We have more exciting news updates to talk about regarding the next Dragon Age and its current universe. The next comic Dragon Age: Dark Fortress issue one is literally days away from dropping, and we just received a sneak peek at its early pages. And on top of that, a new concept art piece that requires dissecting was just unveiled.
So, with no time to waste, lets jump in and talk about the brand-new piece of magnificent concept art that was revealed by Executive Producer Christian Dailey after some prodding by Creative Director Matthew Goldman.
And oh, my goodness, I am in love with this masterpiece - this concept is a spectacle to look at. For the sake of my breakdown, I’m going to refer to her as a witch, because she radiates incredible Imperium-Witch vibes.
We’ll start with breaking down the most obvious - the location of the piece.
Location:
As confirmed by Matthew Goldman, this art piece is set in Tevinter’s capital city, Minrathous. In the 2020 Game Awards trailer, we had a small glimpse of Minrathous, stylised as a Cyberpunk-inspired utopia, and we can see those influences even further in this brand-new concept art piece.
The blue magical neon sign in the corner, and the overshadowing amount of red lighting showcase that same magical and sci-fi esque aesthetic. It certainly has a unique feel to it compared to the previous Dragon Age games and I love that. No wonder Dorian had such a distaste for the south, compared to the gothic and punk moods of the Imperium.
We associate the colour red with either blood magic or red lyruim, and with this art piece set in Tevinter, the case for both could certainly be plausible. Even further, the lighting is showcasing the tone of Tevinter, as we know thanks to Dorian in Tevinter Nights, Minrathous is a city that never sleeps. No wonder there’s lanterns, lighting and neon colour everywhere while all the terrifying mages and ominous death cults with their absurd magic loom in the city’s shadows.
“No, it wasn’t just lanterns. I mean light. Glowing leaves. Dorian finished his glass. “They say Minrathous never sleeps,” he told me. “It does, but only when the sun rises and everyone needs a good break from all that exhausting skullduggery. What do you think of the gardens?” (Luck In The Gardens).
Moving on, we can see the same floating circular building that was also shown in the 2020 Game Awards Trailer. I personally believe this structure is either Minrathous’s Circle of Magi, or the Archon’s Palace.
Minrathous’s Circle of Magi is the second-oldest building in the Imperium, it was originally the Temple of Razikale. However, it’s been repurposed as the Circle of Magi. The circle tower houses the largest library of arcane knowledge known as the Arcanist Hall, and the tower is also used as a venue for the Magisterium.
“The Minrathous Circle of Magi is the second-oldest building in the lmperium. In ancient times, it was the Temple of Razikale. This Circle is considered the best-preserved example of ancient architecture in the lmperium.” (WoT. V1).
The Archon’s Palace, however, is more of a mystery, and was only recently described in Tevinter Nights. It’s said to fill Minrathous’s skyline, visible from pretty much anywhere in the city. And, as we can assume, the Archon fulfils his duties there.
The Archon’s palace filled the Minrathous skyline. Dominated it—it was visible from pretty much anywhere. When you first came to the city, you spent a few weeks admiring it, in awe of it. Eventually, you got used to it, and it became part of the background, like the sun or the clouds. Tourists loved it, though. Nobles from Orlais, from Antiva—the only ones who could afford to make the trip. The roadways outside were always crowded, full of people representing the nicer parts of Thedas. And, of course, those who preyed on them. Had to admire that local entrepreneurial spirit. (Half Up Front)
But, honestly, this floating structure could be either, or, perhaps, even something else entirely different. This is just good ol’ tinfoil after-all.
Our witch-figure is surrounded in a rainy alleyway with urns and rubble on the ground. The background is made up of buildings clearly styled with Tevene architecture. There’s a very cutthroat look to the environment, and what it says about our witch-figure. Speaking of which, let’s dissect her.
