There is also a lore entry in the Fade called "Whispers Written in Red Lyrium We are here We have waited We have slept We are sundered We are crippled We are polluted We endure We wait We have found the dreams again We will awaken"
I’ve always thought that the idea of the idol corrupting even Solas was a good one. As if it hungers for more and more powerful hosts. First Bartrand then Meredith, then Tevinter Nights and finally Solas. It will have a significant role in DA Dreadwolf I’m sure. I’m pretty sure Varric will appear at some point as well and just fire of a crossbow bolt right through it
I remember that horrible eew feeling when Varric intended to keep a fragment of the idol (can't remember exactly why now, might have been to sell) after Bartrand got corrupted by it. I never even considered Solas could be affected. Wow what a thought. Like bad Superman. I am looking forward to seeing Solas flex a bit and show us more of that power. I love his character whatever direction he goes
It would make a lot of sense for Solas to be corrupted, because bringing down the veil seems like such a monumentally bad idea otherwise. Especially if it's what's sealing the blight away.
@@vanyadolly I did already think he might want to use the red lyrium to somehow boost his power, but I assumed he might be immune to the mental effects of getting corrupted. The addiction. The lust for more power etc. But a demented power hungry Solas would be...interesting
My personal theory is the titan Mythal struck down was killed with a weapon forged in/from the Void, similar to the armour which sent Andruil mad. The interaction between the void-crafted weapon and the lyrium at the moment of the titan's death corrupted the lyrium, causing what we know as 'blight'. This was part of the reason Solas chose to create the veil - not only to seal away the Evanuris, but also to seal the blight, so it couldn't spread through the physical world. When the Magisters Sidreal breached the fade, they also breached the place where the blight was sealed - the black/golden city - and in doing so, unleashed it upon the world.
I’ve always been surprised that I’ve never seen any theories or comments thinking that red lyrium is simply the coagulated blood of the dead titan? The dwarves of said titan inadvertently becoming the first darkspawn by simply continuing their usual activities tending to a dead titan. Hence the taint from darkspawn and red lyrium being the same yet different… one is blood from the dead titan, the other from the corrupted blood of said titans dwarves
Lyrium its titans "blood". It appeared when the elfs ended then The ones that became the elven gods(solas and flemeth included). Red lyrium its lirium tainted by the dark spawn taint. That happened before the creation of the veil, thats why it exist in here and in the fade.
@@TragoudistrosMPH Just play inquisition and the dlcs and pay attention. What i say its ther real cannon. Solas was the one who created the veil, becouse the elven gods that were just powerfull elven mages where enslaving the elfs, and fighting in wars. Just him (that refused to be called god so he was called the wolf), and mythal (flemeth) that really cared for the elves. Then the oter gods gangbang on flemeth and kinda killed her, solas got pissed and created the veil to lock then in the oter side. Befora that they could reach for the fade for power rright there. I dont really understood why he want to break it now. Those elfs that self proclaimend thenselves gods killed teh titans (that were kinda the creators of dwarves and the material), and they blood its lyrim (that was before the creation of the veil, that why lyrium its found in bot places) And by the way the elves hated humans becouse they tought humans made then mortal, but it was solas and the veil that cut then from the fate (their original birth plane)
@@ArantyrDarkhand He mentions how he woke to feel as though he was in a world of Tranquil, and his entire culture raped and destroyed...this is his chance to fix everything...by tearing down the Veil. Of course, just like when he created the Veil, Solas cannot know what could happen by tearing it down. In trying to save his People, heck, he could lead to them becoming extinct...imagine the floodgates of their minds being ripped open but immense power, their heads could explode for all we know lmao😂😅😬💀
Evanuris killed lots of Titans. I think that the Red One below Free Marches came to be when Evanuris tried to control it with blood magic. Then Mythal moved it's heart to the Golden City (the codex entry about Evanuris' hybris) which was corrupted by it (we see Black City in the background with a red orb which represent Titan heartsin the foreground on one of the frescoes in Tresspasser). That's why the Red Titan is dormant. It also explains how imprisoned Evanuris are tied to Blight and archdemons.
Also I think that Red Lyrium is not tainted but the very source of Taint. Normal lyrium can't be contaminated by Taint and darkspawn have lived in Theigs for eons so there should be much more Red Lyrium if it just gets tainted like every other living thing.
@@DmitryAvenicci You could be right. Lyrium is Titan blood. Titans were the architectures of Thedas and their hearts are literally the Fade. I would say the ancient elves used some kind of a bioweapon, a pleague or something to kill the Titans and that is corrupting their hearts and their blood.
@@Zappina Probably the void. That'd be a tidy way to tie everything together. The Evanuris made weapons out of the void like Andruil did, they killed a Titan with it, its lyrium became blighted, then they started using the red lyrium on their slaves, then Solas leads the slave revolt.
Words cannot describe how excited I am for DA: Dreadwolf, started on Inquisition then went back to the other games to learn all the lore and such and damnit I just want this game to be out already
Red lyrium reminds me of a fungus. The cordycepts fungus infects ants and controls their minds so it can die in a decent environment for the spreading of the fungus. The infection of red lyrium through food is like the spores of a fungus and can remain dormant for extended periods of time until the conditions are right and then spreads/grows quickly.
I seem to remember Solas commenting on the blight or red Lyrium. To which he likens to drinking from a poisoned chalice of wine. And calls anyone who thinks to use it safely a fool. So with this comment in mind I wonder why hes so eager to find the red lyrium idol.
Like many powerful, arrogant mages "only I am capable of safely wielding this power" which immediately becomes "oh no, I have been corrupted too!" once they get their hands on it. Like when The Guardian in World of Warcraft uses Fel. Quickly becomes consumed by it and turns into a demon. It's a trope, but tropes are tropes because they're good enough plots to reuse.
@@Pro_Butcher_Amateur_Human good point, but there is more to it than that. Solas literally means arrogance. Or pride. Can't remember but it's one of those. And he seems stubbornly set in his ways. Almost as if he were a spirit and not a man. Then from the literary standpoint, he's written as a trickster god. Prometheus, Loki, Lucifer, all archetypical trickster gods. They act without considering consequences. After all, this is the man that gave the orb to coropheus. He'd sacrifice anything, even himself if he thought it would achieve his goal, and that's a dangerous mindset to have when you have no consideration for consequences.
@@blakec8549 That's exactly why he's the sort of character that would fall prey to that trap. He would believe that only he could wield the Red Lyrium Idol without being corrupted, and if he thought he needed it he wouldn't hesitate. As we saw, he gave his Orb to Corypheus to unlock, rather than just wait for his strength to recover from his long sleep. He's arrogant, and not as strong as he thinks he is. That's a dangerous combination, because it means he'll try to handle things he definitely cannot control. He would sacrifice himself to achieve his goal, I think. I just think he'll make a mistake about how to reach his goal, and be corrupted by Red Lyrium before he can do it. He has to fail somehow, or Dreadwolf will end with "and then the world is destroyed". Him getting corrupted and the player having to fight a Red Lyrium infested Dread Wolf would make sense, and be a good end to the game.
@@Pro_Butcher_Amateur_Human I hope that fight takes place in the golden city. My only major gripe with inquisition is the fact that the golden city was reachable to both the hero and the villain and neither of them went
I think the idol can be used to control the spread of red lyrium. That's probably why it is spreading more rapidly in the DA4 teasers. Solas probably plans to use the magic gathered in the red lyrium across Thedas to tear down the veil, and he needs the idol to direct that magical energy. Good thing my Hero of Ferelden is returning to Thedas with the cure for the taint. After stopping by Weisshaupt to help solve their problems, he'll return to Ferelden and use the cure to nullify the red lyrium. Thus indirectly helping to foil Solas' plans. I mean, BioWare wouldn't leave that massive plot thread hanging, right? RIGHT?!
@@doodtheman2508 Maybe, maybe not. If the possibly dead person has a replacement, then they are more likely to bring the character back. A dead Hero has the Orlesian Warden-Commander to fill in. And the cure quest needs to be resolved anyway, so the Hero is a necessary return. Even a dead Hero should have a tomb/shrine at Weisshaupt. So there is every reason to bring the Hero back.
I'm almost certain we will deal with a red lyrium pandemic in DA:D. The famous "hopefully romancable" tree with blighted roots, the castle filled with this stuff, weird Solas' voice in the first teaser - all this makes me think it will get out of control on a large scale.
The blight is probably a result of Mythal being forced to possess a titan. A similar thing happened in Origins with Lady and Witherfang. A spirit put into something results in a disease that spreads through blood and gives the infected traits resembling the thing involved. Darkspawn are weredragons. Reavers have the same aggression problem Darkspawn do also.
Zathrian specifically summoned the spirit into the wolf to create a curse, though, and cast a spell with his own blood. There are spirits possessing things all over Thaedas, and aside from those two examples, none of them seem to be spreading disease. Not saying I know better, but I'm not sure that holds up.
@@vanyadolly Per Grim Anatomy, possession causes a physical change in a being's internals. Their blood is specifically mentioned. And we see the mutations abominations (the enemy type) undergo. Since Titans are apparently big enough to house biomes, and lyrium is their blood, possessing one would effect their blood. And then, unlike just some random possessed human, that altered blood enters the surroundings and people end up ingesting it. Now, does possession result in something contagious in other beings? No. But Titans are special, having some kind of intrinsic tie to the physical world. Which is why lyrium enhances magic while simultaneously giving tamplars the ability to makes things "more real" (per Cole), tldr: TItans are weird, so possessing them has weird knock on effects.
@@AlleluiaElizabeth not the theory I would go with but I can see it working. I lean more towards a pissed off titan possessing everything it can get a hold of.
Didn't Architect wanted everyone to become Grey Wardens (or at least to undertake the Joining), so freed Darkspawns and taint-resistant (not immune ofc) beings could coexist in peace? With the taint literally in the food chain, he might get his way after all
Was playing today and was talking to ms. Seeker and cass said that she always wondered if mages could undergo the process to avoid becoming demons. Grey wardens could be the same way ?
