Another theory could be that when Briala created the password Fen'Harel heard, as she was asking for his blessing. And that him asking Felassan for the password was less out of necessity and more a test of loyalty. Felassan was proved disloyal and Fen'Harel had to kill him. Just an weird theory but you never know.

:Spoiler: Felassan is a agent of Fen'Harel. Fen'Harel wanted Felassan to find out the password to the eluvain, so he can control the eluvians not briala.

What if Felassan is one of the children saved by Fen'Harrel in the "Slow Arrow" story? And he adopted that name.....?

You asked the question what happened to Solas's body? Page 316 of the masked empire- During their travels through the eluvians Felassan sees the body of an elf covered in white sheets and his face "twists with grief". This elf had been in Uthenara a deep sleep where dreamers were able to wander the fade and someone had slit his throat while he lay there helpless. Felassan says " such a waste, this one could have helped".

So many agreed on this theory. Trespasser proved that theory to be kind of wrong though. Solas is Fen'Harel, not like Anders/Justice. Fen'Harel is a name/title given to him - an insult he took as a badge of pride - almost like the Inquisitor but with an other meaning. He did kill Felassan (Cole confirms it and i've read it somewhere) but i'm not 100% sure why. Something about Felassan turned on him and didn't want to give him the password to the Eluvians... Maybe because Felassan found out what Solas was planning? I've also read somewhere that it is quite common that mages have violet in their eyes and that their eyes slightly can change color. And of course eyes do look different in different lights. :)

I've been waiting for a video about this theory.Thank you so much for doing it ! When I finished the book I was thinking "Felassan reminds me Solas so much...". When I saw these concept arts with the violet eyes I was just stunned. It would be so great if you were right, I really liked Felassan in the book and I was sad to see how it ends without more explanations. Sooo, you convinced me ^^. I think he would kill Felassan if he thinks it was a necessary mean. You talked about the banter with Blackwall but there is also this banter with Sera which could be a hint too imo : Solas: Once you have the aristocracy weakened, Sera, you will have to redirect your lieutenants. Sera: Oh, this again. Alright, what am I doin'? Solas: Some of your forces, valuable until now, have no interests beyond creating a disruption - chaos for its own sake. They must be repositioned where they can do no harm, or REMOVED if necessary. You replace them with organizers willing to build a new system and carry out the ugly work that must be done. Sera: Wot, why? What ugly work? Solas: That is up to you. Do you wish to destroy the nobility? Secure a title? Or change the political structure entirely? Sera: None of it! I don't want any of that! Solas: I do not understand you, Sera. You have no end goal for your organization. Sera: Nobles get rattled and people get payback. I play in the middle. Solas: Why not go all the way? You see injustice, and you have organized a group to fight it. Don't you want to replace it with something better? Sera: Wot, just lop off the top? What's that do except make a new top to frig it all up? Solas: I-- [frustrated noise] Forgive me. You are right. You are fine as you are. Sera: You hurt my head sometimes, Solas. Solas: Yes. I have been known to do that. Sorry for the big post and my shitty English.

i haven't gotten through all your lore videos yet (which are very good) but i'm curious if they have changed after Trespasser, especially this one. I don't think they are the same, I think Felassan was a follower of Fen'harel/Solas, and at the end of Masked Empire we know someone came and 'killed' Felassan, someone he knew would come and knew he could not defend himself against if he even wanted to. I vaguely remember something saying Felassan's valislin was different than the usual designs, i wonder if it was one dedicated to Fen'harel, even if he was against such things if Felassan chose to have it keep it Solas would have let it be. Something Cole says in Trespasser connects them as friends.

My theory is Solas is an immortal elf from ancient times, which makes the exchange between him and Abelas more pointed. Abelas also doesn't consider the modern elves to be true elvhen, and thus not his people, and he may have recognized Solas as one of his own. And there may be other ancient elves like Abelas slumbering in the world. I haven't read Masked Empire, however, and it's a pretty compelling fan theory.

This is a fantastic series.I discovered the series this morning, when I called out sick from work, and I spent my day binging on your videos and a replay of DAI. Please keep up the good work!

A cold blooded killing is one committed without emotion; not one against someone who can't defend themselves. It's a hot blooded murder in the personal quest.

Awesome video. I just wanted to add something to the theory of why nobody remembers Felassan's face. At the end of DAI Solas makes Cole forget him, just like Cole used to do. So maybe that's how he managed to pass unrecognized...

