The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Anything But the Truth
Mar 25
In Ferelden, the truth depends on who you're talking to.
Just like in the real world, in Ferelden perception plays a huge role in how information is shared with the player. Very little is revealed as absolute truth.
“So what I told you was true…from a certain point of view.”
- Obi-Wan Kenobi, Return of the Jedi
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Because my articles generally discuss nuances of Dragon Age: Origins and present my personal analysis of in-game events, you can expect copious amounts of spoilers. If you haven’t played through DA:O at least once, proceed at your own risk.
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If you look through the codex, you’ll see that most of the entries are from personal journals and letters, or one-sided accounts of historical events. Everything has a bias, and that makes decision-making all the more difficult for the player. This is no accident. As David Gaider has stated on the BioWare Social Network:
“Some people might prefer it if any info relayed regarding the history takes only one and clearly factual path — but as a style choice we freely change up any history we present in Dragon Age according to the one that is presenting it.”
Take Arl Eamon and his insistence that Alistair needs to become King. The Arl presents two compelling arguments. Not only did Alistair’s ancestor, Calenhad, unite Ferelden 400 years before after convincing the country’s warring teyrnirs to come together under his rule, his father, Maric the Savior, was a hero and the reason Ferelden fought tirelessly to expel the Orlesians thirty years ago. Without a Theirin on the throne, Eamon says, it is quite possible that Ferelden will disintegrate back into weak sub-nations struggling against one another. The nation could become easy prey for the Orlesians or any other supposed ally.
It’s a grim picture of Ferelden’s future. On a first playthrough, you don’t know that the country will get along just fine if Anora remains Queen. You’re left to decide the best course of action, based only on what you’ve been told. But is what you’ve been told true? It might seem that Eamon is genuinely concerned for the future of the country. If you look deeper, however, you can see hints that perhaps there is more to his desire to see Alistair on the throne than fear for Ferelden’s future.
Speak to Eamon before the Landsmeet and ask him about Alistair’s suitability for ruling, and he will extol Alistair’s potential as King. The ex-templar knows how to lead troops, he tells you, how defend his lands, and how to do what is right. But the Arl goes on to say that if all that training fails him, Alistair will know who to turn to for help — the Arl himself. More than once, Loghain makes reference to Eamon attempting to gain power. At the Landsmeet, he blatantly calls Alistair a puppet king, insinuating that Eamon, the Orlesians, or the Grey Wardens — or any combination of those — will be pulling the strings.
So what is the truth? Is Eamon interested in gaining political leverage via Alistair? Or does he legitimately believe that Ferelden will fall apart without Maric’s bastard on the throne? Your guess is as good as mine.
Another example of this intentional uncertainty is the situation with Anora and Teyrn Howe. After arriving in Denerim as part of Arl Eamon’s retinue, you’re greeted by Anora’s maidservant, Erlina. Erlina reveals that Anora spoke out against her father and turned to Rendon Howe for support, only to be imprisoned at Howe’s Denerim estate. Anora’s maid is quite concerned for the Queen’s safety and states that either Loghain or Howe may try to kill her in order to frame Eamon and the Wardens for the murder. Upon rescuing her, the Queen reiterates that Howe’s men may assassinate her, or she might be carted back to the palace by her father’s guards to meet that same fate.
Would Loghain truly have killed his own daughter, his Queen, to further his case against Eamon and the Wardens? It seems possible, given that it is one of the accusations he spits at the Warden during the Landsmeet. And yet, if you spare Loghain and speak to him at camp afterwards, he will state that he is not the monster you seem to think he is…although, I will point out that he doesn’t actually ever deny the plot.
A third, rather striking example of how perception influences the information you receive in-game is found during the DLC Return to Ostagar. When you recover the secret documents from Cailan’s chest, the reaction of your party members is markedly different, depending on who you bring. Alistair and Wynne lament that Cailan had indeed formed an alliance with the Orlesians, an alliance that could have saved the battle, if only the King had waited for reinforcements. They make no mention of the informal tone of one of the letters addressed to Cailan from Celene, the Empress of Orlais. Loghain, on the other hand, explodes at the idea that Cailan had planned to set Anora aside to marry Celene. Nothing is clearly stated in the documents that Cailan had intended to do so; it is Loghain’s perception of their content and their tone that colors his reaction. Was it simply a letter between friends, or did it mean more?
