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Some things that still bother me about it.
1. Why are there books on blood magic in the circle? Doesn't the Chantry state it forbidden an assign Templars to kill Blood mages?
2. How is Jowan able to learn blood magic? It is said by the Chantry Dumat taught some Tevinters it but our Warden learned from a Demon and Hawke by bloodline, so how does Jowan know it?
Fortunately, while Blood Magic is prohibited, not even the Circle nor the Chantry denies or try to hide the fact that it exists. If you've read The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco, the main villain there, Jorge, tries to hide the existence of a book by Aristotle. It seems to me that the Chantry and Circle don't go such extremes.
Remember also that while creating horcruxes is considered a crime in the world of Harry Potter, there are both books on the matter and people who could explain them to Tom Riddle, and thus helped him.
Which leads us to your next question: who taught Jowan Blood Magic? Most likely ULDRED (NOT Irving, as I wrote earlier - my bad, sorry - (or the Demon who had taken control over him)).
Uhm, Irving is not possessed? Jowan could have learned by experimentation, once you know that you can draw power from blood the same way you draw it from The Fade it might be possible to learn how to do it without external help.
Why on earth would Irving teach Jowan how to use blood magic? He's not possessed or an extremist nor a blood mage himself. He's a diplomat, and even though it's unclear what he personally felt towards Jowan he took no pleasure signing that 'make Jowan Tranquil' deal. Or is that the point? That he tried to save Jowan by giving him power to escape the templars?
Anyway, I just assumed a demon approached Jowan while he was asleep and offered him power, which he accepted, or maybe he approached one himself. Isn't that what other blood mages have always had to do? The Warden, Merrill? I thought one couldn't even become a blood mage any other way.
i sort of assumed Jowan learned by reading up on the subject in the books the place had, as did the others
Jowen learned from reading the books. You can actually ask irving why all the books on blood magic are in his study and not in the library. he hints at the idea that someone in the circle is suspected of performing blood magic (jowen) so as a precaution to appease the Templars, he pulled all the books.
Jowen learned from reading the books. You can actually ask irving why all the books on blood magic are in his study and not in the library. he hints at the idea that someone in the circle is suspected of performing blood magic (jowen) so as a precaution to appease the Templars, he pulled all the books.
Yes.
There is also a codex entry, "Irving's Mistake," which is an entry in his personal journal and is probably germane:
I followed another apprentice through supposed secret maneuvers today, and exposed her tendency towards blood magic. The environment of the tower is such that certain modes of thought are encouraged, both for good and ill. The students think we toy with them. The truth is far more intricate and directed. Deviant traits must be exposed early, or the whole of the Circle suffers.
Uldred has been very helpful in identifying the markers to look for. His skills at misdirection are admirable. I daresay that the apprentices would be shocked at his ability to manipulate them. I must organize a retreat such that the other enchanters can benefit from his skills.
--Excerpt from the journal of First Enchanter Irving
I honestly would not put it past Jowan to try to teach himself blood magic, with predictably catastrophic results.
Uhm, Irving is not possessed? Jowan could have learned by experimentation, once you know that you can draw power from blood the same way you draw it from The Fade it might be possible to learn how to do it without external help.
Correct, I meant Uldred, of course. :-)
Why on earth would Irving teach Jowan how to use blood magic? He's not possessed or an extremist nor a blood mage himself. He's a diplomat, and even though it's unclear what he personally felt towards Jowan he took no pleasure signing that 'make Jowan Tranquil' deal. Or is that the point? That he tried to save Jowan by giving him power to escape the templars?
Absolutely, my bad. I meant of course Uldred.
There is that DAII banter Anders has with Merrill
Anders: So, when you first did blood magic, it was... just an accident, right?
Anders: You cut yourself and realized the power? You didn't actually deal with a demon?
Merrill: Oh, no. I did.
Anders: Why would you do that?
That suggests you don't need to deal with a demon to learn Blood magic, just cut yourself and figure out how to draw on the power of blood instead of mana.
Seems too easy, but it could mean that using blood to cast regular spells is easy to learn, while blood specific spells (mind control) is difficult and needed demonic aid.
They never do come right out and say where Jowan learned blood magic from.
I don't think it's ever implied that blood magic is difficult to learn. I thought the idea was that it was an easy way to gain power at the expense of becoming more vulnerable to demonic influence. (That plays itself out in the blood mage abilities in the game, in that they cost no mana but are useless against demons.)
nah, the blood magic activator ( cutting yer wrists) is handy to power any spell that is harmful to demons or any other unholy thing
There is that DAII banter Anders has with Merrill
That suggests you don't need to deal with a demon to learn Blood magic, just cut yourself and figure out how to draw on the power of blood instead of mana.
