31 ответов в этой теме

[Illegitimus]

I've been giving a little to the destiny of the cultures of Thedas (in part because I'm tempted to write fanfic in which Hawke emerges from the Fade centuries in the future).  So what future events can we predict?

 

1.  Tevinter falls.  Tevinter is Thedas's equivalent of Byzantium and just as Byzantium fell to the Ottomans, Tevinter is doomed to fall to the Qunari.  The Tevinter Chantry goes underground both metaphorically and literally with the people of occupied Tevinter practicing the faith in secret where they can get away with it while the Black Divine lives up to his name by moving underground and seeking refuge with the dwarves of Kal Sharok.  The addition of refugee Tevinter mages to Kal Sharok's forces allows them to push back the darkspawn and the Tevinter exiles set up their own allied underground kingdom in liberated territory.

 

2.  The Chantry splinters.  There have been rumblings of this for a while now.  In fact it nearly happened already as a result of Lelianna's over-abrupt reform efforts.  Quite apart from the internal disputes about how to handle mages, other races and men, however, there's a more fundamental problem.  The Chantry is still headquartered within Orlais and the Orlesian efforts to influence it must be incessant.  All it takes is the election of a couple of Divines who aren't careful to keep their relationship with the Orlesian monarchy at arms length, and it is likely that the Free Marches and Ferelden will break away and create Lutheran and Anglican analogs.  This...will probably not be good news for the mages of the Free Marches, Germany having been the place that most ran amuck with the witch-hunting.  The problem of Orlesian influence may also lead to the relocation of Chantry...most likely to Nevarra.

 

3.  The Age of Gunpowder and Sail.  The fall of Tevinter is almost certainly the last straw when it comes to keeping gaatlock proprietary.  Not only does taking over that much new territory create a plethora of security risks but we can expect the other nations to start putting serious effort into duplicating Qunari cannon.  Given the sophistication of Thedan mechanical engineering technology we can expect the invention of muskets and pistols to be not too far away, although the existence of super-archers means they may not catch on quite as quickly.  Additionally, the increased pressure will push the development of improved sailing technology which leads to:

 

4.  The discovery of the New World.  Somewhere to the east there's going to be another continent and once seafaring and navigation technology improves, they're going to find it and compete to dominate it.  Maybe the Dalish will migrate over the ocean to find their promised land with the help of the Ferelden monarchy which would just as soon put more space between themselves and the nomads. 

 

5.  The industrial revolution.  The discovery of the steam engine creates a new age (and a rather steam punky one when you combine enchantment with steam technology.)

 

6.  The next blight.  In the middle of the Thedan industrial revolution the next arch demon arises....

[Ashagar]

I would heavly caution against take real history as to much of a guide especially given history is filled with events that if they went just slightly differently history would be vastly different than it is now, nothing including the fall of Byzantium was set in stone and Tevinter still has most of its empire and resources at its disposal and didn't its back broken by a crusade  hijacked by someone with a serious a serious grudge unlike Byzantium.

 

As for Gunpowder that would likely require the Qunari to stop murdering Thadasian Inventors with death squads to prevent the rest of thadas from catching up as they've done since they arrived in Thadas with their current tech which also likely means there are other poeple with similarly advanced or perhaps even more advanced technology beyond the seas.

[Illegitimus]

Frankly I think the fall of Byzantium was set in stone.  Events could have delayed or accelerated it but it's not like Byzantium was defeated in a single war.  It lost ground by stages as it crumbled from within.  And the game's foreshadowing all points to Tevinter being on the road to ruination as well.  

[Ashagar]

I would disagree at least before Venice high jacked that crusade and used it to break the empire, because before that it had a chance of survival at least in Europe if nowhere else. As for the game's foreshadowing, Tevinter is in a fair better position than Byzantium since the beginning of the Arab conquests ever was even with its internal issues. So I don't buy Tevinter falling unless the developers are planning on the Qunari conquering all of Thadas because Tevinter is the only power capable of facing the Qunari at the moment. If Tevinter falls so does all of Thadas especially with the southern kingdoms being ravaged by the breach and blight and some of the most powerful states on the verge of civil war or recovering from civil war.

 

I would instead say the stage is ripe for for a leader that will either save Tevinter and Thadas from the Qunari or who's action will doom thadas to the Rule of the Qun.

