History DragonAgeOrigins / TropesFToK

* KilledToUpholdTheMasquerade: If you've been recruited and [[RefusalOfTheCall Refuse The Call]], you're killed to maintain the Grey Wardens' secrets, especially the details of the unsavory Joining as well as the 30-year DeadManWalking curse. [[spoiler:Poor, poor, stupid Ser Jory...]]

* TheGrandHunt: One of the books, ''Literature/TheMaskedEmpire'', makes it clear that hunts are the standard practice of the Orlesian nobility--[[HuntingAccident as well as the most accepted way of getting rid of rivals]].

*** Characters being shocked at a female Grey Warden is, at least, given an in-game explanation, in part courtesy of Loghain and Alistair at Ostagar. Because they participated in the uprising against a corrupt king, the Wardens were exiled from Ferelden for roughly two ages; it was only when Cailan's father Maric took the throne that he allowed them back into the country. At the time of the game's beginning, there are only around thirty Wardens in Ferelden at all, and by pure happenstance, ''none'' of them (except a female PC) are women. [[note]]It's also understood that women are not often encouraged to become Grey Wardens because of the Taint; while the worst that could happen to a male Warden would be that he becomes a ghoul, female Wardens run a high risk of becoming Broodmothers. WordOfGod says that female Wardens are given the option of performing ritual suicide in place of a regular Calling, to ensure that this doesn't happen to them.[[/note]]

* FinalDungeonPreview: You get captured and are taken to the prison in Fort Drakon and have to sneak or fight your way out. The final dungeon is a return to Fork Drakon, [[spoiler:which is now overrun by darkspawn]].

* FinishingMove: Occasionally, a character will get one when killing an enemy, ranging from a simple beheading animation when killing a [[{{Mooks}} Mook]] to a more involved lunge and ''coup de grace'' when slaying an Ogre. The most elaborate (which actually pause the gameplay for as much as 20 seconds) come with the deaths of the High Dragon, the Broodmother, and the Archdemon.

** The Mage class is ''the'' definitive [[GameBreaker/DragonAge Game Breaker]] class, compared to Warriors and Rogues. This makes sense, since Mages are seen in-universe as such potent [[PersonOfMassDestruction people of mass destruction]] that most characters think they have to be tightly controlled, since individual mages can take on large groups of people with little effort, and several can take on a city or army of non-mages. As for what hundreds, or even thousands of mages can do? Well... there's a reason TheEmpire of Thedas is also {{TheMagocracy}}.

* FetchQuest: The Orzammar questline is by far the longest in the game. First, you have to run a couple of minor fetch quests in the city and/or the Aeducan thaig, then you have to fight the Carta in Dusttown, and ''then'' you have to navigate the Deep Roads --a MarathonLevel consisting of four sprawling thaigs-- in order to find Paragon Branka and have her [[spoiler:(or Paragon Caridin, depending on your choices)]] forge a crown for the king of your choosing.

* FetchQuest: The crown for crowning the dwarf king is certainly the longest.

* FinishHim: [[spoiler:A choice the player can make after dueling Loghain.]]

* GenderBender: [[spoiler:In the ''Darkspawn Chronicles'' DLC, cornering Wade and Herren in an alley results in the latter transforming into a Desire Demon and teleporting the two of them away.]]

** Regardless of [[spoiler:how many votes you get at the Landsmeet, it always ends with a duel between the PC or a champion and Loghain, with the winner choosing the new king. Winning the Landsmeet merely precludes the meet devolving into a melee before the duel.]]

** Before that,[[spoiler: during the preparations for the Joining ritual, the Warden-to-be is accompanied into the Korcari Wilds by Alistair and two other Warden recruits, Ser Jory of Redcliffe (a Warrior) and Daveth (a Rogue). Neither of them end up surviving the Joining for one reason or another.]]

* HeirInLaw: Anora's situation is affected by a variant of this - she's not a princess, but as the king's widow, she'd bolster the claim of someone who marries her. [[spoiler:Depending on various factors, that could be Alistair, the Warden, or nobody.]] There's no circumstance in which she helps someone onto the throne while accepting demotion to mere consort for herself, however.

* HumanResources: [[spoiler:Golems are made using Dwarven lives. Also, BloodMagic drains the caster's (or others'...) blood and health points.]]

