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Post by cardbutton on Sept 3, 2016 17:44:32 GMT
Dragon Age 4: Thoughts on a Dual Protagonist Storyline for DA4 – Mechanics.
This is a refined continuation and "final" draft of my "Take 3 - Dumb Ideas for a Dual PC Storyline in DA4" thread that I posted on the official Bioware forum so I apologize ahead of time ... but once again damned if this isn't going to be one hell of a wall of text. I have a ton of content to get through ... because I'm an obsessive crazy person it seems. Starting with mechanic issues facing this Fan Fiction Game Design (for that is what it really is) and then moving on to the story itself, I'll post these aspects in pieces over a period of a week or two because it is simply turned out so long its impractical to post it all at once. Regardless I do hope people enjoy it and comments and constructive criticism is always appreciated. Thank you for your time!
Allow me to start by saying that to me this is a side project, nothing more, that was spawned from the creativity that Dragon Age: Inquisition and its predecessors sparked with their storytelling, characters, and world. This is a distraction that I've been toying with when I needed a break from the bundles of homework that is my consume my normal day to day. A compilation of ideas that represent a composite of not only what I would like to see from the next installment of the Dragon Age franchise and elements that I truly appreciated in the previous games that I feel should be revisited and refined. It is also important for me to say that this project, at its core, is an attempt to find a way for two protagonists to work in what is essentially a "choose your own adventure" style game series, because there is so much that I believe that can be achieved from such a system if such a system could be made to work. "Trespasser" served to enhance Inquisition in such a way that for the first time in the world of Thedas I truly do want to see a PC return as playable for one more game, yet at the same time the prospect of finally visiting Tevinter is too much of an enticement to abandon the idea of getting to explore that setting with a new PC.
I personally feel that if Solas returns as an Antagonist then it should be the Inquisitor that gets to deal with him. If the Inquisitor gets to deal with him, then they should be playable. If they are playable, then they should be given enough time within the game to allow returning players to redefine who they are as a character and at the same time give new players the chance to choose who they are for the very first time. If we are indeed going to such a rich environment like Tevinter, then that setting and players would benefit the most from a PC that is involved in the world. A new PC has the ability to connect a player to a setting far more than a returning PC who is not a local ever could, plus the ability to create a character from scratch is where so much of the charm of a Dragon Age game comes from. They both have a huge amount of potential for storytelling and both have strengths and weaknesses in creating those stories and I honestly feel it would be a bit of a shame to have to sacrifice one for the other. So this is my desperate attempt to rationalize in my head how to create a situation that would warrant both, by creating a game that is "relatively" balanced between two protagonists and their two corresponding stories that slowly but surely intertwine as the game progresses.
- Note: I'm still a little hazy on how posting on this site actually works so the formatting of the project might be a little off until I get the hang of it. I apologize in advance.
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 3, 2016 17:47:40 GMT
Story Basics:
While this will be discussed at length later in the actual story section I figure it would be a good idea to present a brief architecture of the story a bit within the mechanics section. The basic concept of the story is essentially a strange hodge-podge combination of the better aspects of Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age 2. Like with Origins the game will center around two core conflicts. Origins had the Warden dealing with the Darkspawn and finding a way to stop the Archdemon, while simultaneously conflicting with Loghain and the political situations in Fereldon. DA4 will be dealing with Solas and finding a way to stop him, while simultaneously conflicting with the social inequality and political situations (AKA Slave Rebellion and Reform) of Tevinter. The core difference between those two conflicts for this concept is that they are split between the two PCs, rather than being dealt with by only one, with each PC dealing with the story they are more related to and gradually being dragged into the conflicts of the other. Like with DA2 the story will be split up into 3 distinct Acts that will serve to keep the story organized and to facilitate the player having to switch between two PCs.
Inquisitor Story: "Hunt for the Dread Wolf"
The Inquisitor's story revolves around going undercover, with Dorian serving as the method to do so. As masquerading as one of the Pavus household "servants" the character has an easy access point in to Tevinter and would allow players the chance to experience Tevinter High Society and the perspectives intrinsic to it first-hand. Personal letters from LI's left behind along with remaining contacts in the south (Including the Inquisition if it still exists) could be addressed to Dorian without suspicion from Solas' agents due to his previous affiliations within the Inquisition's inner circle and his still active friendships with many of its members. Essentially, it would actually be unusual for him not to continue to receive reports and correspondence from his contacts in Southern Thedas. Letters from LI's left behind could be voiced or unvoiced, but should include a similar dialogue wheel system to that of normal in game conversations and allow for chosen player responses for return letters. As for the Inquisitor's big in game decisions, they should adhere closely to this premise "The greater a hero you are to the people of Tevinter, the higher the risk is of being found out by Solas' network". The Inquisitor is in Tevinter for the sake of thwarting Solas and keeping a low profile should be inherent to that mission's success. Major decisions should therefore revolve around this principle and effect the ending if you do oust yourself. Do you save a town from destruction and risk being revealed, or do you leave the people to their fate and preserve your cover? Do you take responsibility for your actions or shuffle the responsibility/blame for those actions onto someone higher on the command chain (you are a mere servant after all).
- 4 voice actors would be required for the Inquisitor's return.
Tevinter Story: "Chains of Tevinter"
The Tevinter PC, regardless of their selected Origin story should eventually find themselves at the bottom rung of Tevinter slave society, either through betrayal, bad luck, or through a mistake of their own. Including those intrinsic bonuses that come from playing a new PC, the addition of the Inquisitor as a returning PC allows for the new Tevinter PC an advantage that has thus far been denied to all those DA PCs that have come before ... a chance at an insider's perspective to an in game setting; as the Inquisitor PC (an outsider) can serve as an outlet for setting and exposition that the player needs, but a Tevinter native should really already know. That being said, since Tevinter is one of the most human-centric societies in all of Thedas to fully exploit this opportunity for an insider PC their race options are advised to be more restricted, limited to Human or Elf. As for story the New-PC should revolve around the slave rebellion story-line, which will allow the players (in stark contrast to the Inquisitor) to get a perspective on the lowest levels of slave society in Tevinter. They shouldn't be the leader of this movement, but rather that role should go to Calpernia who is the most avid (potentially living) proponent of radical change for Tevinter society that we've met thus far and is also one who is as desperate to redeem herself as she is Tevinter, due to her unfortunate connections with the Venatori in DA:I. The early game Antagonist should be Dorian (not as a villain, but as a member of the ruling caste and one who has competing goals) and the Tevinter PC will eventually serve as one of Calpernia's adviser and a chief enforcer. Marius will serve in a similar role to Calpernia, but also double as the Tevinter PC's combat mentor as a second Adviser. With their decisions revolving around: who should your movement ally with, how dirty or fair your politics should be, and ultimately in the end "helping" in the creation/recreation of Tevinter itself. Rebirth vs Reform style politics.
- 2 voice actors (good ones) are advisable for this PC.
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 3, 2016 17:50:50 GMT
Followers:
Setting of Tevinter as it is I don't have a lot for this section currently beyond a few limited suggestions as to how the followers and LI's should be approached in regards to functioning within a Dual-PC DA4. Like with all the previous games there will be a total of 9 Companions and running with the Dual PC theme of the game, they will be split into two groups. The Tevinter PC requires the most attention and the most opportunity to define who they are in relation to their world (and opportunities for lovin), while the Inquisitor on the other hand simply needs a lot less attention and a considering the deep-cover narrative that is intended for the Inquisitor in this scenario a small close-knit group would be more effective. As such the Inquisitor gets a total of three (one of each class respectively) and the Tevinter PC gets six (two of each class). The Companion Specializations of both PC's will be based off of the Tevinter PC's specialization list which will be discussed later within this section. I actually have a section written up for basic concepts for Companions and Advisors that I'll post later on.
Returning Character Follower Suggestions:
- Inquisitor PC: Scout Harding - (Tempest Rogue) - Tevinter PC: Tessa Forsythia - (Duelist)
Love Interests:
Love Interests for this concept will borrow heavily from DA:I in terms of mechanics. Like with DA:I there should be a total of eight, spread across a number of genders, races, and sexual preferences. Like with DA:I followers and non-followers should be available for romance and ... despite my better judgment ... since this fan concept for DA4 is meant to be a stand-alone game as much as it is meant to be the next installment of the Dragon Age franchise, the Inquisitor PC should be allowed a limited number of options for Love Interests within DA4 (if nothing else to allow New Players a chance to romance up their Inquisitor for the first time). Therefore the Inquisitor should have a total of three (Two Companion/One Non-Companion) which are only accessible if the Inquisitor didn't have an LI by the end of DA:I (which will be the default world state), or were abandoned by Solas and don't wish to pursue the romance further. Dorian/Solas Love Interest Inquisitors will also have romance options as well, for obvious reasons. As for the other Inquisition LI's as stated in the "Story Basics" section they will be handled with a letter dialogue wheel system where in which the Inquisitor PC is allowed to choose their responses back to their loved ones (you are not intending to be away for very long so these "letters" should only really need to serve as temporary comforts). The Tevinter PC on the other hand simply needs more options for love interests since they are a brand new hero, it's also their world so it simply makes more sense for the setting for them to have more options available. Therefore the Tevinter PC gets access to five LIs (Four Companions/One Non-Companion).