[Illegitimus]

I would disagree at least before Venice high jacked that crusade and used it to break the empire, because before that it had a chance of survival at least in Europe if nowhere else. As for the game's foreshadowing, Tevinter is in a fair better position than Byzantium since the beginning of the Arab conquests ever was even with its internal issues. So I don't buy Tevinter falling unless the developers are planning on the Qunari conquering all of Thadas because Tevinter is the only power capable of facing the Qunari at the moment. If Tevinter falls so does all of Thadas especially with the southern kingdoms being ravaged by the breach and blight and some of the most powerful states on the verge of civil war or recovering from civil war.

 

I would instead say the stage is ripe for for a leader that will either save Tevinter and Thadas from the Qunari or who's action will doom thadas to the Rule of the Qun.

 

Tevinter isn't going to fall right after DAI.  I'm talking a good century into the future not the time frame of the next game.  My hypothetical industrial revolution is a good 400 years away...which why the next blight happens during it.  

[Ashagar]

So you are expecting it to fall in a century even though Byzantium took centuries to fall to the turks even when it lost most of its Territories and population to finally defeat it? Something which hasn't happened to Tevinter which still has most of its Territories and its population. No I'd say that Tevinter still has a chance of reviving itself just as historical Byzantium did numerous times and the Turks and even the Holy Roman Empire did several times, all it would take is a inspired leader, something that might even happen in the next game.

[Illegitimus]

So you are expecting it to fall in a century 

 

A good century actually means "at least a century".  Tevinter isn't going to fall any time time during the series of games.  But it is in decline and has been for a long time.  

[Ashagar]

From the direct and indirect evidence its still economic base and more importantly its sources of manpower are still intact unlike the byzantine empire and its not suffering from the extreme decentralization that the Holy Roman Empire suffered from so if the empire is in decline I say it still has a very far to go before its in a serious threat of falling which means there are plenty of possibilities for it to revive its fortunes.

[Illegitimus]

From the direct and indirect evidence its still economic base and more importantly its sources of manpower are still intact unlike the byzantine empire and its not suffering from the extreme decentralization that the Holy Roman Empire suffered from so if the empire is in decline I say it still has a very far to go before its in a serious threat of falling which means there are plenty of possibilities for it to revive its fortunes.

 

Yeah but the foreshadowing in the games really seems to point at Tevinter as such being doomed.  While no polity lasts forever, Tevinter in particular seems to live under Damocles sword.  

[SwobyJ]

The naysaying to your attempts at historical parallels was expected. This will always happen - just like when people try to discuss real-world religious parallels.

 

But I support this. I think you have some good ideas here and I wouldn't be surprised if half or more of them basically happen. Of course, most of it wouldn't be front-and-center within this several-game 'arc' (2000s-2020s games), but possibly after that (2020s-2030s+), or at least strongly implied by the end of the games we get.

 

In the longer term...

So far, I think the Qunari will push into Thedas more than ever before, then still get pushed back, but leave great changes in their wake. Tevinter will both crumble and reform (again). Chantry will indeed splinter and struggle to keep itself intact as so much of a world force. And elves heading off into the east (or what was the 'west' in LOTR) and moving off the bulk of their presence to there seems very possible. If we get even bigger games a long time from now, it could involve 'Thedas' (as we know it) as the Europe (as it was intentionally partially designed), but then move into 'Africa', 'Middle-East', 'North (and South?) Americas', and expansion with 'Eurasia'. Sure, we have the supposed homelands of the Elves and Dwarves, but there's already hints of their existences/histories being beyond the world we know, and there's the Human migration thing we know of, and there's likely other races out there that could be brought to eventual full equal standing in narrative/roleplay choice, and they're less likely to follow the more LOTR 'Europe' standard.

 

This may be the 'Chantry Dragon Age', but there could either be just a leadup to a new ____ Age 'series', or this could be the end of the Chantry Ages and we head into a whole larger 'Age of Dragons' (like we had Age of Chantry, Age of Imperium, Age of Elvenhan, and 1+ others before), and be well longer than a century.

 

There's some interesting bits when you read the World of Thedas books.

 

And yeah, I also enjoy the idea of a returned Hawke from the Fade. ...in some form. I don't think most of the DAI decisions were as conclusive as they might seem to players at the time. I think the Inquisitor had his own story and that was to act as a harbinger of a new age (more than Warden and Hawke themselves ever were, at least in their own game timeline), and this theme extends even to his personal decisions he makes that may still seem personal now, but get highly political and magical once recorded and used by the writers in the DA Keep for the future.

