dgcatanisiri:

Merrill’s eluvian directly threatens no one.

The people who die in her quests don’t die because of the mirror. Three hunters enter the lair of a varterral for unrelated reasons. Pol runs in fear when he sees Merrill because he had listened to the stories told in the Dalish camp about her that Marethari lets spread around the camp, probably amplified by his origins in the city and early Andrasteianism. Marethari takes the demon in to ‘pay the price for [Merrill’s] blood magic,’ even though Merrill had been ready and willing to pay that price herself – Marethari denies her that agency, as if she were a child and not a grown woman. The clan can die (in defiance of all logical sense) if Hawke tries to explain what happened to Marethari – they attack blindly and refuse to listen to anything.

What kills people in Merrill’s quest is fear spread through a lack of knowledge, saying that because something is unknown, that means it is dangerous and to be avoided. Saying that because something is dangerous it should only be left alone and forgotten, rather than ever taking steps to try and understand it.

Merrill manages to purify the eluvian. She is successful in this. The eluvian is fixed, and a corresponding eluvian can be spotted in the Crossroads in Inquisition. She does not activate it, but we learn in Inquisition that they require a key to open, maybe knowledge, maybe an artifact. Without that key, the eluvian is just glass. Considering the eluvian is active in the ruin it’s discovered in, perhaps that artifact was there. Perhaps the knowledge needed to activate it was there, in a place she cannot reach in the course of DA2.

Merrill and the mirror kill no one. It is how other people react to her even making the attempt, reacting in fear of the unknown, that kill them.

And one more thing – those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Merrill herself says that even dangerous things have a place in history, if only to learn from the mistakes.

maravenlavellan:

Just some bits and pieces of things that I think would be cool in the next DA.

• I love the slave uprising plot idea that has been circling around. Banning together and forming an underground army that somehow ends up becoming something bigger is a really cool concept to me.
• I actually completely get the whole ‘no more Hawke’ thing. It makes sense to me that their time is over. Maybe it’s because mine is dead, but even from the view of my non-canon world state in which she is alive, to me, any more inclusion of them would seem forced.
• The HOF, on the other hand, I need to see again. And it would be a perfect chance to include them with the Warden civil war going on. Eliza needs to kick ass side-by-side with her boyfriend again. I at the very least want some frequent letters written between her and the protagonist.
• There’s no way we could not see our Inquisitor again. The Fen’Harel issue is way too personal for them to just hand the job over to someone else. Especially if they romanced Solas. Too much left unsaid.
• Griffons. We need to see the griffons.
• Zevran as the new spymaster, anyone? He could be the new spymaster Leliana appointed for the Inquisition, or he could be in Tevinter in hiding from the Crows when he runs into your protagonist… (more on this in another post)
• Sten the Arishok. Must have some mention of travelling with the Warden. Maybe if the protagonist is in contact with her, it inspires him to do one small favour?? (probably not because Qunari) (more on this in another post)
• More hanging out cutscenes with companions.
• On that note, more party banter while travelling.
• Fewer side quests, and make them more relevant to the main story
• Dorian as an advisor. I would love to get a closer look at the faction him and Maevaris are building.
• Maevaris Tilani as a companion
• Companions that are more relevant to the story. Also, make their approval of you matter. If you get low enough, they leave. And maybe you have to make a choice between those whose morals conflict greatly. You should have to choose between the mage apostate and the former Templar. (I’ll write more on this in a separate post)
• Have the choices made by the protagonist really matter; if your character is a blood mage, have the companions and NPCs react accordingly. Maybe they stand at an ‘as long as it’s nothing too serious’ view, or maybe they threaten to leave the party because they ‘refuse to support or associate themselves with the use of such vile methods’.
• How cool would it be if instead of the traitorous apostate, the traitor is a rogue elf who turns out to be a spy for Solas?! Just for something new.
• Please!! Give!! Me!! More!! Alistair!! He looks gorgeous in updated graphics, and you can never have enough of his stupid jokes.
• Unpopular opinion: I actually liked Dragon Age when it wasn’t open world?? Maybe don’t make it as open?? I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I’m lazy and just want to get on with the story instead of spending 20 minutes just getting to the place…
• But speaking of maps, please give us some new areas to explore. I personally would really like to see Tevinter, the Anderfels, Nevarra, Antiva, etc.
• I would also love to visit Weisshaupt to visit the Wardens. I feel bad for banishing them from Orlais (it just seemed like the right decision at the time).

There’ll probably be a second part to this post eventually. Fell free to contribute your own ideas!