TEVINTER NIGHTS Analysis: Callback

"Callback" takes us back to Skyhold, our castle and stronghold... and then shows us that you really can't go home again
without significant wear and tear on the heart...

"Know that Skyhold remains, its fires bright. Forevermore it is where you are from, not where you are bound. Attempt no travel there. Let the past guide you to a new direction. And be well."
—From "Callback," DRAGON AGE: TEVINTER NIGHTS

WARNING: SPOILERS on TEVINTER NIGHTS! Please read at your peril!

So hello once again, you lovely Wardens, Hawkes and Inkies!

As always, I hope this finds you safe and well, despite our increasingly crazy world. So let's escape awhile to Thedas, shall we?

As you probably know, I've been doing a series of analyses on Tevinter Nights, concentrating on the stories that I feel add substantially to the lore, and which may give us potential clues to Dragon Age 4. Today, I wanted to share my notes and thoughts on Lukas Kristjanson's bittersweet adventure, "Callback." And of course, please do check out my past analyses of "Three Trees to Midnight," and "The Horror of Hormak."

As I search for new clues from TEVINTER NIGHTS,
we learn some key secrets and plot progressions
from Lukas Kristjanson's story "Callback."

And here we go!

The Story at a Glance

We dive right into the story, with our old friend, the young knight Sutherland, taking in the vista we all know and love so well: beautiful Skyhold, poised high in its hidden valley between the towering snowy mountain peaks of the Frostbacks. It's implied that, as with most of the stories in this collection, it's been about a year since the events of "Trespasser."

"Every day was the best day," says Sutherland, surveying that view with love and sadness in his heart. And right there, already, I knew this story was going to make me a mess. An absolute mess.

Because I love Skyhold. I love it like a real place. Or, you know, even better than that—like all those incredible imaginary places that are more real than real. I love Skyhold like I love Bag-End. Rivendell. Cair Paravel. Brakebills. The Normandy. Or Jordan College. You get the idea. Those places are sacred to me, and Skyhold stands among them. A little part of my soul feels like it lived at Skyhold, after all—walking its Great Halls, peeking shyly into the Rotunda to see if my Inky was brave enough to interrupt Solas, running past the drafty hallway to the War Room, playing chess in the gardens, listening to songs in the warm and flickering light of The Herald's Rest. 

A little part of my soul lives at Skyhold and always will.

There's a demon living in our favorite castle. "Callback" sends it
away. But at a steep price.

Anyway. Wow, this is gonna be a tough one. 

But okay, onward—back to our merry band. 

Our Boy Grows Up

We're at Skyhold with Sutherland (and how genius was it when we discovered that his name is Donal?!), as well as companions in his adventures that we may have known already in DAI—Shayd, a human bard archer, and Voth, an elven mage. If you're a reader of the graphic novels, we did get to reconnect with the gang back in Magekiller—if not, this is our first glimpse since our Skyhold days in DAI.

As they assess the situation, Skyhold seems sad, empty and dark. Too empty, as it turns out, since even though the Inquisition had left it, it had not been left unguarded, and there had been caretakers to oversee it who were now unresponsive. Skyhold was basically force-abandoned, but not razed or destroyed, kept empty but watched as "a distant beacon." The party chats a little, and we learn that they are under orders to investigate, and that under their plans they are due to meet up with others at Skyhold, including Rat, the brash dwarven squire.

The last communication anyone got about Skyhold, the caretaker mentioned attempting to restore the fresco in the Rotunda for some reason (which was odd because it wasn't one of his duties). The caretaker ended his last message with "I have made mistakes." I know who this sounds like, to me, so this is really interesting stuff.

The band is pretty sure a demon is involved even as they make the long climb to the castle, and as they climb, Sutherland thinks back to his arrival at Skyhold, back to when he walked through the doors of the Herald's Rest and the Inquisitor took a chance on him (as well as on Shayd, Voth, and Rat, who would become his found family, his little "Chargers"). From a writing standpoint, I want to note that Lukas does a great job here, by the way, of balancing the Inquisitor as someone of any gender we choose, so that we are still imagining our Inquisitors, whoever they might be. 

Coming Home to Loss

The adventurers arrive at a courtyard full of memories, and realize the first desecration—that the old caretaker's body is nailed to the door of the empty stable—and that he did the job himself.

Sutherland and crew return to a Skyhold with no warm, sweet torches or
welcoming fires. The Skyhold of the future is sad, dark, and virtually empty.

They investigate further, and everything is clean and empty and sad, yet full of memories. The courtyard, the buildings, the stalls, the tavern. There were seven permanent staff left behind but at first there's no sign of anyone but the dead caretaker, but Voth can sense the demon nearby. 

When Sutherland and friends investigate further, they discover that our once-beautiful Rotunda, the jewel of Skyhold—from Solas's frescoes to the second-floor library to the top-floor rookery—is now a tower of horrors, of body parts and old blood. And the frescoes themselves now seem to be somehow alive... in peculiar depth and motion, surrounded by a blackness that seems to be draining them of life and color. The demon then attacks them, inhabiting the wolflike/draconic creature from the final panel, and both Voth and Shayd are instantly defenseless. When Sutherland confronts it, the demon confirms that it is Regret, "an echo that has breached the Fade."

Bees, Friends, and Kisses Galore

Sutherland battles Regret while his friends are caught and trapped by their own internal regrets and memories. He manages to stab the demon, but the demon is able to regenerate almost instantly. Still, Sutherland—the only one present with zero regrets—is strong and unafraid throughout the fight. Skyhold made him who he is, and he will regret nothing that happened there, so he's able to hold off the demon until Rat shows up with another of our old friends from Skyhold—Dagna! They attack the creature with amphora of bees (BEES! Of course! And a lovely little shoutout to Sera, the character Lukas wrote for DAI, as well as to her romance with Dagna), and as the demon goes nuts, Sutherland is able to rescue Shayd and Voth from their immobility, and he and Shayd take a moment to celebrate (remember, they flirted then got involved way back in DAI!) with a passionate kiss despite the mayhem. No time like the present!

"Callback" gives us some really fun, tantalizing glimpses of Skyhold
as a working (and highly defensible) castle.

Then the gang lures the demon outside, with Rat running nimbly to distract it from the others, and our old blacksmith Harritt joins the fray, then our old quartermaster Ser Morris, who rush with Sutherland and the others to pursue the demon into the Herald's Rest. Once inside the tavern, my darling sweet grouchy Cabot appears, noting that, "as a bartender, I drown regret." Cabot attacks the demon, and is joined in the attack by Elan, our former elven apothecary. The two banter adorably enough to let us know that they're a couple (yay!), and man, the nostalgia is absolutely lethal here, people. Especially since it appears the tavern is now on fire. (NO! Not the Herald's Rest!)

The Heart of Skyhold

The entire gang helps Sutherland converge on the demon to take it down, and his memory of the Inquisitor gives him enough courage to stand for his friends. He's able to stab the demon, then everyone else (touchingly "the little people, who supposedly didn't matter" yet who were in the end, "the heart of Skyhold") helps him to take it down. The death of Regret is bittersweet, and it dies chuckling, but with an aura of sadness, and bringing a fresh and cleansing breeze through the garden. Sutherland's merry band, together with their friends, have triumphed.

