raising my hand. vitally important question. do we think eight little talons happened before or after lucanis tried courting viago. like where along the timeline was viago calling lucanis â[caterinaâs] demon of a grandsonâ compared to lucanis trying to convey his affections via a fucking knife. this is utterly crucial for my understanding of viagoâs characterization.
Tearing Down the Veil - Solas, Immortality, and the Chaos of Mortals
In further exploring Solas coming into form through lyrium before the Veil existed, something occurred to me that got me thinking about immortal time vs mortal time. (My Solas thoughts are always shifting.)
Solas's mission to tear down the Veil didnât actually exist until weâre introduced to him in Inquisition. We are led to believe that while Solas purposefully created the Veil to banish the Evanuris and the Blight, he did not foresee the devastation it would create ("...a wound inflicted upon this world. It must be healed").
So, in reality, from Inquisition to Veilguard, Solas has only held this mission for a total of about 12â14 years - which, in comparison to his previous life of up to 8000 years and 1000 in deep sleep, is hardly any time at all.Â
In this previous post, I explored what his time in Uthenera may have been like. I thought he might have been active in the Fade, but after just finishing Trespasser (again), thoughts have changed.Â
Solas tells the Inquisitor in Trespasser, âThe orb had built up magical energy while I lay unconscious for millennia.â Â
So, questions/thoughts:Â Â
"Unconscious" refers to a state in which a person is not awake and not aware of their surroundings or themselves. In Solasâs context, when he says he was "unconscious for millennia," wouldn't it suggest then that he spent 1000 years unaware of everything happening in the world? Â
What was Solasâs unconscious state like? Was he completely unaware, or could he reflect within the Fade? His description of âdark and dreaming sleepâ suggests he may have perceived ripples in the Fade, reflecting the chaos of the world. Perhaps he became gradually more aware as his awakening approached, though "unconscious" implies some level of disconnection.
I initially wondered if the killing of Felassan occurred while Solas was in Uthenera, but the timelines donât align. The Masked Empire ends just before Inquisition, making it likely that Solas killed Felassan in the year before the Temple of Ashes explosion. This would have been a highly emotional moment, marking his first year in this new world.
If Solas spent 1,000 years unconscious (or semi-aware), then no shit his awakening in modern Thedas is an intense shock.
Which aligns with his description of waking in a world that felt âtranquilâ. It also explains his decision to approach a Dalish clan to reveal himself - only to be met with threats of violence and rejection. It suggests that Solas wasnât fully caught up on Thedasâs history or the Dalishâs disconnection from their roots and how history had reshaped them. These were supposed to be his people. Small wonder he carries bitterness toward them throughout Inquisition.Â
Now, Solas is faced with the horrifying consequences of the Veil, burdened by a new and excruciating regret. If he was unconscious for millennia, he likely jumped back into the Fade upon awakening to uncover everything heâd missed. When he tells the Inquisitor about the battles of Ostagar, heâs recounting what he learned from the Fade, piecing together history during his first year awake.
Itâs speculative, but plausible, that he studied the worldâs changes extensively through the Fade - gathering insights on different factions, cultural shifts, and political landscapes. He may have also consulted spirits, seeking to understand how the Veil had twisted them over time. Quite the busy year - and with time functioning differently in the Fade, itâs possible he could have absorbed a good amount of knowledge in a relatively short span. And as I suggested earlier, itâs also possible that as he neared his awakening, he began to perceive more.
So, the world he once knew is gone, and the consequences of his actions are catastrophic.Â
Tearing down the Veil becomes his new mission - not a goal forged over centuries, but one born of immediate and overwhelming regret. How could it not? Because of him, the elves and spirits lost everything.Â
Add the fact that he is living in modern Thedas, navigating a timeline vastly different from his timeless, immortal existence.  Naturally, it begs exploration.
Immortal Time vs Mortal TimeÂ
Solas now lives in a world of mortals - a world where time is compressed and perceived differently through a mortal lens.Â
For a mortal:Â
Ten years is a significant portion of life. For a 30-year-old, it represents one-third of their existence. Â
The briefness of mortal life lends a constant urgency to decisions; ten years is a narrow window, carrying immense pressure to achieve goals, foster relationships, or experience growth.
