[AndreaDraco83]

Intriguing, Intrepid. Refresh me: what Wynter did? What type of Mage he was?

My Alqua is an incredibly offensive mage (Primal School and Spirit School, particularly the Mana chain and the Mind chain), who, on the other hand, specializes in Spirit Healer to support Wynne if she runs out of curative power

[Christian IV]

She is beautiful, much nicer than any of the women in the game lol

i just finished the circle, and am resting up in camp, enjoying things and studying the game format.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Originally Posted by AndreaDraco83

Intriguing, Intrepid. Refresh me: what Wynter did? What type of Mage he was?

Wynter was a City Elf. He specialized in the Arcane school (Arcane Bolt, Shield, Staff Focus, and Mastery). He was proficient in several Creation school spells, particularly the Healing and Summoning chain, and partly trained in Spirit Healing (Group Heal, Revival). To go on the offense he was a student of the Primal school to a degree (the Fire chain, Rock Armor, Stonefist, Winter's Grasp), and learned the entire Death chain (Walking Bomb, Death Syphon, Virulent Walking Bomb, and Animate Dead). He was able to Mind Blast and conjure up Force Field.

Wynter had a philosophical and political outlook that favoured respect for the natural balance of the universe (order and chaos, elemental harmony, etc.), similar to what you'd find in the teachings of the Tao Te Ching. Though he was raised under the strict discipline of the Circle of Magi and the oppressive paranoia of the Templars and the Chantry, he grew to be a brilliant and independent minded individual, culling the essentially benevolent ideas of each faction without the unnecessary idiotic dogma, under the aegis of his personal philosophy.

He was, for example, respectful of the Circle's mission to control magic insofar as to prevent upsetting the balance of the natural order (magic can be used to destroy but only in terms of allowing room for creation and growth afterward, thus harmonious order). Blood magic was seen by Wynter to be an unnatural perversion of nature and worse, a violent exploitation with the intent of destruction for selfish motives. However, he also hated how the Templars and the Chantry, in their zeal, went out of their way to persecute and murder Mages who only sought to be themselves, to be individuals.

According to Wynter a Mage (or anyone for that matter) should be allowed and encouraged to be individualistic and to excel on her own terms. But with that comes great responsibility and a great respect for the natural order and the fundamental rights of everyone else to live and die according to natural law. Which means he supports the Templars' duty to track down and kill any Mage that practices murderous and very selfish forms of magic for their own gain or pursuit of power and thus threatens to upset the natural balance. What he does NOT support is the Templars assuming that any Mage who wants to leave the Circle and live her own life is automatically evil and therefore must die.

[Crunchy in milk]

In the interests of trying out the Arcane Warrior myself I made one finally. Using the facial morphs from one of the Sacred Ashes projects.

I use glyphs, miasma, hexes and lightning (it sucks targets stamina and mana) offensively, everything else goes into defence buffs. I pretty much stick to staff-work till the mana runs thin, and mop up with sword and board. Its a lot of fun. Two or three means of direct paralysis is always good for dealing with the random number generator.

A lot of mage spells draw a lot of aggro (miasma and the hex line of the entropy school especially) so I use these on my arcane warrior who can take the heat with good glyph and defence buffs and a big tin suit. Two-weapon Leliana and two-handed Sten pick at the edges of my 'crowd of fans' while Morrigan uses sleep, horror, waking nightmare and cold spells. Stuff that doesn't draw aggro.

I'm sure Mana Clash will get nerfed in a future patch, it costs far too little mana for an instant or near instant kill of any mage in the blast area. I feel a lot less guilty using the glyph of neutralisation.