Character:
I’ll discuss her identity and potential affiliation later, however, breaking down her appearance... her hat looks incredible. Dare I say majestic! We’ve never truly had a proper witch hat in Dragon Age, and, my gosh, doesn’t it just look amazing to finally see one in concept art for the next game. The hat itself is dark grey with gold trimmings across it.
The witch-figure has her auburn-brown hair put up in a braided bun. She looks fearless with her pointed glare and stern expression. She could potentially have red eyes, perhaps, relating to ingesting red lyrium, or the lighting from the walls could just be reflecting her actual eye colour.
Her jagged and pointed cloak is very pristine and sharp, not to mention, it looks fabulous – I'd say that’s upper echelon Tevene fashion for you. Her shoulder pads have a feather-like design.
In my opinion, this witch-figure has a similar resemblance to the sneaky Tevinter agent shown in the Game Awards trailer - the one that I assumed to be either a member of the Tevinter Siccari or an agent of an anti-slavery movement. I feel like these two characters relate the most because they both look suspect and are set in the streets of Minrathous. Which could literally mean anything, because Minrathous is bloody huge, and full of shady people in thousands of alleyways, however, at this current point, there does seem to be a correlation.
The figure in the Game Awards trailer had an owl design on their cloak with gold trims. Their hood was pressed in a patterned design and they had many keys hanging from their shoulder.
While these two figures do have very stark differences, the feather-like design on the witch’s cloak has a similar resemblance to a bird-like creature, perhaps an owl? If so, maybe these two figures are from the same faction, and are representing the aesthetic of that faction? Who knows, but we can talk more on that later.
The witch-figure's cloak carries itself as a cape. Her robes are very tight, covering everything up to her neck. She has a soft red-robed design that’s interwoven through her belt.
Below her cloak, she has vials and pouches strapped onto her waist, but what for? Could they be potential storage for ingesting red lyruim? Is she storing blood to later use blood magic? Or is she collecting harmful herbs for skulduggery?
And we need to talk about that staff... First of all, she’s holding it like she’s about to shank someone with the pointy-end. Is this indicative of using staves as a melee approach, or a hybrid mage/rogue class build, or is she just an absolute badass?
The staff’s design looks like a serpentine dragon. The way it wraps around the body of the staff is like a snake, but the head is almost draconic. Tevinter’s heraldry displays both a dragon and a snake, perhaps this staff is a hybrid of the two?
Even more than that, the staff has this magical effect over the hilt, almost as if the draconic snake is a spell that she’s casting, if that makes any sense? In any regard, she looks very menacing and I certainly wouldn’t want to oppose her in one of Tevinter’s streets. With that said, who could she be?
Identity:
Well, even though this is concept art and could represent an overall mood, or a faction, or just Tevinter’s aesthetic - can we pin this character down to an identity in Thedas? I mean, I don’t think there’s any harm in trying to, right?
Neve Gallus:
This one is very much on the nose, but considering she’s stood in an alleyway of Minrathous and we have the Tevinter Nights story - “The Streets Of Minrathous”, could this figure be Neve Gallus?
As we know, Neve Gallus is a human private investigator, she is a mage and has a single dwarven-crafted prosthetic leg.
“My one leg may be dwarven-crafted metal below the knee, but that doesn’t keep me out of a chase.” (…) “I channeled a bit of magic, ready for whatever he planned to do, then let it fade back.” (The Streets of Minrathous).
Our witch is most certainly a mage; however, her legs are completely covered so there's no real way to tell at the moment if she has a dwarven leg. Even so, this could easily be Neve.
Vadis:
We also have Vadis from Tevinter Nights, she’s a former Tevinter Altus-turned thief who grew up in Minrathous, however, she recently left the city for reasons I won’t spoil. Regardless, this could be her, but I honestly don’t think it is, just because of Half Up Front’s ending. I’d love to be wrong though.
