History Fridge / DragonAgeInquisition

** Look at the Elder One's companions. The developers have repeatedly stated that the villain is an "equal and opposite" opposing the Inquisitor - and ''he is''. [[spoiler:Corypheus's main trio of baddies not only fits the Arc Number of 3, but also fits because ''each one is a different playable class.'' Samson is a Templar and fits the Warrior archetype, Florianne is a dual-wielding Rogue (and most likely a Bard, given how popular that training is in Orlais), and Calpernia/Alexius (depending on whether the Inquisitor recruited the Templars or the mages) is a Mage, fulfilling the last of the three classes.]] The Elder One's main failing isn't lacking power, it's failing to work as a team. A WolfpackBoss consisting of [[spoiler:Samson tanking, Corypheus and Calpernia/Alexius providing fire support, and Florianne landing DPS hits]] would have been almost impossible to beat; but he makes the mistake of using his literal [[TheDragon dragon]] as his one super-weapon. The Inquisitor guides his/her people to victory by leading from the front, while [[spoiler:Corypheus, as fitting his magister past,]] leads from behind.
** This goes even further for [[spoiler:Corypheus]] himself. Like the Inquisitor, he clearly has both a normal class and unusual powers alongside it; specifically, [[spoiler:Corypheus]] is a mage ([[spoiler:being a magister like Dorian and Alexius]]), but also has a wide variety of unique and unusual abilities alongside this. He's even a reference to a prior protagonist - much like [[spoiler:the Warden from ''Origins'', Corypheus has the darkspawn taint in him, though his case is much more advanced than a drop of darkspawn blood.]]

* The player can find [[http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Walking_the_Fade:_A_Harrowing a codex entry describing a personal account of a mage's Harrowing]]. The mage describes being terrified because they thought the ground could disappear underneath them. The demon took the form of a cat that exploited the apprentice's fear of the Templars surrounding their helpless body and what they might do. After the Harrowing, the mage went on a brief tirade about forcing something so evil on all mages, while calling it good. The account is noted to come from a damaged journal found at Kinloch Hold. What mage do we know that was originally from Kinloch Hold, has an affinity for cats, dislikes the Fade, and hates everything about the Circle, and ''especially'' the Templars? [[spoiler:Anders.]]

** Throughout ''Origins,'' you encounter genlock emissaries, which are darkspawn spawned from dwarven Broodmothers. This is odd, considering that Dwarves can't do magic but its Darkspawn counterpart potentially can. [[spoiler:The end of ''The Descent'' has Shaper Valta being able to cast magic after being exposed to the Titan's heart, implying that dwarves might have been able to use magic in the past.]]
** In ''Dragon Age II,'' a couple of people in the expedition to the Primeval Thaig comment that some of the designs look like magic was used (something that dwarves can't do), as well as some altars that look like they are used to worship gods (something unheard of in dwarven culture). [[spoiler:''The Descent'' then introduces the Sha-Brytol, who worship the Titans. Furthermore, evidence in ''Trespasser'' indicates that the dwarves were like the elves at one point, until Mythal killed one of their Titans. It is implied that the death of one Titan somehow morphed the dwarves into what they are now.]]

** On a more amusing note, and alternatively, consider [[spoiler:how irritated he gets at the end of Trepasser if you [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JvxH1WThhQ show absolutely no interest in any explanation he could give]]. He ''loves'' to explain things and hearing himself talk, which is why he approves whenever you ask him things.]]

** On a more amusing note, and alternatively, consider [[spoiler:how irritated he gets at the end of Trepasser if you [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JvxH1WThhQ show absolutely no interest in any explanation he could give]]. He ''loves'' to explain things and hearign himself talk, which is why he approves whenever you ask him things.]]

** It gets worse. If you read the codex about Adruil found in Arbor Wilds, you will learn than she hunted the Forgotten Ones in the abyss until she went mad. Specifically, the mention of a plague destroying her lands sounds suspiciously like the Taint, while the mention of armour crafted from the Void might be hinting at a Red Lyrium armour [[spoiler:similar to the one that Samson wears]].

** If the Architect is [[spoiler:possessing anyone, it's probably not the Warden-Commander of Ferelden. Seranni was acting awfully strange after the Architect was defeated, just like Larius/Janeka was]].

** Blackwall's building a rocking horse (well, a rocking griffon) in his spare time. How cute! Shame there aren't any children at Skyhold to play on it. [[spoiler:Except for those children Thom Rainier slain. Cole can reveal that Blackwall thinks about those children and wonders if they know how awful he feels about killing them; the griffon might be his way of showing them he's trying to be a better man.]]

** An alternative reason for Solas approving of doing seemingly-inconsequential nice things that even fellow champions of the common folk like Varric, Sera, and Cassandra don't gain approval for is because it's been ''so long'' since anyone has treated him kindly. [[spoiler:The Dalish went with their HistoricalVillainUpgrade and want nothing to do with Fen'Harel]]. Other companions who routinely interact with society ''expect'' you to be kind and take it for granted, but Solas has spent so long being shunned by the very people he wanted to help that any act of compassion is taken favorably (even if only a little bit, since he still has issues trusting others).

