Summary
Dark Horse Direct has released an updated print of Thedas' map. The map is objectively quite cool and, luckily for discerning fans, contains a lot of Easter eggs and references to ponder endlessly untilDragon Age: The Veilguard’s release at the end of the month.
Some of these observations were discussed in aReddit thread by Ahriman-5about the new map. One of the major talking points is the depiction of Solas as the Dread Wolf in the bottom right of the map. The Wolf is being impaled by thorns, which some are speculating represents Ghilan’nain,one of The Veilguard’s big bad Elven gods.
Solas is also seen at the map header, in his bald and unharmed Elven form. We know Solas comes into conflict with Ghilan’nain and Elgar’nan, with this map suggesting Fen’Harel is coming out second best in that fight.
Speaking of the dastardly deifical duo, you can also see the pair of them on the map with their respective blighted dragons. Ghilan’nain is in the top right looking displeased, and Elgar’nan appears equally unhappy in the bottom left. What’s their problem, anyway? Centuries in captivity did nothing to mellow out these two grumps.
The seas surrounding Thedas are depicted as blighted on the map. Whether that’s just an artistic flourish or there’s something more relevant there, we don’t know. You can see eyeballs in the water, possibly pointing to Kraken-like creatures. The creatures are quite close to Rivain, too, which we know from theThedas Calls trailerhas some sort of evil sea god thing going on.
If you look closely at Minrathous, you’ll see a tentacled creature with a human face emerging from the city. A couple of folks in the thread are speculating this could be the ancient demon supposedly trapped under the city. In the anthology novel Tevinter Nights, Neve Gallus uncovers and foils a Venatori plot to awaken the demon.
There are plenty of other cool bits depicted on the map - the Dwarven city of Kal’Sharok is shown beside the Grey Warden headquarters, Weisshaupt. In the top left of the map, you can see what’s probably a rook (bird), representing Veilguard’s protagonist. The bottom of the map depicts the Venatori and red lyrium, problems that successive series protagonists just can’t seem to get rid of. There is a lot to unpack here.
The map itself is available to pre-order until November 5, while Dragon Age: The Veilguard releases on November 5 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
WHERE TO PLAY
Dragon Age: The Veilguard is the long-awaited fourth game in the fantasy RPG series from BioWare formerly known as Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. A direct sequel to Inquisition, it focuses on red lyrium and Solas, the aforementioned Dread Wolf.
