Well Shit: The Elvhen Ritual (Part 4 of 4)
If our theory that the Well of Sorrows is more than a plot device for Inquisition, and that it and many other important story elements for the rest of the Dragon Age series were previewed in earlier games, then it stands to reason there should be something like the Well of Sorrows in Origins or DA2. And it is there.
In fact, most of our Wardens drank from the Well, which could lead to a “Well, shit!” moment for the Warden if they are still alive (and make an [unlikely] appearance) in DA4.
The ruins in the Brecilian Forest are extremely interesting. There are so many important details in them that they could be a series of posts unto themselves. They, and the ruins in the Dalish Origin, point to elves and humans living together side by side after the Veil was created for hundreds of years before Tevinter shows up.
The Wiki says that the Brecilian Forest ruins are probably Tevinter in origin, but honestly that seems highly unlikely given what we find in them and the history we learn from the elf trapped in the spirit crystal. There are signs that indicate these ruins once used eluvians as doors in some places and the presence of what is almost certainly a Well of Sorrows.
Before we get into the details of who created this well, let's first examine if it is actually a Vir’abelasan. There are many indications that the “fountain” in the depths of the temple was used to prepare the honored elven elders for uthenera, just like the Well of Sorrows. When you pick up the tablet that starts the Elven Ritual quest you get a message that says:
“Most of the carvings are faded. What little you can make out involves a scene where the honored dead is laid to rest inside a grand chamber.
There seems to be some kind of process involving the altar before the body can be laid to rest, but most of those runes are illegible.”
A Warden who didn’t know anything about the Vir’abelasan would, of course, have interpreted these scenes as some sort of cleansing ritual, but post Inquisition the image of an elf with vallaslin standing in a pool pouring something into the ‘water’ while being revered by other elves takes on another meaning.
There are differences, of course. There doesn’t seem to be an altar near the Well in Mythal’s Temple, and the “Well” is very small. The Warden doesn’t seem to gain any great insights or whispers that help them understand the ancient mysteries. Problematic, but not necessarily a sign that it was not a Well. So what else do we have?
There are some other indications that there is a “will” or force influencing the actions of people who come in contact with the Brecilian Well/Fountain. In the text describing the Warden’s thoughts and actions while interacting with the Fountain and altar are very interesting:
The warden can still finish the ritual correctly even after the shades attack them, which again suggests that this ritual was supposed to be idiot proof. It was more important to the creators of the ritual that it be finished than it was for it to be done correctly the first time. This suggests that they expected the people performing the ritual to not know the proper forms of the ritual and that they might need a second chance. This is suggestive and we will circle back to this idea in just a moment.
This may not be conclusive proof that this Fountain is a Well of Sorrows, but the totality of the evidence is certainly pointing that way. The images inscribed on the tablet alone make it more than likely that the elves who once lived in the ruins knew about the ritual performed in Mythal’s Temple. Now we have a few other questions to answer: Is this an original Well of Sorrows? A remnant that was revived by later generations of elves? Or was it a recreation of a Well by elves who were not clear about exactly how to do the ritual?
