138845 réponses à ce sujet

[Cerulione]

I am on my first PT in DAO and I've finished the Broken Circle quest this week.

Meeting Cullen in what should be his very first appearance in the franchise... oh man. That feeling of travelling back in time.

I also chuckled when Greagor told him "You are not the Knight-Commander." All I thought was "Yes, FOR NOW."

That said, considering how short his participation was in DAO, I wonder if Cullen's character was originally intended to be a recurring one and get development.

 

Nope, apparently no from what I know

 

He grows up alright though ^^

[Vanalia]

I am really glad they developped his design in DAI. He needed a nextgen upgrade his face on the Tarot card seems to be like the first concept arts of the character, he looks depressed and a bit scary on it, he doesn't look like the "final" Cullen at all.

[Vanalia]

Sorry for the double post.

When I enter Josephine's office I often have the random chat with the messenger, but for Cullen I really see the messenger very rarely. Someone has à trick?

[Cerulione]

I am really glad they developped his design in DAI. He needed a nextgen upgrade his face on the Tarot card seems to be like the first concept arts of the character, he looks depressed and a bit scary on it, he doesn't look like the "final" Cullen at all.

 

He looks older in the concept art TBH...Like in 40++ or even 50++? A grizzled older veteran warrior. In DA:I he's like early 30s (apparently 29 no?)

I still can imagine him to grow into the concept art face like 10-20 years after though

 

Sorry for thé double post.

When I enter Josephine's office I often have the random chat with the messenger, but for Cullen I really see the messenger very rarely. Someone has à trick?

 

It's a glitch I guess? I have Cullen's messanger banter quite often, Idk if this plays or not but when you go near his tower you need to go quickly inside or you might miss a part/the totality of the conversation (which happens quite often to me). Someone else please confirm if this happens to you too? Anyway I always enter from the same side the "left side" where there's the 3 characters from MP.

[Vanalia]

In the game he looks around 30-35 I'd say. DAO happened 10 years before DAI, no? He seems very mature so I think he would be around that age.

Older, I imagine him with a beard and longer hair, a bit like Nikolaj Koster-Waldau here:http://63.imagebam.c...8266180/nik.png

[Cerulione]

In the game he looks around 30-35 I'd say. DAO happened 10 years before DAI, no? He seems very mature so I think he would be around that age.

Older, I imagine him with a beard and longer hair, a bit like Nikolaj Koster-Waldau here:http://63.imagebam.c...8266180/nik.png

 

I remember reading somewhere (from someone doing calculations) that he is 29, or at least 29 yo in DA:I. Although afterwards there are lots of misinformations probably.

[Owlfruit Potion]

I remember reading somewhere (from someone doing calculations) that he is 29, or at least 29 yo in DA:I. Although afterwards there are lots of misinformations probably.

Yeah, there's a post with like 7000 notes on tumblr that says he's 29 because he was 19 in 9:30 Dragon and DA:I starts in 9:41 Dragon. That math makes me a little twitchy every time it crosses my dash. :\

 

At any rate, Brianne said "roughly 30". If you take the numbers in WoT2 exactly and assume the times of year etc. for the games all line up conveniently (and don't wind up with a typo in your arithmetic or whatever like the aforementioned tumblr post) he's exactly 30, but between the wiggle room in WoT2 and his mentioning that his birthday recently passed in DA:I, I feel free to headcanon a couple of years over 30. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Tishina]

Hmm at first I hated Anora, I saw her as an opponent that must be crushed & power hungry. But then it's the way the game chooses to present her to us, it's already heavily biased. Thinking about it over and over, in the end I actually like her & her attitude. Here's a BAMF gal who's strong and capable, who knows her strength and weakness and how to use the best of them. And she knows her job. She knows she is a good queen, she has the capacity and the brain and the gal and the strength for it. She also knows that having Alistair as King beside her will also be something good. She's not that power hungry (IMO) when she accepts easily to marry Alistair in a union, she simply does her job. She IS queen at the moment, it's her job to ensure the political stability of Ferelden as best she can. And the best she can do is either by rule alone or join force with Al.

 

TBH, I really think (if we RP without knowing the ending) it's REALLY risky to put Alistair alone on the throne, without Anora (or probably Cousland). He'll just be another puppet of Eamon & I don't agree with many of Eamon's point of views, I really think Eamon pulling the strings at the back will not do a service to Ferelden in the mid/long term. I'd still prefer to see Anora on the throne than to see Eamon controlling at the back.