What interests me is how certain characters seem to have an innate resistance to red lyrium like Samson, likely Meredith, and (even though it's not mentioned anywhere but if you do CoTJ he looks normal even though he's obviously been drinking red lyrium) Knight-Captain Denam. It would make sense that red lyrium resistance = blight resistance, and what is extra interesting is that none of the three were Grey Wardens, just normal templars. I kind of doubt they'll go into this more, at least from the templars' side (since the Order is dead in most game states), but a man can dream... and speculate on his own.
This video has earned you a subscribe from me I didn't know ow who you ere but the way you explain things and your theories are chef's kiss. Imagine the red lyrics idol being the key that releases the other evanuris
Titans came before the Elves and the Veil by an order of magnitude, it's likely that at some point, the blight infected a titan. The result was red lyrium. The blight is probably an infectious magic from the void. Combine it all together and you get the concept of an eater of worlds.
May I recommend that those of you who haven't, read "The Dread Wolf Take You" by Patrick Weekes? It's the last short story in "Tevinter Nights". It explains a lot and gives you way more context about Solas and the idol.
Thedas is a very dangerous place to live. For me, I think that until Hawk's cursed adventure, red lyrium was contained like a dangerous strain of virus in a freezer somewhere long forgotten by the living, and well protected by scary monsters possessed by demons, aka double bubble. Damn Hawk's killing efficiency he managed to bring it to the surface. I think we should treat red lyrium in a very similar way to viruses. That means proper isolation etc. understanding where it came from and how it works is in my understanding as dangerous yet useful as studying live darkspawn. At the end of the day, some people like to kill the nearest darkspawns/archdemon recruit some more people, repeat or however Blackwall put it. Studying it could yield excellent long term solutions but is rather a risky venture. Personally, I think red lyrium danger will eventually die out as more people figure out the hard way how crazy dangerous it is. The most dangerous thing to people in thedas will be as it always was other people in thedas. nice video!
Had a thought while watching, and wanted to write it out, lest I forget it. Is it possible that Red Lyrium existed, as you said, far back in ancient times, and was later discovered and used as the catalyst for the Tevinter Magisters breaching the fade? Maybe that's how the Blights as we know them got started. If Red Lyrium is just Lyrium infected with Blight, that infection could be the reason it spread so strongly into Corypheus and his contemporaries, and turned them into the original Darkspawn. As I said, just a passing thought.
I feel like the reason things were different with Meredith is that she had the idol itself, likely the source of or last remnant of red lyrium, and cuz she never consumed it but instead kept it on her person as a sword. Similarly with Bartrand. It seems that the consumption is what's needed for it to grow and outside of that it messes with the minds of those around it.
I saw you playing kotor 1. Playing that game in 2022 is gonna be tough lol. Some people are kinda nostalgic about that game. It's a good game.But it's like mass effect 1 in how clunky it is to play. Kotor 2 on the other hand is THE ACTUAL SHIT. It's still a little clunky but it's way better and the story is just SOOOOOOOOOOOO good. It's my favorite of the 2 by a mile. I was going to recommend that instead of swtor given you like single player games. But i figured you'd get around to it. Good luck.
20k subs in less than a year. =) Talking about dragon age, a game that hasn't had an installment in 10 years. Amazing. You are a god at this. I don't know why you stopped but if it makes you happy I'm glad you did. i am grateful that I was here to see and hear you do your thing and I only hope whatever is in store for you in the future is nothing but happiness and success.
The elves mined lyrium from titans deep in the earth. They found something that the Evanuris could "unleash" in their "greed." They wrote: "Let no one wake its anger." Collapsing all the entrances to the deep roads. My personal belief is that red lyrium was found. That it is powerful and can be used, but it uses and turns everything in to it creating more batteries. Ones that the Evanuris (elven gods) can use. I believe the idol is the key to that power. I would like to point out the figures in the idol look a lot like Solas mourning Flemeth from the after-credits scene of Dragon Age Inquisition. Also, i love your content!
Solas needs the idol because he can no longer use the power of his orb to accomplish his personal mission. Thus he needs a power boost from somewhere. Of course other theories could be right either instead or as well...
Personally, I think the blight is the decay in the blood and body of a slain Titan. If lyrium existed before the Fade, it may be a substance that caused the Fade to exist in the first place as we see the presence of red lyrium has an effect on the mental health of those in the surrounding area, most likely due to the effects of the connection of lyrium into the Fade and the blight's effects on the lyrium itself. Basically lyrium provides the conduit to spread insanity into the minds of those in the area through the Fade and dreams while the blight affects the physical body in the material plane. If that is the case, Solas' plan to pull away the Veil will most likely cause the blight to spread more quickly
Makes me kinda think that if the idol is Solas'. The figure on it, is Mythal... And maybe not just a weapon but also a key, maybe to the black city. Corypheus and gang went up there, and got roughhouse ejected with the old gods, coming back blighted, like red lyrium.
Anyone remember when the Inquisitor and Dorian were accidentally sent into the future and the people are used to farm Red Lyrium? I'm surprised my companions weren't corrupted for many years. And it had me thinking that that Idol might be special because it caused Meredith and Bertrand to go crazy or maybe just intensified their inner feelings.
I still think the origin of the Blight begins with the Profane. Their codex entry describes a people that became so hungry, they turned and devoured their god. The only place the Profane exist is in the forgotten thaig. Consuming Red Lyrium is, as you discussed, the main form of it spreading in other people. The Profane are probably the first dwarves before the veil was created that split them from their connection to the Titans. It probably had a different effect on them. But them eating the Titan probably turned the blood into blighted lyrium. When Solas put up the Veil, it split spirit and body from basically everything in the world to varying degrees. I think that also split the red lyrium into a physical form and a fade form. When the Magisters ripped open the veil and stepped into the Golden City, what they actually did was end up right where the red lyrium was sealed off in the fade, and it infected them. Solas, after all, seems to grasp what it is and how dangerous it is. Probably why he hates the Grey Wardens so much. So the real question is, how did the blighted magisters end up creating an actual army of darkspawn? That's a bit of a mystery. It's not like the magisters just left the fade, ended up in a thaig in the deep roads, and just started blighting everyone and everything around. We also only know of two magisters that were around in Dragon Age, and both were completely addled when they became aware. Which, apparently, happened over a thousand years after they ended up in the Fade. So where are the other magisters? Why did it take so long for Corypheus and the Architect to regain awareness? Were they doing anything before then, or just laying in a ditch somewhere? It's all very mysterious, and definitely strong evidence that the magisters didn't cause the blight, but they might have woken it up.
It’s theorized that at least one was a female and became the first brood mother as the dark spawn were around for years before they full on attacked the dwarves
I kinda think that the whole "trickster traps the pantheon to steal their power" story about the dread wolf is a corruption and combination of two stories that were separated by hundreds (at least) of year. Story 1: Whatever Solas was before sundering the Fade and the waking world, in retaliation for Mythal's betrayal Story 2: One of the magisters realising the potential power of the Blight, and tricking the others into being sealed away in sleep, in order to keep the power for themselves Add a few hundred years of those being passed down via oral tradition (with, perhaps, some opportunistic editing by the fledgling chantry) and BAM!, messed up mythic version of real events
If we take "you are what you eat" and apply it to this it makes a lot of sense. Dwarves ate their Titan, then the veil split them from their Titan. So they lose part of themselves
A minor thing that may be relevant: lyrium ostensibly serves as the veins of the Titans. Consumption of regular lyrium results in significant cognitive decline within anyone who uses it (except, perhaps the player characters, because reasons.) This implys that the biology of those who have utilized the substance for its beneficial qualities were never meant to do so, as it is basically poison. The corrupted lyrium, at least to me, suggests that the Titans are susceptible to the blight, and the red templars are them in microcosm.
I have to wonder how the elves had such powerful magic without lyrium... and suddenly I'm terrified of a Mass Effect 3 style coloured ending. Blue magic - dwarven, lyrium based, titan blood, used for runecrafting. Red magic - blood and blight, a kind of organic corrupted magic that seems to originate from the Fade. Green magic - pure elven magic, mystical and powerful, untethered by ingredient-based rituals.
I mean...at least that version would make sense, and ALL of those versions have pretty huge downsides. Blue: very limited, would lead to hoarding magic. LOTS of war Red: More useable, but heavily rooted in ritual and blood. would lead to an even more brutal setting. Green: more accessible, but also way easier to lose control of. Like a constant, low level version of the Fade, but everywhere. Liches and Abominations abound, likely leading to mass culling of anyone born with "the gift"
I've always like the idea of being a mage who uses Red Lyriym in the games but doesn't become corrupted by it! Kinda like how Shepard didn't become indoctrinated despite being around reapers!
Nah he definately did. Still a strong believer of the indoctrination theory. Only way Shepard could survive, which he clearly did in the destruction ending
Frankly Bioware would be stupid to throw that theory out of the window. The fans came up with a theory that not only salvaged the ending but lifted it up to one of the biggest and most clever plottwist in the history of gaming. It changed the ending from dumb to genious and left the possibility for a sequel open. The fans did their work for them and I don't know why they don't capitalize on it.
9:46 - there's 3 figures. The lovers and their betrayer? Ancient love triangle? (only because the female figure is embracing both of them) The figure behind also does not look infected or dead compared to the front 2 figures...he even has ears.
Solas had the orb so the other elven gods could have had there own focus items the idol could be mythal's depicting a mother holding a child then when the blight infected it it's appearance changed to what we see. The reason solas says it's his is because he has mythal's power and the idol calls out for it 2 halfs of one whole.
first time we learned that lyrium is the blood of the titans, the first conclusion was that, somewhere out there, there is a titan with the blight it may be the origin of the blight, but i doubt it because since it was discovered in DA 2, it has just spread like wild fire everywhere i think the idol wasn't always red, it belonged to solas and it had most of the powers it already does, but it got corrupted later on
I definitely think it could be a huge threat. Assuming Bianca is correct and it's lyruim infected by the blight I definitely see it being problematic when the next blight happens.
