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Dragon Age lore guide for newcomers: come ask your questions!
- Thread starter Ralemont
- Start date
Deified Data
Banned
The philosophy of the Qunari is the most interesting thing about them. Shame we won't be able to roleplay a believer in the Qun in Inquisition.
Loghain's fear and hatred of Orlais is both understandable and, as we know from the letters, well-justified.
I don't believe that excuses his actions in Origins, but considering he shows regret and a willingness to sacrifice himself in penance, I think you can work the redemption angle.
Personally I did not have the dialogue option (or couldn't find the path to it) to make Alistair King and have Loghain become a Warden. It was apparent at the time that it was Alistair or Loghain. So I let Alistair duel and kill him, and Anora was sent to the tower.
It might not be the perfect world-state, but damnit it's mine!
I don't believe that excuses his actions in Origins, but considering he shows regret and a willingness to sacrifice himself in penance, I think you can work the redemption angle.
Personally I did not have the dialogue option (or couldn't find the path to it) to make Alistair King and have Loghain become a Warden. It was apparent at the time that it was Alistair or Loghain. So I let Alistair duel and kill him, and Anora was sent to the tower.
It might not be the perfect world-state, but damnit it's mine!
You have to have hardened Alistair's character by visiting Goldanna in Denerim, then in conversation with Alistair afterwards, tell him he has to 'look out for himself because no-one else will' or something. This makes him more willing to be king, and more willing to allow Loghain to live (although he still leaves the party).
I have the same world state and I'm happy with it. Alistar was my party member the whole game. Had to stick by him.
Sir Garbageman
Member
Awesome OP. Quick question, outside of the Corypheus reveal, anything interesting of note out of the DA2 DLC packs?
Tony Redgrave
Member
It was very tricky. You had to harden Alistair by choosing the correct dialogue options after you both met Goldanna, and get into his head that he had to look for himself because the world is hard. That way he started embracing the idea of becoming the King and that's what keeps him from walking out on you if you listen to Riordan and let Loghain live.
DA:O was amazing for small details like that.
Eudaemonium
Member
I remember reading on the old BSN that originally more dialogue options were meant to harden Alistair's personality, but that a bunch of them got cut over the course of development and they forgot to rejig some of the remaining ones so it ended up just being that single line that did it. Kinda funny, really XD
Until about 6 months ago, I actually had no idea you could keep both Loghain alive and have Alistair as king. I felt like an idiot when I found out..
One of the best things about Origins was that there were so many choices like that that many people just didn't know about.
Legacy is important because of Corypheus and the fact that some of the Wardens may unknowingly be tools of powerful darkspawn like Corypheus. Then there's the tantalizing hint that Corypheus was not destroyed at the end of Legacy.
Mask of the Assassin is important because there's more information in this DLC about the Qun and various factions within it than in any other bit of DA media, whether it's a game, a book, a comic, or that direct-to-video animation. Also you get a bit of info re Orlais (not much). It does not seem likely that any of the events in this DLC will be directly referenced in DAI.
I wonder what the third DLC would have been about. It's really a pity that we never got to see it, or got an ultimate version of DA2.
Oh yeah, Logain ended up surviving the Landsmeet in my game too.
He ended up killing the Archdemon though. Alistair's on the throne and not married to Anora.I really loved the hardening convo with Leliana. It was clear she missed being a bard and wasn't fit to be a Chantry Sister, and I appreciated the chance to tell her that.
Dragon Age games have such amazing reactivity with the characters. Even DA2 when considering things like Isabela coming back with the Tome, or Aveline bringing up her resentment that you sold Wesley's shield like 20 hours later in the game, haha.
The cancelled expansion was rumored to have been called The Exalted March. I wouldn't be surprised if it was folded into Inquisition given Hawke's presence.
Oh yeah, thanks. I remember reading that somewhere too. Well, I'm glad we'll get to see some of it (or most of it) in DAI.
Damerman
Member
well, i just found this out right now... damn. I always wanted a world state where Alister maries Annora (loghain's blood line deserves to be royalty after everything he's done for Ferelden) and loghain gets to live. Back to the keep then.
Damerman
Member
this was one of my absolute most favorite parts. I swear i didn't see it coming and i had such a huge grin when i saw her come back.
Yeah, my mind was really blown when I found out for the first time. I never had the heart to make Alistair a drunk so Loghain was always dead in my files. I'm going to be keeping Loghain alive/Alistair king as well for my first file because I'm really interested in seeing how they both act. Hopefully Loghain redeems himself as a Grey Warden.
One of the best things about the Keep, not having to go back and put 40 hours into the game because you want to change an outcome.
Dandy Lyin
Member
Part of me really wants to "resurrect" Loghain using the Keep... but at the same time, killing him was very satisfying. I'll save him for my alternate timeline, I suppose.
anexanhume
Member
Mark Darrah just retweeted the link to this thread: https://twitter.com/anexanhume/status/533058514017472514
Ether_Snake
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This has probably been asked but maybe could be added to the OP: if you never played DA or don't know any of the lore, how screwed are you story-wise in DA I?
Entropy912
Neo Member
After learning all this stuff about Loghain from this thread I am definitely going to be making a world state where he is alive for my second play through. For the first playthrough I feel obliged to follow through with my decisions, shitty as they might be. Which means Loghain's dead and werewolves run wild
Entropy912
Neo Member
It's really up to you and how much you want to know about everything. You'll be fine if you want to understand the basic nature of the conflicts but if you delve in to what happened in the previous games it will be a lot more satisfying.
anexanhume
Member
The developers have said you should be fine. People who have played the previous games say you should read up on it. People who haven't played the previous games have played it and said it was enjoyable.
