I don't think he changed that much, he still helped to cull the mages and only backed out at the last moment...
Well he didn't want to annul the circle and kill mages. I think his actions are explained more of his dutifulness: he follows authority and his passiviness to take action rather than being harsh to mages.
Well he didn't want to annul the circle and kill mages. I think his actions are explained more of his dutifulness: he follows authority and his passiviness to take action rather than being harsh to mages.
Going off on that, we don't know how old he was when he enlisted nor when he went to the Chantry. It could've been his entire livelihood, being taught what his 'duty' entails, thus making him passive towards anything that goes against the Chantry, no matter his own opinion.
Well he didn't want to annul the circle and kill mages. I think his actions are explained more of his dutifulness: he follows authority and his passiviness to take action rather than being harsh to mages.
Agreed. I also think the templar ending (can be youtubed for those who don't want to play it) reveals that he and Meredith were actually on completely different pages about what they were there to do.
Yes, Cullen was prepared to kill mages. The Circle appeared to be lost - which would mean the innocents were presumably already dead or abominations and the only thing left to do was damage control in a lethal way. Cullen was okay with that.
He was not okay with killing mages who could be saved, though. He outright says that in his dialog to Meredith and Hawke: that even at the Ferelden Circle some mages could be spared, and they should try to do the same if they could. That even though they can't be sure the surrendered mages haven't been using blood magic, it's not right to execute them on a mere uncertainty.
What I got out of that scene was that Cullen agreed to go along with the Right of Annulment only as long as all the mages were irretrievably lost. When that no longer appeared to be true, Cullen asserted his own position against slaughtering the mages who could be saved.
I finished my gif. All 188 frames. I'm exhausted. woof.
Going off on that, we don't know how old he was when he enlisted nor when he went to the Chantry. It could've been his entire livelihood, being taught what his 'duty' entails, thus making him passive towards anything that goes against the Chantry, no matter his own opinion.
That's true. And for me it makes complete sense that he follows rules even if his opinions is different and his morality conflicts with the action they are going to take. I actually have IRL example on this from my social reserch studies in uni.. there was this korean airplane that crashed in USA last year. Black box revealed that the accident happened because of captain and the crew were aware that he wasn't doing things right. They politely tried to tell him alternative options but captain ignored them and in the end of black box there was just silence. In that crash couple died and many were injured. I think it just tells that sometimes it's hard to go against authority, especially if you have been raised in atmosphere where respecting and following authority is taken very seriously. So it was no wonder to me Cullen didn't step up earlier.
Regarding a Cullen/Mage!Inquisitor romance: I would be very, very surprised if Bioware simply made the option impossible, given how much interesting story and character development stuff could result. It seems like a natural thing for both a writer and a player to want to explore in light of Cullen's history, so I can't see them just totally taking it off the table.
I do imagine a mage romancing Cullen would have some added challenges. (Although I hope those challenges are also responsive to the player's decisions - for example, a nice person who happens to do magic should have an easier time than someone who is slitting their wrists in front of Cullen and swearing death to all templars. 
) I just don't see Bioware totally closing that door, because it would cut off such interesting narrative possibilities, and Bioware seems quite fond of interesting narrative possibilities. 
I'm totally throwing a Mage!Inquisitor at Cullen! #sorrynotsorry
Regarding a Cullen/Mage!Inquisitor romance: I would be very, very surprised if Bioware simply made the option impossible, given how much interesting story and character development stuff could result. It seems like a natural thing for both a writer and a player to want to explore in light of Cullen's history, so I can't see them just totally taking it off the table.
I do imagine a mage romancing Cullen would have some added challenges. (Although I hope those challenges are also responsive to the player's decisions - for example, a nice person who happens to do magic should have an easier time than someone who is slitting their wrists in front of Cullen and swearing death to all templars.
I'm totally throwing a Mage!Inquisitor at Cullen! #sorrynotsorry
To be honest I would be surprised as well,I mean you could get involved with Fenris as a mage who seemed to hate them and everything associated with magic passionately...I don't really know to be honest but I'd personally wouldn't mind if it was trickier for a mage to romance Cullen,as long as the option is there.
