'I walk the dinan'shiral, there is only death on this journey' — Solas
Dinan'shiral, A journey of death, a final warning to those Inquisitors who want to follow, or know his path. But why does a path for one leave anyone to death? A weight of burden has fallen into his shoulders, it's his Pride to lead his People back into restoration. Loyalty to his most trusted friend Mythal.
Hello Thedosians and welcome back to my channel. Today I am talking about a continuous theory from my Solas video which I will tag for those who did not know what I previously covered. First, I explained that Solas is a spirit of Wisdom/Pride, and was destined into a body for services I will explain in this video:
Spirit:
Let begin with his origin, Solas is a spirit, yes, that is a theory, but most can agree that he gets along with spirits, he defines most people as spirits and has an entirely different opinion to them. Unlike what the Chant describes.
So yes, Solas starts as a wisdom or pride spirit, and for him to describe himself growing up in the North in some village a millennia ago, I would actually take as a grain of salt. If any, he was just a powerful mage/spirit to start with...
As the tale of the Ancient Arlathan follows, those who knew the waking world and Fade as one. Most of them started as spirits:
"Bright and brilliant, he wanders the ways, walking unwaking, searching for wisdom..."
— Cole
I believe as a wisdom spirit, those will search for lingering wisdom, either through bargaining or through learning the dreams of others. His origin started like that, and for any Ancient elf, searching for wisdom came to him originally.
If we think Mythal, a co-leader of the elvhen people, was searching for wisdom, for the best of her people into situations that might be tricky without the help of a spirit. Solas would come to her, as Cole does with people who needed compassion. These spirits follow those who seek it...
Eventually, Mythal comes to him in times of need, seeking which choice would be better for the People, and to be honest, it probably worked. She would get the credit for persuading ways like with Elgar'nan and Falon'Din.
"Mythal, in her wisdom, interceded in an argument between Elgar'nan and Falon'Din. With clever words, she convince them to settle their grievance through a battle of their champions. Elgar'nan and Falon'Din agreed, and set their champions against each other rather than declare war among the gods. May those knights long be remembered, and Mythal's wisdom be praised."
— Duel of a Hundred Years
But like anyone who needs wisdom, they want more than just that.
I believe that Solas was granted to come into a place of respect, to become a general of Mythal. But the situation for a wisdom spirit who likes being who they are would need to be pretty convinced to come into a body.
Service:
'It started with a war' — Solas
Solas begins to tell the Inquisitor that the Evanuris were remembered as Gods due to war against someone else. Either the Forgotten Ones or the Titans, it doesn't seem to matter when the result seems to resonate in Solas much more than we would expect...
I believe that when Mythal came to seek Solas for more wisdom when he was a spirit. She actually needed him for this war. What I mean is that he would now become seated as a left-hand man to Mythal - a general to help the People into the justice needed for their power.
Solas; probably being convinced, for the time being, Cole states to the Inquisitor in Trespasser that Solas comes to a body:
He did not want a body. But she asked him to come.
He becomes a guardian to her side, a servant of Mythal. Mythal describes those into her service more of a gift than a boon. So those who felt convinced for seeking knowledge or power must have been willing to be at her side just like Solas was.
From this part, Solas was now a servant, and like Abelas, was bound to the service for her needs. Solas, a spirit of wisdom, who was corrupted into pride once Mythal forced him to act against his nature (take a body and serve her however he served her).
he didn't want to leave the dream, but he came when she called - Cole
Like the personal quest we do with Solas, the wisdom spirit becomes a demon when denied of its original purpose, and for Solas, his new purpose was Pride.
'You bounded it to obedience, then commanded it to kill, that is when it turned.' -Solas
Bound to being a service for Mythal in Solas' case, was slavery, there was no free-will, no freedom to change, and right and wrong only became an answer. So for a time, he began to see Mythal as better than anyone else since she did care for her People.
He Wants to give wisdom, not orders — Cole
When it came to war, however, that is when I believe Solas' purpose had been changed. He becomes 'Pride' by Mythal's side, seeking out the will of the elvhen People, and destroying those who opposed it. Thus, making himself as Solas.
'No boon of Mythal was ever granted without cost' — Abelas
As for Solas being Mythal's servant, well we see a lot of statues where they are together but he is in wolf guardian form, so at the very least he is probably her champion. He was probably good in battle, battle tactics, and somehow gained the knowledge to lead her people into prosperity from those who oppose them.