[Treacherous J Slither]

I take issue with Tevinter falling to the Qunari.

There is nothing in Thedas more powerful than blood magic.

[Illegitimus]

I take issue with Tevinter falling to the Qunari.

There is nothing in Thedas more powerful than blood magic.

 

Tevinter had blood magic when Andraste led the march against them.  So...no.  

[Treacherous J Slither]

Tevinter had blood magic when Andraste led the march against them. So...no.

Is there any text anywhere that states Andraste had no blood mages in her army or that she herself was not a blood mage?

Can you conceive of any possible way to defeat an empire of blood mages without having access to blood magic yourself?

I am very much looking forward to your response.

[Illegitimus]

Is there any text anywhere that states Andraste had no blood mages in her army or that she herself was not a blood mage?

Can you conceive of any possible way to defeat an empire of blood mages without having access to blood magic yourself?

I am very much looking forward to your response.

 

Sure I can conceive of a way.  Blood magic has two significant virtues  The first is that it lets you keep casting when your mana supply is tapped by injuring yourself.  The second is that is that it lets you substitute human sacrifice for large amounts of lyrium when casting major spells.  Both "virtues" come with major liabilities.  The first one increases your effective offensive capability, but does so by making you easier to kill.  And it's easier to replace the common soldiers you are killing than to produce new skilled blood mages to order.  The second one has the large advantage that people are easier to find than lyrium on the surface but has the big problem that the more you take advantage of that, the more the non-mages you are ruling over resent and fear you and are willing to stick a knife in your back or poison your banquet.  And while the first probably doesn't put you in that much risk of demon attack, the pain and blood of human sacrifice is just the thing to weaken the veil and attract the wrong kind of spirits.  The more you do it, the less avoidable having it blow up in your face becomes.  

 

My pet theory about Andraste's success is that part of it she managed to wake up and befriend a Titan for a while, and that this produced the landslides that were mentioned as "miracles" that she performed.  I think that's why the resting place of her ashes had all that lyrium.  They laid her to rest near the site of a former mountain pass that buried a whole passel of Vints, the side of a "miracle" she performed.  And the lyrium was excreted by the Titan while helping her pull it before it subsided again.   There's no way that Andraste could have defeated Tevinter just by doing blood magic.  She would have alienated her own following by sacrificing them, and Tevinter would have always had more blood to burn.  

 

But apart from that, there's one obvious way to defeat a society ruled by blood mages.  Take advantage of infighting.  Whether it's slave rebellions or the magisters fighting for dominance, it present an opportunity for a more cohesive, technologically advance, physically capable outside foe.  

[Ashagar]

I have my doubts about the Qunari being a threat in dragon age four or beyond, I suspect they are going to suffer the same fate the Mage-templar war did and get taken out by the Kossith or the people beyond the sea just to build up the threat of the next enemy or Solas.

 

I mean like the war between the mages and templars they have built up as being this great threat over several games but then they drop hints about people beyond the sea spying on Thadas and how the Qunari were forced into exile before they arrived in Thadas. They have also hints about perhaps the qunari are not as powerful as they same as shown by they troubles failing to subdue the fog warriors or keep the Tevinter from launching their counter attacks.

[Treacherous J Slither]

Sure I can conceive of a way. Blood magic has two significant virtues The first is that it lets you keep casting when your mana supply is tapped by injuring yourself. The second is that is that it lets you substitute human sacrifice for large amounts of lyrium when casting major spells. Both "virtues" come with major liabilities. The first one increases your effective offensive capability, but does so by making you easier to kill. And it's easier to replace the common soldiers you are killing than to produce new skilled blood mages to order. The second one has the large advantage that people are easier to find than lyrium on the surface but has the big problem that the more you take advantage of that, the more the non-mages you are ruling over resent and fear you and are willing to stick a knife in your back or poison your banquet. And while the first probably doesn't put you in that much risk of demon attack, the pain and blood of human sacrifice is just the thing to weaken the veil and attract the wrong kind of spirits. The more you do it, the less avoidable having it blow up in your face becomes.

My pet theory about Andraste's success is that part of it she managed to wake up and befriend a Titan for a while, and that this produced the landslides that were mentioned as "miracles" that she performed. I think that's why the resting place of her ashes had all that lyrium. They laid her to rest near the site of a former mountain pass that buried a whole passel of Vints, the side of a "miracle" she performed. And the lyrium was excreted by the Titan while helping her pull it before it subsided again. There's no way that Andraste could have defeated Tevinter just by doing blood magic. She would have alienated her own following by sacrificing them, and Tevinter would have always had more blood to burn.