Mark my words, the idol is actual the first time red lyrium has appeared. One of my theories is that the taint was a byproduct of powerful magic that created veil and the idol was tainted during the process The second theory is that Solas Borrowed the power of taint through red lyrium to lock the Elvish gods behind the veil in Golden City and Corypheus released this force while trying to reach the golden city.
I'm betting that the idol is the origin point that creates and links to all other red lyrium. When the dread wolf uses it he can draw upon all of the collective power of this red lyrium network as a magical fuel source to tear down the veil.
i always thought red lyrium was lyrium that had contracted the blight but maybe red lyrium is actually the source of the blight, corrupted when the titan was killed
Falon'Din and his brother was my first thought. If Solas killed one of the brothers, or corrupted one to force his demise, Falon'Din would have/should have the ability to change the idol into a weapon that he could use to hunt Solas.
Can't say for certain which really came first; the Blight or Red Lyrium. I honestly don't think Red Lyrium could predate the Elven Kingdom. I mean, there's just not nearly enough lore to support that theory. It just seems to me when the blight was brought along with the Darkspawn at the start of the First Blight, that seems like the earliest indication when Lyrium became corrupted. Though I suppose there's something missing here. As for that idol, that thing has been nothing but one giant pain in the arse. Yet, if the teasers are right, perhaps it'll have a more significant use. Until then, I would hate to see it in my sight again.
I will say the Blight came first but not because of red lyrium. Solas put the veil up as a way imprison the Elvunaris after Mythal was murdered. In doing so, he has inadvertently caused the ancient elves to age and deteriorate until they’re just a shadow of what was. The real question is what was the original date of the red lyrium even discovered because this stuff doesn’t just come out of nowhere. We could potentially discover when blood magic became a thing and maybe as to why Solas is very disgusted (more so than others) by it but only by his reasoning. He’s right that magic is magic, I don’t disagree with this. I’m curious as to the why he doesn’t condone the use of blood magic at all using this line of thought.
It makes me wonder if the idol is a focus created from the heart of a titan which was later infected maybe during a certain goddesses vacation to the void
I always wondered what the difference was between red and blue Lyrium. When I played DA2 For the first time, I was very confused to see that the red kind existed.
Aww, you called Meredith's death tragic :') I found her terrifying and a fascinating character (though I was totally a blood mage, haha). Meredith was worthy of some respect!
I'm not very versed in DA lore but I've spent some time playing and this topic intrigues me. So here's my question: Is it too absurd to consider that red lyrium might be the dreams or passions of the tranquil resurfacing in a currupted and unhinged manner? Normal lyrium provides magic-like power to non-mages who can not draw them from the fade as mages do. So there might be some connection between lyrium and the fade in terms of consistency. Maybe the fade is getting corrupted by all the abandoned dreams/ emotions of the mages in Thedas. If I recall correctly there was talk about undoing the rite of tranquility at the End of DA:I - could be a hint that someone already figured this out and is working on solving the issue. Maybe all of this has already been theorized and/ or dismissed.
It does bring into question just how toxic it is. Varric is scared that even touching it can corrupt you (then we're tasked with kicking them lmao) but codex's focus on consuming it. It's connection to the fade is perhaps where all the truth lies, as it basically makes the user a blend of fade terror and organic object/person.
Well as with everything an investigation of the symptoms of red lyrium as well as known idols would tell some ideas/features/symptoms etc, however, to truly understand what RL is it we would need to know its history. Where does it come from and when did it appear the first time? I have a theory but what if RL is actually lyrium infused with blood and much more specifically a very original blood, the blood of the maker. We know the blight is connected with RL and we know the Maker is "The wellspring of all" and Andraste's mate. We also know RL has power and it is a curse and blooms everywhere almost like a spring. It would explain the hunger, the curse, the power, as well as Andraste's/Mythal's rage and quest for vengeance. What if Mythal's vengeance is in fact Andraste's vengeance and not because Andraste was killed/burned but due a far greater tragedy. I am talking about the maker being killed by the 7 Magisters Sidereal devoted to the old gods. Who were the old gods? Were they not the Maker's children, the very original spirits created in the Golden City and expelled by the Maker due to their sinful nature? It would make sense for the Magisters Sidereal to have some inside source information or otherwise how would they know where the Golden city was in the first place. It would also make sense that the sinful maker's children were most likely manipulating the 7 magisters to kill their father. I would say the Black city did not turn black just because the mages breached its gates but because the mages did an unspeakable sin. They killed the maker. Doesnt the blight look like dried blood? Would such tainted blood not turn the Golden city into a black one? Theory yet to be proven!
I'm going to guess that the red lyrium idol is only a part of the solution to kill Solas. The Hero of Ferelden (or the Warden Commander if the Hero is dead) has been in a long, long expedition to find the source of the blight and a cure for The Calling. I'm thinking Dread Wolf is when they might return, along with the Champion (or a ghostly Champion if they're dead) and the Inquisitor. Likely all their stories will link up somehow, and both the creation and the awakening of the Architect and Corypheus somehow linked to red lyrium. Architect making a return if they're still alive would be neat too. I didn't like much of the Awakening lore, but the Architect was a cool concept that just seemed to disappear and become almost irrelevant if left alive. I could also see the old mage in the Dryden DLC making a return to shed some light on the blight / red lyrium if left alive. Dread wolf has the potential to tie a lot of loose ends.
Thing is Red Lyrium seemingly also can, against it's nature, allow the host to endure rather be consumed, as seen in Absolution with Meredith being still alive.
I think this is retconned, almost all lyrium in origins is red, it would be weird if there has just been a ton of red lyrium in ferelden this whole time.
@@stannisdamannis4706 possibly, but not all lyrium is red, I've been replaying through the game and the veins themselves are a blue green color. especially in the fade. ((playing an elven mage this time.)) just the material for crafting Lyrium potions.
@@vanyadolly or it could be implied that it turned red from coming in contact with the grey wardens, as they themselves are technically blighted. I like to think of reasons something is the way it is. then think of reason why it can't be.
Well if the blood of titans are found in the fade, I would assume ether titans remain within the fade at one point or into current time or they were brought/grown there during the first magesters on there trip to the golden city
I've always thought that the Red Lyrium Idol was originally just a Lyrium Idol but having been locked up in the blighted deep roads it was tainted and twisted. Perhaps Solas seeks to purify the idol so he can use it again?
Evanuris' desire for power could have led them to killing Titans, yes. What happened to the Dwarves dwelling within once their Titan died? If the Evanuris took most if not all the Lyrium Blood of the Titans, dooming the life of the Titan and their Dwarves, then I would not doubt that the Dwarves could have tried saving the life of their Titans by returning their blood to the Titan. TLDR; Titan got no more blood, so Dwarves donate theirs to the Titan.
@@chickennuggets4716 I believe that if the Titans held the collective consciousness' of Dwarves, then the Dwarves that were left could have poured all of their anger and hate into the Lyrium through their blood.
Ok... So here is a hastily put together theory. What if the elven gods created the blight as a means to control the titans. This is what ultimately pisses off Solas to the point that he creates the veil to seal them and the blight away in the black/golden city. Along come the magisters and enter the city, finding it already black and twisted, They also find the power of the blight there and claim it for themselves. They are not cast out, but ALLOWED to leave and come back as darkspawn. And while they think they control it, ultimately they are being controlled to corrupt the titans. Maybe in doing so they might be able to gain enough power to escape their prison? Maybe the old gods are similar to mages. Once the darkspawn awaken and corrupt them, they reconnect to the fade, where one of the elven gods posses them through the calling.
Dragon Age 2 is unavailable in my country (using xbox one currently), I really want it because I marathon finishing the trilogy specially before Dreadwolf drops. The three of them connect itself and obviously I may be losing a great deal of content. Is it worth the tricks to play it? (change location and buy with other currency than of my country etc)? Anyone who played, could y'all tell me?
Fiona : " What are ya lookin at ? Yes, that's Red Lyrium growing from my body. The longer I'm near it, the quicker I become a huge red block then they mine my corpse for more "
You brought up Andurl blighted but her story continues after this did it not so wouldn't that mean A their was a cure for the blight B she was the first true grey warden C she was the first cured darkspawn or D she was replaced but D that's boring so
I have a theory that the world of Thedas is the physical component, and the Fade is the intangible. When Solas erected the Veil, he disconnected the two, and created a mortal world without "true" magic. What he actually did was cut the Titans from their minds, locking them and the Evanuris in the Fade where they could not affect the tangible realm. Where would you find the heart of Titans? The center of Thedas, deep down below. Where is the (now) Black City? The center of the Fade, from which all visitors are equidistant. I imagine everyone feels equidistant from the center of the world.
Yass, lyrium lore is my favorite in the whole series! I hope the Dwarven Origin in DA4 becomes connected to it to and has unique dialogue about Titans, ecc...
Isn’t lyrum Was the blood of Titans That retained the sentience of the body. Blue lyrium is from one that is truly dead while red is one that’s still alive and trying kill everything it touches because last it saw the world was being attacked by elves so it’s attacking everyone in sight thinking that the battle still rages on or is seeing revenge. The red lyrium idol could have been a way for try titans to rule over dwarfs as a means of communication.
