I really wonder what our actions would be if we were not 'the player character' and therefore certain that we would be able to handle the threat or reload and respec until we can?
I don't remember that quest too well, but I'm a bleeding heart and know I'd never be able to condemn someone to death.
Yeah, I always took it as a real threat that they could actually have been possessed. I'd already been suckered by Jowan once and I think that made me more aware that the Templar's vigilance might actually be because blood mages are a bit powerful and you know.....scary. I didn't feel comfortable enough to say whether they were possessed or not either way.....and Wynne's an abomination, I'm not taking her word!
I guess I was thinking of what he says after the Warden saves the day as raving. But you raise a good point. They could have been dangerous. I guess I just don't see a person who would demand the slaughter of possible innocents, on the chance they MAY be possessed, as particularly sane.
That's why I love his "I believe that's what being a Templar is about" line at the end of DA2.
Lately I've been wondering, when Cullen is in the pink bubble, how much of what he goes on about is brought on by lyrium withdrawal? He does seem to swing between murderous rage and deep melancholy.
Yeah, I always took it as a real threat that they could actually have been possessed. I'd already been suckered by Jowan once and I think that made me more aware that the Templar's vigilance might actually be because blood mages are a bit powerful and you know.....scary. I didn't feel comfortable enough to say whether they were possessed or not either way.....and Wynne's an abomination, I'm not taking her word!
I don't remember that quest too well, but I'm a bleeding heart and know I'd never be able to condemn someone to death.
I always make the save everyone, merciful decisions too. I don't want fictional people to suffer, I think that's why this quest stayed with me because I of course sallied forth and rescued everyone and then right at the end there was a question mark over if they were 'saved'. I remember thinking, 'Crap, I don't want to be responsible for them going on another rampage, you decide!' It all worked out for the best though and damn it I needed those mages with me in Denerim. 
Lately I've been wondering, when Cullen is in the pink bubble, how much of what he goes on about is brought on by lyrium withdrawal? He does seem to swing between murderous rage and deep melancholy.
Y'know, I never considered this. Starvation, mental exhaustion, coupled with the beginnings of lyrium withdrawal would definitely explain his mood swings quite a bit. I've always wondered how addicted he was to the stuff? He's either a functional addict or he rarely takes it at all. He doesn't seem like he's at the stage where he'd need to huff it like paint in order to gain any of the benefits.
Lol yeah I do too. I'm the worst renegade Shepard. His comments are just so rude!I always make the save everyone, merciful decisions too. I don't want fictional people to suffer, I think that's why this quest stayed with me because I of course sallied forth and rescued everyone and then right at the end there was a question mark over if they were 'saved'. I remember thinking, 'Crap, I don't want to be responsible for them going on another rampage, you decide!' It all worked out for the best though and damn it I needed those mages with me in Denerim.
If playing as a Mage Warden, it adds extra meaning to his fears. In addition to the Demons tormenting him with his crush on a female Mage, at the back of his mind he had to wonder how much they were complicit in Jowan's actions, who was after all, outed as a Blood Mage. And then to see them again in the Tower, having swept through the Demons and Abominations that so easily killed the other Mages and trained Templars, wouldn't you be suspicious of the Mage Warden just a little bit and wonder if they were in league with the enemy?
Irrational yes, but after what he'd been through, you could understand his paranoia about the Mages in the tower, as well as them.
According to the toolset, they are:
Something on your mind? (at warm)
Ask away (at friendly)
At your service (at interested)
Yeees? (at care)
Your desire is my command (at adore)
Something you need, my dear? (at love)
Personally, they could've stopped at "Your desire is my command"
I think that some of the responses may also stick around as approval goes up. My Alistair said "Yeees?" right up till the end as well as adding the higher-level responses. Which made me happy because I loved that response!
Do you remember Redcliffe! I went on a reload rampage to save everyone in the village - abandoned the current game, leveled up, changed my party and went back in.......they will all survive. My Warden leaves no-one behind!
I always make the save everyone, merciful decisions too. I don't want fictional people to suffer, I think that's why this quest stayed with me because I of course sallied forth and rescued everyone and then right at the end there was a question mark over if they were 'saved'. I remember thinking, 'Crap, I don't want to be responsible for them going on another rampage, you decide!' It all worked out for the best though and damn it I needed those mages with me in Denerim.
I usually do that, too, but the weird thing is... canon runs tend to be not-so-merciful. Like, my Warden is straight-up slaughtering Witherfang, "killing" Leliana, sacrificing Isolde, and burning Amaranthine down. Like, I would never do these things on a first run, but they make the story interesting, so my canon runs tends to be... bloodier.
Oh, and I've decided what I'm going to do for my first Inquisition run. To prevent an ill-timed bond with another race and class, I'm running through with a different female Vashoth rogue (archer or rogue, I'm not yet sure) and romancing Cullen. Her name will be 'Cookie', as she is something sweet that her parents could never have had back in Seheron.
Yes, I am far too pleased with that name.
Y'know, I never considered this. Starvation, mental exhaustion, coupled with the beginnings of lyrium withdrawal would definitely explain his mood swings quite a bit. I've always wondered how addicted he was to the stuff? He's either a functional addict or he rarely takes it at all. He doesn't seem like he's at the stage where he'd need to huff it like paint in order to gain any of the benefits.
