author: Zuzanna Domeradzka
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf May Feature Old Friend From Dragon Age 2
The ending of Dragon Age: Absolution may have given us an important clue about the plot of the upcoming DA: Dreadwolf. Will we see an old acquaintance from DA2 in the fourth installment?
Warning: news contains spoilers from Dragon Age: Absolution as well as Dragon Age: Inquisition and Dragon Age II.
We still know very little about the upcoming Dragon Age: Dreadwolf and we will still have to wait a long time for the game's release. However, the recently debuting TV series Absolution could reveal important information related to the plot of the fourth part of DA.
Return of an old acquaintance
The whole thing concerns the ending of Netflix's animated series. In short, the last scene of Absolution takes us to Kirkwall, where we witness some Red Templars speaking to a great crystal of red lyrium. Die-hard fans of Dragon Age II will surely associate it with Hawke's final battle against the Knight-Commander of the Templar Order. And indeed, the red crystal from the ending of DA: Absolution is in fact Meredith Stannard, whom every player had to face at the end of the second game.
But why such certainty? After all, Meredith shouldn't have been alive for a long time. The identity of the red crystal appearing in Absolution is confirmed in the credits. Mentioned in them is Jean Gilpin, who provided the voice for the very Knight-Commander Stannard in Dragon Age II.
For the sake of context, let us briefly remind the fate of Meredith to those who have forgotten or did not know it. She plays an important role in the third act of the second part of Dragon Age, when Hawke has to make the decision to side with the Mages or the Templars. However, regardless of the player's choice, Meredith will always attack the protagonist. She is consumed by the madness caused by the red lyrium (which, ironically, was discovered by Hawke) contained in her sword. After defeating Meredith, she turns into a statue made of the red mineral.
The antagonist of Dreadwolf?
Dragon Age: Absolution makes us realize that Meredith is not dead at all, and that she even managed to gain some allies. Moreover, she wants to acquire a powerful artifact that will most likely restore her to some more human form. Thus, we have a kind of replay of the gameplay - Hawke, after the fight with Corypheus (taking place in DA: Legacy) also thought he/she was rid of him for good. But as we know, the dark spawn has returned as an antagonist of DA: Inquisition.
It would have made sense if Meredith in human form had appeared in Dreadwolf. She could ally herself with Solas, whom the player will face in the fourth installment. And the blame, in part, would again lie with Hawke, who failed to confirm her death.
It may also be that Meredith's case will be explained in a possible second season of the TV show, but there is a lot of potential for her return in the fourth part of DA. Even more so, it does not seem a coincidence that Absolution took place in the cradle of Thedas - Tevinter, and we will also come to visit this region, for the first time in the history of Dragon Age, in Dreadwolf. However, theory of Meredith's return is not necessarily true, as Absolution is not closely related to the games. Who knows, though, maybe BioWare will decide to use the character in Dreadwolf?
