#arlathan

[ekalita-blr]

Elgar'nan's temple workers duties

#dragon age #dainquisition #dragon age fanart #dai #ancient elven #arlathan #elvhenan #elgarnan

[larkoneironaut]

Even the Dread Wolf of Arlathan needs a lazy hour in the summer heat, despite the rebellion

Inspired by Conrad Kiesel's Manuela (1884)

#dragon age #bioware #my art #da4 #dai #dragon age inquisition #solavellan #solas #dread wolf #fenharel #dragon age dreadwolf #Arlathan #Elvhenan

[janehaster]

Dreadwolf won't be centered around Solas

Dreadwolf's big reveal won't be Solas' plan.

It'll be the Titans. More accurately, their connection to Arlathan, the Golden City and the true source of its magic.

The big magical mystery revealed in Inquisition - actually, in Descent - wasn't the Elvhen empire. We already knew the elves made a magical empire where they were immortal.

Sure, we were hit with a few surprises, like the fact that the elven magisters thrived due to slavery, to enslaving their own people.

Other surprises were: part of the empire was located in the realm of dreams, immortality ended with the creation of the Veil, spirits served the elven magisters, etc.

But the biggest reveal was the DEATH OF A TITAN. And by the hand of an elven magister, no less.

By now, every DA player knows about it. And how the afresco where it is presented is in a secret area. As if hidden on purpose.

Add to that Kieran's mysterious lines about ancient magic and a time before the Chantry, such as the ominous line to the dwarven origin Inquisitor - you can't be taller. Not without the Titans - and Shaper Valta's discovery of a living Titan, plus how she broke the age old taboo that dwarves cannot cast magic and you have one of the biggest magical mysteries of Dragon Age.

There are several other indications that Titans will take center stage in DA:D (such a weird acronym):

One, the arrangement of the eluvians around a water pool in the Well of Sorrows mirrors the shape of the Titan's core, where its beating heart is located and where we fight the Guardian. This means the kings and priests of Arlathan were aware of the existence of Titans and where their heart lay. They likely traveled inside a Titan for some unknown purpose. And if they did, they learned that the Titan is the source of magic, and that their blood is a way for you to acquire magical powers, even open portals to other realms, such as the Fade and possibly...the Beyond and the Void.

Two, plenty of codexes show the Titans were destroying the cities of the People. For what purpose, we do not know. But the discovery of Titan magic hints that magisters may have mined their bodies for lyrium, angering the stone giants, which lead to Mythal having to kill a Titan.

Three, we find a strange poem in the Fade in DA:I that hints at creatures of same nature being sundered, tainted, asleep and enduring while they wait for the moment to awake. There's every reason to believe they are the Titans, and that the Sundering might refer to when the Veil was created and they lost their connection to the Fade.

Four, Shaper Valta's fate teaches us that dwarves were actually made Tranquil for some reason since their connection to Titans was severed. The reason for it may be the creation of the Veil by Solas' hand.

I want to call your attention to parts three and four because I believe this is the most important fact we know so far: the Sundering, caused by the creation of the Veil was felt by the Titans and turned all dwarves Tranquil.

We never see this said directly in the game because not even the dwarves are aware of it. They completely forgot that part of their history. It's not recorded in the Shaperate, and Shaper Valta hints that the implications of it are quite severe. The entire early period of dwarven history was erased, and it revealed the existence of the Titans and their role in Thedas in the time of Arlathan.

Hence why I believe Dreadwolf will inevitably reveal this big truth, this missing big chunk of Thedosian lore, one that is behind the secret of Arlathan's magic, Elvhen immortality, the true nature of the Golden CIty, of the Fade, the Beyond and the Void.

Once the Veil is no more, the Titans may possibly awake from their slumber. They will be fully connected to the dreaming world, and that can have terrible consequences to the physical aspect of Thedas. If they awaken, they might destroy entire continents, kill millions, entire kingdoms may disappear overnight. They can literally reshape the surface of Thedas. Hence why I believe the consequences of Solas' actions will be apocalyptic. And he's fully aware of it.

