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... 

Jim's Fanfics, Bull's Blog, and Cole's Tweets (Dragon Age Inquisition Characters on Social Media... )

What if Skyhold had Wi-Fi? Here's my imagining of who would do what on the 'Net... 

Cassandra: What are you two talking about?
Solas: It will make little sense unless one has spent more time in the Fade.

So yeah... I've had a tough summer, and I'm in a silly mood. So let's have some fun!

What if Thedas existed in an age of the Internet? I always thought it was a potentially fun thing to headcanon, so come with me, won't you, as I imagine that Skyhold is wired (and with all the best Wi-Fi)!

But what would our favorite Dragon Age: Inquisition companions and advisors actually DO with the 'Net or social media? Let's explore the options! Here's my take... what's yours?

The Iron Bull
I know everyone thinks Bull would look at porn, and I guess he probably would, but my thing is—if you're having as much great sex as Bull almost certainly is, would you still look at porn? I kind of mentally imagine he's more like that meme where he's pretending to look at porn, when he's actually taking a quiz on what candle scent he is (and besides, the whole idea of that is too precious for words).

So I also think Bull would be, like, really addicted to Amazon. He'd be all tough in real life while secretly ordering his favorite horn balm, frangipani bath salts, and, er, tasteful, highly rated (and probably exotic) sex toys.

Meanwhile, I think Bull might actually have a really interesting YouTube channel—"Confessions of a Ben Hassrath," where he might teach people about how to do things, like be a spy ("Tell everyone you meet you're a spy to throw them off!"), read reactions like a spy while hiding their own emotions, and how to remember minutiae about everyone you meet ("That butcher looks suspicious... why?"). Leliana could guest star and show up and icily scare Bull's other guests. I think the channel would be anonymous to start with, but would be a tremendous hit. It would also be quietly popular with certain people far, far away... under the Qun.

Bull would also totally have a vlog about shield block and bash techniques, and Krem would be heavily featured in all of them. Doing it wrong, of course, then perfectly. They would also offer bonus videos on the benefits of having people hit you after you go through the Fade. This would, of course, also become a popular YouTube challenge, with regrettable homemade videos cataloging the catastrophic results. Bull would carefully "like" and "favorite" all results, then Stitches would comment offering first aid techniques.

Bull would also, as a matter of course, have all of the Wi-Fi passwords at Skyhold. I'm guessing this would be a small group including Leliana, Josie, and (because I think he's sneaky enough) Varric. I also think he'd be an efficient and businesslike user of the Dark Web when occasion required.

Krem
Krem's fascinating to me—not just because he's handsome and quietly loyal, nor because he's a terrific and thoughtful trans character, but also because he's so goshdarned normal! In the midst of the angst-ridden gang at Skyhold, Krem seems to have an inner peace most others lack. He knows who he is and has the confidence that goes with that knowledge. He's honestly so contained and organized that I'm not sure he'd spend a ton of time on social media. He knows what he wants from life.

However, I do think he might quietly contribute to a variety of Facebook pages and Reddit forums on catapults, sewing, and life as trans, offering advice and support. 

I also think he'd probably have quietly started the Haven Memorial Facebook page.

Cassandra
I had so much fun trying to imagine our Cass on social media! My take is that Cassandra would write abrupt, slightly dry blog posts on the Seekers and the Chantry. I think she would also guest-star on Bull's sparring video series ("The Art of the Shield Bash"), stoically and expressionlessly hitting him with a stick after Fade reenactments, punctuated by her patented disgusted noises at various intervals. 

I think she'd also secretly blog—anonymously (and probably on several Reddit forums)—at great length—about Swords & Shields. She'd also admin a Facebook group, Facebook page and Pinterest fan page on it, as well. The best part: In my mind, unbeknownst to Cass, Varric is very much aware of who runs them all. Which just makes it even more enjoyable for him when responding to posts, conspiracy theories, and shippers.

Sometimes, I headcanon that he trolls there, very gently, just for fun.

