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[Dave of Canada]

Minor question!

The guy on the cover (my display picture), who might he be? 

We had Maric / Loghain / Rowan and Katriel for Stolen Throne.
Duncan for The Calling.

Curious if this is anybody important or just a randomly disgruntled man.

[Brockololly]

Dave of Canada wrote...

Minor question!

The guy on the cover (my display picture), who might he be? 

We had Maric / Loghain / Rowan and Katriel for Stolen Throne.
Duncan for The Calling.

Curious if this is anybody important or just a randomly disgruntled man.

Wondering if its maybe the Lord Seeker? Total guess.

[TEWR]

Dave of Canada wrote...

Minor question!

The guy on the cover (my display picture), who might he be? 

We had Maric / Loghain / Rowan and Katriel for Stolen Throne.
Duncan for The Calling.

Curious if this is anybody important or just a randomly disgruntled man.

It's Wynne.

The Spirit of Faith did some work on Wynne and she is none too pleased.



edit: but to be serious I think it's the Lord Seeker too.

Modifié par The Ethereal Writer Redux, 14 décembre 2011 - 03:13 .

[Dave of Canada]

Could be both, those theories are sound. I'd rather support Brock's theory, though.

Modifié par Dave of Canada, 14 décembre 2011 - 03:12 .

[TEWR]

Dave of Canada wrote...

Could be both, those theories are sound. I'd rather support Brock's theory, though.

Oh I see how it is. The pro-Templar guy supports the theory dealing with the pro-Templar guy!

*in Sloth Demon voice*

I'm hurt. So very, very hurt.

[Jakeul200493]

The book arrived today!! But my nan has confiscated it until Christmas >_< FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-

[Gervaise]

Hy guys - just wanted to clarify about the book being available - I don't know about the US but if you live in the UK it most definitely is (for once we get something first!). I was a bit confused when Amazon UK said that if I ordered the book last Friday, it would be with me within 3 days since publication date was close to Christmas but I had gone on line to put in an advance order and so went ahead - low and behold it was on my door mat when I arrived home on Monday evening.

With regard to the attitude of the Lord Seeker, he started out in Tevinter and his best mate was a mage who went on to become Black Divine and was corrupted by the role and having to fend off the competition. Like Fenris said, if you want to stay ahead in Tevinter, you have to resort to the worst sort of blood magic in order to survive. So he is not a religious nut job simply because of his fanaticism but because he has seen what mages do with their freedom. Bear in mind that even Feynriel admits the Templars may have a point after what he has seen in Tevinter. It hardly seems coincidence that both people who have first hand experience of Tevinter Magisters (Lord Seeker and Fenris) think total mage freedom is a bad thing. If you read earlier codexes about the Templars, you will know that they were originally the Inquisition and independent of the Chantry but were brought under their control after the decision to make the Circles but mutual agreement. So the Lord Seeker was well within his rights to cancel the accord if the circumstances that created it no longer existed.

I would also point out that things are brought to a head by the actions of a mage, who kills someone and then plants the evidence on another mage in order to influence the actions of a third, plus the Grand Enchanter using a conclave called for one purpose in order to advance her own agenda, which is to break away from the Chantry. Whilst the Lord Seeker's reaction may have been excessive, nevertheless from his point of view the mages were effectively rebelling under his very nose. However, attempting to kill or imprison the First Enchanters from every Circle in Thedas was never going to go down well.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the book and I was pleased that it did answer some of the questions that DA2 posed and have been discussed at length on these Boards. For example, the Karl plot had always hinted that Tranquility was reversable and what happens in the book is consistent with this. I had always thought that the events in Kirkwall alone were not sufficient to account for the rebellion of every Circle in Thedas but the events of the book do give a plausible account of why this occurred. I was personally very pleased that when faced with the threat of death none of the First Enchanters did an Orsino or resorted to any other "bad" magic and that Wynne ended her story in noble self sacrifice, which is in keeping with the Wynne I knew in DAO. As for balance, there are various incidents where it is evident that it is not just the Templars who are a threat to mages and that people's fear of them is not just chantry propaganda but from first hand experience.

Just for good measure, it is not just mages and Templars who are in conflict. As Flemeth hinted in DA2 the world stands on the brink of great change and I am now definitely looking forward to DA3. Well done Mr Gaider.

[Great_Horn]

Well, according to the figure in front of the helmet, I would guess that’s Andraste. And if you can manage to get a closer look to his eyes …if they are cold-blue, then this guy could be indeed the Lord Seeker.

[jbrand2002uk]

I'd guess its the Knight Vigilant or whatever the Templar equivelent of Lord Seeker is

[Brockololly]

Gervaise wrote...
With regard to the attitude of the Lord Seeker, he started out in Tevinter and his best mate was a mage who went on to become Black Divine and was corrupted by the role and having to fend off the competition.

That sounds like a nice interesting little story worth seeing- a Templar and Mage as friends who grow apart because of their identities.

Gervaise wrote...
As for balance, there are various incidents where it is evident that it is not just the Templars who are a threat to mages and that people's fear of them is not just chantry propaganda but from first hand experience.

Thats one aspect of the games and books to a certain extent don't convey very well- the perspective of your normal, every day person in Thedas. Cause by most accounts, most people don't like mages and are afraid of them. Yet since you're often in a party with mages or using magic with no repercussions in the games, you never feel that way.

Gervaise wrote...
Just for good measure, it is not just mages and Templars who are in conflict. As Flemeth hinted in DA2 the world stands on the brink of great change ...

Examples? Are we talking other nation versus nation conflcts, like Orlaid invading Ferelden again or the Qunari invading? Or the Grey Wardens going up against another Blight in the Andefels? Or what?

It seems to me that this book would have made a better game than DA2 and DA2 would have made a better book. In that, the book actually has some nice exploration and travelling to interesting lore heavy locales and goes into detail on how the entire world actually comes to war.

[Dave of Canada]

Brockololly wrote...

It seems to me that this book would have made a better game than DA2 and DA2 would have made a better book. In that, the book actually has some nice exploration and travelling to interesting lore heavy locales and goes into detail on how the entire world actually comes to war.

Which somewhat makes the importance of DA2's ending a bit moot.

[Great_Horn]

I recently finished the novel.
 

While I have to admit it was well written und I really liked it. I enjoyed the Stolen Throne
and especially the Calling more.


To me the novel was a bit over the top.

 

SPOILER WARNING
 

 

As a side effect of the whole Mages vers. Templars conflict the mighty Orlesian Empire
seems to crumble. (I wasn’t expecting this). With an upcoming civil war. Celene the First in serious trouble,
some rumors claims she might be already dead. This alone would be enough.

We are witnesses to see the Templar separation from the Chantry which is initiated from the Seekers of Truth. What leads to the interesting question, if all Templars would follow the Lord Seeker, or if some will remain at the direct order of the Chantry?

While the ending of DA:2 seems to point, that Kirkwall was the reason for the whole conflict. That’s misleading.
The novel reveals why those things really happened.

Modifié par Great_Horn, 15 décembre 2011 - 11:36 .

[Lawliet89]

https://twitter.com/...150997943357440

Gaider says Leliana was not a seeker. Hmm.

[Great_Horn]

Interesting. Well, maybe she was a spy from the start who infiltrated the Seekers, hence always remain the right hand of the Divine.

[Augustei]

Is Ferelden mentioned in the book? The state of it or any further Progression on the rising Orlesian-Ferelden tensions?

[Great_Horn]

XxDeonxX wrote...

Is Ferelden mentioned in the book? The state of it or any further Progression on the rising Orlesian-Ferelden tensions?

Well, as far as I remember the tension between Ferelden and Orlais is not mentioned at all.

Modifié par Great_Horn, 15 décembre 2011 - 04:56 .

[Dave of Canada]

Great_Horn wrote...

While the ending of DA:2 seems to point, that Kirkwall was the reason for the whole conflict. That’s misleading.
The novel reveals why those things really happened.

That's sort of odd, kind of makes you question what purpose Act 3 in Dragon Age 2 served. Makes me wonder why Cassandra would even care about Hawke, (s)he wasn't there when it started in that case.

Modifié par Dave of Canada, 15 décembre 2011 - 05:48 .

[jlb524]

Dave of Canada wrote...
Makes me wonder why Cassandra would even care about Hawke, (s)he wasn't there when it started in that case.

I think it's because Hawke's name has become a rallying cry for the mages for whatever reason (when siding with Orsino) and she believes the mages might listen to Hawke.  Hawke (pro-mage) was the first to really defy the Templars, so this does make sense (even if the war didn't technically start in Kirkwall). 