 

And actually I don't even think in term of romantic love. In the end, romantic love can only brings you so far. It can end quite easily if the two people involved does not have the same vision, mission & goals in life. I think there's quite a number of people who choose to pursue what they need to do in life rather than romance, if it's a binary choice. Anora & Alistair not being in love at the first time during their joined force isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's a political union, remember?

 

Talking about power hungry, I still feel that if Anora is power hungry then all Cousland queens & kings are... even worse. They are Grey Wardens, remember? Alistair's on the throne might eventually be justified as necessary to end the Blight, probably (I'm not convinced that much TBH), but a Cousland queen/king consort abandoning the Grey Warden to seize the throne is even more power hungry than Anora trying to keep her place as Queen.

I think it depends on how you play the Cousland. For me, Anora was willing to marry Cailan in order to be queen. My Cousland was willing to be queen in order to marry Alistair (plus she generally felt she could protect him from being manipulated until he learned the job, so to speak.) But there's a lot more range for how you can play the warden than in how Anora's presented. I've always felt she was capable, but needed a conscience (Alistair) before I'd let her stay on the throne.

 

I am on my first PT in DAO and I've finished the Broken Circle quest this week.

Meeting Cullen in what should be his very first appearance in the franchise... oh man. That feeling of travelling back in time.

I also chuckled when Greagor told him "You are not the Knight-Commander." All I thought was "Yes, FOR NOW."

That said, considering how short his participation was in DAO, I wonder if Cullen's character was originally intended to be a recurring one and get development.

If you aren't playing a mage, he actually has a small role in that origin story as well.

[riverbanks]

TBH no not really

I'd love to know though, PM me for discussion?

 

Basically I think that Anora & Alistair can be a good pair. Probably at first it'll be a "forced" political union but TBH I can see Alistair's good heart to win over her after a time. (On PTs I make him king with Anora, I don't romance him though). TBH I can see them join force for a common goal, and then they might even love each other after a time.

 

Well since the Anora discussion continued~ but I'll put this under a cut, for courtesy.

 

Anora x Alistair stuff:

Spoiler

I very much like the the relationship between Alistair and Anora in all its extent - the evolution from the obviously mutual contempt in Origins, shade and barbs and slap in the hand and all, to the great dynamic of mutual respect they show in their one scene together in Inquisition - speaking in turns (instead of over each other) and completing each other's argument (instead of undermining each other's authority). Regardless of how one feels about them in terms of shipping, it's clear that in the ten years they've spent ruling together, they've learned to make it work, at the very least. I'm a big fan of them ruling together, and believe they do a much better job together than either of them would do separately. As their slide says back in Origins, they complement what each other lacks, Anora needing the influence of Alistair's big heart over her dry pragmatic approach, and Alistair needing the influence of Anora's logical brain over his often overly emotional approach.

 

Other than that, in shipping terms, I do also very much like them as a couple. I think it would take both of them a long time to overcome the emotional wall they build against each other, for their own valid reasons, but time is all they have - they're married for life, for good or ill. We do have the canon fact that they do eventually open up and learn to respect each other, so I think it's not unreasonable to headcanon that, over time, this learned respect and the comraderie they share could evolve into more romantic feelings. I've said this before in an older post here in the thread: I ship "Alistair/Anora as a couple that starts off as merely political, and even slightly disdainful of each other, but eventually develops a relationship of mutual respect, trust and friendship over time -and who knows, even that different, more low-key kind of love that comes from comfortable familiarity rather than flaming passion."

 

In my world state, in particular, where the Warden is dead, this is particularly easy to headcanon, because as I mentioned, Anora and Alistair already have something very intimate in common - they lost the first person they loved to that person's own reckless stubborness, and that's something they can at least empathize with to cut each other some initial slack.

 

And maybe they'll never feel exactly the same way about each other as they did for their first partners (say, Alistair for my Warden, or Anora for Cailan - and yes, Anora genuinely loved Cailan, we do have canon evidence of that), but you know. People move through relationships, marry a second, third time, find new ways to love again. I don't like the idea of these two characters I like so much forever wallowing in eternal misery, and prefer to think they could make each other happy, in their own way. Maybe not in that puppy-love crush way they had on their highschool sweethearts, but maybe in that "you're the mother/father of my children and I respect you a lot for that, and also for putting up with me when I'm being an idiot or smelling real bad" more adult way.

