Dragon Age Short Story 2022: As We Fly

Could this be leggy?

So the Qunari invaded Treviso. Well, we knew they were coming. Doesn’t sound like they’ve gotten much farther, though.

I kind of wish that the Qunari spoke a bit more Qunlat to his men, but I recognize it is for the sake of legibility.

So another story which focusses on the Crows? They are really selling the Crows and, well, marketing and setting them up. Of course the Wardens don't need any introduction, nor does the Inquisition, and its possible they don't want to put too much attention to the Lords of Fortune for...reasons...yet the Crows are probably the faction that has been with us from the beginning but we haven't really learned much about them...and what we do know about them comes from very biased, very anti sources, until TVN. What this means for Dreadwolf, well, at the very least they are going to be a major faction for us in Antiva...other then that speculation, speculation.

Perhaps surprisingly though the biggest thoughts I've had on this story is from a gameplay perspective, this has happened before, but continuing to look at all of this as some sort of soft core marketing. And this short story gives off a lot of Assassin's Creed vibes. Like a lot. Obvious in the assassination, the parcour, and the hunting down specific targets, as well as Assassins= Freedom Fighters, but this particular assassination seemed very in depth and layered which harkens to what I've heard from AC pre Odyssey and also what they may try and bring back with Mirage. As a fan of Assassins and Rogues in general this does provide me with some intrigue and I wonder how much of this will show up in game, though much like with Mirage I am worried about me sucking at such things so I hope the game is a bit more...forgiving. Nevertheless the big problem with this idea though is I can see parcour for rogues and themes of assassination and espionage are all very rogueish activities but it does not work as well for warriors. Leiliana and Sera could probably run across roof tops and jump from perch to perch...could you see Blackwall do it? Allistair? Iron Bull? On the one hand this could indicate a way more liberal way of approaching quests for the warriors or a more of a blurring of the lines between the two classes. Or maybe all this stuff will stay in the short stories only.

One complaint:

Yeah, they seems to be carrying on the trend of sadistic Qunari commanders who bully their men that was started in “Three Trees to Midnight,” which doesn’t strike me as very Qunari.

On top of the magic bullhorn where the local warlord doles out proclamations, it kind of feels like BioWare wants to make a Far Cry game.

In spite of these gripes, I will note that it was a well-written story.

IDK I think that could easily fit in with the Qunari...I'm trying to figure out how to put what I'm trying to say.  Basically I'm not sure if 'superiors being dicks to their subordinates' is a Qun thing but it strikes me given what we know about the race it probably is something they'd do.  The problem with the Qunari is we really haven't seen that much of their day to day activities to really make a judgement call on how they'd behave in general, so that means a lot of stuff does go.  And it struck me since I am watching someone play Origins for the first time and Sten's backstory...sometimes the Qunari strike me as being of the same vein as Vulcans.  Instead of logic though they got the words relayed to them by Koslun.  Because they are pretty universally a violent people.  All the Qunari we've seen outside the Qun has been violent and the second that Sten loses his weapon, his crutch, his rules, he violently slaughters an entire family.  And then on top of that even with their rules don't prevent them from being a very violent conquest laiden race that is threatening Thedas.  

Long winded explanation of saying I don't think it would be impossible for the Qunari to be dicks to their people.

The Farcry idea gave me a chuckle though.  

Probably exactly what Solas wants, since that leaves all nations too distracted to focus on his activities. Wouldn’t be surprised if he is manipulating the Antaam somehow.

So just east of the arlathan forest, probably taking Brynnlaw the closest antivan city to that forest on the way? Perhaps surrounding Arlathan was what was so important that it was worth breaking the Llomeryn accords before Tevinter was fully conquered?

Edit: y'know since they already took the closest Tevinter city to arlathan forest.

They've said they're excited to show us Minrathous so i figure that that city atleast is not yet conquered.

1.  They are Assassins, that is what Assassins do.  Someone somewhere would have to draw up a contract on someone and the Crows will accept it and then kill the target, as well as anyone else out there.  Remember despite being apparently Antiva's only military they are still a private, mercenary, organization.  Power brokers, merchants, and the rulers of Antiva will have a vested interest in stopping them so they won't hurt for said contracts but they must make their money somehow considering they can't rely on taxes.  

2.  Where do you get them not converting people from this one short story?  I see the implication of plenty of conversion going on and most of the other short stories and the stuff in TVN still shows the main objective of this invasion is conversion/ conquest.  Indeed I'd be shocked if the Antaam has any other motivation since only the Ben-Hasrath seem to be interested in Solas.  

3.  Who says they are?  We are only dealing from the perspective of one very focused short story where we don't even really know the timeline.  So we don't know if the Southern forces aren't preparing a counter attack to liberate Antiva and nor do we know if they have actually launched said invasion.  Though BioWare might keep the Orlesian and Ferelden militaries in the South, for various in world reasons, in order to avoid any connections with the previous three games.  This is the 'north's' problem to solve.  

4.  Why wouldn't they?  Minor warlords I took to mean the same thing as generals or military governors.  And the Qunari do have various roles already assigned for such things in the first place.  It will be curious to see but I doubt the Qunari Antaam is that fractured.  We've seen no evidence.  

5.  Now this could be some evidence of some outside influence and corruption but I'm not the least bit surprised by the Qunari behavior.  See my response to Necro for further detail but the Qunari have always been a violent, controlling people.  Hell they cut the tongues out of their own mages and lobotomize unbelievers you want me to believe that beating their own soldiers to keep them in line is OOC?  Especially if they don't have Ben Hasrath to help reducate dissenters?  

I'm just the opposte.  The more this goes on the more terrified.  I am getting in the Qun.  While it has taken them awhile to do so, as such is the nature of Medieval warfare, they have already struck out and probably conquered a significant amount of Tevinter as well as they now have a known foothold in Antiva.  Given how far they have penetrated I don't think its unreasonable to wonder how much of Tevinter is still free, what of Rivain, what of the Anderfels, and how much of Antiva will also be conquered by the time we get to things in DAD.  Even with a united front this is already quite a military situation that we're going to have to reverse so I don't imagine it will be easy...and lends more thought to my original theory on the matter I don't think the Qunari situation will be resolved by the end of the base game of DAD. 

I don't think I noticed the ziplines.