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[SamaraDraven]

ThePuppetWithNoStrings wrote...

I just want to take a moment to say to you all that you guys and your posts are keeping me sane while I wait for news on this game haha! I hope we get Cullen as an LI, I'd scream my ass off with joy and proceed to hit it like a screen door in a hurricane.

HAHA! Hurricane...  Isabela lost a sailor to one of those... I think this forum would explode with a deafening roar if Cullen were to be announced as LI. Poor boy would be more used than a $2 dollar hooker.  But welcome! Come on in! The crazy's fine!

[berelinde]

meanieweenie wrote...

R2s Muse wrote...

On his parentage... I have so many ideas knocking around in my head now, I'm not sure what's my favorite anymore. I used to like the orphan, no history thing, but now I'm thinking it would be cool for him to still have roots somewhere. All we know is that he's Fereldan, so I imagine him being someone middle to lower class.

Given his diction, he might be slightly more middle... but then I see a career templar like him being given an education at the Chantry. So maybe joining the templars is a way to improve your social standing a bit, you know... like he's the first in his family to go to college, as it were.

I was flirting with the idea once that in his "spare" time he goes back to the old family farm to help out in his spare time and maybe sends part of his paycheck there. It could be something he doesn't talk about or share, but isn't ashamed of, either. They're a close-knit, down to earth family, and that's what grounds him. They're extremely proud of him for how he's 'movin' on up' and... for a little drama, let's say he never told them about Broken Circle and being committed to the Chantry in Greenfell.He doesn't want them to worry.

Given his rank, I do believe he's gotten a top notch education, including etiquette - both political and societal. Maybe you're right and it could be a way to improve social standing.

If he did have a family I would have no doubt that he'd be sending a check every month to his mama. (like Clark Kent)

Gotta tell you, meanie, I love your idea about Cullen's dad.

Not so sure he wouldn't have humble roots though, whether as a Chantry foundling or as a cast-off kid whose parents could no longer afford to feed him. He talks like someone who has had to *learn* elocution, not someone who has picked it up as a byproduct of an affluent home life. His hesitancy around powerful or attractive people kind of bears this out. There are times when he seems uncomfortable in his role, and a social disparity would explain at least part of that.

Compare Hawke and Carver. Carver sounds like somebody who is right at home belching and picking his bum with the yokels in the Lothering militia, but Hawke does not. I attribute that to Hawke spending his formative years (up to age 6) among less rustic people. I figure that the family spent a lot of time moving, settling in lower and lower social strata until they found one where they could hide their mages without fear of discovery.

[LolaLei]

It's hard to say what his background would be judging solely on his accent. Cullen's actually rather well spoken and educated, but that could easily be his professional work voice (like my telephone voice), plus most of the British actors they use for main/important characters have your bog standard Southern English accent (with acception of one or two), but i'm not sure if that's done to make it easier for you guys over seas to understand (we have some strong/bizarre religional accents in the UK lol.)

[Face of Evil]

To quote Alistair, they don't make stupid templars.

[LolaLei]

Face of Evil wrote...

To quote Alistair, they don't make stupid templars.

You can come from a poor/common background and still be intelligent, they'd just have to be quick learners. Besides, I think the Order these days are more likely to be recruiting based more on zeal/ability to not question orders, than brain capacity.

[kellyofthemagi]

                                                                                                          Hi Everyone ! Im trying to figure out how to put this  in my signature. Use to be able to do it. Now I can/t fint the place to put it. I know Duh Kelly.

[meanieweenie]

[quote]berelinde wrote...


Given his rank, I do believe he's gotten a top notch education, including etiquette - both political and societal. Maybe you're right and it could be a way to improve social standing.

If he did have a family I would have no doubt that he'd be sending a check every month to his mama. (like Clark Kent)
[/quote]Gotta tell you, meanie, I love your idea about Cullen's dad.

Not so sure he wouldn't have humble roots though, whether as a Chantry foundling or as a cast-off kid whose parents could no longer afford to feed him. He talks like someone who has had to *learn* elocution, not someone who has picked it up as a byproduct of an affluent home life. His hesitancy around powerful or attractive people kind of bears this out. There are times when he seems uncomfortable in his role, and a social disparity would explain at least part of that.

