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*** [[spoiler: That's exactly what he ''did'', though - free the elves who were enslaved to the Evanuris. It didn't entirely work out as planned...]]
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* {{Expy}}: To another [[Characters/MassEffect2PartyMembers Solus]] from Bioware's [[MassEffect other franchise.]] Both are resident [[TheSmartGuy Smart Guys]] in their teams, both are OlderThanTheyLook, and both [[spoiler: committed genocide to save their people, but are tormented by their actions and seek to atone, albeit in very different ways.]]
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* BeenThereShapedHistory: [[spoiler:Solas ''created the Veil''. This, arguably, lead to the downfall of the elves, which lead to the rise of the Tevinters, which lead to the Magisters' invasion of the Fade, the creation of the darkspawn, the weakening of the Tevinters, the rise of the Chantry... That one act, all by its lonesome, had more impact on the history of Thedas than any other act performed by any other character revealed in the series thus far, and he's done a lot more than "just" create the Veil.]]
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* RealityWarper: He has come to develop powers to control the Fade's effects on reality. [[spoiler:And that's parlor tricks compared to Solas' most powerful act: ''creating the Veil itself''. His powers have also progressed to the point that he can kill people by ''thinking'' about it.]]
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* RealityWarper: He has come to develop powers to control the Fade's effects on reality. [[spoiler:And that's parlor tricks compared to Solas' most powerful act: ''creating the Veil itself''. His By the end of Trespasser, his powers have also progressed to the point that he can kill people by ''thinking'' about it.it; he may be the most powerful being alive in Thedas at that point, and there's hints that he's still not as strong as he used to be.]]
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* StopWorshippingMe: [[spoiler:''Trespasser'' reveals that he tried to invoke this trope back in ancient Elvhenan when he was a rebel leader freeing the slaves from their false god masters. It's because of that last bit that Solas ''despises'' the idea of people proclaiming godhood: it basically ruined the ancient elves.]]
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* StopWorshippingMe: [[spoiler:''Trespasser'' reveals that he tried to invoke this trope back in ancient Elvhenan when he was a rebel leader freeing the slaves from their false god masters. It's because of that last bit that Solas ''despises'' the idea of people proclaiming godhood: it basically ruined the ancient elves. It's also why he almost admires the Maker, a being that, if it exists, would have to be incalculably powerful yet feels no need to ''prove'' its godhood.]]
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** His whole involvement with the Inquisition is a form of this, as he has no love for the Chantry as a whole, though he does concede that it does some good and has nothing but the greatest respect for a friendly Inquisitor.
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** His whole involvement with the Inquisition is a form of this, as he has no love for the Chantry as a whole, though he does concede that it does some good and has nothing but the greatest respect for a friendly Inquisitor.Inquisitor (and indeed, seems to think that if the Maker is real It at least lacks the desire to prove Its power.)
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* TookALevelInBadass: In ''Trespasser'', we see that [[spoiler: whatever he absorbed from Flemeth has made him powerful enough to [[TakenForGranite petrify people]] where they stand just by ''thinking'' about it.]]
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* TookALevelInBadass: In ''Trespasser'', Already strong enough to hold his own among the most powerful members of the Inquisition, in ''Trespasser'' we see that [[spoiler: whatever he absorbed from Flemeth Flemeth, along with the power he has slowly been regaining since his reawakening, has made him powerful enough to [[TakenForGranite petrify people]] where they stand just by ''thinking'' about it.]]
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** He is racist towards the Dalish as well, scathingly mocking them for attempting to reclaim elven culture and saying they're nowhere near being able to do so and looks down on them. [[spoiler: One the player knows he's Fen'harel it makes sense, but it doesn't make it right.]]
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** He is racist towards the Dalish as well, scathingly mocking them for attempting to reclaim elven culture and saying they're nowhere near being able to do so and looks down on them. [[spoiler: One Once the player knows he's Fen'harel it makes sense, but it doesn't make it right.]]
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** Vivienne frequently derides the rebel mages for pitting mages against each other just for their own desires, [[spoiler: yet Vivienne does exactly that when she reforms the Circle of Magi despite Leliana declaring all mages free and endorsing the College of Enchanters, pitting mages against each other and severely impeding the growing peace just so Vivienne can finally run the Circle as Grand Enchanter.]]
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* KnowNothingKnowItAll: Vivienne tends to come off this way when talking to mages outside of her own Loyalist faction.
** Most blatantly is with an elven mage Inquisitor. Vivienne acts as if she knows everything about how the Dalish handle their mages, and continues to do so even after an actual Dalish mage tries to explain that Vivienne is missing a lot of the complexities of Dalish culture and its treatment of magic.
** It is also seen with a human mage who agrees with the Mage Rebellion. Vivienne talks down to Trevelyan about his/her resentment toward the Templars and how mages just don't like being restrained, despite Trevelyan [[DialogueTree possibly]] implying to Vivienne and others that his/her grievances with the Circle go well beyond that.
** Solas snidely calls Vivienne out for treating him as an ignorant apostate, despite the fact that her knowledge of the Breach is nowhere near his, and that even if it was she did nothing to help with the initial threat.
** Most blatantly is with an elven mage Inquisitor. Vivienne acts as if she knows everything about how the Dalish handle their mages, and continues to do so even after an actual Dalish mage tries to explain that Vivienne is missing a lot of the complexities of Dalish culture and its treatment of magic.
** It is also seen with a human mage who agrees with the Mage Rebellion. Vivienne talks down to Trevelyan about his/her resentment toward the Templars and how mages just don't like being restrained, despite Trevelyan [[DialogueTree possibly]] implying to Vivienne and others that his/her grievances with the Circle go well beyond that.
** Solas snidely calls Vivienne out for treating him as an ignorant apostate, despite the fact that her knowledge of the Breach is nowhere near his, and that even if it was she did nothing to help with the initial threat.
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* ThisCannotBe: If taken to the Temple of Mythal, Dorian reacts this way when [[spoiler: Abelas reveals that Tevinter ''didn't'' conquer Arlathan; the Imperium merely scavanged the scraps that were left after the ancient elven empire destroyed itself in a bloody civil war. Afterwards, Dorian reflects that it wouldn't go down well in Tevinter if it were revealed that early Tevinter acquired its power as little more than vultures picking a corpse clean]].
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* ThisCannotBe: If taken to the Temple of Mythal, Dorian reacts this way when [[spoiler: Abelas reveals that Tevinter ''didn't'' conquer Arlathan; the Imperium merely scavanged scavenged the scraps that were left after the ancient elven empire destroyed itself in a bloody civil war. Afterwards, Dorian reflects that it wouldn't go down well in Tevinter if it were revealed that early Tevinter their ancestors who established the Imperium acquired its their power as little more than vultures picking a corpse clean]].
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** If you take Cassandra with you [[spoiler: when the Vidisala reveals that (she believes) Solas is an agent Fen'harel, her only response is an ''incredibly'' heartbroken "What?"]].
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** If you take Cassandra with you [[spoiler: when the Vidisala reveals that (she believes) Solas is an agent of Fen'harel, her only response is an ''incredibly'' heartbroken "What?"]].
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Edited the part on the "It's All About Me" trope example
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** If [[spoiler: Leliana is saved and the mages are allies, Vivienne, in spite of the vast majority of Southern Thedas's mages following the emancipated College, ''still'' recreates the Circle, for no other reason than wanting to be in control of it.]]
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** If [[spoiler: Leliana is saved becomes Divine and the mages are allies, Vivienne, in spite of the vast majority of Southern Thedas's mages following the emancipated College, ''still'' recreates the Circle, for no other reason than wanting to be in control of it.]]
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Dorian specifically says homosexuality is tolerated in Tevinter, even encouraged in some cases, as long as it doesn't prevent someone, especially a Altus noble, from refusing to marry or sire an heir. This is the root of the stigma against his sexuality.
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* {{Gayngst}}: He's gotten over it, but the Tevinter Imperium is all about perfection, with a focus on the strongest magical bloodline and anything that falls outside of this ideal, such as homosexuality in Dorian's case, [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain is considered a defect]]. This is one of the many reasons he was cynical of the Imperium culture long before he actually decided to leave.
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* {{Gayngst}}: He's gotten over it, but the Tevinter Imperium is all about perfection, with a focus on the strongest magical bloodline bloodline, and anything that falls outside of this ideal, such as homosexuality being gay meant he refused to sire an heir or partake in Dorian's case, [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain is considered an ArrangedMarriage to the opposite sex, which led to a defect]]. rift between him and his family, not to mention Tevinter culture in general. This is one part of the many reasons he was reason why he's so cynical of the Imperium culture long before he actually decided to leave.about his homeland.
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** If romanced, he's fully aware that, from a political point of view, he's one of the worst choices of partner the Inquisitor could have made. He's very sensitive to the effect that being around him has on the Inquisitor's reputation, and goes out of his way to avoid giving people reasons to assume that the Inquisitor is being influenced or manipulated by him. When Mother Giselle more or less accuses him of having undue influence over the Inquisitor (either because they're in a romance or because they're close friends), he is visibly distressed.
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** If romanced, he's fully aware that, from a political point of view, he's one of the worst choices of partner the Inquisitor could have made.made, since the Inquisition's sworn enemy is a group of Tevinter extremists, not to mention the general distrust southerners have of the Imperium. He's very sensitive to the effect that being around him has on the Inquisitor's reputation, and goes out of his way to avoid giving people reasons to assume that the Inquisitor is being influenced or manipulated by him. When Mother Giselle more or less accuses him of having undue influence over the Inquisitor (either because they're in a romance or because they're close friends), he is visibly distressed.
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** In an optional conversation with him, you can ask him about the Veil. If you say that you can't imagine a world without it, he will launch into a [[NotSoStoic uncharacteristicly fiery]] description of how the world would be without it. [[spoiler:Not only has he lived in a world without the Veil, ''Trespasser'' reveals he created it and is actively trying to remove it.]]
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* CharacterFilibuster: Ask her about why mages are fighting mages and she will launch into a speech that repeatedly refers to some as terrorists declaring war on the entire free world, how they in turn tar all mages with the same brush and through their actions not only are those who want no part in the war caught up of course it draws the ire of the Templars in particular and the rest of Thedas in general who oppose all mages, not just the war mongers.
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* TookALevelInBadass: In ''Trespasser'', we see that [[spoiler: whatever he absorbed from Flemeth has made him powerful enough to turn people into statues just by ''thinking'' about it.]]
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* TookALevelInBadass: In ''Trespasser'', we see that [[spoiler: whatever he absorbed from Flemeth has made him powerful enough to turn people into statues [[TakenForGranite petrify people]] where they stand just by ''thinking'' about it.]]
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* ConstantlyCurious: Ties into his intellectual nature, sometimes even offending people. He also likes it when '''others''' are curious. One of the most consistent ways to gain approval with him is to ask questions of everything.
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* ConstantlyCurious: Ties into his intellectual nature, sometimes even offending people. He also likes it when '''others''' are curious. One of the most consistent ways to gain approval with him is to ask questions of everything. "Solas Slightly Approves" is even more common than "Morrigan Disapproves".
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** His mental game of chess with the Iron Bull in party banter subtly reveals more about his true character [[spoiler: and how he pursues his goals]] than perhaps all other examples combined. [[spoiler:He moves a seemingly innocent and inconsequential pawn (the Inquisitor) while Bull is on an all-out offensive, but unaware that the pawn is in a perfect position to block Bull's most powerful piece (the Queen) from defending the King. This leaves a gap for Solas to move in for the kill with his mage/bishop (himself).]]
*** [[spoiler: Solas' strategy seems bizarre, even suicidal at first with his sacrifice of his towers/rooks, but shows he's willing to play the LongGame, distracting his opponents with valuable but short-term gains, even placing enemies perilously close to his King, all the while arranging the board so he can move in unimpeded for the ultimate prize.]]
*** [[spoiler: The cornerstone of his strategy has him creating an opening by sacrificing his queen, which can both reference Solas sacrificing Mythal (an old friend, and queen of the Elvhen 'gods') and a romanced Solas sacrificing his relationship with Lavellan (queen of his heart) to succeed in his goal.]]
*** [[spoiler: Solas' strategy seems bizarre, even suicidal at first with his sacrifice of his towers/rooks, but shows he's willing to play the LongGame, distracting his opponents with valuable but short-term gains, even placing enemies perilously close to his King, all the while arranging the board so he can move in unimpeded for the ultimate prize.]]
*** [[spoiler: The cornerstone of his strategy has him creating an opening by sacrificing his queen, which can both reference Solas sacrificing Mythal (an old friend, and queen of the Elvhen 'gods') and a romanced Solas sacrificing his relationship with Lavellan (queen of his heart) to succeed in his goal.]]
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** His mental game of chess with the Iron Bull in party banter subtly reveals more about his true character [[spoiler: and how he pursues his goals]] than perhaps all other examples combined. [[spoiler:He moves a seemingly innocent and inconsequential pawn (the Inquisitor) while Bull is on an in the middle of Bull's all-out offensive, but unaware offensive. Bull, focused on crossing the board and capturing his Rooks, realizes too late that the pawn is in a the perfect position to block Bull's his most powerful piece (the Queen) from defending the King. This leaves a gap for his own King, allowing Solas to move in for the kill with his mage/bishop (himself).]]
*** [[spoiler: Solas' strategy seems bizarre, even suicidal at first with his sacrifice of his towers/rooks, but shows he's willing to play the LongGame, distracting his opponents with valuable but short-term gains, even placing enemies perilously close to hisKing, King (who, despite all appearances, is quite safe), all the while arranging the board so he can move in unimpeded for the ultimate prize.]]
*** [[spoiler: The cornerstone of his strategy has him creating an opening by sacrificing hisqueen, queen to lure out his opponent's final defenses, which can both reference Solas sacrificing Mythal (an old friend, and queen of the Elvhen 'gods') and a romanced Solas sacrificing his relationship with Lavellan (queen of his heart) to succeed in his goal.]]
*** [[spoiler: Solas' strategy seems bizarre, even suicidal at first with his sacrifice of his towers/rooks, but shows he's willing to play the LongGame, distracting his opponents with valuable but short-term gains, even placing enemies perilously close to his
*** [[spoiler: The cornerstone of his strategy has him creating an opening by sacrificing his
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** His mental game of chess with the Iron Bull in party banter subtly reveals more about his true character [[spoiler: and how he pursues his goals]] than perhaps all other examples combined. [[spoiler:He moves a seemingly innocent and inconsequential pawn (the Inquisitor) during a critical juncture of the match, which the Bull ignores, but is unaware that the pawn is in a perfect position to force Bull to defend himself in a way that leaves a gap for Solas to move in for the kill with his mage/bishop (himself).]]
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** His mental game of chess with the Iron Bull in party banter subtly reveals more about his true character [[spoiler: and how he pursues his goals]] than perhaps all other examples combined. [[spoiler:He moves a seemingly innocent and inconsequential pawn (the Inquisitor) during a critical juncture of the match, which the while Bull ignores, is on an all-out offensive, but is unaware that the pawn is in a perfect position to force Bull to defend himself in a way that block Bull's most powerful piece (the Queen) from defending the King. This leaves a gap for Solas to move in for the kill with his mage/bishop (himself).]]
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* PlayingWithFire: He starts out with a fire staff, and it's mentioned in various bits of banter.
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* ReligiousBruiser: Dorian doesn't mention religion often, but if questioned he'll admit that he believes in Andraste and the Maker. He simply views the ''Chantry'' (Orlesian and Tevinter) as an outdated relic.
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* ReligiousBruiser: Dorian doesn't mention religion often, but if questioned he'll admit that he believes in Andraste and the Maker. He simply views the ''Chantry'' (Orlesian and Tevinter) as an outdated relic.relic, in both Orlais and Tevinter.
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* ShockAndAwe: He displays no particular elemental preference in-game, but promotional materials show him using lightning to [[FireIceLightning match]] Solas' fire and Vivienne's ice.
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* ShockAndAwe: ShockAndAwe:
** He displays no particular elemental preference in-game, but promotional materials show him using lightning to [[FireIceLightning match]] Solas' fire and Vivienne's ice.
** He displays no particular elemental preference in-game, but promotional materials show him using lightning to [[FireIceLightning match]] Solas' fire and Vivienne's ice.
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* AllGaysArePromiscuous: Heartwarmingly subverted. At first Dorian appears flippant and takes a casual approach to sex if you bed him as a male Inquisitor. However, the reality is that his snarky behavior is a coping mechanism which he uses to hid his insecurities, and in fact he desires nothing more than a committed, monogamous relationship with a man he loves. Of course, since he's of noble birth and was pressured to marry and continue the Pavus bloodline from an early age, Dorian had practically zero chance of finding such a relationship in his homeland.
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* AllGaysArePromiscuous: Heartwarmingly subverted.Subverted. At first Dorian appears flippant and takes a casual approach to sex if you bed him as a male Inquisitor. However, the reality is that his snarky behavior is a coping mechanism which he uses to hid his insecurities, and in fact he desires nothing more than a committed, monogamous relationship with a man he loves. Of course, since he's of noble birth and was pressured to marry and continue the Pavus bloodline from an early age, Dorian had practically zero chance of finding such a relationship in his homeland.
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* ThisCannotBe: If taken to the Temple of Mythal, Dorian reacts this way when [[spoiler: Abelas reveals that Tevinter ''didn't'' conquer Arlathan; the Imperium merely scavanged the scraps that were left after the ancient elven empire destroyed itself in a bloody civil war. Afterwards, Dorian reflects that it wouldn't go down well in Tevinter if it were revealed that early Tevinter acquired its power as little more than vultures picking a corpse clean]].
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** He finds the romance with a male Inquisitor and Cassandra ''very'' amusing, and commends him for being able to make her blush.
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* GodzillaThreshold: [[spoiler:His erecting the Veil was this. Whatever horrible things happen from being cut off to the Fade and trapping the Evanuri on the other side, allowing them to continue their tyranny was (at the time) a worse prospect to him, especially after they showed they were willing to murder one of their own.]]
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* AffectionateNickname: He'll refer to a female elf Inquisitor as "Vhenan" (which literally translates to "heart") if he is romanced.
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** This is somewhat [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] in the Trespasser DLC where the Inquisitor will comment on how Dorian [[spoiler:makes a fuss about The Iron Bull's affectionate gestures when he quite enjoys the attention.]]
-->'''Inquisitor:''' ''(laughs)'' You ''do'' like it!
-->'''Dorian:''' Quiet, you! He'll overhear, and then where will I be?
-->'''Inquisitor:''' ''(laughs)'' You ''do'' like it!
-->'''Dorian:''' Quiet, you! He'll overhear, and then where will I be?
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* CampGay: Dorian's in no way a one-dimensional stereotype, but he does wear makeup and tight clothing, has effeminate mannerisms, and doesn't care for hiding his sexuality or appearing masculine.
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Word of God states that Cole knew what Solas was from the very beginning.
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* BornInTheWrongCentury: Listening to Solas talk about the ancient elves gives one the distinct impression that he feels everything was better then, and he frequently mentions seeing it would be spectacular. [[spoiler: It turns out he ''was'' born in the wrong century; he's an ancient elf from the days of Arlathan. No wonder he prefers the past; he was ''there''.]]
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* BornInTheWrongCentury: Listening to Solas talk about the ancient elves gives one the distinct impression that he feels everything was better then, and he frequently mentions seeing it would be spectacular. [[spoiler: It turns out he ''was'' was born in the wrong century; he's an ancient elf from the days of Arlathan. No wonder he prefers the past; he was ''there''.]]
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* PsychicBlockDefense: While he can't hide all of his grief from [[TheEmpath Cole]], he ''is'' able to keep the details of his past a secret. All Cole can find is a vague [[TheAtoner sense of regret]] [[NiceJobBreakingItHero for something he did]]. [[spoiler:So, yes, even Cole is unaware he's really Fen'harel - which explains ''how'' he's got the defense in the first place.]]
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* PsychicBlockDefense: While he can't hide all of his grief from [[TheEmpath Cole]], it's implied that he ''is'' able to keep the details of his past a secret. All Cole can find is a vague [[TheAtoner sense of regret]] [[NiceJobBreakingItHero for something he did]]. [[spoiler:So, yes, even Cole is unaware he's really Fen'harel - which [[spoiler:He's also able to erase the details of his location and plans from Cole's mind after he leaves. Being Fen'Harel explains ''how'' he's how he got the this block defense in the first place.]]
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* WickedCultured: She certainly gives off this vibe (enough that Varric bases a WickedCultured villainess of one of his book series off her, to her delight), and not a few companions and random NPCs suspect her to have evil motives, but ultimately the "wicked" part is subverted. She's not evil, she's just very selfish and ambitious.
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* WickedCultured: She certainly gives off this vibe (enough that Varric bases a WickedCultured villainess of one of his book series off her, to her delight), and not a few companions and random NPCs Inquisition employees suspect her to have evil motives, but ultimately the "wicked" part is subverted. She's not evil, she's just very selfish and ambitious.
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** He gives one specific example: [[VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins Loghain withdrawing his troops during the battle at Ostagar]]. Some remember a sneering villain discarding the lives of those inconvenient to his goals. Others remember a beleaguered commander trying to salvage troops from a battle that was already lost, though it meant abandoning his foolhardy king.
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** He gives one specific example: [[VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins Loghain withdrawing his troops during the battle at Ostagar]]. Some remember a sneering villain mad with power discarding the lives of those inconvenient to his goals. Others remember a beleaguered commander trying to salvage troops from a battle that was already lost, though it meant abandoning his foolhardy king.
-->'''Solas''': I dreamt at Ostagar. I witnessed the brutality of the darkspawn and the valor of the Fereldan warriors. I saw Alistair and the Hero of Ferelden light the signal fire...and Loghain's infamous betrayal of Cailan's forces.
-->'''Inquisitor''': I've heard the stories. It would be interesting to hear what it was really like.
-->'''Solas''': That's just it. In the Fade, I see reflections created by spirits who react to the emotions of the warriors. One moment, I see heroic Grey Wardens lighting the fire and a power-mad villain sneering as he lets King Cailan fall. The next, I see an army overwhelmed and a veteran commander refusing to let more soldiers die in a lost cause.
-->'''Inquisitor''': And you can't tell which is real?
-->'''Solas''': It is the Fade. They are ''all'' real.
-->'''Solas''': I dreamt at Ostagar. I witnessed the brutality of the darkspawn and the valor of the Fereldan warriors. I saw Alistair and the Hero of Ferelden light the signal fire...and Loghain's infamous betrayal of Cailan's forces.
-->'''Inquisitor''': I've heard the stories. It would be interesting to hear what it was really like.
-->'''Solas''': That's just it. In the Fade, I see reflections created by spirits who react to the emotions of the warriors. One moment, I see heroic Grey Wardens lighting the fire and a power-mad villain sneering as he lets King Cailan fall. The next, I see an army overwhelmed and a veteran commander refusing to let more soldiers die in a lost cause.
-->'''Inquisitor''': And you can't tell which is real?
-->'''Solas''': It is the Fade. They are ''all'' real.
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** He tells Dorian that if he wants to make amends for Tevinter's actions, he should stop romanticizing the past elven nation and work to free those who live in slavery right now. [[spoiler: Maybe take your own advice, Solas?]]
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Patrick Weekes himself (writer of Solas) has stated that he kept it deliberately vague so players could make up their own minds on whether or not their Inquisitor and Solas slept together.
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** It's semi-implied through certain dialogue options that [[spoiler: Solas and Lavellan have slept together]].
-->'''Lavellan:''' You're being grim and fatalistic in hope of [[spoiler: getting me into bed]], aren't you?
-->'''Solas:''' I ''am'' grim and fatalistic. [[spoiler: Getting you into bed is just an enjoyable side benefit.]]
-->'''Lavellan:''' You're being grim and fatalistic in hope of [[spoiler: getting me into bed]], aren't you?
-->'''Solas:''' I ''am'' grim and fatalistic. [[spoiler: Getting you into bed is just an enjoyable side benefit.]]
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* CruelMercy: How she deals with the Marquis who insults the Inquisitor, if he's spared. If the Inquisitor says they don't care how she deals with him, Vivienne will give him such an especially scathing ReasonYouSuckSpeech (in front of everyone he knows) that one can't help but wonder if killing him would have been the kinder choice. After the encounter, Vivienne will confirm that he will be disgraced and disowned, and will probably join the war effort in the Dales to either [[DrivenToSuicide go out]] [[DoNotGoGentle in a blaze of glory]] or try to earn back some semblance of self-respect. Suddenly, asking her to kill him doesn't seem ''quite'' so needlessly cruel.
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* CruelMercy: How she deals with the Marquis who insults the Inquisitor, if he's spared. If the Inquisitor says they don't care how she deals with him, Vivienne will give him such an especially a scathing ReasonYouSuckSpeech (in front of everyone he knows) that one can't help but wonder if killing him would have been the kinder choice. After the encounter, Vivienne will can confirm that he will be disgraced and disowned, and will probably join the war effort in the Dales to either [[DrivenToSuicide go out]] [[DoNotGoGentle in a blaze of glory]] or try to earn back some semblance of self-respect. Suddenly, asking her to kill him doesn't seem ''quite'' so needlessly cruel.
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** The silver clad pro-establishment counterpoint to the raggedy apostate Solas (not to mention she's the [[spoiler: staunchly loyal companion vs Solas' fair-weather friend who sets out to destroy the world the instant it's saved from Corypheus]]). And the poised, impeccably dressed aristocrat to the anti-authority street rat Sera.
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** The silver clad pro-establishment counterpoint to the raggedy apostate Solas (not Solas. (Not to mention she's the she [[spoiler: turns out to be upfront about her agenda while Solas hides a much grander one, and in the long run she proves a staunchly loyal companion vs Solas' fair-weather friend who sets out to destroy the world while Solas leaves the instant it's the world is saved from Corypheus]]). And the poised, impeccably dressed aristocrat to the anti-authority street rat Sera.
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* WickedCultured: She certainly gives off this vibe (enough that Varric bases a WickedCultured villainess of one of his book series off her, to her delight), and not a few companions and random NPCs suspect her to have evil motives, but ultimately the "wicked" part is subverted. She's not evil, she's just very selfish and ambitious.
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[[folder: Dorian Pavus]]
!!Dorian Pavus
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pavus_dorian_9188.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"I'm here to set things right. Also? To look dashing. That part's less difficult."'']]
->'''Voiced by:''' ''Ramon Tikaram''
Dorian is an extraordinarily talented Tevinter mage from the well-established and respected Altus-class House Pavus. He opposes everything that his homeland stands for and is on a crusade to reform the Imperium. He is a romance option for male Inquisitors of any race.
Written by David Gaider.
----
* TheAce: He's good-looking, clever, a talented mage from a society that values magic above all, and born in a prestigious family.
* AgentPeacock: He's openly gay, values aesthetics, wears eyeliner, is described as fashion conscious by the writers, and is one of the most talented mages in all the Imperium. Fitting, as his last name is "Pavus" (Latin for Peacock).
** One of his party banters with Varric has him pestering the dwarf to declare who the best-dressed mage in the Inquisition is. Varric isn't dumb enough to answer.
* {{Ambadassador}}: In ''Trespasser'', he is not only a full-on Magister, he's also a Tevinter ambassador.
* AngerBornOfWorry:
** Tends to snap at a romanced Inquisitor when he's frightened for them.
** He also does this for an Inquisitor with whom he has become close friends. After [[spoiler: the events in the Fade during the Adamant quest]], he snaps and snarks his way through the conversation - the Inquisitor's increasing bewilderment is very clearly written on his/her face. Finally he breaks down and admits that he was scared of losing his dear friend, and urges them to ''please'' be more careful in the future.
** He gets another moment if the Inquisitor [[spoiler: drinks from the Well of Sorrows.]]
* ArrangedMarriage: He narrowly escaped one with a sharp-tongued woman named Livia Herathinos. Dorian suspects that she's as happy to have avoided it as he is.
* TheAlcoholic[=/=]DrowningMySorrows: He mentions drinking and being drunk more than any of the other companions and the game heavily implies that drinking is a form of coping mechanism for him. It's hinted that he picked it up from his mother. He's never actually shown being inebriated, however.
-->'''Dorian:''' At any rate, time to drink myself into a stupor. It's been that sort of day.
* AlcoholicParent: He implies that his mother was a LadyDrunk.
* AllGaysArePromiscuous: Heartwarmingly subverted. At first Dorian appears flippant and takes a casual approach to sex if you bed him as a male Inquisitor. However, the reality is that his snarky behavior is a coping mechanism which he uses to hid his insecurities, and in fact he desires nothing more than a committed, monogamous relationship with a man he loves. Of course, since he's of noble birth and was pressured to marry and continue the Pavus bloodline from an early age, Dorian had practically zero chance of finding such a relationship in his homeland.
* TheArchmage: [[spoiler:After Halward is killed by assassins, Dorian takes his place on the Magisterium.]]
* {{Badass}}: One of the greatest mages from a country known for its great mages, and if you first meet him in Recliffe's Chantry, you find him ''beating'' a ''demon'' to death with his staff. Enough said.
* BadassBookworm: His preferred spot in Skyhold is the library, and he occasionally complains that the selection and organization aren't up to his standards.
* BadassGay: He doesn't let the discrimination he faces in his homeland for being gay stop him from being a badass.
