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The Inquisitor / The Herald of Andraste

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/inquisitor_tarot_cards_6237.jpg
Top: Trevelyan Noble and Mage. Middle: Dalish Hunter and First. Bottom: Dwarf and Vashoth.

Appears in: Inquisition

Voiced by: Alix Wilton Regan (British Female), Sumalee Montano (American Female), Harry Hadden-Paton (British Male), Jon Curry (American Male)

Voiced in German by: René Dawn-Claude, Torsten Michaelis (male), Manja Doering, Anke Reitzenstein (female)

"Whatever we were before, we are now... the Inquisition."

The Player Character of the game, who can be of either gender and hail from a number of different races (humans, dwarves, elves, and Qunari). Unlike the Warden, but like Hawke, the Inquisitor is fully voiced.

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     General Tropes 
  • Affectionate Nickname: The Inquisitor can be given a number of different nicknames depending on who they romance:
    • Dorian will call the Inquisitor "amatus", which roughly means "loved" in Tevene.
    • The Iron Bull will always refer to the Inquisitor as "boss," and the stronger the friendship, the more his tone indicates how affectionate the nickname is. If romanced, he'll eventually call the Inquisitor "kadan"; in Qunlat it's a catch-all term for anyone you're close to, including friends, colleagues and loved ones, but Bull clearly means it in a romantic way, claiming that it translates as "my heart."
    • Solas will address an female elf Inquisitor as Vhenan ("Heart"). He will also address any Dalish Inquisitor as lethallin/lethallan (a familiar form of address generally used with one's peers) at higher approval.
    • Sera will have a lot of different nicknames for the Inquisitor if romanced, such as "Inky", "Shiny" and "Teetness". She will also occasionally call a non-romanced female Inquisitor "Her Gracious Ladybits."
    • Blackwall often calls a romanced Inquisitor "my lady." Cullen does it too, in his romance, but just once.
  • Agent Peacock: A male Inquisitor who wears makeup is just as awesome as one who doesn't.
  • Aggressive Submissive: A female Inquisitor can have a streak of this during some of her romances, particularly with Blackwall. Their "make-out" routine involves walking up to him, demanding to speak about their relationship... and then letting him pin her against a wall and kiss her.
    • Its quite literal if they hook up with Iron Bull, whereupon the Inquisitor enters an actual BDSM relationship as his Submissive, complete with a talk about rules, limits, and the establishment of a Safe Word.
  • All-Loving Hero/Dark Messiah: Or anything in between. The developers have said that the Inquisitor will be able to bring the other factions under their banner, either through diplomacy, alliances and mutual respect, or simply by crushing them underfoot and bringing the remnants to heel via force. Downplayed, however; in the game proper the Inquisitor can be many things, but is almost always a force for good. While many of your choices are morally grey, almost none of them can be interpreted as truly evil, no matter how many people it pisses off.
  • Animal Motifs: Each different type of Inquisitor is given a picture of an animal in their card at the beginning, emphasizing traits their backstory gives them.
    • The human warrior or rogue is a horse, often used as a symbol of nobility and hard work. The human Inquisitor is of noble blood and was to work in the Chantry or with the Templars.
    • The human mage is the owl, known as a symbol of mystery and wisdom, stemming from their magic.
    • The elven warrior or rogue is a wolf, a predatory pack animal that lives in the woods, just as the elf was a Dalish hunter in a clan.
    • The elven mage is a stag, a majestic beast of the woods. The elven mage was the First, who would one day lead the clan after the Keeper passed on.
    • The Qunari Inquisitor is a ram, known for its impressive horns and aggressive personality, two characteristics it shares with a Qunari mercenary.
    • The dwarf is represented by deepstalkers, vicious pack hunters originating underground and known for ambush tactics. As a member of the Carta, this certainly fits.
  • Anti-Hero: Downplayed; As explained earlier, no matter, how he or she is played, the Inquisitor is always a force for good. However, it is possible to play as a very sarcastic jerk.
  • The Archmage: Like past mage PCs, a mage Inquisitor will be this. The human mage is noted to have been one of the most talented residents of the Ostwick Circle and the elven mage was the First to their clan's Keeper before becoming the Inquisitor. For either a Lavellan or Adaar mage, Vivienne will compliment them on being "remarkably skilled" despite their lack of formal education in magic, which is rather insulting in Lavellan's case as they were formally trained, just not in a Chantry-approved tradition.
  • An Arm and a Leg: At the end of Trespasser, the Inquisitor loses the hand that bears the Anchor, with one possible epilogue slide showing that they end up getting a crossbow attachment to replace it.
  • Asskicking Leads to Leadership: After Corypheus assaults and destroys Haven, the other leaders unanimously vote the Herald into the position of Inquisitor for this reason. There is no option on the dialogue wheel to refuse the appointment.
  • Badass Bookworm: The human and elven mages by default. Other race-class combinations can take Inquisition Perks to gain this status.
  • Badass Longcoat: Rogue Inquisitors start the game in this (after completing the prologue), but it's available to all classes through various types of generic armor schematics, usually the ones with "Armor" in their name (as opposed to Coat and Mail schematics).
  • Badass Normal: A rogue or warrior Inquisitor is this at the beginning of the game.
  • Bad Powers, Good People: The Inquisitor can become a Reaver or a Necromancer and be played as a heroic figure.
  • Barrier Warrior: As well as mages having barrier, with the Jaws Of Hakkon DLC all Inquisitors can gain the Aegis of the Rift ability, which summons a powerful barrier to block projectile damage.
  • Beast and Beauty: The Inquisitor's romance can have shades of this, especially if a Qunari Inquisitor who romances Josephine (a huge, muscular, seasoned "oxman" mercenary with a kind, smart, gentle proper lady), or a Human/Elven Inquisitor who romances the Iron Bull (with him as the huge, grizzled, destructive "beast" to the female Trevelyan/Lavellan's comparatively petite, polite, waif-like "beauty", the more traditionally handsome male Trevelyan, or the very pretty male Lavellan).
  • Big Good: You're able to play the Inquisitor as this, being The Leader of the main forces that opposes the Elder One and beyond, while not really seeing yourself as the actual hero of the story.
  • Big Damn Heroes: They begin the game as this, storming in on Corypheus holding Justinia hostage and immediately demanding answers. If they had not, the game, the series, and the world would have ended then and there.
  • Blemished Beauty: The player may give facial scarring to the Inquisitor while otherwise making them incredibly good-looking, which gets taken even further at the end of Trespasser when the Inquisitor loses their left arm.
  • Bling of War: The Inquisitor is not above wearing gold-hued, elaborately decorated armor in combat.
  • Broke Your Arm Punching Out Cthulhu: The first attempt to stabilize the Breach leaves the Inquisitor unconscious for a few days. The second attempt goes better, but still takes everything they have. The plan to defeat the Elder One in Haven is to drop a mountain on him and hope they can escape the avalanche. They do, only to come close to freezing to death in a snowstorm. It takes a while for the Inquisitor to become truly badass.
  • Brought Down to Normal: At the end of Trespasser, Solas takes the Anchor away from the Inquisitor, due to the fact that it's killing them. And in the following cutscene, the Inquisitor may even talk about how their adventuring days are over, probably because removing the Anchor required removing their forearm. But normal is a relative marker; a mage Inquisitor is still a mage.