"These statues are old. Better shape than anything I've seen on the surface. Many of them are for Mythal, though. And Fen'Harel. Not in a spot of honor, but guarding, attending.
Protector and All-Mother, why are you honored here, so far from the light of the sun? And why was the Dread Wolf at your side?"
— Codex entry: Torn Notebook in the Deep Roads, Section 1
As we know throughout Inquisition, Solas is somewhat closely linked to a wolf. Weekes stated in a tweet once that Solas shapeshifting was to be implemented, but no added due to problems creating it in the Frostbite Engine.
Solas, as we know, has the knowledge to shapeshift into a wolf, and as depicted in the Codex entry above, his stance next the Mythal's statues is the resemblance to one guarding or attending.
Rebel:
'I sought to set my people free from slavery to would-be Gods, I broke the chains of those who wished to follow me' — Solas
At this time it seems that the Evanuris seemed to be out of hand in circumstances regarding those who served them. For instance, the term God was probably thrown out more common than necessarily, so it could be the case were elvhen were flocking to be serving Gods by the hundreds. Falon'Din, in this case, was portrayed to be in similar cases:
'It is said that Falon'Din's appetite for adulation was so great, he began wars to amass more worshippers. The blood of those who wouldn't bow down, filled lakes as wide as oceans.'
— Solas
Honestly, if a world was giving in to much chaos to a monster like this, wouldn't someone stop him? In this story, it does seem to lead on that most of the Gods were rallied up to someone, in particular, initiating it:
'Mythal rallied the Gods once the shadow of Falon'Din stretched across her own People. It was almost too late, Falon'Din only surrendered when his own brethren bloodied him in his own temple'
— Solas
Mythal seems to be the arbiter for the Pantheon, these greedy power-hungry tyrants who deserved nothing more than justice. Solas was probably seeing this first hand and honestly didn't want a part of this. He knew that there was more to do than just dying for someone who wanted nothing more than power and strength, and I bet he had an idea to solve this problem...
"A wash of powerful magic carries an impression of welcome. Images flash by: Elven slaves, fleeing to this place in ancient times. Greeted by others who then tend their wounds. Words are not so much heard as felt:
'Fen'Harel bids you welcome. Rest, knowing the Dread Wolf guards you and his people guard this valley. In this place, you are free. In trusting us, you will never be bound again.'"
— Codex: Wolf's Welcome
This is where the rebellion began, remember when we heard so much about Tevinter's slave rebellions failing each and every time? Imagine that times ten in Arlathan, Solas, who was running this secret rebellion, was beginning to bring slaves in every day to gain forces against the Evanuris. He didn't give in to worship on God for another, but rather, every person who joined was equal, in which, many Evanuris found out and were afraid.
'Fen'Harel came later, an insult I took as a badge of pride. The Dread Wolf inspired hope in my friends, and fear in my enemies.'
—Solas
To be honest, this is were the Evanuris were warring against one another, toppling off to see who is behind this rebellion, who would be stealing their slaves in a place of freedom?
'Fen'Harel has been falsely named a God but is as mortal as any of you. He takes no divine mantle and asks that none be bestowed upon him. He leads only those who would help willingly. Let none be beholden but by choice.'
— Codex: The Promise of Fen'Harel
It isn't quite clear as to when this rebellion was before or after Mythal's death, but it seems that when he freed these slaves, he was lifting their vallaslin. Most would assume this rebellion began to arise much stronger after her death:
"He left a scar when he burned her off his face."
— Cole
This could mean Solas once served Mythal and wore her vallaslin, so he’s aware of what serving Mythal entails, and although she was 'the best of them'. He knew truly deep down that there was something wrong when they killed a God who sought the good of their People. If he was the person referenced by Cole who "burned her off his face" that was likely after her death. If he was bound to her as a servant, then it would not have been possible for him to leave her unless she allowed it...
"A wash of powerful magic carries a sensation of determination. Images flash by: former slaves in ranks with Fen'Harel, armed and strong. Their skin is clear: their face tattoos, the elven vallaslin, are gone.
'The brand of the Evanuris can be lifted from you, that all may know you oppose their cruelties. None here are slaves. All are under our protection. All may choose to fight.'"
