For 10 years, Dragon Age fans have been waiting for the sequel to Inquisition. 10 years to step back into the magical land of Thedas, to take up arms (whether that be sword, dagger, bow, or staff), and track Solas down to the infamously treacherous land of the Tevinter Imperium.
And 10 years to grab that bald elf by the shoulders, god or not, and demand answers.
“I suspect you have questions.” — Solas, Dragon Age Official Teaser Trailer – 2018 Game Awards
Yes, Solas, of course we have questions. So many questions and so few answers.
Well, maybe I can help with that. 10 years is a long time to wait, especially when ancient elven lore is on the line. So, whether you are a seasoned Dragon Age player looking for a quick refresh, or someone looking to jump right into the franchise with The Veilguard, let’s review.
Trespasser DLC: Where did Solas leave us?
Confused. Angry. Heartbroken. Maybe all three, depending on your playthrough (I’m looking at you, Solavellan fans). But most importantly, he dropped a lot of information that not so subtly hinted that the elven gods might not have been as benevolent as we were led to believe. Or, not so kindly put, straight up evil.
Prior to Trespasser, we already knew that Fen’harel, the Dreadwolf, the Lord of Tricksters, was the one responsible for the banishment of the Evanuris—the other elven gods—and their imprisonment behind the veil. But there is much more to the story than a trickster god who betrayed his kin and fled, giggling to himself madly with glee.
“Had I not created the Veil, the Evanuris would have destroyed the entire world.” — Solas, Trespasser
The Evanuris were “false gods,” powerful mages who were once generals, then respected elders. Elders turned into kings and kings into gods. Such things were possible when the elves were still immortal. But the Evanuris did not stop there. Power hungry, they sought to enslave their own people. And thus, vallaslin was created. Slave markings tattooed onto the faces of elven slaves meant to honor the god their master worshiped, markings still used by the Dalish, though their meaning misconstrued in an effort to preserve their dying culture.
The final straw for Fen’harel was the murder of Mythal, the Great Protector, All-Mother to the elven people, at the hands of the Evanuris.
“I sought to set my people free from slavery to would-be gods. I broke the chains of all who wished to join me. The false gods called me Fen’harel. And when they finally went too far, I formed the veil and banished them forever. Thus I freed the elven people and, in doing so, destroyed their world.” — Solas, Trespasser
By saving his people from one cage, Solas put them in another: Thedas without the Fade. By trading one cage for another, the elves lost much. Their magic. Their immortality. But it is a cage Solas wishes to break, even if it means destroying the current world and everything within it for a chance to save the elven people once again.
He will save the elven people. But first, this world must die.
The Veilguard: The Failed Ritual
Ten years have passed since the defeat of Corypheus. Eight since Solas set out to Tevinter with the intention of ripping down the Veil and destroying the world, Varric and Scout Harding hot on his heels. And although the game’s previous title, “Dreadwolf”, pointed towards the idea of Solas as the villain in the fourth Dragon Age installment, it seems that Bioware had other ideas.
On June 11th 2024, the Official Gameplay Reveal of Dragon Age: The Veilguard gave us our first real glimpse at the plot of the game, and a look at the true antagonists this time around.
Solas, standing alone, dagger in hand. Pale green light radiates from a singular point in the air above him, and with that light comes waves and waves of raw magic, filling the air with power. A voice cuts through the chaos and Solas turns. The voice of a friend. Estranged, but familiar and kind, even as the voice pleads. But it isn’t enough. The ritual has already started and if he doesn’t finish it now and heal the wound that he himself created, then it will all be for nothing.
A statue falls. Statue after statue. Solas diverts his attention for just a moment, but it is a moment too late. The ritual is ruined.
There, rising from within the rip he created in the Veil, are two monstrous forms and Solas, the mighty Fen’harel, takes a step back.
Elgar’nan and Ghilan’nain: A dark history
The scene then cuts to the Veilguard title screen, but we have seen enough to confirm what two new characters have entered the playing field: Elgar’nan and Ghilan’nain. But who are they really?
Elgar’nan, the All-Father and God of Vengeance, was born of the sun and land. The first Evanuris. The land bestowed upon him many gifts, filling the earth with warmth and life, and in a fit of jealousy, the sun burned it all. To avenge his grieving mother, Elgar’nan wrestled the sun and threw it into the abyss created by the land’s sorrow, and thus all of Thedas was plunged into an eternal night. It wasn’t until Mythal was born, rising up from the ocean and calming Elgar’nan with a single touch to the forehead, that Elgar’nan made a deal with the sun: if it was gentle, it could return. The sun accepted and peace returned to Thedas.
In reality, we know very little about what Elgar’nan was actually like. Although he was the God of Vengeance, he was never called upon to deliver justice. The elven people would instead turn to Mythal, knowing that Elgar’nan was more likely to destroy everything in a fit of rage than actually help. He is often characterized by fire and writings within the Temple of Mythal note that Elgar’nan’s fire and lightning often plagued the earth, leaving destruction in its wake. Statues and paintings of him are often depicted with narrowed eyes and sometimes even a scowling, snarling mouth.
On the other hand, we know much more about Ghilan’nain.
Ghilan’nain is the youngest of the elven deities and the only god in the elven pantheon to be raised into godhood and not born into it. Her official myth states that she was a hunter favored by the goddess Andruil, Goddess of the Hunt. After cursing a hunter who refused to make an offering to the goddess after killing a hawk, she was blinded and bound and left for dead. Andruil took pity on her and turned her into a halla, the first of her kind, and then raised her into godhood for her devotion to animals. Thus, she became the Mother of the Halla and the Goddess of Guides and Navigation.
But some people tell a different story, one where Ghilan’nain was a solitary elf who used her powers to create monsters. Countless monsters. Beasts of the skies, seas, and land. For a year, Andruil hunted her monsters for sport, but when Ghilan’nain’s monsters started preying on elves, Andruil approached her with an offer: kill her monsters and the gods would share their power with her. Over the course of three days, she killed her monsters, sparing only a few from the sky as a gift for Andruil, deep sea creatures, and the halla, for she loved them too much.
She may have killed her monsters to gain power, but Ghilan’nain never stopped creating. Writings on the Skin that Stalks, found in Trespasser, depict a scientist’s musings on experiments, taking from something that can talk and be reasoned with to enchant leathers and armors. Later, in Tevinter Nights, the story The Horror of Hormak, a group of Grey Wardens stumble upon one of her abandoned labs, within which is a brine pool that transforms living beings into new monsters.
Defy the Gods
Although we only know bits and pieces of the conflict between the gods and the unsavory things they did that made Solas seal them away in the first place, it is clear that they are not to be trifled with.
Elgar’nan, the All-Father, who scourges the earth with his fire and fury.
Ghilan’nain, the Goddess of guides and navigation, who performs experiments on living beings and turns them into monsters with glee.
Two gods. Two monsters. Two enemies to kill. You are the Veilguard, and you will protect Thedas no matter what gets in your way. One god at a time.
