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[leaguer of one]

okay so this might be the most crucial part of the entire post and the reason why "economic factors" are not a particularly persuasive argument in this context or most military contexts
 

the key point here is that the money rarely did anything but offset the massive cost, certainly did not pay for the campaigns entirely; Crusades did not break even and they did not turn a profit for the people who started them or did the fighting, not even for the beati possidentes like Ramon IV

the bizarre Schumpeterian plunder-as-profit schematic rarely if ever explains things satisfactorily; I know work on Hellenistic history has fairly comprehensively disproven it there and it's essentially worthless in early modern Europe as well

Crusades were insanely risky ventures that more often than not required rulers to establish entire new fiscal machinery to have a chance at funding the principal for the military campaigns, with the most salient examples being Louis IX and the aforementioned Richard I

to suggest that there was no plunder of any kind would be laughable, of course there was plunder, and of course people like Richard tried to broker whatever deals they could manage but these were in the service of trying to defray costs that had already been incurred, not in the service of actually causing the fighting

anyway the fundamental problem I have here is the suggestion that these 'economic' issues were causative factors

on a macro scale, the expectation of profit was not why churches backed Crusades; in fact, the indulgence issue would seem to militate toward Church authorities opposing Crusades on the grounds that they could farm indulgences for great profit but would never have to actually put that profit toward any purpose unless a Crusade were actually called

a stronger 'economic' argument for Church backing of Crusades wouldn't focus on indulgences but rather noble property remittances; when aristocrats went east they tended to leave their lands in the care of the Church, and the Church usually managed to acquire all or part of the property upon the holder's death if the holder died on the Crusade, but the actual amounts of property involved in these transfers isn't nearly adequate to be a significant causative factor

similarly, the Crusades in the Holy Land were basically never viable fiscal ventures for western European nobles and monarchs; you could make a stronger argument about the Baltic Crusades (where the German Order expected to gain actual territory, although YMMV as to whether it was worth it) or Iberia (where Castile, Aragon, and Portugal expected the same) and of course other conflicts (like the Albigensian Crusade Occitan Wars and the various medieval civil wars that were dignified by the title of 'crusade' because reasons) wouldn't follow the same general path, but those aren't really the ones we're talking about here especially if the emphasis is on causation because none of those would've happened without the Levantine Crusades

this isn't just in terms of direct campaigning cost, mind you, but also opportunity cost; if plunder was the goal, plunder might have been easier to gain at less cost by fighting at home rather than in the ass end of the Mediterranean

a more realistic argument about plunder would center on claims that rulers were not particularly rational actors and wished to gain plunder even though they had little hope of even recouping their costs, but that's a very different argument and it's also very hard for me to take that seriously as an 'economic factor'...maybe a psychological one but imaginary plans to do something that would be a drop in the country's economic bucket doesn't really qualify as 'economic' for me

more cogent thoughts on Crusading are buried in this post from awhile ago
 

they sure are

The people who started the crusades lost for a reason.

[BabyPuncher]

Plus, invading a country and plundering it for wealth and resources isn't exactly something new, people have been doing it for centuries (for the last hundred years, it's been for oil).

 

Yes. The Western World invades countries and 'plunders' their oil, stealing it for themselves and giving them nothing in return.

 

In a completely unrelated coincidence, oil rich nations have had obscene amounts of wealth materialize out of thin air over the past century or so, despite having no industry or natural resources that could generate such wealth. You know, since all their oil has been outright stolen.

[Violetbliss]

And yet most people like her. Go figure.

 

I really dislike Vivienne myself, I find her to be way too exaggerated (her personality is her noble games as a circle mage, that's it). Though she can do some funny banters at times, and I -want- to like her type of character, or at least love to hate her. Would have been a lot better a character with more screen time to discover any other side of her. Anyway, ICly she really hated my Knight-enchanter. Could not agree on anything.

 

I just reasoned that my mage, she is a fugitive tal-vashoth having escaped before she was chained and disfigured through means I decided to leave vague in my head.

[leaguer of one]

I really dislike Vivienne myself, I find her to be way too exaggerated (her personality is her noble games as a circle mage, that's it). Though she can do some funny banters at times, and I -want- to like her type of character, or at least love to hate her. Would have been a lot better a character with more screen time to discover any other side of her. Anyway, ICly she really hated my Knight-enchanter. Could not agree on anything.

 

I just reasoned that my mage, she is a fugitive tal-vashoth having escaped before she was chained and disfigured through means I decided to leave vague in my head.

I can tell you why people like her. It's admiration. She is stubborn and can be close minded on things but she stand proud as a self made woman.