* FetchQuest

** Before that, during the preparations for the Joining ritual, the Warden-to-be is accompanied into the Korcari Wilds by Alistair and two other Warden recruits, Ser Jory of Redcliffe (a Warrior) and Daveth (a Rogue). Neither of them end up surviving the Joining for one reason or another.

* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: One of the one-off NPC dwarves you can meet is Lord Helmi. He has strong opinions that the caste system is an inefficient and unjust disaster, which is why he's backing... Harrowmont, the candidate who ''doesn't'' want to end it.

** [[spoiler:[[MsFanservice In spite of Morrigan otherwise looking pretty damn hot]] and the overall sexy factor, context makes the Dark Ritual (if you choose to go through with it) somewhat {{Squick}}y.]] It's also worse if you're [[spoiler:a female character and are romancing Alistair, in which case, ''he'' has to do the ritual - and the game forces you to watch (well, until it blacks out). Even if you're a female who didn't romance Alistair, the scene is made incredibly uncomfortable by the fact that he looks ''terrified'' when Morrigan joins him in bed.]]
*** It doesn't help that Alistair and Morrigan pretty much hate each other.

** [[spoiler:Women who contract the darkspawn taint. If they survive, they can eventually turn into Broodmothers and birth more darkspawn]].
*** The taint is no picnic for men either, as it turns them into deformed insane slaves to the darkspawn, assuming they survive.

*** Of course, [[spoiler:Shale seems to rather enjoy ''being'' a golem, though she doesn't really remember much of the act of turning]].

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Gameplay-wise. [[spoiler:Jowan]] is one of only two {{Guest Star Party Member}}s (in the PC version) with a colored background in his portrait. [[spoiler:He was initially intended to be a permanent party member. Although the plan to make him a party member was scrapped, he still played a pretty important role in the plot, so...]]
** [[spoiler:Play the Human Noble origin a second time, then try not to cringe when Fergus assures Oren that he'll bring a nice sword home.]]
---> [[spoiler:'''Fergus''': ''Don't worry son, you'll get to see a sword up close real soon!'']]\\
[[spoiler:Now, imagine how he feels when he learns of the attack on Highever, and realises that ''those were some of the last words he ever spoke to his boy...'']]

** In the Mage Origin story, it's possible to stumble upon a statue of a Tevinter Mage who was [[TakenForGranite turned to stone]] for prophesying the fall of Archon Valerius. She does surprisingly little... until she reappears in ''Witch Hunt'' with crucial information about [[spoiler: the Eluvian]].
*** Eleni Zinovia's prophecy in ''Witch Hunt'' makes very little sense at the time, until you realize she's referring to the events of the ''Legacy'' DLC in ''Dragon Age II'', which could actually be happening at the same time as the events of ''Witch Hunt''. [[spoiler: Corypheus, an Ancient Tevinter Magister turned darkspawn, is accidentally released from his millennia-long-incarceration in a Grey Warden Prison; he performs a BodySurf into a nearby Warden before Hawke delivers the killing blow, and then leaves inside his new host with ''no one the wiser'']]. Then comes ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition''...

** Arguably, the Grey Warden if you started as a Elf or Dwarf Commoner, or a Mage - this is how you appear to your enemies. The sheer number of assassins they send after ''you'' is a indicator of how much you're putting the fear of the Maker into them.
*** The Guard in the City Elf Origin lampshades this, in disbelief that the Arl's son lies in a river of blood that runs throughout the castle due to ''one'' Elf. When you step forward to take the blame, the Guardsman actually seems somewhat impressed.

* GameplayAndStoryIntegration: Elves are notably the only playable race without ''any'' bonuses to physical stats, like STR, DEX, or CON. In-universe they're also the most oppressed race, being enslaved and second-class to humans all over Thedas. Implication being that they don't have ''any'' natural physical prowess to give them an edge over humans (not even Dexterity, a traditional "elf" stat that would at least give them an edge in rogue fighting or archery), so in a world where MightMakesRight... They do, however, have bonuses to Magic and Willpower, both of which are ideal for the Mage class. Sure enough, a few characters mention throughout the game (and the elves' lore itself states) that elves have a natural affinity for magic.

