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The Wyrd Sisters of Thedas

@wyrdsistersofthedas / wyrdsistersofthedas.tumblr.com

Prognosticating on the Fate of Dragon Age
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Ghilan'nain and Geldauran: Apotheosis and Apostasy in Ancient Elvhenan and Beyond

Hey Nony!

Great question.  There does seems to be a curious juxtaposition going on with Ghily and Geldy in The Jaws of Hakkon.  They are definitely connected in DA lore, but how deep that connection goes is mostly a matter of speculation.  

Two Paths Diverged

Let’s start with the facts.  Ghilan’nain and Geldauran certainly knew who the other was since they were contemporaries in ancient Elvhenan.  Elven legends say that Ghilan’nain was an elven woman before becoming a goddess, but Geldauran’s origin, like the other Forgotten Ones, has yet to be revealed.  Given, however, that the place he was imprisoned shares design elements of elven ruins that were used as resting places for elves who entered uthenera, it is likely that he was an elf as well, rather than a spirit.  

If Geldauran did start out as an elf, he and Ghilan’nain’s paths may have paralleled each other in that they were both highly skilled mages, gaining enough power to attract the attention of the Evanuris.  There their paths seem to have diverged.  

Ghilan’nain was elevated to join the pantheon because she honored the elven gods, especially Andruil, and created monsters they wanted destroyed or controlled

Did Andruil seek out Ghilan’nain because she was devoted and/or possessed tremendous magical powers that could transform creatures into “monsters”?  Or could there be a more prosaic motive behind the decision?  The Elvhenan seems to have risen and fallen due to two great wars.  The war with the Titans and the war against the Forgotten Ones.  Perhaps Andruil was seeking a new, powerful ally to use against the empire’s enemies.  Sort of like Cap and Tony did in Captain America: Civil War.  And like the Inquisitor says they will do at the end cutscene in Inquisition, i.e. find allies who are unknown to Solas in order to gain some advantage in the coming conflict.  It’s a possibility, at least.  

The Forgotten Ones are still virtually unknown to us, but something set them against the Elven gods.  Geldauran wanted his position known, even millennia after being sealed away in the Frostback Basin.

The Forgotten Ones appear to have rebelled against the Evanuris and were imprisoned and “forgotten” as punishment for their actions.  

Looking at the surface of what we know, Ghilan’nain and Geldauran would have been adversaries.  According to Dalish lore, the Evanuris and the Forgotten Ones fought “an endless waragainst each other.  The Dalish don’t remember what, or who, started it or what it was about, and we can’t even be sure if Ghily’s ascension was before or after the beginning of the conflict between the two groups.  

If the war between the elven gods started before Ghilan’nain was a goddess, that might explain why the Evanuris were highly motivated to recruit her and bring her monstrous creations under their control.  

If, on the other hand, she was already part of the elven pantheon when the war with the Forgotten Ones began...well, that puts a very different, and potentially more interesting spin on thing.  It could also mean there was a deeper connection between Ghilan’nain and Geldauran.  

The “Sins” of Ghilan’nain?

I can’t decide what to think about Ghily (as you can tell if you read this post I wrote about her).  The Dalish remember her as a benevolent deity, while the information about her from Mythal’s Temple paints a far more sinister picture of the Halla Mother.  (Probably both given the writers’ love of grey characters.)  One thing I do believe about Ghilan’nain, however, is that she is a person who brought dramatic change to Elvhenan.  

Her story, on the surface, suggests that the Evanuris rewarded those who were most faithful to them, even to point of potential apotheosis.  She is described as the “the chosen of Andruil’ in the codex above and there is evidence to suggest that the Evanuris’ “Chosen Ones” were given special powers and privileges, including being about to “fly in the shape of the divine”.  If Ghilan’nain could become so highly favored as to attain godhood, why not the others?  Because there certainly were other elves (and perhaps spirits) who became the Chosen Ones of the other Evanuris.  

(Perhaps that is why Solas and Mythal had such a close relationship.  He could well have been her Chosen One at some point before becoming the Dread Wolf.  Solas himself says that the Dread Wolf identity came later in his life, after he began to his rebellion against the Evanuris.  Who was he before that?  But I digress...)

For all we know, this could be how the Forgotten Ones came to possess their magical abilities.  They may have been the Chosen Ones of the various members of the elven pantheon before severing ties and becoming their adversaries.  They may have come to resent the Evanuris’ control or, when they found out the truth about their gods non-divine origins, they felt betrayed and rebelled against them.  