The story ends with a proclamation from Divine Victoria, praising the Inquisition and the Herald, while also saluting the acceptance of change, and the knowledge that Skyhold is no longer a destination, but their past. "Attempt no travel there," she warns, "Let the past guide you to a new direction. And be well."

"Callback" implies that Solas's regrets were so powerful they became
a literal being. That's hardcore.

And then I cry like a baby, because Skyhold is empty again. And Solas's Rotunda is a wreck of bodies and bloodshed, and his gift of the ancient and beautiful murals are lost forever (although Dagna will eagerly study the demon-touched remnants), and the Herald's Rest was burning when last we saw it.

I love the story, but Skyhold's fate fricking breaks my heart.

What it Adds to the Lore

A view of Skyhold. Back when it was a working fortress. (cries)

We learn quite a lot here in "Callback," of course, along with some nice lore confirmations, so here's my rundown:

• First, Sutherland tells us that the Inquisition attracted roughly 10,000 soldiers, assassins, diplomats, and freeblades from across Thedas, transforming them into "a massive, destabilizing militia with an allegiance to an ideal, not borders."
  
  This is also a direct offshoot of Sutherland's series of quests for us under Ser Morris in DAI, and of how we see him and his friends contribute to the influence of the Inquisition itself.
  
  
• We get some lovely specific details on Skyhold's mechanics here, that further solidify it as a working fortress, a real place, and I love that! Let me count the ways...
  
  Like, for instance, that a cable lift was used to bring up people, animals, and supplies from the valley floor to the fortress. There's also access via a steep, very high climb via a watchtower with an internal staircase.
  
  We also learn that Skyhold was equipped with formidable ballistae, and that several were trained on the bridge to the main gate—a terrific defense with zero places to flee for the opponent on the bridge.
  
  We also learn that there were fires that could be lit beneath the gatehouse that could sear intruders caught between the portcullises and past the drawbridge if needed. Basically, Skyhold did not mess around.
  
  And remember... this is all a place that was once conceived and created by Solas himself. It's a fascinating thought.
  
  
• We also get confirmation that the Veil is unusually thin at Skyhold, causing it "to react to events like water reacted to stones." Since we know that Skyhold is where Solas literally created the Veil, this is extremely interesting information.
  
  
• We're given further lore on spirits and demons, and that both are driven by the singular emotions that define them, so much so that they actually embody those emotions (Compassion, Wisdom, Faith, Pride, Despair, etc.), as we know. This isn't a surprise, per se, and yet here it's presented with a dash of sadness, of predestination (and as if the spirits/demons could have been more complex depending on their choices). It's implied that these spirits/demons do have a choice in who or what they become, in other words, at least to me. They are aware of what drives them.
  
  We also learn that in comparison to spirits, that demons are both similar (as we already knew from Solas's banters with Cole) and yet also "inward" and "craving," that they are "jealous, starved, and dangerous."
  
  
• The demon emerged in the Rotunda and from the very plaster of its walls, inhabiting, animating, and obliterating Solas's eight beautiful frescoes, which we are told here were nearly twenty feet tall, and which are confirmed to have been Solas's gift to the Inquisitor (something that still touches me, especially since he created these masterworks regardless of whether he liked or loved the Inquisitor).
  
  Also, twenty feet tall! Sheesh, no wonder our favorite Fade Walker never seemed to sleep. He didn't have time. Good grief.
  
  
• We get some tantalizing new descriptions of the frescoes that offer a little more insider insight into that tantalizing unfinished eighth panel Solas left behind.
  
  Among other things, "Callback" gives us confirmation that the wolflike creature standing over the dead dragon is itself rather reptilian and draconic (something I've definitely been a proponent for, so I'm pretty tickled at the revelation), and that the emerging creature (not the fresco animal) "has too many eyes" (a subtle reference again, to Pride Demons, not to mention to Solas's many Tarots in DAI): 

For those of you who felt that this "wolf" figure was also
pretty dragony? DING DING DING, you got it right!

"...here, unfinished, was the outline of a beast that stood over both dragon and sword. This was not the battle, or the victory. This was after. And the beast was not a dragon. The outline alone might have allowed that assumption, but now, filling with black and red, it was something other. The creature was reptilian, but also canine. The snout was blunted and toothy, but edges came to a point in houndlike ears. As the mass of plaster filled the shape, it began to rise, revealing scales and tail, and paws with talons. It looked like two figures painted on either side of a pane of glass, then viewed together, their forms confused. A wolf that had absorbed a dragon, and now stood crooked over all."

This is almost a literal recap of the final confrontation of Solas and Mythal at the end of DAI. And it also quite beautifully expresses the regret and self-loathing that almost surely followed that confrontation for Solas. We saw the clear love and affection between the two—which we now know encompassed thousands of years. And now it appears Solas 'absorbed' that draconic essence of Mythal quite literally. Or so this implies. And it also feels like, well, it's just one more monument to his own self-loathing on this journey on the din'anshiral.

As I've blogged here before, I already believe Solas can wear many faces, from man, to ancient elven god, to Dread Wolf (a wolf walking both Fade and in the real world), to Pride Demon. And now here we get the implication that he has, perhaps, also finally achieved that 'level-up'—to the divine draconic form. It's a revelation to shake all of Thedas. If they only knew. 

Sorry, I know I'm supposed to caption this with something touching
about Solas's murals, but as always, I'm just staring at his booty here.

• “I am the heart of what was here,” roars the demon to Sutherland, pointing at the frescoes. "I am Regret!" It goes on to reveal, "There is so much of me that's here. So much regret behind these deeds. I wonder if you know the dread that's coming?"
  
  
• What is fascinating here is that this demon is very obviously embodying at least the shadow and memory of Solas. It is Solas's grief and regret brought to actual life across the Veil, and as such it seems to speak both in his voice and even with his penchant for riddles and secrets in plain sight (the "dread" that's coming). The creature even openly says, "I am the regret of a god," which once again confirms that at some point, there appears to be a slight truth to the power of those ancient evanuri (including Solas) and that it was, well, pretty darned godlike.
  
  
• Sutherland realizes during the fight with the demon that his mission was a setup -- a mission that was supposed to fail, and which would therefore allow the evil nobles to obliterate the castle and erase the Inquisition's proudest legacy.
  
  
• As Regret begins to die, we get a tantalizing glimpse of illumination as Sutherland sees "a sliver of the spirit that might have been." Not the opposite of regret. A different flavor, or shade. Contemplation. Introspection. It felt the actions that had summoned it. There might have been a better choice," said a thought it had not been allowed."
  
  
• Regret dies chuckling, and again, we get some really fascinating lore here: "It glimpsed the spirit realm beyond the Veil, and a faraway glimmer. Familiar, and somehow far brighter than what had drawn it here. It knew where it would go."
  
  To Solas, perhaps?
  
  To be reunited, no longer a sliver of spirit, but whole with the spirit that spawned it?
  
  Or is it simply seeing a place within the Fade where it can be reborn? What an odd child of Solas's life and deeds.

But what did you take from "Callback?"

Final Observations

For me, this story was as delightful as it was painful... it took me back to Skyhold. A place I love. 

The sacrilege of "Callback" runs deep for me, since I always thought
Solas's little home in the Rotunda to be one of Skyhold's loveliest
locations, with its frescoes, jewel tones, and soft furnishings.

And then it took Skyhold away from me. And reminded me that Skyhold is now empty, alone, and damaged beyond repair.

