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[sandalisthemaker]

Okay, so throughout the series we have been told that mages are at risk for demonic possession.  Demons are attracted to them, and seek to possess mages, as opposed to non-mages. 

 

However, it seems that this concept is being phased out somewhat, especially in DA:I.  

 

In DA:O, we had Connor, which was a great example. A demon reached out to him like a predator hunting easy prey. It saw his weakness, (his desire to save his father) and it struck. 

 

In DA:2, we had Merrill and Marethari. A demon was reaching out to them from its statue prison, and in the end it got its prey. We also saw that mage girl in the warehouse spontaneously combust into an abomination, and that creepy street urchin in Dark Town who was so filled with rage, and desire, and pride that she let a legion of demons reside in her.   Lastly, there was Feynriel, who could hear the demons clawing for him in his sleep. 

 

In DA:I we get nothing of the sort. Well, besides the haunted Chateau, but that was more of an implied thing.  A part of me thinks that this was due to lack of resources and time.  Maybe they just didn't have time to make an updated abomination model, and that's why not a single desperate/angry/ and/or crazed rebel mage in the Hinterlands became an abomination, despite all the demons everywhere. 

 

In general, the vibe I got from Inquisition is that the threat of demons to mages is being downplayed, and the concept of mage independence, with no real downside, is being played up. All this despite nearly everything that goes wrong in the games is due to the dangers of magic.

 

So this is something that I am highly curious about moving forward into DA4 and Tevinter where mages rule, seemingly without a hitch. Will we continue to be shown that mages are simply individuals with power that is all gift and no curse? That it is only their basic flawed human/elven/qunari nature (the same with non-mages) that makes them a threat to others? 

 

I'm almost expecting it to be revealed that mages really aren't inherently dangerous, and that they are/were just kept separate in Circles for no reason other than people's unfounded superstitions and fear of the unknown. That it is all just Chantry dogma.  That the Templar order is just a bunch of bullies that have no real purpose other than to 'oppress' the mages, and the only reason that mages lash out in violence is because of that oppression.  That mages can be free without any issues at all, and everyone, mage and non-mage alike can hold hands and sing Kumbaya under the sunshine and rainbows.    

 

That's all well and dandy, but it isn't interesting.

 

I'd like to be shown that magic really is dangerous and risky in the story again. (Something else that I also feel is being put to rest.  Magic isn't really dangerous! Everyone was a mage back in the day! Etc.)

 

There are passages from the novel Last Flight that exemplify the threat that mages face perfectly. 

 

******LAST FLIGHT SPOILERS*******

 

"She opened herself to the Fade and felt its ethereal energy fill her, flowing through the conduit of her staff. The whispers of spirits and demons teased at the fringes of her thoughts, echoing the thrum of the magic through her soul. She pushed those whispers away and gathered the magic," - Last Flight, pg. 93-94.

 

Here we have the elven mage Isseya casting a spell, not a blood magic spell mind you, and she is hearing demons trying to reach out to her. She has to make a conscious effort to keep them at bay, and they are always there, ready to pounce if she makes a mistake or shows weakness.

 

"Skilled mages could fall victim too, under the strain and sleeplessness of the fight," Last Flight, pg. 123

 

And when using blood magic, the voices get even worse. The threat of possession increases greatly.

 

"The whispers of demons circled around her thoughts, importuning her through the Veil: Let us in, let us take the weight of these griffons from you. You need not possess them. Open them to us, and free yourself from their weight.  She shut them out, but their voices could not be silenced completely- not while she was touching the Fade- and there was a long day ahead."  Last Flight, pg.205-206

 

TLDR:  Mages being at risk of possession is a really interesting part of Dragon Age lore that I wish to continue to be shown and explored and expanded upon in the story.  Especially in a land like Tevinter with mage rulers everywhere. It keeps the mages vs. non-mages thing interesting and keeps it from being a one-sided oppression story. 