Returning Character Love Interest Suggestions:
- Inquisitor PC: Scout Harding, - Inquisitor PC: Dorian (If not romanced by Iron Bull) - Tevinter PC: Calpernia (Depending on how the "Mage Killer" comic progresses) - Tevinter PC: Marius (Dependant on a lot of things, still on the fence about him)
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 3, 2016 17:51:44 GMT
Story Basics Wrap-Up:
In summation with the exception of the two additional voice actors required to facilitate the Tevinter PC I split the remaining story resources required for game between the two PCs, which should keep costs more manageable:
- Inquisitor PC - Outsider Perspective, High Magic Centered, No Choice of Origin, Full Choice of Race, 4 Voice Actors, 3 Companions, 3 LI’s (2 In party and 1 External), and Goal focused. The Batman of this Story. - Tevinter PC - Insider Perspective, Low Magic Centered, Multiple choices of Origins, Limited Choice of Race, 2 Voice Actors, 6 Companions, 5 LI’s (4 In party, 1 External), and Ideal Focused. The Superman of this Story.
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 3, 2016 17:53:57 GMT
Classes:
Some simple suggestions in regards to how classes could work for a Dual-PC storyline, specifically in regards to class specialization. Standard non-talent or character based talent trees will be the same for both PCs.
Mage Specializations:
- Necromancer (Both PCs have access) - Knight Enchanter (Both PCs have access) - Blood Mage (Tevinter PC Only) - Rift Mage (Inquisitor PC Only ... for obvious reasons)
Warrior Specializations:
- Champion (Both PCs have access) - Reaver (Both PCs have access) - Spirit Warrior (Tevinter PC Only) - Templar (Inquisitor PC Only ... for obvious reasons)
Rogue Specializations:
- Assassin (Both PCs have access) - Tempest (Both PCs have access) - Duelist (Tevinter PC Only) - Artificer (Inquisitor PC Only)
PC Specializations:
These two talent tree's are meant to be universally usable by a PC of any class, though they perhaps may be more beneficial to some specializations than others. Buffs, Debuffs, Crowd Controls, Stuns, Interrupts, and Mobility abilities should be the focus of both Unique PC Talent Trees.
- Mage Hunter (Tevinter PC Only - Because this needs to happen, especially with the prospect of playing a Mage, Mage Hunter. Which simply put, sounds awesome). - Artifice (Inquisitor PC Only, based around techniques and improvements to the Inquisitor's prosthetic whatever it may be).
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 3, 2016 17:55:50 GMT
PC Combat Style Basics:
So here are a few thoughts on how combat could work in a Dual-PC game.
Based off of the DA:I style combat system, basic talent trees (non-specialization) and two of the four specializations for each class will be shared between the two player characters. As shown before there will be one unique specialization tree per class, per character and you can check back to the Classes portion if you would like to see the specifics. In short if you include the Unique PC Talent tree's the game will require four more Talent Tree's than was in DA:I, 26 across all classes instead of 22.
Since they will be sharing so many basic combat mechanics in order to differentiate between the two PCs in terms of combat I thought it would be prudent to have each PC interact with combat (and abilities) somewhat differently, but this would take a small revisal on how the "auto-attack" system works in order to facilitate both and center their combat around their specific PC talent tree (though to be fair I figured Bioware would do this regardless considering how unbearably automated and dull it was in DA:I). Most of this need only be aesthetic in how it will function in game.
Tevinter PC:
The Tevinter is both a new up and comer and a prospective Mage Hunter, even if they themselves are a mage, therefore their combat should reflect that. Combat should be a little more fast paced, with a high level of mobility, and focused a bit more on dodging, interrupts, debuffs and temporary silences. Outside of activated utility abilities "Mage Hunter" will include passive abilities which allow for percentage chances for these offensive status effects (for example: for every hit you land on an enemy you have a percentage chance to silence that target), which could be improved through further talent investment. Rapid, sustained damage is the goal so the Tevinter PC will have naturally higher mana an energy regeneration than an Inquisitor PC of the same level and their animations should be fast and fluidic. In short, the Tevinter PC handles like a rapier or a machine gun.
Inquisitor PC:
The Inquisitor has a ton of experience in combat by this point, but they are now inhibited heavily by their now missing appendage and are struggling to re-teach themselves to fight with their new prosthetic. As a result they are simply less adept at prolonged fights and visually move slower, but hit with far more impact (trying to finish the fight fast without wasting energy). "Artifice" is a talent tree based around the new arm and should focus on guard generation, stuns, grapples, and self-buffs and since I would prefer that the handicap actually play a part in combat (as well as the story) "Artifice" will also serve as a double-edged sword. This fighting style is Burst damaged focused so the Inquisitor will higher reserves of Mana and Energy, but less regeneration than the Tevinter. Thus, the Inquisitor PC feels more like a great sword or a shotgun when being used.
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 3, 2016 17:57:05 GMT
The Prosthetic "Artifice" (The Name is up for Debate).
Originally I got this idea for the "Double-Edged Sword" by watching the way in which the Anchor effected the Inquisitor PC in both the DA:I Prologue "The Wrath of Heaven" and "Trespasser" in regards to the way it made the Inquisitor flinch or collapse while it was unstable. I would like the prosthetic to be universally useful for all Inquisitor PCs and their respective combat style and having something that at least behaves like a forearm, wrist, and hand would best service that intention. I decided on this design for two practical reasons: 1) Bioware wouldn't need to invest the time and resources it would take to create individual prosthetics made to fit each and every type of combat style available, including those prosthetics respective animations; and 2) Since this will require an additional set of combat mechanics and animations to show visually it would be more cost effective for them to make something that NPCs can also use as well, just with a real arm and not a prosthetic one. Some companions whether their physical powerhouses or older in age may visually use the more brute force style of the Inquisitor PC, while those who are smaller or younger can use the Tevinter PC's combat animations. This is also an attempt to rectify an aesthetic issue I personally had with DA:I combat where every race fought in the exact same way, despite the extremely obvious differences in physical stature. Therefore, having two different sets of combat animations for each combat proficiency in DA4 is especially important for this fan-project, considering the main enemies within the story will be Qunari and Elves; who should not for any reason be fighting the same way.
Aesthetically my personal design looks like a mix between Furiosa's prosthetic from Mad Max and Saber's gauntlets from Fate/Stay Night. To reduce complexity and increase the realism of it being able to exist within the world of Thedas (even if it is a brand new prototype) the composition will consist of a forearmed gauntlet with a 2 jointed thumb, 2 jointed index finger and single additional larger 2 jointed digit that will suffice for the remaining three fingers. 7 joints in total including the wrist would be required and to keep it firmly attached an elbow brace and shoulder harness would also be needed. Furiosa's arm in Fury Road conceivably works in a very similar way to experimental modern electronic prosthetics do right now, as it uses electrical impulses in the brain to cause movements within the arm. Thedas, however, has no-where near the level of technology to achieve this, but they could make do through the use of lyrium and magic. Lyrium tattoos like those found on Fenris, with a few lyrium ruins acting as receivers within the prosthetic much like Samson's lyrium armor, could facilitate the movement of the arm and allow for improved dexterity and flexibility. This would facilitate for any number of combat styles and allow for other dex-based activities like lock picking. These tattoos are also where the double-edge sword concept is applied as well as Lyrium Tattoos do come with a number of negative side effects, with severe bouts of pain being one of them. Sure, I want the Inquisitor back, but I do have a bit of a sadistic side so I would like them to suffer for their decision to return, while simultaneously with showing that the removal of the arm does truly have a lasting impact.
Edit: Thanks to username: Dai Grepher from my previous thread for convincing me to post this part. On the issue of Mages and "Artifice" the usefulness of the prosthetic in comparison to the other classes could inherently present a problem. Outside of the obvious issue of direct lyrium contact the arm itself would only function at best as an additional support for staff combat if placed under similar rules as the DA:I Mage Combat, which is primarily unneeded. In general, a Mage Inquisitor simply suffers far less drawbacks from the removal of the arm then Warriors and Rogues ... which meant any attempt to rectify the disadvantage intrinsic to those two classes, will also be less effective for a Mage. As such, I originally designed "Artifice" to be used as a replacement staff itself, in the shape of a prosthetic arm. My concept did include a number of lyrium runes to facilitate the movement of the prosthetic anyway, so it is certainly possible that a Staff Focusing Crystal could be placed within the arm as well. The only problem with this is that the Class Combat style for an Inquisitor Mage (discussed above) would have to center around this "unarmed" style and thus entirely unique. Which to be honest isn't too much of an issue as Magic usage would vary the least between the races in terms of technique. So everyone else regardless of race or build would use the default "Mage Staff" combat style, while the Inquisitor uses this unique "unarmed" style.
