#da speculation

I want to talk about Emmrich’s costume- as a professional costume designer. (GIF by @hawke , thank you! It’s so beautiful 😍)

Analysis #1 Skeletor

This is where I wanted to start, from the beginning of the video when the first Concepts flash across the screen. There is so much that makes me giddy in these videos, bits and pieces of a whole game that isn’t yet finalized. But the feel, the aesthetic and vision is there.

After hearing from several of the leading developers (all developers, working hard on this game will be listed in a post just for them eventually) on how they want to innovate and create a whole new experience; the first shot we get shown seems to be that of a villa on a bay.

I kind of went back and forth on this, once seeing it. The spires all around this area are quite Tevinter in make, most sharp and tall. The rounded ones could be taken as Byzantine influence, which some of Tevinter has been crafted after. Looking at it as a whole though, the feel is just a bit off. It almost has an Orlesian twist, possibly Especially when compared to later Concepts of what I truly believe to be Tevinter. Though it can be said Tevinter is a pointier Orlais.

I ultimately decided this is either a Tevinter environment OR a Nevarran one. Nevarra is the between of Tevinter and Orlais, as well as the Free Marches. Much of it is ports too, so it’s just as possible as Tevinter itself.

The next image was that of a giant underground door or entrance.

It reminded me of two things. The first was the door to a major Dwarven City, much like the one all the way back in Origins; when you first enter Orzammar. This one however, seems isolated, desolate, maybe even abandoned. All of which, could be used to described the actually, very much alive Dwarven city of Kal Sharok. A city so silent and isolated, they were believed dead for decades; after being left to their own devices and the Darkspawn.

This also reminded me of the Solasan Temple and the entrance that only open as crystals or keys were placed. Sealing away something rather than being an entrance to come and go from.

I would definitely think it a Thaig of some sort, given the size and depth of the room. Even if it isn’t Kal Sharok. Orzammar left many dwarven settlements to the Darkspawn’s army, there’s no telling which this could be.

The last picture I want to discuss, goes back to the a port city or town. It seems to be the same one as before.

This has a different look though and while I was willing to call it Tevinter or Nevarra before; I really, REALLY have to question if it’s not possibly Antiva as well. Where they are known for having leveled towns with spires at the top level. Usually for their larger and more important building that are higher up in the cities. There is a very subtle, Venetian Gothic architecture, but not enough for me to confidently call it Antiva. This certainly makes me lean more towards Nevarra than Tevinter though, if not the third option.

I can’t wait to see what others think of this and really know what it is, in the end.

There was also another Concept Art in this group of pictures, but I’ll leave that to its own post. There is just too much going on it it, for me to place it here. So that’ll be the next analysis! 

However, on Fenrir’s wiki page we have this little gem 

“In Norse mythology, Fenrir (Old Norse: "fen-dweller"),[1] Fenrisúlfr (Old Norse: "Fenris wolf"),[2] Hróðvitnir (Old Norse: "fame-wolf"),[3] orVánagandr (Old Norse: "the monster of the river Ván")[4] is a monstrous wolf. Fenrir is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda and Heimskringla, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. In both the Poetic Eddaand Prose Edda, Fenrir is the father of the wolves Sköll and Hati Hróðvitnisson, is a son of Loki, and is foretold to kill the god Odin during the events of Ragnarök, but will in turn be killed by Odin's son Víðarr.” (1)

Now, who exactly is Víðarr supposed to be?

“In Norse mythology, Víðarr (Old Norse, possibly "wide ruler",[1] sometimes anglicized as Vidar, Vithar, Vidarr, and Vitharr) is a god among the Æsir associated with revenge. Víðarr is described as the son of Odin and the jötunn Gríðr, and is foretold to avenge his father's death by killing the wolf Fenrir at Ragnarök, a conflict which he is described as surviving. (2)

A God of Vengeance who goes on to survive Ragnarok and rebuild the new world?