  • Cassandra Truth:
    • Even if you insist you're not divine, and that you don't even believe in Andraste or the Maker or even have completely different gods, the devout will believe you're just being humble. Various characters just shrug and suggest using the people's view of you instead.
    • At the beginning of the game, the Inquisitor tells Varric that they can't remember what happened at the Sacred Temple. Varric explains that this is the reason that he's a Consummate Liar; lies are more believable and less likely to result in premature execution.
  • Catapult Nightmare: Not a nightmare, but the Inquisitor does wake up this way after realizing that one of the conversations they were having with Solas was taking place in the Fade while the Inquisitor slept.
  • The Chains of Commanding: The Inquisitor can express grief and worry at several points over the burdens of judging people's fates and leading the force out to save the world.
  • The Chessmaster: Despite being a complete newcomer to the Game, the Inquisitor quickly adapts and learns how to manipulate it to get the outcome they want.
  • The Chosen One:
    • In-Universe many people see the Inquisitor as being the "Chosen of Andraste", a messiah like figure who will save the world from the Breach and those who bring chaos with it. The player is freely able to encourage or discourage people from saying so, but regardless, people view their power to close Rifts as being a blessing chosen by the Maker. In truth, the situation is closer to The Unchosen One, as the Inquisitor happened to be the one who walked in when Divine Justinia was being held captive by Corypheus, and received the mark by chance. That said, characters are still able to view the outcome as being chosen by the Maker, and the game itself doesn't outright discredit doing so either.
    • Further adding to this is the fact that the Inquisitor can claim not to be chosen, but to have chosen. Effectively, they choose to be The Chosen One while denying any divine will or involvement. While a more pious character might despair over learning that it wasn't divine intervention that gave them the Anchor, a more pragmatic character will get increased resolve that this is a battle of men and magic that can be won with the very same, nothing divine about it.
  • Cincinnatus: One possible endings of the Trespasser DLC is the Inquisitor choosing the "Our work is done" option and announcing that the Inquisition has done its job, and isn't needed anymore.
    Inquisitor: It is time for our soldiers to sheathe their swords and go home. To all who served: thank you. It Has Been an Honor. Effective immediately: the Inquisition is disbanded.
  • Closest Thing We Got: The first two choices for Inquisitor were the Hero of Ferelden and the Champion of Kirkwall, but the leaders couldn't find either. The Herald only gets the job when everyone else realizes that they had been making all the big decisions for a while anyway. Until that point, they were technically just an agent in the field who was being used on high-profile jobs for PR reasons, with Cassandra being seen as the more official leader.
    • The Inquisitor can even lampshade this by asking why they're asking for their opinion (on whether to side with the mages or templars). Leliana and Josephine bring up the aformentioned PR reasons (you might not believe your The Chosen One but the populace do so they might as well use it to their advantage), Cullen points out that you have the mark that can close rifts so it would be silly not to involve you and Cassandra even indirectly points out they use you as a mediator as they all can't agree/argue on what the best course of action is so they present you with the options and let you pick.
  • Contrasting Sequel Main Character: To the Warden from Origins and Hawke from II.
    • For the Warden, both can potentially be anyone from different walks of life, be it a member of nobility, a mage from the Circle, a dwarf, or an elf. Having said that, an Inquisitor Elf is strictly Dalish and not from any of the alienages, on top of coming off as haughty and snobbish on the go whereas even a Dalish Elf Warden could be courteous and respectful to outsiders and humans. Races aside, the Warden as picked by Duncan to become a Grey Warden, either because Duncan saw potential in them or circumstances led to them having no choice but to join the Wardens (such as the Dalish and Dwarf Noble Origins, where they're afflicted with darkspawn taint and exiled to the Deep Roads respectively). The Inquisitor was one of the people invited to the Conclave and just happened to be the unlucky sod that was at the right place at the wrong time.
    • Hawke and the Inquisitor are defined by how players shape their personalities through various emotional choices, though whereas Hawke was already a defined character, being the eldest of three children fleeing Lothering during the Fifth Blight, the Inquisitor is like the Warden in that they have a Multiple-Choice Past and can hail from various backgrounds, up to and including being a Vashoth.
  • Covered with Scars: The Inquisitor can be given a particularly nasty set of scars rather than your standard "sexy customizable character scars", but you can use those as well. The intensity of the scarring can also be increased or reduced.
  • Cultured Badass:
    • Taking an Inquisition Perk in History Knowledge and/or Nobility Knowledge allows the Inquisitor extra options that reflect their cultural aptitude.
    • Ending "Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts" without a Non-Standard Game Over requires at least a rudimentary level of this. Ending the mission with a high Court Approval, on the other hand, demonstrates how well the Inquisitor has mastered the Grand Game of Orlais. The player can still choose to say how much fun it was or how much they hated every second of it.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Like in the previous game, the middle option in the dialogue wheel tends to lean towards sarcastic remarks.
  • Defector from Decadence: This is an option for every Inquisitor's Multiple-Choice Past; for example, a Dwarven Inquisitor can say that this is their one chance to escape the Carta, and a Human Noble can say their family are decadent assholes and badmouth them to the ends of the Earth. Double credit, however, goes to the parents of the Qunari (Vashoth) Inquisitor, who are specifically stated to have been running from the Qun when they were born, seeing it as oppressive.
  • Demon Slaying: The primary threat the Inquisitor faces are the demons from the Breach until the end of Act I anyway. The "Mark of the Rift" Focus ability also deals extra damage to demons, possibly destroying them outright.
  • Determinator: Their actions during and after the sacking of Haven show this, and spreads their legend throughout all of Thedas.
  • Did You Just Flip Off Cthulhu?: The Inquisitor can be an absolute dick to Solas, who is actually the elven god, Fen'Harel. The play even has the option to slap him. A female Lavellan who romanced him has slightly more justification for slapping him, seeing as he lied through his teeth for nearly their entire relationship, then ended the relationship when he finally came clean about his identity, and that in the conversation where you slap him, he reveals his plan to kickstart an apocalypse that will Restart the World to undo the last apocalypse he caused.
  • The Dragonslayer: Unlike the previous games, which only had one (real) high dragon each, Inquisition has ten high dragons scattered across the game as Optional Bosses. The Inquisitor can, if they so choose, make it their task to hunt down and slay as many of the beasts as they can; there is an achievement earned by killing all ten of them.
    • The Jaws of Hakkon DLC adds another dragon for the Inquisitor to kill, bringing the total up to eleven.
    • The Trespasser DLC adds a twelfth one, although this one is sort-of optional (it's trapped and severely weakened when you encounter it, and you have the choice to free it with only minor resistance).
  • Dream Walker:
    • A more literal example than mages who use lucid dreaming to travel in the Fade. The Anchor allows the Inquisitor and their companions to physically walk the Fade. Corypheus intended to use it to enter the Black City again, but was foiled when the Anchor fused itself to the future Inquisitor.
    • The Anchor also allows them to dream with unusual focus - after your Fade conversation with Solas, he admits he was nearly as surprised as you.
  • Dramatic Irony: The Inquisitor spends a good amount of Trespasser learning about the true story of Fen'Harel and the mysterious, present-day "Agents of Fen'Harel." Since Trespasser can only be played after completing Inquisition's main story and closing credits, the player knows that "Fen'Harel" is really Solas. This is especially poignant for an Inquisitor who befriended or romanced him.
