Dragon Age 4 has a lot of loose plot-threads to tie up from previous games. The origins of the darkspawn, the true nature of red lyrium, the existence or non-existence of the Maker, and the fates of some major characters have yet to be revealed, leaving many fans hopeful that the next game in the long-running fantasy franchise will return with some answers.
One major plot-thread which the Dragon Age series has yet to fully address is the Calling. First introduced early in Dragon Age: Origins, the Calling is an important event which has escalated into a background plotline for keen-eyed players whose Warden survived the events of the first game. Here are some the big questions fans have about the Calling, and some of the answers that may be on the way in Dragon Age 4.
To become Grey Wardens, prospective recruits have to drink some darkspawn blood in order to develop a partial immunity to the darkspawn taint. Those that survive gain this immunity and are able to sense the darkspawn. They are also the only beings known to be able to kill an Archdemon. One side effect of this ritual, known as the Joining, is that Grey Wardens begin to have nightmares caused by the Old Gods calling them.
The Old Gods are the ancient dragons which lie imprisoned beneath Thedas. The darkspawn search fervently for them, sometimes for hundreds of years at a time. When they find a dormant Old God, they give it the taint and it rises as an Archdemon to lead a horde of darkspawn during a Blight. When a Blight begins, Wardens start to hear the messages of the Archdemon as it communicates with its underlings.
As of the end of Dragon Age: Origins, just two Old Gods remain dormant, Razikale and Lusacan, though they still call out to the darkspawn to find and awaken them. The Architect, seemingly one of the Tevinter magisters turned into the first darkspawn deep in the history of Dragon Age’s timeline, provides some insight in the Awakening expansion for Origins. The Architect reveals that by giving the darkspawn the partial immunity that the Grey Wardens have, they are able to gain speech and develop tactical minds, freed from the oppressive and constant whispers of their draconic masters.
However, even if a Grey Warden survives to see a Blight come to an end, their fate is not a happy one. Between 10 and 30 years after becoming a Warden, they will begin to undergo the Calling. The Calling is the same insatiable urge the darkspawn suffer, with older Grey Wardens feeling overwhelmingly compelled to enter the Deep Roads and find the Old Gods. Many Wardens simply die in combat, but the Calling robs those who survive of any peace of hope of retirement.
If the Dragon Age: Origins player romanced Morrigan, Leliana, or Alistair and then survived the final boss fight against the Archdemon, the romanced character will make some very interesting comments regarding the Calling during their appearance in Dragon Age: Inquisition. The Dragon Age: Origins romance character will reveal that the Warden has gone looking for a way to prevent the Calling, following a few key leads.
One of those leads is Fiona, Grand Enchanter of the Circle of Magi. Fiona grew up in an elven alienage before being sent to the circle and, from there, recruited to the Grey Wardens, even watching Duncan’s joining ritual. Fiona would eventually have an affair with King Maric Theirin, leading to the birth of a son, Origins companion Alistair. Fiona says she “might be the first Warden who does not have to go on the Calling,” having removed the taint from herself using magic.
The other key lead appears to be Avernus, a Grey Warden blood mage who has lived since the Storm Age thanks to extending his life through magical means, somehow escaping the Calling in the process. Both of these cases seem to suggest that magic can at least delay the calling, though it remains unclear how either Fiona or Avernus were able to do so, or if those characters themselves know how.
The Architect’s ability to free darkspawn from the Archdemon may be involved in some way. Perhaps some of the same techniques that can be used to prevent the darkspawn from following the Old Gods can also be used to free the Grey Wardens of their influence, though considering the fact that the darkspawn are freed using the Grey Wardens extant semi-immunity, it’s possible these freed darkspawn still eventually fall victim to the Calling.
Either way, continuing the story of the Warden and their quest to end the Calling will be vital if Dragon Age 4 is going to avoid feeling like it’s sweeping the first game’s protagonist under the rug. With Dragon Age 4 likely set in Tevinter and presumably following Solas the Dread Wolf’s attempts to destroy the Veil between Thedas and the Fade, it’s likely that the next game will delve more into some of the fundamental questions fans have about the Dragon Age universe.
This includes the true origins of the darkspawn, which is hinted to be different to the Chantry’s account in Inquisition when Corypheus claims the original magisters who entered the Fade found the Maker’s throne empty. By revealing the true origins or nature of the darkspawn, the game could also reveal secrets about the Calling, even for players whose Wardens sacrificed themselves at the end of Origins.
Whether the Warden themself is directly involved, the mentioning of this plotline in Inquisition makes it seem likely that the Dragon Age 4 protagonist will make some steps towards discovering a solution to the Calling. If the Warden is alive, they – or what they have become – may even return in some way similar to Hawke in Inquisition. If the Warden is dead, many Dragon Age fans will still want an answer to one of the biggest mysteries in the Dragon Age series.
Dragon Age 4 is in development now.
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