Dragon Age 4 is the upcoming adventure in the world of Thedas, filled with dragons, elves, magic and, of course, the darkspawn. There is currently very little official information about the game, besides, maybe, its main location – Tevinter.
In the previous article, we’ve taken a look at what kind of organizations we will likely have a chance to run into, including but not limited to the Grey Wardens, Antivan Crows, Nevarran Mortalitasi, and more.
While it is great to know of the organizations possibly surrounding the future protagonist, the story will be shaped by characters. Old, new, good, bad, romanceable and unavailable, the characters are the real strength of Thedas.
It is next to impossible to predict who will be a part of our heroic party… but which familiar faces can show up to guide or oppose the new protagonist?
It’s time to get more personal.
Grab your Joining cup and let’s check out who can make an appearance in DA4, if Bioware is willing!
Solas
The most obvious case is the Dread Wolf himself who will likely serve as the Big Bad for the upcoming DA4. Not only did he make an appearance in the Behind the Scenes video you can find above, but after the events of the Inquisition and the Trespasser, this elven god is up for no good.
What do his schemes mean for the world at large as he aims to right his old mistake? Would the Ancient/Dalish elves even follow him, reviled as he is in their Pantheon?
Can you save this prideful mage from himself?
Hopefully, Dragon Age 4 will shed some light on those questions!
Varric Tethras
Joining the previous case, Hawke’s companion seems to be returning in Dragon Age 4 to guide the new protagonist to greatness and to write another one of his novels. How else would you explain him narrating one of DA4’s videos?
We don’t know if Varric will appear as a companion and snatch a precious Rogue spot in the party for himself, or fulfill a role akin to that of Leliana or maybe Morrigan.
Whatever it is, it’s going to be epic!
Dorian Pavus & Maevaris Tilani
You simply can’t promise fans Tevinter and not let them re-introduce themselves to Inquisition’s companion and possible love interest Dorian Pavus as well as his ally in Magisterium Maevaris Tilani.
The two have made an appearance in the Tevinter Nights short stories (Luck in the Gardens by Sylvia Feketekuty), still thick as thieves.
Fenris
Fenris, another of Hawke’s companions, has his fate bound to Tevinter. If you allied with his master, he returns to the Imperium as a slave.
If you were a decent person and protected Fenris from Danarius, his path still led to Tevinter but this time as the Blue Wraith – protector of the enslaved and the scourge of Magisters.
It is possible the two paths converge at a certain point with slave-Fenris breaking free from Danarius and becoming the Blue Wraith anyway.
Of course, there is a catch. If you make certain choices in your DA2 playthrough, you will face off against Fenris and can kill him. Then again, the entirety of DA2 is just Varric’s tale and it can be waved away.
Isabela
Just like Fenris’ fate is bound to Tevinter, Isabela is linked to the Qunari. Thankfully, we will likely face both in DA4! Hawke’s companions just can’t find their peace even after the events of Kirkwall, huh?
Isabela’s past and her connection to the Qunari is explored through Dragon Age comics The Silent Grove, Those Who Speak and Until We Sleep.
Similar to Fenris, there is a number of ways Isabela’s fate could be turned at various points in Dragon Age 2: she could be given to the Qunari (you monster!), run away, or stick with Hawke and maybe even make her way to the Inquisition.
However, even the paths where we don’t know about her whereabouts don’t completely cut out her arrival in the new game.
Short stories’ characters:
The Tevinter Nights and the short stories shared by Bioware on D4 day introduce a number of characters, some of whom make multiple appearances. I don’t make the rules, you make enough appearances, you make it in, right?
- The Antivan Crows – Lucanis Dellamorte, Illario Dellamorte, Caterina Dellamorte, Viago De Riva & Andarateia Cantori – have made their appearances in a number of short stories. With Antiva having its own problems with the Quniari, the chances are high we are going to visit sometime and maybe meet some of them!
- Evka Ivo – Evka is an Orzammar-born dwarf, possibly a member of Noble House Ivo, who became a Grey Warden in the short story The Next One by Brianne Battye and later returns in Tevinter Nights in Hunger by Brianne Battye. She and her companion, a newly recruited elf Antoine, were headed to Weisshaupt – another possible location of interest.
- Strife & Irelin – The Dalish involvement will be very interesting after the return of Solas. A particular pair of Dalish elves named Strife and Irelin has been featured in Tevinter Nights (Three Trees to Midnight by Patrick Weekes) and the short story Ruins of Reality by John Dombrow.
Honorable mentions:
- Fade Survivor – depending on your choices, the person to survive the Fade could be Hawke or the Warden: Loghain, Alistair or Straud. The last we heard of them, they were making their way to the Warden fortress Weisshaupt in Anderfels.
- Divine Victoria – depending on the actions of your Inquisitor, Leliana, Cassandra or Vivienne assumed the role of Divine Victoria. It’s unlikely we will actually see the Divine in Tevinter, but we are likely to hear about her.
- Hero of Ferelden – the protagonist of Dragon Age: Origins, Hero of Ferelden could still be alive and kicking by the time DA4 rolls out if you have made certain choices. A meeting face to face is highly unlikely, but a letter or a rumor about the legendary Warden who could have cured the Calling is a fair game.
- Zevran Arainai – the Antivan Crows seem to be shaping up to be quite the big players in the upcoming game. If so, how can we ignore the OG Antivan Crow who tried to take the head of the Hero of Ferelden? If Zevran survived the events of DA:O, he makes small cameos in Dragon Age 2 and Inquisition to show that he is still active.
- Josephine Montilyet – Josephine is the core of the Inquisition and something whose position doesn’t change much unlike Leliana, Cullen or Cassandra.
- Charter, Sutherland, Scout Harding – Charter is one of Leliana’s agents that has been mentioned a few times in Inquisition and made an appearance in short story Dread Wolf Take You in Tevinter Nights. Sutherland could lead his own squad – which he successfully does in Tevinter Nights’ story Recall. Scout Harding is another of Leliana’s agents who is important yet unremarkable enough to make an appearance.
- Calpernia – a character I would have particularly liked to see make it back to Tevinter is Calpernia, an ex-slave who followed Corypheus for the promise of the previous glory returning to the Imperium. A catch is that depending on your choices Calpernia could be never encountered, dead or facing off against Corypheus himself.
The Last Flight characters:
- Valya – an elven mage from Hossberg recruited by the Grey Wardens. She found Isseya’s journal and the secret of the last clutch of gryphons.
- Reimas – a former member of the Templar Order recruited by the Grey Wardens. Helped Valya find the gryphons.
- Caronel – elven Arcane Warrior and Grey Warden. Helped Valya and others find the gryphons.
Comic books characters:
- Marius – a hunter from Tevinter, specializing in assassinating mages.
- Tessa Forsythia – an estranged noblewoman from the Forsythia family in Nevarra, and the handler for the ‘mage-killer’ assassin, Marius.
- Vaea – a city elf who serves ser Aaron Hawthorne as a squire.
- Aaron Hawthorne – traveling Fereldan knight. He travels throughout the world and solves various issues, spinning tales of his travels along the way.
- Francesca Invidus – the daughter of Magister Alerio Invidus. As a young woman, she showed a strong predilection for plant magic, a talent her father dismissed as better suited to gardeners and groundskeepers.
- Calix – the son of Magister Qintara, a Tevinter noble known for being reclusive.
- Autumn – the best girl, a mabari about 8 years old.
Phew, that’s a LONG list of characters vying for a place in Dragon Age 4!
Do you have anything – or anyone – to add? Or do you think the new game should leave the old guard behind and concentrate on the new faces?
