Unveiling the Sinister Secrets of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf

Highlights

Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, the upcoming sequel, needs to resolve the question of what became of The Architect and his Darkspawn followers from Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening.

The Darkspawn race in the Dragon Age franchise takes on a crucial role, serving as monstrous beings under the leadership of an Arch Demon. These creatures invade the surface world during Blights, causing upheaval and chaos.

In Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening, the Architect emerges as the catalyst for the Blight in the main game. Intriguingly, he possesses the potential to become an ally in the future, but the outcome of his fate remains uncertain. It is imperative for the fourth installment of the game to shed light on this unresolved storyline.

Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, which has been in development for nearly nine years, has sparked many questions among fans. While the previous game had satisfying endings, it also left a lot of room for the sequel to explore. However, one burning question from Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening remains unresolved and needs to be addressed.

Originally released in March 2010, Awakening served as an expansion to the base game. The story revolved around a character known as The Warden-Commander, whose identity depended on the player's actions in the main story. This protagonist assumed leadership over a region and fought against the remaining Darkspawn forces that lingered in Ferelden after the events of the base game. Despite being regarded as one of the best expansions by many fans, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening left a few plot threads hanging. The most significant of these is the fate of The Architect and his Darkspawn followers.

The Darkspawn Role in the Dragon Age Universe

The Darkspawn race in the Dragon Age franchise serves as a substitute for orcs, but they play a crucial role in the series' lore and mythology. Essentially, they are monstrous beings under the control of the Arch Demon, who leads them from their underground homes to invade the surface world. These invasions, known as The Blights, often necessitate a massive alliance of nations to defeat them, leaving widespread devastation.

According to the franchise's lore, the original Darkspawn were Tevinter Mages who dared to invade the palace of The Creator, a deity revered in the franchise. As punishment, they were cast down and morphed into the ancestors of the series' iconic adversaries. This story was partly confirmed by Corypheus, the antagonist in Dragon Age: Inquisition, creating a major lingering plot point. However, it would be a mistake if the upcoming fourth game fails to address the fate of The Architect.

Who is the Architect in Dragon Age Origins?

In Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening, the primary focus of the storyline revolves around a civil war among the Darkspawn, which was unexpectedly triggered. Within this DLC, one significant character known as The Architect played a pivotal role by granting the creatures the ability to communicate and think. However, this inadvertently drove certain Darkspawn to madness, as they lost their connection to the "song" that guided them in unearthing the Arch Demons. Consequently, a conflict ensued between the two factions.

Interestingly, it was revealed that the Architect was responsible for orchestrating the Blight in the main game's narrative. In his search for answers, he unintentionally awakened the Arch Demon, leading to the devastating attack on Ferelden. Players have the choice to eliminate the Architect in Dragon Age, but in doing so, they forfeit his assistance in the final boss battle against the Broodmother.

If the players choose to spare the Architect, the ending of Awakening reveals that he and his remaining Darkspawn have returned to the Deep Roads. It is suggested that this is the reason for fewer Darkspawn raids in the Deep Roads, but the Architect's whereabouts are unknown. While it is possible that the Architect will make a comeback in future Dragon Age games, it is disappointing that it has taken so long for the franchise to acknowledge him again. This is an issue that the fourth game should address.

Ultimately, the fate of the Architect and other talking Darkspawn is one of the franchise's most frustrating unanswered questions. Despite the significant impact they could have on the story, the series has yet to fully explore their potential. Dragon Age: Dreadwolf's plot will likely be complex, but it would be beneficial to include some development for these intriguing Darkspawn characters.

Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is in development.