* BadassMustache: He's a skilled mage and he has a rather awesome 'stache.
* BadPowersGoodPeople: He's a rather idealistic and noble soul, but he has no problem with using necromancy.
* BattleCouple: With a male Inquisitor, or he can form one half of one [[spoiler:with Iron Bull]].
* BerserkButton: He hates the Venatori, seeing them as the embodiment of everything wrong with Tevinter. His personal sidequest consists of tracking down several Venatori agents and killing them all. Each time you kill one Dorian greatly approves.
* BlueBlood: House Pavus is an "Altus" house, who can trace lineage back to the ancient dreamer priests of the Old Gods of Tevinter.
* {{Brainwashed}}: Narrowly avoided it. His father [[spoiler:was planning to forcibly change his sexuality through a blood magic ritual,]] which was a large part of the reason why Dorian left Tevinter.
* BrokenPedestal:
** Alexius, and his country in general. [[spoiler:He also lost any admiration he had for his father when he tried to use blood magic (something his father taught him was a crutch for the weak) to make him straight]].
** He still believes that his country can do great things, but he is fully aware that it is has moved the wrong way for that to happen.
** The Pedestal is shattered even further after he finds out about the Elder One's identity, since it proves that ancient Tevinter magisters really ''were'' responsible for the Darkspawn appearing on Thedas. People are taught differently in Tevinter, and while Dorian didn't quite believe everything, he still hoped there was a grain of truth in what he was taught.
* BulletTime: Dorian's [[LimitBreak Focus Spell]] is Haste, which substantially slows the rest of the world while the party continues to act normally.
* CallingTheOldManOut: [[spoiler:His personal quest is all about confronting his father for trying to make him straight through Blood Magic. You can convince him to either reconcile with his father or to completely cut him out of his life.]]
* TheCharmer: His confidence comes at least partly from the high stature of his bloodline.
* CommonalityConnection:
** He and Solas discover that they share a passion for obscure, half-forgotten magic and ancient artifacts.
** He and Cassandra both came from privileged backgrounds and could have lived out their lives without any obligations beyond getting married. They both rebelled at the IdleRich lifestyle and waves of uninteresting suitors.
* CulturalCringe: Painfully aware of the problems with the Tevinter Imperium, though he still thinks it has enough redeeming qualities to be worth saving. At one point he will attempt to apologize to Solas for what Tevinter did to Arlathan. Solas rejects this, pointing out that Arlathan was an empire no better or worse than Tevinter. He also claims that if Dorian really feels bad about what Tevinter did or didn't do, he should be trying to solve the present-day problems in the Imperium like slavery. Otherwise, any apologies he gave would be hollow. [[spoiler:At the end of the game, Dorian may make plans to do just that.]]
* CureYourGays: Thankfully Dorian managed to avoid going through this, since it's a very dark example of the trope; [[spoiler:his father was planning to ''rewire his brain'' using blood magic so that he would be straight, even though there was a high chance that such a ritual would have lobotomised him. When Dorian discovered the plan, he was so enraged and hurt he turned his back on his family more or less for good.]]
* DarkIsNotEvil[=/=]LightIsGood: As an extremely nice and idealistic {{Necromancer}} who dresses primarily in white, he fits both tropes.
* DatingCatwoman: If neither are romanced, he and [[spoiler:Iron Bull]] can begin a relationship, despite the fact that their people are at war with each other.
* DefectorFromDecadence: He caught wind of something nasty the magisters were planning and promptly defected from Tevinter.
* DeadpanSnarker: His wit is described as being sharper than any blade.
* DeliberateValuesDissonance: Growing up in Tevinter as a member of the nobility meant growing up with slaves. For most of his life he didn't really see anything wrong with it as a result, though that's starting to change.
* EatingTheEyeCandy:
** If the Inquisitor is male, his approval is very high and you've flirted at least once, Dorian will offhandedly comment that he could watch you walk around Skyhold all day.
** During a game of Wicked Grace, Dorian is perfectly happy to watch Cullen's walk of shame back to the barracks, as he [[HumiliatingWager bet all of his clothes]] against a hand with Josephine.
** A romanced [[spoiler: Iron Bull]] will constantly offer to flex for him.
* EmbarrassingNickname: Doesn't like that Varric gives him the nickname Sparkler... until he comes to the conclusion that [[ActuallyPrettyFunny it's actually clever.]]
* EvilLaugh: When Sera asks why he doesn't do this, he explains that you're not allowed until you get your Magister License.
* EvilMentor: He was trained by Gereon Alexius, Magister of the Tevinter Imperium and an agent of the Venatori. [[spoiler:Subverted, however, in that Alexius isn't really ''evil'' - just maddened by grief. He lost his wife to a Darkspawn attack, and his only child was infected with the Blight in the same event. His [[WellIntentionedExtremist entire motivation]] in joining Corypheus is to save his son, and Corypheus lured him with false promises of assistance.]]
* {{Foil}}: To Vivienne. Both are mages that come from very high society in two very haughty nations, both are vain and are [[InsufferableGenius annoyingly confident in their talent]]. However, Vivienne seems to only be in it for her own advancement, while Dorian honestly wants to make a better world simply because it's the right thing to do, even if it puts him at odds with the society that bore him. Dorian was also born in a society where mages are the [[TheMagocracy de facto power]] (and even is the son of one such elite mage), while Vivienne had to claw her way to the upper echelons of a society that distrusts mages.
* GayBestFriend: To a friendly female Inquisitor, particularly if she's romancing Cullen. He's even willing to playfully flirt with her, despite both of them knowing it means nothing.
** Moreover, if he and [[spoiler:Iron Bull]] are not put in the active party together often enough to make the romance common knowledge, he can decide at the victory celebration that he doesn't want to return to Tevinter just yet, mostly because "it lacks the presence of my best and only friend."
* {{Gayngst}}: He's gotten over it, but the Tevinter Imperium is all about perfection, with a focus on the strongest magical bloodline and anything that falls outside of this ideal, such as homosexuality in Dorian's case, [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain is considered a defect]]. This is one of the many reasons he was cynical of the Imperium culture long before he actually decided to leave.
* GayOption: For male Inquisitors.
* GenreSavvy: Dorian is pragmatic and politically aware, so he often highlights actions and problems that other companions gloss over or take for granted.
** Often [[LampshadeHanging draws attention]] to the Inquisitor's body count and the fact that they wander around "killing random strangers."
** If romanced, he's fully aware that, from a political point of view, he's one of the worst choices of partner the Inquisitor could have made. He's very sensitive to the effect that being around him has on the Inquisitor's reputation, and goes out of his way to avoid giving people reasons to assume that the Inquisitor is being influenced or manipulated by him. When Mother Giselle more or less accuses him of having undue influence over the Inquisitor (either because they're in a romance or because they're close friends), he is visibly distressed.
** Like Varric, he realizes that heroes like the Inquisitor usually die gloriously. [[AngerBornOfWorry Hence his habit of panicking when the Inquisitor does something dangerous]].
** He notices that it's the Inquisitor that's always running around Skyhold to talk to people, and wonders why no one ever goes to the Inquisitor.
* GuiltyPleasures
** Fereldan beer.
** PlayedForDrama in that [[spoiler:this his how Dorian sees his relationship with the Iron Bull. Bull doesn't put up with it, which causes some problems early in the relationship. Dorian eventually gets over it.]]
* ICantBelieveAGuyLikeYouWouldNoticeMe: Variant. He's not surprised that the Inquisitor wants to sleep with him, but he ''is'' surprised if they want to risk their political and social standing to ''stay'' with him.
* IllTakeThatAsACompliment: When Sera asks if there are more non-scary Tevinters who keep their magic to themselves.
* INeedAFreakingDrink: After his personal quest.
* IncompatibleOrientation: Dorian to his former [[ArrangedMarriage betrothed]], much to his parents' frustration. Also to a female Inquisitior, particularly one who flirts with him but doesn't realize he's gay till he spells it out for her (to which she can respond he led her on). If they have high relationship values when she finds out, he can even sympathetically respond, "In another life." Dorian is also attracted to Cullen, but does not pursue him because he already knows that this is the case.
* InnocentlyInsensitive: Downplayed. There are moments when he, as a very high-status Altus in a {{Magocracy}}, is shown to be somewhat blind to how racism affects elves and slaves. He's not ''too'' blind though, he wouldn't be a Companion if he was truly insulated from how corrupt Tevinter is.
* InsecureLoveInterest: Though he practically oozes self-confidence in regards to his looks and intelligence, he's surprisingly insecure when it comes to relationships. He mentions his lack of suitability as a partner several times, and offers the Inquisitor many opportunities to break off the relationship. His society's contempt for homosexuality has left its mark.
* InsistentTerminology: One thing that annoys him is how the Southerners use the term "Magister" for any mage from Tevinter. As he clarifies, while he is a mage from Tevinter, this does not make him a Magister, which is a rank all on its own rather than just being any Tevinter mage as commonly thought by "Southern barbarians". In fact, he is an Altus, though he does become a Magister by the Trespasser DLC [[spoiler:after inheriting it from his father, who was assassinated.]]
* InsufferableGenius: Has a massive ego regarding his skills and appearance.
* InternalReformist: [[spoiler:In the epilogue of ''Trespasser'', Dorian makes good on his plans to return home and fix Tevinter, forming the new Lucerni faction alongside Maevaris Tilani.]]
* KissingCousins: After checking through some family records, it turns out that the Human Inquisitor is a very distant cousin of his (so distant that it's pretty much a formality at this point). House Trevelyan was once a branch family of House Pavus that settled in Ostwick. If you like, the Inquisitor can respond by asking if this means they can still flirt. He assures you that you're good to go by about three ''Ages''.
* LieBackAndThinkOfEngland: How his parents wanted him to overcome his IncompatibleOrientation regarding his ArrangedMarriage (so he could sire an heir for them), but something that Dorian refuses to do.
* LikeBrotherAndSister: His relationship with a female Inquisitor who maxes out their friendship is basically this. There is a great deal of affection in their interactions, and when she returns from [[spoiler:the Fade]], he's one of the only companions to ask if ''she'' is all right, rather than needing to be comforted in some way. It's even more pronounced if she romances Cullen; see ShipperOnDeck, below.
* LikeParentLikeSpouse: Even without the IncompatibleOrientation issue, what little Dorian says about his mother and his betrothed implies he was heading in this direction.
* MakingLoveInAllTheWrongPlaces: Dorian is ''mortified'' when Cole starts announcing to the others places where he and [[spoiler:Iron Bull]] have had sex, including on the war council table. Most of the group is just amused; Blackwall's comment is that he can't wait to tell Cullen.
* MalignedMixedMarriage:
** Comes up if he's romanced by in the Inquisitor. Regardless of race or even personal beliefs, the Inquisitor comes to embody the ideals of the ''Southern'' Chantry, and is essentially its de facto leader in the absence of a Divine. The Southern Chantry historically has a ''very'' negative view of Tevinter, whom they blame for the death of their prophet Andraste, and is also a land where mages rule. Therefore, Mother Giselle cautions the Inquisitor about the public perception of the Inquisition should it be revealed that a Tevinter mage is romantically involved with the Inquisitor. Notably, the stigma the Inquisitor and Dorian face as a couple has almost nothing to do with their same-sex relationship, but is solely because of Dorian's nationality and magical abilities, since Thedas generally has a very tolerant attitude towards homosexuality (it's usually considered a curiosity but not immoral).
** And if he's not romanced by the Inquisitor and the Inquisitor isn't in a romance with [[spoiler: Iron Bull]], they end up together, even though Tevinter and [[spoiler: the Qunari]] have been at war for ''centuries''. Although they don't face any stigma from the Inquisition (unless you're playing a {{Jerkass}} Inquisitor), they are both obviously aware of how taboo their relationship is in the eyes of their people.
* ManInWhite: Highlights his status as a pariah, given that ''The World of Thedas'' describes Tevinter fashion as generally quite dark.
* MeaningfulName: The most notable aspect of the name "Dorian" is its use in ''Literature/ThePictureOfDorianGray'', and "Pavus" is Latin for peacock. There appears to be a vanity theme, which is fitting given his cocky behaviour and pride in his magic.
* MrFanservice: Dorian is one of the first men in the series to have a shot of his backside on display if romanced.
* MurderIsTheBestSolution: Has this opinion when dealing with any Magisters (or ''any'' of his countrymen for that matter) allied with the Venatori.
* MyBelovedSmother: He alludes to this if he's brought to the Winter Palace. It's [[DeadlyDecadentCourt so much like the parties back in Tevinter]] that he expects his mother to materialize and drag him off by his ear. He expresses the belief that she doesn't quite grasp that he grew past the age of five.
* MyCountryTisOfTheeThatISting: Dorian had always despised the falseness of the mageocracy, but the conspiracy he discovered among the magisters was the tipping point that caused him to separate himself from Tevinter entirely.
* MySignificanceSenseIsTingling: When you approach the apostate stronghold in the Hinterlands.
-->'''Dorian:''' Do you feel that? My magic sensing nose is tingling.\\
'''Sera:''' Bullshit.\\
'''Dorian:''' It can also sense gullible morons.
* MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch: Stands out as the first Tevinter mage in the franchise to not participate in the Tevinter system. He even calls Alexius out for "acting just like the cliche villains any outsider expects us to be".
* {{Necromancer}}: His specialization.
* NiceGuy: The very first Tevinter character who can honestly be described as this. Despite being a Tevinter and a necromancer (not to mention being an InsufferableGenius about his skills and more than a little vain at times), he's a noble soul who honestly wants to help the Inquisition. He refuses to participate in the Tevinter system; he wants to reform it, to save his homeland from itself. While he gets exasperated that others think him nefarious due to his background, in private conversations, he patiently tries to overcome misconceptions about the Imperium.
* OddCouple: With [[spoiler: The Iron Bull]], if neither of them are romanced. [[spoiler: Dorian expects Bull to put him in chains or sew his mouth shut, as [[AntiMagicalFaction that's what Qunari do to their mages]]. The Bull replies that [[SafeSaneAndConsensual he buys a person dinner before tying them up]].]]
* OddFriendship:
** With Cullen, who is an ex-Templar. They play chess together.
** With Cole, who is a Spirit of Compassion and possible demon.
** With Sera, who dislikes mages ''and'' nobles, while he is both.
* TheOneThatGotAway: Cole implies that Dorian has one of these in his past.
-->'''Cole:''' He would have said yes.\\
'''Dorian:''' I'll thank you not to do that again.
* OnlyChildSyndrome: Dorian's conflict with his family is aggravated by the lack of siblings who could carry on the Pavus legacy in his stead. Justified by the fact that Dorian's parents hate each other and would have only wanted to spend as much time together as necessary to produce an heir. By the time they realized that putting all of their eggs in one basket had backfired, it was probably too late.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: The normally flippant and sarcastic Dorian completely flips his shit at his dad for what the man tried to do to him.
* OpenMouthInsertFoot: There's more than a few moments where his tendency to snark at everything results in him not shutting up when he really should.
* PairTheSpares: If you do not romance him or [[spoiler: The Iron Bull]], and take them together often enough, they get together.
* TheParagon: Ridiculously talented and of an esteemed bloodline, he uses the admiration he is afforded to make himself an example as he rebels against the Imperium.
* TheParagonAlwaysRebels: From the Tevinters' point of view. From the perspective of ''everyone else,'' though, it's more akin to a HeelFaceTurn.
* PardonMyKlingon: He occasionally makes a Tevene (Tevinter language) cuss of "Vishante kaffas" - it means "You shit on my tongue."
* PlatonicLifePartners:
** If you gain "Friend" status and don't romance him, he swears his loyalty to you and says he will fight for you against anything, so long as you'll have him.
** This leads to a sweet moment during the celebration after the final battle, if you did not have Dorian and [[spoiler:Iron Bull]] in the party together often enough to begin a relationship, [[spoiler:or romanced Bull yourself]]. The Inquisitor with whom he is friends can ask if he still plans to return to Tevinter, to which he replies that he intends to remain in Skyhold for the time being since Tevinter "lacks the presence of my best and only friend."
** He apparently had this relationship with Felix during his studies with Alexius. He denies he ever had any romantic involvement with Felix since that would have meant taking advantage of his mentor's hospitality.
* PrecisionFStrike: When confronting his father.
-->'''Dorian:''' You wanted the best for ''you!'' For your ''fucking'' legacy! Anything for that!
* PrettyBoy:
-->'''Iron Bull:''' Watch yourself. The pretty ones are always the worst.\\
'''Harding:''' Dorian's awfully pretty, isn't he?
* RebelPrince: He's of high rank in the Imperium, yet throws it all away for his ideals.
* RedemptionQuest: Specifically, he wants to redeem his country. Near the end of the game, he may discuss plans to return home and improve things (as opposed to leaving because you just don't get along - see below). He may decide to postpone this if you're in a romance or on good terms.
* ReligiousBruiser: Dorian doesn't mention religion often, but if questioned he'll admit that he believes in Andraste and the Maker. He simply views the ''Chantry'' (Orlesian and Tevinter) as an outdated relic.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere If you lose enough approval with him and make enough decisions he disapproves of, you will find out he has booked a ship back to go back to Tevinter after stopping [[spoiler: Corypheus.]] Depending on what you say/do, he may choose to leave right there.
* SeriousBusiness: He takes misfiled library books very personally - there are punishments for that in some places!
* ShipperOnDeck: In a few instances.
** He finds the female Inquisitor's romance with Cullen to be "adorable," and seems to be fond of Cullen as well.
** He also approves of the Inquisitor and Josephine, or at least [[TheGadfly how flustered it makes the latter.]]
* SideBet: Has ''many'' of these going on with Varric.
* ShockAndAwe: He displays no particular elemental preference in-game, but promotional materials show him using lightning to [[FireIceLightning match]] Solas' fire and Vivienne's ice.
** Though all the comments he or others make about his magical abilities are about fire spells rather than lightning ones. The first staff he comes with is also a fire one.
* SmartPeoplePlayChess: Subverted; he's a learned man and plays chess with Cullen, but he cheats. [[CheatersNeverProsper Cullen still beats him.]]
* StepfordSnarker: His wit is driven by his jaded attitude towards his country.
* StopBeingStereotypical: His opinion of his fellow Tevinter mages.
* StrongFamilyResemblance: To his father.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: With Blackwall. The two hate each other mutually. On Dorian's part, he thinks Blackwall is DumbMuscle and [[spoiler:(correctly)]] guesses that, like many Wardens, Blackwall was a criminal or some other kind of social undesirable before being conscripted. He also finds Blackwall's rhetoric about honor, sacrifice and heroics to be self-righteous. He mellows considerably after [[spoiler: Blackwall's true identity is revealed]]. Eventually, they try to find some common ground.
* TheseAreThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow: After [[spoiler:your trip into the Fade]], Dorian suggests keeping quiet about it. He believes that people aren't ready to know that it ''is'' possible to [[spoiler:physically enter the Fade]], given all of the problems that happened the last time someone tried it.
* TooCleverByHalf: He's a genius and he knows it. Sometimes this causes problems.
* TooMuchAlike: Regardless of his sexuality, Dorian implies that [[ArrangedMarriage he and Livia]] dislike each other for this reason.
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Grapes. Especially ones that have been hand-peeled and fed to him.
* {{Tsundere}}: He has shades of this during his party banter with the Iron Bull, who gets a major kick out of teasing him. [[spoiler:If neither of them are romanced and they hook up, it becomes even more apparent.]]
* VitriolicBestBuds:
** He and Vivienne enjoy tearing into one another, but it's all good fun to them. She even defends his relationship with a male Inquisitor to an outsider, according to party banter.
** He also develops this relationship with Blackwall once both of them come to understand and respect the other's past and motivations.
* WellDoneSonGuy: According to what Cole picks up from Dorian's memories (and some dialogue from Dorian himself), he used to revere his father.
-->'''Cole:''' "Anything to make him happy. ''Anything.''" Why isn't that true anymore?\\
'''Dorian:''' ''[choked]'' Cole, this... is not the sort of discussion for walking around.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Solas]]
!!Solas
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/solas_6383.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"I have seen things in my journeys that most can only dream of. Literally."'']]
->'''Voiced by:''' ''Gareth David-Lloyd''
A raggedy hedge mage who is an expert on the subject of the Fade. He sees the Breach as an opportunity to finally put his unique knowledge to good use, hoping to challenge a few preconceptions along the way. He is a romance option for female elven Inquisitors.
Written by Patrick Weekes.
----
* AboveGoodAndEvil: He refuses to believe in bad and good, thinking that such oversimplifications are precisely what led to the current crisis.
* AdmiringTheAbomination:
** He doesn't perceive some demons as demons, but merely spirits whose desires/functions have gone wrong. For example, where one might see a Pride demon, he simply sees a Wisdom spirit.
** Upon seeing a dragon, he mentions admiring the purity of such raw power.
* AllForNothing: All of his efforts to [[spoiler:reclaim the Orb from Corypheus]] fail in the end [[spoiler:when it is destroyed in the final battle.]]
* AmbiguousSituation: [[spoiler: Resolved as of Trespasser: the elven gods, of whom he is one, were never really gods at all, simply powerful magic users that progressed from war leaders to kings to being worshipped as gods. The closest equivalent are the Tevinter magisters - and, ironically, Solas' plan is basically the same as Corypheus', even with similar reasoning.]]
* AmIJustAToyToYou: A potential response to [[spoiler:his breaking off a relationship with the Inquisitor. She can scream at him to tell her she was just some casual dalliance, but he can't bring himself to do it.]]
* AnarchyIsChaos: Subverted. During banter with Sera, he proposes various ways for the [[TerroristWithoutACause Friends of Red Jenny]] to be more effective at what they do. Hearing [[NiceGuy Solas]] talking about overthrowing political order, establishing a new authority and then "disposing" of the agents that have now become obstacles to the reformation leaves Sera freaked out.
* AnimalMotifs: Solas seems to have an affinity for wolves, as seen by his jawbone necklace, wall murals, and tarot cards. Cole asks him what he thinks of wolves, and he says they're smart, practical, misunderstood animals.
* ApologeticAttacker:
** [[spoiler:In TheStinger, he tearfully tells Flemeth that he should be the one to pay the price for giving Corypheus the Orb - but the People need him. Then he drains... something from her, apparently killing her.]]
** During "All New, Faded For Her", he apologizes to [[spoiler:the Wisdom Spirit, but it tells him not to be sorry and requests a MercyKill]]. Surprisingly, he does ''not'' apologize if [[spoiler:you choose to attack the spirit while it's corrupted into a Pride demon instead of freeing it from the binding circle]].
** At the end of ''Trespasser'' he'll go more into his plans. [[spoiler: These involve destroying the world by tearing down the Veil and letting the magic come back.]] If you have high approval he'll admit this is a terrible thing, and you have shown him that he has been wrong before. But he feels it must be done. If you state that you will try to show him the world is worth saving, he will all but beg you to prove him wrong.
* AppropriatedAppellation: [[spoiler: Solas actually is his real name. Fen'Harel was an insult from his enemies, one that he eventually took as a badge of pride.]]
* TheAtoner:
** [[spoiler:He's the reason Corypheus has the orb that allowed him to open the Breach, but believes himself too important to the fate of the elves to accept death as punishment, so he must make amends by stopping the Elder One instead.]]
** ''Trespasser'' reveals that [[spoiler: Solas was also the one who created the Veil which separates the physical world from the spirit world, the latter of which is the source of all magic. Since elves were intrinsically tied to the Fade, being cut off from it caused them to age and their society to crumble, which left them easy pickings for the human Imperium. He ''deeply'' regrets his hand in the elves' downfall, and seeks to remove the Veil to restore what he took from the elves. He's open to alternatives, he just doesn't think there are any]].
--->'''Solas:''' I would ''treasure'' the chance to be wrong once more, my friend.
* AuthorAppeal: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKtvrK34rzc Solas absolutely hates tea]], especially caffeinated tea - it keeps him awake and thus unable to enter the Fade in dreams. Incidentally, Patrick Weekes doesn't like it either.
* BadassBookworm: He's a powerful mage, and upon moving into Skyhold, you'll find a note on his desk stating that he's requested at least a dozen books on the Fade, plus more to be delivered from libraries across Orlais and Ferelden.
* BadBoss: [[spoiler: He's suggested to have been Felassan's superior from ''The Masked Empire'' and killed him. Cole also makes a comment that suggests this ingame.]]
-->'''Cole:''' His friend had to die, because he thought they were people. A slow arrow breaks in the sad wolf's jaws.
* BerserkButton: There's only one thing that will always consistently make Solas lose his cool: denying living creatures their freedom. Whether these are spirits, people living under the Qun, mages, slaves, or anything else, he will always get heated, and sometimes even outwardly angry about this topic.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: Normally calm and civil, but if something pushes a BerserkButton too hard, he's more than willing to KillItWithFire. Also note that his specialization, Rift Mage, is the most destructive of the three.
* BigBad: [[spoiler: His plan to merge Thedas with the Fade makes him this post-''Inquisition.'']]
* BigDamnKiss: [[spoiler:With a romanced female Lavellan near the end of ''Trespasser'', which [[IntimateHealing he uses to remove the Anchor]] and save her life.]]
* BilingualBonus: He occasionally speaks in full Elvish (unlike most elves, who just [[PoirotSpeak pepper a few words here and there]]), and rarely bothers to translate this. You can learn a bit more about him if you take the time to translate it yourself. You can also catch him [[MetaphoricallyTrue altering the translation]] of some phrases.
* BoomerangBigot: A mild example, as he's not terribly fond of other elves. He particularly disapproves of the Dalish, though he's not one himself. [[spoiler: The reason for this ends up being that he feels current elves are mere shadows of what they once were.]]
* BornInTheWrongCentury: Listening to Solas talk about the ancient elves gives one the distinct impression that he feels everything was better then, and he frequently mentions seeing it would be spectacular. [[spoiler: It turns out he ''was'' born in the wrong century; he's an ancient elf from the days of Arlathan. No wonder he prefers the past; he was ''there''.]]
* BrutalHonesty: He is perfectly happy to break down a comfortable lie regardless of being seen as rude, and prefers people who are genuine and honest. He respects Cassandra for this reason, in spite of their disagreements.
* CantSpitItOut: WordOfGod says that at the culmination of his romance, he was planning on admitting [[spoiler:everything, including his [[GodInHumanForm true identity]]]], but backed out, and decided to tell you the truth about [[spoiler:your vallaslin instead.]]
* CaughtTheHeartOnHisSleeve: During his second romance scene, he very nearly leaves when he decides it would better in the long run not to pursue the Inquisitor, only to be stopped this way and give in.
* ChastityCouple: As with Josephine, the Inquisitor's romance with Solas is never confirmed to be sexual, leaving it to the player to determine what they prefer to imagine. In ''Trespasser'', [[spoiler: it is confirmed that Solas would not "lay with [the Inquisitor] under false pretenses," though his phrasing is still pretty ambiguous. Is he saying he never slept with the Inquisitor, or that he slept with her as himself (Solas) rather than Fen'Harel, or denying that he manipulated her through sex and romance? You decide!]]
** It's semi-implied through certain dialogue options that [[spoiler: Solas and Lavellan have slept together]].
-->'''Lavellan:''' You're being grim and fatalistic in hope of [[spoiler: getting me into bed]], aren't you?
-->'''Solas:''' I ''am'' grim and fatalistic. [[spoiler: Getting you into bed is just an enjoyable side benefit.]]
* ChessmasterSidekick: He's the one who originally knows about Skyhold's location, but sets it up such that the Inquisitor appears to "find" it for the growing masses following them, ensuring they look like an inspiring leader [[spoiler:rather than someone who just won a heavy PyrrhicVictory by destroying Haven]]. At the Winter Palace, he has himself introduced as "the Inquisitor's elven serving man" and no more, despite the fact that his role in the Inquisition is as an expert in the Fade.
* CloudcuckoolandersMinder: For Cole, a little bit. Cole can converse much more readily and more on the same level with Solas than most other people, and Solas sometimes offers translation when Cole gets a bit too metaphorical to understand.
* CommonalityConnection:
** Initially seems to be a {{Foil}} to Dorian: raggedy versus pristine, apostate versus [[TheMagocracy magister]]. But Dorian is ''not'' a magister; he is, in fact, a DefectorFromDecadence, something Solas greatly appreciates. They bond over magic and artifacts.
** Played with in several of his conversations with Dorian too, he approves of his DefectorFromDecadence status, but criticizes him for running away from it rather than really trying to change it. [[spoiler: Little does Dorian know, Solas also blames himself for the downfall of the elves, and is working to change it.]]
--->'''Solas:''' If you wish to make amends for past transgressions, free the slaves of all races who live in Tevinter today.\\
'''Dorian:''' I... don't know that I can do that.\\
'''Solas:''' Then how sorry are you?
* ConstantlyCurious: Ties into his intellectual nature, sometimes even offending people. He also likes it when '''others''' are curious. One of the most consistent ways to gain approval with him is to ask questions of everything.
* CoolOldGuy: Solas is in his forties. He and Blackwall occasionally have "kids these days" talks. [[spoiler:Actually, he's a couple thousand years older, but it still applies.]]