 

Anora stuff:

Spoiler

As for Anora as a character... I could write pages about her but I don't wanna start sht so I'll just say is: it is not power-hungry to defend what is yours by right. She is the rightful Queen of Ferelden in Cailan's absence, like it or not - she has been ruling the country as Queen for the past five years, she's not just some overly ambitious noble who jumped out from the shadows the day the king dropped dead. And she not only has to watch her own father take her authority away from her as if she has no competence to rule on her own, but also has to put up with Eamon coming out of the left field with this puppet to usurp the throne from her as well, a whelp who's barely wet behind the ears and knows nothing of governing a country. She's not a power-hungry vulture, trying to gain power she never had (that would be Howe's role). She's defending what is already hers by right. 

 

And I'm complete agreement that, if wanting to continue ruling the country she's already been ruling for years makes Anora "power-hungry," then what does that even say about a female Cousland who, despite having zero claim to the throne, deposes the rightful Queen and takes the crown for herself? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I don't consider either Anora or Cousland power-hungry (at least in general terms -unless you're specifically roleplaying a power-hungry Cousland), but if we're gonna throw that concept around for the one of them that actually has the real claim to the throne, then at least let's be real about how that makes a Queen Cousland look like in the larger picture.

 

I just think we as a fandom still need to work on the idea that it's ok for female characters to have drive and ambition, and be wiling to defend what's theirs by right with tooth and claw, and that doesn't make them power-hungry btches or the like. The same judgement that Anora gets is also laid on Celene for trying to hold onto her throne, but for some reason Gaspard and Alistair never get judged for trying to usurp power they don't rightfully own, even though that's pretty much what they're both doing when you put them in power. Curious, huh.

 

 

 

ANYWAY just so this entire post is not solely made of off-topicness, here's a gratuitous plug to another Cullen fic I wrote, for those not following me on tumblr:

• Blue (Cullen/Templar Inquisitor)

I'm on topic, see... 

[Vanalia]

Does Cullen discover what Sera did to his desk? Is it in the messanger banter?

I should retry the beginning of DAO as a mage, just to see Cullen, but I have a hard time with his old looks, now I'm used to how handsome he is in DAI...

[Cerulione]

If the Anora x Alistair & Anora discussion is too OOT, please tell me & I'll continue this with riverbanks & anyone else in PM.

 

 

I think it depends on how you play the Cousland. For me, Anora was willing to marry Cailan in order to be queen. My Cousland was willing to be queen in order to marry Alistair (plus she generally felt she could protect him from being manipulated until he learned the job, so to speak.) But there's a lot more range for how you can play the warden than in how Anora's presented. I've always felt she was capable, but needed a conscience (Alistair) before I'd let her stay on the throne.

 

If you aren't playing a mage, he actually has a small role in that origin story as well.

 

Conscience? Hmm TBH I never feel she lacks conscience either, at least when was it shown that she lacks it? She does have a good dose of ruthlesness alright, but IMO it's not conscience that she lacks. Personally I find her having sufficient ruthlesness to be an efficient leader in time of crisis.

 

Well since the Anora discussion continued~ but I'll put this under a cut, for courtesy.

 

Anora x Alistair stuff:

Spoiler

I very much like the the relationship between Alistair and Anora in all its extent - the evolution from the obviously mutual contempt in Origins, shade and barbs and slap in the hand and all, to the great dynamic of mutual respect they show in their one scene together in Inquisition - speaking in turns (instead of over each other) and completing each other's argument (instead of undermining each other's authority). Regardless of how one feels about them in terms of shipping, it's clear that in the ten years they've spent ruling together, they've learned to make it work, at the very least. I'm a big fan of them ruling together, and believe they do a much better job together than either of them would do separately. As their slide says back in Origins, they complement what each other lacks, Anora needing the influence of Alistair's big heart over her dry pragmatic approach, and Alistair needing the influence of Anora's logical brain over his often overly emotional approach.