— Codex: The Lifting of the Vallaslin
Future:
'That was the past, what about the future'
— Inquisitor, Trespasser DLC
We really do see Solas'opinions strongly throughout Inquisition of the Chantry Mages Circle, the Dalish opinion of elvhen lore, and the strong options of one in the Qun.
He certainly retains much of those opinions to himself, but he knew what he did in the past. He knows that he ruined the elve's world by sundering the Fade and the Waking World. He knew he was 'wrong', an equation that formulated to another spectrum of life, in which, he had no picture of any of this happening to the present.
So back to the theory: If Solas wasn't a servant in the 'past', then he surely is one now presently. In Inquisition, he surely represents quite well as being a 'wisdom' in the inner circle. He guides you to a home, he knew that the Herald was a focal point of restoration of hope and pride in the force against Corypheus. He was the 'general' behind you, and whether it was up to you to make him any more distant or close to you was up to a player's spectrum of course.
Yet he seems so 'comfortable' in a position because he formerly was in a position like that with Mythal. He knew how much power could corrupt an organization that knew so well to stay uncorrupted. It almost seems to slip when we enter into the Temple of Mythal because he knows she still 'endures' throughout the ages...
But when the Inquisitor drinks from the well, it seems highly discouraged by Solas.
'You gave yourself into the service of an ancient elvhen god!'
— Solas
However, if the Inquisitor says they'll share power and they trust their friends, Solas says something like "a mistake I know so well I can still see her face." As I could imagine, that 'she' is definitely referring to Mythal and putting her trust in the Evanuris with any sort of power.
I know some people might have gone further stating that Solas could be one of those servants that bestowed his knowledge in the Well of Sorrows. As for me, however, I would have to disagree, I believe he kept his own knowledge to himself personally. I feel like the Well of Sorrows was bestowed upon Mythal like a spirit who is reborn. Solas states that a spirit is not the same when it has died, it will be reborn, but not likely remember it's past self. So for this Well of Sorrow to exist, it could be primarily for Mythal, rather than a servant. If not, then the boon of Mythal still remains and possibly resembles much of what Solas was when he was loyal to Mythal.
'Knowledge begets a hunger for more' — Morrigan
Bounded:
Halam'shivanas the sweet sacrifice of duty....
I think that his hunger for knowledge was so strong, hoping that this knowledge could be used to help his people (’’he wanted to give wisdom, not orders’’) that he accepted to be bound to Mythal’s willpower.
That’s why he had that strong reaction if the Inquisitor drinks from the well, that’s why he sympathizes with Abelas - he was like him once. Wisdom in exchange for eternal loyalty, that was the price.
'Everything you do, whether you know it not, will be for her (Mythal.... and you are bound to one of them now.)'
— Solas
What is spoken too strongly by Solas is that when we do drink from the Well, it does particularly put one's mind into a Geass, or commonly referred to portraying a curse:
Every Geass has its own unique set of restrictions, limitations, or idiosyncrasies. These factors allow a Geass to be defeated, or its power limited, by someone who is aware of it's characteristics. All Geass abilities' are related to the mind, influencing such aspects as will, thought, memory, emotion, and perception.
Perhaps we can imagine that Solas was in some sort of geass and could particularly still be when driven by Mythal's needs and wills for this world. Solas unbeknownst to himself or not is bounded by Mythal.
Wolf:
Cole: Do you know a lot about wolves?
Solas: I know that they are intelligent, practical creatures that small-minded fools think of as terrible beasts
Let's lastly look into the symbolism of a wolf. Wolves in mythology, usually in early Roman or North American terms, describe wolves in a form of Loyalty. Protecting their family and guarding those who harm them. Much closely related to how Solas was for his People. He truly knows how to protect his People, and even going as far as to producing a Veil to free the elvhen.
'And in so doing, destroyed their world' — Solas
The Wolf imagery really links closely to loyalty, if Solas surely seems to be the opposite of trickery and deceit, only in so doing for the good of his People. Of course, most of his choices are abrupt and failed, as he doesn't know much of how this world works at all. He flings to a higher power and expects to come in once all has been destroyed, yet all of those powers aren't lost. We in the game, aren't lost, we are searching for peace in a world gone mad, sundered, and at the face of destruction, we would do anything to let someone we know turn their back against themselves, like Solas.
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