I can't even watch that video 
I feel like we can't really accurately guess (does that make sense?) what options Cullen would be open to in regards to mages. If he hasn't gotten over his fear and trauma, he will always want oversight of mages by non-mages. If he's wrestled with his demons, however, and managed to defeat them, I think he would be down for a school of magic. He's a reasonable guy, and let's face it, Hawke could convince him of just about anything 
To me, this seems like a necessary attitude for an active templar, actually.
Giving a real life personal example here: My residents can never be my friends.
They're fantastic kids. We have a lot of fun. I care deeply about them. I invest a tremendous amount of my time and physical and mental energy into doing what's best for them. I'd take a bullet for any of them, without hesitation.
We're not friends, though. I'm here to provide counseling and keep them safe, not to act like a peer. It would be a major violation of boundaries and I would not be able to serve them the way it's my job to serve them. Saying we aren't friends isn't at all an indictment of the appropriate relationship we do have.
Likewise, a templar would have to preserve boundaries, too. Be friendly with the mages, absolutely, but that's a bit different than being friends.
The situation would of course be different if the mage was not directly under the templar's charge, but that wouldn't have been the case for Cullen in Kirkwall.
Not to say Cullen doesn't have any issues in that department. He does. I just don't think the statement itself is that bad.
This is actually a good comparison and helps me wrap my brain around why I think a mage would have her (or his) work cut out for them in a relationship with Cullen. (It also puts into perspective what made *me* uncomfortable about the idea, and I think I may be changing my own stance on that, to be honest. )
Thank you for being so thought provoking. 
My cousin gave Fenris back by accident because he thought "Take him, he's yours!" meant giving Fenris permission to kill Danarius.
oh no! I bet your cousin was like:
Maybe templars could simply be trained to deal with abominations. Instead of treating all mages like potential monsters, they simply become a police force that specializes in demon-fighting.
To me, this seems like a necessary attitude for an active templar, actually.
Giving a real life personal example here: [snip for length]
I think the problem with this analogy, though, is that (1) mages in DA are adults and (2) most of them don't have any emotional or behavioral problems and would be fully capable of handling themselves outside the circle. I'm not sure I remember exactly what your workplace is or if I'm filling it in with something similar a friend of mine does, so I apologize if I'm misunderstanding, but to me, the Circle seems more like forcing every child with a family history of emotional problems or life circumstances that might lead to them being categorized as at-risk into a group home, and then forcing them to stay there even as adults, via threats of death or lobotomy.
I also think I need to stay out of all forms of the How To Solve A Problem Like The Mages debate from here on out, though, because the more I think about it the clearer it is to me that if I were somehow teleported into Thedas with magical ability and with both the nature and nurture parts of my real life personality intact, there's a 75% chance I'd be throwing fireballs with Adrian, pragmatic / realistic / compromise-focused problem-solving nature and crush on Cullen both be damned. 
From my removed real-world standpoint I'm totally with you on "reformed circle is the way to go" but if I were really there I'd almost definitely be pretty angry and irrational about it unless they got me in there as a babby.
LATE EDIT: That said, I do get what you mean about it not being appropriate to be "friends" with someone for whose safety you're responsible. I'd just prefer something more similar to a commissioned officer / NCO relationship, where it reflects professional roles rather than anything intrinsic to the person, and where, as you mentioned, Cullen would have no problem being close friends or lovers with a mage from a different Circle. That's not a perfect analogy either because IIRC a Sergeant Major still has to salute a 2nd Lieutenant, which would be inappropriate and infuriating in the mage / templar situation, but I hope my meaning makes sense.
I think the problem with this analogy, though, is that (1) mages in DA are adults and (2) most of them don't have any emotional or behavioral problems and would be fully capable of handling themselves outside the circle. I'm not sure I remember exactly what your workplace is or if I'm filling it in with something similar a friend of mine does, so I apologize if I'm misunderstanding, but to me, the Circle seems more like forcing every child with a family history of emotional problems or life circumstances that might lead to them being categorized as at-risk into a group home, and then forcing them to stay there even as adults, via threats of death or lobotomy.
I also think I need to stay out of all forms of the How To Solve A Problem Like The Mages debate from here on out, though, because the more I think about it the clearer it is to me that if I were somehow teleported into Thedas with magical ability and with both the nature and nurture parts of my real life personality intact, there's a 75% chance I'd be throwing fireballs with Adrian, pragmatic / realistic / compromise-focused problem-solving nature and crush on Cullen both be damned.
Yeah I actually hardly ever speak up about my opinions regarding the mage situation because to me it's a game and my feelings on the matter are unimportant; my character's feelings are more important.
But I'm with you, and I think the comparison you made is apt. And yep I'm not exactly the type who likes to be contained or told what to do, so I'd be a rebel, 100%! Nobody puts Artemis in a corner 
Maybe templars could simply be trained to deal with abominations. Instead of treating all mages like potential monsters, they simply become a police force that specializes in demon-fighting.
That actually seems something that could work. Combine that with making the Circles like public schools (rather than institutions of incarceration), where mages go to learn about how to control their magic during the day while going home to their families in the evenings, and we might have the beginnings of a decent solution to the whole mess. 