** When you first arrive at Skyhold you can question him about the orb that Corypheus carries, which - though Elven in origin - seemingly lets Corypheus control an archdemon. He'll mention that nothing in the lore connects the Old Gods to "''my'' people". He will keep this line even if speaking to an Elven Inquisitor. It might be seen as a slip-up by the devs, as he had previously acknowledged Elves as "our people" in the journey to Skyhold...or it might be a slip-up by Solas, inadventantly hinting at [[spoiler: his being one of the ancient elves]]. The latter case is further supported by later conversations with him, which have him comment that [[spoiler: he doesn't often consider modern Elves to be his people]].

** Look at the Elder One's companions. The developers have repeatedly stated that the villain is an "equal and opposite" opposing the Inquisitor - and ''he is''. [[spoiler:Corypheus's main trio of baddies not only fits the Arc Number of 3, but also fits because ''each one is a different playable class.'' Samson is a Templar and fits the Warrior archetype, Florianne is a dual-wielding Rogue (and most likely a Bard, given how popular that training is in Orlais), and Calpernia/Alexius (depending on whether the Inquisitor recruited the Templars or the mages) is a Mage, fulfilling the last of the three classes.]] The Elder One's main failing isn't lacking power, it's failing to work as a team. A WolfpackBoss consisting of [[spoiler:Samson tanking, Corypheus and Calpernia/Alexius providing fire support, and Florianne landing DPS hits]] would have been almost impossible to beat, but he makes the mistake of using his literal [[TheDragon dragon]] as his one super-weapon. The Inquisitor guides his/her people to victory by leading from the front, while [[spoiler:Corypheus, as fitting his magister past,]] leads from behind.

** To add to this, [[spoiler:Corypheus]] sends agents just like the Inquisitor. The problem is that he lacks variety, always sending Venatori, Templar, or Mages. In comparison, your advisers send different people and use different tactics because they know what the best choice is. [[spoiler:Corypheus]] is simply ordering people around with no advisors, because to do so would make him seem less like the god he wants to be. The Inquisitor, regardless of choices, will defer to their allies when they know that the allies are better suited for a task or better informed on a subject.

** Even more alternatively; being transgender per se is not accepted by the Qun, as in one does not choose one's own gender. It is assigned by the Tamassrans along with one's work. If a male soldier fills any of the designated female roles, he is treated as a woman, regardless of his gender. It seems more liberal to the audience because we're used to the idea of gender being assigned at birth. It's possible that if Krem had still been a trans man but followed in his father's footsteps as a tailor (a designated female role under the Qun), Bull might have had more trouble contextualising this in light of Qunari beliefs.

** [[spoiler:Also, the way that Flemeth reacts to Morrigan saying 'I will not be the mother you were to me' implies that Morrigan passed Mythal's test and Flemeth ''failed''. She was so busy arranging her vengeance that she abandoned her daughter, and so she took a different path because of how her daughter viewed her as a mother.]]
* It's puzzling at first that so many party members approve of [[spoiler:the Inquisitor exiling the Grey Wardens after the Siege on Adamant.]] It seems shortsighted to want to banish the only group who can defeat the Blight, especially after what happened in Ferelden 10 years ago. Even Cassandra, who spent years searching for the Hero of Ferelden in hopes s/he might lead the Inquisition, is eager to see them ejected from southern Thedas. But consider that most people actually don't know how necessary the Wardens are. They ''say'' they are the only ones who can defeat the Blight, and yet they refuse to tell anyone outside the Order what happens when the Archdemon dies. To everyone else, "only we can defeat the Blight" starts to look like bluster and a convenient excuse for IDidWhatIHadToDo. The player may be intimately acquainted with their necessity, but the party members? Not so much. Furthermore, the Fifth Blight occurred 400 years after the Fourth; it lasted for a little over a year and never got out of Ferelden, compared to the Blights of old which lasted for decades and impacted multiple countries. To most people, it must probably seem that the Blights are weakening over time, occurring less and less frequently and getting smaller in scale.
* At the Well of Sorrows, Solas counsels the Inquisitor that the knowledge of the Well is vitally important and is dismissive of Morrigan's desire for it, calling her "a glutton before a feast." But if the Inquisitor drinks from the Well instead of Morrigan, he actually disapproves. [[spoiler:It ties into the reason he flatly refused it himself: He knew that it would bind you to Mythal, who was still active in the world. He was using reverse psychology to trick Morrigan into getting some LaserGuidedKarma, but becomes annoyed if the Inquisitor drinks instead, derailing his plan and bounding ''them'' instead. On the other hand, that could be the reason he kills and seemingly takes Mythal's power in the end if the Inquisitor drinks. Now the Inquisitor is bound to him, but he can choose to ignore the bond and leave the Inquisitor alone.]]

** Merrill says in Act I that people who anger Asha'bellenar tend to wind up in little pieces, hanging from the trees. In Act III, she says that people who anger [[spoiler:Mythal are erased, as if they never existed in the first place.]]

