Tuesday, January 29, 2019

The Truth Is Out There (And Loghain Knows It)

So y'all already know I'm re-playing (for the umpteenth time) Dragon Age: Inquisition.

Whenever you begin a game, there are a few training quests you have to do, to familiarize the player with how everything works. One of these quests involves the quartermaster, Threnn.

Threnn is a Loghain supporter. In her dialogue, she talks about how Loghain was a hero---he didn't betray the Grey Wardens at Ostagar, he saved his own troops.


Me: No, no, no! That's not how that went!

Because, y'know, I played Dragon Age: Origins. I was there! But that's just one crazy bitch person. Doesn't matter. Shrug it off.

Then Solas gives us a "both sides" viewpoint on Ostagar.


Both sides are the truth??

Me: NO, SOLAS, YOU LYING SACK OF WEASELS, THAT'S NOT HOW TRUTH WORKS!!

Again, I was there. Loghain didn't withdraw his troops to save them. He withdrew his troops as part of his betrayal of the Grey Wardens.

This pet peeve has grown, and just become more irritated, over the years of my playing this game. (And maybe it's been exacerbated by the real-world war on facts and truth and both-sides-ism.)

ANYHOW.

One of the play-throughs I currently am running (yes, I said "one of," don't judge me, shut up), has Anora ruling alone as Queen of Ferelden, Alistair dead (or drunk), and Loghain as the Grey Warden who helped end the Fifth Blight.

Aside: Do you ever get that loading screen that says something like, "Experts disagree if the Fifth Blight was truly a Blight"? If you do, do you also yell, "It was SO a True Blight!" at the screen and feel personally offended?

So anyway, Loghain Mac Tir is my Warden. This means all-new cut-scenes for me, new dialogue. WHOOT!!!

Then suddenly, THIS:



You can imagine my surprise. After all this "Loghain was a hero" crap, LOGHAIN HIMSELF ADMITS HE BETRAYED THE GREY WARDENS. 

And later in the Fade:

Loghain AGAIN admits his guilt in everything that happened to Ferelden in Dragon Age: Origins.

I'm like, YES!! FACTS ARE FACTS! IT IS POSSIBLE TO KNOW THE TRUTH! THANK YOU, LOGHAIN!

Loghain knowing he is guilty and having repented is kind of touching. It leads to Loghain getting the best send off as Person Chosen To Fight The Nightmare.


Is that beautiful and heroic or what? In his end is his beginning---once again a noble, self-sacrificing warrior. And most people would never hear this because, I'm thinking, for the majority of players, Loghain didn't survive Dragon Age: Origins.

As far as epic farewell lines go, the only other one that comes close is Sarcastic (Purple) Hawke's, "WHY IS IT ALWAYS SPIDERS?!!"

But getting back to Loghain, his being the best send-off is especially cemented by Varric speaking his epitaph:


I rest my case.

Also, if you're wondering what Varric is talking about when he refers to Loghain's early life, you need to read The Stolen Throne.  Loghain was a hero before he became a villain. (The books also explain why Loghain hates Alistair, something poor Alistair doesn't even know.)

Monday, January 28, 2019

Not Even The Dwarves Remember The Dwarves quote (plus NUGS) Dragon Age: ...



I just like this clip because of the truth of the lore. No one alive remembers the Deep Roads at their height, thus even the dwarves don't remember the dwarves.

And nugs! Nugs are always brilliant.

Is Bioware Giving Us FanFic Prompts?



I giggled when I heard the surgeon NPC say this. Surely someone, somewhere has used this as a smutty literature fanfic prompt? I just adore Bioware. (And Dragon Age.)

(Sorry it's so dark, but it's the words that are important.)

Saturday, January 26, 2019

Vivienne's Victory (Dragon Age Inquisition)

Recently I decided to replay Dragon Age: Inquisition and, amazingly, since I've played it through SOOOOO many times (over 20 and I stopped counting), I'm actually finding new cut-scenes.

For example, I never got this scene before, so thought I'd share in case anyone else was like me.

I generally don't get Vivienne's personal quest until late in the story, and apparently I never speak with her after Bastien dies, after the scene where she talks about funeral planning. I just go straight for the main story ending. I didn't realize Vivienne had more to say. And I thought she liked me....