Solas
Solas's channel would be "It is not Tevinter... it is Elven," and it would not be a huge success, but it would get more views than his companions would have expected (and they would feel slightly mystified and envious). Solas would also write slightly dry and academic blog posts on "The Unseen Fade," and "What the Dalish Got Wrong." Sadly, most people would miss the real wisdom and discovery there by falling asleep before the end.

I believe Solas will eventually also do a series of YouTube travel videos where he hits all those Dread Wolf shrines across Thedas, sighs, then tells us vaguely how incorrectly presented they are (lovingly! I mean it lovingly!). 

Best of all, because Solas can Netflix from the Fade, this means he watches EVERYTHING. Among the many titles, I believe Solas would be secretly obsessed with "Chef's Table," "Tidying up with Marie Kondu," and all time-travel sagas, especially (and perhaps surprisingly) Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey.

Dorian
Meanwhile, I think Dorian would totally have a channel on wine-tasting, history, and on traveling the "Hidden Tevinter." He would be a vocal sharer and frequent commenter on "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," and would passive-aggressively troll Bull's Ben-Hassrath channel. He would also, quietly and sadly, have Google alerts set up on Alexius, Felix, his father, and (via an anonymous mailbox) The Iron Bull.

Meanwhile, Dorian's channel would also always include scenes of Dorian framed against a variety of beautiful locales in profile, thoughtfully sipping the latest vintage. Guests would include all the most beautiful people at Skyhold, certainly... but overwhelmingly... all the most competent wits and artisans. Dorian loves to appear superficial but... he is anything but.

He'd also privately contribute ridiculous sums to all the Haven and other charities being crowdfunded. Because he's classy like that.

Varric
Varric is a bit of a cipher to me, in the best way. He seems like everyone's best friend, but he's also one of the most secretive people we meet in Dragon Age, in some ways, and he's able to keep those secrets effectively. That breezy, faux-open exterior protects his secret heart and motivations as effectively as a walnut shell protects its vulnerable soft center.

So for me, Varric's entire social media presence would be a combination of his fascinating inner and outer selves. As he's always savvy at branding himself as an author, I think he'd have an openly, mildly entertaining vlog in which he'd discuss and read from his Hard in Hightown and Tale of the Champion series, with special guest appearances from various heroes.

I think Varric would also be a witty and entertaining tweeter, mostly about his own work, about the politics of Kirkwall, that he'd post regularly and anonymously on Reddit in order to troll Swords and Shields, and that he'd also occasionally and quietly write eloquent and beautiful e-mails to Bianca... that he finishes, and never sends. 

I also find it entertaining to imagine that Varric is an adept user of the Dark Web, which he accesses both for his work with the Carta, as well as in managing his own spy network, and even (occasionally) for the Inquisition.

No matter what Varric shared about his writings, I do believe, as noted above, that Cassandra would secretly read and ponder each and every one of them.

Cullen
I like to think that Cullen's YouTube channel (launched after the events of "Trespasser") would simply be My Favorite Mabari (now with even more mabari!). Cullen might also launch a Pinterest page with pictures of dogs from his various adventures, and then forget how to access it.

I think our perfectly coiffed Commander would be a staunch follower of Krem's Haven Memorial Facebook Page, and he would also give generously to various GoFundMe efforts on behalf of soldiers, families or villages affected by the Breach. His e-mails would be brief and perfunctory, and his Internet surfing would be pretty vanilla and inoffensive, although perhaps his greatest secret would be his enthusiastic and regular participation (via a fake account) in the Facebook Storvacker fan group.

Sera
I think Sera would totally have a YouTube channel, just called PRANKS!, with the entirety consisting of her various pranks at Skyhold from a hidden camera, punctuated by insults, fart noises, and rare cookie reviews. She'd also be caught frequently waving her naked booty at Vivienne, who would then pause to gaze expressionlessly, pose in her usual statuesque way for the camera, roll her eyes, and stroll off. 

Sera would eventually evolve her channel into a sort of "Skyhold Punk'd" channel that will get an insane number of clicks.

Josephine
Josephine would follow all social media adeptly, courteously and seamlessly. She would also co-host a podcast on Investing in Thedas.

I also headcanon that Josie would have a lot of bookmarks about dolls. A lot. A lot, a lot, a lot of dolls.