[AndreaDraco83]

Alqua, on the other hand, is a Libertarian. He strongly believes that the Chantry religion is a well constructed lie to keep people ignorant and scared, and, fascinated by its Dalish heritage, even if he never had the chance to live with the Clans, having been snatched by the Circle of Magi while he was still a child, he still believes in the old ways of yore. This naturalist attitude, tempered by his studies, have made him a Humanist, so to speak, and his words may well be: ""I am a man, I consider nothing that is human alien to me", to quote the Latin playwright Terence. As such, he understands the pull of blood magic, even if he himself would never use it, because the use of blood to influence other people's mind is - in his eyes - no different to what the Chantry, more subtly and cunningly, does. In fact, he believes that every man should be free to be himself, without hindering other men, and to choose his own path through life, and be ready to face the consequences of his choices. His Elven origin has also made him painfully aware of social iniquity, and, every time he can, he fights passionately for equality, social justice and every minority's civil rights, against every tiranny and racial, sexual and religious prejudice.

Ah, I really adore this game. It is so rich, and the moral opportunities it offers are very thought-provoking, to the point that I can't envision myself play something else for a very long time (with the possible exception of Mass Effect, which I never tried).

[Intrepid Homoludens]

You're a consummate role player, Dracsie.



Third character: Lorelei.
Race: Human.
Class: Mage.
Specialization: Arcane Warrior (dual blades), Spirit Healer.
Schools: Creation - Glyph chain; Spirit - Mana chain; Entropy - Hex chain.

Bio:

Lorelei had always been an incredibly brilliant and cunning woman. She has learned to "play the part" in order to survive, and is calculating enough to know when to strike out the moment opportunities arise. By that route one can praise her for being a survivalist, though she herself may admit to not really knowing what she is surviving for and what her destiny is.

As a very young girl Lorelei was violently snatched from her family by the Templars and forced to be "reborn" under the Chantry's paranoia and cruelty and dogma. She remembers little of her childhood before the Circle, but she does remember a very loving and devoted mother and a sympathetic, if rather distant, father. The Circle, however, taught her discipline and how to control her talent to advantage. She slowly realized how such schooling can sharpen her to be more fierce and formidable in an otherwise opressive world. So she learned to play along, fooling her elders into thinking she was a bright yet submissive student.

And it was only after her Harrowing that she decided she was ready to speak for herself instead of being just another puppet for the Templars and the Chantry. She had always hated these two groups, for they were the ones who raped her childhood and destroyed any possibility of a life of a normal loving family. But the Circle had become home for her, the only family she really had, so she is very loyal to them in principal. That's why she feels a kinship with Wynne, and it's why she understands Lelianna.

At the same time she still has yet to declare her independence as a strong woman, free of the ugly oppression of the Templars and the Chantry, and free to carve her individuality on her own terms. This is why she loves the uncompromising strength of Morrigan. To her Morrigan is the kind of woman she wants to be.

But as strong and fierce as she is, Lorelei feels a bit shaky inside at times. Perhaps it's because of the trauma she suffered in childhood, being torn away from her mother. It may be from being forced to redefine herself early on as a prisoner under the control of a religious faction. There's a kind of psychic vulnerability in her. She needs some kind, any kind, of stability. The Blight is coming and she forgets her fragility and remembers her duty as Mage and, most importantly, as a Grey Warden. Perhaps this is what destiny is saying to her.

In a way Lorelei feels that the upcoming events pose a huge question mark, beyond which may or may not lie the answers she seeks for why her life is, and if she can ever find stability and comfort that she, not the Templars or Chantry or even the Circle, can claim as her own.

And then she met Alistair.

[AndreaDraco83]

Originally Posted by Intrepid Homoludens

[...] And then she met Alistair.

And what does Lorelei think of Zevran?

Anyway, great story Intrepid. I'd be curious to know...

Spoiler:

Lorelei's decisions regarding Jowan, in the Arl of Recliffe quest and, then, in the Chantry Board quest. Jowan is, without a doubt, my favorite supporting character (beside the companions, obviously - oh, wait: I like Jowan even more than Sten ^^)

[Crunchy in milk]

I'm having an awful lot of fun playing as an Arcane Warrior. At first I was just curious to see how it would play out in the battles (its a lot of fun, and he dominates). But its rapidly becoming my favourite run through.

