TheDragon Ageuniverse boasts a ton of significant side characters, some of whom are poised to move to the front and center of the picture comeDragon Age 4. One such character is the magister Maevaris Tilani,along with Dorian Pavusand the rest of their Lucerni political party.
It has long been thought thatDragon Age 4will take place mainly in Tevinter, given the ending ofDragon Age: Inquisition’sTrespasserDLC. In such a case, it would only make sense that Dorian, a fan-favorite fromInquisition, and Maevaris, who appears in a fewDragon Agecomics and has a mention inInquisition, would take a larger role inDragon Age 4. But what is the Lucerni party, and what role might it have in the next game?
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Getting to Know Maevaris Tilani
Maevaris Tilani is first introduced off-screeninDragon Age: Inquisition, as part of a war table mission for Dorian. She’s a rare breed of magister in the Tevinter Imperium, one who shares Dorian’s sentiments for changing the Magisterium (and the country) for the better. She commands both fear and respect from her fellow members of the Magisterium and rarely do her enemies dare to oppose her openly; Maevaris is known for taking quiet vengeance on those who wrong her.
Before the events ofInquisitionand theDragon Agecomics, Maevaris was a young woman struggling to gain her full inheritance after her father, a magister known for his more compliant nature, was executed by Tevinter Templars. It took her a few years to do so. Her father was executed in 9:32 Dragon, with her finally coming into her full inheritance (including his seat on the Magisterium) in 9:35, but Maevaris’s pursuit of what was rightfully hers cemented her reputation as a formidable figure in the realm of politics. Maevaris was also engaged to Thorold Tethras - Varric’s cousin - and while they were never officially married, she still inherited his considerable fortune after he died of an “accidental” fall during a trip to Minrathous. Maevaris, who by all accounts had been very fond of Thorold, was certain his death was really the work of her enemies and spent the next year of mourning taking her revenge.
Maevaris also appears in the comicsDragon Age: Those Who SpeakandUntil We Sleep,aiding Varric, Isabela, and Alistair in their search for King Maric. InInquisition, one of Dorian’s war table missions involves aiding Maevaris in her bid to convince the Magisterium to condemn the Venatori, chipping away at Tevinter support for the cult. Once that happens, players can also use the war table to assist her in evading follow-up attacks from her enemies as a result of speaking against the Venatori. And, later, it is with the help of Dorian Pavus that she forms the Lucerni party, with the goal of restoring Tevinter and redeeming it to the rest of the world.
Dorian and Maevaris Team Up
Following theevents ofDragon Age:Inquisition, it is revealed that Dorian makes good on his word to return to Tevinter. By the time the Exalted Council meets inTrespasser, Dorian’s father has died and Dorian has inherited his seat on the Magisterium - along with the power and influence that entails. Together, they formed the Lucerni party, although as Dorian’s letters suggest inTrespasser, they’ve got a long way to go yet before they’re seen as a legitimate political power in the Magisterium. As Dorian puts it, the Lucerni is essentially a group of junior member of the Magisterium: “so filled with fire and zeal, and so wildly inept at politics, Mae keeps a bucket of ice water on hand in case one accidentally immolates himself.”
As ofTrespasser, the Lucerni had been making some progress, but still had plenty of work left to do. With Maevaris at its head and Dorian backing her, the Lucerni’s goal is basically to take on the status quo of Tevinter and make real change like the Imperium hasn’t seen for ages. Considering that Dorian himself said progress would be slow-going, it’s very likely that playersofDragon Age 4may find themselves aiding the progress of the Lucerni faction in one way or another.
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The Lucerni Going Forward
So, what might the Lucerni’s plan for redeeming Tevinter actually involve? Well, the party is comprised of Dorian, Mae, and about a dozen other members, and rqnw already know that one of Maevaris’s big goals duringInquisitionwas undermining the Venatori - though, of course, the death of Corypheus likely weakened the Venatori quite a bit already. Everyone in the Lucerni has an intense distaste for the corruption within the Imperium, but it seems that Dorian and Mae will need to teach the rest a thing or two before many political maneuvers can actually be made,likely inDragon Age 4.
Perhaps the Lucerni will work on expanding foreign relations, forging alliances with other countries around Thedas (Ferelden, Antiva,the Free Marches) sympathetic to their cause. Or maybe they’ll start internally, combat the more barbarous intances of blood magic use and improve conditions for the lower classes across the Imperium.
From the games and comics, not only is it clear thatSolas is amassing a forceto start his own rebellion, but the Qunari are readying themselves for a full-scale invasion of Tevinter. Considering the connections that Dorian and Mae have to the Inquisition, the likelihood that they’ll be involved in combating both Solas and the Qunari are quite high.
And hopefully, if all of the above goes well (with a little help from theprotagonist ofDragon Age 4, potentially) the Lucerni will grow and begin to truly root out the corruption that has grown into the Tevinter Imperium. BioWare has a unique faction in the Lucerni to utilize for storytelling inDragon Age 4, and while nothing has been confirmed yet, it’ll be interesting to see if (and how) the Lucerni make their mark on the world in the future.
