Fade (Dragon Age)

The Fade is a dimension that features in Dragon Age.

History

The Fade was a metaphysical realm that had ties to the world inhabited by Thedas. The Dalish referred to the Fade as the Beyond and believed that it to be a holy place that was once the home of the gods. According to the Chantry, it was the first primeval realm created by the Maker who populated it with spirits who were the god's first 'children'. It was said that the Maker grew unsatisfied with them due to them being fleeting and everchanging thus leading to him creating the physical world of Thedas. As a result, the Fade was used to craft the physical world that was separated it and came to be populated by mortal creatures. During the time of the ancient Elvhenan civilization, the Elves—immortal and deeply attuned to magic—moved freely between the physical world and the Fade. The two realms existed in harmony, and Elven society treated the Fade not as a mysterious realm but as a natural extension of reality, rich with spirits and raw creative power. Magic was wielded effortlessly by the Elves, not drawn from the Fade as it is today but shaped directly through their connection to it. The Fade was a place of memory, thought, and dreams, and it responded to will and imagination. It was also the domain of spirits, embodiments of concepts such as honor, curiosity, or wrath, and the Elves interacted with them as equals, not as alien or dangerous entities.

This led to Solas crafting the Veil that separated the physical world from the Fade which was an act that devastated Elven civilisation. Solas created the Veil in an effort to seal away the corrupted Elven gods, the Evanuris, but in doing so he rewrote the nature of existence itself, exiling the spirits and reshaping magic into something more dangerous and chaotic. The once-glorious Elvhenan civilization collapsed, and the Fade, now severed, became a place only accessible through dreams, death, or dangerous magical manipulation. Over time, memory of its original nature was lost, preserved only in fragmented lore and myths passed down through Dalish oral tradition and obscure magical texts.

The ancient Tevinter people believed that the Fade was the realm of their Old Gods, and the Golden City was the center of the deities power. It was known that the Tevinter Imperium spent vast fortunes of gold, lyrium and human slaves in an effort to make the terrain of the Fade but this proved to be ultimately a futile endeavour. They were able to fix the domains of dozens of demon-lords and catalogued hundreds of spirits before abandoning the project. Centuries ago, a group of Tevinter magisters looked to probe the Fade in order to reach the fabled Golden City and thus conducted a ritual to allow them entry. This act led to them spreading corruption into it thus transforming it into the Black City with this manifesting as the Blight which created the first Darkspawn. Among those magisters that had travelled and became corrupted in the process was Corypheus who was returned to the mortal world.

During the events of the Fifth Blight in Ferelden, the Fade continued to play a vital yet perilous role in mortal affairs. It remained the source of magical power for mages, who drew upon its energies through their spells, and it served as the primary battleground for the inner struggles of those afflicted by magical corruption. The Circle of Magi regularly trained apprentices to navigate the Fade, sending them into it via ritual for the Harrowing, a dangerous test in which they faced demons attempting to possess them. The protagonist of the Blight, the Grey Warden, encountered the Fade on multiple critical occasions. Within the Tower of Ishal, mages’ interactions with the Fade were crucial in preparing magical defenses, and when the Circle Tower fell into chaos, it was revealed that Uldred, a senior enchanter, had made a pact with demons, leading to widespread possession and the physical collapse of the Circle. In order to save the surviving mages, the Warden had to enter the Fade itself with the help of the tranquil mage Niall’s lyrium rod, venturing into a twisted dream-world where demons like Sloth manipulated and imprisoned the minds of mages and templars alike. The Fade in this moment was not just a dreamscape, but a warped reflection of identity, memory, and desire, reshaped by the minds trapped within it. It also became a battlefield in the Warden’s inner journey, especially when confronting the Archdemon through the use of dream visions and moral dilemmas. Spirits both benevolent and malicious made appearances, revealing the complex moral structure of the Fade’s denizens—beings like Wisps, Desire Demons, and Pride Demons, who each represented different facets of mortal emotion and thought. The Fade also featured in individual companion quests, such as Wynne’s struggle with a spirit of faith, which resided within her and sustained her life beyond natural limits. Throughout the Blight, the Fade was not merely a place of danger but also of deep mystery, a mirror to the soul, a battlefield of willpower, and a key to understanding the deeper conflicts that threatened the very fabric of Thedas.

Overview

In appearance, the Fade is a vast, dreamlike realm of shifting landscapes, surreal architecture, and ever-changing skies that defy logic and the physical laws of the waking world. Its geography is mutable and shaped heavily by thought, memory, and emotion. Towers might rise out of empty plains with no foundation, stairs spiral into nothingness, and rivers may run upward into a starless sky that bleeds light or hangs heavy with multicolored clouds. Portions of the Fade often mirror real-world places drawn from the memories or dreams of those who pass through it, but they are always subtly—and sometimes grotesquely—distorted, as if filtered through the subconscious. The terrain can be hauntingly beautiful or terrifyingly alien, populated by luminous mists, floating islands, or corrupted ruins suspended in void. The entire realm is suffused with an eerie glow, often bathed in hues of blue, gold, or green, and sounds carry without a source, from ghostly whispers to distant echoes of unspoken thoughts. The Fade feels both vast and intimate, an infinite dreamscape responsive to will and belief, inhabited by spirits who shape and are shaped by the nature of the realm. To some, it was also known as the Beyond.