As he states to the Inquisitor, as the world burns in the raw chaos, I will rebuild it. What he doesn't mention is that the chaos will be caused not by the arrival of demons or even the Evanuris, but by the cataclysmic actions of the Titans.

I'm really curious to see the full impact of this revelation on a dwarven protag and if they will suddenly develop magical powers once the Titans awaken...

#dragon age #dragon age 4 #dreadwolf #dragon age dreadwolf #dragon age speculation #da: dreadwolf #dreadwolf theory #dragon age theory #solas #solas dragon age #dwarves #titans dragon age #arlathan #golden city #theory

[kirstinetheartist]

Finally got the bark-eater's nose right 🌿

#felassan #save felassan #dragon age #dragon age the masked empire #the masked empire #da4 #dragon age dreadwolf #dreadwolf #agents of fen'harel #arlathan #fen'harel #solas #elf #elves #vallaslin #art #artist #painting #portrait #my art #bioware #dai #dragon age inquisition

[lethendralis-paints]

Had the absolute pleasure painting another commission for @fairfaxleasee, this time featuring her charismatic OC Ayala and Abelas from Dragon Age: Inquisition.

Loved working on this scene, depicting them both enjoying a hot spring in Arlathan!

This was my first time doing a full piece in CSP too! I think I've gotten used to it now and I love the painting utikities there! Still struggling with the technical aspects, like filters, textures and file exporting tho.

Let me know what you think!

#my art #fan art #dragon age #dragon age inquisition #art commission #original character #abelas #arlathan #украрт #укртумбочка

[frelynart]

A study of rendering gold, an Arlathan-inspired outfit

#dragon age #dragon age fanart #dragon age art #art #lavellan #da art #da:i #arlathan #dai #illustration #fantasy #digital artist #darhya lavellan #myart

[thekingofwinterblog]

So, i see a lot of anger in the Dragon Age fandom regarding the Evanuris turning out to not be real gods/being evil, and it being planned from the start.

I don't think the reveal was handled particularly well(Like most dalish reveals in DAI)... But I very much disagree with the notion that it was a retcon, not planned out, and there were no hints at all.

This is a statue of Falo'din, one of said elvhen gods, as portrayed in dragon age origins.

And this is the kind of imagery you will find all over darkspawn lairs as they constantly build shrines to this image.

The same image is also raised in a secret blood mage tevinter cult in Denrim...

And in the same house you will also find statues that are similarly revered by the blood mage cultists that are flat out Falo'din statues. Only with more hands.

And when we see concept art for how the arch demon was supposed to look like we have the key that ties all these statues and imagery thats worshipped by three different people together.

Urthemiel, the dragon of beauty, the fifth Old God to be awakened by the Darkspawn, is Falo'din, the Elvhen God of death and fortune.

And in case you still aren't convinced, notice the giant gold plate that all of these(except the Dragon form of Urthemiel) has on it's forehead?

This is the symbol later games gave Urthemiel.

The foreshadowing and evidence that the Elven gods were not what they appeared, but were evil and on top of that was the old gods, was there from day one.

I do wish they had handled this better, and given some more context and clues when the obvious form of the Archdemon(and the implications it had) was changed, but its abundantly clear that when they designed the first game, they really did want to make the ultimate plot twist rather obvious.

I really wish they had stuck with that foreshadowing, rather than keep their secrets tight to the chest all the way until tresspasser. There were so many times they could have foreshadowed this connection between the evanuris and the old gods before that, but they chose not to, in order to keep the twist as long as possible, rather than using foreshadowing to enhance the story.

#dragon age #falo'din #evanuris #old gods #archdemon #archdemons #dragon age origins #urthemiel #arlathan #tevinter imperium

[misculenica]

Solas; the petulant child

"You have waylaid all his other plans. Now, as a petulant child, he will destroy the game board rather than admit defeat. Be ready for anything. He still believes himself a god, and gods do not fall gracefully."

We all presume (likely correctly) that Solas is referring to the Evanuris when he talks about Corytheus after you prompt him; how they acted, and how their actions would have destroyed the world.