I started out with the most noble of intentions through the origin, doing right by the circle. But my prowess at Ostagar planted the seed of pride and soon began to bloom. I ventured to Warden's Keep immediately after Ostagar, to better grasp what it means to be a warden. It was there that my slippery slope decent into a lust for power and a growing sense of entitlement began.

Spoiler:

Judging Avernus, but making use of his experiments

Its been wonderful for me, to be able to slightly tip the scales a little more each time a decision must be made. From shining white, to slightly grey, and now I'm just this side of the darkest black.

Spoiler:

I have an army of werewolves, golems, and mages so far, all beholden to me. I'm on my way to Haven now, where I aim to save the ashes but control access to them (sorry Genitivi). I'm considering placing Alistair on the throne as my personal royal puppet. Anora seems far too capable and head strong. If I can build a good power base I could challenge the Chantry's stranglehold on magic. United, and unfettered mages will surely discover a more direct and effective response to the Darkspawn threat. Perhaps even a means to safely enter the dark city?

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Originally Posted by AndreaDraco83

And what does Lorelei think of Zevran?

She was royally pissed off at him for trying to kill her. But after he explained himself, and definitely after he revealed more of his, erm...."life philosophy"...she doesn't think he's so bad. But then he is, after all, a survivalist like her. She sees that as a strength, but it just takes a different form with him than with her.

Anyway, great story Intrepid. I'd be curious to know...

Spoiler:

Lorelei's decisions regarding Jowan, in the Arl of Recliffe quest and, then, in the Chantry Board quest. Jowan is, without a doubt, my favorite supporting character (beside the companions, obviously - oh, wait: I like Jowan even more than Sten ^^)

Spoiler:

She felt very sorry for him. They were of course friends growing up in the Circle, but she sees him as a failed individual in terms of relying on his intelligence and wit, which was practically non-existent after she witnessed what happened when she tried to help him and Lily escape the tower. Instead he chose to use blood magic in a moment of panic. Stupid, very very stupid man.

That he took an assassination job from Loghain just like that, without investigating the implications of such a crime, further proved his lameness at life.

So Lorelei, rather than deal with him directly for such stupidity, passed him on to the Circle for his punishment. She was not so disappointed in Jowan for committing such crimes, but more for his sheer moronic demeanor and lack of intelligence and resourcefulness.

May the Maker have mercy on him.

[AndreaDraco83]

I finished all the Treaty Quests. Below some thoughts with spoilers where necessary.

Broken Circle: the first quest I did and possibly one of my favorites. The religious and political backdrops were really thought-provoking and most of the side quests challenging. I particularly liked the one involving a Desire Demon and a bewitched templar, which I found extremely interesting from a moral perspective. Plus, the segment in the Fade was very cleverly planned and I liked the fact that it functioned like an overarching puzzle (and the Shapes were a wonderful addition). Furthermore, being a mage makes this quest even more interesting, because I got to see the Circle Tower before the devastation and after, and because every character responded accordingly the second time, recognizing me and often bringing up issues that originally arose during the origin story.

Arl of Redcliffe: I did this quest second and I enjoyed it immensely. Redcliffe was a wonderful setting, both from an aesthetic perspective (the bridge, the creek, the castle upon the lake) and regarding the available side-quests, which were very well implemented with the main plot. The characters were great (especially Arl Eamon's family) and the epic escalation was just... epic!

Spoiler:

The night segment, when you have to battle through hordes of skeletons and undeads, is perhaps my favorite moment: the atmosphere was foreboding and eerie, the music chilling and engrossing and the progression of events simply exalting. Moreover, I loved that the final outcome was heavily influenced by the choices you made during the day (whom you aided, whom you convinced to serve the arling, how much morale the troops had, etc.), giving to this quest an incredibly realistic feeling. Oh, and the mass funeral at the end was really touching, and sincere.