I don't know how that's different on the Templar side.

[Dave of Canada]

For the Templar side, the mages use Hawke's name as a reminder of their brutal oppression and Cassandra wants to find Hawke because Hawke is looked up to by the Templar. I... just don't see why'd they do both.

Considering the "brutal oppression" of the mages didn't really motivate them to do anything until after Asunder's events which everything gets thrown to hell, it almost makes it seem like the entire third act--Anders and all--achieved nothing in the large scheme of things.

I'd view the guy who wants to essentially burn all the mages as a symbol of brutal oppression and I'd view the guy who led the templar to chase after the mages as a hero, not the guy who was there for one conflict then disappeared.

And this is coming from somebody who likes Hawke.

Modifié par Dave of Canada, 15 décembre 2011 - 05:56 .

[jlb524]

Do we know if Hawke disappeared without involving her/himself further in the conflict?

For a pro-Templar Hawke, I'd say Cassandra wishes Hawke would calm those that are following the Lord Seeker...she ultimately wants peace.

[Great_Horn]

It’s what Cassandra said: Not ALL of us desire war.

It seems that at least there is even a small fraction of Seekers who turned against the Lord Seeker. That’s why Cassandra seeks Hawke, cause she wants to prevent the upcoming conflict hence I don’t understand why they would look for the Warden.

Modifié par Great_Horn, 15 décembre 2011 - 07:26 .

[Gervaise]

I was trying not to put too much into my post because I didn't want to spoil the book for people and I really think it is worth reading. However.........
.
.
.SPOILER
Orlais has descended into civil war. This is probably a let off for Ferelden but of course means the Chantry are on their own dealing with the mage/templar crisis. Ordinarily Celene might have called on the Circle of Magi to assist her but that is now a non starter and the mages are free to support whoever they wish or no one.
It is entirely possible that the Qunari may use the current chaos to make a renewed push into Thedas. We know they have a network of spies/converts who will pass information and are ready to act if necessary. Also in the past it was the Circle of Magi who were the best weapon against the Qunari so with them disbanded and scattered, it would seem an ideal opportunity to strike.

In the book the Divine is definitely shown as someone who is sympathetic towards mages and has clearly thought about what the Chant of Light says rather than just slavishly following traditional interpretation.
"We cannot hail them when their magic is useful and then lock them in a cage when it is inconvenient. They are the Maker's children, not to be tolerated, but to be cherished."
Whether the Divine had always been moving in this direction or it is a more recent development is not clear but given her relationship with Lelianna and the latter's friendship with Wynne, who plays an important role in the book and is working for the Divine, it is clear why Cassandra is doing what she can to find anyone who could help to calm the situation at the end of DA2, which timewise I think I am correct in saying falls after the events of Asunder. Obviously there would be some templars/seekers who would remain loyal to the Divine, whilst others would take the view of the Lord Seeker that with no Circle of Magi to watch over, they should now revert to the original role of the Inquisition. Many of them may be thoroughly devout to the old teaching and regard Justina as a heretic.
The Lord Seeker is no longer a problem at the end of the book but no doubt his place was taken over by another of the less moral and more ambitious templars who was highlighted in the story.

I am not exactly clear why they would look for the Warden but Wynne was apparently given some powerful and possibly evil artifact by the Warden so I suppose it is possible that in the Canon version the warden was a mage or simply that as a hero of the Blight, both sides might be willing to listen to them if Cassandra could persuade them to side with the Divine.

[jlb524]

The Warden is a hero to many so I think it would be good to get her/him on your side.

Gervaise wrote...
I am not exactly clear why they would look for the Warden but Wynne was apparently given some powerful and possibly evil artifact by the Warden 

That's totally something my Warden would do.

[Great_Horn]

jlb524 wrote...

That's totally something my Warden would do.

To me it´s not that easy! The Hero of Fereldan is in first place a Grey Warden . Depending on your choices in DA:A you could be in the rank of a Warden-Commander. Surly I understand the desire to support one side or the other; hence from a classical RPG vantage point I would try not to get involved in politics.

Modifié par Great_Horn, 15 décembre 2011 - 09:58 .

[Wulfram]

jlb524 wrote...

That's totally something my Warden would do.

If only to clear shelf space.