  • Dude, Where's My Respect?: Inverted. Random villagers are genuflecting to the Inquisitor as The Chosen One of the Maker even before the title screen, and it takes a while for anyone to tell them why.
    • Played straight in Trespasser. Two years after saving the world, your allies (Orlais and Ferelden) now see you as a threat and a power hungry dictator.
  • Emerald Power: The mark, like all things Fade-related, glows a bright emerald green.
  • Empowered Badass Normal: A rogue or warrior becomes this due to their Fade abilities; further continued if they take the Templar or Reaver Prestige Class.
  • The Engineer: A rogue with the Artificer specialization.
  • Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": Usually referred to as the Inquisitor, the Herald, or "Your Worship." The Iron Bull bestows them with the Affectionate Nickname of "boss," while Varric will occasionally call them "Your Inquisitorialness." A very few characters will refer to the Inquisitor by surname, but unlike the previous examples of Shepard and Hawke, this is more of an exception than the rule.
  • Expecting Someone Taller:
    • Lots of people will comment that the Herald of Andraste/"great" Inquisitor they've heard about is less impressive than what they expected. This happens far more commonly if you're not playing as a human, and it's literally said if you're playing a Dwarf.
    • Inverted as a Qunari, who is actually taller than most people expected.
  • Featureless Protagonist: Like the previous protagonists, the Inquisitor is highly customizable, so much so that they don't even have an official "default" appearance (like Commander Shepard did); even the cover art depicts them fully-armored with an intentionally androgynous appearance and with their back to the viewer.
  • Form-Fitting Wardrobe:
    • The Inquisitor's default, armor-less outfit is a very fancy set of tights that neatly hugs the contours of their body and besets it with gems and precious stones. While you rarely see it in the beginning of the game, until Patch 10 this was the only outfit they could wear at Skyhold. Unfortunately many players thought the outfit looked more like pajamas than finery, rendering those parts of the game quite silly.
    • Rogue Coats and Mail tend to be this way as well.
  • Four-Star Badass: You lead the Inquisition.
  • Frontline General: The Inquisitor has more resources than the Warden or Hawke, but still deals with most threats personally. Discussed at the Digiexpo preview:
    "As Inquisitor, one of our key goals is to lead from the front; to be an inspiration to the people that we protect and the people that serve with us."
  • Genius Bruiser: Warriors of any race can take Inquisition Perks to gain knowledge of a wide variety of subjects.
  • Giving Someone the Pointer Finger: Frequently when sitting in judgement over vanquished-but-not-slain enemies.
  • Go and Sin No More: A possible Judgment option. In particular, this is a good option for the woman who unknowingly aided the Red Templars in Emprise du Lion. Since her only crime was being hasty due to desperation (the whole town was in danger of freezing or starving to death and selling them her quarry seemed like the best way to save them), you can just let her go with no punishment. She reacts with extreme gratitude if you do so.
    • Also Ser Ruth, one of the Grey Wardens who killed other Grey Wardens for a blood ritual, is overcome with remorse for her actions and surrenders to your forces. One of your options is to invoke your role as the Herald of Andraste and forgive Ruth in Her name. She's more stunned than grateful, but responds by converting several people to your cause.
  • Handicapped Badass: The Inquisitor becomes this following the conclusion of the epilogue DLC Trespasser. With the Anchor mark growing increasingly unstable, Solas is forced to remove it - at the cost of the arm. Still, they don't seem to let the lack of half an arm phase them even a bit; the next scene is of the Inquisitor striding into the Exalted Council with one arm of their jacket neatly pinned up, where they deliver either a Rousing Speech or a "Reason You Suck" Speech to the Council, and either pledge to serve as the Divine's personal honor guard to keep the peace, or disband completely. The scene after that involves them vowing to stop Solas' plans at all costs and stabbing a map. Even without their arm it's clear that the Inquisitor is far from being done.
  • Hearing Voices: If the Inquisitor drinks from The Well of Sorrows, they will permanently hear the whispering voices of the well for the rest of their lives.
  • The Hero: In Dragon Age: Inquisition. No matter the way you play, the Inquisitor's mission is to close the Breach and save Thedas. They are also intended to be more benevolent than the Warden or Hawke, who had the potential of being very ruthless bastards.
  • Hope Bringer: As "Andraste's chosen," the Inquisitor is this for the people of Thedas. Blackwall explicitly describes them as such, even if the Inquisitor doesn't personally believe. This is really displayed after the fall of Haven when, in the middle of their Darkest Hour, the people they helped save look upon them with religious reverence.
  • Humble Hero: If you so choose, the Inquisitor can be amazingly modest: frequently stating that they aren't anyone special, they're doing what anyone else would do, they just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time (or that it was divine will), they couldn't have done this without the support of the Inquisition, and so on. Invoked (depending on your dialogue choice) in your last conversation with Josephine before the final battle.
    Inquisitor: If this truly is the will of the Maker, then I pray He finds me worthy.
    Josephine: (fondly) And there is the modesty that everyone respects.
  • Iconic Outfit: The Helm and Armor of the Inquisitor, which the marketed Inquisitor wears in every trailer. It's much less iconic in-game, due to the fact that the only way to find it is by beating the very difficult Superbosses. Thus, a player may not see it at all until the tail end of the game, and by then they may also already have customized gear which can equal or even surpass them.
    • The "down time" outfit that every Inquisitor wears also counts. Until Patch 10, every single Inquisitor, regardless of gender or race, wore the same Form-Fitting Wardrobe when wandering around Skyhold.
  • Immortality Seeker: A Necromancer Inquisitor can tell Blackwall they "just want to be immortal." He's not sure if they're joking or not.
  • Initiation Ceremony: Some backgrounds involve one.
  • Jerkass: Possible way to play the character, though admittedly, it's a lot harder to compare with Jerkass!Warden/Hawke. But it's also possible to be...
    • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: No matter how much of an egotistical jerk the Inquisitor is, they will still fight to defend Thedas from the Elder One by any means necessary.
  • Judge, Jury, and Executioner: Literally. The Inquisitor has the final say as to the fates of the Inquisition's prisoners and is often called upon to judge them, with no input or assistance. If the prisoners are sentenced to death, the Inquisitor carries out the execution personally - onscreen.
  • Kick the Dog: The Inquisitor has the option to "Pull a Redcliffe" and abandon people to their fate at certain points, although the negative consequences of this course of action - large and small - will be addressed. It may also hurt their standing with some of their companions.
  • Laser-Guided Amnesia: The Inquisitor suffers from this for a considerable portion of the game, unable to remember exactly how they survived the Breach. How long the amnesia lasts depends on whether "Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts" or "Here Lies the Abyss" is done first.
  • Last-Name Basis: Everyone calls the Inquisitor by their surname, if a name is used at all.
  • Like Brother and Sister: Can develop this sort of dynamic with non-romanced companions of the opposite gender. Arguably, it's most pronounced between Dorian and a female Inquisitor.
  • Love Hurts: Several romance options can end up this way due to choices made. Cassandra, Blackwall, Cullen, and Sera may break up with you based on certain decisions. Solas will break up with you no matter what, due to his concern for you being dragged into what's going on with him behind the scenes. If the Iron Bull is encouraged to remain with the Qun, he will eventually return to Seheron and the Inquisitor can even ask if the relationship was just another job, though it's averted if Bull is encouraged to go Tal-Vashoth. Dorian may break off the relationship to return to Tevinter and start actively reforming it.
