#miscellaneous objects

The Aravel of Dalish, in the DA2 engine. The only design detail I like to highlight is that the border of the vehicle has a pattern of ondulating lines, something that we find in many elven murals during DAI.

The graveyard in Sundermount is quite poor in terms of design, but we know this is what DA2 could offer to represent a place where the elvhenan entered Uthenera, and probably explored the fade until their bodies crumbled or were killed, as it is pointed out in The Masked Empire.

These altars were used many times in different contexts along the game for lack of resources, so I would not waste much time on them. However, I think it’s interesting the detail of green fire that we find here [same as we do in the Alienage], when the game, in a rush, could have used normal fire. I think there is intention in it. Maybe it’s not Veilfire, but it’s a wood that, when burning, resembles an iconic elven element.

The codex we obtain in this part of the game is very unreliable: it’s about a legend, claiming that the Sundermount was the place where Tevinter and Arlathan elves fighted for the last time before the fall of the latter. It states that both sides unleashed horrors of the Fade; which by playing the game, we can see: undead creatures, shadows, shades, demons bind to stones [see post of strange idol], and a Varretal.

In the Gallows we find an alchemist whose table is filled with the old design of health potions of DAO, which is incredibly creepy: red bottles with black “tears” that resemble the symbols of Blood Magic, or red flasks with metalic hands holding them.

This generic book appears many times along the game, but for example, can be found in Orsino’s office. What we can see is a symbol of three snake heads, which is related to Tevinter. Orsino’s staff is also made in a similar fashion to this design, but instead of mere snakes, it has more a dragon-ish flavour to it.

Some sellers have these maps on their tables, and I can’t stop relating these to what the Enigma of Kirkwall says: the underground design of Kirkwall has magical pruposes. They are beside a scroll with the symbol of Emerius [meaning, this is Tevinter in origin or concept]

Lowtown is filled with many graffitti: ferelden lions, Qunari representations, slaves of white colour,  Emerius symbol, Kirkwall’s symbol,

Sometimes along the game we find Raw Lyrium, which is red. This always got my attention: is this a small mistkae of the devs, or there is a subtle lore-wise meaning into this? No codex can help us.

And finally, another object found in many places along the game, since Harimman’s underground runs, to the Gallows, an Iron maide.