Again, what is the truth? The beauty of the game is that you’re never really sure. Perhaps what Eamon, Anora, Loghain, or any number of other characters tell you is the truth. Perhaps they simply believe it to be the truth, but in reality, the truth is altogether different. Or perhaps they are knowingly lying to you in order to achieve their own ends. Just like in the real world, you can only guess at the inner workings of the characters’ minds — and the fact that they seem to have minds of their own is a testament to the quality of the storytelling.
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29 comments
Comment by Andrea Morstabilini on March 25, 2010 at 6:51 pm
I really like this article! :D
I, for one, think that Cailan was indeed going to put Anora aside and marry Celene, but, as you perfectly said, your speculation is as good as mine and this is *really* what makes Dragon Age so great!
Comment by @aithne on March 25, 2010 at 7:00 pm
Eamon is a politician, through and through. In fact, he's a *much* better politician than Loghain, who is apparently a brilliant general but pretty terrible at politics. (And at Xanatos gambits.) One could argue that Loghain is what Alistair might have become eventually, absent his royal blood.
Being a politician doesn't mean Eamon doesn't have the best interests of Ferelden at heart, but it does mean that his not-so-subtle steering of the PC away from Anora as Queen is slightly suspect. I have a suspicion that Anora is one of the few people who Eamon can't get anything by whatsoever, which means he has a strong stake in her removal.
In fact, his letter urging Cailan to set Anora aside really underscores that. Yes, he has a good reason–though possibly not as good as he makes it out to be, since even if Anora is barren, well, there *was* another Theirin brother running around, even if he *was* a bastard. I imagine there's precedent for making a nephew heir. (Though, if he really wanted that possibility in his back pocket, he probably shouldn't have gotten Alistair signed up for the Templars.)
So, um…I had a point in here, didn't I? Oh, yeah. I love the fact that the truth in the DA:O universe depends on who you're taking to. It's one of the hallmarks of good worldbuilding and good storytelling.
Comment by Severan on March 25, 2010 at 7:37 pm
Can I put it into my polish Dragon Age site ??
Comment by CaK on March 25, 2010 at 7:44 pm
You are allowed to link to this article of course, but you are not allowed to copy and paste the content on any site.
Comment by Severan on March 25, 2010 at 8:09 pm
but can I translate it because a lot of people in Poland isn't good at English ?
Comment by daheidi on March 25, 2010 at 8:15 pm
Found in the game:
"A letter from Arl Eamon to King Cailan
——————————————————————————–
Your Majesty, My men will arrive as soon as possible to bolster your forces. Maker willing, this Blight will be ended before it has begun. Cailan, I beseech you, as your uncle, not to join the Grey Wardens on the field. You cannot afford to take this risk. Ferelden cannot afford it. Let me remind you again that you do not have an heir. Your death–and it pains me even to think of it–would plunge Ferelden into chaos. And yes, perhaps when this is over you will allow me to bring up the subject of your heir. While a son from both the Theirin and Mac Tir lines would unite Ferelden like no other, we must accept that perhaps this can never be. The queen approaches her thirtieth year and her ability to give you a child lessens with each passing month. I submit to you again that it might be time to put Anora aside. We parted harshly the last time I spoke of this, but it has been a full year since then and nothing has changed. Please, nephew, consider my words, and Andraste's grace be with you. "
Comment by daheidi on March 25, 2010 at 8:15 pm
I was always suspicious of Arl Eamon but that letter sealed the deal for me. Considering Cailan's personality, I do not think him capable of coming up with the idea of marrying the Empress of Orlais on his own. Yet, I think, that was obviously what he was planning to do. Who do you think gave him the idea to begin with? Gee, I dunno, maybe somebody with an Orlesian wife of his own?
It is true though, that these points only bring up speculation — we may never know what the "truth" is, in black and white, but that is what is so great about the game. :)
Comment by CaK on March 25, 2010 at 8:21 pm
As long as greywardens.com is credited, yes.
Comment by @RA_Whipple on March 25, 2010 at 10:16 pm
Good commentary on the closest a video game gets to RPG. Useful to understand in real life!!
Comment by Julie on March 25, 2010 at 10:52 pm
Maybe Anora even knew Cailan might leave her and marry the Empress of Orlais. She never once really seemed upset that Cailan died. She might have been upset HOW he died, but I think she may have been relieved too.
