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[Shechinah]

I had a hard time picturing Mahariel being interested in spending time pursuing a cure for the taint since she had grown content with her shortened lifespan especially since she thought it was about as long as she'd expect herself to live otherwise. She'd rather spend what remains of her time living a life away from the Grey Wardens and doing good apart from them. Prior to Inquisition, I did headcanon that she had ditched them sometime after Awakening as she felt she'd done enough for them especially since she felt forced into becoming a Warden.

Decisions

If she'd been a member of the Inquisition's inner circle and along for the decisions, she'd probably have been in favor of helping the smallfolk and such while dealing with the rifts both not only for compassionate reasons but also for the pragmatic reasons such as gaining support for the Inquisition by playing on the savior imagery built around the Inquisitor.

While she would have initially been in favor of supporting the mages, she would have changed her opinion and support conscripting them. She'd be in favor of putting Alexius to work for them since she does not know how Tevinter might take his execution.

 

She'd not be sure who she'd support between Gaspard and Celene but she would be in favor of improving Briala's lot as she believes it would improve their relationship with her and gain them information from her network. She would likely not be in favor of making Briala the power behind the throne as she does not know her character well enough to be willing to trust her with such influence.

 

She'd be in favor of performing the rituals at the Temple of Mythal since they know there are strange elves about and following procedure in old temples tend to be a good precaution. She'd be in favor of forming an alliance with the ancient elves. She'd be unsure whom she'd support drinking from the well as her trust in Morrigan has still not healed from her leaving during the Blight and so she worries Morrigan will leave again with the power of the Well. Because of this, she'll eventually support the Inquisitor as the one who will drink from the well.

If Morrigan had killed Abelas, she'd have been angry as she saw reason in destroying the well even if she would hated it's loss. She'd immediately supported the Inquisitor's claim to the Well.

 

After Corypheus’ defeat, Mahariel would likely offer to stick around for a while to see the Inquisition off before leaving for home Antiva and see what needs to be rebuilt there. During Trespasser but before the revelation about Solas, she’d be in favor of the Inquisition disbanding as she sees their purpose as done and after the revelation about Solas, she’d support disbanding and becoming a shadow organization and if accepted, Mahariel would be willing to join even if it means she’ll spend the last remains of her years helping the shadow Inquisition.

 

Companions

Mahariel would be wary towards Dorian Pavus and suspicious of him for a while but eventually come to like him. She'd likewise be mindful of the Iron Bull but not impolite towards him because of what she knows of the Qun from Sten. She was close to Sten but knows that can mean little in the face of the Qun.

 

She would be wary of Cole because of his prior behavior but come to be somewhat fond of him; she'd support him remaining a spirit as she dosen't feel he should get stuck in Thedas with all of its ugliness. He might be able to help her with some of the guilt issues she has including about what she did doing the Blight. That could actually be very interesting now that I think about it... and actually rather adorable.

 

She would likely dislike Sera and support kicking her out of the Inquisition if she kills the noble. She'd like Cassandra and support her becoming Divine as despite her friendship with Leliana, she does not think she'd be the right choice for a Divine who'd had to deal with the aftermath of the Breach nor does she think Vienne would. She'd call Blackwall out but do so in private and be concerned about the consequences the Inquisiton might face should his actual identity as Thom Rainier be revealed. She'd be grudgingly admiring that he came forth to take responsibility and support leaving him in prison or sending him to the Grey Wardens. How she and Vivienne would fare with each other I am not sure since they would agree on some things but for different reasons and she’d dislike Vivienne’s self-serving motives. She might see eye to eye with Solas on things but support killing him after the revelation in Trespasser. She does not believe Solas can be turned from his path and believes killing him is inevitable.

Advisors

While she didn’t know Cullen personally, she would be glad to see that he appears to be doing better considering how she last saw him during the Blight. She might develop an odd friendship with Josephine and converse with her about Antiva. She’d be in favor of the more bloody method to help her but support Josephine’s decision. Mahariel would likely understand why Leliana changed since the Blight but support the Inquisitor’s efforts to soften her.

[Medhia_Nox]

I think the DA team can be excused to not include that if it isn't an important plot point somewhere. After all, there is no guarantee that any one mageborn will ever suffer a possession attempt, even less a successful one, and in addition, it would just be a nonstandard game-over like sleeping with Morinth in ME2. It's different with Corypheus: if he fought you and you were vulnerable, it wouldn't make any sense at all not to have him make the attempt, unless there were precautions you could've taken.

 

Maybe DA2 should've had such an option in Feynriel's mission, but again, if the outcome is just a non-standard game-over it would be a small and insignificant bonus outcome. Compare that to the Sloth demon in DAO taking everyone into his realm and making you fight for your life. That was a nice idea, you weren't immune to that influence, and you weren't even so super-special: Morrigan noticed what was going on right away, and if I recall this correctly, was waiting for you to link up so that you could fight your way out together.  

