The REAL Inquisitor is a Male Human Mage. Believe it! (2024)

Note: This topic has been unedited for 3388 days. It is considered archived - the discussion is over. Do not continue it unless it really needs a response.

Because some of you are interested in knowing the factual basis for my statement in the Alix Wilton Regan Q&A blog post found here: http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/User_blog:Pinkachu/Community_Q_%26_A_with_the_voice_of_The_Inquisitor#comm-153289, I will inform you. This started as a blog reply, but it has grown to a new discussion of its own.

I took issue with the statement that Alix was the voice of the Inquisitor. She is a voice of a potential Inquisitor certainly, but she is not the Inquisitor. I contend that the real Inquisitor is a male human mage.

As stated in one of my epic blog posts, found here: http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/User_blog:Believe_it!/Inquisitor_Expectations#A_Race_to_the_Starting_Line:_Pick_Any_Human_You_Want_for_Best_Results.21 the game was first created to feature ONLY human characters.

Also dig up any of the old articles about "DA3" while it was in development. They all confirm human as the only race. It wasn't until the delay that they decided they had time to implement other races. http://www.totalxbox.com/46843/features/dragon-age-3-12-things-you-need-to-know/

So that narrows it down to human.

Next is class. Look at the storylines. Both warrior and rogue humans share the same backstory. Chantry servants of some kind, whether they like it or not. Now, we can assume having a Trevelyan there would be helpful, but not really if this Trevelyan is within the Chantry. This is because the Chantry already had noble representation of much higher rank than a non-inheriting family member of one Free Marcher city (you are the Ser Barris of Ostwick, basically). Plus there were cousins and possibly siblings there too, so you're not the only one and not the most important. Aside from the Divine, there were also Grand Clerics. So the Trevelyan's influence on the side of the Chantry means nothing. A Trevelyan representing the MAGES however means everything. This is because the mages are rebels, and having a person of noble blood represent them lends credibility to their cause and provides some safety against reckless action by the Chantry. If they kill this noble, the Chantry will make enemies of Ostwick and possibly more Free Marchers. The mage's storyline is unique compared to the other two. Spent most days in the Ostwick circle, and there are storyline choices at certain parts of the game to further define this as the player sees fit. Also, there are mage specific dialog choices. Don't know if that's true for warriors or rogues.

Also consider the rift power. Sealing rifts is typically understood to be a mage ability anyway. Templars are speculated to be able to do it, and sealing the breach with templars shows they can certainly help in suppressing the ambient magical energy, but they have never been know to seal rifts with any particular type of ability. Plus, you wouldn't be a templar yet anyway. This means the mage storyline ties into the main plot better than the others.

Also consider the fact that a MAGE survivor creates a more dramatic plot. You were there on behalf of mages. A magical explosion fudged everything. Only YOU survived, and you have a mark that is like the breach. Things don't look too good for you, and Cassandra is highly suspicious of you. These suspicions can be eased away and turned to trust over time. Again, better storyline. With a warrior or rogue this same drama does not exist. You were there on behalf of the Chantry. Who would rationally believe that you did this to your own side? A noble servant of the Chantry killing everyone with unknown magic never before seen? Implausible. With a mage? Certainly possible. And it seems like Cassandra had to use every ounce of restraint she had in order to not slice your throat.

There's also the point that you were in the Fade and then fell out of it, or were guided out by Green Glow Woman. Having a mage in the Fade makes more sense.

Also consider the main antagonist. Mage vs. mage. Also consider what a mage Inquisitor means for the world. The mage's status has more impact on the world because mages are the ones being targeted and blamed. As a mage the Inquisitor can set an example for mages, or vindicate the templars by either supporting them or proving them right about mages (by being a bad example). A letter found in Skyhold from a son to his father talks about how Andraste could have chosen a mage, of all people, to bring peace. The mage simply has more weight, both in burden and in influence. I think this point is well proven.

Finally, gender. ACdeakial, you brought up the number of love interests. I contend that quantity does not matter compared to QUALITY. The top love interest of the game... is of course Cassandra. Starts out suspecting you, and almost angry enough to chop your head off. Grows to trust, admire, depend, and love you. But not just any "you", a man you. This romance also expands on Cassandra's character. It harkens back to Dawn of the Seeker when Cass showed some feelings for another mage by the name of... well, I forget his name. Galyen? Anyway, the mage/seeker combination is a powerful one that has a lot of meaning behind it. This also parallels Rhys and what's-her-name, Evangeline? For any who care about that book.

Josephine doesn't register because she's a subordinate and a pleaser. Meaning, it's her job to be nice to everyone regardless and always be diplomatic with them. She's also bisexual, which means you don't really know where you stand with her. Could she be just as happy with anyone else, even one who is not a man? To the reverse effect, will she indulge a female Inquisitor because it means an increase in her own status? So really, just a nothing romance for both genders. With Cassandra on the other hand, she has a clear idea of what she likes and doesn't like, and isn't afraid to say what she doesn't like. She's a little nervous about expressing feelings of love, but that's all part of the allure, bringing out the pent up passion she's kept hidden and secret for so many years.

Iron Bull, also bi. Will screw anything that moves. Non-starter.

Solas is female elf only, so he doesn't count.

The only advantage the human female has going for her in the area of romance is that she has Blackwall and Cullen to choose between. With Cullen you get a similar mage/templar pairing like with a male and Cassandra, and Cullen can possibly have a similar history in showing feelings for a mage at one time (in Origins). The problem here is that Cullen is a subordinate. Him following a female makes him seem weak.

This leaves Blackwall, who is an ally, not a subordinate. I have no idea how his romance (or his history, for that matter) goes, so I can't speak on it. I can't talk about stuff I don't know about. If I did that then I'd just be a bullsh*tter, and we all know I'm not that. LOL! So if anyone wants to represent the B-Wall/human female mage relationship, go right ahead. I'm willing to pit Cassandra against him in a shipping war.

Now I would be remiss if I didn't address the same-sex only options. Personally, I detest such things, but some players might want this option. In that case, Dorian crushes Sera, no contest, which is a point in favor of the male Inquisitor. Dorian, a fellow mage (thus commonalities) is more mature than Sera. Not much of a compliment considering this is Sera we're talking about, but still pretty mature in his own right. There's also the daddy issue that so-called champions of "the struggle" can use to invoke their self-important pomp and stroke their self-perception of moral superiority and enlightenment. Stand by your man against the ignorant and oppressive such-and-such in the spirit of love, equality, blah blah blah, and all that other politically correct stuff. Again, not my thing, but could be someone's thing. Sera on the other hand doesn't know who she is or what she wants, as Blackwall aptly puts it. And he's right. She doesn't really have a remarkable past and she isn't sure what she wants out of life. She's really like a child. More of a child than Cole, really. And that simply doesn't make for a good relationship. She's also kind of ugly. Not sure how Dorian stacks up to her in the looks department, but I assume he's considered attractive to those who are attracted to males.

But, beyond romance there are storyline elements that favor a male Inquisitor. Leadership, for one thing, is a male trait. It just is (don't send me messages about this). Can a female lead? Yes. Can she maintain her femininity while leading? Nope. It also provides a better opponent for Corypheus, also a male. But I suppose an Andraste parallel could be made for a female here. Not that big of a deal though, in my opinion.

The male is also the better fit against the mage/templar backdrop. Side with mages? You're replacing Fiona, a female who screwed things up. Side with templars? You're making a deal with one of two males, Ser Barris or the other guy if Barris dies, and this male speaks for all the templars in either becoming an ally or servant of the Inquisition. Also, the noble you team up with, Lord Abernche, another male. The envy demon that tries to copy you? Male. Or at least, the last target it copied was male.

