Discover Top Posts Tagged with #bellarook

REWRITING DA:TV WITH THE FRIENDSHIP/RIVALRY SYSTEM

Or: I Loved The Approval System In Dragon Age II And I'm Sorry If You Didn't

For those who haven't played: in DA2, rather than gaining or losing "approval points" with your companions, you instead gain "friendship" or "rivalry" points, putting you anywhere on a spectrum between full 100% friendship or full 100% rivalry.

In most games, companions with low approval will hold you in contempt, sometimes even betraying or leaving the party entirely. The beauty of DA2's system is that you can challenge a character's core beliefs and do things they disagree with while still regarding each other with mutual (if at times grudging) respect. Full rivalry and full friendship are equally rewarding; it is the middle area where things go wrong. My favorite example is a moment from DA2 (minor spoiler warning) where Anders is briefly overpowered by the spirit inside him and comes close to killing an innocent girl. A player with high friendship or high rivalry with Anders can snap him out of it, but a player with a neutral score—a player for whom Anders has no particularly strong feelings or respect—will fail and be forced to watch her die.

I thought it would be fun to apply this system to DA:TV's character outcomes using the following rubric:

👍 FRIENDSHIP: By supporting this companion, Rook affirms their core beliefs and helps them achieve their goals. This leads to a companion doing what they want to do or think they should do. They always become Hero of the Veilguard. 👊 RIVALRY: By challenging this companion, Rook prompts them to re-examine their core beliefs and question their goals. This leads to a companion doing something different than they might have normally. They always become Hero of the Veilguard. 😐 NEUTRAL/HARDENED: In a scenario where a companion does not feel particularly strongly about Rook, I am using a kind of "aborted friendship route." In this case the companion attempts to do what they want to do or think they should do, but without Rook's support, they fail somehow. A companion with a neutral score becomes "hardened" by their failure, if they survive it, which resembles a classic disapproval state: they do not care about or respect Rook, and they put themselves first. Hardened characters cannot be romanced by Rook and cannot become Hero of the Veilguard. They will likely walk away, betray Rook, or die during the finale of the game.

True to the tragic spirit of DA2, many of the companions in that game did not have a lot of choice in what happened to them—only how they reacted to it. However, in DA:TV, we have more options. I've altered the story in places where it annoyed me (such as Taash and Bellara's arcs having basically identical endings, or Harding's choice not affecting much of the world around her), but kept things as closely aligned with the game's original plot points and underlying themes (upholding tradition vs. progressing into the future, regrets vs. letting go, etc.) as I could. I tried to make both the friendship and rivalry paths have balanced pros & cons; the only real punishment should come from not investing time into the companion at all.

I will go through each character in the order we encounter them in. Before we begin:

This post involves spoilers for all of Veilguard.

The bad endings are intentionally upsetting, involving character death, betrayal, and suicide. Read with caution!

Also maybe read with a drink or a snack. It's almost 13k. Or read it on AO3 (it has chapters)!

I am neither a Solas groupie nor a Solas hater; I am, hopefully, writing this meta with a minimum of bias.

I would be absolutely thrilled to hear about which companions everyone's Rooks would friendship or rival and what their playthrough would look like in the tags.

And finally, before the cut, I'd like to extend many, many, MANY thanks to @maulthots for helping me conceptualize, proofread, and perfect every last comma in this meta (except for the ones she doesn't agree with, so don't judge her). It's 50% hers. <3 Go read her fic!

HARDING

THE STORY

Harding's arc is about her new connection to the titans, her anger over the elves making them Tranquil, and the danger that anger puts the Kal-Sharok dwarves in (via Anti-Harding, her angry evil double).

In the game, Harding either makes peace with her anger and briefly reconnects the Kal-Sharok dwarves to the titans (Anti-Harding vanishes, defeated), or she embraces her anger and says goodbye to the titans to let them rest (Anti-Harding vanishes, her work done). Other than that, very little changes for Harding or the dwarves.

In this re-imagining, I would have Anti-Harding responsible for a larger danger, such as leading the darkspawn the Evanuris control to Kal-Sharok, to give us higher stakes by endangering the entire society rather than just a few dwarves, and so Harding's choices matter to more to the world at large. I also want to use the Oracle (formerly Valta of DA:I) more and have her be somewhat responsible for Harding's connection to the titans, so there is an easy plot way to strengthen or break that connection.

CORE BELIEFS

Her connection to the titans is a gift.

Her forgiving nature leads her to repeatedly express pity for Solas rather than contempt.

By her own admission, she is a people-pleaser who wants everyone to like her and thinks being angry is bad.

The safety of the Kal-Sharok dwarves she reconnects with during the course of the game is very important to her.

👍 FRIENDSHIP

Supported by Rook...

Harding embraces her connection to the titans and learns to control her new titan magic.

She makes peace with her anger, dealing with Anti-Harding by literally killing her with kindness.

She uses the titan magic to save the Kal-Sharok dwarves from danger.

After the end of the game, she decides to live in Kal-Sharok, albeit temporarily (she likes nature too much to live underground forever), and dedicates herself to helping the dwarves there reconnect with the titans the way she has. She makes frequent visits to the Oracle.

BONUS: A dwarf Rook also has the option of regaining their connection to the titans through Harding.

Harding in the friendship route survives the finale of the game, even if she is chosen to lead the distraction team; her connection with the titans and the Stone saves her after she falls, and she arrives at the Lighthouse after Rook gets back from Fade Jail.

If romanced by Rook, she asks Rook to join her in Kal-Sharok until her work is done. If romanced by Taash who chooses to stay in Rivain, the two of them decide to live in Kal-Sharok for a while, and then relocate to Rivain. If romanced by Taash who takes the tablet to Par Vollen, Harding cannot go because no one with magic would be safe in Par Vollen, and Rook can encourage her to wait for Taash or end the relationship.

She believes Solas can and should be saved, both to honor Varric's wishes and because she pities him.

👊 RIVALRY

Challenged by Rook...

Harding questions whether her connection to the titans is really a good thing, fearing her own out-of-control magic.

She embraces her rage over the fate of the titans and, by acknowledging that rage, is able to get Anti-Harding to work with her to save the Kal-Sharok dwarves—after which, Anti-Harding vanishes, her work done.

She decides it is cruel to reconnect with the titans when disturbing them could lead to their further suffering. She says her own private goodbye to the titans, and then, with the Oracle's blessing, destroys the Oracle so they can rest.

After the end of the game, craving connection, she makes plans to return to Ferelden and see her ma.

Harding in the rivalry route survives the finale of the game unless she is chosen to lead the distraction team, in which case, lacking a connection to the titans and the Stone to save her, she dies.

If romanced by Rook, Harding, still craving connection, proposes to Rook, and asks Rook to go with her to Ferelden and meet her ma. If romanced by Taash who chooses to stay in Rivain, she takes Taash to Ferelden to meet her ma, and then they both relocate to Rivain. If romanced by Taash who takes the tablet to Par Vollen, Harding goes with Taash.

She believes Solas can be saved, but that he doesn't deserve to be.

😐 NEUTRAL/HARDENED

Without Rook's support...

Harding still embraces her new connection to the titans, and attempts to make peace with her anger, but her anger overwhelms her, and rather than being killed with kindness or soothed with acknowledgment, Anti-Harding escapes.

The Kal-Sharok dwarves survive the danger Anti-Harding put them in but with heavy losses (named NPCs like Stalgard die), and while the party is busy saving Kal-Sharok, Anti-Harding destroys the Oracle without the Oracle's consent, cutting off Harding's connection to the titans permanently.

Harding in the neutral route does not survive the final battle unless she is kept safely in Rook's party.