Simple Ideas for Practical Costs of the Artifice: By Dai Grepher
- 1) A five second period of pain and flinching that slows movement speed and attack speed. - 2) If a spell or combat ability is used in this period, then it will cause a small amount of self-damage. - 3) Guard is Broken - 4) Focus is decreased - 5) A flash of pain, causing an interrupt to any action that was being taken.
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 3, 2016 17:58:31 GMT
Locations:
I've posted this before in my previous thread, but because I've updated it as small bit and due to its significance to my personal concept for a Dual PC story for DA4 I feel the updated list of locations needs to be reposted. In short, the areas of the game will consist of a variety of the styles that were found within the previous installment of the series. I will make a quick comment as to each area categories' function, along with the suggested zones that will be required for this game.
Explorable Zones: Open Environment Zones - Total (6)
Explorable Zones are reflective of those experienced in Dragon Age: Inquisition and are meant to allow the player a certain level of free-range. The following 6 areas will serve as large, scenic, free-roaming locations and meant to facilitate both main and side content for both PC's eventually as the story progresses. If collectables need to be added these would be the game areas where in which they would be primarily found.
- Valarian Fields - The Silent Plains - The High Reaches - Eyes of Nocen - The Hundred Pillars - Arlathan Forest
City Zones: Sectioned City Zones - Total (4)
If we are going to Tevinter, the player will need a well done Minrathous. To that effect I turn to Dragon Age 2's City of Kirkwall, which still represents the best attempt by Bioware to create a semi-explorable urban world for the DA franchise. In my version the Capital of Tevinter has been divided into four sections similar to Kirkwall and will serve as a central point for the story and a hub for side content.
- Upper Minrathous - Lower Minrathous - Three Imperators' Square - Minrathous Shipyards
Dungeon Zones: Restricted Dungeon Zones - Total (12)
I use the term "Dungeon Zones" as a general reference to any area that allows for semi-exploration, but still remain heavily restrictive. Mostly reflective to Dragon Age: Origins style, these are meant to be used as retainers of smaller cities/towns (Redcliffe), large buildings (Circle of Magi), dungeons (Deeproads) or set pieces like Adamant Fortress and are highly story quest intensive locations. Sizes of these zones can vary heavily.
- Qarinas - Solas - Ath Velanis - Alam - The Circle of Magi - The Argent Spire - The Bridge of Minrathous - Minrathous Harbor - The Ruins of Arlathan - The Deep Roads - The Black City - The Golden City
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 3, 2016 18:01:25 GMT
Budgetary Issues:
I figure I should end the Mechanics Section off with a small entry in regards to budgetary issues facing this fan game, as I did put a lot of thought into them when creating this narrative. I'll be honest, because this is a Dual-Protagonist concept this fan game will require a larger budget than DA:I, especially in regards the story specific content. That being said I did take a number of steps to mitigate some of the required budgetary increases.
- Main Story and Side Quests - The Dual Protagonist storyline includes a grand total of 22 main story quests, with an additional 4 sub-quests devoted to the 4 Origin stories for the Tevinter PC (which are included in Tevinter Quest 1) and an additional ending cinematic for the final Tevinter PC decision. The game boils down to a total of about 11 Main Story Quests for the Inquisitor PC and 15 (with Origins) for the Tevinter PC, with the Inquisitor PC having their trademark 4 Voice Actors (meaning 44 Quests worth of spoken dialogue would be needed) and the Tevinter PC having 2 (for a total of 30 Quests worth of dialogue). Essentially what I did was take the amount required for DA:I (40) and added approximately half of what was needed for a SWTOR Class Story Line on top of it (which averaged about 25-27 Quests, which had 2 Voice Actors each for 50-54 Quests worth of dialogue). This game would then require approximately 74 Quests worth of story dialogue and 26 Quests worth of story cinematics to work. As much as I hate the idea of the additional expense, side quests should also be design for each PC individually rather than being put in a shared pool. This will most certainly increase expenses to a degree, but due to the more restrictive ACT based story structure of this project it should mitigate this factor a small bit due to the naturally reduced side content.
- Companions, Advisors, and Love Interests - A discussed before in their respective sections these two facets are heavily based off of what was found in DA:I. Companions will have a total of 9, split between 2 parties, with 3 going to the Inquisitor PC and 6 going to the Tevinter PC. Now in terms of cinematic dialogue, without inflation, DA:4 will have very little variance in reference to expenditures. On the other hand in terms of "Party Banter", because the total of 9 is split between the two groups, Bioware could use this as a method to decrease to total cost as there simply are less combinations of party members within this game. For Advisors there are 3 Major ones along with a number of smaller optional characters that are based on player decisions, as such in general the expenditures will be about the same as DA:I. Finally Love interests, since there are a total of 8 (3 for the Inquisitor and 5 for the Tevinter) the total cost won't be all that much different from DA:I, with the only major addition being the "Letters From Home" mechanic, which will include a series of dialogue wheeled Letters with Love Interests left in Southern Thedas for those players that have them (which can be voiced or unvoiced depending on Bioware's prerogative).
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 3, 2016 18:02:38 GMT
Budgetary Issues Cont:
- Combat Issues - There are a few additional budget increases for Combat, but not too many. I based this game HEAVILY off DA:I so the core mechanics will remain the same, with a few select changes. Because there are two PCs combat needs to have some variance in order to keep the two characters distinct enough to be worthwhile to play and to keep combat from getting too stale. Therefore there are a few mechanical components that will be employed to help with this (many of which have been discussed in the Class and PC Talent Specialization section), but the key variance will be done through aesthetics. 2 full sets of Combat Animations, based primarily around the main enemies that will be found in the game (the Qunari and the Elves) should be created and distributed amongst the PC and NPCs who fit those combat styles best. There is such huge physical and organizational differences between the two races that there is very little reason for them to be fighting with the same technique. The Tevinter PC, who is younger and a "Mage Hunter" will fight like an Elf ... smooth and fluidic, with a faster pace and high mobility, while the Inquisitor PC who is suffering from their handicap and therefore no longer proficient in extended bouts of combat will adopt the Qunari style; which uses sharp, disciplined, heavy in impact moves, but slower. In summation, the combat styles will be: Qunari Warrior Combat Styles, Elven Warrior Combat Styles, Qunari Rogue Combat Styles, Elven Rogue Combat Styles, Mage Universal, & Inquisitor Mage; in terms of both animation and abilities.
- A few other small changes. DA:I had a grand total of 22 Talent trees spread across all classes and specializations including the Anchor, so to facilitate for both PC's an additional 4 and their corresponding animations will need to be added, bringing the total up to 26. Combine this with a slight change in how the auto-attack system works (my suggestions is being able to actually move while auto-attacking and while utilizing weaker abilities) and these small additions could prove immeasurably beneficial and relatively "cheap" to implement. Finally, Bioware simply needs to do better on their Companion tactics system, there is really no other way around it. They did a really good job with this in DA:O so I know it's possible to do, but the one they used in DA:I was kind of a joke. - A small system to allow for switching between the two PC's will also be required. Outside of these things (and they are substantial in their own small ways) the Combat budget remains the same and combat, for the most part, also remains the same.
- As for things that will be getting removed ... obviously Skyhold style base-building is gone and have the budget repurposed elsewhere, as will War Table Ops and Judgements, as none of these three things are even remotely necessary for the narrative I've created for this fan game. I personally would also remove the Weapon and Armor crafting mechanics from DA:I and with it the resource gathering aspect. I know people will get pissed and even I admit that Bioware did excellent job implementing these features into DA:I, but honestly I did feel like the gathering of resources was nothing more than busywork and the crafted weapons and armor themselves where SO DAMNED GOOD that they actually detracted from weapon drops and Boss Rewards. I remember one of the best parts of DA:O was finishing a long side quest or exploring some side path and finding a rare, really good, item that I or my party could use ... but in DA:I once a crafted set of Tier 4 Gear was made I never used an item drop again outside of Amulets and Rings. As such I do feel that the budget required for these two features should be repurposed elsewhere and at most players should be given a re-skin and armor dye tool to allow for choice in basic aesthetics. Finally (and it's big one) since this game design was HEAVILY based on DA:I it may be a good idea for Bioware to take a page of Bethesda's book and recycle and improve on a previous Game Engine rather than crafting a new one from scratch, provided that engine can handle the necessary upgrades. Dragon Age has never been at the forefront of Game Graphics anyway (far from it) and if merely upgrading an old engine would save resources that could be used to improve story and game play ... I'm all for it. Stylizing the old graphics should suffice rather than overhauling them completely and allow for more of the budget to be allocated where it needs to be, in the story and game mechanics.
- Note: Thats it for the boring nitty-gritty stuff! I will start posting content on the actual "Story" within a few days and then I'll move onto write ups for Primary "Characters, Boss Fights, and DLC's" after that. Heck I might actually improve on what I had previously posted on the official forums with a write up on "Epilogues" for both the base game and post-game DLC.