Fade touched idols or items does not equal red lyrium. Source: DA-I. The fresco that you showed at the end represents that black city. (the answer to what the blight is) The circle being the veil/walls of the black city. The dots being its doors (representing the old gods) with 2 remaining. Im seeing a lot of good explaination about a lot of things here. Here is my list of unexplained things ( or less conclusive) -Drakkon forsaw (and i think i read an other data entry about it) That all doors of the black city being open IS VERY BAD. The apocalypse. Its currently being on its way. why? -With a map hack, i successfully saw the black city in Awakening. Its not a tower. First, imagine a pizza slice with its toppings facing you (like facing a door). The bottom is a big chunk of land. Then it goes up to its tip (which twists a litle) with a tiny building at the tip - like a church or small castle. The buildings looks like a mass amount of condominiums with transit buildings. (World of thedas book does shows this too) But all the buildings (surrounded by walls) looks abnormally set up, like its tilted face down themselves. Which mean that the city wasnt designed to be in this position. -The taint's answer to what it is is in the black city. Its foreign to spirits and demons however. -Blood magics are supposedly from demons or the old gods. Unsure if there are a connection here. -Quanaris are elves that drank dragon's blood, why? why is it so important to preserve old knowledge and dragons? -What is the true roles of the Old gods if they are imprisoned and keeps the Darkspawn to go to the surface and end all life? Why are they linked to the City's gates? Solas seemed to know their importance and so did Flemeth. -Games doesnt mentions great dragons much. They are the closest to Old gods in intelligence but we know that Old gods are real. Whats their connection? -The black city seems to have special powers somehow. Corypheus insisted to go there and Morrigan mentions that it would have made him a God. (in which there is an actual throne) -The well of sorrows are exactly how Corypheus described his visit in the Black city. Dead whispers. Evanuris will be freed if Solas tears down the veil. Connected? -Sandal may just be someone who met a Titan. His Prophecy seem to be happening soon. -If all sentient life can come from spirits, i wonder what are the true origins of the world. I do believe the Avvar has plenty of amazing explanation about the world that may be close to the truth. -Flemeth's plan def seems to be against the darkspawn/taint but indirectly. I suspect her plans is to turn/free the Titans against the Evanuris or to destroy the Black city entirely. -While the games tries hard to relate Arlathan to the Black city, it seems that its not that simple. Specially how its described by Abelas. I think its all a ruse. Apparently, its so secret that only 2-3 people at Bioware knows what it truly is. Tho the ancient elves of Mythal stated its been destroyed by themselves and the black city isnt destroyed. -All indication supports the idea of the golden city actually existing by direct statement and logical reasoning. (that its not just a literal city but a place.) I think there is a confusion between what we see in the fade and how its described/seen in Here lies the Abyss. I think they may be mutually exclusive. The golden city seems like a valhalla location - meaning there is the actual "halls" and the city. Btw, Here lies the Abyss? That name isnt an accident.
(warning this is a long post O.O) ok so hear me out. something is up... no fr. There are 2 big things that been irking me with replaying DAO - DAI for the 100th time 1. From the jump the cause of the blight itself has always been a question i wanted to be answered. once i learned it was the Magisters Sidereal or the 7 magisters well that was the end of the mystery my first time through. but then slowly the mystery of who the 7 magisters were got me going. we know 2 magisters. 1st is Corypheus AKA The Conductor Of The Choir Of Silence whos real name is Sethius Amladaris. 2nd is The Architect Of The Works Of Beauty whos name we never learn. what we do learn is he wishes to free the darkspawn and give them free will from the old gods. Now we know each Magister is Tied directly to the old god in which they represented/were involved with. I think 1 of 2 things happened. 1 each time a old god is turned to an arch demon the magister tied to that arch demon awakes with it, or 2 they all awoke during the 5th blight and the only ones we found were The Architect and Corypheus. This Would Leave 3 or 5 of the ancient magisters out there. I want to point out the magister doesn't need the old god/arch demon they're tied to to still be alive as we see Corypheus and he's tied Dumat The First Archdemon. The other 3 madman of chaos (zazikel), forewright of fire (toth), appraiser of slavery (andoral) we've never found Those 3 Magisters. Razikel And Lusacan havent been awoken yet, but theyre magisters could be awake for all we know. I think Razikel may have been awoken but not by the darkspawn. Razikel has heavy lore implication in the frostback basin which makes me believe the avvar may have woken Razikel because the dragon we kill there is said to have been found by the avvar during the second blight. NOW STAY WITH ME HERE OK. The second blight was Zazikel or The Madman Of Chaos. STAY WITH ME. in a note text found in Razikels reach in the frostback basin it reads: "Run if you can. Madness has filled the silence. Do not return to this place." YOU WITH ME? Madness has filled the silence. This means Either they worshipped Razikel and got Zazikel instead prob and honest mistake XD names so close cant blame em. or They Actually woke Razikel but..... shes a dragon lol shocker either that or a child of Razikel honestly i dont know this whole bit with Razikel in the frostback mountains is very confusing but i digress. in a teaser EA dropped a while ago there was a warden a rouge and mage fighting darkspawn and behind them what seems to be 2 dragons or a 2 headed dragon. 2 old gods/archdemons left, 2 dragons? surely cant be a coincidence right. After deep diving i think Razikels Magister is 1 of 2 people. Livia who was high queen of tevinter and birth mother of darinius as she is the only priestess of Razikel that is mentioned. The other Person took Deeper diving. Razikel was worshipped by the Planasene. A farming tribe with an animist culture and a long written history. They formed the basis of most humanity in Nevarra and Free Marches. Archon Tidarion was of Planasene Blood. An archon explained from DA lore is a magister Archon Tidarion is the least likely because on the description on the Blade of Tidarion (the greatsword that only mages can use) it is revealed that he died in battle. fun fact the maul of tacitus is also a weapon of his you can look up its pretty interesting. BACK TO THE THEORY. i dont think Tidarion wouldve been chosen either way as somehow each magister is tied to their god in a way idk. but a female god would prob choose a female magister to support her and Livia is just that. Before i leave this part i want to shed light on something i learned after 500+ hours playing this game. in the description of the greatsword Certainty it says " A sword of deepest corruption and conviction, it cannot be the red lyrium blade that drove Kirkwall's Knight-Commander Meredith to madness. It cannot have been reborn in arcane energies somehow elven and Tevinter and Blight intertwined. And it cannot have inspired in the name of a magister who once entered heaven and would dare so again. One wonders what this sword cannot be next, in the hands of the Inquisitor, if he/she is not careful.." i pulled that quote straight from the swords description itself. I dont know which magister it is referring to but its one of them. 2 Now For the 2nd thing that has been irking me. it has proved the hardest to research through playing and the dragon age wiki. i havent read the books but i plan to. Land beyond Thedas but for today just The Executors as theyre the ones we've come in to most contact with while doing the war table mission which gives us the most insight (which is very little) By choosing leliana you Get the following Compliments to your spymaster. She is a resourceful woman. Once she traced our agent to Caimen Brea, the match was ruled in her favor. Tell Sister Leliana to call off her dogs. Save them for Corypheus. We suspect also that she has gotten all she can from Ser Helmuth. A caterpillar on a leaf does not know there is a forest about him. You will hear no more from us. Our intention was to watch, and we have seen enough. Corypheus threatens us all, and the Inquisition is Thedas's only hope for stopping him. Remember that, for the moment, we are not your enemy. As a gesture of goodwill, we share our knowledge. May it prove valuable in your coming battle. On behalf of powers across the sea, The Executors By choosing Cullen you get the following Three outposts on the Nevarran border were found abandoned with no sign of struggle and nothing destroyed or taken. But in every camp, this message: We hold your Inquisition in high esteem. Thedas's present troubles are great, but you have the strength to meet and conquer them. More will come. We prepare for the day and hold vigil. Do not look for your men; do not mourn them. They have given themselves of their own free will to a higher cause. On behalf of powers across the sea, The Executors If they're to be believed this means alot the soldiers of the inquisition worship us and are fighting along side what they believe to be the closest thing to andraste and or the maker. so for them to follow something else willingly..... i dont like this So Without making this TOO LONG ill end it here .....but something is brewing beyong the lands of thedas and its not good
There is also a lore entry in the Fade called
"Whispers Written in Red Lyrium
We are here
We have waited
We have slept
We are sundered
We are crippled
We are polluted
We endure
We wait
We have found the dreams again
We will awaken"
I wasnt sure if those were the forgotten ones or the Titans. This sounds like the reckoning that Flemeth's been talking about (Titans awakening)
I thought those might’ve been the other Evanuris hellbent on revenge.
i thought it was Titan cancer.
Us? Is that you? 🥹
I’ve always thought that the idea of the idol corrupting even Solas was a good one. As if it hungers for more and more powerful hosts. First Bartrand then Meredith, then Tevinter Nights and finally Solas. It will have a significant role in DA Dreadwolf I’m sure. I’m pretty sure Varric will appear at some point as well and just fire of a crossbow bolt right through it
I remember that horrible eew feeling when Varric intended to keep a fragment of the idol (can't remember exactly why now, might have been to sell) after Bartrand got corrupted by it. I never even considered Solas could be affected. Wow what a thought. Like bad Superman. I am looking forward to seeing Solas flex a bit and show us more of that power. I love his character whatever direction he goes
A
It would make a lot of sense for Solas to be corrupted, because bringing down the veil seems like such a monumentally bad idea otherwise. Especially if it's what's sealing the blight away.
@@vanyadolly I did already think he might want to use the red lyrium to somehow boost his power, but I assumed he might be immune to the mental effects of getting corrupted. The addiction. The lust for more power etc. But a demented power hungry Solas would be...interesting
@areadhead definitely not. It would undermine the character and his arc, making it all just "cuz magical bad vibes".
My personal theory is the titan Mythal struck down was killed with a weapon forged in/from the Void, similar to the armour which sent Andruil mad. The interaction between the void-crafted weapon and the lyrium at the moment of the titan's death corrupted the lyrium, causing what we know as 'blight'. This was part of the reason Solas chose to create the veil - not only to seal away the Evanuris, but also to seal the blight, so it couldn't spread through the physical world. When the Magisters Sidreal breached the fade, they also breached the place where the blight was sealed - the black/golden city - and in doing so, unleashed it upon the world.
I’ve always been surprised that I’ve never seen any theories or comments thinking that red lyrium is simply the coagulated blood of the dead titan? The dwarves of said titan inadvertently becoming the first darkspawn by simply continuing their usual activities tending to a dead titan. Hence the taint from darkspawn and red lyrium being the same yet different… one is blood from the dead titan, the other from the corrupted blood of said titans dwarves
Lyrium its titans "blood". It appeared when the elfs ended then The ones that became the elven gods(solas and flemeth included). Red lyrium its lirium tainted by the dark spawn taint.
That happened before the creation of the veil, thats why it exist in here and in the fade.
How much side material must one read to find all of this?
@@TragoudistrosMPH Just play inquisition and the dlcs and pay attention. What i say its ther real cannon. Solas was the one who created the veil, becouse the elven gods that were just powerfull elven mages where enslaving the elfs, and fighting in wars. Just him (that refused to be called god so he was called the wolf), and mythal (flemeth) that really cared for the elves.