 

Other than that, in shipping terms, I do also very much like them as a couple. I think it would take both of them a long time to overcome the emotional wall they build against each other, for their own valid reasons, but time is all they have - they're married for life, for good or ill. We do have the canon fact that they do eventually open up and learn to respect each other, so I think it's not unreasonable to headcanon that, over time, this learned respect and the comraderie they share could evolve into more romantic feelings. I've said this before in an older post here in the thread: I ship "Alistair/Anora as a couple that starts off as merely political, and even slightly disdainful of each other, but eventually develops a relationship of mutual respect, trust and friendship over time -and who knows, even that different, more low-key kind of love that comes from comfortable familiarity rather than flaming passion."

 

In my world state, in particular, where the Warden is dead, this is particularly easy to headcanon, because as I mentioned, Anora and Alistair already have something very intimate in common - they lost the first person they loved to that person's own reckless stubborness, and that's something they can at least empathize with to cut each other some initial slack.

 

And maybe they'll never feel exactly the same way about each other as they did for their first partners (say, Alistair for my Warden, or Anora for Cailan - and yes, Anora genuinely loved Cailan, we do have canon evidence of that), but you know. People move through relationships, marry a second, third time, find new ways to love again. I don't like the idea of these two characters I like so much forever wallowing in eternal misery, and prefer to think they could make each other happy, in their own way. Maybe not in that puppy-love crush way they had on their highschool sweethearts, but maybe in that "you're the mother/father of my children and I respect you a lot for that, and also for putting up with me when I'm being an idiot or smelling real bad" more adult way.

 

Anora stuff:

Spoiler

As for Anora as a character... I could write pages about her but I don't wanna start sht so I'll just say is: it is not power-hungry to defend what is yours by right. She is the rightful Queen of Ferelden in Cailan's absence, like it or not - she has been ruling the country as Queen for the past five years, she's not just some overly ambitious noble who jumped out from the shadows the day the king dropped dead. And she not only has to watch her own father take her authority away from her as if she has no competence to rule on her own, but also has to put up with Eamon coming out of the left field with this puppet to usurp the throne from her as well, a whelp who's barely wet behind the ears and knows nothing of governing a country. She's not a power-hungry vulture, trying to gain power she never had (that would be Howe's role). She's defending what is already hers by right. 

 

And I'm complete agreement that, if wanting to continue ruling the country she's already been ruling for years makes Anora "power-hungry," then what does that even say about a female Cousland who, despite having zero claim to the throne, deposes the rightful Queen and takes the crown for herself? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I don't consider either Anora or Cousland power-hungry (at least in general terms -unless you're specifically roleplaying a power-hungry Cousland), but if we're gonna throw that concept around for the one of them that actually has the real claim to the throne, then at least let's be real about how that makes a Queen Cousland look like in the larger picture.

 

I just think we as a fandom still need to work on the idea that it's ok for female characters to have drive and ambition, and be wiling to defend what's theirs by right with tooth and claw, and that doesn't make them power-hungry btches or the like. The same judgement that Anora gets is also laid on Celene for trying to hold onto her throne, but for some reason Gaspard and Alistair never get judged for trying to usurp power they don't rightfully own, even though that's pretty much what they're both doing when you put them in power. Curious, huh.

 

 

 

ANYWAY just so this entire post is not solely made of off-topicness, here's a gratuitous plug to another Cullen fic I wrote, for those not following me on tumblr:

• Blue (Cullen/Templar Inquisitor)

I'm on topic, see... 

 

Spoiler

Basically I agree with your opinions on Anora & Anora x Alistair. That's how I see things after several PTs TBH.

 

From how I see how my parents function, the feeling of flaming romantic passion/love can abate after awhile but the friendship/soulmate parts grows stronger each passing year. I can imagine this friendships that grows first between Anora x Alistair couple, allies turned comrades turn friends and probably turns to lover.

 

Well that's my opinion anyway

 

Does Cullen discover what Sera did to his desk? Is it in the messanger banter?

I should retry the beginning of DAO as a mage, just to see Cullen, but I have a hard time with his old looks, now I'm used to how handsome he is in DAI...

 

Aaah there's a very good mod that morph Cullen's head in DA:O to looks like in DA:I.

 

Hmmm I never got that banter post Sera's quest personally, although I got most of Cullen's messenger banters in my game.  Are you sure there's any?

[Vanalia]

I play the game on PS3 (DAO) so I can't use mods.

 

Even so, if I see Cullen too handsome in DAO I would be frustrated not being able to really romance him anyway 

 

For the banter, it seems that Iron bull asks Sera how she could put a beehive in Cullen's training dummy. POOR CULLEN. That could have killed him

Spoiler

I've also read somewhere that Cullen says to a messenger that Sera should stop that or he will do "something back" for revenge.