After discovering The Iron Bull en flagrante with a romanced Inquisitor, Josie also visits a few additional websites, surfing incognito. The websites are hot, sexy, and feature the frequent use of 'watchwords.'

Leliana
Leliana would tweet about shoes as NugMommy101. I think she might also blog incognito about her adventures as a bard. Everyone would read them. Sex, violence, intrigue. They would cause two huge scandals in Orlais when some of the hidden participants were suspected. 

Sometimes Josephine edits Leliana's blog posts to make sure there are no telltale nug or shoe references that would give her away.

Blackwall
Blackwall wouldn't be a huge user of social media, I think, although he'd follow all the Grey Warden Facebook and Twitter accounts religiously. I also think he'd have Google Alerts set up on Thomas Rainier, Lord Vincent Callier, Ser Robert Chapuis, and on Warden Blackwall as well.

He'd also be a casual fan of Bull's videos on shield blocking and bashes, as well as of Cullen's My Favorite Mabari channel. Eventually, encouraged by Cole, he would launch a blog on woodworking.

Vivienne
Vivienne would have an Instagram that had a dash of GOOP to it, and she would only post once a week, exquisite items that had no real bearing on life. She would NOT have a YouTube channel of any kind, and when questioned on this, would laugh politely and say, "My dear... you can't be serious. Me, with one of those horrid... video things? No, thank you." But nevertheless, Viv would always manage to be around Skyhold for other video tapings.

I do think Madame de Fer would be a pretty frequent Twitter user, and she would be both popular and widely hated in equal measure for her views on mages and the Circles. She would be followed by all the top aristocrats and leaders in Thedas.

Scout Harding
Scout Harding would have a widely followed Instagram channel featuring her candid shots of the best trails in Thedas, as well as a helpful field guide to herbs. 

Sometimes her trail pictures include cautious, faraway pictures of dragons that are also just a little bit yearning.

Dagna
Dagna takes active part in a variety of websites and social media discussions on arcana. She also has a funny, charming blog in which she writes about her theories and inventions in a run-on, breezy, stream-of-consciousness fashion. Sometimes, she forgets to break up the paragraphs so the posts are simply long, chirpy, rambling walls of text.

Since she is sweet and generous, Dagna will sometimes try to get Harritt to chime in on her blog posts, and when he doesn't, she instead begins to quote him affectionately on his reactions to her inventions:

Just finished this fantastic new shield device that protects with vibration, much like the Fade, and Harritt touched it and then made a face because he said it made his teeth taste funny.

The header for Dagna's website, blog and social media pages features a scribbled figure of Dagna with rosy cheeks and a big smile, and with beams of magic and sunlight radiating off her small figure. Dancing around her is a swarm of friendly bees with heart-eyes.

The Inquisitor
My Inquisitor, meanwhile, simply vagueposts on Facebook when things get stressful, likes every single post by her companions and advisors, drinks too much at the Herald's Rest, deletes the vagueposts, then plays a hell of a lot of Candy Crush.

Skyhold Hallway Gossips
They have a Facebook page called Whispers at Skyhold (also a Twitter channel) that faithfully covers the romantic entanglements at Skyhold (both real and imagined) in the most florid language possible. 

The blog is a huge hit with everyone, except Cassandra, who publicly loathes it but who secretly loves it, and she'd honestly give her left breastplate to find out who's writing it. 

Jim
Jim publicly manages Cullen's Facebook page and official Twitter account, but he is constantly haunted by the secret of his feelings for the Commander, so he deletes as many tweets and posts as he actually sends.

Sometimes, late at night, Jim also writes hot, steamy and popular fiction about a handsome Commander who realizes that he is passionately in love with his loyal lieutenant "James:"

Their eyes met from across the warm confines of the office, and even in the glow of the firelight, James could see the passion in his Commander's handsome face. In one swift move, Cullen crossed to James, locking him in a tight and hungry embrace as he spoke one word that was half-moan, half-confession... "James..."