** Of course, that leads to additional brilliance; his name means "Pride." Early on at Haven, he brings up how the perspective of things changes your [[FromACertainPointOfView point of view on a subject,]] using the Battle of Ostagar as an example; Loghain's withdrawal can either be seen as the act of a man who tried to save as many as he could, or a cruel and vicious tyrant quitting the field and letting others die. Solas will say to the Inquisitor that both perspectives are right and wrong, depending on who is viewing them. Now, look at things from his perspective - [[spoiler:he, the Dread Wolf, freed the elves from their enslavement, taking away their slave markers and eventually banishing the cruel gods who enslaved them. But what the Dalish remember is what their ancestors left them, and their ancestors were largely the elves who left after the Evanuris were banished, not the ones who he freed. So what they know is that the Dread Wolf took away their gods, and they proceed to wear the markings of the gods in remembrance of the lost deities. Who's right? Depends on your perspective.]]

* ''Origins'' and ''Dragon Age II'' both feature dog-companions. Seems like they left this out in ''Inquisition.'' [[spoiler:...And then we learn that Solas is the Dread Wolf.]]
** This adds an extra layer of brilliance in the sense that [[spoiler:not only do you have the Dread Wolf as your 'canine companion,' but if the companions ''had'' included a dog, the mabari would very likely have been able to detect that Solas was not what he claimed to be. Mabari are wicked smart, after all.]]

* The FinalBattle is a bit underwhelming, but it's perfectly justified. By this point, you've shattered Corypheus' power base. His armies and allies are gone. The Anchor and the Well of Sorrows are lost to him. All he has left is the Orb and his dragon. You've driven the would-be god into a corner and he's lashing out the way a cornered rat would. An epic endgame siege would be cool, but there's no real way Corypheus can launch such an attack anymore.

* The Cleansing Rune. It's specifically made to do damage to both Darkspawn and Red Templars. Of all the runes in game, it seems a little too strange for two reasons. One, It is one of two runes (the other being the Demon-Slaying rune) that does damage to two types of enemies simultaneously, Darkspawn and Red Templars for the former, demons and undead for the latter. While the connections between demons and undead have always been established, the connection between Darkspawn and Red Templars have never been. Secondly, the existence of a rune that could harm a new type of enemy such as Red Templars seems too convenient as Thedosians never had experience with Red Lyrium-empowered enemies. It isn't until TheReveal that [[spoiler:Red Lyrium is Blighted Lyrium]] that it all makes sense. Though by that logic, the Cleansing Runes would also deal extra damage to Grey Wardens too.

** A little bit of symbolism on Solas's side. [[spoiler:Solas sacrifices a lot of his pieces, which can symbolize how he's willing to sacrifice the modern world to bring back the old world. He also sacrifices his queen, as per the Immortals game. What does Solas do at the end of Trespasser if he is romanced? Sacrifice his one true love (a queen, you could say), to carry out his plan.]]
** On a deeper level, Bull likely ''let'' Solas win. He's Hisraad. The Liar. He's the guy who makes friends with everyone because he knows how to play to each one's tune. Note how in each of his interactions, a good portion of what he does differs based on who he's dealing with. He's irreverent with Sera, crosses verbal swords with Dorian, and he plays into Vivienne's ego acting all cowed and respectful. Solas on the other hand, is too clever to buy that, so he plays smart, just "Not as smart as you". Close enough to be respected, not enough to be threatening.

** The emblem of the Inquisition (the sword with the flaming eye) looms majestically from the top of the image, underlit by a lovely wall sconce. Very pretty, [[spoiler:but note the ''wolf pack'' under it. Solas' plan to get the Orb back from Corypheus always included the possibility that it would be destroyed, with a Plan B to go with it. The howling wolves with their backs turned to the sword (not in shadow but ''obscured'' by the brightness of the sconce) make a powerful statement about what Solas' true interests were all along.]]

** The scene where he and the Inquisitor initiate sex is a perfect example of great character development. [[spoiler:Cullen has been part of the games since the mage prologue in ''Origins''. He's grown from a very innocent and shy young templar (that would literally run away if your female mage Warden even implied he had a crush on her), into a traumatized man that held a grudge for mages that strongly he mentions in ''II'' you shouldn't view them as humans. What he says is understandable if you consider that in ''Origins'', he witnessed all his friends and companions being brutally murdered by the hand of mages (after which he himself was tortured so badly he never fully recovered from it). His trauma is actually hinted several times in dialogues or sub-quests. For example, if Cole is in your party at the Winter Palace, he will point out Cullen is terrified when he's surrounded by many people during the ball because it reminded him off the events at the Kinloch Hold. In a quest where you pull pranks with Sera, all she does is disorganize his desk because she knows it'll screw with him. Long story short, based of what you see of Cullen, it's clear he has developed PTSD over the trilogy, which combined with the fact he is experiencing extreme withdrawal symptoms of his Lyrium addiction resulted in him having OCD and becoming a workaholic. Other characters will often comment on the fact he's always busy and puts his work first. Now, to get back at the original point, unlike most romanced characters, he doesn't have sex with the Inquisitor in her bed... they did it in his office after the female Inquisitor accidentally knocks something off his desk on the ground. You can see she's scared initially (as his most likely reaction would be to freak out she messed up his desk and broke something), but instead he just shoves the remaining files on the floor. Yes, the super organized workaholic put the Inquisitor above anything else, even his work.]]