What if he was actually referring to himself as the petulant child who destroyed the board instead of admitting defeat, not the Evanuris?

Solas himself described his 'younger self' as a hotblooded and cocky know-it-all. (And given he -presumably- got drunk and pissed magic in his past, that only adds to the not-so-great/immature former self). He wasn't really that great a person.

And then, take into account;

Elgar'nan, Falon'Din, Dirthamen, Andruil, Ghilan'nain, Sylaise, June.

7 Evanuris (the most powerful beings -at the time- in existence), all working against Fen'Harel. What chance did he really have against all 7 of them, especially after they killed Mythal?

Solas was losing the war/rebellion. And we assume he created the veil as a 'last resort' to seal the gods away to protect the world. What if he wasn't motivated by a sense of 'must protect people/the world' and it was more 'if I can't win, neither can you'? I don't think he really intended to survive severing the world's ties to the Fade.

We know from the story about Falon'Din that he spread war to garner more followers, to the point where all the other Evanuris had to step in, and 'bloodied him in his own temple' to get him to stop. It's not so far of a stretch to say they would do the same to Fen'Harel, given he's taking their slaves/giving them freedom and has been a general pain in their asses for ages.

They beat him in all of his plans, backed him into a corner. But he still had one last thing he could do; create the veil, and destroy their world (everything in the time of Arlathan ran on magic, and without that... It crumbled, it died - the board was destroyed).

And Fen'Harel was forever remembered as the god of betrayal, the reason the elves became enslaved and impoverished and mortal. The Dread Wolf fell disgracefully, remembered not for his wisdom, but for his petulance and his trickery.

And Solas had to deal with the consequences for thousands of years "in dark and dreaming sleep", unable to do anything to impact the 'real' world outside the Fade, except speak to dreamers/spirits and experience only memories of what's going on 'outside', knowing that everything he accomplished was torn down, and his people are now going extinct, all while he sleeps with nothing but whispers and his own thoughts - for thousands of years.

Imagine how much that would kill you inside, knowing that all of it was your fault, and those thousands of years of suffering and contemplation were your own doing? You can't even be mad about it, not at anybody but yourself.

But you can undo it.

#dreadwolf #dragon age dreadwolf #fen'harel #dragon age #dragon age inqusition #the dread wolf #young solas #solas #dai #evanuris #arlathan #corytheus #dragon age spoilers #solas is my favourite #i can't help myself #i shouldn't be allowed an internet connection #i hope this made sense #dragon age theory #dragon age theories #nae_theory

[ekalita-blr]

another Thia's portrait

#dragon age #dainquisition #dragon age fanart #lavellan #ancient elven inquisitor #inquisitor lavellan #dai #dragonage #da ocs #arlathan #Thia Da'halla Lavellan

[echoes-sounds]

Fen’Harel and Elgar’nan (in that respective order) - Ruthlessness: Epic

This only took me like 30 minutes, but this song gave me a brain worm so I rushed to make it fr

Elgar’nan concept art

I’ve been neglecting my tumblr, my bad ya’ll

#dragon age #dragon age inquisition #art #dai #dragon age dreadwolf #dreadwolf #Elgar’nan #Fen’Harel #solas #Elvhenan #Arlathan #ancient elves

[janehaster]

Solas is not the Dread Wolf

Since Trespasser, everyone is departing from the assumption that Solas is the Ancient Elven God known as Fen'Harel. What everyone should be asking, though, is: where's the evidence?

Solas claims a lot of things when we meet him again in Trespasser. He also claimed he was a harmless apostate that used to live in a secluded village during our first dialogue interaction with him. Throughout the game, he makes tons of statements which later prove to be false or misleading. And when confronted with the possibility that he's not who he claims to be, you earn disapproval from him.

(Remember the dialogue after the Wicked Eyes quest, in the rotunda at Skyhold, where he disapproves if you hint at how odd it is that he misses court intrigue if he'd never been in a court before?)

