The following contains spoilers forDragon Age: The Veilguard.
Dragon Age: The Veilguardis chock-full of engaging side quests for players to complete, many of which help flesh out its characters and world. On that note, amongDragon Age: The Veilguard’s side questsis “Regrets of the Dread Wolf,” one of the best and arguably most important side quests in the game.
While the means to trigger the “Regrets of the Dread Wolf” side quest are integrated into the story, it doesn’t continue from there as a main story quest. This is likely due to the impact completing “Regrets of the Dread Wolf” has onDragon Age: The Veilguard’s story and players' perception of Solas, so BioWare simply wanted to give players the option instead of forcing them into a certain perspective. Nevertheless, “Regrets of the Dread Wolf” still feels like too much of an important quest to have been reduced to mere side content.
As a whole, the story of"Regrets of the Dread Wolf"centers around Solas, his relationship with Mythal, and his past regrets. At the root of his regrets is the colossal war between the Titans and the elves, which was brought about when the elves used Lyrium to make human bodies for themselves. Initially, Solas didn’t want to go through with it, as he believed it to be far too dangerous, but Mythal all but begged him to do it, and he followed through. Their use of Lyrium to become human made the ground shake, and the Titans felt threatened, thereby triggering the war.
Solas feels that, had he chosen not to become human, he could have prevented everything that followed thereafter from happening.
To end the war, Solas created theLyrium Daggerto sever the Titans from their spirits. This, of all things, is what created the Blight, and although Solas repeatedly speaks ill of the Blight, it is because he is responsible for its creation. Once the war between the Titans and the elves finally reached its end, Elgar’nan and the Evanuris wanted power, and they were willing to do whatever it took to get it. Solas, on the other hand, believed the Evanuris were far too power-hungry, so he rebelled against them. Unfortunately, Mythal, despite her closeness to Solas, chose to side with the Evanuris in order to keep the peace, as rebelling against them might have only triggered another war.
Solas then arranged to meet Mythal, that he might convince her of his suspicions thatthe Evanuris wanted to use the magic of the Blightfor some self-serving purpose, perhaps to increase their power by enforcing obedience, as he could sense the wards sealing the Blight away beginning to break. However, Mythal was not so hasty as to jump to conclusions, and instead chose to give the Evanuris the benefit of the doubt by first investigating their motives. Tragically, as was revealed inDragon Age: Inquisition, Mythal ended up being betrayed by the Evanuris and killed.
This inevitably led Solas to not only blame himself for her death, as he was the one to encourage her to investigate them in the first place, but to also feel deep regret for never making amends with her.
All of this is ultimatelywhat led to Solas creating the Veil, which would separate the mortal world from the Fade and imprison the Evanuris within it. The side effects of creating the Veil, however, saw elven society losing its connection to the Fade and slowly declining as a result. It was a desperate measure to protect his people, but he still walked away with deep regrets for what it cost them. He then wakes up in the mortal world, where he finds a living Mythal who won’t help him undo his mistakes, so he kills her to absorb her power.
What happens later on inDragon Age: The Veilguardon account of these revelations ventures too deeply into spoiler territory, but the backstory “Regrets of the Dread Wolf” lays out forVeilguard’s main narrative arguably makes it an essential part, especially for newcomers to the series or those who have never delved too deeply intoDragon Agelore. With the truth about the creation of the Blight and Solas' motivations behind creating the Veil, it’s surprising that “Regrets of the Dread Wolf” isn’t a main story quest. Still, it does compel players to explore allDragon Age: The Veilguardhas to offer if they want the whole story.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
WHERE TO PLAY
Enter the world of Thedas, a vibrant land of rugged wilderness, treacherous labyrinths, and glittering cities – steeped in conflict and secret magics. Now, a pair of corrupt ancient gods have broken free from centuries of darkness and are hellbent on destroying the world.Thedas needs someone they can count on. Rise as Rook, Dragon Age’s newest hero. Be who you want to be and play how you want to play as you fight to stop the gods from blighting the world. But you can’t do this alone – the odds are stacked against you. Lead a team of seven companions, each with their own rich story to discover and shape, and together you will become The Veilguard.
