Dragon Age 4 is currently in development at BioWare, set to see a brand-new player character face down Solas the Dread Wolf as he attempts to destroy the Veil. However, that may not be the only major returning plotline from a previous game in the franchise.
Under the surface of Dragon Age’s main story, another conflict has been building. It includes characters introduced in the first game and follows directly from a major plotline introduced in Dragon Age 2 that could have huge implications in Dragon Age 4, especially considering the next game’s setting.
The Qunari of Thedas
Like the humans of Dragon Age, it’s unknown where exactly the Qunari people originated, only that they came from the north. By the time of Dragon Age, the Qunari mainly inhabit the tropical island of Par Vollen, though for some time they successfully occupied much of the Tevinter Imperium.
The Qunari follow a strict set of religious tenants known as the Qun. While most Qunari are the gray-skinned race of giants seen throughout the series, technically anyone who follows the Qun is a Qunari, and the religion originally grew from the writings of a member of a precursor race, the Kossith, named Koslun. One of the most sacred Qunari texts, the Tome of Koslun, was lost during the Qunari Wars that swept the continent of Thedas following the initial arrival of the Qunari on Par Vollen and their incursion into the Tevinter Imperium.
In Dragon Age 2, a major plotline involves a diplomatic attempt by the nation of Orlais to return the recovered Tome of Koslun to the Qunari Arishok, their society’s military leader. The player character Hawke has the option to aid in the return of the Tome of Koslun to the Qunari. However, the story established in the comic Dragon Age: Those Who Speak confirms that, in canon, Hawke defeated the Arishok in battle. The title was then bestowed upon Sten, the Qunari companion from Dragon Age: Origins.
Even if the Arishok survived the events of Dragon Age 2, in Dragon Age: Inquisition, Varric’s dialog suggests that the Arishok lost possession of the Tome of Koslun yet again while returning to Par Vollen and faced a court-martial in his homeland. This makes it likely that Sten will be the Arishok in Dragon Age 4 regardless of the player’s previous choices, similar to Leliana’s return in Inquisition even if she was killed in the Temple of Sacred Ashes in Origins.
Though Dragon Age 2 hinted that the other races of Thedas were willing to establish a more diplomatic future with the Qunari despite their contentious past, the confirmation that the Arishok was defeated in Kirkwall makes good relationships with the Qunari extremely unlikely even with an old friend at the head of their military. Dragon Age: Inquisition’s final DLC, Trespasser, even exposed a Qunari plot to use the Eluvians to assassinate Thedas’ heads of state, suggesting that relations have deteriorated significantly since the events of the second game.
Not only that, but Dragon Age 4 will take place at least partially in the Tevinter Imperium, a long-standing rumor about the game’s setting backed up by Tevinter banners seen in the Dragon Age 4 trailer shown at The Game Awards 2020 as well as recently released artwork. Tevinter is where the friction between the human kingdoms and the Qunari to the north is likely to be the most pronounced, and even though it’s been years since the Qunari conquest, many human and elven slaves in the Imperium remain faithful to the Qun as well as some of its most susceptible new converts.
Though Sten was a great ally in Dragon Age: Origins, he was also undoubtedly committed to the Qun and is likely to put his people and the Qun above all else to be a formidable adversary on the world stage. Solas’ plan to bring down the Veil has huge implications for all the races of Thedas, who may see the continent plunged into chaos caused by the Fade. However, even without the Dread Wolf, it seems likely that trouble was on the horizon in the world of Dragon Age.
Threats Facing Tevinter
Between the Dread Wolf and the Qunari, Tevinter could also face a reckoning from its own oppressed people, with elven slaves in particular faced with multiple potential liberators. Dragon Age 4 could see huge changes across the Tevinter Imperium, speculatively even its dissolution depending on player choices in the next game. It’s possible that players will even have the opportunity to choose between elven or Qunari dominance of the continent, though whether or not players will have the option to side with the Dread Wolf at all has yet to be revealed.
With this set-up, Sten could stand to have one of the most interesting arcs across the entire Dragon Age series. Without fundamentally changing his character, the franchise could see Sten go from a hero during the Fifth Blight to one of the greatest threats to the people of Thedas.
However, a strong Qunari presence in Dragon Age 4’s main plotline could also reveal the answer to some longstanding mysteries about the race. In Inquisition, Corypheus made comments suggesting that Qunari have blood that “does not belong” to them, and Iron Bull will notice that a Reaver Inquisitor has been drinking dragon’s blood. In Those Who Speak, Sten reveals that he has dragon blood in his own veins, and promises further answers in the future. More information about the Qunari’s geographical origin could also be revealed, and many fans will be excited to learn more about the history of one of the series’ most unique races.
Dragon Age 4 is in development.