[thats1evildude]

In The Hissing Wastes, you can find journals by the Venatori mentioning how the demons are whispering to them through the thin Veil.

[Vit246]

Well its not like the threat of demonic possession doesn't exist, there's probably always ones that fall through the cracks. But if it was so common and spontaneous and easy for it to happen, I doubt civilization would've advanced this far. I doubt the ancient elves would've become a great magical empire. I doubt Tevinter would've become a great magical empire and still function to present-day. 

[sandalisthemaker]

In The Hissing Wastes, you can find journals by the Venatori mentioning how the demons are whispering to them through the thin Veil.

 

Oh I missed that.

 

That's good, but I'd like more of that to be shown, and not just told to us in journal entries.

 

Well its not like the threat of demonic possession doesn't exist, there's probably always ones that fall through the cracks. But if it was so common and spontaneous and easy for it to happen, I doubt civilization would've advanced this far. I doubt the ancient elves would've become a great magical empire. I doubt Tevinter would've become a great magical empire and still function to present-day. 

 

I'd like for it to be revealed that the Evanuris were indeed vulnerable to demonic influence/possession, and that was part of the reason why they were so awful.

[Arvaarad]

We didn't see many intelligent demons in DA:I because intelligent demons were staying far away from tears in the Veil. Getting sucked through tears is seriously traumatic. I expect any spirit with the amount of will needed to tempt a mortal is vacationing in Tevinter, Par Vollen, anywhere far away from where the Breach happened.

 

So the only spirits we see are

• those that crossed over before the Breach


• mindless killing machines, driven mad when they got pulled through


• very very powerful spirits like Imshael, who aren't threatened by tears

[sandalisthemaker]

 

We didn't see many intelligent demons in DA:I because intelligent demons were staying far away from tears in the Veil. Getting sucked through tears is seriously traumatic. I expect any spirit with the amount of will needed to tempt a mortal is vacationing in Tevinter, Par Vollen, anywhere far away from where the Breach happened.

 

So the only spirits we see are

• those that crossed over before the Breach
•  
• mindless killing machines, driven mad when they got pulled through
•  
• very very powerful spirits like Imshael, who aren't threatened by tears
•  

 

 

Was that stated or implied in some way in the story?  If it was, then I wasn't very observant.  That would be a nifty explanation for the convenience of no possession threat.  I remember Cole and Solas hinting something like that in banter, but I very rarely bring them along. 

 

Also, Vivienne seemed to be the only person in the entire game who voiced the demonic threat that mages face. 

[Bleachrude]

The problem I think is that many in Bioware's audience don't want this type of storyline...a "safer" storyline involving Chantry bad/mages good is what I think Bioware is going for now.

 

It doesn't help that in each game you can play a mage and you are under no threat of demonic possession thus there's an inherent bias against the belief that magic is dangerous especially blood magic.

 

I ahree with you...the current THEDAS worldstate is actually LESS interesting than ORIGINS since it has become a typical fantasy world - what makes magic different in Thedas than from say Elder Scrolls, D&D or the Witcher? Indeed, the more I think of it, other than power levels, Tevinter could be the Red wizards of Thay from the Forgotten Realms setting....

 

Throw in "multiple gods" and the move away from a monotheism setting (which for a fantasy setting WAS unique) and Thedas is one of the countless young adult fantasy novel that gets prodced in the dozens every year....

[fhs33721]

There still is the risk of demonic posession:

 

As mentioned before a young Venatori mage in the hissing wastes is taken over by a pride demon.

The haunted manison came into being when a (supposedly) Desire demon tricked the abused girl there into letting her take over.

Jaws of Hakkon has one of your Inquisition soldiers  (a former mage) becoming an rage-abomination.

Similarily there is also a memory of an mage, that got consumed by another rage demon due to her anger at the of templars, in the Nightmares realm.

 

 

The problem I think is that many in Bioware's audience don't want this type of storyline...a "safer" storyline involving Chantry bad/mages good is what I think Bioware is going for now.

