Dragon Age Inquisition: Red Lyrium First Cause Theory

Theory on the Blight and first Breach by the Magisters of Tevinter...

[@paszmaty]

Task: connect the dots; caution: there are no numbers assigned.

[@elegathor4251]

I guess this video came out before 'The Descent' and 'The Tresspasser' but still interesting. I hope you did a updated version. :D

[@anthony_hw]

Consider these connected things: First we have the conversation with Cole on how lyrium is calling/singing to normal templars and the similarities, and key differences, between them and red templars. kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5ezqnerpauLnNU&t=7m41s Then we have Dagna's really interesting conversation about dwarves in a something that suspiciously resembles quantum mechanics: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nIixdmmnpKx0aM0 And then, the creepy-ass red lyrium whispers in the fade: "Whispers Written in Red Lyrium:" WE ARE HERE WE HAVE WAITED WE HAVE SLEPT WE ARE SUNDERED WE ARE CRIPPLED WE ARE POLLUTED WE ENDURE WE WAIT WE HAVE FOUND THE DREAMS AGAIN WE WILL AWAKEN There is a sinister link between the elven "gods", lyrium, the dwarves, and the Fade. Corypheus, in Dragon Age II, was not corrupted by red lyrium at the time, thus, I believe, it was simply 1/2 of the component he needed in order to breach the veil and enter the Fade in person, with the orb the other half of what he needed. This is why Solas was caught with his pants down: he didn't know Corypheus found red lyrium. We now turn to Sorrow, the ancient elf in the Temple of Mythal. He recognizes the Anchor, which is very linked to the Fade. I mention this because if we go back to Dagna's expansion of conscience... lyrium and the fade is linked. This is all very fascinating. It's the hint of something truly bad. I'm leaning towards the theory of ancient war with divine origins. The elves were, at one point, at war with themselves. We learn the dwarves did the same thing. And that the dwarves before the first blight were concerned with dragons, based on the mega-quest in the Hissing Wastes. I believe the dragons are somehow also liked to the Fade, given the Spirit Dragon in the Awakening expansion. And that's all I got for now.

[@jackharper8370]

Interesting. What if the blood sacrifice you speculate about that the magisters used to enter the fade actually corrupted regular lyrium also used during the process thus creating blighted/red lyrium and perhaps the blight itself?

[@Babyboomer92]