 

Yes, in DA:O demons were very different than in DA:2 and DA:I. 

 

I preferred their original presentation.  *shrugs*  What's presented in DA:I lost me in a big way.  DA:4 will probably decide whether I continue with the IP (if it continues).

 

I'm curious... we're presented with characters that can kill our way out of impossible situations... the battle against the archdaemon was, physically, exactly like you describe the Corypheus battle.

 

Nobody - but a Warden - can beat the archdaemon.  Sure... a bunch of plucky highschool outcasts join up to help... but wouldn't the warden have some outcasts to help face Corypheus too?  Yes, I know Loghain or Alistair can kill the Warden... but let's be realistic... you got them there.  You already did the "impossible".  

 

Why would Corypheus' will automatically be more powerful than the Wardens?  Especially since I don't find a being who's hubris led him into the most idiotic endeavor in his life only to be released centuries later to throw a titanic hissy fit... to have some sort of otherworldly willpower.   

 

NOTE: I am not saying crater face doesn't have strong willpower... his inability to accept he's not amazing would carry him a long way there.  

[Ieldra]

Yes, in DA:O demons were very different than in DA:2 and DA:I.

Like so much else. Ever since Bioware switched to their current semi-cinematic storytelling style, their plots and the quests and missions in their games have become simplistic. That's why I constantly bemoan the moment they started to look to movies and TV shows for inspiration rather than written fiction.
 

Why would Corypheus' will automatically be more powerful than the Wardens?  Especially since I don't find a being who's hubris led him into the most idiotic endeavor in his life only to be released centuries later to throw a titanic hissy fit... to have some sort of otherworldly willpower.

If it was defined as a matter of willpower, this wouldn't be such a problem. It is not, however. Corypheus' superiority exists because he's higher up in the hierarchy of the Blight. At least that's how it came across, and it means that nobody on a lower tier can resist him, just as no darkspawn can resist the Archdemon's possession when its body dies.

[Secret Rare]

The quest to find the cure is a logical one. BioWare just needs to wrap it up for the next game, which it seems they did according to certain epilogues. So I was fine with the cure quest.

Disagree is stupid not logical for my perspective.
With Avernus knowledge it is not necessary for me.

[Medhia_Nox]

@Ieldra:  I wonder if Awakened darkspawn could resist the Archdaemon. 

 

This is the problem I'm starting to have with DA...

 

- Archdaemons possess darkspawn

- Darkspawn cannot resist.

- Demons cannot possess without permission

- Darkspawn likely always give permission as a hive mind.

- Could Awakened darkspawn refuse possession? 

 

Same should be the case with Corypheus it would seem.  Can he still exert control over Wardens while he's dying?  I'd argue that intense pain and dying are certainly challenges to ones focus and willpower.  

 

I cannot stand, in sci-fi or fantasy, when a rule is broken with explanations like:  "It's something we've never seen before."  or "He's the exception to the rule." or "He's more than a demon/spirit/god/mage/AI/etc."

 

So in this, I think we totally agree - for me it applies to the world as much as the player. I believe DA has broken their own rules so many times that I've lost a lot of interest in exploring the lore. (Yes, I understand that some of them could be previous misinterpretations.)

 

Subverting one established concept is revelation - subverting a few is revolution - subverting nearly everything established in the first introduction to the world means that everything before was a total waste of my time.  

[Heimdall]

Like so much else. Ever since Bioware switched to their current semi-cinematic storytelling style, their plots and the quests and missions in their games have become simplistic. That's why I constantly bemoan the moment they started to look to movies and TV shows for inspiration rather than written fiction.

Frankly, I think you overestimate the complexity of their older plot structures.

[Medhia_Nox]

Frankly, I think you overestimate the complexity of their older plot structures.

 

Yes, I'm beginning to think I did the same.

[Shechinah]

I'll be honest and say that I am hoping that nothing comes of the Warden's search for a cure as I feel it would remove an interesting aspect of the Grey Wardens and I've seen no reason for it that I'd consider even decent.

 

Note that I take issue with a cure being found, not the search for a cure. It would only make sense that someone would have looked more than twice for one.

[QueenCrow]

My elven Warden spends one last night with King Alistair, then fences some of Queen Anora's jewelry in order to finance a mysterious disappearance from Ferelden without so much as a "by your leave".  

 

She will join legions of elves doing the same disappearing act and will eventually end up at the Arlathvhen.

[Dean_the_Young]

Yes, I'm beginning to think I did the same.

