Mementos {Lore/Theory. - Spoilers All} — Transcript

Full transcript

1. 0:02* Welcome welcome, patrons! I want to talk about  the Veilguard Momentos. That’s it, I have no other
2. 0:09intro bits, I’m just barging right into this. * Momentos
3. 0:13* To begin, we need to talk a bit  about the Momentos. If you haven’t
4. 0:16played DAV for some reason, the Mementos are  collectable items you find around the game. Each
5. 0:20one collected earns you some points to use with  the Caretakers enchanting shop, and it plops a
6. 0:25very short little codex in the Mementos section. * This is pretty straight forward and normally
7. 0:30I wouldn’t even include saying this in a  video, except- most momentos have an extra
8. 0:36line that can only be read by data mining. Why?  I have no idea. If you are curious about these,
9. 0:45they are documented over on the DA wiki on each  memento’s page. But for those curious, yes I will
10. 0:51be including the datamined lines in the video. * Which, to explain a little more- this extra line
11. 0:57isn’t like another sentence, but sounds more  like it’s describing the item. When my friends
12. 1:03and I were data minding the game back when  DAV launched, we even thought that this extra
13. 1:07line was to be the shop description for some  of the items that are sold in stores. However
14. 1:11when we went to look for this in game, this was  not the case. So why isn’t it used? No idea.
15. 1:20* Ok, with that out of the way, there are a  ton of these little guys, and some of them even
16. 1:24connect to make a small story. So I have little  groupings here of ones that I found interesting,
17. 1:29and I’m just going to discuss them. * Pantomime Masks
18. 1:45* Easily one of my favorite collections,  the Evanuris pantomime masks are littered
19. 1:50throughout the game. There is one for each  elven god, plus Fen’Harel, and the way they
20. 1:54describe the pantheon I find so fascinating. * But first, what is a Pantomime mask? Now,
21. 2:01I only have a light understand of theatre  history, so excuse how simple I’m making this,
22. 2:06but Pantomime is a form of musical theatre,  usually comedic, that would tell stories of
23. 2:10myths and folk tales with a very minimal  cast, sometimes only one person. Today,
24. 2:15as I understand it, the UK also has a  ton of ‘Pantomime’ shows where there is
25. 2:19a lot of audience participation as well. * So then, we can assume that they belong to
26. 2:28ancient Arlathan culture- once were part  of stage plays and street performers who
27. 2:33were once telling stories of the gods. * Each mask has a little blurb on what
28. 2:38type of role each Evanruis tended to play in  these types of tales. For example, Mythal:
29. 2:44* The Fallen Protector * A pantomime theater mask of Mythal.
30. 2:48* In narrative, she is the portent that  spurs the story, suffering first and most
31. 2:54the forces that wish the tale untold and the  hero unsung. ("The stage is all around us,
32. 2:59the heroes and villains yet within." ) * While simple, that is what Mythal was
33. 3:05to the people of Arlathan. And the rest of the  collection is like this. It may not seem like it,
34. 3:10but this is easily the best collection we have  on how the Evanuris were viewed while they were
35. 3:14at their height! They raise more questions than  answers, yet I think these are such a valuable
36. 3:19resource to fans who want to write these  characters in the future. While we did not
37. 3:24get to meet most of them in person in the games,  I honestly think this is the next best thing. This
38. 3:29is what they meant to the story of Thedas. * While one day I do want to make a codex
39. 3:35video with all of the Momentos nicely read out,  until then, let me read you the rest of these:
40. 3:41* The Father of Retribution * A pantomime theater mask of Elgar'nan.
41. 3:47* In narrative, he represents promise before  acceptance. The power before the price. The moment
42. 3:52of choice that precedes justice or vengeance,  rise or fall. ("Of all the masks, none so clearly
43. 3:59signal imminent elation or catharsis." ) * The Lady of Fortune
44. 4:03* A pantomime theater mask of Andruil. * To narrative, she is purpose. She grants
45. 4:09strength of clarity, but blindness  to trickery. Blood and force,
46. 4:13spare us the moment we become your prey. ("She is  the hunt itself: both the hare and the hawk." )
47. 4:19* The Long Night * A pantomime theater mask of Falon'Din.
