Notes on Dragon Age: Vows & Vengeance Episode 1
This is more of a dry info post than a speculating & thoughts post hh. (I really liked the episode!)
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Episode 1: Once a Thief…
... "always a thief". 😊
EPISODE DESCRIPTION: Nadia Carcosa, a reformed thief, returns to her criminal roots after a wedding proposal goes sideways and her partner Elio, a revered mage in the Tevinter Imperium, gets dragged into a conspiracy with world-shattering consequences.
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The picture for this episode features the faction symbols of the Shadow Dragons and the Mourn Watch.
It's Neve who appears in this episode. This tweet & art piece were referring to Neve.
In the opening scene, the tavern singer (not Maryden Halewell) is performing Oh, Grey Warden, the tavern song from Dragon Age: Inquisition.
The first piece of elven that Solas speaks is "Ar dirthan'as ir elgara, ma'sula e'var vhenan". It appears in this banter dialogue between Solas and Sera in Inquisition:
Solas: "Ar dirthan'as ir elgara, ma'sula e'var vhenan."
Sera: "Pppbbthh!"
Solas: "Excuse me?"
Sera: "Excuse yourself, whatever you said and what I did, same difference to me."
Solas: "I'd hoped, well, our people can sometimes feel the rhythm of the language despite lacking the vocabulary."
Sera: "Uh huh? Know what else is good? Words that mean things. Like these. Words."
Solas: "Fenedhis lasa."
Sera: "Pppbbthh."
The second piece of elven is spoken by Solas and Elio. It's the elven language version of a song from Dragon Age: Origins, I Am The One.
[elven version]
Heruamin lotirien
Alai uethri maeria
Halurocon yalei nam bahna
Dolin nereba maome
Ame amin
Halai lothi amin
Aloamin Heruamin
Heruamin oh lona
Imwe naine beriole
Ame amin
Halai lothi amin
Aloamin Heruamin
Ame amin
Halai lothi amin
Noamin
Ame amin
Halai lothi amin
Noamin Heruamin
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[common tongue, as performed by Maryden]
I feel sun
Through the ashes in the sky.
Where's the one
Who'll guide us into the night?
What's begun
Is the war that will
Force this divide.
What's to come
Is fire and the end of time.
I am the one
Who can recount
What we've lost.
I am the one
Who will live on.
I have run
Through the fields
Of pain and sighs.
I have fought
To see the other side.
I am the one
Who can recount
What we've lost.
I am the one
Who will live on.
The podcast features new music which is credited as "Featuring original music by Hans Zimmer and Lorne Balfe". Some of the music bears a resemblance to parts of DA:TV music that we've heard before. Track G7, D'Read Koda, on the Dragon Age vinyl was composed by Hans Zimmer and Lorne Balfe. Given this tweet by dev Derek Wilks, "Absolutely incredible music in our game. Listen to it every day when I’m working, just for fun" [source] which seems to confirm it, it sounds like Hans Zimmer and Lorne Balfe are the composers of the DA:TV soundtrack.
Olen is voiced by Damien Gerard. A few months ago the listing for this actor on this website listed them as an actor for several named characters in Dragon Age: Dreadwolf: ‘Olen’, 'Marek’, 'Lord Borgiani’ and 'Templar Captain’. [source] I'm not sure if Olen will appear in the game or if this listing just called it DA:D as at that time the podcast wouldn't have been public knowledge yet. Given the listing for Olen was legit, we will likely encounter Marek, Lord Borgiani and Templar Captain at some point in DA in any event
The Eye of Kethisca
The Eye is a magical ancient artifact. It glows and exudes a magical hum, with the hint of inaudible whispers. When Elio drew power from the Fade near it, this grew louder and the artifact exploded in some kind of sonic boom, unleashing a wave of energy that tore up the ground and almost killing him. However, Solas was able to 'calm' it by speaking elven. Solas explains that the Eye was made from a rare gem mined in the caves beneath the Silent Plains. It was crafted centuries ago by a powerful Dreamer, meaning that it is connected to the Fade. Solas reveals that Elio's bloodline is tied to the Eye of Kethisca, as that Dreamer had the name An'Dante and was Elio's ancestor. Solas explains that when Elio summoned his magic near the Eye, he unknowingly formed a bond with it and it amplified his powers. When Elio asks Solas if the Eye will help fix the weak Veil in the caves, Solas replies "more or less".
Solas heard that the Venatori had plans for the relic. He obtained it before that happened.
Locations
The Arcanist Hall in Minrathous contains The Archives. These hold every object, scrap of writing, relic or antiquity that is even remotely interesting to the Tevinter Empire. These relics are held on shelves. The building is funded by the Magisterium, which pays the guards' salaries. The building is notoriously difficult to break into.
The Silent Plains: There are caves beneath the Silent Plains. Centuries ago, a powerful Dreamer called An'Dante mined a rare gem from these caves and crafted a powerful magical relic called the Eye of Kethisca. In at least one of these caves, the Veil is fragile as in ancient times, many people were sacrificed there in its grounds, and the spilled blood weakened the barrier.
There are ancient burial grounds in the Hinterlands.
Lore things
Names (podcast-specific): Edmund, Olen, Nadia Carcosa, Magister Elio Andante*, Joren, Vik
*In one place in the official transcript, "Andante" is written as "An'Dante".
Main characters: Nadia is a non-mage, a Liberati and an accomplished thief & cat burglar. Liberati are a class of people who were slaves that were freed. They are still not Tevinter citizens, and have only limited rights. She lives on a houseboat in Docktown, Minrathous.
Elio is an Altus mage, a Magister & member of the Magisterium. He is a powerful Rift Mage. He has his own estate in Minrathous. Altus mages are believed to be the descendants of the Dreamers or magisters who were able to speak to the Old Gods in the Fade. Solas reveals that Elio's bloodline is tied to the Eye of Kethisca, as the Dreamer that created the eye had the name An'Dante, being Elio's ancestor.
Spells: Flame Blast, Firestorm, Stonefist, Neve’s ice magic, a magical blast of wind
Food and drink: Fresh oyster, fresh clam, pickled krone, salt, pig, fish, Orlesian ale, rum
Animals: bird, seagull, oyster, clam, fish, cricket, horse, bat
Plants: Andraste’s Grace
There seems to be a rank in the Tevinter Templars of Sergeant.
The preview for the next episode reveals that there is a character or entity called "The Deathless One".
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