Comment by Wibble on March 26, 2010 at 12:15 am
A few thoughts…
It’s interesting that one reason why Cailan seems aimed at setting Anora aside may be because she hasn’t given him a son. Whether she’s unable to physically or simply isn’t letting Cailan build his Circle Tower in her Lake Calenhad, in many medieval societies inability to provide an heir was not just a reason for setting a wife aside, it was an imperative, if your wife couldn’t produce an heir you might have civil war over the throne the moment all those cheerful, ambitious noble people figured this out.
Also, picture the sheer might of a nation created by combining the martial might and resources of Ferelden with the wealth and taxable nobility of Orlais. License to print money even if you weren’t king.
…another thought: a lot of people deride Loghain for offing the king and trying to set up shop while pissing on the Gray Wardens…only, he does have a point about the faux-French. Orlais, the next-door neighbor, is a pretty shitty place, and their nobles are right bastards. Leliana says she misses it and extols the culture (and the shoes), but she was a bard and moved mainly in the circles of the wealthy and lords and ladies. The Orlesian commoner you meet in the market tells you what it’s like for the regular folks, and the culture seems less pleasant when she’s done. Even the elves are usually better treated in Ferelden than commoners are treated by the nobles in Orlais (though possibly mainly because most Fereldan nobles think treating elves like that is gauche and pathetic).
It’s all in who you ask.
Leliana: “Oh, the bells, oh, the shoes!”
Orlesian commoner: “The baron raped me sister, killed me mum and then charged me double taxes for them having gotten blood on his new shoes.”
Comment by khazar on March 26, 2010 at 12:13 am
There's a lot going on with Cailan that we don't see as well as we'd like. Anora is clearly keeping things from him. If you play a city elf, he's genuinely shocked by the situation in Denerim and vows to deal with it. At the same time, Loghain (or one of his minions) intercepted the letter Celene sent. The letters show that a very complex negotiation was taking place, and neither Loghain nor Anora were invited to that party. A marriage would not require that either Cailan or Celene abdicate; they would remain rulers of their respective realms, like Philip & Mary Tudor. Having her come to Ferelden would shore up his position considerably and make it clear he is negotiating from a position of strength. At the very least, that would be the perception.
In "Awakenings" it becomes graphically clear that the only thing holding Ferelden together was Cailan. For all the snarking about him riding all over creation to play warrior, it had the desired effect of keeping the nobles in line. Anora claims she's doing great, but a civil war has erupted and she's letting Dear Old Dad sell off subjects to finance his personal army.
I love the depths we get to dig around in!
Comment by Jeremy Franklin Koerber on March 26, 2010 at 1:02 am
i love it, editorial intrigue!!! i love looking at all sides with devils goggles… its funny how much i cringe at Cailan and Duncan getting cut down in battle while thinking of Loghain retreating… but theres a side of me, having read (only half) of Stolen Throne, i know deep down inside Loghain and his father were patriots, and whether Loghain is considered right or wrong, i think he did what he did for Fereldan!!! it may be cloudy judgment that he uses, but he is a purist, a radical and a patriotic rebel.
i have played through DAO many times, but only completed it once, so i still have a lot to explore at the last 10 hours of the game story wise. i cant wait to invite Loghain to join me this next play through, because the first time i didnt want to lose Alistairs friendship and companionship by recruiting Loghain.
Comment by khazar on March 26, 2010 at 5:36 am
Loghain has a really strange way of showing patriotism.
Killing your King (and son-in-law), starting a civil war, eliminating all potential rivals via Howe, calling himself Regent & King when he has no right to the throne–he sure sounds like someone I want on MY side.
If you do get him, go to Ostagar with him & Wynne. He *knew* that what he was doing was a bad idea– and he did it anyway. His forces would have made a difference at Ostagar. But no.
What would be truly ironic would be to learn that the reason for Celene's visit was to finalize an already contracted & signed marriage to Cailan. Under the circumstances she would have reason to send a force to avenge Cailan–the invading Orlesian force that Loghain fears.
Comment by Manuel Isidro Guerra Gonzalez on March 26, 2010 at 6:02 am
I did not harden Alistair in my first playthrough (did not know about it and tried to cheer him up), so he was not interested in being king at all. The whole push by Eamon to put him in the throne seemed fishy from the start. Son of the king, all right, but he clearly was not fit to rule, and the fact that he did not want to made it all too clear that it Eamon wanted a puppet king.
