R2s Muse wrote...
vieralynn wrote...
R2s Muse wrote...
Also, the part: "It is my duty. Some Templars I know discuss it with glee, I don't share
their enthusiasm. I try to serve the Maker first and foremost, as long
as I am guided by his commandments I cannot go wrong. "
He's already acknowledging that he tries to follow what he believes the Maker and Andraste intended, not necessarily what the templars do or expect. I think this part of his character remains into DA2, even if he loses sight of it a bit with his PTSD.
As for following what he believes the Maker and Andraste intended vs what the templars do or expect, I'd say he loses sight a good bit during Act 1 of DA2 (and maybe part of Act 2). I don't have the lines handy ATM but Cullen does say (paraphrased) that he has decided not to question the Templar Order.
All in all, I think Cullen's interest in following the will/word of Andraste and the Maker positions him to play an interesting role in DA3 as a reformer (assuming he's included).
Hmm, I wonder, when do you think he said this? In Act 1, I'd also been thinking that he loses sight of his own belief in the Maker/Andraste, but interestingly, in reviewing what he actually says, for example, after the Keran quest, he actually seems to be following his own (PTSD-induced) beliefs... which are still shaped at the time by his experiences with Uldred. He doesn't so much quote what the Order says but talks about "the world that Andraste recognized." In contrast, there are a number of lines in Act 3 where he says that he won't question the purpose of the Order again but wonders if following Meredith and the Order are the same thing anymore. And, during the Last Straw, also says that he'll do as he's commanded, but is increasingly unclear who's in right, etc.
PTSD is at the root of much of Cullen's behavior in DA2, particularly in the first act. As for the line I remember where he said that he (paraphrased) decided never to question the Order, I vaguely remember that it was somewhere in the earlier part of the game but it could instead be those lines in Act 3 where he says that he won't question the purpose of the Order again. Unfortunately, I won't have much access to the game itself until the middle of June and my internet access is limited until then too. :/
But, yes, a fair number of his lines play out his inner conflict between the abstract word of Andraste and various implementations of it (the Order in general, Meredith in specific). Complicating this matter is that everything is colored by his own experiences in Ferelden, both before and during/after Uldred's attack. I always get the impression that he's trying (and failing) to understand his experiences at a logical/intellectual level.
R2s Muse wrote...
Although, interestingly, just saw a clip from Act 3 when he arrests Alain and if you say he's a blood mage, Cullen chimes in (again!) that mages can't be trusted. D'oh. That's pesky roleplaying. You can still make Cullen a bigot that late in the game. Jeesh.
(I think of him as a jingoist rather than a bigot, but we're probably splitting semantic hairs.)
To me, it makes complete sense to me that Hawke can sway Cullen like that during Act 3. He spends almost the entiregame unable to trust himself to make important decisions on his own. Rather than look inside himself (because inside he's a jumbled mess), he looks outside.
Also, while I suspect I'll get flamed from fandom for saying this, Cullen's inability to trust mages throughout DA2 is central to who is character is and given the experience he had in Ferelden's Circle, it makes sense that he feels that mages must always be watched. The redeeming moment for him is in the conclusion of his own mini story arc spread between the two games: in the "support templars, defy meredith" ending he finally shows that he can extend some trust toward mages, right when he's at the edge of defining for himself (a big step!) what "being a templar is all about."
All of that said, while he could grown into a mage sympathizer (like Thrask) had Uldred never attacked Ferelden's Circle, Cullen is a hardliner for all of DA2 except for the last few minutes of the game but *only* for the "support templars, defy meredith" ending. Now that Cullen has experienced the worst of both sides, he might start moderating his views. (Rather likely, given what David Gaider has said, assuming that Cullen returns.)
So, here's what I find interesting about Cullen: his actions embody his ability to trust mages even when his words do not.
As far as I can tell, he's a law-abiding hardliner with beliefs that are far closer to Meredith's than Thrask's for the first two acts. Meredtih stops being a lawful hardliner in Act 3 and veers off into crazy dictator land when she stops following the law by going over Elthina's head and asking the Divine for a rite of annulment (for no good reason other than paranoia). But, Cullen is still a hardliner in Act 3 although his hard stance appears to be motivated by his desire to implement the word of Andraste such that others will not suffer what he did in Ferelden. (To his defense, there is a certain nobility in this even if he has a habit of saying potentially distasteful words). YET, his
actions often show that he's willing to trust Hawke, even though he knows that Hawke shelters apostates and is possibly an apostate him/herself. Depending on Hawke's choices, there are times when Cullen is dismayed that Hawke is not supportive of the Templars Order or putting his/her nose into mage-related "trouble," but Cullen always (or almost always?) attempts to work with Hawke, come to some sort of agreement, and he often looks directly to Hawke for advice when making difficult mage-templar decisions.
What I find interesting are the possible reason why Cullen's words and actions don't necessarily align. He strikes me as very lost so he uses religious words and rules as crutches. Although, given the things that Cullen says during the male and female mage origins, I suspect that Cullen has always been a bit lost. So, I actually embrace the fact that he's confused, he's a templar jingoist, and he has deep seated fears of mages turning to blood magic, consorting with demons, or randomly exploding into flames in the middle of hightown. That is who he is, unpleasant as it might be. But there is something else in him that is trying to do right for the good of all, that strives for merciful and compassionate solutions, that is willing to work with apostate mages, and, most important, that is seeking for solutions to contradictions that the rules/laws he has surrounded himself in
cannot provide. He appears
aware of the fact that he's lost and he is willing to search for new and better answers. That alone makes him very different from the other hardliners in the Gallows. So, as a fan and a fic writer, I don't see any reason to apologize for what he is when his inner bigot/jingoist comes out. Instead, I see him as someone who
wants people with answers to reach out to him and even when lost, he has enough of a moral compass to judge actions that are clearly wrong.
R2s Muse wrote...
Anyway, I hadn't really thought about it before, but I wonder if he's less of a mindless follower throughout. Yet again, making him the perfect character for inclusion in DA3!
Fingers crossed!
In Medieval times it was more common for men to have longer hair. I wonder why DA doesn't reflect this.
Retour en haut
I do think he looks outside of himself for guidance as to what's right and wrong but he has enough of a moral compass that he knows when the train has gone off the rails. During the first half of DA2, he's still reeling and recuperating from what happened in Kinloch Hold. Broken Circle took place mere months before he shows up in Kirkwall and his behavior reflects someone who is still very traumatized. It doesn't make him an ass; it means he's broken. 
:crying:
