What we know and what it could mean for Hawke

Dragon Age Origins Blog templars A Look at the Templars of Dragon Age 2

BioWare is pretty closely guarding the secrets of Dragon Age 2′s plot. However, preview materials for the game are already revealing that the Templars, the might of the Chantry, are showing signs of being a major power player surrounding the story of Hawke. Although in Dragon Age: Origins, we mostly saw the dutiful side of the order, the sequel looks to be giving us a darker glimpse of this group of holy warriors.

“Essentially they’re trained to fight. The Chantry would tell you that the templars exist simply to defend, but don’t let them fool you. They’re an army.” – Alistair

Let’s start with the basics of what we know about the templars from Dragon Age: Origins. The templars are the warriors of the Chantry and serves not only as protectors of their chapels, but also oversee the Circle of Magi and keep the spellcasters under a tight leash. They are trained to track and slay apostates and maleficar and to do so are taught talents to disrupt mana and spellcasting. To do this, the Chantry uses lyrium to enhance these abilities, which also leaves the templars addicted to the magical substance.

In Origins, we already see how lyrium addiction can lead to illicit activity. The mage Godfrey is operating a lyrium smuggling service from within the Circle Tower and the Mage’s Collective buys some of the templars with bribes of lyrium potions. In real life we see day in and day out the effect drugs and drug addiction have on nations as some users resort to crime as a means to obtain more drugs to sate their addiction. Because of this addiction, the templars are naturally put in a position that leaves them vulnerable to the more shady influences of life.

As the militant arm of the Chantry, the templars also wield considerable political power. It’s noted during Origins – particularly in The Lost Templar quest for Bann Alfstanna – that the crown has no power over the templars and illegally captured and confined her brother. The Chantry holds power over many people and this puts the templars in a position where they could exploit their place in society.

Dragon Age Origins Blog templar2 A Look at the Templars of Dragon Age 2

The power of the templars to interfere in politics is something that’s already established in the history of Kirkwall, an important locale to its champion, Hawke. According to the Timeline of Thedas, the Viscount of Kirkwall, Perrin Threnold, was killed after being declared a “tyrant,” coincidentally after trying to have the templars expelled from the city. Although he may well have been a tyrant and had no reason to throw the templars out, the order did not act against him until he threatened their order. There are also rumors that the new viscount, Marlowe Dumar, serves at the will of the templars, suggesting that maybe the order may be the new tyrant in Kirkwall.

With a puppet of theirs at the head of Kirkwall, the templars effectively establish themselves as the power in the city. As a well-trained and well-equipped standing army with the backing of political power, the higher the order rises in Kirkwall, the more they are vulnerable to corruption from the ideals of the Chantry which they serve.

Looking to real-life history, the Knights Templars, which were formed during the days of the great crusades to capture the Holy Land, started as a wing of warrior monks serving the Roman Catholic Church, as the templars serve the Chantry. But the Knights Templars eventually rose to great power and were accused (perhaps rightly, perhaps falsely) of many crimes and were destroyed by the church they were formed to serve.

So how does all of this apply to Hawke and apply to the plot? We know the narrative frame, at least part of it, is set up by the dwarf Varric telling the story of Hawke in retrospect to a female Chantry Seeker. The seekers, which have been described as “Templar Internal Affairs,” have obviously taken an interest in Hawke. We don’t know the intentions of the Seeker, but it can be assumed that she would either be interested in the city’s champion because A) He can help fight back against the corruption of the templars or B) She wants to learn about her enemy to stop him from interfering with the templars’ designs. As Zevran let’s us know after being sent by Loghain to assassinate the Warden, the powerful tend to take an interest when you threaten their power – deemed by the assassin as “the usual.”

Do I know any facts about the plot of Dragon Age 2? No. Is this just speculation on my part? Yes. But based on what we do know, especially fueled by knowledge of the overthrow of the Viscount of Kirkwall and the Seeker asking into the history of the city’s champion, the information hints toward the templars of Kirkwall playing some significant role in part of the story, if not perhaps as a tie to the entire plot arc.

Remember, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The templars wield a great power and are in a prime position to fall. Whether we see that happen or not remains to be revealed.

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