And Anora was not a bad choice, she already knew how to handle Ferelden. The only bad thing to have her queen is the epilogue for the elven alienage.
Comment by Jeremy Odenwald on March 26, 2010 at 2:41 pm
After playing RtO my view of it all fell together. I think Eamon was indeed pushing Cailan strongly to put Anora aside, he was keeping Alistair set aside in the Templar's as a wild card, and he was planning on seeing Fereldan united with Orlais. I think either rumors or intercepted correspondence was what pushed Loghain's controlled hatred of Orlais into outright rebellion and nearly cost him the country he so obviously loved. I don't really see Loghain as evil, just a zealot.
Comment by Wibble on March 27, 2010 at 12:38 am
Yeah, Loghain killed his own king because to him, the king was the traitor, not him. Anyone willing to deal with the Orlesians were, to him, a traitor, and the thought of his king going “Yeah, those guys who raped your mom and generally treated us like dirt for a century? Not all that bad, in fact I’m dumping your daughter for their Empress.” was enough to get him to do what he had been thinking of.
At the same time, I think betraying the king was still a bit uncertain, to the last. He was willing to let the king live if he just didn’t ally with the Orlesians. Arl Howe could easily be discredited and silenced when *his* treachery came to light (offing the biggest Fereldan contributor to the war effort and richest family only works if you can get away with it), and it was probably still a bit up in the air for Loghain whether to signal retreat or not.
As for Anora, knowing how she can flip around her allegiance at the drop of a hat and her tendency to kick downwards and smile upwards (and knowing she makes a scarily competent but not very nice queen), I’d say her and Cailan never really got on. She was never interested in him as more than a stepping stone, and the lack of an heir was likely the result of many a “Not tonight dear, I have a headache” on her behalf. She’s pretty much the human version of Bhelen, except without the egalitarian agenda.
Comment by Darkrose on March 27, 2010 at 7:38 am
I always thought the implication that Anora couldn't have children is very interesting, in light of the possible outcome of having Alistair and Anora marry. Odds are good that they're not going to have much more success than she and Cailan did. For that matter, while Alistair is quick to point out the problems of two Grey Wardens having children when he's dumping a non-human or mage girlfriend, that concern seems to be absent when he marries the human noble woman. I'm thinking that no matter who takes the throne, there's going to be a succession crisis.
Comment by Couky on March 27, 2010 at 10:01 am
Dear author of the article,
Please stop smoking it's bad for the brain, you hink too much because in the endwhen you harden Alistair he became a totally fine and indepedent ruler who will not slain city elves because they were hungry.
Comment by klarabella on March 27, 2010 at 1:32 pm
Is there a point to your post beside being rude?
Comment by Julie on March 27, 2010 at 7:16 pm
Dear author of this comment,
Please stop smoking, it's bad for the brain. You're being a butt.
Comment by Wibble on March 27, 2010 at 10:48 pm
Aw, don’t razz the poor guy too much. He’s just been hinking too much. :-D
Comment by Brian Stanaland on March 28, 2010 at 1:55 am
I've heard that one of the Dragon Age novels hints that Alistair may be the son of Maric and an Orlesian princess.
Comment by Arylin on March 28, 2010 at 2:36 am
And if you don't harden him he becomes an insecure tool who doesn't even *want* the throne and insists that the player helps him make the decisions. Your point being?
To the author of the article: an excellent review. It certainly underlines all those subtle hints in the game that often make one pause and think – and that make the setting seem so much more realistic.
Comment by Helen on March 28, 2010 at 5:00 am
Quote
'At the Landsmeet, he blatantly calls Alistair a puppet king, insinuating that Eamon, the Orlesians, or the Grey Wardens — or any combination of those — will be pulling the strings.'
When the Warden (PC) walks into the Landsmeet Loghain states and here comes the puppet master. Or something along those lines.
Loghain cleary states that it is the wardens who will pulling the strings (according to Loghain).
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Comment by Spirit Dog on March 28, 2010 at 1:03 pm
That would be Maric and Orlesian elven Grey Warden mage, not princess.
Comment by jason on March 28, 2010 at 6:52 pm
very, very interesting article, and it makes complete sense.
Comment by @Heart1lly on March 29, 2010 at 2:54 am
Replace "hinking" with "drinking" and you're spot on!
Comment by khazar on March 30, 2010 at 11:03 pm
That would be Fiona, who travels with Duncan to bring their unnamed baby to Maric.