153434 réponses à ce sujet

[midnight tea]

Hmm.  I'm not certain what the point would be for Solas to do that.  Unless the mage was an elf.  But even then I don't think there'd be much of a reason for him to interact with some random mage in the Fade like that.  Talk to them maybe to gather information perhaps but the Pride demon asked few questions.

 

A few things to consider though ...

 

He awoke a year before the events in Inquisition.  Before that he was asleep and dreaming in the Fade.  He was probably aware of current events due to the information he was able to obtain from other spirits and dreamers in the Fade.  How long had he been planning his restoration of the elves?

 

To be honest I was under the impression that the Pride demon that possessed Uldred was the same one you met in the Fade.  It was something with the way you spoke to Uldred during the Broken Circle quest that made me think this but I can't recall off the top of my head why.

 

I think the demon bonded with Uldred would mention if we met it before. For the same reason why a powerful demon OR Solas would would be interested with the Warden in the first place - they're an exceptional soul.

 

Many times in the game it's underline that their "speshulness" is palpable, be it in the Fade or not, no different than Inky, really (if not more). So I wouldn't be surprised if He Who Hunts Alone - who himself likely kept an eye on Circles, given that he seemed to have observed them for a while - could be interested in the encounter with a mage with this much potential, even if for the sake of his own curiosity.

 

As for "speshunless" itself, before we get into "only our heroes are special/Sueness" territory - protagonist of the story or no, it appears that there are "speshul" souls popping up all around, with whom many parties would be interested - just read Calpernia's short story, when Corypheus himself tells us that she is special, the "power immeasurable; a champion perhaps" (http://dragonage.wik...ng_the_Ferryman). Then there's the fact that each potential Warden or Inquisitor apparently all live in the same timeline, until we pick one as our protagonist in a given playthrough. That in itself suggests that there are many potentially grand souls, aside from protagonists themselves, that roam Thedas, only to be weeded out by sheer power of circumstances.

[Elessara]

I think the demon bonded with Uldred would mention if we met it before. For the same reason why a powerful demon OR Solas would would be interested with the Warden in the first place - they're an exceptional soul.

 

Many times in the game it's underline that their "speshulness" is palpable, be it in the Fade or not, no different than Inky, really (if not more). So I wouldn't be surprised if He Who Hunts Alone - who himself likely kept an eye on Circles, given that he seemed to have observed them for a while - could be interested in the encounter with a mage with this much potential, even if for the sake of his own curiosity.

 

As for "speshunless" itself, before we get into "only our heroes are special/Sueness" territory - protagonist of the story or no, it appears that there are "speshul" souls popping up all around, with whom many parties would be interested - just read Calpernia's short story, when Corypheus himself tells us that she is special, the "power immeasurable; a champion perhaps" (http://dragonage.wik...ng_the_Ferryman). Then there's the fact that each potential Warden or Inquisitor apparently all live in the same timeline, until we pick one as our protagonist in a given playthrough. That in itself suggests that there are many potentially grand souls, aside from protagonists themselves, that roam Thedas, only to be weeded out by sheer power of circumstances.

 

Like I said, there was something in the conversation between a Mage Warden and Uldred that for some reason made me think they had met before but it's been awhile since I played the game so I don't remember exactly what it was.  It could have just been because Uldred the person (not the abomination) had met the Mage Warden before and that's what's giving me the impression.

 

I thought it was interesting that you could see that each origin happened regardless of the one you chose to play and it's only the intervention of Duncan (or the player choosing to play that particular origin) that saved the player character.  I'm not really sure if the mage origin dies in the Harrowing or later in the Tower if you choose another origin though.

 

For the Harrowing though, don't the mages summon a demon specifically to test the apprentice?  Could they even have summoned Solas that way?  He is not actually a spirit (whether he had been one previously he is not one now).  If you go by the wiki, it does state that the mages overseeing the Harrowing summon the demon there with the promise of a body it can take over and that they typically summon a pride or desire demon because the true test is not one of combat but of will.

