'Dragon Age Inquisition': Meet The Characters- Solas, The Apostate Elf, A Self-Taught Mage [SCREENS]

We knew Apostates hated the Circle of Magi, but who expected one to side with the Templars? The Templar Order is charging with finding out apostates, after all, although now with the Inquisition in full bloom it seems that they're using all the help they can get. 

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Enter Solas. He's a new companion character, and it's immediately apparent that he's going to have a lot going on with him. As Bioware writer Patrick Weekes tells it in the blog, "He's pretty straightforward, honestly. Just your average elven apostate who voluntarily joins the Inquisition in the middle of the mage rebellion to lend his expertise with the Fade."

Solas is somewhat obssessed with the Fade. "Solas has trained himself to do something a lot like lucid-dreaming," Weekes continues. "He goes to ancient ruins where the Veil is thin, goes to sleep, and actually experiences the history of places no one else has seen in centuries."

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His knowledge of this strange magical land aids him on the battlefield, as he can manipulate magic in "ways that would never occur to most mages."

Solas seems a contradiction but Weekes seems the perfect choice to write the characte, as he's no stranger to creating conflicted individuals, having previously written everyone's favorite Gilbert and Sullivan-loving Salarian, Mordin, in the Mass Effect series. "Writing Solas had its moments, yes. I personally love characters who are intelligent, characters who don't necessarily break the universe they're in, but who make players reexamine their own assumptions and look at that world in a new way. It'll be interesting to see who thinks he's fascinating and who thinks he's out of his ever-Fade-loving mind."

Solas will undoubtedly come into intense conflict with fellow companion Vivienne, who's a Circle mage. Expect them to butt heads frequently.

"Honestly, Solas hates people who look at him and just see an elf. He considers that kind of attitude part of the black-and-white dichotomy that has led to so much tragedy in the Dragon Age world. Templars versus mages, demons versus spirits, elves versus humans... it's more complicated than that. Come to think of it, 'It's more complicated than that,' may actually be Solas's battle cry."