If romanced by Rook, Harding breaks up with them. If romanced by Taash, Harding breaks up with them—unless Taash is also hardened, in which case they stay together. If a hardened Taash and Harding both survive until the end of the game, they relocate permanently to Ferelden, as Harding finds familiarity comforting and Taash finds it painful.

She does not believe Solas can or should be saved.

NEVE

THE STORY

Neve's arc is about her quest to protect Dock Town and stop Aelia, a Venatori mage who plans to return Tevinter to its "former glory" by sacrificing citizens of Dock Town in a blood magic ritual that will summon a powerful demon. Though Neve has run into Aelia and put her behind bars before, Aelia escaped because of the corruption of the people meant to keep her imprisoned.

In the game, Neve is approached by a crime syndicate known as the Threads who are willing to step in and stop Aelia where the law has failed—as long as she's willing to work with the kind of people who run protection rackets. Neve must choose if she wants to be Dock Town's "inspiration" or its "protector," which is a pretty baffling way of putting things (would protection not inspire them?).

In this re-imagining, I would word Neve's ethical dilemma a little more clearly—the choice is not between inspiring or protecting Dock Town but between protecting it the "right" way or by any means necessary, even shady ones. This also ties into the choice for who should be Archon, which makes no sense for Rook to be involved in unless they are a Shadow Dragon.

CORE BELIEFS

Tevinter is broken, but it can and must be made better.

She must always act with integrity so that she doesn't become the kind of person she's trying to save Dock Town from.

Compromising one's morals for the greater good is abhorrent; she despises corruption in all forms.

👍 FRIENDSHIP

Supported by Rook...

Neve refuses to work with the Threads and defeats Aelia without their help.

Aelia is arrested and imprisoned again, but no one knows if that imprisonment will be permanent.

Neve chooses Maevaris as the next Archon, believing it's important to change the system from the inside rather than stooping to dishonesty and blackmail as their political opponents might.

BONUS: If Rook is a Shadow Dragon, they are asked to choose the next Archon instead.

After the end of the game, she chooses to stay in Minrathous to help rebuild.

Neve in the friendship route survives being blighted at Tearstone Island and survives the finale of the game.

If romanced by Rook, she asks Rook to live in Minrathous and help rebuild with her. If romanced by Lucanis who is First Talon, he proposes to her, but she puts her city first and declines, and they break up amicably. If romanced by Lucanis who is not First Talon, she asks Lucanis to live in Minrathous and help rebuild with her, and he agrees.

She believes Solas should be saved to honor Varric's wishes but isn't confident that it can be done.

👊 RIVALRY

Challenged by Rook...

Neve decides to work with the Threads to protect Dock Town at any cost, including her own image and integrity.

After Aelia kills Makal Damas, Neve becomes the new boss, and allows the Threads to kill Aelia to end the threat to Dock Town permanently—but, since most Shadow Dragons want nothing to do with the Threads, Neve's connection with them weakens, Minrathous's faction strength takes a minor hit, and Neve is forced to use the Threads to protect Dock Town from now on.

Neve chooses Dorian as the next Archon, believing the system is impossible to change from the inside.

BONUS: If Rook is a Shadow Dragon, they are asked to choose the next Archon instead.

After the end of the game, she chooses to stay in Minrathous to keep the Threads relatively in line.

Neve in the rivalry route survives being blighted at Tearstone Island and survives the finale of the game.

If romanced by Rook she asks Rook to rule the Threads by her side. If romanced by Lucanis who is not First Talon, he rules the Threads by her side. If romanced by Lucanis who is First Talon, he proposes to her—and, unhappy with being ostracized by the Shadow Dragons, she accepts and leaves Minrathous to marry him, leaving Elek in charge of the Threads.

Because she isn't sure Solas can be saved, she thinks it is better not to try.

😐 NEUTRAL/HARDENED

Without Rook's support...

Neve refuses to work with the Threads and tries to defeat Aelia the "right" way, but she fails and Aelia escapes. It's made clear that Aelia is still around and enacting her plan, as ambient dialogue hints at Dock Town residents going missing.

Aelia reappears in the final battle, demon summoned.

Neve in the neutral route does not survive being blighted at Tearstone Island. If she is not blighted, in the finale of the game she insists on fighting Aelia rather than being kept safely in Rook's party, and though she defeats Aelia, she also dies.

If romanced by Rook, Neve breaks up with them. If romanced by Lucanis, she breaks up with him—unless Lucanis was hardened first, in which case he would have already broken up with her.

She does not believe Solas can be saved.

THE CITY CHOICE

If Rook does not save Minrathous...

Minrathous's faction score is reset to zero, and many named NPCs such as Lorelei and Ashur become blighted and/or die. Dorian becomes Archon without any companion or player input.

Neve is fast-tracked into the neutral route, with the exception of her romance options (more below). Her friendship/rivalry score is reset to zero, and points in either direction are now much harder to earn.

Neve's healing and defensive spells are permanently disabled, and her offensive abilities become stronger.

If romanced by Rook, Neve breaks up with them, but if she is pulled out of the neutral route, she can be romanced again, and their relationship will resume. However, if romanced by Lucanis, she does not break up with him; she will only end their relationship if, at the end of her story, she has not been pulled out of the neutral route. The only way to pull Neve out of the neutral route is with a perfect 100% score in either friendship or rivalry.

If Neve is not blighted at Tearstone Island and not pulled out of the neutral route, then she stops believing in Rook and betrays them in the finale of the game. Instead of going after Aelia, she decides that she's willing to protect Dock Town from collateral damage at all costs; as a result, she sacrifices her principles and works with the Venatori instead of against them. Rook and the rest of the party are forced to kill her.

BELLARA

THE STORY

Bellara's arc is about finding the Nadas Dirthalen, an archival spirit bound to an artifact that preserves knowledge about ancient elves (some benign, some very dangerous), and choosing whether or not to keep it or set it free. It's also about stopping her brother Cyrian from helping the Forgotten One Anaris make himself corporeal, as Anaris wants to turn Dalish elves into his own personal army of demons.

In the game, Cyrian wears a "bond mask" that lets him feel what Anaris is feeling, rather than Anaris simply mind controlling him, and he always dies no matter what; Bellara's big choice is what to do with the Nadas Dirthalen, an issue complicated by the fact that some of what it knows was obtained unethically, and some of what it knows could be dangerous in the wrong hands. She can choose to keep it or set it free, but the only real change that results from this choice is the words spoken at Cyrian's funeral.

In this re-imagining, I'm altering Bellara's story so that it doesn't so closely resemble Taash's (reuniting with an endangered family member only to immediately watch them die anyway), and tying the Nadas Dirthalen to what happens with Cyrian and Anaris, as those elements of the story feel weirdly disconnected to me. Using a god's bound archival spirit to fight said god does feel a little flimsy, but we'll pretend it powers a special spell or has a cool laser or something. I also think calling it a "bond mask" instead of what it is (mind control) was a cheap way to introduce complexity, so I'm leaving how much agency Cyrian has up to Bellara's interpretation.

CORE BELIEFS

Both natural curiosity and a strong sense of duty drive Bellara to discover as much about her people's culture as possible.

Urging Rook to leave the mayor of D'Meta's Crossing to die and some of her reactions to dialogue choices about Solas seems to indicate Bellara has a minor vengeful streak, or at least a belief in wrongdoers deserving punishment or needing to do penance.

Her own shortcomings, her perceived role in Cyrian's "death," and the crimes of the ancient elves weigh heavily on her, and she struggles with a lot of guilt in general.

It's important to help people even if it's at her own expense; she feels a huge burden of responsibility for everyone's safety.

👍 FRIENDSHIP

Supported by Rook...