But apart from that, there's one obvious way to defeat a society ruled by blood mages. Take advantage of infighting. Whether it's slave rebellions or the magisters fighting for dominance, it present an opportunity for a more cohesive, technologically advance, physically capable outside foe.

I'm puzzled as to why so many people believe that a blood mage must sacrifice their own in order to cast spells.

Why not sacrifice the enemy or use stored blood from slaughtered animals?

The mage can use a vial of stored dragon blood to cast a powerful Blood Wound spell on the enemy. As a large number of enemy troops are writhing in agony, the mage uses their blood to cast an even more powerful Blood Wound spell. And so on and so forth until the entire enemy unit is boiled alive by their own vital fluids. Or the mage can simply have them all kill each other. Easy peasy.

Now that's just one mage. Imagine what an army of them can do.

If any demons show up they can be bound to service and sent against the enemy or simply dispatched.

I like your Andraste theory. It's very interesting.

My belief is that she was a dreamer blood mage and had lot of blood mages with her and all the Tevinter infighting, slave rebellions, and natural disasters helped her to get as far as she did.

But for all her efforts, Tevinter never fell. It never has and it probably never will.

And thank you for your response.

[Illegitimus]

I'm puzzled as to why so many people believe that a blood mage must sacrifice their own in order to cast spells.

Why not sacrifice the enemy or use stored blood from slaughtered animals?
 

 

Because it won't work.  First of all, it's safe to assume that animal blood in general carries little or no power.  The Vints aren't evil for evil's sake. They'd be slaughtering a lot more cattle and pigeons and a lot fewer slaves if that was an option.  It's also safe to say that blood doesn't much in the way of a shelf-life.  It really doesn't you know.  Without a preservative that would probably render it useless for magic and refrigeration that doesn't exist, blood dies quick.  That why blood banking isn't an option for blood mage PCs.  No bleeding yourself in advance and then recovering before you go out.  

 

So that leaves "sacrificing the enemy".  I'm pretty sure there's a time and distance issue in draining power from another's blood.  In order to do it well you have be close, and you have to take your time.  Otherwise the blood mages I've fought would be a lot harder to kill.  There might also be a consent issue, given that the only times that we've someone just schloop up all of someone's blood and use it to power a major spell, there has been some kind of contract between the bloodmage and its victim.  

 

And there's no way Andraste had an army of blood magicians because there's no way to get from "an army of blood magicians" to the ways and practices of the south as of Dragon Age.  

[GoldenGail3]

NO! IF TEVINTER FALLS, THEN THE QUNARI WILL HAVE WON. No, that's not allowed..

[Treacherous J Slither]

Because it won't work. First of all, it's safe to assume that animal blood in general carries little or no power. The Vints aren't evil for evil's sake. They'd be slaughtering a lot more cattle and pigeons and a lot fewer slaves if that was an option. It's also safe to say that blood doesn't much in the way of a shelf-life. It really doesn't you know. Without a preservative that would probably render it useless for magic and refrigeration that doesn't exist, blood dies quick. That why blood banking isn't an option for blood mage PCs. No bleeding yourself in advance and then recovering before you go out.

So that leaves "sacrificing the enemy". I'm pretty sure there's a time and distance issue in draining power from another's blood. In order to do it well you have be close, and you have to take your time. Otherwise the blood mages I've fought would be a lot harder to kill. There might also be a consent issue, given that the only times that we've someone just schloop up all of someone's blood and use it to power a major spell, there has been some kind of contract between the bloodmage and its victim.

And there's no way Andraste had an army of blood magicians because there's no way to get from "an army of blood magicians" to the ways and practices of the south as of Dragon Age.

There is no text anywhere that states animals are no good for blood magic. None. In my opinion the only reason why slaves were used and not animals was because the developers wanted blood magic and the Tevinter Empire to seem more evil.

Blood can be stored in the Dragon Age setting. Ever heard of phylacteries? Every Circle mage in Thedas has a vial of their blood stored in case they need to be tracked down.

No text anywhere about a casting range limit either. Or anything about level of difficulty. We can only speculate about these things.

Of course you've defeated powerful blood mages in game. You're the player character. The only limits you have are the limits the developers give you. How else can some guy with a sharpened hunk of metal defeat someone who can turn him inside out with a gesture?