The beautiful frescoes that Solas so carefully painted for the Inquisitor, each one a gift priceless beyond measure and created as treasures and recreations of art that belonged to thousands of years past (even if the Inky didn't realize this then) are gone, crumbled into a demonic cauldron of self-loathing, loss and regret.

All that remains is an empty castle, dried blood, and a few flakes of plaster. And the bitter tang of loss and regret.

The Din'anshiral

For me, this story, more than any other in Tevinter Nights, reveals the bitterness of Solas's secret heart. For those who see him simply as an arrogant know-it-all, a villain with no heart, I would point them to this story, in which his regret, self-loathing, loss, and sadness have literally been so painful, so vast, that they spawned a demon in his absence.

For me, "Callback" does a brave and beautiful thing: It reminds us of something beloved and beautiful (Solas's frescoes), something we may have treasured in DAI—and it brutally destroys them. It's awful and sad. It's painful. But it's necessary. The Solas who painted those frescoes is gone. The world that held them is gone. Everyone has moved on. Except, perhaps, the Inquisitor who loved him.

Skyhold survived the creation of the Veil. And then the departure of
the Inquisition. Will we get to return in Dragon Age 4? Time will tell.

All that remains is an empty castle, a dying Veil, and the memories of people who still believed in goodness. Who really hoped they could fix the world. And who even when they left, kept hoping in all their stubborn, stupid, glorious belief.

I don't look to videogames to inspire me in daily life, but this? In the craziness of our terrible current world, man, I'll take it. 

Skyhold is empty. Will it stay that way? Or will Dragon Age 4 allow us to return? Only time will tell... 

Meaningful Banters: Tied and Tantalized (Companions on the Iron Bull's Romance)

The War Table? It's evidently quite sturdy.

Cole: She submits, but you serve.

NOTE: This post is part of a continuing series ("Meaningful Banters"), in which I shine a spotlight on especially important or revealing moments that occur between companions in banter, during the course of the games. As I've been writing a series of pieces on character romances, and most recently, The Iron Bull's, I thought this would be a fun and timely companion piece (and that it might cheer you up if you happened to just read the romance analysis segment discussing a Qun-Loyal Bull).


CONTENT AND TRIGGER WARNING: This post has NSFW elements and includes some frank dialogue referencing The Iron Bull's BDSM relationship with a romanced Inquisitor.

Bull's romance is one of the most complex in the Dragon Age universe, and as it evolves, Cole may perform his usual mind-reading magic to illustrate some of the relationship's more private elements—to the slightly embarrassed dismay of Bull and the Inquisitor, and to the delight of the rest of the companions.

I analyzed the Iron Bull's romance with the Inquisitor in more detail here, here, and here, but Cole's banter conversations about Bull and the Inquisitor's romance are also incredibly revealing about the dynamics of the relationship in the minds of both the Inquisitor and Bull—and are more than a little blushworthy (please note as always that I'm referring to my Inquisitor by the gender of my own Bull-romancer): 

Cole: She almost says the word sometimes. Katoh. She tastes it in her mouth, sweet release a breath away, tongue tying it tenderly like you tie her. But she doesn't. For you, and for her because it makes it mean more. A fuller feeling, a brighter burst.

Iron Bull: Yeah. (Coughs.) How's she feel about you saying this in front of everybody?

The Inquisitor can then respond with or without embarrassment, or matter-of-factly, and all the choices result in some funny reactions from our companions (I admit it, I usually take option #2—it's funnier, and more apropos): 

Inquisitor (Answer Option #2): If a rift opened up right now and swallowed me, I'd be fine with that.

Solas (if present): Provided it tied you down first, one assumed.

Varric (if present): Listen, do whatever works for you. You don't have to act restrained in front of us.

If your Inquisitor romances Bull, Cole will eventually broadcast several
of your most intimate thoughts to any companions in the vicinity! 

This is just another one of those little character moments that I love in the game, because Varric's not the only one being mischievous; quiet, proper Solas is once again reminding us that he's possibly a lot naughtier in the sack than he may appear to be, as well.

Inquisitor (Answer Option #1): Bull and I are consenting adults, and there's nothing wrong with what we choose to do in bed.

Cole: Not just in bed. Sometimes it's up against the wall. Once on the War Table.

Sera (if present): (Laughs.) Hope you took her right up the Dales.

Dorian (if present): (Laughs.) Ahem.

Blackwall (if present): I look forward to informing Cullen!

Or the Inquisitor ends the conversation without further delay:

Inquisitor (Answer Option #3): Moving on.

Cassandra (if present): I could not agree more.

Vivienne (if present): Please do.

Cole: Oh, sorry.

Cole brings up the romance again later on, and again, it's unexpectedly revealing, on both sides:

Cole: You act like you're in charge, The Iron Bull, but it's really her. She decides when, and you measure it carefully, enough to enjoy, to energize, but never to anger. She is tied, teased, tantalized, but it's tempered to what she wants. She submits, but you serve.

Iron Bull: Do you mind, kid? If you take away all the mystery, it's not quite as hot.

Inquisitor (Answer #1): Bull? Yes it is.

Iron Bull: Right! My mistake. Carry on, kid.

Cole: What's an Orlesian Tickler?

Iron Bull: I'll tell you when you're older.

Cole: No, you won't.

Iron Bull: No, I won't.

What I think is amusing here is that Bull is pretty obviously very much aware of the psychology Cole is describing. He just maybe isn't too keen on having it revealed to the Inquisitor (or their companions).

Or depending on our reply, we get this option:

Inquisitor (Answer #2): Bull, is he right?

Iron Bull: The kid? Please. (Pause) Next time we're alone, I'm going to pin you down and do things your body won't believe.

Cole: But...

Iron Bull: Ahem.

Cole: Sorry.

It's interesting that Bull's fine with all the teasing and banter about his
relationship with the Inquisitor, but when asked for actual details by Varric,
he refuses, noting, "That room is for her and me. No one else invited."

The Iron Bull's romance is discussed with other companions too, and as always, these little moments can be surprisingly insightful about specific characters. Take Varric's request for information, below—Bull's completely not okay with that. He wasn't kidding when he said that what happens in the Inquisitor's bedroom stays there:
 

Varric: So, Bull. You and the Inquisitor, huh?

Iron Bull: Mm-hmm.

Varric: I'd love some impressions. Imagery. Something for my next book.

Iron Bull: Sorry. That room is for her and me. No one else invited.

Varric: Safe harbor from the storm outside?

Iron Bull: All right, now you're just making it weird.

Then Sera gets in on the discussion, later, as well:

Sera: You're bedding the Inquisitor.

Iron Bull: Sometimes. Usually it's just against the wall.

Inquisitor: (Laughter.)

Sera: What's so funny? Ooh, because you do it standing. Pfft. 

Or:

Inquisitor: Bull! No!

Bull: She sort of asked.

Sera: Ooh, because you do it standing. Pfft.

Cassandra: Moving on.

Varric: I usually describe a fireplace by this point.

Bull and Cass also banter again later a few more times, and it's as charming and funny as always:

Iron Bull: That was some solid work back there, Seeker.

Cassandra: You, as well.

Iron Bull: The way you backhanded that guy with your shield and then damn near chopped him in half?

(Then, if romancing the Inquisitor): Any chance I could have the Boss borrow your armor later? For, uh, personal reasons.

Cassandra: No.

Iron Bull: I'd clean it after.

Cassandra: Absolutely not.