* The Hero of Ferelden's quest to find a cure for the Grey Wardens' Calling. At first it seems that the Warden had the idea out of nowhere, until you remember the Disciples from ''Awakening''. The Disciples are Darkspawn free of the Call of the Old Gods, awakened by an inverse Joining created by the Architect. Considering that The World of Thedas Vol. 2 book mentions that the Grey Wardens captured several Disciples in order to study them, and that the Warden was the first warden in meeting them (and the one who had more experience dealing with them), it is more than likely that the whole idea of curing the Warden's Calling was inspired by them. There's also a quest early in ''II'' where you find a letter between the Warden and Avernus; in that letter, Avernus mentions that the information about the Architect's work with the Taint was proven very valuable in his own research.

* A small one regarding the human Inquisitor. It's noted that the Trevelyan family traditionally gives any children born after the SpareToTheThrone to the Chantry, usually to serve as Templars, sometimes as priests. Given what happens to the Templar Order in ''Inquisition'', there is the strong and depressing possibility that a human Inquisitor has had to kill some of their own relatives, especially if they sided with the mages. And that's in addition to the members of the Trevelyan family that were killed by the Breach[[note]]which isn't even fridge, since the codex entry for a warrior/rogue Trevelyan explicitly mentions that they attended with several other members of their family, and that Trevelyan was the only survivor if s/he was chosen as the PC[[/note]].

* At Adamant, [[spoiler:Cole's gravestone in the Fade reads "Despair." Elsewhere in the game, the player can learn that Cole is a Spirit of Compassion, and compassion spirits are succeptible to being corrupted into Despair Demons. Why? Because compassion fatigue is a real phenomena. It can be very painful and wearying caring about others and seeing them suffer and die unnecessarily. Experiencing it enough can lead to burnout and PTSD at best, past the DespairEventHorizon at worst. Cole's greatest fear in the game is becoming demon, but one way to drive him there would be to drive him past the DespairEventHorizon.]]

* The only three party members who join you automatically and will never leave the party before the end of the game (no matter what their approval level is) are Cassandra, Solas, and Varric. Gameplay wise, it is to ensure that you always have a warrior, mage, and rogue in your party. But after talking to them, it is clear that there is a storyline reason as well: each one is [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone blaming themselves]] for the current situation. Cassandra believes that if she had found Hawke, the destruction of the Conclave and the death of the Divine (and therefore the political unrest of the Chantry) would have been prevented. Varric is kicking himself for playing a part in three key events: [[spoiler:bringing back Corypheus]], bringing the red lyrium idol to the surface, and introducing Hawke to Anders (which he believes led to the latter's attack on the Chantry and thus the Mage-Templar War itself). Solas [[spoiler:was the one who gave Corypheus the Orb, thus being indirectly responsible for the Breach in the first place.]] They are not going to let some grudge over the Inquisitor destroy any chance [[TheAtoner of fixing what they believe is their mistake]]. They will make sure that The Elder One is stopped no matter what.

* The only three party members who join you automatically and will never leave the party before the end of the game (no matter what their approval level is) are Cassandra, Solas, and Varric. Gameplay wise, it is to ensure that you always have a warrior, mage, and rogue in your party. But after talking to them, it is clear that there is a storyline reason as well: each one is [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone blaming themselves]] for the current situation. Cassandra believes that if she had found Hawke, the destruction of the Conclave and the death of the Divine (and therefore the political unrest of the Chantry) would have been prevented. Varric is kicking himself for playing a part in three key events: [[spoiler:bringing back Corypheus]], bringing the red lyrium idol to the surface, and introducing Hawke to Anders (which he believes led to the latter's attack on the Chantry and thus the Mage-Templar War itself). Solas [[spoiler:was the one who gave Corypheus the Orb, thus being indirectly responsible for the Breach in the first place.]] They are not going to let some grudge over the Inquisitor destroy any chance [[TheAtoner of fixing what they believe is their mistake]]. They will make sure that The Elder One is stopped no matter hat.

* The only three party members who join you automatically and will never leave the party before the end of the game (no matter what their approval level is), are Cassandra, Solas, and Varric. Gameplay wise, it is to ensure that you have a warrior, mage, and rogue in your party to fulfill quests. But after talking to them, it is clear that there is a story line reason as well: each one is [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone blaming themselves]] for the current situation. Cassandra believes that if she had found Hawke, the destruction of the Conclave and the death of the Divine (and therefore the political unrest of the Chantry) would have been prevented. Varric is kicking himself for playing a part in [[spoiler:bringing back Corypheus]] and bringing the red lyrium idol to the surface as well as for his guilt over introducing Hawke to Anders, which he believes led to the latter's attack on the Chantry and, thus, the Mage-Templar War itself. Solas [[spoiler:was the one who gave Corypheus the Orb, thus being indirectly responsible for the Breach in the first place.]] They are not going to let some grudge over the Inquisitor destroy any chance [[TheAtoner of fixing what they believe is their mistake]]. They will make sure that The Elder One is stopped no matter what.

* It's puzzling at first that so many party members approve of [[spoiler:the Inquisitor exiling the Grey Wardens after the Siege on Adamant.]] It seems shortsighted to want to banish the only group who can defeat the Blight, especially after what happened in Ferelden 10 years ago. Even Cassandra, who spent years searching for the Hero of Ferelden in hopes s/he might lead the Inquisition, is eager to see them ejected from southern Thedas. But consider that most people actually don't know how necessary the Wardens are. They ''say'' they are the only ones who can defeat the Blight, and yet they refuse to tell anyone outside the Order what happens when the Archdemon dies. To everyone else, "only we can defeat the Blight" starts to look like bluster and a convenient excuse for IDidWhatIHadToDo. The player may be intimately acquainted with their necessity, but the party members? Not so much. Furthermore, the Fifth Blight occurred 400 years after the the Fourth; it lasted for a little over a year and never got out of Ferelden, compared to the Blights of old which lasted for decades and impacted multiple countries. To most people, it must probably seem that the Blights are weakening over time, occurring less and less frequently and getting smaller in scale.

