The Maker {Lore- Spoilers All} 

YOURE THE ARCHIVIST!!! (I just played DA:I and came across the archivist and finally understood where your name came from).

"Does a god become corrupt when his worshipers do? " is such a great line! Totally making a D&D story line with that

The idea that the maker is a spirit powered by humans belief in a benevolent "god" is damn near perfect. But I really like a cult of the maker tied to it.

The idea of Dwarves floating through space, Maker clapping his hands and making everything else is so funny to me

David Gaider, who was the lead writer on the existing games, and who quit a bit before DAI came out (if I remember correctly), said that the Maker will never be confirmed or revealed. But now that he isn't there, who's to say that decision won't be reversed?

Sandal is the maker in my heart❤.

The Maker was out getting cigarettes, if Corypheus had waited literally ten minutes he would have been back, the absolute fool

The parallels between Andrastianism and Catholocism are just so much fun in DA since it's a fantasy world with magic. Like imagining what the pope would say about magic in our world is incredibly intriguing and DA does that fantastically

If Solas turned out to be what started the whole Maker idea -well that would be effen ironic Been made a God twice.

What if the "Maker" is actually all of the Titans in a hive-minded connection? They create Lyrium, & they're big enough to have built the literal planet. Also, that would make the Evanuris a lot of potent wizards (unfettered in their magical potential by any Dread Wolven Veil), who ascended or transcended mortality to become unique spirits.

Since Jaw of Hakkon came out and we learned more about the Avvar, I kinda figured the Maker was an extremely powerful Spirit of Faith who came to Andraste (tying into the theory that Andraste was a mage). But I suspect we'll never truly get an answer.

My general sense at the moment, with no further information, is that the Chantry current understanding of The Maker was based on human misinterpretations of a series of events starting with the lowering of the Veil (note it has little to say before that time, even though it wasn't THAT long ago) and leading up to the defeat of Tevinter by the Andrasteans. The Tevinter Imperium, I believe, was an attempt by the Evanuris to recreate their empire using humans instead of elves...and Andraste was empowered and inspired to oppose it by someone and/or something that she is now recorded as calling The Maker. It is entirely possible she believed this. It's also possible she was connecting this entity to an existing mystery cult in an attempt to gain an initial following. It's ALSO possible she never made any pretensions, and that the cult wormed it way into the early Andrastean hierarchy and added The Maker in themselves. Regardless of HOW it happened, I think the current Chantry dogma is based on a series of misinterpretations and possibly outright misinformation based on actual events that most humans had no way to understand in their entirety. They were, in some ways, just more pieces on a grand chessboard, re-enacting the same conflict that had undone Arlathan...and to similar ruination. However. In the fade, belief becomes real. And if there was no Maker before, there may well be one now. Or, if the Maker was some existing entity before, there may be another entity now who more closely matches the beliefs of Thedas, who believes itself to be The Maker; as ignorant of the true history as the worshippers who created it.

OOF so much good wisdom in this one! "Does the god become corrupt when those that worship him do?" AAAAAAAA. Somehow Solas being the Maker is a theory that I didn't even KNOW, but it makes a lot of sense, actually!!! Thank you for another video.

that rabbit hole of who/what created the dwarves could be an interesting topic for another video

My wild head cannon/theory is that the maker is a titan (or multiple) and created all of the known world and Andraste was a dwarven mage who was losing connection to the titans.

I remember someone told me they thought the Maker could be a DM in a very depressing session of DnD.

I seem to remember when being in the Fade in DA:I that I came across a giant black throne with broken chains near the arms. I think Iron Bull commented on it? People can feel free to correct me; it's been years since I've played. But at the time I remember connecting it to what Corypheus said: "I saw the throne of the Maker and it was empty." So I then got an ominous feeling that someone more powerful than the Maker had him chained to his throne, but he escaped before the Magisters arrived. It makes me wonder what else is out there in the Fade.

The idea of a pre-Andraste Maker cult is so cool to me, I really really hope we get some of that in Dreadwolf.

About the dwarves. I think they were the first people of thedas. As Cole says, even the dwarves don’t remember the dwarves. They’re singled out as not being made by the maker because they don’t travel the fade but wouldn’t that also mean all the other wildlife that don’t seem to travel the fade we’re also not made by the maker? We don’t see mabari hounds or any other creatures besides maybe dragons accessing the fade. I think we’re told that dwarves don’t dream but dogs do so what’s the story there?

Maybe it’s just me but I get the feeling the “maker” was the very first dreamer who through circumstances earned the title. Solas may not even know who they are because they may even predate original elven history as told by the pre-fade elves; I know that sounds far-fetched.