Then the oter gods gangbang on flemeth and kinda killed her, solas got pissed and created the veil to lock then in the oter side.
Befora that they could reach for the fade for power rright there. I dont really understood why he want to break it now.
Those elfs that self proclaimend thenselves gods killed teh titans (that were kinda the creators of dwarves and the material), and they blood its lyrim (that was before the creation of the veil, that why lyrium its found in bot places)
And by the way the elves hated humans becouse they tought humans made then mortal, but it was solas and the veil that cut then from the fate (their original birth plane)
@@ArantyrDarkhand He mentions how he woke to feel as though he was in a world of Tranquil, and his entire culture raped and destroyed...this is his chance to fix everything...by tearing down the Veil. Of course, just like when he created the Veil, Solas cannot know what could happen by tearing it down. In trying to save his People, heck, he could lead to them becoming extinct...imagine the floodgates of their minds being ripped open but immense power, their heads could explode for all we know lmao😂😅😬💀
Evanuris killed lots of Titans. I think that the Red One below Free Marches came to be when Evanuris tried to control it with blood magic. Then Mythal moved it's heart to the Golden City (the codex entry about Evanuris' hybris) which was corrupted by it (we see Black City in the background with a red orb which represent Titan heartsin the foreground on one of the frescoes in Tresspasser). That's why the Red Titan is dormant. It also explains how imprisoned Evanuris are tied to Blight and archdemons.
Also I think that Red Lyrium is not tainted but the very source of Taint. Normal lyrium can't be contaminated by Taint and darkspawn have lived in Theigs for eons so there should be much more Red Lyrium if it just gets tainted like every other living thing.
@@DmitryAvenicci You could be right. Lyrium is Titan blood. Titans were the architectures of Thedas and their hearts are literally the Fade. I would say the ancient elves used some kind of a bioweapon, a pleague or something to kill the Titans and that is corrupting their hearts and their blood.
@@Zappina interesting. Why do you say their hearts are the fade?
@@AlleluiaElizabeth I think its in the lore somewhere.... Probably in the inquisition DLC. I dont remember where i saw it though.
@@Zappina Probably the void. That'd be a tidy way to tie everything together. The Evanuris made weapons out of the void like Andruil did, they killed a Titan with it, its lyrium became blighted, then they started using the red lyrium on their slaves, then Solas leads the slave revolt.
Words cannot describe how excited I am for DA: Dreadwolf, started on Inquisition then went back to the other games to learn all the lore and such and damnit I just want this game to be out already
Red lyrium reminds me of a fungus. The cordycepts fungus infects ants and controls their minds so it can die in a decent environment for the spreading of the fungus. The infection of red lyrium through food is like the spores of a fungus and can remain dormant for extended periods of time until the conditions are right and then spreads/grows quickly.
I seem to remember Solas commenting on the blight or red Lyrium.
To which he likens to drinking from a poisoned chalice of wine. And calls anyone who thinks to use it safely a fool.
So with this comment in mind I wonder why hes so eager to find the red lyrium idol.
Because he's arrogant.
Like many powerful, arrogant mages "only I am capable of safely wielding this power" which immediately becomes "oh no, I have been corrupted too!" once they get their hands on it.
Like when The Guardian in World of Warcraft uses Fel. Quickly becomes consumed by it and turns into a demon.
It's a trope, but tropes are tropes because they're good enough plots to reuse.
@@Pro_Butcher_Amateur_Human good point, but there is more to it than that. Solas literally means arrogance. Or pride. Can't remember but it's one of those. And he seems stubbornly set in his ways. Almost as if he were a spirit and not a man. Then from the literary standpoint, he's written as a trickster god. Prometheus, Loki, Lucifer, all archetypical trickster gods. They act without considering consequences. After all, this is the man that gave the orb to coropheus. He'd sacrifice anything, even himself if he thought it would achieve his goal, and that's a dangerous mindset to have when you have no consideration for consequences.
@@blakec8549 That's exactly why he's the sort of character that would fall prey to that trap. He would believe that only he could wield the Red Lyrium Idol without being corrupted, and if he thought he needed it he wouldn't hesitate.
As we saw, he gave his Orb to Corypheus to unlock, rather than just wait for his strength to recover from his long sleep.
He's arrogant, and not as strong as he thinks he is. That's a dangerous combination, because it means he'll try to handle things he definitely cannot control.
He would sacrifice himself to achieve his goal, I think. I just think he'll make a mistake about how to reach his goal, and be corrupted by Red Lyrium before he can do it.
He has to fail somehow, or Dreadwolf will end with "and then the world is destroyed". Him getting corrupted and the player having to fight a Red Lyrium infested Dread Wolf would make sense, and be a good end to the game.
@@Pro_Butcher_Amateur_Human I hope that fight takes place in the golden city. My only major gripe with inquisition is the fact that the golden city was reachable to both the hero and the villain and neither of them went
I always thought that the red idol was incomplete... The lower half appears frayed as if broken off from a larger piece.
I think the idol can be used to control the spread of red lyrium. That's probably why it is spreading more rapidly in the DA4 teasers. Solas probably plans to use the magic gathered in the red lyrium across Thedas to tear down the veil, and he needs the idol to direct that magical energy. Good thing my Hero of Ferelden is returning to Thedas with the cure for the taint. After stopping by Weisshaupt to help solve their problems, he'll return to Ferelden and use the cure to nullify the red lyrium. Thus indirectly helping to foil Solas' plans. I mean, BioWare wouldn't leave that massive plot thread hanging, right? RIGHT?!
They already said that canon wise the hero of ferelden is dead, donzo, kaput, gone.
@@jonathanjacobs1870 Wrong.
There's no Canon ending for the Warden but they're not bringing back anyone who _could_ be dead for DA4.
@@doodtheman2508 Maybe, maybe not. If the possibly dead person has a replacement, then they are more likely to bring the character back. A dead Hero has the Orlesian Warden-Commander to fill in. And the cure quest needs to be resolved anyway, so the Hero is a necessary return. Even a dead Hero should have a tomb/shrine at Weisshaupt. So there is every reason to bring the Hero back.
@@BelieveIt1051 no its right.
The "we were wrong about" format is a really clever way to get traction on your dragon age theory. Great video.
I love the way you speak on the videos, Saria, the mystery on your voice is very good.
ty Pedro! 💕
I'm almost certain we will deal with a red lyrium pandemic in DA:D. The famous "hopefully romancable" tree with blighted roots, the castle filled with this stuff, weird Solas' voice in the first teaser - all this makes me think it will get out of control on a large scale.
This discussion has made me even more excited for Dread Wolf. I can’t wait to see where they take red lyrium going forward. Great video, Saria!
The blight is probably a result of Mythal being forced to possess a titan. A similar thing happened in Origins with Lady and Witherfang. A spirit put into something results in a disease that spreads through blood and gives the infected traits resembling the thing involved.
Darkspawn are weredragons.
Reavers have the same aggression problem Darkspawn do also.
Ties nicely into The Grim Anatomy entry in WoT 2, I’d say.
Flemmeth doesn't seem to spread any disease. Other than giving birth to Morrigan I mean.
Zathrian specifically summoned the spirit into the wolf to create a curse, though, and cast a spell with his own blood. There are spirits possessing things all over Thaedas, and aside from those two examples, none of them seem to be spreading disease. Not saying I know better, but I'm not sure that holds up.
@@vanyadolly Per Grim Anatomy, possession causes a physical change in a being's internals. Their blood is specifically mentioned. And we see the mutations abominations (the enemy type) undergo. Since Titans are apparently big enough to house biomes, and lyrium is their blood, possessing one would effect their blood. And then, unlike just some random possessed human, that altered blood enters the surroundings and people end up ingesting it. Now, does possession result in something contagious in other beings? No. But Titans are special, having some kind of intrinsic tie to the physical world. Which is why lyrium enhances magic while simultaneously giving tamplars the ability to makes things "more real" (per Cole),
tldr: TItans are weird, so possessing them has weird knock on effects.
@@AlleluiaElizabeth not the theory I would go with but I can see it working. I lean more towards a pissed off titan possessing everything it can get a hold of.
Didn't Architect wanted everyone to become Grey Wardens (or at least to undertake the Joining), so freed Darkspawns and taint-resistant (not immune ofc) beings could coexist in peace? With the taint literally in the food chain, he might get his way after all
Was playing today and was talking to ms. Seeker and cass said that she always wondered if mages could undergo the process to avoid becoming demons. Grey wardens could be the same way ?
What interests me is how certain characters seem to have an innate resistance to red lyrium like Samson, likely Meredith, and (even though it's not mentioned anywhere but if you do CoTJ he looks normal even though he's obviously been drinking red lyrium) Knight-Captain Denam. It would make sense that red lyrium resistance = blight resistance, and what is extra interesting is that none of the three were Grey Wardens, just normal templars. I kind of doubt they'll go into this more, at least from the templars' side (since the Order is dead in most game states), but a man can dream... and speculate on his own.
I listen to your videos during commercials and watch Chicago PD after the commercials.❤🎉👍🥰💕
We just saw Meredith come back into the picture in Absolution too!
I would be so upset if Solas became possessed by the red-lyrium in trying to use it in Dreadwolf.
That would be...absolutely crushing.
This video has earned you a subscribe from me I didn't know ow who you ere but the way you explain things and your theories are chef's kiss. Imagine the red lyrics idol being the key that releases the other evanuris
Titans came before the Elves and the Veil by an order of magnitude, it's likely that at some point, the blight infected a titan. The result was red lyrium. The blight is probably an infectious magic from the void. Combine it all together and you get the concept of an eater of worlds.
Okay, now I kind of want to see Pennywise in DA4
May I recommend that those of you who haven't, read "The Dread Wolf Take You" by Patrick Weekes? It's the last short story in "Tevinter Nights". It explains a lot and gives you way more context about Solas and the idol.