48. 4:23* In narrative, he's the unfamiliar that  precedes change. The willing sleep that
49. 4:27calms or changes desire. Endings were different  in the time of immortals. ("He would become Death,
50. 4:33but used to be more." ) * The Master of Craft
51. 4:36* A pantomime theater mask of June. * In narrative, he is the means, and the tools
52. 4:42by which needs are met or obstacles conquered.  His will hides in the actions of others. ("Tools
53. 4:48are weapons that create." ) * The Mother of Halla
54. 4:51* A pantomime theater mask of Ghilan'nain * In narrative, she is the price and acceptance
55. 4:56of purpose, and the becoming that allows no  return. Betrayal and devotion became equals
56. 5:01to her. (By her boon, you will find your  way home, but home may not recognize you.)
57. 5:06* The Trickster Wolf * A pantomime theater mask of Fen'Harel.
58. 5:10* His narrative role changes with the curse of  perspective. He has as many faces as names. His
59. 5:16arrival is as much profanity as prayer. (The  mask the Dread Wolf lets you see is merely
60. 5:21his most obvious.) * The Unspoken
61. 5:23* A pantomime theater mask of Dirthamen. * In narrative, he is the secret behind
62. 5:28what beckons, whose reveal answers questions  first denied, then demanded. (Secrets are
63. 5:34lies that are true ) * The Way of Peace
64. 5:37* A Pantomime theater mask of Sylaise. * In narrative, she is the hearth you
65. 5:41leave and return to. The comfort that bookends  a journey where everything, especially self,
66. 5:46has become unfamiliar. (Even the story is  jealous of her, and does all it can to delay.)
67. 5:51* The Pillars * Fun fact, the Kal-Sharok Outpost- yes, this
68. 5:56is an outpost. This is not Kal-Sharok itself.- was  supposed to be a whole exploreable area in DAV,
69. 6:03but was cut due to time. However, you can tell  there was lore building for Kal-Sharok dwarves
70. 6:09that is hidden just below the surface. One of  these little nuggets is a series of mementos
71. 6:14called ‘Pillars of Kal-Sharok’. * Pillars of Kal-Sharok: Blood
72. 6:16* An ancient manuscript: * We are kin, bound by blood—blood
73. 6:21shared and blood spilled in the dark.  (Blood. A pillar of Kal-Sharok's culture.)
74. 6:26* Pillars of Kal-Sharok: Memory * An ancient manuscript:
75. 6:28* We are the living memory of our ancestors, who  dwell within us. We remember, and are not alone.
76. 6:35(Memory. A pillar of Kal-Sharok's culture.) * Pillars of Kal-Sharok: Stone
77. 6:39* An ancient manuscript: * We are the foundations of the great
78. 6:42thaig. Kal-Sharok stands until the last of us  falls.(Stone. A pillar of Kal-Sharok's culture)
79. 6:49* Pillars of Kal-Sharok: Voice * An ancient manuscript:
80. 6:52* We are a shout from the deep places. Dissonance  and harmony—a chorus, sung by the many, in one
81. 6:57voice.(Voice. A pillar of Kal-Sharok's culture. ) * From this we can gather that these four ideas
82. 7:03are the main values of the Kal-Sharok community.  This is the dwarven ‘Way of Three Trees’,
83. 7:09if you will. I also really like how it seems  that, unlike Orzammar who transformed into
84. 7:13basically a new dwarven culture, the Kal-Sharok  dwarves seemed to have come together in the
85. 7:18tragedy and connected with something- either  literally or ideals- that mimic what I think
86. 7:23life with a Titan would be like. * The Survivors of the Veil
87. 7:27* While not a hard set like  the previous collections,
88. 7:30many of the momentos in Arlthan Forest are  a really cool exploration of what the elves
89. 7:35that survived the fall of Arlthan were going  through. Here are a few I wanted to point out:
90. 7:39* Promise of Glory * A relic that claims prehistory,
91. 7:42when gods wrote decrees of coming ascension. There  are fewer hands, the first warnings of betrayal,
92. 7:48and the change that would eventually claim all.  (Of course they were ever-hungry. They were gods,
93. 7:53and we were immortal.) * Beyond the Veil
94. 7:56* A map in a hand unused to paper. Their terror  was trembling and palpable. Land as empty as
95. 8:02this new void in us, that ceases the spirit, and  makes us suddenly meat. ("Where empire once stood,
96. 8:08there is now only this new thing called ending.") * The Days of Death
97. 8:12* Humble hands writing of a new life that ends.  Of food, shelter, and what weather does to a body
98. 8:18that can die. We barely lived beyond the fall.  ("The hunger of gods replaced by the hunger of
99. 8:24bellies, and other immediate pangs." ) * The Cost of Harmony
100. 8:29* A verse of old Arlathan in textile: * We sang our wards to guard the heart,
101. 8:33and bid our song be joined in kind,  but harmony once joined bears costs
102. 8:38eternal. (An artifact of struggle post-Veil) * This one I find really interesting, because I
103. 8:44assume that the ‘heart’ that is mentioned is the  blight cube that powered Arlathan. But you could
104. 8:50also read it as as the Elvhen people as well,  because remember that the ‘Vhen’ in Elvhen’ means
105. 8:55heart. Perhaps this is saying that spirits became  flesh to protect the others, but are now stuck in
106. 9:00their physical form post-veil? I’m not sure! * The Nature of Immortality of Nature of..