Now, Solas made several wild claims to the Inquisitor about his identity. However, we know for a fact that he is a mitomaniac (the habit of lying, of fabricating untrue stories to manipulate people's perceptions, either about the subject in order to cast them in a favourable light or to alter their perception of reality and facts), a tendency closely associated with narcissists, psychopaths and megalomaniacs. This is highly relevant to DA4 because, if he indeed isn't who he claims to be, then he is more dangerous than we realize.

Let's assume Solas isn't Fen'Harel. Instead, he was a mage living in the times of Arlathan. We can attribute his knowledge of the Evanuris to him living or working closely to and with them. Maybe he was a servant? An escape slave, freed by Fen'Harel? And in the process, he may have met Mythal and became her follower, even a close ally. That would explain why she calls him "old friend".

Solas, being simply an ordinary servant of the Evanuris, knows everything about where their power truly comes from. He knew about in uthenera, the sleep of "immortality", and so managed to wake up thousands of years into the future. He knew about the Elven orbs - the Foci - and the power they held to allow passage into the Fade from the waking world.

What he (likely) did not know is how to use some of these powers correctly. Hence, his failure in expecting Corypheus to die after unlocking the orb. In fact, the orb likely belonged to another Evanuris and he was stealing it, with Fen'Harel's followers being none the wiser.

There were other failures that Solas confesses, such as the fact that a great portion of Arlathan, located in the Fade, was destroyed after creating the Veil. Not only that, but every life form literally became Tranquil due to his actions. As he himself states, he made everything worse in the hopes of saving the world from the Evanuris. This is very telling, because if any of this is true, then it means he is incapable of foreseeing the consequences of his manipulation of magic, and he isn't such a great magic wielder as the legendary Elven God he claims to be. Or worse, he claimed to have performed these magical feats by himself when it was in fact the historical Fen'Harel who performed them.

And worst of all: if Solas isn't Fen'Harel, then he's no more than a power-hungry mage going after the powers of the Evanuris to storm the Black City and claim true godhood. That would explain why he states: "as the world burns in the raw chaos"...he doesn't really care about the consequences of his actions, not even to the Elven people, who he might be deceiving in order to get them to work for him, so long as he can control what could very well be the Heart of Thedas, the source of all life and magic and effectively become "The Maker", reshaping reality as he sees fit.

...

As usual, this is just speculation on my part. However, Solas' magical blunders and his complete lack of power after waking up from in uthenera are highly suspicious. Couple that with him being a mitomaniac and the fact that the real Dread Wolf seems to be a spirit from the Fade guarding the Black City, rather than an Elven mage and you have the perfect combination of factors for suspecting that Solas might be in fact a CHARLATAN. For all we know, the real Fen'Harel might even be trapped with the rest of the Evanuris. Until the Veil is lifted and they are freed, we won't know.

#dragon age #dragon age theory #solas dragon age #dragon age 4 #solas #arlathan #theory #dragon age lore #dragon age speculation

[kirstinetheartist]

FUCK YOU *puts my friends ocs and my oc in slutty little dresses*

Commission Info | Gaelowen (left) belongs to @drag-on-age & Virelan (right) belongs to @rosella-writes

#I personally think they should all make out #also please observe the size of Mellan's thighs <3 #dragon age #lavellan #dragon age inquisition #dai #bioware #arlathan #arlathan au #solavellan #da4 #elf #elves #art #artist #painting #my art #falon'din #evanuris

[frecklef0x]

A dalish court painting for @dreadfutures, my beloved

#I am now tragically obsessed with these guys #They are juuuuust hard enough to capture that it makes me want to keep trying to keep them just right #is it the vibe? the energy? some ephemeral aura? #how do I portray their unique essence ejnfhkwrbfjwmfk #anyway I did love this project it gave me an artistic identity crisis and I am being very normal about it #frecklef0x #my art #dragon age #dragon age fanart #dragonage #bioware #bioware fanart #not my oc #commission example #dragon age inquisition #da:i #lavellan #arlathan #dalish #dalish pantheon #vallaslin #da: inquisition #inquisitor lavellan #herald of andraste #dirthamen #elven pantheon #dalish elf

[bryants-things]

So I’ve been thinking about the ancient elves and the Dalish. And how apparently there is nothing left of the elves. Of course a lot was destroyed by the Humans but still such a big influential society just don’t disappear into thin air. The ruins scattered across Thedas are proof of just that.