Being male also automatically disqualifies you from becoming the next Divine. A female however, is eligible, but they have to make up some lame excuse not to pick you.

The Orlais mission is the same way. Celene and Briala, females who screw things up. Gaspard is a male and driven to lead and conquer. Having a male Inquisitor on the balcony to balance things out seems most appropriate. Two males, two females.

Oh, and let's not forget everyone's favorite. The ballroom dance with Florianne. ;D

Aaaaand the formal attire being made for men. A noble can be heard asking, "What is lady Pendagast wearing?" in a disgusted manner. Her outfit is the same as yours, which means if you're female, then the same disgust applies to you. Not if you're a male though.

Need I go on?

Just as Origins was made for a male warrior Cousland, and DA2 was made for a female rogue Hawke, Inquisition was made for a male mage Trevelyan. Believe it! (talk) 19:54, January 7, 2015 (UTC)

OOOH. Yay, I get a special mention! 20:34, January 7, 2015 (UTC)

Pure opinion, the bioware canon version of origins is female dailish elf and da II is male Mage, just because you like to play this way doesn't mean it is THE way, I personally though fem elf with Solas was the 'real inquisitor' as you learn so much about the elven empire--82.20.90.47 (talk) 20:47, January 7, 2015 (UTC)

He hasn't made it to the end yet, he doesn't know how wrong he is. Playing as a human, is really boring and basic. The other races have ALL the fun! Especially the women. 20:52, January 7, 2015 (UTC)

Anyone can learn about the elves. As for the ending, I have not reached it yet, but my above points still stand. This was not pure opinion. I posted facts from the game that prove my statement. What BioWare considers canon in Origins and DA2 is irrelevant. That is merely their choice of world state. It doesn't mean that is the way things would have really went. Believe it! (talk) 21:01, January 7, 2015 (UTC)

Just curious on this, how did you manage to come up with a female rogue for DA2? Was it just because Carver is that much of a douche, and that a rogue is missing from the prologue party? Please try and sum it up in as few words as possible. 21:06, January 7, 2015 (UTC)

Gladly. The fact that Carver is a warrior and Bethany is a mage is part of it, yes. A major part in fact. But, the main thing about rogues is the status of weakness. See, long ago when people first started complaining about DA2, the major gripe was that Hawke's choices and actions basically had no real impact. This then lead BioWare to make choices for Inquisition that had more impact. BUT, the point is that Hawke was basically not an effective leader, governor, or what-have-you. So based on this information I planned my Hawke to be a female rogue. This is because when a man fails as Hawke failed, we as a society tend to blame the man and not care if his feelings are hurt by it. He's a loser and that's that. But with a woman, we tend to be more compassionate and understanding. She did her best, but the situation was just too much for her and probably anyone (except our Origins Heroes of course, because of course). So with female rogue Hawke we get a sense of a young woman who is basically just trying to keep her family safe and fed. She never asked for the responsibilities that were forced on her. She was just doing the best she could. Which I think is the whole point of DA2. It was a side story about a specific character that was not OURS to own. She is BioWare's character, just like Rhys, or Maric, or the other one in Last Flight. You are supposed to play a specific type of character in DA2. One that is indecisive, uncertain, and unable to change things significantly. A male Hawke? You suck bro! Go to the Deep Roads and die! A female Hawke? That poor sweet girl, I feel so sorry for her and I love her so much!

And by the way, Inquisition backs me up on this. When Cass is super pissed and taking swings at Varric, he says he was protecting his friend (I assume only in a world state where they were friends). And at the end he says that "you people" have done enough to her. Indicating that Hawke had been through a lot of tragedies. The type of character who gets stabbed in the back every time she turns around. A male Hawke? Oh boo hoo, you've been through a lot. Who hasn't? Also if the Inquiz asks Hawke about leading others she shows that leadership is something that strains her. Something she doesn't like or want. Something she can't do well. If asked "does it get any easier" (people depending on you) she replies, "I'll let you know". Meaning she still struggles with it.

Then there's the relationships. Having a female Hawke mitigates Anders'... "different persuasion" in DA2 compared to how he was in Awakening. Also, Sebastian can only be romanced by a female Hawke. Believe it! (talk) 22:58, January 7, 2015 (UTC)

Sebastian is just... the worst. "Oh you're trying to give this murderous man a chance at redemption and not give him what he wants? Well, I'm going to return home, raise an army, and then invade the crap out of you, despite the fact you've already been invaded by qunari and are now facing a complete and utter demon-mage-mad-woman cluster f*ck, and kill any people left just because..." 23:34, January 7, 2015 (UTC)

Is there a point to this thread or is to just bash women? --Elshiro (talk) 22:06, January 7, 2015 (UTC)

The point was to answer my adoring fans who asked my opinion in a different topic. And this does not bash women in any way, shape, or form. Believe it! (talk) 22:58, January 7, 2015 (UTC)

But mages are stripped from noble titles. Jowan said mage can't inherity nobility. Mage of noble birth is treated like otehr mages in the circle.Andrzej.lewinski.351 (talk) 22:21, January 7, 2015 (UTC)

That's in Ferelden, but yes, that applies to the Free Marches too. But Inquisition states that the mage Trevelyan is selected from among the Ostwick mages to be a noble representative on behalf of the mages. Believe it! (talk) 22:58, January 7, 2015 (UTC)

My female elfy Inquisitor is a GREAT leader AND still retains her femininity. Not to mention, she's getting that god arse. Need I say more? :P NutMeg29 22:41, January 7, 2015 (UTC)

Ouch Meg, questioning the male logic.. You're taking a dangerous path! <-Kewpies (talk) 22:51, January 7, 2015 (UTC)

It's difficult to argue with something that fabricates its own strange logic logic based on completely unrelated facts. In this sense, I believe the argument is air tight. -- 23:01, January 7, 2015 (UTC)

Sorry mate but you are going to get messages about this because stupid comments should be called out as such. How is leadership an inherently male trait? Men and woman are just as capable of being great, charismatic leaders without the woman losing their femininity. Shut it with stupid sexists comments about woman apparently being the only ones stuffing up. You have issues dude. - Ironreaper (talk) 23:22, January 7, 2015 (UTC)

Believe it!

Read this article, I think you might find it enlightening.

-http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/188950/developing_meaningful_player_.php

This is a blog by Alexander Freed, a former writer at Bioware(He wrote the Imperial Agent Story for SWTOR), and his blog is incredible.

I would argue that you've perhaps found a very sensible, and in your eyes, "the most believable" course of actions and decisions for the Dragon Age Story thus far. I say good for you, and keep going for it.

To determine a true canon in a video game in where the central aspect is choice misses the point.

You could argue that the origin story of a human noble in Origins has more relevance to the plot, and puts you in a more believable position to go about the rest of the story in an ideal way in regards to good writing, and believability. I'm the same way.

That doesn't make it "correct" though.

If these game were novels or movies, then they might have made the choices that you did in your playthru, but videos games are not a medium for definitive canon. Not ones that are defined by Choice.

