Dragon Age 4 is in development at BioWare, and based on the details revealed so far the game will pick up the story of Solas the Dread Wolf from the perspective of an all-new player character. At the end of Dragon Age: Inquisition Solas appeared to absorb the soul of Mythal from the body of Flemeth, the possessed Witch of the Wilds and a returning character since the first game.
This has led some fans to think that the character of Flemeth as seen in the game so far will not be making an appearance in Dragon Age 4. However, based on the lore, Mythal may still have some unfinished business to attend to as the Dread Wolf’s plot to bring down the veil between Thedas and the Fade unfolds.
Mythal And The Dread Wolf
Flemeth, as seen in the Dragon Age games so far, has always been possessed by the spirit of Mythal. Mythal was once a powerful elven mage who, with eight others, ascended to “godhood” among her people at a time when the world of Dragon Age was inseparable from the Fade. The Fade is the world of magic, which the elves of Dragon Age's history referred to simply as “the sky.”
Known as the Great Protector, Mythal was considered the “All-Mother,” the goddess of love, motherhood, and justice. When the other elven gods of Dragon Age - aside from one – instituted a form of slavery where worshippers tattooed their slaves’ faces with markings representing the god they worshipped, Mythal eventually turned against them.
When Mythal was killed by the Evanuris the other abstaining god led a rebellion, and was given the name Fen’Harel - “the Dread Wolf” - and cast as a traitor, a reputation which remains with the Dalish elves in Dragon Age. The rebellion ended when the Dread Wolf created the Veil, a barrier between the material world and the Fade.
However, this also severed the elves from much of their magic, their immorality, and eventually their empire itself when the up-and-coming Tevinter Imperium razed the weakened elven capital with blood magic. Despite all this, Mythal was never completely dead.
Part of the All-Mother’s spirit lingered after her betrayal, and years later was eventually able to possess a woman named Flemeth who had turned to the spirits for help in a time of need. Based on revelations in Dragon Age: Inquisition, the woman known as Flemeth throughout the first three games is better understood as Mythal. Mythal possessed Flemeth until apparently transferring from the Witch of the Wild’s body to Solas after the credits of Dragon Age: Inquisition.
Mythal In Dragon Age 4
Based on Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age 4 will see the Dread Wolf, who goes by Solas in Inquisition, attempting to destroy the Veil he once created to restore the ancient elven empire, even if that means many die in the resultant chaos. However, it also seems natural that destroying the Veil would free the other ancient elven gods from the Fade, who would likely be less than happy with the position of the elves in Thedas by the time of Dragon Age, but equally hostile towards the Dread Wolf for banishing them in the first place and eager to rebuild their empire on the same slavery that Solas opposed.
It’s unlikely that Mythal will simply allow for the return of the “gods” who murdered her. Of all the Evunaris, Mythal was said to love her people the most. This makes it likely that she will want to help the elves, many of whom live in slavery or in alienages by the time of the games. It seems less likely, however, that her motives totally align with the Dread Wolf’s.
The fact that Flemeth helps the Warden stop the Fifth Blight in Dragon Age: Origins also suggests that despite the fear surrounding Flemeth, Mythal does want to prevent the kind of destruction that would also likely be brought about by Solas bringing down the Veil. Despite Mythal leaving the body of Flemeth behind to join with Solas in some way, fans may well see the character return in some form when being a part of Solas has expended its usefulness or when their aims begin to diverge.
One Dragon Age mystery that has yet to be solved is the extent to which Mythal was involved in the Evanuris’ slavery. Though she was murdered for opposing it in some way, there are elven facial markings associated with Mythal. There are more variants of Mythal’s markings available to elven Inquisitors than any other facial marking. It’s possible these were only developed retroactively by the Dalish, who use the markings to worship their gods. However, it could also suggest that, at the very least, Mythal’s worshippers were allowed to keep other elves as slaves, and it has been suggested that Mythal was more indirectly opposed to it than the Dread Wolf.
Even if Solas and Mythal’s aims stay aligned for the entire game, it seems unlikely that BioWare would have Solas absorb Mythal’s spirit if that spirit doesn’t have a role to play in the plot of the next game. It also seems unlikely that Mythal will want to remain a subservient part of Solas forever. Based on his portrayal in the Trespasser DLC for Inquisition it doesn’t appear that Mythal was able to possess Solas in the same way she did with Flemeth long before the events of the games, though it remains to be seen if this means she can leave Solas' body again.
There is clearly some advantage Solas gained from absorbing Mythal, perhaps in the form of a power he can eventually use to destroy the Fade and prevent the elven gods from returning in some way. This would make Mythal’s willingness to sacrifice her body to help the Dread Wolf make sense, and if Solas activates whatever power Mythal has imbued him with it’s also possible players will see the character return in another form. While Dragon Age 4 still likely has a role for Mythal to play, how much the spirit of Mythal herself will resemble the Flemeth fans know from the first three games remains to be seen, especially since Flemeth absorbed the soul of the Old God Urthemiel, who could have a role to play all of his own.
Dragon Age 4 is in development.