* CrazyPrepared: Implied in Trespasser. [[spoiler: Upon learning that he created the Veil to imprison the Evanuris, and plans to destroy it to restore the elves, the Inquisitor can state that destroying Veil will release the Evanuris from their imprisonment, which would be a ''very'' bad thing. Solas merely replies he has plans for when that happens, but does not elaborate.]]
* DarkIsNotEvil: He doesn't practice BloodMagic himself, but nor does he see it as inherently worse than any other school. He draws the line at trying to manipulate the Blight, however.
* DeadpanSnarker: While normally fairly polite, snark seems to be his default method of dealing with people he doesn't like. Putting him in a party with Vivienne results in some epic SnarkToSnarkCombat.
-->'''Vivienne:''' So, an apostate?\\
'''Solas:''' That is correct, Enchanter. I did not train in your Circle.\\
'''Vivienne:''' Well, dear, I hope you can take care of yourself, should we encounter anything outside your experience.\\
'''Solas:''' I will try, in my own fumbling way, to learn from how you helped seal the rifts at Haven. Ah, wait! My memory misleads me. You were not there.
* DefectorFromDecadence: Implied in his backstory. [[spoiler:It's not clear if Solas was actually one of the evanuris at some point, but if the statuary and iconography found in Mythal and Dirthamen's temples are anything to go by, he used to be a pretty important guy. He later rebelled against the elven gods and fought to free their slaves, [[BeingGoodSucks earning himself the name Fen'Harel, and a couple millennia of vilification for his efforts]].]]
* DestructiveSaviour: [[spoiler:He was responsible for creating the Veil long ago, sealing away the other cruel elven "gods"... at the cost of sapping elves of their immortality and the destruction of all their magic-reliant wonders. His current plan is to restore what was lost by removing the Veil... which would cause untold devastation on the current world.]]
* DidntSeeThatComing: [[spoiler: When he let Corypheus find the Orb, he expected Corypheus would blow himself up unlocking it, leaving Solas to take the Anchor. He didn't count on his dupe being able to jump bodies. Thus, the explosion that destroyed the Conclave and the resulting Breach are his fault. His joining the Inquisition was his means of cleaning up the mess he's made as much reclaiming his Orb.]]
* DidYouJustRomanceCthulhu: His flustered reaction to Blackwall's inquiry on the subject suggests he may or may not have been intimate with [[OurSpiritsAreDifferent a Fade Spirit]], which are extremely otherworldly by most standards. [[spoiler:And then there's the fact that he's Fen'harel, which would seem to make him a DivineDate for the Inquisitor. While ''Trespasser'' reveals that the elven pantheon weren't divine, exactly, their power and age was great enough that difference is troublesome from a mortal perspective.]]
* DivineDate: [[spoiler:Teased to be this for a romanced female Lavellan with the epilogue reveal that he is Fen'Harel, ultimately discredited when Trespasser reveals that the ancient elven "gods" were not world-creating entities so much as exceptionally powerful mages. It's worth noting, however, that they/Solas were/are so far beyond mages post the Veil in power that the distinction may not actually matter, depending on your point of view.]]
* DoNotGoGentle: In banter with Varric, Solas evinces bewilderment as to why the dwarves have let themselves become a DyingRace, and states that nothing could be worse than simply giving in. [[spoiler:Probably because he can remember the days when the durgen'len were in their golden age.]] Varric is actually ''offended'' by this, since he considers the surface dwarves like himself a separate culture and ''they're'' thriving.
* TheDogWasTheMastermind: [[spoiler:No one suspected that the [[MysteriousStranger mysterious]], [[NiceGuy mild-mannered]] elven apostate was the one responsible for giving Corypheus the orb, or that he was subtly shaping the Inquisition into a force that he could use to retrieve the aforementioned artifact. Doubles as a StealthPun, since Solas is the [[AnimalMotif Dread Wolf]] of elven legend.]]
* DoesNotLikeSpam: He hates the taste of tea, partly because it's a stimulant that keeps him from engaging in his favorite pastime of dreaming in the Fade, and partly because [[SweetTooth it's just too bitter]]. There is more than a dash of AuthorAppeal here, as Solas's writer Patrick Weekes has stated that he too dislikes tea.
* {{Dreamwalker}}: With time, he mastered the ability to visit places in the Fade no others could. It is similar to lucid dreaming.
* DudeWheresMyRespect: Has shades of this in some of his interactions. Despite having extensive knowledge of [[DreamWorld the Fade]] and ancient elven culture, he claims that both humans and the Dalish look down on him. He's especially bitter towards the Dalish, probably because [[spoiler:he's remembered as the BigBad of their legends, even though the actions they accurately accuse him of (sealing away the elven "gods," and being directly responsible for the downfall of elvhen magic and immortality) were born out of a desire to free them, not to spite them.]]
* DyingAlone: His worst nightmare, according to the Fear Demon.
* EarlyBirdCameo: Appears in the background at the tavern in Varric's character trailer set before the creation of the breach.
* EarthyBarefootCharacter: Like many elves. He commonly wears footwraps that cover his heels but leave his toes ExposedToTheElements, but spending so much time outdoors has left him able to stand in the snow with no complaints.
* EnlightenmentSuperpowers: He learned to draw his power directly from the Fade after many years of isolation, introspection, and Fade exploration.
* {{Envy}}: Minor case; he admires spirits like Cole for their simple and uncomplicated lives, and admires Sera for her simple and uncomplicated purpose.
-->'''Solas:''' I am not a spirit, and sometimes it is hard to remember such simple truths.
* ExactWords: Solas very rarely outright lies. However, he is more than willing to omit information and twist his phrasing in order to [[spoiler:hide his identity, and his role in [[NiceJobBreakingItHero instigating the plot]].]]
* TheEvilsOfFreeWill: He is vehemently against such sentiments. If anyone expresses such a sentiment (like, for example, espousing the virtues of the Qun), Solas ''will'' give them a tirade on how it's tantamount to slavery or worse. He's big on free agency.
* FallenHero: [[spoiler: He was once the leader of a rebellion against false gods. Come ''Trespasser'', he declares himself willing to commit mass murder on an ''unprecedented'' scale in order to restore the old world. If you have a high enough approval with him, he will state that he hopes the Inquisition can prove to him the world is worth saving.]]
* FantasticRacism:
** He despises the Qun and considers its followers worse off than slaves since slaves can at least struggle for their freedom while Qunari are conditioned to accept their lot in life. Of course, he shows respect towards ones [[spoiler:like the Iron Bull (possibly)]] who turn away from the Qun.
** In conversation with a Vashoth Inquisitor who has earned his respect, he will state that he believed that ''all'' Qunari were inherently savage creatures and the Qun was the only thing that kept them in check. He even asks if the Anchor must have altered you somehow.
** He is racist towards the Dalish as well, scathingly mocking them for attempting to reclaim elven culture and saying they're nowhere near being able to do so and looks down on them. [[spoiler: One the player knows he's Fen'harel it makes sense, but it doesn't make it right.]]
** In the ''Trespasser'' DLC, [[spoiler:he admits that when he first woke up, he didn't see modern people as ''people''. The fact that none of them had more than the barest connection to the Fade made them seem like a world of Tranquil. If the Inquisitor gained his respect, he reverses this stance (though he's still planning on removing the Veil)]].
* FirstGuyWins: He's the first romanceable male you meet (albeit only if you're a female elf), being introduced along with the non-romanceable Varric soon after Cassandra.
* {{Foil}}:
** His humble brown clothing contrasts with Vivienne's pearl and gold. Additionally, he's an apostate, whereas she's a pro-Circle mage, and his spirit-friendly attitude challenges her own views. Surprisingly, however, he too relishes the DeadlyDecadentCourt.
** Also to Sera. She's brash, mouthy, and has no interest in anything not immediately important to her pranks and everyday life. He's quiet, thoughtful, and consistently interested in ancient history, especially elven history. However, both of them distance themselves from other elves.
** To Briala. [[spoiler:As Felassan notes, the two of them are very much alike. Both of them are rebels who try to use the Eluvians to improve the lot of the elven people. While Briala has rejected Elvhenan and seeks to save the elves through political reform, Solas believes that the only way to save the elves is to restore Elvehanan.]]
* {{Foreshadowing}}:
** Cole says he feels different from the other companions, and detects an unspecified guilt from Solas' past. Solas is also able to wall off his feelings from Cole, who is a spirit who specializes in sensing feelings, particularly those of pain.
--->'''Cole:''' They sleep, masked in a mirror, hiding, hurting, and to wake them... ''(gasps)'' Where did it go?\\
'''Solas:''' I apologize, Cole. That is not a pain you can heal.
** While discussing their shared histories of war, Blackwall asks if Solas was part of some "elven skirmish". Solas hedges and says Blackwall wouldn't have heard of it.
** If the Inquisitor says they'll use [[spoiler: the power of the Well]] to make the world better, he emotionally asks what they'll do if they [[spoiler:"wake up" in the future]] and things are even worse.
** He wears the lower jaw of a canine around his neck. It can be seen under his armor, but it's most obvious when he's not decked out and ready for battle.
** The penultimate quest for the main storyline is [[spoiler: "What Pride Had Wrought".]] One guess on the meaning of Solas's name!
** At one point Solas says that [[spoiler:no god needs to prove himself]] and anyone who tries is mad or lying. This becomes meaningful later ''twice''; once if [[spoiler:the Inquisitor asks why Mythal didn't reveal herself, and she replies "Reveal myself to whom?" and again when you find out Solas himself is Fen'Harel.]]
** Iron Bull notes that every self-taught warrior he has seen, even the good ones, always has something that "clunks" in their fighting style; Solas uses magic effortlessly and with great skill. The elf retorts that, since Bull is not a mage, he probably can't see the awkwardness. However, fellow mages Vivienne and Dorian never notice anything off about his magic. In fact, he and Dorian often geek over obscure magic and artifacts.
** If you bring him along to [[spoiler:the Temple of Mythal]], you might notice that he has a lot more in common with [[spoiler:Abelas and the sentinels]], in terms of facial structure and build, than he does with most modern elves. [[spoiler: He looks like an ancient elf because he ''is'' one. [[GodInHumanForm In some shape or form]], at least.]]
** His mental game of chess with the Iron Bull in party banter subtly reveals more about his true character [[spoiler: and how he pursues his goals]] than perhaps all other examples combined. [[spoiler:He moves a seemingly innocent and inconsequential pawn (the Inquisitor) during a critical juncture of the match, which the Bull ignores, but is unaware that the pawn is in a perfect position to force Bull to defend himself in a way that leaves a gap for Solas to move in for the kill with his mage/bishop (himself).]]
*** [[spoiler: Solas' strategy seems bizarre, even suicidal at first with his sacrifice of his towers/rooks, but shows he's willing to play the LongGame, distracting his opponents with valuable but short-term gains, even placing enemies perilously close to his King, all the while arranging the board so he can move in unimpeded for the ultimate prize.]]
*** [[spoiler: The cornerstone of his strategy has him creating an opening by sacrificing his queen, which can both reference Solas sacrificing Mythal (an old friend, and queen of the Elvhen 'gods') and a romanced Solas sacrificing his relationship with Lavellan (queen of his heart) to succeed in his goal.]]
*** [[spoiler: It is also debatable as to whether he actually 'sacrificed' his towers/rooks, as he was more focused on maneuvering his weaker pieces into position and cared less about defending his more powerful but less useful ones (the game's RealLife player, Adolf Anderssen, explicitly used this game to demonstrate that 'two active pieces are worth a dozen inactive pieces'). Either way, it hints at Solas' ruthless and pragmatic nature.]]
*** His final move is very telling. [[spoiler: The mage/bishop, deep in enemy territory and previously thought to be harmless, checkmates by moving right next to the King, showing that Solas is not adverse to putting himself in mortal danger and personally infiltrating his enemies if it means he can succeed in his goals.]]
*** His final move also [[spoiler: has him protected and all his opponent's escape routes covered by his two Knights. ''Trespasser'' has shown that Solas/Fen'harel has an extensive spy network that even Leliana could not discover, and Bull calls the Knight pieces 'Ben-Hassrath', the Qunari equivalent of spies or Seekers, which further describe Solas' machinations.]]
*** More prosaically, the chess game he and Bull play is a move-for-move copy of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immortal_Game The Immortal Game]] (link to TheOtherWiki). [[spoiler: The name is rather fitting, don't you think?]]
** His personal quest name is [[spoiler: a SignificantAnagram. "All New, Faded For Her" -> "Dread Wolf Fen'Harel".]]
** Promotional material released prior to the game showed the Inquisitor with all of the companions and advisors [[http://imageserver.moviepilot.com/dragon-age-inquisition-romance-facts-speculation.jpeg?width=1920&height=1080 standing around a table a la The Last Supper]]. Solas is [[spoiler:in Judas Iscariot's spot]].
** During In Hushed Whispers, Solas immediately understands Dorian's explanation about what happened to him and the Inquisitor. Comment on it and Solas responds with "You would think such understanding would stop me from making such terrible mistakes. You would be wrong." It's presented like a throwaway line, probably the result of [[spoiler:the BadFuture]] getting the better of him. [[spoiler:Or so you'd think. Turns out that Solas has a very, very good reason for blaming himself.]]
** During "What Pride Has Wrought", there is a small window where Morrigan mentions that [[spoiler:ancient elves were adept travelers of the Fade. What does Solas spend his spare time doing again?]]
* FormerTeenRebel: He makes constant references to mistakes made when he was younger, many dark and sad, while some just silly. When Sera asks him if he ever pissed magic by accident, he has to stop and think about it ("We were all young once"). [[spoiler:Since he's actually Fen'Harel, who is theorized to be the elven God of Rebellion, this is a bit more literal than most examples]].
-->'''Blackwall:''' For all your experience, Solas, you don't carry yourself like a soldier.\\
'''Solas:''' You should have seen me when I was younger. Hot-blooded and cocky, always ready to fight.
* AFormYouAreComfortableWith: Not Solas himself, but when the Inquisitor shares a dream with him, he reshapes [[DreamWorld the Fade]] to resemble [[spoiler:Haven, before it was wiped out]], as he knows the place will always hold meaning for you and it would be easier to talk there than someplace less familiar.
* FriendlessBackground: His only friends prior to the events of the game are Fade spirits; the Inquisitor can either tell him that this is quite sad and they don't count as "real" friends, or express approval of his unusual social circle. Notably, his biggest fear is dying alone.
* GeniusLoci: Mentioned in his backstory about the Fade: since he never grew up with the Andrastian fear of the Fade, it isn't physically as scary to him.
* GenreSavvy:
** When you meet him in [[spoiler: the BadFuture]], he immediately starts telling you what's happened since you left. When you ask why, he says [[spoiler:if you manage to get back to the past, knowing what happened might be useful in preventing it.]]
** In the ''Trespasser'' DLC [[spoiler: he refuses to give any but the vaguest details about his plans, since if he mentioned anything specific the Inquisition would probably figure the whole thing out.]]
* GratuitousIambicPentameter: Half the time he speaks in it, [[GeniusBonus though it's hard to notice]]. You even get approval for responding back in pentameter.
* GreyAndGrayMorality: He tends to take this stance regarding history, judging that people's tendency to see things in black and white and erase complexities is what landed them in the mess they're in.
* TheHermit: Grew up isolated from those who would cage him, and would be quite happy to spend his life sleeping alone in ruins. But ironically, his greatest fear is dying alone.
* HermitGuru: Although it seems that he sought out the Inquisitor rather than the other way around.
* HiddenDepths: He's the last person you'd expect to be comfortable in the DeadlyDecadentCourt of Orlais, but he actually ''relishes'' it.
* HiddenElfVillage: Claims he's from one, though it was so small that you'd likely not find it on any map. When Leliana finally tracks it down [[spoiler:after he leaves, it's nothing but centuries-old ruins. He may or may not have lived there in the past, but it was obviously much longer ago than his physical age would suggest.]]
* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: Played with. [[spoiler:As Fen'Harel, Solas is vilified by the Dalish, despite his devotion to freeing the elven people from slavery. However, he is still directly responsible for the loss of elven magic and immortality. And while his creation of the Veil was arguably an act of desperation born of noble intentions, it was done, at least in part, to punish the Evanuris for murdering Mythal. So the Dalish are technically correct when they accuse Fen'Harel of sealing the Creators away out of spite, even if they're missing a lot of important details.]]
* HotBlooded: Says he was when he was younger; he appears to have matured beyond it now, but the devs have compared him to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotch_bonnet_%28pepper%29 Scotch bonnet]] candies.
* HumansAreBastards: He appears to hold this opinion to some extent, best exemplified by this banter with Varric.
-->'''Varric:''' You really spend most of your time in the Fade ?\\
'''Solas:''' As much as is possible. The Fade contains a wealth of knowledge for those who know where to look.\\
'''Varric:''' Sure, but I don't know how you dream, let alone wander around in there. Especially when the shit that comes out of the Fade is generally... cranky.\\
'''Solas:''' So are humans. But we continue to interact with them ...[[NotGoodWithPeople when we must]].
* HumansAreTheRealMonsters: Well, not humans ''specifically'', but mortals. While mortals eschew demons and are wary of spirits (because they tend to become demons), he says that this is a SelfFulfillingProphecy. Spirits are shaped by the thoughts and feelings of those around them. Thus, if a mortal mind expects to find a demon, or is loaded with negative thoughts and feelings, the spirit will absorb them and take them all upon itself, becoming a demon in the process.
* {{Hypocrite}}:
** When it's discovered that Blackwall [[spoiler:is living under a fake identity]], Solas rips into him, calling him out for talking about honor and knowing nothing of it himself. [[spoiler:Of course, since Solas is actually Fen'Harel, just about anything he says of Blackwall could be said of him as well.]] He does later apologize for this, acknowledging that Blackwall is at least trying, which is more than most ever do.
* IJustWantToBeFree:
** Freedom is very important to him. He disapproves of anything or anyone that subjugates others whether it be tradition, slavery or oppressive systems. The Qun is a particularly sore point for him because it explicitly denies freedom and, worst of all, claims that this is a ''good'' thing. For this reason, he approves of a full alliance between mages, and disapproves of a full alliance between templars; one is enabling the freedom of a people, the other is subjugating it, in his mind.
** He believes that ''any'' large-scale organization will, given enough time, inevitably grow more concerned with sustaining itself than its original purpose. If the Inquisitor suggests they'll share power with others in the future, he considers it noble but misplaced - a selfless ''individual'' might walk away from power, but he cannot think of any ''group'' to ever do so.
* InsultBackfire: [[spoiler:"Dread Wolf" was an insult from the rest of the Evanuris. Solas, however, [[AppropriatedAppellation appropriated it for his own use]] - inspiration for his followers, terror to his enemies - to the point that even his friend Mythal calls him by that name]].
* IntergenerationalFriendship: He develops a bond with Cole as they discuss the nature of spirits, though which one of them is the elder of the two is subject to some scrutiny, although certainly almost every character considers Cole to be both young physically and mentally.
* IntimateHealing: [[spoiler: When the Inquisitor catches up with Solas in ''Trespasser'', he confirms that the mark ''is'' killing you and you're out of time. If not romanced, he removes the anchor with a hand gesture. If romanced by a female Lavellan, he heals her with a BigDamnKiss. [[note]]Just before the kiss, his eyes glow the same way they did when he stopped the mark from spreading when you first approached him, and after the kiss her arm looks less solid than before, slowly breaking up into green plasma, the same way it did with non-romanced Inquisitors.[[/note]] ]]
* InVinoVeritas: Played with. While the servants being "eager to refill his glass" at the Winter Palace does cause him to slip from NiceGuy Solas into a more calculating personality [[HiddenDepths with a love of court intrigue]], he doesn't reveal [[spoiler:his true identity or intentions]]. If the Inquisitor [[PullingTheThread questions him about his odd behavior afterwards]], he will hastily brush off their questions, saying that he knows it all from the Fade. Notably, this is one of the only times your questions will earn ''dis''approval.
* IronicNickname: Varric calls him "Chuckles" despite seeing him as rather dour and humorless. If you befriend him, or listen to his banters, you'll find he does have a sense of humor.
* ItsNotYouItsMe: Although he doesn't [[spoiler:reveal his true reasons for breaking up with the Inquisitor]], he makes it clear that she's not the one at fault, and feels he's doing it for her own good.
* ItIsDehumanizing: Averted. He insists that a Spirit of Wisdom is an "it" if the Inquisitor has PronounTrouble, but obviously holds it in high regard and calls it his friend. [[spoiler:When you meet said spirit, it somewhat resembles a woman and has a feminine voice.]] He refers to Cole using masculine pronouns, however, so it's likely that being called "it" was the spirit's choice.
* JumpedAtTheCall: The moment the Breach appeared, he showed up at Haven offering his expertise. [[spoiler:Subverted by the end, when it's revealed that he was the one who gave Corypheus the orb in the first place. He didn't so much [[JumpedAtTheCall Jump At the Call]], as he [[NiceJobBreakingItHero set out to fix his mistake]].]]
* LickedByTheDog: By Trespasser, [[spoiler: Solas' true identity as Fen'Harel and willingness to do terrible things to obtain his goals has been revealed to the player. How does WordOfGod get across that Solas is not all bad? Have TheEmpath and TagAlongKid Cole take a firm stance that Fen'Harel is NotEvilJustMisunderstood.]]
* LikeGoesWithLike: Only a female elf can romance him. No other Inquisitor of any other gender or race can even flirt with him. He is the only companion or advisor who has this restriction. [[note]]aside from Leliana or Cole, neither of whom have any flirtatious dialogue options with anyone.[[/note]] If a female elf romances Sera, he comments that he finds it natural to desire a fellow elf.
* LittleNo: Upon discovering evidence that [[spoiler:mages have corrupted his spirit friend into a demon]], he lets out a whispered string of, "No. No, no, no, ''no''."
* LonersAreFreaks: He's an introvert, his opinions concerning the Fade don't match any Thedosian civilizations, and he freaks out Andrastians and Qunari alike.
* ManBehindTheMan: Hinted at in the main game's epilogue, and confirmed in ''Trespasser'', is that [[spoiler:Solas manipulated Corypheus by allowing him to come into possession of the Orb in the belief that Corypheus would unlock it and be destroyed by the resultant explosion, leaving it for Solas to reclaim. With that power, Solas planned to tear down the Veil he himself created to imprison the elves' false and tyrannical "gods". He, personally, is Fen'Harel, the trickster god of ancient elven lore. Knowing the decline of the elves is his own fault, he now seeks to undo it and restore the elves' civilisation and immortality at the expense of the world as it is now and all the races that reside within it. He's still pursuing that agenda despite the failure of his plan, making him a very likely candidate for prime antagonist of the ongoing series]].
* TheMasqueradeWillKillYourDatingLife: [[spoiler:Like Blackwall, he doesn't reveal to anyone his true identity and plans, and that is likely what makes him break up with the Inquisitor if she romances him.]]
* MayDecemberRomance:
** Implied. In an argument with the Elf Inquisitor about the Dalish, the Inquisitor refers to Solas as "hahren" (elder) and Solas refers to them as "da'len" (young one).
** [[spoiler:Played straight with the revelation he's at least thousands of years old, which means it's likely a MayflyDecemberRomance as well.]]
* MeaningfulName: Solas means "pride" in Elvhen. [[spoiler:He does express grief that he did foolish things when he was younger, but is deliberately vague about them.]]
* MerlinAndNimue: With a female elf mage Inquisitor that is romancing him, and to a lesser extent any female mage Inquisitor. Could even be extended to any female Inquisitor, period, as their mark gives them MagicKnight capabilities over Fade rifts.
* MoralityPet: [[spoiler: The Inquisitor becomes this to him, particularly a romanced female Lavellan. He admits he didn't even see his companions as people before the Inquisitor became his friend and proved his preconceptions wrong. Notably, despite caring for the Inquisitor greatly - and, in Lavellan's case, obviously loving her - this doesn't change his mind about the perceived necessity of his plans, and he abandons them to carry them out. This can also be seen of him hardening himself to do what he feels must be done, particularly as he calls Lavellan 'vhenan'/heart]].
* MrImagination: He likes to spend his free time in the literal land of dreams.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Touched upon when he asks the Inquisitor [[spoiler:what they would do if they woke up to find the world had changed for the worse due to their actions. The player doesn't know it then, but Solas is really thinking about his own choice to seal away the elven gods, which both spelled the end of elven civilization, and removed people's conscious connection to the Fade, which he compares to walking through a world of Tranquil]].
* MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch: If you ask him about other elves, he says the Dalish are too stuck on trying to hold to traditions that none of them even remember, and those in the Alienages do the same while remembering ''even less''. If they aren't able to remember, and don't have members who can use the Fade to see the past as he does, then they ought to learn new ways to live that make sense in the present.
* MysteriousStranger: After the explosion at the Temple, he showed up, surrendered to Chantry forces, and offered his aid. That's about all anyone knows of him, other than the fact that he was in some random nearby village during the actual explosion (and thus couldn't have been responsible). [[spoiler:Actually, he ''was'': the Orb Corypheus used was his, given to him for an unknown purpose. He is actually Fen'Harel, the Dread Wolf of elven legend, and never intended for any of the events of the game to happen.]]
* NayTheist:
** He believes the old elf pantheon existed, but hesitates to call them "gods." He approves of the idea of The Maker, a deity that does not need to prove its power to anyone, but does not believe.
** [[spoiler:TheStinger reveals that he's closer to AGodIAmNot than a true NayTheist. His general attitude seems to imply that he thinks the elven pantheon were neither divine nor worthy of worship. That he's technically a member doesn't seem to change his feelings on the matter.]]
* NecessaryEvil: In the ''Trespasser'' DLC, it is revealed his intentions are to [[spoiler:tear down the Veil which will return the world to what it once was, but will devastate, if not destroy the waking world.]] He states that it pains him to do so and wishes there was another way, adding that his assistance in dealing with Corypheus and the Qunari was to give the world comfort and peace before [[spoiler: its destruction. Solas even hopes that the Inquisitor can prove to him that the world is worth ending his plans for.]]
* NiceGuy: While he is genuinely nice, polite, and caring towards the destitute, [[spoiler: he has a pretty important dark side that he hides, and endeavors to appear as a simple apostate.]]
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: He took a nap, and then [[spoiler:woke up too weak to activate his focal orb, so he gave it to Corypheus to unlock its power. Naturally, Corypheus decided to take the orb for his own uses.]]
** ''Trespasser'' reveals that he [[spoiler:[[UpToEleven broke the entirety of Elvhenan]] when he put up the Veil.]]
* NightmareFetishist: By most people's standards, his love for everything Fade-related is somewhat creepy. This is especially the case for Vivienne (who, as a mage, is constantly open to possession by demons) and the Iron Bull (who isn't fond of demons in general).
* NoExceptYes: Blackwall asks for tips on fighting demons, to which Solas tells him to "survive the first thirty heartbeats." Blackwall accuses him of telling him to just TryNotToDie, but Solas points out that demons are fairly unoriginal and will exhaust all their battle tactics very quickly; once you know what they're capable of, you can find a way to beat them. He then adds that one also must try not to die.
* NotSoAboveItAll: Mature and cerebral he may be, but that doesn't mean he can't give resident troll Sera a run for her money when he really wants to. He also can get dragged into catty sniping with Dorian or Vivienne when they goad him.
* NotSoDifferent:
** He shares many traits with Morrigan, such as being a skilled apostate who lived in the wilderness, which makes [[{{Foil}} the ways in which they clash]] stand out more starkly.
** To Cole. They both joined the Inquisition to help and often approve of the same decisions, particularly those [[NiceGuy which help people even if they give little immediate reward]], and share a distrust of Templars and Grey Wardens. [[spoiler:They're also both OlderThanTheyLook, and out-of-touch with modern Thedas due to spending too much time in the Fade - Cole because he formed there, Solas because he was asleep for several thousand years.]]
** To Sera. While very different in temperament, they both share a strong desire not to be judged simply for being an elf, a derision of other elves for clinging on to remnants of history (although in different ways), as well as a general distaste for authority and a sympathy for the poor and needy. Solas will sometimes remark on this (although it doesn't endear her to him), but it's generally lost on Sera, who thinks of Solas as being almost everything she doesn't want to be.
** [[spoiler: ''Trespasser'' reveals that his goals are very much similar to Corypheus', as they both want to restore their respective peoples to the past glory they remember. Even his nature as a god is what Corypheus wanted to achieve - Solas isn't a god and never was one, but he began to be worshipped as one eventually.]]
*** It extends even deeper to their backgrounds: [[spoiler:Both woke up from a long sleep to be shocked by the current state of the world. Both are angry and lament how far "their people" have fallen and how said people no longer remember their past properly. Both are depicted in myths as villains for their actions.]]
*** And it goes even ''deeper.'' Though rather than [[spoiler:Corypheus]], it's for the Inquisitor themselves. [[spoiler: Before he created the Veil, he was the leader of a faction of former elven slaves, fighting to free themselves from the more tyrannical of the Evanuris. He likened his faction to the Inquisition; as with the Inquisitor, his followers were loyal to him, and some even saw him as divine, regardless of his wishes not to be.]]
* OddFriendship: With Cassandra. He's pretty much a complete heretic according to Chantry standards and she is a heavily devout Andrastian. They have a deep respect and admiration for each other.