Darth Schlock (talk) 00:21, January 8, 2015 (UTC)

You do not "prove" anything if half your arguments are based on your own opinion: "I think that Cassandra-romance is the best so it is obvious that you are supposed to be a male", It all depends on your own personal opinion, I for one actually think that Solas' romance is the most... interesting storywise but as he is for elves he "obviously" is non-canon. That the developers only included a human race during the pre-alfa stages does not prove that it is canon to be one, I seem to remember that it originally was meant to be Hawke who was the protagonist and according to this logic he or she is the "canon" protagonist despite the fact that they are not even an option. I can, to an extent, agree that mages (rift mages in special) feel more logical to have the anchor but let us not forget that most of your "magical scenes", such as being in the fade, are all caused by the anchor (and you are in the fade in the flesh, something no one has been since the time of the magisters of old). That Cassandra would not trust you when you are there as part of the Chantry is certainly believable because it could simply be a plan to get close to the divine (closer than anyone else) for you to assassinate her (and this game certainly proves that a lot of people with no apparent ties to Corypheous work for him). Finally I will point out that while I hardly considers myself a feminist practically saying that as a female you can't be a good leader is a very poor argument. Caspoi (talk) 02:13, January 8, 2015 (UTC)

Uhh.......its still opinion even if you call it fact. There is no way around that. For example, I prefer a Qunari warrior as I would be neutral to the mage-templar war, the chantry, the nobility, etc. I can make my chooses freely without outside influence. Does my preference make it fact? No, just opinion, like every other choice in these games. You seem to take your own opinion too seriously sometimes, like the time you were sure that Cory wouldn't be significant in Inquisition, despite no evidence going either way. I hope that didn't sound rude. Not my intention. Still love you, Believe it! Vexed Forest (talk) 02:37, January 8, 2015 (UTC)

He was also very confident that Hawke and the HoF had been kidnapped... Among other things. 02:49, January 8, 2015 (UTC)

Playing as a Dalish Mage I'd have to agree that it's more tailored to a human Inquisitor. It doesn't take long for the fact that you're a Dalish to quickly become forgotten and instead you may as well have just been a City Elf who believes in the Chant of Light. DAWUSS (talk) 02:43, January 8, 2015 (UTC)

Also, since the whole "mages are better at closing rifts" argument is in there. Rifts =/= Veil tears as seen in origins. Veil tears occur because of, how did Solas put it?, a gathering of spirits pushing against the veil. Rifts are caused by the anchor and the breach, yes mages and templars can assist in closing them, but ultimately, only the inquisitor can do completely seal them. BECAUSE OF THE MARK. Therefore, whatever class or race one may choose, their proficiency in sealing rifts remains dependent on the mark itself. Also, veil tears don't let you enter the fade physically, rifts do. And so, rifts are basically 1000000000x worse than tears. Tears don't vaccuum suck demons and spirits into thedas. 02:49, January 8, 2015 (UTC)

I get the distinct impression that you've either had a sister/relative or friend who was more sympathetically received for her failures(presumably because you come from a conservative environment where extra pressure was put on you to "be a man"), and if that's the case then i'm truly sorry; there are people who don't discriminate with their empathy, however. I hope i'm not being a presumptuous jerk. But, moving on to the business portion: You know your blog is outdated right? Not to mention how opinionated that bit about how 1 ability point is so gratuitously superior is(its not, its completely irrelevant in the grand scheme). Also, just like concept art isn't necessarily a mirror image of the presented character, neither can you expect an original script to match the final product. Reading your blogs(which, despite being proven false mostly, are entertaining to muse over)has convinced me that you are intelligent, so I know you should be able to see the Achilles' tendon in your claims. Believe, man, you've got major hots for the two women that invalidate your assertions. You can't tell me that Anora isn't feminine, and you've come to her defense countless times, firmly stating that she's a good ruler. This clearly doesn't match up with you stating that leading is a masculine trait that de-feminizes women. Let's touch on that bit about how people go "at least she tried". Me, I believe in as many chances as it takes and accepting people for who they are, winner or loser(you probably aren't feeling that now, but I still think you're a decent person with some odd opinions); the critics in dragon age aren't as forgiving. If sweet Cass becomes Divine or Lord Seeker(is she less feminine to you that way?), do you really believe noone would condemn her failures? What about Meredith? Elthina? Justinia? All three were good leaders, but their flaws still earned the public ire(for tyranny, indecision, and controversy respectively). If we agree on anything, it would be the lady Rogue Hawke making sense, though our takes on her are different(my Tessa was a witty, arrow-slinging arsekicker that accomplished her liberation goal then sailed off on Isabela's ship with her loyal crew of followers and swarthy girlfriend). In an attempt to end this wall of text, let me say one more thing. I'm not even a Cullenite, but insinuating that a man can't take orders from a woman without being weak, especially the love of his life, is beyond rude. I see now that others have stepped in and made some of my points, but I've been working on this a long time, so here you go anyway. (first post ever after nervously lurking for a long time, let me know if I need to fix something, guys)--Dalish Turian (talk) 03:30, January 8, 2015 (UTC)Dalish_Turian

You made me think of Kaidan when you said "...insinuating that a man can't take orders from a woman...," Dalish Turian. While Cullen seems alright relying on the Inquisitor for moral support, Kaidan in Mass Effect 1 did come across as a bit of loser when fem-Shep has to save him from the Prothean Beacon. So, yeah, it's alright for a man to take orders from and be subordinate to a woman, but it's a little odd when the woman is clearly tougher than the man and she has to throw him to safety, lol. 12.146.29.230 (talk) 12:48, January 8, 2015 (UTC)

IMO both of the English VO's were the weaker voices of the Inquisitor (both of them seemed too soft) and I felt neither of them gave off a convincing performance/tone of a character whose job it was to lead an army of people intent on stopping demonic hoards and the destruction of the world, in comparison the American VO's IMO were both fantastic and they carried in their voices an authoritative and commanding presence to them that actually made you feel they were in charge of the Inquisition, also I think Sera should have been made a bi character as she seems like a wild and free sprit who would be up for anything with anyone kind of like Iron Bull! but those are just my thoughts on the subject. --Archangel Mike (talk) 12:24, January 8, 2015 (UTC)

I thought the female American VO was amazing. She felt really motherly at times, which is probably what people expect from the Herald of Andraste. 12.146.29.230 (talk) 12:52, January 8, 2015 (UTC)

Agreed! I personally prefer Alix's voice as the female Inquisitor, especially for the romance scenes, but the American version had this no-nonsense, Sigourney Weaver feel to it, which I enjoyed. --KeladinStorm (talk) 21:57, January 8, 2015 (UTC)

Its quite simple, without finishing the game Believe it's opinion is pointless. Its like trying to explain the objective of a book without reading the end. As much as you may find human as canon (canon doesn't exist only default but ok), the story seams that elf is better suited simply because of what the story talks about, human was the only option because its the most widly accepted of all 4, thats all. you can assume gamming limitations have anything to do with the story. The default choice will most likely be a rogue tho. As the devs mentioned when the game was being developed, the always saw the inquistior as a rogue. so if you have to give smth into canon is that. even tho my canon is a human female mage, i do think that the female rogue\mage\warrior elf makes a lot of sense, as a good canon choice...but i doubt that will be default siiince they have already done a dalish as default. I would most likely bet on a rogue dwarf or qunari for diversity's sake. - Faye Cousland

I see Believe's just been 'murdered'... Any argument that relies heavily on stereotypes is destined to fail. That said, we're rapidly approaching the point of no return (Godwin's Law). Haha --Chihang1990 (talk) 16:38, January 8, 2015 (UTC)

You made a few reasonable points at first, but what in God's name was the second half of that post about why the Inquisitor is male? Gay people are gross, bisexuals are manipulative and depraved, and women leading only leads to screw ups and failures? Just... no.