** Although Wynne strongly disapproves of BloodMagic like other Circle Mages, there is absolutely nothing preventing you from making Blood Mage her second specialization after unlocking it. If you are a Blood Mage, Wynne won't even bat an eyelash if you use BloodMagic ''right in front of her'' during battle. Likewise, there is nothing stopping you from making all-around good guy Alistair a Reaver.
*** A [[GameMod user mod]] restores a conversation that averts the trope, as it has Wynne confront a player who uses blood magic in a certain quest. This mod also explains why neither she nor other mages seem to take notice otherwise: she does not recognize the spells as being BloodMagic (though she has her suspicions), and she can be [[BlatantLies persuaded]] to believe that they are actually special "Grey Warden" abilities.
*** This may become Hilarious in Hindsight if you [[spoiler: drink a certain vial in the ''Soldier's Peak'' DLC which does indeed grant you special Warden blood magic abilities - even if you're not a mage.]]

** Lyrium potions are supposed to have an addictive quality, but none of your characters will ever suffer that no matter how many bottles they chug.
*** And lyrium ore is supposed to be lethally toxic to non-dwarves, and potentially brain damaging even to experienced dwarvish miners. Non-dwarven characters can touch exposed veins of the substance to heal themselves, and dwarven characters receive no effects at all.
** Darkspawn corruption. Darkspawn blood is toxic, and getting it inside the body, either through ingestion or through a wound, can lead to death or ghoulification, and is one of several reasons the Grey Wardens intentionally taint themselves. However, your non-Warden companions will never once have to worry about that as they cut a bloody swath through entire hordes of the fiends. (There was an early intent to make Grey Wardens out of the rest of your companions near the end of the game, but they had to abandon it. You can recruit most if not all of your companions in ''Awakening'', however.)

** After you have completed the "A Paragon of Her Kind" quest and leave Orzammar with Oghren, he will ask for a moment to regain his composure because he, like all dwarves, is afraid he will "fall into the sky" the first time he sets foot on the surface. This makes sense if that is really the first time he leaves Orzammar - but not so much if you leave Orzammar when he joins the party and complete other (main) quests, plenty of them set in the open air, before coming back and tackling "A Paragon of Her Kind."

* GayOption: And ''how''.
** Modders enjoy having the usually straight Alistair [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX8ex_mueeM reach for the rainbow as well]].

* GirlOnGirlIsHot[=/=]ButNotTooGay: Played straight and subverted. ''Origins'' is the first AAA game to really depict passionate male gay sex, on the same level as the lesbian sex.
** In-game, of course, Oghren definitely believes the former. He remarks that he'd wish he'd known Branka preferred girls to him - just before stating he has ADateWithRosiePalms. If a female Warden has Oghren in the party when she visits the Pearl and requests a female prostitute, Oghren will walk in on them.
*** If your female Warden invites Leliana along for her tryst with Isabela, Oghren faints.

---> '''Alistair''': I mean, I get it, '''HOT''', but...

* TheGoodTheBadAndTheEvil: Multiple examples of each, but the most prominent ones are [[PlayerCharacter the Warden]], [[WellIntentionedExtremist Loghain]], and the [[BigBad Archdemon]], respectively.

* GuestStarPartyMember: The PC gets one or more of these during the origin stories. They vary based on the origin in question.
** Also, in the Arl of Redcliffe story, you can send to the Fade [[spoiler: Jowan or even First Enchanter Irving]].

* GuysSmashGirlsShoot: There's nothing stopping a male Warden from being a ranged fighter or a female one from being a warrior, of course, but this is in full force with the companions. In the base game there are no female warrior companions[[note]]''The Stone Prisoner'' DLC adds Shale, but she's, well, a {{golem}}, and her being female is [[SamusIsAGirl something of a revelation later on]][[/note]], no male mages, and of the rogues, Zevran is geared towards melee weapons while Leliana favors a bow.
** Inverted in ''Witch Hunt.'' Ariane is a warrior, whilst Finn is a mage with the spirit healer specialization.

* HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic: In-engine cutscenes show the characters in their currently equipped gear, except for their helmets. This is not true for all cutscenes, however. Generally, if the scene is the prelude to the appearance of some monster, the helmet stays on. And, of course, helmets are generally removed for conversations, but this only makes sense.