Your final point is great!! It is indeed in everyone's best interest that the Maker remains a mystery... I hope DA4 doesn't reveal the Chantry is a complete lie, because that's not what's important about it...

The maker is real. Cole said so and my boy Cole cannot tell a lie.

The Maker is just the Evanuris smooshed together in a fusion. Definitely.

Come to think about it, DAI proved that spirits can manifest into real beings solidly from how strong people believe it them. If so many people truly call out to the Maker when they are in their lowest and/or highest state, I'm starting to believe that the Maker (with ALL the people's images made of him, cuz people are different in their faith) IS Real. We just haven't met him yet or rather... didn't recognise it was him cuz he seemed to be a real person, just hiding its true power.

Welcome, welcome, dear patrons! Today we're talking about G O D. Have heard of our Lady, Savior, and Maker's Bride, Andraste? Super late on this btw, my opinion: the Maker is real.

I think I remember seeing a fan series somewhere that Andraste a is essentially like flemeth and said she may have had the spirit of Mithril all at one point, or something similar. And he said the Chantry got it mixed up kind of like how they said that the original Inquisitor was a human Templar. Not a Elven dalish mage. I do think it all kind of goes back to the Elven "gods" somehow though

I love your videos! Been watching for a long time

I love your perspective about why an unknowable Maker is the best kind of Maker, leaving the folks of Thedas to their own devices. Discovering a Pre-Andrastian Maker religion/cult would be an amazing development. The possibility that the followers of that faith could corrupt the Maker by being corrupt themselves would be the ultimate smackdown of the current incarnation of the Chantry. The fact that the Chantry "lost" all the Elven references in the Chant speaks volumes that the Chant is corrupt and by extension, so is the Faith of the followers. Quick edit: After watching the new movie Dune, thinking about the Maker... And Maker hooks, and riding the Maker, gives the whole damn concept a laugh-out-loud image of The Divine riding a Maker to work. I guess she just worms her way through the traffic?

Jaws of Hakkon proved that people can "cultivate" spirits, create spirits of specific moods, temperaments, and purposes, so it's possible that the Maker exists through that process, along with the Dalish creators separate to and from the Evanuris.

The fan-theory that I've had since doing a deep dive on all the gods and having the headcanon that my inquisitor worships both the maker and the elven gods, is that the Maker is the Sun/Father that Elger'nan overthrew... like I don't really have any prof other than the Maker's symbol is the sun but I think it would be cool. Like maybe the Maker is the only "real" god so when the Evanuris claimed themselves to be gods they overthrow him or maybe he's actually the first spirit to turn into an elf and was their defector leader until he was overthrown. The quote "the first of my people don't die so easily" comes to mind. Either way I can see BioWare never fully explaining the maker and leaving him as this maybe figure in lore.

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"In your heart shall burn an unquenchable flame." He cursed us. The maker is evil.

I think confirming the malers existence would be interesting or do something with him besides being a clunky allegory for the catholic church. A good template would be Lorkhan from The Elderscrolls a sort of all powerful spirit or renegade Elven god who created mankind but at the cost of his physical form.

When it came to the maker I always found the line that his mortal children entering the Golden city was Important. Especially when all all the artwork seems to show the black city getting more and more corrupted. I believe all the souls of those darkspawn get locked up in that black city with the Evanuris.

Love your vids on the history and Lore of Thedas and DA 💯 thank you 🙏🏽

Time to binge watch all your videos :)

I'm so glad and happy that people like you are keeping the game somewhat alive, this game has a special place in my heart. The storyline of dragon age is facinating

So I'd like to add a few things here that I've picked up on. Firstly, Cole (kinda) confirms the physical/spiritual existence of The Maker with a banter with Solas. Cole: They can only return to the maker if they become real, why can't they be forgiven as they are? Solas: People say they lack the ability to learn or grow. But the more contact you have with this world, the more ability you gain. Cole: Why would they want to prove The Maker wrong? He's already far away. Solas: It isn't about right or wrong, it's about attention when you think you've been forgotten. Secondly, in some of the old murals containing Andraste she is accompanied by an elven looking character whose face looks identical to Solas's party icon. (When he's in your active party) I found that pretty interesting.