If anything, the Inquisitor would be female, since it would make more sense for the people of Thedas to follow a revolutionary pseudo-religious organization led by a woman, as they'd associate her with the last similar figure, Andraste. --75.143.51.130 (talk) 19:43, January 8, 2015 (UTC)

Exactly. I found a lot of points interesting, but as soon as I saw the part about "detesting" same-sex relationships, I tuned out. Wataru14 (talk) 01:49, January 9, 2015 (UTC)

Well that was rather prejudice of you guys to dismiss the whole thing just because of that. I didn't say anything against those things, just that I personally disliked them. Despite that, I still commented on how they affect the overall issue. Believe it! (talk) 02:16, January 9, 2015 (UTC)

Saying you "detest" something is very different from saying it doesn't personally appeal to you. Very VERY different. If it was worded along those lines, maybe I would have kept reading. And I fail to see the relevance of comments on personal taste in a post like this in the first place. Wataru14 (talk) 03:35, January 9, 2015 (UTC)

Wow! So much to reply to. Glad that everyone enjoys this thread enough to post such long replies. You don't have to read it all, just look for your name.

@ACdeakial Well... DA2 sucks. What do you want? But my impression was that Sebastian was just promising to claim his birthright and visit righteous judgment upon evil. What's wrong with that?

Regarding the fates of the Hero and Champion, my theory was based on information presented at the end of DA2. BioWare presented that info as valid, but later revealed it to be a lie. Varric's lie to be exact. So of course my theory would be wrong since it was based on deceitful information. Is that my fault? ;_; And what was the result of this? A storyline that doesn't make sense. Specifically, the Hero disappears without a trace... of the Hero's own choosing. Didn't tell anyone what was going on, just left and told no one. Makes no sense, especially in context of a Hero who is also a monarch of Ferelden. So clearly my only error was in giving BioWare too much credit in assuming they would make a decent storyline.

Ah come on, Solas is full of crap. In Awakening we saw rifts that allowed demons through, and we also saw breach type rifts that physically blocked paths and also allowed us to see into the Fade. Also, all the rifts you seal start out as tears in the veil. The first phase is the green silky look, then when you get close to it the mark causes it to breach. As Dagna says, it's like a key that can open and close. You open the tear (like at Halamshiral), then close the resulting rift.

I never said this didn't depend on the mark, just that being a mage makes you more knowledgeable and understanding of it. Logically, the mage has prior experience with sealing tears or at least knows the 101 lesson plan taught in the Circles.

@Ironreaper Leadership is typically a male role because it requires masculine traits. Not saying a female can't lead effectively, but her femininity suffers in return. That doesn't mean she loses it completely, just that she breaks out of it at times in order to be effective.

@Darth Schlock Thanks for the article, I will try to read it later. To be clear, I'm not saying the above is the canon world state, or that BioWare will choose it as their own. I'm just stating why I think it is the one that would take place if the Dragon Age lore followed its natural, logical course.

@Caspoi Thanks for the reply. I didn't base my theory on that alone, but to that point, Cass' romance is the most relevant one next to Blackwall's (I assume his is important too). So if the writers put more time and effort into that, then doesn't it make sense to say the game was made to be tailored more to the character type that Cass would romance? Not saying it's “final nail” type proof, but it is evidence. Valuable evidence!

Solas' romance might be the most well written or whatever, but the reason why his doesn't count is because we had already established that the main character was human. Which Solas will not romance.

The point about the development only having a human origin until the delay is just proof that the rest of the storyline was written around a human. The other races were added after the storyline, and for the most part, the storyline was not changed to adapt to their origins.

I don't remember anything about Hawke being the main. That was probably just speculation. Besides, the storyline clearly shows Hawke as a supporting character, not the main. And Varric lied to Cass in DA2. So there's no way Hawke shows up at the conclave. Hence, no mark. Hence, no main role.

Exactly, the magisters of old. Mages. I understand the point about the mark and physically being in the Fade, but still, having this be a mage makes more sense because mages are accustomed to the Fade in the first place.

Yeah but the Trevelyan warrior or rogue aren't close to the divine. So... No reason to suspect them so strongly. See, with them it should logically be, "You were part of the Chantry forces. I assume you will cooperate with us, yes?" Cass' reaction doesn't fit their situation. It fits a mage's situation perfectly. This is because the mage side is the more likely culprit. I mean seriously, she's suspecting the Chantry side first when there were dozens of mages there? The Chantry side would have been vetted before hand.

Did I write that females couldn't be good leaders? I don't think I did. Just that leadership roles are typically male roles.

@Vexed Forest If it's just opinion then you should be able to refute it. I am not basing this on my opinion. I'm basing it on the facts of the game.

As for my prior theory, the jury is still out on Cory. When I finish the game I will address this further.

@DAWUSS Thank you. Exactly my point. You can tell by certain storylines and other issues that particular races were not well accounted for. The same goes for gender and class, in my opinion.

@Dalish Turian You are not a jerk, but your presumptions about me are incorrect. I have no sisters, and my parents allowed me to shape my own political opinions.

Which blog? People have referenced my first one, so I'm not sure to which you are referring. If you mean the one I linked to, I think that one was proven 100% right. The ability point is a minor issue, but it is still correct. The extra ability point might not matter regarding activated abilities, but it can still serve in regard to passive abilities, as well as helping someone reach a specific ability way down in the skill tree that requires that one extra point. All the other starting bonuses can be duplicated if needed, and serve no significant purpose. The ability point absolutely does, especially at the beginning of the game.

My first blog was proven false in certain aspects, but that is due to the understanding of the facts changing during Inquisition, such as Varric's lie about Hawke's disappearance (and also the Hero’s, for that matter). I don't know what else was proven false, but I will address it when I finish the game.

Thanks for the compliment. I don't think this argument has any weaknesses, but I am open to the possibility that it does and will hear anyone out on any objections. Regarding Anora and Cassandra, I don't think this contradicts what I wrote. I just think there is a subtle difference here that you're overlooking. There is a slight difference between the Inquisitor as a leader and the monarch as a ruler. The Inquiz is looked at as a symbol, an idea, a spiritual, cultural, and military guide. Queen Anora is looked at like an overseer, administrator, and in many cases, a servant of the people. She is legally charged with the safety and well being of Fereldans. The only real area in which the Inquiz and Queen meet is regarding military leadership, and do you remember how well that went when Anora tried her hand at commanding the army? Remember that sound of feral cats being dragged across a giant chalkboard by their tails that emanated from Anora’s mouth during the speech she gave at the battle of Denerim? Yeeeeaaaaahhhh. Since then, the only other example we have heard of is her persuasive speech to the banns regarding the rebel mages and how they should be taken in at Redcliffe... which blew up in her face and hurt her popularity. So that's that. As for Cassandra. I like her, but even I have to admit that she is pretty butch. On the feminine scale, she ranks somewhere between Sera... and Krem! Cass makes Aveline look like a Stepford Wife! That Cass can maintain some femininity is not the point. The point is she can't maintain all of it, and she's not even the leader. She's just a warrior and an agent. And even with Anora, you notice in some cases she takes a hard tone and in some cases she's softer. That's what I'm talking about.

If Cass becomes Divine, I assume she would soften up a lot. That leadership role is based on being compassionate, peaceful, understanding, and tolerant. The only exception is an exalted march, but the templars command that, the Divine just orders it. Again, way different kind of leadership role compared to the Inquisitor. Would people condemn her failures? Of course. Not saying that isn't the case with female Hawke. After all, people love to complain. I'm just saying that women are cut much more slack when they fail, and people tend to excuse them over males. Like Florianne. Sure you can kill her right there in the court to many horrified gasps, but if you judge her at Skyhold? All merciful options. The mayor of Crestwood on the other hand? Exile, imprisonment, or decapitation. Denam. Same way. Nobody cares what they have to say. No one sympathizes with them. They're males. Florienne killed many more than they did, and her attempt has far greater repercussions. But she approached the Inquisitor in a dainty and proper feminine way, and the harshest sentence she can get at that point is exile. The rest of the “punishments” are second chances.

