It's been eight years since the release of the critically acclaimed Dragon Age: Inquisition and fans have been waiting patiently for Dragon Age: Dreadwolf to solve some mysteries left over from the previous games. With no official launch date just yet, players don't know when they'll be able to get their hands on the next installment and learn how the rogue elven mage Solas is going to execute his plan, or how several key storylines from Dragon Age: Inquisition's DLC will resolve. Dragon Age: Dreadwolf may be a whole new chapter, but there are a few mysteries it definitely needs to address.
While it seems like Dragon Age: Dreadwolf will be focusing a lot on Solas and the mass exodus of elves that his actions caused, there's definitely room for other elements as well. The previous Dragon Age games were expansive and full of lore, with explorations of many races and their societies throughout the main stories. Elves may be more of a prominent feature thanks to Dragon Age: Dreadwolf's primary antagonist, but both dwarves and qunari have some tantalizing secrets that deserve to be explored as well.
Setting Up The Story For Dragon Age: Dreadwolf
Some parts of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf's story remain a mystery, but players know the broad setup. For the first time in the series, Dragon Age: Dreadwolf will be a direct sequel to the previous entry and will feature familiar faces like the antagonist Solas. Dragon Age: Dreadwolf will deal with the fallout from Dragon Age: Inquisition as Solas regains his full powers and tries to tear down the Veil and restore the Fade. The game's new Tevinter setting will also yield some interesting narrative aspects, like explorations of blood magic, a mage-controlled society, and an insight into the Tevinter-qunari conflict.
While it seems like there's a lot to settle from the last game, the developer has insisted that gamers don't need to have played the three previous Dragon Age titles before they dive into Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. Although it's great that the next game will be accessible and could bring a whole new group of players into the franchise, BioWare has been clear that long-standing questions and mysteries will still be addressed. This could refer to any number of things, but many fans are hoping the secrets surrounding races like the dwarves and the qunari are settled in Dragon Age: Dreadwolf.
Qunari Coming To The Fore
The qunari are one of the more elusive of Thedas' races. From the stoic Sten in Dragon Age: Origins to the rambunctious Iron Bull in Dragon Age: Inquisition, the franchise has had a few memorable qunari characters. However, it's undeniable that they're much less prevalent than humans, elves, and dwarves; gamers still don't know that much about them. Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is potentially setting up a bigger exploration of the qunari and their culture, and this is definitely a welcome move.
Not only are the qunari possibly still locked in a bitter conflict with the Tevinter Imperium which could become a significant plot point in Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, but BioWare seems to be hinting at a female qunari companion as well. Gamers were able to play as a qunari for the first time in Dragon Age: Inquisition, but so far almost all qunari characters have been male. A female qunari could help shine more light on the mysterious race, and companion quests could be used to solve some secrets of the qunari like their true origin or the nature of their blood.
If players spend time getting to know Iron Bull in Dragon Age: Inquisition, they'll discover that even the Qun – a complex code that governs qunari society – doesn't have clear answers for either of these issues. Some veiled comments from characters like Corypheus and Kieran throughout the game hint that qunari blood may be mixed with something else like dragon blood in order to first create the race. This is never answered definitively, and it would be a wasted opportunity if Dragon Age: Dreadwolf didn't utilize the qunari more in addition to tying up some interesting loose ends with regard to their background.
Dwarven Secrets Exposed
Dwarves have been a feature of every Dragon Age game so far, but there's still much that players don't know about them. In Dragon Age: Origins, gamers could play as a dwarf and get a good glimpse of Orzammar, one of the only remaining dwarven cities left in Thedas. Dwarven society is complex, and there are still many aspects of it that remain a mystery. Characters like the fan favorite Varric help to peel back the curtain somewhat, but this is definitely an area that Dragon Age: Dreadwolf could explore more fully.
One of the narrative DLCs released for Dragon Age: Inquisition set up some fascinating new directions for the dwarves, as well as dipped a toe into a few secrets surrounding the ground-dwelling race. The Descent took players into the Deep Roads to take on the bloodthirsty darkspawn and investigate some troubling earthquakes. With the help of a dwarf Shaper called Valta, as well as Renn, a member of the Legion of the Dead, the Inquisitor discovers that the tremors are the result of an ancient being that lives deep within the earth. These beings, known as Titans, were thought by some dwarves to be nothing but a myth, but encountering one far beneath the Deep Roads leaves the Inquisitor and their companions with many questions as to their true nature and purpose.
Not only do Titans need much more of an explanation, but Valta's apparent use of magic during The Descent is also a huge question mark. Dwarves are notorious for their natural resistance against and inability to use magic, so seeing one seemingly attack the Inquisitor with a spell was a shock for gamers. This could potentially lead the way to a dwarf mage, which would be a fascinating thing to explore in the upcoming Dragon Age: Dreadwolf.
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is in development.