Quick note on the lore before we get back into the chaos: Solas, our favourite smug idiot, has his own Eluvian. Unlike the typical bonded pairs of mirrors that can only travel between specific locations, Solas’s version breaks all the rules.
Here’s the codex text that got me so hyped:
“Most of us have only traveled through the eluvians at the whims of those who called themselves our gods. We know them as mirrors that always go from one to another, a bonded pair linked no matter the distance.
Solas has outsmarted the so-called gods. If we used normal eluvians, they could track us to our lair. Solas has improved upon June’s work by creating a mirror whose singing stone can change its tune to take us to any eluvian and not just its bonded partner. Thus, we can travel wherever this rebellion needs us, with no fear of pursuit.
Travel is as safe as a normal eluvian. If you have questions, ask for the Slow Arrow, and I will guide you.
—Felassan”
The concept of a “free” Eluvian is wild. It makes me wonder how it’s going to play out later—because you know it’s going to.
Darkspawn: Big, Scary, and Potentially Useful?
So, there’s more Darkspawn. And apparently, one of them might have a lyrium dagger. Great. Just what we needed—Darkspawn with a dagger made of magic crack.
Speaking of Darkspawn, is it weird that I find the big ones kind of… hot?
Imagine domesticating one—not as a pet, but as a butler. It could answer the door for pizza deliveries. The possibilities are endless.
Let me just say that finishing enemies while they’re staggered is the best mechanic ever. I don’t care what else happens in this game; I want to do this constantly.
Have I mentioned how beautiful this game is? Even when I’m getting my ass handed to me by Darkspawn, I’m still stopping to admire the scenery.
The Lyrium Dagger, a Possessed Harding, and a Whole Lot of Questions
The Lyrium Ghoul we were chasing down? Yeah, deranged doesn’t even begin to cover it.
BUT, we got the dagger! Small victory, right? Except, oh no—HARDING.
Turns out Harding is possessed. Awesome. And by awesome, I mean WTF-level terrifying. She’s literally turning things to stone now. Since when could she do that?
We managed to kill the Lyrium Ghoul, that little bastard, but Harding’s situation is the real issue here.
Dwarves aren’t supposed to be able to use magic. They’re cut off from the Fade, which means it’s not even a possession, so this doesn’t make sense. And yet, Harding’s over here casually saying it “feels right.”
This is going to end badly. I just know it.
Apparently, the bad guys want to make a new dagger out of red lyrium. Is that worse than regular lyrium? More powerful? Different? I don’t know. Naturally, I check the codex, assuming I missed something.
Nope. Nothing. Well, fuck. Guess I’ll just stay confused for now.
Meanwhile, Harding’s freaking out about her sudden magical abilities, and honestly, same. But then she brings up something called Stone Sense. Is Stone Sense a type of magic? Or is it something completely different?
For all the flak I’ve been giving Harding, she just got really interesting. A Dwarf using magic—or something like it—is breaking all the rules, and I need answers.
Talking to Chuckles and Losing My Damn Mind
Time to find a spot to reach into the Fade and have a little chat with Chuckles, a.k.a. Solas. Not going to lie, I’m half-expecting this to go sideways because, well, it’s Solas.
Oh, look—a room that just appeared out of nowhere. Convenient. Or, you know, a death trap. Guess I’ll find out soon enough.
Oh wait—it’s a bedroom. For me. Nice. At least if I die here, I’ll go out well-rested?
Okay, this is weird. I’m talking to myself while unpacking, like some unhinged inner monologue made external. It’s clearly meant to fill in extra story, but it just feels psychotic.
Oh, and now I’m doing a Varric impression. Yep, my character is officially batshit crazy.
As if things couldn’t get stranger, I’m now lecturing a vase. Yes, a vase. And somehow, I sound like it’s an actual conversation. With myself. Alone.
What even is this? Is this a breakdown? Is this character development? Is it both?
Meditation with Chuckles
Time to meditate and face the music—or rather, Solas. There he is, the big bastard. Hey, Chuckles!
Even in the Fade, Solas is a smug piece of shit. He’s like, “I’m here because of you, you ruined my life,” but somehow still manages to make it all about his ego. Calm the hell down.
So, here’s the rundown: the Elven Gods want to reclaim the world, and to do that, they need the blight. But apparently, the blight that’s already in the world isn’t at full power. Great. Just great.
To fix that, they plan to pierce the veil to release the full force of the blight, and they need the dagger to do it. Since we have Solas’ dagger, they’ll probably just make their own dagger with red lyrium.
What the actual fuck is red lyrium? I swear, I’ve asked this question like three times, and I’m still clueless. Someone, anyone, give me answers.
The Tyrants and the Lighthouse Eluvian
Oh, and apparently, the gods’ next big move is to get the powerful and corrupt to worship them. Which means my next task is to go head-to-head with tyrants and bullies. Honestly, I’m kind of hyped for this. Let’s fucking go.
Then there’s the lighthouse eluvian. Solas explains it can take us anywhere—just as soon as the veil jumper figures it out. No pressure, right?
To top it all off, Solas wants me to apologize to Varric for him. Like, “Hey, I ruined your life and smashed your weapon, but here’s an apology through someone else.” Hmmmm. I’ll think about it. Maybe.
Time to have a chat with Varric.
“No, Varric, you’re right. We can’t act with you leading from bed. I don’t care if you’re hurt; we’re in big shit, so get your ass up an—”
Oh. Wait. I’m taking the lead? Well, that’s much better. And way more fun.
Three Posts Deep and Still Hooked
Okay, so here we are, three blog posts into this game, and I’m still having an absolute blast. The gameplay is fantastic—it feels so different compared to my usual MMORPG grind. It’s exciting and a little addicting.
Oh, and I finally found out what red lyrium is. FYI: it’s bad. Really bad. I ended up pestering Bea in IMs until she told me about it, so now I’m feeling a little more in the know. Yay for expanded knowledge!
Until next time!
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[…] speaking of things I finally understand—red lyrium. I was screaming for answers about this back in Veilguard, and now I know. Took long […]