Meredith wasn't feminine, and even despite her wrongs, I think people felt sorry for how she died. Had that been a man, people would have smiled. Elthina's case involved malevolence on her part. She didn't try her best and fail, she was just plain wrong from the get go. Justinia's death was mourned far and wide, and many commended her on making the attempt at peace.

I didn't write Cullen was weak, just that it appears as such in the case of him taking orders from a woman. Also, to add to this point, notice how Cullen commands the troops? Male role. Josephine and Leliana? Diplomat and spy. Roles that feminine females can easily fill.

Thanks for posting. I am glad my topic was the one that made you join us.

@Archangel Mike Both great points. Thanks for posting. I agree with you, and that is one of my points. A female has to act hard or harsh when commanding, because that's what the role calls for. This necessarily means the female loses some portion of femininity. Otherwise it just isn't convincing. I also think Sera should be persuadable, but I don't know. Maybe her sexuality is rooted in a traumatic childhood experience. So I don't know. Another issue for another time maybe.

@Faye Cousland Well who cares about BioWare's pick? I'm just talking based on storyline and game events. Also, I'm not saying male human mage is "Canon", just that he fits the story best AND is the most logical result according to the facts. Believe it! (talk) 02:16, January 9, 2015 (UTC)

well as i said before you haven't finished the game so of course you wouldn't understand that human male is probably the one that makes the least sense. Also you dismiss my argumments because its 'bioware's' pick which is rich since your argument for it making more sense for the inquistor being human is in fact that it was initally the only option,( because bioware made the inital choice of only having one race and human is always the most logical solution). You have to pick what is important or not you can't just use one argumment that fits your point and than dismiss others because it doesnt agree with what you want it to. Regardless storywise female elf still makes the most sense to me it just makes the WHOLE point of this story(which you would know if you finished it, far sadder and far more personal.

Furthermore, your ridiculous argumment about femininity is just baseless. What is femininity truly? A woman can be strong and fierce and still be feminine. You are grasping at straws, insulting people with your ignorance and you have proven once more to be intolerant and tactless and discussing something with you a point brings less results than arguing with a door. You are within your right to believe whatever you like, after all belief has nothing to do with proof or facts. - Faye Cousland

Why is femininity even remotely important? Who gives a crap if a woman is feminine, or masculine, or whatever? "If even a woman could be an effective leader, she shouldn't, because then she wouldn't be feminine", that just doesn't make sense.--75.143.51.130 (talk) 04:10, January 9, 2015 (UTC)

Because that is the point of the game, to be an effective leader of the Inquisition. The male fits the role better because he already has the traits necessary to fill the role. The female does not, and must lose some degree of femininity in order to fit the main role. That's what makes the male the more likely character to be the REAL Inquisitor. Of course, there are other reasons too, but that's the bottom line of this particular point. Believe it! (talk) 04:32, January 9, 2015 (UTC)

Being a Divine is restricted only for women so your argument is invalid. Celine and Anora rule their nations despite being women especially the former doesn't take any suitors and the latter can rule without Alistair as king or the Warden as a prince-consort. So your point that leadership is better suited for men is pointless.27.110.189.229 (talk) 06:51, January 9, 2015 (UTC)

As I wrote above, that isn't the same as leadership. Celene and Anora are rulers, but not necessarily leaders. Anora has to approach multiple banns and arls for their support before anything can get done. In a sense, the banns are the leaders. As queen, Anora is entrusted to administer law and protect the people. Issuing decrees is one thing, but actually commanding on the front lines is another. Inquisition requires forceful, military leadership, and you have to be hardened for that. Males are typically better suited for those tasks.

Just take a look at the game. Fiona led the mages to freedom, but she didn't have what it took to lead them to prosperity. She royally messed up, and Alexius, a male, capitalized. Look at the inner circle of characters. Blackwall, a leader. Iron Bull, a leader. Cullen, a leader. Varric, runs his own business. Solas, independent loner. Now look at the females. Cassandra, an agent of an organization lead by Lucius who is a male. Leliana, an agent. Josephine, a diplomat. Vivienne, a servant to an empress. Sera, a mixed up gang member. In just about every case, the true leaders are male. It's just a factual observation. Believe it! (talk) 08:08, January 9, 2015 (UTC)

IF that is your opinion then, fine but I totally disagree. You just dismiss the leadership of the Divine. Meredith herself is a leader of Kirkwall's Templars, Calpernia is the leader of the Venatori, Warden Commander Clarel is a leader of the Grey Wardens of Orlais and I know you didn't met the latter. Even Andraste led her barbaric army against Tevinter that her husband Maferath is jealous of her charisma as a leader that he betrayed her to the Imperium.27.110.189.229 (talk) 08:45, January 9, 2015 (UTC)

I don't dismiss the leadership of the Divine at all. I'm just saying it's not the same kind of leadership as a command role, which is what the Inquisitor does, among other things. Meredith is a fine example of a commanding leader, but she's not feminine. That's my point. A woman can command, but almost ALWAYS at the cost of her femininity. That's why a male fits the commanding role better, because the necessary traits are already part of the masculine persona.

So, spiritual leader? Either gender works. No question about that. But a commander who must make harsh judgments, or send a soldier to their death for the greater good, or get down in the muck with the common and lead by example, or issue punishments; all of those roles are best suited to a masculine individual. A woman can act masculine, but it kind of defeats the whole point of being a female then, doesn't it?

Andraste was a spiritual leader, not a military one. The armies were Maferath's, and he issued the commands in support of his wife's cause. And you're wrong about him. He betrayed her because he was jealous that the Maker took her as his bride. He felt he could not compare to the Maker, so in his anger he killed her. It had nothing to do with her following.

Calpurnia is an agent of Corypheus. I have only seen her at Haven, so I don't know her full involvement yet (or her personality), but I was under the impression that Alexius lead the Venatori. And you're right that I haven't met the Warden-Commander yet. So that's off the table for now. Believe it! (talk) 18:18, January 9, 2015 (UTC)

You are wrong about Calpernia, she is the leader and Alexius's role is to gave the mages to Corypheus and he is expendable. He was killed after being useful, Dorian told you that so get your facts straight.112.198.64.66 (talk) 03:59, January 10, 2015 (UTC)

I'm wrong about her? So she's not an agent of Corypheus? She's acting independently of him? I haven't reached the point where Dorian confirms Alexius' termination (or maybe he mentioned it and I didn't hear it). So don't blame me for that. All I know about it so far is that Corypheus spared Alexius for at least one year's time while he researched time magic. Don't know why the unchanged timeline would be any different, especially since Alexius didn't blunder things in the true timeline as he did in the alternate. Why would Corypheus dispose of him? And why keep Calpernia when her attack on Haven failed? More plot holes maybe? Believe it! (talk) 06:10, January 10, 2015 (UTC)

Completely disagree with the statement, and at first I thought I should ignore it, as should others as it seems 'B.I' has a somewhat need for attention. As with his DAI theory, he's also wrong here. Claiming to know the story better than BioWare, is ludicrous too, as you're basically implying it on many scales. You claim to hold fact, when you clearly do not. BioWare are actively fighting to beat your prejudices and sexism in their games, but it seems that your in denial of this has further strengthened your ideology. There is no 'Real' Inquisitor. Your evidence for it is false too. We all have our own Inquisitors. Look at the launch trailer, the Inquisitor is clearly a male warrior and not a mage, thus negating your point. There were trailers for the female Inquisitor with their own narrative. You claim that an effective leader must not embody a feminine capacity, yet it's still false, in the game in life generally. Your empirical evidence is biased. Your paradoxical and contradictory behaviour is confusing too. You hold an opinion,stop making it fact. My past disputes with you show that you just churn out the same points, repeatedly. Even in marketing the fem-quis had more representation too, which again negates your point. Seriously, HOW- I do not know- are you still a fan of BioWare games. 11:53, January 9, 2015 (UTC)

Laz, it's pointless, he will just say "Male Human Mage = Most logical and best fitting person to be the inquisitor."

