Dragon Age: Origins/Characters/Playable Characters: Difference between revisions

Playable Characters from [[Dragon Age]]: Origins]]:

*** If the quest ''Secret Rendezvous'' and Alistair's {{spoiler|appearance as king}} during ''DAII'' are any indication, the Warden ruled Amaranthine for six years, and was competent enough to quickly turn Arl Howe's den of provincial aristocracy corruption into a powerful rival of Kirkwall itself, so apparently Asskicking equaled [[Reasonable Authority Figure|competent authority]]

{{quote| '''Guard''': [[Oh Crap|Oh sod...]]}}

* [[Badass Family]]: If a Human Noble, the Grey Warden comes from one of these. The city elf had an [[Action Mom]], Adaia, whom Duncan wanted to recruit into the Grey Wardens, but was talked out of it by elder Valendrian, seeing as there wasn't an urgent need for recruits back then. Their cousins Shianni and Soris are both [[Badass Normal|pretty awesome as well]].

{{quote| '''Guard-Captain''': Do you expect me to believe that ''one'' wo/man did all of ''that?''<br />

{{quote| '''Human Noble''': I want Howe dead '''NOW!'''}}

* [[BFSBig Freaking Sword]]: A special mention to the Dwarven and Elven Wardens: If they wield a two-handed weapon [[Up to Eleven|it's bigger than their whole fricking body!]]

* [[Blessed with Suck]] / [[Cursed with Awesome]]: Congratulations! You've been selected as a Grey Warden recruit -- therecruit—the highest honor you could ever aspire to! It means any birthright or title you had is now forfeit. But wait, you have yet to become a Grey Warden -- firstWarden—first you have to {{spoiler|drink darkspawn blood, which will often kill you right away. If it doesn't, congratulations on becoming a Grey Warden! You can now sense the darkspawn and destroy archdemons at the low cost of obliterating your soul if you try the latter. Of course, they can sense ''you'' just as easily as you sense them. Oh, and you have about thirty years to live until the taint starts turning you into a darkspawn, at which point the Grey Warden instruction troubleshooting manual tells you to go on a suicide run against the darkspawn hordes. Oh, and good luck ever having children, especially if the other parent is also a Grey Warden.}}

{{quote| '''King Cailan''': "Ah, so you're from one of our Alienages. Tell me, how do things fare there?"<br />

* [[Celibate Hero]] and/or [[Really Gets Around]]: As with the hero -- antihero—anti-hero status, the Warden can be anywhere in-between these two. The hero can get [[Up to Eleven]] by having a foursome with Zevran, Leliana, and Pirate Queen Isabela. And then taking the edge off by sleeping with male hookers, female hookers, [[But You Screw One Goat!|nugs]], a transvestite ''dwarf'', or having some rather unusual things done to you using some rather [[Noodle Implements|interesting tools]].

{{quote| '''Guard''': [[Oh Crap|Oh no!]] I've heard of ''you!''}}

{{quote| '''Loghain''': Pray our King is amenable to reason.<br />

* [[Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep"]]: Despite having established surnames for every origin, only two of these ever seem to get used: Cousland for the human noble and Aeducan for the dwarf noble, since both are tied to the main story. The other names -- Amellnames—Amell for a human mage, Surana for the elf mage, Brosca for the dwarf commoner, Tabris for the city elf, and Mahariel for the Dalish elf -- appearelf—appear only in the character creation screen.

* [[The Good Chancellor]]: At the end, a particularly honorable Warden can become this to Alistair.

* [[Hey, It's That Voice!]]:

** [[Mass Effect|Commander Shepard]] is an experienced Elf Warden.

** On the other hand, the character creator can make some [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyJJMU8aA00 spectacularly] [[Gonk|un-hot ladies.]]

* [["Join the Army," They Said|Join the Grey Wardens They Said]]

* [[Knight in Sour Armor]]: Can be played like this. A natural fit in particular for an elf--evenelf—even if you're a Dalish who regards the Grey Wardens and Ferelden as an [[Enemy Mine]] situation at best, every human assumes you care about their kingdom.

{{quote| '''Arl Howe''': Well, well. Bryce Cousland's little [[The Ladette|spitfire]]. All grown up and [[Stay in the Kitchen|still playing the man!]]}}

* [[Large Ham]]: The Warden never outright [[The Stoic|chews the scenery]], but there are some dialogue options that teeter on the edge. This is only exacerbated by some of the voices (such as Violent) whose lines can range from snarky to completely hammy.