Good theory, and I agree with the premise of red lyrium as the source, or at the very least, connected with the Blight. Another thing to consider is red lyrium's shared traits with standard lyrium. I think they validate your claims and also present a mystery regarding the Evanuris (elven pantheon) in the Deep Roads. The following will be re-accounts interspersed with some conjecture based on in-game information. *SPOILERS* ahead for "The Descent" and "Trespasser" DLCs: "The Descent" revealed lyrium is the blood of Titans, creatures that share deep telepathic connections with Dwarves. Dwarves are the only creatures that can hear the "singing" produced by an active Titan in the earthquakes it causes as it shapes the earth around itself. As stated in DA:O and DA:II, lyrium "sings" to Dwarves, hence how they find lyrium ores in the Deep Roads. This would explain why lyrium has been described as being a living substance, because it is part of a living organism. Dwarves are immune (albeit in limited degrees) to the harmful effects lyrium produces in non-Dwarves. As implied in "The Descent", the reason Dwarves have this special connection with lyrium is not due to exposure, but the possible origins of Dwarves via Titans. The Titan communicates to Dwarves through variations of its "song" via a telepathic link. By the end of "The Descent", dialogue with Valta implies some unknown event severed the link between the Titans and Dwarves. The connection Valta describes with the Titan is similar to Dagna's episode with a rune in Inquisition. When linked, the Titan is the collectives thoughts and wills of Dwarves in a kind of hive mind. The Titans are not only receptors but transceivers, while also remaining individual entities. The shaping of the earth around them is proof of their sentience and individual whims. Interestingly, once the link is established, Titans and Dwarves are bound in a way that brings to mind the magic behind the Well of Sorrows and possibly the Darkspawn and Blight. Once Dagna mentions her experience with the rune she says, "Like lyrium needs to flow, but if you're a part of it, it takes you with it. So you can't be a part of it. That makes me sad". This line is indicative that the connection between Titans and Dwarves is binding and euphorically intense enough to enforce uniform thinking. The connection doesn't feel adverse or strange; instead, it's comforting and familiar, like the relationship between a parent and child. In Inquisition, Solas' banter with Varric also foreshadows the Titan-Dwarven connection when he says, "Dwarves are the severed arm of a once mighty hero, lying in a pool of blood, undirected, whatever skill in arms it had gone forever. Although it may twitch to give the appearance of life, it will never dream...". Red lyrium exhibits the same propensity of regular lyrium to "sing", but its song is distinctively different and it is not limited to Dwarves. Much like the Titan's "song", it also communicates emotion albeit more violent, angry, and maddening. Its volatility; the speed and violence of how it spreads; its voracious appearance in environments; and the heat it produces reflect its violent "nature" personified. And again like regular lyrium, I think it is part of a greater being, possibly a corrupted Titan. There is a codex entry during the Fade portion in Inquisition entitled, "Whispers Written in Red Lyrium", where the red lyrium, or something connected to it, uses the pronoun "we". The words "slept", "sundered", "crippled", and "polluted" are used by the unknown entity(ies) to describe their current state. It goes on to say, "We have found the dreams again", which I interpreted to mean it has re-established itself with the Fade, the place of dreams. This may indicate that it is regaining once lost power/influence that the Solas banter above cryptically referenced. In other words, the corrupted Titan is reanimating itself somehow and using dreams/The Fade to achieve this end. This could explain why red lyrium is found in the physical Fade. The entry ends with the ominous, "We will awaken". At this point is where the Evanuris may be linked to the creation of red lyrium or the blight generally. Among the many reveals in "Trespasser" is the possible involvement of the elves in sundering the connection of the Titans from the Dwarves. Mythal led an assault against the Dwarves to tame the Titans, and in the process, cast them underground. The elves settled themselves into Dwarven thaigs, as demonstrated through the presence of statues depicting elven deities. Elven songs and mythology also mention the battle between Elves and Dwarves/Titans. In the Deep Road segment of "Trespasser", a veilfire message ("Veilfire Runes in the Deep Roads") can be read that suggest after an uncertain amount of time of Elven involvement in the Deep Roads, the Elves left in terror because of Evanuris activity. The Elves magically sealed segments of the Deep Roads because of some unknown travesty committed by the Evanuris. The velfire message also mentioned that the "anger" the Evanuris released could destroy everything, and red lyrium "feels" angry...I think during the period when the Evanuris committed vile atrocities for the sake of power, one or more of them attempted to bend a Titan for their own ends or alter lyrium into a more potent form. Whatever was done created the red lyrium and Taint, and would explain why the Blight emerged from the Deep Roads. This would explain heretofore curious strands of unconnected lore. It would explain why the red lyrium had remained dormant, unseen by remaining underground Dwarfs and no mention of it exists in the recorded history of any race. The trauma of the event may also have something to do with why there is no mention of Titans in the Shaperate. This would also explain the Taint's presence in the Eluvians, as seen in the Dalish Elf origin story in DA:O, because they were used by the elves to travel to the Deep Roads. Some eluvians may lead to the source of the red lyrium/Taint or have themselves become corrupted over time due to contact. The virulence of the Taint is why any trace of it was probably scrubbed from collective history to the detriment of everyone. Also, note the synonymy between the magic of the Well of Sorrows and the Titan-Dwarven connection. The way the Evanuris bound followers to their will and possibly drew on their collective power is similar to the way Titan's probably exerted their whims over Dwarves. Solas, Cole, and dialogue by Valta suggest Dwarves acted as representatives of the Titans, assisting in its shaping of the earth. However, how much of this was voluntary given the intensity of the mental link? Given Dagna's comments on her brief experience, I would say not much. Dwarves were "bound" to the will of the Titan the same way drinkers at the Well of Sorrows were bound to Mythal and her priests, albeit with less vain intentions on the part of the Titans. The magical link concocted by the Evanuris might have been purposefully done to imitate the results of the Titan-Dwarf bond, with alterations to ensure a one-way mental link. In DA:II, the Primeval Thaig has elven remnants, and as of now, is the only underground source for red lyrium. The red lyrium was isolated to the thaig because 1) it was sealed off and 2) it didn't have hosts to spread through after the inhabitants died. Corypheus' machinations allowed for the red lyrium to take root in an unprecedented way and possibly helped its own schemes, as the "Whispers Written in Red Lyrium" entry indicates. If red lyrium is the "blood" of a corrupted Titan, that would explain why it has not spread with the same virulence as the Taint but exhibits similarly destructive and violent qualities. As per Solas' words, Titans have been rendered a shadow of their former glory by the elves and confined to the deepest parts of the earth. The red lyrium seems to be working to restore itself somehow by "reawakening", and this process is somehow tied to the Fade. The Taint acts as a pestilence, a manifestation in the post-Veil world of the same corrosive force (magical power (?)) that distorted red lyrium. Red lyrium is hindered in corrupting outside a specific field by the Veil and its magic limiting powers (as all Titans are since the Veil was created). The "we" referenced by the red lyrium could be the Titan speaking about itself--given its composite nature--or it could be referring to creatures that became bound to it through the unspeakable magic ritual the Evanuris performed: the Old God dragons. This would account for why Darkspawn are drawn to the sleeping Old Gods and their presence deep within the Deep Roads in difficult to reach locations. They were sealed away never to be found by the elves in a bid to hide away all traces of what the Evanuris did in the Deep Roads. Their spirits are linked to the creation of the red lyrium, and now they produce a "song" to the creatures they indirectly created and share their "blood". The ability of Titans to communicate to Dwarves may have been negatively impacted by the creation of the Veil, which would make sense since the Titans are magical beings and lyrium heightens magical prevalence and ability. Overtime, the Veil has weakened magic across Thedas and explains why, in Cole's words, everything "sings" or whispers in a barely registered tune.

