The Ending Of Dragon Age: Inquisition - Trespasser Explained

BioWare RPG series "Dragon Age" is packed with countries, politics, history, language, magic, and myth. It's an epic fantasy that, in many ways, shares more in common with "The Lord of the Rings" or "Game of Thrones" than it does with "The Elder Scrolls" or "The Legend of Zelda." The dangerous world of Thedas is dense with what might seem like an overwhelming amount of lore. Each installment comes with hundreds of journal pages and codex entries, building on the history and social architecture of the land and the people that live in it. This is all supplementary most of the time and any necessary information for understanding the plot is given over the course of the main quest, but the last DLC for "Dragon Age: Inquisition" isn't quite so forgiving.

"Trespasser" is the final piece of downloadable content released for "Inquisition." It's set after the events of the main game and centers around an Exalted Council meeting during which the various leaders of Thedas gather to discuss whether the Inquisition should remain intact or be disbanded as the organization has now achieved the goal for which it was built. Things are never that simple, however.

Here's what the ending of "Trespasser" means for the "Inquisition" story and how it sets the stage for "Dragon Age 4."

Many of the events in "Trespasser" revolve around the history of the elves and their pantheon of gods. Players can learn about the story of the elven gods through various pieces of supplementary text and character conversations throughout the series. You get a broad strokes version of it if you take the Dalish Elf Origin in "Dragon Age: Origins" and your companion Merryl expands on it even more in "Dragon Age 2." Neither of the first two games go into nearly as much detail as "Inquisition," however. Players learn the history of the gods by exploring ancient elven ruins like the Temple of Mythal and talking to Solas.

The game recounts their legend, stating that there were two separate factions of elven gods — the Evanuris (a.k.a. The Creators) and their mysterious rivals who were known simply as the Forgotten Ones. The god Fen'Harel (a.k.a The Dread Wolf) was the only one allowed to walk freely between the clans and they both thought of him as one of their own. A codex entry about Fen'Harel states that he tricked the other gods, promising the factions an end to their fighting before locking them away, both from each other and from the elven people. It's worth noting that "Inquisition" regularly critiques those who take legends at face value.

One of the first companions who joins the cause in "Dragon Age: Inquisition" is an elven apostate mage named Solas who offers his assistance both as an expert in the realm of dreams and spirits known as "The Fade" and as a scholar of magic. From the beginning, it's clear that he has a deeper understanding of the fade rifts that have opened all over Thedas and helps you steer a course towards closing them and restoring order to the world. 

Solas disappears after the final battle and is the only companion who isn't present in Skyhold during the epilogue. A post-game scene reveals that he is more than he initially presented himself to be, and his role in the story is far from over. The scene shows him speaking to the witch and host of the spirit of the elven goddess Mythal, Flemeth. Not only does she reveal that he was the one who gave Corypheus the orb that tore the hole in the veil between reality and the fade, but he is also actually Fen'Harel!

In "Trespasser," the Inquisitor and their companions launch an investigation after a Qunari agent is found dead during the Exalted Council meeting. Players follow their trail through a network of elven teleportation mirrors called eluvians. One of the places they end up is an ancient elven temple, which they discover is actually a sanctuary created by The Dread Wolf, Fen'Harel.

Notes the player finds as they navigate the locked doors in the temple reveal a different version of events from those told in the elven myths. They state that none of the Evanuris were actually gods, but were powerful mages who claimed godhood while enslaving thousands. Fen'Herel was a liberator. He armed the slaves and taught them to resist the Evanuris. This turns the myth of Fen'Heral and the elven gods on its head, revealing that the Dalish legends were largely told from the perspective of Evanuris propaganda.

Upon battling their way through the Qunari armies who believe the Inquisition is in league with Fen'Herel, the Inquisitor finds Solas, who has just single handedly beaten a host of Qunari by magically turning them to stone. He admits that he is, in fact, The Dread Wolf. "I sought to set my people free from slavery to would-be gods," he states. "I broke the chains of all who wished to join me. The false gods called me Fen'Harel, and when they finally went too far, I formed the veil and banished them forever. Thus I freed the elven people and, in so doing, destroyed their world." 

Solas claims that he did what he though he had to in order to stop the Evanuris, whose actions would have been catastrophic. This came at the cost of separating the Fade from the real world, which devastated much of ancient elven civilization. It also made the formerly immortal elves begin to age. This in turn led to the wide-spread oppression of elves plainly displayed throughout the series.

While Solas' actions might seem justifiable up until this point, the situation takes a dark turn. "I will save the elven people," Solas states. "Even if it means this world must die." He reveals that he plans to destroy the Veil, allowing the resulting chaos to destroy "this world" while he rebuilds that of the ancient elves. This sets him up as the potential antagonist for "Dragon Age 4."

With "Trespasser" serving as the last piece of "Dragon Age" content people will see before the release of "Dragon Age 4," many are curious what clues might be hidden about the next game in the series. Well, for one thing, it seems the majority of the elves are on Solas' side. According to the epilogue, most of the elves in the Inquisition and "elven servants across Thedas" left under "mysterious circumstances," implying that they departed to join Solas in his mission.

You can also safely assume that the next game will be set in the Tevinter Imperium. One of the final scenes in "Trespasser" shows the inquisitor making their plan for what to do next and driving a dagger into Tevinter on a map, where they supposedly believe Solas is headed. This has been more or less confirmed, as the trailer for the next "Dragon Age" features several landscapes believed to be in the Imperium.