Red Lyrium and The Idol {Lore - Spoilers All}

[@dpme3fan193]

If you bring Anders with you when you confront Bartrend, he mentions that if Barttrend was not a dwarf, he'd swear that he'd think Bartrend was possessed.

[@SwofTube]

If Sandal can neutralize the red lyrium idol, does that mean... Sandal can cure the blight? Apparently Sandal is the answer to everything.

[@Jukajobs]

maybe he can't cure it but can make it stop spreading to other things?

[@SwofTube]

@@Jukajobs I wonder if Sandal is somehow connected to a titan. Perhaps this allows him to cleanse lyrium of the taint in the way that ancient dwarves would cleanse the Stone of the gangue, the "corruption as old as balance." dragonage.fandom.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_The_Gangue_Shade

[@depoittier]

Enchantment!!

[@phustus7398]

That's why Solas had to get him out of Thedas

[@Davidofthelost]

Pray to our Lord and Savior Sandal.

[@FrankWestbank3040]

You said something about not knowing for sure where the lyrium came from at the temple of sacred ashes. The idea that it was already there and got tainted in the explosion makes the most sense to me because if you take Oghren with you to the temple in DAO he will say something about sensing a lot of lyrium in the walls and how that might have something to with why the temple was so well preserved.

[@ShoppingAttic]

Ooh good point!

[@smefgrimstae7845]

the Black City is tainted, afterall. I don't think its too far a stretch to say it messed with the temple's lyrium.

[@elric6]

Two other things to note; The temple was built into the mountain, so the lyrium being present in the walls definitely makes sense with that in mind. The other, and this may have just been a case of reusing assets, but when you fight Corypheus and he pulls the temple into the sky, some of the flooring breaks away to reveal elven mosaics underneath. So the temple of Sacred Ashes may have been made in addition to something that was previously there already.

[@teresamorrow2459]

I believe the red lyrium at the temple was from Corypheus blood from the explosion. As in the mage quest where blood spreads the red lyrium. Also, the mosaic reminded me of of the elven mosaics at the Temple of Mythal.

[@teresamorrow2459]

Could the idol have been a seal holding the red lyrium back from spreading? And removing it caused it to spread? Could the old gods really be seals holding the blight back? Once they are dead the blight is released in full? Maybe holding back what the elves found deep in the earth?

[@Nehelenia3000]

Fiona had been cured from the Blight so maybe that’s why she’s reacting differently

[@joshhood7624]

Not just cured but innoculated. She physically cannot contract the taint.

[@CloudSato]

Because she was able to create life yet being someone who had the taint in their blood, maybe?

[@MrHaVoKeR]

i always kill my fiona because i want that sweet sweet enhanced amulet of barrier (which i then dupe in skyhold so both my inquisitor and bull can use it, otherwise bull just dies all the time even with the best gears)

[@deansheets]

@@MrHaVoKeR reavers in general

[@MrHaVoKeR]

@@deansheets yup, oplaying on nightmare with nightmare enhanced mods (heartbreaker new abilities mod, check it out!) and almost all trials enabled is a pain on high levels

[@joshhood7624]

Fiona is immune to the Blight. She can't undergo the joining and rejoin the Grey Wardens. Maybe that's why she's not as affected as much by the Red Lyrium.

[@sarij3950]

KZbin apparently thinks Ghil makes Dark Souls videos.

[@jashawnthornton7562]

on a few different videos, It either thinks she's talking about Dark Souls, or Skyrim lol

[@ducky36F]

@@jashawnthornton7562 it seems to guess anything but Dragon Age 😂

[@highlordlaughterofcanada8685]

bruh

[@joshuabutler2334]

19:26 don't we find Daniel in the middle of getting possessed? He makes a statement about it and Cassandra says its impossible before Daniel explains that the Lord Seeker made them eat red lyrium. If I'm remembering this correctly then the red lyrium's properties were just used to either weaken, counteract, or modify seeker abilities to the point that they can be possessed. Regardless determining actual symptoms for anyone would be difficult as most of your followers except for Blackwall, Varric, and Sera are supernatural in someway or another. Meanwhile, Leliana was tortured or had some immunity so she's a special case (and possibly supernatural in her own right)

[@Vespiria67]

My thought was that the idol depicts the corruption of Andruil.

[@jaspr1999]

My oncologist and I have talked a LOT about Dragon Age and the Blight and how it relates to red lyrium. We both kind of see the Titans Blood infected with a cancer type growth as cancer can and does exactly what red lyrium does, complete with outside the body tumors and can corrupt cells in a new host if implanted. One of two possibilities we came up with are: One: When Mythal killed a Titan, the magic she used to do it somehow corrupted it or the dead body of the Titan just decomposes that way. Or Two: Solas created the veil and the TItans were suddenly without all of themselves to connect with the Sky above (sky gods?) Very bad for a mountain-sized entity.

[@chrissyce5613]

DAI lets you know if you keep the baby dragon eggs that dragons form hard cysts around the blighted cells to keep them from growing any further so the blight being like cancer seems to fit well.

[@sriley064]

Good luck fighting cancer broski,i wish you the best

[@jaspr1999]

@@sriley064 - Thank you Shane. At the moment, I'm three years cancer free. I still have to go in to get checked but so far so good! Besides, my oncologist is a massive gamer so the visits are a LOT more fun than they used to be.

[@NeoAstrisk]

Crazy how fucking spot on you were.

