It’s no secret that mages are second-class citizens in Ferelden. Those born with magic in their veins have two choices: accept the place deemed for them by the Chantry and submit to a life at the Circle Tower, or become an apostate and live a life forever on the run. For generations, the Chantry has controlled the fate of mages, dictating how and when they may use magic, or if they are even permitted to study the arts of the arcane at all. But the fate of mages may be changing in Dragon Age 2, as we turn from Ferelden to the Free Marches.

Ferelden’s treatment of mages isn’t anything new. We learn from Sten that the Qunari revile their mages, going so far as to cut out the tongues of those discovered to possess magical abilities, or literally chaining them to their captors to prevent them from using their abilities. In Orlais the Chantry grants all templars a special poison called Magebane, which literally drains away the abilities of its victim, leaving them powerless. And in all cities with a working chantry, the local templars and  nuns take stock of each and every household, tracking who among their flock is likely to show signs of magic.

Historically, the only society where mages were accepted without question was the Tevinter Imperium. A true magocracy, the Imperium granted wealth, influence and political power to the most gifted mages. Magic was a tool, not a curse, and those who possessed it could use their abilities to inflict pain and suffering upon the “lesser mortals,” the slaves of the Imperium, without recourse.

In Ferelden itself, the Imperium built grand monuments to their magical abilities – the fortresses of Ostagar and Aeonar – dedicated to magical research and experimentation. And though their masonry is now crumbling into dust with the rest of the Imperium’s legacy, the magical energy honed and crafted there remains; to this day the Veil between the waking world and the Fade is so thin at Aeonar that the very presence of a powerful mage can attract demons.

“Even though we have left the Tevinter Imperium to the mercies of the dread qunari, still they have endured. Further confrontation between the Black Divine and our so-called “White Divine” is inevitable.” – From Edicts of the Black Divine, by Father David of Qarinus, 8:11 Blessed

Even now, with the Imperium in shambles and the Maker’s religion spread to the far corners of Thedas, the Chantry in Tevinter is commanded by a magister, the Black Divine. And the Tevinter mages still control the political landscape, though they are regarded as heretics beyond their own borders.

For a mage in Ferelden, the ultimate power wielded by the Tevinter magisters might seem like a tantalizing dream. Throughout Dragon Age: Origins, mages are guarded by their Chantry chaperones. Every spell is monitored, every incantation must be approved by the templars before it can be cast. The Circle Tower is certainly a place of learning, but the lessons that many mages remember best probably have more to do with the rules and regulations of Chantry law over their powers, than how to cast a cantrip.

But our mages may have more to look forward to in Dragon Age 2. BioWare has already revealed that the mage Bethany, Hawke’s sister, will join us on our journeys throughout the Free Marches. As players we can choose to make Hawke a mage as well, raising several questions about the state of magic and the Chantry among the independent city-states across the Waking Sea.

“The people of Thedas see them as saviors and holy warriors, champions of all that is good, armed with piety enough to protect the world from the ravages of foul magic. In reality, the Chantry’s militant arm looks first for skilled warriors with unshakable faith in the Maker, with a flawless moral center as a secondary concern.” — From Patterns Within Form, by Halden, First Enchanter of Starkhaven

We already know that the templars are a major power in the Free Marches, probably in part because the region lacks a central government. As in Ferelden, the Chantry is regarded as an equal in matters of state, and at least on paper, the ruling powers of Thedas have no jurisdiction over their affairs. Without a monarch or council posing any real opposition to the Chantry’s agenda in the Free Marches, it is quite possible that the templars have been given free rein to do as they wish. In his recent article, SteveGarbage speculates further on the power and potential corruption of the Free Marches templars, but in any case, we know that the Chantry’s army has a formidable stronghold in Hawke’s new country.

But though the templars control the Circle, we have met many mages unbound by Chantry restriction. As a witch of the wilds, Morrigan shows us that the tables can easily turn against the templars, as mages change from prey into predator. In Dragon Age: Awakening, we meet Velana, Dalish mage and Keeper-in-training, an elf who uses her magical powers to exact vengeance upon the humans who enter her territory. And Anders the apostate teaches us that the Circle cannot bind a single-minded mage forever.

More on page two …

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