Iron Bull: (frustrated sigh)

And then again later, in which Bull notes his commitment to his relationship with the Inquisitor (a detail I love, considering Bull comes from a culture in which that kind of commitment is utterly foreign):

Iron Bull: You know, Seeker, your style doesn't have to be so defensive.

Cassandra: Excuse me?

Iron Bull: You've got armor. Let someone scratch the paint a bit. You can wind up for a shot that will really ring their bell. Some part of you wants to just cut loose. I can feel the frustration in your swings.

(If romancing the Inquisitor) I'd offer to help you get rid of that frustration but, you know... I'm in a committed relationship.

Cassandra: Unlucky me.

And Cassandra has more to say, after the interruption incident (when she, Cullen and Josie walked in on the tryst between the Inquisitor and Bull):

Cassandra: You are aware her room has a lock, Bull?

Iron Bull: Sure.

Cassandra: Some people might find that useful. In future.

Iron Bull: I'd rather focus on--

Cassandra: Yes. I'm sure the room and its... contents... are very distracting. Thank you.

Although Cassandra notes to Bull that (after interrupting their liaison earlier)
the Inquisitor's room has a lock on it, what's fun to point out is that the room
where they were discovered was plainly not the Inquisitor's quarters.

The funniest thing here is that the room Bull and the Inquisitor were caught in was visibly not the Inquisitor's quarters at all, but in actuality appeared to be the cluttered, empty room around the corner from the top floor of the Herald's Rest. (The one with the ax in the headboard). So this also made me headcanon that perhaps there was a period in the early days of the Inquisitor and Bull's romance where they were basically getting caught all over the place.

It's funny to envision—especially if you imagine Leliana and poor Josie having to actually sit the Inquisitor and Bull down and lecture them like naughty teenagers on which locations at Skyhold are less appropriate for, ahem, romantic moments.

Taarsidath-an halsaam!

The Inquisitor's Seduction: Romancing The Iron Bull, Part 1

Bull's romance is something completely different from almost any other
RPG romance you'll encounter. In a great (if slightly surprising) way.

THE IRON BULL:
Qunari love our friends like anyone does, but we don't have sex with them.

Spoilers for all of Dragon Age: Inquisition, as always!

You never exactly think an RPG game is going to challenge your beliefs, assumptions, or your perceptions of real-world relationships... but then there's Bioware. And Dragon Age. And the somewhat controversial, yet terrifically drawn romance, for instance, between The Iron Bull and the Inquisitor in Dragon Age: Inquisition.

First, a little backstory: Bull's romance was the first one I ever played in DAI, And it certainly offers complexity, maturity and candid sexuality in spades.I still remember when Bull showed up in his first scene at the Storm Coast. It's still very clear for me, because I looked at him and felt a few conflicting things immediately: Disappointed regret, alongside paradoxical interest. Regret, because I instantly wrote him off as a romance. I'm not into super-muscular guys as a general rule in real life.

And yet I also felt a little fascination too. Because, while Bull was massive and musclebound and slightly loud and disconcerting, he was also so interesting visually, and wonderfully unpretty! He had these strange horns. He was scarred everywhere (seriously: everywhere) and slightly scary, with an eyepatch over a missing eye. His body managed to be powerful but the muscles actually weren't traditionally beautiful, more utilitarian. His face was all angles and edges, like his humor. He just wasn't handsome, and in fact he bordered for me (at the time) on being downright homely.

When it comes to his romance, Bull's entire persona is about drawing
you in. He doesn't pursue you... he gets you to pursue him.

Reevaluating Bull
Then my Inky talked to him, and I was tempted again. He had a rich, deep and beautiful voice (thanks to the always talented Freddie Prinze, Jr., who was a total chameleon in this role), and whether I found Bull attractive physically or not, when he spoke I melted a little. And he was smart and seriously funny. And better yet, he also seemed to be charmingly transparent, and (awesomely) like the Worst Spy Ever. All pluses in my book.

(I KNOW, right? I was so, so young.)

Although, in my own defense, not finding Bull handsome was, weirdly a plus for me. I liked it. So I paused and thought about my adorable princessy blonde Inquisitor and went, "Wait, wait, I've got to romance this guy... It's like Beauty and the Beast! He even has horns!" (I write a lot of fantasy novels and stories with fairytale elements, so that was catnip to me... I'm weak that way.)

Besides, I was kind of intrigued. I'd played lots of RPGs and romanced plenty of obviously beautiful people in Bioware games: Alistair, Zevran, Thane, Liara, etc. Maybe it would be fun to romance this big hulk of a guy who wasn't obviously gorgeous. And besides, he was so smart, funny and interesting! Most of all, he seemed like he'd be fun. I was playing a big huge adventure game, and a romance with a little fun sounded just perfect to me.

So within a few hours of gameplay and conversation, I reconsidered my immediate decision not to romance Bull, and flipped back just as fast to "Huh. Wait. I totally need to do this."

With this thought, I dismissed my earlier flirtations with Solas (who'd been an unexpected and genuine temptation because of his smarts and smoothness) as well as with Cullen (who's luckily gorgeous because his flirts made my own real-life disasters look positively elegant and Clooney-esque in comparison), and off I went.

I'd decided.

I was going to win the heart of The Iron Bull.

Since my very first Inky was an ice princess outside and a jokester inside,
I adored her pairing with Bull. And visually, it was the perfect fairytale.

Second Impressions

When I began to romance Bull in DAI, however, one thing that I discovered fairly quickly is that I got taken, my friends. Because once you get talking to Bull, he's not at all the simple, slightly silly, open-book guy you thought you were recruiting. He's quiet, genial but cool, he's adept at keeping people at arms' length, and he's a heck of a lot smarter than he first appears.

And while I may have found Bull ugly in my first few meetings with him, I soon realized that I was in a decided minority on that front. Bull offered his own charms (and knew it), and thousands across Thedas were already desperately dialing him up, going, "How YOU doin'?"

In other words, my initial dismissal of Bull's hotness was, frankly, pretty hilarious.

More Than Meets the Eye

The best part of this dawning awareness was that it quickly and completely dismantled my initial take on his romance, which had been (somewhat naively) that Bull would be easy to catch, and that he'd be a rather kooky, funny romantic object who'd be, well, happy to have the attention.

Writing this today, I find the idea that I ever found Bull to be even remotely simple as a character to be pretty laughable. However, it was definitely entertaining to start to realize just how wrong I was, as Bull talked to my Inquisitor and carefully pieced out those tantalizing little bits of information about himself and life under the Qun.

All too quickly, meanwhile, I began to really like the guy. I began to recognize the other aspects to Bull that were so irresistible to others—and believably so. He wasn't just sharp and crudely funny, he was also capable of considerable subtlety and charm. He revealed himself to be downright brilliant when it came to reading people, and he was also possessed of an incredible amount of charisma and self-confidence. Maybe he wasn't conventionally beautiful to me, but I began to find myself looking for his reactions in all our scenes and cutscenes. A few overheard conversations around the Inquisition further communicated that Bull was fabulous in bed, had zero hangups about sex, and was both respectful, discreet and accomplished in that arena.

Hearing the discussions about these dates, this was where my Inquisitor began to evince actual jealousy and soon went from casual interest to basically throwing herself at Bull on a constant basis. I had her take every available chance to talk to Bull, she took him along on missions, and she flirted incessantly with him. I had her do all of this with a yawn, secure in my assumption that eventually he'd respond with a knowing wink or a rascally kiss and off they'd go.

