#solas flashbacks

The Wolf's Call vs Disrupt and Conquer

I'm almost certain these two scenes are meant to be viewed back to back. They're direct parallels of each other.

In the Wolf's Call, Solas himself is literally fighting to free Elgar'nan's slaves. He scouts ahead of everyone, faces Elgar'nan head on, pulling himself in harms way (and gets himself injured) so his forces can succeed at their mission (even though Rook mentions hearing fear in Solas's voice at the prospect of doing so).

In Disrupt and Conquer, Solas hangs back, ordering Disruption ahead. The fear he previously held of Elgar'nan is gone. He's calm and confident and also safe. This time, he sacrifices his own forces to achieve his goals. Felassan's rally cry "for freedom" feels like an after thought.

When Felassan expresses horror that this was Solas's plan all along, Solas tells him the spirits died true to their nature and doing what they loved.

"Let that be a comfort, that this war did not corrupt THEM into something different from what they were supposed to be."

GDL puts emphasis specifically on them, and I think that's very telling. Like, Solas himself is admitting that he's changed.

The spirits used to come to the Crossroads for sanctuary. Now they don't. Why? Have they found themselves ill used in Solas's war at this point?

I've seen discussion that "Disrupt and Conquer" is the mission to reclaim Mythal's dagger. And that does seem to be what is implied. Solas says the "relic" he seeks has the power to end the tyranny of the evanuris forever.

And it seems at this point that Solas is willing to do anything to make that end happen. Rook will comment after the memory that "Solas didn't care who he sacrificed if it meant stopping the Eanuris." One of Rook's companions will add, "And they were beings he respected. Imagine what he did to his friends." (A reminder that Solas kills both Mythal and Felassan for not aligning with his goals.)

The death of Mythal pushes Solas over the edge. He loses sight of why he started the war in the first place. He loses sight of people he was fighting for. He loses his purpose. He loses his heart.

In Trespasser, Solas tells the Inquisitor that the image of Fen'Harel as a rebel freedom fighter is "a different story, one that gave more credit than I ever deserved." And I always wondered about that line.

"The Wolf's Call" shows the beginning of the war. "Disrupt and Conquer" shows Solas at the end. I don't think Mythal's death is a switch that made him go from one to the other. War is an ugly thing where morals are compromised for the sake of necessity. I can see Solas gradually slipping with Mythal's death being final straw, where the how doesn't matter, just that the evanuris are stopped.