Regarding a Cullen/Mage!Inquisitor romance: I would be very, very surprised if Bioware simply made the option impossible, given how much interesting story and character development stuff could result. It seems like a natural thing for both a writer and a player to want to explore in light of Cullen's history, so I can't see them just totally taking it off the table.
I do imagine a mage romancing Cullen would have some added challenges. (Although I hope those challenges are also responsive to the player's decisions - for example, a nice person who happens to do magic should have an easier time than someone who is slitting their wrists in front of Cullen and swearing death to all templars.
I'm totally throwing a Mage!Inquisitor at Cullen! #sorrynotsorry
Somehow I want to romance Cullen as mage too. I always try to do my characters and playthroughs as conflicting I can for some reason XD My canon Hawke is blood mage who friendmanced Fenris with 100% approval and sided with templars.. I'd love to romance Cullen as mage but I hope it'd be make things more difficult as well since I can't imagine Cullen just romancing mage right away.
And then...
Ugh...I find this picture pretty appalling for some reason...Considering that I like bears. Arachnophobia ruins everything!
Ugh...I find this picture pretty appalling for some reason...Considering that I like bears. Arachnophobia ruins everything!
I think he's kinda acute. I'd name him skittles!
And together we'd ride into battle, scaring away a significant number of our enemies!
Somehow I want to romance Cullen as mage too. I always try to do my characters and playthroughs as conflicting I can for some reason XD My canon Hawke is blood mage who friendmanced Fenris with 100% approval and sided with templars.. I'd love to romance Cullen as mage but I hope it'd be make things more difficult as well since I can't imagine Cullen just romancing mage right away.
Wow!How did you even manage to do that? 
I always get rivalry points from Fenris since I always help my fellow mages!
I think he's kinda acute. I'd name him skittles!
And together we'd ride into battle, scaring away a significant number of our enemies!
If they're arachnophobic I'll bet you do! 
Wow!How did you even manage to do that?
Actually there is pretty easy solution. Just don't bring him along in the mage quests and take him along to every quest where you can kick slavers asses so he will love you ^^
Actually there is pretty easy solution. Just don't bring him along in the mage quests and take him along to every quest where you can kick slavers asses so he will love you ^^
I'll keep that in mind,although I think rivalry benefits him more I can't be mean to him or worse support slavery in any form! 
I didn't have any trouble friendmancing Fenris as a mage.
It actually works really well from a story perspective if you consistently question Fenris about why he says the things he says - often his clarifications are much more nuanced than just "Rawr hate all mages!" I felt like he and my Mage!Hawke were really forming a bond, and it made sense to me that he learned to trust her.
I didn't have any trouble friendmancing Fenris as a mage.
It actually works really well from a story perspective if you consistently question Fenris about why he says the things he says - often his clarifications are much more nuanced than just "Rawr hate all mages!"
I wonder how Cullen's romance with mage is going to be. Like if you want to friendromance him do you need to agree with his views on templars and mages? I wonder if debating with him over mage rights will automatically lead to rivalmance if you romance him since I think my mage will debate with him a lot ^^;
I didn't have any trouble friendmancing Fenris as a mage.
It actually works really well from a story perspective if you consistently question Fenris about why he says the things he says - often his clarifications are much more nuanced than just "Rawr hate all mages!"
I'll agree,I think that Fenris is among the characters with the greater character development throughout the 3 acts no matter whether you choose the friendship or rivalry path,I mean he stood by Hawke in the end whether he/she was a mage or not.
As for Cullen to stay in topic,I'd say that any kind of positive association with a mage would benefit him a lot considering the fact that despite not hating them exactly,he's still rather distrustful and wary.I think that it's a considerably big step in a character's evolution when they stop painting everyone with the same brush and overcome their misconceptions and prejudices.
