Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s best sidequest puts gender identity front and center

When creating my Rook astatine nan opening of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, I was happy to spot options for nan non-binary gender and preferred pronouns. Features for illustration that are ever a invited summation to RPGs that are each astir creating and embodying a character. I didn’t expect to spot those personality decisions popular up overmuch successful nan existent story, and they didn’t for complete 10 hours. Characters would nary uncertainty reside maine pinch nan correct pronouns, but Rook is intelligibly a alloy and nan individual maturation is reserved for your companions.

The beingness of inclusivity options to immoderate grade is worthy celebrating, truthful I wasn’t holding it against nan crippled if it didn’t return nan thought immoderate further. Then I deed a ngo that near my team’s assurance rattled. My main objectives were to speak to 3 circumstantial characters. I was connected my measurement to talk to Lucanis erstwhile I interrupted 2 different characters having a conversation. Neve, a mage who had been pinch maine from nan start, was discussing manner pinch Taash, a dragonslayer I had only precocious recruited and hadn’t moreover taken retired connected a ngo since meeting. What appeared to beryllium 1 of galore casual conversations betwixt companions that springiness nan world and group a spot of spirit ended up showing conscionable really important it was for BioWare to item nan taxable of identity. It moves a small quickly for nan weight of what it is trying to convey, but still feels genuine and inspiring.

If you only spot 1 companion’s sidequests done to nan extremity successful Dragon Age: The Veilguard, make it Taash’s.

This article contains spoilers for Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

You must struggle pinch who you are

Taash is simply a Qunari dragon huntsman who makes a bloody preamble by slaughtering foes pinch dual-axes. They are strong, capable, and an unabashed nerd astir dragons. Hearing them mobility why Neve would deterioration a dress into combat felt much for illustration a mini civilization conflict than thing else, but quickly turned into thing deeper. Taash expresses that dresses ne'er seemed to suit them — nor did thing other traditionally deemed feminine — contempt their mother’s disapproval of their much masculine nature. They spell truthful acold arsenic to definitive that moreover nan explanation of “she” ne'er felt right. This kicked disconnected Taash’s individual questline, which I dropped everything to pursue.

The ensuing quests pinch Taash further attraction connected their struggles to activity done being comfortable pinch their identity. The first features a beardown infinitesimal successful which players effort to thief Taash connected a dragon hunt, only for it to beryllium a bust. After realizing nan dragon isn’t going to show, Taash lashes retired successful anger, repeating that they “are a dragon hunter” and what bully are they if they can’t moreover do that? That desire to cling to nan comfortableness and information of an personality for beloved life to debar facing your existent aforesaid resonated heavy wrong me. We each want to cognize ourselves and beryllium assured successful that because, if we aren’t, past what are we? It doesn’t matter if you are grappling pinch your gender personality aliases not; we each spell done nan messy process of figuring retired who we really are. That infinitesimal wherever we’re somewhat caught betwixt who we were and who we will beryllium is uncertain and scary. Taash’s response, while brief, is genuine and relatable.

EA

This measurement of her communicative ends pinch Taash noting how, successful quality culture, immoderate group usage they/them pronouns and they affirm that different titles for illustration “she” felt wrong, but “they feels good.” I do wish this measurement of Taash’s soul travel had been fixed much room to respire successful position of showing nan existent process of moving done specified a awesome shift, but nan thrust of their struggle comes successful nan shape of reconciling their soul personality pinch their civilization and mother, which was arguably conscionable arsenic compelling.

It is 1 point to travel to position pinch who you really are connected nan inside, and different point wholly to coming that alteration to nan world — particularly a parent. Taash’s mother isn’t particularly closed-minded, but has specified an ingrained thought of who they are that it is difficult to shake. It is clear she’s trying to push Taash successful a circumstantial guidance because she genuinely believes it is best. It’s for illustration a genitor who wants their kid to beryllium a expert — they push them because they want them to beryllium successful. Accepting what, aliases who, they want to beryllium tin beryllium a difficult transition.

Taash themself struggles pinch breaking retired of that assigned domiciled arsenic well. They are not assured capable to correct their mother calling them “she” connected nan first brushwood you witness. Highlighting that this alteration is simply a process connected aggregate fronts felt existent successful a measurement games usually don’t. Progression is typically a linear inclination upward. Here, location are moments erstwhile we backslide a bit, conscionable for illustration successful existent life. A Qunari saying comes up that is translated to “you must struggle pinch who you are,” which, to me, perfectly encapsulates this theme. Finding ourselves is ne'er easy; only by struggling pinch it straight tin we dream to inch person to our existent selves.

BioWare could person tucked this broadside communicative distant for illustration astir of nan different companion quests, but chose to deliberately put it connected nan captious path. Anyone is free to disregard it aft this introduction, but it shows a level of pridefulness and value successful this taxable that would person made my acquisition pinch nan crippled weaker if it had not been there.

Only aft penning this portion did I observe that Taash was specifically written by 1 person, Trick Weeks. Weeks has been a writer astatine BioWare since Mass Effect and moved up to lead writer for Dragon Age: Inquisition‘s 2 DLCs and The Veilguard. They place arsenic pansexual and usage they/them pronouns. I can’t opportunity really intimately Taash’s acquisition mirrors Trick’s, nor anyone else’s, individual experience, but nan authenticity shines through. Art is astir being capable to link pinch group and stock individual experiences pinch nan masses to widen our worldviews. For that, I americium gladsome BioWare was assured capable to put specified a well-handled communicative beforehand and center.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is disposable now connected PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.