Seems too easy, but it could mean that using blood to cast regular spells is easy to learn, while blood specific spells (mind control) is difficult and needed demonic aid.
They never do come right out and say where Jowan learned blood magic from.
nice catch! also makes sense.
It's said in the game where Jowan got his magic. If you ask Connor (while he's in control of the demon) how the situation came about in Redcliffe, he says he sneaked into Jowan's room after his father became poisoned and read "Jowan's books", the ones he "kept hidden". Apparently Jowan had squirreled away either some of the manuscripts in the Circle for his escape--makes you wonder just how earnest his desire to 'not practice magic while hiding with Lily' was--or if he managed to copy down some notes and escaped with them.
I don't think it's ever implied that blood magic is difficult to learn. I thought the idea was that it was an easy way to gain power at the expense of becoming more vulnerable to demonic influence. (That plays itself out in the blood mage abilities in the game, in that they cost no mana but are useless against demons.)
That would explain how an apparent mediocre apprentice mage would learn blood magic poweful enough to defeat both the Knight-Commander and the First Enchanter.
I honestly would not put it past Jowan to try to teach himself blood magic, with predictably catastrophic results.
Thank you for giving me a new headcanon. 
Though I think it's somewhat more likely that Uldred helped him somewhere along the way. Certainly this seems to be the case with the other blood mages, as one of them mentions Uldred's name just before summoning a demon.
On a somewhat related note, was anyone else bothered by the Mages' Collective quest The Scrolls of Banastor? My canon Warden is a mage who is vehemently opposed to blood magic, and I was a little annoyed that there was no way for him to turn the scrolls in to any of the Templar commanders he encountered. There was NO WAY he was about to hand them over to someone who might or might not have been truthful about how s/he was going to use them.
What troubles me is people's reactions to blood mages. Obviously in the series blood mages are looked down on as being demon worshiping mages on the verge of going mad.
And yet my mage in DAO was a shape shifting blood mage. Everyone frowned on Morrigan and gave her a hard time but no one said a word to my mage about her own dabbles in the forbidden arts.
Then my Hawke mage in DA2. Same thing Used blood magic to control enemy minds, to draw from their life essence and so on. heck she was very open about her blood magic use by performing it right in front of everyone in the chantry when killing Templars. AND when she killed the qunari at the end of act 2. Right in front of the Knight Commander. And yet through out the whole game her reactions to others with blood magic have but one option, negative. And no one seems to know she is a blood mage.
This is where I think bioware failed on our actions having consequences which I honestly believe they are damn good at doing usually. I think we should have faced unique difficulties should we use the forbidden arts. Perhaps we should have had temptations of spirits and demons.
Imagine if we could have tapped into the power of a desire or pride demon during battle? Maybe even take the form of one in fights if we went to far. Just saying. Like how in ME3, Shepard looks like a husk almost due to all his negative decisions lol.
I remember in DAO that if you are a blood mage during the quest in The Circle Tower and Wynne is with you, she confronts you about it when after dealing with Uldred. If you fail to talk your way out, you are attacked by Gregoir, Irving, Wynne and everyone else in the entry room of the tower.
While I agree with you that it would be nice to see more consequences for using blood magic, it would be very resource-expensive system to implement and it would only affect ONe specialization of ONE class. This is also the reason why there is no blood mage specialization in DAI (and it would not make much of a sense, story-wise)
I remember in DAO that if you are a blood mage during the quest in The Circle Tower and Wynne is with you, she confronts you about it when after dealing with Uldred. If you fail to talk your way out, you are attacked by Gregoir, Irving, Wynne and everyone else in the entry room of the tower.
i dont remember that, and my procedure with any dialog is to rapidly press [Esc] followed by a rapid click on any reply,
rinse and repeat until dialog complete.
i dont remember that, and my procedure with any dialog is to rapidly press [Esc] followed by a rapid click on any reply,
rinse and repeat until dialog complete.
It has been some time so it is possible but I am quite sure it was voice acted and everything.
EDIT: You are right, it is a mod that restores dialogues and cut content - which is why it was voice-acted (the files are present but not used)
mod-unlocked content. would explain why I never encountered it. But doesn't explain why the content was cut, seeing as how who you are should not exempt you from the "crime" of blood magic.
But it does. The crime of blood magic is against Chantry law, which does not apply to the Grey Wardens. However the possibility of the Templars turning on you because you use blood magic at a time when the legal status of Grey Wardens in Ferelden was sketchy, is a very real threat.mod-unlocked content. would explain why I never encountered it. But doesn't explain why the content was cut, seeing as how who you are should not exempt you from the "crime" of blood magic.
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