I’m hoping to write a story-based review of DA:I as soon as I’m done but I got thinking about the story and I decided to write this post as well. I haven’t finished Inquisition yet but I have a lot of guesses about where the next Dragon Ages are going to go. And I wanna write it down so I can be impressed with myself (or not) later on. There are several spoilers if you haven’t played the game, so proceed with caution.
We’ve been introduced to a lot of stuff in DAI that we haven’t seen before. Nevarra being one of them. It’s possible DA4 will go into this but I’m not sure. We have a lot of loose ends that fit a theme just lying around that I’m going to wager they’ll address in DA4.
Tevinter. We’ve all wanted to see Tevinter since DA:O. Near the end of the game Dorian swears to return home to see that Tevinter gets better, and grows. Before DAI we never got to see the face of Tevinter, what it really looks like. What it really is. In DAI we got a lot of it, and I’m certain we’ll be seeing more. Another darkspawn magister perhaps? I’m not sure if we’ll see a game that takes place there entirely. Maybe something like DAI that has one foot in Ferelden for familiarity’s sake, but this time perhaps in the Free Marches.
The Qunari Invasion. It’s coming. We’ve known that since DA:O. And it’s probably going to first be launched against Tevinter. I’m sure we won’t step into Tevinter without the Qunari invading. Which means the Arishok formerly known as Sten.
This also creates a lovely drama around Iron Bull and Dorian.
Spirits. There has been a LOT of spirit stuff in DA:I, and revelations that a lot of the books have been talking about this as well. We have Solas, a voice for spirits, and Cole, himself, Compassion. And Mythal. This concept could be a game in and of itself but given DA structure there will be some political bullshit happening at the same time. There is so. much. spirit stuff, it’ll probably take more than one game to get through it all, but the introduction of Cole and Solas and Mythal have left me extremely excited about where they’re going with it, because it harkens the return of something I’m very passionate about: Justice.
And with Justice and Spirits comes Anders. If you killed Anders it will not stop this plotline because Justice lived in a dead body before and Cole does it now. As a writer I believe that the Anders plot needs to be brought back in in time for DA4. I believe that whatever they do would be good but the the lack of closure about Anders is just a little too cruel to endure for two games, and they can certainly do more with him afterwards.
But with the mage war resolved what will his motivation be?
While I doubt the Qunari invasion can wait another game there are two places that Anders has the chance to turn up. Tevinter or The Anderfels. If you romanced Anders in DA2 and Hawke survives he or she alludes to reuniting with Anders afterwards, and takes off to Weisshaupt. Of course this points him right to the Anderfels, although Anders has a muddy relationship with the Grey Wardens, he also has family in the Anders. Logic brings him there of course.
I still though suspect that he may turn up in Tevinter for a couple of reasons. In DA2 you can discuss him going to Tevinter, since it would be kinder to an Apostate mage like him. But also because in a throwaway line Josephine mentions that the leader of Tevinter loves cats. There’s no way that Anders could impose as this guy with a thorough family legacy, but I suspect they could tie him in as friends or lovers. It’s a bit tricky to tell what could happen since Anders is the only love interest for Hawke that Hawke stays with. I’m sure it’s ridiculous and I’m splitting hairs on it but that cat drop has pinged my foreshadow senses.
So we can say with certainty that the Qunari invasion in Tevinter is a looming inevitability, but will Anders be there for the Spirit plot line, or in the Anderfels? Although I believe that the invasion will be happening very soon, likely in the next game, there is a lot of Grey Warden crap looming in the distance as well, especially if you spared the Architect. Sparing the Architect ties the Grey Warden plot back into Tevinter since there’s little doubt that the Architect is another Golden Throne Magister. The Warden – if they survived – is looking into stopping the Calling of the Blight which I sincerely doubt doesn’t tie into the Architect somehow.
I would love to see another Grey Warden game. And I’d almost feel relieved to have Anders back with them or under the care of my Warden again. But the Warden Situation is different in the Anderfels, so it might be very strange to see.
Of course no matter where we find Anders or Justice, Sebastien will also not be far behind. I’m on he edge of my seat waiting for someone to solve the Justice problem. I imagine we’ll be seeing Solas to help us with that.
It’s always possible that somehow they could draw all of these plots together to criss-cross in ways I haven’t anticipated, but they’ll need to save something or other for Dragon Age 5. Just please don’t make me wait, dgaider, for Spirits.