With lyrium - a volatile, powerful, and immensely potent mineral - the blood of the mighty Titans. Alive with the songs of these colossal beings.
I’ve been reflecting on the process of body crafting through lyrium and how the spirits of ancient times may have undertaken this transformation. I’ll attempt to walk through my thoughts and imagination on this process as clearly as possible.
First and most importantly, the spirits had to be willing.
Commitment to Manifestation
The Dragon Age: Veilguard artbook tells us spirits observed dwarves and wanted to create bodies for themselves.
Emmrich confirms their willingness.
Before the Veil existed, spirits roamed freely alongside life and creation. The Fade was as much a part of the physical world as a blade of grass.
Because lyrium is such a powerful medium, I think it required absolute harmony between its energy and the spirit’s essence to create form. Spirits unwilling to engage with lyrium likely faced horrible consequences.
"I am not certain the spirit would have talked so freely had it been shackled at the time." - Spirit of Wisdom codex
We have no idea of the number of spirits that willingly took form. I'm sure the very first elves may have tried to force other spirits early on but would have realised quickly that was not the way to do it. Spirits possess a core essence that can only remain intact if not 'shackled'. Forced transformations likely resulted in failure - maybe warped, demented forms or even the death of the spirit. Over time, the first elves (Evanuris) logically refined their methods, learning to seek willing participants.
Mythal would have required her closest ally - Solas - to choose to take physical form. Only through his willingness could his wisdom remain intact and fully realized.
And though he was persuaded by Mythal, his choice still mattered because it required commitment to the transformation process. And that commitment is evident in the very form he crafted.
While it may seem shallow (and biased), I believe the strength and pleasing aesthetic of his form reflects the deliberate and purposeful choice he made. The elegance and grace of his physicality speaks to the completeness of his decision.
As spirit he merged with lyrium, manifesting a physical form that was personal and true to his core essence. How?
Through frequency.
Lyrium's Song - Spirit Meets Frequency
We know that lyrium has a song and songs have frequencies. And each Titan likely has their own unique song.
We have abundant evidence in real-world science of the power of vibrations and frequencies. Specific frequencies can influence the body’s physical and emotional states. Studies suggest that DNA itself may act as a resonant structure, capable of responding to and emitting frequencies. The field of cymatics explores how sound waves interact with matter, forming patterns in sand, water, and other substances.
This process of spirit aligning with frequency required two key elements, which Solas himself describes in Inquisition:
Will: Agency, determination, and intent were essential to stabilize and successfully complete the transformation.
Personality: The traits and characteristics of his spirit shaped his body, creating a vessel that fully reflected his identity.
As a spirit of Wisdom, Solas’s deliberate engagement with lyrium's song shaped an elven form that exudes poise, intellect, and composure. His commanding stature, sharp features, strong jawline, and lion-like profile embody wisdom and pride. His appearance is a reflection of his essence, imbued with the qualities that made him who he is.
Perhaps this connection to frequency-based manifestation explains why Solas writes and plays music. His affinity for music (and art) could be an intrinsic part of his nature, tied to his mastery of vibration and transformation. And why he uses it as a form of introspection and ultimately, healing. (The purring of cats is believed to function as a form of vibrational self-healing.)
To explain this process of spirit and frequency more scientifically (or as scientifically as Thedas and my brain allow), here is how I imagine this:
Vibration: A frequency (sound wave) is introduced to a medium - in this case, the song of lyrium is introduced to a spirit.
Resonance: The vibration causes the medium to resonate, aligning the frequency of the lyrium’s song with the core essence of the spirit. This resonance allows the spirit’s energy to harmonize with lyrium.
Pattern Formation: As the vibration stabilizes, patterns emerge. These patterns shape the physical form, translating the spirit’s metaphysical essence into tangible reality.
Their corporeal form is created.
Alignment of Frequency to Specific Spirit
A single song does not contain just one frequency - it is a symphony of harmonics and vibrations.
This brings us to the Titans themselves. How many Titans were there? Do we know their exact number?
What if each Titan, as a being, carried its own distinct song? Their blood - lyrium - would reflect these individual songs, producing wildly varying frequencies and harmonics.
The diversity of these frequencies within lyrium could explain the unique forms and characteristics of the spirits who chose to manifest.
Each spirit, drawn to different vibrational pulls, hears and responds to a distinct frequency that mirrors its nature. For example:
Spirit of Command: This spirit might be drawn to a powerful, or a sharp, commanding frequency in lyrium.
Spirit of Wisdom: A spirit of Wisdom might hear a steady, intricate melody composed of overlapping tones. This frequency might be soothing, layered, and complex.
Spirit of Compassion: This spirit might engage with a soft, enveloping melody, a frequency the exudes warmth and tenderness.
But where would this be accomplished?
Lyrium Rooms of Transformation
One particular location discovered during Trespasser may offer insights into this process.
Screenshot from @rusya-pics
In Trespasser, there is a room filled with sarcophagi found in the Deep Roads. This enigmatic chamber, submerged with water after the Inquisitor triggers the gatlock to escape, holds intriguing clues.
The room has the sarcophagi arranged in line with what appears to be a pool or well which is connected to a river or deep path of lyrium.
Behind a balustrade and below, they see a huge hall with high ceiling filled with stone coffers containing lyrium. (Dragon Age Wiki)
What if this chamber is located within an actual Titan? The open well in the center could be a direct link to the Titan's veins - allowing pure lyrium to flow into the chamber, feeding the sarcophagi directly. The sarcophagi's purpose may be to contain a spirit and fill it with lyrium.
And if you have Cole with you when you first come across these?
Cole:They're all singing. Coffers, coffins, corpses that aren't dead. A song crying out in the dark.
What if he is referring to the interruption of these spirits forming into bodies? What if these coffins contain spirits trapped in an unending stasis and torment, within the lyrium?
By flooding the chamber, we may have ended their unfinished state, finally setting them free. A disturbing thought, considering how long those coffins might have been there.
I've read theories that suggest these sarcophagi might have been used by ancient elves for Uthenera. However, nothing in my research suggests that lyrium is necessary for elves entering this state of restful preservation.
Lastly, I want to talk about Solas' Dread Wolf form.
The Dread Wolf – Not a Demon but Vibrational Shifting
Solas and the ancient elves were made from lyrium, their own magic and power is lyrium based. Then it follows that their ability to shapeshift might also stem from this vibrational effect - a power reserved for the gods and one that Solas learned to master - if we are to believe this codex is about him (which I talk about in more detail in this post).
What if the Dread Wolf form is not a demonic aspect of Solas’ wisdom but instead a manifestation of his mastery over the vibrational frequencies of his unique lyrium song? Could this process be similar to how Ghilan’nain shaped her creations, using resonance and frequency to craft their forms?
Did Ghilan’nain, with her unparalleled understanding of creation, play a role in helping Solas craft this powerful and deliberate shape for himself? A power that was supposed to only be for the 'gods'?
I feel like I'm only scratching the surface of so much potential regarding these ancient times and beings. I love how these new revelations in Veilguard keep that little itch in my brain going.
Am I missing anything? Is there anything lyrium based that should be considered?