In real life, it doesn't take much to get addicted to pain medication, especially if a person needs to take it for pain management. They will be functional and normal, but if they have to go off it for any reason, the withdrawal symptoms start. So that's really why I was wondering if the same could be true with Cullen. I don't believe the Chantry would give Templars lyrium in any great dosage, just enough.
I don't believe the Chantry would give Templars lyrium in any great dosage, just enough.
Judging by Samson's comments in DA2, Lyrium dust is apparently enough to provide a fix for those addicted to it, implying that very little is actually needed for the most part. It would also explain all the stashes you'd find around the Circle Tower in Origins.
In real life, it doesn't take much to get addicted to pain medication, especially if a person needs to take it for pain management. They will be functional and normal, but if they have to go off it for any reason, the withdrawal symptoms start. So that's really why I was wondering if the same could be true with Cullen. I don't believe the Chantry would give Templars lyrium in any great dosage, just enough.
Stop making me like every post Cullenites. I'm going to run out!
They would probably do that just to conserve how much they have. Unfortunately that isn't how it works when people are prescribed pain medication.
As a therapist that is truly one of the hardest things to try and help with. I'm always unbearably proud of my patients who can overcome addiction of any kind and I try to be as compassionate and understanding to those who are struggling with it. It upsets me how society views people with addictions or who are overcoming them as less than. It's such a hard uphill battle and those who can beat it deserve so much more then being looked down on. But that aside I think you are absolutely right Bev, I doubt the Chantry would give their Templars even a drop more then they needed to control them.
There would be the possibilty (as with real medication, iirc) that the templars would need increasingly higher doses as time went on, yes? So I suppose it would depend on how long Cullen had been serving with the Templars for?
And Hi Everyone, btw... got tired of lurking...
This is one of the reasons I love this thread! I love how we have different opinions and It's so fascinating to me that you would phrase it as ravings because I wouldn't call his comments ravings at all! I always saw him as a young man who was tortured by a group of people who are very dangerous. He mentions how he can hear noises that are horrible upstairs-from what he has seen, experienced and heard why would he assume any of the mages WEREN'T possessed? He was the last standing Tempar in that section and mages are naturally tempted by demons so their chances of fighting off the evil are probably less good. I always thought he had a really good point. And let's face it-the warden got lucky! They very well could have been possessed and hid it. Cullen's comments were the reflection of years of training and weeks of torture and weren't necessarily wrong.
I completely agree!
I take back what I said about us being different people. You may write my posts for me from now on!
A couple of things I'd also add to this:
I think it's significant that - as I pointed out recently - Cullen knew the people who were responsible for his torture. These were people he saw every day. People he probably had a rapport with. People he likely never really expected would turn on him even if he was theoretically prepared for it. Being betrayed under those circumstances would make it very, very hard to give people the benefit of the doubt.
Speaking from personal experience for a moment: It is a huge shock when you realize someone you thought you knew has plotted to harm you, even if it's "you" as a group rather than you as an individual. It's one thing if a person snaps and goes after you in anger - that's not that hard to get over. It's quite another to find out someone was coldly planning something even as they smiled to your face. Especially if it's the first time that has happened to you, it really throws your whole worldview for a loop for awhile. It can take a pretty significant level of emotional effort not to let it taint your trust in a whole group of people.
I don't think after being tortured, deprived of food and sleep, probably deprived of lyrium, and having just watched his comrades die a horrible death, Cullen was in any position to exert that much emotional effort. If he had, it would be superhuman, not a realistic expectation. I like that Cullen was only human in that moment.
Also, on a more practical level, judging by the corpses in the tower, Cullen presumably saw mages killing other mages as well as killing templars. It would not be unreasonable to imagine that the mages who actually were innocent were already dead - it would be pretty miraculous for someone who wasn't an abomination or willing to resort to blood magic to be able to stand up to someone who was and live to tell the tale. At that point I... don't think Cullen was very likely to expect a miracle.
One final point on the subject. Cullen's view is seen as extreme only because he was incorrect. If he'd been right and abominations had, say, gone and slaughtered a village as a result of the decision to spare the Circle, would we see it the same way? Because that very easily could have happened. Either decision ould condemn innocent people to death.
I think this is more a function of the Warden being insanely lucky than Cullen being objectively in the wrong, truth be told.
Welcome Taraelyn, pull up a stool and stay delurked.
I know this is incredebly late but......I was re-reading GE's tweets and.....if I may inquire.... What's Culleningus? #naive #i'mkindofinept #facepalm oxo
I'll send you a PM.
There would be the possibilty (as with real medication, iirc) that the templars would need increasingly higher doses as time went on, yes? So I suppose it would depend on how long Cullen had been serving with the Templars for?
And Hi Everyone, btw... got tired of lurking...
Good point. We'd have to know more about how lyrium addiction works, but that would be a safe bet.
And welcome to the Culleny! (No I am not letting it die it's too great a pun.)
I know this is incredebly late but......I was re-reading GE's tweets and.....if I may inquire.... What's Culleningus? #naive #i'mkindofinept #facepalm oxo
Well, it's a reference to a sex act that has a similar sounding name. That's about all I can tell you without blushing to death. 
Good point. We'd have to know more about how lyrium addiction works, but that would be a safe bet.
And welcome to the Culleny! (No I am not letting it die it's too great a pun.)
Thanks. This is by far the most enjoyable thread to lurk in!
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