuase he is immortal and will eventually kill her
I feel called out lol
The issue with romance in these games though is there are a lot of people out there that think romance means sex. You can be romantic with someone without having sex and you can have romance with sex. But some of these people literally think if there is no sex, then there is no romance. Things like this are why there are issues when you bring up romance in games like Hogwarts Legacy too and get called a Pedo. People assume you mean sex, when you have people like me thinking more along the lines of wondering Hogsmede holding hands, or giving the guy or gal you like a gift. lol
I'm still 50/50 on it and can't decide for the life of me, even 9 years later, and it's eating at me because I have fanfiction tl write ffs!! 😭
I'm 10000% sure they didn't because he said, "I would not lay with you under false pretenses" He didn't sleep with her
I, personally, am on team They Didn't. I imagine they may have had stolen moments of intimacy, but I don't believe Solas would have let it progress to full consummation, for lack of a better term.
I do find it fascinating that many understood the Trespasser scene as an acknowledgement that they did, in fact, have all out sex because my read of it was always that he was insisting he did not and would not lay with her unless she knew the truth. All of it. I think you did a fair job of explaining the reasoning behind those who see it as an admission of his love being genuine, so much so that it wasn't a violation of trust, so well done you!
Consent is such an important matter to me. I will always love that Trick took the steps to give we, the players, the agency to decide what we would or would not have seen as a lack of consent in this matter. It turned something potentially distasteful to me into something nuanced and well written. In fact, iirc, I didn't romance Solas until after Trespasser dropped, because I heard about the dialogue and felt so relieved by its addition that I felt comfortable enough to play through the game, Solavellan style, lol. It is not my canon Inquisition run - or, well, as close as I get to them anyway - despite The Iron Bull being my all time favorite LI. (Don't come after me, Solas is a VERY close second!!!)
It's why, heading into DAV, I'll be going with a Solavellan Inquisitor and not a Bull Rider: I am 100% satisfied with my IB runs. Whereas there is still so much more need for closure - good or bad (good, I hope, please BW!) - with Solavellan. And no, that doesn't mean I think this Romance should get all of BW's attention or that I feel any other Inquisitor choice is invalid, an argument flung about more times than I can count.
It simply means I have an ongoing emotional investment in my Solas romancing Lavellan that I don't have with my other Inqs, Hawkes or HoF's, with whom I feel satisfied and happy with their conclusions and only peripheral mention in proceeding games.