Bellara believes that Cyrian retains agency over his own actions, meaning he must own up to their consequences, and that it's her duty to stop him and Anaris to save her people.

During the fight, the Nadas Dirthalen is damaged and the spirit bound to it is lost, and in order to repair it, someone else must bind themselves to it in the spirit's place. Cyrian breaks free of Anaris's influence—whether that influence was simple manipulation or outright mind control—and volunteers himself.

With no other option, Bellara binds Cyrian to the Nadas Dirthalen, and together, they defeat Anaris.

Bellara gets to save her brother, but—as the new Nadas Dirthalen—he is fundamentally changed, his own personality fusing with the ancient impression of Anaris left in the artifact. He remains immortal so long as he is bound, but should he be unbound, it would mean the loss of both Cyrian and the artifact. Bellara feels guilty for her part in Cyrian's situation, but Cyrian comforts her by telling her that he is at peace with how things worked out; after the harm his own actions caused, he considers it his duty to be the steward of such knowledge, lest it fall into the wrong hands.

After the confrontation, Cyrian/the Nadas Dirthalen has a permanent place in the Lighthouse in Bellara's room. After the end of the game, she returns to her Veil Jumper work in Arlathan, hoping to find a safe place for the Nadas Dirthalen there, and a different way to store its knowledge, both so she can keep its more dangerous secrets away from those who would use them to do harm, and so that she can one day set Cyrian free.

Bellara in the friendship route survives being blighted at Tearstone Island and survives the finale of the game.

If romanced, she asks Rook to return to Arlathan with her.

She does not believe Solas deserves to be saved.

👊 RIVALRY

Challenged by Rook...

Bellara comes to believe her brother is being mind controlled without any agency in his own actions, that he is an innocent victim, and that he must be saved at all costs—even that of the Nadas Dirthalen.

When Cyrian volunteers to sacrifice his life to repair it, Bellara refuses to bind him to it, and the Nadas Dirthalen is destroyed permanently.

As a result, the battle against Anaris increases significantly in difficulty, the faction strength of the Veil Jumpers takes a major hit, and Bellara's relationship with them is strained in the future. But Cyrian survives the battle, and is permanently freed.

Bellara feels guilty for both her part in Cyrian's situation and the loss of the artifact the two of them worked so long to find, but Cyrian comforts her by telling her how grateful he is for his life and his freedom, and she is able to let go of her regrets.

After the confrontation, Cyrian can sometimes be found in various places in the Lighthouse. After the end of the game, knowing Bellara is unwelcome in Arlathan, they make plans to explore other elven ruins around Thedas.

Bellara in the rivalry route survives being blighted at Tearstone Island and survives the finale of the game.

If romanced, she asks Rook to come along with her and Cyrian.

She believes Rook should try to save Solas, because Mythal's undue influence over him wasn't his fault and he deserves a second chance.

😐 NEUTRAL/HARDENED

Without Rook's support...

Bellara still believes that Cyrian has agency over his actions and that it's her duty to stop him, but she cannot get through to him and free him from Anaris's influence. When the Nadas Dirthalen is damaged, Cyrian does not volunteer to be bound to it (as he is still loyal to Anaris), so Bellara binds herself to it instead, which permanently removes her from the party. This means Neve is always the one blighted at Tearstone Island.

Anaris is defeated, but as Cyrian is loyal to him, he is killed during the fight, and bound to the Nadas Dirthalen as she is, Bellara is unable to hold him as he dies.

After Anaris is defeated, Bellara continually begs Rook and the others to put an end to her existence, as she is stuck living an immortal life of being tortured with guilt over failing Cyrian twice over. If Rook refuses to end Bellara's misery, a hardened companion, if available, does it while Rook is in Fade Jail (in order of availability: Neve, Lucanis, Davrin, Harding, Taash).

BONUS: An elf Rook has the option to convince Bellara she's where she belongs, serving her people, and reminding her that she believes in people paying the price for their wrongdoings. If the correct dialogue options are selected, Bellara is persuaded, and though she becomes more withdrawn, she stops asking to die.

If Bellara survives as the Nadas Dirthalen until the finale of the game, while the party is away in Minrathous, the Caretaker releases her, and the Nadas Dirthalen is permanently lost.

Bellara in the neutral route cannot join the final battle.

If romanced, she is both unable and unwilling to continue a relationship with Rook.

She has no opinion on Solas that Anaris did not have first.

LUCANIS

THE STORY

Lucanis's arc is about his struggle with being possessed by Spite, saving Caterina after her faked death, deciding the fate of Illario, who betrayed him and sent him to the Ossuary, and becoming First Talon.

In the game, Lucanis may decide he's going to search for a way to unbind himself and Spite, but he never actually does it; furthermore, he always becomes First Talon and Illario always lives, with the only big choice being whether Illario gets sent to prison or babysat by Viago for all eternity (arguably worse).

In this re-imagining, I want to add more variety and agency to Lucanis's potential endings, tying Illario's fate to both Lucanis's potential role as First Talon and how Lucanis chooses to deal with Spite.

CORE BELIEFS

Duty and family come before everything, even his own personal desires.

Caterina's word is absolute: Lucanis does whatever she asks whether he likes it or not. Though he does not want to be First Talon and would prefer Illario inherit the title, he is determined to respect her wishes.

After many years of Caterina's influence, he tends to think of Illario as a hapless fuck-up, despite Illario's own considerable skill as an assassin.

A strong sense of love and loyalty for Antiva, particularly his hometown of Treviso, means that he wants to stay connected to them now that he is finally free.

Being an abomination is deeply shameful. Spite represents a threat to his personhood, autonomy, and self-control, and Lucanis must do whatever it takes to unbind the two of them.

👍 FRIENDSHIP

Supported by Rook...

Lucanis is able to separate himself from Spite (he loses his Spite's Reach ability after this). Though Lucanis intends to set Spite free, Rook has the option to destroy Spite instead, removing the risk he will use Lucanis's Crow skills to hurt someone. Lucanis doesn't like this, but selecting the correct dialogue options convinces him it was the right thing to do, and that Rook did it for him so he wouldn't have to. If Spite is not destroyed, he and Lucanis part on amicable terms, as Spite is grateful for his freedom.

After saving Caterina and defeating Illario, Lucanis attempts to have Illario imprisoned; despite being angry with Illario, he is still anxious to keep him from being killed for his betrayal. Caterina warns him that only the First Talon has the authority to make that decision, so Lucanis becomes First Talon to strengthen his weak House and save Illario's life, and Illario is sent to Velabanchel.

While Lucanis advocates for Illario to be let out if it can be done discreetly and he can make himself useful to their House, Lucanis and Caterina both agree the Dellamortes cannot afford to show weakness after everything that's happened, so Illario is not present during the finale of the game.

If Spite is not killed during separation, he returns during the finale of the game to aid the party. A rune that functions similarly to the Salvation of Felassan can be used to summon him for a brief period of time to wreak gleeful havoc on enemies.

Lucanis on the friendship route survives the finale of the game.

If romanced by Rook, he proposes to them, promising a large wedding and a life of wealth and comfort—but ambient dialogue from Teia implies that if Rook is unable or unwilling to have his biological children, Caterina will eventually insist on involving a surrogate so that he can continue the Dellamorte line. If romanced by Neve, he proposes to her. Neve who retained close ties with the Shadow Dragons has to decline to better serve her city, and they break up amicably, but Neve who weakened her ties with the Shadow Dragons by becoming the boss of the Threads accepts and leaves Minrathous to marry him.

He believes it is best not to attempt to save Solas because of how dangerous Solas is.

👊 RIVALRY

Challenged by Rook...