** If you take Cassandra with you [[spoiler: when the Vidisala reveals that (she believes) Solas is an agent Fen'harel, her only response is an ''incredibly'' heartbroken "What?"]].
* OrSoIHeard: He knows a lot of things that have been forgotten over the centuries, all from watching Fade memories. Or so he claims. [[spoiler: Not that he was there or anything]]...
* PardonMyKlingon: If the Inquisitor falls in battle, he'll sometimes swear in Elvish. No official translation has been given for ''fenedhis'', but popular theory is it means "wolf dung" or similar. [[note]]The first syllable, ''fen'', is definitely "wolf", but it's unknown if the other two syllables are one word or two, or what they mean.[[/note]]
* PetTheDog: Part of the reason for his romance is to show that Solas has other sides to him besides being mysterious [[spoiler:and vaguely villainous]]. It's also why he has a friendship with Cole, and is surprisingly polite to Cassandra, whom he very emphatically admires for her innate nobility.
* PlayingWithFire: His [[LimitBreak Focus Spell]] is the incredibly powerful Firestorm and promotional materials show him using fire.
* PowerPerversionPotential:
** Sera and Blackwall want to know if any of his Fade spirit friends are "[[FriendsWithBenefits more than friends]], [[LampshadedDoubleEntendre if you know what I mean]]." Solas's reaction is to [[NotSoStoic freak out]] and exclaim that [[OtherworldlyAndSexuallyAmbiguous such matters are not simple at all]]. He also tells Iron Bull that acting out sexual fantasies with spirits tends to attract demons. Whether he learned this from firsthand experience or not is not known.
** If a Dalish female Inquisitor kisses him in the Fade, he ''immediately'' returns the physical affection and says that such things are always easier for him to do in the Fade.
* TheProfessor: He's an expert on the Fade, and if the Inquisitor is friendly with him, he'll be glad to share parts of his knowledge and attempt to teach. The easiest way to gain his approval is to ask questions.
* PsychicBlockDefense: While he can't hide all of his grief from [[TheEmpath Cole]], he ''is'' able to keep the details of his past a secret. All Cole can find is a vague [[TheAtoner sense of regret]] [[NiceJobBreakingItHero for something he did]]. [[spoiler:So, yes, even Cole is unaware he's really Fen'harel - which explains ''how'' he's got the defense in the first place.]]
* PsychicPowers: His unmatched mastery of the Fade allows him to catch and interpret glimpses of past events. [[spoiler:After he leaves, he's even able to use his powers [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzWGSBJowqA to fog Cole's ability to find him, then wipes his memory of that happening afterwards.]]]]
* PurpleEyes: Solas is a Dreamer mage, capable of bending the Fade to his will, with the unheard of talent to witness the historical memories of a place by sleeping near it. His eyes are a fittingly mysterious and mystical color. [[spoiler:He's also an ancient elf and the Dread Wolf. Notably, the only other character ever known to have purple eyes is Felassan, his agent and fellow ancient elf, which gave partial credence to the now {{Jossed}} theory that Solas had possessed Felassan.]] Atypical to most examples of this trope, Solas's violet eyes are of the more realistic kind, rather than an amethyst-purple, meaning they can appear blue or grey depending on the lighting.
* RealityWarper: He has come to develop powers to control the Fade's effects on reality. [[spoiler:And that's parlor tricks compared to Solas' most powerful act: ''creating the Veil itself''. His powers have also progressed to the point that he can kill people by ''thinking'' about it.]]
* Really700YearsOld: [[spoiler:TheStinger of the game after the credits reveals him to be Fen'Harel, The Dread Wolf, a figure from ancient Elven lore.]]
* ReverseArmFold: He spends much of his conversation in ''Trespasser'' striking this pose; fitting, [[spoiler: given he's gained a huge power boost and is no longer hiding his age or ruthless nature.]]
* RomanceSidequest: For a female Elven Inquisitor only.
* SarcasticConfession: At one point in ''Inquisition'', he can sarcastically say that the only way he can think of to truly save the elves would be to [[spoiler:destroy the Veil and use the Fade to reshape reality.]] ''Trespasser'' reveals that he actually intends to do this.
* SeriouslyScruffy: Not as easy to tell, since he's bald, but life as an elven apostate is full of hardships, and his wardrobe shows it.
* ShooTheDog: To [[spoiler:his Dalish Inquisitor girlfriend]], if things go that far.
* SignificantAnagram: The name of one of his personal quests, [[spoiler:"All New, Faded For Her" can be rearranged to form Fen'harel, Dread Wolf]].
* TheSmartGuy: He's an entirely self taught expert on the Fade, and takes a more nuanced approach than most in his everyday life. Promotional material also referred to him as "The Mind" of the Inquisition.
* SmartPeoplePlayChess: He and Bull play during banter after [[spoiler:Bull truly goes Tal-Vashoth, as a way to assuage the distress Bull is having from it]] - that is, they call out moves and the "board" exists in their heads.
** He is apparently a terror in Diamondback, as Blackwall warns you after losing all his clothes when he taught Solas how to play the game.
* SnarkToSnarkCombat: At best, he and Vivienne will spend most of their dialogue trading zingers.
* StealthPun: His name means "pride" in elven. [[spoiler:Which takes on a new significance when you reach the endgame mission "What Pride has Wrought." It's a subtle hint that Solas is responsible for both Corypheus's rise to power, and possibly the fall of elven society - the latter of which is only emphasized as you fight your way through an ancient elven ruin.]]
* StopWorshippingMe: [[spoiler:''Trespasser'' reveals that he tried to invoke this trope back in ancient Elvhenan when he was a rebel leader freeing the slaves from their false god masters. It's because of that last bit that Solas ''despises'' the idea of people proclaiming godhood: it basically ruined the ancient elves.]]
* SweetTooth: Unlike [[RealMenHateSugar Blackwall]], he enjoys the little cakes sold in the Orlesian marketplace.
* TaughtByExperience: Solas never received a formal education in magic. [[spoiler: Not that he needed one, considering he's really a god.]] Iron Bull points out how odd it is that Solas is so skilled, since experience has shown him that even the best self-taught warriors have "clunks" in their technique.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork:
** He ''really'' does not like Vivienne. His snark at her actually goes for the mean, [[InsultBackfire not that she cares]]. He does, however, acknowledge her intelligence, stating that despite their disagreements he does not consider either of them to be fools.
** His whole involvement with the Inquisition is a form of this, as he has no love for the Chantry as a whole, though he does concede that it does some good and has nothing but the greatest respect for a friendly Inquisitor.
** During "What Pride Had Wrought", he and Morrigan do not get along at all. [[KnowNothingKnowItAll Probably because she keeps acting like an expert on Elven history when she's actually confusing it with Elven lore]].
** Initially does not get along with Iron Bull because he's a Qunari, and Solas despises the Qun. Their relationship can either get better or worse [[spoiler:depending on the results of Iron Bull's personal quest.]]
** Potentially with the Inquisitor, if his approval gets low enough. It can get to the point where he can piss the Inquisitor off with his snarky comments enough for them to punch Solas.
* TookALevelInBadass: In ''Trespasser'', we see that [[spoiler: whatever he absorbed from Flemeth has made him powerful enough to turn people into statues just by ''thinking'' about it.]]
* TranquilFury: During his personal quest "All New, Faded for Her" he does [[NotSoStoic momentarily lose his cool]] when he discovers [[spoiler:a group of inept mages have summoned his ActualPacifist spirit friend and forced it to fight, turning it into a demon]], but after the fight, the only clue he's about to [[spoiler:kill the three mages]] is a glint in his eyes and an edge to his voice.
* TricksterArchetype: He likes them in tales, another sign of his intellectual bent (since tricksters win through smarts and by moving outside established thinking) and asks Varric why there aren't any in dwarven literature. [[spoiler:Also, he's really Fen'Harel, the Dread Wolf who tricked the Fade and mortal worlds apart in elvish mythology, sealing away the gods and their opposite numbers in their respective realms. He's also responsible for Corypheus gaining the knowledge he needed to merge the fade, and the Inquisitor's Anchor. Ultimately, Solas uses his intellect and cunning to get things done.]]
* TryNotToDie: Says this once to Blackwall rather glibly (see above), and then again to Cole with more seriousness.
-->'''Solas:''' There will always be plenty of negative emotions to fuel Rage and Desire demons. The gentler spirits are much rarer; that is why we cannot afford to lose even one Spirit of Wisdom... or Compassion.\\
'''Cole:''' I shall try not to die, then.\\
'''Solas:''' Do that, please.
* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans:
** Occasionally expresses this view in the main game.
--->'''Solas:''' Sometimes to achieve the world one desires, one must take regrettable measures.
** ''Trespasser'' takes it further as [[spoiler: Solas, now outed as Fen'Harel, reveals that he intends to remove the Veil that he created in the first place, in order to restore the elves' lost glory, immortality, and society. He knows that doing so will likely destroy the world and most living beings in it, yet he feels it's a necessary price to pay for the ideal world he wants to restore.]]
* UnreliableExpositor: Solas is the expert on all things Fade-related and some things magical and Elven-related. The vast majority of the time, he is right on the money about everything. He is, however, fallible like any other source of information in the series. [[spoiler:Especially since much of the time he's flat out lying or only giving ''pieces'' of information.]]
* VetinariJobSecurity:
** If the Inquisitor manages to get his approval low enough, they'll eventually have an argument in which he points out that you ''don't have'' another expert on the Fade around to replace him. He's right: no matter how mad you make him, you can't get rid of him. [[spoiler:You ''can'' punch him in the face, though.]]
** His Codex profile has Leliana assure Cassandra that since he's the only person that has a clue what's going on, they need to keep him around no matter what.
* VitriolicBestBuds: With extra vitriol. Most of the time he and Iron Bull speak, Solas lashes out against the Qun. But if Bull winds up [[spoiler:being declared Tal-Vashoth, Solas will support him when he worries about turning vicious. And a rather long chain of party conversations between them later is essentially Solas distracting Iron Bull from his worries by deliberately provoking him into playing a mental game of chess.]]
* WalkingSpoiler: [[spoiler: His real identity as Fen'Harel is a major twist and he is one of the main instigators of the plot.]]
* WarriorPoet: He's [[BadassBookworm well-read]] and [[CulturedBadass knows a thing or two about courtly intrigue]], paints [[FanArt a fresco of the Inquisitor]] in his spare time, and discusses the delicate balance of passion in a warrior's life with Blackwall: [[HotBlooded too much]] and a man is likely to [[LeeroyJenkins die in a fool-hardy way]], too little and he is likely to die because he is uncommitted to the fight or to simply leave the life of a warrior for safer, more sedate pastures.
* WellIntentionedExtremist:
** He sympathises with the mage rebellion, seeing the violence as an unfortunate step towards something better. He has no such patience for the Grey Wardens, who he views as ignorant and too quick to use duty as a catch-all excuse.
** Then there's [[spoiler: his own arc. After witnessing how badly sealing away the elf pantheon backfired, he resorts to giving Corypheus a powerful artifact that he's too weak to unlock himself. After ''that'' blows up in his face too, he leaves the party on a mission he does not want any of his friends to share in.]]
** In the ''Trespasser'' DLC, [[spoiler:Solas reveals his plans to tear down the Veil he himself created, restoring the world to how it once was...even if it kills countless people in the process. He takes no pleasure in any of it, wants everyone's last days to be as peaceful as possible, and if you promise to prove him wrong he seems half-hopeful you'll succeed.]]
* WhatDidIDoLastNight: Implied in a banter with Sera:
--> '''Sera''': So you can create magic whenever you want? Did you ever piss it by accident?\\
'''Solas''': No. Wait... No.\\
'''Sera''': How could you not remember somethin' like that?\\
'''Solas''': We were all young once.
* WhatTheHellHero: [[spoiler:Though whether you can call him heroic at this point is debatable, in Trespasser, when the Inquisitor learns that Solas plans to tear down the Veil, which would devastate Thedas and kill untold amounts of people to recreate the world he used to live in, the Inquisitor can call him a monster who doesn't care about anyone but his elves.]]
* WrittenByTheWinners:
** When it's pointed out that the visions seen in the Fade can be distorted, Solas points out that the same things happen to a living person's memories and also in history books; no one recollection is perfect or free from bias. The way things ''are'' is not necessarily the way a person ''thinks'' they are, but which is most important in their future decisions?
** He gives one specific example: [[VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins Loghain withdrawing his troops during the battle at Ostagar]]. Some remember a sneering villain discarding the lives of those inconvenient to his goals. Others remember a beleaguered commander trying to salvage troops from a battle that was already lost, though it meant abandoning his foolhardy king.
* WrongContextMagic: Solas' abilities to command the Fade and view the history of places is completely new and foreign to Thedosian mages, not to mention Thedosian society in general. [[spoiler:This is a hint to [[GodInHumanForm his actual nature]].]]
* YouAreACreditToYourRace:
** Some of his comments and a lot of his banter borders on or falls outright into this territory. Once you get his approval high enough, he outright asks the Inquisitor if the Anchor has altered their morals in some way, as their behaviour doesn't match his expectations of their people (especially Dalish, dwarf or Qunari).
* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: In ''Trespasser'', [[spoiler:a fully befriended Inquisitor can tell him that they never imagined that he was someone who would destroy the world to rebuild his old one. Solas looks deeply shocked and moved, then replies, "Thank you."]]
** In the last conversation you can have with him before the final battle, he may tell a befriended Inquisitor of any race that "you have not been what I expected," and express his admiration for their goodness and depth of character.
* YouCannotKillAnIdea: After [[spoiler:his friend the Wisdom Spirit]] dies, he says that if the idea giving a spirit form is strong enough, it will one day reform in the Fade, though the spirit that was will not truly be resurrected. [[spoiler:His friend is still truly gone.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Vivienne]]
!!Vivienne
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vivienne_1448.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"Magic is dangerous, just as fire is dangerous. Anyone who forgets this truth gets burned."'']]
->'''Voiced by:''' ''Creator/IndiraVarma''
A Free Marches-born and Orlesian-raised mage who was the official enchanter to the Imperial court and First Enchanter of the Montsimmard Circle before the entire Circle of Magi went rogue. A staunch supporter of the Circle system, she joins the Inquisition to support her fellow "loyal" mages (and her own agenda) in any way she can.
Written by Mary Kirby.
----
* AbsoluteCleavage: The outfit she's wearing when she's introduced, as well as other mage armor you can equip her with.
* ActionGirl: As Irving and Orsino demonstrated, you don't become First Enchanter without knowing how to kick ass.
* ActionFashionista: As described on her character kit, "A thousand arrows would pierce her breast before Vivienne would don beaten steel for so base an urge as protection." Also, when Varric reveals that he's [[WriteWhoYouKnow basing the villain of his latest book on her]], she demands that his writing describe her wearing nothing but the latest fashions.
* ActuallyPrettyFunny: She's absolutely delighted about being the villain in Varric's planned trilogy of novels set in Orlais. A good portion of her banter with him is talking about how the story will go and how accurate it'll be.
* AnIcePerson: In the promotional materials, Vivienne is always shown wielding ice spells, suitable to her demeanor, and she is introduced using one on a troublesome noble.
* TheArchmage: She was a First Enchanter before the Circles rebelled. Her ultimate goal pre-rebellion was to become Grand Enchanter.
* AuthorityInNameOnly: She calls herself the First Enchanter of the last loyal mages, but since there aren't too many of those, that title doesn't mean much beyond being an indicator of her skill as a mage, something she acknowledges openly.
* BadassBoast: Vivienne is quite an expert at this:
-->'''[[TheStrategist Cassandra]]''': Varric, expect a standard formation of ranged enemies on the walls and expendables gathering there.\\
'''Vivienne''': My dear, we'll render them all expendable.
* BaldWomen: Without her headgear, Vivienne has a closely shaven head.
* BarrierWarrior: As a Knight-Enchanter, Vivienne specializes in using barrier spells to stay in a fight while delivering devastating damage.
* BeatThemAtTheirOwnGame: While she brings a lot more grace and magic into it, Vivienne is not above reversing Sera's pranks back on her. When Sera sticks a snake into her drawer, Vivienne enchants it to give it legs, then sends it back to Sera. .Also, when Sera remarks that she could dig up Vivienne's past and use dirt she finds against the mage, Vivienne [[TranquilFury gently]] warns her that all people are this way, and if Sera wants to try that, Vivienne will be more than willing to pay her back in kind. [[OhCrap It shuts Sera up quickly.]]
* BeneathTheMask: There is a part of Vivienne that actually cares for Cole as a person. She doesn't like it, but part of her is genuinely worried he could be hurt. Cole agrees not to tell anyone. She is also [[NotSoStoic absolutely distraught]] when [[spoiler: all of her efforts still fail to save Bastien's life.]]
* CleavageWindow: Some of her outfits have this too.
* CombatMedic: Vivienne's [[LimitBreak Focus Spell]] is Resurgence, the only true healing spell that can be cast in combat.
* ComesGreatResponsibility: While she's perfectly willing to leverage all of her assets (magical and otherwise) to her own benefit, she also strongly believes that magic, like all power, comes with responsibility. She's not sympathetic to the rebel mages because she believes that the actions of certain rebel mages -- Anders blowing up the Kirkwall Chantry, the attempted assassination of Divine Justinia, the killing of innocent people caught in the crossfire, and the killing of fellow mages who didn't want to rebel -- prove that they are being irresponsible with their magic and simply don't ''deserve'' the freedom they crave.
* ControlFreak: She ''must'' be in control. It starts with herself and her emotions, but given the opportunity she will expand upon it.
* CourtMage: Her actual pre-war position was official Enchanter to the Imperial Court, and according to Leliana she was the first to transform it into something meaningful.
* CruelMercy: How she deals with the Marquis who insults the Inquisitor, if he's spared. If the Inquisitor says they don't care how she deals with him, Vivienne will give him such an especially scathing ReasonYouSuckSpeech (in front of everyone he knows) that one can't help but wonder if killing him would have been the kinder choice. After the encounter, Vivienne will confirm that he will be disgraced and disowned, and will probably join the war effort in the Dales to either [[DrivenToSuicide go out]] [[DoNotGoGentle in a blaze of glory]] or try to earn back some semblance of self-respect. Suddenly, asking her to kill him doesn't seem ''quite'' so needlessly cruel.
* DeadpanSnarker: Vivienne is very skilled at verbally destroying people who get in her way:
-->'''Vivienne:''' I know you are only seventy-third in line for the Nevarran throne, but that is hardly so lowly a position as to relegate you to trailing after Comtesse Montbelliard in the hope that she might give your suit a moment's thought. She won't, my dear. She only likes men with self-respect. Perhaps you might sober up and acquire some?
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Invoked. Party banter between Vivienne and Cole reveals that Vivienne intentionally set up the noble she humiliated at the salon she invited both him and the Inquisitor to so her first appearance to the Inquisitor would be as impressive as possible.
* EvilReactionary: Despite being one of the protagonists, she has all the hallmarks of this trope, being ultraconservative and rigidly pro-establishment in a time of such revolutionary change that even the otherwise conservative Cassandra admits that maintaining the status quo, especially regarding the Circle, is both impossible and immoral. She has a very nostalgic, rose-tinted view of the Circle that almost no one else in the series shares, and if [[spoiler: elected Divine, she's the only one who resorts to violence to restore the Circle.]]
* {{Foil}}:
** The silver clad pro-establishment counterpoint to the raggedy apostate Solas (not to mention she's the [[spoiler: staunchly loyal companion vs Solas' fair-weather friend who sets out to destroy the world the instant it's saved from Corypheus]]). And the poised, impeccably dressed aristocrat to the anti-authority street rat Sera.
** Vivienne is a Circle-trained mage who is a master of Orlesian politics to further her own agenda; in contrast Morrigan is an apostate who sneers at politics but gains Celene's favor to further ''her'' own agenda. To make it visually obvious Vivienne is dressed in white Orlesian fashions while Morrigan ignores all fashion and wears black. The fact that they hold each other's way of life and mage training in utter contempt, but are very similar [[{{Pride}} in]] [[LackOfEmpathy other]] [[LoveIsAWeakness ways]], is even better.
** Across the series itself Vivienne and Anders could not have led more dissimilar lives; Vivienne thrived in the Circle until she became the well-dressed and respected member of high society, while Anders frequently tried to escape from the Circle's abuse and lived on the run in slums to become an apostate revolutionary. It's no wonder that both have polar opposite views on mage rights and freedoms.
* FairyTaleMotifs: Slight, but present. In addition to her Malificent-esque horned hat, Vivienne's dialogue and story reference fairy stories - usually the older, bloodier versions. She was elevated to her status by a wealthy suitor. One of her personal quests is named "Bring Me the Heart of Snow White." When Cassandra suggests no one could fill the Divine's shoes, Vivienne says they'll find someone, even if they have to trim off her heels and toes, as occurs in some versions of Cinderella. She references (jokingly) (probably) feeding a man his relative in a stew, and the party member whose personality clashes with hers the most is [[spoiler:essentially a big bad wolf.]] Finally, her personal quest is to restore the health of a loved one who is mortally ill.
* FullCircleRevolution: [[spoiler: If she becomes Divine and the mages are allied, she declares war on them to restore the Circle as it was.]]
* GreenEyedMonster: If the Inquisitor romances Blackwall, some party banter between Blackwall and Vivienne has her being particularly scathing towards him about his and the Inquisitor's relationship, saying that the Inquisitor is far out of his league. Blackwall retorts that the real reason she's being so critical is because she's envious of the Inquisitor being able to love anyone she wants, with no worries about her reputation. Since this is the only time during their banter that he's able to stun Vivienne into silence, he's probably right.
** Cole discovers that Vivienne practically ''seethes'' in jealousy about how some 'uncultured barbarian witch' was able to simply waltz into Celene's favor without going through any Circle training or ruthless Orlesian politics like she had. The fact that Morrigan could easily duel her in wit, self-confidence and magical power doesn't help.
* GuileHero: This was wired into her as an Orlesian, allowing her to rise so high in station as to be considered the [[WorldsMostBeautifulWoman jewel of the high court]] in spite of being a mage in such a DeadlyDecadentCourt.
* HiddenDepths:
** According to Cole, part of her does care about him, she's just convinced she ''shouldn't''.
** She also really enjoys pulling counter-pranks on Sera. Vivienne finds inventive methods to best her at every turn, and has a lot of fun with it. Sera is less than pleased.
* {{Hypocrite}}: Vivienne's standard pro-Circle points have a lot to do with mages needing to be supervised, being naturally dangerous and it being important to control them... however, Vivienne herself would never volunteer to be controlled, and always struggles to have total control over her own situation, it being her greatest desire to be the one holding the leash instead.
** In the Nightmare, it's discovered her greatest fear is irrelevance. She absolutely cannot stand not having a say in anything happening in her life, or being forced to support an agenda or organization she doesn't agree with. Her response to the Mage Rebellion, or to a pro-mage liberation Inquisitor, is that mages should shut up and deal with it.
** For someone who advocates all mages going to the Circle and enduring Templar supervision, she herself spends as little time as possible actually in the Circle. (Instead living in her duke lover's chateau, frequenting lavish parties and making appearances at Court.) Granted, she herself notes that she did her time and "proved" herself responsible with her increased freedom and feels other mages can do the same, but still... Her EstablishingCharacterMoment has her casually threaten and possibly take the life of a helpless party guest with her magic. Doubtful that would have flown had she been under the Circle/Templar supervision she feels should be the case of every other mage. And yet she remarks at one point that the Circles were probably ''too'' permissive.
* IceQueen: She's a pretty haughty individual. The only people she seems to respect are people who are either noble or otherwise highly influential. She looks down on everyone else. Almost everything she says is layered in icy, razor-sharp politeness and she gives away her true feelings about as freely as other people give up their limbs.
* IJustWantToBeSpecial: According to her gravestone [[spoiler: in the Fade]], her greatest fear is "irrelevance". The idea of being unimportant, of being caught up in someone else's agenda or war and having no part or say in her own fate, both terrifies her ''and'' pisses her off.
* ImmortalitySeeker: She asks the Inquisitor for help making a potion that reverses aging. [[spoiler: Subverted when you learn she is making it to cure her lover of a disease. Unfortunately, even if you don't decide to [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential replace the ingredient she needed]], the potion doesn't work and her lover dies.]]
* ImprobableAge: Vivienne's exact age is unknown, but her codex entry notes that she was voted First Enchanter at an age "young enough to cause scandal".
* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: Part of the reason she so vehemently dislikes Cole might well be because his read of her indicates she wishes she weren't a mage, fearing that her magic could control her and eclipse her identity (whether by demonic possession or by the lack of status that mages have). Rather than allow that, she's made her magic ''into'' her identity, something for others to fear rather than something she herself fears. Solas may also comment on it, adding that it must annoy her that magic is all that makes her special.
* InsistentTerminology: She doesn't like nicknames (except for "Madame de Fer" or Varric's "IronLady") and insists on being referred to by her name or title, though she will accept being called "Ma'am".
* InsultBackfire: As a part of her unflappable demeanor, most insults shot at her will be twisted to suit her.
* IronLady:
** Invoked by her in-universe moniker "Madame de Fer". Also used by Varric when addressing her.
** A letter released by Mary Kirby has her demonstrate this, addressing an ambassador that she's heard is planning to gate-crash a party she would be hosting, politely reminding him of her position, before proceeding to verbally tear him apart and suggest that if he knows what is best for him, [[BewareTheNiceOnes he'd do well]] [[YouWouldntLikeMeWhenImAngry not cross her]].
** Also pretty well demonstrated by her intimidating ''Iron Bull''. She haughtily shuts him down after he calls her "Viv," and from that point on he calls her "Ma'am" and goes along with her ideas on improving his wardrobe.
* ItIsDehumanizing: Repeatedly calls Cole "it", and/or the Inquisitor's "pet".
* ItsAllAboutMe: Several sources imply that most of what Vivienne does is at least partially self-serving. Vivienne ''must'' have a say in anything that affects her life directly or indirectly. For example, [[spoiler:the Nightmare demon taunts her with the fear that she'll be living as an apostate forever and never reclaim the influence she once held. Cole also reads her mind and finds a very painful memory of her Harrowing where she was desperate to not do ''anything'' that would turn Templars against her. Also see XanatosGambit below.]] Even her "advice" to the Inquisitor on who to support as a new Divine is self-serving because she wants a Divine that will restore the Circles (where she had power). She's not a "bad" person, per se, but self-serving certainly.
** If [[spoiler: Leliana is saved and the mages are allies, Vivienne, in spite of the vast majority of Southern Thedas's mages following the emancipated College, ''still'' recreates the Circle, for no other reason than wanting to be in control of it.]]
* JerkassHasAPoint: While many of her opinions on the war and non-human cultures can range from ignorant to outright offensive, she also brings up a fair number of valid points: Anders not only blew up a Chantry full of innocent people, but a mage later attempted to assassinate Divine Justinia. Conversations with Cole and the Inquisitor also point out that the mages who gained their freedom used it to hurt even more innocents. While the Grand Enchanter never forced anyone to follow into rebellion, mages who didn't want to be rebels were quickly killed by their fellows, as shown in dialogue between Vivienne and Cole. She also calls the idea of mage freedom foolish since the Circles were also created to ''protect'' mages from people who would lynch them out of fear, a fear that now very justified in the chaos of the Mage/Templar war.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold:
** Vivienne is condescending, ambitious, and ignorant over certain matters -- however, she does genuinely want to save Thedas from the Breach and the Mage-Templar war. She also displays a number of PetTheDog moments, as seen down below.
** During the siege of Haven, if Vivienne is in your party she will advise you to leave the villagers to die, as they will slow the group down. Ignoring her advice and saving them anyway will give you approval from her.
** If the Inquisitor befriends her, she proves to be a loyal and steadfast friend who happily does all she can to help the Inquisitor no matter what.
* KickingAssInAllHerFinery: She dresses to make an impression everywhere she goes. When she finds out that Varric is making her a character in one of his books, she insists he research Orlesian fashion so that he describes her wardrobe properly.
* LackOfEmpathy: Vivienne accuses the rebel mages of lacking perspective on how the rest of Thedas views them due to being "safe in their towers". [[JerkassHasAPoint While she raises several valid points]], her own easy time in the Circle has given Vivienne a distorted perspective of how bad it could be and why so many mages gave up on changing things peacefully. While Vivienne pays lip service to the idea that mages should not be abused by the Templars, she does so only as an afterthought and [[SelectiveObliviousness either doesn't notice or doesn't care]] that abusive Templars have many ways to silence their victims.
* LadyOfBlackMagic: She's regal and graceful, and in battle she can be seen KickingAssInAllHerFinery by using ice spells to turn her opponents into frozen statues.
* LadyOfWar: A Knight-Enchanter, Vivienne is very calm and regal. She's most at home wearing the finest silks and jewels and enjoying court life in Orlais, and is able to conjure a LaserBlade for melee combat.
* LoveIsAWeakness: As someone who has apparently struggled to get where she is, she believes sentiment is a liability and a privilege for those with less responsibility than herself. To illustrate the point, during a conversation with Vivienne back at Haven, the Inquisitor can suggest a relationship with Vivienne, but Vivienne replies, "I don't see how that benefits me at all, my dear". She has great and genuine affection for the Duke to whom she's mistress, however, which might at least explain her refusal from that perspective.