... and Jim hastily shoves the papers away as Cullen walks back in. But never fear, he posts his chapters (187 and counting) to Archive of Our Own, where it has received over 25,000 hits (many of them reputedly from the Orlesian court).

The Nug King
The Nug King would have a Twitter account with millions of followers, and would himself follow zero other accounts. The account would tweet out brief, cryptic pronouncements at various times, such as:

judging u
squeaks deferentially
its gud to be the king

Cole
I think that Cole would have Twitter, which he would enjoy for its constant existence in the present tense, as well as for its limitation of tweets to short bursts of thought and emotion. 

Intrigued by this new art form, Cole would eventually just tweet weird random things and feelings and impressions:

A fennec is a fox with a secret cat inside.
My teeth feel lonely today.
They tried to give me a mattress. So many feathers! The birds are sad.
Tony Stark's secret is that he is iron on the inside too.

It would be the most popular Twitter channel in Thedas, with millions of followers. Vivienne sometimes cries tears of rage because he has so many more followers than she does.

Sometimes, rarely, Cole will tweet to Solas, as if continuing a conversation he is confident is still taking place.

If she was in a romance with Solas, Lavellan will silently "like" each one of these tweets... and never, ever mention them.

Your Ultimate Map to Dragon Age Inquisition's Skyhold

 

Skyhold has not just been claimed time and again, but sacked as well. We've managed to uncover some remnants, including a scratching under a pillar that mentions the name given by your witch. Old but still long after the place had been built over. But the author knew something of its first purpose, or at least, something of a legend.
— Skyhold Archivist

So here's an embarrassing confession: As much as I adore Dragon Age, unfortunately my innate horrific lack of direction means that I still get lost IN THE MAIN HALL. Every time.

I mean, how many words have I written about Solas's romance? But if you asked me where his quarters were, I'd say, second on the right upon entry into the great hall.

And... I am wrong. Every time.

I just can't seem to get it right. And I have similar mental blocks about plenty of other Skyhold locations. And since I blog about Dragon Age as well as writing fanfiction, this comically means I am CONSTANTLY jumping in and out of the game simply to remind myself of precisely where people are.

Yeah. This is... it's pretty humiliating. I've only been playing the same game for, oh, THREE YEARS?

But finally here, I have rallied my Merrill inner-self and created something I simply couldn't find (which is where most of my blog post ideas come from): An ultimate guide to Skyhold. And believe me, I've Googled!

So here's my take. Luckily, it was incredibly fun (and easy) to do this, because the Keep designed by the BioWare team was so beautiful, huge and comprehensive.

So here goes! Rejoice! Or throw things at me. Really, it's your choice. But I hope this may prove useful to many Dragon Age fans, so here's hoping.



Touring Skyhold

Let's recap: When we first get to Skyhold, there's definitely a need for some housecleaning. While in good overall condition, the castle is pretty decrepit.

At first, we only get access to:

• The Great Hall
• The Throne Room
• The War Room
• The Undercroft (some refer to this level as the Atrium, which I avoid—I just find it misleading)
• Rotunda: Solas's Quarters (and Frescoes)
• Rotunda: The Library
• Rotunda: The Rookery
• The Upper Courtyard
• The Armory
• The Training Grounds
• Several (not all) Battlements and Crenelations

We then open up Skyhold gradually to include following entirety:

• Throne Room
• Great Hall
• Josie's Office
• War Room
• Rotunda (Solas)
• Rotunda (Library)
• Rotunda (The Rookery)
• Rotunda (Leliana's Chapel)
• Cullen's Office
• Cullen's Quarters
• Kitchens
• Inquisitor's Quarters
• Herald's Rest Tavern
• Undercroft (Please note that I've added that so it's visible on all maps)
• Prison
• Vault
• Vault Library
• Vault Treasury
• Wine Cellar
• Guard Tower(s)
• Quarters (Skyhold Main)
• Quarters (Herald's Rest)
• Battlements and Crenelations
• Chapel
• Courtyard
• Garden
• Stables
• Armory and Armory Barracks
• Infirmary
• Requisition Office
• Training Grounds
• Exterior Lawns, Courtyards, Tents and Shelters
• Views of Westernmost Tents and External Watchtowers

Expanding the Maps

In the following maps, I've attempted to really, truly and definitively map ALL of our beautiful and much-adored Skyhold. I've done a little subtle Photoshopping on the maps here and there (primarily to make the Undercroft visible on all levels, simply for structural reasons), but not much—most of it isn't fancy, and is accomplished simply in hopes that I'm providing a more detailed and clear way to find your way around, to explore the game with ease, and to reference it clearly.