Lucanis learns to embrace Spite and makes peace with him, earning him more powerful abilities in combat and a longer timer on his Spite's Reach ability.

He begins to question Caterina's way of doing things and her constant unequal treatment of himself and Illario. He comes to understand why Illario betrayed him and forgives him. When Caterina tells him only the First Talon can save Illario's life, Lucanis defies her, outs himself as an abomination to all of the Crows, and takes his cousin and flees. The party meets back up with them later at the Lighthouse, where Illario appears from time to time when he needs somewhere to hide from the Crows.

Lucanis and Illario are both alive and free, but they are cut off from their family and are on the run from the Crows like Zevran. If Treviso is saved, Lucanis cannot join the party there as the Crows are too well-organized, but the Crows leave Rook alone out of respect for what Rook did for their city; if Treviso is blighted, the Crows are in disarray, and Lucanis can join the party, but Crows attack Rook at random whether he's in the party or not.

If romanced by Rook or Neve, Lucanis attempts to break up with them for their safety. Neve refuses to allow this, and, by selecting the correct dialogue options, Rook can also convince him to continue the romance.

Eventually, Caterina reluctantly chooses Teia as her heir, knowing House Dellamorte will cease to exist after her death.

Lucanis in the rivalry route survives the finale of the game.

If romanced by Rook, he suggests he and Rook elope. If romanced by Neve, he goes to Minrathous to be with her and either helps her rebuild or rules the Threads by her side.

He still believes it is best not to attempt to save Solas because of how dangerous Solas is, but given his situation with Illario, admits he would be a hypocrite not to understand why Rook might want to honor Varric's wishes, even if seems like a bad idea.

😐 NEUTRAL/HARDENED

Without Rook's support...

Lucanis attempts to unbind himself and Spite, but fails. He neither rids himself of Spite nor learns to make peace with him.

Spite helps rescue Caterina, but, overwhelmed with rage and vengeance, kills Illario for his betrayal, outing Lucanis as an abomination in front of all the Crows. Only Caterina's authority as First Talon protects Lucanis from having to go on the run.

Filled with self-loathing at his own failures and grief over Illario, and feeling he is more a liability than asset, Lucanis leaves the party permanently, intending to do "whatever it takes" to get rid of Spite. When Rook gets back from Fade Jail, the others inform them that Lucanis has committed suicide, taking Spite out of the world in the only way he knew how.

BONUS: Caterina still chooses Teia as her heir, but a Crow Rook can do an optional sidequest that ends with Viago as First Talon instead. However, this comes at the cost of killing Caterina, which ends Viago's relationship with Teia permanently, as she loved Caterina and is determined to get her revenge on both him and Rook. Whether or not she will succeed in killing Viago or whether he will be forced to kill her first is left ambiguous.

Lucanis in the neutral route never reaches the final battle.

If romanced by Rook, Lucanis breaks up with them before leaving the party. If romanced by Neve, Lucanis breaks up with her before leaving the party—in which case she would have already broken up with him.

He believes Solas is too dangerous to save.

THE CITY CHOICE

If Rook does not save Treviso...

Treviso's faction score resets to zero, and the city becomes blighted. Many named NPCs such as Chance Candide and Jacobus become blighted and/or die.

Lucanis is fast-tracked into the neutral route, with the exception of his romance options (more on that below). His friendship/rivalry score is reset to zero, and points in either direction are now much harder to earn.

Lucanis's healing and defensive abilities are permanently disabled, and his offensive abilities become stronger.

If romanced by Rook, Lucanis breaks up with them, but if he is pulled out of the neutral route, he can be romanced again, and their relationship will resume. However, if romanced by Neve, he does not break up with her; he will only end their relationship if, at the end of his story, he has not been pulled out of the neutral route. The only way to pull Lucanis out of the neutral route is with a perfect 100% score in either friendship or rivalry.

As noted above, if Lucanis does reach 100% rivalry and goes on the run from the Crows, he can still be in Rook's party if the city is blighted, but the party is occasionally attacked by Crows whether he is with them or not.

If Lucanis is not pulled out of the neutral route, he still leaves the party to commit suicide—but in the finale of the game, Spite returns, having survived the suicide out of, well, sheer spite. He is now possessing Lucanis's visibly rotted corpse, its throat cut open. Spite attacks the party, and Rook and the others are forced to kill him.

DAVRIN

THE STORY

Davrin's arc is about—all about—protecting Assan, rescuing the other griffons from Isseya, warden-turned-monster, and deciding where the griffons should live in the future.

In the game, Isseya is always killed to protect the griffons, and Davrin allows Rook to choose where the griffons should live, taking away what little agency he was given. Elements of his character such as his relationship with his old clan, his future as a warden, or his potential to connect with Isseya (who was also once an elven warden) barely get touched upon at all. The game also has a lot of dialogue options about being strict with Assan or using a light touch that seem to indicate a future consequence, but nothing ever comes of this.

In this re-imagining, I am inventing a gameplay mechanic where sometimes Davrin's abilities that involve Assan use up stamina but don't actually work when selected, because Assan is still being trained; Davrin's style of training Assan affects how often these "misfires" occur. However, I would also love to give Davrin literally any other purpose besides "take care of griffons" because he deserves character development too! So I'm using a dropped subplot from DA:I, which is the cure for the Calling. A cure forces Davrin to make tough choices about his future—when at times he seems convinced he doesn't have a future at all. The catch with the cure is that the earlier it's taken, the better it works, so waiting until the Calling and then taking it won't save anyone. It can't save anyone who's been blighted unless they've survived the Joining, so no wiggling out of NPCs getting blighted due to the city choice. It also reverses the ability to sense darkspawn, immunity to the blight, and any increase in strength or stamina—and the cure is permanent, meaning cured wardens will never be able to become wardens again. Finally, I think it would be fun to get to choose the next First Warden the way you get to choose the next Archon and (sort of) the next First Talon, so I'm throwing that in there too.

CORE BELIEFS

A strong sense of duty to his people and of duty to the world as a warden has turned him into a bit of a martyr. He is so prepared to die for the greater good that he's almost disappointed when he doesn't.

Though he gets homesick now and then, he can't return to his clan until he makes something of himself and proves it was the right decision to leave, and he isn't sure his clan would even want to see him.

Right and wrong is cut and dry, things are either monsters or they aren't, and monsters must be put down (see: every conversation he's ever had with Lucanis).

Being strict with Assan is the only way to keep him safe and prepare him for a life of hunting darkspawn, and griffons can never be anything but hunters.

👍 FRIENDSHIP

Supported by Rook...

Davrin finds the cure for the Calling but chooses not to take it, believing his warden abilities are too important to the protection of both the griffons and the world to give up. Other named warden NPCs such as Antoine, Evka, and Flynn also decide not to take the cure.

BONUS: A warden Rook has the option of taking the cure, but if they are romancing Davrin, Davrin attempts to break up with them so that he doesn't drag them back into the darkness they wanted to escape. By selecting the correct dialogue options, Rook can convince him to continue the romance.

Strict training of Assan reduces the frequency of misfires until they stop happening entirely, leads to more effective Assan abilities in combat, and grants a gradually lengthening timer on the Assan blight boil puzzles.

Davrin tracks down Isseya's lair and kills her in order to rescue the griffons.

For his heroism, Davrin is offered the position of First Warden, and Rook can encourage him to accept or decline. If Davrin declines or dies and Rook is a warden, they are offered the position next. If Rook declines or is not a warden, Evka is offered the position, and she accepts.

When deciding where the griffons should go, Davrin has them come back to the wardens (except, of course, Assan), leaving Antoine and Evka in charge of their care.