They might even have been considered “gods” and counted as members of the elven pantheon, but something caused a schism that set them in opposition to the Elgar’nan and company.  They may have been stricken from the pantheon or gained powers that the Evanuris could only be explain by elevating them to evil god status (as I suggested in this earlier post).

So much speculation, so little evidence!

But perhaps the most tinfoil hat theory about the Forgotten Ones that I can come up with is that Ghilan’nain created them and/or set them on their rebellious path.  She certainly didn’t always play by the rules....

Why in the Void is Ghilan’nain encouraging treasonous actions?  Why was she encouraging the Sinner to take on the “form of the divine”?  Was this an experiment that went too far? Or a more deliberate act of sedition?  There is no sign from the text whether Ghilan’nain and Dirthamen were punished for these events, but the Sinner certainly was.  I can’t be positive if the image at the end is the last thing the Sinner saw (i.e. Elgar’nan dispensing ‘judgement’) or if that shadowing mass was all that was left of him afterwards.  

Either way, this event seems to have been a world changing event and possibly a prelude to war.  All the other codices that can only be read with the aid of the Well of Sorrows are about conflict, after all:

Put in this context, the judgement of the Sinner almost certainly had dramatic consequences.  The Sinner was punished for showing godlike powers, something that Ghilan’nain (with her monsters) had been rewarded for.  Some in Elvhenan certainly would have found this judgement unjust at the least. Perhaps the Sinner had compatriots who were outraged that Mythal had not spoken for him as Andruil had spoken for Ghilan’nain.  Perhaps this event was what created the schism between the Evanuris and the Forgotten Ones.

If the Sinner survived Elgar’nan’s punishment, which is likely if he truly was on the path to divine powers (Mythal certainly seems to be able to wisp her way out of death if absolutely necessary), then he might have become the shadowy entity described at the end of the codex.  What would his next step have been?

If the Sinner retained his memories, revenge and exposure of the Evanuris’ secrets certainly would be likely motives for his next moves.  Perhaps he gathered others who were cast out or disillusioned with the rule of the elven gods and started seeking powers to equal the gods in the Abyss.  

In other words, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that the Sinner founded the Forgotten Ones.  Would they hold a grudge against Ghilan’nain for starting the Sinner on his path? Perhaps, although it is also possible that she wanted dissent amongst the gods for her own purposes.  Intrigue and infighting seem entirely likely in the court of the Evanuris, given what Solas says about Winter Palace reminding him of how much he enjoys political maneuvering. But Solas’ potential role in all of this is best left for another day and another post... ;)

In other words, Nony, there most certainly are connections between Ghilan’nain and Geldauran that relate to major events in elven history...and yet, there may be another, more literary reason why they are both included in the Jaws of Hakkon DLC.

Compared and Contrasted

Although I am fairly certain there are lore reasons why Geldauran was imprisoned in the Frostback Basin and there are no elven monuments in the valley (other than Ghilan’nain’s near Geldauran’s prison/tomb and a statue of Falon’Din above Stone-Bear Hold), there is also a neat literary analysis to be made here.  

Arguably, two of the themes of Inquisition is faith and divinity.  The Inquisitor becomes a symbol for the Chantry faithful and of Andraste whether they want to be or not.  Corypheus wants to become a god to replace the silent Old Gods of Tevinter. The elven gods are revealed to be powerful mages who elevated themselves to god status and do seem to have powers beyond the reach of most mortals.  A titan, with seemingly godlike powers, awakens and choses and avatar in Valta... I could go on, but you probably get the idea.

These themes of faith and divinity are also present in the story of Ameridan and the beliefs of the Avaar.  Ameridan built a shrine to both Ghilan’nain and Andraste, perhaps choosing to honor these two particular beings because he saw parallels in their stories.  Ghilan’nain was raised to godhood for her faith in the elven gods. The Maker elevated Andraste to divinity for her faith.

Geldauran provides an interesting contrast for Ghilan’nain and Andraste.  He rejected the divinity of the elven gods, cursing them, and implying that he won’t be deceived like their “faithful” followers are.  Ironically, and despite his own rejection of divinity, there is good evidence to support that Geldauran became Hakkon, a “god” of the Avaar.  The Avaar knowingly create their own gods, influencing spirits to become the deities so that they may gain their favor in battle, their guidance, etc.

So there is a case to be made that the Inquisitor is being juxtaposed to these powerful ancient beings.  The Inquisitor deeds are miraculous to many, even if the Inquisitor would rather they not be seen that way.  The Inquisitor, in a way, is symbolically following in the footsteps of Andraste, Geldauran, and Ghilan'nain.  Whether your Inky chooses to accept, reject, or just go about their business, it is the people of Thedas who will ultimately decide whether the Inquisitor should be remembered as being touched by the divine ...or not.  