Urn of the Sacred Ashes: I really liked this huge side-quest that completes the Arl of Redcliffe segment, and my only gripe is that...

Spoiler:

I would have liked to know more about the Dragon Cult, its historical roots, its ramifications in the rest of Ferelden and so on. But even with this minor quibble, the quest was another truly epic one and, even if I'm roleplaying a character that believes more in the old gods of the Elves than in the Maker, if not more of an atheist that a believer, reaching Andraste's final resting place was a heart-warming moment, and the Gauntlet was a location so rich and fascinating that this segment alone could be worth of another stellar expansion

Nature of the Beasts: another favorite of mine (come to think of it, I loved every Treaty Quest ). It was great to play through it with a non-Dalish elf: I had to slowly gain the trust of the Clan (especially Sarel the Storyteller's) and many characters had questions about the cities, the outside world and the social condition of city elves that I found incredibly rewarding to answer. It was a really rich experience and I think that Bioware succeeded in writing an Elven mythology that is both coherent with the tradition and peculiar enough to keep the attention high (the Codex entries one can find in the Dalish Camp are amongst the better written of the entire game and the stories they tell are compelling and often fascinating in their own rights). The main plot (Zathrian and Witherfang) was great as well, and very thought-provoking.

Spoiler:

It took me a while to figure out what to do. Side with Zathrian whose hatred and revenge I could totally relate to? Or side with Witherfang, whose rational arguments indeed showed that Zathrian's loss had been repaid tenfold? Can you punish someone for the crimes of their ancestors? Of course no, but aren't the contemporary elves paying a much bigger price for the violence of said human ancestors?

Paragon of Her Kind: the last one I did. I finished it today. While I certainly liked it and found that the Dwarven culture was as strikingly written and imagined as the Elven one, this is without a doubt my least favorite quest. Broken Circle, Arl of Redcliffe - Urn of Sacred Ashes and Nature of the Beasts all offered a solid and deep background, a spellbinding story, many epic moments and rewarding side-quests, and they all felt right. Paragon of Her Kind, on the other hand, felt a tad too long.

Spoiler:

While the segments in Orzammar were really beautiful, full of little details to discover, and while the political issue concerning the throne was really good - and amazingly written as always -, the Deep Roads were way too long. I can live with Aeducan Thaig (short and nice), Ortan Thaig (many side-quests and lots of background details) and, of course, the Dead Trenches (the more I neared the Broodmother, the more I grew uneasy, even if I didn't know what lied ahead and this means that the writers/developers are really, really great: kudos for the striking atmosphere!), but Caridin's Cross was way too long to be just a mid-step and too difficult, with many different passageways and galleries to explore. But even the thaigs I liked - like the Trenches - could have been a little more brief... In the end, I eventually grew tired of exploring gallery after gallery, with literally dozens of side-quests thrown at me from everywhere and, while the final confrontation in the Anvil of the Void was top-notch...

... I can't wait to be back under the clear night sky I have no doubt in saying that - during my future playthroughs - Orzammar will certainly be the place I will visit less eagerly.

[Christian IV]

I enjoyed my visit to Dragon Age land, but after doing several of the main quests, the constant battling with cloned nasties got very tired. I find the lore of the story just does not makes sense, a vast and lovely land and then these dark and evil things that attack, but why? and how do Dragons appear so magically in it all? i just lost interest, and the equally boring few figure models that are used over and over, same women same men, it just did not appeal enough to make it worth the effort.

and the narrow path you are forced to follow, like in Fable, you just dont have much freedom at all, ....overall a disappointment, i am sad to say and i would rate this game far below the great ones, like Oblivon and Gothic III. I hope Bethesda will get to work on Elder Scrolls V and move on past this overdone world of dragons and nasty evil hordes. It is a waste of their great talents. I am glad many enjoy this game, and i mean my opinion as only that, an opinion. Enjoy the battles and the journey. They should have left more room for modding too, i think, but that seems to be the modern trend, try to wrap the gift up in a tight control.