    • In Trespasser, a Bull who was encouraged to remain with the Qunari will casually betray you to them without a hint of remorse (even Cole didn't feel any pain), forcing you to kill him. Dorian will return to Tevinter for good, although the two can still maintain a long-distance relationship — if the Inquisition is disbanded, he will be among the few people at the war table in the last cutscene. Solas returns long enough to reveal his true identity, past, and plan to destroy the current world to restore ancient Elvhenan, before he removes the anchor and leaves again. A romanced Lavellan cannot join him either, even if she wants to; she can only vow to either redeem him or stop him, and will be haunted with dreams of her beloved watching her sadly from a distance, yet he always disappears before she can reach him.
  • Magic Knight: By default, all Inquisitors fall into this category because, regardless of origin, they have a unique control over the Fade. A mage Inquisitor can choose the Knight-Enchanter Prestige Class and fight with a magical blade, while a warrior Inquisitor can choose the Templar specialization, whose abilities are magic in all but name.
  • Manchurian Agent: Can become one by drinking from the Well of Sorrows and becoming Mythal's slave for all eternity. As Morrigan notes, this means you could be doing Mythal's will at any point, and any time, without even being aware of it. You're even told, "I have no commands for you... yet."
  • Messianic Archetype: The Inquisitor has many shades of this. They begin the game having physically entered the Fade (which has only ever happened once before) during the Breach, before walking out unscathed at the Temple of Andraste's Sacred Ashes, one of the holiest places in Thedas, with the ability to close the rifts. They obtain the nickname "Herald of Andraste." The final shot of the "Inquisition" trailer is even framed in a manner evocative of the Last Supper, with the Inquisitor at the center of a long table with twelve followers (nine companions and three advisors) gathered around them.
  • Mind over Matter: There are certain objects that the Inquisitor can use the Anchor to move for plot purposes, regardless of their class.
  • Multiple-Choice Past: The main character can be an elf, a dwarf, a Qunari, or a human, with their background being based on race-class combination. These backgrounds aren't playable like in Origins, however. They are as follows:
    • A human Inquisitor is the youngest child of the noble and devout Trevelyan family from the city of Ostwick in the Free Marches. Human Inquisitor backgrounds vary significantly based on the Inquisitor's class.
      • If the Inquisitor is a warrior or rogue, the Inquisitor was expected to follow the family tradition and join either the Chantry or the Templars (regardless of the Inquisitor's feelings toward the Chantry). The Inquisitor was sent to the peace summit to help his or her relatives ensure the summit's success.
      • If the Inquisitor is a mage, then the Inquisitor was sent to the Ostwick Circle of Magi at a young age. The Inquisitor was forced to join the mage rebellion to avoid being killed by the Templars, and was at the peace summit as a member of the mage delegation.
      • In one optional conversation with Josephine, Josephine will ask the Inquisitor if the Inquisition could take advantage of their noble lineage to gain allies, and will ask about the Inquisitor's relationship with their parents. The player can decide how to handle it.
      • A human mage has optional conversations with Vivienne and Josephine where they can discuss what their life was like in the Circle prior to the mage rebellion.
    • An elven Inquisitor is a member of the Lavellan clan of Dalish elves. The Lavellan clan wandered the Free Marches and had few interactions with humans. If the Inquisitor is a warrior or a rogue, then the Inquisitor was a hunter who provided for the Lavellan Clan. If the Inquisitor is a mage, then the Inquisitor was First to the Keeper. Either way, the Inquisitor was sent to the peace summit by his or her Keeper to spy on the summit.
      • A Dalish Inquisitor can vary in their belief in Dalish gods, whether or not they enjoyed the Dalish life in the wild, what they feel the best path of the Dalish should be, and their opinions in general of humans and whether they are angered by humans' treatment of elves.
    • A dwarven Inquisitor is a surfacer and a member of the Carta's Cadash crime family. The Inquisitor smuggled Lyrium for their family in the Free Marches. The Inquisitor was sent to the peace summit as a spy.
      • A dwarf Inquisitor can say whether or not they believe in the dwarven religion, whether or not they've been to Orzammar, what their job for the Carta was, and whether or not they miss that work.
    • A Qunari Inquisitor is a member of the Adaar family, Tal-Vashoth born outside of the Qun.note  The Inquisitor is a member of the Valo-kas mercenary company, which was hired to provide security for the Conclave.
      • A Qunari Inquisitor can discuss their views on the Qun - which they were raised outside of - as well as their involvement in mercenary work, including any particularly impressive jobs they completed.
  • My Significance Sense Is Tingling: The Arcane Knowledge perk sometimes shows itself as an enhanced sensitivity to magical phenomena. In "What Pride Has Wrought" the Inquisitor uses this to figure out that the Well of Sorrows carries a Gaes, and in Descent they use this to figure out the true nature of the Titan.
  • Nay-Theist: During the final battle, an atheist inquisitor can deliver the following comeback at Corypheus:
    Corypheus: We shall prove here, once and for all, which of us is worthy of godhood.
    Inquisitor: I don't believe in gods!
  • Nice Guy/Nice Girl: Can be played this way; if they are, it becomes part of their reputation (alongside a warning to Beware the Nice Ones). For example, in the Jaws of Hakkon DLC, choosing to pardon Storvacker during her 'trial' will cause Thane Sun-Hair to remark that "The stories told of your kindness did not lie."
  • Noodle Incident: During Varric's Wicked Grace game, the Inquisitor has the option to tell a story about themselves, and since we only hear the beginning and the end of the story, it becomes this trope. The story will be different depending on the Inquisitor's background. Every version somehow involves a rabbit, and Josephine declares it so scandalous that the Inquisition would be ruined if it became public knowledge (right before asking to hear it again).
    • If the Inquisitor is a Dalish Elf, the story starts with the Inquisitor's clan camping near a ruined fortress and hearing strange noises from inside and ends with a pair of bare-naked lovers fleeing back to their village.
    • If the Inquisitor is a Qunari, the story starts with the Inquisitor's mercenary group hired to escort a merchant's caravan, and ends with the group's leader having a Let Us Never Speak of This Again moment with one of the caravan's donkeys.
    • If the Inquisitor is a human and is not a mage, the story begins with the Inquisitor's aunt making the Inquisitor's entire family attend an opera, and ends with the Inquisitor's aunt refusing to speak to them for three months.
    • If the Inquisitor is a Human Mage, the story begins with the Inquisitor's Harrowing, and the Inquisitor feeling like something was missing, and ends with the Inquisitor somehow ending up in the Ostwick Circle's history book and the First Enchanter vowing never to speak of the incident again.
    • If the Inquisitor is a Dwarf, the story begins with the Inquisitor being sent to collect protection money from an elderly seamstress, and ends with the seamstress ending up never having to pay protection money again, and the mere mention of her name apparently terrifying the Inquisitor's boss.
  • Not Afraid to Die: Averted. In the Trespasser DLC, after the anchor starts acting up and starts killing them, in a conversation with the advisers, the Inquisitor can admit that they don't want to die.