 

Yeah....., no.

judging from ingame source material like this:

Spoiler

The words in this note have many misspellings and are scrawled in a clumsy hand:

Mother Valerie said things I saw won't get out my head 'less I put them somewhere else. She told me write it down. It's a long time since I did letters but I'll try.

I saw refugees in the hills. I was there to hunt. I saw them but did not say hello because I was on the trail. The refugees were going to Redcliffe. They were slow and bent over when they walked like old men.

Templars came. They talked to the refugees. They hit them. The refugees gave food. Then mages came. The mages used fire. Everyone burned. I was in a bush, they did not see me.

Some templars killed the mages. The mages ran. The templars wanted to run after them. A refugee was still burning. His arm went up to a templar. The templar used his sword. It went up and down. Up and down. There were pieces of black.

He stayed while other templars ran after mages. He took things from bodies. One body was moving. It had long hair and burned dress. The templar started to take off his armor and I shot him.

I went down to the lady. She made little noises and her eyes looked at me. Then she died.

I want it to go out of my head please Maker. I been good, I want it to go out of my head.

Where pretty much everyone including the mages can and will act pretty sh*tty I don't think that is what Bioware was really going for at all.

[sandalisthemaker]

The problem I think is that many in Bioware's audience don't want this type of storyline...a "safer" storyline involving Chantry bad/mages good is what I think Bioware is going for now.

 

It doesn't help that in each game you can play a mage and you are under no threat of demonic possession thus there's an inherent bias against the belief that magic is dangerous especially blood magic.

 

I ahree with you...the current THEDAS worldstate is actually LESS interesting than ORIGINS since it has become a typical fantasy world - what makes magic different in Thedas than from say Elder Scrolls, D&D or the Witcher? Indeed, the more I think of it, other than power levels, Tevinter could be the Red wizards of Thay from the Forgotten Realms setting....

 

Throw in "multiple gods" and the move away from a monotheism setting (which for a fantasy setting WAS unique) and Thedas is one of the countless young adult fantasy novel that gets prodced in the dozens every year....

 

Yeah, I definitely get that there needs to be some gameplay/story segregation, but it just seems to be a bit much in regards to brushing aside the lore.  It's like the whole lyrium thing.  Mages shouldn't even be able to get near raw lyrium without hemorrhaging and dying. And that's just the blue stuff- never mind red lyrium which is so much worse.  Yet we have In Hushed Whispers where Solas, Vivienne, and Fiona can sit in a cell being doused with red lyrium radiation for *years* with very little in the way of side-effects compared to what the lore tells us.   Also, in Emprise Du Lion, with mountains of red lyrium everywhere, the most we get is a comment from Vivienne that she doesn't want to stay near the stuff for too long, and that it gives Dorian a headache.  Not sure what Solas says.  

 

It would have been neat if we got a brief cutscene showing the mage companion(s) and/or mage Inquisitor unable to get near the red lyrium which would make finding another path to Suledin keep necessary.  Just a thought. 

 

 

 

There still is the risk of demonic posession:

 

As mentioned before a young Venatori mage in the hissing wastes is taken over by a pride demon.

The haunted manison came into being when a (supposedly) Desire demon tricked the abused girl there into letting her take over.

 

Jaws of Hakkon has one of your Inquisition soldiers  (a former mage) becoming an rage-abomination.

 

Similarily there is also a memory of an mage, that got consumed by another rage demon due to her anger at the of templars, in the Nightmares realm.

 

 

I assume the bolded is yet another journal entry?  I keep missing these things. 

[Bhryaen]

The problem I think is that many in Bioware's audience don't want this type of storyline...a "safer" storyline involving Chantry bad/mages good is what I think Bioware is going for now.

 

... Tevinter could be the Red wizards of Thay from the Forgotten Realms setting....

Hey! I didn't even notice that!    Good call. They've now just become that much more interesting...