107. 9:07* A verse of old Arlathan in textile: * ...We saw no end to fear for us,
108. 9:12and songs would sing instead of birth,
109. 9:14an unknown start more strange than death because…  (A woven artifact of strands with no end )
110. 9:21* With First Hands * The earliest style
111. 9:23of elven carving. The simple made permanent, a  balm to soothe children and other new mortals,
112. 9:29when all else in existence has been revealed  as temporary. (We assume our hands came first.
113. 9:35Perhaps that is why theirs are unsettling) * I’m honestly baffled and confused by the
114. 9:40hidden line we found in the files, but I’m  loving it. I think you could read the ‘We’
115. 9:44as modern viewers of the work, similar to how we  look at older artifacts now and are surprised to
116. 9:50see the humanity in something so old. Or it could  be something like the elves that were spirits and
117. 9:55became flesh had fucked up hands. * The Hand Left
118. 10:01* Young, as elven artifacts go. The Left, the  first through the Veil. Uncertain, perhaps,
119. 10:06but hopeful. The old rhythms quiet, as distance  demands, so we bid the new world welcome. (The
120. 10:13left of a pair of elven sculptures) * The Hand Right
121. 10:16* Young, as elven artifacts go. The Right, the  last to reach back, not grasping, but bidding
122. 10:22farewell. Don't mourn what we were, because while  we endure, it has not died. (The right of a pair
123. 10:27of elven sculptures.) * The Living Empire
124. 10:30* Proud hands writing of a people becoming their  own. We are elves. In the truths of our beliefs,
125. 10:36our people will endure far beyond gods who  believed only in themselves. (Perhaps there are
126. 10:41immortals still, but we surpass them by living) * I just love all of these, because it speaks of
127. 10:48the emotional turmoil that the first elves went  through post veil. The story of the elves who
128. 10:53were suddenly mortal, being attacked and enslaved  by Tevinter, and despite it all, they survived.
129. 10:58If anything, I think that modern elves in Thedas  should be proud of this period of their history,
130. 11:02and in a world state where Bellara shuts down  the Nadas Dirthalen, this is where real elven
131. 11:08history should begin. * The Field Notes
132. 11:10* Now, this one is actually related  to the previous category, but is an
133. 11:13actual set with itself. * Field Notes of First Days
134. 11:18* A page torn with malice from a bestiary: * Tread softly on new legs, breathe quietly
135. 11:24this new air. We are not the only beings  that seek what we once were. ("An artifact
136. 11:29of the last and first.") * Field Notes of Last Days
137. 11:33* A page of a bestiary, singed: * They found us, these things wronged
138. 11:38before the Veil, and wrong still. Their hate grew  weapons to fight gods and found fear and flesh.