[@Anna-ty7gg]

Wild theory here. We know that Andruil went into the Void and came back crazy. What if she came back... tainted? We also know that Mythal (in the shape of a serpent!) fought her and drew the knowledge of how to find the Void from Andruil's mind. What if Mythal created the idol as a way to contain Andruil's madness (blight) and pulled the taint from Andruil into the idol? It would be logical to hide it somewhere, lock it up and magic the sh*t out of the place - why not hide it under ground? The idol predates dwarven thaighs, meaning this all could've happened long before the war drove dwarves under the surface. Magic wards could've been damaged or destroyed by Mythal's demise, or slowly fading in power post Veil creation. Then - boom - our dear friend Hawke waltzes in and unleashes the power. Tell me I'm crazy, please :D

[@amberpelton5679]

I had a very similar thought too! But that the titan that Mythal killed. As a defensive mechanism it became blighted so that it would poison anyone who used it. By poison, I mean blighted. A big F you to the elves that killed it.

[@Doomware]

It is made of both Blight and Lyrium, which have both been connected with Void in lore, so a nice possibility.

[@bossked1563]

And all that is before Solas created the Veil, and the magisters said they found the City black already. So what if the Golden City was the seat of the elven gods, got blighted by the Void that Andruil brought and Mythal tried to contain, and the Veil was to keep the Blight far away from Thedas (because Fen'Harel also betrayed the Forgotten Ones)? So the magisters enter the City, get blighted, are cast out, and now the Blight has entered the world. And since the Veil hasn't done it's job (either in freeing the elves or containing the Blight), Solas sees no good reason to keep it up? Or to counter OP, perhaps the idol was made as a vessel to actually DRAW the Blight across the Veil, as part of Forgotten One's worship.

[@kalebb1226]

Boomy you're a mad genius.

[@Doomin-c2m]

I think it's pretty clear that the red templars are hearing the call of the old gods like the darkspawn do. They are classified as ghouls, the thing people turn into when exposed to darkspawn blood. Also Cole says they hear "old whispers" who want a "door opened". The old gods tricked the magisters into breaching the veil, and the darkspawn also hear the whispers of the old gods.

[@williamballard767]

I was playing DA2 for the umpteenth time and I just handed Merrill the sylvanwood ring and she tells the story about the Creators downfall. In the story, Fen’Harel tells the creators that the Forbidden Gods have a blade that would end the war. Fen’Harel also tells the Forbidden Ones that the Creators have a blade that would end the war. The comics say that the Red Lyrium Idol can turn into a blade. Was the Red Lyrium Idol the same blade that the Dalish (Merrill) reference in their stories?

[@BlackXSunlight]

Mythal is commonly referred to as a mother. What if the known gods of the Evanuris are not her only children, just the mostly-victorious faction of them? What if the idol depicts her hugging symbolic versions of both groups of children, the Evanuris and the Forgotten Ones, trapped behind the Veil on both sides, both of them missing limbs to represent their powers severely reduced?

[@Heartless-Sage]

I am convinced that the Blight comes from the Evenuris trying to escape the Fade, the whispers that want the ancient door opened. I think the Magisters found the spirits of the Evenuris and they infected them with the blight as a way of influencing the physical world.

[@Arimi1992]

But would red lyrium mean blighted titans exist and therefore only dwarfs here the whispers of the red lyrium?

[@NehnBellanaris]

Hey Caitie! Thankx for the shout out (more or less). I was the one who posted the comment about Varric and the Inquisitor talking about Meredith's statue still being in the Gallows. One thing I had forgotten about (at the time) was that Varric and Blackwall also have a companion chat about that as well. Blackwall: Is it true, that Kirkwall's Knight Commander turned into a statue? Varric: Absolutely true. She's still there. Bring an extra dose of horror to Gallows tourists. Blackwall: And they haven't moved it...I mean her? Varric: And make it impossible for kids to play 'who's brave enough to poke Meredith'? Blackwall: They don't actually do that, do they? Varric: No. No ones brave enough to poke Meredith. Here's the conversation between Varric and the Inquisitor. Inquisitor: What makes it so special? Varric: Regular Lyrium can mess you up pretty badly, But you have to ingest it for that to happen. Red Lyrium messes with your mind when your just standing near the stuff. You hearing singing, get violent, paranoid. And then it does creepy shit. Makes things float. Brings statues to life. It also turned Kirkwall's Knight-Commander to Lyrium. Everybody's been kept at least a hundred paces away from it since.

[@GhilDirthalen]

Ohhh my gosh!!! You don’t know how long I looked for your comment, haha. I honestly wanted to show a picture of it but it got lost in the weeds ;u; also thanks for posting the other banter!

[@NehnBellanaris]

@@GhilDirthalen Sure, np. :D

[@NehnBellanaris]

@@GhilDirthalen One other thing that I thought of, but forget to mention. While watching your video again, for the fourth/fifth? time, (What can I say, still loving the shout out.) If you think of Red Lyrium in the terms of germs, it reacting differently in different temperatures, make a lot more sense. (This is all thankx to the fact that my Father use to work in a hospital.) Germs also act different in different temperatures. They're more active, and spread quicker in warmer temperatures, and move slower, or even become dormant, in cold temperatures. Hence why hospitals keep their operating rooms cold.

[@FlashLoveSyndrome]

Just a passing thought: What if the red lyrium idol is carved from a blighted titan's heart? It might explain why it's got weird powers and how it creates more red lyrium.

[@nieldoenn711]

for the statue in real life, little bits are usually the ones that get damaged first( ears, fingers, arms, legs and details)

[@SwofTube]

Yes, the missing limbs could very well be normal wear-and-tear on an ancient artifact -- just a tactic used by the developers to make it look more realistic.

[@TheKingdomEntertainment]

About the red lyrium at the Temple of Sacred Ashes: Solas "speculates" Corypheus's magic drew on the lyrium beneath the temple and corrupted it. I interpret this as Corypheus drawing power from the lyrium, and that connection tainted it. But this is Solas, so we should take that with a grain of salt. That's just what I believe. As for the red templars, I suspect they changed because their bodies had already been changed by regular lyrium, as Cole explains. So red lyrium not only grows on them, but gives them powers. While others just sort of grow it and then that's it. But again, just my interpretation

[@DewelynC]

Okay first, I can't believe Dread Wolf Rises was in 2018. What is time. Second, very good video again, Catie! Your videos are always so well done and enjoyable to watch!