** Possibly subverted in ''Witch Hunt'', where if romanced, the Warden can decide to leave with Morrigan and {{spoiler|enter the Eluvian to meet their child.}} Of course, one could argue that since itsit's been ''twoa years''year since the end of the Blight and Ferelden is at peace, there is simply no need for the Warden anymore.

** Warriors can become a ''[[Your Soul Is Mine|Reaver]]'' and inverted as a ''[[Anti-Magic|Templar]]''.

* [[Modest Royalty]]: If you are a Human Noble, your entire family is this. Despite being the most powerful nobility besidebesides the King, they frequently talk to each other and allies informally. The Human Noble often has the option to ask other Nobles to just use his given name in lieu of a title when they recognize you as being a Cousland.

* [[SchrodingerSchrödinger's Player Character]]: Actually averted. No matter which of the Origin stories you choose to play, you'll come across hints in the main storyline that the others played out, with only the fact that Duncan happened to be around during your chosen origin story determining which of the potential player characters became the protagonist.

{{quote| '''Human Noble''': You lie, Howe. To yourself most of all. I am a Grey Warden!<br />

{{quote| '''Female Warden''': I swear, I'm the bravest one here and I'm a woman.}}

{{quote| '''Warden''': We're ''not'' married, if that's what you're asking.}}

* [[The Unchosen One]]: Went from random idiot who survived because Duncan and Flemeth happened to be around at the right times to Hero of Ferelden in about a year. If you complain that you don't have a choice in the matter, Morrigan and Wynne will be quick to point out that you could just sit on your ass and do nothing to stop the Blight--ultimatelyBlight—ultimately, you do choose.

* [[Try to Fit That on A Business Card]]: If you are a Cousland, your full titles and styles could be, if you play your cards right-

{{quote| "[[Royals Who Actually Do Something|His/Her Royal Highness]], Prince/ss ______ [[Badass Family|Cousland]], Prince/ss-Consort of Ferelden, Teryn/a of Gwaren, Arl of Amaranthine, Arl of Denerim, [[Commanding Coolness|Warden-Commander]] of the Order of the Grey Wardens, [[Big Damn Heroes|Hero/ine of Ferelden.]]"}}

[[File:Alistair_9351Alistair 9351.jpg|frame]]

{{quote| '''Alistair''': Oh the usual, attempted assassinations, uprisings, fancy parties with stinky cheeses}}

{{quote| '''Alistair''': "You stole them, didn't you? You're some sort of... sneaky... witch-thief!"}}

* [[Entendre Failure]]: He'd happily hop borders with Zevran given the chance - after all, he's never been close to leaving Ferelden.

{{quote| {{spoiler|'''Alistair''': Just because she killed an ''Archdemon'', she doesn't scare me!}}<br />

{{quote| ''Alistair'': {{spoiler|Look, I can't be king}}. Some days I have trouble figuring out which boot goes on which foot.}}

{{quote| {{spoiler|'''Loghain''': So there is some of [[Like Father, Like Son|Maric]] in you after all?! Good!}}<br />

* [[Knight Templar]]: He was training to be one, though only in job description--hedescription—he flat out states that a life devoted to single-mindedly hunting down maleficars was not for him, and didn't get to choose whether he would be raised as one or not.

* [[Orphan's Plot Trinket]]: Averted--heAverted—he had an amulet from his mother, but threw it at a wall and smashed it. The player can find it {{spoiler|after his foster father Arl Eamon painstakingly glued it back together}} and give it back as a gift, but it has no further relevance to the story.

[[File:Dog_image_1411Dog image 1411.png|frame]]

** Which goes along with Ferelden being the [[Fantasy Counterpart Culture]] to Britain. During the days of the [[Ancient Rome|the Roman Empire]] Britain's most famous export was its dogs. The Romans would import them all the way across the continent to use as guard dogs.

* [[Killer Rabbit]] / [[Shout-Out]]: Dog's "official" name is "Rabbit", which could be a Shout Out to ''[[Monty Python and Thethe Holy Grail]]''.

