It’s officially the summer ofDragon Age: The Veilguardreveals, and many fans are no doubt looking forward to what comes next. It remains to be seen what BioWare and EA intend to show, but more gameplay, a release date, a deeper look at character creation, and perhaps showcases of each companion are certainly on the table. That said, BioWare has been incredibly forthcoming withDragon Age: The Veilguardalready, ranging from the original 20 minutes of gameplay, showcases at Summer Game Fest, a Game Informer cover story, a Discord Q&A, and more.
NOTE: Spoilers for the first hour of Dragon Age: The Veilguard Ahead
Across all of this,Dragon Age: The Veilguardhas revealed the specializations available for each class. Warriors will be able to choose between Slayer, Reaper, and Champion specializations, Rogues will be able to pick between Duelist, Saboteur, and Veil Jumper specializations, and Mages will be able to choose between Evoker, Death Caller, and Spellblade. Regarding the latter, some fans were upset thatBlood Magic wasn’t possible forDragon Age: Veilguard’s Rook, but across all of these reveals, it seems BioWare may have subtly revealed why.
Rook Has a ‘Good’ Reason for Not Using Blood Magic
During the aforementioned Discord Q&A, game director Corinne Busche loosely describedDragon Age: The Veilguard’s Mage Specializations(they were later confirmed) and also addressed the lack of Blood Magic for Rook. The developer explained that Rook has good reasons to avoid Blood Magic but stopped shortly from revealing what those reasons were. At first, it seemed likely it would be something tied to Rook’s possible backgrounds, perhaps explained in different ways in each one, but it might actually be much simpler than that.Game Informer’s cover story onDragon Age: The Veilguarddove deepinto the first hour, and therein lies a connection between Rock and Blood Magic.
Dragon Age’s use of Blood Magic has been inconsistent, to say the least. It is among the worst things a Mage can do, butDragon Age 2’s Hawke can be a good Blood Mage flaunting their Blood Magic everywhere. As such, skipping it altogether is probably a good idea - even without a narrative hook.
Game Informer’s cover story goes a little further into the prologue than the SGF previews or the gameplay reveal, describing what happens to Rook after taking out the scaffolding. It seems that Solas has become trapped in the Fade and somehow bound to Rook, with Solas also revealing that some of Rook’s blood mixed with the ritual—tying Rook to the Fade. The ramifications of that, especially withBlighted Elven Gods (The Evanuris)on the loose and Solas' likely still wanting to tear down the Veil, remain to be seen, but there’s likely a connection between this mishap and Rook’s avoidance of Blood Magic.
Well, Technically, Rook Uses Blood Magic in the Prologue
This is Blood Magic, after all. Solas attempted a powerful ritual, using an astronomical amount of power and magic, and Rook’s blood got involved in it. As such, Rook’s blood and power is tied tothe Fade inDragon Age: Veilguard, and it’s likely their life is somehow connected to it as well. Using any further Blood Magic would no doubt be a bad thing, hence being a “good reason” for Rook to avoid it. It could be simpler or more complex than that, but it’s likely that this iswhy Rook doesn’t use Blood Magic.
In the past, Blood Magic has led Mages or Templars to become Abominations, but it seems in this exact context, Rook has somehow become tied directly to the Fade as well as Solas. It’s uncertain how deep the connection goes. It’ll be interesting to see if Solas and Rook essentially become Anders and Justice/Vengeance or Wynne and the Spirit of Faith. Solas is not a Spirit, true enough, but it’s also not certain what happened to Solas when the Evanuris approached him in the prologue. Either way, Rook should probably avoid Blood Magic so this scenario doesn’t become worse; as is, Rook hasthe Dread Wolfin their ear.
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.