[@Deilmo_]

I just want to add that the sarcophagus reminds me a lot of the depiction of an unknown character in the first trailer of DA4. Some kind of figure on a mural who was a head shaped like the sarcophagus in a kind of moon crescent shape. Similarly, the most recent trailer we had has a "fade gate" with a similar symbol. (I'm talking about the dome shaped things we see in the very beginning with bunch of different symbols, which all vanishes when it says Solas created the Veil) If we are to assume those fade gates in the new trailer are symbols of the evanuris then the sarcophagus would've been linked to that same moon crescent figure. Seeing the kind of powers this sarcophagus gave to both Fenris and the red lyrium infused elf in the comics and that red lyrium might be linked to the forgotten ones, maybe this was how the evanuris and forgotten ones made their soldiers and how both sides waged their wars among each other. Cause those magical markings are different from the markings the ancient elves had at the temple of Mythal

[@ryanmckannan2134]

Not related to the video content, but I love the VHS effect on the edits and cuts.

[@justthemoon6145]

Since the release of the idol's concept art, I can't help but see Andruil in that central figure. She was presumably connected to the Red Lyrium or/and the Blight, there was a lurking snake in her tale, Solas told us about her being a sacrifice goddess (hence the half-dead figures she's clenching to) and we know from several myths that she had some ties to Gillanain who was the goddess of monsters (hence the monster... hm... hole). So... Maybe idol somehow connected to her? Could it be the place where Mythal kept that Void she took from Andruil (it could explain why Solas knew what and where it was, he obviously has some kind of connection to Mythal)? Could it contain a piece of her same to one of Mythal's that Hawk carried to Kirkwall? P. S. It seems to me that on the concept art central figure has pointy ears

[@blueboy7469]

I don't know what about it but the theory that the Forgotten Ones are the figures really speak to me and interest me. edit: forgot to finish the sentence lol

[@ridesq]

I love these videos and her voice. As an aside, there are interesting parallels between red lyrium and reaper artifacts.

[@74redline]

Just had a thought and decided to post it in the comments of a 2yr old video😅 I think the Red Lyrium Idol might be showing the creation of Solas. The female figure being Mythal, the circle being the fade. In this case the image would be of Mythal reaching through the fade creating a body for the spirit of wisdom that was Solas. I could put a bunch of quotes from Cole about Solas but I don't have the time haha Also Solas said the idol was His. Perhaps it is showing him and Mythal. I have always wondered why bioware seems to have been pushing that other characters in game have continued to only describe the idol as being two figures. I have no idea where the red Lyrium comes into play with the idol, maybe Mythal used the idol to strip the void from Andrul and her knowledge of where to find it? Blight? The creation of Blighted Lyrium Idol? I really hope Catie starts posting again haha😅

[@ICommentCuzILike]

15:52 "was this just bits of corypheus' face??" laughed so hard XD

[@daanvanderloon5032]

Maybe the two male figures are actually the same one person, one his physical form and the other his spirit, which the female reaches through the fade? Also it could possibly be Dirthamen an Falon'Din since they are sometimes theorized to be two sides of the same person, or one is the 'shadow' to the other, although that is a bit far-fetched I admit. I really liked your theory on them being the forgotten ones and their connection to red lyrium. Good video keep up the good work!

[@azalrou1305]

The seeker that died in Cassandra's personal quest was also possessed by a demon if I remember right, which seekers are also immune to demonic possession if I remember right of course.

[@absollum]

I just got done with that quest, and from what he said, the seeker had to be force feed stuff. He never specifies what he was forced to consume, but it allowed them to put a demon in him.

[@thirdcoastfirebird]

Great video, and I love the use of a 1980s VCR affect. It fits the vid.

[@virabelasan7565]

The Dragon Age Lore Master strikes again! Thanks Caitie!

[@damvid21]

It looks to me like the ears may have been changed to be slightly more pointed on the updated idol model, and the rear male actually has ears on the new one.

[@HigherMammal]

About to unpack into my new apt and this vid drops. Outstanding timing. Praise Andraste.

[@B0OBIES]

Congrats on the apt ‼️

[@diego-dias]

hey Ghil, do you have any theories on the "Thing in the Dark" landmark in the Western Approach? It seems so out of place. Just an old Tevinter idol? The ominous description seems to hint at some lore significance.

[@Animefreakess]

Why is Leliana forgotten? She literally could not get the blight nor was tainted by red lyrium? Also I like to think of the idol as a bastardisation of Andraste. I mean it can be argued that the figure in the back is her betrayer that she still holds for. She was a mother so the sagging breasts and pronounced nipples are reminiscent of a mother breastfeeding. The figure in the front could be an analogy of the humanoid people she "saved" and the Serpent could be the Maker. Circles as well as the figure 8 were usually used as signs of infinity and the birth life and death cycle of most races... Which the elves are very much a part of now... But it's just a theory. (And yes, the timeline of Andraste might not match but she is a mythological figure at this point so could be several other mythological people rolled into one. Time is not a reliable narrator.)

[@ghostofdurruti]

Pure speculation here, but what if the idol was what the Evanuris used to kill the Titan(s)? We know that they were able to kill at least one of them, but we don't actually know how. Maybe they developed the Blight as a kind of biological weapon and created a lyrium object infected with it to smuggle into the Titan's bloodstream and kill it, only discovering later that the Titan's death didn't mark the end of the infection...

[@aristarchossamios5041]

There is an inscription in the Oasis Temple which might be related to the Idol; it reads: "Faintly carved into the stone is a figure bound in chains. Two other figures have turned their gaze from the central image".