139. 11:45("An artifact of the first and last." ) * Field Notes of New Days
140. 11:49* A page of a bestiary, cold: * It claims what we lost as
141. 11:54penance. A crime we did not know, a pain  it cannot shed. A hatred, blind. A city,
142. 12:00black. ("An artifact of the rest and remaining.") * My assumption is that this is the first mortal
143. 12:05elves finding out the reality of the blight.  Just the idea of a people finding out that
144. 12:10their city was run on such dangerous and stolen  magic makes me wonder how much resentment they
145. 12:15held for the Evanruis, and then even still,  how did the Evanuris still hold a positive
146. 12:20reputation from Dalish in modern times. Could  it be that no one was left to remember the
147. 12:25Titans, and they saw this as something  Fen’Harel unleashed? It’s hard to say.
148. 12:31* Solas’ Trials * I’ve talked about
149. 12:33this in my video on the Regret prison, so I’m  going to just pass by this, but I do want to
150. 12:36highlight that the momentos found there are cool,  and now also including the datamined extra lines.
151. 12:41* Remnant of Failure * Orb shards, broken by misplaced
152. 12:46trust, slivers of an irretrievable power, the  kindling of regrets, humming with a diffuse,
153. 12:51lost vitality.(Fragments of a mistake. ) * Remnant of Parting
154. 12:56* Mythal in dragon aspect offers different  wisdoms and protections, striding with the
155. 13:00powers of hidden ways. Fingerprints mar the golden  shine, as if well handled. (With the wings and
156. 13:07head come the dragon's heart ) * Remnant of Reflection
157. 13:10* Ages of paint, stone dry and volcanically  uneven, capture eerie splashes of strange azures,
158. 13:17unsettling scarlets, and choleric ambers—colors  to match the eye of an elven god. (Palette of a
159. 13:23skilled artist. The paint is crusting) * Explanations of Art Assets
160. 13:29* Probably one of the funnier collections in the  meta, but there is a ton of entries about random
161. 13:34ass statues and objects we have seen in the series  for sometime with zero context, and now we have
162. 13:39just a shred. I don’t actually have all of them  in this bit I’m about to show you, as some of the
163. 13:44entries do just basically say ‘lol idk’, but these  are the ones I thought were best to point out.
164. 13:50* Dream-Inspired Statue * Little is known of the
165. 13:53statue's original artist. Rumours say he followed  Zazikel, the Old God of chaos, and inspiration for
166. 13:59the statue came to him in a dream. ("Both  dreams and nightmares can inspire." )
167. 14:05* One Moment of Victory * A scrying orb, frozen in
168. 14:08the moment that marked both a magister's plan to  crush rebellion and the instant a Shadow Dragon
169. 14:12stopped his heart. And so they fight on. (An  artifact of what is possible with effort )
170. 14:19* This one I do want to take a second with, as I  think the way to unlock it is interesting. This
171. 14:23is one of the rewards you get for finding all the  Candlehops in Minrathous, and is located behind
172. 14:28a locked gate in the Shadow Dragon’s hideout. * The item model itself is one of the strange
173. 14:32orbs that you activate to strengthen the veil  in DAI, although a different color. I just
174. 14:37find it interesting that they would call this a  scrying orb, and what that could possibly mean.
175. 14:42Something something, thing that can help separate  the world of dreams and the waking can also see
176. 14:46into a possible future something. * Forbidden Dream
177. 14:56* The petrified tentacles of an unknown  creature extrude from the skull. The origin
178. 15:01point seems to be within the skull itself. Did  the tentacles come from the Fade? ( "No thought,
179. 15:06no matter how dangerous, can kill. Unless...." ) * Now, this one is fun because while it does not
180. 15:12actually have an in-game model, the description  is exactly like this staff from DAI, and also the
181. 15:17logo for the Rift Mage specialization. * Mythal's Grace
182. 15:21* A medallion bearing the symbol of Mythal,  ringed with the notes of a song inscribed in
183. 15:25spectral notation, music that cannot be heard  in this world. (Mythal embraces with protective
184. 15:31arms that wrap the whole way around.) * Now, this one has me crazed, because this
185. 15:35particular circle has been driving me crazy for  years. So to be told that it’s a symbol of mythal,
186. 15:40and that it’s actually spectral music that  could only be heard in the fade… and then
187. 15:45also mix this with the music room from the  Lighthouse? Mythal, the all-mother seemed
188. 15:53to have lullabies for her children, the elven  people, and I find this a fascinating item.