{{quote| '''Sten''': You a true warrior and worthy of respect.<br />

[[File:ASSCHABS3_4207ASSCHABS3 4207.jpg|frame]]

{{quote| '''Oghren:''' This is it, Warden. "When from the blood of battle the Stone has fed, let the heroes prevail and the blighters lie dead." As one of the blighters, [[It Has Been an Honor|I sodding salute you.]] '''''Let us show them our hearts, and then show them THEIRS.'''''}}

{{quote| "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v{{=}}79S4oGC8K5o&feature{{=}}related No one touches Oghren's junk and LIVES!]"}}

{{quote| "Oh, you can't keep the archdemon waiting. You hurt its feelings, it might just turn the whole Blight around and go home. Nobody wants that."}}

{{quote| '''Oghren''': I swear. The things I could do to you.<br />

'''Morrigan''': Ugh. It is leering at me once again...<br />

{{quote| ''(on seeing the Circle Tower)'' Ooh, that's huge. ''(giggles)'' I wonder how long it took to erect it. ''(giggles)'' Get it? ''Erect'' it!"}}

{{quote| '''Oghren:''' ''(to Shale)'' Sounds like you're passing a stone, there. ''(laughs)'' Get it? "''Passing a stone''?"<br />

{{quote| '''Oghren:''' Look at me! I'm an elf! Trees are pre~tty! Tra-la-la!}}

{{quote| ''Whore: "Oh... that's just (shriek)"''<br />

* [[Shout-Out]]: Oghren's battle cry "let's see what yer innards look like!" is very similar to that of another drunken, bloodthirsty dwarven berserker in a [[BioWare]] game, [[Baldur's Gate|Korgan Bloodaxe]], who shouted "let's see what yer guts be lookin' like" on entering combat.

* [[Vitriolic Best Buds]]: With Zevran, perhaps as a small homage to [[The Lord of the Rings|Legolas and Gimli.]] And again with Anders in ''Awakening''.

* [[Wouldn't Hurt a Child]]: Oghren may love to solve problems with an axe but killing Connor will casuse a huge loss of aproval from him, even more so than from idealistic and moral teammates like Alistair and Leliana.

[[File:BIRDS_7959BIRDS 7959.jpg|frame]]

* [[Another Side, Another Story]]: We will see what became of Shale in the next novel, ''Dragon Age: Asunder''.

* [[Berserk Button]]:

{{quote| '''Leliana:''' I do not understand why you hate birds so much.<br />

'''Shale:''' It is because I had to endure their chirping, their perching, and most especially their constant sh-<br />

{{quote| '''Shale:''' I see it found some augmentation crystals. I was not even aware it knew about them... well done! So? What does it think? They don't make me look any wider, do they? I find I am already too wide as it is.}}

{{quote| {{spoiler|'''Oghren:''' I think I had a wife like you, once.}}}}

{{quote| '''Shale:''' I could watch you fight all day long. The skill you display, the form... how the light plays on its muscles... I mean, yes. Well done. With the fighting.}}

{{quote| '''Alistair:''' So, Shale... when you were standing there all that time? Did you... sleep?<br />

'''Shale:''' I have no need to sleep. My body does not tire or do -- ugh -- other flesh-related functions.<br />

'''Alistair:''' But don't you get bored? Wouldn't you want to dream, at least?<br />

'''Shale:''' I do not dream. This is what it does when it sleeps? It paws its nose and mumbles incoherently.<br />

'''Alistair:''' Yes, of course. I thought we all -- huh... you watch me?<br />

'''Shale:''' I watch all closely when they are still at night. There is little else to do.<br />

'''Alistair:''' For... hours and hours?<br />

'''Shale:''' I count the breaths. it helps to overcome the overwhelming urge to '''CRUSH''' their faces while they sleep.<br />

{{quote| '''Warden''': Is that your name, or what you're made of?}}

{{quote| '''Shale:''' Oh, please, somebody kill somebody!}}

[[File:sten1_8495sten1 8495.png|frame]]

* [[BFSBig Freaking Sword]]: Like most qunari warriors, he's extremely attached to his. {{spoiler|Even though he no longer has it.}}

{{quote| '''Sten:''' ''(after Leliana witnesses him playing with a kitten)'' ...There was no kitten.<br />

'''Leliana:''' Sten, I saw you. You dangling a piece of twine for it.<br />

{{quote| '''Leliana:''' Outside, you were picking flowers!<br />

'''Sten:''' ...No, I wasn't.<br />

'''Leliana:''' You were!<br />

{{quote| ''The Rescue the Warden Scenario''<br />

'''Leliana:''' Aren't you having fun? Infiltrating a fort? Isn't it exciting?<br />

{{quote| '''Sten''': And now I am talking to an animal. I have been in this country too long.}}

{{quote| "You mean I should remark upon the weather before I cut someone's head off?"}}

{{quote| '''Sten''': I have ''never'' denied that I failed.}}

* [[Literal -Minded]]: Since the language of Ferelden isn't his native tongue, this leads to amusement.