Compare Hawke and Carver. Carver sounds like somebody who is right at home belching and picking his bum with the yokels in the Lothering militia, but Hawke does not. I attribute that to Hawke spending his formative years (up to age 6) among less rustic people. I figure that the family spent a lot of time moving, settling in lower and lower social strata until they found one where they could hide their mages without fear of discovery.

[/quote]
Right you are... I think perhaps I wasn't very clear in my meaning. By top notch education, I meant after he was picked up by the Chantry or other. Notwithstanding a humble beginning, once "they" realized he was smarter than the average bear they would have singled him out to be better educated than the standard worker bee.

[kellyofthemagi]

Found it

[R2s Muse]

LolaLei wrote...

Face of Evil wrote...

To quote Alistair, they don't make stupid templars.

You can come from a poor/common background and still be intelligent, they'd just have to be quick learners. Besides, I think the Order these days are more likely to be recruiting based more on zeal/ability to not question orders, than brain capacity.

Hmm... for what it's worth, Cullen's chr file says "Intelligence: average." But then... so does virtually everyone else's in DA:O, except for... I think it was, Morrigan?

I agree that templars are probably not recruited for their brains... but the Chantry Hierarchy codex does talk a little bit about the education they offer to initiates and that only those who go on to be templars get arms training. This has always suggested to me that at least some of them are getting a real education, kinda like sending off the officers to West Point. So, I see Cullen potentially being one of these since he has gone on to be an officer.

I like berelinde's point that he doesn't act like he's been living the priviledged life, given some of his uncertainty. But then, in DA2, I think he now seems rather self-assured.

[LolaLei]

I don't think he behaves like he's self assured at all... Although he's not really been the greatest Knight Captain in the world, poor sod. I think he was thrown into a situation that was too much for him to handle at such a young age, all he could do is struggle through it the best he can and hope for the best.

Modifié par LolaLei, 14 septembre 2012 - 05:04 .

[kellyofthemagi]

R2s Muse wrote...

LolaLei wrote...

Face of Evil wrote...

To quote Alistair, they don't make stupid templars.

You can come from a poor/common background and still be intelligent, they'd just have to be quick learners. Besides, I think the Order these days are more likely to be recruiting based more on zeal/ability to not question orders, than brain capacity.

Hmm... for what it's worth, Cullen's chr file says "Intelligence: average." But then... so does virtually everyone else's in DA:O, except for... I think it was, Morrigan?

I agree that templars are probably not recruited for their brains... but the Chantry Hierarchy codex does talk a little bit about the education they offer to initiates and that only those who go on to be templars get arms training. This has always suggested to me that at least some of them are getting a real education, kinda like sending off the officers to West Point. So, I see Cullen potentially being one of these since he has gone on to be an officer.

I like berelinde's point that he doesn't act like he's been living the priviledged life, given some of his uncertainty. But then, in DA2, I think he now seems rather self-assured.

Agreed. Cullen has come along way from the Circle in Ferelden. His torment and break down that he over came, Situations like those could make or break somone. He proved to be strong enough to over come. Which I think contributes to his confidence now. With yet a little bashfulness when it comes to the ladies. So adorable!

[CuriousArtemis]

kellyofthemagi wrote...

 Agreed. Cullen has come along way from the Circle in Ferelden. His torment and break down that he over came, Situations like those could make or break somone. He proved to be strong enough to over come. Which I think contributes to his confidence now. With yet a little bashfulness when it comes to the ladies. So adorable!

I have to disagree about how far he's come! I've thought a lot about Cullen the past couple days (well, "a lot" is relative, during those few moments when I am allowed to think about something "fun" haha). And I think I've come to the conclusion that beneath that knight-captain's armor, Cullen is still the same scared boy he was in the circle tower. 

In Act 1, he works fairly desperately to weed out the influence of blood magic infecting his recruits. He snaps at Hawke when s/he encounters himself and Wilmod, indicating that he's jumpy and terrified of being found out by strangers (letting such a thing leak to the outside populace, that his recruits have been infected by blood magic). He takes Wilmod away from the Gallows, ALONE, and tries to deal with the situation BY HIMSELF. This seems like the act of a parnoid individual who's over his head and doesn't know how to adequately deal with the situation. He's hiding it from his superior; he's hiding it from everyone. 

