Dirthamen & his SPLIT soul | The Veilguard 

I was waiting for this one. Dirthamen is my favorite. I always play my elf mages as his followers😁

Dirthaman has always been one of my absolute favorites of the elven gods. I always found him so interesting and fascinating. I absolutely loved his shrine because it had so many horror elements and horror is one of my favorite genres. I have always theorized that Dirthaman and Faladin ( I hope I his spelled his name right) were the same person. You did use the word telepathy in the right contacts. Telepathy allowing someone to either read or see into someone's mind and sometimes their emotions. I could definitely see if Dirthamen had these abilities, he could transfer thoughts into his priests minds. In some small way he reminds me of the dark goddess Shar from Baldur's Gate 3. Outstanding work as always. Now you have me wanting to play Dragon Age Inquisition again. 😁🙏💚

Another great and interesting video, thank you! I like a lot of the ideas and theories you put forth and I really love how your videos have a way of putting together pieces that can be easily missed if you don't cobble the lore together and pay exacting attention. For example: While I had all the codex pieces from this temple, I never realized that it made the distinctive choice to allow you to understand the text fully, as opposed to fragments like ToM and Trespasser. Nice! There are a couple of counterpoints I want to make: Mentor: I actually took the reference of 'mentor' in the combined codices to refer to the High Priest and not Dirthamen. Like: "Oh, we'll keep the ways as you taught us and make sure you yourself can never betray it either. " Spicy Math: Another interpretation of the discrepancy in math between the known number of Evanuris and the 'discs' portrayed is that Mythal was never imprisoned because she'd already been betrayed and killed by then. Your theory about Falon'din and Dirthamen is still a sound one and I believe they certainly had a codependent relationship that was probably unhealthy. But so far as being the same person: The math doesn't precisely indicate that, not when you remember Mythal was never imprisoned. Just my own two cents to toss in! Thanks again for the video ^.^

I agree with you on the split personality thing. If it isn't that then it was just an act on his part, and when people stopped caring about his 'darkself' then he got angry. He started staying in the personality. Well that's what I'm thinking anyway.

I love this theory! It also fits with duality of other Evanuris we know and general perseption of them as first spirits. Like Mythal is Justice/Vengeance, Solas is Pride/Wisdom, ect. Dirthamen and Falon'Din could be Compation/Envy, like Cole, who can read minds and make people forget or recall stuff. Could explain part about one's vanity and obsession with body parts and others quiet mind fuckery. I mean, even in their "good" state spirits can be very creepy.

I think the idea of using his priests as flashdrives works. Heck, we saw Mythal/Flemmeth do something on a small scale to preserve herself with Hawke. And she does not know everything. So putting information in his priests, and you never know which priest has which secret? Makes perfect sense to me. I don't know about the Fallin'din vs. Dirthamon personality split. I won't say you're definitely wrong. I can just think of other reasons (such as his memories are in his priests, and the owl brings a mirror, but it's used for scrying, also does he know everything before it happens? In which case he'd be the most powerful of the Gods, as he could make anything happen just by stepping on the wrong butterfly.) What I wonder, watching this now, is if he's the Maker. There's also the problem that we probably don't know all the elvan gods. There could be many more. We only know the really popular ones. It's like knowing Zeus and Hades and Athena, but not knowing about Eris and Eros and so on.

Actually reminds me allot of the characters we've met that have been possessed. Itd easily explain the split personality, very like Anders/Justice. The mural around the fade that depicts all the elves is more odd to me when it comes to Mythal, theres one symbol that could def be hers, but if her being killed was the catalyst for the gods becoming trapped, then those half circles wouldnt have a reason to depect her. Assuming they are showing the ones trapped/killed/released.

Love your voice! You should be a character in the game

Looking forward to this.

I have to say that 7 is without Fen and Mythal, cause obviously Mythal is smth "dead" and can't be sealed beneath the Veil in punishment for her killing...also I found the idea of "twin gods" for different "realms" too interesting to be cut off so easy... but maybe I am wrong ofc😊 I love Yung and his archetype idea indeed

For the seven instead of eight prisons: Mythal was also not imprisoned because she had “died”

I really like the idea of Dirthamen's priesthood being used as a sort of psychic archive. It would make them a tradition of ascetic monasticism with vows of silence and isolation while they study and learn apart from the world so he could tap into their understanding and secret knowledge. He could also run his dominion as an Orwellian police state using paranoia of surveillance and espionage to control the populace and combat rivals. I will say that with whatever the connection is between Dirthamen and Falon'din (the most interesting gods of the Evanuris) they are separate enough to be distinct independent entities. I would guess that maybe they were probably just really close allies; Falon'din some sort of cult of personality warlord and Dirthamen the operates from the shadows type and they grew, during the old war with the titans, so deeply entwined to be considered parts of each other. Solas also implies that all the Evanuris conspired to end Mythal together, so Dirthamen would have been an active agent in her death. Assuming Solas is honest in that story. Warning her would've been counterproductive.