Davrin in the friendship route survives the finale of the game, even if he is chosen to lead the distraction team; a combination of his immunity to the blight and Assan's strict training saves him, and they arrive at the Lighthouse after Rook gets back from Fade Jail.

If romanced by a warden Rook, he asks them to return to the wardens with him; if romanced by a non-warden or cured Rook, he decides to stay out on his own for as long as he can.

He does not believe Solas can or deserves to be saved.

👊 RIVALRY

Challenged by Rook...

Davrin reconsiders whether or not the griffons truly belong with the wardens. After deciding he wouldn't wish his life as a warden on Assan because of how dark and violent it can be, he also realizes it's not what he wishes for himself anymore either, and eventually takes the cure for the Calling. Other named warden NPCs such as Antoine, Evka, and Flynn also consider taking it after the Evanuris are defeated.

BONUS: A warden Rook can choose to take the cure, but if they are romancing Davrin and choose not to take it, Davrin breaks up with them, eager to distance himself from that life, and his mind cannot be changed.

Using a softer touch with Assan means that even though misfires gradually decrease in frequency, they never stop entirely. Assan receives no power boost for his combat abilities. The blight boil timer gradually gets longer, but never as long as it in the friendship route.

When Davrin confronts Isseya, his soft touch with Assan, combined with his having given up being a warden, is enough that he is able to convince her to stand down without violence. She leads him to the other griffons and sets them free, trusting him with their future. Isseya then asks Davrin to give her the cure too, and freed from the blight, she dies peacefully, surrounded by griffons. Davrin gives her a proper Dalish funeral.

For his heroism, Davrin is offered the position of First Warden, but he declines, revealing he has taken the cure. If Rook is a warden, they are offered the position next. If Rook declines or is not a warden, Evka is offered the position, and she accepts.

Davrin decides to send the griffons to Arlathan (except, of course, Assan) and makes plans to take Assan to meet his clan should he survive this final fight with the Evanuris.

Davrin in the rivalry route survives the final battle unless he is chosen to lead the distraction team, in which case, as he is no longer immune to the blight and Assan has not been trained as strictly, he and Assan both die.

If romanced, he asks Rook to come with him and Assan when he visits his clan.

Because of his experience with Isseya, he is open to the possibility of saving Solas.

😐 NEUTRAL/HARDENED

Without Rook's support...

Davrin still trains Assan strictly, but in this case, Assan rails against the training, causing his ability misfires to happen more often as the game goes on, instead of less. His blight timer does not lengthen, and his combat abilities become less effective.

He never locates the cure for the Calling, meaning neither he nor a warden Rook have the option of taking it. He also can't track down Isseya, which means he cannot save the griffons from getting blighted.

Neither Davrin nor Rook are offered the position of First Warden; Evka becomes First Warden instead.

If Davrin is chosen to lead the distraction team, he dies. Assan does not dive after him when he falls, and his immunity to the blight is not enough to save him when he is alone and injured.

Isseya appears in the finale of the game and has the griffons, now blighted, attack the party in an effort to kidnap Assan and blight him too, and the party is forced to kill them. Isseya lives just long enough to mourn them before being attacked by a vengeful Assan. Together they fall into a blighted crevice similar to the one on Tearstone Island.

If Davrin is alive after the Evanuris are defeated, he feels duty-bound to search for Assan, the last griffon. No one ever sees or hears from him again. Whether that means he died in the attempt or finds Assan and hides him away from the world is left ambiguous.

Davrin in the neutral route does not survive the finale of the game unless Harding leads the distraction team and he is kept safely in Rook's party.

If romanced, Davrin will break up with Rook.

He does not believe Solas deserves to be saved.

TAASH

THE STORY

Taash's arc is about an ancient Qunari tablet that holds secrets to their heritage as a fire-breather, their struggle to find a balance between their two cultures, them coming to realize they are nonbinary, their rocky relationship with their mother, and the danger she is in by having a fire-breathing adaari as a child.

In the game, Shathann is kidnapped as a hostage and always dies to save Taash, and Taash always recovers the tablet; the only real difference is—based on which of their two cultures they decide to choose—what they decide to do with the tablet after, either keeping it untranslated and potentially allowing the Qunari in Par Vollen to see it or translating it into Common so more people can read it. For some fucking reason, Taash's culture choice has less of an effect on them than it does an NPC named Karash, who was kidnapped by the Antaam when they broke away from the Qun; he returns to Par Vollen if Taash chooses Qunari culture and finds a place with the Lords of Forture if they choose Rivaini culture.

In this re-imagining, I would absolutely not have a nonbinary character who is multicultural pick just one culture. Rather than frame Taash's story about which of their two cultures they decide to be because that's super racist and also makes no sense, I think it would be more fun to have the tablet represent the hero's call and Taash's choice being about refusing or answering it, and things would actually change for them depending on their choices. I was also really annoyed that the end of Taash's story so closely resembles Bellara's (reuniting with an endangered family member only to immediately watch them die anyway), so I'm altering it to add more potential outcomes.

CORE BELIEFS

They don't make a very good Qunari because they can never get the words or the culture stuff right.

Rivaini culture is "easier" than Qunari culture; gold and glory is lots more fun.

It is wrong to twist anyone against their nature; they are disturbed by the blighted dragons and Lucanis and Spite's forced possession, because things like that remind them of how they can never seem to live up to their mother's standards without being fundamentally changed into something they're not.

They're a disappointment to their mother, and they can't make her proud; she will never understand them.

👍 FRIENDSHIP

Supported by Rook...

Taash makes their peace with their own gender and the fact that they are not, and never will be, the perfect Qunari.

They argue with Shathann when they come out and Shathann gets kidnapped by the Dragon King, but Taash is able to save her and recover the tablet.

They go behind Shathann's back to send the tablet to Par Vollen, not wanting anything to do with it when it put their mother in danger, and not interested in what their destiny is when they have a full life right here in Rivain.

Their relationship with Shathann remains strained, but there is time to work it out eventually.

Some of the Antaam defect after their leader is killed, leading to less Antaam to fight during the finale of the game.

Taash in the friendship route survives the final battle.

If romanced by Rook, Taash asks Rook to stay in Rivain with them. If romanced by Harding who stayed connected with the titans, the two of them decide to live in Kal-Sharok for a while, and then relocate to Rivain. If romanced by Harding who did not stay connected to the titans, they go to Ferelden to meet Harding's ma, and then they both relocate to Rivain.

They believe Solas is too far gone to be saved.

👊 RIVALRY

Challenged by Rook...

Taash eventually comes to realize their destiny as an adaari is too important to ignore.

They fight with their mom after they come out, and rescue Shathann and the tablet from the Dragon King, but in the rivalry route, Taash decides that after the Evanuris are defeated they will take the tablet and return to Par Vollen to set right the wrongs of other adaari being turned into berserkers.

Their relationship with Shathann has strengthened, but they are going to be split up for an indefinite period of time; Shathann cannot go with them to Par Vollen as she is responsible for stealing a child from the Qun and would be re-educated if she went back.

BONUS: If Rook is a Qunari and not a mage, they have the option to go to Par Vollen with Taash, even if the two are not in a romance.

Some of the Antaam also return to Par Vollen with Taash after their leader is killed, leading to less Antaam to fight during the finale of the game.

Taash in the rivalry route survives the final battle.

If romanced by Rook, they ask Rook to come with them to Par Vollen—unless Rook is a mage, in which case Par Vollen is unsafe for them. A mage Rook or a Rook who declines to go can vow to wait for them or end the relationship. If romanced by Harding who remained connected with the titans, Harding will also be unable to go to Par Vollen, but Rook can encourage her to wait for Taash or end the relationship.

They believe Solas is too far gone to be saved.

😐 NEUTRAL/HARDENED

Without Rook's support...