{{quote| '''Warden:''' "Tell me about the qunari."<br />

'''Sten:''' "No."<br />

'''Warden:''' "Well, that wasn't what I expected to hear."<br />

{{quote| '''Grey Warden:''' That's more words than I've ever heard you say.<br />

[[File:IDONTAPROVE2_3381IDONTAPROVE2 3381.jpg|frame]]

* [[Animal Motifs]]: Being a Shapeshifter, this is to be expected.

{{quote| '''Morrigan:''' You... do not truly think I look as my mother does, do you?<br />

'''Alistair:''' Have you really been thinking about that all this time?<br />

'''Morrigan:''' I am simply curious.<br />

'''Alistair:''' And not insecure in the slightest, I'm sure.<br />

'''Morrigan:''' I think I look nothing like her.<br />

'''Alistair:''' I don't know. Give it a few hundred years and it'll be a spot-on match.<br />

'''Morrigan:''' I said that I look nothing like her!<br />

* [[Hollywood Atheist]]: Not so much in the reasons for her non-belief, which are fairly realistic, but in that her atheism goes along with being selfish, misanthropic, and actively contemptuous of religious people.

* [[Hot Witch]]: [[Lampshade|Lampshaded]]d, not that it's all that unusual for the setting.

{{quote| '''Leliana:''' So you're saying you're wild and uninhibited? I suppose he must like your shrieking, you sound like a genlock being murdered--a sweet, sweet sound to a Grey Warden. You should try a little harder next time he takes you. I don't think they heard you in the Anderfels.}}

{{quote| '''Morrigan''': And you once argued with me that "[[Ironic Echo|love is not a weakness]]"...}}

* [[No Sympathy]]: A big part of her character. Morrigan just doesn't do empathy. She may surprise you every now and then, however--oncehowever—once befriended, she genuinely cares about the PC and their feelings, expressing sympathy over their mother's death or having girl talk with the Grey Warden.

* [[Shoo the Dog]]: If you're intimate, have helped save her from Flemeth, and gotten her approval above 90%, she gets desperate to get you to break up with her, down to flat out ''begging'' you to say you don't love her.

[[File:epicstuf_3771epicstuf 3771.png|frame]]

** Which can later double as a [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|crowning moment]] of [[Video Game Caring Potential|heartwarming in hindsight for the player]] (if s/he chose the sympathetic dialogue options) in light of the absolute horror that {{spoiler|abominations invoke}} and how mages are treated near sub-humanly to begin with.

{{quote| '''Zevran:''' [[Likes Older Women|You say that like it's a bad thing.]]}}

** Parodied by Shamus Young [https://web.archive.org/web/20130805044653/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/comics/stolen-pixels/6848-Stolen-Pixels-148-Dragon-Aged here].

* [[Hidden Depths]]: You really wouldn't expect a sweet, grandmotherly old woman like Wynne to know so much about alcohol; one of the best gifts for her other than books is a bottle of wine. She even enjoys ''Oghren's homemade ale''--[[Gargle Blaster|the same stuff that can KO the Warden if his or her Constitution is too low]]--and—and manages to correctly identify the ingredients he uses for spicing. {{spoiler|This surprises Rhys, Adrian, and Evangeline in Asunder, when they stop at a local inn to rest and eat.}}

{{quote| '''Alistair:''' Do you ever think about him?<br />

* [[Power Strain Blackout]]: Wynne's plot power Vessel of the Spirit leaves her stunned and disoriented after every time she uses it. This effect is only alleviated after completing her personal sidequest.

* {{spoiler|[[Sequel Hook]]: If you speak to Wynne at the end of the story, she will explain that she will be travelling with Shale, claiming that Shale wants to become organic again. As Shale is inspired by the Warden they apparently travel to Tevinter to see if there is a "cure" of somekind.}}

** She plots to knit a sweater for Sten. How much more motherly can you get?

[[File:yeah_7362yeah 7362.jpg|frame]]

{{quote| '''Raleigh''': I still remember that scared little girl in my cell!<br />

'''Leliana''': I remember her too. This is for her.<br />

* [[The Bard]]: Her specific character class to boot.

{{quote| '''Isabela''': *''Laughs''* "[[Code Name|Sister Nightingale]]" indeed, I remember it didn't take much to make you ''sing''.}}

** And if the Warden sleeps around on her, she comes off as painfully naive and easily lied to.

* [[Jeanne D 'Archetype]]: [[Action Girl]]? Check. Devoutly religious? Check. French (or [[Fantasy Counterpart Culture|the equivalent]])? Check. Visions telling her to fight? Check. Case closed.