  • Oblivious to Love: Possibly, depending on certain dialogue choices. For example, though you (the player) can choose romantic banter, very few lines the Inquisitor says are unambiguous flirting. A flirted-with Cassandra, for one, has a very disappointed reaction to learning that you've started openly romancing someone else and if you take the End Romance option, the Inquisitor acts puzzled as to why. You, the player, know why (since the game flat out tells you every step of the way), but the Inquisitor may not.
  • Once Done, Never Forgotten: Adding heavy insult to injury, if you romance Iron Bull and he betrays you for the Qunari, the tavern minstrels will always mock about how the Inquisitor's romance with him led to the downfall of the Inquisition, with the associated slide implying that it is believed the Iron Bull bit the Inquisitor's arm off during the fight.
  • The Only One: What the Warden did in Ferelden and Hawke did for Kirkwall, the Inquisitor now has to do for most of Thedas. (Lampshaded by the Inquisitor, who envies the fact that Hawke just has one city to worry about.) In fact, Cassandra wanted either the Warden or Hawke to lead the Inquisition at first, but when neither of those two could be found, the Inquisition needed another leader. The job falls to the Inquisitor, as the only person capable of closing Fade rifts and because surviving the explosion at the Conclave has led many people to think of them as The Chosen One.
  • A Parent to Their Men: It's possible to play the Inquisitor as extremely protective of those under their charge, refusing to place them in needless danger for "the greater good".
    Inquisitor: Our people aren't tools to be used and discarded.
  • Pajama-Clad Hero: For almost a year after the game's release, the only outfit the Inquisitor would wear in their stronghold was an outfit which looked exactly like a set of pajamas. The Inquisitor actually slept in them too, and the fact the outfit first appears when they're getting out of bed doesn't help the impression. Averted with patch 10, which introduced a wardrobe feature and a dozen new outfits to wear at the Inquisition's headquarters; however, it's only available on PC, Xbox One, or Play Station 4.
  • The Paladin: The Inquisitor can be one depending on the player.
  • Pie in the Face: Sera throws one in their face if the Inquisitor agrees to take part in her pranking activities. The Inquisitor gets her back at the same time.
  • Player Character: The replacement for the Warden and Hawke. Ironically, those two were both considered for the position of Inquisitor beforehand, but Varric wouldn't tell Cassandra where to find Hawke, and the Warden is either dead or can't be found. (If the Warden is alive, the Inquisitor can receive a letter from them late in the game.)
  • Power Palms: The Inquisitor's left hand has a mark that is used to open or close the rifts to the Fade.
  • Precision F-Strike: In the Trespasser DLC, the Inquisitor may utter the first one ever to be carried on the lips of a BioWare Player Character. Doubles as an Atomic F-Bomb if you're playing with the female British voice:
    Inquisitor: We saved Ferelden, and they're angry! We saved Orlais, and they're angry! We closed the Breach, twice, and my own hand wants to kill me. Could one thing in this FUCKING world just stay fixed!?
  • Prestige Class: Unlike previous games, the Inquisitor is limited to one specialization per playthrough, but it has more impact on the plot.
  • Pungeon Master: Though only briefly. While judging Storvacker, the Inquisitor suddenly develops an unbearable affinity for bear puns. It seems to be infectious, since it spreads to Leliana too if Storvacker is recruited as an agent.
  • Reality Warper:
    • It's implied that the Inquisitor could use the Anchor to do a lot more than simply open or close rifts (as we see in the game). But, because Reality Warping Is Not a Toy, there's not a lot of room to experiment.
    • A Rift Mage Inquisitor is this, according to Cole. In fact, all Mages are technically low-scale versions of this, limiting their abilities to summoning pieces of the Fade and forcing it into something very simple. A Rift Mage summons the raw, unshaped Fade itself, and can thus manipulate it in a larger variety of ways.
    • And, potentially, inverted if a warrior Inquisitor becomes a Templar. According to Solas, Templar powers work by reinforcing reality, negating magic's ability to alter the world. So an Inquisitor can wind up preventing reality from being warped with their Templar powers... while warping reality with the Anchor.
  • Rebel Leader: The new Inquisition, and the Inquisitor by extension, are initially seen by the other factions as merely the "young upstart" using the chaos to vie for power.
  • Reclining Reigner: Regardless of whether you're a dwarf or a towering Qunari, the Inquisitor's standard posture on the throne seems to be "slouching back with crossed legs."
  • Red Baron: Believed to be the "Herald of Andraste" by many, whether encouraged or not.
  • Religious Bruiser: The Inquisitor can be this depending on the player. As a genuine Andrastian, the Inquisitor has the ability to express their faith in certain dialogue options or absolve certain defendants in trial.
  • Reluctant Warrior: Has shades of this in the Inquisition trailer, due to being the only one capable of dealing with the Veil tears. The player can freely play them this way as well.
    Inquisitor: The world is tearing itself apart, but they say I can stop this.
  • Right Man in the Wrong Place: Halfway through the game, it's revealed that the Inquisitor just happened to be in the wrong place at the right time, preventing Corypheus from succeeding before anyone knew what was happening, at the cost of creating the Breach. Some argue that this proves they are The Chosen One while others say that it was just dumb luck or coincidence.
    Qunari Inquisitor: I'm just a Qunari that was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
  • Safe, Sane, and Consensual: An Inquisitor who pursues a relationship with Iron Bull practices at least some elements of BDSM with him. Very early in the pairing, Bull lays down ground rules, establishes a Safe Word, and assures the Inquisitor they do not have to be afraid and he will never do anything without their consent. Its treated very respectfully and accurately.
  • Save the Villain: One of the possible last lines of the Trespasser DLC is that the Inquisitor tells their friends they're determined to save Solas from himself.
  • Secular Hero: It's perfectly possible to play as an unbelieving Inquisitor in spite of them being in charge of an religious organization.
  • Science Hero: A Tempest or Artificer Inquisitor is implied to make all of their flasks/traps themselves. Also, an Inquisitor of any class can invest in tweaking and perfecting various potions.
  • Schrödinger's Player Character: Hinted to be averted in the same way as the Hero of Ferelden. The backstory for the Inquisitor at character creation gives each race a distinct history and reason for being at the Conclave. This implies, based on the precedent set by Origins, that all four possibilities were present, and the player's choice determines which one survived. Later in the game, it's revealed that the player chose which one overheard Corypheus and his agents attacking Justinia.
  • Seeker Archetype: No matter how the Inquisitor sets up their priorities, their most important task is to find whoever is responsible for making Thedas even more of a Crapsack World than usual. Best encapsulated in this statement:
    Let those who would threaten us step into the light.
  • Sex for Services: When trying to finish Josephine's quest to restore her family prestige, you must convince a judge to restore a disgraced family back into the ranks of nobility. You can offer her "an unforgettable night" in exchange for it.
  • Shoo the Dog: Potentially to a number of love interests.
    • Also potentially to the Grey Wardens as a whole. You can banish them from Orlais to keep them free of Corypheus's corruption.
  • Sole Survivor: In the opening act of the game, the Inquisitor is the only one to mysteriously survive being at ground zero when the giant Veil tear opens in the sky, while thousands of people around them were reduced to char-grilled corpses.
  • Spanner in the Works: They walked in during Corypheus's ritual, and all his plans unraveled from there.
  • Speaks Fluent Animal: An optional scene in the Descent DLC reveals that the Inquisitor is capable of talking to nugs, or at least remarkably skilled at mimicking a nug's vocalizations.
