The next DRAGON AGE™: Behind the scenes at BioWare

Everything about the Trainquil situation gives me the heeby jeebies. It is pretty much the second most dissturbing thing in the entire setting. But as a practical matter there was little need for BioWare to give such dialogue considering, as a practical matter, all those directly responsible have already been brought to justice. Alexius can be judged for his crimes, all of his crimes, and even made Tranquil and Fiona can either be shackled to the Inquisition or killed in battle.

1. This is pretty much my assessment even when taking the books into consideration. I don't really see any issue with the Mage rebellion picking up sticks and moving out to Ferelden, especially when they were the only ones who probably would've given them sanctuary...outside of Tevinter and we know how well that would've worked. We also know why the Venatori were also near the Temple of Sacred Ashes in the first place so there isn't any conflict here, no forgetting things happened.

2. Lels is pretty much biased in favor of mages and biased towards them. And Cullen's description seems accurate A. he was a Templar...he should know...and B. his description matches what we already know about the Templars in universe. They 'weaken' magic/ the fade. They 'reinforce' reality. As for their position in Thedas is concerned...I really don't see how any group in universe sees them as paragons of virtue aside from maybe people within the Chantry hiearchy, and the Templars themselves...even there opinions seem mixed. If I were to draw a general consensus from what I have seen and read on Thedas then the opinion of Templars are generally negative, most of the 'common man' characters we have seen of the setting seem to either be genuinely afraid of them, trying to keep their heads low, or tired of the mage, Templar conflict et all.

3. Star Wars reference aside it is certainly an interesting perspective that I hadn't really considered...however I still feel it ignores the complexity of the situation and the previous two games of buildup.

Neither the Templars or the mages have ever been portrayed as being 'paragons of virtue' in the setting, they both of their good bits and they both of their issues. The mages while being an oppressed minority can still be victim to demonic possession and turned into a WMD. Origins makes it clear, DA 2 makes that clear, TVN it was again shocking how easy such a thing *could* happen. Even if the mage in question is an otherwise descent person desire, or rage, or fear, or guilt, or regret is always out there somewhere just waiting to pounce. Let alone the tendency of those with power (which mages have in heaps) to abuse said power. And the Templars while some see their mission as being just protectors, for the safety of mages just as much as the rest of Thedas, they are also encouraged to be jailors and given the bias and bigotry that is encouraged, both by the Chantry itself and by some within the organization, it makes a situation ripe for abuse even under the best of circumstances. Oh and this does not touch on the drug addled nature of said Templars.

This is the reason why the whole mage Templar thing is my favorite example of its type across fiction. Because both sides genuinely have things about them that make any solution complex. Thedas has a lot of good reason to fear mages, but the solution of the Chantry is like taking a sledgehammer to a shot glass. Whatever long term solution we do get (if any are offered from here on our) it has to keep in mind the safety and liberty of everyone.





I will admit the blood magic mind control thing has occured to me before as well. Especially given that she shows up as a brainwashed minion if you go after the Templars (how i interpret it anyways and there is lore I believe indicating that). And so she might've been in the very early stages of the brainwashing when we first go after her which might explain if not the initial alliance then some of her...confusion...on the subject.

I do wonder if this was one of those type of quests that was originally meant to have had more significance but then got toned down through lack of time or resources. Why is it in the Keep? Just for the illusion that our world state is unique to us or because it is going to be important further down the line? If nothing else I hope we discover what exactly was going on in that mural in the next game or the inscription on the doors:

Arrogance became our end. Come not to a prideful place. Now let humility grant favor. This may have been carved by the prisoner bound there.

Within the final chamber is a carving showing a figure bound in chains and two others have turned their faces from him. Could these two figures be Elgar'nan and Mythal having passed judgement on the person? Or could it be former allies who have turned away having been confronted with what happens to his supporters? Or the two figures are turning away distressed by what has happened to the person?

Then the carving says that "Pride in our accomplishments and in our hearts. That same pride became corrupted/altered within him. He sought to claim....., cast from favour and so he was bound."

Could this have been the fate of the sinner who dared fly in the shape of the gods? So the missing word is godhood? Could this have been Gelduran or one of the other forgotten ones?