Later, he relies on HAWKE to decide what to do about Keran. Unfortunately, this indecisiveness on his part can be blamed on the RPG aspect of the game; the game wants the player to decide what happens to Keran. But it could have been written better to allow Cullen some semblance of agency; instead, he again looks indecisive and slightly panicky, as he waits for Hawke's recommendation on what to do. His tone of voice, too, indicates that he's frustrated and doesn't like having to make this decision (great VA by the way).

I don't think we hear much from him in Act 2.

In Act 3, like I said before, he again relies on Hawke in "Best Served Cold" to decide what to do with Alain and the other rebel mages. He will stand up for them against Meredith (a pretty gutsy move) if Hawke suggests he should, but he will also throw them to her mercy, in effect allow them to die, if Hawke suggests otherwise. This is TERRIBLE! He is knight-captain, and he cannot make this decision for himself? Again, we can blame the RPG aspect of the game, but it makes Cullen again look indecisive and immature.

Cullen finally, FINALLY makes a bold and worthy decision when he stands up to Meredith in the Gallows and refuses to let her kill Hawke. THIS is the final evolution of his character. I think when he makes his move, he is STILL terrified and conflicted in his heart; he is still a templar to his bones, but for some reason, he makes a stand againt Meredith ... not because, I think, she threatens to kill Hawke, but because she has gone insane, and he feels she is no longer fit to rule. And Cullen can handle the thought of following an unfit ruler; the templar order is the most sacred thing in his life. He beleive in it with all his heart and soul.

Even at the end, after the final battle, Cullen is unsure as to whether or not he should let a mage-supporting Hawke go. HE'S STILL INDECISIVE. But he does the right thing (of course) and lets him/her go.

So that's my reading of Cullen; I think he's a damaged, weak-willed man, and I think this makes him a fascinating and interesting character and an AWESOME candidate for a love interest and companion. Because I love companions with deep flaws like this ... makes them more like real people, no?

Modifié par motomotogirl, 14 septembre 2012 - 05:21 .

[R2s Muse]

kellyofthemagi wrote...

R2s Muse wrote...

LolaLei wrote...

Face of Evil wrote...

To quote Alistair, they don't make stupid templars.

You can come from a poor/common background and still be intelligent, they'd just have to be quick learners. Besides, I think the Order these days are more likely to be recruiting based more on zeal/ability to not question orders, than brain capacity.

Hmm... for what it's worth, Cullen's chr file says "Intelligence: average." But then... so does virtually everyone else's in DA:O, except for... I think it was, Morrigan?

I agree that templars are probably not recruited for their brains... but the Chantry Hierarchy codex does talk a little bit about the education they offer to initiates and that only those who go on to be templars get arms training. This has always suggested to me that at least some of them are getting a real education, kinda like sending off the officers to West Point. So, I see Cullen potentially being one of these since he has gone on to be an officer.

I like berelinde's point that he doesn't act like he's been living the priviledged life, given some of his uncertainty. But then, in DA2, I think he now seems rather self-assured.

Agreed. Cullen has come along way from the Circle in Ferelden. His torment and break down that he over came, Situations like those could make or break somone. He proved to be strong enough to over come. Which I think contributes to his confidence now. With yet a little bashfulness when it comes to the ladies. So adorable!

^This. My new favorite word to describe him. Not a lack of confidence or uncertainty, but some bashfulness.

Yeah, I could see him still having some issues to overcome in the Kirkwall Circle... esp if none of the other tempars want to play with him. But whenever my Hawke talks to him, I always feel like he's mostly got his sh!t together.

Like when he steps in with Mascha to reward  you for helping Keran. "I will handle that... miss." Unf.

[kellyofthemagi]

Ah but I say we're all free to agree or disagree. Just something to think about.

Modifié par kellyofthemagi, 14 septembre 2012 - 05:38 .

[kellyofthemagi]

R2s Muse wrote...

kellyofthemagi wrote...

R2s Muse wrote...

LolaLei wrote...

Face of Evil wrote...