Consent? Surely you jest. I doubt all those slaves and maleficar victims willingly gave up their blood/lives.

It's entirely possible to change history simply by omitting something from historical text. Look at what happened with Shartan. Him and his people made a significant contribution to Andraste yet look how they're being treated today. It's not hard to believe that Andraste being a mage was omitted. Let alone a *gasp* blood mage. It suits the Chantry agenda just fine.

[Illegitimus]

There is no text anywhere that states animals are no good for blood magic. 

 

There's is no text anywhere that states animals ARE good for blood magic.  You could probably do stuff with dragon blood though, because dragon blood is magical even if you aren't using blood magic as such.  

 

 

In my opinion the only reason why slaves were used and not animals was because the developers wanted blood magic and the Tevinter Empire to seem more evil.
 

 

 

No they wanted it to _be_ more evil.  

 

Blood can be stored in the Dragon Age setting. Ever heard of phylacteries? Every Circle mage in Thedas has a vial of their blood stored in case they need to be tracked down.

 

I tend to assume the blood in phylacteries has clotted since that's what would happen.  

 

 

T

Consent? Surely you jest. I doubt all those slaves and maleficar victims willingly gave up their blood/lives.

 

No, I'm thinking that you need some kind contract to make people just explode into a cloud of usable blood.  If you actually cut a victim's throat then it isn't an issue.  

 

It's entirely possible to change history simply by omitting something from historical text. Look at what happened with Shartan. Him and his people made a significant contribution to Andraste yet look how they're being treated today. It's not hard to believe that Andraste being a mage was omitted. Let alone a *gasp* blood mage. It suits the Chantry agenda just fine.

 

I'm not talking about the historical record.  I'm talking about the actual situation.  If blood magic was the only to fight Tevinter and Andraste was a blood magician leading an army of blood magicians, then all the mages of the Circles would still be blood magicians.  If blood magic was indispensable, then it would not have been dispensed with.  

[Treacherous J Slither]

There's is no text anywhere that states animals ARE good for blood magic. You could probably do stuff with dragon blood though, because dragon blood is magical even if you aren't using blood magic as such.



No they wanted it to _be_ more evil.


I tend to assume the blood in phylacteries has clotted since that's what would happen.



No, I'm thinking that you need some kind contract to make people just explode into a cloud of usable blood. If you actually cut a victim's throat then it isn't an issue.



I'm not talking about the historical record. I'm talking about the actual situation. If blood magic was the only to fight Tevinter and Andraste was a blood magician leading an army of blood magicians, then all the mages of the Circles would still be blood magicians. If blood magic was indispensable, then it would not have been dispensed with.

What reason could there possibly be for animal blood to be no good for blood magic? Hmm?

What makes Tevinter evil? Slavery? Imperialism? Cruelty? These are terrible things no doubt but was the ancient Roman empire evil? How about the ancient Egyptians? They did these things as well yet many people don't regard them as evil. That's why I put SEEM instead of BE. For some people these things are subjective.

In Dragon Age Origins you see a phylactery storage area. It appears to be a cool environment. Probably done through magic. I imagine the blood is refrigerated in order to keep it alive. This blood is used to track down outlaw mages using a form of magic. Why store blood in a cold room unless you're attempting to preserve it? Apparently they do so effectively because this practice has been in place for a very long time.

Why would a contract be needed? When have we ever seen evidence of such a thing? Does a mage need a contract to immolate someone? To heal someone? When has a mage ever needed a contract for anything?

I'm not saying Andraste had an army made up entirely of blood mages but I believe she would have to have had at least enough to give Tevinter a hard time. Mundanes have always feared magic and mages are a minority. It's not hard to believe that as time passed all the magic stuff on Andrastes side was lost to history because it wasn't popular with the people. People tend to shape history to suit themselves. I can imagine a veteran of the war to be sitting in his house telling war stories to his family about how the great and powerful Andraste took down the evil blood magic empire while purposely omitting that their wonderful leader was herself a *gasp* blood mage. As time passes and many people tell similar stories to others and downplay the role of magic in defeating a magic empire, it gets lost to time that many of the good guys were mages too and were actually vital to the war effort.

[Illegitimus]

What reason could there possibly be for animal blood to be no good for blood magic? Hmm?