[@Obsidian-Nebula]

People go to the dragon age wikia and read about the timeline and first blight, it WILL clarify few things here. There were other magisters too and they did not end up as Archdemons. After they came back from another dimension they were changed and it took them some time to go underground and build an army of sorts (first darkspawn were different than now). Something happened in that dimension, I they (magisters) caused it themselves, I'm not even sure they entered the Fade but maybe world Beyond that. After all the entered there on behalf of 7 (?) old beings/ spirits. And don't forget Solas's the Dread Wolf part in it. It's said He betrayed them and sealed them (underground?).

[@abmfire1]

I think the tevinters use a mirror of eluvian to enter the fade in their physical forum and what help them is the red lyrium because when Kieran use the mirror he's gos directly to the fade and morrigan say it takes tremendous power to do that

[@Esteria497]

I think that you were pretty spot on with this theory i agree to most if not all of it but I wanted to bring up your point about the Architect being a magister, I for one believe the Architect is a magister but one that has forgotten his past, If the stories are true and ancient Tevinter Magisters did enter the fade physically that means (if he is one) the Architect is thousands of years old and has been awake and infected with the blight all this time. Unlike Corypheus who has been in stasis for all this time when woken believes that no time has passed at all and that he has just returned from the fade thus he still has all his memories but if the Architect has been awake and blighted for all these years I believe that it would have a significant impact on his mind and led too a lose off memory, or maybe after re-entering the mortal world the shock from being physically in the fade caused him to be put into a coma and when he wakes he knows nothing and believes that he is a darkspawn because he does look like one. Now though let's talk about his appearance on the wiki it says he is an emissary that was born without the calling but he doesn't look like any emissary in the game instead sharing much in common with Corypheus who is a magister. Anyway I hope I didnt bore you with that tangent but I for one find it much more interesting than The Architect is just a Emissary who was born without the taint. P.S Keep up the great content, hope the internet sorts its self out soon. :)

[@FawtBalugaWhale]

there is a fan theory that solas the dread wolf actually split the fade and the real world apart as they were once joined together. which might change this theory quite a bit if it turns out to be true

[@evamagnusson1431]

Have you played the golems of amgarrak. You discover there are a number of different types of lyrium. This was found in the deep roads in a dwarven Tiag. The dwarves and magisters had experimented with these lyrium types to change the fade and reality around them. I'm replaying this dlc soon. It's worth playing. Very mysterious.

[@natikfire]

Honestly, I thought the lyrium idol from DA2 was one of the old gods befor it was "awakened" by darkspawn. It sung and attracted droves of darkspawn. We know that the old gods (or at least some strange dragons) or in prisoned underground, as the Architec started the fith blight.