The maps are organized as follows:

• Level One (Main Level)
• Level Two (Second Floors Across the Keep)
• Level Three (Third Floors Across the Keep)
• Vaults (All Vault Levels)

Here goes...

Level 1 (Main)

Cullen's office has this weird aspect because it's actually not on a ground floor, but in this case it qualifies because there's apparently nothing underneath.

Level 2 (Second Floors)

Please note that I've corrected Sera's room location and moved Cole to the 3rd floor.



Level 3 (Third Floors)

Among the latest updates, I've corrected Cole's location and proper floor placement.



Please note the updates in the image above. The third level is especially interesting because, as readers Lady Iolanthe and Erica Nichole pointed out, there is a huge tent barracks on both sides of the frozen river to the West. Slightly Southwest, within the circle of the peaks, we an also see individual standing watchtowers (please excuse me as I instantly flash on the fabulous lighting of the beacons moment from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King—don't judge me). It's a terrific detail I had not only omitted, I've never even seen that view until they alerted me to it! I love how many beautiful details this game provides. There's always something new to discover. Thanks to Joy M., I also fixed Sera and Cole's placement in the Herald's Rest.


Since I use the "Always Night at Skyhold" mod, I've lightened and brightened this a bit, which detracts from the picture quality, but on the other hand, you can clearly see the Inquisition encampments on both sides of the frozen river below, as well as the watchtowers marching off to the left. It's a great detail I would have missed (thank you, readers!).

Level 4 (Vault Levels)




Please note the expanded prison space, which literally drops off in the rear due to that massive ancient foundation-area explosion (Veil raising?), as well as the relocation of the Treasury to what should now be the correct spot (behind the painting at the end of the Vault Great hall).

Lingering Questions

One of the most surprising conundrums I had here was trying to match up the Inquisitor's quarters with the entry below them off the Great Hall, because, well... they don't seem to match up. Because once we enter, we are immediately shown as being substantially to the Northwest of where we were (and yet, still not far from the Great Hall entrance).

Is Skyhold also like the inside of the TARDIS, and bigger on the inside? Hey, nothing would surprise me. Inquiring minds!

Also, as my final and most burning question: Unlike Dragon Age II, however, we see NO SIGN of the privy, so... WHERE ARE THE BATHROOMS? 

(Note: I was kidding here, but I did love this detail in Dragon Age II...) As for me, I hypothesize that Skyhold could possibly have some rudimentary plumbing (which has been around in our world since before the Romans, after all), and that mages could then make quick work out of the need for hot water from there.

And where are the quarters for the rest of the army and inhabitants? Off in those tented encampments? They'd certainly make for brutal living (and I imagine the residents would rotate in and out of Skyhold due to those frigid conditions).

Meanwhile, as best I can quantify, the named aspects of the map offer lodging for approximately 20 additional people. Obviously, Skyhold in fact houses many more people than this. I headcanon this as simply being due to the fact that there's far more of Skyhold than we see. Which I get—the design team did an AMAZING job of creating what we see in as much detail as we get! I'm guessing it probably holds 100 residents easily, and 200 at a pinch.

Missing Rooms and Mysterious Quarters

The little mysterious elements still get me. Who lives in the upper room with the bow on the dresser? Who lives in the quarters with the fascinating (possibly Chasind or Avvar) antler-thing on the chest? Why isn't anyone fixing up the numerous still-decrepit guardrooms and quarters across Skyhold? And—first and foremost—why is that freaking gap still there almost two years later in that hallway to the War Table?! Why doesn't Cullen ever fix his roof?