* MagicKnight: Vivienne is a Knight-Enchanter, and wields magic-created weapons and shields in combat.
* MiseryPoker: Although it's up to the player to decide who is engaging in it: Vivienne complains that the mages are being selfish by rebelling and causing a war that's getting the common people (as well as loyal Circle mages like Vivienne) caught in the crossfire. If the player agrees with the mages, they can decide Vivienne is engaging in misery poker by using the complaints of the common people to shut down the mages' viewpoint. If the player agrees with Vivienne, the player can decide that the mages are playing misery poker to shut down the viewpoint of people like Vivienne.
* TheMistress: A large part of Vivienne's political power comes from the fact that she's the mistress to an Orlesian duke. When asked what the duke's wife thought of this, Vivienne responds that they got along very well and planned many parties together. She also notes that the lady passed away a few years ago; Vivienne misses her.
* MoralMyopia: She believes that the Rebel Mages support mass murder by association, since the rebellion started amidst an act of terrorism that killed innocent people. However, for ''centuries'' now, Templars have had the Rite of Annulment and the Rite of Tranquility at their disposal, and she doesn't argue against the idea that the Templars and Seekers who associate with those who abuse those powers are just as complicit. To her, because ''some'' Circles and ''some'' Templars don't support such abuse, they must be seen as the norm and those that do abuse them are just an outlier. Furthermore, she considers Rebel Mages that are killed by this war to have made their own beds for starting it in the first place...except the Mages didn't actually "start" a war--they didn't do anything but vote for independence. The ''Templars'' started the war to rein in the Mages. The Loyalist Mages, by virtue of being [[http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Mage-Templar_War allies of the Templars]], are the ones that logic should apply to, but Vivienne sees their deaths as [[ThisIsUnforgivable utterly unforgivable]].
* MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch: Vivienne is largely unsympathetic towards the plight of the mages because she feels they are the ones responsible for instigating the war. Being Pro-Circle, Vivienne also argues that complete mage independence is a selfish idea.
* MysticalHighCollar: This probably has to do with her being an Orlesian, too.
* NiceHat: She wears a large and very ornate hat - not surprising, given the love that mages and Orlesians have for this trope.
* NonAnswer: When asked if the mages had a valid reason to rebel, Vivienne doesn't actually address the mages' grievances, namely that an entire Circle was annulled and mages in other circles were stripped of their few freedoms and the legal channels that supposedly enabled them to advocate for themselves, all [[MisplacedRetribution for the actions of one apostate]] and because the mages were outraged and had a kneejerk reaction to a particularly egregious abuse of Templar power. Vivienne makes no mention of any of that and lectures about timing and public opinion from non-mages.
* NotSoAboveItAll: If a Female Inquisitor approaches her on advice for a gift for a romanced Sera, Vivienne suggests [[spoiler: shaving something vulgar into her privates.]] Vivienne seems to enjoy Sera's pranks in general, especially when she can turn them around and one-up her. Sera put snakes in her bed? No problem; Vivienne will just enchant them to have ''six'' legs and send them right back.
* NotSoDifferent: Admits this in dialogue with Solas, that they both believe magic is quite dangerous, and that neither of them are fools with their training.
* NotSoStoic: Cole brings Vivienne out of her [[IronLady Madame de Fer]] persona by seeing past all her masks and wordplay effortlessly. ''She does not like this one bit.''
* OddFriendship:
** With the hedonistic Iron Bull, whom she keeps in line.
** She and Varric get along spectacularly, despite the fact that he lives like a commoner and is proud of it. His idea of using her as base for a villain in a new book only endears him to her.
* OlderThanTheyLook: Implied by [[spoiler:the Nightmare demon, who suggests that part of the reason Vivienne is so desperate to restore the Circle of Magi is from a fear of being ''too old'' to recreate her power base in a new system.]]
* OnlyOneName: According to Mary Kirby, she has no last name that she'll admit to. The Imperial Court calls her "[[IronLady Madame de Fer]]."
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Vivienne's default reaction to being insulted or threatened is to snark, demolish the offending party with politeness, or just use old-fashioned passive-aggressiveness. When the Nightmare makes a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech that preys upon her worst fear, she reacts ''entirely'' differently.
-->'''Vivienne:''' Not. One. Word.
* OptionalPartyMember: You can choose not to recruit her, or simply not go to her party at all.
* PaperTiger: Vivienne tries to present herself as a formidable and invaluable ally to the Inquisition, but the player soon learns that what little she has to offer can be easily obtained from other characters. When she and the Inquisitor first meet, she promises all the resources remaining to the Circle--which doesn't include enough mages to seal the Breach, so the Herald still needs to seek out the rebel mages or Templars. Vivienne is a potential mage ally, but so are Solas and Dorian (who both give more insight into the magic that caused the Breach and the people behind it). She promises her connections at the Orlesian Court, but that doesn't amount to much more than a few War Table missions and some advice at the Winter Palace. Even her presence at the Winter Palace proves irrelevant since Morrigan has replaced her as the official enchanter of the Imperial court. Finally, if she becomes angry enough at the Inquisitor, the worst she can do is [[PassiveAggressiveKombat move around some furniture]].
* PassiveAggressiveKombat: If you sufficiently upset her, she starts hiring people to refurbish your room... specifically, moving all your furniture out of it.
* ThePerfectionist: She has some extremely neurotic memories of striving to be perfect for [[DeadlyDecadentCourt The Game]] that Cole digs up.
* PersonOfMassDestruction: During banter, Iron Bull compares her to a Qunari dreadnought. At first, he thinks he offends her, but she enjoys it. Iron Bull also mentions that Vivienne has a swagger when she walks, "like she's the most dangerous thing in the room, and she knows it."
* PetTheDog:
** If the Inquisitor and Dorian enter a relationship, regardless of her friendship level with the Inquisitor, she'll defend the pair from a pompous noble calling their relationship "horrendous".
** If you choose to express self-blame in the aftermath of Haven, Vivienne is quick to offer kind, comforting words, telling the Inquisitor they didn't fail the people of Haven, and to honor the men and women who died.
** In a companion conversation, Cassandra expresses regret over being unable to attend the Conclave, and believes she could've done something to save the Divine. Vivienne gently disagrees with that, and tells her not to blame herself and that she did all she could.
** For all her vitriol for Cole for being a spirit or demon, after you do his companion quest, she attempts to goad and insult him one more time... before Cole reads her mind and realizes that she actually ''does'' care about him, but refuses to admit it because she believes "caring will hurt [her]" and because of what he is. She doesn't really try to deny it, and Cole promises he won't tell anyone before dropping the subject.
** [[spoiler:If Vivienne or Cassandra became Divine Victoria and In Hushed Whispers was completed, then two years after the defeat of Corypheus, after a fight against the rebel mages, she will allow their own college to remain alongside the new Circle of Magi, out of respect of the Inquisition.]]
* PragmaticHero: Places survival above sentiment.
* {{Pride}}: Solas seems to consider it one of her main faults. She's not exactly fazed.
-->'''Solas:''' Enchanter. Any Pride Demon you met would just walk away, shaking its head and laughing uncontrollably.\\
'''Vivienne:''' Oh, darling, [[InsultBackfire more than one already has.]]
* RagsToRiches: Vivienne was born into an impoverished family. The Circle, in addition to removing the fear of freezing or starving to death, gave her the avenue to considerable wealth and power.
* RedHerring: The marketing hinted at her having a secret agenda, and companions will sometimes recommend you keep an eye on her while valuing her advice. In reality, Vivienne is totally up-front about her politics and motives for joining you; the one time she gets cagey with information, it's for a very personal reason. [[spoiler: Blackwall and Solas are hiding much bigger secrets.]]
* TheRemnant: As a pro-Chantry and Circle Mage, her entire world has been turned upside down with the outbreak of the Mage-Templar War. The Circle has been dissolved, the Templars have gone rogue and the Chantry has been left in complete disarray.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: Andrastian mages can't legally possess any form of political power, but she overcame those restrictions through sheer force of character, becoming an adviser to the empress of the most powerful nation in Thedas. She encourages other mages to do the same... unless they happen to be an apostate and achieve it from outside the system like Morrigan.
* ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem: [[spoiler:If Vivienne is elected Divine, Cassandra accuses her of perverting the Chant of Light for her own ends, and bluntly calls Vivienne a tyrant]].
* SelectiveObliviousness: Vivienne tends to do this regarding the Circle's problems, to the detriment of what would otherwise be valid arguments, such as when she lectures other mages about how it's better to change the system from the inside, while offering no explanation for how that should be done when the mages had been stripped of every legal channel that was supposed to allow them to advocate for themselves. Vivienne claims that of course mages should protest abuses by the Templars, but makes no mention of the tendency of abusive Templars to retaliate by accusing their victims of practicing forbidden magic, accusations that typically result in an already abused mage being [[CorporalPunishment beaten]], killed, or [[FateWorseThanDeath made Tranquil]].
* SilkHidingSteel: Or iron, as it were. Her impeccable manner and dress rarely slip even when talking to people she despises or confronting enemies.
* SketchySuccessor: [[spoiler: The Inquisitor generally has to be lock-step in agreement with her policy aims in terms of Mages and Templars in order to get an outright positive ending. Otherwise, the Mages can form a new College, the Templars will outright refuse to rejoin the Chantry, and the Chantry itself will be divided. She ''can'' emerge triumphant, but only after a lot of bloodshed. In ''Trespasser'', Cassandra outright calls Vivienne a tyrant.]]
* SkewedPriorities: More concerned about how things look in the Fade than all the demons wanting to devour their souls.
* SnarkToSnarkCombat: She and Solas trade quips regarding their politics or preferred combat styles.
* StaticCharacter: Unlike some other companions, Vivienne doesn't change as a person. Rather, the player can choose to learn more about facets of her personality.
* StepfordSnarker: Her ruthless and snarky attitude began as an act she put on to disguise her fear of the templars.
* TakeAThirdOption: Since Divine Justinia V is [[spoiler:murdered at the beginning of Dragon Age Inquisition, it becomes necessary to choose her successor. The two stated candidates are Leliana and Cassandra Penteghast, but Vivienne might become Divine if your Inquisition acts the way she would or supports her.]]
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: Vivienne insults quite a few members of the party in her banter with them.
** She considers Blackwall meek, and the Grey Wardens an aged relic who take far more than they need to defeat the Blight (and that's before [[spoiler: she learns of the problems at Adamant]]). Blackwall frequently snipes with her as well, although she does accept his condolences when [[spoiler: Bastien dies]].
** She and Solas can't stand each other. Their personal morals and lifestyles are so divergent that most of their banter is icy insults and barbs. They have exactly ''one'' civil conversation discussing The Elder One, during which Solas concedes that despite their differences he recognizes that neither of them is a fool.
* TermsOfEndangerment: She's known to say "dear" and "darling" a lot, but when she's faced with an enemy, it takes shades of this trope.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Out of all the companions, Vivienne endears herself the least to the party members and refuses to resolve hostilities regardless of their CharacterDevelopment. The only exception is Dorian and possibly the Inquisitor. Even [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Cole]] makes more friends.
* TooSpicyForYogSothoth: Solas accuses her of being too proud for a {{Pride}} demon. [[InsultBackfire She agrees]].
* TranquilFury: Her speciality.
* TheUnfettered: She allows nothing to stand in the way of what she desires.
* UnknownRival: While she downplays it, reading between the lines - and Cole's reading of her - shows that she ''despises'' Morrigan for usurping her position as Celene's magical adviser. Morrigan only acknowledges her when Vivienne calls out her self-serving behavior at the Well of Sorrows, something Morrigan quickly reverses to Vivienne.
* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans: Whether she's being serious or not, she states that if she ruled over mages, she would rule as a tyrant with an iron fist and kill any mage who did not re-enter the Circle. [[spoiler: She makes good on the threat if she becomes Divine, ''declaring war'' on the rebel mages when they try and form a new College.]]
* VetinariJobSecurity: What Vivienne ''lives'' by. Anyone who isn't irreplaceable at their job becomes a ''liability'' to their job and it's only a matter of time before they're replaced or killed. Thus, she believes that every person who takes up a role needs to appear awe-inspiring at it (including the Inquisitor). This explains a ''lot'' about her personality. (See IJustWantToBeSpecial.)
-->'''Vivienne:''' If you are no longer necessary to move the faithful, you're a liability, a rival to those who would use the power you've amassed.
* VitriolicBestBuds: She and Dorian enjoy tearing into one another, but it's all good fun to them.
* {{Workaholic}}: Vivienne never quite switches off. Even after [[spoiler: Bastien's death]], when she's as vulnerable as she ever gets, she can't stop thinking about the arrangements she'll need to make. [[spoiler: If you helped her find the wyvern's heart, she uses your efforts to comfort Bastien's relatives, gain their support for the Inquisition, and increase her own power all at once.]]
* XanatosGambit: Her personal quest turns out to be one. [[spoiler:By providing her with the medicine that can supposedly save Bastien, you provide her with two possibilities for success. Even though Bastien dies, she still ingratiates herself and the Inquisitor in his family's good graces for ''trying'' to save him, providing greater prestige and political power for both. If Bastien had lived, saving the man she loved would have been its own reward.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Dorian Pavus]]
!!Dorian Pavus
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pavus_dorian_9188.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"I'm here to set things right. Also? To look dashing. That part's less difficult."'']]
->'''Voiced by:''' ''Ramon Tikaram''
Dorian is an extraordinarily talented Tevinter mage from the well-established and respected Altus-class House Pavus. He opposes everything that his homeland stands for and is on a crusade to reform the Imperium. He is a romance option for male Inquisitors of any race.
Written by David Gaider.
----
* TheAce: He's good-looking, clever, a talented mage from a society that values magic above all, and born in a prestigious family.
* AgentPeacock: He's openly gay, values aesthetics, wears eyeliner, is described as fashion conscious by the writers, and is one of the most talented mages in all the Imperium. Fitting, as his last name is "Pavus" (Latin for Peacock).
** One of his party banters with Varric has him pestering the dwarf to declare who the best-dressed mage in the Inquisition is. Varric isn't dumb enough to answer.
* {{Ambadassador}}: In ''Trespasser'', he is not only a full-on Magister, he's also a Tevinter ambassador.
* AngerBornOfWorry:
** Tends to snap at a romanced Inquisitor when he's frightened for them.
** He also does this for an Inquisitor with whom he has become close friends. After [[spoiler: the events in the Fade during the Adamant quest]], he snaps and snarks his way through the conversation - the Inquisitor's increasing bewilderment is very clearly written on his/her face. Finally he breaks down and admits that he was scared of losing his dear friend, and urges them to ''please'' be more careful in the future.
** He gets another moment if the Inquisitor [[spoiler: drinks from the Well of Sorrows.]]
* ArrangedMarriage: He narrowly escaped one with a sharp-tongued woman named Livia Herathinos. Dorian suspects that she's as happy to have avoided it as he is.
* TheAlcoholic[=/=]DrowningMySorrows: He mentions drinking and being drunk more than any of the other companions and the game heavily implies that drinking is a form of coping mechanism for him. It's hinted that he picked it up from his mother. He's never actually shown being inebriated, however.
-->'''Dorian:''' At any rate, time to drink myself into a stupor. It's been that sort of day.
* AlcoholicParent: He implies that his mother was a LadyDrunk.
* AllGaysArePromiscuous: Heartwarmingly subverted. At first Dorian appears flippant and takes a casual approach to sex if you bed him as a male Inquisitor. However, the reality is that his snarky behavior is a coping mechanism which he uses to hid his insecurities, and in fact he desires nothing more than a committed, monogamous relationship with a man he loves. Of course, since he's of noble birth and was pressured to marry and continue the Pavus bloodline from an early age, Dorian had practically zero chance of finding such a relationship in his homeland.
* TheArchmage: [[spoiler:After Halward is killed by assassins, Dorian takes his place on the Magisterium.]]
* {{Badass}}: One of the greatest mages from a country known for its great mages, and if you first meet him in Recliffe's Chantry, you find him ''beating'' a ''demon'' to death with his staff. Enough said.
* BadassBookworm: His preferred spot in Skyhold is the library, and he occasionally complains that the selection and organization aren't up to his standards.
* BadassGay: He doesn't let the discrimination he faces in his homeland for being gay stop him from being a badass.
* BadassMustache: He's a skilled mage and he has a rather awesome 'stache.
* BadPowersGoodPeople: He's a rather idealistic and noble soul, but he has no problem with using necromancy.
* BattleCouple: With a male Inquisitor, or he can form one half of one [[spoiler:with Iron Bull]].
* BerserkButton: He hates the Venatori, seeing them as the embodiment of everything wrong with Tevinter. His personal sidequest consists of tracking down several Venatori agents and killing them all. Each time you kill one Dorian greatly approves.
* BlueBlood: House Pavus is an "Altus" house, who can trace lineage back to the ancient dreamer priests of the Old Gods of Tevinter.
* {{Brainwashed}}: Narrowly avoided it. His father [[spoiler:was planning to forcibly change his sexuality through a blood magic ritual,]] which was a large part of the reason why Dorian left Tevinter.
* BrokenPedestal:
** Alexius, and his country in general. [[spoiler:He also lost any admiration he had for his father when he tried to use blood magic (something his father taught him was a crutch for the weak) to make him straight]].
** He still believes that his country can do great things, but he is fully aware that it is has moved the wrong way for that to happen.
** The Pedestal is shattered even further after he finds out about the Elder One's identity, since it proves that ancient Tevinter magisters really ''were'' responsible for the Darkspawn appearing on Thedas. People are taught differently in Tevinter, and while Dorian didn't quite believe everything, he still hoped there was a grain of truth in what he was taught.
* BulletTime: Dorian's [[LimitBreak Focus Spell]] is Haste, which substantially slows the rest of the world while the party continues to act normally.
* CallingTheOldManOut: [[spoiler:His personal quest is all about confronting his father for trying to make him straight through Blood Magic. You can convince him to either reconcile with his father or to completely cut him out of his life.]]
* TheCharmer: His confidence comes at least partly from the high stature of his bloodline.
* CommonalityConnection:
** He and Solas discover that they share a passion for obscure, half-forgotten magic and ancient artifacts.
** He and Cassandra both came from privileged backgrounds and could have lived out their lives without any obligations beyond getting married. They both rebelled at the IdleRich lifestyle and waves of uninteresting suitors.
* CulturalCringe: Painfully aware of the problems with the Tevinter Imperium, though he still thinks it has enough redeeming qualities to be worth saving. At one point he will attempt to apologize to Solas for what Tevinter did to Arlathan. Solas rejects this, pointing out that Arlathan was an empire no better or worse than Tevinter. He also claims that if Dorian really feels bad about what Tevinter did or didn't do, he should be trying to solve the present-day problems in the Imperium like slavery. Otherwise, any apologies he gave would be hollow. [[spoiler:At the end of the game, Dorian may make plans to do just that.]]
* CureYourGays: Thankfully Dorian managed to avoid going through this, since it's a very dark example of the trope; [[spoiler:his father was planning to ''rewire his brain'' using blood magic so that he would be straight, even though there was a high chance that such a ritual would have lobotomised him. When Dorian discovered the plan, he was so enraged and hurt he turned his back on his family more or less for good.]]
* DarkIsNotEvil[=/=]LightIsGood: As an extremely nice and idealistic {{Necromancer}} who dresses primarily in white, he fits both tropes.
* DatingCatwoman: If neither are romanced, he and [[spoiler:Iron Bull]] can begin a relationship, despite the fact that their people are at war with each other.
* DefectorFromDecadence: He caught wind of something nasty the magisters were planning and promptly defected from Tevinter.
* DeadpanSnarker: His wit is described as being sharper than any blade.
* DeliberateValuesDissonance: Growing up in Tevinter as a member of the nobility meant growing up with slaves. For most of his life he didn't really see anything wrong with it as a result, though that's starting to change.
* EatingTheEyeCandy:
** If the Inquisitor is male, his approval is very high and you've flirted at least once, Dorian will offhandedly comment that he could watch you walk around Skyhold all day.
** During a game of Wicked Grace, Dorian is perfectly happy to watch Cullen's walk of shame back to the barracks, as he [[HumiliatingWager bet all of his clothes]] against a hand with Josephine.
** A romanced [[spoiler: Iron Bull]] will constantly offer to flex for him.
* EmbarrassingNickname: Doesn't like that Varric gives him the nickname Sparkler... until he comes to the conclusion that [[ActuallyPrettyFunny it's actually clever.]]
* EvilLaugh: When Sera asks why he doesn't do this, he explains that you're not allowed until you get your Magister License.
* EvilMentor: He was trained by Gereon Alexius, Magister of the Tevinter Imperium and an agent of the Venatori. [[spoiler:Subverted, however, in that Alexius isn't really ''evil'' - just maddened by grief. He lost his wife to a Darkspawn attack, and his only child was infected with the Blight in the same event. His [[WellIntentionedExtremist entire motivation]] in joining Corypheus is to save his son, and Corypheus lured him with false promises of assistance.]]
* {{Foil}}: To Vivienne. Both are mages that come from very high society in two very haughty nations, both are vain and are [[InsufferableGenius annoyingly confident in their talent]]. However, Vivienne seems to only be in it for her own advancement, while Dorian honestly wants to make a better world simply because it's the right thing to do, even if it puts him at odds with the society that bore him. Dorian was also born in a society where mages are the [[TheMagocracy de facto power]] (and even is the son of one such elite mage), while Vivienne had to claw her way to the upper echelons of a society that distrusts mages.
* GayBestFriend: To a friendly female Inquisitor, particularly if she's romancing Cullen. He's even willing to playfully flirt with her, despite both of them knowing it means nothing.
** Moreover, if he and [[spoiler:Iron Bull]] are not put in the active party together often enough to make the romance common knowledge, he can decide at the victory celebration that he doesn't want to return to Tevinter just yet, mostly because "it lacks the presence of my best and only friend."
* {{Gayngst}}: He's gotten over it, but the Tevinter Imperium is all about perfection, with a focus on the strongest magical bloodline and anything that falls outside of this ideal, such as homosexuality in Dorian's case, [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain is considered a defect]]. This is one of the many reasons he was cynical of the Imperium culture long before he actually decided to leave.
* GayOption: For male Inquisitors.
* GenreSavvy: Dorian is pragmatic and politically aware, so he often highlights actions and problems that other companions gloss over or take for granted.
** Often [[LampshadeHanging draws attention]] to the Inquisitor's body count and the fact that they wander around "killing random strangers."
** If romanced, he's fully aware that, from a political point of view, he's one of the worst choices of partner the Inquisitor could have made. He's very sensitive to the effect that being around him has on the Inquisitor's reputation, and goes out of his way to avoid giving people reasons to assume that the Inquisitor is being influenced or manipulated by him. When Mother Giselle more or less accuses him of having undue influence over the Inquisitor (either because they're in a romance or because they're close friends), he is visibly distressed.
** Like Varric, he realizes that heroes like the Inquisitor usually die gloriously. [[AngerBornOfWorry Hence his habit of panicking when the Inquisitor does something dangerous]].
** He notices that it's the Inquisitor that's always running around Skyhold to talk to people, and wonders why no one ever goes to the Inquisitor.
* GuiltyPleasures
** Fereldan beer.
** PlayedForDrama in that [[spoiler:this his how Dorian sees his relationship with the Iron Bull. Bull doesn't put up with it, which causes some problems early in the relationship. Dorian eventually gets over it.]]
* ICantBelieveAGuyLikeYouWouldNoticeMe: Variant. He's not surprised that the Inquisitor wants to sleep with him, but he ''is'' surprised if they want to risk their political and social standing to ''stay'' with him.
* IllTakeThatAsACompliment: When Sera asks if there are more non-scary Tevinters who keep their magic to themselves.
* INeedAFreakingDrink: After his personal quest.
* IncompatibleOrientation: Dorian to his former [[ArrangedMarriage betrothed]], much to his parents' frustration. Also to a female Inquisitior, particularly one who flirts with him but doesn't realize he's gay till he spells it out for her (to which she can respond he led her on). If they have high relationship values when she finds out, he can even sympathetically respond, "In another life." Dorian is also attracted to Cullen, but does not pursue him because he already knows that this is the case.
* InnocentlyInsensitive: Downplayed. There are moments when he, as a very high-status Altus in a {{Magocracy}}, is shown to be somewhat blind to how racism affects elves and slaves. He's not ''too'' blind though, he wouldn't be a Companion if he was truly insulated from how corrupt Tevinter is.
* InsecureLoveInterest: Though he practically oozes self-confidence in regards to his looks and intelligence, he's surprisingly insecure when it comes to relationships. He mentions his lack of suitability as a partner several times, and offers the Inquisitor many opportunities to break off the relationship. His society's contempt for homosexuality has left its mark.
* InsistentTerminology: One thing that annoys him is how the Southerners use the term "Magister" for any mage from Tevinter. As he clarifies, while he is a mage from Tevinter, this does not make him a Magister, which is a rank all on its own rather than just being any Tevinter mage as commonly thought by "Southern barbarians". In fact, he is an Altus, though he does become a Magister by the Trespasser DLC [[spoiler:after inheriting it from his father, who was assassinated.]]
* InsufferableGenius: Has a massive ego regarding his skills and appearance.
* InternalReformist: [[spoiler:In the epilogue of ''Trespasser'', Dorian makes good on his plans to return home and fix Tevinter, forming the new Lucerni faction alongside Maevaris Tilani.]]
* KissingCousins: After checking through some family records, it turns out that the Human Inquisitor is a very distant cousin of his (so distant that it's pretty much a formality at this point). House Trevelyan was once a branch family of House Pavus that settled in Ostwick. If you like, the Inquisitor can respond by asking if this means they can still flirt. He assures you that you're good to go by about three ''Ages''.
* LieBackAndThinkOfEngland: How his parents wanted him to overcome his IncompatibleOrientation regarding his ArrangedMarriage (so he could sire an heir for them), but something that Dorian refuses to do.
* LikeBrotherAndSister: His relationship with a female Inquisitor who maxes out their friendship is basically this. There is a great deal of affection in their interactions, and when she returns from [[spoiler:the Fade]], he's one of the only companions to ask if ''she'' is all right, rather than needing to be comforted in some way. It's even more pronounced if she romances Cullen; see ShipperOnDeck, below.
* LikeParentLikeSpouse: Even without the IncompatibleOrientation issue, what little Dorian says about his mother and his betrothed implies he was heading in this direction.
* MakingLoveInAllTheWrongPlaces: Dorian is ''mortified'' when Cole starts announcing to the others places where he and [[spoiler:Iron Bull]] have had sex, including on the war council table. Most of the group is just amused; Blackwall's comment is that he can't wait to tell Cullen.
* MalignedMixedMarriage:
** Comes up if he's romanced by in the Inquisitor. Regardless of race or even personal beliefs, the Inquisitor comes to embody the ideals of the ''Southern'' Chantry, and is essentially its de facto leader in the absence of a Divine. The Southern Chantry historically has a ''very'' negative view of Tevinter, whom they blame for the death of their prophet Andraste, and is also a land where mages rule. Therefore, Mother Giselle cautions the Inquisitor about the public perception of the Inquisition should it be revealed that a Tevinter mage is romantically involved with the Inquisitor. Notably, the stigma the Inquisitor and Dorian face as a couple has almost nothing to do with their same-sex relationship, but is solely because of Dorian's nationality and magical abilities, since Thedas generally has a very tolerant attitude towards homosexuality (it's usually considered a curiosity but not immoral).
** And if he's not romanced by the Inquisitor and the Inquisitor isn't in a romance with [[spoiler: Iron Bull]], they end up together, even though Tevinter and [[spoiler: the Qunari]] have been at war for ''centuries''. Although they don't face any stigma from the Inquisition (unless you're playing a {{Jerkass}} Inquisitor), they are both obviously aware of how taboo their relationship is in the eyes of their people.
* ManInWhite: Highlights his status as a pariah, given that ''The World of Thedas'' describes Tevinter fashion as generally quite dark.
* MeaningfulName: The most notable aspect of the name "Dorian" is its use in ''Literature/ThePictureOfDorianGray'', and "Pavus" is Latin for peacock. There appears to be a vanity theme, which is fitting given his cocky behaviour and pride in his magic.
* MrFanservice: Dorian is one of the first men in the series to have a shot of his backside on display if romanced.
* MurderIsTheBestSolution: Has this opinion when dealing with any Magisters (or ''any'' of his countrymen for that matter) allied with the Venatori.
* MyBelovedSmother: He alludes to this if he's brought to the Winter Palace. It's [[DeadlyDecadentCourt so much like the parties back in Tevinter]] that he expects his mother to materialize and drag him off by his ear. He expresses the belief that she doesn't quite grasp that he grew past the age of five.
* MyCountryTisOfTheeThatISting: Dorian had always despised the falseness of the mageocracy, but the conspiracy he discovered among the magisters was the tipping point that caused him to separate himself from Tevinter entirely.
* MySignificanceSenseIsTingling: When you approach the apostate stronghold in the Hinterlands.
-->'''Dorian:''' Do you feel that? My magic sensing nose is tingling.\\
'''Sera:''' Bullshit.\\
'''Dorian:''' It can also sense gullible morons.
* MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch: Stands out as the first Tevinter mage in the franchise to not participate in the Tevinter system. He even calls Alexius out for "acting just like the cliche villains any outsider expects us to be".
* {{Necromancer}}: His specialization.
* NiceGuy: The very first Tevinter character who can honestly be described as this. Despite being a Tevinter and a necromancer (not to mention being an InsufferableGenius about his skills and more than a little vain at times), he's a noble soul who honestly wants to help the Inquisition. He refuses to participate in the Tevinter system; he wants to reform it, to save his homeland from itself. While he gets exasperated that others think him nefarious due to his background, in private conversations, he patiently tries to overcome misconceptions about the Imperium.
* OddCouple: With [[spoiler: The Iron Bull]], if neither of them are romanced. [[spoiler: Dorian expects Bull to put him in chains or sew his mouth shut, as [[AntiMagicalFaction that's what Qunari do to their mages]]. The Bull replies that [[SafeSaneAndConsensual he buys a person dinner before tying them up]].]]
* OddFriendship:
** With Cullen, who is an ex-Templar. They play chess together.
** With Cole, who is a Spirit of Compassion and possible demon.
** With Sera, who dislikes mages ''and'' nobles, while he is both.
* TheOneThatGotAway: Cole implies that Dorian has one of these in his past.
-->'''Cole:''' He would have said yes.\\
'''Dorian:''' I'll thank you not to do that again.
* OnlyChildSyndrome: Dorian's conflict with his family is aggravated by the lack of siblings who could carry on the Pavus legacy in his stead. Justified by the fact that Dorian's parents hate each other and would have only wanted to spend as much time together as necessary to produce an heir. By the time they realized that putting all of their eggs in one basket had backfired, it was probably too late.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: The normally flippant and sarcastic Dorian completely flips his shit at his dad for what the man tried to do to him.
* OpenMouthInsertFoot: There's more than a few moments where his tendency to snark at everything results in him not shutting up when he really should.
* PairTheSpares: If you do not romance him or [[spoiler: The Iron Bull]], and take them together often enough, they get together.
* TheParagon: Ridiculously talented and of an esteemed bloodline, he uses the admiration he is afforded to make himself an example as he rebels against the Imperium.
* TheParagonAlwaysRebels: From the Tevinters' point of view. From the perspective of ''everyone else,'' though, it's more akin to a HeelFaceTurn.
* PardonMyKlingon: He occasionally makes a Tevene (Tevinter language) cuss of "Vishante kaffas" - it means "You shit on my tongue."
* PlatonicLifePartners:
** If you gain "Friend" status and don't romance him, he swears his loyalty to you and says he will fight for you against anything, so long as you'll have him.
** This leads to a sweet moment during the celebration after the final battle, if you did not have Dorian and [[spoiler:Iron Bull]] in the party together often enough to begin a relationship, [[spoiler:or romanced Bull yourself]]. The Inquisitor with whom he is friends can ask if he still plans to return to Tevinter, to which he replies that he intends to remain in Skyhold for the time being since Tevinter "lacks the presence of my best and only friend."
** He apparently had this relationship with Felix during his studies with Alexius. He denies he ever had any romantic involvement with Felix since that would have meant taking advantage of his mentor's hospitality.
* PrecisionFStrike: When confronting his father.
-->'''Dorian:''' You wanted the best for ''you!'' For your ''fucking'' legacy! Anything for that!
* PrettyBoy:
-->'''Iron Bull:''' Watch yourself. The pretty ones are always the worst.\\
'''Harding:''' Dorian's awfully pretty, isn't he?
* RebelPrince: He's of high rank in the Imperium, yet throws it all away for his ideals.
* RedemptionQuest: Specifically, he wants to redeem his country. Near the end of the game, he may discuss plans to return home and improve things (as opposed to leaving because you just don't get along - see below). He may decide to postpone this if you're in a romance or on good terms.
* ReligiousBruiser: Dorian doesn't mention religion often, but if questioned he'll admit that he believes in Andraste and the Maker. He simply views the ''Chantry'' (Orlesian and Tevinter) as an outdated relic.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere If you lose enough approval with him and make enough decisions he disapproves of, you will find out he has booked a ship back to go back to Tevinter after stopping [[spoiler: Corypheus.]] Depending on what you say/do, he may choose to leave right there.
* SeriousBusiness: He takes misfiled library books very personally - there are punishments for that in some places!
* ShipperOnDeck: In a few instances.
** He finds the female Inquisitor's romance with Cullen to be "adorable," and seems to be fond of Cullen as well.
** He also approves of the Inquisitor and Josephine, or at least [[TheGadfly how flustered it makes the latter.]]
* SideBet: Has ''many'' of these going on with Varric.
* ShockAndAwe: He displays no particular elemental preference in-game, but promotional materials show him using lightning to [[FireIceLightning match]] Solas' fire and Vivienne's ice.
** Though all the comments he or others make about his magical abilities are about fire spells rather than lightning ones. The first staff he comes with is also a fire one.
* SmartPeoplePlayChess: Subverted; he's a learned man and plays chess with Cullen, but he cheats. [[CheatersNeverProsper Cullen still beats him.]]
* StepfordSnarker: His wit is driven by his jaded attitude towards his country.
* StopBeingStereotypical: His opinion of his fellow Tevinter mages.
* StrongFamilyResemblance: To his father.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: With Blackwall. The two hate each other mutually. On Dorian's part, he thinks Blackwall is DumbMuscle and [[spoiler:(correctly)]] guesses that, like many Wardens, Blackwall was a criminal or some other kind of social undesirable before being conscripted. He also finds Blackwall's rhetoric about honor, sacrifice and heroics to be self-righteous. He mellows considerably after [[spoiler: Blackwall's true identity is revealed]]. Eventually, they try to find some common ground.
* TheseAreThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow: After [[spoiler:your trip into the Fade]], Dorian suggests keeping quiet about it. He believes that people aren't ready to know that it ''is'' possible to [[spoiler:physically enter the Fade]], given all of the problems that happened the last time someone tried it.
* TooCleverByHalf: He's a genius and he knows it. Sometimes this causes problems.
* TooMuchAlike: Regardless of his sexuality, Dorian implies that [[ArrangedMarriage he and Livia]] dislike each other for this reason.
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Grapes. Especially ones that have been hand-peeled and fed to him.
* {{Tsundere}}: He has shades of this during his party banter with the Iron Bull, who gets a major kick out of teasing him. [[spoiler:If neither of them are romanced and they hook up, it becomes even more apparent.]]
* VitriolicBestBuds:
** He and Vivienne enjoy tearing into one another, but it's all good fun to them. She even defends his relationship with a male Inquisitor to an outsider, according to party banter.
** He also develops this relationship with Blackwall once both of them come to understand and respect the other's past and motivations.
* WellDoneSonGuy: According to what Cole picks up from Dorian's memories (and some dialogue from Dorian himself), he used to revere his father.
-->'''Cole:''' "Anything to make him happy. ''Anything.''" Why isn't that true anymore?\\
'''Dorian:''' ''[choked]'' Cole, this... is not the sort of discussion for walking around.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Solas]]
!!Solas
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/solas_6383.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"I have seen things in my journeys that most can only dream of. Literally."'']]
->'''Voiced by:''' ''Gareth David-Lloyd''
A raggedy hedge mage who is an expert on the subject of the Fade. He sees the Breach as an opportunity to finally put his unique knowledge to good use, hoping to challenge a few preconceptions along the way. He is a romance option for female elven Inquisitors.
Written by Patrick Weekes.
----
* AboveGoodAndEvil: He refuses to believe in bad and good, thinking that such oversimplifications are precisely what led to the current crisis.
* AdmiringTheAbomination:
** He doesn't perceive some demons as demons, but merely spirits whose desires/functions have gone wrong. For example, where one might see a Pride demon, he simply sees a Wisdom spirit.
** Upon seeing a dragon, he mentions admiring the purity of such raw power.
* AllForNothing: All of his efforts to [[spoiler:reclaim the Orb from Corypheus]] fail in the end [[spoiler:when it is destroyed in the final battle.]]
* AmbiguousSituation: [[spoiler: Resolved as of Trespasser: the elven gods, of whom he is one, were never really gods at all, simply powerful magic users that progressed from war leaders to kings to being worshipped as gods. The closest equivalent are the Tevinter magisters - and, ironically, Solas' plan is basically the same as Corypheus', even with similar reasoning.]]
* AmIJustAToyToYou: A potential response to [[spoiler:his breaking off a relationship with the Inquisitor. She can scream at him to tell her she was just some casual dalliance, but he can't bring himself to do it.]]
* AnarchyIsChaos: Subverted. During banter with Sera, he proposes various ways for the [[TerroristWithoutACause Friends of Red Jenny]] to be more effective at what they do. Hearing [[NiceGuy Solas]] talking about overthrowing political order, establishing a new authority and then "disposing" of the agents that have now become obstacles to the reformation leaves Sera freaked out.
* AnimalMotifs: Solas seems to have an affinity for wolves, as seen by his jawbone necklace, wall murals, and tarot cards. Cole asks him what he thinks of wolves, and he says they're smart, practical, misunderstood animals.
* ApologeticAttacker:
** [[spoiler:In TheStinger, he tearfully tells Flemeth that he should be the one to pay the price for giving Corypheus the Orb - but the People need him. Then he drains... something from her, apparently killing her.]]
** During "All New, Faded For Her", he apologizes to [[spoiler:the Wisdom Spirit, but it tells him not to be sorry and requests a MercyKill]]. Surprisingly, he does ''not'' apologize if [[spoiler:you choose to attack the spirit while it's corrupted into a Pride demon instead of freeing it from the binding circle]].
** At the end of ''Trespasser'' he'll go more into his plans. [[spoiler: These involve destroying the world by tearing down the Veil and letting the magic come back.]] If you have high approval he'll admit this is a terrible thing, and you have shown him that he has been wrong before. But he feels it must be done. If you state that you will try to show him the world is worth saving, he will all but beg you to prove him wrong.
* AppropriatedAppellation: [[spoiler: Solas actually is his real name. Fen'Harel was an insult from his enemies, one that he eventually took as a badge of pride.]]
* TheAtoner:
** [[spoiler:He's the reason Corypheus has the orb that allowed him to open the Breach, but believes himself too important to the fate of the elves to accept death as punishment, so he must make amends by stopping the Elder One instead.]]
** ''Trespasser'' reveals that [[spoiler: Solas was also the one who created the Veil which separates the physical world from the spirit world, the latter of which is the source of all magic. Since elves were intrinsically tied to the Fade, being cut off from it caused them to age and their society to crumble, which left them easy pickings for the human Imperium. He ''deeply'' regrets his hand in the elves' downfall, and seeks to remove the Veil to restore what he took from the elves. He's open to alternatives, he just doesn't think there are any]].
--->'''Solas:''' I would ''treasure'' the chance to be wrong once more, my friend.
* AuthorAppeal: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKtvrK34rzc Solas absolutely hates tea]], especially caffeinated tea - it keeps him awake and thus unable to enter the Fade in dreams. Incidentally, Patrick Weekes doesn't like it either.
* BadassBookworm: He's a powerful mage, and upon moving into Skyhold, you'll find a note on his desk stating that he's requested at least a dozen books on the Fade, plus more to be delivered from libraries across Orlais and Ferelden.
* BadBoss: [[spoiler: He's suggested to have been Felassan's superior from ''The Masked Empire'' and killed him. Cole also makes a comment that suggests this ingame.]]
-->'''Cole:''' His friend had to die, because he thought they were people. A slow arrow breaks in the sad wolf's jaws.
* BerserkButton: There's only one thing that will always consistently make Solas lose his cool: denying living creatures their freedom. Whether these are spirits, people living under the Qun, mages, slaves, or anything else, he will always get heated, and sometimes even outwardly angry about this topic.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: Normally calm and civil, but if something pushes a BerserkButton too hard, he's more than willing to KillItWithFire. Also note that his specialization, Rift Mage, is the most destructive of the three.
* BigBad: [[spoiler: His plan to merge Thedas with the Fade makes him this post-''Inquisition.'']]
* BigDamnKiss: [[spoiler:With a romanced female Lavellan near the end of ''Trespasser'', which [[IntimateHealing he uses to remove the Anchor]] and save her life.]]
* BilingualBonus: He occasionally speaks in full Elvish (unlike most elves, who just [[PoirotSpeak pepper a few words here and there]]), and rarely bothers to translate this. You can learn a bit more about him if you take the time to translate it yourself. You can also catch him [[MetaphoricallyTrue altering the translation]] of some phrases.
* BoomerangBigot: A mild example, as he's not terribly fond of other elves. He particularly disapproves of the Dalish, though he's not one himself. [[spoiler: The reason for this ends up being that he feels current elves are mere shadows of what they once were.]]
* BornInTheWrongCentury: Listening to Solas talk about the ancient elves gives one the distinct impression that he feels everything was better then, and he frequently mentions seeing it would be spectacular. [[spoiler: It turns out he ''was'' born in the wrong century; he's an ancient elf from the days of Arlathan. No wonder he prefers the past; he was ''there''.]]
* BrutalHonesty: He is perfectly happy to break down a comfortable lie regardless of being seen as rude, and prefers people who are genuine and honest. He respects Cassandra for this reason, in spite of their disagreements.
* CantSpitItOut: WordOfGod says that at the culmination of his romance, he was planning on admitting [[spoiler:everything, including his [[GodInHumanForm true identity]]]], but backed out, and decided to tell you the truth about [[spoiler:your vallaslin instead.]]
* CaughtTheHeartOnHisSleeve: During his second romance scene, he very nearly leaves when he decides it would better in the long run not to pursue the Inquisitor, only to be stopped this way and give in.
* ChastityCouple: As with Josephine, the Inquisitor's romance with Solas is never confirmed to be sexual, leaving it to the player to determine what they prefer to imagine. In ''Trespasser'', [[spoiler: it is confirmed that Solas would not "lay with [the Inquisitor] under false pretenses," though his phrasing is still pretty ambiguous. Is he saying he never slept with the Inquisitor, or that he slept with her as himself (Solas) rather than Fen'Harel, or denying that he manipulated her through sex and romance? You decide!]]
** It's semi-implied through certain dialogue options that [[spoiler: Solas and Lavellan have slept together]].
-->'''Lavellan:''' You're being grim and fatalistic in hope of [[spoiler: getting me into bed]], aren't you?
-->'''Solas:''' I ''am'' grim and fatalistic. [[spoiler: Getting you into bed is just an enjoyable side benefit.]]
* ChessmasterSidekick: He's the one who originally knows about Skyhold's location, but sets it up such that the Inquisitor appears to "find" it for the growing masses following them, ensuring they look like an inspiring leader [[spoiler:rather than someone who just won a heavy PyrrhicVictory by destroying Haven]]. At the Winter Palace, he has himself introduced as "the Inquisitor's elven serving man" and no more, despite the fact that his role in the Inquisition is as an expert in the Fade.
* CloudcuckoolandersMinder: For Cole, a little bit. Cole can converse much more readily and more on the same level with Solas than most other people, and Solas sometimes offers translation when Cole gets a bit too metaphorical to understand.
* CommonalityConnection:
** Initially seems to be a {{Foil}} to Dorian: raggedy versus pristine, apostate versus [[TheMagocracy magister]]. But Dorian is ''not'' a magister; he is, in fact, a DefectorFromDecadence, something Solas greatly appreciates. They bond over magic and artifacts.
** Played with in several of his conversations with Dorian too, he approves of his DefectorFromDecadence status, but criticizes him for running away from it rather than really trying to change it. [[spoiler: Little does Dorian know, Solas also blames himself for the downfall of the elves, and is working to change it.]]
--->'''Solas:''' If you wish to make amends for past transgressions, free the slaves of all races who live in Tevinter today.\\
'''Dorian:''' I... don't know that I can do that.\\
'''Solas:''' Then how sorry are you?
* ConstantlyCurious: Ties into his intellectual nature, sometimes even offending people. He also likes it when '''others''' are curious. One of the most consistent ways to gain approval with him is to ask questions of everything.
* CoolOldGuy: Solas is in his forties. He and Blackwall occasionally have "kids these days" talks. [[spoiler:Actually, he's a couple thousand years older, but it still applies.]]
* CrazyPrepared: Implied in Trespasser. [[spoiler: Upon learning that he created the Veil to imprison the Evanuris, and plans to destroy it to restore the elves, the Inquisitor can state that destroying Veil will release the Evanuris from their imprisonment, which would be a ''very'' bad thing. Solas merely replies he has plans for when that happens, but does not elaborate.]]
* DarkIsNotEvil: He doesn't practice BloodMagic himself, but nor does he see it as inherently worse than any other school. He draws the line at trying to manipulate the Blight, however.
* DeadpanSnarker: While normally fairly polite, snark seems to be his default method of dealing with people he doesn't like. Putting him in a party with Vivienne results in some epic SnarkToSnarkCombat.
-->'''Vivienne:''' So, an apostate?\\
'''Solas:''' That is correct, Enchanter. I did not train in your Circle.\\
'''Vivienne:''' Well, dear, I hope you can take care of yourself, should we encounter anything outside your experience.\\
'''Solas:''' I will try, in my own fumbling way, to learn from how you helped seal the rifts at Haven. Ah, wait! My memory misleads me. You were not there.
* DefectorFromDecadence: Implied in his backstory. [[spoiler:It's not clear if Solas was actually one of the evanuris at some point, but if the statuary and iconography found in Mythal and Dirthamen's temples are anything to go by, he used to be a pretty important guy. He later rebelled against the elven gods and fought to free their slaves, [[BeingGoodSucks earning himself the name Fen'Harel, and a couple millennia of vilification for his efforts]].]]
* DestructiveSaviour: [[spoiler:He was responsible for creating the Veil long ago, sealing away the other cruel elven "gods"... at the cost of sapping elves of their immortality and the destruction of all their magic-reliant wonders. His current plan is to restore what was lost by removing the Veil... which would cause untold devastation on the current world.]]
* DidntSeeThatComing: [[spoiler: When he let Corypheus find the Orb, he expected Corypheus would blow himself up unlocking it, leaving Solas to take the Anchor. He didn't count on his dupe being able to jump bodies. Thus, the explosion that destroyed the Conclave and the resulting Breach are his fault. His joining the Inquisition was his means of cleaning up the mess he's made as much reclaiming his Orb.]]
* DidYouJustRomanceCthulhu: His flustered reaction to Blackwall's inquiry on the subject suggests he may or may not have been intimate with [[OurSpiritsAreDifferent a Fade Spirit]], which are extremely otherworldly by most standards. [[spoiler:And then there's the fact that he's Fen'harel, which would seem to make him a DivineDate for the Inquisitor. While ''Trespasser'' reveals that the elven pantheon weren't divine, exactly, their power and age was great enough that difference is troublesome from a mortal perspective.]]
* DivineDate: [[spoiler:Teased to be this for a romanced female Lavellan with the epilogue reveal that he is Fen'Harel, ultimately discredited when Trespasser reveals that the ancient elven "gods" were not world-creating entities so much as exceptionally powerful mages. It's worth noting, however, that they/Solas were/are so far beyond mages post the Veil in power that the distinction may not actually matter, depending on your point of view.]]
* DoNotGoGentle: In banter with Varric, Solas evinces bewilderment as to why the dwarves have let themselves become a DyingRace, and states that nothing could be worse than simply giving in. [[spoiler:Probably because he can remember the days when the durgen'len were in their golden age.]] Varric is actually ''offended'' by this, since he considers the surface dwarves like himself a separate culture and ''they're'' thriving.
* TheDogWasTheMastermind: [[spoiler:No one suspected that the [[MysteriousStranger mysterious]], [[NiceGuy mild-mannered]] elven apostate was the one responsible for giving Corypheus the orb, or that he was subtly shaping the Inquisition into a force that he could use to retrieve the aforementioned artifact. Doubles as a StealthPun, since Solas is the [[AnimalMotif Dread Wolf]] of elven legend.]]
* DoesNotLikeSpam: He hates the taste of tea, partly because it's a stimulant that keeps him from engaging in his favorite pastime of dreaming in the Fade, and partly because [[SweetTooth it's just too bitter]]. There is more than a dash of AuthorAppeal here, as Solas's writer Patrick Weekes has stated that he too dislikes tea.
* {{Dreamwalker}}: With time, he mastered the ability to visit places in the Fade no others could. It is similar to lucid dreaming.
* DudeWheresMyRespect: Has shades of this in some of his interactions. Despite having extensive knowledge of [[DreamWorld the Fade]] and ancient elven culture, he claims that both humans and the Dalish look down on him. He's especially bitter towards the Dalish, probably because [[spoiler:he's remembered as the BigBad of their legends, even though the actions they accurately accuse him of (sealing away the elven "gods," and being directly responsible for the downfall of elvhen magic and immortality) were born out of a desire to free them, not to spite them.]]
* DyingAlone: His worst nightmare, according to the Fear Demon.
* EarlyBirdCameo: Appears in the background at the tavern in Varric's character trailer set before the creation of the breach.
* EarthyBarefootCharacter: Like many elves. He commonly wears footwraps that cover his heels but leave his toes ExposedToTheElements, but spending so much time outdoors has left him able to stand in the snow with no complaints.
* EnlightenmentSuperpowers: He learned to draw his power directly from the Fade after many years of isolation, introspection, and Fade exploration.
* {{Envy}}: Minor case; he admires spirits like Cole for their simple and uncomplicated lives, and admires Sera for her simple and uncomplicated purpose.
-->'''Solas:''' I am not a spirit, and sometimes it is hard to remember such simple truths.
* ExactWords: Solas very rarely outright lies. However, he is more than willing to omit information and twist his phrasing in order to [[spoiler:hide his identity, and his role in [[NiceJobBreakingItHero instigating the plot]].]]
* TheEvilsOfFreeWill: He is vehemently against such sentiments. If anyone expresses such a sentiment (like, for example, espousing the virtues of the Qun), Solas ''will'' give them a tirade on how it's tantamount to slavery or worse. He's big on free agency.
* FallenHero: [[spoiler: He was once the leader of a rebellion against false gods. Come ''Trespasser'', he declares himself willing to commit mass murder on an ''unprecedented'' scale in order to restore the old world. If you have a high enough approval with him, he will state that he hopes the Inquisition can prove to him the world is worth saving.]]
* FantasticRacism:
** He despises the Qun and considers its followers worse off than slaves since slaves can at least struggle for their freedom while Qunari are conditioned to accept their lot in life. Of course, he shows respect towards ones [[spoiler:like the Iron Bull (possibly)]] who turn away from the Qun.
** In conversation with a Vashoth Inquisitor who has earned his respect, he will state that he believed that ''all'' Qunari were inherently savage creatures and the Qun was the only thing that kept them in check. He even asks if the Anchor must have altered you somehow.
** He is racist towards the Dalish as well, scathingly mocking them for attempting to reclaim elven culture and saying they're nowhere near being able to do so and looks down on them. [[spoiler: One the player knows he's Fen'harel it makes sense, but it doesn't make it right.]]
** In the ''Trespasser'' DLC, [[spoiler:he admits that when he first woke up, he didn't see modern people as ''people''. The fact that none of them had more than the barest connection to the Fade made them seem like a world of Tranquil. If the Inquisitor gained his respect, he reverses this stance (though he's still planning on removing the Veil)]].
* FirstGuyWins: He's the first romanceable male you meet (albeit only if you're a female elf), being introduced along with the non-romanceable Varric soon after Cassandra.
* {{Foil}}:
** His humble brown clothing contrasts with Vivienne's pearl and gold. Additionally, he's an apostate, whereas she's a pro-Circle mage, and his spirit-friendly attitude challenges her own views. Surprisingly, however, he too relishes the DeadlyDecadentCourt.
** Also to Sera. She's brash, mouthy, and has no interest in anything not immediately important to her pranks and everyday life. He's quiet, thoughtful, and consistently interested in ancient history, especially elven history. However, both of them distance themselves from other elves.
** To Briala. [[spoiler:As Felassan notes, the two of them are very much alike. Both of them are rebels who try to use the Eluvians to improve the lot of the elven people. While Briala has rejected Elvhenan and seeks to save the elves through political reform, Solas believes that the only way to save the elves is to restore Elvehanan.]]
* {{Foreshadowing}}:
** Cole says he feels different from the other companions, and detects an unspecified guilt from Solas' past. Solas is also able to wall off his feelings from Cole, who is a spirit who specializes in sensing feelings, particularly those of pain.
--->'''Cole:''' They sleep, masked in a mirror, hiding, hurting, and to wake them... ''(gasps)'' Where did it go?\\
'''Solas:''' I apologize, Cole. That is not a pain you can heal.
** While discussing their shared histories of war, Blackwall asks if Solas was part of some "elven skirmish". Solas hedges and says Blackwall wouldn't have heard of it.
** If the Inquisitor says they'll use [[spoiler: the power of the Well]] to make the world better, he emotionally asks what they'll do if they [[spoiler:"wake up" in the future]] and things are even worse.
** He wears the lower jaw of a canine around his neck. It can be seen under his armor, but it's most obvious when he's not decked out and ready for battle.
** The penultimate quest for the main storyline is [[spoiler: "What Pride Had Wrought".]] One guess on the meaning of Solas's name!
** At one point Solas says that [[spoiler:no god needs to prove himself]] and anyone who tries is mad or lying. This becomes meaningful later ''twice''; once if [[spoiler:the Inquisitor asks why Mythal didn't reveal herself, and she replies "Reveal myself to whom?" and again when you find out Solas himself is Fen'Harel.]]
** Iron Bull notes that every self-taught warrior he has seen, even the good ones, always has something that "clunks" in their fighting style; Solas uses magic effortlessly and with great skill. The elf retorts that, since Bull is not a mage, he probably can't see the awkwardness. However, fellow mages Vivienne and Dorian never notice anything off about his magic. In fact, he and Dorian often geek over obscure magic and artifacts.
** If you bring him along to [[spoiler:the Temple of Mythal]], you might notice that he has a lot more in common with [[spoiler:Abelas and the sentinels]], in terms of facial structure and build, than he does with most modern elves. [[spoiler: He looks like an ancient elf because he ''is'' one. [[GodInHumanForm In some shape or form]], at least.]]
** His mental game of chess with the Iron Bull in party banter subtly reveals more about his true character [[spoiler: and how he pursues his goals]] than perhaps all other examples combined. [[spoiler:He moves a seemingly innocent and inconsequential pawn (the Inquisitor) during a critical juncture of the match, which the Bull ignores, but is unaware that the pawn is in a perfect position to force Bull to defend himself in a way that leaves a gap for Solas to move in for the kill with his mage/bishop (himself).]]
*** [[spoiler: Solas' strategy seems bizarre, even suicidal at first with his sacrifice of his towers/rooks, but shows he's willing to play the LongGame, distracting his opponents with valuable but short-term gains, even placing enemies perilously close to his King, all the while arranging the board so he can move in unimpeded for the ultimate prize.]]
*** [[spoiler: The cornerstone of his strategy has him creating an opening by sacrificing his queen, which can both reference Solas sacrificing Mythal (an old friend, and queen of the Elvhen 'gods') and a romanced Solas sacrificing his relationship with Lavellan (queen of his heart) to succeed in his goal.]]
*** [[spoiler: It is also debatable as to whether he actually 'sacrificed' his towers/rooks, as he was more focused on maneuvering his weaker pieces into position and cared less about defending his more powerful but less useful ones (the game's RealLife player, Adolf Anderssen, explicitly used this game to demonstrate that 'two active pieces are worth a dozen inactive pieces'). Either way, it hints at Solas' ruthless and pragmatic nature.]]
*** His final move is very telling. [[spoiler: The mage/bishop, deep in enemy territory and previously thought to be harmless, checkmates by moving right next to the King, showing that Solas is not adverse to putting himself in mortal danger and personally infiltrating his enemies if it means he can succeed in his goals.]]
*** His final move also [[spoiler: has him protected and all his opponent's escape routes covered by his two Knights. ''Trespasser'' has shown that Solas/Fen'harel has an extensive spy network that even Leliana could not discover, and Bull calls the Knight pieces 'Ben-Hassrath', the Qunari equivalent of spies or Seekers, which further describe Solas' machinations.]]
*** More prosaically, the chess game he and Bull play is a move-for-move copy of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immortal_Game The Immortal Game]] (link to TheOtherWiki). [[spoiler: The name is rather fitting, don't you think?]]
** His personal quest name is [[spoiler: a SignificantAnagram. "All New, Faded For Her" -> "Dread Wolf Fen'Harel".]]
** Promotional material released prior to the game showed the Inquisitor with all of the companions and advisors [[http://imageserver.moviepilot.com/dragon-age-inquisition-romance-facts-speculation.jpeg?width=1920&height=1080 standing around a table a la The Last Supper]]. Solas is [[spoiler:in Judas Iscariot's spot]].
** During In Hushed Whispers, Solas immediately understands Dorian's explanation about what happened to him and the Inquisitor. Comment on it and Solas responds with "You would think such understanding would stop me from making such terrible mistakes. You would be wrong." It's presented like a throwaway line, probably the result of [[spoiler:the BadFuture]] getting the better of him. [[spoiler:Or so you'd think. Turns out that Solas has a very, very good reason for blaming himself.]]