Memories are shaped by a finite brain, which can create the sensation of time passing faster as life progresses. Â
For an immortal:Â
Ten years might feel like a brief moment in the vast expanse of their existence. To someone who has lived for millennia, a decade to an immortal could feel as a single season does to a mortal.Â
Time for immortals would be more likely measured in milestones, not years and there would be an absence of a fixed endpoint. Without the pressure of a ticking clock, serious actions could be delayed for careful years of planning, viewing a decade as barely a delay at all.
Immortals, with an infinite capacity for memory, might not experience the passage of time as mortals do. Memories unmarked by significant emotions (intense regret or joy) could fade away becoming indistinguishable from a vast expanse of their existence.
Through fiction and media, we are told how immortals perceive time differently. Without the looming pressure of mortality, immortals can take the time to plan, reflect, and deliberate - luxuries that mortals can't afford.Â
Solas â Forced into Compressed TimelinesÂ
Solas previously lived in a world of endlessness. Even massive, horrible events, like the war against the Titans, the rebellion against the Evanuris, unfolded over long arcs of time. He could carefully plan rebellions, build alliances, and execute long-term strategies without concern for immediate deadlines.  If a decision led to disaster, he could step back, reevaluate, and take a century to rebuild if necessary. Imagine how long it would have taken him to plan the ritual to banish the Evanuris â and then execute it? Â
Solas had centuries to adapt to change, to plan.
But in modern Thedas? Mortal time? Solas is thrust into a world where time moves quickly. The lifespan of these mortals means alliances and relationships are fast and fleeting, and any delay risks losing key opportunities or allies - as well as risks of unforeseen curveballs.
I imagine the pace of change in a mortal-dominated world compared to the cadence of an immortal existence would feel relentless. For someone accustomed to thinking in terms of centuries rather than a year or two, this rapid tempo could be dizzying, even destabilizing. It sheds light on some of his mistakes and misjudgments - he simply doesnât have the centuries heâs used to for recalibration. The constant need to react and adapt could prevent him from fully processing his doubts or mistakes, like seeing potential future consequences or that there might be another way forward. And it seems he wants to work fast to tear down the Veil, in the beginning he probably can't stand living in this new world.
Since tearing down the Veil isnât a millennia-long goal but a relatively recent mission, and because he is now operating within a faster-paced, mortal timeframe, it becomes entirely plausible for Solas to be thrown off course - and for his mind to shift. And we see him being thrown off course repeatedly. He is forced to recalibrate and remain fluid in the face of unpredictability:Â
"It wasn't supposed to happen this way"Â
"I could not foresee..."Â
"I had plans..."Â
"When he survived, my plans were thrown into chaos."Â
This compressed timeline robs him of the luxury of infinite time and careful deliberation. The immediacy of interactions and its pace force Solas into a reactive state, disrupting his certainty and positioning him to being open to changing it.Â
Other factors at play?Â
He is physically vulnerable now, weakened and far from his full power. This vulnerability forces him to rely more heavily on strategy, manipulation, and alliances - skills he mastered but now must deploy with urgency and limited resources.Â
For the first time in his existence, Solas must also conceal his identity. In the ancient world, he had no reason to hide who he was. In modern Thedas, however, his initial attempt to reveal himself to a Dalish clan ended badly. What would this have felt like for him? To see the stories about him so twisted, his people fragmented and hostile, and to realize that he must now hide who he is?Â
Solas has to now operate from the shadows, finding agents and using the Fade to manipulate minds and make connections. He orchestrates getting the orb into Corypheusâs hands to unlock it. Corypheusâs survival and the Inquisitor gaining the Anchor throw everything into chaos - again - forcing Solas to react - again. Â
He recalibrates, pivots. He investigates the explosion, offering his services, but now, after the Dalish incident, he knows he canât reveal his true identity. Solas must understand the situation, study the Inquisitor who holds the Mark, and observe the world he now inhabits. This leads him to join the Inquisition.Â
Life for this immortal continues to move at a fast speed. The chaos and unpredictability of modern Thedas - and the mortals who inhabit it â seem to continuously throw him off balance. Itâs no wonder we meet a Solas who is guarded, observant, thoughtful, and careful. He even admits to the Inquisitor, âYou throw me so easily,â - an acknowledgment of how unsettled he is.Â
Solas in a Constant State of FluxÂ
