You’re wandering through the Frostback Basin in Dragon Age: Inquisition, minding your own business, when you find a weird note. Or maybe you're at the War Table, and a mission pops up about people "across the sea" who seem to know way too much about your business. If you’ve played The Veilguard or spent hours scouring codex entries, you’ve hit the wall that is the Executors in Dragon Age. They are, without a doubt, the most frustratingly vague faction BioWare has ever cooked up.
They aren't just some random mercenary group.
Honestly, they’re more like a galactic-level threat disguised as a local diplomatic headache. They claim to represent "powers across the sea," but in a world where we’ve already fought literal gods and ancient blights, the idea that something even scarier is watching from the horizon is... well, it’s a lot. We’ve been hearing whispers about them since 2014, yet they remain a total enigma.
The First Time We Met the Executors
Most players first stumbled upon them during the Inquisition War Table missions. It starts with "Investigate the Mysterious Observations." Your advisors tell you that someone has been watching the Inquisition. Not just watching—cataloging. They leave marks. A stylized swirl. It’s a symbol that doesn’t match any known culture in Thedas. Not the Tevinter Imperium, not the Qunari, not even the ancient Elvhen.
When you finally try to confront them? They vanish.
They leave a letter signed "Those Across the Sea." It’s polite in that terrifying, "we could kill you in your sleep but choose not to" sort of way. They claim they aren't enemies. They say they’re just... interested. This is where the Executors in Dragon Age lore really starts to get under your skin. They mention that the Breach—that giant hole in the sky—was visible even from their distant lands. If they can see the Fade from across the ocean, their connection to the world’s fundamental magic is clearly different from what we know.
The mystery deepened in the Teivinter Nights anthology. Specifically, the short story "The Wigmaker Job." We actually get to see one. Or, we see what they want us to see. A hooded figure, a voice that sounds like multiple people speaking at once, and an aura that makes even hardened mages feel physically ill. Charter, one of Leliana’s best spies, is there. She’s seen everything. But this thing? It rattles her.
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What Are They? Theories and Facts
Let's get real for a second. BioWare loves a good red herring. But the Executors in Dragon Age feel too deliberate to be a throwaway gag. There are three main theories that actually hold water when you look at the evidence.
First, the "Deep Ones" theory. This one is for the Lovecraft fans. In the Descent DLC, we learned about Titans—the living mountains. We also know there are things in the water. Rumors in the lore talk about sentient aquatic races. When the Executor in Tevinter Nights speaks, their voice is described in ways that mimic the shifting of tides or the crushing pressure of the deep. Some fans think they represent a civilization that fled the land during the first Blight and evolved into something... else.
Second, the "Forgotten Ones" connection. We know the Evanuris (the Elven gods) locked away their rivals, the Forgotten Ones, in "the abyss." Solas hates the Executors. Like, really hates them. In The Veilguard, his reaction to them is tellingly hostile. If Solas—the guy who wants to tear down the world—thinks you’re dangerous, you’re probably a big deal. Are they the agents of the gods who weren't trapped in the Fade?
Third, and perhaps most likely, they are the descendants of those who fled Thedas entirely. The world of Dragon Age is a single continent. We know there’s stuff across the Boeric Ocean. The Voshai, for example, are human traders from across the sea who show up in Inquisition to trade for lyrium. They mention that their homeland is "undergoing changes." Maybe the Executors are the governing body of whatever is happening over there.
The Solas Problem
You can't talk about the Executors in Dragon Age without talking about the Dread Wolf. Solas is usually the smartest guy in the room. He’s arrogant. He’s ancient. But when the Executors are mentioned, he gets defensive.
In a pivotal scene in the comics and referenced in later lore, an Executor tries to participate in a meeting of high-level powers. Solas petrifies them instantly. He doesn't talk to them. He doesn't negotiate. He just ends them. Why? Because he claims they are "dangerous." He says their presence is a threat to the "natural order" of Thedas.
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This is a massive clue. Solas wants to restore the ancient Elvhen world. If the Executors represent a power that exists outside that magical framework, they are a variable he can't control. They are the "Outer Gods" of the Dragon Age universe. They represent a perspective that doesn't care about the Veil or the Blight in the way we do.