Anyway, B. I'll give you the whole Varric's lie bit. That threw pretty much everyone off. The HoF on the other hand, is hearing the calling, just like every other warden in southern Thedas. Yeah, sure they should have told someone, oh wait they did! If you romanced Morrigan, she knows, even Leliana can find him/knows. Anora/Alistair probably know too, especially Alistair since he is also a warden. Who wants to remind their people that they're going to die a premature death because they carry the taint? Someone would take advantage of the fact that you don't yet have an heir...

You obviously consider "righteous justice" to mean the slaughter of innocents because of one mans actions. So we won't discuss that any further, since my joke about how sh*t Sebastian is was lost on you.

"Solas is full of crap"? REALLY? Thats your argument? Solas is full of crap? You might be on to something there but still, does not mean he's wrong about how he tried everything to close the rift, then the mark comes along and poof. Rift is sealed. "yay its a miracle, all hope is not lost" *waves hands in the air*

I mean really, have you not noticed that they do in fact use the word "tear" in the game. And the fact that everything you see pretty much says "This rift is not a fade tear, and has not been here for a while" Rifts are, and will always be, a result of the breach. Tears they may have started off as, but rifts they become. And because of that, a mage would know no more about them than anyone else. Especially one who happens to be embroiled in the mage-templar war. Even Rift Mage is a new, recently created specialization. And since no one except Corypheus has proper knowledge of the anchor, why would a mage be better suited to wielding it? "Because they're more studied in magic" you may say. The problem there is, this is a magic that no one has seen since before the fall of Arlathan. Being a bit more knowledgeable on how to throw fireballs doesn't make you better qualified to use super ancient elven magic. Thats like saying, "oh, I did some basic physics. That makes me suitable for rocket science", and besides, it has been proven that one need not be a mage to have magical knowledge.

A mage is not simply a better candidate for the mark because they are a mage and have studied. An elven mage would be better, because at least they have some knowledge of elven magics. 12:36, January 9, 2015 (UTC)

I'm sure he will start to eat the word he said to Solas after he finish the entire game. He will get surprise that everything he written in this forum are all wrong.27.110.189.229 (talk) 12:50, January 9, 2015 (UTC)

@Laz I clearly do hold facts. DA:I started as human only. Fact. The storlyine was written around a human with Andratian affiliations. Fact. The warrior and rogue origins stories are the same, while the mage's is unique. Facts. Just these alone prove that I do hold facts and you're just being dismissive. If these aren't facts, then refute them.

Don't assume I have prejudices just because I observe and acknowledge factual reality. I'm aware of BioWare's attempts to be multicultural, diverse, and inclusive of various things, but that doesn't negate the facts of the storyline, and it doesn't mean they were successful in creating a game that does not favor the straight man. And for the record, I'm all for having alternative options in Dragon Age. Player choice after all. Just as long as it's not sold to kids. So BioWare can do whatever it wants, I'm just pointing out that their game favors the male human mage.

I acknowledge we all have our own Inquisitors. I never posted different. Strawman.

If it's false then prove it. Name one feminine commander in a Dragon Age game who was effective in her command.

I'm not necessarily a fan of BioWare games, just Dragon Age.

@ACdeakial Well thank you very much for cutting me some slack about Varric. The way BioWare presented it seemed like canon, but that was only part of it. The other half was the mysterious disappearance, which BioWare lied about. As you note, the Hero probably DID tell others what was happening, where he/she was going, and all that. The point is that BioWare, in Awakening's epilogue (which is from BioWare to the players, not from Varric to Cassandra by contrast) they said the Hero's disappearance was sudden and mysterious. It even says this in the Inquisition codex entry for the Hero! I mean, really BioWare? This was just a flat out rewrite of prior facts. The Hero did NOT mysteriously disappear at all. The Hero left on a mission and told others about it. BioWare changed the story to be the complete opposite of what they told us in DA:O/A and DA2. So yeah, I was wrong because BioWare's stated info was wrong. So I declare that whole mess null and void. That one doesn't count. LOL!;)

The point about the Calling, which we can discuss because I did meet Stroud already, next is Western Approach after I finish up romancing Cass. Anyway, the point with the Calling, I can understand this. In my world state King Izen didn't like the Grey Wardens and sought to change it for the better. So it makes sense for him to know that the Calling he was hearing was false and seek out a cure. And let's assume he told Anora. Fine. But then why say he mysteriously disappeared? Leliana was searching for the Hero. Right? DA2 confirms that. So how did the great spy master's search come up with "mysterious disappearance"? She was Izen's good friend. She was a Champion of Redcliffe, and a hero of the Fifth Blight. She could have easily asked Anora what happened to her husband, and Anora would have simply told her the truth. Izen left to find a cure for the taint. *Shrugs* What's so hard about that? See, what happened is BioWare didn't plan this out properly. Remember in my theory how I took all the possible Heroes and found what they all had in common, and also took into account their unique situations to rule out the impossible so that we could determine what may have caused their mysterious disappearance? Yeah, well BioWare didn't do that. They didn't even account for Heroes who romanced Leliana. They just said, "continuity be damned, we want a brand new storyline, the hero didn't actually disappear." And so now Heroes who romanced Leliana have a character who purposely left her side and did not tell her anything so that she could say the Hero mysteriously disappeared. OR, she did know, and like Varric, she lied... for... some reason.

Sorry, did Sebastian promise to slaughter all mages? Because I thought he only referred to Anders. I could be wrong about this, so that's a serious question.

In the Keep (I have not played DA2 because my friend's disc was too scratched to read), I chose that rogue female Hawke had a romance with Sebastian. So obviously Sebastian never said anything like that in my world state. So of course I am unaware of his alleged sh*ttiness.

Solas being full of crap was more of a jest, but yes, what he says contradicts Awakening. Maybe Solas just sucks at closing tears. But okay, let's say rifts are super tears unlike the ones in Awakening and Witch Hunt. So in that case being a mage doesn't matter in the context of closing super tears. Okay. And closing a super tear depends on the mark, not the person holding it. Okay. But I still contend that the mage having an understanding of the Fade, the Veil, and tears is at least useful. Let's also remember that closing rifts usually requires some demon slaying. A mage has better understanding of demons and spirits than non-mages because it's part of their studies. So I still think the mage at least has an edge over the non-mage classes on this issue.

A quick note on the rifts. I think they are tears that have magical energy sustaining them. That's why they can't be closed the normal way, like how Avernus or Demon Sophia did it. The anchor breaches the tear by opening it. This energy is then expended. After any demons are returned through it, the energy level drops. The anchor then closes this tear. So while I don't think the Breach is the source of this energy, because after all the Breach can be closed early in the game, I do agree that these are not normal tears.