 

A question to all of you: what do you think about the "regular kiss" we can ask of Cullen? it feels like the Inquisitor wants more but Cullen "ends" the kiss by himself, like, "ok I have work now, see you later, I don't want to give too much now".

 

Maybe it's meant to be this way, but well.

 

Inquisitor: do you have a minute?

Cullen: of course.

 

*kiss*

*Cullen leaves*

 

Inquisitor: hey! we didn't finish kissing!

Cullen: you said "a minute". The minute is over!

Inquisitor: : '(

 

 

haha it's how it looks like 

 

OR there is a more romantic way to see it: Cullen feels like if he doesn't stop he would be too carried away, so he does it on purpose because he knows that if he listens to his feelings/desire he would do a remake of the desk scene, but on the wall 

 

How do everyone in Skyhold know about their relation anyway? I mean, especially the intimate moment. Even the bar tender of the tavern knows that I'm bedding Cullen, and that's a "rumor" so everyone knows. There must be a spy somewhere, or all the soldiers where waiting outside of the door and were listening XD

[Cerulione]

I play the game on PS3 (DAO) so I can't use mods.

 

Even so, if I see Cullen too handsome in DAO I would be frustrated not being able to really romance him anyway 

 

A question to all of you: what do you think about the "regular kiss" we can ask of Cullen? it feels like the Inquisitor wants more but Cullen "ends" the kiss by himself, like, "ok I have work now, see you later, I don't want to give too much now".

 

Maybe it's meant to be this way, but well.

 

Inquisitor: do you have a minute?

Cullen: of course.

 

*kiss*

*Cullen leaves*

 

Inquisitor: hey! we didn't finish kissing!

Cullen: you said "a minute". The minute is over!

Inquisitor: : '(

 

 

haha it's how it looks like 

 

OR there is a more romantic way to see it: Cullen feels like if he doesn't stop he would be too carried away, so he does it on purpose because he knows that if he listens to his feelings/desire he would do a remake of the desk scene, but on the wall 

 

How do everyone in Skyhold know about their relation anyway? I mean, especially the intimate moment. Even the bar tender of the tavern knows that I'm bedding Cullen, and that's a "rumor" so everyone knows. There must be a spy somewhere, or all the soldiers where waiting outside of the door and were listening XD

 

Oh... I always think there might eventually be more desk scene even if it's off screen...

 

Remember Jim? Well... Actually it's kinda weird that Cullen & quizzy kiss on the battlement (where I even get the glitch of soldiers passing at the background trying to do "nuh uh I didn't see anything I didn't see the commander & the Inquisitor making up I see nothing"). They could've done it in his office with the door closed. Personally I wonder whether Cullen do want people to know they're dating

 

Also his opinion on people will talk dialogue post first kiss...

 

[riverbanks]

A question to all of you: what do you think about the "regular kiss" we can ask of Cullen? it feels like the Inquisitor wants more but Cullen "ends" the kiss by himself, like, "ok I have work now, see you later, I don't want to give too much now".

 

I love it! It shows a little bit of his more teasing, wicked humor. You see a lot of that if you keep playing the middle/sarcastic dialogue option with him, he's full of little sexy quips and innuendos if you open the relationship for it.

 

I feel the radiant kiss really fits with that part of his personality, the one that jokes and teases the Inquisitor. I can see my IQ being greedy and going "no wait just a little bit more waaait," and Cullen's expression when he leaves is definitely saying, naah that'll tide you over until, ahem, later...

[Cerulione]

I love it! It shows a little bit of his more teasing, wicked humor. You see a lot of that if you keep playing the middle/sarcastic dialogue option with him, he's full of little sexy quips and innuendos if you open the relationship for it.

 

I feel the radiant kiss really fits with that part of his personality, the ones that jokes and teases the Inquisitor. I can see my IQ being greedy and going "no wait just a little bit more waaait," and Cullen's expression when he leaves is definitely saying, naah that'll tide you over until, ahem, later...

 

I can't stop giggling reading your post XD

 

He's a teaser alright.

[Tishina]

He looks older in the concept art TBH...Like in 40++ or even 50++? A grizzled older veteran warrior. In DA:I he's like early 30s (apparently 29 no?)