 

It just seems that the connections are tenuous at best:  Solas's name means pride in the elven language and the mage warden met a Pride demon in the Fade.  Solas is the Dread Wolf and you see spirit wolves in the Fade.  It just seems like a reach is all, regardless of the specialness of the Warden.

[midnight tea]

Like I said, there was something in the conversation between a Mage Warden and Uldred that for some reason made me think they had met before but it's been awhile since I played the game so I don't remember exactly what it was.  It could have just been because Uldred the person (not the abomination) had met the Mage Warden before and that's what's giving me the impression.

 

I thought it was interesting that you could see that each origin happened regardless of the one you chose to play and it's only the intervention of Duncan (or the player choosing to play that particular origin) that saved the player character.  I'm not really sure if the mage origin dies in the Harrowing or later in the Tower if you choose another origin though.

 

For the Harrowing though, don't the mages summon a demon specifically to test the apprentice?  Could they even have summoned Solas that way?  He is not actually a spirit (whether he had been one previously he is not one now).  If you go by the wiki, it does state that the mages overseeing the Harrowing summon the demon there with the promise of a body it can take over and that they typically summon a pride or desire demon because the true test is not one of combat but of will.

 

If you remember, the "demon" itself (in a guise of Mouse) b*tches at the mages making the Harrowing too difficult for the mages - which, given how that particular Harrowing as played out - struck me as bizarrely honest. In fact, there are many honest or informative tidbits, which I know are supposed to be informative for the benefit of the player, not just the protagonist, but they always seemed to me as a little too earnest, as if Mouse was genuinely trying to help the future Warden.

 

And then there's the fact that we're never in the danger of possession from that summoned Pride demon it seems. He seems to be just happy that we're strong enough to survive the encounter with Rage and then he just... leaves, no matter what we respond earlier to him. That's the most bizarre part of it all. There... wasn't really a combat of will, was there? At best the mage realizes that the Mouse may not be what they seem, but that's about it. Even after the Harrowing we hear one of the mages comment on Cullen gushing just how clean and fast that Harrowing is.

 

It just seems that the connections are tenuous at best:  Solas's name means pride in the elven language and the mage warden met a Pride demon in the Fade.  Solas is the Dread Wolf and you see spirit wolves in the Fade.  It just seems like a reach is all, regardless of the specialness of the Warden.

 

Tenuous, but how interesting possibility to consider, given what we know now, ey? In any event, I can see Solas doing something like it - being vaguely interested with a 'speshul' mortal mage, and helping them out a bit, even if out of sympathy for those who retained their conscious connection to the Fade and they happen to be an oppressed minority in modern Thedas.

[Sable Rhapsody]

If you remember, the "demon" itself (in a guise of Mouse) b*tches at the mages making the Harrowing too difficult for the mages - which, given how that particular Harrowing as played out - struck me as bizarrely honest. In fact, there are many honest or informative tidbits, which I know are supposed to be informative for the benefit of the player, not just the protagonist, but they always seemed to me as a little too earnest, as if Mouse was genuinely trying to help the future Warden.

And then there's the fact that we're never in the danger of possession from that summoned Pride demon it seems. He seems to be just happy that we're strong enough to survive the encounter with Rage and then he just... leaves, no matter what we respond earlier to him. That's the most bizarre part of it all. There... wasn't really a combat of will, was there? At best the mage realizes that the Mouse may not be what they seem, but that's about it. Even after the Harrowing we hear one of the mages comment on Cullen gushing just how clean and fast that Harrowing is.

You could also look at it not as a Pride demon, but as a spirit of Wisdom. After all, according to Solas, spirits are as much a matter of perception as the rest of the Fade. Entering the Fade, Amell/Surana had no good reason (beyond paranoia) to distrust Mouse. So all those helpful things that Mouse says can be genuine; it was a spirit of Wisdom until Amell/Surana began to suspect it of ulterior motives and treat it as an enemy. Only then did it begin transforming into a Pride demon.

