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[Lambdadelta]

So what do you all think Dorian's agenda is? The writers have made it clear that he is out to reform Tevinter. Reform in what way, specifically? Is he an abolitionist, trying to rid Tevinter of slavery once and for all? Is he more concerned with eradicating the use of blood magic in his homeland?

 

You know, I'm seriously wondering where Dorian is even planning to start. Considering how Tevinter is 80%-90% corruption, blood magic, slavery and all kinds of fucked-up ****...  seriously, man, where do you even begin on fixing it? How does he intend to so drastically change an entire country all on his own?  See, that's why my initial reaction to Dorian when reading the survey was wanting to first put my face in my hands, then put a hand on his shoulder and go, "oh honey, you have good intentions but you should really quit while you're ahead, your dream is doomed to failure." (After that it was "please be a character and please be romancable" and "oh my god he'd be such a terribly polarizing and controversial character wouldn't he the debates would be so ugly oh no I've had enough of that **** being a Merrill fan and an Anders fan"). And I mean this in a fond way! But Dorian has got a very tough path ahead of him and I do not envy him at all. Reforming Tevinter is a daunting task, to say the least!

[BlueFlame527]

He seems to come from a wealthy and powerful family, so perhaps the conditions he saw there (and perhaps participated in) growing up were the catalyst for his one-magister rebellion. 

 

Perhaps with the interview we can find out whether it was just him that disliked the treatment in Tevinter or if others looked up to him. Other than Hawke I could see Fenris and Dorian enjoying some tevinter brandy together.

[Gervaise]

Lambert's friend wanted to "change the World" until he became the Black Divine.   Then he and his friend who got him there became as corrupt as the people they replaced.   So it's clear that there are mages in Tevinter who see what is wrong with the place.  The trick is keeping your integrity when you get in a position of power.  Fenris hinted as much back in DA2.   It's a bit like Celene - she can see what's wrong with the way the nobility treat the elves but she can't find a way round it because of the way in which power is held and transferred in their system.   She has to rely for support on nobles who may not agree with her policies and will change sides in an instant if they feel their own power and position is threatened.   I imagine the Magisters in Tevinter play their own version of the "Game."   Nothing can change because there is not an organisation that stands outside the system and has enough clout to enforce change.    I think that is were the Inquisition comes in. 

 

The great thing about Dorian is that he probably knows what the problem is and instead of just shrugging his shoulders or cynically playing along in order to advance himself he has retained his integrity and accepted exile and scorn rather than compromise his beliefs.     I love this guy! 

[Nocte ad Mortem]

Who really knows what the situation was with Lambert's "friend". He could have been lying to Lambert and using him the whole time, or Lambert could be exaggerating the situation himself. It's hard to know, because Lambert was pretty batty, himself, imo.   

[Hanako Ikezawa]

Oh, I don't know. You can make very reasonable-sounding arguments for why the Andrastian fear of blood magic is extreme and irrational compared to the good it can do. And Tevinter has a pretty strong argument that slavery is needed to maintain itself as the bulwark against the Qunari- a self-serving argument of arguable accuracy, but a legitimate one in terms of which is the greater threat.

 

A good deal of the cultural moralities we've seen so far in Southern Thedas have been absolutist in nature. If you don't believe in moral inherency arguments, you can make pretty sound justification arguments for immoral actions.

I don't care how strong an argument he'd have. Anyone who supports slavery should either be killed, imprisoned, or turned into a slave themselves. 

[Eveangaline]

The wiki says Slavery, while illegal in orlais, is still not uncommon for the nobility. I wonder if Dorian might at any point say he's afraid even if he makes slavery illegal in Tevinter nobles might just have slaves anyway like in Orlais.

[Gervaise]

Well an Archon actually tried to get rid of slavery but was assassinated as a result.   However, I think the whole point of Orlais is that they think they are so much better because slavery is technically illegal and yet much of the time, the way they treat commoners and elves is little different to how they are treated in Tevinter.   In fact it is stated in one of the codex that slaves are generally better treated in Tevinter than free non-mages, because of course the slaves are valuable.   In Tevinter a slave is at the mercy of his/her master's whims, including using them to fuel their latest experiment.   In Orlais, servants are subject to the master's whims, including rape, beating and whatever else they might order them to do.     In Tevinter there may be mass blood shed for the purpose of blood magic.   In Orlais there may be mass blood shed for the purpose of training Chevaliers.    In both cases they maintain a front of respectability, whilst the atrocities go on behind closed doors or after dark in the slums, where there a few witnesses and those that do would be too frightened to speak out.    Which is worse?   