Taash is unable to save Shathann from the Dragon King. She dies, and Taash has to leave both her body and the tablet she died to protect in the volcano, where it is destroyed.

No Antaam defect, and the Dragon King reappears in the game's finale.

Taash in the neutral route refuses to be in Rook's party because they want to challenge the Dragon King to get revenge for their mother's death. If Taash is romancing Harding and Harding is still alive, Harding steps in and helps, leading to their survival; otherwise, they die in the attempt, and Rook has to fight the Dragon King instead.

If romanced by Rook, Taash breaks up with them. If romanced by Harding, Taash breaks up with her—unless Harding is also hardened, in which case they stay together. If a hardened Taash and Harding both survive until the end of the game, they relocate permanently to Ferelden, as Harding finds familiarity comforting and Taash finds it painful.

Taash thinks Rook should attempt to save Solas even though they don't believe it will work, knowing there is nothing like the regret of not trying hard enough.

EMMRICH

THE STORY

Emmrich's arc is about his desire to become an immortal lich despite his fear of death, looking after Manfred, and stopping his extremely cool former colleague Johanna Hezenkoss from building a giant construct to take over Nevarra with (God forbid women do anything).

In the game, Manfred dies to help stop Johanna, and Emmrich must choose whether or not to bring back Manfred but sacrifice his chance at being a lich or become a lich but leave Manfred in the Fade.

In this re-imagining, I want to play a little with the possibility, which is brought up many times, that Emmrich could fail to find his way back to his remains and possess them after he is killed. Though "become a lich or save Manfred" is one of Veilguard's few solid choices that actually feels like it has weight (part of the reason Emmrich's section is so short is because there's so little to change), I was very surprised and a little disappointed there was no way for Emmrich to fail (and so, no actual risk to his choice) after all that build-up, so I thought it would make the most sense to tie his success or failure to friendship and rivalry points.

CORE BELIEFS

Becoming a lich is his only hope to escape his worst fear: death.

Though he fears dying, he has a deeply held belief that death is a natural part of life and that it should not be a taboo subject.

Knowledge and curiosity are invaluable, and spirits and the dead must be treated with respect, compassion, and understanding.

Problems are best solved without violence (he doesn't like Rook punching the First Warden, tries multiple times to talk Johanna down, and repeatedly encourages Lucanis to try and make friends with Spite).

He has very little patience for the closed-minded or those who don't like necromancy.

👍 FRIENDSHIP

Supported by Rook...

Emmrich is able to defeat Johanna, but Manfred sacrifices his life and is sent back to the Fade.

He decides to accept Manfred's fate and completes the ritual to become a lich like he's always dreamed of doing.

After the end of the game, he returns to the Necropolis to continue his teaching career—forever.

Emmrich in the friendship route survives the final battle.

If romanced by Rook, he asks them to return to the Necropolis with him. If romanced by Strife, Strife breaks up with him, being uninterested in a relationship with a lich.

He believes Solas can and should be saved, for academic purposes if nothing else.

👊 RIVALRY

Challenged by Rook...

Emmrich is able to defeat Johanna, but Manfred sacrifices his life and is sent back to the Fade.

He decides to accept that his own life must be lived naturally—with a beginning, middle, and end—and completes the ritual to bring Manfred back to the waking world.

After the end of the game, he returns to the Necropolis, but takes frequent trips outside of it, dedicating his time to Manfred's development instead of teaching.

Emmrich in the rivalry route survives the final battle.

If romanced by Rook, he attempts to break up with them the night before Tearstone Island as he does in the game. After Fade Jail he will attempt to reconcile, at which point Rook has the option to take him back or tell him it's over. If romanced by Strife, the two of them decide to do long distance.

He believes Solas can and should be saved, for academic purposes if nothing else—unless he is romanced by Rook, in which case, worried for their safety, he believes it is too dangerous to attempt.

😐 NEUTRAL/HARDENED

Without Rook's support...

Emmrich is unable to defeat Johanna, meaning Manfred sacrifices his life in vain.

He decides he cannot bring himself to face Manfred after such a failure, and to attempt the ritual to become a lich like he's always dreamed of doing.

After Emmrich is killed, he is unable to find his way back to his body and is lost—he dies permanently.

If Rook was romancing Emmrich or if Rook is a Mourn Watcher, they can plead with the liches for a chance at reviving Manfred on their own, and he is brought back. Otherwise, Manfred stays dead too.

Johanna appears in the final battle with her construct, and Rook will have to fight her in Emmrich's stead.

Emmrich in the neutral route will not make it to the final battle.

If romanced by Rook or by Strife, he breaks up with them after his failure to defeat Johanna.

He believes Solas can and should be saved—a belief reinforced by his failure to save either Manfred or Johanna.

That's all seven companions, but there is one more person I'd like to cover...

SOLAS

For Rook's companions, the friendship/rivalry score is visible at all times in the menu. But with Solas, sneaky Dread Wolf that he is, the score is an invisible, internal mechanic—not only can you not see these numbers, there is never indication in the game whatsoever that they even exist. You get given these points based on your responses to him in your conversations in Fade Jail, but also based on your responses to Varric. Because Solas is responsible for Rook seeing Varric, he can listen in! That means an unwitting player who says one thing to Solas's face and an entirely different thing to Varric is going to have friendship and rivalry points canceling each other out and wind up in the worst spot to be: neutral.

THE STORY

Solas's arc is about, on a surface level, his desire to bring down the Veil he created and restore the world of old at the cost of burning down the new one. Dig a little deeper, and it's also about his long life and the many mistakes he's made, both before creating the Veil and in the time since in his effort to tear it back down. It is—or was once meant to be, prior to corporate meddling—a fascinating character study in which we, the player, must decide if someone who has caused so much harm deserves to be saved and, if yes, whether or not it's possible to save him.

In the game, Solas must be bound to the Veil to keep it intact as it requires the blood of an elven god, and after Elgar'nan's defeat, he is the last one left. Three options are available to bind Solas to the Veil: Rook can fight him, Rook can trick him with a fake dagger, or Rook can save him. Fighting him and tricking him are fairly straightforward, but saving him involves a massive, gamelong sidequest, "Regrets of the Dread Wolf," in which Rook sees all Solas's memories, gathers a piece of the dead elven goddess Mythal's soul either through fighting her as a dragon or by having her decide they are worthy peacefully, and calls in both Morrigan, holding another piece of that soul, and the Inquisitor, just to talk him down. The quest is fairly engaging despite how much I dislike the audio-only memory cutscenes and the post-memory discussions that take place around the clubhouse table; these cutscenes deliver earth-shattering information or answer huge lore questions without any of the requisite drama nor any interest in ambiguity. And the cutscene that plays at the end of the game does have a pretty impressive lineup of Women Solas Wronged, but...

In this re-imagining, I'd like Rook to have more influence on Solas. Solas is stuck in Fade Jail and linked to Rook's mind with blood magic, so he spends the entire game learning Rook's weaknesses from the inside and grooming Rook to take his place in the prison. But there's a line of dialogue in the game where, after Rook reads him for filth, he notes that they have been watching him too. One way Solas stays committed to his sketchier goals despite frequent opposition and guilt trips from people close to him or people he respects is to get rid of them. He kills Mythal. He kills Felassan. He dumps and then ghosts a romanced Inquisitor. He wipes Cole's mind. He kills Varric. He even plans to stick Rook in Fade Jail so he never has to see them again. But for almost the entire length of DA:TV—there isn't any canon for it but in my mind it's a year—he cannot get rid of Rook.