If anything, the Harrowing might be more of a matter of luck than the skill of the individual mage. If you got an extremely powerful spirit and a very fearful mage, you'd pretty much be dead in the water, since the mage's fear and aggression would turn the spirit into its "negative" form (Rage, Pride, Desire, etc.) But there were helpful spirits in Amell/Surana's Harrowing: Valor, which stays friendly and can even arm you, and Wisdom/Pride. Some spirits might even have seen multiple Harrowings, and deliberately stuck around to lend a hand to the apprentice mages.

[Cee]

OMG I just read something and realized the first issue of Magekiller comes out today. Thus begins our journey to Tevinter.

 

http://www.darkhorse...ge-Magekiller-1

[midnight tea]

You could also look at it not as a Pride demon, but as a spirit of Wisdom. After all, according to Solas, spirits are as much a matter of perception as the rest of the Fade. Entering the Fade, Amell/Surana had no good reason (beyond paranoia) to distrust Mouse. So all those helpful things that Mouse says can be genuine; it was a spirit of Wisdom until Amell/Surana began to suspect it of ulterior motives and treat it as an enemy. Only then did it begin transforming into a Pride demon.

If anything, the Harrowing might be more of a matter of luck than the skill of the individual mage. If you got an extremely powerful spirit and a very fearful mage, you'd pretty much be dead in the water, since the mage's fear and aggression would turn the spirit into its "negative" form (Rage, Pride, Desire, etc.) But there were helpful spirits in Amell/Surana's Harrowing: Valor, which stays friendly and can even arm you, and Wisdom/Pride. Some spirits might even have seen multiple Harrowings, and deliberately stuck around to lend a hand to the apprentice mages.

 

That's the thing - we may stay unsuspecting and gullible and eventually Mouse will turn into a demon. It happens no matter how we play it.

 

Plus, just as demons/spirits may be deliberately stuck around to lend a hand, why not a certain Fade nerd who is (at that time) stuck in the Fade anyway?  And given that he's likely been observing mortals through the Fade - and has strong opinions about the Circle - it may as well be that he's been observing that particular Circle and grew fed of potentially great mages being mostly sent to their deaths. We DO know after all that later he either was in Ostagar and dreamed of what happened there, or at least seen everything from the Fade.

 

Just keep in mind that I'm not claiming it's him - I only think that, given everything, it is within a realm of possibility.

[Sable Rhapsody]

That's the thing - we may stay unsuspecting and gullible and eventually Mouse will turn into a demon. It happens no matter how we play it.

 

Plus, just as demons/spirits may be deliberately stuck around to lend a hand, why not a certain Fade nerd who is (at that time) stuck in the Fade anyway?  And given that he's likely been observing mortals through the Fade - and has strong opinions about the Circle - it may as well be that he's been observing that particular Circle and grew fed of potentially great mages being mostly sent to their deaths. We DO know after all that later he either was in Ostagar and dreamed of what happened there, or at least seen everything from the Fade.

 

Just keep in mind that I'm not claiming it's him - I only think that, given everything, it is within a realm of possibility.

 

And at that point, I'd chalk it up to tutorial gameplay conceit, and not anything intentionally deeper.  Though I'm perfectly happy to interpret or rationalize a different explanation

 

Sure, it could be Solas.  Or the particular Wisdom spirit whom quizzy meets during All New, Faded for Her.  Or one of the many demons/spirits that the Warden encounters during Broken Circle.  Personally, I prefer the idea of each Circle having resident spirits that hang around, and have seen generations of mages come and go.  I'd imagine that Circle towers are very attractive in the Fade, concentrations of people who can consciously interact with spirits.

 

We don't know the details of the Harrowing ritual, but maybe it works not because of what the Circle authorities do, but because the spirit who encounters the mage apprentice is a better judge of that apprentice's skill than the templars.  An abbreviated version of the Avvar apprenticing their mages to both spirits and mortal mages.  After all, there has to be a reason why it's illegal to Tranquil a Harrowed mage.  If the Harrowing didn't work at all, it would've been phased out.  

[Garnet]

Gorgeous landscape artwork of Solas and the Breach by nipuni.

I suggest checking out the source link for the little bonus she added since I can't seem to copy the image link for some reason.