 

So you are right, without a total change in the social order, so that everyone is answerable for their actions under the law and everyone is granted justice under the law, just getting rid of slavery officially will not actually achieve much.

[The Elder King]

The codex doesn't actually say that slaves are generally treated better then free non-mages. There are wealthy non-mages in Tevinter. They're just not on the same level as the mages.

[Hanako Ikezawa]

I agree for the most part with what you said, although I think that the other nations branding Tevinter as the "Big Bad" are kind of being hypocritical.

 

Let's take a look at Orlais and Ferelden.

• Racism is endemic in both.
• Apostate mages are summarily put to death because they might fall prey to a demon some day.
• Slavery still exists in both Orlais and Ferelden, albeit without governmental sanction.
• The Orlesian aristocracy spends most of their time politicking, backstabbing, and playing the "Grand Game."
• There is little to no social mobility in Orlais. See WoT pg. 60, "Many believe Orlais is a kind of meritocracy. In reality, the faint hope of achieving great things is enough to keep the poor preoccupied and the rich in power."
• The Chantry essentially committed genocide against the elves after they attacked Red Crossing, kicking them out of the Dales and creating the Elvish "diaspora" that we have today.

Sure, Tevinter needs some significant reforms. I don't think the other nations in Thedas, however, are in a position to judge.

1) Can't argue with that.

2) Templars try to bring them to the Circle alve if possible, otherwise Anders would be dead since he became an apostate seven times. 

3) Where does it say Ferelden have slavery? Bringing Loghain's selling elves to Tevinter gets him chewed out for it and you support. 

4) Can't argue with that. 

5) Can't argue with that.

6) The Exalted March started after the Dales had cut a swath of death and destruction through all of Orlais, not just after Red Crossing. 

[Maferath]

While everyone is discussing the necessary reforms in Tevinter politics, I'll be sitting in my corner, patiently waiting for Dorian's writer interview...

 

 

90 minutes left (maybe)

[Tootles FTW]

While everyone is discussing the necessary reforms in Tevinter politics, I'll be sitting in my corner, patiently waiting for Dorian's writer interview...

 

 

90 minutes left (maybe)

 

Nearing that tiiiiiime!

 

[Nocte ad Mortem]

All of the Thedas nations and groups have problems. The truth is that we have little knowledge of what Tevinter is like, as we've never gotten to go there in a game. We're unlikely to really "get it" until we can see it. Everything in Thedas is always grey, though. I doubt Tevinter is going to be purely evil, or was ever intended to be.

[alwayshungry]

http://www.dragonage...-profile-dorian

[ElitePinecone]

http://www.dragonage...-profile-dorian

 

DAVID GAIDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER

 

edit: okay must learn to use my inside voice

[ElitePinecone]

[DRAGON AGE]: Let's start at the beginning. What can you tell us about Dorian?

 

[DAVID GAIDER]: Dorian is a mage from the Tevinter Imperium, and his experiences are radically different from those of mages elsewhere.

 

[DA]: How so?

 

[DG]: In Tevinter, mages form the ruling class. He comes from a wealthy and influential family, one of many that arrange marriages and raise their children to become perfectmages… yet Dorian has rejected that life. He's seen the corruption to which it leads, and he refuses to play along despite the fact it's made him something of a pariah.

 

[DA]: Can you expand on the "corruption" he's seen?

 

[DG]: Without spoiling the plot, I'll say that Dorian got wind of something that his fellow Tevinter mages were doing, and decided to intervene. As he sees it, someone from Tevinter needs to stand up and say, "We don't agree with what these people are doing. They don't represent all of us."

 

[DA]: Dorian has been described as sharp-tongued, with a knack for producing a great quip even in times of grave danger. How would you describe him?