* The only three party members who join you automatically and will never leave the party before the end of the game (no matter what their approval level is), are Cassandra, Solas, and Varric. Gameplay wise, it is to ensure that you have a warrior, mage, and rogue in your party to fulfill quests. But after talking to them, it is clear that there is a story line reason as well: each one is [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone blaming themselves]] for the current situation. Cassandra believes that if she had found Hawke, the destruction of the Conclave and the death of the Divine (and therefore the political unrest of the Chantry) would have been prevented. Varric is kicking himself for playing a part in [[spoiler:bringing back Corypheus]] and bringing the red lyrium idol to the surface. Solas [[spoiler:was the one who gave Corypheus the Orb, thus being indirectly responsible for the Breach in the first place.]] They are not going to let some grudge over the Inquisitor destroy any chance [[TheAtoner of fixing what they believe is their mistake]]. They will make sure that The Elder One is stopped no matter what.

* The only three party members who join you automatically and will never leave the party before the end of the game (no matter what their approval level is), are Cassandra, Solas, and Varric. Gameplay wise, it is to ensure that you have a warrior, mage, and rogue in your party to fulfill quests. But after talking to them, it is clear that there is a story line reason as well: each one is [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone blaming themselves]] for the current situation. Cassandra believes that if she had found Hawke, the destruction of the Conclave and the death of the Divine would have been prevented, as well as the political unrest of the Chantry. Varric is kicking himself for playing a part in [[spoiler:bringing back Corypheus]] and bringing the red lyrium idol to the surface. Solas [[spoiler:was the one who gave Corypheus the Orb, thus being indirectly responsible for the Breach in the first place.]] They are not going to let some grudge over the Inquisitor destroy any chance [[TheAtoner of fixing what they believe is their mistake]]. They will make sure that The Elder One is stopped no matter what.

* It may seem a bit odd that it apparently took centuries before anyone discovered that [[spoiler:lyrium is alive, and that it only happened because someone found out Red Lyrium is Tainted lyrium and the Blight only affects living things.]] But Solas's banter with Varric about the Dwarves and lyrium explains it: Lyrium is toxic. The only ones who can handle it with relative safety are the Dwarves, a culture that is not big on innovation and discovery (aside from smithing). Even they are harmed by long-term exposure to lyrium. The people in the best position to research lyrium's properties are the ones least likely to bother.

* The most difficult outcome of the Orlais questline (forcing Celene, Briala, and Gaspard into a truce) turns out to be the worst in the long run. This makes sense; you're leaving three people raised in a DeadlyDecadentCourt who hate each other in charge of an empire, united only by blackmail and a shared resentment of the Inquisition for forcing them into that situation. It was doomed from the start. Alternately, reconciling Celene and Briala makes them both a little less ruthless, with Celene supporting the Inquisition not only due to pragmatism but also out of genuine gratitude. Making Gaspard a puppet under Briala also works out well enough, since Gaspard knows he can't beat someone as cunning as Briala in The Game and Briala knows that the Inquisition's support is a key factor in maintaining her unofficial power in Orlais.

* The overall theme of the game centers on belief, faith, and comfortable lies versus AwfulTruth. Nearly all the Inquisition's inner circle quests involve confronting a situation where their beliefs conflict with reality, and they have to either accept the truth or persist in the lie... and the lie might be better for you.

** Blackwall works alone, mainly because of his high moral code. But also because [[spoiler:he wants to avoid meeting a Warden who knew the ''real'' Blackwall and would expose him as an impostor.]] Similarly, his collection quest involves retrieving Warden artifacts, and you only get an approval bonus if he's with you when you find them; [[spoiler:he's trying to learn more about the Wardens to keep up his charade, and only approves if he is present because it allows him to look at them first and prevent you from blowing his cover.]] Also, during a conversation with him at Skyhold, you can ask him how the Grey Wardens slay an Archdemon. [[spoiler:He's vague on the subject because he was never inducted, so he has no idea.]]

** Or, in a less positive spin, [[spoiler:he approves of the Inquisitor following his advice and his way of thinking, even if it's just him trying to guide them down that path. He acknowledges that in the Fade, the conquering hero and the power mad monster can be the same person. He's seen his image turned into this villain among the Dalish, so when he feels the Inquisitor is sympathetic towards him, he approves. And if the Inquisitor questions his particular narrative, he disapproves since he's tired of people poking holes in his image.]]

