Iron Bull romance thread

Dorian does indeed go back to Tevinter if romanced. However, they do at least have a slide that says that his romance is rumoured to be seen on the streets of Minrathous, sneaking into the heart of Tevinter to aid his Amatus. I have never really accepted why my Lavellan couldn't just go with him, considering he disbanded the Inquisition. Unlike Bull, people would probably just think he was Dorian's slave. However, I have to admit that he has his own things that he needed to do, like attending the next Arlathvhen, so I can accept they are both doing their own thing in between meeting up together.

The thing I found most annoying was when someone tweeted PW about the sending crystal, asking if he gives one to Bull as well and apparently the answer was yes. Now Dorian gives this to the Inquisitor whether they are lover or BFF and in the latter case makes a big deal out of the fact that you are his only true friend. Then the epilogue slides state that he seems to get the strength to continue his fight in Tevinter because of the support of his friend at the end of the crystal. Now the game doesn't suggest that Bull has a crystal, only PW himself, so it seems to me he is the one who is devaluing the significance of the crystal. Which is why I feel he was behind making such a big deal out of the Bull/Dorian pairing in Trespasser, to the extent that it seemed to devalue the Inquisitor/companion alternative.

I don't think the writers always appreciate how things might impact on the player. Take the marriage "joke" between Varric and Cassandra. That was really mean on the players who actually don't get to mention it, much less have an actual ceremony. However, to a Solas romance it was downright cruel. I was quite happy going into Trespasser the way things were between me and Dorian, because I'd been given to understand that there wouldn't be any marriages in game. Then they got my hopes up, only to dash them with a leaving party! Still he did say he loved me and I took him saying "there will always be an us" to be the equivalent of a wedding vow.

What happens with Bull? Does he actually agree to get married if you ask in the right way, even if you don't get a ceremony?   The reason I ask is that it seemed to me that male PCs get the short stick where marriage is concerned.   So far as I am aware, the nearest they get is Josie introducing them to her parents.  

I agree entirely. I absolutely hate the joke Varric does in Trespasser, and felt like Bioware rubbing salt in the wound. 

As for Bull, here is what happens:

lol, I actually really like Bull's answer here, but this is such classic Bioware. "I'll talk to you later." So romantic . That really should have been a cutscene, imo, there's no way to not end that (rather serious) conversation awkwardly in regular dialogue.

I kind of think Bioware thought that the only people who would care about getting marriage options were female players, and they knew most female players romanced Cullen (well, and Solas but obviously marriage with him was never happening), so... 

And I truly think Sera got an onscreen marriage or her ship with Dagna because Bioware got a lot of heat over how she was portrayed or treated in the base game. A lot of her Trespasser content felt like a 'please don't yell at us anymore' kind of thing. I love Sera so I was pretty happy about it, lol, but that was the vibe I had. 

I was major dissapointed of how BioWare treated entire Qun in Inquistion. Not to mention in Trespasser. Ending where Iron Bull betrays Inquistor if he is Qun follower didn't make much sense to me.
Inquisition already allowed Bull to be spy from Qunari side, so he should have discussed with Viddasala about how Inquisitior for last two years had none contact from Solas.
Meaning entire hostility from Viddasala is useless.
I expected romanced pro-Qun Bull to at least try to discuss this with her, not go "Well, ok. You don't have point but I will attack Inquisitor for you."
I liked to make Iron Bull to be true to his people, but before Trespasser I expected from Quanri to be trustable and straight. However Viddasalla ruined it for me. Not to mention for Iron Bull, he already was kinda rogue.
If he was romanced why he didn't go rogue right over there where Vidassala made him sure that she don't listen to his raports. Because I don't believe Iron Bull of being incompetent enough to not notice that Solas dissapeared without word.

I don't think anyone ever suggested that the Qun are totally trustable and safe. Fenris and Bull say that the peace accord is only holding because the Qunari are biding their time but they will eventually attack again. The whole business with the Arishok was typical. If he had succeeded in taking over Kirkwall, then the leadership would have supported him but because he failed, they could deny any involvement. The same was true of the Viddasala. The only bit where she exceeded her remit is when she started filling the Saarebas full of lyrium but even them, as I understand it, she was researching a way to strengthen the Veil, so had that succeeded she would have been in the clear. The rest of the plan concerning the takeover of the south was fully endorsed by the leadership right up until the point when it failed. Then once again, they disowned her and tried to mend things with the Divine. They even have the cheek to ask her to support them against Tevinter. 