By the time I reached the chamber the demon was pretty easy to kill, so why would the Venatori have any use for it? So may be he thought something or someone else was there. Why did the scattered shards, only visible to occulara give entrance to the place? When were they scattered? Why were they invisible except to the occulara?

Most of the answers will probably turn out to be the writers thought it was an interesting device and the mechanics of how they got there were never properly thought through. However, to put that much effort into developing a quest that ultimately has no significance does seem rather strange.

Uh, yes they were already dead because the Oculara were already created by the time we got to any zone with shards. There are even some in Frostback Basin created by the Hakkonites. Where they got Tranquil from, I have no idea, but they used the same method as the Venatori to create the ones there since they couldn't get the info direct from Hakkon like their earlier incarnations did.

Hmm. I had no idea the Ocularum represented such a controversy. Always just liked the puzzles. Next playthrough I'll pay more attention to the lore surrounding them. Thanks for the tip, guys.

*casually scribbles a new bullet point into a well-worn notebook titled "Reasons why mages need to be kept in check and Tranquil-ization should be abolished ASAP"*

You don't need Deft Hands, Fine Tools to open that door.

Are you sure? I'm pretty sure that I checked every door in Redcliffe and the ones left required the perk.

EDIT: I just checked the Wikipedia. It lists the house under the Deft Hands, Fine Tools list of locks. 

A house in Redcliffe Village (near the docks):
Related to the Ocularum
Random amount of Gold

Speaking of Oculara, I wonder what magical creations, items and artefacts Tevinter are teeming with? If the Venatori can make the Oculara, then chances are high Tevinter must have devices similar to it in the homeland. Not to mention the Astariums they built scattered throughout Souther Thedas. I really like the concept art of that Tevinter market. Giant walking hand chairs, little walking candle golems, snake-snacks, etc. I can only dream of the wonders and horrors we can experience in Minrathous. I hope the Juggernauts live up to their names. Not to mention the Formless One, sealed in the depths of the city. Still bound, not banished.

I'll have to check my game tomorrow. 

I'd say that safety and liberty for everyone is pretty much impossible as long as some people are inherently and manifestedly more dangerous than others. Period. I'm actually tempted to remove even that qualification.

Human factions turn against and murder each other over totally theoretical and imaginary issues all the time. It boggles my mind that anyone would expect a general populace to just accept that some of their neighbors can actually start zombie apocalypses by accident without, you know, feeling the need to do something about it.

Or for that matter expect a small population of superpowered individuals to live without significant censure among far weaker and more vulnerable and helpless individuals without developing superiority complexes and start wanting to demand the authority that their inherent superiority merits. Or simply naturally end up on top of society over time. 

Look at the debate America is having about guns. Some people having them by illicit means results in a much larger population demanding to be allowed to have them as well to defend themselves. Which means a flourishing gun trade, which means cheaper legally and illegally acquired guns, which means gun crime skyrocketing. 

All just because someone somewhere theoretically being able to get their hands on a handgun and wanting to use it on you is too terrifying a thought for a lot of people to deal with without demanding some way to level the playing field, even with the ultimate consequences of that behavior being classrooms full of kids and mountains of poor people regularly being gunned down.

But no, I'm sure if you just stop talking as much about how dangerous mages obviously are then the average Thedasian is clearly going to stop caring, and everything will be better. Because that's how people, and magic, work. 

Why should we draw comparison to America? In nearly every country where guns *are* illegal or difficult to acquire, gun violence is not a problem, and the general populace is not clamouring for access to guns to protect them from the minority that owns guns. Besides which, America's gun obsession never stemmed from a lack of access to guns, because there has never been a point in American history where guns were illegal or difficult to acquire. The argument about a minority of gun wielders terrorising the general US populace has never been anything but a hypothetical.

America's situation is unique, not representative of humanity as a whole, and there's no reason for Thedas to emulate America, especially not if the mage issue is supposed to be saying something remotely cogent about human nature.

I think Tevinter mostly takes influence from Ancient Rome. Their unique terminology (Altus, Laetan, etc) is derived from Latin.

Oh, but I thought they said Dorian's coloring and the animals/temperature/etc were more India