* It's puzzling at first that so many party members approve of [[spoiler:the Inquisitor exiling the Wardens after the Siege on Adamant.]] It seems shortsighted to want to banish the only group who can defeat the Blight, especially after what happened in Ferelden 10 years ago. Even Cassandra, who spent years searching for the Hero of Ferelden in hopes s/he might lead the Inquisition, is eager to see them ejected from southern Thedas. But consider that most people actually don't know how necessary the Wardens are. They ''say'' they are the only ones who can defeat the Blight, and yet they refuse to tell anyone outside the Order what happens when the Archdemon dies. To everyone else, "only we can defeat the Blight" starts to look like bluster and a convenient excuse for IDidWhatIHadToDo. The player may be intimately acquainted with their necessity, but the party members? Not so much. Furthermore, the Fifth Blight occurred 400 years after the the Fourth; it lasted for a little over a year and never got out of Ferelden, compared to the Blights of old which lasted for decades and impacted multiple countries. To most people, it must probably seem that the Blights are weakening over time, occurring less and less frequently and getting smaller in scale.

** [[spoiler:When she was revived, she referred to Merrill as one of "the people" (which is the literal translation of Elvenhan), and then drops some more hints that she has some connection to the elves.]] Not only that, but once Merrill answers that she "''knows only a little''" to Flemeth's question "''Do you know '''who I am''' beyond that title?''", the Witch says that "''The people bend their knee too quickly.''" She's [[spoiler:not talking about people in general, but about ''the'' people: slaves of their nobility during Arlathan's days, slaves to the magisters in Tevinter, and either meekly enduring life in Alienages or submitting themselves to misremembered Dalish tales and customs. The Elves have throughout all their history bent their knee too quickly.]]

** In his dialogue with the Inquisitor, Cullen mentions that he believes that mages should have some level of freedom but that measures must be taken to protect innocents from the more dangerous side of magic. Look at where the former Templar Knight-Commander has placed his office in Skyhold; he's just a short stroll from Solas, the apostate mage with a fondness for befriending spirits in the Fade. In the likely (at least from Cullen's perspective) chance that Solas would be possessed, Cullen would be one of the first to reach the new Abomination, and protect many of the Inquisition's soldiers (and civilians in Skyhold) from the dangers posed by the demon.

* Blackwall greatly disapproves if the Inquisitor supports Gaspard as the sole ruler of Orlais. This can be initially chalked up to his dislike of Gaspard's warmongering ways, but reading Blackwall's codex entry [[spoiler:after completing his personal quest reveals that the man he killed was one of Celene's staunchest allies, and he was hired to do so by a pro-Gaspard chevalier. Since Blackwall expressed remorse for his past actions by turning himself in, his great disapproval is based on his past catching up to him and helping the man who hired him.]]

** Blackwall speaks in a very distinct accent and doesn't quite talk like anyone else in the game. [[spoiler: When you find he's actually Orlesian, it suddenly makes sense. His voice sounds ''exactly'' like a French person putting on a British accent.]]

* Blackwall works alone, mainly because of his high moral code. But also because [[spoiler:he wants to avoid meeting a Warden who knew the ''real'' Blackwall and would expose him as an impostor.]] Similarly, his collection quest involves retrieving Warden artifacts, and you only get an approval bonus if he's with you when you find them; [[spoiler:he's trying to learn more about the Wardens to keep up his charade, and only approves if he is present because it allows him to look at them first and prevent you from blowing his cover.]] Also, during a conversation with him at Skyhold, you can ask him how the Grey Wardens slay an Archdemon. [[spoiler:He's vague on the subject because he was never inducted, so he has no idea.]]

* Blackwall greatly disapproves if the Inquisitor supports Gaspard as the sole ruler of Orlais. This can be initially chalked up to his dislike of Gaspard's warmongering ways, but reading Blackwall's codex entry [[spoiler:after completing his personal quest reveals that the man he killed was one of Celene's staunchest allies, and he was hired to do so by a pro-Gaspard chevalier. Since Blackwall expressed remorse for his past actions by turning himself in, his great disapproval is based on his past catching up to him and helping the man who hired him.]]

* Blackwall's building a rocking horse (well, a rocking griffon) in his spare time. How cute! Shame there aren't any children at Skyhold to play on it. [[spoiler:Except for those children Thom Rainier slain. Cole can reveal that Blackwall thinks about those children and wonders if they know how awful he feels about killing them; the griffon might be his way of showing them he's trying to be a better man.]]
* Blackwall's beard is a mossy, mighty thing, and exactly the sort of thing you'd see growing on a man living in the woods by himself for years. [[spoiler:Dorian likes to complain about Blackwall's scruffiness, but that mossy chin is groomed to end in two very distinctly Orlesian points. They're just not waxed or curled like a more fashionable, wealthier Orlesian might have worn, once upon a time.]]

** Or, in a less positive spin, [[spoiler:he approves of the Inquisitor following his advice and his way of thinking, even if it's just him trying to guide them down that path. He acknowledges that in the Fade, the conquering hero and the power mad monster can be the same person. He's seen his image turned into this villain among the Dalish, so when he feels the Inquisitor is sympathetic towards him, he approves. And if the Inquisitor questions his particular narrative he disapproves, because he's tired of people poking holes in his image.]]

** Some people wonder why the Qunari would have such a progressive view on transgender individuals. However, it makes perfect sense, since the Qunari believe in the separation of body and soul. Their body doesn't define them as male or female, but their "soul" does. This puts Sten's questioning whether a female Warden was actually a woman into a whole new light.