[@OrionJA]

The Oasis temple also has an inscription attributed to Geldauran, so this could tie in to a Forgotten Ones theory.

[@misterlemons111]

i love the editing of the video, also I just wanted to say in general in hushed whispers is wonky and maybe we don't have to look very closely at the details but from what I saw Fiona is in pain, she can barely speak and can't move, it's weird but kinda proves that red lyrium hurts. Also forgot to mention that maybe she ingested red lyrium and the others were expose to red lyrium for a year, maximum, so a long time and sort could make sense that Cassandra is sick, we know it doesn't affect seekers but red lyrium is really powerful and we don't know exactly how it works.

[@mabeljackson]

it's seems elf are magical in nature, so they can bare red lyrium more than others. If there are Red Lyrium Warriors in ancient time, it should be elf

[@gannumedes71]

For an asset that was never intended to be looked at so closely, it is still pretty detailed. The idol doesn't feature much at all but there are details there that clearly had a lot of effort put into them... I don't think the ears being rounded were an accident. This also follows that trend of elven spirits using human models. It makes me wonder if maybe elves used to look like humans? Or... something? This round ear thing is pretty frequent so idk. I'm also not super in the fandom or aware of what other people speculate, but is it possible that elves looked like humans and the splitting of the veil from the world created humans as well? Maybe by splitting them from what is now the modern day elf? Isn't the implication that elves used to be spirits that gave themselves form? In that case is Cole more or less the same? He also appears human. I might be just... speculating to the wind and all of that is incorrect but the usage of human assets to depict elves that are ancient or dead is just prevalent enough that it feels... intentional. Everyone free to ignore me entirely, I probably don't know what I'm talking about lol. Deadass talking out my ass here.

[@clindsell6111]

when I think about the idol its reminds me of dagna's description of the anchor being a key or a switch idk why. however given what we know about kirkwall being the setting for some sort of massive blood magic ritual, lyrium being connected to the fade and imperium magisters it wouldn't surprise me if it was another attempt to bridge the gap so to speak. which doesnt rule out the idol belonging to solus because somehow coryphyshits got the orb of baldness. also just speculation but how do you fight immortal beings as an immortal being if you cant permanently kill them. corrupt them then lock them away.

[@Jinisinsane]

If lyrium is titan blood then arent all mages just doing blood magic?

[@SwofTube]

The "monster vagina" aspect of the idol could be a wounded heart (perhaps that of a titan... or a dragon?). It's shaped like a heart, and the veins of red lyrium dangling from it enhance the cardio-vascular imagery.

[@annaarmstrong4614]

Okay so I have a pretty nutty theory as to why Samson's armor protected him so well so he wasn't affected by the red lyrium as much as the other templars. I'm thinking that Maddox, knowing that red lyrium messes people up so badly, as well as the fact that red lyrium is blighted lyrium, enchanted Samson's armor using some sort of rune or whatever whose properties were based on the same type of magic that Gereon Alexius was using to try to save his son Felix from the blight corruption. It wouldn't be a perfect solution as Samson was still reliant on red lyrium, and even Felix was looking very worse for wear in the dark Redcliffe future, but to Maddox, a temporary fix was better than risking his friend Samson turning into a red lyrium monster.

[@nofacespirit2516]

About the idol , that cord like extension behind the female figure the one that looks like a tail , it's actually a tail not hers but it's the snake's tail the one wrapped around circle thing , another detail worth mentioning is that the female figure in middle kinda posing identical to petrified meredith , she is on that monster portal and her legs does not passing through while the other two are coming out of it

[@Pink_Sinthetic]

The red lyrium growths and the beating smoke really gave me under water vibes, like sea anemones. It wouldn't be the first time we drained a body of water to do something with an area previously beneath the depths. Heck, I'm getting very used to it in my games. But I do like how much watery stuff seems to be at play in general. Dragon Age always did need a painfully complicated water temple.

[@casemoon968]

I would be interested in seeing a video about your world state. The decisions you made throughout the series. Or maybe you could upload your dragon age keep.

[@Lucky_D3]

My random theory: the idol is what Andruil used to go where the blight was. Its a key of red lyruim to open the world of the blight maybe?

[@set9034]

I feel like another source of the red lyrium we saw in Inquisition might have been from the rifts. One thing that was particularly concerning when we were physically in the Fade was the amount of red lyrium present in both the Nightmare's domain and the area where we can potentially see Flemeth. Those are pretty much the first occasions we're physically in the Fade and we don't see any blue lyrium anywhere in these areas? So what if when the Conclave exploded, the rifts just happened to force some red lyrium pieces or an even more concerning thought, the blighted energy emitting from them, through on the other side where they opened at least in regards to Temple of Sacred Ashes anyway. If red lyrium is physically in the Fade and its capable of making it easier for demons to push through into the Waking world I have to wonder if an additional reason why the Veil is so weak in certain areas is that these nodes of red lyrium are on the other side rotting away, or just keeping it perpetually weak in the area that corresponds with it in the real world, the barrier albeit very slowly. Also, I have doubts that the painting that looks like a black templar is a modern telling of the destruction of the Dales, at least not originally, given that it does appear in the old hideout tower in Trespasser and quite ominously at that. It seems more likely that the elves of the Dales would have simply kept that imagery around either because they were aware that it was at one point culturally relevant to their people and/or saw the similarities between the black armor and the Templars and just interpreted it as a reminder of vigilance against the Templars or generally symbolize humanity at their borders. Or perhaps it's one of the few pieces of imagery they actually interpreted as being representative of the Forgotten Ones which if they are humans then there's not much of a difference.

[@Jukajobs]

maybe the two figures around the (probably) female figure are supposed to be the same person, but split in two, one of them being the part that's in the fade and the other one being in the "regular world", with the circle maybe being the veil. it could reference the creation of the veil.