 

As to the "Chantry bad/ Mages good" dynamic, I definitely don't get that from DA. The amount of possessions or, particularly in DAI's case, misuse of magic tends to make mages constantly a loose cannon, feeding any mage-hate or mistrust that might be percolating. Hell, every DA game has done this, from the Architect starting Blight5, to the Justice-possessed Anders wreaking havoc on the world (by non-magical means haha), to the ubermage Cory, and now a not-so-mild-mannered Solas on the loose. They go out of their way to make Vivienne's case of locking up all mages in friendly prisons to control them because, really, how is the risk to be managed? There is no clear-cut solution presented in DA (nothing without victims, that is), and nothing is an easy answer. You're free to defend mages as the dispossessed (haha), hounded by the Chantry, but the threat they pose is still real- not just the "so is a sword" risk, but the "oops, now I'm a rampaging abomination" risk.

 

And you get all sorts of feedback about this in DAI. If you ask the Haven craftsman about his background, he'll mention the possession in Redcliffe and, if your Warden was a mage, I recall that he throws in a line about Ferelden being saved by "one of them." I think you can also ask Dorian about possessions, and he mentions what happens in Tevinter. If you choose to make the mages allies- i.e., nearly as free as the Vints- you get a lot of warnings about the potential for possessions and the need for some way to counteract them if/ when they happen. Vivienne says the most about it, I believe. I was anticipating problems like that after I made the mages allies though it wasn't followed up on.

 

And the Chantry may be shown as a bunch of posturing bumblers in DAI- at least at the start- pretty much gutted by the Conclave events, but they're ultimately not the enemy. You get companions who outright favor it, particularly Seeker Pentaghast, and they're all over the place as innocent bystanders rather than villains. Giselle isn't exactly an antagonist, even if you make the mages your allies, and she's a solid Chantry die-hard. Hell, you even play as the very Herald of Andraste, and people laud you for it. The Chantry is still a viable and potentially respectworthy organization (minus the religious mumbo jumbo), albeit competing with other viable deity(ish)-worship now. "Magic exists to serve man, never to rule over him" is not a line that seems about to be abandoned by the DA devs. That dynamic is alive and well.

 

But the OP's ideas are still good, making quests based on possessions and such. The JoH encounter was probably one of the best side-quests in DAI given that you get to actually interact with the person first (after seeing the carnage wrought all over the area). It's not a journal entry, and you can see the transformation. And blood magic has never really been explored enough as to why it's "bad" or more risky of possession. "It's just...evil!" isn't an explanation, even if most blood mages in the DA storyline tend to be malevolent, sanguinary "evildoers."

 

Anyway, my 2 cents...

[_Lucinia]

 

 

 

I assume the bolded is yet another journal entry?  I keep missing these things. 

Nope there is a quest for a missing Inquisition soldier.

Spoiler

Turns out he is a mage.  He takes revenge and goes on a killing spree.  You catch up with him and have the choice to either let him continue to kill, or stop him.  If you don't let him go he turns into a Rage demon.

[FrankWisdom]

No one seems to be mentioning the Grey Wardens, who were manipulated by a Giant, raging Nightmare demon into making horrid sacrificial blood rituals, binding all of their mages to demons. All this in order to create a freaking army of demons which would then march out into Thedas and murder everyone under Corypheus' banner (instead of being used to kill the last of the Old Gods as was promised to them)...

 

I see that as a pretty nice case of "dangers of possession". Though magic is not the cause. It is a tool in the same way nuclear fission and nuclear fusion are, it's always about how you use what you are given, even if there are inherent risks. Our nature and our perceptions are the problem. The veil is also what makes magic so dangerous. Fear is always a trigger.

 

Balance was disrupted by the veil, which created a world of extremes and caused a disconnect between spirits and mortals rather than them being familiar with one another. This makes most afraid, strangers in a strange world, that is alien and shocking to both sides.

 

Here's a post I made about it. Feel free to ignore or read it.