Thedas is a very dangerous place to live. For me, I think that until Hawk's cursed adventure, red lyrium was contained like a dangerous strain of virus in a freezer somewhere long forgotten by the living, and well protected by scary monsters possessed by demons, aka double bubble. Damn Hawk's killing efficiency he managed to bring it to the surface. I think we should treat red lyrium in a very similar way to viruses. That means proper isolation etc. understanding where it came from and how it works is in my understanding as dangerous yet useful as studying live darkspawn. At the end of the day, some people like to kill the nearest darkspawns/archdemon recruit some more people, repeat or however Blackwall put it. Studying it could yield excellent long term solutions but is rather a risky venture.
Personally, I think red lyrium danger will eventually die out as more people figure out the hard way how crazy dangerous it is. The most dangerous thing to people in thedas will be as it always was other people in thedas.
nice video!
Had a thought while watching, and wanted to write it out, lest I forget it.
Is it possible that Red Lyrium existed, as you said, far back in ancient times, and was later discovered and used as the catalyst for the Tevinter Magisters breaching the fade? Maybe that's how the Blights as we know them got started. If Red Lyrium is just Lyrium infected with Blight, that infection could be the reason it spread so strongly into Corypheus and his contemporaries, and turned them into the original Darkspawn.
As I said, just a passing thought.
The idol makes me think of Flemeth (Mythal) and Solas at the end of inquisition.
I feel like the reason things were different with Meredith is that she had the idol itself, likely the source of or last remnant of red lyrium, and cuz she never consumed it but instead kept it on her person as a sword. Similarly with Bartrand. It seems that the consumption is what's needed for it to grow and outside of that it messes with the minds of those around it.
dude that picture of Cassandra is gonna be in my nightmares for days.
Thumbnail looks like she's looking for me to shield bash my face.
I saw you playing kotor 1.
Playing that game in 2022 is gonna be tough lol.
Some people are kinda nostalgic about that game. It's a good game.But it's like mass effect 1 in how clunky it is to play. Kotor 2 on the other hand is THE ACTUAL SHIT. It's still a little clunky but it's way better and the story is just SOOOOOOOOOOOO good. It's my favorite of the 2 by a mile.
I was going to recommend that instead of swtor given you like single player games. But i figured you'd get around to it. Good luck.
u know I worry about you.
you good?
20k subs in less than a year. =) Talking about dragon age, a game that hasn't had an installment in 10 years. Amazing.
You are a god at this. I don't know why you stopped but if it makes you happy I'm glad you did.
i am grateful that I was here to see and hear you do your thing and I only hope whatever is in store for you in the future is nothing but happiness and success.
The elves mined lyrium from titans deep in the earth. They found something that the Evanuris could "unleash" in their "greed." They wrote: "Let no one wake its anger." Collapsing all the entrances to the deep roads. My personal belief is that red lyrium was found. That it is powerful and can be used, but it uses and turns everything in to it creating more batteries. Ones that the Evanuris (elven gods) can use. I believe the idol is the key to that power. I would like to point out the figures in the idol look a lot like Solas mourning Flemeth from the after-credits scene of Dragon Age Inquisition. Also, i love your content!
Excellent theory. It wouldn't suprise me if the idol in fact does prove to be a weapon against the Dread Wolf. Thanks for sharing!
I literally just started playing this the other day and I never knew that there was any other kinds of lyrium
Solas needs the idol because he can no longer use the power of his orb to accomplish his personal mission. Thus he needs a power boost from somewhere. Of course other theories could be right either instead or as well...
Just started DAO on Nightmare and plan on playing all the games and 100 percenting them.
wishing u a HUGE goodluck!
Personally, I think the blight is the decay in the blood and body of a slain Titan. If lyrium existed before the Fade, it may be a substance that caused the Fade to exist in the first place as we see the presence of red lyrium has an effect on the mental health of those in the surrounding area, most likely due to the effects of the connection of lyrium into the Fade and the blight's effects on the lyrium itself. Basically lyrium provides the conduit to spread insanity into the minds of those in the area through the Fade and dreams while the blight affects the physical body in the material plane. If that is the case, Solas' plan to pull away the Veil will most likely cause the blight to spread more quickly
Makes me kinda think that if the idol is Solas'. The figure on it, is Mythal... And maybe not just a weapon but also a key, maybe to the black city. Corypheus and gang went up there, and got roughhouse ejected with the old gods, coming back blighted, like red lyrium.
Anyone remember when the Inquisitor and Dorian were accidentally sent into the future and the people are used to farm Red Lyrium? I'm surprised my companions weren't corrupted for many years. And it had me thinking that that Idol might be special because it caused Meredith and Bertrand to go crazy or maybe just intensified their inner feelings.
I still think the origin of the Blight begins with the Profane. Their codex entry describes a people that became so hungry, they turned and devoured their god. The only place the Profane exist is in the forgotten thaig. Consuming Red Lyrium is, as you discussed, the main form of it spreading in other people. The Profane are probably the first dwarves before the veil was created that split them from their connection to the Titans. It probably had a different effect on them. But them eating the Titan probably turned the blood into blighted lyrium. When Solas put up the Veil, it split spirit and body from basically everything in the world to varying degrees. I think that also split the red lyrium into a physical form and a fade form. When the Magisters ripped open the veil and stepped into the Golden City, what they actually did was end up right where the red lyrium was sealed off in the fade, and it infected them. Solas, after all, seems to grasp what it is and how dangerous it is. Probably why he hates the Grey Wardens so much.
So the real question is, how did the blighted magisters end up creating an actual army of darkspawn? That's a bit of a mystery. It's not like the magisters just left the fade, ended up in a thaig in the deep roads, and just started blighting everyone and everything around. We also only know of two magisters that were around in Dragon Age, and both were completely addled when they became aware. Which, apparently, happened over a thousand years after they ended up in the Fade. So where are the other magisters? Why did it take so long for Corypheus and the Architect to regain awareness? Were they doing anything before then, or just laying in a ditch somewhere? It's all very mysterious, and definitely strong evidence that the magisters didn't cause the blight, but they might have woken it up.
Corypheus at least was asleep because he'd been sealed away at some point. It's possible other magisters had been imprisoned in a similar manner.
It’s theorized that at least one was a female and became the first brood mother as the dark spawn were around for years before they full on attacked the dwarves
I kinda think that the whole "trickster traps the pantheon to steal their power" story about the dread wolf is a corruption and combination of two stories that were separated by hundreds (at least) of year.
Story 1: Whatever Solas was before sundering the Fade and the waking world, in retaliation for Mythal's betrayal
Story 2: One of the magisters realising the potential power of the Blight, and tricking the others into being sealed away in sleep, in order to keep the power for themselves
Add a few hundred years of those being passed down via oral tradition (with, perhaps, some opportunistic editing by the fledgling chantry) and BAM!, messed up mythic version of real events
If we take "you are what you eat" and apply it to this it makes a lot of sense.
Dwarves ate their Titan, then the veil split them from their Titan. So they lose part of themselves
A minor thing that may be relevant: lyrium ostensibly serves as the veins of the Titans. Consumption of regular lyrium results in significant cognitive decline within anyone who uses it (except, perhaps the player characters, because reasons.) This implys that the biology of those who have utilized the substance for its beneficial qualities were never meant to do so, as it is basically poison. The corrupted lyrium, at least to me, suggests that the Titans are susceptible to the blight, and the red templars are them in microcosm.
Loved the video and narration.
Thank you!
I have to wonder how the elves had such powerful magic without lyrium... and suddenly I'm terrified of a Mass Effect 3 style coloured ending.
Blue magic - dwarven, lyrium based, titan blood, used for runecrafting.
Red magic - blood and blight, a kind of organic corrupted magic that seems to originate from the Fade.
Green magic - pure elven magic, mystical and powerful, untethered by ingredient-based rituals.
I mean...at least that version would make sense, and ALL of those versions have pretty huge downsides.
Blue: very limited, would lead to hoarding magic. LOTS of war
Red: More useable, but heavily rooted in ritual and blood. would lead to an even more brutal setting.
Green: more accessible, but also way easier to lose control of. Like a constant, low level version of the Fade, but everywhere. Liches and Abominations abound, likely leading to mass culling of anyone born with "the gift"
Solas said some spells took years to cast. Maybe that's where the power came from
i dont want to fight solas i want to join him elf female mage romancing solas is my fav playstyle , saria do something :c
I've always like the idea of being a mage who uses Red Lyriym in the games but doesn't become corrupted by it!
Kinda like how Shepard didn't become indoctrinated despite being around reapers!
Nah he definately did. Still a strong believer of the indoctrination theory. Only way Shepard could survive, which he clearly did in the destruction ending
@@lordsauron1692 well, Bioware has had years to confirm nor Deny that theory & they haven't, so unless the next game proves it, I'm skeptical 🤷♂️
Frankly Bioware would be stupid to throw that theory out of the window. The fans came up with a theory that not only salvaged the ending but lifted it up to one of the biggest and most clever plottwist in the history of gaming. It changed the ending from dumb to genious and left the possibility for a sequel open. The fans did their work for them and I don't know why they don't capitalize on it.
@@lordsauron1692 agreed.
@@lordsauron1692 well, it would be dishonest and don't overhype it. Coming up with a theory doesn't make people better at Bioware's job than Bioware.
9:46 - there's 3 figures.
The lovers and their betrayer?
Ancient love triangle? (only because the female figure is embracing both of them)
The figure behind also does not look infected or dead compared to the front 2 figures...he even has ears.
Yeah not too sure why Tevinter Nights describes them with 2 figures when there’s clearly 3 😅
This vid’s gonna blow up when D.A.D drops & all the new fans need too catch up on the lore lol
What if red lyrium is not a weapon but a key to something?
Solas had the orb so the other elven gods could have had there own focus items the idol could be mythal's depicting a mother holding a child then when the blight infected it it's appearance changed to what we see. The reason solas says it's his is because he has mythal's power and the idol calls out for it 2 halfs of one whole.
first time we learned that lyrium is the blood of the titans, the first conclusion was that, somewhere out there, there is a titan with the blight
it may be the origin of the blight, but i doubt it because since it was discovered in DA 2, it has just spread like wild fire everywhere
i think the idol wasn't always red, it belonged to solas and it had most of the powers it already does, but it got corrupted later on
I definitely think it could be a huge threat. Assuming Bianca is correct and it's lyruim infected by the blight I definitely see it being problematic when the next blight happens.