Spoiler

Source: http://nipuni.tumblr...tice-landscapes

 

 

Here it is.

[midnight tea]

And at that point, I'd chalk it up to tutorial gameplay conceit, and not anything intentionally deeper.  Though I'm perfectly happy to interpret or rationalize a different explanation

 

Sure, it could be Solas.  Or the particular Wisdom spirit whom quizzy meets during All New, Faded for Her.  Or one of the many demons/spirits that the Warden encounters during Broken Circle.  Personally, I prefer the idea of each Circle having resident spirits that hang around, and have seen generations of mages come and go.  I'd imagine that Circle towers are very attractive in the Fade, concentrations of people who can consciously interact with spirits.

 

We don't know the details of the Harrowing ritual, but maybe it works not because of what the Circle authorities do, but because the spirit who encounters the mage apprentice is a better judge of that apprentice's skill than the templars.  An abbreviated version of the Avvar apprenticing their mages to both spirits and mortal mages.  After all, there has to be a reason why it's illegal to Tranquil a Harrowed mage.  If the Harrowing didn't work at all, it would've been phased out.  

 

Well, as far as we believe Mouse, the Harrowing is a practice of killing off potential mages: putting them against near-impossible odds with barely any weapon or preparation - specifically constructed so Templars could just kill most of them; either when they fail, or Templars simply arbitrarily determine that it takes the mage too long to wake up. So it seems to me more like a ritual to actually limit the numbers of mages, rather than any practical ritual. Like both Mouse and Valor in the Harrowing story, Solas seems to think of it as an entirely unnecessary practice - the one that merely scars mages, like it certainly has scarred Vivienne for life and made her distrustful of the Fade.

 

The fact that it's illegal to Tranquil a mage may only be a way to make the practice of Harrowing seem like it's legit. We do know that in the end it doesn't matter - the process of Tranquilizing a mage exists in Tevinter too after all, and aside from them not having a Harrowing (maybe a similar practice, but who knows how different) anyone who is deemed in the Imperium as maleficar can be made Tranquil.

[Elessara]

Well, as far as we believe Mouse, the Harrowing is a practice of killing off potential mages: putting them against near-impossible odds with barely any weapon or preparation - specifically constructed so Templars could just kill most of them; either when they fail, or Templars simply arbitrarily determine that it takes the mage too long to wake up. So it seems to me more like a ritual to actually limit the numbers of mages, rather than any practical ritual. Like both Mouse and Valor in the Harrowing story, Solas seems to think of it as an entirely unnecessary practice - the one that merely scars mages, like it certainly has scarred Vivienne for life and made her distrustful of the Fade.

 

The fact that it's illegal to Tranquil a mage may only be a way to make the practice of Harrowing seem like it's legit. We do know that in the end it doesn't matter - the process of Tranquilizing a mage exists in Tevinter too after all, and aside from them not having a Harrowing (maybe a similar practice, but who knows how different) anyone who is deemed in the Imperium as maleficar can be made Tranquil.

 

If that were the case, far fewer mages would pass it.  From the number of mages in the various Circles, most mages seem to pass the Harrowing.  There are enough mages left in the Ferelden Circle to make a small army it seems and that's after Broken Circle.  There are also a bunch of mages in the Kirkwall Circle and that's even after Meredith using the Rite of Tranquility left and .. heh .. right (sorry, no pun intended).  And do we really want to trust Mouse?  He's trying to play to our sympathies so we'll let him possess us.  He's not necessarily truthful or trustworthy.

[Sable Rhapsody]

Well, as far as we believe Mouse, the Harrowing is a practice of killing off potential mages: putting them against near-impossible odds with barely any weapon or preparation - specifically constructed so Templars could just kill most of them; either when they fail, or Templars simply arbitrarily determine that it takes the mage too long to wake up. So it seems to me more like a ritual to actually limit the numbers of mages, rather than any practical ritual. Like both Mouse and Valor in the Harrowing story, Solas seems to think of it as an entirely unnecessary practice - the one that merely scars mages, like it certainly has scarred Vivienne for life and made her distrustful of the Fade.