I had this theory myself a while back, but dismissed it because while I suppose I could see Mihris/Michel/Imshael not recognizing Solas/Felassan for their own reasons, I can't imagine Briala overlooking that. I mean, this is Briala we're talking about, she's pretty good at the Game and I don't think she could ever forgot Felassan's face, even if he wears a hat and removes his vallaslin. It's possible I suppose, but to me at least that would seem like they were cutting corners. This theory although is supported by the fact that Flemythal can apparently possess people; If one Elven god can, why not Fen'Harel? Still though, since I don't think they can make something so complex and then ruin it with the explanation of "Briala had a brainfart." I'm going to assume Solas did not possess Felassan, but he did kill him for his lack of loyalty: Solas wanted the passphrase so that he alone could control the Eluvians. I also had a theory that what killed Felassan was "The Formless One", who apparently was one of those big bad demons like Xebenkeck, Gaxkang and Imshael... I'm nowhere near as clever as people like you who make theory videos, but those demons must be related to the Elven Gods somehow, their stories seem almost similar. Any way, thank you SO much for this video the insight is just incredible :O

Hi, girlstriesgames! I have just listened to some of your clips and they are very interesting. On the subject of Solas he says something to my inquisitor, through Cole, after the endgame and the really interesting thing is that he tells Cole to Forget, which he promptly does. Maybe Solas/Fen'Harel just had people Forget him in the Masked Empire and whenever needed? Then it wouldn't matter what he looked/-s like... Thanks again for interesting posts, I will keep checking them out! /Gemmeriel

I've officially watched all your dragon age videos and I

Felassan was my favorite character in the book- on one step with Fen'harel

Loving your videos btw! Cant wait for more Dragon Age stuff!

Solas killed Felassin because he saw them as people and didn't want to bring down the veil, which Solas couldn't allow.

And also, awesome explanation! Your videos are sick, I love them.

Another great video! It peaked my interest in reading the books, I'll be sure to check them out.

There are also theories that Solas is Shartan, and Fellassan is Abalas, as Solas says they are other places he could go if you do not kill him at the temple

Sera had violet eyes in the art book as well.

Awesome video. Thank you. Not having read the books, it's awesome to get that extra bit of possible theory/lore elements I'm missing. It sounds pretty good but I have to say I'm having my doubts. Part of me thinks that there is someone else in the fade who can't leave either trying to help Solas or working against him somehow, and maybe part of that involves the work with Briala and in pandering to the whole Fen'harel is great thing as she is trying to be rebel in her own right. Since Solas can travel to the crossroads but not the fade Physically (as he's very impressed by it the first time you go there with him) it makes it seem like someone else who is stuck in there or can travel physical like Flemeth did when she took Morigan's son, is trying to get out so they need access to an Aluvian. Also, Solas gives hints throughout the game as to his goals or what not (once you know the truth) or the hints are given about him, like with the fear demon, Cole, and Abelas, but so little around those who should have recognized him if he is an incarnation of Felassan. Especially Imshail. Which I feel even a change in appearance shouldn't have been able to fool since he is a spirit. Most spirits/demons seem to recognize Solas immediately even if they don't necessarily let it be known. Like the fear demon if you bring Solas with you to fight the wardens. He can kill those mages yes, but that was because to him his spirit friend was as flesh. To them, it was but an animal, a thing. To him, they were murderers and while killing them is extreme it isn't as off the cuff as killing a servant who happened to fail at a task.To kill a servant of his just for failing seems..I dunno. Overboard? PLUS. We're sort of told that the servants wear the Valeslene of their Elvhen god masters they serve (Abelas and Mythal for example) Fen'Harel never had a valeslene because he never had slaves. So if Felassan had a velaslene, it couldn't have been Fen'harel's and might instead be representative of the other Elvehn god he served, the cloaked figure, maybe even the one responsible for spreading all those nasty legends about Fen'Harel as evil? Unless of course he defected to serve Solas... On the other hand, the whole they become one theory is interesting. Flemeth has more than one god soul in her. She is both Flemeth and Mythal. But unlike Anders and Justice or Mythal and Flemeth, Felassan isn't a spirit or a super powerful mage god being thing, so I imagine the merge would look somehow differently if it did happen? Is Solas now both Flemeth, Mythal and Solas and Felassan? That's getting crowded. LOL In any case, thanks again! I am dying for more information. Bioware needs to get on that DLC! XD

im not into that theory, especially i like to see felassan as a fully character. but i totally can see where it comes from! when i read the book I HOPED for felassan being solas! but in the end i think its good as it seems to be: yet still i rly love to hear this theory and i look forward to more hehe

Hum Ser Michel is not racist, he just sometime feel like he need to pretend to be to avoid being accused of being of mixed blood because that would cause him to be exposed as a false noble

but briala saw solas out of the formal attire and the hat when going into the servant's quarters but then again they couldve been working together...hmmm.