While we will probably never find out if there was an actual omnipotent being called the Maker. However; after centuries of worship, an entire cult, a development of a full organized religion, the belief of his existence among a full continents of people, constant prayers and songs, I can totally believe that while there may have not been an original maker, but one has been created due to the spread and domination of The Chantry across Thedas over the thousand years since Maker worship began. All the accumulation of faith and believe of millions of people over centuries could totally have created a spirit of faith, probably the most powerful spirit of faith to exist. Like how the Nightmare demon in the fade at Adamant was the most powerful version of Fear, the Maker could be the most powerful version of Faith. I wouldn't be surprised if we run into a spirit in the fade that identifies as the Maker, not because it was the deity that created the world, but because it was a spirit of faith born from the worship of Andrastians in Thedas.

Fucked me up when I heard Solas mention that Dwarves never dream

the idea of an obscure or less powerful than previously thought spirit being bolstered/given "shape" through faith and belief is actually such a fantastic premise. 1.) because we already know it can happen as shown by spirits taking up the "memory" of living people or powerful ideas so there's already solid lore to stand on and 2.) IRL there's this whole like theological discussion about regardless of whether or not god or some supreme entity is real, the faith people have in religion has a very real effect on politics and history. i mean, in DA, the question if the maker is real or not hardly matters in the context in all the history-changing stuff the chantry has done. so like, the idea of a god be reflective of their worshippers is made literal in the DA universe, in this case. which I think is cool world building.

I've been putting work into a story module for DAO since I'm finally figuring out the Toolset for real, and for thinks to spur on writing, this channel is a real Maker-send. Or whatever he is. :P

Maker was taking a poop when the Magisters showed up and was just as surprised when his house suddenly became black

Crazy that, even after not looking at dragon age lore for YEARS, there's still stuff you haven't covered yet.... such a great, huge series.

Your statement at 6:39 reminds me of the God from Futurama. A God that does exist, but sits back and watches things happen instead of interact with things. A really good thing to think about.

Cole admits “the Maker is far away” to Solas. Cole is a spirit, he’d have seen into the Fade, it’s Cole. As I am currently playing DAI (again), the dialogue just popped up. Had me stop, put the controller down, then search for The Maker lore, stumbled upon this video and now am writing this comment. Why? Because what the heck? If Cole says the Maker is “far away”, does that mean the Maker is real? If he’s real, then this game got deeper than it already is. Kind of makes the game more complex. Anyone else’s thoughts? Did anyone else catch Cole saying this to Solas? He said it in a party of Cole, Solas, Iron Bull. (Blew my mind)

Frankly speaking, the idea of the maker makes way more sense if you assume that 1. The gods original creations was the elves, 2. That he was their god before he was mankind's, and 3. That the elven gods did indeed become the old gods. That way, the first sin would make perfect sense as a final betrayal, them abandoning their god to worship powerful generals, and makes sense why humans ultimately committing themselves to following the old gods to the finish line was regarded as the second, as it would be the second creation literally following in the first's sinners footsteps.

I honestly like the unknowable so much more. When I first played DAO what made me fall in love with it was how similar it was to a fantasy version of earth, with conflicting origin stories, unreliable narration of history and totally different understandings of the world. DAI did a lot to harm that. Don't get me wrong, I am not criticizing DAI but it and its add ons for the first time give us definitive information transforming mythology into history and in a heartbeat for example invalid most of what the Dalish believe. I generally don't like that sort of world building. For example I immensely enjoyed Corypheus because his description of the Golden City adds to the ambiguity of Thedas, while I didn't like the Temple of Mythal because it demystified Thedas.

I too hope we never get solid answers on the Maker. What is weird to me is 2 things: 1) The Litany Adralla actually works 2) Andraste's Sacred Ashes actually work There could be another magical explination in Thedas but it would be a wild conincidence.

" Does a god become corrupt when those that worship him do " Love that quote. Keep up the good work.

Yes!!!

I've kinda' been under the personal belief that the Maker is an Alamarri spirit-god with a particular tie to the emergence of Humanity in the veiled world. I'd like more time with Avvar peoples to see if there's any syncretic current god within their pantheon which might take a similar role. Perhaps something typically draconic but also fond of Man's shape.

I agree with the theories that Solas is the Maker. I mean a lot of stain glass windows and paintings depict the Maker as a robed figure. Some may wonder why the Makers face haven’t been revealed. But it could be that the Maker doesn’t want his worshippers to know that he’s an elf. The maker only spoke to Andraste and made her his champion and bride. He also ordered her to tear down the Tevinter Imperium. But why you may ask? Maybe it was what the imperium was doing was wrong or how they try to take over the golden city. Most of it can be true, but there is another reason. Solas saw that his fellow elves were treated as slaves. When he spoke to Andraste as she told him about the sins of the Imperium, solas saw this as a convenient way to free his people. Maybe the real reason why he didn’t speak to his most faithful is because of how the humans destroyed the dales, the elves second chance of having a kingdom of their own. Ironic how the Maker is the very same named “Knife Ears” the humans have been killing, oppressing and even raping this whole time.