[@Dominator046]

You make a lot of good points, and make a lot of the same deductions that I have, but - I have a few personal disagreements with the idea of Lyrium as first-cause. 1: The Red Lyrium Templars / Mages do not possess the same qualities as Corypheus, some of which are growing larger amounts of Red Lyrium. 2: The Blight in living things is contagious, and does not effect nonliving matter. If Lyrium is living, then Red Lyrium should likely spread the blight. This can produce many of the effects that you describe, but being contagious does not mean that it is the original source. 3: Everyone enters the fade in the form of dreams, save for dwarves. Only mages maintain cognitive function in their spirit forms. Lyrium (or blood magic in the Connor case) was needed to combat the demonic sway and retain complete mental faculty, not to enter it. Still, you are right, the power needed to physically enter the fade is entirely unreasonable in common amounts. 4: Broodmothers produce Darkspawn and maintain their numbers. Women that become broodmothers are 'fed' (and perhaps raped depending on interpretations). Could it be that Red Lyrium is the progenitor of this system, due to the fact that they both corrupt its host? I'm uncertain, as Red Lyrium exposure, while similar in that it is a biological process, yields much different results than mundane Blight affliction. 5: I honestly do not believe that we have any true way of determining the magic used to enter the Fade. Corypheus used the Eye of Fen'Harel (aka "the Orb" or the "Orb of Destruction" as the wiki is calling it - Eye of Fen'Harel is just my name for it, elv_OrbMythal is the name in the code) to open a portal to the Rift. We cannot see traces of Red Lyrium therein, we cannot tell if it was used in its creation, nor can we ascertain what magics it used. Such is the only magic we know of that can open and close portals into the Fade - and it involves no Red Lyrium or Blood Magic in its use, only in its creation - which far predates the First Blight. Everything else is metaphor. "I have walked in the Black City" doesn't explain how he did it. We do have the Lyrium Wells of Amgarrak, but it seems that they were both incomplete, and unpopular; similarly so, they required no red lyrium. We could probably also call into question the Time Traveling instance in DA3, particularly the sudden spread of Red Lyrium. When Red Lyrium crystals infects a place, it is not -exactly- the same as when a blight strolls through a place. Similarly, a blight passing through does not precipitate the growth of Red Lyrium shards. Though, most of that future-space is null and difficult to use for conjecture. 6: The Red Lyrium Dragon seemed to mimic the abilities of an Archdemon, yes. Though, what does that mean? They both possess the blight. It is my opinion that the Archdemon is actually more powerful. My reasoning is if the First Cause theory would be true, a dragon corrupted by Red Lyrium would be more powerful than an Archdemon, in the way that Corypheus is more powerful than regular darkspawn by virtue of being in direct contact with Red Lyrium, and not residual energy. This is not true, and while it may (perhaps - we don't truly know) be true of Red Lyrium ingested in gross amounts by humanoids, we cannot say this of Archdemons. 7: The biggest, and single most important reason I don't believe it: Blue Lyrium sings to Dwarven Miners, and that is the prime way of Lyrium prospecting Lyrium sings independently of the Blight. But wait, doesn't this make the First-Cause theory sound almost irrefutable? At first glance. The primary point that makes this not sit in my mind is that Red Lyrium and Blue Lyrium are, in fact, so similar. In a way that a hurlock looks and function similar to a human, and a genlock similarly to a dwarf. They are nearly identical in all but one way: Blue Lyrium doesn't grow in you if you eat it. You just get 100% Dead. Similar to how women are 'fed' and grow into broodmothers. It seems that this corrupting quality is a Blight intrinsic trait, not a Lyrium intrinsic trait. It sounds to me as if, like Varric's girlfriend suggests, that this Blue Lyrium has caught the blight - and is definitely spreading it. Though, it seems to me, that something is causing the Blight above the level of Red Lyrium.