What about Shartan? I was wondering if he was connected at all to Solas

But Solas does have what I like to call, periwinkle eyes. There are hints of purple around his pupils if you look close enough. As for why those who met him before did not recognize Felassan it's because one: he was always cloaked, two had the tattoos on his face and three Solas probably changed other aspects of his appearance besides removing the tattoos once he took over. As for Briala, I doubt she'd out her mentor and is probably unknowingly working for Solas already in one way or another. He loves to disguise himself as we know from all we've seen and read about him.

wait that doesn't make sense in Trespasser DLC if you want to get a secret ending where you find the true identity of Solas (the you're Fen'harel one) the last clue i think is found in the fade with an entry and a painting of Solas and the depiction of Fen'harel which could've been very old considering (if it is cause i dont remember) it's in the fade and could be just a memory.

Not sure if this was mentioned, but with the Vallaslin argument, considering what Solas thinks of them and how he can remove them, as seen when romancing the Inquisitor, you could say he removed it off of this Felassan guy. But the really interesting thing that comes from this, if true, is that then you start to wonder if the Elven Gods were simply powerful elven mages who had a spirit inhabit them. The sheer amount of people this has happened to--Flemeth, Kristoff/Anders, Cole, and if the other theories are true, Solas and maybe even Sera--means that possession/melding of man and spirit are hugely important, and makes one extremely powerful. It would also make what Sera says after the Temple of Mythal pretty much true, albeit simplified and from her point of view--they're all abominations.

Off topic, but I suddenly wonder how many people in Thedas are aware of Fen’Harel? Solas tells the Inquisitor a lot of stuff in Trespasser, but that exchange occurred between the two of them only. I imagine even Inky’s BFFs would be a little skeptical to just see him/her run back like “Solas is an ancient elven god and he cut of my arm and also he created the veil and also he’s gonna tear it down now.” Like?? 😂 Varric might throw up his arms and just say f*** it, whatever, but I think everyone else would assume the Inquisitor had suffered some blood loss induced delirium from losing that arm lol

It's possible he wasn't killed to gain access to the eluvians. That he was killed for what was perceived as betrayal.

I really think he might be Felssan...it just makes so much sense...

Solas is 100% definitely Felassan for me. All the arguments against it have the potential to be refuted at least in future games/books, and it was built up too much for it to NOT be him, in my opinion. Everything about Felassan and the ending of The Masked Empire just makes sense in the context of him being Fen'Harel/Solas. That's just me though! I am a thousand percent behind this theory.

Hey, have you read the new book? The World of Thedas 2 talks more about Felassan, and I think it just makes it more clear that Solas is Felassan. Mainly because they discribe both of them with the same words: different than any other elf, someone who walks the same path as the ancient elves... etc. What do you think? :)

Spirits also can change peoples appearance like abominations. The difference is that an abomination doesn't understand this world and changes the physical appearence of the person to look like a monster. What about a spirit that does know this world?

The whole theory is blown out the water by Solas himself. When the Inquisitor confronts Solas at the end of Tresspasser, the Inquisitor asks if Solas if he is like Mythal/Flemeth. He states no, solas is all he has ever been.

girltriesgames i think he's Elvhan like abelas because sentinals elves are the only known people to know what truly happen to arlathan aside that of solas

Hey I like your theory! But I kinda agree with 'Fen The Witcher' that after the DLC this theory is slightly changed. So I wonder what your thoughts are on this theory after playing Trespasser. Perhaps a little update on the video would be nice? (wonder is there in anyway confirmed that the book and game story are connected?)

+megan lynch Yes, I definitely can't see what the point of Felassan being so similar to Solas and talking aaaaalll about Fen'Harel is if there's not at least SOME big connection between them. Thanks so much for watching! I'm sorry I can't reply directly to you (I think it's a Google+ setting), so I hope you see this!

I watched this before realizing how old it was - apparently pre-Trespasser - but there was a part that stuck out to me anyway. Solasmancers don't (or didn't) like the idea of Solas being cold-blooded enough to just kill Felassan? Really? I'm totally head-over-heels for the idiot, and one of my favorite things about him is that he's both fully capable of moral reasoning (though his ability to form cogent arguments leaves something - or everything - to be desired) and utterly, utterly ruthless. I don't even think a romance would be reasonable between Solas and Lavellan if both those things weren't true. He's ancient and unimaginably powerful. If he weren't fundamentally and tragically flawed, things between them would be pretty gross, especially since - to me, anyway - she comes across as fairly young. He can't be amoral - that would just make him bad. But his fundamental flaw - and awareness of it - means that he seems to see Lavellan as his moral superior, and actually shows her a degree of deference because of it (depending on your conversation choices). That puts them on a more even footing than would otherwise be possible. That characterization is one of my favorite things about the way he's written.

Congratulations, you were spot on!

