Dragon Age: The Veilguard features seven companions that you can interact with, either as companions or as romances. They all have different backgrounds, and one of them will have the same as your hero, Rook, since you get to choose your origin from the main factions. While it is a nice touch interacting with your faction and experiencing that instant familiarity, the fact that an origin is superimposed on our rather bland Rook does feel a little jarring. What I mean is: we do not know anything about Rook, only tid-bits of some run-in with authority that caused them to leave their faction. Why even bother? It does not really impact the story. But, we are here for the companions. There will be SPOILERS.

Companions And Their Stories

The first companion we meet is a familiar one: Lace Harding. The Inquisition’s awkwardly charming lead scout is a red-headed surfacer dwarf, ace archer and romantic. While during the main game of Inquisition you interact with her only sporadically, you are actually able to romance her to some extent. And since I did not romance her in Veilguard, I will only be getting into her story in this game. Since she is the only companion that we know from Inquisition, it makes sense that her story ties in with that game, or rather, its story-DLC The Descent. During this story the party discovers the forgotten connection between dwarves and giants. Also her motivation is clear: revenge.

Lace Harding is a badass in combat, but also a compassionate, caring soul. She strives to right an immense wrong done by the elven gods. The question is, how she deals with it: does she choose rage or does she stay herself? Her companion quests will lead the party into the underground warrens of the Deep Roads. As for the party setup, prepare to face lots of Darkspawn and demons and choose accordingly. She only has three, straightforward quests, so levelling her up to Hero of the Veilguard is easy and during all of my playthroughs she was always the first to level up. 

The second companion is Neve Gallus, a famous detective and Shadow Dragon envoker, who has a bone to pick with the Venatori, and one mage in particular. Neve is a local gal and very involved with her home, Dock Town. She cares deeply for its people and Tevinter politics. She’s also a loner, who trusts herself most of all, which makes her seem aloof and cold at times. Her interactions with Bellara and Taash, with whom she shares big sister-little sister-vibes, reveal her softer side. In that, she is one of the more nuanced companions. She was hired by Varric to track down Solas. But, she realises that, to right the wrongs done to Dock Town, she needs the Veilguard.

Her companion quests will take you all over Dock Town, pitch you against demons and Venatori, and also unlock new allies. Since Dock Town is one of the two hub cities in the game, her quests are more closely tied in with the main story, just like Lucanis’ story. Speaking of: I really like her interactions with Lucanis, so I usually pick him as the second party member during those quests.

Romancing her was fun, and I enjoyed the dialogues between her and my Mourn Watch warrior. I also enjoyed the companion banter.

Third in line is Bellara Lutare. She is an elven mage, part of the Veil Jumpers, another important faction in the game. Her first mission with the team sets the tone: set in beautiful Arlathan Forest you will gain a lot of insights into the elves’ past struggles. Which is her motivation.

Bellara is a curious, kind and romantic soul, creative and at times a little naive. Her companion quests are much more personal than Neve’s and do offer some surprises, which is always appreciated. Solving puzzles and battling demons are the main gist of it, but I think the quests’ conclusion is the most touching of all of the companions.

The fourth companion is Lucanis Dellamorte, an Antivan Crow assassin famous for taking on Venatori mages. So, the perfect fit for the team. Also, he is really high up in the ranks of one of the main factions, which makes having him on your side really important. Lucanis does have – a condition. That condition is appalling to some of the other companions and therefore keeping the peace will become one of Rook’s tasks. On the other hand, that condition was imposed upon him against his will and he will have to deal with it eventually. Helping him in that task will become even more emotional once you romance him.

His companion quests are tied to his home of Treviso, the other hub city of the game. They are a family matter and there are some political implications that come into play here and I always enjoy those, Lucanis is hell-bent on revenge taking down Zara Renata, a powerful Venatori magister who is responsible for the condition he finds himself in. Finding her, though, is not easy. His motivation for helping the Veilguard? Antivan Crows don’t back out of a job.