 

Here are two possible reasons:

 

1.  Animals have no presence in the fade.  

2.  Animal blood is too different from that of the blood magicians.  

 

 

W

What makes Tevinter evil? Slavery? Imperialism? Cruelty? These are terrible things no doubt but was the ancient Roman empire evil? 

 

Compared to what?  Evil isn't a binary trait.  It's a comparative thing on a sliding scale.  

 

In Dragon Age Origins you see a phylactery storage area. It appears to be a cool environment. Probably done through magic. I imagine the blood is refrigerated in order to keep it alive. 

 

Put blood in a "cool" environment and it will last rather less long than the milk in your fridge.  And that's assuming there's no magic power in the actual act of shedding blood, which does not in fact seem to be the case.  

 

 

Why would a contract be needed? When have we ever seen evidence of such a thing?

 

The only time we've seen evidence that someone can draw large amounts of blood power by just asploding another person is in cut scenes where the blood magician had a bargain of some sort with the victim or with the Alienage slaves.  So I'm guessing that requires a prepared ritual rather like the Dark Ritual now that I think about it.  We don't see it happening in combat to your foes, right?  

 

I'm not saying Andraste had an army made up entirely of blood mages but I believe she would have to have had at least enough to give Tevinter a hard time. Mundanes have always feared magic and mages are a minority. It's not hard to believe that as time passed all the magic stuff on Andrastes side was lost to history because it wasn't popular with the people. People tend to shape history to suit themselves. I can imagine a veteran of the war to be sitting in his house telling war stories to his family about how the great and powerful Andraste took down the evil blood magic empire while purposely omitting that their wonderful leader was herself a *gasp* blood mage. As time passes and many people tell similar stories to others and downplay the role of magic in defeating a magic empire, it gets lost to time that many of the good guys were mages too and were actually vital to the war effort.

 

.Bunk.  If both sides were routinely using blood magic they wouldn't think blood magic was evil.  If Andraste's mages were so all-powerful then they wouldn't have consented to being locked up.  And if they did abandon the only thing that would let them fight Tevinter then the riddle arises...why hasn't Tevinter been winning decisively?  Or at all really.  They've been losing, not gaining territory in their fights with opponents who use no or little  blood magic.  The main thing that has left them stable for the last few centuries is that nobody else is willing to attack them as long as they act as a buffer and distraction for the Qunari.  

[Treacherous J Slither]

Here are two possible reasons:

1. Animals have no presence in the fade.
2. Animal blood is too different from that of the blood magicians.



Compared to what? Evil isn't a binary trait. It's a comparative thing on a sliding scale.


Put blood in a "cool" environment and it will last rather less long than the milk in your fridge. And that's assuming there's no magic power in the actual act of shedding blood, which does not in fact seem to be the case.



The only time we've seen evidence that someone can draw large amounts of blood power by just asploding another person is in cut scenes where the blood magician had a bargain of some sort with the victim or with the Alienage slaves. So I'm guessing that requires a prepared ritual rather like the Dark Ritual now that I think about it. We don't see it happening in combat to your foes, right?


.Bunk. If both sides were routinely using blood magic they wouldn't think blood magic was evil. If Andraste's mages were so all-powerful then they wouldn't have consented to being locked up. And if they did abandon the only thing that would let them fight Tevinter then the riddle arises...why hasn't Tevinter been winning decisively? Or at all really. They've been losing, not gaining territory in their fights with opponents who use no or little blood magic. The main thing that has left them stable for the last few centuries is that nobody else is willing to attack them as long as they act as a buffer and distraction for the Qunari.

What does the Fade have to do with blood magic? It uses life force as a substitute for Fade energy. Animals should work just fine.

As far as compatibility goes this could possibly be an issue. I could see that. We have no text stating this and I doubt this is the case but I could see it happening. Good point.

Sooo you're in agreement with me that evil can be subjective? Cool.

The blood is preserved somehow. Probably magically. But it is preserved. There's no getting around that. We don't have magic in the real world. There IS magic in Dragon Age.

In DAO and DA2 a blood mage had a spell called Blood Sacrifice. With this spell the blood mage could draw a large amount of hit points/ from an ally in order to heal themselves and replenish their health/blood pool for casting. If the ally died as a result of the spell, the amount of health replenished was greatly increased. At no point does your ally consent to this. They may even give you a hard time about it afterwards but I'm not sure. The elves that the blood mage sacrifices never agree to be "asploded" as you say. The mage waves his hands and they die. Just like that. No contract. No consent. No deep, long, drawn out ritual.