What about the lines spoken by Felassan on page 370: "That is," Felassan said, and after a pause, finished, "a unique use of the ancient relics of our people, da'len." "I think Fen'Harel would have approved," Briala said, and saw Felassan give a startled laugh. "He might have," her teacher said, "though I very much doubt it." ((To me this means that Felassan and Fen'Harel/Solas are not the same entity.)) ((I guess I should explain that Felassan died because he supported what Briala was doing and trying to do. but in the above lines of conversation he is saying Fen'Harel wouldn't support that.))

Great video

Does the book indicate when Felassan and Briala met each other? Fen'harel was asleep for who knows how many millennia until 9: 37 Dragon, Act 3 of DA2.

*Choice. Spirit.* lol Wouldn't Fen'Harel killing Felassan in the fade make him Tranquil, thus preventing posession? Then again, IIRC, that only makes demons lose interest in the dreamer, since they lust after emotion, but not necessarily prevent anoteher will from entering the husk of the person, if they are intent on doing it.

Based on the information, it is more likely that Fellasan is just another of the elvhen who admires Fen'harel. Whether he has or is now directly working with Solas, still hard to say.

(haven't finished the video yet, just would like to respond to the 'part of the people part' of Solas): I believe that Solas sees the elves as two factions so to speak; 1 the ancient elves or those that had been asleep (such as Abelas) and 2 the modern day elves (those that live in poor conditions. that have lost all of their history, immortality and magic). I think he believes that he is part of the first and that when Solas and the INQ discuss the events of the Winter palace that they are talking (in his mind) about the current day elves, with whom he feels no connection.

During measuring the veil quest Solas claims to never have seen veilfire, only read about it. Obviously this is a lie. What is curious is he has no reason to lie to the Quizzy about this specially since he uses it during the cutscene leaving Haven. So whod he lie to? I think that lie was for Mihris to avoid any chance of recolection because Felissan would definatly know all about it.

After reading the book, it annoyed me that Patrick Weekes described the Dalish tattoos as if they were literally moving on everyone's faces. Felassan's, Mihris', ugh.... He probably meant to give the image of the designs curling around their eyes, which they do, but it makes no sense for them to be actually moving, lol.... I really hope we do find out about Felassan. I don't think he's Solas, but he was so cool and I hope we get a connection to him in a future book, game, or DLC.

Imshael is a choice demon? Never heard of that type before.

After reading TME (before DA:I) I thought that Felassan's killer WAS Fen'Harel. But now that I know Solas, I'm really not sure anymore. Yes, Solas can kill the mages who killed & tortured his friend - but only saying his name softly prevents him from doing it. Also, Felassan, by going in the Fade at the end of the book, says that he knows there won't be any arguments, or discussion - his "master" will kill him on the spot without even listening. That doesn't seem quite like Solas imo. But it is still a possibility, indeed. What I'm sure is that I'd hate it, if Solas was "wearing" Felassan's body during DA:I. I really want him to be him, end of the line :s

He is definitely not Solas. Nor being possessed. Just old friends.

As it turns out, thanks to information from Trespasser, Arlathan was indeed an agent of Fen'Harel. And Solas was the one at the end of the book that killed him. Also, Solas totally would do that. It turns out Solas romancers don't know him nearly as well as they thought they did considering he is the true villain of the game.

I would say he is not Fellasan. Admittedly I never read the last book so on that I can't comment, but if what you are saying is true, that means that any time an elf made world shattering decisions or actions they have been always Fen'Harel, which would just make Solas a complete Gary Stu! Never mind the fact that one thing Solas never budges on is the subject of Slavery, I'm not saying he is not capable of cold blooded murder, but subject someone to slavery is one of those things he is very against and gains huge disapproval from him. Which is why I reckon there is no Vallaslin which dedicates one to a God of their or their master's choosing. (Before someone says that he is considered an evil God, there is always a weird cult out there that would worship him etc.) to Fen'Harel.

before the video I was like no way. Now..I'm not so shore.

I'm all for a connection, however doesn't solas admit that he was solas before Fen'harel? we know Mythal is all about passing her essence or spirit to others so I whole heartedly believe Fen'harel was doing the same.

Now we know Solas killed him :(

Trespasser debunks this one.

Solas being Felassan just doesn't make sense to me, the whole theory just seems like total crap, sorry >< I think it would make sense more if Felassan was just a kind of "servant" and the fen'harel simply punished him, just as he did the mages. Something he doesn't like, he kills. otherwise he says he was awaken, maybe Solas' body is really his own and Felassan just helped him awaken somehow before. And while in the fade talking to Felassan could be the time he spoke of as being too weak to do anything.

wolf in sheep's clothing.

Having not read the book, I cannot comment on these theories. But I do wonder why you don't take into account the possibility that the lore in DA is actually incoherent? Mass Effect didn't show much coherence. Even DA shows a lot of incoherence. Anders died in my playthrough of DA:Awakening, but there he was again in DA2.