189. 15:58* Others * So, there are a ton of momentos,
190. 16:10and not all of them are a set. So here are  just a big lump of ones that I thought were
191. 16:13interesting for one reason or another, but are  more standalone. I’ve organized them by faction:
192. 16:19* Elven * Hazards, Tomorrow
193. 16:23* A predictive map, which is perhaps counter to  the concept of a physical mapping, but central to
194. 16:28Veil Jumper survival. "Know where you don't know  the danger is." ("A map for bold survival." )
195. 16:34* Grace of the Halla * As they impose creation,
196. 16:37gratitude and sorrow are the mindful sculptor's  prayer. Through hammer and chisel, all statues,
197. 16:42like the first halla, are a violence that ends in  beauty. ("We are all something harmed that will
198. 16:47become something greater." ) * The First
199. 16:50* Carved more permanent than she became,  Asha'bellanar, once and again Mythal,
200. 16:54who refused when the gods hungered, and  was punished with horrible freedom from
201. 16:58their plans. (We are all of them, their glory  and their failing, but we can also change)
202. 17:03* Pocket Frog * The master cut away all that was
203. 17:07not glory, and their perfection was witnessed by  a singular vault. June said sweep in their wake,
204. 17:12and make each imperfection a shared simple joy.  (So common that they are a shared experience. With
205. 17:18reach like the voice of the forest. ) * Tevinter
206. 17:21* A Mysterious Andraste * A statue of Andraste. Numbers
207. 17:26carved into the bottom of her cloak seem to  reference a verse from the Chant of Light,
208. 17:30but don't match any known recordings. (The Chant  sings of Andraste. Not every verse is known.)
209. 17:36* Since this was found in Tevinter, this is  likely a statue that belonged to the Tevinter
210. 17:40Chantry. Although I’m positive if this was a  verse that was known to the Southern Chantry,
211. 17:44the entry would say so. But I am curious as  to what verses BOTH chantries threw away.
212. 17:50* A Fool and His Skull * The remains of Caion
213. 17:53Eventus Dumat-Borne, the Inevitable Venator. An  ocularum crystal was embedded in one eye at the
214. 17:59start of his rule, a dagger in the other  shortly thereafter ("A slaver's destiny,
215. 18:04now a cautionary paperweight." ) * For this one, I found ‘Dumat-Borne’
216. 18:08really interesting, and also that he is called  ‘The Inevitable Venator’ . The word Venator is
217. 18:13based on the latin for Hunter. * The Crows
218. 18:23* Mask of the Last Talon * This mask is itself a standing contract,
219. 18:28to be worn by the last Crow. Stripped,  sharp, and golden, it is the last message
220. 18:33the Crows will send, should Antiva fall.  ("Commemorating victory beyond defeat." )
221. 18:39* Qunari * Horse Figurine
222. 18:41* A statue of what appears to be a horse carved  in ancient Qunari style. The features of the
223. 18:45mount are oddly stylized and faintly draconic,  as though the artisan heard horses described
224. 18:50but never saw one. ("A common creature seen  for the first time through uncommon eyes." )
225. 18:56* Qunari Cup * An ancient Qunari drinking vessel. Judging
226. 18:59by the stains, it is ceremonial, used to hold tea  or other liquids as an offering to ancestors. (An
227. 19:04offering of water to quench the ancient fire ) * I just didn’t know what the ‘ancient fire’ is
228. 19:07here, and I’m very curious. There has been  other little hints at some sort of proto
229. 19:07qunari religion and making offerings to  something. So I thought this was neat.
230. 19:07* Qunari Worked Pillar * An ancient Qunari pillar of worked stone
231. 19:11set with carvings. It is believed to represent  revered ancestors and their accomplishments,
232. 19:16though the specifics are impossible to translate.  (Remembrance, though the words are lost to time )
233. 19:22* Grey Wardens * Tears for the Griffons
234. 19:24* A blend of griffon and elf, the original  statue was a tribute to a Warden and her
235. 19:29companion. Later replicas added a teary  expression that represents sorrow over the lost
236. 19:34griffons. (A tribute to heroes fallen and lost) * While it could be anyone, I want to believe that
237. 19:46the Warden and Griffon are Isseya and Revas. * Mortalitassi
238. 19:59* Ancient Illustration * These stylized symbols
239. 20:02represent the forking of thought, consciousness,  will, finality, and time, all favorite subjects of
240. 20:07Nevarra's greatest necromancer philosophers.  ("Paths Towards a Darkling Throne." )
241. 20:17* Kal-Sharok * I’ve included a ton of the Kal-Sharok entries,
242. 20:23because we just got so little of it in-game. So  please enjoy these glimpses into Kal-Sharok.