Also, due to gameplay restrictions Blood Sacrifice is a spell you can only use on your allies and not your enemies. Why would this restriction be in place? This restriction doesn't exist in the lore as the blood mage demonstrates by sacrificing those elves. Yet it exists in combat. Hrmm I wonder why? Don't know? I'll tell you. Because if the game allowed you to use mages and blood magic to their full potential they would completely outclass everything else in the game. Just like they completely outclass everything else in the lore.

The lore tells you how powerful blood magic is yet we're supposed to believe that an army of mundanes can stand up to an army of blood mages? How? The best way to fight magic is with magic. The best way to fight blood magic is with blood magic.

Tevinter hasn't been winning decisively because the writers want it that way regardless of whether or not it makes any sense according to what we know of the setting. Tevinter is one of the oldest countries in existence and they have had no restrictions on magic for all that time. That we know of anyway. I imagine that they would have some of the most advanced magic on the planet because they've been working on it for ages. Magic would advance just like technology does. Look how far we've come in just 1 century. Imagine what will be possible in 5 centuries. I'm not sure how old Tevinter is but it's gotta be a lot older than 5 or 600 years old. What other unified body would be able to stand against that kind of power? Especially ones with little to no magic? It's inconceivable.

Unless I see a detailed play by of exactly how Andraste fought Tevinter, i'll refuse to believe that it was done with little to no magic.

Also, until I see Qunari wield technology close to, on par with, or surpassing blood magic, i'll refuse to believe that them giving Tevinter a hard time is anything other than bs writing.

[Illegitimus]

What does the Fade have to do with blood magic? It uses life force as a substitute for Fade energy. Animals should work just fine.
 

 

You mean apart from blood magic coming from the Fade?  Blood magic wasn't invented by humans and it's not particularly well understood by humans.  It came from entities that live within the fade, entities that have no blood.  Blood magic doesn't draw on the power of the Fade, but I think it wouldn't be unreasonable to speculate that it does draw on that innate power in human beings that allows them to visit the Fade (in their dreams).  

 

 

Also, due to gameplay restrictions Blood Sacrifice is a spell you can only use on your allies and not your enemies. Why would this restriction be in place? This restriction doesn't exist in the lore as the blood mage demonstrates by sacrificing those elves.

 

Yes.  It does.  As is demonstrated by the fact that at no point in the lore does anyone in fact do their blood magic by sacrificing their enemies.  They sacrifice themselves.  They sacrifice their friends.  They sacrifice the helpless.  But they do not sacrifice their free and active foes.  Ever.  Yes that constraint exists to keep blood magic from being all powerful.  But because it exists blood magic is not all powerful.  And it does exist in the cutscenes as well as the game play.  

 

As for alternatives to the blood being preserved, I already gave you one.  It isn't.  The phylacteries are filled with clotted blood.  

[Treacherous J Slither]

You mean apart from blood magic coming from the Fade?  Blood magic wasn't invented by humans and it's not particularly well understood by humans.  It came from entities that live within the fade, entities that have no blood.  Blood magic doesn't draw on the power of the Fade, but I think it wouldn't be unreasonable to speculate that it does draw on that innate power in human beings that allows them to visit the Fade (in their dreams).  
 
 

 
Yes.  It does.  As is demonstrated by the fact that at no point in the lore does anyone in fact do their blood magic by sacrificing their enemies.  They sacrifice themselves.  They sacrifice their friends.  They sacrifice the helpless.  But they do not sacrifice their free and active foes.  Ever.  Yes that constraint exists to keep blood magic from being all powerful.  But because it exists blood magic is not all powerful.  And it does exist in the cutscenes as well as the game play.  
 
As for alternatives to the blood being preserved, I already gave you one.  It isn't.  The phylacteries are filled with clotted blood.

What is the difference between some guy running at a blood mage with a sword and some tied up slave when it comes to using them as a blood magic battery? There is no contract or consent necessary so there is nothing preventing the mage from draining them dry. Do you seriously believe that someone being hostile to the mage would somehow negate his ability to "asplode" them? Does that really make sense to you?

Do dwarves have a Fade connection? I don't believe they do. Can Blood Sacrifice be cast successfully on a dwarf companion? Yes it can be. So is a Fade connection necessary? No it is not.

What would demons know of a form of magic that has nothing to do with them or their world?

So you're saying you refuse to believe that it's possible to keep blood alive through magical means?