  • Spiders Are Scary: Apparently something the Inquisitor fears. When the Inquisitor is unconscious in the beginning of the game after being chased by spider demons, they occasionally muttered about "too many eyes". When stuck in the Fade later, nightmare demons attack the party; everyone sees them differently, but the Inquisitor sees all Nightmare related demons as spiders or with spider themes.
    The big demon Erimond was trying to bring through? [...] It's nearby? [...] Well, shit.
  • Staring Down Cthulhu: The Inquisitor stares down the Elder One and his pet dragon at the end of Act I. In one scene when Iron Bull has the Inquisitor pretend to be a new recruit to see how their troops are doing, one soldier admits that seeing the Inquisitor stand up to such monsters and live to tell the tale was so inspiring that it convinced her to join the Inquisition.
  • The Stoic: While the new "emote" wheel grants the Inquisitor a variety of emotional reactions, only the ability to be completely stoic is always available.
  • Survivor's Guilt: The Inquisitor can be played as feeling this way about being the Sole Survivor of the Conclave. Also after The Reveal that the Inquisitor only stepped out of the Fade the first time because Divine Justinia stayed behind to perform a Heroic Sacrifice, and now only did so this time because Hawke or the Grey Warden ally (Stroud/Alistair/Loghain) stayed behind.
  • Touched by Vorlons: The Inquisitor gains unique powers over the Fade from being at ground zero of the Breach. The Stinger reveals that the Vorlon in question is actually Fen'Harel, the Dread Wolf, in his guise as Solas.
  • Trading Bars for Stripes: A fairly mild case; by the time the offer to join the Inquisition has been made, the Inquisitor-to-be has cleared their name... but only with the members of the Inquisition. As Leliana points out, they won't stop them from leaving, but if they want to avoid being lynched, executed, or 'merely' imprisoned for life, membership with the Inquisition is their best bet.
  • The Unchosen One: The Inquisitor was just a normal person who walked in when the Elder One had Divine Justinia at his mercy, who twas given the mark by sheer chance. Though the player can interpret the events how they want, even claiming that the Maker chose them to be there, the game still makes a point that the Inquisitor, on some level, was just really damn lucky to be where they were at the time.
  • Undying Loyalty: If he has a positive relationship with a party member, the Inquisitor is very loyal in return — even potentially to Solas, even after he'd revealed his plans to cause an Apocalypse Wow on Thedas.
    Inquisitor: We will save our friend from himself — if we can.
  • Unexplained Recovery: How they alone survived the initial Veil tear, which killed thousands. The details aren't revealed until more than halfway into the game.
  • Unique Protagonist Asset: The Inquisitor's Anchor immediately makes them indispensable to their allies.
  • Unluckily Lucky: The Inquisitor goes through a lot of crazy experiences in this game, even by the standards of Dragon Age, and miraculously survives them all. Even before the tutorial ends, they wind up interrupting the Big Bad, get thrown into the Fade, get chased by demon spiders, become prime suspect for the Conclave bombing because said trip through the Fade meant they were the only survivor, have to fight a bunch of demons with only a few allies, and then close a rift and get hailed as a hero. And it goes downhill from there. This is why Varric truly believes that a higher power is looking out for the Inquisitor. The Inquisitor can lampshade this, asking Varric if their incredibly bad luck is really the reason Varric believes they're Andraste's Herald. Varric points out that, based on Andraste's own life story, "bad luck is kind of Her thing."
  • Unwanted False Faith: People insist on following the Inquisitor as the Herald of Andraste, no matter how much they try to make them stop or whether they even follow the Andrastian religion. Even when the Inquisitor learns the truth behind how they got the Anchor in the first place, others will insist that they let the masses continue to believe that they're chosen because the truth will only terrify them.
    Alistair: You know that's not how they see it, though. They just saw their Inquisitor work another miracle.
    Inquisitor: Once they understand what really happened...
    Alistair: They'll know that you escaped by the skin of your teeth from a giant spider demon. I know which story I'd prefer.
  • Vague Age: The Inquisitor will be an "indeterminate" age between 20 and 40.
  • Warrior vs. Sorcerer: Downplayed in the case of a Rogue or Warrior Inquistor, since the Anchor gives them some control over the Fade. Though Corypheus is most certainly the sorcerer in this case.
  • We ARE Struggling Together:
    • You will give at least one speech like this per main story branch, if you choose the diplomatic approach rather than sheer force. The point of the game, after all, is to unite the various forces of south Thedas to your cause.
    • You can tell Cullen this if you're a Warrior with the Templar specialization, after he comments on what's become of the Order.
    • You can try this on Solas if you're a Dalish Elf, but he is not amused as he doesn't consider Elves to be "his" people. Sera has similar reactions.
    • A Qunari Inquisitor can say "Few [people] know what it's like to be Qunari," and Iron Bull immediately calls you on it and reminds you that you're not Qunari, you're Tal-Vashoth. You can counter that with the fact that you still grew up with horns in a land of mostly humans who don't know the distinction of being a Vashoth or Tal-Vashoth.
  • Weirdness Magnet: Varric observes that everything that happens to the Inquisitor is weird. Falling out of the Fade, being sent into the future, getting attacked by dragons and ancient Tevinter warlocks... just for starters. When he mentions maybe writing a book based on their adventures, the working title is All This Shit is Weird: The Inquisitor [Surname] Story. At the end of the Trespasser DLC, it turns out that he really does call it that.
  • What the Hell, Hero?: A mage Inquisitor can use the Rite of Tranquility on Erasthenes, Alexius, and Livimus Erimond. The Herald chooses to use the Rite, they will face blowback for this, in the form of the war table operation "Judgment: How Could You."
  • Wild Card: The Inquisitor enters the playing field of world politics with no preset allegiances whatsoever (even to the Chantry), and is free to back whoever they want in any Kingmaker Scenario.
  • Worthy Opponent: The Inquisitor is considered this, albeit begrudgingly, by the various other factions.
  • Xanatos Gambit: During the "Wicked Eyes, Wicked Hearts" quest, the Inquisitor can allow Florianne to assassinate Celene, letting them sweep in, "avenge" her, and then replace her with a candidate they want.
  • Xanatos Speed Chess: In fact, they become so adept at it, they can take just about any obstacle thrown their way and somehow make it work in their favor.
    • It should also be noted that skill at the Game is usually seen as something that takes years, if not decades, to perfect. The Inquisitor nails it in one night.

     Tropes that Apply to an Adaar (Qunari) Inquisitor 
  • The Ace: The Vashoth Mercenary can tell Josephine they were one of the most sought-after mercs around - and their commanding officer always sings their praises.
  • Amazonian Beauty: Female Qunari Inquisitors really catch Sera's fancy. She loves muscles. (See her reaction at Statuesque Stunner below.)
  • Meaningful Name: Like all Qunari, the Qunari Inquisitor's name was chosen to suit the Qunari's purpose. In this case, Adaar means "Weapon" or "fire thrower".
  • Power Tattoos: Rather than helmets, Qunari Inquisitors wear warpaint that's toxic to other races.
  • Private Military Contractors: If the Inquisitor is Vashoth, then prior to being in the middle of a giant magical explosion they ran the Valo-Kas Mercenary Company, which is... basically what it sounds like. And judging from various conversations, 'mercenary' may be the only job they've ever had.
