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Sandal is an odd dwarf first launched in Dragon Age: Origins. Below the care of Bodan, a fellow dwarf that discovered Sandal within the Deep Roads, this mysterious character has been on the heart of intrigue since his introduction. He additionally foretold the occasions in Dragon Age Inquisition throughout facet dialogue heard in Dragon Age II, a large spoiler that nobody acknowledged as such on the time. He was an enormous a part of the primary two video games, although he all however vanished when the third Thedas journey arrived. In Inquisition’s Trespasser DLC, he was conspicuously lacking ever since his massive foreshadowing within the earlier sport whereas he was dwelling in Kirkwall. With all that being stated, I’ve one massive query for BioWare going into Dragon Age 4: The place the heck is Sandal?!
Sandal Feddic is well probably the most mysterious figures you meet whereas saving the world. His involvement within the video games is deceptively simplistic, hiding a deeper thriller that ties him to the Deep Roads, the Blight, and presumably even the traditional elven gods. Earlier than we dive too deep into the place in Thedas is Sandal Feddic, let’s first give some extra backstory on this character’s affect on the BioWare franchise.
There are spoilers for Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age II, and Inquisition inside this text. Learn with warning.
Who’s Sandal in Dragon Age?
As talked about, he is an odd dwarf with little or no to say exterior of differing levels of “Enchantment!” However when he does break from his typical vocabulary? It means one thing. First launched in Dragon Age Origins, our pricey Warden occurs upon Bodan and Sandal exterior of Lothering. Below assault by Darkspawn, the ooglies booglies of the below-ground Deep Roads, the participant can save them and produce them again to camp. Calling him his “candy boy,” Bodan presents slightly perception into who this character is, although it turns into obvious rapidly that his origins are unknown.
After ‘saving’ Sandal from the Deep Roads when he was a mere 5 years outdated, deep beneath the outdated Aeducan Thaig, the pair of dwarfs rapidly fell right into a father/son relationship. What’s fascinating about this encounter is that Bodan finds Sandal amidst a plethora of paintings and tributes made to the previous on the partitions of the historical Thaig. Elves and dragons are probably the most rapid depictions discovered, however different lesser-known monsters may also be seen. We’ll get to this slightly bit later, however maintain that in thoughts for proper now.
Through the first encounter for this duo, it’s clear that Sandal has some type of Blight connection, very like the Gray Wardens have when preventing to guard the world. For Gray Wardens, this implies they’ve ingested darkspawn blood, which controls a taint that protects them from a swift dying, however at the price of a shortened lifespan as that corruption slowly eats them alive. It isn’t defined what Sandal’s connection to the darkspawn is after we first meet him, but it surely’s clear proper off of the bat that he is greater than only a easy dwarf.
Hawke and crew later meet up with each Sandal and Bodan in Dragon Age II, ultimately using the pair to work within the Amell property. His “Enchantment”-driven pleasure carries over into the second sport, as soon as extra setting him as much as be a beneficial useful resource for all issues runes and crafting for our protagonist.
Greater than only a dwarf
In Dragon Age Origins, Sandal was an intriguing character. In Dragon Age II, he turned a pivotal one. When Hawke first meets with him within the second act of the sport of their mansion, Sandal alludes to one thing extra sinister taking place behind the scenes. When the participant goes to talk with him inside the Amell property, Sandal opens up by saying {that a} “scary outdated girl” tells him “unhealthy issues” inside his head. This was greater than his typical one-word response, and it is not the final time that Sandal stated one thing prophetic and profound. Who this “outdated girl” is, stays to be seen, but it surely would not be far-fetched to imagine he is talking of Flemmeth, who we later study in Inquisition is the elven goddess Mythal.
Talking of prophecy, he additionally blatantly tells Dragon Age followers what we now know to be a part of the premise of Dragon Age 4. In the direction of the latter half of the second sport, he mysteriously tells Hawke, “Someday, the magic will come again. All of it. Everybody will likely be identical to they have been. The shadows will half, and the skies will open broad.” He then provides, “When he rises, everybody will see.” On the time, this simply appeared like meaningless chatter, however after the occasions of Inquisition – particularly the Trespasser DLC – we now know that he was telling us one thing way more essential: the occasions that may lead us into Dragon Age 4.
The final recognized location of this pile of thriller is Orlais, the place he and Bodan left after the occasions of Dragon Age II to assist Empress Celene.
Sandal by no means made his anticipated look within the third sport, however his affect might be felt with the ultimate DLC. On the finish of the Inquisition, the Inquisitor’s companion Solas simply disappears. The ultimate scene of the primary sport sees Solas turning to Mythal after his perceived failure, to which she agrees to permit him to soak up all of her souls (Dragon Age lore is tremendous enjoyable). On condition that she has the soul of an archdemon embedded in her as effectively, this provides him loads of energy. We get see that energy in motion after we meet up with him once more as a part of the conclusion to the Trespasser DLC the place we study his true nature: Solas is the Dread Wolf, the trickster elven god from Dalish legend. He reveals to the Inquisitor that he was the creator of the Veil that separates this world and the subsequent and vows to “restore what as soon as was.” What as soon as was, in response to Solas, was a world the place the elven reigned, generally viciously, and magic was as pure as respiratory.