Thanks again for the ask, Nony!  

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"Forbidden" Lore, “Forgotten” Questions, Part 2

Thesis: The Forbidden Ones and the Forgotten Ones are two distinct groups with different goals and means of pursuing them in ancient Elvhenan.  Although their paths may well have crossed with dramatic consequences, careful readings of the source materials suggest that ancient elves, especially the Evanuris, considered them to be different in purpose and nature.

Premise: The Forbidden Ones are spirits/demons who can take on physical, tangible forms, but who’ve never forgot that they are spirits/demons or chose to present themselves as mortal beings.  They may have tried to “blend in” with the various cultures in Thedas in order to “feed”, but they always knew that they were beings from the Fade.  

Conjecture: The Forgotten Ones were elves who knew that the Evanuris were not gods, but mages whose great power came from the hearts of Titans.  This knowledge lead the Forgotten Ones to “dwell” in the Abyss searching for power that would make them the equals of the elvhen gods even while denying their divinity.  Fearing that the elves would learn the truth and that their power would be undermined, the Evanuris called the Forgotten Ones “dark gods” to explain their power, but eventually waged a war against them that threatened to destroy Elvhenan.  

Second verse, same as the first?

Why elves?  Isn’t that a little...boring?  Predictable. Why not something totally new?  Like...an avatar for a Titan!  Or, alternatively, something simpler such as the Forgotten Ones are just another name for the Forbidden Ones as DA2 implied.  Well, sure. There are other explanations for who the Forgotten Ones are, and yet the evidence is very limited for any thesis.  But let’s examine each one of these possibilities briefly.

Let’s say that the Forgotten Ones are connected to the Titans, which is a story possibility that would be cool and new (and probably something only I have thought about).  Cool and new is great if you have laid the groundwork for such a revelation, but big revelations are always best when seeds of information were sown in the previous games. Now, to play demon’s advocate, it is possible that the signs pointing to the Forgotten Ones' nature could be so few and subtle that they are easy to overlook, as happened with the revelation that Flemeth was essentially Mythal’s vessel, but I probably won't see these signs until they hit me upside the face as the Flemythal revelation did.  There is little other than references to the Forgotten Ones living in the Abyss to suggest that they had connections to the Titans. We certainly need more information about the Titans and the history of the dwarves, so if I’m wrong about this, I would be totally cool with it. Such a theory, however, would need way more speculation to put together than this one.

So what about the Forbidden Ones?  Could the Forgotten Ones be more demons from the Fade?  Sure, but that is a narrative dead end. We’ve encountered plenty of powerful demons across the three games and all the DLC, so finding out that the Forgotten Ones are more demons that we may eventually face in boss battles doesn’t really add much to the series.  Having the Forgotten Ones be something else creates more storytelling possibilities for future Dragon Age games. The explanation that the Forgotten Ones were elves also already has considerable groundwork to support it and presents lots of story opportunities.

Admittedly, that explanation is a narrative based hunch, not an evidence based theory. My take on the lore suggests that the Forgotten Ones could be connected to the Forbidden Ones, but their motivations and nature are quite different.  Still, the names make it difficult to keep which one is which clear in our heads, and this ambiguity is something that the writer’s play with on purpose in DA2.  If you didn’t read the first part of this series, please do so!  This whole post will make more sense if the first half is fresh in your minds.

Otherwise, I’ll forge ahead to examine the evidence for this idea in the lore and why the Sisters think the Forgotten Ones being elves would be a fascinating story.  Perhaps the most compelling reason to think that the Forgotten Ones are elves is because it is a simple, surprisingly elegant solution for a whole bunch of mysteries.  

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Sinners all? Geldauron to Hakkon

Hey Nony,

Don’t be done or sorry!  I know what you mean about not being able to sleep and it’s being 5am, and you have DA ideas that just have to be written down just in case they turn into something.  And you do raise a very interesting possibility.  Is there a connection between the Sinner, Geldauran, and Hakkon?  Looking into your question brought several things to light I would not have noticed if you hadn’t asked.  So thanks!

There’s a lot of weird shit going on in the Frostback Basin, not least of which is (what appears to be) a firsthand quote from one of the Forgotten Ones.  Is it possible there is a connection between this powerful “dark god” from the elven pantheon and the later rise of Hakkon?  It sure looks that way!