[@rustyschackleford4762]

Varric mentions that they move the statue after you clear the red templars out of Sardia Quarry and figure out how to properly handle red lyrium

[@FaradornTardis]

... Is it possible the idol depicts the birth of the blight itself? There's almost broodmothery vibes about the central figure and the other figures look pretty similar to hurlocks...

[@MildlyBasic]

I feel like the two matching figures could be the representation of the splitting of a soul and the Red Lyrium Idol affects people differently than regular red lyrium because it has a soul, like maybe it collects souls? Maybe it just has one soul and is able to tear people souls from them and send them wherever? Maybe it’s a piece of Mythals soul when she killed the titan and it’s like a vessel? Also: If that we’re the case it would possibly mean it’s sentient and can corrupt by an agenda?

[@palwilhelmsen]

I do not mind reused content. Going forward, you have no way around it. All you can do is chosing how you dress it up. Be open about it, remove outdated content, add new content and amendments, and it is okay. Great video, thank you.

[@cookieluver2323]

Red lyrium is definitely feeling like an alagory for radiation.

[@ICommentCuzILike]

i assumed valdasine was one of the weapons andruil crafted from the void--metal with the characteristics of lyrium

[@Wadser]

It looks to me like the central female figure is absorbing the two outer male figures. Which is why it looks more fleshy and the outer figures are skeletal.

[@JEEPER7788]

It seems very plausible the idol is the "orb" of the blighted titan, containing within the banished forgotten ones, whom lived inside the void. It is already theorized the Elven Orbs could be the hearts of defeated Titans. It would also somewhat explain Solas whispering to the idol.

[@jarettJD]

There is lyrium underneath the Temple of Sacred Ashes even before Corypheus. Back in DA: Origins if you take Oghren through the temple he remarks how he can feel it singing to him. This would probably explain how the guardians or shades exist since the veil is so thin with so much raw lyrium nearby. Corypheus presence may have corrupted the lyrium and the anchor when it was activated may have accelerated its growth.

[@talkusbloodeye4624]

If the female reaching through the halo does represent reaching through the fade then could the two male figures be the same figure. I.e. the same way Cole manifested himself and since it's the presence of and the passing through the veil that drives spirits insane then this procedure of helping a spirit manifest could have been quite common and the dwarven thaig could have been the location where the procedure was preformed or at least related to it.

[@Nehelenia3000]

Oh good theory. Never thought about it like this

[@tinaswafford1985]

Interesting! And is it then possibly a depiction of when Mythal pulled Solas through when he was a Spirit of Wisdom?

[@talkusbloodeye4624]

@@tinaswafford1985 Maybe. It's possible although the timeline of event from back then is dodgy so no way to know if the idol is older or younger than Solas but I did consider it. Still that's the fun thing about theory so long as it can't be disproven then it's a legitimate theory even if it later turns out to be wrong.

[@Jukajobs]

yeah, i thought so two, it made me think that maybe it's showing the moment the veil was created, splitting everyone into basically a fade version and a regular waking world version of themselves

[@impossibleagent3663]

@@tinaswafford1985if this is so, then it’s interesting that both the figures seem to be touched by the female figure on the right brow. Is that where “he burned her off of his face”

[@pensador6953]

I think the idol didn't corrupted bartrand, at least not entirely, so much as it injected an impulse in him, an a idea that was already there, but that he could resist, a fleeting thought, and made it more potent, of course after he touched it the effect became more potent, and te corruption more pronounced, plus you have to remember, it is lyrium, the dwarves have a special connection with lyrium, makes sense that it would be able to do things to dwarves that would not be possible otherwise.

[@AccidentalNinja]

I have two possible explanations for how the rounded ears on the idol could still be human. I think visions are a thing in Dragon Age, so perhaps whoever made the idol had a vision of a human figure in about that position. As it was likely to be an elf who made it & might never have seen a human, the ears would've been distinctive. Another possibility is that time travel is possible in Thedas, so perhaps whoever made the idol traveled through time & saw humans. Admittedly I don't like the possibility of a time loop where red lyrium from the future is the origin of red lyrium in the past. Another thought is that dwarves also have rounded ears, so perhaps the idol is a depiction of a dwarf, though I admit the figure doesn't look as robust as I'd think a dwarf would be.

[@darthcarrots2581]

Theory: what if the explosion of the Kirkwall chantry was actually fulfilling a ritual to help wake Fen’Harel? If the idol is related to him in some way, then perhaps his influence through the idol made some kind of energy possible for him to awaken

[@chrisprose]