Language and culture evolve such is the way things. So even with the elves being oppressed it’s very unlikely that their language and culture is completely gone.

It’s more likely that the information we have access to throughout the lore and codexes are seen through mostly human eyes. With exception of characters who have reason to know more aka Solas, Morrigan, Ablas and Fellasan to mention a few. And such the information regarding the elves is at best incomplete.

It makes sense that the Dalsih know a great deal more about their culture than humans an even Solas believe. After all he has (in game) not actually spent a lot of time with the Dalish only seen whatever remains spirits have picked up in the Fade.

And if we apply this theory to the games, one could imagine that Lavellan in particular would posses a good deal more knowledge than he (my Lavellan is male) lets on.

Something as simple as the glyphs in the exhalted plains. Lavellan get short burst of information from lighting them up. (This of course is probably true regarding every inquisitor no matter the race) but if we go on the in game information veilfire is elven magic. And so one would think one would need an elven mage to access them which I presume would be Solas with other races.

Although from a pure lore standpoint Solas claims he’s never seen veilfire only heard of it. Of course he could be lying but bear with me on a in game lore rant. Solas lived in a world where the Fade and Thedas was one. So the need for veil fire would be non existent. My guess is that the Dalish might use veil fire to write secret messages such as the way to Dirthramen’s temple or the location on an arthlahaven. And that the veil fire we find in the crossroads during Trespasser is purposely placed there by Solas to get Lavellan to follow the trail. Just a thought.

Another hint at this that I find interesting is the boy in the Exhalted plains that run away from his clan to impress the keeper. He found the location to Elandrias talisman but could not break the seal on his own and tries to summon a demon. How would he find the way without any information? Rumors might be a start but he would need something, say that there is a written account of Elandrias legend which would make sense. And that this is written in common tounge is unlikely. Why would the elves write down something so precious so a human could find it. No it would have been written in elven.

And there is more in the temple of Mythal Lavellan (going head cannon here) recognizes the language as ancient elven. He can’t translate but he does understand it’s elven. Which makes no sense unless he would know both how to read and write modern eleven and probably some ancient elven.

I’m Norwegian and interested in languages but I can tell you I would not be able to read Viking runes but because I’lve learned a little at school and through my own curiosity I can recognize that a text is indead written in Viking runes and not let’s say Latin or Celtic just for comparison. This would not be possible without pré knowledge. And I dare say that if you play a mage you are the keepers apprentice which mean he is very likely to have been thought a good deal of eleven even the ancient one. But he will say the same as a rouge. Which mean that at least the Lavellan clan know how to read and write elven and have been thought enough that they can recognize a language that is millennia old. I assure you the Norwegian I read and write now is nothing like what the Vikings used.

And from a pure evolutionary point of view. Language and culture evolve continuously and societies will have accounts a big one like Elvenan would have lots and no not all of it would be hidden in the crossroads or lost with Arlathan.

One does not stop speaking. So the elves that built Hamshiral, the emerald knights and last noble houses of Arlathan would have kept using their language.

If one think about it, speaking a language that no human in Thedas understand would have been an advantage they would have used.

When the dales fell the only elves who would benefit from not speaking elven would be the city elves.

And those who speak also write, messages, letters, lists and so on. Interesting fact there is a mosque in Istanbul that has a Viking rune carved in it. We’re talking 800 years ago some Viking dickhead with a knife carved Erik is awesome into a temple wall. So yeah. People leave traces. Not that I think the elves went around and carved dicks into chantry walls, but the plausibility is there.

The arrow stuck in the roof at Skyhold(just above the garden go check) has elven carved into it. Now someone at Skyhold would have translated that, highly likely someone went to Lavellan and asked.

