We are now given more of a background of the Fade as it will be depicted in Dragon Age 3: Inquisition.
No talk of the mages here, but as Bioware points out, the Tevinter Imperium once made an attempt to map out to the Fade. After spending fortunes of gold, lyrium, and slaves, they found it was all for naught because the Fade is a world in constant flux. The Imperium was able to take down some information: they discovered the existence of a several demon lords, and were able to catalog a few hundred types of spirits, before the project is abandoned.
What is stressed here, however, is how powerful the spirits are within the Fade, and by implication, you will need to make use of all the knowledge the Imperium was able to take down of the realm if the Inquisition is going to travel through it safely.
And what we know is that the worlds the spirits create ultimately reflect those of their non-ethereal visitors, perhaps acting like a mirror, and lacking meaning or substance on their own. It’s quite clear that the Inquisition will be attempting a visit to the Fade, one way or the other, and how this visit will affect your quest is open to speculation. It could either be an intriguing side quest, or a major event that the narrative will pivot around in.
Dragon Age 3: Inquisition is coming to Windows, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