 

[DG]: Dorian is smart—perhaps too smart for his own good, really. He was raised in a society where both intelligence and wit are prized, where advancing yourself socially means outmaneuvering your peers, and he does so quite well… or, at least, he would if he didn't see through it all. That's left him rather jaded and sarcastic, naturally.

 

[DA]: You're sure you didn't play some small part in cultivating that for him?

 

[DG]: I tend to start at "sarcastic" and work my way from there.

 

[DA]: Dorian is also a highly skilled mage. That sounds pretty useful on the battlefield.

 

[DG]: He enjoys using his magic and doesn't see any reason why he should be ashamed about it. So he unleashes his full power when it's needed… and he has plenty of power to unleash, seeing as he comes from a society where mages are trained to use it rather than hide it. This includes powerful elemental spells, as well as spells involving the control of spirit and the dead—things societies outside of Tevinter might turn up their noses at and claim "distasteful."

 

[DA]: Dorian seems to have a conflicted love-hate-love relationship with his homeland. Does he ever think about just leaving it all behind?

 

[DG]: He doesn't believe that the situation in Tevinter is beyond repair, despite how impossible it seems that he personally might be able to do anything about it. Dorian has a streak of idealism hidden beneath his sarcasm, which naturally can lead him to be all the more disappointed when the world does exactly what he suspects it's going to.

 

[DA]: How does Dorian compare to characters you've written in the past?

 

[DG]: Dorian is an outcast—by choice, but only insofar as he chose not to live according to the expectations of his society. There are a lot of aspects to that which I enjoyed exploring, and which I haven't had to chance to do with other characters.

 

[DA]: Anything in particular?

 

[DG]: Dorian is gay—he is, in fact, the first fully gay character I've had the opportunity to write. It added an interesting dimension to his back story, considering he comes from a place where "perfection" is the face that every mage puts on and anything that smacks of deviancy is shameful and meant to be hidden. Dorian's refusal to play along with that façade is seen as stubborn and pointless by his family, which has contributed to his status as a pariah.

 

[DA]: Are you happy with how his character turned out?

 

[DG]: I suppose this aspect of Dorian will make him controversial in some corners, but I was glad to include it. It made writing Dorian a very personal experience for me, and I'm hopeful that will make him seem like a fully realized character to fans in the end.

 

[DA]: Dorian's sarcasm must create some rather interesting banter with other members of the Inquisition. Any personal favorite combinations stand out for you?

 

[DG]: I think I enjoy his relationship with Vivienne the most. They're complete opposites and will tear into each other viciously—or, at least, that's what it looks like to outsiders.

 

[DA]: After listening to Mary Kirby talk about Vivienne's power, we're not so sure that's Dorian's wisest move.

 

[DG]: Really, they find it good fun, and they'll go from arguingto banding together in order to criticize someone else in a cold second—like the Statler and Waldorf of Thedas. I love that.

 

[DA]: Having a Qunari around has also got to yield some strange interactions.

 

[DG]: Dorian's relationship with the Iron Bull is interesting. The Qunari have been at war with the Tevinter Imperium for centuries, after all, and the fact that neither Dorian nor Iron Bull are typical of their people makes for an intriguing arc

[Tootles FTW]

[BioFan (Official)]

Well he's definitely a necromancer...

 

"as well as spells involving the control of spirit and the dead" -DG

[Nocte ad Mortem]

OH MY GOD THEY CONFIRMED HIS SEXUALITY IN THE INTERVIEW BIOWARE TAKE MY MONEY NOW  

[Phate Phoenix]

[DG]: Dorian is gay—he is, in fact, the first fully gay character I've had the opportunity to write. It added an interesting dimension to his back story, considering he comes from a place where "perfection" is the face that every mage puts on and anything that smacks of deviancy is shameful and meant to be hidden. Dorian's refusal to play along with that façade is seen as stubborn and pointless by his family, which has contributed to his status as a pariah.

[AresKeith]

Character Profile: Dorian.
http://www.dragonage...-profile-dorian
 

 
[DRAGON AGE]: Let's start at the beginning. What can you tell us about Dorian?
[DAVID GAIDER]: Dorian is a mage from the Tevinter Imperium, and his experiences are radically different from those of mages elsewhere.
 