[haptsonir]

Originally Posted by Christian IV

...the great ones, like Oblivon and Gothic III...

[AndreaDraco83]

Originally Posted by Christian IV

I enjoyed my visit to Dragon Age land, but after doing several of the main quests, the constant battling with cloned nasties got very tired. I find the lore of the story just does not makes sense, a vast and lovely land and then these dark and evil things that attack, but why? and how do Dragons appear so magically in it all?

All these questions find in-depth answers in game, through the various Codex entries and through many conversations. Just two examples below:

Spoiler:

Dragons appear magically? Do you mean High Dragons or the Archdemon dragons? It is clearly stated that the Archdemon is an Old God of Tevinter corrupted by the Blight. As for the reasons behind the darkspawn, well... have you visited the Dead Trenches?

and the narrow path you are forced to follow, like in Fable, you just dont have much freedom at all, ....overall a disappointment, i am sad to say and i would rate this game far below the great ones, like Oblivon and Gothic III.

While I utterly despise the Gothic series, I really liked Oblivion and I played it for more than 200 hours, but I'd take the deep story and the compelling moral choices of Dragon Age over the rather insipid story of Oblivion every day. I guess that it's more a matter of what you seek in a game - freedom of exploration or depth of story - than inherent merit of the games themselves.

[AndreaDraco83]

A question for those who have completed the game.

Spoiler:

The landsmeet: whom you crowned? Did you let Loghain live? What about Anora?

I let Alistair execute that bloody traitor Loghain and then I chose to crown him. The unsufferable Anora refused to swear fealty to him and Alistair decided to put her in jail - I couldn't stand the lady so much that I wouldn't have been so kind to her

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Originally Posted by AndreaDraco83

A question for those who have completed the game.

Spoiler:

The landsmeet: whom you crowned? Did you let Loghain live? What about Anora?

I let Alistair execute that bloody traitor Loghain and then I chose to crown him. The unsufferable Anora refused to swear fealty to him and Alistair decided to put her in jail - I couldn't stand the lady so much that I wouldn't have been so kind to her

I did exactly the same as you...

Spoiler:

Despite Loghain's honourable heroism against Orlais, I judged him solely on his most recent choices. HE IS A TRAITOR. He chose to kill Cailen, a plan he had been working on all along, starting with the poisoning of Arl Eamon, and by the stupid Jowan of all people, and the murder of the Couslands by Howe. By allowing the darkspawn to massacre the king and consequently nearly the entire army of Grey Wardens, he has plunged all of Ferelden into profound and grave risk of annihilation. That deserves the punishment of death and worse. Besides that he upped the possibility of pushing Ferelden into civil war, and with the Blight happening with it of all things!

As well, his daughter seems to have inherited his thirst for power and possible totalitarian rule. I didn't trust her. After having Alistair execute Loghain for his crimes I gave Anora to him to punish as he sees fit. It's utterly satisfying and just to see him lock her up in the tower for the rest of her days with a commanding view of Ferelden that will allow her to see its progress and betterment as a nation under Alistair's rule, the Arl's military guidance, and my social and cultural aegis.

I'm happy that Wynne has been appointed the position of First Enchanter of the Circle, and as a Mage I will help her bring about the necessary change and progress of all Mages in the Circle and eventually see it become a far more welcoming and encouraging organization (rather than tear the little kids away from their families forever, we will turn the Circle into a mandatory university for the gifted and encourage the families to visit their children there to see their progress).