I suggested a spirit/mage relationship between these two in r/dragonage years ago, but I didn't get people to make the connection that they were almost certainly the same individual, and each of these two elven "gods" was actually just an aspect of one single person. In my mind the spirit/mage thing started to make sense after playing Jaws of Hakkon, where we meet the Avvar mages and learn how they accept and even encourage a connection with a spirit so it can guide them as they learn to control their powers. Some even live with the spirit for most of their lives. Even the Seekers do this, somehow, with their spirit of Faith, which allows them powers which are actually too close to magic to be a coincidence. But there is a strong possibility this is a dissociative identity disorder thing. I just discovered your channel, I'm going through the DA videos as I write this, and I'm seeing a great deal of the same stuff I've been arguing for, for several years now. I'm so relieved to learn I'm not the only one who reached the same conclusions about the lore of this franchise, just going by the clues and information the devs have given us. Your sugggestion of the "seven prisons" in particular just emboldened my own theory that I've been pleading people to get for years: the archdemons are Great Dragons (dragons are exceptionally resistant to the blight, according to one war table mission in the Western Approach) that have been charged to guard these prisons, and each time there's a Blight it means the locks of the prison have been broken, because the Dragons have finally been corrupted. So I don't think that two gods have escaped, I think five marks represented by an absense of gold (which likely represents magic) are locks that have already been broken, one per Blight. Where the escapees are... well, that's something to think about. Maybe they're too weak to fight still, as Solas was after his sleep. I guess we'll see. Now on to another video on the list!

Dirthamen looks incredible. I vaguely remember Solas listing his help for something. Solas even has a statue in that temple. Makes me wonder why he was imprisioned. And yes I do agree with you that Falondin and Dirthamen were the same person. Cant wait for Veilguard to hear what weirdo abomination Ghil or daddy issue boy Elgar have to tell us! Especially about our Chuckles ♥️

Dirthamen is to Leliana as Mythal is to Flemeth

Subbing because of this brilliant think piece, and that voice, DAMN!

I was never very deep into the Elven Pantheon, so I never gave it that much thought, but your assumption is incredibly plausible and I would like to see it to be the truth. As for the question why Dirthamen didn't warn Mythal what was coming: I think it might be because it wouldn't have made a difference. Whatever he had done, the outcome would have been the same. That's at least my theory.

This content is so great. Please keep going. Love your channel.

Dithamen is the Lady Whistledown of the elven pantheon. 😆

Power through knowledge, hiding in the shadows, being ready to use knowledge against opponents? Spymaster, through and through. Mind, tongue, hands, ears, eyes; all senses (+thoughts) that can be used to gain knowledge and communicate it. So somehow these servants were prevented from sharing what knowledge they guarded, but the high priests was excluded from this until the lower servants forced the Silence on him. Looks to be a spell of compulsion, not necessarily mutilation just based on the poem. Do any of the other texts in the temple suggest the high priest was physically mutilated, like parts cut of? Or is it just the play on words that suggests that? Lol, Flesh Drives instead of Flash Drives xD I heard an e instead of an a and thought 'dang, she went dark', but loving the thought. Hahaha I think Sylaise and June shared knowledge on architecture and craftmanship/smithing with their followers, and Dirthamen actually KEPT knowledge as in information that can be used against people. Secret agendas, affairs, desires, insecurities, projects and research, etc. His domain is literally gaining, keeping and using that knowledge at the best moment. While the 'knowledge' of the other Evanuris points more to their craft, their skills. So physical skill versus mental knowledge, is what I mean. I don't agree with the theory about Dirthamen and Falon'din being the same person though. Not that I'm fully against it, but it feels ... I don't know, not right to me. Like something is being missed that would give a better explanation for the strange descriptions of the two. Also; the 7 prisons/gates would have excluded Mythal by the time the Veil was created as she had been slain by that time already. So there would be no need for Solas to depict a symbol for her in his murals because he was locking away all the others, the 7 remaining gods without Mythal. Although if I were to assume your theory correct, just to toy with the concept; Falon'din and Dirthamen's descriptions are totally opposite, as if he created an alternate persona that no one would confuse as being him in disguise. Dirthamen deals in secrets and his followers are hidden away, while Falon'din wants to be worshipped in public with grand and opulent displays. Falon'din is arrogant, selfish and brazen, while Dirthamen is sneaky, smart and waits until the right moment to strike. He has fully mastered Fear and Deceit. Deceit specifically. Dirthamen being as smart as seemingly he was could have created the persona of Falon'din, not because of a split personality disorder due to trauma but because he needed a person he could trust to act upon the knowledge he possessed while he himself stays elusive and out of conflict. Not trusting anyone, he made this character of Falon'din who was then never seen at the same time as him yet somehow reminded others of him. Not siblings, not rivals, but the same person with a different mask. This also makes me think that after he learned Mythal stole the knowledge from Andruil on how to reach the Void, that Dirthamen craved that knowledge. He desires knowledge so he can manipulate others like chess pieces on a board. In that case he was the most dangerous of the Evanuris if we disregard pure magical power and the psychopathic nature of Ghilan'nain. He tricked the other gods into believing there was a separate god from himself, ór made them believe it was necessary to have him act like two different people and trick all the other elves. But I can't imagine the other gods not knowing about it, so if they were the same then the others would have to have approved of his antics... And maybe the thought of the other gods not knowing ór being in on the deceit and allowing a second personality and domain for Dirthamen to manipulate the people is what is bothering me about the theory. Why would they let him be both. Unless the common people only saw the god Falon'din in public and heard of the title of Dirthamen in whispers and thought they were two different people. Falon'din being the real god, and Dirthamen not being an alternate personality but a secondary rank as spymaster behind the scenes. The dead and the spirits Falon'din would have been in constant contact with would have been excellent sources of information and to help him spy on others. Falon'din being his real face, and Dirthamen being his shadow title. The reflection and the shadow, the one you can see and the one you can't