I still can imagine him to grow into the concept art face like 10-20 years after though

 

 

It's a glitch I guess? I have Cullen's messanger banter quite often, Idk if this plays or not but when you go near his tower you need to go quickly inside or you might miss a part/the totality of the conversation (which happens quite often to me). Someone else please confirm if this happens to you too? Anyway I always enter from the same side the "left side" where there's the 3 characters from MP.

I've never gotten any banter in his office, but I also virtually never enter by that door either. I'll have to test it tonight to see if that's the problem. I get tons of banter in Josephine's office.

[Vanalia]

What do you mean by "the sarcastic dialogue option" ? usually I save before and try all the options. But maybe I missed some.

 

The thing is, I'm in the middle of hours of secondary quests so since last time (the intimate scene) I got NOTHING from Cullen, even when I ask f there is anything new, he says that there is nothing, so I feel like he is already bored with me. So from time to time I ask for a kiss when I pass by, and yes, that kiss looks like teasing or like "I won't give more for the moment, it's your fault, you should follow the main quests to have more new scenes with me!" 

 

*frustrated*  XD

 

I have a hard time getting the messenger banter as well for Cullen, even from the right door. It only happens when it's the lady dwarf, I think. The other soldiers are just passing by, poor Cullen doesn't have any privacy.

[riverbanks]

What do you mean by "the sarcastic dialogue option" ? usually I save before and try all the options. But maybe I missed some.

 

The thing is, I'm in the middle of hours of secondary quests so since last time (the intimate scene) I got NOTHING from Cullen, even when I ask f there is anything new, he says that there is nothing, so I feel like he is already bored with me. So from time to time I ask for a kiss when I pass by, and yes, that kiss looks like teasing or like "I won't give more for the moment, it's your fault, you should follow the main quests to have more new scenes with me!"

 

I call it sarcastic because of the DA2 system, but it's the middle/#2 dialogue option. It's always slightly more sarcastic/joking than #1 (the gentle/nice guy line) and #3 (the direct/straight up line). What's nice about Cullen and the dialogue wheel is that there is no wrong answer with him, in his dialogue scenes. Even if you pick only #3 lines and get a little rude/direct with him, he'll always take it well, and answer with his same usual kind tone. But I still prefer the #2 lines, because they make him laugh and joke with Quizzie a lot.

 

The lack of dialogue is a general issue with the game. It's a biiiig game, and there really isn't enough recorded dialogue to fill so much empty space, with any character. You tend to feel it more strongly with the one you're romancing because if you burn through conversations very fast the only thing you'll left to do after a while is kiss, but even the other companions and advisors run out of things to talk about, eventually. The devs have acknowledged this, though, so hopefully the next game will have a better balance between gameplay and roleplaying.

[Marika Haliwell]

I play the game on PS3 (DAO) so I can't use mods.

 

Even so, if I see Cullen too handsome in DAO I would be frustrated not being able to really romance him anyway 

 

For the banter, it seems that Iron bull asks Sera how she could put a beehive in Cullen's training dummy. POOR CULLEN. That could have killed him

Spoiler

I've also read somewhere that Cullen says to a messenger that Sera should stop that or he will do "something back" for revenge.

 

A question to all of you: what do you think about the "regular kiss" we can ask of Cullen? it feels like the Inquisitor wants more but Cullen "ends" the kiss by himself, like, "ok I have work now, see you later, I don't want to give too much now".

 

Maybe it's meant to be this way, but well.

 

Inquisitor: do you have a minute?

Cullen: of course.

 

*kiss*

*Cullen leaves*

 

Inquisitor: hey! we didn't finish kissing!

Cullen: you said "a minute". The minute is over!

Inquisitor: : '(

 

 

haha it's how it looks like 

 

OR there is a more romantic way to see it: Cullen feels like if he doesn't stop he would be too carried away, so he does it on purpose because he knows that if he listens to his feelings/desire he would do a remake of the desk scene, but on the wall 

 

How do everyone in Skyhold know about their relation anyway? I mean, especially the intimate moment. Even the bar tender of the tavern knows that I'm bedding Cullen, and that's a "rumor" so everyone knows. There must be a spy somewhere, or all the soldiers where waiting outside of the door and were listening XD

he has a hole in his roof, anyone on battlements can hear them

[Vanalia]

he has a hole in his roof, anyone on battlements can hear them

Unless they are very noisy or if the lady IQ screams a lot, a "normal" sexual relation should not be heard that much XD I don't think that everyone would hear little moans even if there is a hole in the roof. How about appreciating that moment without making loud noises, eh? 