Here’s the quick summary:

*Geldauran is sealed away in the elven ‘temple’ in the Frostback Basin, a Creator-forsaken land (to the ancient elvhen at least) with almost no edifices or monuments to the elven gods.  That tomb is sealed with spirit stones that are almost impossible to see, let alone find, once the Veil is place.  Those stones are scattered across the valley to prevent them from being reassembled easily, and the prison/temple itself was buried beneath the earth.

“Their pride will consume them, and I, forgotten, will claim power of my own, apart from them until I strike in mastery.” (Geldauran’s Claim)

*Some time later (possibly as early as 3200 years before present) the Avvar enter the region.  The Avvar live with the spirits of the region, shaping them into their pantheon of gods.  They communicate with one “spirit” or entity in a very curious way:

“The savages speak to their gods in the cave passage. They call it the Mouth of Echoes. They light fires and feed them with green spruce and shout their questions into the deep. They say answers come to them on the last whispered echo.” (Mouth of Echoes)

*Tevinter mages, searching for a way to communicate with Razikale, arrive in the Frostback Basin in the time gap between the Corypheus and the Magisters Sidereal entering the Black City and the foundation of the Orlesian Chantry.  They believe that the Avvar may have special knowledge about communicating with spirits.  These followers of Razikale reshape the land and expose the buried elven temple, but whatever was inside (Geldauran) was beyond their ability to control or dangerous in some way.  They construct an elaborate system of magical beams, crossing the Basin from Razikale’s Reach to the Old Temple, to seal that spirit in an even more powerful ice ward prison.  

They then abandon the region.

“Some of the Avvar, he said, believed the temple to be the haunt of old, vengeful spirits. The Tevinter had come here long ago and built their great temples and then one day, without warning, they had abandoned them all. Ragnarr was convinced they had done something terrible here, though he could not tell me what it was.” (Razikale’s Reach)

*Tevinter’s efforts to seal away what they found in the elven temple were not successful.  Within a few hundred years at most, the original Jaws of Hakkon learned to enter the the Old Tevinter Temple.  In the early Divine Age, they emerge with “Hakkon” bound to a dragon.

“In the old times, the first Jaws of Hakkon spoke with the great spirit himself. He opened their eyes that they might see the elfstones hidden across the world, and they entered the old cave and learned the mysteries of winter. Their working of cold let them slip through the ice-wall that wards the lowlander fortress, and we must now do the same if we are to take it as our own. 
Hakkon has been silent all our lives. He cannot speak to us in dreams or open our eyes, and we remain blind to the elfstones. The lowlanders, though, have found a new way to see them. The skull of a dream-slain, set with the right magicks, can bring the elfstones to our sight.
We will regain the mystery of winter.” (Leather-Bound Hakkonite Journal)

*Ameridan travels to the Frostback Basin to stop Hakkon, but miscalculations on Ameridan’s part and the power of Hakkon himself is more than the Inquisitor and his companions can overcome. The last Inquisitor traps Hakkon with time magic until the modern Inquisitor sets both free.

“The dragon's power is like none I have ever seen. Possessed by this Avvar god-spirit, it rivals the legendary Archdemon Dumat in its fury. I pray the legends of another Archdemon leading the Blight in the Anderfels are just foolish stories, but if they are true, then I understand why Emperor Drakon asked me to come here. Drakon's new "Orlais" cannot face two god-dragons at once.” (Pages near an Old Campfire)

*Time magic wards (which I would really like to know how Ameridan knew how to do) and 800 years later, the modern Inquisitor finishes the job Ameridan started, finally killing Hakkon.  

The chain of events certainly seems to lead back to the Geldauran inscription in the elven temple.  

Proving a connection to the Sinner, however, is nigh impossible at this point.  We just don’t have enough information about who the Sinner was, what exactly he did, and what happened to him.   If the Sinner took the form of a dragon, like most of us meta writers assume, he could have shown the elven people that the Evanuris were not the only ones who could take the form of the “divine”.  He would have been punished for such an act, perhaps being sealed in a temple/tomb bound in body and spirits, but there is no way to say for certain.

 All the same, I think all of these individuals and groups are connected through the Evanuris.  Is the Sinner an important player in all of these events?  Very likely.  The ominous tenor of the codex entry certainly makes it seem like a turning point, but we won’t know for what until at least DA4.

Thanks for the ask, Nony!  I found a lot of things I wasn’t expecting, which makes this result all the more satisfying.  

-MM

PS: There is a lot more to this meta than the summary.  For a more in depth analysis of the evidence that led to this summary, and a lot of other cool discoveries, check out the long version of this post under the cut.

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