243. 20:28* The Desolation of Kal-Sharok * "To save Orzammar, High King
244. 20:32Threestone sealed off the Deep Roads, abandoned  Kal-Sharok, and left us to the darkspawn. In
245. 20:37declaring us lost, he forced us to find  ourselves." ("Kal-Sharok is forsaken.")
246. 20:42* Casteless * "Life is change, and death, stagnation.
247. 20:47To survive, we discarded what was for what was  needed. Lineage, status, history, honor—the
248. 20:53blight consumed it all, and made Kal-Sharok  casteless." ("The Casteless of Kal-Sharok.")
249. 20:58* Kal-Sharok Abides * "The blight is always
250. 21:02present. We endure it, as we endure so many  other dangers. We have our ways, and Kal-Sharok
251. 21:07thrives." ("Living with the blight." ) * I think the major question here is HOW
252. 21:12they survive. It’s never really explained, but  there are some hints to it being something close
253. 21:17to the Warden’s joining ritual. * Paragon Terez: The Guardian
254. 21:23* Paragon Terez Saelac stood against the darkspawn  during the Desolation of Kal-Sharok. She gave
255. 21:29her life so her people could find safety  behind the thaig walls. (Paragon Terez,
256. 21:33who died to save Kal-Sharok) * Paragon Metez: The Champion
257. 21:38* Paragon Metez Saelac fought alongside his twin,  Terez, during the Desolation of Kal-Sharok. Terez
258. 21:44perished, while Metez lived. There is, however,  more than one way to die. (Paragon Metez,
259. 21:50in his days as a warrior) * Paragon Metez: The Reborn
260. 21:54* Paragon Metez Saelac, born a warrior, was  the first to change. After the desolation,
261. 22:00he traded his sword for a smith's hammer, to  become what Kal-Sharok needed most. (Paragon
262. 22:05Metez, after he became a smith) * What did he change into? I have
263. 22:08no idea. One could guess that he was  the first to become what they are now.
264. 22:08* Other * Ok, this is going to
265. 22:10be the last one, and technically this is found in  Rivain, but I’m putting it in it’s own section.
266. 22:15* Petrified Dragon's Egg * The shape and markings clearly identify
267. 22:20this as a dragon's egg, but the object has been  petrified, not by age but by magic. (When the
268. 22:26fires grow cold, only stone and ashes remain.) * So, while what I’m about to say happens in
269. 22:32Antiva, the item could have moved. BUT this  item reminds me of the mysterious dragon grove
270. 22:39that appears in the comics. The TLDR on this  one is that there was a secret vault where
271. 22:43dragons and their eggs laid sleeping until Yavana,  another witch of the wilds, started to awaken
272. 22:48them. Perhaps this is one of the eggs from that  nest, which is a very cool little object!
273. 22:59And that’s all I have on the momentos! Now,  admittedly, they bring up a lot more questions
274. 23:04than answers, but I think that’s what I love  about them. They are just a bunch of tasty
275. 23:08little nuggets of Thedas we never really got to  explore. Also thank you all for sitting around
276. 23:13as I was doing ‘Codex Summer’- that might have  been confusing if you don’t follow me on Bluesky,
277. 23:17but long story short, when my kid is home  for the school holidays, it’s hard to write
278. 23:21scripts. So the goal is to slowly chip away  at my audio codex series while shes on break,
279. 23:26and then do regular videos monthly when she’s in  school. Also, I have been streaming regularly over
280. 23:32on my streaming channel Codex Added! I just  finished my canon fun of DAV, and we just
281. 23:36started a weekly ‘lore run’ of the whole series  where we discuss chapters of the novels and run
282. 23:41around the games talking about all the new lore.  So if that’s something that interests you, please
283. 23:48stop by on Tuesdays! Do you still have lingering  questions? Proof that I’m wrong? Comments about
284. 23:52your own fan theory? Feel free to message me  at @ghildirthalen on bluesky. Dareth Shiral.