It's probably entirely up to you.
CrichtonKicks
Member
There was also a dropped thread relating to Aveline's family's past that was hinted in MotA. There was no resolution given though I've seen speculation that it has to do with The Friends of Red Jenny and might make an appearance in DA:I.
I'm also hoping for an explanation of what was so important that led The Grey Wardens to leave Kirwall in the middle of the Qunari Uprising.
Admiral Woofington
Member
look at the info and links in the front page and you should be fine with enough background to not be lost in the universe.
Deified Data
Banned
I just noticed that Cassandra is a templar in Inquisition. Are there templars among the Seekers? I thought they were two exclusive branches. Or did she pick up those skills somewhere else?
Most Seekers come from the Templars. They're like the IA of the Templar order. Though Cassandra did not, but it's not too surprising she picked up and was trained in Templar ways.
Deified Data
Banned
Weird, feel like there'd be a conflict of interest hiring agents to oversee all Chantry matters from one of the branches they're charged with overseeing.
CrichtonKicks
Member
Do Internal Affairs officers not ultimately come from the regular detective ranks?
Well it's not exactly just saying you're hired and giving them an all seeing eye badge. Plus Seekers are used not only to monitor and investigate bad Templars, but also are in charge of tracking down and taking out particularly dangerous Apostates, so it's important for them to be well versed in the ways of mages and anti-mage tactics/abilities. This is from the wikia page on them, DAI spoilers.
Not exactly something the weak willed can get through.
Deified Data
Banned
Probably why the whole revolving door system is so corrupt. Maybe that was intentional.
Poodlestrike
Banned
From what I understand, Templar abilities don't actually require Lyrium to use, per se. They're made much more effective by it, but they work just fine without.
Ether_Snake
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Thanks for the info guys. I think I'll buy it.
Depends on you. DA2 isn't a great game, to some it's the worst thing ever, but really there are some really good things in it. Some of the plot lines are good, especially the second act. A few of the companions are really great, one of whom returns and several other NPCs in the game are now either companions or prominent members of your Inquisition. The two DLC are quite good and the main overall plot of the game will be a major plot line in DAI.
If you just play on easy, even cheat, use a guide to skip the more pointless sidequests and power through it you could probably beat it over the weekend without much trouble.
Jon Armdog
Member
So, questions for the Qunari experts here. I've been trying to read up on their lore and whatnot - is there any confirmation as to what happened to their original homeland? I've read conflicting ideas; their philosophy conflicted with others, so they left...or that there was instead a blight there so they had to retreat (and that ogres are darkspawned Qunari).
Is there any canon lore confirmed about that? It gets me wondering what happened to the original people in Par Volen and if any survived, escaped, or are still there. And, if there are forces on their original homeland powerful enough to make the Qunari leave, what are they like? Exploring that stuff would make a kick ass expansion or DLC content for this game.
Is there any canon lore confirmed about that? It gets me wondering what happened to the original people in Par Volen and if any survived, escaped, or are still there. And, if there are forces on their original homeland powerful enough to make the Qunari leave, what are they like? Exploring that stuff would make a kick ass expansion or DLC content for this game.
Pretty sure that's about all we know more or less. Something happened and they left their homeland, went to Par Vollen kicked out what Tevinter remnants were there, took over and assimilated the native species of Fex to the Qun.
All we know of pre-Par Vollen Qunari is the bits about Kossith that were present shortly in the Korcari wilds well before the Qun was established and were animists. Eventually they were likely captured during the first blight and turned into broodmothers to create Ogres.
Jon Armdog
Member
It seems like a lot of people are rolling Qunari in Inquisition, so maybe fan interest will convince Bioware to flesh that story out a bit more. I'd be fun to run into some of these proto-Qunari animists, too.
CrichtonKicks
Member
Is there anything pre-Inquisition that actually discusses the Seekers in any sort of depth? I Despite Cassandra being important to DA2's framing device, I don't remember anything in DA2 or DA:O that actually discussed the Seekers at all and what their powers were.
Not really, there's a codex entry in DAO. A bit of info in Dawn of the Seeker and Asunder as well, but nothing major.
World of Thedas probably has the most info on them from any one source.
Deified Data
Banned
One wonders if the Qunari were chased off by the Kossith or vice versa. I can't imagine the Qunari simply leaving their homeland...unconverted.
Jon Armdog
Member
Ha, yeah that would be a bit out of character. Maybe they did convert everything, and this is just a large contingent that got bored and wanted to find what else they could convert in the world?
CrichtonKicks
Member
DAO had a codex entry on them? That's pretty cool- I had kind of assumed that Bioware didn't come up with them until DA2.
I'm still not super clear on The Qun and Qunari philosophy, could never get Sten to like me. They value efficiency and strength, everyone has a role and followers live on a commune together? Do they proselytize or scorn nonbelievers? And how much smaller are they now in comparison to before the Qunari Wars?
Wow, this thread along with the Newbie's Guide Kotaku put out are fantastic. I played through DA:O to completion when it came out though for whatever reason the lore never clicked with me then. I suppose at that time, I was a lot less amenable to the fantasy genre and was just looking for an RPG to bide my time with until the impending release of Mass Effect 2. But reading all these guides and essentially looking at the lore again from a clean slate, the world actually seems a whole lot more interesting to me now. Lot of politics to go around between a lot of different factions. Can't wait to see how it all plays out in DA:I.
Bought! I'll give em a read, curious to see how in-depth this series really is. Thanks a lot