** The scene where he and the Inquisitor initiate sex is a perfect example of great character development. [[spoiler:Cullen has been part of the games since the mage prologue in ''Origins''. He's grown from a very innocent and shy young templar (that would literally run away if your female mage Warden even implied he had a crush on her), into a traumatized man that held a grudge for mages that strongly he mentions in ''II'' you shouldn't view them as humans. What he says is understandable if you consider that in ''Origins'', he witnessed all his friends and companions being brutally murdered by the hand of mages (after which he himself was tortured so badly he never fully recovered from it). His trauma is actually hinted several times in dialogues or sub-quests. For example, if Cole is in your party at the Winter Palace, he will point out Cullen is terrified when he's surrounded by many people during the ball because it reminded him off the events at the Kinloch Hold. In a quest where you pull pranks with Sera, all she does is disorganize his desk because she knows it'll screw with him. Long story short, based of what you see of Cullen, it's clear he has developed PTSD over the trilogy, which combined with the fact he is experiencing extreme withdrawal symptoms of his Lyrium addiction resulted in him having OCD and becoming a workaholic. Other characters will often comment on the fact he's always busy and puts his work first. Now, to get back at the original point, unlike most romanced characters, he doesn't have sex with the Inquisitor in her bed... they did it in his office after the female Inquisitor accidentally knocks something off his desk on the ground. You can see she's scared initially (as his most likely reaction would be to freak out she messed up his desk and broke something), but instead he just shoves the remaining files on the floor. Yes, the super organized workaholic did puts the Inquisitor above anything else, even his work.]]

** The truly brilliant part of Blackwall is that veteran ''Dragon Age'' players have long known that the Grey Wardens are a very secretive order. They tell no one outside their ranks about the Joining or what really happens when an Archdemon dies. Because of this, [[spoiler:players misinterpret Blackwall's vagueness and unwillingness to talk specifics as him maintaining that secrecy, and only on a second playthrough does it become clear that he is being vague because he has no idea.]]

** Or, in a less positive spin, [[spoiler:he approves of the Inquisitor following his advice and his way of thinking, even if it's just him trying to guide them down that path. He acknowledges that in the Fade, the conquering hero and the power mad monster can be the same person. He's seen his image turned into this villain among the Dalish, so when he feels the Inquisitor is sympathetic towards him, he approves. And if the Inquisitor questions his particular narrative, he disapproves, because he's tired of people poking holes in his image.]]

** Alternately, it can be attributed to Hawke attempting a disguise. They've been on the run from the Chantry for some time now; it's entirely possible that they've altered their appearance to reduce the possibility of being recognized by someone who might turn them in.
* The lore behind dwarven and elven facial tattoos originally made them seem quite different; casteless dwarves are forced to have tattoos for identification, while the Dalish choose to mark themselves to honor their gods. However, [[spoiler:the reveal of Arlathan's culture shows that both dwarven and elven facial tattoos likely originally had the same meaning and purpose: to mark the lowest class of people for easy identification.]]