And then I began to realize the horrifying truth: that Bull might flirt with the world (and sleep with a decent contingent as desired), but he was utterly uninterested in my Inquisitor's attempts at flirtation.

Panic ensued.

The Iron Bull Slightly Freaking Approves

As I mentioned here, when you flirt with most characters in Dragon Age: Inquisition, they respond in a variety of ways, and they're almost always interesting, funny and charming. Cullen, Cassandra, and Josie are adorably flustered by the attention (as is Blackwall, albeit more broodingly and beardily), while Solas and Dorian are much smoother and cooler (as, somewhat surprisingly, is Sera). Cole, Viv, and Varric are all unromanceable (especially tragic in Varric's case, given his wit, handsomeness, and that always-fantastic chest hair).

Bull is the only character in the game who doesn't respond when we flirt
with him. I mean, at all. We get a "slightly approves" and that's it.

But the point is, everybody else responds. Everyone. They react visibly to flirtation and attention. Solas parries your flirtations smoothly with a surprising amount of sophistication and sly sexiness, even as you can tell he's totally falling for your Inquisitorial cuteness (if you're elven). Sera is amused but interested (if you're female). Dorian is charmed, yet cautious (if you're male). Cullen looks mortified yet even mysteriously more ridiculously handsome as he tries to disappear into his own armor. Cass makes noises, growls, draws her gorgeous eyebrows and looks suspicious, but eventually she's hilariously flustered at almost Cullen-levels of adorable awkwardness.

Not Bull. He doesn't say a word. Not once. No change in expression beyond, occasionally, the slight smile that goes along with the notification that "The Iron Bull slightly approves."

Slightly approves. And I was using all my best flirts.

The angels wept.

In all seriousness, for me, The Iron Bull's crushing lack of response to our flirtations may be maddening, but's also absolutely true to character. And for me it's one of the smartest, funniest and most perceptive aspects of his romance, for a number of reasons.

This is because Bull's situation is more complex than it appears. He might be the freewheeling pansexual dynamo yearned after across Orlais, Haven and Skyhold, but he's also a man on a mission.

His loyalties, in other words, are complicated, to say the least.

Sex, the Qun, and The Iron Bull

As far as his baseline goes, Bull is certainly uninhibited, famously skilled and casual about sex. He has zero hangups or shame associated with consenting sexual behavior between adults of any gender or race, as, under the Qun, sex for Bull, as for almost all Qunari, is something purely, solely physical—a need to be filled, an itch to be scratched. It's an act, for many Qunari, which is usually accomplished by their Tamassrans, who treat these interludes almost clinically, as sex workers. Beyond that, there's no romantic love or long-term commitment recognized under the Qun, and those under its regime live existences in which their sex lives (and choices) are often, in fact, not their own, as different pairs of men and women are frequently matched up solely for breeding purposes.

It's all just part of accepted life under the Qun, as Bull notes in an early dialogue with a curious Inquisitor:

Bull: Qunari love our friends like anyone does but we don't have sex with them.

Inquisitor: You don't have sex?!

Bull (laughing quietly): Oh, we definitely have sex. There are Tamassrans who pop your cork whenever you need it. It's not a big deal like it is here. It's like, I don't know, going to see a healer. Sometimes it's this long involved thing, it takes all day, leaves you walking funny. Other times you're in and out in 5 minutes—"Thank you, see you next week!"

(Later, after the Inquisitor asks more questions...)

Bull: No drama. (Pause) Still, it's more fun here. Fewer rituals, more making it up as you go along. Plus, you folk have redheads. Redheads.

After childhood, Bull spent years in the Ben-Hassrath, where he would have learned to use sex as both an enjoyable outlet for pleasure and stress relief as well as, of course, as just one more valuable psychological weapon. I then assume that he further honed his skills in the bedroom during his decade in Orlais as an undercover agent, where (according to the DAI Codices), his sexual escapades were the frequent and notorious topics of avid interest, speculation, envy and discussion among the nobles there. As I've noted before, I also think this is where Vivienne would have picked up on him as a player of the Great Game, and become an amused admirer of his subtlety and gamesmanship from afar.

It's no coincidence that Bull (here flanked by his loyal Krem at left) always
positions himself in the best place for picking up news and gossip. In Haven, he's
between the outer gate and stables, able to see and hear pretty much everything.

The Quiet Strategist

When Bull joins the Inquisition, he seamlessly installs himself as a fixture near the central areas of gossip and discussion, every time. It's beautifully casual, and such a smart and appropriate character note. At Haven, he's between the main gate and stable at the outer wall, right where he'd be able to observe who's in and out on missions (as well as viewing plainly their moods and reactions), and he'd also be able to overhear plenty of important conversations without alerting suspicion, as well (Note: I previously and incorrectly said he was outside the Chantry—many thanks to Elana for the correction!). He installs himself into an even more ideal spot later on, in the Herald's Rest at Skyhold, where he also becomes an enthusiastic participant in its social life.

But as far as Bull's romance, at Haven, almost immediately we overhear accounts of Bull's casual bedroom encounters in a few funny, eavesdropped conversations, as well as through discussions with Bull himself once we reach Skyhold. He's obviously not lacking for company (and by all accounts he's also, ahem, a pleaser—which certainly fits with his core personality as someone programmed to give people what they need).

Yet here he is, barely responding when the Inquisitor, possibly the hottest, bravest, most fascinating person in Thedas (let's just assume it's a given, right?), flirts with him over the first several months of his time with the organization.

Why?

Like I said: He's not looking for a date. He's a man on a mission. And he's playing the long game.

The Devastating Attractiveness of Complete Disinterest

I was, of course, as frustrated as anyone else when I realized that The Iron Bull wasn't going to fall at my Inquisitor's feet. And yet, the fact that he didn't do so quickly became part of the fun. I became increasingly intrigued... then realized that this is exactly the reaction Bull's aiming for. And now here I was, making constant heart-eyes at this big, bluff, funny ox-man and waiting for him to finally notice my protagonist character. To quote "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," the subtext was rapidly becoming text. The psychology of Bull's romance—and the accuracy of its eye on human nature—was a lot of fun, even as I found myself amused at my own reactions to it.

Remember—at first, I'd found Bull somewhat ugly—striking and imposing, sure, but not beautiful (aside from that gorgeous deep voice). Then, like I said, I'd started actively pursuing him, and somewhere at about the 30% mark of the game, a number of things had happened:

• I was no longer remotely interested in romancing anyone else
• I'd forgotten why I ever found him ugly
• I was hanging on every conversation with him like a wistful groupie
• I'd realized he was not just the big lug with the ax and the mug of maraas-lok, but that he was actually one of the smartest, subtlest, and most perceptive characters in the game (rivaled only by Solas and Leliana).

And despite dozens of hours of adventuring by my adorable Inky (several months in Thedas-time), Bull scarcely returned her glances.

It was downright depressing.

But, true to human nature since time immemorial, of course, with every disinterested look or implied shrug, I just fell harder. The result was that my Inquisitor was energetically throwing herself at Bull by the time we got to Skyhold, and—of course—(at least mentally) writing his name in her Inquisitorial parchment-notebook with lots of little hearts and arrows and cute curly initials everywhere.