To quote Alistair, they don't make stupid templars.

You can come from a poor/common background and still be intelligent, they'd just have to be quick learners. Besides, I think the Order these days are more likely to be recruiting based more on zeal/ability to not question orders, than brain capacity.

Hmm... for what it's worth, Cullen's chr file says "Intelligence: average." But then... so does virtually everyone else's in DA:O, except for... I think it was, Morrigan?

I agree that templars are probably not recruited for their brains... but the Chantry Hierarchy codex does talk a little bit about the education they offer to initiates and that only those who go on to be templars get arms training. This has always suggested to me that at least some of them are getting a real education, kinda like sending off the officers to West Point. So, I see Cullen potentially being one of these since he has gone on to be an officer.

I like berelinde's point that he doesn't act like he's been living the priviledged life, given some of his uncertainty. But then, in DA2, I think he now seems rather self-assured.

Agreed. Cullen has come along way from the Circle in Ferelden. His torment and break down that he over came, Situations like those could make or break somone. He proved to be strong enough to over come. Which I think contributes to his confidence now. With yet a little bashfulness when it comes to the ladies. So adorable!

^This. My new favorite word to describe him. Not a lack of confidence or uncertainty, but some bashfulness.

Yeah, I could see him still having some issues to overcome in the Kirkwall Circle... esp if none of the other tempars want to play with him. But whenever my Hawke talks to him, I always feel like he's mostly got his sh!t together.

Like when he steps in with Mascha to reward  you for helping Keran. "I will handle that... miss." Unf.

And see , I see that same Quality in him. I don't think he's trying to hide anything. They ( the writters ) make it seem it was effortless for him to act as such. Giving him that selfconfidence in his actions. And I love bashful too.

[SamaraDraven]

I think we're all just reading too much into a system, designed to give us that RPG aspect we love in a game. It was written by human beings who aren't all seeing and all knowing and can't account for every possible interpretation of each tiny detail that we might have without driving themselves nuts.  So I chalk it all up to that's how the games were written in order to be of the RPG genre. We're responsible for how things turn out. They wrote certain parts of Cullen to go along with whatever Hawke says, regardless of what he's supposed to believe. Dumar does it. Elthina too, a little bit.

The companions are no different. We get rivalry and friendship points for it but they still go along with the PC's decisions. Cullen has no means of letting you know he disapproves. Giving him a hard stance on something, logically means you'll have to fight him for going against him. If the devs want to do it justice, Cullen would have to be killable or at least knock-out-able, depending on whether or not your choices are too much for him to accept. But then we'd have another Nathaniel or Leliana or Alistair situation with subsequent games and we all know how the fans took having their ultimate choice about those characters ret-conned... <_< Cullen was a touchstone between games and his fate in future titles is still uncertain.

The devs probably wanted to keep him in case they decided to expand on him AND they probably thought "Oh he'd make a great anchoring character! A familiar face for the players to connect them to DAO more." and only later does the need to make Cullen a wishy-washy willow tree become a problem. In short, it ain't his fault. It's the devs for not knowing what to do with him. I really think DA3 should provide closure on this and say "This is canon" because there's too much confusion and contention about what kind of man Cullen is since he is so changeable.

Well, that's my 2 cents anyway.

Modifié par SamaraDraven, 14 septembre 2012 - 05:47 .

[kellyofthemagi]

SamaraDraven wrote...

I think we're all just reading too much into a system, designed to give us that RPG aspect we love in a game. It was written by human beings who aren't all seeing and all knowing and can't account for every possible interpretation of each tiny detail that we might have without driving themselves nuts.  So I chalk it all up to that's how the games were written in order to be of the RPG genre. We're responsible for how things turn out. They wrote certain parts of Cullen to go along with whatever Hawke says, regardless of what he's supposed to believe. Dumar does it. Elthina too, a little bit.

The companions are no different. We get rivalry and friendship points for it but they still go along with the PC's decisions. Cullen has no means of letting you know he disapproves. Giving him a hard stance on something, logically means you'll have to fight him for going against him. If the devs want to do it justice, Cullen would have to be killable or at least knock-out-able, depending on whether or not your choices are too much for him to accept. But then we'd have another Nathaniel or Leliana or Alistair situation with subsequent games and we all know how the fans took having their ultimate choice about those characters ret-conned... <_< Cullen was a touchstone between games and his fate in future titles is still uncertain.