 

The fact that it's illegal to Tranquil a mage may only be a way to make the practice of Harrowing seem like it's legit. We do know that in the end it doesn't matter - the process of Tranquilizing a mage exists in Tevinter too after all, and aside from them not having a Harrowing (maybe a similar practice, but who knows how different) anyone who is deemed in the Imperium as maleficar can be made Tranquil.

 

Of course, that's just Mouse's opinion.

 

The codex entry from Here Lies the Abyss actually sounds a lot like Mouse.  Afraid of the Fade, and of the Harrowing.  And just to play devil's advocate, spirits can lie.  They can shapeshift.  They don't have to tell the truth.  Mouse's disguise--and what he says--could just as easily be a test of the Warden's resolve.

 

As for the Harrowing...I'm not the Chantry's biggest fan, but let's give them at least a little credit here  Paranoid and bigoted they can be, but they're not utter morons.  If the Chantry law was nothing more than a smokescreen, and the Harrowing was genuinely incapable of distinguishing competent mages from incompetent ones, the Circle never would have worked in the first place.  It was fundamentally flawed, but it did last for hundreds of years.  

[midnight tea]

If that were the case, far fewer mages would pass it.  From the number of mages in the various Circles, most mages seem to pass the Harrowing.  There are enough mages left in the Ferelden Circle to make a small army it seems and that's after Broken Circle.  There are also a bunch of mages in the Kirkwall Circle and that's even after Meredith using the Rite of Tranquility left and .. heh .. right (sorry, no pun intended).

 

 

The fact that there are enough mages passing the Harrowing doesn't mean that their number isn't limited still - in fact the weeding out seems to be happening even before the Harrowing itself, when most of the weak-willed or terrified of the Fade, or problematic, are made Tranquil. So only those who are strong-willed enough go through the ritual, and quite a few of those seem to fall the victim of either a demon or Templar's judgment. 

 

He's trying to play to our sympathies so we'll let him possess us.  He's not necessarily truthful or trustworthy.

 

Of course, that's just Mouse's opinion.

 

This is exactly why I'm no just basing this one what only Mouse had said. I did mention Valor and Solas, after all, haven't I?

 

 

As for the Harrowing...I'm not the Chantry's biggest fan, but let's give them at least a little credit here  Paranoid and bigoted they can be, but they're not utter morons.  If the Chantry law was nothing more than a smokescreen, and the Harrowing was genuinely incapable of distinguishing competent mages from incompetent ones, the Circle never would have worked in the first place.  It was fundamentally flawed, but it did last for hundreds of years.  

 

So did slavery, or feudal system - but just because the system is working for centuries, doesn't mean that it isn't utterly flawed, isn't it?

 

In fact, one of the main reasons the Circles seem to be working is because everyone scares the mages into accepting their prison and what is done to them. Being held in a gilded cage, is after all, preferable to being run down by an angry mob afraid of magic either due to superstition or... Chantry rhetoric. It's a vicious circle.... lol, pun not intended

 

Speaking of slavery - anyone noticed that basically every group of people stripped of their agency is wearing some sort of brand on their faces? The Tranquil (who are in many ways slaves, as crucial to running the circles as ones who run daily life in Tevinter) have the sunburst on their forehead, the casteless have their faces tattooed, and we now know that the vallaslin itself was a mark of slavery.

I wonder if there's a connection - I mean, more than just a cultural convergence thing.

[Elessara]

The fact that there are enough mages passing the Harrowing doesn't mean that their number isn't limited still - in fact the weeding out seems to be happening even before the Harrowing itself, when most of the weak-willed or terrified of the Fade, or problematic, are made Tranquil. So only those who are strong-willed enough go through the ritual, and quite a few of those seem to fall the victim of either a demon or Templar's judgment. 

 

 

 

This is exactly why I'm no just basing this one what only Mouse had said. I did mention Valor and Solas, after all, haven't I?

 

 

 

So did slavery, or feudal system - but just because the system is working for centuries, doesn't mean that it isn't utterly flawed, isn't it?