You make mention of Vivienne, Solas and Fiona being the only mages we see affected by red lyrium. However, if you have Dorian with you in Emprise du Lion, he will say in a random comment as you're walking amongst the red lyrium that it's giving him a headache. When he does that, as part of me RP-ing, I take him back to camp and send him back to Skyhold and fill his spot with another party member since I don't want it negatively impacting him any further. Also - how did it come to pass that people believe all red lyrium stems from the idol Hawke and Co found in DA2? If red lyrium is blue lyrium that has the blight, wouldn't any darkspawn touching any lyrium give it the blight? And don't darkspawn live underground where lyrium is? I suspect that red lyrium has to be much older than we think, for darkspawn supposedly (if you listen to the southern chantry) appeared when the Magisters Sidereal were kicked out of the Golden City by the Maker. However, Tevinter believes that the darkspawn were there all along. So they're either OLD or OLDER STILL and thus could have tainted lyrium at any time with their yucky-ness. After all, the red lyrium that made the idol has to have come from somewhere, right? Another point: it's pretty clear that more red (tainted) lyrium is created by growing it out of people (Fiona in the future as well as others that you see in Emprise du Lion). Imshael is the gardener much like the serial killer in "Cabin by the Lake" is a gardener: he's not gardening a garden out of soil, he's gardening a garden of red lyrium being grown from PEOPLE. In other words, the lyrium jutting out of the land all over the place is growing out of a person who's been killed to become a growth point...like one of those biodegradable pots that you can use to start your seeds in, then when the plant sprouts you plant the pot in the ground and the plant keeps growing from there even while the pot itself breaks down. If we see red lyrium shards sprouting from rocks and walls and such, is it not simply that the crystals are shoving their way through solid objects to keep growing? Otherwise you cannot explain it sticking out of the walls in the future Redcliffe Castle by saying it's been planted in the ground. Unless it's like the creeping crud in which case *shrugs*... With respect to Cole saying that the old whispers want doors opened - if you go by the theory that the Old Gods' magic tainted the Golden City, and that the Magisters Sidereal realized the power of this Old God magic and took it unto themselves (which essentially tainted them and turned them into the first darkspawn), then it makes sense that the old whispers (Old Gods) want the door reopened because they want back what they lost during the civil war that saw Mythal killed and saw Solas do his deed to stop said civil war. Yes, this is just a theory, but it fits the few facts we have quite well (it's much more involved than this little summary, of course) and I cannot really find anything to refute it. The dragon and snake you show on the Tevinter symbol: I've seen it described as a dragon and a serpent fighting, which raises its own set of questions about why they'd put that on their heraldry. And we know that Dorian obviously is quite proudly all about snakes from the original armor you see him wearing to the various and sundry armors and light arms/legs combinations you can dress him up in (he makes an absolutely fabulous - and much more gorgeous - Ken doll). Dragons were worshipped by Tevinter. So why would the snake be on the heraldry and so forth with the ever-so-revered dragon, and why is it of such significance that the scion of House Pavus plasters it all over his person, including the buckles and clasps and so forth? I think delving into trying to answer that will give us more insight into why the red lyrium idol showcases a snake. (Never mind the symbolism in our world of the female (Eve) and the serpent (the devil) and what it did to Adam and Eve's sons born thereafter, Cain and Abel (the two skeletons) which might also factor into it since Andrastianism is clear the Christianity replacement in-game).

[@3halflingsinatrenchcoat380]

If solas' orb was possibly created from the destruction of a Titan and the idol is "his" perhaps the idol is a piece of the dead/corrupted titan. It's possible that removal of whatever the orb was from the titan allowed the corruption to take place. Like decomposers on a dead organism. Being a piece of the actual titan and not just it's "blood" may explain it's special properties as compared to regular red lirium. If the blight is a magical "disease" then that would explain how it can effect a dead titan and not a live one. The titan may have a type of magical immune system that can keep the infection at bay but once dead the infection runs rampant, much like our own gut bacteria when we die, starting the decomposition process. It would explain why the red lirium can grow from people and other living organisms since all people except dwarves have a connection to the fade, that connection is what allows it to grow and spread albeit slower than it seems to propagate through lirium itself. This may also expain why bartrand was mentally twisted from the idol and not turned into red lirium like Meridith or others, dwarves are resistance to lirium. They are children of the titan after all, it would make sense that they would keep some of that resistance when in contact with red lirium. My second theory is that the orb itself is corrupted as well. The orb much like the idol may be from the titan itself making it special. (For the purpose of differentiation I'll refer to this form of red lirium and "core" lirium). If you notice the magic of the fade is green just like the mark on the inquisitor's hand that was created by the orb, yet the magic of the orb is red almost like it's been tainted by the blight. Perhaps the orb was still pure when the breach ritual was performed but in using it coriphious corrupted it and when the conclave exploded it spread that corruption in the form of red lirium to everything living the blast touched. Those spikes of lirium in the ruins could in fact be the people that were there that were immediately transformed due to the magical explosion. The orb being corrupted would also explain why red lirium seems to sprout up wherever he travels, the orb is literally corrupting the land as he goes.

[@CandorianWonder]

It was great to get a video on lore and theories! Here's a thought I'm sure you've heard, but what if the idol represents the undead in Thedas. In this world, there are two ways your dead loved ones can return to terrorize or kill you: spirits from across the veil possesing corpses, or those who were tainted becoming ghouls or broodmothers (or I guess if the architect is alive, full on darkspawn). The female figure is cradling a skeleton emerging from what resembles the fleshy sacks from DAO (I'd even say Architect/Emmisary dress/legs) with an opening, as well as a skeleton that appears to be on the otherside of a classic etherial portal (the circle). Perhaps the idol is vital to how the "soul" or "spirit" of the mortals can be contained/captured/utilized. We know most spirits of the fade were created AS spirits, not becoming so once their mortal forms died. We also know spirits and souls don't mix well: when a spirit attempts to posses a body with a soul still in it, it becomes and Abomination (even Ander with Wynne being the only sane exception). Spirits usually posses corpses or other inanimate objects. We also know that the Mortalitasi somehow enable spirits to echo human souls, which enraged Solas. Even further, could these spirits of the fade be portions of the ancicnet elves that were sundered, could that be what created the taint/blight? I rambled I know, but to summarize, I think the idol has to do with the three "factions/realms" of thedas: the Deep/Darkspawn/Bliggt, the surface/the Mortal, and the Etherial/The Fade. It makes me curious how Solas would handle the energy of all three, as Flemth contained Urthemiels soul (possibly, players choice). Though the figure has flattened ears, we also know ancient eleves are much more humanoid as seen by solas and the guardians of mythal. The two male figures could be Urthemial, who is broken from the taint, and solas, who sundered himself. One in the deep, one in the etherial.

[@kagesora007]

26:57 I...had not realized that and can now not unknow it. Huh.

[@DmitryAvenicci]

Because of Tresspasser codex I think that Red Titan was created when Evanuris tried to bind normal one with blood magic. Mythal teared its heart and put it into Black CIty (red focus orb is depicted on one of the Tresspasser murals). For that Evanuris killed her and Solas did what he did.