[@YouKnowMe735]

Quick question (not really), but where would the Magisters have gotten red lyrium for the ritual to initially breach the fade? There was trade between the Imperium and the dwarven empire as far as i can tell, but if the ancient thaig where varric and hawk first found red lyrium was actively trading, with the vints along with the other thaigs and/or the elves, wouldn't there be red lyrium elsewhere? Or at least some sort of record/mention of it? I know the dwarves didn't keep the best records, with their memory stones, and the elves are generally vague, but the imperium might have at least jotted it down somewhere, a "hey this red lyrium is awesome but deadly!" kinda deal. On top of that, red lyrium seems to spread almost like the blight, in that it can infect people, and seems to "grow" almost uncontrollable once it gets out. Again, if the accent thaig was trading the stuff, wouldn't there be evidence of it in other dwarves thaigs and cities, or somewhere in tevinter? Just some questions, to me it seems like red lyrium is corrupted lyrium, maybe created during the ritual to breach the fade, or the magisters brought lyrium with them into the fade and it was corrupted along with them (maybe they wanted to exit the fade eventually and weren't sure if the portal would be one way, so they brought lyrium and slaves with them. This could also account for the first drakspawn, if they brought slaves for more sacrifices). This doesn't account for the ancient thaig having red lyrium, or why it was so old and bore no similarities to other dwarves thaigs, but it just seems more plausible to me. Maybe the magisters corrupted more lyrium while digging for dumat, or something along those lines? Would like to hear your thoughts on how they would have got their hands it in the first place, and great video keep up the good work!

[@chapomon]

Your idea's about red lyrium and its connect to the first breach sounds good to me considering how red lyrium has been elevated from a small plot device to source of power. I'm I wrong to say that red lyrium has been retconned from the second game? It's gone from the only red lyrium in Kirkwall being the idle and the small piece that Bartren took from it to every Templar in Kirkwall was taking it and that's why everyone in Kirkwall goes crazy. Though it seems that your hypothesis is where BioWare is going with the blight, you're also right that BioWare can (and probably will) retcon this direction at anytime.

[@stevenmacgillivray6553]

I see/think that red lyrium as some kind of "prototype" of the blight

[@omened888]

So listen I have an idea so red lyrium is super powerful right? Say they gather as much as they can to get into the fade? Made some sort of mistake in the spell and the red lyrium backfired on them basically "cursing" them either when they got out of the fade or immediately or they somehow knew how to change themselves into that form and purposely did so to gain more power for what they wanted to do?

[@TheFolkUtopia]

I've never been to keen on the idea that red lyrium is some ancient thing. If the theory stands that the Magisters needed a huge amount of "fuel" to enter the Golden City then like most mages they would need lyrium; of the blue variety. Let's think of red lyrium now as fuel. Let's say the Magisters, Corepheus in particular, modified regular lyrium to grow as he is the Conductor in Legacy, then the resulting growing lyrium may or may not have been within their control. An Architect like the one in Awakenings would be be more readily explained. Several men aspired to accomplish a feat without the means. They fueled their endeavors ignorant of their effect and tainted their results. Fuel is not only the effect but the metaphor for the driving force behind their guilt, greed and now unwillingness to admit fault. The Architect looking to solve the issue he created. Corepheus looking to raise himself to godhood to absolve himself.

[@TheFolkUtopia]

Think of lyrium as corn. Fossil fuel to ethanol. Manipulate the corn to make it a greater resource for fuel and raise it above it's limits for needs beyond it's current ability. Great video BTW.

[@XxTaiMTxX]

I actually wondered two things. Is the Black City maybe a forgotten Dwarven Thaig from before the veil was constructed? Or, was maybe the Black City the lost elven city that was sealed beyond the Fade because it was too corrupted and too dangerous to let it fester out in the open where it could consume elves? Either way, I suspect Solas knows the answer and is ashamed to tell us.

[@mimic1011]

I like this theory for the most part but it seems like you're removing any possibility of this being spiritually and/or maker influenced. I think with this subject and just the existence of the fade, completely removing that aspect might me a miscalculation. That might just be where my mind wonders. More on the subject as to how the fade was cracked and red lyrium... I agree with most of what you said still I think that Cor's connection with it is mysterious. If he was the first dark spawn where do the next come from. And why aren't they more like him. His control through red lyrium also brings up more questions if it predates him. Why don't all dark spawn have it growing out of them.... I could go on and on

[@RobC9562]

I have no idea what you are talking about Marcus, but seems really cool!