** During "What Pride Has Wrought", there is a small window where Morrigan mentions that [[spoiler:ancient elves were adept travelers of the Fade. What does Solas spend his spare time doing again?]]
* FormerTeenRebel: He makes constant references to mistakes made when he was younger, many dark and sad, while some just silly. When Sera asks him if he ever pissed magic by accident, he has to stop and think about it ("We were all young once"). [[spoiler:Since he's actually Fen'Harel, who is theorized to be the elven God of Rebellion, this is a bit more literal than most examples]].
-->'''Blackwall:''' For all your experience, Solas, you don't carry yourself like a soldier.\\
'''Solas:''' You should have seen me when I was younger. Hot-blooded and cocky, always ready to fight.
* AFormYouAreComfortableWith: Not Solas himself, but when the Inquisitor shares a dream with him, he reshapes [[DreamWorld the Fade]] to resemble [[spoiler:Haven, before it was wiped out]], as he knows the place will always hold meaning for you and it would be easier to talk there than someplace less familiar.
* FriendlessBackground: His only friends prior to the events of the game are Fade spirits; the Inquisitor can either tell him that this is quite sad and they don't count as "real" friends, or express approval of his unusual social circle. Notably, his biggest fear is dying alone.
* GeniusLoci: Mentioned in his backstory about the Fade: since he never grew up with the Andrastian fear of the Fade, it isn't physically as scary to him.
* GenreSavvy:
** When you meet him in [[spoiler: the BadFuture]], he immediately starts telling you what's happened since you left. When you ask why, he says [[spoiler:if you manage to get back to the past, knowing what happened might be useful in preventing it.]]
** In the ''Trespasser'' DLC [[spoiler: he refuses to give any but the vaguest details about his plans, since if he mentioned anything specific the Inquisition would probably figure the whole thing out.]]
* GratuitousIambicPentameter: Half the time he speaks in it, [[GeniusBonus though it's hard to notice]]. You even get approval for responding back in pentameter.
* GreyAndGrayMorality: He tends to take this stance regarding history, judging that people's tendency to see things in black and white and erase complexities is what landed them in the mess they're in.
* TheHermit: Grew up isolated from those who would cage him, and would be quite happy to spend his life sleeping alone in ruins. But ironically, his greatest fear is dying alone.
* HermitGuru: Although it seems that he sought out the Inquisitor rather than the other way around.
* HiddenDepths: He's the last person you'd expect to be comfortable in the DeadlyDecadentCourt of Orlais, but he actually ''relishes'' it.
* HiddenElfVillage: Claims he's from one, though it was so small that you'd likely not find it on any map. When Leliana finally tracks it down [[spoiler:after he leaves, it's nothing but centuries-old ruins. He may or may not have lived there in the past, but it was obviously much longer ago than his physical age would suggest.]]
* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: Played with. [[spoiler:As Fen'Harel, Solas is vilified by the Dalish, despite his devotion to freeing the elven people from slavery. However, he is still directly responsible for the loss of elven magic and immortality. And while his creation of the Veil was arguably an act of desperation born of noble intentions, it was done, at least in part, to punish the Evanuris for murdering Mythal. So the Dalish are technically correct when they accuse Fen'Harel of sealing the Creators away out of spite, even if they're missing a lot of important details.]]
* HotBlooded: Says he was when he was younger; he appears to have matured beyond it now, but the devs have compared him to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotch_bonnet_%28pepper%29 Scotch bonnet]] candies.
* HumansAreBastards: He appears to hold this opinion to some extent, best exemplified by this banter with Varric.
-->'''Varric:''' You really spend most of your time in the Fade ?\\
'''Solas:''' As much as is possible. The Fade contains a wealth of knowledge for those who know where to look.\\
'''Varric:''' Sure, but I don't know how you dream, let alone wander around in there. Especially when the shit that comes out of the Fade is generally... cranky.\\
'''Solas:''' So are humans. But we continue to interact with them ...[[NotGoodWithPeople when we must]].
* HumansAreTheRealMonsters: Well, not humans ''specifically'', but mortals. While mortals eschew demons and are wary of spirits (because they tend to become demons), he says that this is a SelfFulfillingProphecy. Spirits are shaped by the thoughts and feelings of those around them. Thus, if a mortal mind expects to find a demon, or is loaded with negative thoughts and feelings, the spirit will absorb them and take them all upon itself, becoming a demon in the process.
* {{Hypocrite}}:
** When it's discovered that Blackwall [[spoiler:is living under a fake identity]], Solas rips into him, calling him out for talking about honor and knowing nothing of it himself. [[spoiler:Of course, since Solas is actually Fen'Harel, just about anything he says of Blackwall could be said of him as well.]] He does later apologize for this, acknowledging that Blackwall is at least trying, which is more than most ever do.
* IJustWantToBeFree:
** Freedom is very important to him. He disapproves of anything or anyone that subjugates others whether it be tradition, slavery or oppressive systems. The Qun is a particularly sore point for him because it explicitly denies freedom and, worst of all, claims that this is a ''good'' thing. For this reason, he approves of a full alliance between mages, and disapproves of a full alliance between templars; one is enabling the freedom of a people, the other is subjugating it, in his mind.
** He believes that ''any'' large-scale organization will, given enough time, inevitably grow more concerned with sustaining itself than its original purpose. If the Inquisitor suggests they'll share power with others in the future, he considers it noble but misplaced - a selfless ''individual'' might walk away from power, but he cannot think of any ''group'' to ever do so.
* InsultBackfire: [[spoiler:"Dread Wolf" was an insult from the rest of the Evanuris. Solas, however, [[AppropriatedAppellation appropriated it for his own use]] - inspiration for his followers, terror to his enemies - to the point that even his friend Mythal calls him by that name]].
* IntergenerationalFriendship: He develops a bond with Cole as they discuss the nature of spirits, though which one of them is the elder of the two is subject to some scrutiny, although certainly almost every character considers Cole to be both young physically and mentally.
* IntimateHealing: [[spoiler: When the Inquisitor catches up with Solas in ''Trespasser'', he confirms that the mark ''is'' killing you and you're out of time. If not romanced, he removes the anchor with a hand gesture. If romanced by a female Lavellan, he heals her with a BigDamnKiss. [[note]]Just before the kiss, his eyes glow the same way they did when he stopped the mark from spreading when you first approached him, and after the kiss her arm looks less solid than before, slowly breaking up into green plasma, the same way it did with non-romanced Inquisitors.[[/note]] ]]
* InVinoVeritas: Played with. While the servants being "eager to refill his glass" at the Winter Palace does cause him to slip from NiceGuy Solas into a more calculating personality [[HiddenDepths with a love of court intrigue]], he doesn't reveal [[spoiler:his true identity or intentions]]. If the Inquisitor [[PullingTheThread questions him about his odd behavior afterwards]], he will hastily brush off their questions, saying that he knows it all from the Fade. Notably, this is one of the only times your questions will earn ''dis''approval.
* IronicNickname: Varric calls him "Chuckles" despite seeing him as rather dour and humorless. If you befriend him, or listen to his banters, you'll find he does have a sense of humor.
* ItsNotYouItsMe: Although he doesn't [[spoiler:reveal his true reasons for breaking up with the Inquisitor]], he makes it clear that she's not the one at fault, and feels he's doing it for her own good.
* ItIsDehumanizing: Averted. He insists that a Spirit of Wisdom is an "it" if the Inquisitor has PronounTrouble, but obviously holds it in high regard and calls it his friend. [[spoiler:When you meet said spirit, it somewhat resembles a woman and has a feminine voice.]] He refers to Cole using masculine pronouns, however, so it's likely that being called "it" was the spirit's choice.
* JumpedAtTheCall: The moment the Breach appeared, he showed up at Haven offering his expertise. [[spoiler:Subverted by the end, when it's revealed that he was the one who gave Corypheus the orb in the first place. He didn't so much [[JumpedAtTheCall Jump At the Call]], as he [[NiceJobBreakingItHero set out to fix his mistake]].]]
* LickedByTheDog: By Trespasser, [[spoiler: Solas' true identity as Fen'Harel and willingness to do terrible things to obtain his goals has been revealed to the player. How does WordOfGod get across that Solas is not all bad? Have TheEmpath and TagAlongKid Cole take a firm stance that Fen'Harel is NotEvilJustMisunderstood.]]
* LikeGoesWithLike: Only a female elf can romance him. No other Inquisitor of any other gender or race can even flirt with him. He is the only companion or advisor who has this restriction. [[note]]aside from Leliana or Cole, neither of whom have any flirtatious dialogue options with anyone.[[/note]] If a female elf romances Sera, he comments that he finds it natural to desire a fellow elf.
* LittleNo: Upon discovering evidence that [[spoiler:mages have corrupted his spirit friend into a demon]], he lets out a whispered string of, "No. No, no, no, ''no''."
* LonersAreFreaks: He's an introvert, his opinions concerning the Fade don't match any Thedosian civilizations, and he freaks out Andrastians and Qunari alike.
* ManBehindTheMan: Hinted at in the main game's epilogue, and confirmed in ''Trespasser'', is that [[spoiler:Solas manipulated Corypheus by allowing him to come into possession of the Orb in the belief that Corypheus would unlock it and be destroyed by the resultant explosion, leaving it for Solas to reclaim. With that power, Solas planned to tear down the Veil he himself created to imprison the elves' false and tyrannical "gods". He, personally, is Fen'Harel, the trickster god of ancient elven lore. Knowing the decline of the elves is his own fault, he now seeks to undo it and restore the elves' civilisation and immortality at the expense of the world as it is now and all the races that reside within it. He's still pursuing that agenda despite the failure of his plan, making him a very likely candidate for prime antagonist of the ongoing series]].
* TheMasqueradeWillKillYourDatingLife: [[spoiler:Like Blackwall, he doesn't reveal to anyone his true identity and plans, and that is likely what makes him break up with the Inquisitor if she romances him.]]
* MayDecemberRomance:
** Implied. In an argument with the Elf Inquisitor about the Dalish, the Inquisitor refers to Solas as "hahren" (elder) and Solas refers to them as "da'len" (young one).
** [[spoiler:Played straight with the revelation he's at least thousands of years old, which means it's likely a MayflyDecemberRomance as well.]]
* MeaningfulName: Solas means "pride" in Elvhen. [[spoiler:He does express grief that he did foolish things when he was younger, but is deliberately vague about them.]]
* MerlinAndNimue: With a female elf mage Inquisitor that is romancing him, and to a lesser extent any female mage Inquisitor. Could even be extended to any female Inquisitor, period, as their mark gives them MagicKnight capabilities over Fade rifts.
* MoralityPet: [[spoiler: The Inquisitor becomes this to him, particularly a romanced female Lavellan. He admits he didn't even see his companions as people before the Inquisitor became his friend and proved his preconceptions wrong. Notably, despite caring for the Inquisitor greatly - and, in Lavellan's case, obviously loving her - this doesn't change his mind about the perceived necessity of his plans, and he abandons them to carry them out. This can also be seen of him hardening himself to do what he feels must be done, particularly as he calls Lavellan 'vhenan'/heart]].
* MrImagination: He likes to spend his free time in the literal land of dreams.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Touched upon when he asks the Inquisitor [[spoiler:what they would do if they woke up to find the world had changed for the worse due to their actions. The player doesn't know it then, but Solas is really thinking about his own choice to seal away the elven gods, which both spelled the end of elven civilization, and removed people's conscious connection to the Fade, which he compares to walking through a world of Tranquil]].
* MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch: If you ask him about other elves, he says the Dalish are too stuck on trying to hold to traditions that none of them even remember, and those in the Alienages do the same while remembering ''even less''. If they aren't able to remember, and don't have members who can use the Fade to see the past as he does, then they ought to learn new ways to live that make sense in the present.
* MysteriousStranger: After the explosion at the Temple, he showed up, surrendered to Chantry forces, and offered his aid. That's about all anyone knows of him, other than the fact that he was in some random nearby village during the actual explosion (and thus couldn't have been responsible). [[spoiler:Actually, he ''was'': the Orb Corypheus used was his, given to him for an unknown purpose. He is actually Fen'Harel, the Dread Wolf of elven legend, and never intended for any of the events of the game to happen.]]
* NayTheist:
** He believes the old elf pantheon existed, but hesitates to call them "gods." He approves of the idea of The Maker, a deity that does not need to prove its power to anyone, but does not believe.
** [[spoiler:TheStinger reveals that he's closer to AGodIAmNot than a true NayTheist. His general attitude seems to imply that he thinks the elven pantheon were neither divine nor worthy of worship. That he's technically a member doesn't seem to change his feelings on the matter.]]
* NecessaryEvil: In the ''Trespasser'' DLC, it is revealed his intentions are to [[spoiler:tear down the Veil which will return the world to what it once was, but will devastate, if not destroy the waking world.]] He states that it pains him to do so and wishes there was another way, adding that his assistance in dealing with Corypheus and the Qunari was to give the world comfort and peace before [[spoiler: its destruction. Solas even hopes that the Inquisitor can prove to him that the world is worth ending his plans for.]]
* NiceGuy: While he is genuinely nice, polite, and caring towards the destitute, [[spoiler: he has a pretty important dark side that he hides, and endeavors to appear as a simple apostate.]]
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: He took a nap, and then [[spoiler:woke up too weak to activate his focal orb, so he gave it to Corypheus to unlock its power. Naturally, Corypheus decided to take the orb for his own uses.]]
** ''Trespasser'' reveals that he [[spoiler:[[UpToEleven broke the entirety of Elvhenan]] when he put up the Veil.]]
* NightmareFetishist: By most people's standards, his love for everything Fade-related is somewhat creepy. This is especially the case for Vivienne (who, as a mage, is constantly open to possession by demons) and the Iron Bull (who isn't fond of demons in general).
* NoExceptYes: Blackwall asks for tips on fighting demons, to which Solas tells him to "survive the first thirty heartbeats." Blackwall accuses him of telling him to just TryNotToDie, but Solas points out that demons are fairly unoriginal and will exhaust all their battle tactics very quickly; once you know what they're capable of, you can find a way to beat them. He then adds that one also must try not to die.
* NotSoAboveItAll: Mature and cerebral he may be, but that doesn't mean he can't give resident troll Sera a run for her money when he really wants to. He also can get dragged into catty sniping with Dorian or Vivienne when they goad him.
* NotSoDifferent:
** He shares many traits with Morrigan, such as being a skilled apostate who lived in the wilderness, which makes [[{{Foil}} the ways in which they clash]] stand out more starkly.
** To Cole. They both joined the Inquisition to help and often approve of the same decisions, particularly those [[NiceGuy which help people even if they give little immediate reward]], and share a distrust of Templars and Grey Wardens. [[spoiler:They're also both OlderThanTheyLook, and out-of-touch with modern Thedas due to spending too much time in the Fade - Cole because he formed there, Solas because he was asleep for several thousand years.]]
** To Sera. While very different in temperament, they both share a strong desire not to be judged simply for being an elf, a derision of other elves for clinging on to remnants of history (although in different ways), as well as a general distaste for authority and a sympathy for the poor and needy. Solas will sometimes remark on this (although it doesn't endear her to him), but it's generally lost on Sera, who thinks of Solas as being almost everything she doesn't want to be.
** [[spoiler: ''Trespasser'' reveals that his goals are very much similar to Corypheus', as they both want to restore their respective peoples to the past glory they remember. Even his nature as a god is what Corypheus wanted to achieve - Solas isn't a god and never was one, but he began to be worshipped as one eventually.]]
*** It extends even deeper to their backgrounds: [[spoiler:Both woke up from a long sleep to be shocked by the current state of the world. Both are angry and lament how far "their people" have fallen and how said people no longer remember their past properly. Both are depicted in myths as villains for their actions.]]
*** And it goes even ''deeper.'' Though rather than [[spoiler:Corypheus]], it's for the Inquisitor themselves. [[spoiler: Before he created the Veil, he was the leader of a faction of former elven slaves, fighting to free themselves from the more tyrannical of the Evanuris. He likened his faction to the Inquisition; as with the Inquisitor, his followers were loyal to him, and some even saw him as divine, regardless of his wishes not to be.]]
* OddFriendship: With Cassandra. He's pretty much a complete heretic according to Chantry standards and she is a heavily devout Andrastian. They have a deep respect and admiration for each other.
** If you take Cassandra with you [[spoiler: when the Vidisala reveals that (she believes) Solas is an agent Fen'harel, her only response is an ''incredibly'' heartbroken "What?"]].
* OrSoIHeard: He knows a lot of things that have been forgotten over the centuries, all from watching Fade memories. Or so he claims. [[spoiler: Not that he was there or anything]]...
* PardonMyKlingon: If the Inquisitor falls in battle, he'll sometimes swear in Elvish. No official translation has been given for ''fenedhis'', but popular theory is it means "wolf dung" or similar. [[note]]The first syllable, ''fen'', is definitely "wolf", but it's unknown if the other two syllables are one word or two, or what they mean.[[/note]]
* PetTheDog: Part of the reason for his romance is to show that Solas has other sides to him besides being mysterious [[spoiler:and vaguely villainous]]. It's also why he has a friendship with Cole, and is surprisingly polite to Cassandra, whom he very emphatically admires for her innate nobility.
* PlayingWithFire: His [[LimitBreak Focus Spell]] is the incredibly powerful Firestorm and promotional materials show him using fire.
* PowerPerversionPotential:
** Sera and Blackwall want to know if any of his Fade spirit friends are "[[FriendsWithBenefits more than friends]], [[LampshadedDoubleEntendre if you know what I mean]]." Solas's reaction is to [[NotSoStoic freak out]] and exclaim that [[OtherworldlyAndSexuallyAmbiguous such matters are not simple at all]]. He also tells Iron Bull that acting out sexual fantasies with spirits tends to attract demons. Whether he learned this from firsthand experience or not is not known.
** If a Dalish female Inquisitor kisses him in the Fade, he ''immediately'' returns the physical affection and says that such things are always easier for him to do in the Fade.
* TheProfessor: He's an expert on the Fade, and if the Inquisitor is friendly with him, he'll be glad to share parts of his knowledge and attempt to teach. The easiest way to gain his approval is to ask questions.
* PsychicBlockDefense: While he can't hide all of his grief from [[TheEmpath Cole]], he ''is'' able to keep the details of his past a secret. All Cole can find is a vague [[TheAtoner sense of regret]] [[NiceJobBreakingItHero for something he did]]. [[spoiler:So, yes, even Cole is unaware he's really Fen'harel - which explains ''how'' he's got the defense in the first place.]]
* PsychicPowers: His unmatched mastery of the Fade allows him to catch and interpret glimpses of past events. [[spoiler:After he leaves, he's even able to use his powers [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzWGSBJowqA to fog Cole's ability to find him, then wipes his memory of that happening afterwards.]]]]
* PurpleEyes: Solas is a Dreamer mage, capable of bending the Fade to his will, with the unheard of talent to witness the historical memories of a place by sleeping near it. His eyes are a fittingly mysterious and mystical color. [[spoiler:He's also an ancient elf and the Dread Wolf. Notably, the only other character ever known to have purple eyes is Felassan, his agent and fellow ancient elf, which gave partial credence to the now {{Jossed}} theory that Solas had possessed Felassan.]] Atypical to most examples of this trope, Solas's violet eyes are of the more realistic kind, rather than an amethyst-purple, meaning they can appear blue or grey depending on the lighting.
* RealityWarper: He has come to develop powers to control the Fade's effects on reality. [[spoiler:And that's parlor tricks compared to Solas' most powerful act: ''creating the Veil itself''. His powers have also progressed to the point that he can kill people by ''thinking'' about it.]]
* Really700YearsOld: [[spoiler:TheStinger of the game after the credits reveals him to be Fen'Harel, The Dread Wolf, a figure from ancient Elven lore.]]
* ReverseArmFold: He spends much of his conversation in ''Trespasser'' striking this pose; fitting, [[spoiler: given he's gained a huge power boost and is no longer hiding his age or ruthless nature.]]
* RomanceSidequest: For a female Elven Inquisitor only.
* SarcasticConfession: At one point in ''Inquisition'', he can sarcastically say that the only way he can think of to truly save the elves would be to [[spoiler:destroy the Veil and use the Fade to reshape reality.]] ''Trespasser'' reveals that he actually intends to do this.
* SeriouslyScruffy: Not as easy to tell, since he's bald, but life as an elven apostate is full of hardships, and his wardrobe shows it.
* ShooTheDog: To [[spoiler:his Dalish Inquisitor girlfriend]], if things go that far.
* SignificantAnagram: The name of one of his personal quests, [[spoiler:"All New, Faded For Her" can be rearranged to form Fen'harel, Dread Wolf]].
* TheSmartGuy: He's an entirely self taught expert on the Fade, and takes a more nuanced approach than most in his everyday life. Promotional material also referred to him as "The Mind" of the Inquisition.
* SmartPeoplePlayChess: He and Bull play during banter after [[spoiler:Bull truly goes Tal-Vashoth, as a way to assuage the distress Bull is having from it]] - that is, they call out moves and the "board" exists in their heads.
** He is apparently a terror in Diamondback, as Blackwall warns you after losing all his clothes when he taught Solas how to play the game.
* SnarkToSnarkCombat: At best, he and Vivienne will spend most of their dialogue trading zingers.
* StealthPun: His name means "pride" in elven. [[spoiler:Which takes on a new significance when you reach the endgame mission "What Pride has Wrought." It's a subtle hint that Solas is responsible for both Corypheus's rise to power, and possibly the fall of elven society - the latter of which is only emphasized as you fight your way through an ancient elven ruin.]]
* StopWorshippingMe: [[spoiler:''Trespasser'' reveals that he tried to invoke this trope back in ancient Elvhenan when he was a rebel leader freeing the slaves from their false god masters. It's because of that last bit that Solas ''despises'' the idea of people proclaiming godhood: it basically ruined the ancient elves.]]
* SweetTooth: Unlike [[RealMenHateSugar Blackwall]], he enjoys the little cakes sold in the Orlesian marketplace.
* TaughtByExperience: Solas never received a formal education in magic. [[spoiler: Not that he needed one, considering he's really a god.]] Iron Bull points out how odd it is that Solas is so skilled, since experience has shown him that even the best self-taught warriors have "clunks" in their technique.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork:
** He ''really'' does not like Vivienne. His snark at her actually goes for the mean, [[InsultBackfire not that she cares]]. He does, however, acknowledge her intelligence, stating that despite their disagreements he does not consider either of them to be fools.
** His whole involvement with the Inquisition is a form of this, as he has no love for the Chantry as a whole, though he does concede that it does some good and has nothing but the greatest respect for a friendly Inquisitor.
** During "What Pride Had Wrought", he and Morrigan do not get along at all. [[KnowNothingKnowItAll Probably because she keeps acting like an expert on Elven history when she's actually confusing it with Elven lore]].
** Initially does not get along with Iron Bull because he's a Qunari, and Solas despises the Qun. Their relationship can either get better or worse [[spoiler:depending on the results of Iron Bull's personal quest.]]
** Potentially with the Inquisitor, if his approval gets low enough. It can get to the point where he can piss the Inquisitor off with his snarky comments enough for them to punch Solas.
* TookALevelInBadass: In ''Trespasser'', we see that [[spoiler: whatever he absorbed from Flemeth has made him powerful enough to turn people into statues just by ''thinking'' about it.]]
* TranquilFury: During his personal quest "All New, Faded for Her" he does [[NotSoStoic momentarily lose his cool]] when he discovers [[spoiler:a group of inept mages have summoned his ActualPacifist spirit friend and forced it to fight, turning it into a demon]], but after the fight, the only clue he's about to [[spoiler:kill the three mages]] is a glint in his eyes and an edge to his voice.
* TricksterArchetype: He likes them in tales, another sign of his intellectual bent (since tricksters win through smarts and by moving outside established thinking) and asks Varric why there aren't any in dwarven literature. [[spoiler:Also, he's really Fen'Harel, the Dread Wolf who tricked the Fade and mortal worlds apart in elvish mythology, sealing away the gods and their opposite numbers in their respective realms. He's also responsible for Corypheus gaining the knowledge he needed to merge the fade, and the Inquisitor's Anchor. Ultimately, Solas uses his intellect and cunning to get things done.]]
* TryNotToDie: Says this once to Blackwall rather glibly (see above), and then again to Cole with more seriousness.
-->'''Solas:''' There will always be plenty of negative emotions to fuel Rage and Desire demons. The gentler spirits are much rarer; that is why we cannot afford to lose even one Spirit of Wisdom... or Compassion.\\
'''Cole:''' I shall try not to die, then.\\
'''Solas:''' Do that, please.
* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans:
** Occasionally expresses this view in the main game.
--->'''Solas:''' Sometimes to achieve the world one desires, one must take regrettable measures.
** ''Trespasser'' takes it further as [[spoiler: Solas, now outed as Fen'Harel, reveals that he intends to remove the Veil that he created in the first place, in order to restore the elves' lost glory, immortality, and society. He knows that doing so will likely destroy the world and most living beings in it, yet he feels it's a necessary price to pay for the ideal world he wants to restore.]]
* UnreliableExpositor: Solas is the expert on all things Fade-related and some things magical and Elven-related. The vast majority of the time, he is right on the money about everything. He is, however, fallible like any other source of information in the series. [[spoiler:Especially since much of the time he's flat out lying or only giving ''pieces'' of information.]]
* VetinariJobSecurity:
** If the Inquisitor manages to get his approval low enough, they'll eventually have an argument in which he points out that you ''don't have'' another expert on the Fade around to replace him. He's right: no matter how mad you make him, you can't get rid of him. [[spoiler:You ''can'' punch him in the face, though.]]
** His Codex profile has Leliana assure Cassandra that since he's the only person that has a clue what's going on, they need to keep him around no matter what.
* VitriolicBestBuds: With extra vitriol. Most of the time he and Iron Bull speak, Solas lashes out against the Qun. But if Bull winds up [[spoiler:being declared Tal-Vashoth, Solas will support him when he worries about turning vicious. And a rather long chain of party conversations between them later is essentially Solas distracting Iron Bull from his worries by deliberately provoking him into playing a mental game of chess.]]
* WalkingSpoiler: [[spoiler: His real identity as Fen'Harel is a major twist and he is one of the main instigators of the plot.]]
* WarriorPoet: He's [[BadassBookworm well-read]] and [[CulturedBadass knows a thing or two about courtly intrigue]], paints [[FanArt a fresco of the Inquisitor]] in his spare time, and discusses the delicate balance of passion in a warrior's life with Blackwall: [[HotBlooded too much]] and a man is likely to [[LeeroyJenkins die in a fool-hardy way]], too little and he is likely to die because he is uncommitted to the fight or to simply leave the life of a warrior for safer, more sedate pastures.
* WellIntentionedExtremist:
** He sympathises with the mage rebellion, seeing the violence as an unfortunate step towards something better. He has no such patience for the Grey Wardens, who he views as ignorant and too quick to use duty as a catch-all excuse.
** Then there's [[spoiler: his own arc. After witnessing how badly sealing away the elf pantheon backfired, he resorts to giving Corypheus a powerful artifact that he's too weak to unlock himself. After ''that'' blows up in his face too, he leaves the party on a mission he does not want any of his friends to share in.]]
** In the ''Trespasser'' DLC, [[spoiler:Solas reveals his plans to tear down the Veil he himself created, restoring the world to how it once was...even if it kills countless people in the process. He takes no pleasure in any of it, wants everyone's last days to be as peaceful as possible, and if you promise to prove him wrong he seems half-hopeful you'll succeed.]]
* WhatDidIDoLastNight: Implied in a banter with Sera:
--> '''Sera''': So you can create magic whenever you want? Did you ever piss it by accident?\\
'''Solas''': No. Wait... No.\\
'''Sera''': How could you not remember somethin' like that?\\
'''Solas''': We were all young once.
* WhatTheHellHero: [[spoiler:Though whether you can call him heroic at this point is debatable, in Trespasser, when the Inquisitor learns that Solas plans to tear down the Veil, which would devastate Thedas and kill untold amounts of people to recreate the world he used to live in, the Inquisitor can call him a monster who doesn't care about anyone but his elves.]]
* WrittenByTheWinners:
** When it's pointed out that the visions seen in the Fade can be distorted, Solas points out that the same things happen to a living person's memories and also in history books; no one recollection is perfect or free from bias. The way things ''are'' is not necessarily the way a person ''thinks'' they are, but which is most important in their future decisions?
** He gives one specific example: [[VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins Loghain withdrawing his troops during the battle at Ostagar]]. Some remember a sneering villain discarding the lives of those inconvenient to his goals. Others remember a beleaguered commander trying to salvage troops from a battle that was already lost, though it meant abandoning his foolhardy king.
* WrongContextMagic: Solas' abilities to command the Fade and view the history of places is completely new and foreign to Thedosian mages, not to mention Thedosian society in general. [[spoiler:This is a hint to [[GodInHumanForm his actual nature]].]]
* YouAreACreditToYourRace:
** Some of his comments and a lot of his banter borders on or falls outright into this territory. Once you get his approval high enough, he outright asks the Inquisitor if the Anchor has altered their morals in some way, as their behaviour doesn't match his expectations of their people (especially Dalish, dwarf or Qunari).
* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: In ''Trespasser'', [[spoiler:a fully befriended Inquisitor can tell him that they never imagined that he was someone who would destroy the world to rebuild his old one. Solas looks deeply shocked and moved, then replies, "Thank you."]]