 

 

Copy pasted from another thread

The thing is we don't know the exact relationship between spirits and the physical world in a time before the veil. The Vir Dirthara doesn't mention any demons as far as we know. (as the concept I believe is due to human perception rather than a demon's nature)

 

We do know that spirits were quite different in Ancient Arlathan before the veil. They lived in a world of balance rather than extremes. They had a much easier time adapting to the physical world than spirits post-veil do. This is in fact how the Elvhen race was formed. To that effect, Spirits that had assumed a physical form (such as the ancient Elvhen people) could retain their ability to turn into spirits and become shapeless as well as shapeshift. Because of this radical difference, we don't know what it would've meant for a spirit to forcefully be changed into physical form without the veil being present. It would have been much less of a "shock" to the spirit involved. Most notably they had the ability to adapt and retain their memories, something spirits representing a specific virtue (such as wisdom) cannot achieve.

 

The only thing that could have changed its aspect is the will which was trying to bind it.

 

Whatever Solas was before he took physical form (wisdom and then pride) became irrelevant when he turned into a physical being as he developed personality and memory like other ancient Elvhen people did, which was common practice. What is more interesting is why Mythal would have twisted his nature and bound him in the first place. What knowledge was she seeking? We know the Evanuris were an extremely prideful bunch, I doubt Mythal was an exception at the time, which would have been the basis of wisdom turning into pride. What I want to understand is the dynamic of their relationship and how it grew.

 

Remember that spirits twisted into demons post-veil do not gain physical form unless summoned and bound to a specific object or mage, their aspects have changed but they need to possess a physical host that is connected to The Fade because of the veil. They act as a puppet master, Controlling their hosts from The Fade while seeing through their eyes. We don't know how a spirit beckoned to take physical form and twisted into a "demon" (because of the being "binding" it has corrupted its nature) would react or develop in Ancient Arlathan seeing as their perceptions would not be changed based on seeing the living world but not actually truly being privy to it.

 

"The possession is not physical – the demon is still in the Fade, but so is the mage's spirit, and the demon is able to control the body through that captive spirit like a puppet. The demon channels its power through the body, sees through the mage's eyes and is able to use magic in ways the mage would have never imagined. However, the experience of entering the physical realm is overwhelming to the weaker demons, and abominations are often driven mad by the unfamiliar sensations, turning into monstrosities and going on a rampage.^[5][6]The most powerful demons are able to adapt to the new form and even maintain the original physical shape of their host in particular, when the possession is accepted willingly. Some demons also have the ability of shapeshifting."

 

 

"A demon is an oft-malicious spirit from the Fade that embodies a sin or negative emotion and that feeds on the darker parts of the mortal psyche like rage, hunger, and desire. According to Solas, a spirit becomes a demon when denied its original purpose. This denial occurs when a spirit is forced to do something that greatly conflicts with its original nature, or it may occur as a spirit explores mortal minds and dreams and encounters negative thoughts and memories. A demon's strength and intelligence is dependent on the emotions or idea from which it feeds; the more complex the concept, the more powerful the demon."

 

"Ultimately, a demon is simply a spirit whose purpose has been perverted. Pulling a spirit unwillingly into the mortal world, particularly to achieve a goal out of keeping with its nature, will change a spirit into a demon (however, a spirit passing willingly through the Veil will not be changed^[3]). Furthermore, an individual anticipating seeing a demon will do so, even if the entity is in fact a spirit.^[4]"

 

So with all this info in mind, it's obvious that the distinction between a demon and spirit is a small one in terms of The Fade, mostly defined by mortal perceptions rather than their actual nature.

[Shechinah]

Throw in "multiple gods" and the move away from a monotheism setting (which for a fantasy setting WAS unique) and Thedas is one of the countless young adult fantasy novel that gets prodced in the dozens every year....

 

The Dragon Age setting has never displayed monotheism, in my opinion, and has always displayed polytheism even back in Origins: 

 

The Dalish had their elven pantheon known as the Creators and part of their persecution comes from their refusal to renounce their religion.