Also: Is that Bull's room atop The Herald's Rest? My take is: Yes, since it's where he seems to live and hang out, since the room includes an ax in the footboard, and it's also where he's caught canoodling with a romanced Inquisitor, in one of the funniest and most poignant moments in videogames I've ever seen. (I'm biased, of course.)




If you revisit the "Advisors surprise Bull & Inky en flagrante" scene, it's very clear exactly where the scene takes place—the room with the ax in the headboard, top the Herald's Rest. This has reluctantly convinced me that it is, in fact, where Bull probably sleeps.

Although I still think he'd be neater than that. Sure, I think he'd have an ax in the footboard, but I also think his military/Qunari training would make him neater and more precise in general because those are also less revealing on a personal level.

But what do you think? Did I miss anything here? What secrets of Skyhold do you wish you could unravel?

I'd love your ideas and input on anything I got wrong here, or whatever I can add that would be helpful... let me know!

And thanks as always for reading!

NOTE: Ma serannas, readers (Christina, Erica Nichole, Joy M., and Lady Iolanthe)! Thanks to your eagle-eyed feedback, I've updated the Main Floor Map to include the original Surgeon location (near the Tents), as well as adding the Prison to the Vault Map. Please let me know if you see anything else!

The Real Hidden Question for Dragon Age 4...

Solas: I will save the elven people. Even if it means this world must die.

SPOILERS, on ALL of Dragon Age: Inquisition and Trespasser (and beyond) as always!

At the end of "Trespasser," Solas is so powerful that he could defeat
massive armies singlehandedly in a few eyeblinks (in between naps).

Now that we've taken a look at Solas's masterwork (the Veil), its slow and possibly inexorable decline, and where it stands at the end of the latest chapter of the Dragon Age story (Dragon Age: Inquisition's DLC "Trespasser"), let's return to the end of "Trespasser" in a slightly different way, in order to examine the questions about the fate of that very Veil that appear to lie before us as we dream, hope and wait for Dragon Age 4.

So here we go... We're back at the end of "Trespasser," and you've just had the Solas chat that spawned a zillion fanfics. And... well, if you're like most of us out here, no matter what your feelings about Solas or his agenda, there are some complex emotions and very specific questions that may be haunting you in this particular moment.

For instance, for me, as Solas walked away from our final, fateful chat (dressed in his, cough, fantastically hot ancient elven armor), once my Inquisitor let go of his leg I wondered the following questions:

1. How can we dissuade Solas from tearing down the Veil?
2. How can we defeat Solas if we can't talk him out of it?

Then I had an epiphany: Those aren't the right questions.

Because I believe (as I posted previously) the Veil is already almost certainly doomed.

Where Things Stand as of "Trespasser" (944 Dragon)

I've kept thinking about "Trespasser" and that last informative, emotionally charged conversation—a conversation that reveals who Solas is (and was), what he wants, and that emphasizes in no uncertain terms that his ultimate goal is to tear down the Veil, undoing his act of approximately 4,000 years before that inadvertently doomed his people.

This appears to set us up for a satisfyingly rich struggle in Dragon Age 4, in which we'll presumably have to counter Solas in his quest to redeem the elven people and bring back their golden age. We're even further asked to choose, specifically, what our next goal will be—to kill Solas, or to redeem him.

There's just one problem: Solas is too powerful to fight.

The God Who's Not a God (but Who's Totally a God)

This is why I think the setup of having to kill or redeem Solas at all is ultimately going to prove to be a masterful job of total misdirection.

Do I think the "kill" or "redeem" choice will be useless? No—I do think it will have real effect on how the DA4 protagonist, and possibly the returning Inquisitor, chooses to deal with Solas when they encounter him again in DA4  (I suspect our Inkies will return much as Hawke did in DAI, as featured guest companions, although I'd certainly love an actual first-person interlude).

But back to the end of "Trespasser": Look at how powerful Solas is here! He's unbeatable. The brief glimpses of his abilities that we're given at a distance, as we pursue him through the eluvians, secret valley fortresses, Darvaarad, and through the remnants of the Vir Dirthara, are staggering. As Solas battles the Qunari who are defiling his ancient hideouts and expels them from the pathways through his network of eluvians, he releases explosions of magic that are epic in diameter—they're almost atomic.