[@mimic1011]

Lol. It's a channel i subscribe to on KZbin. A theory about a game I play

[@RobC9562]

I watched some of the vid, pretty intense

[@mimic1011]

Lol

[@Caesius1208]

+Marcus Scott Thing is, Bioware has one key law they vowed to follow; they would NEVER deny or confirm the existence of the maker. Therefore, any and all theories that are based on the maker's existence (or theories that completely prove that he does not exist) are false. As to why darkspawn do not have it growing out of them, red lyrium carries the blight; it is not necessarily corrupted; it does not say that anywhere. Red lyrium is created by blight magic, and carries the blight as such, but does not necessarily blight something itself; red lyrium does not create darkspawn at all, following this logic. If one were to extract what's inside of it, then yes, but otherwise, it would not. It would merely have the same effect Lyrium has, just ...deadlier. Or better, depending on your point of view. For example; red lyrium can be controlled, like Lyrium, and can be used to animate things (again, like lyrium: think golems); statues (think of Meredith) or a dragon (think of Cory's pet).

[@DarkVampire1988]

I now how Corypheus get on the fade rhe first time a small amount of red lyrium , the orb and blood sacrifice because why would he sacrifice the divine to get into the fade

[@revanchist1776]

Your argument is well thought through, but I'm inclined to disagree. I always felt like the red lyrium growing out of the elder one was something he used to increase his own power, similar to his Templar general. It makes sense that the effects of red Lryium would have some similar side effects of the blight, as its blighted lyrium. The ancient dwarven ruins could be over run with lyrium which was later corrupted. Personally I think that the black city is arlathan, and the maker a spirit of some kind in the fade. When the Tevinter magisters invaded the fade something corrupted them, something elven. Ultimately I feel red Lryium is what it is, corrupted lyrium

[@logical-functionsmodel9364]

Correlation does not equal causation, which is my biggest problem with the theory as I understand it. I thought Corypheus doesn't have red lyrium in Dragon Age 2.... Anyway, there is something with the Titans and lyrium. I heard one theory state that once the blight is gone the Titans will return. Personally, the idea of a maker seems too simple to me. I would think that the gods are trapped in there, (the heavens would be my guess.) Going back to the previous theory, I would say that the Titans are the gods trapped in the depths, (both by Fen'Harel.) What do you think?

[@StarduskLP]

[@BelieveIt1051]

So what if the thaig or even the idol are ancient? Perhaps the idol was regular lyrium for ages until darkspawn finally reached the thaig and corrupted it. Also, Corypheus was not corrupted until after breaching the Golden City, so he couldn't have been using red lyrium then. I don't think Corypheus knew about red lyrium until after meeting Bianca. If he always had known about it, then he would have had it growing out of him when Hawke released him.

[@Caesius1208]

+BelieveIt1051 Thing is, if darkspawn could so easily corrupt lyrium, it would be -everywhere- in the deep roads, and it would have been discovered sooner. Sure, the deep roads are not ventured into lightly, nor often, but someone would have noticed in the hundreds of years since the first blight. I doubt Red Lyrium is corrupted by darkspawn for that reason; it is said red lyrium -carries- the blight, not that it is necessarily corrupted by it.

[@BelieveIt1051]

I'm sure it's more than having tainted blood hit raw lyrium, sure, but what is stated by Bianca and now in Descent, they make it seem like lyrium is a living organism that can become tainted just that easily. It could be that corrupting raw lyrium takes concentrated blight magic to finally make it turn, since raw lyrium is supposed to be able to destroy bodily tissue. So I don't understand how tainted blood would stand a chance of corrupting raw lyrium on contact. But BioWare seems to be rewriting lore recently, so it could go either way.

[@FawtBalugaWhale]

cory couldnt have used the red lyrium to enter the fade, or if he did that doesnt explain why its growing out of him. You fight/see him in dragon age 2 and he didnt have red lyrium growing out of him. so unless they retconned that out. so if he is involved with re lyrium at all i dont think the connection you're looking for involving cory entering the fade isnt red lyrium.

[@StarduskLP]

FawtBalugaWhale He has minerals growing out of him; I am sure it was a retcon, meaning that was meant to be red lyrium.

