Dragon Age the Veilguard’s player HUB, the Lighthouse, is a quintessential part of the game’s functionality and narrative. Not, just a place to speak with companions or pick up their personal quests, the Lighthouse is a prime example of a game element necessary for overall cohesiveness and assimilation into the story being told. Game mechanics, gear upgrading, story exploration, puzzles, companion experiences, and more, depend on the player’s interactions within the Lighthouse and are a must for those seeking full completion of the game.
Summary
Set in a self-contained pocket within the Fade, the Lighthouse remained only hinted at within supplementary sources for the Dragon Age Series until the new game’s release. In Dragon Age the Veilguard, the Lighthouse stands as Solas’ former refuge: a place where in ages past and present, he utilized its isolation to obscure his machination from the rest of Thedas. A protected sanctum where he could come and go, unabated as he chased his goal to bring down the Veil and restore the Elven people to their former glory. Only, to now be usurped by the titular Veilguard, to be utilized as a home base in a fight against the Gods.
Functions
Comprised of a central library, containing multiple rooms that change depending on its occupants, and several exterior buildings floating on independent islands, the home base provides the player a safe place to handle any affairs not requiring a change of location outside the Fade. This includes the previously mentioned gear upgrading and enchanting system, facilitated by the Caretaker, as well as supplementary narrative information regarding quests, companions, secrets, and major events -such as records of Solas’ past deeds and major realizations about the history of Thedas as a whole.
Clever Use of Puzzles
Teaching The Unlocking Method
In the Lighthouse, players can solve a few puzzles that unlock sections of their home base that were originally off-limits at the start of the game. The Statue Puzzle requires the player to realign three pairs of statues to face one another, to release three whisps. These whisps will then unlock the door to the Music Room. Inside, players can find the codex entry, Memories of a Duet, and two chests -one medium and one small. Opening this room is a prerequisite for unlocking all the other hidden rooms and islands in the Lighthouse.
Navigating Hidden Rooms
The second part of the Lighthouse’s hidden room puzzle comes later in the game once the player recruited all possible companions. With the team assembled, another whisp will appear in the Music Room. Take it to the newly appeared receptacle near the unopened circular door. Then retrieve the second whisp hiding between the two statues on the outer terrace.
You should be able to see it above the library’s main door. Return it to the door, and it will open, revealing a portal. This leads to the inner balcony, where players will find another codex entry, some loot, and a device that upgrades the Lighthouse. This mechanism will allow players to choose the overall decorating theme of their home base.
The final puzzle requires the player to pick up another wisp. This will unlock the portal on the upper balcony and lead to one of the islands floating above the central area of the map. Once on the island, players will find one of the two marked chests and a beam puzzle. To solve it, each beam must be repositioned to hit the three crystals. Once completed, three whisps will spawn, head directly to the Library, and open the final secret door. Inside: players will find another portal leading to The Wolf’s Den and the second chest.
Companions
Arguably, the most important part of the Lighthouse, the companion interactions are integral to Dragon Age the Veilguard’s story and player immersion. While recuperating from a day of questing, and hunting the Gods, Rook can take time to get to know their new friends and help them deal with their problems. Each companion has a room that will evolve in décor and function as the game progresses, but they are not locked to the location throughout the game. Companions will often move around the Lighthouse and will have multiple conversations with each other.
When eavesdropping on them, the conversations give the player more context of their belief systems, what they’ve been up to when not by Rook’s side, and additional pieces of lore. This mechanic is also how the player can help facilitate the extemporaneous romance plots between their companions. Depending on who Rook romances, possible companion pairings can include: Taash and Harding, Emmrich and Strife, and a romance between Lucanis and Neve. Due to narrative reasons, Bellara and Davrin do not have a romance pairing option.
Narrative
For fans of Dragon Age Lore, the Lighthouse will become an integral part of discovering secrets about the Solas’ past, the history of the Elven people, the Titans, the Blight, and so much more. Completing the Regrets of the Dread Wolf questline requires the player to collect five memorial statues within the Crossroads and a sixth from the Inquisitor.
This will allow the player to dive deep into the past. They learn to understand the very foundations of Thedas and all its sordid machinations. Bringing to the fore major revelations about what has been going on from the very beginning, and who. Only if the player is inclined to do so will be blamed for everything that has happened since.
Recommendations
To fully experience the Lighthouse and the game’s entire narrative, players should make a concerted effort to explore every possible avenue of the location’s mechanics, whenever possible. For companions, a player should speak to them regularly, watch out for quest and conversation makers, and eavesdrop on any side conversations they have between each other. Each time the latter occurs, the game will autosave -marking that the player has advanced that tertiary sub-plot. Coupling companions can be facilitated by these extra conversations and by taking the would-be partners with Rook, whenever questing. For the Emmrich and Strife romance, players should take the Necromancer along for every quest in Arlathan -once he has been recruited.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard is now available via Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. The game is rated M for mature for adult themes, adult language, nudity, and violence. More details, about the game, can be found on BioWare’s official blog and YouTube channel.