In fact, Rook alone has the dubious privilege of having unrestricted access to him literally whenever they want, and there's nothing he can do about it. When Rook talks to Solas after big plot points, Solas digs in and picks at Rook's flaws and insecurities; I think it would be fun if, after seeing each of Solas's memories, Rook is able to do the same to Solas. They might be locked in there with him, but he's also locked in there with them.

On another note, it struck me as weird that the blight tentacles simply crumble at the end of the game without any explanation. If Solas is saved, he says he's going to attempt to soothe the blight's anger, but he doesn't do that in every ending, so shouldn't what happens with the blight change depending on the ending too? Additionally, in the game, Mythal makes a big deal about how if you fight her instead of her finding you worthy peacefully she will be less valuable to you and then that never happens. So, with all that in mind...

CORE BELIEFS

He must bring down the Veil at any cost, or he is betraying Mythal all over again.

The world is broken, and he knows best how to fix it—in fact, he is the only one who can fix it.

Righting the wrongs of the past is more important than moving forward into the future.

It's not his fault he does stuff like kill Felassan and Varric—they wouldn't understand and left him no choice. (Solas says multiple times that killing Varric was an accident.)

Solas is unable to let go of regret.

A REVERSED RUBRIC

Because Solas is, in a way, the true final boss of this game, and because he's so tricky and complex, I thought it would be fun to subvert the player's expectations:

👍 FRIENDSHIP: When Rook says or does things to affirm Solas's beliefs—such as upholding tradition, resorting to necessarily evils in the name of a greater good, and clinging to the past—he becomes more determined to tear down the Veil. He likes Rook, so he feels guilty about it, but he's certain Rook would do the same in his position. 👊 RIVALRY: When Rook says or does things that defy Solas's expectations—such as forgoing tradition to walk their own path, refusing to compromise their ideals, and letting go of the past—his resolve to tear down the Veil begins to waver. Rook may drive him bugfuck crazy, but they are proving to him over and over that there is always a choice and another way. 😐 NEUTRAL: If Solas forms no strong opinion about Rook, he never learns to respect them, feels no guilt about betraying them, and remains committed to tearing down the Veil. As he says in the game: to him, Rook is nothing more than an irritant.

Ironically, this means Solas is less likely to listen to Rook if he likes them and more likely to listen to Rook if he can't stand them. Rook is most likely to succeed at saving the Veil when they alter the trajectory of their interactions with Solas. The surest way to defeat the Dread Wolf is to surprise him.

FIGHT, TRICK, OR SAVE

In the interest of making both the friendship and rivalry paths rewarding and of not robbing the player of agency (players who want to save Solas and players who want to fight him are equally valid!), I want all three choices to be possible in either route—but with varying degrees of difficulty depending on the relationship Rook has developed (or failed to develop) with Solas. These options will look pretty similar, but not identical, to their canonical counterparts.

FIGHT

Rook fights Solas. The tear in the Veil closes, and Thedas is saved. However, depending on Rook's choices and approval, Solas may get bound to the Veil alone, or Rook may be bound to the Veil with him. If Rook's companions are Heroes of the Veilguard, they survive the fight; if not, Solas turns the companions to stone. The blight remains active after the end of the game, complicating rebuilding efforts. Because Solas doesn't soothe the blight, those with the blight eventually die, become ghouls, or choose to take their chances with the Joining (including Neve or Bellara).

This option is most likely to succeed when Rook and Solas are friends because he feels certain he could bring them around to his point of view with enough time. Their actions have demonstrated they agree with how he thinks even if they won't admit it, they have been respectful and friendly during their conversations with him, and he believes their resolve has begun to waver. That Rook is willing to fight him about it, especially at the risk of the lives of their companions, takes him by surprise.

👍 FRIENDSHIP: If Rook affirms Solas's beliefs, FIGHT succeeds if all of the following conditions are met:

Friendship is at 75% or higher. If the Inquisitor vowed to stop Solas rather than save him, only 65% or higher is required.

Rook has at least one companion in the final party, even if they're hardened.

👊 RIVALRY: If Rook defies Solas's expectations, FIGHT succeeds if all of the following conditions are met:

Rivalry is at 100%. If the Inquisitor vowed to stop Solas rather than save him, only 90% or higher is required.

Rook has two companions in the final party, and both are Heroes of the Veilguard.

Rook completed "Regrets of the Dread Wolf" and fought Mythal as a dragon.

All factions are at maximum strength.

😐 NEUTRAL: If Rook fails to make an impression on Solas, FIGHT succeeds if all of the following conditions are met:

All seven of Rook's companions are Hero of the Veilguard.

"Regrets of the Dread Wolf" was completed, and Mythal was fought as a dragon.

All factions are at maximum strength.

If FIGHT fails, the Veil is saved, but Rook is bound to it with Solas, and any companions who are not Heroes of the Veilguard will die.

TRICK

Rook allows Solas to take the fake dagger. He fails to tear down the Veil, is forcibly bound to it, and is then sucked into the Fade. The blight remains active after the end of the game, complicating rebuilding efforts. Because Solas doesn't soothe the blight, those with the blight eventually die, become ghouls, or choose to take their chances with the Joining (including Neve or Bellara).

This option is more likely to succeed when Solas underestimates Rook, either because he likes them (high friendship) or because he underestimates them (neutral). If Solas likes Rook, he is less likely to see the trick coming because he believes that deep down, Rook agrees with him and would do the same in his position. If Solas underestimates Rook, he is less likely to see the trick coming because he doesn't consider Rook as capable of complex thought, let alone trickery.

👍 FRIENDSHIP: If Rook affirms Solas's beliefs, TRICK succeeds if all of the following conditions are met:

Friendship is at 100%. If the Inquisitor vowed to stop Solas rather than save him, only 90% is required.

All seven of Rook's companions are Hero of the Veilguard.

👊 RIVALRY: If Rook defies Solas's expectations, TRICK succeeds if all of the following conditions are met:

Rivalry is at 100%. If the Inquisitor vowed to stop Solas rather than save him, only 90% is required.

All seven of Rook's companions are Hero of the Veilguard.

"Regrets of the Dread Wolf" was completed, regardless of the outcome with Mythal.

😐 NEUTRAL: If Rook fails to make an impression on Solas, TRICK succeeds if at least one of the following conditions is met.

The Inquisitor vowed to stop Solas rather than save him.

All seven of Rook's companions are Hero of the Veilguard.

"Regrets of the Dread Wolf" was completed, regardless of the outcome with Mythal.

All factions are at maximum strength.

If TRICK fails and Solas sees through the ruse, Rook is forced to FIGHT, with all the potential losses that entails.

SAVE

Rook gives Solas the real dagger, and, with some help, is able to talk him down. He willingly binds himself to the Veil and then enters the Fade to soothe the blight's anger. If he romanced the Inquisitor, she will go with him. The blight tentacles crumble, aiding rebuilding efforts. Anyone blighted—including Neve or Bellara—is cured, unless they have previously undergone the Joining, in which case they would require the cure for the Calling.

This option is most likely to succeed when Rook and Solas are rivals because Solas knows that Rook disagrees deeply with his goals and is willing to do "whatever it takes" to save the Veil. He has seen Rook repeatedly put the past behind them, which has forced him to consider there might be another way. After thousands of years, his resolve has begun to waver. That Rook is willing to save him even at the risk of their goals takes him by surprise.

👍 FRIENDSHIP: If Rook affirms Solas's beliefs, SAVE succeeds if all of the following conditions are met:

Friendship is at 100%. If the Inquisitor vowed to save Solas rather than stop him, only 90% or higher is required. If the Inquisitor also romanced Solas, only 95% or higher is required.

Rook has two companions in the final party, and both are Heroes of the Veilguard.

Rook completed "Regrets of the Dread Wolf," and Mythal found Rook worthy peacefully.