  • Statuesque Stunner: A female Qunari Inquisitor is taller than everyone else at Haven/Skyhold except The Iron Bull, who is also a Qunari. Sera greatly approves.
    Sera: Oooh, you're well-fit! I've heard about your kind...
  • You Are a Credit to Your Race: Can receive this sentiment quite a few times for being vashoth.

     Tropes that Apply to a Cadash (Dwarven) Inquisitor 
  • All Girls Want Bad Boys: Subverted. If playing as an ex-Carta Dwarf, you can try to pull this card to flirt with Josephine, and it goes right over her head.
  • The Atoner: When asked about your past you can comment how you are glad to no longer be involved with the Carta, suggesting that a Dwarf Inquisitor views the Inquisition as a way to make up for their criminal actions.
  • Badass Adorable: Many people, such as Sera, will comment upon how adorable a Female Dwarf Inquisitor is.
  • Badass Family: The dwarf Inquisitor is a member of the Cadash clan, making them a distant relative of Shale.
  • Birds of a Feather: If Cadash romances Thom Rainier, a.k.a. Blackwall, they can bond over being former criminals trying to start a new life.
  • Dark and Troubled Past: When asked about your past you can say that you simply smuggled a few things with little bloodshed, but you can also comment that you were heavily involved in several violent activities.
  • Dude, Where's My Respect?: Female Cadash can express annoyance on multiple occasions of people not taking her seriously due to her being short and "cute."
  • Expecting Someone Taller: Being a dwarf, Cadash can get this a lot.
  • Famous Ancestor: The Dwarf Inquisitor is distantly related to Shale the (possibly former) golem.
  • Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: The most extreme case if romancing the Iron Bull, given he has the hugest body model and Cadash (particularly female Cadash) has the smallest. Also present to an extent with every romance besides Sera, since Cadash can only romance humans and a Qunari.
  • Never Heard That One Before: Jokes about them being short, that is.
    Cadash: (to Blackwall) At least you're upfront. It's better than, "I thought you'd be taller."
  • Punch-Clock Villain: When asked about your past you can imply you were this and simply viewed working for the Carta as a job.
  • You Are a Credit to Your Race: Can receive this sentiment a few times for being a dwarf, particularly a Carta dwarf.

     Tropes that Apply to a Lavellan (Elven) Inquisitor 
  • Association Fallacy: Many characters stereotype you as an elitist bigot for being Dalish, unless you prove otherwise. Inquisitor Lavellan can also frequently assume most elves they meet care about elven culture or the shared elven struggle, and can frequently get called out on it.
    Lavellan: I'd be interested in hearing your opinion on elven culture.
    Solas: I thought you would be more interested in sharing your opinion of elven culture. You are Dalish, are you not?
  • Boomerang Bigot: It's very easy to play Lavellan this way since most named elves you encounter (Solas, Sera, Minaeve, Briala, etc) are very critical of the Dalish and expect you to be too.
  • But Thou Must!/That Came Out Wrong:
    • Most Inquisition elves (Solas, Sera, Minaeve, etc) are openly critical of the Dalish, and most of Lavellan's early lines defending the Dalish sound as snide and haughty as possible, just validating the other's bigotry.
    • Sera also opens up about her internalized racism a few times, particularly after the cookie rooftop scene, and Mythal. If Lavellan in particular tries to help Sera overcome it, Lavellan's lines are always written to sound like they're trying to make Sera more elfy like them, which just gives Sera reason to retain her bigotry because Screw You, Elves!.
  • Character Development: It's possible to play Lavellan as a stereoptyical snobby Dalish early on. Most early Dalish-specific lines seem designed to sound stupid and haughty, and only become more warm, intelligent, and accepting later in the game.
  • Converting for Love: A variation with the Dalish Inquisitor. If she romances Sera, she will eventually have to claim she agrees that the Dalish gods were demons; failing to do so will cause Sera to break up with her for being "too elfy." On the other hand, if the Inquisitor marries Cullen, she can ask for her faith/culture to be respected during the proceedings, with him not minding.
  • Cosmic Plaything: The Dalish Inquisitor can become this very easily. To elaborate - by the end of the game, it's entirely possible for them to have lost their entire clan, left with an obligation to Mythal hanging over their head if they end up drinking the well, and learn the Awful Truth of their people. In that case of a female Lavellan, she will lose her last attachment to her people (the vallaslin) and her love interest Solas if he is romanced. In Trespasser, they also lose their arm and part ways with Solas on bittersweet terms regardless of whether he is a friend or a lover and regardless whether they want to save him or they want to stop him outright. And if they antagonize him enough during the main game, then they also face the wrath of a god who has the power to fight back without any regrets. At the top of it all, they will face the possibility of encountering and eliminating their fellow elves who join to Solas's cause.
  • Cunning Linguist: Other than Solas, a Dalish Inquisitor speaks the most Elvish out of any characters heard so far in the franchise. For example, in a situation where the Inquisitor can try to convince a Dalish mage to give them something they found together, a Dalish Inquisitor has the option to switch to speaking Elvish and, unlike previous characters just dropping words in, goes full sentences before twitching back. They are also supposed to be the only Inquisitor with subtitles when Solas speaks with his friend to reflect their near-fluent understanding of Elvhen.
  • Damned by Faint Praise: The game gives you plenty of opportunities to condemn the Dalish, while the few times you can defend them it's much more lukewarm with sheepish acknowledgements of their flaws, rather than full embrace of their virtues.
    Solas: If the Dalish could raise someone with a spirit like yours... Perhaps I misjudged them?
    Lavellan [Honestly, not really]: Most of the Dalish care more about impressing other hunters with a good shot or talking about how awful humans are. There are only a few who care about the old ways.
    Lavellan: [Yes]: I don't hold the Dalish up as perfect, but we have something worth honoring. A memory of the ancient ways.
  • Did You Just Romance Cthulhu??: A female elf Inquisitor who romances Solas, due to the revelation that he is actually Fen'Harel.
  • Differing Priorities Breakup:
    • A Lavellan who romances Sera can decide their stance on the elven religion and culture is too incompatible, particularly after Sera's ultimatum following the Temple of Mythal, and break up.
    • No matter what, a Lavellan who romances Solas will be dumped shortly before the final battle, partly because Solas reasonably believes Lavellan wouldn't support his goal of destroying her modern world to magically restore his ancient elvhen one. In Trespasser, after she learns of his true nature and goals, she can confirm that she can't allow him to destroy her world to restore his own, and can vow to change his mind or stop him. Enforced by Solas himself, as Lavellan can express a desire to aid them in their goal, but Solas believes it would be too cruel to ask her to aid the destruction of her entire world and all her friends and family within, and he doesn't want her to see what he would become.
  • Earn Your Happy Ending: Can do this for Clan Lavellan. The Clan Lavellan war table chain involves having to pick exactly the right advisor at every single step or the clan will be wiped out. If you can end it favorably, then the clan winds up saving and ruling Wycome, becoming a shining example of how elves can govern well and coexist peacefully and equitably with humans. In Trespasser, Varric (who has become the Viscount of Kirkwall) tells Inquisitor Lavellan that he's forming an alliance with Wycome, to give Clan Lavellan a little more political "muscle."