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 7, 2016 4:39:52 GMT
OK lets begin the next part! Dragon Age 4: Thoughts on a Dual Protagonist Storyline for DA4 – Story
A "Few" Things Before I Begin: Issues of Fan Theories:
OK … it is now time to burn some bridges for people reading this, but it needs to be done. There are a number of liberties I had to take with the setting in order to get this story to be a GRAND enough adventure to warrant an additional PC. Bluntly, I had to use a pair of fan theories in order to get the story to work. One is pretty small and more of a matter of perspective. The second is pretty large and some people may not approve … but after mulling it over for a rather long time, I found no other alternatives. -1) Old Gods and the Blight: Regardless of whether or not the Old Gods intended to release the Blight when they sent their Magisters into the Golden City, I am under the suspicion that the Old Gods never intended to be corrupted by the same Blight. Namely, whatever their intentions, they do not wish to become tainted and it is this facet of their theoretical persona that I used for this story. I’m also not really all that fond of the idea that the Tevinter Old Gods are themselves the Evanuris. While this theory does make some sense, especially in regards to the numbers, I personally feel it shrinks the world of Thedas a bit too much for my taste. The Old Gods still remain a mystery, the Evanuris ... not so much. I'd like to exploit that factor a bit for this story. -2) The Golden/Black City is Arlathan: After the reveal in “ Trespasser” that the Veil is an artificial construct I am under the impression that this city in the Fade is NOT the “Seat of the Maker”, but rather the site of the Ancient Capital of the Elvhen Empire. Solas once said that "A True God doesn't need worshipers" and by that logic if the Maker is a true God he would not require them. It therefore seems strange that he would possess a Giant, Gaudy, Golden City and Throne, when those would only service as a method to gain worshipers. False Elvhen Gods, in contrast, would relish the opportunity to have such a place to demonstrate their divine power. If this theory is incorrect then the Final Act does not work, but if it isn't then it is a historic epicenter of both the Ancient Elvhen Civilization and the Ancient Tevinter Imperium. The site of Solas revenge and the location of Tevinter's greatest Sin.
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 7, 2016 4:40:55 GMT
Issues of DA: Inquisition Decisions:
Luckily, there are not really all that many decisions that should play a role on the integral events surrounding the Inquisitor if they were to return in DA4. Thanks primarily to the setting being in Tevinter the huge-scale events in DA: I occurred so far to the South in Thedas that many of them will not have much influence on the proceedings of the game. However, there are a few decisions that should have “some” impact and I’ve listed them below in order of importance.
-1) The Well of Sorrows: For those players who did not drink from the WoS this decision will matter very little to them or their Inquisitor PC, for those who did however it is an intrinsic part of their character now. The concept that perhaps Solas can now control the Gaess due to his "absorption" of Mythal (and I have written the story in reference to this), the communion with the WoS fundamentally alters the way an Inquisitor interacts with the Ancient World. As such, additional dialogue options while in Ancient Elven ruins would be preferential to facilitate this DA:I choice. No additional side-quests would be required for the WoS decision.
-2) Disband or Retain Inquisition: Thankfully due to the distance between the Inquisition and the apparent setting of DA:4 the influence of this decisions has been diminished quite a bit, but it should still play a role on the proceedings of the game. Due to the relationship between the Northern and Southern Andrastian sects the Inquisition's armed forces will be all but useless, but the Inquisition's diplomatic core and spy network will both be invaluable; even if their existence threatens to oust the Inquisitor themselves. Inquisitors who "retained" their Inquisition will start out with more (notoriety/fame) then their "disband" counterparts, but should have additional dialogue options available to them due to their increased connections. A "few" exclusive side-quests for both sides should also be made available.
-3) Mage/Templar Conflict: A small adjustment will be needed for this decision, because it shifts the Inquisitor PC's relationship to Calpernia if they sided with the Templars. Essentially there are three options: 1) Inquisitors who sided with the Rebel Mages will be meeting her for the first time, 2) Inquisitor's who "forced back" Calpernia have met her before, but she will not be all that happy to see them again, and 3) Inquisitors who convinced her to betray Corypheus have met her before and should have a more positive relationship with her. This decision fundamentally alters their previous relationship with her and therefore the initial dialogue once the Inquisitor meets her in Tevinter must reflect that. A few changes in dialogue when the two character first meet should suffice for this decision.
-4) Save/Stop Solas: Very minor decision that serves only in an aesthetic purpose in the events of this game, primarily because if the Inquisitor is returning as a playable PC then that decision can be made once the final conflict occurs. Players may change their mind during the events of DA:4 and therefore this decision only serves as a character facet.
All other previous game decisions, including LIs, can be facilitated through a DA: Keep system and may play small or aesthetic effects on the game.
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 7, 2016 4:42:09 GMT
An Issue of Canon:
Okay ... here is the big one. In order to get this story to work I had to retcon the events surrounding the character of Alistair in the comic series "Dragon Age: The Silent Grove", "Dragon Age: Those Who Speak", and "Dragon Age: Until We Sleep". I'm not particularly fond of idea of doing this, but in order to get the Inquisitor PC storyline to work smoothly I had to rely on Magister Aurelian Titus, who dies in the events of those books.
According to Bioware these comics are to be considered non-canon and rather a part of Bioware's own personal Dragon Age: Origins world state, which as far as I can tell is a Hardened King Alistair married to Anora, with the HoF sacrificed to the Arch Demon. At the same time these events don't EVER occur if a player doesn't have that exact world state, nor are they ever alluded to in DA:I even if the player is using the default world-state. Therefore to write this story what I did was assume that events of these 3 Comics NEVER occurred and instead I re-purposed the amazing setting and characters that were introduced within their pages for the purpose of this fan concept. Things like Varric's relationship to Maevaris, Sten becoming Arishok, Ath Velanis being the center of a Titus' Dragon Cult ... will stay the same. The difference is that Alistair and his companions actions have been thoroughly removed and therefore any byproducts of their influence on those events. Without Alistair's presence Maeveris is never captured, the Qunari do not make the assault on Ath Velanis, and Aurelian Titus' experimentation would have proved a success ... just not in the way he intended. Therefore the two major differences will be 1) King Marric perishes at the hands of Titus' experiments and 2) Magister Titus is still alive.
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 7, 2016 4:43:18 GMT
Issues of Story-Quest Mechanics:
There are two ways to get a dual-PC storyline to work for a Bioware style RPG. The first method is like what games such as Halo 2 utilized to transition the player between the two different PCs. The player, at specific progression points during the story, is forcibly switched between the PCs as the story requires in order to get the two PCs where they need to be, when the story needs them to be there. The second method is the GTAV method, which allows players to switch between the different PCs at will, but then restricts forward story progression until certain quests are completed for certain PCs (namely in GTAV you could not progress very far in the story with Trevor, Franklin or Michael individually without being forced to switch to one of the other characters and progress their story first). Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages. The prior (forcibly switching the Player) limits player autonomy, but enforces story coherency. The story runs smoother, but the player is more restricted, even if they are able to do as much side content as they want before progressing the main story. The latter allows for more player freedom, but can disjoint the story if not done correctly and can prove frustrating due to the artificial restrictions on story progression placed on the player. Namely "No you are not allowed to do the main story until you've done the other characters to match! The God of Video Games commands it!"
For the sake of my own sanity, I've relied on a bit of both. Some story quests (most often in the beginning and end of each arc) will be using the Halo 2 method of forcing players to switch between the two PCs as the game's story needs, to best coherently present what is going on. During these periods Players will be locked into playing a particular PC up until the point they finish a main story quest, but they will be allowed to do as much side content as is available as they would like before doing so. Once completed the Player is automatically switched to the other PC. This method is exclusively used when the two PC's main quests have a particular order they need to be completed in, in order for the story to make sense. This format is most heavily used in Act 2 during the Qunari conflict. The latter type (the GTA V method) will be used when the story doesn't need to be done in a particular order. There are a number of quests written for Act 1 and 3 where in which the order they are completed is relatively superfluous to the main story and are built to be done in a more flexible order to allow for more player freedom. Along with a reprieve INTERMISSION in Act 2, it will allow the player to switch between the two PCs at will provided they are not actively within a Story Mission and in within a safe zone when switching. This can be facilitated easy enough with a similar rudimentary system as was exhibited in GTAV where the other PC's portrait is shown on the Game UI. The portrait remains grayed out when the other PC is unavailable and is in color when freedom to switch is allowed.
- Note: Side quests should probably be written individually for each PC, rather than the pool being shared.
- Note 2: Periods of Time During in which Free Switch between the two PCs is allowed will be Highlighted In Green! - ACT 1: After the Intro of Quest 3 (Inquisitor ACT 1 Quest 1) and before the conclusion to Quest 5, Free Switch Mode. - ACT 2: INTERMISSION during the eye of the storm, Free Switch Mode Enabled. - ACT 3: Quest 16 through Quest 19 can be done in a semi-flexible order, Free Switch Mode Enabled.