 

The Orzammar dwarves had their Ancestors and the Stone as a duality belief with Paragons being seen as living Ancestors.

 

Tevinter once held and some may still hold belief in the Old Gods. 

[YourFunnyUncle]

If anything, The DA universe has pulled back from "Multiple Gods" in DAI. The Elven pantheon is know known to me no more than powerful mages and the Avvar "gods" are clearly spirits from the fade. I guess one could argue that the Titan from Descent is some form of new god, but to me it's just an interesting magical creature...

[The Ascendant]

The threat of demons can never be truly abated since they feed on the weaknesses and vices of mortals. We'll still be seeing them, but their threat will be replaced by the threat of the Qunari and Solas in the next game. 

[AstraDrakkar]

I think Bioware has only downplayed the dangers of magic in DAI a bit because they plan to bring it front and center in a later game. Actually I don't think the danger of magic is being downplayed, only what that true danger is. In the past Bioware focused on the possession issue of magic and now they have shifted their focus to the sheer power of it. I mean having a mages around that are so powerful that they can destroy a world is pretty dangerous in my opinion.

 

I'm also not convinced that how possession occurs (and other info. we are given by them) is as cut and dried as Solas and Mythal claim. They both have been known to hide information for their own benefit. I personally have a hard time believing either of them completely. I think there is still a lot we don't know yet.

[Qun00]

This is something I've always wondered about.

It is said that just being a mage already puts one under risk of demonic possession. But how, exactly? Could it happen during spellcasting, because they draw from the Fade?

Or is it more of a concern when they go to bed?

[AstraDrakkar]

I think it goes back to the power thing. Mages are powerful due to their magic. Think about it. If you were a demon would you rather possess a mundane without any power to affect anything, or a mage capable of causing massive change/destruction? Demons are simply drawn to them because of the power they possess. The more powerful the mage, the more demons will be tempted to take a shot at possessing them. This makes mages like Solas and Mythal a VERY high risk.....................

[Qun00]

I think it goes back to the power thing. Mages are powerful due to their magic. Think about it. If you were a demon would you rather possess a mundane without any power to affect anything, or a mage capable of causing massive change/destruction? Demons are simply drawn to them because of the power they possess. The more powerful the mage, the more demons will be tempted to take a shot at possessing them. This makes mages like Solas and Mythal a VERY high risk.....................

It is rather because mages are the only ones who retain their consciousness in the Fade.

[AstraDrakkar]

It is rather because mages are the only ones who retain their consciousness in the Fade.

 

Hence you have answered your own question.

[fhs33721]

The threat of demons can never be truly abated since they feed on the weaknesses and vices of mortals. We'll still be seeing them, but their threat will be replaced by the threat of the Qunari and Solas in the next game. 

I don't think their threat will be replaced. So far they have never been the primariy threat in any DA game. They always served as minor villains and antagonists while someone else took the centerstage. The archdemon and Loghain in DAO, The Qunari/Mother Petriece and later Meredith/the mages in DA2 and Corypheus in DAI. I'm expecting that they will fulfill these roles in the next DA game as well.

[Vit246]

I think it goes back to the power thing. Mages are powerful due to their magic. Think about it. If you were a demon would you rather possess a mundane without any power to affect anything, or a mage capable of causing massive change/destruction? Demons are simply drawn to them because of the power they possess. The more powerful the mage, the more demons will be tempted to take a shot at possessing them. This makes mages like Solas and Mythal a VERY high risk.....................

 

.....then why the frak haven't they gotten possessed already?

You make it sound so damn easy that I wonder why none of my powerful mage wardens / hawkes / inquistiors ever got possessed at the drop of a hat or a sudden sneeze.

[duckley]

One thing I never really understood is that we haven't heard, to the best of my knowledge, of Trevinter or the Dalish being overcome by demons. So is it fair to say that only non-Elves living in some areas of Thedas are particularly vulnerable? Is this because the veil is thin?