[@FawtBalugaWhale]

that is a very good idea. i have a feeling they werent quite sure if they were going to have red lyrium be a big plot thing until after cory was already introduced. there are some very good theories out there man about where the game might be going or other things that are related to this. i DO thing that the red lyrium is the source of the blight as stated in the video but i dont know if it was used in a ritual to enter the fade physically but i saw other people saying stuff about that on bioware forums so maybe that is true. will have to do some investigating

[@rollercosterrr]

StarduskLP Lore mentions that the overuse of Lyrium disfigures the body. I thought that Corypheus in DA2 had something like "depleted" or just good ol' Lyrium deposits. His stasis for so long may have slowed or halted the corruption of this Lyrium, but he was a darkspawn already so that could possibly be wrong.

[@MrRevolutionMars]

Hey what happened to the enchantment dwarf ?

[@ColossalSwordFormAndTechnique]

Red lyrium has the blight. It is alive somehow 🤷 Lyrium is the blood of titans. So red lyrium is blighted titan blood? 🤷

[@bluecliff03]

Personally, I don't like red lyrium at all, and I don't like the "entering the fade physically" thing either. The later even more so. It's too materialistic. I thought that the fade was just the realm of dreams, and we don't know, what dreams are made of (to paraphrase Shakespeare badly) If the fade is made of "matter," or "body-stuff" (whatever that means), then what's the difference between the fade when you are there in your dreams, and the time you enter it bodily? Are there TWO fades?

[@BartimaeusTrilogyFan]

Perception? Magical distortion? In a way there are two - dreamers see the Fade differently than the reality if I remember correctly. What they think, believe, effects the way they see what is around them, but not necessarily what exists there. Still, it all depends on what the Fade actually is. Imagination? The Fade seems, to me at least, to be another aspect of reality, originally another force in the world. Solas mentions quite a time before the Veil, when the Fade was part of the living world. I believe in the comics Yavanna mentions this era as well. So I would assume this would lead to at least some sort of physical interaction, strange as it may have been. But! Worth pondering, that.

[@Nerien]

If you have sided with the templars, you will get a side quest to visit a shrine to Dumat that Corypheus wants to hide from Calpernia. Spoilers will follow Inside the temple you will find memory cristals that preserved corypheus thoughts and I paraphrase them: "Awake, in a world twisted into perversion and ruin. Awake, only to discover the light of wisdom has gone black. Samson has failed, but Calpernia stands ready. Did the others never return from the Black City? There is no record even of our names! We are vilified by legend. They spit on our deeds and claim we brought darkness into the world. We discovered the darkness. We claimed it as our own, let it permeate our being. If the others have not returned, they are lost. I am alone in my glory. A slave girl who burned with potential, ignored by all save myself. Her master did not see it. No one saw it. This world has gone craven and blind. The Anchor is gone, taken by a mage of lesser gifts. I shall descend on this Haven with fire and fury and take it back. Let us see what manner of "Herald" this age has bred. Calpernia prepares to set foot in the place where regret dwells, to bring it into the light. She cannot know what must be done, cannot understand. In time, she will forgive. How does this age stand such desolation? They sing to a "Maker" who answers no prayers. Once I have ascended, I will be their answer. I will be their Light." So the part where he says that he discovered the darkness, clearly shows that he was yet to find the blight so he didn't knew about the red lyrium or he would know what the darkness was.

[@StarduskLP]

I had heard about this, in subsequent playthroughs I plan on being more meticulous about this things.

[@Nerien]

***** But I never tried to explain the facts you point out, only to say that the fact that Corypheus may had used the red lyrium to get into the golden city, may not be right with proof from Corypheus himself. Also, he was despaired in the end of the fight, trying to find a way to turn the fight into his favor, why wouldn't he try to pray to his source of knowlogde for something that could help him? It would be weird if he invocaded the Maker instead. So what would be the right? Him putting his thoughts down in a calm manner or his enraged shouts in the middle of a fight with his life hanging on a thread?

[@bekenotsalony2905]

Has the dlc changed your stance on this at all?

[@StarduskLP]

+Beke Notsalony Plan on making a video on it when I am done.

[@bekenotsalony2905]

StarduskLP cool. I look forwards to it. This was a rather well thought out and insightful theory video and I rather love the way you thought things out. I wont spoil anything for you. Hope you enjoy all the delicious lore they throw at us.