[@Eeb828]

I’m sure it’s unrelated, but the lines of “boxes” in the Lyrium Processing Center in Tresspasser really gave me “they made bodies here” vibes, and the sarcophagus in the Blue Wraith comics has me wondering if it’s related to those boxes somehow

[@sirwilliam4128]

As of time index @27:16 - I don’t see a “monster vagina.” I see the tip of the original sculpture or base that to which the idol was originally attached. Look at the Red Lyrium tendrils at the bottom and how they are encased in chunks of stone. These look like broken pieces of a greater whole. @Ghil Dirthalen

[@adamh8101]

I think the forgotten ones are to the humans as the evanuris are to the elves. Instead of getting their power from a titan heart they got it from the void. When Solas sealed the evanuris into the fade he used the idol to seal the forgotten ones into the earth. The forgotten ones then became the old gods and reached out to the humans that they used to be gods to.

[@StonedHunter]

Ok I think if the idol did effect Bartrand that quickly, it would likely be because it seems to amplify people's worst traits. I say this because of seeing how it made Meredith who was always distrusting of mages downright paranoid to the point of insanity. Given Bartrand is established as a pretty shitty person from the get go, it isn't hard to believe that the idol might have just been the nudge he needed to try to kill his own brother for money. Also regarding how the idol looks like it was broken off. Perhaps the dwarves that built the thaig stole the idol from the evanuris who first found/made it (given Solas keeps calling it "his") and tried to lock it away to keep the elves from destroying everything with it. This would have to assume the ancient dwarves had some idea about how dangerous the blighted lyrium is or just acknowledging that the elves need to not get any more powerful than they already were given the history of Titan killing. Just thinking about what you said and where it was found, I remembered the line talking about what the evanuris found in their greed would destroy everything and wouldn't this idol just fit into that slot perfectly?

[@swordsinger1061]

Just a thought, when I saw the video/images from the up and coming dragon age it reminded me of the titans and how one was tainted. Perhaps (and its only a 'Idol' thought) the red lyrium grows because it wants to form into something, in my mind this either links to the idol or the said tainted titan. A even more outlandish idea is that the titans and the idol are connected in a important way. Just some ramblings from my mind.

[@ravenseeker8267]

the idol could be artistically representing the evanuris emerging from a gap/portal/ eluvian through the breach or moments before being sealed within the fade.

[@TheGuardian707]

If I’m remembering correctly Fen’harel (Solas) banished both the Evenuris probably spelled that wrong and the Forgotten Ones in to there respective realms then formed the Veil to Lock them in there realms so mabey the red pulsing heart thing is actually some place in the Void the realm of the Forgotten Ones

[@joansmith525]

Is it just me, or does it seem strange that the idol belongs to Solas the elf, while the first blight affected the area around the village of Solas...what is also strange is that the village of Solas is directly north of Haven. Solas's home village is also said to be directly north of Haven. So is the blight Solas's creation? Also, Solas hates the Grey Warden for trying to destroy all the old gods to end all blights.

[@griffmcdaniel2186]

I think the halo is the Ouroboros. The figure is Mythal. This idol is the story of the creation of the dread wolf. The figure behind the circle is the spirit that Mythal took from the Fade.

[@noahmarler716]

15:50 We’re never explicitly told in detail the so called ritual that corypheus was performing at the temple of sacred ashes. I assume that Corypheus had some either on his person or planted around the temple as a part of the ritual. And I think you’re right that the tremendous pouring in of magical energy from breach probably acted like miracle grow which is why they were the size that they were.

[@Monochrome_11]

33:32 I always thought this was deep mushroom but affected by red lyrium (or at least the model of it but in red)

[@casseroledragon3277]

I've wondered since the first video you made of this: is the idol of a Brood Mother? She looks motherly like you mentioned, and looks like she is suffering. Maybe it's representative of what the Brood Mothers experience, with the two men both representing the male darkspawn who "violate" the women, and the darkspawn children they birth? That would explain why it looks like they're being birthed from a monster vajeen, and since red lyrium is blighted lyrium, it all kinds ties together. Plus, the concept art having the black dripping down the female's face matching the Brood mother in Awakening seems like a big hint. That could also explain why the women looks more alive. She was tainted while alive, whereas the men (if they represent Darkspawn) were born from the Taint (crude pun mildly intended)

[@jessica.Blue777]

An idea for the whispers: I think the whispers are the elvhen pantheon reaching out to solas. I think they managed to wake him somehow but I think they were corrupted when solas put the veil up, I also think it has something to do with the titans and possibly being cut off from the supply of pure lyrium made by titans. Perhaps they only had the supply in their own blood and as that dwindled it started to become corrupted or polluted. We have waited: Referring to the amount of time they have waited behind the veil, time may work differently for them. We have slept: If time worked differently they may have recovered enough to wake up faster than solas did, especially if they forced him awake. We are sundered (or split apart): We are here Telling solas that they are alive. We are crippled: This could mean by the red lyrium crystals or it could mean the elvhen race. We are polluted: I think here they could be talking about their blood, how it's been corrupted by the red lyrium but it could also mean the elvhen race again. We endure: Enough said, we know the history folks. We wait: Calling for the corrupted and blighted but also for solas as well perhaps. We have found the dreams again: They have connected to the fade again or they have found the dreams in people like grey wardens. Perhaps they can influence people through dreams like demons. We will awaken. This could be referring to the imprisoned gods or to the sleeping gods. I don't know if any of this makes sense but... These are my 2am thoughts 😅

[@factorialrabbits11]

It looks like the bit they come out of has been cut, and the red lyrium veins are well veins in it. Like a sliced of tentacle or something.

[@chrissyce5613]

I love your editing of the video. Your lore videos are so easy to follow so please keep them up! Hope your family is doing great.

[@MagisterJohn]

This was very enjoyable, keep up the good work!