[DA]: How so?
[DG]: In Tevinter, mages form the ruling class. He comes from a wealthy and influential family, one of many that arrange marriages and raise their children to become perfect mages… yet Dorian has rejected that life. He's seen the corruption to which it leads, and he refuses to play along despite the fact it's made him something of a pariah.
[DA]: Can you expand on the "corruption" he's seen?
[DG]: Without spoiling the plot, I'll say that Dorian got wind of something that his fellow Tevinter mages were doing, and decided to intervene. As he sees it, someone from Tevinter needs to stand up and say, "We don't agree with what these people are doing. They don't represent all of us."
[DA]: Dorian has been described as sharp-tongued, with a knack for producing a great quip even in times of grave danger. How would you describe him?
[DG]: Dorian is smart—perhaps too smart for his own good, really. He was raised in a society where both intelligence and wit are prized, where advancing yourself socially means outmaneuvering your peers, and he does so quite well… or, at least, he would if he didn't see through it all. That's left him rather jaded and sarcastic, naturally.
[DA]: You're sure you didn't play some small part in cultivating that for him?
[DG]: I tend to start at "sarcastic" and work my way from there.
[DA]: Dorian is also a highly skilled mage. That sounds pretty useful on the battlefield.
[DG]: He enjoys using his magic and doesn't see any reason why he should be ashamed about it. So he unleashes his full power when it's needed… and he has plenty of power to unleash, seeing as he comes from a society where mages are trained to use it rather than hide it. This includes powerful elemental spells, as well as spells involving the control of spirit and the dead—things societies outside of Tevinter might turn up their noses at and claim "distasteful."
[DA]: Dorian seems to have a conflicted love-hate-love relationship with his homeland. Does he ever think about just leaving it all behind?
[DG]: He doesn't believe that the situation in Tevinter is beyond repair, despite how impossible it seems that he personally might be able to do anything about it. Dorian has a streak of idealism hidden beneath his sarcasm, which naturally can lead him to be all the more disappointed when the world does exactly what he suspects it's going to.
[DA]: How does Dorian compare to characters you've written in the past?
[DG]: Dorian is an outcast—by choice, but only insofar as he chose not to live according to the expectations of his society. There are a lot of aspects to that which I enjoyed exploring, and which I haven't had to chance to do with other characters.
[DA]: Anything in particular?
[DG]: Dorian is gay—he is, in fact, the first fully gay character I've had the opportunity to write. It added an interesting dimension to his back story, considering he comes from a place where "perfection" is the face that every mage puts on and anything that smacks of deviancy is shameful and meant to be hidden. Dorian's refusal to play along with that façade is seen as stubborn and pointless by his family, which has contributed to his status as a pariah.
[DA]: Are you happy with how his character turned out?
[DG]: I suppose this aspect of Dorian will make him controversial in some corners, but I was glad to include it. It made writing Dorian a very personal experience for me, and I'm hopeful that will make him seem like a fully realized character to fans in the end.
[DA]: Dorian's sarcasm must create some rather interesting banter with other members of the Inquisition. Any personal favorite combinations stand out for you?
[DG]: I think I enjoy his relationship with Vivienne the most. They're complete opposites and will tear into each other viciously—or, at least, that's what it looks like to outsiders.
[DA]: After listening to Mary Kirby talk about Vivienne's power, we're not so sure that's Dorian's wisest move.
[DG]: Really, they find it good fun, and they'll go from arguing to banding together in order to criticize someone else in a cold second—like the Statler and Waldorf of Thedas. I love that.
[DA]: Having a Qunari around has also got to yield some strange interactions.
[DG]: Dorian's relationship with the Iron Bull is interesting. The Qunari have been at war with the Tevinter Imperium for centuries, after all, and the fact that neither Dorian nor Iron Bull are typical of their people makes for an intriguing arc.

[BioFan (Official)]

Dorian is gay—he is, in fact, the first fully gay character I've had the opportunity to write. It added an interesting dimension to his back story, considering he comes from a place where "perfection" is the face that every mage puts on and anything that smacks of deviancy is shameful and meant to be hidden. 

 

 

 

Oh these words!

[BioFan (Official)]

 

 

 

I see what you did there

[Cathey]

 

 

*goes off to plan a male quizzy for him*

[Nocte ad Mortem]

He's not actually confirmed as an LI, but I'm still happy. lol