Why Thedas Should Be Terrified
Think about the power scaling here.
The Qunari are a massive threat because of their technology and discipline.
The Venatori are dangerous because of their blood magic.
The Blight is a literal apocalypse.
But the Executors in Dragon Age represent the unknown. They’ve been "executing" the will of their masters for centuries without anyone in Thedas even noticing. They have spies in every major court. They knew about Corypheus before the Wardens did. They knew about Solas’s true identity while we were still calling him a "hobo elf" in the Inquisition.
They also seem to have a weird relationship with the Fade. In Tevinter Nights, the Executor is described as being "cold." Not just cold to the touch, but a void in the air. This suggests they might be something like the Tranquil, but with their agency intact. Or perhaps they are spirits who have found a way to manifest in the physical world without a host.
Identifying an Executor in the Wild
If you're looking for them in the games, keep an eye out for these specific markers:
- The Swirl Symbol: It’s their calling card. It looks like a simplified galaxy or a whirlpool.
- The "We" Pronoun: They rarely speak as individuals. It’s always "We are the Executors" or "Our masters."
- Unnatural Stillness: Characters who interact with them often note that they don't seem to breathe or blink like normal humans.
- Resistance to Magic: They aren't easily affected by standard spells. It’s like the magic just... slides off them.
It’s worth noting that their name—Executors—usually implies someone who carries out a will or a legal mandate. They aren't the kings. They aren't the gods. They are the agents. This means that whoever is actually in charge "across the sea" is likely much more powerful than the creepy guys in the masks we’ve seen so far.
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What’s Next for the Across the Sea Plotline?
We’re at a turning point. With the events of The Veilguard shaking the foundations of reality, the Executors in Dragon Age can’t stay in the shadows forever. If the Veil is weakened or torn, whatever protection it provided against these "powers across the sea" might be gone.
Some believe the Executors are actually the "Good" guys, or at least a necessary evil. If the Evanuris are as bad as history suggests, maybe we need a power that exists outside the Cycle of the Blight to stop them. But given how BioWare writes these stories, there’s always a catch. You don't get that much power without wanting something in return.
How to Prepare for Their Arrival
If you're a lore hunter, there are a few things you should do right now to get the full picture.
Go back to Inquisition and read the "Hard in Hightown: Chapter 10" codex. It sounds like a joke because it’s a fictional book within the game, but Varric often hides truth in his fiction. There are references to "the people of the sea" that align perfectly with what we later learned about the Executors.
Next, pay close attention to the Voshai. When you encounter them in the War Table missions, look at the items they trade. They are obsessed with Lyrium. If the Executors in Dragon Age are coming from the same place, they likely have a society built on a scale of magical consumption we haven't even dreamed of.
Finally, watch the shadows. BioWare has a habit of putting masked figures in the background of major cinematic scenes. Ever since the Executor mystery went mainstream in the fandom, players have been spotting "Watchers" in various trailers and concept art pieces.
Actionable Insights for Dragon Age Fans
- Replay the "Stop the Rumors" mission chain: This is the most direct interaction the Inquisition has with their agents. Read the letters carefully; the tone shifts from curious to threatening based on your choices.
- Track the "Swirl" icon: Keep a screenshot library of every time you see that specific spiral symbol. It appears in the most unexpected places, including some ancient Elven ruins, suggesting the Executors have been here longer than we thought.
- Analyze Solas’s Dialogue: Every time Solas mentions "the world beyond" or "others who would take advantage," consider if he's talking about the Blight or the Executors. Usually, it's the latter.
- Keep an eye on the Boeric Ocean: Future DLC or expansions are almost certainly going to take us North or East. Any mention of the "Amaranthine Ocean" or the "Boeric" usually precedes a lore drop about Those Across the Sea.
The mystery of the Executors isn't just a side quest. It's the framework for the next decade of the franchise. We spent twenty years worrying about the Blight. We might spend the next twenty worrying about what’s coming from the horizon.