As a long-time RPG enjoyer, I have a tendency to plan ahead when a new release I'm interested in is on the horizon. See, I can spend hours in a character creator suite, and that's in no way an exaggeration; especially when one offers up so many choices. When faced with making the decision of who I want to be, or how I want to role-play in virtual worlds, I'm often paralyzed with indecision. So, I've come to learn that it pays to prepare, and that's exactly what I've been doing in the leadup to Dragon Age The Veilguard.
When I checked out BioWare's upcoming adventure last month with creative director John Epler, I got the impression that it'll feature the best character creator from the developer so far. Plus, with seven companions and the very exciting introduction of different factions - which will give Rook a background and special dialog options, not unlike the Warden in Dragon Age: Origins - I just had to start thinking about how I'm going to approach my return to Thedas ahead of time. After all, there's a lot to consider. Who will I romance? What race and class will I be? What faction will I choose?
My excitement surrounding the upcoming entry in the RPG series has recently gotten me returning to the world of Dragon Age comics and books, and one in particular is proving to be a great source of inspiration for my future Rook: Dragon Age Tevinter Nights.
The Antivan Crow
Dragon Age Tevinter Nights is a compilation of stories by the BioWare team that tell original tales set across various parts of Thedas. Last year, when I was ruminating on who we might be in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, I turned to Tevinter Nights to throw out some theories, and I wasn't entirely off base - especially when it came to the idea that we might see factions come into play. But little did I know that my source was also holding the name of a future companion in another short story in the book. In truth, it had completely slipped my mind until I saw fans in the Dragon Age community talking about it, and I couldn't open up Tevinter Nights fast enough to refresh my memory.
"The man who's taken the contract is no ordinary Crow", these are the words of Felicia Erimond in the "The Wigmaker Job" by Courtney Woods. Felicia is a member of the Tevinter cult known as the Venatori, and she's also the sister of Livius Erimond, the mage who manipulates the Wardens in Dragon Age Inquisition. But the focus of the story is on the Crow assassin she speaks of, "Lucanis Dellamorte", aka the "Mage Killer", who is one of the seven companions who'll join us on our journey. Not only does it paint an insightful picture of the kind of corruption Tevinter is home to, but it also gives you little snippets of Lucanis' past, establishes his skills as an Antivian Crow, and shows how he operates with stealthy finesse.
What I love above all, though, are the moments we see Lucanis genuinely affected by what he sees, with slaves being horribly mistreated by his quarry, Ambrose. He also helps to free the slaves, showing compassion even while he has a job to finish. Now, I'm the kind of person who adores romances in games, and whenever I come to an RPG that includes it, I usually always end up eventually experiencing every romance route with every character in multiple runs. I suspect this will absolutely be the case when it comes to The Veilguard, but this story has really sold me on the idea of making a character that could lead to some interesting interactions with Lucanis.
Rook
In Dragon Age Inquisition, for example, there's some angst if you romance Cullen as a mage given his history, and you get some special dialogue if you choose the templar specialization as a warrior when in a relationship with Dorian. I hope The Veilguard's romances also acknowledge Rook's faction or class in some way to add the sense of role-play, and bring added weight to the choices you've made when it comes to character creation. So if I were to, say, choose to be a rogue Antivian Crow too, that would surely lead to some interesting conversations with Lucanis. Sharing common ground is a surefire way to connect, right?
But after re-reading the Wigmaker's Job, I'm actually toying with the idea of playing as a mage in the Shadow Dragon faction. Lucanis' skills have been honed in such a way that he's acutely aware of when magic is nearby, or the veil is thin, and with the moniker "the mage killer", I'm so curious to see what avenues my being a mage may open up in conversation with him. He's also clearly seen the corruption of Tevinter up close, and as a member of the resistance against that said corruption, I'm likewise hoping he could respect a Shadow Dragon, or at least their opposition of slavery. Even if it doesn't end up being the Rook I initially play to begin with, the story is absolutely going to shape one of my runs in BioWare's RPG.
The factions offer so many interesting directions, and it could be fun to gear a Rook to a specific companion to add some extra tension or conflict there. But there's also the context of The Veilguard and the history it promises to explore further that makes the idea of playing as an elf so tantalizing. After all of the revelations the Trespasser DLC left us with about the ancient elves and Solas, and the fact that the elves across Thedas starting leaving their posts under mysterious circumstances, it's hard not to think about the role-playing possibilities of being an elf.
With so many potential options to play around with, this is why I try to plan ahead. As much as I can talk myself into an idea, though, you never know what direction you'll be pulled in, or which companion may end up winning your heart. But I'm incredibly excited to meet Lucanis, especially given the last few lines of the story. A magister says he's a Crow with a heart because he freed the slaves, which she perceives as a flaw that can be exploited. Of course, I don't see this as a flaw, at all. And I can't wait to get to know this Crow with a heart better. Whatever direction I end up going in, I'm looking forward to discovering how The Veilguard and its companions respond to the choices I make when it comes to the creation of my Rook.
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