Then comes the revelation of Trespasser's final chapter, that Solas can now, like some ancient vengeful god, actually turn people to stone with a thought.

Abelas is an ancient elf who abandons his post at Mythal's Temple
after our meeting. My bet is that he joins Solas... and gets a new name.

And keep in mind—this is before he takes in his final power-up—absorbing the power of the Anchor to save the Inquisitor's life.

In addition, even without his magical superpowers, Solas's list of assets is pretty formidable at this point. Let's take a look at what they are as "Trespasser" ends:

• Assorted ancient castles and strongholds (from his hidden valley in the Vimmark Mountains to, presumably, many others connected through the eluvians)
• Control of the Crossroads and the vast eluvian network
• Knowledge of how to use and control the statue power sources at ancient elven shrines
• A powerful secret force of elven spies that has evidently infiltrated all or most political circles across Thedas
• The potential support of Abelas and the remaining ancient elven sentinels from shrines and temples across Thedas
• The potential support of the Mythal-loyal elven spirit guardians
• A silent, ever-growing army as elves from across Thedas flock to his banner

In other words, if you chose "Kill Solas" at the end of "Trespasser," your odds aren't exactly looking too favorable. 

Solas may claim he's not a god. But isn't that just semantics at this point? At the end of "Trespasser," even without the assets above, he's so powerful that he could destroy entire opposing armies all by himself, in between naps.

For these reasons, to me, there's just no way the main plot of Dragon Age 4 is going to be us versus Solas.

The Real Question for DA4

This is the point where it's worthwhile to go back and think about the entire trilogy of Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age II, and Dragon Age: Inquisition. In each story, a few common themes have always emerged—the struggles against evil (and corruption) from within and without; the fights against prejudice (both racial and magical), the struggle for justice in a system in which justice can be defined as multiple things by multiple people, organizations, and even religions. 

And percolating beneath all of this has been the persistent idea that every single one of these wars, calamities, Blights and other tragedies has physically harmed the world and weakened the Veil. And if the Veil is slightly tattered in Dragon Age: Origins from the centuries of violence, Blights, and carnage across Thedas, it is pretty much shredded to bits by the time Dragon Age: Inquisition rolls around.

To me, there's just no saving the Veil. Unless—in the best irony ever—Solas decides to help us do so.

Looking Back at the Veil's Creation 

The Chantry teaches that the Veil was erected in -3100 Ancient by the Maker. While this tallies roughly with other timelines, I definitely enjoyed picturing the look on Solas's face when he heard this assertion for the first time. Solas, however, confirms in "Trespasser" that it was he himself who created the Veil, as punishment against the Evanuris for their murder of Mythal and as his final attempt to protect the world from those tyrants among the Evanuris who were pretending godhood, enslaving their own people, and slaughtering mortals across Thedas. 

In each new single installment of the DA trilogy, we've learned more and more
about Flemeth and Mythal, whose murder inspired Solas to create the Veil.
What will we learn in DA4? (And yes, I think she'll be back.) 

My picks for the Evanuris Big Bads here would include Falon'Din and Andruil, both of whom were famously bloodthirsty (and not a little crazed with power), and both of whom were also actively antagonistic to both Mythal as well as to Fen'Harel. I'd also definitely think Elgar'nan had to have been a primary antagonist (and the idea that it was Mythal's semi-divine husband who wronged her certainly ties with the stories of betrayal and rage hinted at from Flemeth, previously), as his tyrannical exploits are also mentioned specifically in the beautifully written Codices for "Trespasser," as well.

Either way, the Veil went up, the false gods were silenced, and the elves doomed, all at the very same moment. Not only did the Veil sunder the elves from their magic and immortality, I also believe it is the one thing that actually allowed humans to enter (and survive) in Thedas. It's referenced numerous times in DAI that the Veil went up before the first humans appeared in Thedas. It is therefore entirely possible that a world without a Veil would not be survivable for humans at all. The elven kingdom of Elvhenan, meanwhile, would have stood in glory for well over 5,000 years at that point. 