Mark my words, the idol is actual the first time red lyrium has appeared.
One of my theories is that the taint was a byproduct of powerful magic that created veil and the idol was tainted during the process
The second theory is that Solas Borrowed the power of taint through red lyrium to lock the Elvish gods behind the veil in Golden City and Corypheus released this force while trying to reach the golden city.
I'm betting that the idol is the origin point that creates and links to all other red lyrium. When the dread wolf uses it he can draw upon all of the collective power of this red lyrium network as a magical fuel source to tear down the veil.
i always thought red lyrium was lyrium that had contracted the blight but maybe red lyrium is actually the source of the blight, corrupted when the titan was killed
Falon'Din and his brother was my first thought.
If Solas killed one of the brothers, or corrupted one to force his demise, Falon'Din would have/should have the ability to change the idol into a weapon that he could use to hunt Solas.
how do you make these video's especially the standing characters and what not
Cinematic Tools!
And years of practice lol
@@sarialue ohh okay thanks for that. keep up the good work
Can't say for certain which really came first; the Blight or Red Lyrium. I honestly don't think Red Lyrium could predate the Elven Kingdom.
I mean, there's just not nearly enough lore to support that theory. It just seems to me when the blight was brought along with the Darkspawn at the
start of the First Blight, that seems like the earliest indication when Lyrium became corrupted. Though I suppose there's something missing here.
As for that idol, that thing has been nothing but one giant pain in the arse. Yet, if the teasers are right, perhaps it'll have a more significant use.
Until then, I would hate to see it in my sight again.
I will say the Blight came first but not because of red lyrium. Solas put the veil up as a way imprison the Elvunaris after Mythal was murdered. In doing so, he has inadvertently caused the ancient elves to age and deteriorate until they’re just a shadow of what was. The real question is what was the original date of the red lyrium even discovered because this stuff doesn’t just come out of nowhere. We could potentially discover when blood magic became a thing and maybe as to why Solas is very disgusted (more so than others) by it but only by his reasoning. He’s right that magic is magic, I don’t disagree with this. I’m curious as to the why he doesn’t condone the use of blood magic at all using this line of thought.
My god. Thanks for reminding of lyrium. To me back then, lyrium was like the only drug I've known through out the fiction i know. 😂
It makes me wonder if the idol is a focus created from the heart of a titan which was later infected maybe during a certain goddesses vacation to the void
I always wondered what the difference was between red and blue Lyrium. When I played DA2 For the first time, I was very confused to see that the red kind existed.
Aww, you called Meredith's death tragic :')
I found her terrifying and a fascinating character (though I was totally a blood mage, haha).
Meredith was worthy of some respect!
I might be crazy but to me the idol looks like Mythal and Solas Hugging
Evanuris killed a lot of titans and made orbs from their hearts. The Red Titan is a result of their attempt to use blood magic on a titan.
At what part of the game did Solas mention the idol being used? I must have missed that.
"Destroy Red Lyrium"
Me: Punches crystals.
Also me: "Aren't i really just making it easier to process and transport, tho?"
The idol could be Solas killing flemeth at the end of inquisition, but I don't really know
I'm not very versed in DA lore but I've spent some time playing and this topic intrigues me. So here's my question: Is it too absurd to consider that red lyrium might be the dreams or passions of the tranquil resurfacing in a currupted and unhinged manner? Normal lyrium provides magic-like power to non-mages who can not draw them from the fade as mages do. So there might be some connection between lyrium and the fade in terms of consistency. Maybe the fade is getting corrupted by all the abandoned dreams/ emotions of the mages in Thedas.
If I recall correctly there was talk about undoing the rite of tranquility at the End of DA:I - could be a hint that someone already figured this out and is working on solving the issue.
Maybe all of this has already been theorized and/ or dismissed.
9:12 from which trailer/teaser this pulsating egg-like red lyrium is? I never seen it and now I'm really curious about the source of that vid.
EA Play from 2020 around the 45 minute mark :)
ua-cam.com/video/U5Ow-M-1K_c/v-deo.html
It does bring into question just how toxic it is. Varric is scared that even touching it can corrupt you (then we're tasked with kicking them lmao) but codex's focus on consuming it.
It's connection to the fade is perhaps where all the truth lies, as it basically makes the user a blend of fade terror and organic object/person.
Have to say Cassanda looking amazing in this thumbnail by the maker.
The red stone filled with plot device powers
Well as with everything an investigation of the symptoms of red lyrium as well as known idols would tell some ideas/features/symptoms etc, however, to truly understand what RL is it we would need to know its history. Where does it come from and when did it appear the first time? I have a theory but what if RL is actually lyrium infused with blood and much more specifically a very original blood, the blood of the maker. We know the blight is connected with RL and we know the Maker is "The wellspring of all" and Andraste's mate. We also know RL has power and it is a curse and blooms everywhere almost like a spring. It would explain the hunger, the curse, the power, as well as Andraste's/Mythal's rage and quest for vengeance. What if Mythal's vengeance is in fact Andraste's vengeance and not because Andraste was killed/burned but due a far greater tragedy. I am talking about the maker being killed by the 7 Magisters Sidereal devoted to the old gods. Who were the old gods? Were they not the Maker's children, the very original spirits created in the Golden City and expelled by the Maker due to their sinful nature? It would make sense for the Magisters Sidereal to have some inside source information or otherwise how would they know where the Golden city was in the first place. It would also make sense that the sinful maker's children were most likely manipulating the 7 magisters to kill their father. I would say the Black city did not turn black just because the mages breached its gates but because the mages did an unspeakable sin. They killed the maker. Doesnt the blight look like dried blood? Would such tainted blood not turn the Golden city into a black one? Theory yet to be proven!
Idol looks like it could be Solas and Mythal
I'm going to guess that the red lyrium idol is only a part of the solution to kill Solas. The Hero of Ferelden (or the Warden Commander if the Hero is dead) has been in a long, long expedition to find the source of the blight and a cure for The Calling. I'm thinking Dread Wolf is when they might return, along with the Champion (or a ghostly Champion if they're dead) and the Inquisitor. Likely all their stories will link up somehow, and both the creation and the awakening of the Architect and Corypheus somehow linked to red lyrium. Architect making a return if they're still alive would be neat too. I didn't like much of the Awakening lore, but the Architect was a cool concept that just seemed to disappear and become almost irrelevant if left alive. I could also see the old mage in the Dryden DLC making a return to shed some light on the blight / red lyrium if left alive. Dread wolf has the potential to tie a lot of loose ends.
Thing is Red Lyrium seemingly also can, against it's nature, allow the host to endure rather be consumed, as seen in Absolution with Meredith being still alive.
Blue lyrium, Red Lyrium, I think its time for some Green Lyrium....
Kane lives in death!
so..... anyone else notice that in origins the lyrium used to make lyrium potions is red in powder form? are grey wardens consuming red lyrium?
I think this is retconned, almost all lyrium in origins is red, it would be weird if there has just been a ton of red lyrium in ferelden this whole time.
@@stannisdamannis4706 possibly, but not all lyrium is red, I've been replaying through the game and the veins themselves are a blue green color. especially in the fade. ((playing an elven mage this time.)) just the material for crafting Lyrium potions.
It's only the powder that's red, and we don't know how that''s prepared or refined to be fit for consumption.
@@vanyadolly or it could be implied that it turned red from coming in contact with the grey wardens, as they themselves are technically blighted. I like to think of reasons something is the way it is. then think of reason why it can't be.
Well if the blood of titans are found in the fade, I would assume ether titans remain within the fade at one point or into current time or they were brought/grown there during the first magesters on there trip to the golden city
I've always thought that the Red Lyrium Idol was originally just a Lyrium Idol but having been locked up in the blighted deep roads it was tainted and twisted. Perhaps Solas seeks to purify the idol so he can use it again?
Characters i wouldn't want to fight if they had access to red lyrium:
Wynne
Morrigan
Shale
Velanna
Solas
Fenris
The deep roads are actually giant titans which is creepy asf
I'm hoping that red lyrium will be involved in the latest Dragon Age.
Evanuris' desire for power could have led them to killing Titans, yes.
What happened to the Dwarves dwelling within once their Titan died?
If the Evanuris took most if not all the Lyrium Blood of the Titans,
dooming the life of the Titan and their Dwarves, then I would not doubt
that the Dwarves could have tried saving the life of their Titans by
returning their blood to the Titan.
TLDR; Titan got no more blood, so Dwarves donate theirs to the Titan.
You think returning blood corrupted lyrium?
@@chickennuggets4716 I believe that if the Titans held the collective consciousness' of Dwarves,
then the Dwarves that were left could have poured all of their anger and hate into the Lyrium through their blood.
Err. didn't the Deep Roads Expedition happen in 9 32: Dragon? A year after the Fifth Blight and not 3 years before the start of Inquisition.
Only a fool would allow Varric to keep the red lyrium, especially after seeing how aggressive he became when you confronted him about the dangers
Imagine mixing them to make purple lyrium
Ok... So here is a hastily put together theory. What if the elven gods created the blight as a means to control the titans. This is what ultimately pisses off Solas to the point that he creates the veil to seal them and the blight away in the black/golden city. Along come the magisters and enter the city, finding it already black and twisted, They also find the power of the blight there and claim it for themselves. They are not cast out, but ALLOWED to leave and come back as darkspawn. And while they think they control it, ultimately they are being controlled to corrupt the titans. Maybe in doing so they might be able to gain enough power to escape their prison? Maybe the old gods are similar to mages. Once the darkspawn awaken and corrupt them, they reconnect to the fade, where one of the elven gods posses them through the calling.
To me it seems red lyrium is somehow like Gray goo of science fiction.
Dragon Age 2 is unavailable in my country (using xbox one currently), I really want it because I marathon finishing the trilogy specially before Dreadwolf drops. The three of them connect itself and obviously I may be losing a great deal of content. Is it worth the tricks to play it? (change location and buy with other currency than of my country etc)? Anyone who played, could y'all tell me?