From Inquisition to Veilguard, Solas seems to be in a constant state of flux, and this ongoing reaction and disruption can become fertile ground for change. It forces adaptability, disrupts entrenched beliefs, and opens pathways to new perspectives. Constant flux pushes someone to operate outside their habitual framework - else they succumb to despair. But Solas never crumbles. He is nothing if not resilient and persistent in his goal (pride is stubborn).Â
A reactive state is also usually emotionally charged. Being reactive demands constant observation and quick decision-making, while a state of flux necessitates collaboration and communication with others. For Solas, this means engaging and working with mortals in crisis - and crisis forges bonds.Â
You know what I find hilarious? Solas telling Rook it took him centuries to build bonds during his rebellion, but when Rook asks about the Inquisition, Solas is like, âYeah, I made friends, created bonds and grew fond of a bunch of them despite myself (maybe even fell in love) - IN A GODDAMNED YEAR". Donât tell me this constant flux didnât affect him.Â
Perhaps this is why he goes into isolation after Trespasser (addressing the shift from agents flocking to his cause to him suddenly being alone). He knows he canât have anyone around who might create further disruptions or entanglements - because those connections threaten to throw him off course yet again.Â
And this whole time in the 10 years after Trespasser, he knows he's being hunted â so he needs to stay one step ahead to get to his ritual. But then Varric and Rook show up, bringing more disruptions and forcing Solas to react once again. Killing Varric, Rook throwing his plans into chaos - forced into a literal prison where he can't do anything. Rook's appearance pushes Solas further off balance. The improvisation of Rook is great because it continually derails Solasâs efforts to dig in, as external forces keep dragging him out of the certainty heâs trying to cling to.Â
And then, at the very end, Rook delivers the final blows: reminding Solas that he doesnât get to choose for the entire world, throwing the Inquisitor at him - a respected friend or love from his recent past (and to an immortal, 10 years might as well be a year) - and then Mythal (and we all know his reaction there â UGH). Heâs thrown again, raw and exposed.Â
His 12â14 years of certainty that the Veil must come down, lived amidst the constant flux and disruption of mortal lives, filled with heightened emotions and entangled relationships, gradually wore away at that conviction. We see this unravel throughout the games - his evolving thoughts and shifting perspectives.
And maybe those sobs at the end arenât just about the culmination of everything or the release of being free. Maybe theyâre also because he finally sees it - the truth heâs been blind to. A truth revealed through one chaotic moment and mortal relationship at a time. Blind, because the compressed timeline of mortals forced him to act so quickly, leaving little room for the reflection he once had in abundance: that another path could exist.
*Always interested in other thoughts, perspectives and if I'm missing anything.
As I was reading through this file, I found lines that Solas said in Inquisition that I have not personally heard before in 10 years... apparently, he was supposed to be shown talking to Your Trainer and he had a few lines THAT THEY EVEN RECORDED.
Solas: Manipulation of the Fade is dangerous, certainly.
>*Your Trainer: Our study was fast but thorough.
Solas: More so for some.
Solas: Let me see your eyes.
>*Your Trainer: I have two. They have seen things.
Solas: There is... a great deal in there.
Solas: This has been most informative.
Solas: One sided, but informative.
>*Your Trainer: I am a Very Good Trainer.
>*Solas: If very specialized.
>*Your Trainer says this line if their specialization is chosen by the Inquisitor.
Iâm replaying Inquisition and canât stop cheesing at the way Solas "asksâ Lavellan to dance at the Winter Palace. I remember a lot of people comparing the scene to Cullenâs and hating on how forceful Solas is with her, but I loved LOVE it.
This is a woman who spends everyday of her life enforcing commands and filling requisitions, she is mother to half of Thedas. Thereâs always someone buzzing in her ear with a question or a favor or another mess to clean up. No one dares call her by her first name or walk at ease around her. She may have achieved all her goals this night, but she knows her work will never truly be done.
Then out walks a tipsy Solas, decked head to toe in his inquisition garb, spirit still abuzz from a glittery night of ruffled feathers and courtly intrigue. He is having the time of his life, but is still seeking his vhenan out to see what she makes of it all.
No matter her response, his first reaction is to comfortâŠthen to pull her into a dance when he hears the music about to start again.
Cullenâs âMay I have this dance, my lady?â Is very sweet and so so gentle, but (in my opinion) itâs nothing compared to the way Solas practically shouts, âCome! Before the band stops playing. Dance with me!â He doesnât ask, doesnât wait, just straight up tells this woman to dance with him.
He is so eager and so much like a spirit here. He wants to dance and wants to do it with her. Now. Patience and polite masks be damned.