The devs probably wanted to keep him in case they decided to expand on him AND they probably thought "Oh he'd make a great anchoring character! A familiar face for the players to connect them to DAO more." and only later does the need to make Cullen a wishy-washy willow tree become a problem. In short, it ain't his fault. It's the devs for not knowing what to do with him. I really think DA3 should provide closure on this and say "This is canon" because there's too much confusion and contention about what kind of man Cullen is since he is so changeable.

Well, that's my 2 cents anyway.

Well stated. Thats what the RPG is about . We all may see different things in a character its our perseption of them what we read into it or not. The Devs could certainly capitalize on Cullens story.

[R2s Muse]

motomotogirl wrote...

kellyofthemagi wrote...

 Agreed. Cullen has come along way from the Circle in Ferelden. His torment and break down that he over came, Situations like those could make or break somone. He proved to be strong enough to over come. Which I think contributes to his confidence now. With yet a little bashfulness when it comes to the ladies. So adorable!

I have to disagree about how far he's come! I've thought a lot about Cullen the past couple days (well, "a lot" is relative, during those few moments when I am allowed to think about something "fun" haha). And I think I've come to the conclusion that beneath that knight-captain's armor, Cullen is still the same scared boy he was in the circle tower. 

In Act 1, he works fairly desperately to weed out the influence of blood magic infecting his recruits. He snaps at Hawke when s/he encounters himself and Wilmod, indicating that he's jumpy and terrified of being found out by strangers (letting such a thing leak to the outside populace, that his recruits have been infected by blood magic). He takes Wilmod away from the Gallows, ALONE, and tries to deal with the situation BY HIMSELF. This seems like the act of a parnoid individual who's over his head and doesn't know how to adequately deal with the situation. He's hiding it from his superior; he's hiding it from everyone. 

Later, he relies on HAWKE to decide what to do about Keran. Unfortunately, this indecisiveness on his part can be blamed on the RPG aspect of the game; the game wants the player to decide what happens to Keran. But it could have been written better to allow Cullen some semblance of agency; instead, he again looks indecisive and slightly panicky, as he waits for Hawke's recommendation on what to do. His tone of voice, too, indicates that he's frustrated and doesn't like having to make this decision (great VA by the way).

I don't think we hear much from him in Act 2.

In Act 3, like I said before, he again relies on Hawke in "Best Served Cold" to decide what to do with Alain and the other rebel mages. He will stand up for them against Meredith (a pretty gutsy move) if Hawke suggests he should, but he will also throw them to her mercy, in effect allow them to die, if Hawke suggests otherwise. This is TERRIBLE! He is knight-captain, and he cannot make this decision for himself? Again, we can blame the RPG aspect of the game, but it makes Cullen again look indecisive and immature.

Cullen finally, FINALLY makes a bold and worthy decision when he stands up to Meredith in the Gallows and refuses to let her kill Hawke. THIS is the final evolution of his character. I think when he makes his move, he is STILL terrified and conflicted in his heart; he is still a templar to his bones, but for some reason, he makes a stand againt Meredith ... not because, I think, she threatens to kill Hawke, but because she has gone insane, and he feels she is no longer fit to rule. And Cullen can handle the thought of following an unfit ruler; the templar order is the most sacred thing in his life. He beleive in it with all his heart and soul.

Even at the end, after the final battle, Cullen is unsure as to whether or not he should let a mage-supporting Hawke go. HE'S STILL INDECISIVE. But he does the right thing (of course) and lets him/her go.

So that's my reading of Cullen; I think he's a damaged, weak-willed man, and I think this makes him a fascinating and interesting character and an AWESOME candidate for a love interest and companion. Because I love companions with deep flaws like this ... makes them more like real people, no?

I agree that he doesn't start thinking for himself until the end of Act 3. The RPG aspect plus his need to follow rules and his duty make him highly subject to Hawke's influence. But, I see Hawke as more of a catalyst to his burgeoning growth as a character. For example, I think the writers tried their best to leave the Keran decision in the player's hand, and you could read Hawke's influence as more providing additional info on Keran's state of mind that inform the decision of whether to consider him too much of a risk as a recruit.