“Altus, not magister. I’d never been a magister—my father filled that seat for our family. And I’d left the nobility behind, so even altus was past tense. “My one rule is no names. You don’t know a damned thing about me.” She arched an eyebrow. “The disgraced daughter of Magister Mareno Vadis. Lover of an elven servant.” (Half Up Front).
Neve and Vadis are specific possibilities of this character, however, let’s take a step back from those two and be broader because in fairness this is concept art. So, could this figure represent a Tevinter faction? Perhaps a Siccari?
Tevinter Siccari?
For the uninitiated, the Tevinter Siccari are a brand-new spy-faction introduced in Tevinter Nights. They’re known as the Imperium’s best shadow network, made of highly skilled and secretive agents who each come from slave families. The Siccari have built a reputation as formidable and honourable warriors.
“I have heard many things of the Tevinter Siccari,” the Mortalitasi added, “but I have never heard them called cowards or traitors. Most of them come from slave families, and those families are kept safe as both promise and threat, ensuring the Siccari never flinch from their duties. (The Dread Wolf Take You, page 503). ““Tevinter’s intelligence network declined to answer our request.” (The Dread Wolf Take You, page 485).
Like I mentioned before, our new witch and the Tevinter figure in the Game Awards trailer do seemingly relate, even if that comparison is that they are both in Minrathous’s alleyways. There’s certainly something there, right?
So, could she showcase a potential design of an agent of the Siccari? I certainly think that’s plausible. But, let’s not stop there.
Slave Upriser? (The Viper?)
On Dragon Age Day, we received 4 short stories, each referring to a prominent faction in Thedas.
“The Next One” was about the Grey Wardens.
“Ruins of Reality” was about elves with a strange Executor insignia.
“The Wake” was about the Antivan Crows.
And “Minrathous Shadows” was about a Tevinter anti-slavery group with ties to someone called - “The Viper.”
Very recently, Christian Dailey has shown off concept art of (what we think to be) the Executors, a Grey Warden concept piece, and now our new witch figure. So, could she be involved in an anti-slavery movement considering its recent significance in the short story? Are these concept pieces, and the figures in the Game Awards trailer lining up with these short stories? If so, then perhaps our witch is working within a new faction not yet revealed, however, set to revolutionise Tevinter’s capital city.
Also, if the stars are aligning, perhaps the next concept art piece we could see, could be an Antivan Crow. But again, heavy speculation here.
Player Protagonist?
In a very similar direction, could this witch-figure represent the next player protagonist? Quite possibly I’d say. I’ve been constantly suggesting the idea that, perhaps, in the next Dragon Age we may have the option to choose our new hero’s faction like an origin story. Again, like I just mentioned with the short stories and recent trailer, the most prominent factions at the moment seem to be the Grey Wardens, the Executors, the Antivan Crows and a Tevinter anti-slavery movement. Is she a member of this anti-slavery faction? Or is she a part of a different Tevinter faction that the player can choose between? Or am I just being too far-fetched?
We’re going to be playing as “the kind of person they will never see coming.” - that sounds like a great introduction for faction-based origin stories in my opinion. So, our witch-figure could showcase a potential main character’s aesthetic aligned with a certain faction.
Another Companion?
Finally, something else I’ve noted about this witch-figure compared to the concept art pieces of the assumed Executor agent and the Grey Warden; our witch has detailed facial attributes. Her hairstyle, eye and hair colour, her facial structure, etc. Could she potentially be an established character like a new companion, or is this concept piece just showcasing what a member of a new faction could look like. Again, I know this is just concept art, but there’s so many ideas that circulate from it, the moods and tones that are showcasing an aspect of the next Dragon Age. There’s so much and so little at the same time.
In summary, I feel like she’s probably an initial concept piece of a potential new anti-slavery movement in Tevinter, but I equally believe she could also represent a concept of the Tevinter Siccari. Regardless, we don’t need to place our bets just yet, I just like having fun speculating about all of this without setting any expectations.