 

I can't claim that, because it was never the plots that really grabbed me. It was some contexts or ideas, but I'm struggling to think of a Bioware game I've talked about that I didn't have significant criticisms for. ME1's backstory never made sense and the Renegade spectrum bounced between interesting to sociopathic, ME2 I had plot criticisms of early on even if I liked the idea of Cerberus, ME3...

 

When it comes to Dragon Age, I could find it interesting without being impressive. In DAO, I never really felt there was a compelling moral choice conflict because the plethora of third ways and lack of integration of the creamy middle treaty quests with eachother or the broader game. They were really just self-contained stories, and the only one without a clear 'best' outcome was the Dwaves, but even then they went for shock/cruelty value in setting up the Anvil of the Void. While the battle of denerim was appropriately climatic, Loghain was a meh character all the way up until after you could recruit him, maybe, and the Darkspawn and Archdemon were anything but complex figures. It was an adventure quest, but never one that was particularly complex or deep.

 

DA2 suffered more from how it was setting up the mages and templars. Basically focusing on the unlikability of the extremists, which made Meredith basically a charicature and undersold Orisino. For better and worse, it was a bunch of individual stories that were fun, but didn't meet the hype of Hawke being an impressive rise to power.

 

Honestly, the 'best' story in my opinion is Inquisition- not because each story arc is perfect or ideal, but because they largely weave together a more central story of the rise of the Inquisitor and Inquisition. From a figurehead Herald of Andraste who steps forward and makes the choice of the Recruitment/Alliance without sanction, to the efforts at gathering allies and dispensing judgements, the Inquisitor really did feel like a rise-to-power story in the quest to restore order and make reforms along the way, along with a race-against-Corypheus struggle where you compete for elven artifacts and such. The ending with Corypheus was a let down- I generally consider the story ending right after the Temple of Mythal- but overall there was a narrative cohesion I felt was better than most of the other games.

[Heimdall]

The main plots have generally been little more than decent, even the best with some serious problems. My favorite might be Jade Empire, which is a case where I think it's short length and linearity actually helped them write a tighter story that didn't meander aimlessly.

What tends to attract me to their games is more the companion character stories (Though they can be very hit or miss), and the chance to develop a character within fairly interesting worlds.

[PhroXenGold]

Like so much else. Ever since Bioware switched to their current semi-cinematic storytelling style, their plots and the quests and missions in their games have become simplistic. That's why I constantly bemoan the moment they started to look to movies and TV shows for inspiration rather than written fiction.

 

I have to admit, I'm curious when you think this switch occurred. I've been playing BW games since BG1 and I've yet to notice a significant shift in their storytelling style. But maybe I just suck at analysing such things.

[Ieldra]

Frankly, I think you overestimate the complexity of their older plot structures.

I was imprecise. I meant complexity in the small things that's missing from the newer titles. The big things remained more or less the same. Just consider the quests with Amelia and Kitty or "Captured" in DAO. These days it's mostly nothing more than "go to X, (optional: kill Y) (optional: collect Z) and come back", with variation in nothing but attitude.

[TK514]

My HoF would still be rotting in the ground.  My Orlesian Warden Commander would be living in Amaranthine.

[Cute Nug]

Ugh, soo much Kirkwall stupid spreading all over Thedas in DAI.

 

Once the warden hears that the conclave was blown up which created tons of growing skyholes dumping demons throughout Thedas I would have to come back to help. Kind of crappy for some RP Wardens that Thedas is in so much trouble and the warden doesn't bother to help. Maybe we only thought we could resist demon possession but Kitty actually snuck into us making us the Hero of Ferelden abomination arsehole. Maybe explained in a future game. Maybe the Warden Hero abomination gets to blow up the next chantry or peace conclave. Maybe another of the Second Sin proto-darkspawn magisters is already wearing the Hero's body as their new meat suit.

 

Figure out why Ferelden seems useless in DAI and help if needed. Pimp slap Allister if needed.

 

Apologize that the Grey Spawn mages didn't help close the breach. Find out why they were useless. Pimp slap a few for good measure repeatedly.

 

Find out that the conclave was blown up by a Second Sin proto-darkspawn magister that the Grey Spawn had been hiding for centuries. Find out that Grey Spawn had helped murder the southern Divine under darkspawn control. Find out that Clarel and her Grey Spawn were epic stupid when told they were being tricked by a obviously evil Tevinter mage working for a proto-darkspawn. Pimp slap as needed.

 

Pass judgement on any Ferelden Grey Spawn if they helped Clarel and went to war against the Inquisition when told they were being tricked by a darkspawn. 

 

Find out why Weisshaupt didn't help close the breach threatening Thedas and how they ignored what Clarel was doing. Find out if they are hiding anymore of the Second Sin proto-darkspawn magisters they can't control and warn the nations of Thedas of the risk.

 

Find out if any of the Ferelden Grey Spawn and Grey Company are left. Make sure they don't suck at fighting like the Grey Spawn at Adamant.