And the thing is, I loved it. I loved the fact that I was playing for a character who suddenly found herself frustrated and insecure, who wasn't being handed her desired relationship on a silver virtual platter. Suddenly, and gorgeously, Dragon Age: Inquisition was defying my expectations. While I'd loved the other two games, nobody here was handing me roses or making speeches about how hard it was to resist my charms. Instead, its relationships were challenging, complex and frustrating. Just like life.

Playing Hard to Get...

Meanwhile, as my Inquisitor went on casting pining looks in Bull's direction (inciting a few more paltry "The Iron Bull slightly approves" reactions, curses), she did all of the quests that would get her approval as high as possible with him in the meantime. So she helped the poor common folk of the Hinterlands, she did the quests that included valuable soldier's skills (like the horse races at Dennet's farm to demonstrate horsemanship), she decimated the dragon population across Thedas specifically for the additional approval from Bull (and felt more than a little guilty in the process), and waited for him to look her way.

And, bless her little heart, she waited a long time. Here's an approximate rundown of how many flirts Bull required before he made his move:

• 2 flirts in Haven
• 2 flirts in Skyhold tavern
• 1 flirt at the dragon celebration (maraas-lok for everyone!)
• 2 flirts on the rooftop (after "The Demands of the Qun," either outcome)

Now, these numbers are a bit fluid because Bull's interest is also absolutely predicated on approval numbers (not just flirts), and my Inky #1 didn't always choose outcomes or judgments Bull loved (he tends to approve the more ruthless, soldier-like, solutions). For instance, I know some players who are able to move forward with him almost immediately after arriving at Skyhold, while it took me a few dozen hours further. But I'd say that my experience was pretty common, at least, and I like what it says about Bull as a character, so I'm including the flirt counts here just for fun.

I mean, compared to Bull, most of our other love interests in DAI are pushovers—it takes maybe two or three flirts with Solas to get the Fade kiss (and we make the first move). It takes about the same for Cullen. The only other similar holdout in DAI is actually Sera, who is amused, but also surprisingly reserved, at interest from the Inquisitor, and who takes her own sweet time in deciding whether or not to trust them.

However, there are good reasons for Bull to behave this way that aren't just about playing coy or hard to get.

I mean, again... he's undercover. At least, to start.

And maybe for even longer than that, depending on our own loyalties and choices...

Think about it. If Bull openly sought the Inquisitor's affections, he'd be
met with skepticism or even outright suspicion (he is, after all, a spy). But
if he gets us to pursue him, his agenda is much easier to hide.

Secrets and Lies

As you already know from some of my previous analyses of The Iron Bull, my take is that Bull is reserved and circumspect for most of the game's first 30-40% because he's in a pretty complicated position as a potential sleeper agent. Therefore, it's all to his advantage for the Inquisitor to do the chasing. For him to chase the Inquisitor, he risks either alienating them or alerting suspicion.

Why is Bull so reluctant? Let's take a look at the big-picture possible reasons:

• He may be understandably skeptical of the Inquisitor, the organization, and Thedas. 
• He may be waiting you out to see what kind of person you actually are. 
• He may be reluctant to complicate a professional relationship with a sexual one. 
• He's cautious and it takes him awhile to become interested. 

Or... my take:

• He's being strategic, despite being interested from day one (or at least attracted, because, again, see Inquisitor and most gorgeous interesting person ever). 
• He's also under orders from the Qun to get close to the Inquisitor. 
• He may even be under direct orders to seduce (or to attempt to seduce) the Inquisitor (and oh, I definitely think he is). 
• He's got to proceed with caution—each step must be conducted perfectly (after all, we're talking about the Qun's goal of world domination, complicated by the added stress that the Rifts themselves pose a threat to the end of that world). 

For me, it's that second bullet list. It's simply a matter of Bull understanding human nature, and to a scary, almost microscopic degree. In other words, he's slightly cool and unattainable because that just makes him even more desirable to the Inquisitor. He can't exactly pursue the Inquisitor—doing so would be far too obvious, and it would immediately raise a few red flags (with Leliana, certainly, among others).

So Bull spends half his seduction game doing a careful dance—timing every smile, every discussion, every move. Always teasing forward, then edging back, drawing the Inquisitor in. Turning down half a dozen opportunities and simply biding his time.

In a more cliche-ridden story, the next step—Bull's seduction of the Inquisitor—would be a charming or comedic scene as Bull finally makes his move.

So it's interesting, yet again, that what's presented here doesn't fit into any of those categories. It's not charming. It's not light. It's... risky. It's dark. It's disconcerting. It may be hot, yes, but it's also, in fact, pretty cold.

Delicious, but cold. But more on that in the next part of my analysis... when Bull finally makes his move.

Skyhold: The Gift of a Castle

"There is a place that waits for a force to hold it. There is a place where the Inquisition can build, grow...
"Skyhold."

NOTE: As always? SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS on everything in the game, its story, conclusion, revelations, and identities. Seriously. SO many spoilers. You can't even imagine. Read at your own risk.

There is a place that waits for a force to hold it. There is a
place where the Inquisition can build, grow... Skyhold.
(Thank goodness we just happened to stumble upon it!)

The sequence in Dragon Age: Inquisition that takes place from "In Your Heart Shall Burn" through "The Dawn Will Come" and then, finally, through the discovery of Skyhold, represents an extraordinary series of unforgettable and powerful moments that propel the game and its storyline into a bold new reality.

And if Dragon Age: Inquisition is an interactive novel at its heart (and I truly think it is) then this is where the novel's first section ends, and the next begins. 

After the word "Skyhold," everything changes, yet again.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. In the meantime, the conversation with Solas in the darkness in the previous scene, after "The Dawn Will Come" and under the ghostly glow of the blue mage torchlight, fades away into a pale, pink and brilliant new dawn in the mountains (a lovely, subtle callback to the hymn of the previous scene), as the strings of Trevor Morris's beautiful score surge up in a theme of epic hope and discovery. The Inquisitor starts this day by literally looking to the sky (as the hymn demanded), and yes, the dawn is here.

And Solas is just getting started. His moving and eloquent voiceover (another high point for voice actor Gareth David-Lloyd), as he urges the Inquisitor forward and onward to lead their people to safety, is one of the most striking and emotional events in the game. It also lives up to the whammy of the previous two sequences in a new yet very big way. And it's important on a story level, given what we discover later, that it is Solas telling us these things, that it is Solas orchestrating events. That it is Solas saying, "Oh, wow, a castle yonder, just empty and waiting! Talk about timing. Good thing I managed to wander over to it in my dreams last night!" 

Cough. The quiet elven mage, indeed.

Solas: By attacking the Inquisition, Corypheus has changed it, changed you. Scout to the North. Be their guide...

The long trek by our companions. And let's hear it for Mother
Giselle, who's obviously kept up with her cardio.

As Solas speaks, we see our followers walking slowly and thoughtfully through the snow, watching the Inquisitor, yet now serene and trusting to their faith. They are making steady progress, although honestly, I'd be hyperventilating, crawling dejectedly and asking to die—look at the slope of that mountain path. It's just not right.

Cassandra leads the pack, just steps behind the Inquisitor and Solas, then comes Cullen, trudging solidly and thoughtfully off to the side (although if this moment were truly portrayed accurately, there would also be a pretty long line of men and women walking behind Cullen, checking out that view). Then comes Leliana, lovely and calmly regal in her warrior-nun armor. Not far behind Leliana, next, is Mother Giselle, whose previous stint in the Hinterlands obviously included some cardio, because she's doing a bang-up job of hiking in the mountains despite wearing the equivalent of a confining cylindrical tent from head to toe.