Love this speculation and the awesome possibilities it highlights... #AndThenShallTheMakerReturnToUs :)

The maker was taking the dump of the century when Corepheus came for a visit XD

Really nice take on the maker, I must admit that something that I don't like about DAI is that IMO it provides to many answers to the mysteries of Thedas, I prefer it when everything is ambiguous to the point that the player decides whether or not his character believes in the maker if you give to many answers (such as with Solas and the creation of the veil) the mystery becomes lessened.

The Maker’s existence causes confusion. If he exists and the Chantry is 100% right, that would mean not only is everyone else wrong but that all physical evidence and first hand accounts of events must be wrong. Because many of these accounts conflict with the Chantry’s stories. Solas could be the Maker but I have never understood why everyone seems to have complete faith in his word. He is known as the God of Betrayal and Deceit. Even if everything the Dalish believe and all of the ancient ruins are wrong, then even with that, Solas’s story still doesn’t add up. Plus, the Dalish put so much effort into maintaining their history and assuring it stays perfectly consistent by having an entire job for just the story of history. BUT if all of it is somehow just myths and legends, then it would mean that there is still some important lesson to be learned from it… like never trust Fen Harel

of all the gods denied in DAI at least the developers even Cole acknowledges the maker is real he says Cole: Why would they want to prove the Maker wrong? He's already far away.

There's dialogue about the Maker that Solas had with Cole. You can find it on youtube. The dialogue is weird and it's hard to draw out any meaning from it.

totally agree with your verdict at the end of the video. while its fun to theorize and speculate, I think if Bioware ever gives us a definitive answer about the Maker and the creation of the world, it will remove the mystery and ambiguity that makes the world feel real, and the politics and relationships between the people of Thedas which drive such rich storytelling.

2:57 I was under the impression that solas did not make the fade but rather that he fortified it

According to an old David Gaider interview. The early Tevinter did worship a Maker-like figure before they switched to the Old Gods. So when Andraste popped up and spoke about the Maker, it wasn't a foreign concept to many.

My thinking is that the Maker was actually one of the Evanuris, which I suppose would leave Solas in the running but I didn't think it was him, & that Andraste herself was Flemeth/Mythal.

I still feel we the player is the maker. We control the protagonist and companions. Choose who they love, how they act. How the world will end up.

Solas actually tells us about a spirit who was once the undisputed ruler of almost everything, that sounds pretty damn powerful. He also says when he asked this spirit what its name is, the spirit looked sad and said the world had forgotten, and that no word existed anymore to describe what it once was. I think this is the maker. I think the maker didn't so much turn its back, but rather was forgotten as more spirits rose up and started challenging it.

I think I've read a few stories where a god *does* become corrupted when the worshipers do. And an anime series where supernatural beings/urban legends are forced to change against their will depending what the rumors being spoken about them are. So the idea of that going into Thedas is fascinating. And terrifying for the ones who live there. I like the idea that there is a Maker, but it's nothing like what the Chantry says it is.

What I got from this is that Solas is the maker

My personal theory on dwarves origin They're children of the titans! The original dwarves where made of lyrium which would explain their natural resistance and afinity eith working it. Sometimes after solas seperated the fade from the physical world the living lyrium dwarves became more and more flesh and blood through the generations

Personally what bugs me about the Maker is how the chantry seems to think characterizing him like a scummy ex boyfriend is super appealing and that the reforms don't seem to have really addressed that or the imperialism baked into the institution with the central idea of having to convert everyone to 'the one true religion' and what comes out of that kind of thinking. For Andrastians to peacefully coexist with other culture and belief systems they'll have to let go of those aspects of chantry teachings in addition to the whole situation with dealing with magic better. In terms of the maker's actual existence in the lore, when you really think about it, it doesn't really matter if he exists or not since nothing really changes. It's just with all the censorship and historical revisionism the chantry's been up to and the ulterior motives around that it's probably pretty far removed from what Andraste originally preached.

I think the Maker is the creator of the Mankind not the world itself and alot of legends just got mixed up over the years. Maybe the true story of the Maker lies in another land.

Solas is the Maker is the most interesting idea to me. He after all made the vale. Now the question is Androste. Did the Maker actually reach out to her? Was it Solas because she was helping elves? Perhaps it's a mix of the two with Solas having been the original Maker. But after he went to sleep for thousands of years a spirit came into being because of those who worshiped him. All interesting ideas really. Of course I'll be interested to learn more with the new game coming, and hopefully the show to

I like the idea of "the maker" being just derived from the generational corruption of oral tales of Solas creating the veil. What if Andraste was derived or mixed with Mythal in some way? Maybe Mythal inhabited Andraste? Maybe Andraste was part of Flemeths/Mythals line.