I wonder how Cullen's romance with mage is going to be. Like if you want to friendromance him do you need to agree with his views on templars and mages? I wonder if debating with him over mage rights will automatically lead to rivalmance if you romance him since I think my mage will debate with him a lot ^^;
From what they've said so far, I'm guessing probably not. They're not keeping the friendship/rivalry scale from DA2 (general consensus seems to be it was a good idea in theory but didn't work as well as hoped) and it sounds like approval will be more based on the actions you take at certain pivotal decision points rather than picking certain dialog options.
Please someone correct me if I'm getting that wrong!
I also tend to think Cullen's view may be becoming more middle-of-the-road instead of strongly pro-templar after all he's seen and been through.
As for Cullen to stay in topic,I'd say that any kind of positive association with a mage would benefit him a lot considering the fact that despite not hating them exactly,he's still rather distrustful and wary.I think that it's a considerably big step in a character's evolution when they stop painting everyone with the same brush and overcome their misconceptions and prejudices.
I agree. I don't think it would have to be a romance - a strong friendship with a mage would accomplish the same goal - but I think that seeing a mage as a person instead of as an object of fear would be a very positive thing for Cullen's recovery from trauma. I think there are certain boundaries Cullen would never feel comfortable with mages crossing (blood magic, demons, and so on) and he probably shouldn't ever be comfortable with it, but I think it would be good for him to get to a point where he was basing his wariness more on a mage's actions than mere existence.
I think learning to trust a mage would help Cullen have a more balanced and less fear-based view of the world.
From what they've said so far, I'm guessing probably not. They're not keeping the friendship/rivalry scale from DA2 (general consensus seems to be it was a good idea in theory but didn't work as well as hoped) and it sounds like approval will be more based on the actions you take at certain pivotal decision points rather than picking certain dialog options.
Please someone correct me if I'm getting that wrong!
I also tend to think Cullen's view may be becoming more middle-of-the-road instead of strongly pro-templar after all he's seen and been through.
Ah i was under impression that the romance system is similar than DA2 but I don't really know ^^; Well I hope you don't have to be all supportive and try to please your companions to get romance with them cause I feel like I needed to do that in DAO, sort of deceiving them. Like with Alistair.. I had really hard time romancing him ^^;
Got to edit a short story by @davidgaider recently - a fun romp with a couple of sweet kids through the bad part of town!
@jscoble Which short story is this?
I found these over at Twitter. I'm not sure if it's to do with Bioware? But if this IS to do with Bioware, it could mean we're getting short stories again? c:
If not, I wonder what short stories Mr. Gaider has been writing...
Edit: Aaaaand I fail at copy/pasting from Twitter.
Ugh...I find this picture pretty appalling for some reason...Considering that I like bears. Arachnophobia ruins everything!
Are you sure? I would rather be chased by a spider than a bear in the forest.
Got to edit a short story by @davidgaider recently - a fun romp with a couple of sweet kids through the bad part of town!
@jscoble Oh, wait. I know which one. Your description threw me.
I found these over at twitter. I'm not sure if it's to do with Bioware? But if this IS to do with Bioware, it could mean we're getting short stories again? c:
If not, I wonder what short stories Mr. Gaider has been writing...
Pretty sure he's writing a fanfic between Meredith and Orsino.
By the way, as an addendum to what I said about it being a very good thing for Cullen to have a positive relationship with a mage:
I've said this before, but I think it's hugely significant in Cullen's trauma that he was not only tortured but betrayed. The ones who hurt him were people he saw day in and day out, with whom he had at least a working relationship, who he probably thought he had a rapport with. Suddenly those people became his tormenters.
I don't think Cullen would have been as deeply damaged if he had been tortured by mages who were strangers, say, or his enemies. I'm sure he would still have been traumatized, but he wouldn't have that additional layer of being subjected to physical and mental abuse at the hands of people he knew and maybe even had some level of trust in.
So Cullen has to get over not only being tortured, but being betrayed by mages he thought he knew. I think that is a major factor in his reaction to mages afterward.
If he could learn to trust a mage who earned that trust, and knew he could rely on that person's support, I think it would help his healing process.
So friday is follower friday? a preview for follower week?
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