Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s Taash Feels Like the Key to a 10-Year-Old Mystery

I’m counting the days until Dragon Age: The Veilguard drops, and it quite honestly feels like my mind is going a million miles per hour. There are so many things I want to know, and it’s hard to pin down any single thought. I’ve got my Rooks roughly planned, and I know my first one is going to be a Grey Warden Qunari Mage. I can’t wait to see where the direction Davrin and the overall Wardens go in, to hopefully learn more about the Titans, and to see how the Ancient Elves and Solas are connected through it. But if there’s one piece of lore I’m dying to know, it’s the origins of the Qunari, and it feels like Taash is at the heart of that mystery.

Qunari have been around ever since Dragon Age: Origins, where Sten was a hornless representative of his people. As fans know, the Qunari play a big role in Dragon Age 2, and they were first playable in Dragon Age: Inquisition. It was really Inquisition where players were introduced to the biggest mystery of the Qunari race, that being their creation. The Iron Bull reveals that the Qunari are descended from the Kossith, but he indicates that the Kossith, if they still exist, are likely nothing like the Qunari. OGB Kieran will tell Qunari Inquisitors that their blood is filled with decay, and Corypheus will say that the Qunari people are not a race but a mistake.

For a long time, fans have theorized that the Qunari people were some experiment gone wrong, something combining Dragons and perhaps Elves. With Dragon Age: The Veilguard, that seems more likely than ever, and as Taash is the Qunari Companion, it’s likely that mystery is explored through their story. The same, hopefully, goes for a Qunari Rook. With what’s been revealed of the game so far and my hands-on time at the Dragon Age: The Veilguard preview event, I am more convinced than ever this fan theory is accurate.

NOTE: There will be spoilers ahead based on what little I learned about Taash (and possibly connected material) at the event; the rest is pure speculation at this time.

Everything Confirmed About Taash So Far

Taash is written by BioWare developer Trick Weekes, who also wrote The Iron Bull, the Bull’s Chargers, Krem, Cole, and Solas in Dragon Age: Inquisition. Beyond being the Qunari companion, Taash is a representative of the Lords of Fortune faction, a band of treasure hunters operating out of Rivain. Taash was raised there and is described as a thrill-seeking dragon hunter (dragons, eh?) who uses dual axes in combat. Even more noteworthy is the fact that one of Taash’s abilities is to breathe flames; I mean, come on, that’s pretty compelling evidence of the Qunari’s connection to dragons. Notably, this is pretty much it. However, creative director John Epler said BioWare would be talking more about Taash’s role in Dragon Age: The Veilguard in the future, so fingers crossed that’s sooner rather than later.

In an IGN interview, game director Corinne Busche also said that Taash is one of the more complex characters on a journey about introspection and belonging. IGN also asked which companion had the steamiest romance, with Busche answering that it was Taash and it had her “hollering.” Introspection comes closely to understanding who someone is…and I mean, you kind of maybe need to know your origins for that one.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s Vows and Vengeance Podcast will feature Taash in the September 26 episode; however, this is more likely to revolve around their characterization and less about their story.

What I Learned About Taash at the Dragon Age: Veilguard Preview Event

To date, I’ve seen how Rook recruits Lucanis and Bellara, with Neve and Harding also being the starting companions. This leaves Davrin, Emmrich, and Taash’s recruitment quests a mystery, and they’ll probably remain this way until launch. Of note, the preview seemed to imply that Davrin was possibly recruited next (after Bellara and Lucanis), potentially meaning Taash is the last companion players can recruit. At the very least, I have a sneaking suspicion that is true. I carried Taash with me on a quest with Lucanis during the preview, hoping to learn a little more about their banter, and it was certainly interesting. Taash spoke about rumors that an Antivan Crow could kill a Qunari in some special, easy manner, with Lucanis quipping back that the rumor is false, but that it was possible.

Taash is also as blunt, direct, and physical as anyone would guess based on their description; when I walked into their Lighthouse Room in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, they were doing some push-ups. WHAT really caught my eye was a passive dialogue when I was in the room about there being a two-headed dragon on the loose. Full stop: THAT is something I need to know more about, and it feeds into the Qunari-Dragon theory even further.

Tinfoil Hat Territory for Taash

Alright, so IF Qunari have some kind of Dragon Blood, the first question is how did that happen? The Iron Bull speculates that the Tamassrans mixed in dragon blood, and while he is a great spy, it’s only good speculation as far back as he can possibly know. If we go further back, then one of the main antagonists of Dragon Age: The Veilguard is Ghilan’nain, the Elven God of Monsters. Ghilan’nain is known for inhuman experiments, changing the Darkspawn with the Blight in the game and one of Solas’ memories revealing that Ghilan’nain had an ancient Blighted prison/Experiment Lab. That also implies The Blight was around as far back as Solas’ rebellion at least (but that is a whole other can of worms).

Therefore, it stands to reason that Ghilan’nain could have mixed Dragon Blood with the Kossith (or just Elves in general) in some experiment that gave birth to the Qunari. Perhaps the Kossith were the first result, weapons of war utilized by Ancient Elves. Not sure there, but it’s entirely plausible. It’s noteworthy that Solas will, at one point, describe the Qunari as “savages” and is surprised by his interactions with a Qunari Inquisitor and has some disbelief in becoming friends with The Iron Bull, even playing the Thedas version of Chess with him—mentally.

Keiran’s comment on decaying blood could indicate that, with each passing generation, there is less and less Dragon Blood in the Qunari. This, too, could explain how the Qunari have become more and more humanoid with each passing game, especially with all the behind-the-scenes magical happenings of the Dragon Age. BioWare always has a lore explanation for any physical changes, so this feels plausible to me.

Which brings us to Dragon Age: The Veilguard and Taash. Whether I’m right or wrong, there’s something going on with the Qunari, and Taash has to be the key to finding that out. However, I don’t believe that’s the purpose they are brought into The Veilguard for. Already, fans have seen a handful of Dragons in The Veilguard, and if constantly fighting dragons is on the radar, then a Master Dragon Hunter only makes sense. It makes more sense if there is a two-headed Dragon that we’ve never seen in the franchise before out and about. Perhaps it’s a random dragon, but more likely it’s connected to the story.

At first, I thought that this two-headed Dragon would be Razikale and Lusacan, but I’ve seen the Archdemon in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. It only had one head, which leads me to two other theories: perhaps this is a dragon experimented on by Ghilan’nain OR perhaps Ghilan’nain experiments on the Archdemon and combines two into one, something like that. That said, I heard Taash say this before seeing the Archdemon, so this would be…a point against my theory. I mean, just look at this concept art. I thought it was two dragons at first, but what if it’s just that two-headed dragon?

All of this is great for seeing the outside influences on the Qunari and for Taash to find introspection on their place in the world. There would be a certain beauty for Taash learning this history and secret of their people through engaging with the dragons, all for it to have personal implications for them as well. I could easily be wrong and am going to love the outcome no matter what, but in terms of pure speculation and tinfoil hat territory, I’m not sure I’m far off. I’ve waited for this mystery to be resolved for a decade, and I am sure Taash is the key to it.

At the end of the day, I know Taash is Qunari, I know my first Rook will be Qunari, and I know there are dragons (one with two heads) to slay. There is obviously some connection between the fire-breathing Taash and the dragons, and I mean, the very title “Dragon Age” is about the return of the dragons. Divine Faustine II was ready to name it the Sun Age until the dragon sightings, predicting that it would be an age of violence and upheaval. It’s certainly that, but on a personal level, it would be a huge upheaval for the Qunari to learn of their origins.