. they may need some form of control measure * pulls out a steel box and opens it to show red lyrium*
I was thinking either religious or national zeal would be enough, why do we need to resort to making abominations or addled fools of our loyal soldiers?
Really, magic and being a powerful mage is great, but if all we think about is domination (not just of land, but of people and individuals) then we will just end up repeating the mistakes of the old magisters.
Tevinter can be a beacon of hope in Thedas, the kind of place that other nations would envy and try to emulate, but if we just act as individual tyrants, why would anyone envy that kind of government?
Even the old sith empire (at least in SWTOR) has those who commit themselves to the people of the empire and not just their own dominance. Gaining power for one's self is still involved, but channeled to stand on an even stronger foundation. If an empire falls, so does a lot of a noble's power.
Everything is more efficient and stronger when those who you lord over love and respect you. Fear is just a distraction and misery is a poor motivator.