* The giant mural in Skyhold's rotunda has a handful of delicious visual tidbits on a second playthrough, to the point that Leliana is probably going to be kicking her own ass for not seeing it as foreshadowing all along.
** The emblem of the Inquisition, the sword with the flaming eye, looms majestically from the top of the image, underlit by a lovely wall sconce. Very pretty! [[spoiler: Note the ''wolf pack'' under it. Solas' plan to get the Orb back from Corypheus always included the possibility that it would be destroyed, with a Plan B to go with it. The howling wolves with their backs turned to the sword, not in shadow but ''obscured'' by the brightness of the sconce, make a powerful statement about what Solas' true interest in the organization ''always'' was.]]
** Near the doors, a looming, shadowy figure stands over the mountains, hands curved around a glowing circle that drips a dotted line down to the top of a Chantry peak: the fall of Haven, right? [[spoiler: note the picture of the Breach in the sky of the mountain scene behind him. Instead of being a chaotic splatter of patterns and color, it's just three plain rings, like ripples in a pond. Solas knows exactly what the Breach is. Solas doesn't depict it as chaotic because to him, the Orb is functioning just fine, it's just been ''misused''.]]
* Blackwall's building a rocking horse (well, a rocking griffon) in his spare time. How cute! Shame there aren't any children at Skyhold to play on it. [[spoiler: Except for those children Thom Rainier slain. Cole can reveal that Blackwall thinks about those children and wonders if they know how awful he feels about killing them; the griffon might be his way of showing them he's trying to be a better man.]]
* Blackwall's beard is a mossy, mighty thing, exactly the sort of thing you'd see growing on a man living in the woods by himself for years. [[spoiler: Dorian likes to complain about Blackwall's scruffiness, but that mossy chin is groomed to end in two very distinctly Orlesian points, they're just not waxed or curled like a more fashionable, wealthier Orlesian might have worn, once upon a time.]]
* Albeit the last scene where you'd expect some great character development, if you decide to romance Cullen, the scene where he and the female inquisitor initiate sex is a perfect example of fridge brilliance and great character development. [[spoiler: Think about it. Cullen has been part of the games since the mage prologue in origins. We've seen him grow from a very innocent and shy young templar (that would literally run away if your warden even implied he had a crush on her), into a traumatized man that held a grudge for mages that strongly he mentions in Dragon Age II you shouldn't view them as humans. What he says is clearly not okay, but it is understandable if you consider that in Origins he witnessed all his friends and companions being brutally murdered by the hand of mages, after which the poor man was tortured so badly he never fully recovered from it. His trauma is actually hinted several times in dialogues or sub-quests. For example, if Cole is in your party at the winter palace, he will point out Cullen is terrified when he's surrounded by many people during the ball because it reminded him off the events at the Circle of Ferelden. In a quest where you pull pranks with Sera, all she does is disorganizing his desk because she knows it'll screw with him. Long story short, based of what you see of Cullen, it's clear he has developed PTSD over the past games which, combined with the fact he is experiencing extreme withdrawal symptoms of his Lyrium addiction, resulted in him having OCD and becoming a workaholic. Other characters will often comment on the fact he's always busy and puts his work before anything else. Now, to get back at the original point, unlike most romanced characters, he doesn't bang with the inquisitor in her bed. Considering he had one of the most vanilla romances, it is not something you'd expect, until you think about the fact they did it in his office after the female inquisitor accidentally knocks something off his desk on the ground. You can see she's scared initially, as his most likely reaction would be to freak out she messed up his desk and broke something, but instead he just shoves the remaining files on the floor. Yes, the super organized workaholic did that, indicating he puts the inquisitor above anything else, even his work.]]
** If you romance him with a mage this is actually an even bigger character development, for obvious reasons.
** Actually, Cullen choosing the Inquisitor over his job, if you decided to romance him, is actually already shown during the scene [[spoiler: where they have their first kiss. Initially they're just walking on the banters, sharing a slightly awkward conversation (I mean, they talk about the weather). The female inquisitor will confront him about her feelings and the two of them will lean in for a kiss. However, one of Cullen's soldiers walks in on them with files, because he knows he always wants reports as soon as they're available. The latter is clearly angry about having his private moment between him and the female inquisitor interrupted, even though the poor soldier was just carrying out orders. Eventually, he gets the hint and leaves them alone. It seems like the Inquisitor wants to crawl back or tell him he can go back to work (she basically says: "Cullen, If you need to-"), but he interrupts her by kissing her. So yeah, aside from implying he puts her before his job, we also get to see a little character development in the sense that Cullen is rarely thrown off guard or angry like that.]]
* The Hero of Ferelden's quest to find a cure for the Grey Wardens' Calling. At first seems that the Warden had the idea out of nowhere, until you remember the Disciples from Awakening. The Disciples are Darkspawn free of the Call of the Old Gods, awakened by an inverse Joining created by The Architect. Considering that The World of Thedas Vol 2 book mention that the Grey Wardens captured several Disciples in order to study them and that the Warden was the first warden in meeting them (and the one who had more experience dealing with them), is more than likely that the whole idea of curing the Warden's Calling was inspired by them. There's also a quest early in Dragon Age 2 in that you find a letter between the Warden and Avernus; in that letter, Avernus mentions that the information about the Architect's work with the Taint was proven very valuable in his own research.

* The Hero of Ferelden's quest to find a cure for the Grey Wardens' Calling. At first seems that the Warden had the idea out of nowhere, until you remembers the Disciples from Awakening. The Disciples are Darkspawn free of the Call of the Old Gods, awakened by an inverse Joining created by The Architect. Considering that The World of Thedas Vol 2 book mention that the Grey Wardens captured several Disciples in order to study them and that the Warden was one of the few wardens in having first hand experience with them, is more than likely that they get the idea from them. There's also a quest early in Dragon Age 2 in that you find a letter between the Warden and Avernus; in that letter, Avernus mentions that the information about the Architect's work with the Taint was proven very valuable in his own research.

* The Hero of Ferelden's quest to find a cure for the Grey Wardens' Calling. At first seems that the Warden had the idea out of nowhere, until you remembers the Disciples from Awakening. The Disciples are Darkspawn free of the Call of the Old Gods, awakened by an inverse Joining created by The Architect. Considering that The World of Thedas Vol 2 book mention that the Grey Wardens capture several Disciples in order to study them and that the Warden was one of the few wardens in having first hand experience with them, is more than likely that they get the idea from them. There's also a quest early in Dragon Age 2 in that you find a letter between the Warden and Avernus; in that letter, Avernus mentions that the information about the Architect work with the Taint was proven very valuable in his own research.

** Actually, Cullen choosing the Inquisitor over his job, if you decided to romance him, is actually already shown during the scene [[spoiler: where they have their first kiss. One of his soldiers walks in on them with files, because he knows Cullen always wants reports as soon as they're available. However, the latter is clearly angry about having his private moment between him and the female inquisitor interrupted, even though the poor soldier was just carrying out orders. So yeah, aside from implying he puts her before his job, we also get to see a little character development in the sense that Cullen is rarely thrown off guard or angry like that.]]

** If you romance him with a mage this is actually an ever bigger character development, for obvious reasons.
** Actually, him choosing the Inquisitor over his job if you decided to romance her is actually already shown during the scene [[spoiler: where they have their first kiss. One of his soldiers walks in on them with reports, because he knows Cullen always wants all his files as soon as they're available. However, the latter is clearly angry about having his private moment between and the female inquisitor being interrupted, even though the poor soldier was just carrying out orders. So yeah, aside from implying he'd put her before his job, we also get to see a little character development in the sense that Cullen is rarely thrown off guard like that.]]