With that, I’ll take off the tinfoil hat for just a second, what do you all think about this witch-figure, lend me your thoughts down below.
New Dragon Age Font:
After the new concept art piece was revealed, Matthew Goldman released the gold Dragon Age font on Twitter, so everyone can bask in its glory and download the font for themselves. I feel like gold is going to be the main colour of the next game, and I’m totally here for that. It’s got such a refined and elegant look to it.
Accessibility:
Thanks to Felassan on Tumblr for recovering this story, a fan asked about accessibility for the next Dragon Age title.
Luke Barrett, who is working on RPG/Progression for Dragon Age replied with: “Accessibility is very important here at BioWare. We have a team internally and at EA focused on features and improvements in this area. You should be covered but just in case I can pass along any specific requests. Can't say for sure whether they'll be included or not but it doesn't hurt to check!”
In other news, again with thanks to Felassan on Tumblr and many others like Dan who helped support reviving Dragon Age: The Last Court with their screenshot campaign that I talked about back in November. We have an update to this story.
For those who don’t know, Dragon Age: The Last Court was a text-based game created by Failbetter Games; however, it was unfortunately deactivated on November 17th, 2020.
In celebration, Felassan and their team rallied the community together and reached out to creatoes like myself and Caitie of Ghil Dirthalen for a hashtag campaign on March 12th. Together as a community, we shared fond memories and experiences of The Last Court as a final hurrah and send off using the #SaveSerault. And it honestly amazing to see how many people tuned and tweeted, it just goes to show that we have an incredible community.
The intention behind the campaign was to bid The Last Court farewell, and to potentially get a reply from BioWare on the future of the game considering its deactivation. And thanks to sweet Andraste herself, Matthew Goldman and Jay Ingram headed our prayers.
Matthew tweeted: “Thanks for bringing this to our attention. I really enjoyed The Last Court and didn't know it was shut down. I can't promise anything but I'll look into the matter.”
Followed up with: “Nothing definitive but some promising talks. @JayKingIngram.”
To which Jay Ingram said: “I'm hopeful!”
Honestly, it’s so encouraging to hear that hopefully something can be done to save The Last Court, and that the BioWare developers are very much listening to the community. This was a community-led effort, and it’s so amazing to see results like this!
Solas Merch:
Moving on, it seems like we can expect some Solas merch soon to drop in the BioWare Gear Store as Jay Ingram tweeted: “We have something for Solas in the works that I'm very excited for everyone to see. Might be a while, but it's awesome.”
In addition, to everyone else who’s not in Canada or the US, the BioWare Gear Store are updating their shipping. Hallelujah! Their goal is to add of lot of European countries, to then have a full world-wide shipping capability in place within six weeks. This is definitely exciting for everyone else who wanted a limited-edition Dread Wolf Rising lithograph, but didn’t want to pay two the cost for it to ship. So again, thank you BioWare for listening to us.
“This week, we are adding a lot of the European countries. If we don't have too many issues, we will keep rolling out a "continent" each week until we are completely set up for world-wide shipping. Our goal is to have full world-wide shipping capabilities in place within six weeks.”
Dark Fortress #1 First Look:
Finally, we have the first issue of Dragon Age: Dark Fortress releasing on March 31st. We’re going to suddenly have a lot of things to discuss in the Dragon Age universe, so jump on board and pick up these comics if you can. Amazon have shown off a couple of preview pages of the first issue, and the comic, so far, is ripe with plot and sadness. I cannot wait for these issues to drop!
So, Amazon has a large chunk of Issue 1 up as a Preview. #DragonAge #DarkFortress Issue 1 on sale March 31st! It has #Fenris and #AutumnTheMabari and #Vaea
As a reminder, issue one arrives in a couple of days on March 31st, Issue two releases April 28th, and the final issue is May 26th. I will be talking about these comics; however, I’m going to try and shake things up this time instead of just breaking them down, I want to do something more inspired content-wise.
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