As for Bull, well both he and the Viddasala work for the Ben'Hassrath and if I understand it right, she would outrank him, so under the rule of the Qun, he obeys her without question. That's why he says it is nothing personal. He is just following orders. Just as he did when you ordered him to let his friends in the Chargers die. He'd known ones like Krem for nearly ten years and yet he did as he was told with them. I'm sure he loved Krem like a brother, just as they do in the Qun. Why should he be any different with the Inquisitor, when he's only known them for about a third of the time?

I'm super glad I always knew that Talvashoth Iron Bull was the only correct option for Romancing purposes. I only ever made the deal with the qun once to see what all the fuss was about. Lets just say I was super disappointed that you lose out on interactions with the Chargers for even more stupid war table quests. I really dislike the war table quests.

I feel like people pushing "consequences of our choices" is the only reason why Iron Bull goes off the deep end in those world states though. I mean it does make sense in a certain light, but still it wasn't handled very well. Those inquisitors should have had a chance to at least try to talk him out of betraying him/her.

This is logical. That is why I like to hijack him from the qun, and keep him in "my" world.

Well me towards Qun in general ... I understood it in Dragon Age II. I was not amused by Arishok. I was sorry for him, because I clearly see from his expressions that he never wanted to duel mine Hawke. I have always earn respect from Arishok by speeches alone.
Sten in Origins was just .. weak written to say the least. I do not understand him at all.
His version .. sketches of Qun made no sense at all to me. Not to mention that he looked like oversized human too.

About Iron Bull again ... I mean he was the spy. Mine Inquisition did nothing AGAINST Qun in general.
From point they were allied to Qun due to Bull mission, mine Inquisitor was always loyal to this alliance.
Then in Trespasser Viddasala came and she says I betrayed her ! Inquisition did not kill any Qunari, don't smear on Qun etc.
I didn't execute Bull or anything like that, neither I was sabotaging his work as spy.
If Bull was so great spy then why wouldn't he write down to Viddasala that Inquisitor and Solas have none contact after end of Corypheus, Inquisition is blind in case of elven spies who spy for Solas as well as what Solas do now.
If anybody betrayed this alliance it was not mine Inquisitor only Ben-Hassarath because I have none idea whether this damn Sten was knowing what Viddasala do or not.
And Qun Iron Bull .. we had unhappy qunari workers in Viddasala to work around Ataashi. Even they were questionating if Viddasala really follows Qun. If they can then why not Iron Bull right over there where Viddasala makes clear message "I don't care if Inquisitor is innocent, kill them !", qunari were supposed to believe that death is useless ...

So I had to repeat whole part, even if I believe Iron Bull should be connected to his people in Qun some way the Trespasser made it just like ME 3 Morinth saving - unworthy.

Zemgus - I don't know. I actully founded it so .. poorly rethought by BioWare. Like it was rushed decision in the first place to make Qunari a main enemy in Trespasser.
If there would be anything worthy from this scene of betrayal alone, I would leave it.
But I expected at least some exchange on line Viddasala - Hissrad. I mean Viddasala seem to be unsure about how he behave.
Then why not quick exchange of words from Bull here ?
If Viddasala questioned true loyalty of Bull to Qun even after Chargers deaths then she surely should have some reasons to. Why BioWare wasted this potetntial of showing some depth of Qun Hissarad ? Some personality traits ?
Never do Qun Bull again. That's sure.

Other than the one playthrough where I romanced The Iron Bull, I have always sided with the Qun when it comes to the choice between the dreadnought and the Chargers. The reason is simply because you save a lot more lives sacrificing the Chargers than saving them. There are the dozens of soldiers on the ship, half of Denerim you save from a Venatori fire attack, Fereldens and Orlesians you save from Venatori spies and assassins by destroying that group. Meanwhile the Chargers are only half a dozen people, and while we did meet them I felt no attachment to them.

Then Trespasser came out, and I get yet another reason I like the choice: killing Hissrad. Not simply because I really didn't like him, but in fact you actually grant his wish. He mentions that when the stress on Seheron got to him he wanted to die but nobody there deserved the honor and pleasure of him being killed by. In Trespasser, he meets that person: you. You are Basalit-an, a person worthy of respect, and he gets defeated by you, granting him a warrior's death at the hands of someone he sees worthy.

He didn't really seem to respect you, though, when he calls you 'bas' instead of 'basalit-an' or 'kadan.' 

I wonder what went through his head when he attacked the Inquisitor. Maybe nothing. I mean he knew better anyone what the Inquisitor was capable of and must have known they could not win. If he had cared about the Dragon's Breath plan or anything at all he should have warned Viddasala and try to take out the Inquisitor before, in a surprise attack, a quick dagger to slit their throat or something like that.