The Veilguard Concept Art Suggests Rook Was Supposed To Always Be A Grey Warden

In Dragon Age: The Veilguard, your character is part of one of six factions. It’s up to you to decide Rook’s origins, as this will impact how some characters speak to you.

However, it looks like this wasn’t always going to be the case. According to some unused concept art, Rook was always going to be a Grey Warden and would have had a specific reason for having to undergo the joining, much like the Hero of Ferelden from Dragon Age: Origins before them.

Rook’s Backstory Is Very Different In This Cut Dragon Age Comic

We could have undergone the Joining all over again

This comes from the fifth part of a series of concept art, sharted by artist Matt Rhodes. In previous parts, he says these pieces were part of a comic that was used to “tie together a rough outline of the intro”, as well as draft some “high-level design and narrative ideas”. So, it’s unclear whether this art comes from Rook’s backstory or the events of The Veilguard itself, but either way, they would have become a Grey Warden.

If you choose to play as a Grey Warden in The Veilguard, it gives you some unique dialogue when it’s time to take on an Archdemon, but nothing like this. We also don’t see our character undergoing the Joining, as that happened some time before the events of the game. Here, though, we can see Rook drink from a chalice full of darkspawn blood, just like the Hero of Ferelden.

In this instance, they’re becoming a Warden specifically to take down an Archdemon since, in the lore, Archdemons won’t stay dead if anyone else slays them. In The Veilguard, Davrin is the one who offers to take one for the team, meaning a non-Warden Rook doesn’t need to undergo a Joining to save the day.

All in all, this is just another look at one of the ideas that was left on the cutting room floor. While other pieces of concept art excited fans (like being able to save the person we left in the fade in Dragon Age: Inquisition), it’s more likely that many will actually prefer the change that was made here. After all, it can be hard enough to roleplay in The Veilguard, so it’s neat to be able to be part of a different faction on each playthough.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

4.0/5

Released

October 31, 2024

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence

Engine

Frostbite