[Qun00]

Corypheus stands proud as a self made darkspawn mutant thingy too.

[Sifr]

okay so this might be the most crucial part of the entire post and the reason why "economic factors" are not a particularly persuasive argument in this context or most military contexts

 

I should have said in the original post that I didn't mean that economic reasons was a main factor in the Crusades, but merely a side issue that went along with the two major ones, religion and politics. I didn't mean to suggest that any crusade was launched solely with the rationale;

 

"Step One: Invade, Step Two: ?, Step Three: Profit!"

 

 

Yes. The Western World invades countries and 'plunders' their oil, stealing it for themselves and giving them nothing in return.

 

In a completely unrelated coincidence, oil rich nations have had obscene amounts of wealth materialize out of thin air over the past century or so, despite having no industry or natural resources that could generate such wealth. You know, since all their oil has been outright stolen.

 

Err, you do realise that I did specify that the need for oil rich countries was within the past century or so, not anything recent?

 

As you pointed out, the nations that have oil gained a ton of wealth as it became more and more important in the last hundred years, which was naturally one of the incentive for many nations with Empires to try to keep a hold of those territories and why they tended to lose power when they went independent post World War Two?

 

How that became, "The West sneaks in and stole all the oil in the night", I don't know... although I do like the idea of a giant swag bag?

 

Weren't we meant to be talking about Qunari again?

[Qun00]

Just a few additions to our shrine.

[Sarcastic Tasha]

Nice pictures. That first one reminds me that I really wished my qunari mage could have worn lots of jewellery. I did pick the horns with the weird metal decoration on them and I picked materials for her robes outfit that were brightly coloured but some garish jewellery really would have finished off the look.

 

Don't know if this has been discussed yet, but how did people feel about the qunari inquisitor going to the ball? Did you think she should have wore a dress or were you happy with what she wore? Was she charming or was she out of her depth with all the scheming nobles?

[Qun00]

Just did it yesterday.

While I disagree with the notion that qunari women aren't beautiful and feminine, if I wanted the princess kind of pretty I would just play an elf.

So yeah, I certainly was happy with the outfit we're given. And you know, playing a qunari always adds an extra flavor to moments like this. I mean fancy, solemn and official stuff.

The first reason is that qunari aren't well accepted by humans, so being part of something big and relevant in their society feels not only like an act of defiance but also a warm moment where you manage to fit in.

The other time I felt like this was during one of the first cutscenes at Haven, with Cassandra walking through while you and the advisors formally present themselves as the Inquisition before all. The unlikely hero standing there in a soldier like stance with her arms behind her back.

[leaguer of one]

Just a few additions to our shrine.









 

*Sigh.

 

Why do you have remind me how bad hair is for the qunari?

[Qun00]

Nahh. It could be better, but the options we have are good enough.

The only one I don't care for is the hair helmet.

[Sarcastic Tasha]

Just did it yesterday.

While I disagree with the notion that qunari women aren't beautiful and feminine, if I wanted the princess kind of pretty I would just play an elf.

So yeah, I certainly was happy with the outfit we're given. And you know, playing a qunari always adds an extra flavor to moments like this. I mean fancy, solemn and official stuff.

The first reason is that qunari aren't well accepted by humans, so being part of something big and relevant in their society feels not only like an act of defiance but also a warm moment where you manage to fit in.

The other time I felt like this was during one of the first cutscenes at Haven, with Cassandra walking through while you and the advisors formally present themselves as the Inquisition before all. The unlikely hero standing there in a soldier like stance with her arms behind her back.

 

I was a little disappointed there was no dress to wear but the qunari inquisitor certainly looked dashing in her inquisition outfit.

 

Yeah I really enjoyed hearing the nobles whispering and gasping in horror about how the inquisitor was an ox-man only to have her win them over with her wit and grace on the dance floor (maybe the inquisitor could give Shepard lessons).

 

 

 

About the hairstyles, I would have liked the choice of some longer hairstyles but honestly I was more interested in which horns to choose. I wonder if she has problems with things like accidentally ripping her pillows in the night... 

[Qun00]

I'd figure qunari always lay down sideways or facing down.

Those with ram horns shouldn't have any problems though.

On another note, I'd certainly sell a kidney to get a majestic flowing hair.

Even so, I'm more than happy with mine. You could say it fits the whole rough mercenary life thing.

[Kreidian]

My Lady Adaar is a total badass, a merciless bloody killer of the highest order, who will literally face down death and dragons with an eager grin.

 

And I would totally love to have seen her in a sexy dress for the winter ball.