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 7, 2016 4:44:50 GMT
Issues of Passive Reputations:All right, we finally come to the last thing that I need to address in order for me get to the story ... an additional mechanic that works sort of like a mix between companion reputation from Dragon Age: Origins and the Divine election reputation mechanic from Dragon Age: Inquisition. Namely there are a number passive reputations that will be attributed to many of the major player decisions and some of the player dialogue that will in turn effect the ending. Because these "reputations" will primarily play an outcome on the Tevinter nation these passives will be more centered on the Tevinter PC, but the actions of the Inquisitor PC will also have an effect on the proceedings. These four passive reps will often clash with one another, forcing players to choose and prioritize what they value most and effecting what Epilogue portions they get. - 1) Fame: Decisions and dialogue can effect a PCs fame. The Inquisitor PC wants to keep this to a minimum to preserve their cover and too much of it will have negative consequences for their ending. The Tevinter PC might actually want fame and if they accumulate enough of a presence amongst the people of Tevinter it will have a chance to positively effect their ending if the player so desires. This is the only reputation of the four that will be available for viewing on the PC status screen. - 2) Old God Cult: During the course of the game there are a number of decisions that will play a heavy influence on the success of the Cult of the Old Gods of Tevinter and its resurgence of popularity. Due to a specific event in game the Cult will gain some increased influence within Tevinter society regardless, but there are many player decisions that can affect that level of influence dramatically. - 3) Radical vs Moderate: Essentially boils down to the lasting success of Dorian + Maeveris' Moderate "Lucerni" Faction vs Calpernia's repurposed Radical "Preasumptor" Faction. Player decisions, dialogue and even side quests can play an effect on this and influence just how radical the social changes are within Tevinter by the end of the game. - 4) Stability: "The Empire may be Evil but they do keep the plumbing running". This Final "reputation" defines on how quickly and efficiently the Tevinter Imperium was at rebuilding after the Qunari Conflict and implementing the new social changes caused by the events of the story. Essentially, this is how smoothly that the changes the PC, Dorian and Calpernia caused were received and put to use. In short, you may cause an enormous amount of change, but if you leave the country immeasurably unstable then there will be great difficulties at enforcing that change. ...Coming Next my uber-fan fiction of a DA4 dual protagonist style game! Check the "Story Basics" section if you want the overarching concept, but otherwise I'll start posting it by ACT in another couple of days! Time to show just how OCD I really am about the DA Franchise!
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Post by Blaze on Sept 8, 2016 10:37:44 GMT
i don't want a dual protagonist. like, i'm fine with the PC we play at the prologue is different from the rest of the game but that is it.
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Post by Absafraginlootly on Sept 9, 2016 12:35:23 GMT
This would be a good way to let the Inquisitor finish unfinished business without losing out on benefits of a new pc. I'd prefer this to an inquisitor only protagonist game.
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 10, 2016 0:46:27 GMT
My Dual PC Storyline:
Prologue -“On the Road to Tevinter” (Inquisitor PC)
-“Story”- A reflection of a road once traveled while on the road forward. The Inquisitor, now a slave (one among many), traveling with a caravan along the Imperial Highway towards the Capital City of Minrathous. Slipping in and out of consciousness due to the pain of the new lyrium additions running the length of their now crippled arm and up the back of their neck (to facilitate the prosthetic “Artifice”, which was awaiting them at their destination) the Inquisitor begins their story in a very familiar place, the Fade, this time in their dreams and revisiting very familiar memories; The Exalted Council and the incidents surrounding Solas 10 months ago. A Blue Palace … A Mountain Ruin … A Broken Library … An Elven Conclave. Scattered memories that have led to what now is and propel events to come (the very events of “Trespasser” itself).
-“Content”- In short, this prologue is an abridged version of the final DA:I DLC “Trespasser” in order to allow players to play through a shortened, but concise, version of the DLC that had entwined the Inquisitor so fundamentally to the narrative of Solas. Told in a series of memories within the Fade as the Inquisitor “dreams” this retelling will allow new and old players alike to experience its content and more importantly give them a chance to make those major decisions included within that DLC for themselves. The “required” memories will transition from one to the next, altered slightly to allow for the necessary back-story to be portrayed, while narrowing the content enough to save for time. Transitions between each scene can be done either through Fade transitions or transitions through Eluvians (within the Dream) and the sequence of events as described below are those that would best present the needed information (along with a single Codex edit to smooth out the narrative flow). The cinematic content needed to make this work (I timed it) rounds in at about 24.5 minutes, so getting this down to the preferred quest length of 1-1/2 to 2 hour mark is perfectly doable. The Inquisitor PC will be given a preset party of 3 and will begin at level 10 with a default class build to allow for a brief taste of high level play. Finally, since this is a recap section much of the dialogue and set pieces can be recycled from the actual DLC itself, with a small bit of editing to make them more “Fade-like” in order to cut down on the costs a bit.
-1) The Opening and Exalted Council cinematics, followed by the Discovery of the Qunari Corpse (Mother Giselle dialogue and optional companion dialogue have been removed for the sake of time).
-2) The Crossroads and "Elven Mountain Ruins" sections with the final Qunari report found within the ruins being edited to mention "Dragon's Breath, the link to Fen'Harel, and the Viddesala", but these can remain vague. (This is to facilitate both the post Elven Mountain Ruins cinematic and the Deeproads sections being cut).
-3) The Post-Deeproads section cinematic (the discovery of the Gatlock Barrels) and the "Shattered Library" section.
-4) Post Shattered Library cinematic (Qunari Spies and Anchor Pain) followed immediately by the Darvaarad Bridge Cinematic (post Dragon fight) and the final pursuit of Solas through the Ancient Elven ruins. Includes Tutorial Boss Fight (Saarath).
-5) The Exalted Council final cinematic and Inquisiition decision, followed by the only "new" content within the Prologue which will be an extended version of the after credit scene which curtails a quick rundown of the plan of attack and the prosthetic “Artifice”.
- Tutorial Mini-Boss – Saarath - Inquisitor PC Choice: A “Wolf” in Sheep’s Clothing – Save vs Stop Solas - Inquisitor PC Choice: Fate of the Inquistion – Disband or Retain the Inquisition
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 10, 2016 0:49:07 GMT
ACT 1 BEGIN -“Kingdom of Slaves”
Act 1 Tevinter PC Content:
- Rumors: Strangness of Elves - NPC’s discussing an influx of Elven Refugees (Unusual in Tevinter). - Side Quests: Depths of Tevinter – Quests based around lower and middle level slaver in Tevinter. - Side Quests: Practice – Practice makes perfect, mage hunting is no different. - Tevinter PC Companion Quest: Female Qunari Slave - (Reaver) - Love Interest – "Hornless"
Act 1 Inquisitor PC Content:
- Rumors: Movements of the Qun - NPC’s discussing military information about the Qunari. - Side Quests: A Tale of Two Empires - History of Ancient Tevinter and the Ancient Elvhen Empire. - Side Quests: Archon Aspirations - Assist Dorian in his quest to become Archon.
Main Quest 1 -“Humbled Origins” (Tevinter PC)
Locations - Origin Locations / Lower Minrathous
-“Story”- Corruption, slavery and illusioned by a grand narrative of the past, the once great Tevinter Imperium remains mired in stagnation. These very things that had once made the nation so powerful now only served as shackles, inhibiting the country from moving forward, or moving on. It is within this dismal environment that our Tevinter PC was born, was raised, fought for their country, and eventually fell … ruined and betrayed by the twisted system that had long since consumed Tevinter. This PC: An Laetan Mage of the Lucerni faction, betrayed by those they once thought progressive allies; A Soporati Merchant, condemned for a crime they did not commit, by the very Magisters who had committed it; A Legionnaire serving with honor and standing against corruption, only to be spurned by their integrity and punished for their loyalty; Lastly a Liberati, a freed slave, who had worked so hard and for so long to obtain their freedom, only for it cast aside at their “Altus” employers earliest convenience. Sold into the lowest depths of slavery, the “Servus Publicus”, the PC’s fate will be entwined with two others who wish to change the country to its very core. A mentor, skilled in the art of slaying mages, will teach them the skills they need to fight their oppressors; and led by a broken mage, guilt ridden over mistakes she made in the past and desperate to redeem herself by redeeming the country she loves.
-“Content”- Serving as both the Origin Story and a Ostagar style situation this is the Tevinter PC's introduction to the game and the setting. They as a citizen of Tevinter (of a number of different social classes) will provide DA4 something a Dragon Age game has sorely needed since Origins, an insider's perspective to a setting. Unfortunately, due to the setting and the story I have written the Tevinter PC requires the use of a Human or Elf PC and as such will be restricted to those races. Dwarves simply cannot be slaves in Tevinter (I'm stretching it a bit for the Dwarven Inquisitor PC as they are a Liberati, AKA a Freed Slave and a non-citizen servant) and the Qunari have been at war with Tevinter for over 300 years and even though they can be slaves it is doubtful one would be trusted to be a leader of Tevinter's people, especially considering the events that occur in ACT 2. Both of these aspects are requirements for the Tevinter PC story-line to work, hence the restriction of race. As penance for the lack of racial choice 4 Origin stories have instead been provided: Laetan (Human and Elven Mage), Soporati Merchant Caste (Any), Soporati Legionnaire (Any), and Liberati (Any), and like with DA:O these origins will have subtle effects on the story as the game progresses. Regardless of their chosen status the Tevinter PC will eventually find themselves plunged into the shackles of the lowest cast of slavery, the "Servus Publicus", and it is here that the PC will come in contact with Calpernia and her reformed "Praesumptors" who are working from the bottom-up to change the country. She herself still remaining scarred from her fate in DA:I will be searching for redemption for her past mistakes (the Venatori) through her redemption of Tevinter itself. Additionally Marius has returned to Tevinter for his own "purposes" and while remaining notoriously wanted by the authorities in Minrathous, he will serve as the Tevinter PC's combat tutor while working on his own assignments. His friend and associate Tessa (who is still wanted, but is not as well known) will serve as a follower and a recruiter, serving under the Tevinter PC and Calpernia. Whether your character still cares for their corrupted home and still wishes for change, wants only to improve upon their now miserable status in life, or simply desires to see Tevinter burn ... this small group of radicals now remains their only potential method to do so. The Tevinter PC begins at level 1.