* HeroicFantasy

* HiddenBackupPrince: [[spoiler:Alistair]]

* HumanoidsAreWhite: The number of dark-skinned characters you meet can be counted on one hand, including one black ''elf''. (Gets especially jarring if the player gives the Grey Warden a very dark skin tone - in the origins where the Grey Warden's parents are seen, like the human noble origin, said parents are very fair-skinned in contrast to their son/daughter. No one in the game mentions the Grey Warden's skin tone as being in any way unusual if this is done.) However, the Dalish elves are somewhat tannish. (They seem to be a little like Romani.)
** Bioware actually got criticized about this, to the point where this was one of the things they addressed in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII''.

** Even if you don't pay the dwarf for the sword and take one of the many options that can have him fork it over for free, it's difficult to feel bad about it - during the preparations for the next undead attack, he boards himself up in his own house with armed guards, despite how he's a warrior himself, and if you don't have a high enough persuasion or coercion skill then he outright refuses to help the people of Redcliffe, taking on the attitude of "sod you Jack I'm alright."

** At one point, you have to go rescue someone who is sealed into a room with a spell. If you're playing as a mage with Dispel Magic, or you brought Morrigan or Wynne and one of ''them'' has Dispel Magic, you'd think you could just cast it on the door and be done with it. But nope, your only option is to go kill the mage who set the spell, which means you have to slaughter your way through the dungeons and alert the entire building to your presence.

* GiveMeYourInventoryItem: Lots of these, actually. One sidequest for the Blackstone Irregulars is just the player giving them 20 health potions. The Mages' Collective wants 10 Deep Mushrooms and 10 Lyrium potions. The Chantry wants 5-10 Corpse Galls, and the Interested Parties want Toxin Extracts and pieces of Garnet. Lothering villagers want potions, poisons, traps...

** This applies to quite a few situations in the game - e.g., the conflicts between [[spoiler:the Dalish elves and the werewolves]] and the Templars and the mages, not to mention the motivations of primary antagonist [[spoiler:Loghain]]. That being said, there is ''usually'' an acceptable middle ground solution for most of the quests - but Orzammar isn't one of them, given the epilogue.

** The gifts you can give your party members can be as ''very'' unintuitive and require a bit of poking around; this is even more the case in ''Awakening'' because you have fewer opportunities to talk to the characters. But on the plus side, some are ''highly'' obvious.

* HypnosisProofDogs: A powerful demon tries to imprison you and your current party in a LotusEaterMachine. After you break free, you can enter your companions' dreams to free them. Most of them (except Morrigan and, to an extent, Sten) fall for the illusion but your Dog is simply put to sleep and re-joins you as soon as you approach him.

*** Characters being shocked at a female Grey Warden is, at least, given an in-game explanation, in part courtesy of Loghain and Alistair at Ostagar. Because they participated in the uprising against a corrupt king, the Wardens were exiled from Ferelden for roughly two ages; it was only when Cailan's father Maric took the throne that he allowed them back into the country. At the time of the game's beginning, there are only around fifty Wardens in Ferelden at all, and by pure happenstance, ''none'' of them (except a female PC) are women. [[note]]It's also understood that women are not often encouraged to become Grey Wardens because of the Taint; while the worst that could happen to a male Warden would be that he becomes a ghoul, female Wardens run a high risk of becoming Broodmothers. WordOfGod says that female Wardens are given the option of performing ritual suicide in place of a regular Calling, to ensure that this doesn't happen to them.[[/note]]

* TheGuardsMustBeCrazy: All of Howe's guards are human, but any party character (except Shale or Dog) can get in with a pilfered uniform.

* InformedFlaw: Wynne goes on and on about how old she is. She looks like a woman in her mid thirties but with white hair and this is a game with much older looking women. Though Zevran does comment on how well her body has held up. However, [[spoiler:netting a high approval with her will allow you to find out that she has, in fact, already died once, but was revived with the help of a benevolent Fade spirit, whom is now keeping her breathing.]]

*** Which may become HilariousInHindsight if you [[spoiler: drink a certain vial in a Soldier's Peak DLC that indeed grants you special Warden blood magic abilities.]]