I wish we could've seen Bull here, carrying a tired villager on each shoulder (or perhaps Sera!), or Dorian, distastefully picking his way through the snowdrifts and lamenting their effects on his outfit. But our focus is on our advisers and the survivors, as we then glimpse the rest of the villagers, the hundreds who survived Haven, as far as we can see... and all is quiet, orderly, and bright. The people walk calmly, supporting one another and shepherding their pack animals along. Somehow, everyone can feel that things are going our way once more.

As the music soars, we see the image of a hawk flying high
above the mountains. Revelation is near. And hopefully,
so is salvation.

Then at Solas's urging, the Inquisitor is running tirelessly forward, watching and analyzing the terrain and the majestic peaks around them. We're making progress, and Solas's stirring voice urges us irrepressibly forward. Then the score changes again, as a gorgeous solo female voice lifts above the music as a delicate harbinger of hope, as a single hawk flies high in the misty early sunlight. Then a warm, low surge of strings (very Coplandesque) signals the next change, as the people of the Inquisition walk together across the bare ground (an ancient path through its all-important, hidden mountain pass). We're close. We're almost home. 

Solas: There is a place that waits for a force to hold it. There is a place where the Inquisition can build, grow... Skyhold.

As Solas speaks, the confluence of words, voice, triumphant music and soaring imagery all combine to create a moment that is downright cinematic. It's easily one of Trevor Morris's most notable and lovely moments, among many in his beautiful and sweeping score for the game. For me, it's my favorite musical sequence in the entire game, barring the final devastating minutes of "Trespasser."

Meanwhile, I absolutely love the way this sequence ends, with the gorgeous sweeping view of the beautiful waiting castle, then the moment as the Inquisitor leaps forward right past Solas in their eagerness, as he pronounces the single, resonant name of this new home: "Skyhold." Followed by his rather pleased, secretly satisfied expression as he watches them.

What do my elven eyes see? Is that Mount Doom, far ahead?

And that expression... it's almost smug. Solas might as well be skywriting I DID THIS.

Just another reason why replaying this game is even more fun than the original playthrough. So many secrets and revelations! It truly is a pretty subtle, amusing moment that you can only truly appreciate on replay. Solas is in full control here. He's not surprised, he's cool, privately amused,  and perhaps charmed at the Inquisitor's eagerness. And I think he's also going, "Well that went well." He may also, if on a romance path with the Inquisitor, be thinking about how everything comes full circle, since he just gave the woman he loves a powerful and ancient stronghold. And not just any castle. His castle.

The place where it all went so terribly wrong. And where he now hopes to try again.

Hidden Memories, Hidden Meanings

That's right—Solas's castle. 

If you've played through DAI at least once before, this scene has layers upon layers. Because Solas isn't just helping the Inquisitor find a conveniently abandoned castle in the mountains. Again, he's leading her his very own ancient stronghold. 

There are numerous reasons to find this both lovely and also oddly tragic.

It's a terrific bit of symmetry. It's also quite wonderful metaphorically, if you believe, as I do, that this is another way in which Solas is seeking potential atonement. Or self-recrimination? Both are possible. 

Since his awakening, we know from The Masked Empire and DAI (and Trespasser) that Solas has been weak, terrified, grieving, and enraged, wandering and homeless for the past year or two since his physical awakening. That's why this moment affects me so much. Solas spent that time alone, homeless, sleeping under the stars or nestled in ruins, on hard stone beds and rejected by his own people. Then what does he give us? His very own ancient fortress, presented like a jewel in the heights, as if he's saying, "Here. Take it. Use it well."

Well, maybe. Hopefully. But I'll get to alternate meanings in a moment.

It's a spectacular contribution to the puzzle that is Solas. Yes, he is seeking to accomplish decidedly bad things in many ways. But he's also one of those people who—even in dueling you to the death—would pause to let you pick up your sword if you dropped it.

That's Solas. And there's a vulnerability to it, one I'm not sure he's even entirely aware of (although he does speak to a romanced or high-favor Inquisitor of his inclination to trust and say too much, in "Trespasser" later). This behavior—giving away the advantage to even the field—it's not Bull, and it's not Leliana. And I say that without judgment. Bull and Leliana are simply more ruthless, more jaded, and more absolutely willing to be more brutal when necessary because that's just part of waging war. For them, a win is a win. 

But, despite all the rumors and myths of his duplicity and tricksy tendencies... despite his confusion and despair at what he created... it is Solas. He will pause, extend the sword, then and only then resuming the fight. There is some kind of intrinsic and unbreakable honor there.

The Dread Wolf's Den

How do we know that Skyhold once belonged to Solas? The game gives us several subtle clues throughout...

In a note to us that can be reviewed from the Codex, the Archivist of Skyhold notes a fragment, an elven legend, perhaps, that was found scratched beneath a pillar:

Var'landivalis him sa'bellanaris san elgar
Melanada him sa'miras fena'taldin (word missing)
Nadasalin telerevas ne suli telesethenera
Tarasyl'an te'las vehn'ir abelath'vir (word missing)

He translates it, brokenly, as:

Our belief transformed into everything. (assertation/problem? uncertain)
All time is transformed into the final/first death (uncertain).
Inevitable/threatened victory and horrible/promised freedom in the untorn veils, (uncertain)
Where the sky is held up/back, where the people give/gain love that is an apology/promise from/to… (missing subject, uncertain)

Even brokenly translated, there are exciting implications here. An apology and a promise? Sounds about right, given the situation.

A Letter from Solas

Shortly afterward, we experience another Codex entry and a rather unusual event—a letter from Solas himself, to the Inquisitor. One imagines that his handwriting is, of course, as exquisite as his frescoes:

Your archivists have asked me how I came to know the name and location of Skyhold. To the latter, I may speak easily: when one walks in the Fade, any fortress that has seen enough battle shines as a beacon for spirits drawn to death and struggle, even after centuries of disuse. 

Side Note: I read this part, and yeah, I was facepalming all over the place, going, Oh, Solas. In the words of the immortal Leslie Knope, Solas, you beautiful, rainbow infused space unicorn... This is one of those rare moments where you're not deflecting or deceiving through omission or implication. You're just lying. Lying lying lying. WHY DO I STILL LOVE YOU.

Please excuse a slight pause here, for hugs, chocolate, an infusion of coffee (oh, all right, it's wine), and Dalish mantras.

Okay, great. I'm back. I can do this. Onward, and back to Solas's note:

As to the former, I myself cannot say for certain. The whispers of old memories carry a thousand such names upon their breath, and it is possible that this name belonged to some other keep in some other land. Still, it seems an auspicious name, for there is one peculiarity of language that your scholars seem to have missed. When the words reached my dreaming mind, Skyhold was not simply a fortress near the sky, nor was it some simplistic allusion to holding up the sky. Skyhold—Tarasyl'an te'las— was "the place where the sky was held back." Given your efforts against the Breach and our battle against a madman who seeks to assault the Black City in the Fade, I can only hope that the Inquisition’s new stronghold lives up to its name.

Again, I love all of this from a dramatic standpoint (and always think Bull would find it both fascinating and amusing as well, as our superlative lifelong spy). Why? Simply because how someone chooses to lie to us can sometimes be just as revealing as the truth they're actively trying to hide.