- Tevinter PC Talent Tree: "Mage Hunter" - Introduction to Mage Hunter skills. - Tevinter PC Companion: Tessa Forsythia - (Duelist) - In a Relationship - Tevinter PC Advisor: Marius - Mage Hunter Mentor - "Potential" Love Interest? - Tevinter PC Advisor: Calpernia - Love Interest (If she is not romanced she will end up with Marius).
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 10, 2016 0:51:04 GMT
Main Quest 2 -"Slave Diplomacy" (Tevinter PC)
Locations - Lower Minrathous / Minrathous Shipyard / Valarian Fields
-"Story"- "The Preasumptors", shadowy thieves of some notoriety within Minrathous, amazingly repurposed into an anti-slavery organization. Calpernia and Marius had been busy since their return to Tevinter and were putting the groups previous "professional" skills to good use. Skilled, subtle and now augmented with Mage Hunting techniques the once criminal organization were now proving a formidable force and were already suspected in a number of Altus and Laetan assassinations throughout the capital. Unfortunately, a rebellion they were not, as the group still would require support from the very people they intended to free if they ever hoped to make any progress. That would not be easy however as the slave factions of Tevinter were just as divided as rest of the populous and held great contempt for the each other. Each slave group distinguishing themselves differently from the others in some desperate bid to retain some semblance of pride. Approaching one group would assuredly damage relations with another and the Preasumptors had neither the resources nor manpower to approach them all ... a choice would have to be made.
-"Content"- First official work with Calpernia, Marius and their "Preasumptors" faction, the Tevinter PC works in secrecy under the burdens of their new shackles to help the slave rebellion gain traction. New connections and alliances will be required, but who to approach first? The "Liberati" due to both their physical location within the city and their status within Slave Society would unfortunately make them unapproachable as things were now. Their continued "freedom" was too dependent on the their loyalties to the members of Altus that had gifted them that freedom. That left only two groups the "Praesumptors" could approach with any certain level of safety, both of who Calpernia was working tirelessly to obtain access to their "representatives". The first option was the Tevinter PC's fellow "Servus Publicus" (unskilled laborers) who had far superior numbers, but lacked access to both the resources and will to focus that man-power constructively. The other option, the middle class slaves of the of the Agricultural and Industrial sectors of the city, who were lesser in number but allowed access to the materials needed for prolonged rebellion. A decision had to be made and to do so the Tevinter PC was being sent along with two superior agents to help further negotiations. Regardless of choice, once a connection has been established the "representatives" of that group will promise nothing concrete. They have seen far too many failed slave rebellions to risk themselves in another that has yet to prove itself. For the "Praesumptors" to prove this movement was different than its predecessors it would take something big, VERY BIG, to secure the slave factions full cooperation. "I wonder if Calpernia has something in mind?"
- Tevinter PC Companion: Male Elf - (Spirit Warrior) - Love Interest - Representative for the Preasumptors - Tevinter PC Companion: Female Elf - (Necromancer) - Love Interest - Representative for the Preasumptors - Tevinter PC Choice: A Slave Alliance - Mid-Level Slaves vs Servus Publicus
Main Quest 3 -"A Gilded Collar" (Inquisitor PC)
Locations - Upper Minrathous / Three Imperators' Square
-"Story"- Awaking in their new quarters the Inquisitor is introduced to Minrathous and their new position as a member of the Pavus household. As a member of the "Liberati" class the Inquisitor would be working for Dorian and as a "freed" slave, would retain certainly more autonomy than the traditional household servant, but care would still need to be taken to preserve their cover and not drag Dorian into too much political trouble. To avoid drawing too much attention it had been decided that Dorian and the Inquisitor's remaining allies in the south would be the one's focusing on hunting for Solas and his agents, as they would be expected to continue their search for him regardless. The Inquisitor's focus would instead be turned to discovering methods deal with Solas if and when he were to be found, as his ability to petrify his opponents at will would make any attempt to stop him superfluous until a such at tactical advantage was found. Dorian had thus been working on a starting point for the Inquisitor PC to get them access to the magical records of the Circle of Magi, but it was still in the works. First though, perhaps it was time to meet the master of the house, Magister Pavus, and get some information about his world.
-"Content"- Short introductory quest to Upper Minrathous and enhancing the setting. The Inquisitor needs to allow for their body to recover from the implementation of the new Prosthetic and to allow the Trespasser PC to catch up in levels so combat will be relatively limited in Act 1 and be almost non-existent in the earlier quest. As an outsider to Tevinter the Inquisitor represents a useful tool in regards to presentation of lore about the country without forcing information onto the Tevinter PC that they as a local should really already know. Namely, the Tevinter PC is allowed to be written from an insider's perspective to Tevinter BECAUSE of the Inquisitor's presence serving as an outlet for exposition and lore. As such the Inquisitor needs a little time to explore their new role and new setting and that is primarily what this quest is, as Dorian prepares to help you get access to the Circle of Magi to begin your research.
- First Letter from Home: From LI's left behind - Inquisitor PC Talent Tree: "Artifice" Introduction to Prosthetic - Inquisitor PC Companion: Lace Harding - (Tempest) - Love Interest - Inquisition Contact - Inquisitor PC Companion: "Handler" Male Human - (Champion) - Love Interest - Dorian Contact - Inquisitor PC Advisor: Dorian Pavus - Love Interest
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 10, 2016 0:53:55 GMT
Main Quest 4 -"Crash Course Academia" (Inquisitor PC)
Locations - Upper Minrathous / The Circle of Magi
-"Story"- Despite the risks it presented to both the Inquisitor's cover and Dorian's political standing, the Circle of Magi and its vast magical and historical resources still remained a tempting prize to the Inquisitor if they ever hoped to find a method to deal with a "demi-god" like the Dread Wolf. Once upon a time it was the Temple of Razikale and held untold hordes of information that dated back even before the days of Andraste, there was no grander epicenter of knowledge in all of Thedas (outside of the DwarvenShaperate in Orzammar perhaps) and could provide any number of helpful tomes. The problem was, the Inquisitor "wasn't" exactly in Tevinter (or they weren't supposed to be) and therefore a servant of the Pavus household (as high status as it was) would not be allowed to wander the halls of its libraries unsupervised. Simultaneously, if Dorian accompanied them (or went himself) it would draw far too much attention to them both for the Inquisitor's search to prove productive "sometimes it's a pain to be so famous as the Inquisitor knew all too well". The only solution, it was now time to do what no mage in the history of Southern Thedas would willingly do, break INTO a Circle of Magi ... hope it goes well. :3
-"Content"- Dorian has provided the Inquisitor with the means and instructions needed to delve into the libraries of the Circle of Magi with some chance of success (at great risk to himself). Directions to specific areas within the hordes of magical information that may be of help has been provided, but even Dorian was unclear of exactly where to start regarding the search about Elven Gods, the Ancient Elvhen, and the ability to prevent or reverse petrifaction. The Inquisitor's goal is to explore the halls of the Circle of Magi, gather what information they need, and get out with whatever information they can without getting caught. A run in with a Magister Maevaris Tilani and her student (a young blood mage) however would prove an unforeseen complication and perhaps an asset towards these objectives and give the Inquisitor one more ally in their quest to stop/save Solas. Unfortunately, in the end, the search itself would turn up very little ... the texts dealing with the Ancient Elvhen proved remarkably inconsistent, colored by the very biased interpretation of their prideful Tevinter authors and the volumes on petrifaction and methods to reverse it remained frustratingly absent. Whether or not such studies ever existed or where absent through either theft or destruction, it wasn't known, but the search wasn't a complete waste of time. Despite the obvious air of superiority and bias from its Tevinter author there remained a single text revolving around the "Dread Wolf" himself. Inside it, information which led to a small town in the southern reaches of Tevinter, the Town of Solas in the "Silent Plains".
