12

The codex entry on lyrium says the following:

Even though dwarves have a natural resistance, raw lyrium is dangerous for all but the most experienced of the Mining Caste to handle. Even for dwarves, exposure to the unprocessed mineral can cause deafness or memory loss. For humans and elves, direct contact with lyrium ore produces nausea, blistering of the skin, and dementia. Mages cannot even approach unprocessed lyrium. Doing so is invariably fatal.

Thus I find it baffling that touching a raw lyrium vein (as a mage no less) doesn't kill me outright, but rather heals me. I can kind of reason that raw lyrium has different properties when you encounter it in the Fade, but this also happens while underground in the Frostback Mountains.

So why do lyrium veins heal you when the codex says that they are fatal?

Improve this question
3
  • 2
    I don't think there's an answer here aside from "that's how they programmed it to work in the game". They just ignored the lore for the sake of not really having any better way of providing in world healing, I suppose.
    – Tarkenfire
    Commented Feb 7, 2015 at 6:23
  • Because Bioware is an extremely progressive and open developer! Stop oppressing lyrium, you misolyrinist. If it wants to not be fatal, it won't be fatal. Now buy more lyrium focused DLC. Joking aside, i don't expect BiowarEA to actually care about making a lore filled game, but a cash grab at whatever thing is popular in the game industry to cater to today.
    – Baseballs
    Commented Mar 27, 2015 at 16:17
  • 4
    Perhaps you did die, and the rest of the game is just an hallucination in a near death experience.
    – smallest_weird_number
    Commented Apr 12, 2015 at 0:55

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
2

The codex is correct. According to the lore of Dragon Age, Lyrium Veins are fatal to mages and have adverse effects to everyone else.

There really isn't an answer as to why the veins restore your character. There isn't any comment from developers and in the wiki, it states that this happening is contradictory to the lore.

Tarkenfire's comment is basically correct - they programmed it to say Lyrium Vein and clicking on it was supposed to kill you if you are a mage but instead they made it do the opposite.

Improve this answer
4
  • 1
    Could you elaborate on how you know that the codex is correct and what you mean by lore? Is this something that is established outside the games, like the novels?
    – Thunderforge
    Commented May 1, 2015 at 18:26
  • @Thunderforge I will gather for you and update my answer when I have enough information for you. Thanks.
    – FoxMcCloud
    Commented May 1, 2015 at 18:39
  • Did you ever find additional information about lyrium veins from the Dragon Age Lore?
    – Thunderforge
    Commented Jan 2, 2018 at 2:00
  • @Thunderforge Yeah I think I read it outside the game somewhere, but I don't remember where. You could have reminded me 2 years ago, ya know
    – FoxMcCloud
    Commented Jan 2, 2018 at 14:12
-1

Lyrium is raw power that can be fatal and addictive. It's like drugs, it feels good and stops pain, but weakens the mind. I suppose drugs are fatal if you overdose, the same goes for lyrium. But the game was made so you don't get addicted to small doses and you're fine.

Improve this answer
1
  • insightful, but apart from what has already been said, your answer is entirely speculation. If you can provide a source to reference that this is what the developers intended, fair enough. But by itself, developer speculation has no real place on the Arqade.
    – user106385
    Commented Oct 12, 2015 at 23:48

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.