We were wrong about red lyrium *evil Cassandra face in the thumbnail*
Fiona : " What are ya lookin at ? Yes, that's Red Lyrium growing from my body. The longer I'm near it, the quicker I become a huge red block then they mine my corpse for more "
You brought up Andurl blighted but her story continues after this did it not so wouldn't that mean A their was a cure for the blight B she was the first true grey warden C she was the first cured darkspawn or D she was replaced but D that's boring so
I have a theory that the world of Thedas is the physical component, and the Fade is the intangible. When Solas erected the Veil, he disconnected the two, and created a mortal world without "true" magic. What he actually did was cut the Titans from their minds, locking them and the Evanuris in the Fade where they could not affect the tangible realm. Where would you find the heart of Titans? The center of Thedas, deep down below. Where is the (now) Black City? The center of the Fade, from which all visitors are equidistant. I imagine everyone feels equidistant from the center of the world.
Corypheus is the savior thedas needs.
Facts
Yass, lyrium lore is my favorite in the whole series!
I hope the Dwarven Origin in DA4 becomes connected to it to and has unique dialogue about Titans, ecc...
Isn’t lyrum Was the blood of Titans That retained the sentience of the body.
Blue lyrium is from one that is truly dead while red is one that’s still alive and trying kill everything it touches because last it saw the world was being attacked by elves so it’s attacking everyone in sight thinking that the battle still rages on or is seeing revenge. The red lyrium idol could have been a way for try titans to rule over dwarfs as a means of communication.
To me it seem to be a form Tiberium with will
Fade touched idols or items does not equal red lyrium. Source: DA-I.
The fresco that you showed at the end represents that black city. (the answer to what the blight is) The circle being the veil/walls of the black city. The dots being its doors (representing the old gods) with 2 remaining. Im seeing a lot of good explaination about a lot of things here. Here is my list of unexplained things ( or less conclusive)
-Drakkon forsaw (and i think i read an other data entry about it) That all doors of the black city being open IS VERY BAD. The apocalypse. Its currently being on its way. why?
-With a map hack, i successfully saw the black city in Awakening. Its not a tower. First, imagine a pizza slice with its toppings facing you (like facing a door). The bottom is a big chunk of land. Then it goes up to its tip (which twists a litle) with a tiny building at the tip - like a church or small castle. The buildings looks like a mass amount of condominiums with transit buildings. (World of thedas book does shows this too) But all the buildings (surrounded by walls) looks abnormally set up, like its tilted face down themselves. Which mean that the city wasnt designed to be in this position.
-The taint's answer to what it is is in the black city. Its foreign to spirits and demons however.
-Blood magics are supposedly from demons or the old gods. Unsure if there are a connection here.
-Quanaris are elves that drank dragon's blood, why? why is it so important to preserve old knowledge and dragons?
-What is the true roles of the Old gods if they are imprisoned and keeps the Darkspawn to go to the surface and end all life? Why are they linked to the City's gates? Solas seemed to know their importance and so did Flemeth.
-Games doesnt mentions great dragons much. They are the closest to Old gods in intelligence but we know that Old gods are real. Whats their connection?
-The black city seems to have special powers somehow. Corypheus insisted to go there and Morrigan mentions that it would have made him a God. (in which there is an actual throne)
-The well of sorrows are exactly how Corypheus described his visit in the Black city. Dead whispers. Evanuris will be freed if Solas tears down the veil. Connected?
-Sandal may just be someone who met a Titan. His Prophecy seem to be happening soon.
-If all sentient life can come from spirits, i wonder what are the true origins of the world. I do believe the Avvar has plenty of amazing explanation about the world that may be close to the truth.
-Flemeth's plan def seems to be against the darkspawn/taint but indirectly. I suspect her plans is to turn/free the Titans against the Evanuris or to destroy the Black city entirely.
-While the games tries hard to relate Arlathan to the Black city, it seems that its not that simple. Specially how its described by Abelas. I think its all a ruse. Apparently, its so secret that only 2-3 people at Bioware knows what it truly is. Tho the ancient elves of Mythal stated its been destroyed by themselves and the black city isnt destroyed.
-All indication supports the idea of the golden city actually existing by direct statement and logical reasoning. (that its not just a literal city but a place.) I think there is a confusion between what we see in the fade and how its described/seen in Here lies the Abyss. I think they may be mutually exclusive. The golden city seems like a valhalla location - meaning there is the actual "halls" and the city. Btw, Here lies the Abyss? That name isnt an accident.
Wait did you say the next DA game is 5? I thought Inquisition was 3... I missed something
Lyrium is alive and the blight corrupts it to turn red just like it corrupts everything else
(warning this is a long post O.O)
ok so hear me out. something is up... no fr.
There are 2 big things that been irking me with replaying DAO - DAI for the 100th time
1.
From the jump the cause of the blight itself has always been a question i wanted to be answered. once i learned it was the Magisters Sidereal or the 7 magisters well that was the end of the mystery my first time through. but then slowly the mystery of who the 7 magisters were got me going. we know 2 magisters. 1st is Corypheus AKA The Conductor Of The Choir Of Silence whos real name is Sethius Amladaris. 2nd is The Architect Of The Works Of Beauty whos name we never learn. what we do learn is he wishes to free the darkspawn and give them free will from the old gods. Now we know each Magister is Tied directly to the old god in which they represented/were involved with. I think 1 of 2 things happened. 1 each time a old god is turned to an arch demon the magister tied to that arch demon awakes with it, or 2 they all awoke during the 5th blight and the only ones we found were The Architect and Corypheus. This Would Leave 3 or 5 of the ancient magisters out there. I want to point out the magister doesn't need the old god/arch demon they're tied to to still be alive as we see Corypheus and he's tied Dumat The First Archdemon. The other 3 madman of chaos (zazikel), forewright of fire (toth), appraiser of slavery (andoral) we've never found Those 3 Magisters. Razikel And Lusacan havent been awoken yet, but theyre magisters could be awake for all we know.
I think Razikel may have been awoken but not by the darkspawn. Razikel has heavy lore implication in the frostback basin which makes me believe the avvar may have woken Razikel because the dragon we kill there is said to have been found by the avvar during the second blight. NOW STAY WITH ME HERE OK. The second blight was Zazikel or The Madman Of Chaos. STAY WITH ME. in a note text found in Razikels reach in the frostback basin it reads: "Run if you can. Madness has filled the silence. Do not return to this place." YOU WITH ME? Madness has filled the silence. This means Either they worshipped Razikel and got Zazikel instead prob and honest mistake XD names so close cant blame em. or They Actually woke Razikel but..... shes a dragon lol shocker either that or a child of Razikel honestly i dont know this whole bit with Razikel in the frostback mountains is very confusing but i digress. in a teaser EA dropped a while ago there was a warden a rouge and mage fighting darkspawn and behind them what seems to be 2 dragons or a 2 headed dragon. 2 old gods/archdemons left, 2 dragons? surely cant be a coincidence right.
After deep diving i think Razikels Magister is 1 of 2 people. Livia who was high queen of tevinter and birth mother of darinius as she is the only priestess of Razikel that is mentioned. The other Person took Deeper diving. Razikel was worshipped by the Planasene. A farming tribe with an animist culture and a long written history. They formed the basis of most humanity in Nevarra and Free Marches. Archon Tidarion was of Planasene Blood. An archon explained from DA lore is a magister Archon Tidarion is the least likely because on the description on the Blade of Tidarion (the greatsword that only mages can use) it is revealed that he died in battle. fun fact the maul of tacitus is also a weapon of his you can look up its pretty interesting. BACK TO THE THEORY. i dont think Tidarion wouldve been chosen either way as somehow each magister is tied to their god in a way idk. but a female god would prob choose a female magister to support her and Livia is just that.
Before i leave this part i want to shed light on something i learned after 500+ hours playing this game. in the description of the greatsword Certainty it says " A sword of deepest corruption and conviction, it cannot be the red lyrium blade that drove Kirkwall's Knight-Commander Meredith to madness. It cannot have been reborn in arcane energies somehow elven and Tevinter and Blight intertwined. And it cannot have inspired in the name of a magister who once entered heaven and would dare so again. One wonders what this sword cannot be next, in the hands of the Inquisitor, if he/she is not careful.." i pulled that quote straight from the swords description itself. I dont know which magister it is referring to but its one of them.
2
Now For the 2nd thing that has been irking me.
it has proved the hardest to research through playing and the dragon age wiki. i havent read the books but i plan to.
Land beyond Thedas
but for today just The Executors as theyre the ones we've come in to most contact with
while doing the war table mission which gives us the most insight (which is very little)
By choosing leliana you Get the following
Compliments to your spymaster. She is a resourceful woman. Once she traced our agent to Caimen Brea, the match was ruled in her favor. Tell Sister Leliana to call off her dogs. Save them for Corypheus. We suspect also that she has gotten all she can from Ser Helmuth. A caterpillar on a leaf does not know there is a forest about him.
You will hear no more from us. Our intention was to watch, and we have seen enough. Corypheus threatens us all, and the Inquisition is Thedas's only hope for stopping him. Remember that, for the moment, we are not your enemy. As a gesture of goodwill, we share our knowledge. May it prove valuable in your coming battle.
On behalf of powers across the sea,
The Executors
By choosing Cullen you get the following
Three outposts on the Nevarran border were found abandoned with no sign of struggle and nothing destroyed or taken. But in every camp, this message:
We hold your Inquisition in high esteem. Thedas's present troubles are great, but you have the strength to meet and conquer them. More will come. We prepare for the day and hold vigil. Do not look for your men; do not mourn them. They have given themselves of their own free will to a higher cause.
On behalf of powers across the sea,
The Executors
If they're to be believed this means alot
the soldiers of the inquisition worship us and are fighting along side what they believe to be the closest thing to andraste and or the maker. so for them to follow something else willingly..... i dont like this
So Without making this TOO LONG ill end it here
.....but something is brewing beyong the lands of thedas and its not good
is it natural of me to find your voice attractive and soothing
When in doubt blame blood magic