 

In fact, one of the main reasons the Circles seem to be working is because everyone scares the mages into accepting their prison and what is done to them. Being held in a gilded cage, is after all, preferable to being run down by an angry mob afraid of magic either due to superstition or... Chantry rhetoric. It's a vicious circle.... lol, pun not intended

 

Speaking of slavery - anyone noticed that basically every group of people stripped of their agency is wearing some sort of brand on their faces? The Tranquil (who are in many ways slaves, as crucial to running the circles as ones who run daily life in Tevinter) have the sunburst on their forehead, the casteless have their faces tattooed, and we now know that the vallaslin itself was a mark of slavery.

I wonder if there's a connection - I mean, more than just a cultural convergence thing.

 

Spirits generally know what they've observed from people.  Valor is probably not the best source of objective information about the Harrowing.  And let's face it, Solas is biased.

 

I don't like the Circle system and I'm glad you can get rid of it in DAI.  But I don't think it's a system specifically designed so templars can kill as many mages as possible.  However, it is definitely a system designed to control mages as much as possible.

 

That's an interesting point about the facial markings.  To be honest I wouldn't be surprised if that specifically was more than cultural convergence.

[midnight tea]

Spirits generally know what they've observed from people.  Valor is probably not the best source of objective information about the Harrowing.  And let's face it, Solas is biased.

 

Who is the best objective information source on the Harrowing then? It's certainly not the Templars or the Chantry itself. And for all we know, the Harrowing in a shape we've seen in DAO is only a ritual practiced in the Circle itself - no other mages seem to need it. There even seem to be less abominations (or malevolent abominations) among other groups of mages (apostates or hedge mages, Tevinter mages), at least so far.

 

I don't like the Circle system and I'm glad you can get rid of it in DAI.  But I don't think it's a system specifically designed so templars can kill as many mages as possible.  However, it is definitely a system designed to control mages as much as possible.

 

It's the control that's the issue here - almost everything in the Circle seems to be specifically designed to control the mages. Limiting their numbers, or scaring them into either accepting Tranquility or Harrowing seems to be a way to exert that control as well.

 

That's an interesting point about the facial markings.  To be honest I wouldn't be surprised if that specifically was more than cultural convergence.

 

I wonder where it stems from, if it's more than convergence though? Is it the sort of 'subconscious collective memory' of the masses, remembering the branding of faces as a bad thing deeming others as "lesser"?

 

I have to say, I'm mostly fascinated with the relations and similarities between dwarves and elves - the caste system, the importance of memories... or the fact that Cole mentions (when we discover a group of nugs in Crestwood caves) that "even the dwarves don't remember the dwarves", which seems to mirror Solas' remark in Trespasser about the Veil "taking everything from the elves, even themselves".

 

How connected were they before? Are they completely separate? Why do I have a feeling that the dwarven obsession about etching the memories in lyrium for all of eternity is some sort of way of compensating for that lack of memory of the dwarves in the Fade?

[Elessara]

Who is the best objective information source on the Harrowing then? It's certainly not the Templars or the Chantry itself. And for all we know, the Harrowing in a shape we've seen in DAO is only a ritual practiced in the Circle itself - no other mages seem to need it. There ever seem to be less abominations (or malevolent abominations) among other groups of mages (apostates or hedge mages, Tevinter mages), at least so far.

 

 

 

Just to touch on this for now, there are few actual groups of mages.  We don't have enough information about random hedge mages to make a judgement that there are less abominations.  We've heard about the seers in Rivain but not anything specific.  We know about the Avvar but how many mages do they have?  The Dalish only seem to have 1-3ish mages per clan.  I think it's safe to say that the Circles of southern Thedas represent the largest group of mages we're likely to see.  And thus we're going to see a larger percentage of abominations simply because it's a larger group in general.  However, the Circle system is implemented in such a way that it generally creates fear, resentment, anger and hate in the mages.  Obviously some Circles are different than others, with Kirkwall being at the extreme negative end - and as we saw, there generally were a lot more abominations there.