The Fade was said to be akin to a vast oceans containing memories drawn from the minds of dreamers. It was said to be composed of a substance that was sometimes referred to as ether. Belief and willpower were fundamental in the Fade with everything that existed there existed there being an expression of thought.

In its raw form, the Fade was a twisted, frightening landscape composed of dark rock and raw lyrium veins where it was always night. The Fade may appear as something else entirely when shaped by dreams. Much of the Fade was split up into fiefs or demesnes belonging to the spirits or demons that lived there. They changed the world of the Fade to emulate what they saw in the minds of mortal dreamers. Thus, this could see the copy of locations, objects, people and concepts of the real world, often in a cruel or confusing way. These copies were nowhere near consistent, and fluctuate according to the movement of the dreamers. Spirits whose realms were flocked with visitors rise to rule great portions of the Fade, while memories and concepts forgotten in the real world slowly drift away back into the ether, the spirits who ruled them losing all potency.

The Fade may appear as something else entirely when shaped by dreams. Much of the Fade was split up into fiefs or demesnes belonging to the spirits or demons that live there, and they change the landscape of the Fade to emulate what they see in the minds of mortal dreamers. They copy locations, objects, people and concepts of the real world, often in a cruel or confusing way. These copies are nowhere near consistent, and fluctuate according to the movement of the dreamers. Spirits whose realms are flocked with visitors rise to rule great portions of the Fade, while memories and concepts forgotten in the real world slowly drift away back into the ether, the spirits who ruled them losing all potency.

Locations included the:

• Black City :
• Shattered Library :

It was said to be an evershifting realm that was in a constant state of flux. However, portions of it did belong to powerful spirits with some being powerful demon-lords.

The Veil was a metaphysical barrier that exists between the physical Thedas and the Fade. Neither spirits nor mortal beings could easily pass physically through the Veil, but the consciousnesses of most mortal dreamers and all mages are a different matter. The Veil was not an object—it cannot be touched or seen. It is not a physical barrier, but rather something similar to a magical vibration that repels the Fade. It was a metaphor used by mortal scholars to explain the interactions between the two different realities. It is theorized that the Veil tends to be weaker in places that feature, or have experienced, extensive death or use of magic. The former occurs because spirits are attracted to death and they press against the Veil. The Veil is particularly thin at night, when most people sleep and spirits are most active. The use of blood magic can allow the Veil to be torn so that demons may physically pass through it into the waking world.

Fade Rifts were small tears in the Veil that connect the waking world with the Fade, allowing demons or spirits to pass through the veil from the Fade to wreak havoc. However, any demons that escape from these rifts cannot stray too far from the opening, appearing to be anchored in some way to the tear in the Fade.

Travelling physically in the Fade was more possible than had previously been suspected, though dangerous. If a rift can be opened, it may allow physical access into the Fade; under normal circumstances the passage is fatal, however.

People of Thedas visit the Fade mentally when they dream, even though they do not remember the time spent there. The notable exception are the dwarves, who do not dream. The Qunari also claim that they do not dream as humans and elves do. Entering the Fade is forbidden according to the Qun, and the Qunari are rarely encountered there. All dreamers, however, whether mage or non-mage, may receive unique visions from the Fade. 'Killing' a mortal's dreaming form while in the Fade was a shock to the living body, but not normally lethal. However, Dreamer mages have been known to be able to kill others in their dreams, and if an individual is 'awake' in the Fade death there can potentially lead to physical death. Among humans, study of the Fade was as old as mankind itself.

Creatures native to the Fade included:

• Spirits :
• Demons :

According to Solas, spirits and demons are more alike than most people realize. In fact, they were often the mirror image of the same being, with spirits unwillingly brought across the Veil by mages having their purposes perverted and becoming demons.

Certain mages known as Dreamers (Tevene: somniari) were capable of entering the Fade at will, without the aid of lyrium or blood magic. The name also referred to any sleeping or lost person's presence in the Fade. A talented dreamer can shape the Fade and affect the dreams of sleeping people, killing or driving them mad. Some could dream in forgotten ruins to uncover secrets long forgotten by witnessing spirits re-enact the history of a place. Admittedly though, the account of the dream may be biased depending on whose perspective the spirit chooses to emulate. However, dreamers attract demons and most prove too frail of mind to survive a demonic possession which meant they were rare. The very presence of demons is painful to dreamers, as they are particularly sensitive to them. Dreamers may use special dried herbs to help them enter the Fade. Strangely, these herbs smell fresh to the mage once they have entered the Fade. There are also herbs that can preclude sleep and block one from the Fade itself, if necessary.

Mages tap into the Fade when they cast spells and are able to remain conscious while traveling there. Members of the Circle frequently visit the Fade with the aid of lyrium—in particular during the rite of Harrowing, in which an apprentice is pitted against a demon and ultimately either put to death as an abomination or promoted to full mage status. Dreamers are capable of entering the Fade at will. Mages are also able to bring other individuals into the Fade, including dwarves and golems.

Inhabitants

• Nightmare :
• Cole :

Notes

• The Fade was created by BioWare and featured in the setting of the Dragon Age universe.

Appearances

• Dragon Age: Origins:
• Dragon Age II:
• Dragon Age: Inquisition:

External Links

• Dragon Age Wiki Entry

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