There is still not much known about Dragon Age 4. The new fantasy RPG has been confirmed by developer BioWare and has had a series of small teasers and concept art released, but that is all fans have gotten to see of Dragon Age 4. The main thing that fans do know about Dragon Age 4 is that it will be the first game in the series to take place in Tevinter. The nation of Tevinter has been referenced throughout the three other games in the series, but Dragon Age 4 will be the first time that players will be able to visit it themselves.
Tevinter has been featured in the book Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights, however, so dedicated fans do have some idea of what to expect from the setting. However, many fans were disappointed that Dragon Age 4 skipped the recent EA Play Live event, as fans have many questions waiting for answers. There have been numerous rumors about the game's classes or returning characters, but none of the information has been confirmed. For fans who just can't wait to get some more information on Dragon Age 4, however, there are some things that we already know about what shape Tevinter will likely take in the game.
Tevinter's History in Dragon Age
Tevinter was the first settlement of humans on the continent of Thedas. The humans went to war with the elves to claim the land but eventually were the clear victors. This was largely because shortly after arriving in Thedas the humans were contacted by the Old Gods, mysterious divine entities that taught them the ways of magic. This led to magic becoming a massive influence in Tevinter, eventually making up a large part of its culture and influencing its monarchy. This led to Tevinter developing a complicated web of factions with Dragon Age, which makes the country's political landscape very complex.
The country eventually became an empire, largely thanks to its political relationships and alliance with local dwarven kingdoms, Tevinter became an empire. The empire began to expand as far as it could, dominating most of its enemies thanks to its experience with magic. The expansion eventually led to the empire going to war again with the elven nations, eventually resorting to blood magic to destroy the capital of the elves. Eventually, the empire began to decline after numerous civil wars between mages vying for power led to the empire crumbling from within. At the time that Dragon Age 4 is set to take place, Tevinter is still recovering from the fall of its empire. Mages have taken control of the government, and the nation is widely regarded across the world of Dragon Age for its beauty, but it is still a shadow of what it once was.
Tevinter's Culture in Dragon Age
Tevinter's culture is one steeped in decadence and remembrance of the past. Everything built throughout the nation's cities is opulent and carefully renovated and maintained over the course of the following years. However, the society within the Tevinter is extremely fractured and can be split into three different tiers. There are the mages at the top of Tevinter's social hierarchy in Dragon Age. They maintain control through the use of illegal blood magic that allows them to infiltrate other people's dreams, and they are obsessed with competing with one another for control and renown. Then, there is the massive working class, known as the sleepers, the largest class in Tevinter. The sleepers are beholden to the whims of the mages above them, however, they are not satisfied with their position.
Finally, there is the slave class, which is also fought with in-fighting and squabbles between its members. The slaves perform numerous tasks, from being personal assistants to mages to performing all of the work that regular citizens don't want to. The nation is also at war with Dragon Age's horned Qunari race, and it has started to take its toll. The capital is being flooded with refugees and the nation is running low on resources, but the ruling mages are too preoccupied with their social status and petty squabbles to pay the war much attention.
How Tevinter Could Impact Dragon Age 4
Because of Tevinter's complicated political and cultural situation, it seems very likely that Dragon Age 4 will see players interacting with it frequently. It still is not clear what sort of character gamers will play in Dragon Age 4, but there are a number of good options. The Gray Wardens could return, players could keep leading the Inquisition, could oppose Tevinter as a qunari, or they could raise through the society's ranks as a sleeper born with magical abilities. The possibilities are seemingly endless, but they all will surely see players having to navigate the nation's fraught status.
Regardless of what role players are put into, Dragon Age 4 will undoubtedly deal with Tevinter's conflict with the qunari while players also contend with Solas trying to tear down Dragon Age's veil. The series has been escalating the red lyrium threat for some time now, and Solas tearing down the barrier between the main world and the world of the demons seems plausible. This seems even more likely with how strongly present magic is in Tevinter, especially blood magic, which is completely banned in most other places in Dragon Age's world.
It will be very interesting to see what shape Tevinter takes in Dragon Age 4. The nation has a lot of history and complicated nuance to it that could make the game's story extremely interesting and could lead to players getting some difficult and interesting choices to make throughout. Hopefully, BioWare will be ready to share some more information with fans about the game soon. Dragon Age 4's release date was recently narrowed down by an insider and it seems that the game is still a way out from release, but hopefully, BioWare will make an RPG that is worth the long wait.
Dragon Age 4 is currently in development.