 

- Roverbanks: but DA:I has a lot more dialogues than any other games of that style I know, more than in Mass effect. It's rare to see a game where the characters don't always say the same thing all the time, at least in DA:I you can at least talk to them maybe five times before they end up saying the same thing. I think they did a good job on this, even if, of course, we would like always more.

 

We're far from the frustration of Atton in Kotor 2 stuck at saying "wanna play pazak?" during half of the game, even after major quests XD

 

For Cullen (and maybe the others too) I realized that picking a different sentence sometimes does nothing, he just replies the same thing. Sometimes it's different but other times, the only difference is what the Inquisitor says. But yes, Cullen is always sweet  I don't feel the same with Blackwall, even when I'm kind (well, I don't romance him), sometimes he replies a bit harshly. Cullen on the contrary always seems very caring. 

[sagefic]

dropping in to ask a not directly related to cullen question ...well, it will be when i get around to it

 

on the updated cinematic tools: what's the default hotkey to freeze cutscenes? i cannot figure that out and googling is not bringing it up

^ or am i loony and this is a thing i made up in my head. you *can* pause cutscenes now, yes?

[MelissaGT]

ANYWAY just so this entire post is not solely made of off-topicness, here's a gratuitous plug to another Cullen fic I wrote, for those not following me on tumblr:

• Blue (Cullen/Templar Inquisitor)

I'm on topic, see... 

 

Her name is Rhia! 

 

Makes me think of my Rhiannon... 

[Vanalia]

I wonder what happens at the end if you play a templar who takes lyrium. After all the pain Cullen endured to stop, YOU inflict that to yourself. I saw some dialogues where Cullen is sad about your decision. I wonder if you do both nightmares afterwards XD

[R2s Muse]

I am on my first PT in DAO and I've finished the Broken Circle quest this week.

Meeting Cullen in what should be his very first appearance in the franchise... oh man. That feeling of travelling back in time.

I also chuckled when Greagor told him "You are not the Knight-Commander." All I thought was "Yes, FOR NOW."

That said, considering how short his participation was in DAO, I wonder if Cullen's character was originally intended to be a recurring one and get development.

No, the devs have said that they had no idea he would develop such a following. His DA:O writer said that if she had known, she would have given him some closure. I guess we can be glad she didn't so that they had somewhere to go with his story in the next two games. 

[Asperath]

I think it depends on how you play the Cousland. For me, Anora was willing to marry Cailan in order to be queen. My Cousland was willing to be queen in order to marry Alistair (plus she generally felt she could protect him from being manipulated until he learned the job, so to speak.) But there's a lot more range for how you can play the warden than in how Anora's presented. I've always felt she was capable, but needed a conscience (Alistair) before I'd let her stay on the throne.

 

If you aren't playing a mage, he actually has a small role in that origin story as well.

 

Spoiler

Agreed I think a lot depends on how you played your Warden. Mine was madly in love with Alistair & being young, just wanted to stay with him. If you could marry him as a warden, I might of chose differently... it was my first PT and honestly I just kinda fell into Cousland becoming Queen as I really didn't think she would just decide everything lol I dunno what I was thinking really...

 

 

Well since the Anora discussion continued~ but I'll put this under a cut, for courtesy.

 

Anora x Alistair stuff:

Spoiler

I very much like the the relationship between Alistair and Anora in all its extent - the evolution from the obviously mutual contempt in Origins, shade and barbs and slap in the hand and all, to the great dynamic of mutual respect they show in their one scene together in Inquisition - speaking in turns (instead of over each other) and completing each other's argument (instead of undermining each other's authority). Regardless of how one feels about them in terms of shipping, it's clear that in the ten years they've spent ruling together, they've learned to make it work, at the very least. I'm a big fan of them ruling together, and believe they do a much better job together than either of them would do separately. As their slide says back in Origins, they complement what each other lacks, Anora needing the influence of Alistair's big heart over her dry pragmatic approach, and Alistair needing the influence of Anora's logical brain over his often overly emotional approach.

