Dragon Age: 7 Reasons Solas Is Right

Highlights

• There are a few reasons to tear down the unnatural Veil, which impacts spirits and magic.
• Restoring the Fade could bring balance to spirits, elves, and magic – creating a more equitable society.
• Reverting the Veil might reinvigorate dwarven civilization, stop Blights, and unravel darkspawn horrors.

Thedas, the Dragon Age setting, is a world of rich magic and interesting lore, with a fascinating cast of characters deeply embedded into the world. One such character, Solas, has a plan to restore the world to its original state – and fix a mistake he made thousands of years before the setting’s present day.

In Thedas, the magical world of mystery and power called the Fade is separated from the ordinary people of Thedas by something called the Veil, which prevents passage between the worlds. But the Veil is an artificial construct, and Solas intends to tear it down. Here are a few reasons why Solas is right, and the Veil should be torn down.

1 The Veil Isn’t Natural

The Fade Is Supposed To Be There

Back in the misty origins of Thedas, the Fade and the natural world had no real separation. As Solas says, the ancient elves looked at the Fade and called it the Sky. The natural state of the world of Thedas is one without the Veil, and despite centuries of adaptation to the new world created from the erection of the Veil, that world is not the true Thedas.

It stands to reason that although some things have flourished in the absence of the Fade, others haven’t. A more natural Thedas could be a good thing for many different groups, creatures, and parts of the natural world of Thedas.

2 Spirits/Demons Are Out of Balance

Spirits Are People Too

According to ancient elven lore, as well as Solas himself, the Fade entities people call spirits or demons used to be much more balanced and in tune with the natural world of Thedas. In times long past, spirits and more physical creatures could have worthwhile, productive relationships, helping one another and experiencing the world as it was.

Spirits and the ancients alike could alter their forms, venture from the Fade into the physical world, or withdraw deeper into the Fade as they desired, experiencing everything the world had to offer. In the current day of Thedas, spirits are ordinarily restricted to the Fade, and the whims and desires of humans and elves can twist them and shape them in ways they might not wish for.

3 Magic Is Normal

Magic Should Be Accessible

In the post-Veil world of Thedas, magic can be dangerous and is often seen as a fearsome, frightening thing to be contained or managed rather than enjoyed or celebrated. But magic is simply a part of the natural world in Thedas, no more weird or strange than electromagnetism or photosynthesis.

Restricted access to magic has resulted in tensions between mages and non-mages, with some societies such as the Tevinter Imperium being dominated by powerful and unethical mages – while others such as the Chantry societies imprison mages within towers. With more access to magic and a more level playing field, societies in Thedas could develop along a more equitable and sustainable path.

4 Revert Elven Decline

Elves Aren’t Supposed To Be This Way

The natural state of elves in Dragon Age appears to be one of great magic, health, and immortality. These are stated as being the gifts of ancient Elvhenan, something which was true of all elves in the days long before Dragon Age. But the creation of the Veil by Solas in his attempt to stop the Evanuris changed all that and destroyed not only a culture and a civilization but changed the very essence and nature of a species too.

Modern elves have diminished access to magic and age and die like humans, dwarves, and qunari. Severed from the Fade, it’s clear that elves have been in sharp decline. Little is known about what happened to humans or dwarves after the creation of the Veil – they could have suffered big changes themselves.

5 Ignorance Of The Fade Is Dangerous

Knowledge Is Power

The creation of the Veil separated the Fade from the natural world, causing it to become a secret place, one which most people knew nothing about. This ignorance has encouraged fear and rumors to spread, turning the Fade into a danger to ordinary people – mages and non-mages alike.

Ignorance of the Fade and its denizens manifests in many ways but allows demons to prey on people while preventing others from making useful and benign connections with spirits. A return to a more normal state of affairs, where the Fade is simply part of the world again, could bring benefits to many people.

6 It Could Fix The Titans

Waking The Stone

In the ancient times before the creation of the Veil, dwarves were said to live in union with the Titans, beings of immense power and size that are either associated with, or literally are, the Earth itself. The ancient dwarves, through their relationship with the Titans, seemed to wield magnificent powers not unlike magic.

After the creation of the Veil dwarven society entered a sharp decline, and the Titans went to sleep. Over time, although they produced powerful warriors and craftsmen, the dwarven empire and civilization declined. Restoration of the Veil could reinvigorate the dwarves and usher in a new golden age where they reclaim the Deep Roads and push back the darkspawn threat.

7 Blights And The Darkspawn

Why Are There Archdemons?

The stark change from how the world naturally was caused the ancient magisters of the Tevinter to breach the Fade physically in search of information about the nature of reality itself. With easier access to the Fade and its mysteries, the Tevinter magisters would never have needed to breach the Fade in search of their god, the Maker. The Magisters are theorized to have caused the Blights and the emergence of darkspawn thanks to their actions, ushering in many ages of untold horror and desperation in Thedas.

It’s unclear just what the relation of the darkspawn and the Blight is to the Fade, but it’s possible that removing the Veil will offer a solution to the darkspawn and the Blights – especially since Solas appears to have intimate knowledge about the Archdemons, which lead the Blights.