I don't know that I'd call him damaged and weak-willed by the end, though, as that makes it sound like he's permanently going to be a paranoid, PTSD-sufferer who can't think for himself, and I don't think that's the case. I think in Act 1 he is certainly damaged. In Act 1, he's only a few months out from his experience in Ferelden, so actually doing quite well given what happened. I personally didn't see his approach to Wilmod as paranoid, but certainly, dealing with blood mages again are going to bring up his insecurities and such again.

In Act 2, yeah, he's pretty much apologizing for Meredith and still towing the party line. But, in Act 3, the incidental conversations you have with him in the Gallows reveal his growing doubts about Meredith and whether or not following her is also following the Order. Concerns he's developed on his own, not because Hawke told him to. By the end, I personally think the threat to Hawke is the catalyst for him to finally stand up to Meredith, but I agree, that he's standing up to her once and for all because she is no longer following what the Order stands for, not just to save his friend.

When he lets Hawke go at the (pro-mage) end, I don't think that's a sign of his continuing indecisiveness. I think it's evidence of his evolution. He's finally thinking for himself and not blindly following the rules. I would argue that the rules would say it was finally time to arrest the Champion and he decides instead to let her go, perhaps in a quid pro quo for saving them all from Meredith, perhaps because it's just fair. But he decides on his own.

So that's a long winded way of saying, yes, he's flawed and would be a great companion. But I do think he's come quite a ways over the course of DA2.

Modifié par R2s Muse, 14 septembre 2012 - 05:58 .

[CuriousArtemis]

Yeah, like I said, I know a lot of how Cullen acts is based around giving the player the chance to decide how things will turn out in the game. But I don't know how accidental that is. Yeah, Dumar asks Hawke for assistance in decision-making, too, and most players agree he is a very weak-willed character (I've seen lots of people criticize Dumar). But how often does Aveline ask Hawke what she should do? She asks for help with Donnic, yeah, but that's not the same thing ... they have that great conversation where she "pretends" like she's asking Hawke for his/her opinion on whether or not she should return to Fereldan, but in truth, she's just testing him/her; she's already decided to stay in Kirkwall. I love that conversation lol

As I said, I'd just been thinking a lot (over-thinking? haha) about Cullen and probably reconstructing and deconstructing his character ad infinitum. Just excited he might be a LI. And trying to imagine what sort of person he might be molded into by the writers. I think they've given themselves a lot to work with.

[Danny Boy 7]

Cullen reminds me more of Ser Gilmore than anything. I get the feeling he is middle-upper class; not quite rich enough to be a "noble" but not so middle class as to be unable to afford a couple of elf servants. I get the feeling that he was one of younger children or a middle child and his choices were either become a squire to a noble or join the Templars. He chose the latter because he is extremely faithful or knew someone in the local chantry that sort of encouraged him towards it.

A strange thing that keeps popping in my head, but is implausible is that he had a woman he was in love with and was his first, but later broke his heart by either cheating on him or betraying him to help her mage lover which might have fed his zeal.

Food for thought anyway.

[R2s Muse]

motomotogirl wrote...

Yeah, like I said, I know a lot of how Cullen acts is based around giving the player the chance to decide how things will turn out in the game. But I don't know how accidental that is. Yeah, Dumar asks Hawke for assistance in decision-making, too, and most players agree he is a very weak-willed character (I've seen lots of people criticize Dumar). But how often does Aveline ask Hawke what she should do? She asks for help with Donnic, yeah, but that's not the same thing ... they have that great conversation where she "pretends" like she's asking Hawke for his/her opinion on whether or not she should return to Fereldan, but in truth, she's just testing him/her; she's already decided to stay in Kirkwall. I love that conversation lol

As I said, I'd just been thinking a lot (over-thinking? haha) about Cullen and probably reconstructing and deconstructing his character ad infinitum. Just excited he might be a LI. And trying to imagine what sort of person he might be molded into by the writers. I think they've given themselves a lot to work with.

