#lore nerd

Okay. So. In the very last story of Tevinter Nights, “The Dread Wolf Take You”, there is a gathering of what seems to be spies. I’m not gonna get too far into the details of it here, but suffice it to say that each spy has their own Dread Wolf story involving the Idol and none of them should be taken at face-value. 

A Mortalitasi woman tells her story about a blood magic ritual involving the Idol, and this little detail stuck out to me:

So, I know I don’t trust this bitch, but the detail about the Idol TURNING INTO A BLADE???? That seems important. It also seems like a weird detail to make up whole-cloth, because it doesn’t really impact the outcome of the story at all. Dudesef could have used ANY blade to slice him self up and call on spirits or whatever. He’s Tevene, he knows more than me. The Mortalitasi is the only one to mention this detail, either because no one else has encountered this fact, or because they don’t want it to become common knowledge (I’m looking at you SOLAS).

So, this little nugget stuck in my brain... because it sounded familiar. 

Hmmmmmmmm. That’s sus as fuck yo. So now we have two canon stories involving a Red Lyrium “weapon” and Solas. BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!

Sorry for my really shitty screenshots and outlining, but this is from the Codex and talks about how Fen’Harel tricked The Creators and The Forgotten Ones by telling them that the other had forged “a terrible weapon, a blade that would end the war”. Now, this was a story from Merrill, which was no doubt passed down in the Dalish oral tradition and isn’t entirely accurate. But still. Relevant. 

I know I can’t be the first person to make these connections, but I haven’t seen it come across my dash all in one place, so I figured that meant I was duty bound to put it out there. 

TL;DR: Solas is looking for (and maybe already has) an Ancient Elvhen(?) red lyrium blade that could be the key to doing some nasty ritualistic shit. Which, we all already knew. But, I think seeing these pieces together made me realize that the Idol isn’t new to him. It’s something he is deeply familiar with and/or has used before. 

Alright so to start off I am firmly in the camp of those who believe that Solas was not subservient to Mythal.  That, if not her equal, he was close to it and that he was as powerful, or more powerful, than some of the others.  That said, I had issues trying to puzzle out how this could be with some of the dialogue from Cole.  Specifically these two lines;

“Bare-faced but free, frolicking fighting, fierce. He wants to give wisdom, not orders."

"He did not want a body. But she asked him to come. He left a scar when he burned her off his face."

It seems to me this makes it less simple.  So, I got thinking more.  That thinking brought me to the origins of the Elvhen themselves.  What if they were spirits that chose to take form?  

A theory that I believe has some substance.  Most notably by a banter shared between Solas and Cole if Cole takes the more human route;

Solas: You may well become fully human, after all. I never thought to see it.

Cole: When did you see it before?

Solas: I did not say that I had.

Cole: No, you didn't. It's harder to hear, sometimes. Sorry.

Solas: Good luck, Cole. You have taken a difficult road.

Which I do realize some could argue Solas didn’t really say it but this seems unlikely to me.  There would be no reason for Weeke’s to put this in if it didn’t mean something.  In addition this is just the type of lie by omission Solas excels at.  He did not technically say it but that doesn’t mean he didn’t remember or think it.  This in turn would imply that spirits taking a more solid form was not uncommon, if not done himself.

If this is true, the original Evanuris would have been the first and most powerful (though again not going into the others old ones and so on).  Spirits of the elements likely.  As for the nobility versus slaves I am still trying to work through the details of why some would be noble then and others would not.  Perhaps strength of the spirit or age or the titles were earned by some feat or something else entirely.

The slaves would also be spirits who wanted to, or perhaps were asked or forced, to take form.  

If this is the case then when the veil was brought into being they were essentially severed from the spirit origins completely.  Over time this severing would have caused them to lose their immortality and their power.  Over time they would forget.  They would start breeding as mortals do and with each generation lose more of what had connected them to what they were.  Except perhaps some of the stronger ones or ones that had already been in the deep sleep when the whole thing happened.

I believe Solas was, like the others a spirit, a spirit first.   I believe he may have started as a slave to Mythal.  A favorite because she sensed something in him perhaps.  He was loyal and loved her.  In the end he proved his worth and power by fighting alongside her in battle or protecting her in some way.  That is when he became one of the Evanuris.

Mythal asked him to.  She asked him to be a commander, to take his place amongst them, her friend and someone she could trust.  She gave him that power.  In doing so perhaps that is how he learned the spell to remove his slave markings.  He would have been the first one it happened to so it isn’t unreasonable to think the spell wasn’t perfected.

To that end it would also explain his line that the name Solas came first.  Perhaps the other gods chose the name Fen’harel for him to imply at the time that he was not truly one of them but essentially Mythal’s guard dog.  Solas took that and ran with it, turning it against them.

This would also explain in my mind why Solas speaks against slavery not just from a compassionate, this is wrong, point of view but almost as though he knows what it is to be one.  He knows because he was one before he rose in rank.  

In the end what if he agreed to become an Evanuris not solely because of Mythal begging him but because he had a plan from the beginning to try to help other slaves.  Perhaps not to the extent he did when he went full rebellion but he would have gone in hoping to make some difference.  Perhaps something like the underground railroad type organization.

I think he enjoyed being a god for a time, time probably being a long time given his immortality, and that he partied.  That he was young and reckless and enjoyed the new feelings that came with a full form.  He fought with gusto, partied with gusto, and yes, he also had sex with gusto.  Then the fights lost their rush, the wine lost its taste, and the sex became mechanic.  It all became meaningless.

I’d say that some of the gods behaviours, Andruil with her sacrificial hunting and Falon’din with his wars to amass followers for example, was the final straw.  I believe he withdrew more and more and set up plans for the rebellion eventually starting it full scale.  

I believe at the height of his rebellion was when Mythal was betrayed. Not only did he feel rage then but also guilt at not being there to protect her.   So that was that.