The newest entry in theDragon Agefranchise has caused a lot of excitement among fans, withDragon Age: Dreadwolfalready at the top of many players' most anticipated lists despite not having a release date yet. With only a handful of details revealed so far,Dragon Age: Dreadwolfis still very much a mystery. However, this hasn’t stopped gamers from speculating about what the game might contain, including turning to spin-off novels likeDragon Age: Last Flightto get clues about the possible inclusion of new elements like griffons.
Dragon Ageis an expansive franchise that has years of lore and storytelling already under its belt. With three mainline games and a number of spinoff titles,Dragon Age: Dreadwolfhas a narratively rich foundationupon which to build its own story. While players know that the upcoming game will be set in the as-yet-unseen Tevinter Imperium and that Solas will be a major antagonist, other aspects ofDragon Age: Dreadwolfremain a secret. Griffons could very well make a return to the universe as winged mounts, which could open upDragon Age: Dreadwolf’s traversal in major ways.
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Mounts In Previous Games
Mounts were introduced inDragon Age: Inquisition,the third installment in the franchise, and both the playable Inquisitor and their companions could ride them around the various environments. There were many different types, including dracolisks, horses, harts, and nuggalopes, and while they all had the same speed and didn’t differ in many respects, they did have varied tolerances for melee damage before they unseated their riders, with horses being the weakest in that respect and nuggalopes the strongest.
Dragon Age: Inquisitionhad a multitude of environmentsfor players to explore, with some of the larger regions like The Hinterlands, The Exalted Plains, and The Emerald Graves becoming much easier to navigate with a mount. Not only were they useful and added a bit of fun to the gameplay – particularly if players were able to unlock some unique Exotic mounts – but they also helped add to the lore of the game as well. For example, the Pride of Arlathan, which is a type of hart, is linked to the potential exodus route the Elven took after the expansion of the Tevinter Imperium, tying in nicely to the probable focus of the next game given its setting and its main villain.
Griffons In Dragon Age Lore
Griffons haven’t appeared in aDragon Agegame to date, but that doesn’t rule them out fromappearing inDragon Age: Dreadwolf. Like the classic depiction of the mythical creatures in real life,Dragon Age’s griffons are a combination of lions with heads, wings, and talons of eagles. Closely linked to the Grey Wardens before they became extinct, griffons were thought to be native to the Wandering Hills and the northern reaches of the Hunterhorn Mountains. However, there are also conflicting reports that they hailed from Seheron instead, showing that there are still many myths and unknowns surrounding the legendary creatures.
Grey Wardens managed to tame griffons and even rode some into battle, and there are touches of this history peppered throughoutDragon Age: Inquisition. The link between the Order of warriors and the mythical beasts can be seen in the Griffon Mail armor set availablein theTrespasserDLCas well as the Griffon Wing Keep – a former Grey Warden outpost found in the Western Approach. After the Blights and various failed attempts by the Wardens to relocate the griffons' eyries, the creatures started to die out. They eventually became extinct during the Storm Age, even though reports occasionally resurfaced of griffon sightings throughout the years.
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Why They Might Be In Dragon Age: Dreadwolf
Shortly before the release ofDragon Age: Inquisitionat the end of 2014,Dragon Age: Last Flightwas published by Tor Books. The novel, set in the expandedDragon Ageuniverse, takes place in 9:41 Dragon Age and follows the elven mage Valya as she is recruited by the Grey Wardens. Tasked with researching the previous Blights to try and get some answers for strange happenings and reports of resurgent darkspawn, Valya stumbles upon the diary of Isseya, one of the last fabled griffon riders. Through Isseya’s secret diary, Valya learns more about the history of the Wardens and discovers a stash of griffon eggs that have been magically suspended in animation.
Valya manages to find the eggs and the griffons eventually hatch, leading to a potential new generation of winged creatures in Thedas. Although it’s not yet clearwhen exactlyDragon Age: Dreadwolfwill take place, it could be a few years after the events ofDragon Age: InquisitionandDragon Age: Last Flight, giving the hatchlings that Valya found time to mature. There may even be more secret stashes of griffon eggs, making it a possibility that players will be able to have griffon mounts in the next game. Although the mounts inDragon Age: Inquisitionwere interesting additions, a winged mount like a griffon would bring a whole new dimension to gameplay.
It’s clearDragon Age: Dreadwolfis looking to shake things up when it comes to its setting and core features, with the focus on Tevinter and what appears to be someunique companions like a female qunarisignaling a departure from previous games. There will be some familiar elements like returning characters and the same narrative-focused RPG gameplay, but as the next big installment in the franchise,Dragon Age: Dreadwolfneeds to push the boundaries and give players something new as well. Griffon mounts could be the perfect addition, as they’re much more intelligent than horses or other mounts and could forge a strong bond with the player character, as well as provide effective and entertaining ways to get around the in-game world.
Dragon Age: Dreadwolfis in development.
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