This is probably the first outright order Lavellan has received in a very long time and I can only imagine how welcome it is. Who other than Solas can see her for what she truly is? Not a holy prophet or a crusading demigod, but a womanâŠjust a very unfortunate woman. His heart.
Heâs so selfish with her sometimes and (sometimes) I LOVE it. Whisk me away, Dreadwolf. Take me anywhere far the fuck away from here.
I'll never be over the fact that Nevarra is Weekend-at-Bernie's-ing its literal monarch, and when Lucanis asks about why King Markus has survived his many, many, many assassination attempts, Emmrich (who knows damn well the guy's a corpse) keeps up the pretense with "oh he's just in great shape for his age :)"
Can you imagine being one of Emmrich's students. Your professor decides to take a sabbatical. He's been at the university for decades so it's probably earned, whatever, you figure you'll see him in a year or so once he's had a break.
Turns out he took the sabbatical so he could help prevent the apocalypse. He shows up back at the university as if nothing changed, but there's a new lease of life in his skeleton son and a grade-A hottie on his arm.
You can't even bring your dates to the Memorial Gardens anymore becuase while you're trying to show your crush your favourite grave, Professor Volkarin is two graves down, openly canoodling with the aforementioned hot piece of arse.
After being unofficially banished from the Mourn Watch, rebellious Lisbette must recruit one of her former professors, Emmrich Volkarin, to help her defeat two ancient Elvhen gods. Hurt that her favourite professor never stood up for her when she needed him, Lisbette takes delight in provoking the handsome, silver-haired necromancer, perhaps enjoying herself a little too much.
The Lighthouse is a sheer delight to Emmrich. The rooms given to him seem to shape themselves around him to his ideals and tastes without him needing to ask. He and Manfredd spend a happy afternoon putting all his things away, and Emmrich makes mental plans for how he may help this charming group of people. They are facing two ancient Elvhen gods, and the task before them is forbiddable.Â
Manfredd goes out to explore the lighthouse, and Emmrich sits behind his desk to write letters to his colleagues in the Mourn Watch. How does one post letters in a place like this? He supposed heâd figure it out.Â
Thereâs a soft knock on his door, but before he can call out for the person to enter, the door opens, and Lisbette appears.Â
He smiles at her, and opens his mouth to say, âItâs wonderful seeing an old student doing so well,â but the expression on her face makes the words turn to bone dust in his mouth. Sheâs smiling at him, but itâs a hard, fixed smile, very unlike the friendly welcome he received at the Necropolis.Â
But now he thinks of it, Bellara was the one doing most of the talking. Lisbette was merely polite.
Without a word to him, Lisbette takes a long, slow walk around the room. Sheâs wearing comfortable off-duty clothes, a pale shirt tucked into high-waisted pants. The ensemble is nothing special, but she somehow looks lovely in them. Her masses of curly red hair is down past her waist, and the freckles on her face and glassy green shards in her eyes catch the sunshine.
Lisbette pokes at a skull on a shelf. Examines a bottle. Her attitude is irritatingly overfamiliar, as though she feels she has a right to both examine his things and ignore his presence. She was never rude to him during her student days. Lisbette had been rebellious and provocative on paper occasionally, but in his classes, tutorials, and private meetings in his office, sheâd always behaved with manners and respect.Â
Emmrich sits back in his high-backed chair and watches her with what he thinks of as his chilliest gaze. Though her student days are over and her relationship with him is quite different, he still expects manners and respect. Â
Finally, she saunters over to him, though she still doesnât look at him. Her fingertips trail across the surface of his desk. â Coming in here reminds me of being called into your office, professor.â
âHow so?â
âI can feel waves and waves of your disapproval, just like the old days.â
âWhat do you believe I disapprove of?â
Lisbette laughs softly. âAlways a teacher, arenât you?â
âLisbette. If you donât want me here...â
âI need you here,â she says with a careless shrug, and perches on the edge of his desk.Â
Emmrich opens his mouth to tell her not to sit on his desk, but then closes it again. She wants to provoke him, and he feels certain that he mustnât be provoked. He supposes she wishes she didnât need him. Needing someone from the Mourn Watch upsets her after she was unofficially banished from the faction. He feels nothing in particular about that. He wasnât there when the decision was made, and itâs good for a young person to learn that their actions have consequences.
âYou have gathered together quite a team,â he tells her, hoping to change the subject to a topic they can both enjoy.Â
âYes, theyâre like family. Itâs good to have family around me again.â
Family?