 

Other than that, in shipping terms, I do also very much like them as a couple. I think it would take both of them a long time to overcome the emotional wall they build against each other, for their own valid reasons, but time is all they have - they're married for life, for good or ill. We do have the canon fact that they do eventually open up and learn to respect each other, so I think it's not unreasonable to headcanon that, over time, this learned respect and the comraderie they share could evolve into more romantic feelings. I've said this before in an older post here in the thread: I ship "Alistair/Anora as a couple that starts off as merely political, and even slightly disdainful of each other, but eventually develops a relationship of mutual respect, trust and friendship over time -and who knows, even that different, more low-key kind of love that comes from comfortable familiarity rather than flaming passion."

 

In my world state, in particular, where the Warden is dead, this is particularly easy to headcanon, because as I mentioned, Anora and Alistair already have something very intimate in common - they lost the first person they loved to that person's own reckless stubborness, and that's something they can at least empathize with to cut each other some initial slack.

 

And maybe they'll never feel exactly the same way about each other as they did for their first partners (say, Alistair for my Warden, or Anora for Cailan - and yes, Anora genuinely loved Cailan, we do have canon evidence of that), but you know. People move through relationships, marry a second, third time, find new ways to love again. I don't like the idea of these two characters I like so much forever wallowing in eternal misery, and prefer to think they could make each other happy, in their own way. Maybe not in that puppy-love crush way they had on their highschool sweethearts, but maybe in that "you're the mother/father of my children and I respect you a lot for that, and also for putting up with me when I'm being an idiot or smelling real bad" more adult way.

 

Anora stuff:

Spoiler

As for Anora as a character... I could write pages about her but I don't wanna start sht so I'll just say is: it is not power-hungry to defend what is yours by right. She is the rightful Queen of Ferelden in Cailan's absence, like it or not - she has been ruling the country as Queen for the past five years, she's not just some overly ambitious noble who jumped out from the shadows the day the king dropped dead. And she not only has to watch her own father take her authority away from her as if she has no competence to rule on her own, but also has to put up with Eamon coming out of the left field with this puppet to usurp the throne from her as well, a whelp who's barely wet behind the ears and knows nothing of governing a country. She's not a power-hungry vulture, trying to gain power she never had (that would be Howe's role). She's defending what is already hers by right. 

 

And I'm complete agreement that, if wanting to continue ruling the country she's already been ruling for years makes Anora "power-hungry," then what does that even say about a female Cousland who, despite having zero claim to the throne, deposes the rightful Queen and takes the crown for herself? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I don't consider either Anora or Cousland power-hungry (at least in general terms -unless you're specifically roleplaying a power-hungry Cousland), but if we're gonna throw that concept around for the one of them that actually has the real claim to the throne, then at least let's be real about how that makes a Queen Cousland look like in the larger picture.

 

I just think we as a fandom still need to work on the idea that it's ok for female characters to have drive and ambition, and be wiling to defend what's theirs by right with tooth and claw, and that doesn't make them power-hungry btches or the like. The same judgement that Anora gets is also laid on Celene for trying to hold onto her throne, but for some reason Gaspard and Alistair never get judged for trying to usurp power they don't rightfully own, even though that's pretty much what they're both doing when you put them in power. Curious, huh.

 

 

 

ANYWAY just so this entire post is not solely made of off-topicness, here's a gratuitous plug to another Cullen fic I wrote, for those not following me on tumblr:

• Blue (Cullen/Templar Inquisitor)

I'm on topic, see... 

 

Spoiler

Although I agree with some of what you said, I'm going to have to agree to disagree with a lot of what you said It seems we played our games very differently and that's great because it allows me to see other points of view but it doesn't change my opinion on her. It's what also makes Bioware games great fun to play - I love how characters can create completely differing emotions/views/opinions in people.

I also know you weren't directing anything towards me, but I just like to add, I'd dislike the character & would consider the character power hungry no matter the gender. I like the fact you brought that up because it does happen still too frequently in society imho.

 

And the weird thing is... I love her father, Loghain... and a lot of that I cannot explain, I just do *shrugs*

 

Actually, River, I PM'd you my true sticking point with Anore ruling alone. It's bit old fashioned but... sometimes we simply dislike characters and Anora's one of those for me.

 

Anyway, back to Cullen...

 

What do you think he would of done if the Knight Captain hadn't spoken to his parents and/or his parents hadn't agreed to let him join the templars?

Wait til old enough to join himself? I don't know if there's an age limit or requirement to join because in Kirkwall the recuits seemed to be young adults.