Dragon Age, like many other RPGs, is built on storytelling. The story arcs and quests drive our choices and create the hero that best serves our imaginations. One overlooked aspect of storytelling in gaming happens when you read between the lines of dialogue and character reactions.
Bioware perfected this in their immersive franchises, and they showcase this overlooked art in the DA series. These are DA theories that could change how you view and play the game.Â
The Rite of Tranquility
The rite of tranquility is first mentioned in DA: Origins as a way to put mages under control. It was supposed to keep mages from having emotions that would attract demons and demon possession. The rite was misused, and by DA: 2, mages were made tranquil as part of an underground plan to control all mages. Anders refers to this as the Tranquil Solution. He goes so far as to start the mage rebellion in a horrific event in the last act of DA: 2.
If you choose to have a friendship or romance with Cassandra in DA: Inquisition, you find something that can change your view of the Templar order. Cassandra will tell you that the rite of tranquility is reversible. She knows because it was done to her. This means that instead of mages remaining tranquil for the rest of their lives under the control of the chantry, they can have it reversed when they are deemed safe.
The theory is that this was kept a secret to keep the mages under control and living in fear of the chantry. The second theory is that if Anders had known, the rebellion may never have happened. It also puts into question just how crazy Anders was or if he was at all.
Flemeth is in Control
Flemeth is a powerful character who appears throughout the run of the DA series. As the games progress, we see her become increasingly powerful. We even discover a secret about her that she has kept for centuries. As it turns out, some of those urban legends the people of the DA universe tell about the “Witch of the Wilds” are true. But is that where her control stops?
One theory says no. There is a belief that Flemeth has had her hands on how the DA universe works since before the DA: Origins timeline. The theory says that Flemeth’s daughter Morrigan is King Maric. This would mean that Flemeth has been planning to put the people she wants in key roles to have them on the throne or in places of power. When it is revealed who Flemeth is, and you add this theory into the story arc, it makes for great replay value of the games. It also opens up the possibility that the player has been played as much as the people in the game and all by the “Witch of the Wilds” herself.Â
Varric is Hiding the Real Story
Now, this theory is more of a romance pairing theory, but it can change how some of the game is viewed. David Gaider, a long-time writer on the DA series, announced during a press and fans meet and greet that some parts of DA: 2 were left on the cutting room floor. One of the scenes suggested that Varric had lied about certain pairings, including one that would place himself and female Hawke in a romance.
The theory is that though Bianca had broken his heart, she was in his past. Bianca is still a friend but kept at a distance until she needed something, and he would always help. This makes the scenes with Bianca in Inquisition hit differently and changes some dialogue to mean something different for the gamer.
He begins a romance with Hawke during the timeline of DA: 2. This was lied about in his book about the Champion to keep her safe because, as he said once, they had already done enough to her. The theory gets mixed reviews, but for fanfiction, it has been a fuel for creativity and fantastic fan-based storytelling.
These are just a few theories discussed in forums and gaming fandoms. Taking a chance to believe the theories, research them, and replay the game with the theory in mind may give you a new perspective on events. The theories may also lead you to play the game in an all-new format ahead of DA: The Veilguard.
We hope you find our theories that changed Dragon Age helpful! For more similar content, go to our Dragon Age page.