** PlayedForLaughs when leaving Honnleath with Shale. Upon reaching the road to the exit, a cutscene starts. Shale sees a chicken idly clucking away and scowls at it, since birds are Shale's SitcomArchNemesis. The camera cuts to the rest of the party as they continue down the road, until they are interrupted by a loud stony '''*STOMP*''' and the chicken squaking. Next to Shale is a bloody puddle, and Shale simply shrugs.

*** Its worth noting that, when this comes up in the Landsmeet (see previous spoiler for context), the distinction is likely just the standard disconnect between the way the nobility view themselves and commoners. If your blood is blue, there's a fairly decent chance you are just considered more important than a bunch of random commoners. No matter the shape of their ears.

*** Eleni Zinovia's prophecy in ''Witch Hunt'' makes very little sense at the time, until you realize she's referring to the events of the ''Legacy'' DLC in ''Dragon Age II'', which could actually be happening at the same time as the events of ''Witch Hunt''. [[spoiler: Corypheus, an Ancient Tevinter Magister turned darkspawn, is accidentally released from his millennia-long-incarceration in a Grey Warden Prison; he performs a BodySurf into a nearby Warden before Hawke delivers the killing blow, and then leaves inside his new host with ''no one the wiser'']]. Then comes ''VideoGame/Dragon AgeInquisition''...

* GameplayAndStoryIntegration: Elves are notably the only selectable race without ''any'' bonuses to physical stats, like STR, DEX, or CON. In-universe they're also the most oppressed race, being enslaved and second-class to humans all over Thedas. Implication being that they don't have ''any'' natural physical prowess to give them an edge over humans (not even Dexterity, a traditional "elf" stat that would at least give them an edge in rogue fighting or archery), so in a world where MightMakesRight... They do, however, have bonuses to Magic and Willpower, both of which are ideal for the Mage class. Sure enough, a few characters mention throughout the game (and the elves' lore itself states) that elves have a natural affinity for magic.

* GiveMeYourInventoryItem: Lots of these, actually. One sidequest for the Blackstone Irregulars is just the player giving them 20 health potions. The Mages' Collective wants 10 Deep Mushrooms, 10 Lyrium potions. The Chantry wants 5-10 Corpse Galls, and the Interested Parties want Toxin Extracts and pieces of Garnet. Lothering villagers want potions, poisons, traps...

* TheGrandHunt: One of the books, ''Literature/TheMaskedEmpire'', makes it clear that hunts are the standard practice of the Orlesian nobility--[[HuntingAccident as well as the most accepted way of getting rid of rivals]].
* GroinAttack: The "Below the Belt" talent is described as a "swift and unsportsmanlike kick" to the target, which causes normal damage and movement penalties, and if you're lucky can be a critical hit. This makes it entirely possible to finish off enemies with an ''especially'' potent kick to the jewels.
* GuestStarPartyMember: The PC gets one or more of these during the origin stories. They vary based on the origin in question.
** Also, in the Arl of Redcliffe story, you can send to the Fade [[spoiler: Jowan or even First Enchanter Irving]].
** At Ostagar, when the Warden and Alistair are making their way through the Tower of Ishal, they will pick up either one or two of these for the duration of the quest - a nameless Circle mage and a nameless soldier, or two nameless soldiers if the Warden is a mage. If the Warden is the Human Noble, Dog is already in the party and only the mage will attach himself to the group.
** Before that, during the preparations for the Joining ritual, the Warden-to-be is accompanied into the Korcari Wilds by Alistair and two other Warden recruits, Ser Jory of Redcliffe (a Warrior) and Daveth (a Rogue). Neither of them end up surviving the Joining for one reason or another.
* TheGuardsMustBeCrazy: All of Howe's guards are human, but any party character (except Shale or Dog) can get in with a pilfered uniform.

* HeroesLoveDogs: No matter what kind of character you're playing, you can always count on the unquestioning love and loyalty of the Mabari Hound. Human Noble Wardens start with one, and Wardens of other backgrounds can get one by completing an easy-to-finish sidequest at Ostagar. Once Dog has joined you, it's not possible to make him leave, even if you deliberately try to drive everyone else from your side; his approval starts at maximum, and except with a silly bit of DLC, you cannot lower it for any reason. Plus, you may engage the Hound in dialogue to literally PetTheDog.