See now why would you post that? You know Curry Art's going to cut you now!
Sorry
Sorry
Do not be afraid of Artemis.
Maybe templars could simply be trained to deal with abominations. Instead of treating all mages like potential monsters, they simply become a police force that specializes in demon-fighting.
I think Cullen said something about teaching about the dangers. I'm not sure.
See now why would you post that? You know Curry Art's going to cut you now!
It's worse; I'm a pacifist so I'm actually just crying in a corner.
Except when he's naked he doesn't
I like the way you're thinking 
.
I thought about bathing. Or the horse washing thing
Ahem... well... on the other hand...
Do not be afraid of Artemis.
I feel wronged for some reason! *tries to look scary*
That actually seems something that could work. Combine that with making the Circles like public schools (rather than institutions of incarceration), where mages go to learn about how to control their magic during the day while going home to their families in the evenings, and we might have the beginnings of a decent solution to the whole mess.
Plus, when mages can live with their loved ones and move more or less freely, it would take a great deal of temptation/anger/frustration/fear away from them and therefore demons would have fewer angles to work on them.
Sure, the occasional blood mage who wants to increase power will still happen, but in a system where mages are generally more satisfied with their lives, they'll probably even help fighting blood mages rather than associating themselves with them out of fear of templars or hope to get away.
#teamfreemages
Speaking of armour I hope we get some cool animal helms like Cullen. I liked The Hound's helm from GoT too
^Wow, I think I have never seen him wearing that helmet. Looks great.
^Wow, I think I have never seen him wearing that helmet. Looks great.
GOT TV spoiler:
How Lady Amell feels about Cullen.
I think the problem with this analogy, though, is that (1) mages in DA are adults and (2) most of them don't have any emotional or behavioral problems and would be fully capable of handling themselves outside the circle. I'm not sure I remember exactly what your workplace is or if I'm filling it in with something similar a friend of mine does, so I apologize if I'm misunderstanding, but to me, the Circle seems more like forcing every child with a family history of emotional problems or life circumstances that might lead to them being categorized as at-risk into a group home, and then forcing them to stay there even as adults, via threats of death or lobotomy.
I also think I need to stay out of all forms of the How To Solve A Problem Like The Mages debate from here on out, though, because the more I think about it the clearer it is to me that if I were somehow teleported into Thedas with magical ability and with both the nature and nurture parts of my real life personality intact, there's a 75% chance I'd be throwing fireballs with Adrian, pragmatic / realistic / compromise-focused problem-solving nature and crush on Cullen both be damned.
LATE EDIT: That said, I do get what you mean about it not being appropriate to be "friends" with someone for whose safety you're responsible. I'd just prefer something more similar to a commissioned officer / NCO relationship, where it reflects professional roles rather than anything intrinsic to the person, and where, as you mentioned, Cullen would have no problem being close friends or lovers with a mage from a different Circle. That's not a perfect analogy either because IIRC a Sergeant Major still has to salute a 2nd Lieutenant, which would be inappropriate and infuriating in the mage / templar situation, but I hope my meaning makes sense.
Yeah, I really wasn't going for an application this broad when I made my point. I was specifically responding to the statement I quoted, not (for the moment) arguing for or against circles.
What I was trying to say is that as a caretaker, there are certain boundaries I have to observe. I do work with adolescents, yes, but there are similar boundaries between staff and residents in adult residential facilities also. It's more a function of our role than the specifics of my residents' ages or why they ended up in care.
Whether or not mages should be in circles, that was the situation Cullen was dealing with when he made that statement. In that context, I think the statement has to be understood in terms of those boundaries as well as Cullen's personal feelings. At the time, those were the facts Cullen had to work with, future hypotheticals aside.
For the record, I have close friends with the same diagnoses as my residents... but they aren't my residents. I'm not responsible for their care, and that makes a difference in what boundaries I should be observing. (Again, the analogy is imperfect because being a mage is not a disorder, but it's the best I've got.)
Likewise, there would be a difference between the mages a templar was responsible for and those that (for whatever reason) he/she wasn't.
Ah, a picture to remind me of The Hound and depress me. :c
That helm though... It is so awesome. It may even have had an impact on why I loved that character so much haha.
*sneak in*
Bonus and warning : FLUFF !!
Spoiler
Rainy days are veeeery inspiring.
*sneak out*
just awesome. and i'm such a fan of the two-handed face grab kiss. aww, yeah.
Yeah, I really wasn't going for an application this broad when I made my point. I was specifically responding to the statement I quoted, not (for the moment) arguing for or against circles.
Yeah, I think I misread your post a bit at first, which is what I get for trying to flip through the Cullen thread and make dinner at the same time. Sorry about that!
Animal helms ride that fine line between utterly ridiculous and completely awesome. I think Cullen manages to pull it off, but I have to wonder how he sees in that thing. Also, his voice is probably super muffled. I like to think that he'll be making inspiring speeches but no one can ever understand him.
Also, have a doodle of Cullen and Lavellan being a couple of gossip girls:
Retour en haut
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