Retrospective of a Gamer #4: The Universe of Dragon Age: Inquisition

Dragon Age: Inquisition marks an excellent return of Bioware to good form, which clearly wanted to make up for the many mistakes it made with Dragon Age II. Although it is a stupendous RPG, which we recommend easily to all fans of the genre, the game assumes that you already have a great knowledge of your universe, and at the beginning, it can be overwhelming to understand everything that goes on.

We decided to create this guide, which is meant to be a summary and reference of everything you need to know to enjoy the story of Dragon Age: Inquisition. They will find a recapitulation of the religion, races, locations, factions, and events that form the troubled political actuality of Dragon Age, still using various analogies with our world because there are many.

World

All the events of the three Dragon Age take place on the continent of Thedas, which is equivalent to Tamriel in The Elder Scrolls saga. Thedas is divided into several nations, although four are particularly important: Ferelden, Orlais, Free Marches and Tevinter Imperium.

The first game, Dragon Age: Origins takes place mostly in Ferelden, during the Blight and Darkspawn invasion (type of underground Orcs led by a huge dragon). Ferelden distinguishes itself as a typical fantasy setting, with castles, ruins and vast forests.

Orlais is the most powerful nation in Thedas, where the rich are arrogant and extravagant, and the poor (mostly elves) work as slaves for the more fortunate. These aristocrats are distinguished by speaking with a French accent and by wearing masks in public. The capital of Orlais is Val Royeaux, where is the great cathedral of Chantry (ie Val Royeaux is a kind of Vatican).

Free Marches are a group of independent cities where the events of Dragon Age IIhave passed. It does not have great importance for the new game, with the particularity that it is the place from where originates the protagonist of Inquisition, independently of the chosen race.

Finally, the Tevinter Imperium, which is a nation mostly governed by Mages. Regardless of the other countries, the Tevinter Imperium does not recognize the Templar or the Circle of Magi, nor does it seem concerned about the current war between the two groups. Tevinter Imperium is also known for the reputation of slavery.

Factions

There are several political and military factions in Dragon Age: Inquisition and almost all face some kind of internal or external threat. One of the most important for the story of Dragon Age: Inquisition is the Chantry, a religious organization that works somewhat like the church in our world.

The world of Dragon Age encompasses a number of religions, but the most popular is Chantry, formed around the teachings of Andraste, who is a sort of Jesus Christ of Dragon Age. Andraste lived many years ago but was proclaimed as the prophet of the Maker (God), being worshiped by the members of Chantry. During the first few hours of play, the protagonist is designated as the Herald of Andraste, even if he does not believe in Chantry.

Another faction that you should know well in Dragon Age: Inquisition are the Mages. In this universe, the Mages gain their magic thanks to their connection with the Fade, a parallel dimension filled with demons. This is however dangerous since a Mage who ventures too much into the Fade can be possessed by a demon and become an Abomination. Therefore, the Mages of Ferelden were contained in a Tower - Circle of Magi - by the Templars, but they fled to try to claim their freedom and independence, which provoked a war between Mages and Templars.

The Templars are soldiers, with some magical abilities (to fight the Mages) and are an extension of the Chantry. The Templars are meant to guard the Mages so they do not become Abominations or practice Blood Magic. With the recent escape of the Mages, the Templars are now in open warfare with the faction they promised to watch over.

The game starts in the Conclave, a meeting between representatives of the Templars and the Mages supervised by the Divine (sort of Pope of the Chantry). However, the meeting does not even begin, as an explosion blew a hole in the sky for the Fade and killed everyone present, with the exception of the player.

Races

There are four playable races in Dragon Age: Inquisition - Humans, Elves, Dwarves and Qunari (for the first time in the series). Unlike Origins, you can not choose your origins, but almost all flee to the rule of each race, which you can know better below.

Humans are the dominant race in Thedas, with the greatest political impact on all fronts. The concept of Chantry, the war between Mages and Templars, the pomp of Orlais, and the politics behind the scenes, have almost all humans as central figures, and will mainly be with humans who will interact mostly.

Dragon Age Dwarfs live underground in Orzammar, and meet great traditions of blacksmiths and miners. The Dwarfs are the only race that can not contact the Fade, so they can not be Mages (no, they can not play with Dwarf Mage). Not all Dwarfs live underground, some are expelled or decide to leave, becoming Surfacers and consequently barely seen by the remaining Dwarfs.

In Dragon Age there are mainly two types of Elves, those living as slaves of the humans in the cities, and the Dalish, nomadic groups who live in the forests and who seek to have little contact with the other races. The Dalish believe in the gods of the past, pre-Andrast, and follow the traditions of their people closely linked to nature.

As for the Qunari, they are a barbarian people, distinguished by their impressive physical structures and horns. The Qunari follow their own customs, linked to their religion - Qun. The Qunari who do not follow these customs and break their bond with their people are known as Tal-Vashoth, usually becoming mercenaries.

Classes

Dragon Age: Inquisition follows, initially, a classic perspective for the classes, dividing up between Warrior, Rogue and Mage. Each class has several subdivisions, but it is when they unblock their specializations that each class becomes really interesting.

The Warriors follow the classic archetype of the warrior, dividing mainly between the tank that defends the group, using sword and shield, or the brute with a huge weapon, able to give as much damage as it is able to support. Warrior's specializations are: Champion (specialized tank), Reaver (use Blood Magic, trading his health by great power) and Templar (specialists against magicians and demons).

If you like a sneaky game style, you have to choose Rogue. Like Rogue, they can opt for hand-to-hand combat, with two daggers, or at a distance, with bows. All Rogues can become invisible and use bombs or poisons. Rogue's specializations are: Artificer (Trap Specialist), Assassin (Great Damage 1 in 1) and Tempest (Alchemy Expert).

Finally, the Mage. Like Mage, they can adopt a protective stance or master the three elements - electricity, fire and ice. The former is particularly vital for any group, especially in the higher difficulties. Mage's specializations are Knight Enchanter, Necromancer, and Rift Mage (they can distort reality in their favor).

Conclusion

The universe of Dragon Age is massive, and what we are reporting here is only a small part of the vast history that surrounds the world of Thedas. We believe, however, that after reading this article you will be better able to follow the early hours of Dragon Age: Inquisition. We also advise you to visit Keep, BioWare's official website, which allows you to follow the history of the two previous games while making important decisions, or better yet, adapt the Saves of these games to shape the world of Dragon Age: Inquisition.

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