* HumanResources: [[spoiler:Golems are made using Dwarven lives. Also, BloodMagic drains the caster's (or others'...) blood and health points.]]

* IGotARock: A good thing, if done correctly. The ''Feastday Gifts'' DLC enables you to purchase a pet rock. If you give it to [[spoiler:Shale]], her approval rating for you jumps up fifty points.

* InfantImmortality: Averted.

** The character creation screen states that women and men are regarded as equals and are equally represented in most organizations. However, if you play as a female PC, the game is full of characters commenting in shock that a woman is a Grey Warden. Most, if not all, of the military leaders, heads of noble houses, and templars you meet in the game, and the Grand Enchanter of the Ferelden Circle are men. No one seems to question why the Queen's father is taking over the kindgom after the King's death instead of the Queen herself. One of your companions has [[spoiler:what was implied to be a pretty brutal [[RapeAsBackstory gang rape in her backstory]]]]. Rape is also a theme in three of the [[MultipleGameOpenings origin stories]]. In another origin story, a female PC is told off for "playing at being a man." The [[VideoGame/DragonAgeII subsequent]] [[VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition games]] gradually improved on this.

** Also, seemingly innocuous actions can have severe consequences. For instance, attempting to enter Arl Eamon's bedroom during your first visit to Redcliffe Castle (or even just getting lost and ending up there by accident) leads to [[spoiler:Connor's death]], and choosing Alistair as your champion at the [[spoiler:Landsmeet leads to him executing Loghain immediately after the duel, thus preventing you from recruiting Loghain and/or marrying Anora to Alistair]]. The [[TheDevTeamThinksOfEverything wide variety of finishing options]] means that if you want a specific ending, you have to take ''very'' specific actions.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Gameplay-wise. [[spoiler:Jowan is one of only two {{Guest Star Party Member}}s (in the PC version) with a colored background in his portrait]]. [[spoiler:He was initially intended to be a permanent party member.]] Although the plan [[spoiler:to make him a party member was scrapped, he still played a pretty important role in the plot, so...]]

** In Redcliffe, there is a codex titled "Cautionary tales for the Adventurous" which tells about evil spirits inhabiting campsites that drain the life force from those who rest there. [[spoiler:Eventually, you'll find yourself in the Brecilian forest. You find yourself in a very inviting... campsite...]]
** If you accept Morrigan's loophole to avoid [[spoiler: killing the Archdemon also killing you]], one of the dialogue options before you part is, "Just don't make me come after you." Guess what the plot of the ''Witch Hunt'' DLC revolves around?
** Morrigan can also give one to Alistair in party banter, if the PC has romanced him. She points out that their relationship could create a problem if they ever have to choose between saving the world and being together. [[spoiler:If you execute Loghain and don't go through Morrigan's ritual, this will essentially happen since one of the two Wardens has to die.]]
** In the Mage's Origin story, it's possible to stumble upon a statue of a Tevinter Mage who was [[TakenForGranite turned to stone]] for prophesying the fall of Archon Valerius. She does surprisingly little... until she reappears in ''Witch Hunt'' with crucial information about [[spoiler: the Eluvian]].
** Eleni Zinovia's prophecy in ''Witch Hunt'' makes very little sense at the time, until you realize she's referring to the events of the "Legacy" DLC quest in ''Dragon Age II'': [[spoiler: Corypheus, an Ancient Tevinter Magister turned darkspawn, is accidentally released from his millennia-long-incarceration in a Grey Warden Prison; he performs a BodySurf to a nearby Warden before Hawke delivers the killing blow, and then leaves inside his new host with ''no one the wiser'']]. Then comes Dragon Age: Inquisition...

* FreudianTrio: The starting team. Unusually, all three members show traits of multiple parts of the trio. Alistair, the {{Adorkable}} ManChild who is very much into saving kittens from trees and dislikes ruthless choices as a combination of the Id and Ego. Morrigan, whom is mostly ruthless for pragmatic reasons, motivated by power and survival. Plus one odd [[ForTheEvulz puppy kicking]] moment as a combination of the Id and Superego. With The Warden as the PlayerCharacter rounding it out as a combination of the Ego and Superego.

** Bioware actually got criticized about this to the point where this was one of the things they addressed in Dragon Age 2.