{{quote| '''Warden''': I thought you felt comfortable around me?<br />

** This appears to be one of the many cases of [[Canon Dis Continuity|Canon Discontinuity]] from the the novels or DLC.

[[File:Leather_9772Leather 9772.png|frame]]

{{quote| '''Alistair''': ''...he's an assassin who's tried to kill us more than once...do women go for that sort of thing?''<br />

{{quote| '''Zevran''':[[Sarcasm Mode|"That is precisely it."]]}}

{{quote| '''Zevran''': "Ah, so I am to be interrogated? Let me save you some time. My name is Zevran - Zev to my friends. I am a member of the Antivan Crows, brought here for the sole purpose of assassinating any remaining Grey Wardens. Which I have failed at, sadly."}}

* [[The Cameo]]: If you upload a save from the first game, he can appear in [[Dragon Age 2]] for one mission. Predictably, if in that save the Warden banged Isabela, Hawke, he and Isabela can have a threesome.

{{quote| '''Zevran:''' You know who I am, yes? I was one of the Crows you hired to kill the Grey Wardens.<br />

{{spoiler|'''Loghain:'''}} I thought you looked familiar.<br />

'''Zevran:''' Well, I just wanted to report that I failed my mission, {{spoiler|Loghain}}.<br />

{{spoiler|'''Loghain:'''}} You don't say.<br />

'''Zevran:''' I'm terribly broken up over it.<br />

{{quote| '''The Warden''': You tried to kill me!<br />

* [[Gallows Humor]]: It's his preferred way of dealing with a bad situation, as you will discover if you interrogate him when you have him at your mercy after his failed attempt to assassinate the party. [[Parental Abandonment|Given]] [[Training Fromfrom Hell|his]] [[Freudian Excuse|backstory]], it's almost certainly another defense mechanism.

{{quote| '''Zevran''': So let us pretend that I do, indeed, believe that murder is wrong...}}

{{quote| '''Zevran:''' {{spoiler|I... still have the earring. I would like to give it to you... as a token of affection. Will you accept it?}}<br />

'''the Warden:''' {{spoiler|That almost sounds like a proposal.}}<br />

{{quote| '''Zevran:''' It has meant a lot to me but so have -- so has what you've done.}}

{{quote| '''Wynne:''' "Zevran, I am old enough to be your grandmother."<br />

'''Zevran:''' "You say that like it's a bad thing."<br />

'''Wynne:''' "And what would you do if you had me, hmm? This is a game you play, nothing more."<br />

{{quote| '''Zevran:''' I couldn't help hearing about your... predicament. Forgive me if I am prying...<br />

'''Wynne:''' Yes, you are.<br />

'''Zevran:''' ... but what does it feel like being possessed by a spirit?<br />

'''Wynne:''' Why does this interest you so?<br />

'''Zevran:''' I simply wish to get to know those that I travel with. Is that wrong of me?<br />

'''Wynne:''' No, of course it isn't. Well... let me see. It is hard to describe. It is comforting... I... I feel safe, loved.<br />

'''Zevran:''' Comforted, loved, yes...<br />

'''Wynne:''' It is like being held close, cradled... the bond is so complete that I am unable to extricate myself, nor do I wish to. Wait... why do you have that look on your face?<br />

'''Zevran:''' Mmm, I... I am simply imagining it. Continue, please.<br />

'''Wynne:''' And there is a constant warmth, that spreads outwards from the very center of my being, infusing my body with--<br />

{{quote| '''the female Warden:''' (after Zevran proposes to join the party): You must think I'm royally stupid.<br />

* [[One-Man Army]]: A codex entry in [[Dragon Age II]] reveals that he's single-handedly ''decimating'' the entire Crow organization. Publicly, his former employers are still trying to assassinate him out of principle. Privately, however, they're all ''terrified'' of him.

* [[Training Fromfrom Hell]]: Take him along to the Circle Tower and watch his nightmare. That should give you a general idea.

* [[Troubled but Cute]]: An elf with {{spoiler|[[The Casanova|layers]] upon [[Sad Clown|layers]] upon [[Angst? What Angst?|layers]] of defense mechanisms [[Hidden Depths|covering up]] an [[Parental Abandonment|incredibly]] [[Training Fromfrom Hell|traumatic]] [[Heartbroken Badass|past]].}} He goes to great pains to [[Subverted Trope|deny this]] until befriended/romanced deeply enough.

* [[Vitriolic Best Buds]]: With Oghren, perhaps as a small homage to [[The Lord of the Rings|Legolas and Gimli.]]