Although not Sandal himself, an Easter egg about this character was discovered through the occasions of Trespasser when the Inquisitor finds a ebook titled The Very Non-public Diary of Sanda Feddic, DO NOT READ!!!! As a result of our pricey Inquizzy would not actually observe instructions, they learn it anyway, solely to seek out the time period “Enchantment” repeated time and again.
Idea time
The commonest fan idea surrounding Sandal is that he is really an Previous God, a side that may be very closely hinted at being a pivotal level of the franchise for the upcoming sport. With Dragon Age 4 taking gamers to locations we have heard about however have but to journey to, comparable to Tevinter, Antiva, and Nevarra, BioWare has teased that Solas’ quest will awaken outdated powers and even older enemies. That is the idea that I discover myself leaning in the direction of probably the most, as a result of despite the fact that he appears unassuming, he is extremely lucid when it issues. In spite of everything, Sandal warned Bodan, on the tender age of 5, of the approaching darkspawn once they first met. When Hawke recovers him within the Deep Roads, he is seen safely alongside a frozen big ogre. When requested how Sandal did that, he merely replied, “BOOM.”
It is clear he has a present with lyrium, a substance that mages and templars alike use for his or her powers. Within the Descent DLC in Inquisiton, we study of the Titans, an historical drive far inside the Deep Roads. Valta, a dwarf that we meet up with on this enlargement, reconnects to an awoken Titan and turns into “Pure.” She will hear the “music” of the lyrium, which we study is definitely the blood of a Titan and never only a mysterious mineral, and turns into attuned to the Titan in a approach that strips her of what she was pre-connection. I bear in mind taking part in by this DLC and having just a few puzzle items fall into place considering, “That is Sandal! That would clarify Sandal!” I do not know if he is an Previous God, however I do, on the very least, suppose he’s Pure, and that’s the reason he’s seemingly so lyrium-addled when interacting with the remainder of the world. It might additionally clarify the seemingly random bouts of lucidity and his connection to a world bigger than simply what’s on the floor.
There’s even a idea that he might be the Maker, although I actually cannot see the benefit on this. That being stated, if this finally ends up being the million-dollar reply, it could make sense then why the Maker has seemingly deserted Thedas as this world goes by Hell time and time once more.
All of that is intriguing, however it is very important do not forget that David Gaider, a author formally hooked up to the Dragon Age franchise whereas at BioWare, talked about previously that Sandal was by no means purported to be greater than a “joke character.” Gaider stated beforehand, “There was some extent actually late in DA2, we did DA2 in a extremely quick span of time so we have been working actually laborious, and as is typical for writers, now we have to complete earlier than anybody else. So we’re within the pool first, now we have to be out of the pool first, so all of the cinematic designers and voice recording stuff can begin to happen. So all our crunch time is occurring in the course of the challenge versus on the finish. So proper within the center we get slightly punch-drunk and put in issues to amuse ourselves, or we go insane.”
He added, “Yeah, and we most likely go insane anyhow. However I used to be writing Sandal and I put on this, I feel he has a one % likelihood of delivering a prophecy. And I bear in mind sitting there going ‘What do I find out about the place we’re going with the franchise that I may be actually obscure about?’ So I put it in, and I bear in mind studying on the boards and it was very pleasing that to have somebody say ‘Yeah, Sandal did this factor, he delivered this entire prophecy!’ and to have everybody say ‘Nooooo, what are you speaking about, I by no means heard that and I clicked on Sandal ceaselessly’. Whether or not Sandal will ever be extra essential to the narrative, I suppose we’ll see. Proper now with Sandal I simply see him because the whim strikes me. To look slightly insensitive is a priority of mine, similar with Serendipity and a few different characters, generally you’ll be able to unintentionally say issues about characters that you just did not intend and it’s important to be slightly bit cautious of that, know what I imply?”
But when that is the case, why select to enact Sandal’s actual prophecy on the finish of the second sport? A prophecy that strains up precisely with what Solas reveals his plans to be? Plans that may restore magic and the elven empire, however will destroy the remainder of the world and the dwelling beings inside it. Was that only a obscure reference line thrown in for amusement to see the heads of Dragon Age followers spin? It would not be the primary time, it is why we’re all so addled ourselves.
I hope that BioWare sees the potential setup with Sandal. Whereas he could have began as a joke, he has the potential to be a key participant within the occasions of Dragon Age 4 that nobody noticed coming, particularly if the writers go within the Previous God course. I additionally simply wish to see this little cutie patootie as soon as extra, can you actually blame me?
All of this to say one factor: Give us again Sandal, you cowards! I am (jokingly) scowling in BioWare’s course. I hope they really feel it.
To study extra about my massively obsessed Dragon Age ideas, you’ll be able to take a look at my conspiracy idea right here the place I’m going into why I feel Solas purposefully contaminated himself with Crimson Lyrium and why I feel we’ll have a Mortalitasi companion within the upcoming sport.
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