 

Research how to kill Second Sin proto-darkspawn magisters and if Grey Spawn are only a liability in fighting them. Warn Thedas.

[German Soldier]

 

Subverting one established concept is revelation - subverting a few is revolution - subverting nearly everything established in the first introduction to the world means that everything before was a total waste of my time.  

Disciples are immune to the calling  of the archdemons and yes the lore of DAO is for a good 80% a waste of time..

[Beerfish]

My warden wouldn't care at all about Corypheus and such.  I would be aghast at how utterly stupid the Warden leadership is (for about the 4th time in this game series).  The Wardens brain trust actually rivals the Dalish for sheer and utter stupidity.  I'd just polish up the old sword, join my fav group of legion of the dead mates and go hack up dark spawn while all the nonsense was going on above ground.

[German Soldier]

 

 

 

Find out why Weisshaupt didn't help close the breach threatening Thedas and how they ignored what Clarel was doing. Find out if they are hiding anymore of the Second Sin proto-darkspawn magisters they can't control and warn the nations of Thedas of the risk.

 

 

 

Research how to kill Second Sin proto-darkspawn magisters and if Grey Spawn are only a liability in fighting them. Warn Thedas.

Too much boldness in this post,the GW don't have to share anything if they don't want to

[German Soldier]

My HoF would still be rotting in the ground.  My Orlesian Warden Commander would be living in Amaranthine.

The Orlesian warden does not care to find the cure and is not involved with that contrived nosense,is one of the things i like about the Orlesian warden.

[KaiserShep]

It'd be a better story though. And then you can use the wardens willpower and heroism fighting back from within as the thing that allows the Inquisitor to ultimately triumph, rather than the rather contrived dragon thing.

From what it looks like, the Warden body is just a respawn point. It doesn't seem to really matter what body he inhabits. Heck look at Larius. If he takes him over, he becomes a mage.

[Al Foley]

Oddly enough my Warden was, at one point, doing what Clarel was doing.  Kill all the Archdemons.  Though involving less demons and Blood Magic. 

[Terodil]

Am I the only one to think that (one of) 'my' Warden(s) might have undertaken a similar enterprise as Clarel & Co.?

She had no way of knowing that it was Corypheles issuing the Calling (by proxy), and I can imagine her to be scared to the bone by the implications. She wouldn't have killed off fellow wardens, of course, but gathered every warden she could find and organised a blood donation drive to boost her own and the other warden mages' power (that's what always annoys me; nowhere does it say that blood magic needs to kill, yet every time we see it done people die). To be realistic, it would probably have led to her death (either by mob ("aaaah! blood magic! kill!") or by darkspawn ("tasty!")), but maybe...

(As an aside, I don't agree with the seemingly general sentiment here that DA:I's story trumps previous Bioware titles' stories. Any work of fiction requires a suspension of disbelief and that can admittedly be harder for some stories than for others. It comes pretty easily to me and I don't mind the occasional logic gap as long as the story itself provides juicy adventure, food for thought and feelings. Which DA:I largely did much worse at than previous BW titles, IMO.)

Edit: @Al Foley: Jinx. ^^

[Al Foley]

Am I the only one to think that (one of) 'my' Warden(s) might have undertaken a similar enterprise as Clarel & Co.?

She had no way of knowing that it was Corypheles issuing the Calling (by proxy), and I can imagine her to be scared to the bone by the implications. She wouldn't have killed off fellow wardens, of course, but gathered every warden she could find and organised a blood donation drive to boost her own and the other warden mages' power (that's what always annoys me; nowhere does it say that blood magic needs to kill, yet every time we see it done people die). To be realistic, it would probably have led to her death (either by mob ("aaaah! blood magic! kill!") or by darkspawn ("tasty!")), but maybe...

(As an aside, I don't agree with the seemingly general sentiment here that DA:I's story trumps previous Bioware titles' stories. Any work of fiction requires a suspension of disbelief and that can admittedly be harder for some stories than for others. It comes pretty easily to me and I don't mind the occasional logic gap as long as the story itself provides juicy adventure, food for thought and feelings. Which DA:I largely did much worse at than previous BW titles, IMO.)

Edit: @Al Foley: Jinx. ^^

Mal gave up the efforts shortly before Inquisition started but he took Hawk and himself with a large group of Wardens into the Deep Roads but was forced to turn back.  That is why no one could find either one of them for such a long time at the beginning of the game and during the lead up.  

[sim-ran]

He would say "it's been like a decade, stop obsessing about me and move on already!"

[Al Foley]

He would say "it's been like a decade, stop obsessing about me and move on already!"

Ah yes the conundrum of the competent heroes.  They deserve their peace and their quiet retirement and semi retirement but then would such people really be ok with just fading into the background of life?