I disagree. This magic is well known. It's about the Fade and the Veil. The orb isn't known about, but the orb was just the cause. It's the effects that the Inquisitor fights against, and the effects are related to the Fade and Veil. As for the elven stuff, the Dalish elves are in the dark about most things elven anyway. So the elf and human begin at the same starting point. This is assuming the mage didn't learn much about elven magic in the Ostwick Circle. It's possible that he did. The Ferelden Circle had information about the eluvians, and Finn knew more about elven stuff that Ariane did. It's possible the human mage knows more than the elf mage in DA:I. Yes, you don't need to be a mage to have magical knowledge, but most mages have magical knowledge by default. Most warriors and rogues do not. They actually have to make the effort to seek out the information. Mages are basically raised to know it.

If you think mages are not a better candidate for the mark, then do you think a warrior or rogue would be better? Or do you think them all equal? I contend that a mage would be better, if nothing else for the mere fact that they are already accustomed to wielding magic. A non-mage might be freaked out by it, or might not want it, or at least would worry about it.

An elven mage might be better, but the first point proves the story was written for a human. So that disqualifies the elf right off the rip. The most obvious point is that few would believe a Dalish elf was Andraste's chosen, least of all that very elf. It just complicates the storyline for an elf. Believe it! (talk) 21:00, January 9, 2015 (UTC)

While I don't disagree that a mage would be better suited, a warrior could just do just as well. Simply because they can study magic, and the fade and what not. And can become a Templar. Skills that I believe would be quite useful when it comes to the anchor.

Also, apologies, you talked about the Florianne dance so I assumed you had completed Here lies the abyss and Wicked eyes wicked hearts. So I may have put a bit too much emphasis on things that happen after, but we can resume those points once you know what I'm talking about.

The point you make about an elf not knowing about elven magics, while it is possible, it is also very flawed. Ariane was not a mage, thus she would not need to know. An elf inquisitor is the keeper's first, thus they should have any of the knowledge that their keeper knows. Including ancient elven magics. So again, elves are a good bet, still. Just because a game started out a certain way, doesn't mean the story was designed to fit that. Thats just really bad writing otherwise.

FYI, Sebastian's rough words are "I will return to Starkhaven, build and army, and then ensure that there is nothing left of Kirkwall for these Maleficarum to rule". Literally says he's going to destroy the place. Not just Anders. Super-douche. Pretty much tells Hawke he will kill any innocents left who try to defend their home. I mean come on, how can that guy be anything but a mega-prick.

That whole bit with the Hero was definitely flawed, it did feel like there should have been different scenes for that. But even so, the HoF could have kept their mission silent, for a time, then sent word informing those dear to them what they were doing. It's not unsurprising in all honesty. But yeah, DA2 had that sh*tty flawed single-scene regardless of world state.

I highly doubt Solas sucks at closing tears, but I'm glad we agree on that Rift=/=Tear(from awakenings) point. The way I see it, a rift is like a plug hole, it sucks fade bits out and the demons/spirits follow. A tear just forms and is more like a one way door. The fade bleeds into the world slightly. Rifts, it happens on like a scale of 100000000000000000000x infinite x worse. But yeah, super-tear. I will say that Rifts can be suppressed or temporarily "contained" by mages OR templars, but also by anyone with enough skill to kill the number of demons it spawns.

Anyway, Sebastian's a super douche, and always will be. In my eyes anyway. 02:55, January 10, 2015 (UTC)

You’re right that a warrior could use the anchor just as well. I agree. I guess what I’m saying is, which makes for the more interesting or logical storyline? A warrior from the Chantry wielding an ancient magic, or a mage wielding it? There are other storyline aspects as well, but just focusing on this one, I think having a mage wield the magic makes more sense. Not saying a warrior couldn’t wield it. And that might actually be more interesting in some respects. Reminiscent of how Izen became a Spirit Warrior actually (in my head canon anyway). I just think the mage wielding it is much more logical and, if anything, only slightly less interesting than the warrior.

They can become a templar, yes, but the mage is already a mage during the events at the conclave. So the mage already is. The warrior is yet to be. Kind of makes the mage the more desirable one. Also, the mage can learn Dispel, which is the more effective ability. Another thing, this may be a separate discussion thread but, is there any evidence that all possible origins were present at the conclave and only one of them survives while all the others die?

Sorry, I did Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts first. Seemed more logical that way. In fact, I thought that was the intended order of events. In Theirinfall we discovered Corypheus was planning to assassinate Celene, which would lead to chaos in Orlais. So that seemed to be the most pressing issue. Also, that was our only lead upon reaching Skyhold. Only after discussing that did Varric offer up his alliance (which seemed secondary at that point). I did meet Hawke right after that, just to get her custom creation out of the way. But I didn’t go to Crestwood until after the ball. Hawke’s mission just didn’t seem urgent.

Thanks. Ariane wasn’t a mage, but she was still Dalish. Aren’t all of them trying to learn about their lost history and culture? I don’t see why Ariane wouldn’t be included in that learning. Ariane knew about the Dalish Elf getting tainted, and that was a completely different clan. An elf mage is the keeper’s first, yes. But does the keeper have the knowledge? Also, does the human mage NOT have the same knowledge?

You write that just because a game started out a certain way, doesn't mean the story was designed to fit that. Well, that’s certainly true for games that saw their prologues changed before the storyline was written. But Inquisition saw new prologues added AFTER the storyline was written, and no major edits were made to that storyline. And I wasn’t implying the story was designed to fit the human simply because it was first, as if to say, “human was first, therefore it owns the game”. No, my point was that it started as human only, the story was designed with that origin as the only one, AND when new origins were added the storyline was not altered to accommodate those additions. Well, it was altered slightly, but the main plot wasn’t changed. So it’s not simply because the human prologue was first, it’s because the story was made based on that one (human) prologue, then the alternate prologues came after the story was written, and the story was not significantly changed to show anything special for those new prologues. As for bad writing, LOL! This is BioWare after all. Don’t rule it out.;)

Okay, well it sounds to me like he was under the impression that the maleficar would take over the city and rule it with blood magic and such. Also, emotional statement made from anger. We don’t know if he would actually follow through in destroying the whole city and innocents along with it. Maybe Inquisition can confirm. I read something about “The Annexation of Kirkwall” or something like that in the list of Chore Table missions. Maybe that can prove it. In any case, I will concede that Sebastian can possibly be a super-douche just on the mere fact he will abandon a romance with female Hawke if she shows Anders mercy (even if only because he saved her sibling from the taint). Still, that all depends on circ*mstances. Also, Alistair is a super-douche in some cases, but I still like him.

Agreed that the HoF stories should have been... well, I don’t know about different, because they would have to fit Leliana’s coming up empty-handed, but it should have been handled properly. It’s possible some Heroes kept it secret until after Leliana abandoned the effort, but not all Heroes. Izen, for example, would have an obligation to inform Anora of what he was doing, as a matter of safety if nothing else. Can’t have the king (or consort, for people who think that way -_- ) just disappearing off to who knows where. That would only cause panic and stress within the government.

On that Rift/Tear point, I think Awakening actually may have had something similar to the Inquisition rifts. Remember in the Blackmarsh, the green barriers we couldn’t move past? When you go into the Fade, you can fight the desire demons an deactivate the pedestals. When you do, those barriers drop in the real world. Perhaps the rifts are like that, powered from the Fade side. You have to cut the power on the Fade side in order to close such barriers, which are unlike normal tears that can be mended or dispelled. Of course this still plays respectably in contrast with the anchor, because in the Hero’s case, he or she actually had to go into the Fade to close the rifts in the real world, which were being kept open by a clearly identified power source. The rifts in Inquisition are kept open by whatever unseen power, and entering the Fade just isn’t possible in most circ*mstances. So the anchor can shut down that power source from the real world, making it the more effective method. This is just a hypothesis however. What do you think of this?