Agree, it is an exciting prospect to think about him in the next game! And, I do hope they start with some of these thorny issues... and consider how he's evolved.

With regard to comparing Aveline and Cullen in their request for Hawke's input, though, I think it's a little bit of apples and oranges. Aveline's quests aren't "main quests" and deciding big story arcs. Cullen's generally are. In some sense, Cullen probably gets shafted since his decisions are probably the few the writers threw to the player to make us feel like we're affecting the outcome to DA2... when in fact, that was little to really affect. <_<

Modifié par R2s Muse, 14 septembre 2012 - 06:14 .

[CuriousArtemis]

R2s Muse wrote...

When he lets Hawke go at the (pro-mage) end, I don't think that's a sign of his continuing indecisiveness. I think it's evidence of his evolution. He's finally thinking for himself and not blindly following the rules. I would argue that the rules would say it was finally time to arrest the Champion and he decides instead to let her go, perhaps in a quid pro quo for saving them all from Meredith, perhaps because it's just fair. But he decides on his own.

Yeah, true, the "correct" thing would have been to imprison or kill Hawke. But he lets him/her go. I think this is a big moment for Cullen. He IS still indecisive even towards the very end (the way he hovers, seemingly unsure as to whether he should arrest Hawke or step back ... my god I think that's my favorite moment in all the game lol), but he breaks his oh-so-sacred templar order's rules by letting Hawke go.

Congratulations, Cullen, you've finally become a man  ha 

[R2s Muse]

Danny Boy 7 wrote...

Cullen reminds me more of Ser Gilmore than anything. I get the feeling he is middle-upper class; not quite rich enough to be a "noble" but not so middle class as to be unable to afford a couple of elf servants. I get the feeling that he was one of younger children or a middle child and his choices were either become a squire to a noble or join the Templars. He chose the latter because he is extremely faithful or knew someone in the local chantry that sort of encouraged him towards it.

A strange thing that keeps popping in my head, but is implausible is that he had a woman he was in love with and was his first, but later broke his heart by either cheating on him or betraying him to help her mage lover which might have fed his zeal.

Food for thought anyway.

Ooh, those are fun ideas! Cullen the Squire... hmmm...

[kellyofthemagi]

R2s Muse wrote...

Danny Boy 7 wrote...

Cullen reminds me more of Ser Gilmore than anything. I get the feeling he is middle-upper class; not quite rich enough to be a "noble" but not so middle class as to be unable to afford a couple of elf servants. I get the feeling that he was one of younger children or a middle child and his choices were either become a squire to a noble or join the Templars. He chose the latter because he is extremely faithful or knew someone in the local chantry that sort of encouraged him towards it.

A strange thing that keeps popping in my head, but is implausible is that he had a woman he was in love with and was his first, but later broke his heart by either cheating on him or betraying him to help her mage lover which might have fed his zeal.

Food for thought anyway.

Ooh, those are fun ideas! Cullen the Squire... hmmm...

LOL R2. Did the light bulb go off for a fanfic Idea. jk

[R2s Muse]

motomotogirl wrote...

R2s Muse wrote...

When he lets Hawke go at the (pro-mage) end, I don't think that's a sign of his continuing indecisiveness. I think it's evidence of his evolution. He's finally thinking for himself and not blindly following the rules. I would argue that the rules would say it was finally time to arrest the Champion and he decides instead to let her go, perhaps in a quid pro quo for saving them all from Meredith, perhaps because it's just fair. But he decides on his own.

Yeah, true, the "correct" thing would have been to imprison or kill Hawke. But he lets him/her go. I think this is a big moment for Cullen. He IS still indecisive even towards the very end (the way he hovers, seemingly unsure as to whether he should arrest Hawke or step back ... my god I think that's my favorite moment in all the game lol), but he breaks his oh-so-sacred templar order's rules by letting Hawke go.

Congratulations, Cullen, you've finally become a man  ha 

I know. I love that. I always hear the Good, the Bad and the Ugly whistle play as he and Hawke eye each other.



EDIT: Also... I've always read his hesitation as more... OK, if I move quickly here, battle erupts, people die. "Be cool, Cullen..."

Modifié par R2s Muse, 14 septembre 2012 - 06:12 .