He feels his heart sink.Â
Lisbette was found abandoned as a baby in the Necropolis. Like him, the Mourn Watch raised her, and just as it does to him, the Mourn Watch means family. Home. Love.Â
Or it did until they banished her.
How would he have felt if the only family heâd ever known shut him out and told him to leave? Has she had one kind word or letter from anyone at the Mourn Watch in the year since?
But Lisbette has landed on her feet, he reasoned. Sheâs a talented young mage and sheâs navigating these unfamiliar waters with confidence and apparent ease.Â
All the same, him being here hurts her. Angers her. She doesnât want anything from the Mourn Watch, but she has no choice.Â
He can find a way to win her over, surely. Â
In a kinder tone, he begins, âLisbette, what happened a year ago...â
She scoots around his desk toward him, and then reaches for a book on the far side of his desk. Doing so, she splays herself across his lap in a bewildering manner. His fingers flex on the arms of his chair as he stares down at her.Â
Lisbette sits up and pushes her red curls out of her face with a breathless smile. â Alvarusâ Treatise on the Undead . Iâve always wanted to get my hands on this.â
Thereâs better light from the window if sheâs facing the other way, and she perches on the arm of his chair. Emmrich finds himself with his arm around her, but pulled back as far as he can so as not to touch her inadvertently. She wriggles back, closer to him, making that task difficult for him. Â
â Lisbette, there are chairs for both of us.â
As she turns the pages, she slides further from the arm of the chair until sheâs half sitting in his lap. âIâm fine here, professor.â
âLisbette.â
âHm?â
â Lisbette .â
She looks up at him with a dazzling smile, her face just inches from his. âYouâre handsome when youâre annoyed.â
âI know what youâre doing. You dislike that you need help from me. Youâre provoking me because youâre angry with me. If we could have a mature conversation...â
She blinks innocent eyes at him. âDonât be silly, professor. Iâm provoking you because itâs amusing me.â
Slowly, she sinks even further into his lap. Her bottom feels soft against his bony thighs and very warm. Lisbette rests against his chest, licks her fingertip, and turns a page of the book.Â
He grits his teeth. If she wonât speak seriously, he will. âI will speak with the Mourn Watch. Youâve been punished long enough and you should be allowed to return to the order .â
The smile fades from Lisbetteâs lips. She reaches up and touches the silver strands of his hair, and then combs her fingers through the locks. Her touch feels surprisingly sweet.Â
Then she boops his nose with her forefinger. âDonât worry about it. Iâve had better adventures since being told to leave, and now I have a Mourn Watch professor all to myself. Heâs going to help me save the world.â
He gazes at her, feeling unimpressed by her arch tone and the way sheâs touching him. She might be their leader, but he was not her pet.
âHow may I be of service?â he asks icily.
She muses on this for a moment. âDo you have any advice for me, professor?â
âYour spells were ragged today. Your staff work was sloppy, and your incantations poorly aimed.â
âYou called out Beautifully done, Lisbette at least three times.â
He had, hadnât he. He was delighted to be invited onto the team, and heâd been impressed and inspired by the leadership his former student had shown. The way she smiled at everyone. Her warm confidence. Heâd congratulated himself that heâd been responsible in part for the young woman sheâd become, the old fool.Â
Emmrich clears his throat. âI must encourage as well as correct.â
She tilts her head teasingly toward his. âAh, so you encourage me in public and correct me in private?â
âYouâre trying to provoke me, young lady.â
Lisbette reaches up and ruffles his silver hair. âI am provoking you. Thank you for the book.âÂ
She snaps the volume closed, gets up from his lap, and saunters out of his room with an maddeningly hypnotizing sway of her hips.Â
Emmrich opens and closes his mouth. Too late, he thinks of something to call after her. âLisbette! I was reading that book.â
But the door closes behind her, and he thinks he hears her laughter in the corridor.Â
__
Oh, Lisbette and Emmrich, you're both in so much trouble. Not the same bit of trouble, but definitely a lot of it, and together. Thank you for reading!
consider,,,a lucanis who is in love with emmrich, a spite who is in love with rook, a rook in love with emmrich, and emmrich who is in love with all three but wants lucanis, spite, and rook to get together because he feels he is not the type of man any of them deserve...
bonus points for spite being the one to realize just what sort of love quadrilateral is going on and is the one to get them all together.
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