I just replayed Awakening for the umpteenth time and I listened to a cutscene between the Commander and Justice. justice said, “there are some spirits who believe in a maker who separated the fade from this world”. Is solas the original Maker? Or are spirits just emulating what humans dream?

A cool way to take the story would be the Maker or Divine Creator is in another part of the world and they have to travel across the sea to fix shit. Our point of contact is the Executioners. I know it'll never happen, but that's why AO3 is a thing

The Maker is bioware

I wonder if the "Maker" is just a giant Andrew Wilson head

though i don't have a theory about the maker as depicted in the source materials i do find it interesting that the chantries are stand ins for the the Christian churches whilst also including several ideas from the Gnostic interpolations of God with God or in this case The Maker being an all knowing and all powerful being yet not necessarily all loving as the nature of such a being would make it impossible for them to to truly give interest in the affairs of mortals whilst also being impossible for mortals to truly comprehend their actions, often resulting in said being working through servants who have a better understanding on the mortal spirit and mind or though messianic/prophet figures to deliver what little information that can be understood by mortals on the nature of the "right path".

"A throne needs a butt, so the Maker a real thing..."

can you talk about the krogan and how Dragon age and Mass Effect are in the same universe?

I thought Fen’harel/Solas was akin to a trickster God in the Dalish pantheon and that he trapped the other gods?

It only rubs me the wrong way that Bioware went out of their way to disprove the non-human gods and religions and left the human one untouched and still "provable". It'd be great if being able to access deeper parts of the fade led to the Golden/Black city and some ancient spirit called itself the Maker, a powerful Spirit of Faith or something.

Considering that Andrastianism is heavily based on Christianity maybe the fact of the Maker being an obscure god before Andraste is another nod to the real world's history. Tevinter Imperium is based on Roman Imperium and Old Gods cult would be similar to Roman Panteon (Jupiter, Minerva, Mars and so on). The Maker then would be similar to Yahwe as he also was the omnipotent god of monotheistic religion worshipped by not really important and powerful nation and the belief in him would spread after his prophet (Jesus/Andraste) established his own sect of the religion.

If Solas is The Maker then Flemmoth is Andraste.

Like over a decade later and I just want to know what’s up with the Golden City…

The maker is probably the first spirit, the most powerful spirit.

I assume you will be covering DA:4? :D I hope so!

I will never accept Solas as the maker. In fact if i found out that he was that would ruin the whole game for me. I'm sick and tired of people who think that Solas is this great guy. When he want to kill everybody except the elves. Thats not a hero, thats a genocidal manic.

Lol the maker was the game devs to me... Or bioware for short

Great vid as usual! Minor editing note: I’ve noticed no atmospheric music in the last few vids. Is this a copyright thing? I’ totally get if you just lost interest

Maker lol 6:24 how did you come up with that one xD

Why would Andrastes ashes cure the Arl if she wasn't blessed?! Hahaha that's my one big he has to be a God, cause if not why her ashes?!! Hahaha

The dwarf thing may be an homage to Tolkien. Eru did not create the dwarves. Aule the Smith created them. Eru gave them free will rather than allowing them to be destroyed.

Something to note is that Bioware has apparently stated that they will never prove or disprove the existence of the Maker so as to not offend religious members of their player base. It will probably be kept vague about the Maker's role in everything, even as new info comes to light in Dreadwolf. Id be interested to see how they address what appears to be the obvious conflicts of narrative now that we know about the Evanuris and the creation of the Veil

there's one thing i don't understand if we believe Solas' story in Trespasser, he created the Veil and the Maker has nothing to do with it then why are humas running around in Thedas? How did they came into being?

I think the Maker is Elgar'nan

They actually did really good story with whole Maker thing.. same as our religions.. mix match of different stories, myths and other nonsense. I think they follow same example. In DAI they also try to include you in religious story even if you deny holy being they will include you into story this is how religion shapes.

What if... Andraste was manipulated to create the religion in order to actually create an omnipotent god? She proclaimed that he would returned if everyone (essentially) believed in him, and if tons of people were to believe in him, that belief could will such a being into existence through the fade....

Cough its Solas cough

To solve the question about the Nature of the maker would ruin him as a character: There is no point in believing when you just know he exists anyway, or doesn't

I'm gonna remember what you said about the Dwarves. Shame