** In the last conversation you can have with him before the final battle, he may tell a befriended Inquisitor of any race that "you have not been what I expected," and express his admiration for their goodness and depth of character.
* YouCannotKillAnIdea: After [[spoiler:his friend the Wisdom Spirit]] dies, he says that if the idea giving a spirit form is strong enough, it will one day reform in the Fade, though the spirit that was will not truly be resurrected. [[spoiler:His friend is still truly gone.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Vivienne]]
!!Vivienne
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vivienne_1448.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"Magic is dangerous, just as fire is dangerous. Anyone who forgets this truth gets burned."'']]
->'''Voiced by:''' ''Creator/IndiraVarma''
A Free Marches-born and Orlesian-raised mage who was the official enchanter to the Imperial court and First Enchanter of the Montsimmard Circle before the entire Circle of Magi went rogue. A staunch supporter of the Circle system, she joins the Inquisition to support her fellow "loyal" mages (and her own agenda) in any way she can.
Written by Mary Kirby.
----
* AbsoluteCleavage: The outfit she's wearing when she's introduced, as well as other mage armor you can equip her with.
* ActionGirl: As Irving and Orsino demonstrated, you don't become First Enchanter without knowing how to kick ass.
* ActionFashionista: As described on her character kit, "A thousand arrows would pierce her breast before Vivienne would don beaten steel for so base an urge as protection." Also, when Varric reveals that he's [[WriteWhoYouKnow basing the villain of his latest book on her]], she demands that his writing describe her wearing nothing but the latest fashions.
* ActuallyPrettyFunny: She's absolutely delighted about being the villain in Varric's planned trilogy of novels set in Orlais. A good portion of her banter with him is talking about how the story will go and how accurate it'll be.
* AnIcePerson: In the promotional materials, Vivienne is always shown wielding ice spells, suitable to her demeanor, and she is introduced using one on a troublesome noble.
* TheArchmage: She was a First Enchanter before the Circles rebelled. Her ultimate goal pre-rebellion was to become Grand Enchanter.
* AuthorityInNameOnly: She calls herself the First Enchanter of the last loyal mages, but since there aren't too many of those, that title doesn't mean much beyond being an indicator of her skill as a mage, something she acknowledges openly.
* BadassBoast: Vivienne is quite an expert at this:
-->'''[[TheStrategist Cassandra]]''': Varric, expect a standard formation of ranged enemies on the walls and expendables gathering there.\\
'''Vivienne''': My dear, we'll render them all expendable.
* BaldWomen: Without her headgear, Vivienne has a closely shaven head.
* BarrierWarrior: As a Knight-Enchanter, Vivienne specializes in using barrier spells to stay in a fight while delivering devastating damage.
* BeatThemAtTheirOwnGame: While she brings a lot more grace and magic into it, Vivienne is not above reversing Sera's pranks back on her. When Sera sticks a snake into her drawer, Vivienne enchants it to give it legs, then sends it back to Sera. .Also, when Sera remarks that she could dig up Vivienne's past and use dirt she finds against the mage, Vivienne [[TranquilFury gently]] warns her that all people are this way, and if Sera wants to try that, Vivienne will be more than willing to pay her back in kind. [[OhCrap It shuts Sera up quickly.]]
* BeneathTheMask: There is a part of Vivienne that actually cares for Cole as a person. She doesn't like it, but part of her is genuinely worried he could be hurt. Cole agrees not to tell anyone. She is also [[NotSoStoic absolutely distraught]] when [[spoiler: all of her efforts still fail to save Bastien's life.]]
* CleavageWindow: Some of her outfits have this too.
* CombatMedic: Vivienne's [[LimitBreak Focus Spell]] is Resurgence, the only true healing spell that can be cast in combat.
* ComesGreatResponsibility: While she's perfectly willing to leverage all of her assets (magical and otherwise) to her own benefit, she also strongly believes that magic, like all power, comes with responsibility. She's not sympathetic to the rebel mages because she believes that the actions of certain rebel mages -- Anders blowing up the Kirkwall Chantry, the attempted assassination of Divine Justinia, the killing of innocent people caught in the crossfire, and the killing of fellow mages who didn't want to rebel -- prove that they are being irresponsible with their magic and simply don't ''deserve'' the freedom they crave.
* ControlFreak: She ''must'' be in control. It starts with herself and her emotions, but given the opportunity she will expand upon it.
* CourtMage: Her actual pre-war position was official Enchanter to the Imperial Court, and according to Leliana she was the first to transform it into something meaningful.
* CruelMercy: How she deals with the Marquis who insults the Inquisitor, if he's spared. If the Inquisitor says they don't care how she deals with him, Vivienne will give him such an especially scathing ReasonYouSuckSpeech (in front of everyone he knows) that one can't help but wonder if killing him would have been the kinder choice. After the encounter, Vivienne will confirm that he will be disgraced and disowned, and will probably join the war effort in the Dales to either [[DrivenToSuicide go out]] [[DoNotGoGentle in a blaze of glory]] or try to earn back some semblance of self-respect. Suddenly, asking her to kill him doesn't seem ''quite'' so needlessly cruel.
* DeadpanSnarker: Vivienne is very skilled at verbally destroying people who get in her way:
-->'''Vivienne:''' I know you are only seventy-third in line for the Nevarran throne, but that is hardly so lowly a position as to relegate you to trailing after Comtesse Montbelliard in the hope that she might give your suit a moment's thought. She won't, my dear. She only likes men with self-respect. Perhaps you might sober up and acquire some?
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Invoked. Party banter between Vivienne and Cole reveals that Vivienne intentionally set up the noble she humiliated at the salon she invited both him and the Inquisitor to so her first appearance to the Inquisitor would be as impressive as possible.
* EvilReactionary: Despite being one of the protagonists, she has all the hallmarks of this trope, being ultraconservative and rigidly pro-establishment in a time of such revolutionary change that even the otherwise conservative Cassandra admits that maintaining the status quo, especially regarding the Circle, is both impossible and immoral. She has a very nostalgic, rose-tinted view of the Circle that almost no one else in the series shares, and if [[spoiler: elected Divine, she's the only one who resorts to violence to restore the Circle.]]
* {{Foil}}:
** The silver clad pro-establishment counterpoint to the raggedy apostate Solas (not to mention she's the [[spoiler: staunchly loyal companion vs Solas' fair-weather friend who sets out to destroy the world the instant it's saved from Corypheus]]). And the poised, impeccably dressed aristocrat to the anti-authority street rat Sera.
** Vivienne is a Circle-trained mage who is a master of Orlesian politics to further her own agenda; in contrast Morrigan is an apostate who sneers at politics but gains Celene's favor to further ''her'' own agenda. To make it visually obvious Vivienne is dressed in white Orlesian fashions while Morrigan ignores all fashion and wears black. The fact that they hold each other's way of life and mage training in utter contempt, but are very similar [[{{Pride}} in]] [[LackOfEmpathy other]] [[LoveIsAWeakness ways]], is even better.
** Across the series itself Vivienne and Anders could not have led more dissimilar lives; Vivienne thrived in the Circle until she became the well-dressed and respected member of high society, while Anders frequently tried to escape from the Circle's abuse and lived on the run in slums to become an apostate revolutionary. It's no wonder that both have polar opposite views on mage rights and freedoms.
* FairyTaleMotifs: Slight, but present. In addition to her Malificent-esque horned hat, Vivienne's dialogue and story reference fairy stories - usually the older, bloodier versions. She was elevated to her status by a wealthy suitor. One of her personal quests is named "Bring Me the Heart of Snow White." When Cassandra suggests no one could fill the Divine's shoes, Vivienne says they'll find someone, even if they have to trim off her heels and toes, as occurs in some versions of Cinderella. She references (jokingly) (probably) feeding a man his relative in a stew, and the party member whose personality clashes with hers the most is [[spoiler:essentially a big bad wolf.]] Finally, her personal quest is to restore the health of a loved one who is mortally ill.
* FullCircleRevolution: [[spoiler: If she becomes Divine and the mages are allied, she declares war on them to restore the Circle as it was.]]
* GreenEyedMonster: If the Inquisitor romances Blackwall, some party banter between Blackwall and Vivienne has her being particularly scathing towards him about his and the Inquisitor's relationship, saying that the Inquisitor is far out of his league. Blackwall retorts that the real reason she's being so critical is because she's envious of the Inquisitor being able to love anyone she wants, with no worries about her reputation. Since this is the only time during their banter that he's able to stun Vivienne into silence, he's probably right.
** Cole discovers that Vivienne practically ''seethes'' in jealousy about how some 'uncultured barbarian witch' was able to simply waltz into Celene's favor without going through any Circle training or ruthless Orlesian politics like she had. The fact that Morrigan could easily duel her in wit, self-confidence and magical power doesn't help.
* GuileHero: This was wired into her as an Orlesian, allowing her to rise so high in station as to be considered the [[WorldsMostBeautifulWoman jewel of the high court]] in spite of being a mage in such a DeadlyDecadentCourt.
* HiddenDepths:
** According to Cole, part of her does care about him, she's just convinced she ''shouldn't''.
** She also really enjoys pulling counter-pranks on Sera. Vivienne finds inventive methods to best her at every turn, and has a lot of fun with it. Sera is less than pleased.
* {{Hypocrite}}: Vivienne's standard pro-Circle points have a lot to do with mages needing to be supervised, being naturally dangerous and it being important to control them... however, Vivienne herself would never volunteer to be controlled, and always struggles to have total control over her own situation, it being her greatest desire to be the one holding the leash instead.
** In the Nightmare, it's discovered her greatest fear is irrelevance. She absolutely cannot stand not having a say in anything happening in her life, or being forced to support an agenda or organization she doesn't agree with. Her response to the Mage Rebellion, or to a pro-mage liberation Inquisitor, is that mages should shut up and deal with it.
** For someone who advocates all mages going to the Circle and enduring Templar supervision, she herself spends as little time as possible actually in the Circle. (Instead living in her duke lover's chateau, frequenting lavish parties and making appearances at Court.) Granted, she herself notes that she did her time and "proved" herself responsible with her increased freedom and feels other mages can do the same, but still... Her EstablishingCharacterMoment has her casually threaten and possibly take the life of a helpless party guest with her magic. Doubtful that would have flown had she been under the Circle/Templar supervision she feels should be the case of every other mage. And yet she remarks at one point that the Circles were probably ''too'' permissive.
* IceQueen: She's a pretty haughty individual. The only people she seems to respect are people who are either noble or otherwise highly influential. She looks down on everyone else. Almost everything she says is layered in icy, razor-sharp politeness and she gives away her true feelings about as freely as other people give up their limbs.
* IJustWantToBeSpecial: According to her gravestone [[spoiler: in the Fade]], her greatest fear is "irrelevance". The idea of being unimportant, of being caught up in someone else's agenda or war and having no part or say in her own fate, both terrifies her ''and'' pisses her off.
* ImmortalitySeeker: She asks the Inquisitor for help making a potion that reverses aging. [[spoiler: Subverted when you learn she is making it to cure her lover of a disease. Unfortunately, even if you don't decide to [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential replace the ingredient she needed]], the potion doesn't work and her lover dies.]]
* ImprobableAge: Vivienne's exact age is unknown, but her codex entry notes that she was voted First Enchanter at an age "young enough to cause scandal".
* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: Part of the reason she so vehemently dislikes Cole might well be because his read of her indicates she wishes she weren't a mage, fearing that her magic could control her and eclipse her identity (whether by demonic possession or by the lack of status that mages have). Rather than allow that, she's made her magic ''into'' her identity, something for others to fear rather than something she herself fears. Solas may also comment on it, adding that it must annoy her that magic is all that makes her special.
* InsistentTerminology: She doesn't like nicknames (except for "Madame de Fer" or Varric's "IronLady") and insists on being referred to by her name or title, though she will accept being called "Ma'am".
* InsultBackfire: As a part of her unflappable demeanor, most insults shot at her will be twisted to suit her.
* IronLady:
** Invoked by her in-universe moniker "Madame de Fer". Also used by Varric when addressing her.
** A letter released by Mary Kirby has her demonstrate this, addressing an ambassador that she's heard is planning to gate-crash a party she would be hosting, politely reminding him of her position, before proceeding to verbally tear him apart and suggest that if he knows what is best for him, [[BewareTheNiceOnes he'd do well]] [[YouWouldntLikeMeWhenImAngry not cross her]].
** Also pretty well demonstrated by her intimidating ''Iron Bull''. She haughtily shuts him down after he calls her "Viv," and from that point on he calls her "Ma'am" and goes along with her ideas on improving his wardrobe.
* ItIsDehumanizing: Repeatedly calls Cole "it", and/or the Inquisitor's "pet".
* ItsAllAboutMe: Several sources imply that most of what Vivienne does is at least partially self-serving. Vivienne ''must'' have a say in anything that affects her life directly or indirectly. For example, [[spoiler:the Nightmare demon taunts her with the fear that she'll be living as an apostate forever and never reclaim the influence she once held. Cole also reads her mind and finds a very painful memory of her Harrowing where she was desperate to not do ''anything'' that would turn Templars against her. Also see XanatosGambit below.]] Even her "advice" to the Inquisitor on who to support as a new Divine is self-serving because she wants a Divine that will restore the Circles (where she had power). She's not a "bad" person, per se, but self-serving certainly.
** If [[spoiler: Leliana is saved and the mages are allies, Vivienne, in spite of the vast majority of Southern Thedas's mages following the emancipated College, ''still'' recreates the Circle, for no other reason than wanting to be in control of it.]]
* JerkassHasAPoint: While many of her opinions on the war and non-human cultures can range from ignorant to outright offensive, she also brings up a fair number of valid points: Anders not only blew up a Chantry full of innocent people, but a mage later attempted to assassinate Divine Justinia. Conversations with Cole and the Inquisitor also point out that the mages who gained their freedom used it to hurt even more innocents. While the Grand Enchanter never forced anyone to follow into rebellion, mages who didn't want to be rebels were quickly killed by their fellows, as shown in dialogue between Vivienne and Cole. She also calls the idea of mage freedom foolish since the Circles were also created to ''protect'' mages from people who would lynch them out of fear, a fear that now very justified in the chaos of the Mage/Templar war.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold:
** Vivienne is condescending, ambitious, and ignorant over certain matters -- however, she does genuinely want to save Thedas from the Breach and the Mage-Templar war. She also displays a number of PetTheDog moments, as seen down below.
** During the siege of Haven, if Vivienne is in your party she will advise you to leave the villagers to die, as they will slow the group down. Ignoring her advice and saving them anyway will give you approval from her.
** If the Inquisitor befriends her, she proves to be a loyal and steadfast friend who happily does all she can to help the Inquisitor no matter what.
* KickingAssInAllHerFinery: She dresses to make an impression everywhere she goes. When she finds out that Varric is making her a character in one of his books, she insists he research Orlesian fashion so that he describes her wardrobe properly.
* LackOfEmpathy: Vivienne accuses the rebel mages of lacking perspective on how the rest of Thedas views them due to being "safe in their towers". [[JerkassHasAPoint While she raises several valid points]], her own easy time in the Circle has given Vivienne a distorted perspective of how bad it could be and why so many mages gave up on changing things peacefully. While Vivienne pays lip service to the idea that mages should not be abused by the Templars, she does so only as an afterthought and [[SelectiveObliviousness either doesn't notice or doesn't care]] that abusive Templars have many ways to silence their victims.
* LadyOfBlackMagic: She's regal and graceful, and in battle she can be seen KickingAssInAllHerFinery by using ice spells to turn her opponents into frozen statues.
* LadyOfWar: A Knight-Enchanter, Vivienne is very calm and regal. She's most at home wearing the finest silks and jewels and enjoying court life in Orlais, and is able to conjure a LaserBlade for melee combat.
* LoveIsAWeakness: As someone who has apparently struggled to get where she is, she believes sentiment is a liability and a privilege for those with less responsibility than herself. To illustrate the point, during a conversation with Vivienne back at Haven, the Inquisitor can suggest a relationship with Vivienne, but Vivienne replies, "I don't see how that benefits me at all, my dear". She has great and genuine affection for the Duke to whom she's mistress, however, which might at least explain her refusal from that perspective.
* MagicKnight: Vivienne is a Knight-Enchanter, and wields magic-created weapons and shields in combat.
* MiseryPoker: Although it's up to the player to decide who is engaging in it: Vivienne complains that the mages are being selfish by rebelling and causing a war that's getting the common people (as well as loyal Circle mages like Vivienne) caught in the crossfire. If the player agrees with the mages, they can decide Vivienne is engaging in misery poker by using the complaints of the common people to shut down the mages' viewpoint. If the player agrees with Vivienne, the player can decide that the mages are playing misery poker to shut down the viewpoint of people like Vivienne.
* TheMistress: A large part of Vivienne's political power comes from the fact that she's the mistress to an Orlesian duke. When asked what the duke's wife thought of this, Vivienne responds that they got along very well and planned many parties together. She also notes that the lady passed away a few years ago; Vivienne misses her.
* MoralMyopia: She believes that the Rebel Mages support mass murder by association, since the rebellion started amidst an act of terrorism that killed innocent people. However, for ''centuries'' now, Templars have had the Rite of Annulment and the Rite of Tranquility at their disposal, and she doesn't argue against the idea that the Templars and Seekers who associate with those who abuse those powers are just as complicit. To her, because ''some'' Circles and ''some'' Templars don't support such abuse, they must be seen as the norm and those that do abuse them are just an outlier. Furthermore, she considers Rebel Mages that are killed by this war to have made their own beds for starting it in the first place...except the Mages didn't actually "start" a war--they didn't do anything but vote for independence. The ''Templars'' started the war to rein in the Mages. The Loyalist Mages, by virtue of being [[http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Mage-Templar_War allies of the Templars]], are the ones that logic should apply to, but Vivienne sees their deaths as [[ThisIsUnforgivable utterly unforgivable]].
* MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch: Vivienne is largely unsympathetic towards the plight of the mages because she feels they are the ones responsible for instigating the war. Being Pro-Circle, Vivienne also argues that complete mage independence is a selfish idea.
* MysticalHighCollar: This probably has to do with her being an Orlesian, too.
* NiceHat: She wears a large and very ornate hat - not surprising, given the love that mages and Orlesians have for this trope.
* NonAnswer: When asked if the mages had a valid reason to rebel, Vivienne doesn't actually address the mages' grievances, namely that an entire Circle was annulled and mages in other circles were stripped of their few freedoms and the legal channels that supposedly enabled them to advocate for themselves, all [[MisplacedRetribution for the actions of one apostate]] and because the mages were outraged and had a kneejerk reaction to a particularly egregious abuse of Templar power. Vivienne makes no mention of any of that and lectures about timing and public opinion from non-mages.
* NotSoAboveItAll: If a Female Inquisitor approaches her on advice for a gift for a romanced Sera, Vivienne suggests [[spoiler: shaving something vulgar into her privates.]] Vivienne seems to enjoy Sera's pranks in general, especially when she can turn them around and one-up her. Sera put snakes in her bed? No problem; Vivienne will just enchant them to have ''six'' legs and send them right back.
* NotSoDifferent: Admits this in dialogue with Solas, that they both believe magic is quite dangerous, and that neither of them are fools with their training.
* NotSoStoic: Cole brings Vivienne out of her [[IronLady Madame de Fer]] persona by seeing past all her masks and wordplay effortlessly. ''She does not like this one bit.''
* OddFriendship:
** With the hedonistic Iron Bull, whom she keeps in line.
** She and Varric get along spectacularly, despite the fact that he lives like a commoner and is proud of it. His idea of using her as base for a villain in a new book only endears him to her.
* OlderThanTheyLook: Implied by [[spoiler:the Nightmare demon, who suggests that part of the reason Vivienne is so desperate to restore the Circle of Magi is from a fear of being ''too old'' to recreate her power base in a new system.]]
* OnlyOneName: According to Mary Kirby, she has no last name that she'll admit to. The Imperial Court calls her "[[IronLady Madame de Fer]]."
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Vivienne's default reaction to being insulted or threatened is to snark, demolish the offending party with politeness, or just use old-fashioned passive-aggressiveness. When the Nightmare makes a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech that preys upon her worst fear, she reacts ''entirely'' differently.
-->'''Vivienne:''' Not. One. Word.
* OptionalPartyMember: You can choose not to recruit her, or simply not go to her party at all.
* PaperTiger: Vivienne tries to present herself as a formidable and invaluable ally to the Inquisition, but the player soon learns that what little she has to offer can be easily obtained from other characters. When she and the Inquisitor first meet, she promises all the resources remaining to the Circle--which doesn't include enough mages to seal the Breach, so the Herald still needs to seek out the rebel mages or Templars. Vivienne is a potential mage ally, but so are Solas and Dorian (who both give more insight into the magic that caused the Breach and the people behind it). She promises her connections at the Orlesian Court, but that doesn't amount to much more than a few War Table missions and some advice at the Winter Palace. Even her presence at the Winter Palace proves irrelevant since Morrigan has replaced her as the official enchanter of the Imperial court. Finally, if she becomes angry enough at the Inquisitor, the worst she can do is [[PassiveAggressiveKombat move around some furniture]].
* PassiveAggressiveKombat: If you sufficiently upset her, she starts hiring people to refurbish your room... specifically, moving all your furniture out of it.
* ThePerfectionist: She has some extremely neurotic memories of striving to be perfect for [[DeadlyDecadentCourt The Game]] that Cole digs up.
* PersonOfMassDestruction: During banter, Iron Bull compares her to a Qunari dreadnought. At first, he thinks he offends her, but she enjoys it. Iron Bull also mentions that Vivienne has a swagger when she walks, "like she's the most dangerous thing in the room, and she knows it."
* PetTheDog:
** If the Inquisitor and Dorian enter a relationship, regardless of her friendship level with the Inquisitor, she'll defend the pair from a pompous noble calling their relationship "horrendous".
** If you choose to express self-blame in the aftermath of Haven, Vivienne is quick to offer kind, comforting words, telling the Inquisitor they didn't fail the people of Haven, and to honor the men and women who died.
** In a companion conversation, Cassandra expresses regret over being unable to attend the Conclave, and believes she could've done something to save the Divine. Vivienne gently disagrees with that, and tells her not to blame herself and that she did all she could.
** For all her vitriol for Cole for being a spirit or demon, after you do his companion quest, she attempts to goad and insult him one more time... before Cole reads her mind and realizes that she actually ''does'' care about him, but refuses to admit it because she believes "caring will hurt [her]" and because of what he is. She doesn't really try to deny it, and Cole promises he won't tell anyone before dropping the subject.
** [[spoiler:If Vivienne or Cassandra became Divine Victoria and In Hushed Whispers was completed, then two years after the defeat of Corypheus, after a fight against the rebel mages, she will allow their own college to remain alongside the new Circle of Magi, out of respect of the Inquisition.]]
* PragmaticHero: Places survival above sentiment.
* {{Pride}}: Solas seems to consider it one of her main faults. She's not exactly fazed.
-->'''Solas:''' Enchanter. Any Pride Demon you met would just walk away, shaking its head and laughing uncontrollably.\\
'''Vivienne:''' Oh, darling, [[InsultBackfire more than one already has.]]
* RagsToRiches: Vivienne was born into an impoverished family. The Circle, in addition to removing the fear of freezing or starving to death, gave her the avenue to considerable wealth and power.
* RedHerring: The marketing hinted at her having a secret agenda, and companions will sometimes recommend you keep an eye on her while valuing her advice. In reality, Vivienne is totally up-front about her politics and motives for joining you; the one time she gets cagey with information, it's for a very personal reason. [[spoiler: Blackwall and Solas are hiding much bigger secrets.]]
* TheRemnant: As a pro-Chantry and Circle Mage, her entire world has been turned upside down with the outbreak of the Mage-Templar War. The Circle has been dissolved, the Templars have gone rogue and the Chantry has been left in complete disarray.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: Andrastian mages can't legally possess any form of political power, but she overcame those restrictions through sheer force of character, becoming an adviser to the empress of the most powerful nation in Thedas. She encourages other mages to do the same... unless they happen to be an apostate and achieve it from outside the system like Morrigan.
* ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem: [[spoiler:If Vivienne is elected Divine, Cassandra accuses her of perverting the Chant of Light for her own ends, and bluntly calls Vivienne a tyrant]].
* SelectiveObliviousness: Vivienne tends to do this regarding the Circle's problems, to the detriment of what would otherwise be valid arguments, such as when she lectures other mages about how it's better to change the system from the inside, while offering no explanation for how that should be done when the mages had been stripped of every legal channel that was supposed to allow them to advocate for themselves. Vivienne claims that of course mages should protest abuses by the Templars, but makes no mention of the tendency of abusive Templars to retaliate by accusing their victims of practicing forbidden magic, accusations that typically result in an already abused mage being [[CorporalPunishment beaten]], killed, or [[FateWorseThanDeath made Tranquil]].
* SilkHidingSteel: Or iron, as it were. Her impeccable manner and dress rarely slip even when talking to people she despises or confronting enemies.
* SketchySuccessor: [[spoiler: The Inquisitor generally has to be lock-step in agreement with her policy aims in terms of Mages and Templars in order to get an outright positive ending. Otherwise, the Mages can form a new College, the Templars will outright refuse to rejoin the Chantry, and the Chantry itself will be divided. She ''can'' emerge triumphant, but only after a lot of bloodshed. In ''Trespasser'', Cassandra outright calls Vivienne a tyrant.]]
* SkewedPriorities: More concerned about how things look in the Fade than all the demons wanting to devour their souls.
* SnarkToSnarkCombat: She and Solas trade quips regarding their politics or preferred combat styles.
* StaticCharacter: Unlike some other companions, Vivienne doesn't change as a person. Rather, the player can choose to learn more about facets of her personality.
* StepfordSnarker: Her ruthless and snarky attitude began as an act she put on to disguise her fear of the templars.
* TakeAThirdOption: Since Divine Justinia V is [[spoiler:murdered at the beginning of Dragon Age Inquisition, it becomes necessary to choose her successor. The two stated candidates are Leliana and Cassandra Penteghast, but Vivienne might become Divine if your Inquisition acts the way she would or supports her.]]
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: Vivienne insults quite a few members of the party in her banter with them.
** She considers Blackwall meek, and the Grey Wardens an aged relic who take far more than they need to defeat the Blight (and that's before [[spoiler: she learns of the problems at Adamant]]). Blackwall frequently snipes with her as well, although she does accept his condolences when [[spoiler: Bastien dies]].
** She and Solas can't stand each other. Their personal morals and lifestyles are so divergent that most of their banter is icy insults and barbs. They have exactly ''one'' civil conversation discussing The Elder One, during which Solas concedes that despite their differences he recognizes that neither of them is a fool.
* TermsOfEndangerment: She's known to say "dear" and "darling" a lot, but when she's faced with an enemy, it takes shades of this trope.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Out of all the companions, Vivienne endears herself the least to the party members and refuses to resolve hostilities regardless of their CharacterDevelopment. The only exception is Dorian and possibly the Inquisitor. Even [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Cole]] makes more friends.
* TooSpicyForYogSothoth: Solas accuses her of being too proud for a {{Pride}} demon. [[InsultBackfire She agrees]].
* TranquilFury: Her speciality.
* TheUnfettered: She allows nothing to stand in the way of what she desires.
* UnknownRival: While she downplays it, reading between the lines - and Cole's reading of her - shows that she ''despises'' Morrigan for usurping her position as Celene's magical adviser. Morrigan only acknowledges her when Vivienne calls out her self-serving behavior at the Well of Sorrows, something Morrigan quickly reverses to Vivienne.
* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans: Whether she's being serious or not, she states that if she ruled over mages, she would rule as a tyrant with an iron fist and kill any mage who did not re-enter the Circle. [[spoiler: She makes good on the threat if she becomes Divine, ''declaring war'' on the rebel mages when they try and form a new College.]]
* VetinariJobSecurity: What Vivienne ''lives'' by. Anyone who isn't irreplaceable at their job becomes a ''liability'' to their job and it's only a matter of time before they're replaced or killed. Thus, she believes that every person who takes up a role needs to appear awe-inspiring at it (including the Inquisitor). This explains a ''lot'' about her personality. (See IJustWantToBeSpecial.)
-->'''Vivienne:''' If you are no longer necessary to move the faithful, you're a liability, a rival to those who would use the power you've amassed.
* VitriolicBestBuds: She and Dorian enjoy tearing into one another, but it's all good fun to them.
* {{Workaholic}}: Vivienne never quite switches off. Even after [[spoiler: Bastien's death]], when she's as vulnerable as she ever gets, she can't stop thinking about the arrangements she'll need to make. [[spoiler: If you helped her find the wyvern's heart, she uses your efforts to comfort Bastien's relatives, gain their support for the Inquisition, and increase her own power all at once.]]
* XanatosGambit: Her personal quest turns out to be one. [[spoiler:By providing her with the medicine that can supposedly save Bastien, you provide her with two possibilities for success. Even though Bastien dies, she still ingratiates herself and the Inquisitor in his family's good graces for ''trying'' to save him, providing greater prestige and political power for both. If Bastien had lived, saving the man she loved would have been its own reward.]]
[[/folder]]