- Inquisitor PC Companion: "Protégé"- (Blood Mage) - Maeveris Contact
Main Quest 5 -"Archon Assassination, Anarchy" (Tevinter PC)
Locations - Lower Minrathous / Upper Minrathous
-"Story"- As it turns out Marius was the one with a plan in mind to convey the power of the revolution ... a big one. The repurposing of the "Preasumptors" thieves faction into an anti-slavery rebellion now made perfect sense as the group's innate skills and stealth proved remarkable assets in the trade of assassination. Archon Radonis, leader of Tevinter, was a prime target if Calpernia's faction wished to make a show of force and prove their validity to their potential allies. Assassinating him would not only remove the current leader of the Imperium as a factor, but prove that the "Praesumptors" had the capabilities to defy the corrupt system, not to mention freeing up Marius and Tessa from their wanted status. There however was a political component for this choice as well. The moderate reform faction of Tevinter, the Lucerni, led by Magister MaevarisTilani and Magister Dorian Pavus had proven to be a bit of a hindrance. Their actions in pursuit of Top-Down moderate reform conflicted with of the Bottom-Up Tevinter rebirth agendas of the "Preasumptors", because they relied heavily on the stabilization and the strengthening of the Imperium for their success. Where in contrast it was the instability that Tevinter currently found itself in due to years of neglect, corruption and centuries of war with Qunari that allowed the chance for more radical reform to take place, such as freeing the slaves of Tevinter (a goal that was not shared by the moderates). The assassination of the current Archon would force the Magisterium to turn their gaze inward and elect a new replacement first, a process that could take time and bog down the moderates due to instability until a choice was made ... and by that point the Slave Rebellion would be a power to be reckoned with.
-"Content"- Assassination of the Archon plan. Marius had been keeping tabs on important Altus since his return to Tevinter and the Archon himself is no exception (especially since the hit on Marius and Tessa originated from this man). The plan is for the Marius and the Tevinter PC to sneak into the Circle of Magi with number of the organization's mage hunters (through a newly discovered entryway used for a previous theft) in order to poison the Archon and prove the potency of the current slave-revolt. A recent addition, a assassin and another "Preasumptor Representative", had been recently added for support. The poison unfortunately will only prove half effective and the Archon, despite being weakened is no slouch, resulting in a Mini-Boss encounter against him which will result in the deaths of quite a few of the "Praesumptors" before the Tevinter PC manages to strike him down. Defeated and on death's door, the poison coursing through his veins, the Archon looked up at their murderer for relief ... of which the player has a decision to make: 1) Kill the man with dignity, which is more noble, but will result in far less infamy throughout Tevinter (assassinations of the Upper Class mages was a common occurrence after all) or 2) Make a statement with his death which will result in more fame and support, but is quite gruesome.
- Mini-Boss - Poisoned Archon Radonis - Tevinter PC Companion: Male Dwarf - (Assassin) - Ex-Carta - Representative for the Preasumptors - Tevinter PC Choice: Final Blow - Death with Dignity vs Making a Statement - Note: Marius assists on this mission
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 10, 2016 0:54:47 GMT
Main Quest 6 -"The Path to Solas" (Inquisitor PC)
Locations - Upper Minrathous / The Silent Plains / Solas
-"Story"- Despite the recent death of the Archon plaguing the mind of Dorian (and assuredly Maevaris who had since returned to Qarinas), his death at the hands of what appears to be a radical slave faction and lack of an heir to inherit his title had left the Magisterium in utter disarray; as many of the most prominent Magisters compete and bicker about who shall take his place. Strangely absent Magister Titus of AthValenis, who was considered by many a shoe in for the role, but even Dorian admitted to knowing little of what goes on in that mans mind and regardless there is nothing the Inquisitor can do to rectify the situation without exposing themselves anyway. For the meantime he therefore insists they continue to pursue their only lead on Dread Wolf, in the town of Solas and shall keep in contact as best he can using the Communication Crystal (which he shall intermittently throughout the quest). -"Content"- Exploration of the under-ruins of Solas now accessible after all these thousands of years is due to an active elluvian. Solas, or his Elven agents apparently where already within the ruins and the Inquisitor would need to be careful during their exploration. This quest is very lore intensive and will tell of the myth of Fen'Harel and provides an additional Ancient Elvhen back-story on the history of Fen'Harel and immediately after the creation of the Veil. Gives hints as to what transpired in the transition of the legend of the Dread Wolf from savior the betrayer. This is the place the Solas awoke after his millennium asleep "a small town to the North" and the first things he saw when he awoke were the remnants of the history of those who thought he betrayed them, there terror at their quickening, their horror at the world of the Veil and their sealing from the Fade. Fragmented, these legends give a clearer picture of the immediate consequences of the "Fall" of the Ancient Elvhen civilization and give a somewhat clearer picture of who Solas was before he became the "traitor" of his race. It turns out that the Solas agent within the ruins is the very same one that had discovered the Gatlock Barrels back in the Winter Palace during "Trespasser" and after a bit of dialogue a minor Boss Fight occurs and once completed the Inquisitor must the deal with the aftermath. The Agent knew the Inquisitor's identity and as such they remained a threat ... but at the same time they could know much about Solas' network (though perhaps not his exact location due to his mobility) and they were in no small part responsible for preventing the bombing at the Winter Palace ... death was always an option, but their value while alive was certainly noteworthy. Therefore the Inquisitor faces one of two decisions: 1) to capture the Agent and put her into custody of Dorian, which would certainly pose a large risk to the Inquisitor PC's secrecy, but could prove invaluable information on the movements of Solas; 2) Disable the eluvian and leave her trapped, locking her away deep these remote ruin and leaving her alive until such a time where she would no longer pose a threat (presumably after Solas was dealt with). This would deny the Inquisitor potentially vital information, but assuredly preserve their cover for the foreseeable future and preserve a person (despite her intentions) who did save Exalted Council from destruction.Regardless of the decision, upon surfacing from the ruins into the cold night air the Inquisitor and the townsfolk of Solas are greeted with a strange spectacle to the north. Through the dark, orange glows could be seen in the direction of the Capital. Small fires burned across it. Contacting Dorian with the communication crystal ... he doesn't respond. "What on earth is happening to this country?"
- Boss Fight - Agent of the Wolf - Inquisitor PC Choice: Agent of the Wolf - Apprehend the Agent vs Entrap within Eluvian
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 10, 2016 0:55:59 GMT
Main Quest 7 -"From Hell's Heart..." (Tevinter PC)Locations - Lower Minrathous / Three Imperators' Square / Upper Minrathous-"Story"- With the assassination of Archon Radonis at the hands of the Tevinter PC, Calpernia and her "Preasumptors" have received the full support they needed. Even better, the confusion caused by his death and lack of Heir had left the magisters even more distracted in their squabbles to replace him than anticipated and very few, outside of a few members of the Lucerni faction led by Dorian Pavus, have taken it upon themselves to even investigate the actual group behind his death "corruption of the City indeed". No matter, efforts to discover the truth where now being hindered just as much by the competition for power as they were by the evasive actions of Calpernia's and the Tevinter PC's slave factions. To top it all off non-citizen refugees new to the city and unorganized groups of slaves (fragments of the other faction you did not ally with) had voiced their advocacy for the cause and pledging their support. Though many still remained concerned that this Slave Revolt, despite its new advantages, would end as so many others had in the past. Regardless ... with a government leaderless and the country mired in confusion, there would never again be a better time for a revolution than now, when so many of the Countries remaining heads-of-state were busy fighting amongst themselves.
-"Content"- Slave Rebellion in earnest ... take the Three Imperators'' Square and the Upper City. With hordes of slave rebels (either through pure force of numbers if you allied with the Servus Publicus or through better equipment and supplies due to the farm/industrial slave groups) clashing against a Legion that had been battered by 300 years of war and now found itself disorganized as it catered to the selfish whims of it unorganized and competitive ruling class. Small fires throughout the city were kept mostly contained by the ancient architecture of Minrathous, but smoke filled the air obscuring sight and helping as the Tevinter PC and his party moved throughout the chaos towards the upper levels. Fighting their way through the different sections of the CIty, the Tevinter PC arrives in the Upper Districts to find themselves faced with a single man, somehow remaining calm amongst all this chaos rallying anyone he can to him ... hero of the southern breach and co-leader of the moderate reform faction, Dorian Pavus. - Boss Fight - Magister Dorian Pavus-"Act 1 END Story"- Victory! The battle was not yet finished, but "freed" slaves now swarmed through the gates to the upper city and despite their tremendous losses to the magic of the remaining un-captured or surviving Altus, they were slowly but surely securing the capital. The chains of slavery in Tevinter were falling apart and contact runners had since informed the Tevinter PC that both the Square and Lower City had thus far been secured and the Upper city despite the still heavy resistance of the ruling elite would soon be theirs as well ... "strange no word from the forces at the harbor?". Magister Pavus kneeled on the ground defeated, injured but alive and remained glaring, yet oddly, confused by the actions of the slave radical in front of him "no point in killing an advocate for change, even an opponent, he may still prove useful in reconstruction" thought the Tevinter PC. Before either had a chance to speak however a series of loud explosions rippled through the air, overshadowing the remaining sounds of battle. Smaller detonations could also be heard throughout the lower levels of the city. Both turned their gaze ... TOWARDS THE HARBOR! Even from the upper city dark shadows (Ships) in the smoky night water could be seen moving towards the city, jettisons of fire spouting from their sides ... both Dorian and the Tevinter PC realized what this meant. The rebirth faction led by Calpernia had apparently not been the only ones relying on the instability of Tevinter to make show of their gambit and they weren't the only ones using their enemies in-fighting to improve the chances for victory. The Qunari had watched as the Tevinter people struggled desperately amongst themselves and waited for them to weaken each other in battle before making their move. The mystery of why the Juggernauts, the 3 Golem Guardians of Capital had not activated would have to wait, because now, after 300 years of war ... the Qun was upon Minrathous. ACT 1 ENDBEHOLD MY OBSESSIVENESS LOL! ACT 1, thats it, take it or leave it. ACT 2: The Qunari Conflict, is on its way!