 

For me she's still very much a sexy feminine qunari and she certainly deserved the option to have long flowing hair and a fabulous elegant dress to match. It's why I go with he hair bun option, so I can imagine that she ties up her hair for battle, being the practical sort that she is, but would love the opportunities to literally let her hair down.

[Violetbliss]

Nahh. It could be better, but the options we have are good enough.

The only one I don't care for is the hair helmet.

 

I think the hair is generally not very good. There are really only three choices, four if you count the bugged rows one without horns that leaves the strange scalp hair (colour matching is a big problem for this texture)  out of the hairdo. But I can live with that stuff if there were more styles to choose from, especially longer hair.

 

I would have liked cultural qunari wear for it. My qunari doesn't need a uniform to make points, and it's not like they would mistake her for somebody else with that delegation you bring, but she does have ties as tal-vashoth and doesn't hate everything about her heritage. Hence she has the horns still.

[Qun00]

She's Vashoth, remember. No ties to the Qun, or even memories of it.

[Aimi]

so I am listening to Roundball Rock on repeat because my childhood

wonder if I could get somebody with art skills to draw qunari Inky dunking on Corypheus

[Sifr]

Just did it yesterday.

While I disagree with the notion that qunari women aren't beautiful and feminine, if I wanted the princess kind of pretty I would just play an elf.

So yeah, I certainly was happy with the outfit we're given. And you know, playing a qunari always adds an extra flavor to moments like this. I mean fancy, solemn and official stuff.

The first reason is that qunari aren't well accepted by humans, so being part of something big and relevant in their society feels not only like an act of defiance but also a warm moment where you manage to fit in.

The other time I felt like this was during one of the first cutscenes at Haven, with Cassandra walking through while you and the advisors formally present themselves as the Inquisition before all. The unlikely hero standing there in a soldier like stance with her arms behind her back.

 

Exactly, who says they aren't beautiful and feminine in their own way? I consider the statuesque and amazonian Qunari and petite and curvy Dwarven women to often be way more attractive than the female humans and elves we encounter.

 

While playing as an Elf Inquisitor because you really get the sense that your actions are causing quite a lot of people to overcome their prejudices against them, it's also nice to see how the Qunari Inquisitor is able to finally find a place for themself, when they've likely spent most of their life as an outsider, not being accepted by the human, elves and dwarves, as well by their own estranged people under the Qun.

 

And I felt the same way during that cutscene, you get the sense that the people in Haven first probably the first time, aren't seeing a Qunari as a member of a conquering horde or as a suspicious outsider to fear, but instead someone who's standing alongside them as an equal and comrade?

[FunstuffofDoom]

Now if only I knew how to mod that blade to make it purple...

I can't give you purple, but I can give you red, green, and two shades of blue.
 

http://www.nexusmods...&preview=&pUp=1

[Violetbliss]

She's Vashoth, remember. No ties to the Qun, or even memories of it.

 

It actually reads Tal-vashoth in the character generation, but Vashoth in a few other places. Not to mention Iron Bull's usage of Tal-Vashoth. However, yes not too great ties to the Qun given the way you can inquire about it (though partly I think this is just there to not have to make qunari-specific dialogue for that), although your parents might have been. But yes there is some leeway for whichever of the two I'd say, no matter what character generation claims. I just figure, RPwise, that my qunari has inherited some information from her parents, seen how they dressed, etc.

 

Anyway, it -would- have been cool with some kind of origin choice; maybe not necessarily just like in DAO but having a few choices for that final "Start game screen" to decide what your character is, like Tal-Vashoth/Vashoth for Qunari, and other small flavour choices for other races to be baked into dialogue when applicable, just to personalize the character a little more.

[Qun00]

The codex for your character is more relevant than the inconsistencies in dialogue. If there's anything that settles it, that's it. The title says Vashoth and the description follows accordingly. Adaar's parents left the Qun before s/he was born.

I personally care little for headcanon, I just try to take the game for what it is

In The Elder Scrolls, you have infinite RP freedom but there's no way to make your character's story real within that universe.

In Dragon Age games, you trade some of that freedom for this acknowledgement from the world around you.

[Kreidian]

Personally  I try to make my own headcannon as close to the in game stuff as possible. But in the end I feel like this is my story and I tailor it to what I want to enjoy most. I don't expect or require anyone else to take my headcannon seriously, of course, but it's still important to me.

[alwayshuntress]

Here's my rogue that I created just for a Dorian playthrough. Once I met him, I just HAD to.

[Qun00]

Spoiler

Spoiler

[Aimi]

this deserves a repost

I would be lying if I didn't see myself in that Adaar