“Everyone can be seduced by the right woman. The trick is predicting who she is and becoming her. Master the game and no one can resist you.” – Leliana

The power of the woman does not necessarily come from nobility or great martial arms. Throughout history, the influence of courtesans and concubines can reach as high as kings and emperors. As exemplified through the bards of Orlais we meet in Origins, Leliana and Marjolaine, the powers of seduction can yield greater results than skulking in the shadows with daggers.

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Have you ever wondered at the importance of a character’s name to his or her make up and personality? Does an author — or in the case of Dragon Age: Origins, an entire team of authors and world designers — name a character based on the meaning of a name, or something that just subconsciously resonates? How about you? Do you name your character through any sort of convention, driving toward how you feel the character will represent him or herself throughout the story? Whatever the method, it is certain that we all put some degree of weight and meaning behind the naming of something. We even have an analytical practice (that some call science and others… don’t) called numerology to help us distinguish character traits based on names.

I found a site that automates this practice. I entered in some prominent character names. This is what I found:

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“The sun darkens, but lo! Here comes the dawn!” – Jowan

For Jowan, however, finding that light in his constantly darkening world is something of a struggle. The mage’s life during the frame of Dragon Age: Origins is a mess of bad situations compounded by bad decisions with constantly worsening consequences. And although there is one avenue toward a better life for him (one that most players may never discover because the quest is bugged), even that path is wrought with that nagging sense that at any moment his whole world could come crashing down at the end of a templar blade.

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So I have to know: What is it with Alistair and the enormous outpouring of love, lust, slash, and general goo-goo eyes from the females (and some males, as well) of the world? I pose this question because I just don’t understand it — is it the pretty boy good looks? Is it the quasi-tortured and sad whiny-boy who can kick ass but “just needs a good woman to love him” thing? Is it… that he’s a virgin? Will have a threesome? What? What is it that causes girls and women alike to melt over this fictional man and express their undying love and… other things to the world at large?

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There are many words that can describe the Paragon Branka: brilliant, evil, insane, psychotic, soulless, admirable. Wait, “admirable?” I spent time thinking about Branka and her fated quest and wondered to myself whether dwarves had high school, high school yearbooks and if her provided quotation under her picture would be “The ends justify the means.”

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I was coming out of the Brecilian Forest the other day when Sten and Shale decided to talk about how their races were more noble and far superior to those humans who are just so.. “small”. Now, I’m not a human (I’m an elf of course) so I wasn’t offended, but I found myself somewhat surprised by what I did feel – some sense of shame for a race I have occasionally been.

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