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 12, 2016 4:23:02 GMT
ACT 2 BEGIN - "THE IMPERIUM FALLS"
A small but important note regarding Act 2. The Communication Crystal which was given to Inquisitor by Dorian during "Trespasser" will see the most use during this Act, for a number of reasons. On a contingency for their assistance and disgruntled at the concept that now a 4 major players in Tevinter will know who they are (Dorian, Maevaris, Calpernia & Marius) the Inquisitor has insisted their Identity remain a secret from anyone else for the moment, including the Tevinter PC and his Party. Calpernia and Marius agree for the short term only because they believe that the Inquisitor's presence being revealed could not only serve to damage the Inquisitor's mission, but also damage the legitimacy of the Slave Rebellion, as it could easily be assumed that the "Inquisitor" or the "Inquisition" was backing the revolution and suggesting the slaves did not accomplish their victory (no matter how short it was) through their own efforts. There will be NO DIRECT communication between the two PCs during this period and the rather the game will use the communication crystal, Dorian, Marius and Calpernia as mediums for conversation. The Identity of the Inquisitor PC will be made known to the Tevinter PC at the beginning of Act 3.
Act 2 Tevinter PC Content:
- Rumors: State of the High Lords -NPC's Discuss issues with remaining Altus and Officials - Side Quests: Stabilizing the Situation - Your the hero of the Slaves. Side quests to keep them calm and be their beacon in a time of war. - Side Quests: "Requests" from an Ex-Magister - Dorian "humbly asks" for the Tevinter PC to look into some strange Elven activity he was researching, while he plans against the Qun.
Act 2 Inquisitor PC Content:
- Rumors: State of the Rebel Leaders - NPC's discuss their opinions on the Rebel Leaders - Side Quests: Taking Stock - Resources are scarce, side quests acquiring them won't make you a hero, but it will help in little and subtle ways. Go and get what is needed, by any means necessary. - Side Quests:"Requests" from an Ex-Venatori - Calpernia request you hunt down some Qunari Agents, a person who doesn't exist should have no problem doing so and keeping their cover.
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 12, 2016 4:24:17 GMT
Main Quest 8 -"Bottom Up Deconstruction" (Inquisitor PC)
Locations - Lower Minrathous / Minrathous Shipyard
-"Story"- 4 Days had passed before the Inquisitor PC and their group had managed to make their way back into the now Qun occupied Minrathous and traveling on the road without being caught by the invasion that now sprawled across the Sea of Nocen from the Capital all the way to Qarinas had proven no small feat. Minrathous itself still remained partially contested thanks in no small part to the remaining Mages, forces of the Black Divine, and bastions of rebel slaves pitching frenzied, scattered battles all across the city. Minrathous was proving a difficult location to hold, but still the Qunari had timed their assault perfectly. Waiting till both the "Preasumptor" slave faction and Lucerni reform faction/Magisters had all but exhausted themselves against one another before striking ... their Arishok certainly knew what he was doing. The Juggernauts that were meant to protect the capital from invasion had seemingly been disabled by Qun operatives even before the slave rebellion had begun, but it was yet to be determined as to how. Despite the Inquisitor's previous affiliations with the Qunari, their invasion of Tevinter remained a critical problem in the search for, and how to defeat, Solas. Their antagonism against all things magic, along with their history of destroying the cultural heritages of those they conquer would create un-scalable walls in the ways of the Inquisitor's goals; not to mention both Dorian and Maeveris (if she was still alive in Qarinas) were now at the Qun's mercy ... a thought that agreed neither with "Handler" and "Protégé". The Inquisitor would have to take great care however to do as much as they could to assist Tevinter without ousting themselves, which meant "open conflict" with the Qunari was not an option. Whether it was to preserve their cover, preserve their previous alliance with the Inquisition, or simply not draw the wrath of the Qun on the South, the Inquisitor would need to be careful, but at this very moment the Qunari COULD NOT be allowed to take Tevinter.
-"Content"- Experiencing small skirmishes through the streets against Qunari forces the Inquisitor eventually finds themselves meeting up with Calpernia, guarded by Marius and her remaining "Preasumptors" who are battling within the heart of the Lower City (an interesting reunion depending on your DA:I decisions). Keeping in contact with Dorian through the communication crystal the Inquisitor had learned he was alive and had remained un-captured, ironically traveling with the very group of slaves that had defeated him not 4 days ago (mostly, out of necessity). Both Dorian and Calpernia's "hero" remained trapped in upper city partially due to the potential allies that still remained battling there, but time was running out if they wished to recruit them. Through the combined efforts of Dorian and Calpernia's group however, a plan was hatched. The Inquisitor, Calpernia, and Marius would assault key points in the lower city, doing as much damage as they can and to dislodge and distract the Qunari from the poorer districts. Hit and run tactics, multiple targets, guerrilla warfare ... if the Inquisitor ever needed a good test for their new prosthetic's combat abilities this would certainly be it. "Don't get caught" In the mean time Dorian and the Tevinter PC would do what they could to find a way to rally the forces of the Upper City, which would be necessary if they ever hoped to push the Qun out of Minrathous.
- Note: Calpernia assists on part of this mission - Note: If the Agent of Solas was captured, they will remain in the "Preasumptor's" custody until the Qun is dealt with. Side quests or additional dialogue will become available depending on this decision for both PCs.
Main Quest 9 -"Top Down Reconstruction" (Tevinter PC)
Locations - Upper Minrathous / Circle of Magi / The Argent Spire
-"Story"- 4 Days of Hell in Upper City, on the run with Dorian Pavus (a temporary alliance of Convenience). Despite his injuries slowing him down the Magister's help had proven invaluable, allowing the Tevinter PC and a small handful of allies to avoid the Qun for as long as they had, but safe spaces were running in short supply now. The only other "saving grace" was the Qunari's desperate efforts to deal with the Altus survivors was keeping them busy throughout upper city and despite the Altus being outnumbered and exhausted they were proving remarkably resilient. This is why the Slave Revolt had decided on a quick-brute force assault, capturing or killing as many upper tier mages as they possibly could in quick succession would have avoided this type of prolonged conflict, but when the Qunari began their assault many of those captured mages were released and in many cases, just like the Tevinter PC, they had begun fighting out of desperation with their would be slave captors (it seemed they all had found a common enemy in the Qunari). The Qun's primary forces were still centered on the Upper City, splitting their focus between defeating the remaining Magisters and their Laetan mages held up in the Circle of Magi and the forces of the Black Divine who had rallied the remaining legionnaires to him within the Argent Spire. Neither group could last forever though and if they were to be useful the Tevinter PC would need to move soon. To that end Magister Pavus had been keeping in contact with an "agent" through a communication crystal who had recently allied themselves with Calpernia's remaining forces in Lower Minrathous ... though both he and Calpernia were remaining frustratingly vague on their identity. -"Content"- Whomever it was that was currently helping Calpernia and Marius it would now be their job to dislodge Qunari positions in the poorer districts (which would only be possible because of the aforementioned Qun's heavy focus on the still partially uncontrolled upper city). The Tevinter PC and Dorian's job, to get over their differences and rally the remaining bastions of holdout forces throughout Upper Minrathous to set up an organized push to "save" the city. Time was not on their side however and a choice would have to be made if they wished to reinforce the positions of either major faction. But who to choose, The Black Divine or save the Magisters? The Black Devine would rally the people to the rebellions cause, but it was never the legion that was the core of Tevinters strength. Sacrificing the Circle of Magi and its defenders would represent a critical blow to the Military power of Tevinter. The few remaining Magisters and their Laetan forces would have both the offensive "power" and resources at their disposal to more efficiently deal with the Qunari within the country and help rebuild the nation afterward, but their survival would assuredly present a hindrance to the radical reform policies the slave rebellion had fought so hard for. Either way the only chance would be to rally any slave, altus & legion holdouts they found along the way and reinforce their chosen "ally" and a strange Altus, who had seemed to have become oddly fascinated with the Tevinter PC (especially if they were female) had pledged themselves to that cause ... for the moment.
- Tevinter PC Companion: Male Human - (Knight Enchanter) - Love Interest - Altus - Tevinter PC Choice: Religion vs the State - Save the Black Divine vs Save the Magister Holdouts
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