[@alexissandren1884]

I might be wrong, but isn't the "spike" on idol's female very similar to the headband worn by Meredith? Combined with the rounded ears, could the idol be prophetic? Is it showing Meredith being consumed by red lyrium, which would explain the mummified demeanour? And if so, who are the two men she draws forth when doing that? One could be Solas (anyone knows how correlated his awakening and DA2 is?) but who would be the other one?

[@SwofTube]

Hello! I just started following your channel, so I've been listening to your older videos. I watched one (kzbin.info/www/bejne/pYPImWV8ipx6aas) right before this and was struck by a comment you made about "The Stone"/titans while discussing dwarven lore: "I don't know how much of Star Trek you know, but [the Stone seems to be] kind of like a Borg cube, essentially -- where it's a collective consciousness. Like... What if that was once the dwarves, and then the elves were like, 'Ew, no. I don't want that.' So they tried to cut it off, but then... maybe that's what even created the blight, the titans' reaction to that." As I commented* on that video, "It does seem plausible that the blight could be a titan's reaction to losing its connection with the dwarves. Perhaps losing the connection makes a titan sick, in a sense, and so its body produces red lyrium in an (unconscious?) effort to acquire new connections with other beings. The darkspawn operate with a kind of hive mind as well." Hearing your description of red lyrium here, it really struck me how... the red lyrium is literally forging connections (invading inanimate structures and living bodies) in a way that "normal" (blue) lyrium does not. Perhaps red lyrium is a physical manifestation of a titan's loneliness. Remember how utterly distraught Seven of Nine (Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One) was when she was separated from the Borg collective? Maybe the ancient elves somehow separated a single titan from its associated dwarves, by physically altering it in some way (say, by removing some crucial part of its anatomy), and the blight is an adaptive response from that titan's damaged body. *Sorry for the repeat comment, but I thought that it might go unnoticed on such an old video, and I'd really like to hear what others think about this idea. Edit: I wonder also how this idea of the hive mind relates to the vallaslin, as used by the ancient elves. It certainly sounds like the vallaslin were used as a means of mass control -- not just a brand, but a magical way of enforcing slavery. The relevant DA wiki page states that Solas "lifted [slaves'] vallaslin with magic, to break the bonds of the Evanuris who oppressed them." (dragonage.fandom.com/wiki/Vallaslin) It also says, "Worshippers of the Forgotten Ones were seen wearing brilliant crimson vallaslin." I wonder if the Forgotten Ones were titans, and the ancient war referenced at various times (including by Solas) was between the Evanuris and the Titans. Perhaps the Evanuris (or just one, Andruil?) sought to separate the Titans from the dwarves in order to win the war. What if the vallaslin were originally tattooed using lyrium, like Fenris's tattoos in DA2? What if Andruil was somehow infected with the blight/red lyrium, and that... spread to the tattoos of the slaves under her control?

[@annaarmstrong4614]

I know it's not possible to bring Cole on the In Hushed Whispers quest, but I'm curious to know how Cole would've fared in the dark future Redcliffe compared to your other companions

[@anishkasharan9952]

i hope that DA4 nicely closes all the threads it has opened in terms of lore and magic and the whole of Thedas in a beautiful way. This world is so rich, it’ll be a same if it’s potential is not reached the way it should be.

[@ShoppingAttic]

The one dislike has got to be Meredith. Thanks for making the video, Ghil!

[@mabeljackson]

House Danarius created Fenris with lyrium marks, loose The Dread Wolf, and may want to make red lyrium warrior with the red lyrium idol, oh what they have done, oh my

[@williamballard767]

I realize I’m double dipping in the comments section.. but this just hit me while rewatching this video. Now what if the female is the actual founder/creator of Red Lyrium and the Lyrium is eating away at her but it has already ate her two male companions. She is holding them in mourning. Since this is the ‘first’ of the Red Lyrium, it is stronger than any Lyrium in-game.

[@mohammadabdelrahman786]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS

[@sammiedarko]

I dont think this will be related but the red lyruim at the end reminded me of how the deep mushrooms look in DAI, which the Dragon Age Wiki says that deep mushrooms like to grow near lyrium and darkspawn and can contain the blight though it wont cause infection if consumed. Probably not relatable, but thats just what it made me think of.

[@Muddyres]

And now we have absolution

[@cdm3192]

Thanks a bunches for the video Caitie! This came right on time for my DA love itch. Looking forward to your next one.

[@KIXWASHERE]

Waken up to this made this morning like 100x better! And its not even 9am yet!!

[@_iimadhatterii_]

Red lyrium kind of reminds me of the symbiots from marvel. In the comics the more they ‘reproduce’ the more powerful each descendant becomes.

[@AquaswanOfficial]

i think the Idol looks like it's made from the same material fade structures are made of, like the floating land masses. and the "monster vagina" the figures are, erm, protruding from(?) looks like felandaris.

[@MewslyGirl]

24:17 When you said that the "vine" is actually a snake my brain instantly connected it do the ouroboros that we see in the Dragon Age: Absolution trailer. I wonder if there's any connection there..

[@Felsenkeks]

Also regarding the shape of the idol: my guess is that the "monster vagina" is the void and it looks to me like the female figure is pulling the two male ones out of it? I think it looks so much like a vagina because we are witnessing a birth of sorts. The void would also connect the depiction to red lyrium, since imo it makes no sense for the figures not to show something related to the function and nature of the statue...

[@zachprynn2545]

Honestly, I just think BioEA has no real idea for what Red Lyrium is going to be used for in the story ( ate the point of inqusition) and kept it very vague and more like a "Lyrium Blight" until they wish to use it. I'm not saying this as a horrible god awful part of the world, just a portion of the world that they wanted to use but didn't want to press more into the current story and hold those red cards close to their chest

[@Makkovar]

...people want to romance trees now?