What does Solas reveal? What does he partially reveal? What does he omit outright?

You shouldn't have. I love it. Thanks, honey!

Well, a lot. He's subtly letting us know that, first off, Skyhold is certainly older than we perhaps assumed at first glance, and it appears to have metamorphosed or evolved over the years, to some extent. He doesn't address its possible ancient elven status (reinforced by other discoveries around the keep, such as the ancient elven arrow on one rooftop) nor what may have shaken its very foundations millennia back (the imprisonment of the Evanuris and formation of the Veil?).

And I'm fascinated by how bothered Solas seems to be by the idea that we may have mistranslated or misconstrued the meaning of "Skyhold." He seems genuinely irritated and worried that we may assume some simplistic human translation for the name. He wants us to know that the name isn't about our fortress being near or metaphorically holding up the sky. He seems intent that we understand that, instead, it was a place that physically held back that sky. That it is a place of magic. Force. Power. Barriers. Delicate manipulations from the Fade.

I can't help but also think that Solas is trying, perhaps, to tell us that Skyhold itself is magic (something Morrigan later basically implies from her research as well, while noting that even the walls of Skyhold are absolutely steeped with protective magic). That it carries special powers that will keep it pure and safe from harm. I even wonder if Solas isn't actively attempting to buffer or support that magic, on the sly. It's definitely possible. Or is there something self-serving about it, and is Solas using his return to this perhaps vital and magical location, to help himself recover and recharge his power? Those frescoes could be more than mere paint and plaster.

Meanwhile, all of this conjecture by Solas about Skyhold is great and helpful and fascinating despite the fact that darling Solas is once again, of course, lie-lie-lying his bald little head off. Skyhold is his place, a place he knows down to its bones. He once stood where we stand, breathing the crisp keen mountain air, tasting the snow on his tongue. While the structure may have changed, he once viewed these very peaks as their lord and master (and it may comfort him that this, at least, has changed little in the millennia in which he lay dreaming and in despair).

I think it's very telling that, as Solas begins to truly awaken to this new world, and all of its horror as well as its hidden beauty; as he begins to tentatively reach once more for companionship and even for love or desire, I think it's vital and elegantly plotted that it all begins with this moment—when he comes home.

There's No Place Like Home

As an elf noble of the ancient days, Skyhold wasn't Solas's first home, certainly, but it appears to have been one of the important ones, and in a vital and hidden way that we can't yet wholly define. Homecomings are popular scenarios in books and films for a reason. They bring out characters' vulnerabilities, strip them down, and show us who they really are—as well as who they were. Where we come from, after all, frequently shapes who we become. 

Home is also an emotional touchstone, a place where we're most defenseless. Where we may experience an emotional cocktail of love, loss, yearning, humor, confusion, anger, regret, and more... all at the same time. It's also, of course, why a simple Thanksgiving dinner can become a minefield. (Come on, we've all been there...)

As we discover Skyhold, Solas's plans are functioning well. But he's now more vulnerable, open, emotional and undefended, than he's been for a thousand years.  

Oops.

More Proof

In the DAI Trespasser DLC, the Archivist in the Sundered Hall of the Shattered Library shares with us the following crucial fragment of memory: "After he held back the sky to imprison the gods, the Dread Wolf disappeared." 

Which is pretty interesting for a number of reasons. It means, for one thing, Skyhold got its name from the very act that doomed the elves—and confirms that it was also the place where Solas created the Veil and caused a titanic cataclysm (as evidenced, as mentioned earlier, by the vestiges of some massive explosion in Skyhold's lower/prison areas). The result was that Solas then found himself sleeping and adrift in the Fade for over a millennium.

It's a pretty big reveal, if you think about it. It makes me wonder even more what Solas is thinking when he sees it again. Is there sadness, or at least ambivalence? Is this why he spent the year following his awakening trudging through Thedas and getting turned away by the Dalish—instead of facing the place where it all went wrong? If the attack on Haven had never happened, would he still have led us there? 

So many questions.

A Little DIY... (About Those Frescoes...)

I think it's interesting, however, to note that when we do find and take over Skyhold, Solas does not make himself too comfortable. His gorgeous little tower room glows with light, but it is not a home. He doesn't even have a bed, instead evidently napping on a lovely and immaculate golden couch. (Do you ever think it's funny that we never actually see Solas, our companion and King of the Fade, actually sleeping?)

Instead, he immediately begins to create his breathtaking and beautiful murals, panel by panel, across the walls of his rotunda in order to commemorate the Inquisitor's story. Each major story point is a subtle new gift from Solas (even to an Inquisitor he dislikes or disapproves of) in a priceless and gorgeous series of frescoes in the style of the ancient elves. It's as if he's putting the bow on the gift of his castle, saying, "This was your story." The room was never truly his—he was readying it for us. I also can't help but wonder if there's magic in that plaster and pigment—one more attempt to protect this place and its people.

Alternatively, there may be a darker meaning there, as well. The frescoes may  in fact very well be Solas's actual obituary or tribute to the Inquisitor, a kind of epitaph—a final tribute to the person (and companions) regrettably sacrificed when and if his plans are accomplished. It would be a believable step for a foe who, if nothing else, seems prepared to bear the guilt and responsibility fully of whatever catastrophes his decision to tear down the Veil will bring. And after all, it would be very like Solas to return to Skyhold upon the upheaval of the world... and to steadfastly stare at those panels each and every day as penance.

My next question is whether he plans to return. Does he see Skyhold's occupation by the Inquisition as a temporary interval until he reclaims it once more? And if so, does that mean he's simply doing a little home improvement—literally prepping his return by decorating the walls of his past and future home with a few snapshots of things he cannot bear to forget when the world's present state no longer exists? 

Let's face it—if it's "steeped in magic" as Morrigan suggested, Skyhold would be a good place from which to—once again—attempt to stage his plans in tearing down the Veil. It survived the attempt once before, after all.

This is an image of Solas totally not being sneaky, subversive,
duplicitous, smug, self-satisfied, or arrogant. Also, I love his
eyebrows. They are so eloquent, like facial parentheses.

"It was Mine, Once."

The final and most definitive evidence that Skyhold was Solas's is spoken to us by Solas himself, in a fascinating dialogue moment from Trespasser that is only witnessed by Inquisitors with low approval from Solas.

If, in discussing the finding of Skyhold, the Inquisitor responds sarcastically (the dialogue choice, "Thanks, I guess?"), Solas will reply simply with, "Enjoy it while you can, Inquisitor. It was mine once."

It's the final confirmation that yes, undeniably, Skyhold once belonged to Solas. And I loved this actual confirmation and all the mental images it conjured for me. Oh, the headcanons possible from this final revelation! Did he sit on a throne? Which room was his, way back when? (The Inquisitor's? Surely not the rotunda?) How long did he live there? What intermediate campaigns or struggles against the Evanuris did he helm from those immaculate peaks in the Frostback Mountains?

His reasons for passing along his own former battlements were undoubtedly complex, along with his feelings. After all, Solas may have disliked or feared our Inquisitor, admired or even loved us. 

And even if he did love us... he left. 

But he gave us a castle first, ensuring that the Inquisition (and the Inquisitor most of all) would have the home that he would seemingly eternally continue to deny himself. A fitting setting for what his pride had wrought.