 

And I absolutely believe that the Harrowing is not necessary at all.  It was a ritual designed likely by the Circle in conjunction with the Templars to determine if a mage is likely to be able to resist temptation from demons.  Probably to actually prevent wholesale slaughter of mages by the Templars.  If the Circle can say, "Hey look this mage resisted a demon, they're not as much of a danger", then the Templars have less of a reason to kill them.  Obviously the Harrowing doesn't prevent a mage from actually being possessed.  If it did, it would be so much more useful and justifiable.

 

Of all of the mage groups we've actually been exposed to I'd have to say that the Avvar have the healthiest (if that's the right word) relationship with spirits.  Unfortunately I don't see the Chantry or any Andrastian accepting the way the Avvar deal with their mages and spirits in general.

[NightSymphony]

Screenshots...

 

What is Solas doing?  Is that a piece of parchment in his hand?  Or maybe it's a bowl and he's getting some stew?

Spoiler

 

I like my Lavellan's angry face

Spoiler

[midnight tea]

Screenshots...

 

What is Solas doing?  Is that a piece of parchment in his hand?  Or maybe it's a bowl and he's getting some stew?

 

LOL, it's actually a piece of his armor - he has a wicked-looking blade permanently attached to his, um... gauntlet in higher-tier armors. Why would a mage need such a blade, I don't know, but maybe it's something to be used when he's all out of magic or attacked by Templars - or perhaps it's something that helps focus the magic, like I assume a small circle on the inner side of glove in an alternate armor is.

[NightSymphony]

LOL, it's actually a piece of his armor - he has a wicked-looking blade permanently attached to his, um... gauntlet in higher-tier armors. Why would a mage need such a blade, I don't know, but maybe it's something to be used when he's all out of magic or attacked by Templars - or perhaps it's something that helps focus the magic, like I assume a small circle on the inner side of glove in an alternate armor is.

Aaaaah.  I thought it looked kind of like a blade but thought that was odd. Thank you!

[Elessara]

LOL, it's actually a piece of his armor - he has a wicked-looking blade permanently attached to his, um... gauntlet in higher-tier armors. Why would a mage need such a blade, I don't know, but maybe it's something to be used when he's all out of magic or attacked by Templars - or perhaps it's something that helps focus the magic, like I assume a small circle on the inner side of glove in an alternate armor is.

 

Or one of the armor designers used to work on WoW and they were like, omg must have weird sticky out bits on all armor!

[NightSymphony]

oh..wow...I just noticed...we have Jade Empire icon thingies under our profile pictures now...

[midnight tea]

Or one of the armor designers used to work on WoW and they were like, omg must have weird sticky out bits on all armor!

 

... I can imagine that working well in real life xD Or, well - more realistic life.

 

Like: Lavellan's coming back from battlefield seriously wounded, and Solas runs to embrace her, only to accidentally stab her in the stomach

 

 

oh..wow...I just noticed...we have Jade Empire icon thingies under our profile pictures now...

 

Yeah I imagine most of us who didn't yet have JE had downloaded it, when it was free in Origin ;D

[ladyiolanthe]

Yeah I imagine most of us who didn't yet have JE had downloaded it, when it was free in Origin ;D

I needed something to fill in the seemingly endless distance between DAI and any potential future announcements about DA4...

[midnight tea]

I needed something to fill in the seemingly endless distance between DAI and any potential future announcements about DA4...

 

Tell me about it. I'm still looking for alternatives.

 

Although the truth is, I have a lot of catching up to do, be it when it comes to supplementary DA material or all the other stuff I've thrown into my ginormous "to watch/read/play" pile - thing is, I don't feel like touching anything ATM. There's also been a growing itch scratching the back of my mind that perhaps I should focus more on creating content rather than devouring it, be it original or of fanarty sort - but so far it's only an itch, which only brought a few half-finished products :/

[Sable Rhapsody]

Tell me about it. I'm still looking for alternatives.

 

I'm reading about Titanosaurs on Wikipedia.  I'm still a little kid at heart, so dinosaurs are always a viable alternative for entertainment

[NightSymphony]

Hehehe...I love dinosaurs.