How ironic is it that it was Solas, of all people, who made it possible for humans to rise to greatness?

Where the Sky Was Held Back...

Skyhold's original name during the days of Elvhenan was Tarasyl'an te'las, translated roughly to "Sky-Place-Held-Back," or "the place where the sky was held back" and this pretty much confirms that this is where the creation of the Veil took place (I suspect that this was also the name of the ritual Solas accomplished in doing so, as well). Solas also confirms that it was once his castle (interestingly, only admitting this to a low-approval Inquisitor). So, as I've noted elsewhere, Solas's arrival at Skyhold is not only a homecoming for him, it's him literally returning to the site of his greatest act and most terrible regret.

Where was Solas while he was in uthenera at Skyhold? My bet is that he
wrapped himself in spells, hid himself in the depths, and haunted the dreams
of those who attempted to occupy the Keep for long...

Solas's creation of the Veil millennia back was a feat of prodigious magical skill. It's no wonder, then, that the act of doing so blasted the foundations of Skyhold, depleted his powers and sent him into a sleep of millennia. While Solas implies it was a sleep of a thousand years, it seems as if it was actually over 4000... unless he awakened occasionally? That's my theory—that he awakened, roamed the Fade, watched movies, had the occasional fling with a spirit, and maybe occasionally walked within the consciousnesses of mortal elves (like perhaps Shartan).

This is also a good time to ask... where was Solas in uthenera at Skyhold, which was occupied many times during those millennia? My bet is that he wrapped himself in spells and hid himself in the depths. I also think he was able, while dreaming in the Fade, to frighten the dreams of those who occupied the castle, perhaps giving local dreamers a taste of the Dread Wolf and, ahem, encouraging them to depart. This would also explain why Skyhold never seemed to stay occupied for long, and if the occupiers tended to leave in a hurry, this would also account for why there's so much beautiful, usable stuff around the castle when our faithful team arrives there.

Either way, Solas enacted his vengeance, wrapped himself in shadows, and slept for millennia. And even as he did so, the Veil almost immediately began to weaken and decay.

It's an interesting thought to realize that Solas created the Veil, then slept through all its best years. It's like he gave someone a comfy blanket, took a nap, then woke up and the blanket had been ripped, torn, gnawed, and nearly destroyed in the meantime.

Either way, the Veil is in pretty dire shape. So what next? And can it be saved?

Tarasyl'an te'las Redux?

This brings me back to my original epiphany: As "Trespasser" ends, the implication is that we must find a way to stop Solas.

But to me that's richly ironic. From what I can see of the Veil's current situation, there's absolutely no saving it. In other words, Solas actually doesn't have to do a thing to return the world to the state of its former Fadetastic glories... except sit back and wait.

I don't think Solas is going to be very happy with the choices
before him in Dragon Age 4.

Which is why I'm convinced that this is all a deliberate and brilliant piece of misdirection by the Dragon Age writers. The writers are waving those shiny, shiny questions at us off over there... when we really need to be looking over here.

In other words, to me, no matter what the Inquisitor does to try to assuage the damage to the Veil going forward, there's no way to strengthen what Solas created, or to save it...

Unless Solas decides to do so himself. 

To me, there's a beautiful irony and symmetry to the idea—that the one person in all of Thedas who could actually save the Veil is the very man who is determined to tear it down.

And I think Solas will save the Veil, after (I'm guessing) another huge conflict to shake Thedas to its foundations. My personal bet for the next Big Bad isn't Solas, but one of the Evanuris or Forgotten Ones, with maybe some new revelations about the Titans, and along with some massive upheavals as both Tevinter and the Qunari make their moves to try to conquer the world once and for all. Meanwhile, I suspect that Solas will haunt the perimeter of DA4, judging and watching, perhaps even subtly helping the Inquisition (or whatever the new movement calls itself). Then I think he'll finally choose a side—ours. And that he will then use those incredible powers of his to recreate a brand-new Veil, this one perhaps even stronger than before. 

I don't think he'll survive it (I hope I'm wrong). But that's my bet. 

Of course, I could be absolutely and hilariously mistaken about all of this. But what do you think?