Again people like marking there territory so to speak, the elves that fled the dales probably had quivers full of arrows saying things like “fendis shems”, or bags of herbs or food marked so one didn’t accidentally eat Raveshine which from what I understand is poisonous.

And they would have had beautifully carved weapons, cutlery, jewellery, books and other nick nacks. One does bring the most precious things.

Clothes as well, tack for their Halla. All of these things have as much impact on a culture as oral stories and legends.

The Dalish work to preserve what was, Bioware have chosen to focus on religion and how it evolves over time. But from a historical perspective religion is only a small part of what make our a culture. And a culture as powerful as the elven one are no small matter to erase.

So it makes no sense at all that all the Dalish are left with is a warped religion, useless tools and simple phrases.

But in a world like Thedas where the elves are hated and feared it makes more sense to hide.

The Dalish keep their cards close to their chest. What would make sense is that they speak elven amongst themselves and common tongue when needed. Coming from a minority language myself there are benefits to doing it that way.

And what we hear in the games might be as simple as that some words are difficult to use in any other language than elven.

In Norwegian “hæ” is a very oral way of saying “what” it’s so stuck in my speech pattern that even when I speak English I end up saying hæ. But I have lived on the British îles for such a long time I say Sorry instead of “unnskyld” And “au” which roughly translates to “ouch”.

Such is the way when one deal with several lanauges on a daily basis. I have a Belgian friend that grew up in Dublin and she can figure out using “pradon” and “great craig” in the same sentence.

I’m a handweaver I work on a loom that has not changed it’s design for 500 years or so. The loom itself is 10-15 years old, things that work move on. And things one always need like clothes, bowls and tools. A hammer might be made of steel instead to iron but it’s still a hammer.

My point is the Dalish elves have learned to adapt to stay alive, but when no one is looking they speak the same words sing the same songs and cook with the same things the elves of Arlathan did.

Right game rant done

#dalish #inqusitor lavellan #dragon age #elven #arlathan #language #culture

[broodwolf221]

things I am thinking about this morning: did arlathan understand germ theory? more broadly, what kind of technologies did they have - and what did they lack? esp considering magic as a major governing force

I don't think they would have known much about how disease or illness worked, because they can cure it so easily with magic - certainly some things were known, and individuals may have figured out more, but there would be little reason to preserve that knowledge

I could see them having a plumbing system tho

blacksmithing, pottery, painting (thus, acquisition/creation of pigments), tilework, weaving and its components (gathering/creating weavable material) all seem to be givens. tattooing ofc re the vallaslin. farming seems very likely, although they could have had a gathering culture instead. hunting ofc.

related: preservation of foodstuffs. curing of meat, etc. probably able to create wine and/or other alcohols, altho perhaps not out of necessity re: disease prevention/treatment from consumption of contaminated water, bc again, magic

I'm uncertain about how advanced their construction is, bc based on solas' description it sounds very organic - it is possible that it was created via magic instead of constructed

without trying to view "advancement" of civilizations as a linear path, I tend to see arlathan/elvhenan as further advanced than what comes after, the veil and the destruction setting technological breakthroughs back quite a ways. but there would be whole areas that they wouldn't need to focus on, which is interesting to consider

#broodmeta #arlathan

[sashimoii]

She’s my muse or something like that. Ancient elf bard turned Inquisitor Panomaya (not a lavellan but she was sent as a stand in for a favour from the clan).

She wants to sing and sleep and enjoy her life, making connections to all the people who in her humble opinion drop dead like flies but no, big green hand worms and life altering events … again

She’s got a little estate hidden in the ongoing sandstorms between the hissing wastes and the western approach

#dragonage inquisition #you can hear her old lady bones click clacking #not really but I think it’s funny #she’s an elfroot enthusiast #I feel like that’s implied with the job #she’s the slowest mf ever #and by that I mean she walks EVERYWHERE #no horses or hearts or nugs for her oh no #bare grass between her tosies #dragon age #art #dragonageinquisition #dai #inquisitor lavellan #dalish inquisitor #(kinda) #ancient elf #arlathan