Interestingly, the parallels between Neve and Lucanis’ stories make their differences that much more obvious. Neve does not have a family, her family are the little people of Dock Town. She knows the district intimately and will do anything to save it. Doing so will define her in the eyes of the people. Lucanis has to rediscover the city he has been absent from for far too long. But he cares far more for the family he has regained, and for their fortune and well-being. He is a sociable creature, who believes that his condition renders him less human. Finding that self is his main objective. His quests feel much more personal than Neve’s, due to her cool demeanour and the fact that her stakes are not as personal as his. Her losses do not feel as deep. So, while I enjoyed her romance more than Lucanis’, his quests hit harder. If you romance neither, Lucanis and Neve will eventually end up together and watching them romance each other is really cute.

The fifth and sixth companion is either Taash, the Qunari dragon hunter with a secret, or elf Grey Warden Davrin and his loyal companion, the griffon Assan. You can choose to recruit either one first, that’s entirely up to you.

Let’s start with Davrin. He is an elven Grey Warden and protector of a well-hidden secret griffon family that includes the young Assan. Much like any Grey Warden, Davrin’s story is a colourful one, but one thing is clear: he has a passion for hunting down monsters. Considering the enemies the party is up against, that’s encouraging. An experienced warrior, Davrin is honourable, laid-back and cool. Though he does warm up to his ward, the young griffon Assan, and Rook, if you so choose. His motivation of joining the Veilguard: There’s a Blight, which is why, as Grey Warden, he needs to step up.

Davrin’s companion quests are, unsurprisingly, tied to Assan. Fighting for his adorable companion, either in the Anderfels or the Hossberg Wetlands, you will face Darkspawn aplenty. While most of the companion quests culminate in squaring up against the utterly evil guy or girl who wronged your companion and defeat them, Davrin and Assan face a different sort of  monster. Which makes this quest-line one of my favorites.

The least favourite quest-line is Taash’s. Taash is the odd one out. First of all, she pretends she did not even want to join the party. Second, she is socially awkward, in a not too endearing way. Torn between embracing either Qunari or Rivaini culture, she has to find her way and accept who she is. Will she follow her mother and the Qun? Does she embrace the freedom of Rivain’s Lords of Fortune? Will she get comfortable with her identity of being neither male nor female?

At the heart of their quest lies their cultural heritage, even though their gender issues unnecessarily distract from that. I understand why the writers put so much emphasis on that question, since it reinforces Taash’s overall identity struggle, but, just to be clear, Dragon Age: The Veilguard actually handles that issue with off-handed ease, referring to several NPCs as “they” without any need for explanation. Which makes Taash’s struggle a non-issue, really, but only if you take it out of context of their Qunari heritage (which does not tie in with what we learned about gender under the Qun in Dragon Age: Inquisition, and that is the issue I have with that facet of their character.)

Taash’s quests tie in with their heritage, pitting the party against dragons and Qunari both. While I did not romance Taash they end up with the similarly awkward Lace Harding, a romance that does feel as awkward as the participants at times. Their motivation for joining the team: Protecting dragons that are being corrupted.

The last companion is Emmrich Volkarin, a Nevarran necromancer and Mourn Watcher. This Fade expert is accompanied by Manfred, a skeleton animated by a wisp, a curious, helpful spirit. Emmrich is a dandy older gentleman with a fear of dying. His quest-line is my absolute favourite, most of all because I really love the locations, both the Grand Necropolis and Blackthorne Manor. The over-the-top villainess and her parallels to Emmrich’s ambitions make it both interesting and tense. Also, the choice Emmrich has to make in the end has to be one of the hardest in this game.

I did romance Emmrich and that romance did live up to my expectations. I found the inclusion of Manfred especially endearing. 

Next up, I will be having a look at the armour and weapons of Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Until then, keep on playing!
Cheers
Vanessa