 

I am also not sure I fully understand Solas's assertion that demons are spirits, brought into the world unexpectedly or against their will. If spirits are not inherently evil then why are the people of Thedas so afraid?

[AstraDrakkar]

.....then why the frak haven't they gotten possessed already?

You make it sound so damn easy that I wonder why none of my powerful mage wardens / hawkes / inquistiors ever got possessed at the drop of a hat or a sudden sneeze.

 

Are you sure they haven't been.........................?

 

I mean Anders absorbed Justice and ended up becoming Vengeance. Flemeth absorbed Mythal and became...what?. Now Solas has absorbed something  from Flemythal..................

 

If possession is a voluntary thing and your PC doesn't agree to it, well-no possession. Demons make deals to get possession. Don't take the deal. Desperate people sometimes do desperate things in order to change their situation. A lot of mages have been oppressed and are desperate. Solas seems pretty desperate to me. He may have made a "deal with the devil" in order to get his world back.

 

These are just theories and I'll probably turn out to be wrong, but its fun to speculate.

[TravisTrevelyan]

The reason so many mages end up getting possessed is because they let their emotions take control of them. Their hatred of the Templars, of the people of Thedas for throwing them away into towers for basically their whole life, generally fearing for their life, etc. This makes them much more susceptible to possession because these demons play on that, so they'll let them in. 
Connor was a very young child at the time, so he was easily swayed by the desire demon. 
Ander's escaped multiple times from the Circles, witnessed the Templars harsh treatment of the Mages, he wanted Justice for it, but he wanted to give the Templars what they gave the Mages. So when Justice left Kristoff's body, and entered Anders' the spirit twisted in Vengeance. 
The Grey Warden mages were led to believe that they were all dying. So when a Magister shows up with a plan to take out the last of the old Gods, prevent future Blights, and they could go out heroes, they went along with it. Giving themselves up in the process. The non-mage Wardens WEREN'T possessed, but they were scared, and went along with the Mages. If they were all possessed none would have laid down arms at Adamant, they would have fought to their deaths, all of them. 
The reason that the Hero of Ferelden, Hawke, and the Inquisitor, as Mages, wouldn't really face the threat of possession is two-fold. 
One, plot armor. For the sake of the narrative it just couldn't happen. 
Two, their will would acts as an immense defense. All of them were pretty much all that was standing against massive destruction or the end of the world. They HAD to succeed. Through their own sheer will they could stop any demon from taking over their mind. 
the HoF survived their Harrowing as well, so they learned how to defend against possession. Same with Inquisitor Trevelyan, they grew up in Ostwicks circle. The Dalish would make damn sure the first to their Keeper didn't end up possessed as well. And as for the Qunari, i'm sure before they went Tal Vashoth they went through the Saerebas "training." 
Lyrium has always helped mages in some small way, i mean, since Origins they've used Lyrium potions to restore their mana. In it's raw form its dangerous to everyone, but refined it wouldn't kill them. Having the piles of lyrium not affect the mage characters in any of the games is probably just a design thing. An aesthetic. 
And a lot of things from Origins got retconned because Bioware didn't know if they'd ever get to make a sequel. Thats why a lot of the epilogue slides don't make sense anymore, and why a lot of them were talking about years into the future of Thedas. Like Gaider has said multiple times, they wrote themselves into a lot of corners and had to change some things to make what they waned to do work. 

 

Long story extremely short: Possession is a huge threat for any Mage. But it generally only happens when a Mage is mentally worn down, doesn't have the proper training, emotionally weak, or extremely young, and in the rare case of an extremely strong demon showing up. 
Lyrium in its raw form is hurtful, processed it helps both Mages and Templars. 
Origins is a poor point to base all the lore off of since it was made as a standalone game with no knowledge theyd make another one anytime soon. Sure they cut out some cool stuff, and changed some things not always for the better, but for their overall narrative to work they had to.