  • Failed a Spot Check: Lavellan was raised Dalish. Most Dalish elves have our world's equivalent of Irish or Welsh accents. Minaeve, an elven mage scholar, has an Irish accent. Naturally, the "Dalish" dialogue icon has Lavellan lament that Minaeve wasn't raised Dalish, as she would do well with them. This just lets Minaeve chew Lavellan out for failing to identify her accent.
  • Gameplay and Story Integration: If a female Lavellan romances Solas and decides to remove her vallaslin, when you come back to Black Emporium to use the Mirror of Transformation, you can't apply tattoos to her again.
  • Gameplay and Story Segregation: There's a few subtle hints that an Elven Inquisitor has a different voice than the English or American accented ones we can choose, since Dalish Elves have had largely Irish and Welsh accents in the previous games. For instance, no matter what voice is chosen, Varric doesn't mention recognizing a Marcher accent (read: English or Scottish) from them like he does a human Inqusitor.
  • Glacier Waif: If playing an elven warrior, particularly a tank.
  • Heartbroken Badass: If the Inquisitor romances Solas. If Inquisitor Lavellan chooses to remain in the relationship, even after the breakup, it reveals that she could never recover from her heartbreak, even after two years and the reveal of Solas's true identity, never able to fall in love with another. But being heartbroken doesn't make Inquisitor Lavellan fight any weaker or shirk her responsibilities. If anything, her broken heart just makes her fight all the more stronger.
    Solas: Harden your heart to a cutting edge, and put that pain to good use against Corypheus.
  • I Will Wait for You: The game implies that a female Lavellan who romances Solas does this after he leaves, as she cannot flirt with or romance anyone else after the breakup. In Trespasser, she can confirm that she is still not over him. If she doesn't dump him on the spot when they meet again, she can vow to redeem him with their love before he leaves again.
  • The Last Of These Is Not Like The Others: Played for Drama. Most Inquisitors come from backgrounds not too culturally dissimilar to Andrastian human culture: Adaar is a vashoth born in human lands, Cadash is a surface dwarf, non-mage Trevelyan is a human noble raised in the Chantry, and mage Trevelyan the same but raised in the Circle. Based on this pattern, you would expect Lavellan to be a city elf, but nope: Lavellan is Dalish, the only truly "foreign" playable culture, and one that is very much at odds with the Andrastian human nobility, Chantry, and Inquisition... and the game won't let you forget it.
  • Love Redeems: If a female Lavellan romances Solas, she can attempt to invert this trope at the end of Trespasser, asking him to let her join him. However, Solas refuses to do so, believing that it would be cruel of him to have the love of his life help him essentially destroy the world as she knows it and kill countless innocents in the process. When that fails, Lavellan ultimately decides to either avert this trope, giving up on Solas and deciding to stop him at all cost regardless of her feelings for him, or attempt to invoke this trope, deciding to save the love of her life from himself, if she can.
  • Meaningful Name: In Scottish folklore, a Lavellan is a kind of noxious water rodent that lives deep in pools in rivers. Considering Clan Lavellan wandered the forests avoiding humans, are treated like vermin in-universe, can get slaughtered and scattered in the Clan Lavellan War Table quest chain, a major quest near the end of the game involves drinking from the Well of Sorrows, and the game involves many, many, many instances of Screw You, Dalish!, this was probably intentional.
  • My Species Doth Protest Too Much: As stated under Boomerang Bigot, it is absurdly easy to play a Lavellan who is very critical of and distances themselves from other Dalish. Lavellan also gets far more opportunities to disparage their own people than Adaar, Cadash, or any Mage Inquisitor.
  • No Sympathy: If you thought you'd receive support from other elves because We ARE Struggling Together, think again. You'll be lucky if any given elven character you talk to throws you being Dalish back in your face only once.
  • Open Mouth, Insert Foot: Most Dalish-specific dialogue during the first half of the game seems designed to sound as stupid or snotty as possible, from failing to spot Minaeve's accent, to confirming Sera and Solas's boomerang bigotry. Lavellan drops this tendency later in the game, though by then it's implied their time with the Inquisition has humbled them.
  • Self-Made Orphan: It's possible for Lavellan to accidentally cause the slaughter of their entire clan in their personal quest chain. No other Inquisitor besides Lavellan can do this.
  • Spotlight-Stealing Squad: A Lavellan Inquisitor is by far the most focused on and in-depth of the race options, with the story accounting and very heavily focused around Elven history more than anything. If playing a female Lavellan Inquisitor, the player gets the most romance options in the game as well.
  • Waif-Fu: A female Elven Inquisitor is thin, wiry and waif-like, and can fight as well as any other gendered/raced Inquisitor or companion. It's especially pronounced if she's a rogue, with a lot of elaborate twists, twirls and backflips in combat.
  • You Are a Credit to Your Race: While all Inquisitors get this to some extent, Lavellan (especially Mage Lavellan) probably receives this sentiment the most. Not only from Andrastian humans who don't think very highly of heathen elves, but many major elven characters who can't stop badmouthing the Dalish. (Solas, Sera, Minaeve, Briala, Abelas, Ameridan...)

     Tropes that Apply to a Trevelyan (Human) Inquisitor 
  • The Ace: According to another mage from the Ostwick Circle that can be found in Redcliffe, Trevelyan was one of the most talented mages in their Circle.
  • Badass Family: Mentioned; according to Dorian, there was a Trevelyan three ages back in his family tree, making them possibly distantly related, though Dorian can't directly confirm it. Trevelyan also has a large number of relatives, possibly even a few siblings, in the Templars.
  • Blue Blood: If human, the Inquisitor hails from the Trevelyan family, which is part of the aristocracy in the Free Marches city of Ostwick. This has the effect of giving the Inquisition an air of legitimacy in noble circles, particularly during the quest which takes them to the imperial court of Orlais. This tends to be negated if the Inquisitor is also a mage.
  • Forgotten Fallen Friend: It is stated in their bio that Trevelyan attended the Conclave with other family members. Similar to a Lavellan who loses their clan, there is no point in-game where they acknowledge or express grief over this, even if you pick the dialogue options stating they were on good terms with their family. Though you can express sorrow and Survivor's Guilt over the people who died in the Conclave, so at least there's that.
  • Mage Born of Muggles: It is implied that a mage Trevelyan is a rare occurrence in their family, as their strong presence in the Chantry would take a severe hit if they were similar to the Amells.
  • Royals Who Actually Do Something: An Inquisitor born into nobility is just as kickass as those who were not.
  • Spare to the Throne: Trevelyan is the youngest of at least threenote  in a high-ranking noble family and was slated to join the Chantry due to their expected lack of inheritance, having many relatives who have done the same. Dialogue options allow the player to state whether Trevelyan has a strong relationship with their family, that they are The Unfavorite, or something in between.
  • Warrior Prince/ss: Trevelyan is part of a noble family, and very skilled in combat.
  • Youngest Child Wins: Like Sebastian, the human Inquisitor was spare to the spare as the youngest child of a Bann of Ostwick, and was either shipped off to the Circle at a young age or expected to join the Templars or Chantry as an adult, regardless of their feelings on the matter. Then the Breach happened and they became the most important person in Thedas.
  • You Are a Credit to Your Race: Mage Trevelyan can get this sentiment sometimes.

"A herald indeed. Shouting to the heavens. A harbinger of a new age."

Alternative Title(s): Dragon Age Inquisition Leaders

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