great vid goose

The “twin souls” notion makes me think less of a split personality and more of something akin to Anders & Justice/Vengeance. Two souls literally bound to a single body who become less recognizable as individuals over time as the desire for justice and freedom for the mages corrupts both beings into Vengeance. In the case of Dirthamen and Falon’Din, we are told the two were once split when Falon’Din traveled beyond the veil “to a place where his brother could not easily follow.” This makes me think Falon’Din also ventured into the Void and became tainted and Andruil did. Dirthamen eventually found and reunited with him, and could have become tainted by his connection to Falon’Din or simply by being in the Void. We also know from Solas that Falon’Din was “bloodied in his own temple” by the Evanuris. I wonder if this means Dirthamen was split from and opposed to Falon’Din during this as well. If so, we have at least two accounts of them existing independent of each other rather than as two personalities of one being. We don’t have substantial enough evidence to make conclusive statements either way, but it’s interesting to think about the mystery of their nature.

I always thought there are only seven symbols because Mythal was killed by the other gods (and managed to escape into Flemeth). I like your theory a lot more, though.

Absolutely captivating idea; I love it.

Yes I do agree. I assumed in Inquisition that they are like alter ego's. I also assumed that difference in murals in his temple were reflecting the 'dirt' he had in his knowledge over other Evanuris. He knew everything, even things other Evanuris wouldn't want anybody to know. And he was proud to show it how the other Evanuris should respect him out of fear of what he knows about them. Otherwise he will shatter their godly image as benevolent lords of slaves. I do believe his followers were more akin to Hermeus Mora followers, containing way too much knowledge for their mortal minds to hold. I do believe Dirthamen followers were trying to either keep secrets hush by sewing lips and such or they tried to keep their sanity from spilling out the secrets they hold as precaution. Given how these are gods, maybe Dirthamen and Falon'din split. An alter ego becoming real entity. Or maybe Solas had to split them as two in one were too dangerous. Would explain why there are 7 prisons, with exclusion of dead Mythal and ofc Fen'Herel.

Sorry you're getting another dissertation from me, LOL 😂😂😂 Based on what we've learned from trespasser and Solas' account of ancient elven history. I believe that Dirthaman's dominant shadow self prevented him from Mythal of her fate. Perhaps feeling it wouldn't change her outcome, if she was meant to die. Or he transferred that knowledge or thoughts into one of his priests and bound them to silence. 🤷🏾‍♂️ Either way this is why Dirthaman is my favorite of the ancient elven gods. He is so interesting and there's so much to play around with because so much of him is wrapped in secrets.

Wow this is kinda competing with my favourite Goose videos, heck I love them all. Your theory is very good, especially considering that Falon'Din and Dirthamen are said to be twin brothers so being the same person works just as well. I wonder if when Ghil and Elgar'nan are defeated will the other gods somehow become free amidst the chaos. Dirthamen and Andruil just seem like final boss material for like a dlc or something. I also wanted to ask who do you think will return to DAV from the previous games. I have a good feeling Morrigan will make an appearance to become possibly the next Flemeth or carrier of the soul of Mythal. Dorian seems very likely to return. Maybe Cassandra and Leliana will accompany the Inquisitor on their journey (a nice narrative ending as they were with them at the start now they are both with them to finish the journey) also maybe Fenris to aid the Shadowdragons. Those are just my guesses

I thought there was one two few symbols because Mythal was killed?

Interesting. Maybe he is the one who came up with the Eluvians. Would fit the teleportation theory and the mirror being part of his iconography.

I always thought its 7 prisons becuase Mythal was killed, not imprisoned.

What about a connection between Dirthamen and Dumat, the “Dragon of Silence”.

…why is it that every video of yours I see right before bed has to be creepy? 😂 I was wondering if the two Evanuris were conjoined. I didn’t notice the two symbols on the second pic (the idol) were identical. I definitely think you’re on to something! Either way, your analysis of Dirthalen actually increased my interest in him. The concept of the first spirits and the Evanuris being one and the same? I hadn’t considered that possibility. I’m curious if that’s a theory you believe?

The mouths shut part makes me think back to the Qunari we help in DA2 who can’t speak

Maybe it was an Anders/Justice situation. Split personality makes sense.

🎉 comment for the algorithm people