All factions are at maximum strength.

The correct dialogue options are selected.

👊 RIVALRY: If Rook defies Solas's expectations, SAVE succeeds if all of the following conditions is met:

Rivalry is at 75% or higher. If the Inquisitor vowed to save Solas rather than stop him, only 65% is required.

Rook has at least one companion in the final party, even if they're hardened.

😐 NEUTRAL: If Rook fails to make an impression on Solas, SAVE never succeeds no matter what. You just can't save someone you never made a connection with.

Because this option should carry the most risk (just look at what happened to poor Varric!), if SAVE fails, there will be no second chances, and there will be no victory, even a pyrrhic one. Solas will take the dagger and kill Rook with it. Companions will try to fight him; Hero of the Veilguard companions are knocked out, and hardened companions are turned to stone. Solas then tears the Veil down before Morrigan and the Inquisitor have time to show their faces.

If the Inquisitor vowed to save Solas, they arrive too late but attempt to fight him anyway, and he dispatches them non-lethally, leaving them with no other option than to look on in horror as he tears down the Veil. If the Inquisitor vowed to stop Solas, they emerge from the shadows and kill him, denying him his chance to see the world he fought so hard to bring back.

SECRET "NO HOES" ENDING

There is, of course, the possibility that Rook reaches the end of the game alone.

This is not an ending anyone would stumble over by accident. You would actually probably have to plan it pretty carefully. You could speed through the game this way, ignoring sidequests and skipping over character bonding cutscenes. However, the more quests you skip, the less experience points you get, and the gameplay would become more difficult, even for those playing on easier modes. As you start losing companions, you have less people to get you out of a tough spot in a fight. There's less banter. The game becomes less fun. And at the very end, the only companion you have left is Varric—and, of course, he's not really there either. The only true companion you have left is Solas.

And he just cannot respect you. Because this rewrite is all about companions and the relationships built with them, a Rook who reaches the end of the game alone comes from a place of weakness. They have let their team down in every possible way and now their team cannot show up for them. Even with a high friendship or rivalry score with Solas, he could never hold any real regard for Rook when they have failed so totally as a leader. No matter what other conditions Rook meets, if they reach the ending alone, this is only ending they can get.

For doing such a poor job of leading their team, at the end of the game, Rook gets the ultimate punishment: no choices at all. They have to fight their way through Minrathous alone, and their only reward is not to FIGHT, TRICK, or SAVE Solas, but to simply have the dagger taken from them by force, without getting an opportunity to choose. He will kill Rook and tear down the Veil—and when the Inquisitor arrives, whether they vowed to save Solas or stop him, he will kill them too, even if they were once in a romance. To add salt to the wound, an extended cutscene plays, where surviving named NPCs such as Tarquin or Isabela die and beloved locations are destroyed as the world burns in the raw chaos.

OTHER NOTES

I have nowhere else to put these extra thoughts, but:

BLIGHTED NEVE OR BELLARA – If Neve or Bellara gets blighted and survives, and the blight is still active after the end of the game, they both choose to undergo the Joining and survive. After that, Rook can encourage them to stay with the wardens instead of following their previously established ending paths, flee from the wardens (like Anders did) and stay on their previously established ending paths, or, if the cure for the Calling is available, take it. If they choose to stay with the wardens and are being romanced by a warden Rook, Rook can go with them; if not, the relationship will end.

MULTIPLE ROMANCES – In other Dragon Age games, it was possible to pursue a romance with one companion, have that relationship end, and then start a romance with a different companion. While this is not possible in Veilguard after the final lock-in, when picturing what your Rook's playthrough might look like, please imagine that if for any reason Rook's current romance ends, they are able to begin a new one, so long as the character in question is not hardened or already dating someone else. Since this is a meta and not a real game, there are no real final lock-in points, so you're free to have your Rook work their entire way through the cast if that pleases you.

MINRATHOUS COMPANION ASSIGNMENTS – The assignments in Minrathous don't work in this version of DA:TV because companions survive based on their friendship/rivalry score, not their suitedness to particular tasks (hardened characters die here unless they are in Rook's party). So it can't technically exist in its canonical form. I guess you can imagine you still assign all your little guys to do something but you could literally put Lucanis on the construct (he dies in the game if you do this) and he'd be fine if he had a good friendship/rivalry score. I don't really know if that's any fun but [Solas voice] sacrifices must be made...

FACTION STRENGTH – For this same reason, faction score doesn't really affect companion survival either, but I do imagine that whatever enemy one may fight during the finale of the game becomes stronger or weaker based on their corresponding faction strength. So, for example, if you have high Mourn Watch faction strength and you're fighting Hezenkoss and her sweet kickass construct (or the much less cool construct used if she is unjustly defeated), she becomes easier to defeat due to the support of the Mourn Watch. If the Necropolis faction strength is low, they cannot offer as much support, and the fight becomes more difficult. This would also apply to party members who betray you; Neve is easier to kill with a high Shadow Dragon faction strength and Spite possessing Lucanis's corpse would be easier to kill with a high Crow faction strength.

REGRETS OF THE DREAD WOLF – As stated earlier, I love this quest in theory but hate its execution. In this rewrite, please pretend that every time you get one of Solas's memories you both see a full cutscene and get the opportunity to go talk to him in a dream about it, needling him and/or comforting him as your Rook prefers. This gives you more opportunity to score points, but also I think it would be really funny if every time you went digging at the skeletons in his closet you got +5 rivalry out of principle (also making the SAVE ending easier to do if you come to understand him—and then bully him about it).

FRIENDSHIP VS. RIVALRY – While I tried to make both paths equally appealing, one flaw of this system is that challenging a character's core beliefs is more likely to lead to character development. In DA2, however, this came with a side of constant antagonism sometimes bordering on outright belittlement and aggression, which would maybe get in the way of the whole "grudging respect" angle. Please imagine a more fun and sexy antagonism in this rewrite—and never forget that friendship also has its advantages. With Rook supporting them instead of challenging them, Harding and Davrin survive Tearstone Island, Neve gets to stay true to herself and her dreams for Tevinter, Lucanis doesn't have to cut himself off from his family, Bellara gets to save both her brother and the Nadas Dirthalen, Taash gets to stay in Rivain where they're happy, and Emmrich gets to live forever. Rivalry can be cool and edgy, but being friends isn't necessarily a bad thing either.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The initial purpose of this meta was not to poke holes in Veilguard; I just figured, because I am someone who likes Veilguard but also sees immense flaws in it, that it would be a natural consequence. But aside from a few big changes made to Bellara and Davrin's stories to make them more cohesive, and all the edgelord bad endings, most of what I wound up doing was on the page already—all I did was rearrange it. There is a good game in there! What I wouldn't give to be able to shake it out for real.

And, though DA2 was not at all the point of this meta, its friendship/rivalry system was a good one, even if it was at times poorly implemented (this was due to crunch time and EA can get fucked). The richness of its characters and its cast is often praised as the strongest in the series despite the low budget and the short development cycle, which really says something about how such a system can be used to develop complex and lifelike characters, if it had only been given another shot!

Thank you so much for reading, thanks to @slaygentford for helping me perfect some of the details on Bellara's arc, and biggest thanks of all to @maulthots for listening to me talk about this every night for like a week and helping me bring this concept to fruition. This took a lot of blood sweat and tears from me and from her, so if you liked it, please reblog it—as I said, I would find it so genuinely rewarding to hear what choices other people's Rooks would have made and what various endgame worldstates could look like. There are more possibilities than even we accounted for!

[AO3 LINK] [DRAGON AGE MASTERPOST]

#bellarook

Trending Tags

Recently Viewed Tags

#bellarook