Good analogy. I see a tear as a hole in a boat floating in water, while a rift (super-tear) is a pressurized hole. Mages and templars can bail the water out (kill demons), and even plug the hole with a cork (suppress the rift). But the pressure from the other side pushes the cork out. Only the anchor can plug the hole for good by reaching through the hole and putting the cork in from the pressurized side. Maybe there is some welding involved too. The only other possible alternative to the anchor is to plug the hole from the Fade side in a similar way, which takes a lot of effort. Believe it! (talk) 08:22, January 10, 2015 (UTC)

I'm curious if I should get involved in this. Because I've played the game five times consecutively and can very well prove you wrong. However, I had a seven day (that isn't an exaggeration it really went on for that long) discussion which made me think so hard and thorough on Feminism, Sexism, Anita Sarkeesian and how it all pertained to video games and inclusive stories. On top of that, that discussion was with my greatest of friends, whom I consider brothers. I don't know if I'm ready for another argument. B.S.S.T. (talk)

Hi B.S.S.T. Long time no see. Thanks for replying. I encourage you to post your thoughts. Please avoid spoilers if possible. Check my blog to see where I'm at (right before Western Approach, after Halamshiral). I will try to keep it short if you're not interested in a long discussion. Believe it! (talk) 08:22, January 10, 2015 (UTC)

Anybody that defends Anita Sarkeesian deserves to die and rot in the hottest most uncomfortable pit of Hell. Give her my regards. --32.211.44.14 (talk) 11:36, January 14, 2015 (UTC)

for the love of god does this bi guy ever shutup dang man go get laid and chill out your so wormy its sad whiny lil nerd--76.5.128.88 (talk) 05:47, January 11, 2015 (UTC)

Well one can certainly see that the content for humans has been more robustly developed. Also, there are no shortage of hints along the way that this game is not intended for non humans. Lets start with the prologue; how many dwarves or Qunari do you see in the encampment? how many non humans are trusted with a weapon in hand? how many elves who are not cringing servants? After meeting up with some non humans (captives of the humans as it happens), we hear the first of the banter, varick questions you about some aspect of your back story. Now the inquisitor can reply in several ways; if you are a human then varick will have a response to each; but is that the case for a Qunari? certainly not. Finally we get to the temple and see the shadowy form of Corypheus, how does he address them in that vision? humans are the only ones the darkspawn refers to as 'him' or 'her' the others are referred to by their race; now sure, that could simply be because his terminology is influenced by his memories of humanity - that's true.

But this theme continues; not trusting non humans with weapons? That isnt just at the start of the game. Even if your inquisitor is a non human and your choices favour non humans, your inquisition is a human affair, you can see it in the composition of your troops during assaults - lets assume that the difference between the humans and elves is too small to tell in the armour, but how many short and sturdy dwarves do you see in your ranks? how many towering qunari? And of the leadership positions that we influence? What race will become the divine? what race will become the ruler of orlais? The game is predicated on the idea that the human forces of the inquisition will step in to take up the mantle while the human chantry and the human seekers and the human templars and the mainly human mages (far fewer elves than there should be, no qunari that I can see and certainly no dwarves) sort out which group of humans should rule. 110.175.225.16 (talk) 09:05, January 11, 2015 (UTC)

yes because cirlces don't have elves. And don't forget the Chantry was\is and institution that doesn't accept anyone besides humans and you are surprised when they grab the inquistor that they do not have non humans working for them? Its called prejudice. That's why having an elven inquistor would make far more sense if you wish to change the chantry, because it would force them to accept someone else besides a human that can be blessed by Andraste. It's far more controversial for the inquistior to be NON-human and world defining than a human. It would just be one more human who has done something amazing, but elves? how many elves do we know who have done something amazing? Ghalen(i think its the name) the guy who defeated the 4th blight? Shartan, who has been whiped from the chantry records because they don't want an elf to have helped andraste. Tell me isnt it far more interesting if someone the Chantry has dismissed for so long to be their only hope? Also the ending.- Faye Cousland

I will say that, as a qunari, when you get crowned Inquisitor, you have the amazing option of saying "A qunari will stand for all of us", it's definitely more interesting in my opinion. 15:03, January 11, 2015 (UTC)

its far more Blasfemic and Appaling if it isnt a human, makes far more sense for the chantry to be appaled, specially if they are mages sure, regardless a Qunari, a dwarf or an elf as the leader of a chantry order... that is legendary since it hasn't happend before while a human mage might be easier to negate in the future( possibly like Andraste,if she was a mage), a Qunari or a dwarf? not so much -Faye Cousland

Right, and I'm the Queen of Antiva. There is no "real" defined Inquisitor, and just because you think something fits better than another does not make it factual. Some people think the Templar storyline fits together better than the mage one, or vice versa. 69.92.28.100 (talk) 02:39, January 12, 2015 (UTC)

I don't believe it. ----Isolationistmagi 07:17, January 12, 2015 (UTC)

@Believe it, there's also the fact that Cassandra, the deuteragonist, has a thing for mages? Don't believe me? Play 'The Ideal Romance' again. Where are 'the most romantic candles in Thedas' bought? At the mage shop in Val Royeux. Where's the poetry book that Cassandra wants bought? Redcliffe where the Dwarven merchant makes a point of mentioning that book in particular is popular with mages. And last but not least her prior relationship/friendship with Regalyan, who was a mage. I'm sorry every single f*cking thing points to Mage Trevelyan being the canon Inquisitor. I agree with with Believe It! as I have with most things in the past -- 32.211.44.14 (talk) 18:09, January 12, 2015 (UTC)

No it doesn't. Who says the Cassandra romance is itself canon? The romance with Leliana isn't canon. Nor is the one with Morrigan. Nor is the Old God Baby. The default of DAO is that there was *no* romance. Why does Inquisition have to have a romance? Secondly, unless you are all forgetting there is no canon. There is "default", and that's it. You're looking for patterns, as the human brain is wired to do, and pulling conclusions out of the air to fit your premade opinion. See: the Texas Sharpshooter. 69.92.28.100 (talk) 18:26, January 12, 2015 (UTC)

Preach! btw the only mage in the game isn't just a Trevelyan, i do find it hilarious that they are trying to make one romance canon, lol, specially without finishing the game this is all totally pointless lets all just let this page die - Faye Cousland

As far as I'm concerned my male warrior Trevelyan who romances Cassanra is cannon. Just as I'm sure that Faye Cousland's character and choices are cannon to her as mine are to me. The point being that is no right or wrong cannon. It is simply whatever the player wishes it to be for themselves. I do understand the logical points of Believe it's aruments though. Which I mostly agree with, but that's just my oppion. Just because something makes the most sense logicaly does not mean it is cannon. I do think most of you misunderstood what Believe it is trying to say. He never claimed being said he never claimed it as being cannon merely that he thought it fit the best out of every other possibility.Whether you agree with him or not is up to your personal oppions. Personatly I don't see how it really matters to any of you if it's not part of the cannon you all picked for yourselves. I would also just like to ask you all to please remember to be nice to to everyone, and remember to always be respectful of each other.(Darion Cousland (talk) 13:45, January 14, 2015 (UTC))