For Dragon Age newcomers, this comprehensive volume brings you up to speed on everything you need to know about the regions, religions, monsters, magic, and more! For dedicated fans, never before have the secrets of BioWare's epic fantasy been revealed so completely and so compellingly! * Filled with never-before-seen art by the creators of the games! * New Dragon Age game coming in 2013! * From the writers and artists of the Dragon Age games. The definitive guide!

BioWare's newest game Dragon Age: Inquisition will expand the universe of their epic series in profound ways. This comprehensive book of lore features exclusive art and information, exploring every corner of this dark fantasy masterpiece! Newcomers will appreciate how this volume covers everything they need to know about the world and characters of these smash-hit games! Dedicated fans will revel in the abundance of never-before-revealed secrets, the perfect companion to Dragon Age: The World of Thedas Volume 1! From heroes to villains, to songs and food, and everything in between, this book puts the breath and depth of this inimitable fantasy at your fingertips.

A compelling and thoughtfully designed encyclopedia of Thedas, this collection is perfect for anyone interested in BioWare's hit fantasy franchise Dragon Age! Covering events from all the games through Dragon Age: Inquisition, this set is a perfect introduction for newcomers, and a deep dive full of secrets for die-hard fans! These dramatic, accessible, beautiful tomes illuminate the darkest corners of the Deep Roads to the most illusory reaches of the Fade, taking readers on a journey through one of the most fully realized fantasy universes of our time! Collects Dragon Age: The World of Thedas Volume 1 and Dragon Age: The World of Thedas Volume 2.

Journey to the world of Thedas in these canonical comics from BioWare and Dark Horse! Tessa and Marius are mercenary partners who eliminate those using magic to hurt others. When they betray a powerful patron intending to kill them, they're forced to flee and join the Inquisition. Later, they're taken captive during a mission and it's up to an unwitting agent to rescue them: elven squire Vaea, who's just arrived in Kirkwall for a lavish party thrown by Varric Tethras. A talented thief, Vaea takes on an easy side job . . . but when she chooses to change the terms of the deal mid-heist, she is entangled in this dangerous recovery mission that is surely above her pay grade. Featuring work by Greg Rucka, Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir, Carmen Carnero, and Fernando Heinz Furukawa, this oversized hardcover edition collects Dragon Age: Magekiller #1-#5 and Dragon Age: Knight Errant #1-#5 and features creator commentary and behind-the-scenes material!

From the BioWare's isometric role-playing roots to its intense space operas and living worlds, chart the legendary game studio's first 25 years in this massive retrospective. BioWare - Stories and Secrets from 25 Years of Game Development puts you in the room during key moments in BioWare's history, with never-before-seen art and photos anchored by candid stories from developers past and present. See what it took to make games in those wild early days. Pore over details of secret, cancelled projects. Discover the genesis of beloved characters and games. Presented and designed by Dark Horse Books, this tribute to BioWare's legacy is a must-have for any fan of the best stories you can play.

Magic, Monsters, and Make-Believe Heroes looks at fantasy film, television, and participative culture as evidence of our ongoing need for a mythic vision—for stories larger than ourselves into which we write ourselves and through which we can become the heroes of our own story. Why do we tell and retell the same stories over and over when we know they can’t possibly be true? Contrary to popular belief, it’s not because pop culture has run out of good ideas. Rather, it is precisely because these stories are so fantastic, some resonating so deeply that we elevate them to the status of religion. Illuminating everything from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Dungeons and Dragons, and from Drunken Master to Mad Max, Douglas E. Cowan offers a modern manifesto for why and how mythology remains a vital force today.

The edited volume aims to present a critical analysis of the current state of research on religion and belief systems in the realm of the ‘Digital Social’. The rapid expansion and democratization of digital technologies in conjunction with the significant shifts taking place within the practices of religion and belief through digital technology demand a critical examination across the social sciences and humanities. These changes call for an overview of not only our current methodological tool box but also the epistemological and ethical considerations that researchers must contend with. The proposed volume provides a critical framework that recognizes that the social, and therefore the religious, cannot be fully understood without recognizing how the digital world actively constitutes notions such as identity, social networks, embodiment, and social institutions. While some specific methods will be discussed, the volume’s emphasis remains on the critical epistemological and logistical considerations that are needed when undertaking this form of research.

With annual gross sales surpassing 100 billion U.S. dollars each of the last two years, the digital games industry may one day challenge theatrical-release movies as the highest-grossing entertainment media in the world. In their examination of the tremendous cultural influence of digital games, Daniel Reardon and David Wright analyze three companies that have shaped the industry: Bethesda, located in Rockville, Maryland, USA; BioWare in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; and CD Projekt Red in Warsaw, Poland. Each company has used social media and technical content in the games to promote players' belief that players control the companies' game narratives. The result has been at times explosive, as empowered players often attempted to co-op the creative processes of games through discussion board forum demands, fund-raising campaigns to persuade companies to change or add game content, and modifications (“modding”) of the games through fan-created downloads. The result has changed the way we understand the interactive nature of digital games and the power of fan culture to shape those games.

In Bioware's dark fantasy world of Thedas there are those who are willing to sacrifice their humanity for wealth and power, and those who will die to protect innocent people from them. The heroes of Thedas are often from unlikely places, some are pulled in to save the day by an odd string of fate, others seek adventure out on their own. These are their stories. The lonely king Alistair seeks out his father who was "lost at sea" fifteen years prior, but now he has a reason to think the old king is still alive. With the help of his friends, Varric the silver tongued Dwarven rogue and Isabella the legendary pirate, Alistair just may find out what happened to his father. The small party will face down assassins, dragons, Qunari elites, corrupted mages and more in their epic quest. As a great cataclysm causes a rift in the sky to tear open, two mercenaries find themselves pulled into fighting alongside the Inquisition against eldritch horrors from the Fade and monstrous soldiers corrupted by red lyrium. Meanwhile, across the sea, in Kirkwall, a drunken knight and his deft squire stumble upon a nefarious plot to steal a priceless relic. Their best solution: steal it first. This will be a must have collection for Dragon Age fans everywhere. Collects Dragon Age: The Silent Grove #1-6, Dragon Age: Those Who Speak #1-3, Dragon Age: Until We Sleep #1-3, Dragon Age: Magekiller #1-5, and Dragon Age: Knight Errant #1-5.