As well I will appoint Lelianna as ambassador to Ferelden. She will be an incredibly dexterous and cunning diplomat and, when necessary, spy for King Alistair and his aides. Zevran, of course, will make an awesome assassin for us, on a strictly freelance basis, natch. Thingy will be the official royal Mabari doggy. Not sure if he'll accept, but I want Oghren to be our military liaison with the Legion of the Dead in the Deep Roads to keep the darkspawn under control (we'll maintain a small army of men down there to help the dwarves, thereby securing our political relationship with the citizens of Orzammar).

[AndreaDraco83]

Spoiler:

I think I've still to reach the point where I can make choices about the other characters, like Wynne or Leliana. Does this occur much later in the game? I'm about to head to Redcliffe to start 'The Final Onslaught'...

[Crunchy in milk]

I don't understand the venomous hate so many people seem to develop for Anora. Is it because she talks down to you? She's the fucking queen.

Spoiler:

Is it because she's smart enough to figure out you're going to depose her? Remove her from a role she's not only suited to, but worked hard at, and received praise for her skill at? (from both noble and commoner alike) Or do people just hate her by proxy because of her father?

Personally I loved her. In her very brief time on screen, I felt more from her, and for her than after an entire game dragging Morrigan, Leliana and Wynne along in my wake. She's smarter, sharper and more insightful than the lot of them. I would have loved for an excuse to go with a romp with her outside the palace to wear away her polished facade a little and get to know her more.

I have tried all the so called 'backstabbing' moments she's accused of. All of her reactions made sense to me and never irked me for very long. It just made her all the more desirable. I never got the impression she was just about ruling, and I only felt more for her as a character that she didn't just roll over and look to me to decide the fate of her country.

Unlike the Elves or the Dwarves. God how awful such moments where, "Dear Warden, we are pitiful weaklings, you know so much more than us, show us the way!"

*gag*

Spoiler:

Even 'hardened' I've never felt any confidence in Alistair as king. The only time I did put him on the throne was as a puppet for my power mad mage, who was looking to pick a fight with the Maker himself.

All other times I've gladly supported Anora. The only thing she really did wrong was love her father a little too blindly.

[AndreaDraco83]

For me, it's because she is the type of ruler that is perhaps better suited for an Orlesian court, entangled in power games and diplomatic balances. But I also feel she lacked a real sense of justice (as evident after the Landsmeet, during the final confrontation with Loghain), and she seemed to me a little to eager to have the throne to be fully reliable.

Spoiler:

And as Arl Eamon puts it: "The thing to remember about Anora, is that she's her father's daughter", or something like that

[Crunchy in milk]

Originally Posted by AndreaDraco83

For me, it's because she is the type of ruler that is perhaps better suited for an Orlesian court, entangled in power games and diplomatic balances.

In what way? Look at your own role in the affair. Anora is a respected queen and ruler. Commoners and nobles all talk her up in the game, Alistair too!. Even Eamon respects her leadership and praises her intelligence. What he doesn't like is her bloodline. He wants her off the throne for this reason alone. Why do you want her off the throne? What justifies that crime? She doesn't have to be deposed in order to fight the blight. She supports you fully, when you do the same. Its only once you try to meddle in politics that she returns the favour. She is remarkably accommodating given what you represent.

But I also feel she lacked a real sense of justice (as evident after the Landsmeet, during the final confrontation with Loghain), and she seemed to me a little to eager to have the throne to be fully reliable.

Did you feel she should have welcomed the death of her father? Did you feel she should have rolled over and begged you to rule her country for her? You're exploiting the situation to do Eamon's bidding. Who has a poor sense of justice? You are the one schemeing for the throne. Its already hers. Small wonder she tries to remove Alistair from future influence. I would have called for Eamon's head too.

Anora is a proven, reliable ruler, Alistair is nothing of the sort (witness: the entire game). If you take Riordin's suggestion. Riordin the senior warden, and the one to have suffered the most at Loghain's hands. Alistair hissy fits. He leaves. He runs away.

Anora would not be ruler at any cost, she would rather go to the tower than marry her husband's brother and father's killer.

[AndreaDraco83]

It seems that you hate me