spoiler What is your opinion of the Chantry...

[SpellAndShield]

I reckon that 75% of the Chantry sputum is mythology and I agree with Morrigan's perspective on the Maker when she debates Leliana. Andraste was almost certainly some kind of special mage; a very powerful one.

 

If you take Oghren with you on the Sacred Ashes quest, he confirms this. When you reach the urn, some are in awe of it, some unimpressed, but Oghren comes right out and says the whole mountain is teaming with lyrium. To quote:

" The lyrium veins in these walls are richer and purer than any I've sensed in a while. It's doing things...changing this temple and everything in it."

 

I have to pay more attention next time to him.

[SpellAndShield]

Well, I hate to draw an analogy from real life but back in the Middle Ages, people thought the Black Death was some form of divine wrath. Likewise the people of Thedas believe that 'The Blight' is a form of divine punishment. Modern science has taught us that bacteria, etc. are/were responsible for the Black Death. I am sure if we were to stumble upon the true origins of the Blight there would be a more rational explanation for that as well.

[danscott84]

Well, I hate to draw an analogy from real life but back in the Middle Ages, people thought the Black Death was some form of divine wrath. Likewise the people of Thedas believe that 'The Blight' is a form of divine punishment. Modern science has taught us that bacteria, etc. are/were responsible for the Black Death. I am sure if we were to stumble upon the true origins of the Blight there would be a more rational explanation for that as well.

 

That is very true about the plague, and even cholera centuries later. There are two things though in DA that make me think the blight is something else. I don't think divine intervention, but a manifestation of a corruption let loose upon their world. The Fade and lyrium play major roles in their world. The Fade is almost like a collective sub-consciousness where the group fears and sins have taken form in the demons, and try to take physical form by possession. However, this has to be achieved through freewill (possessed Connor mentions it was a fair deal). My speculation is that the darkspawn will have some tie to the lyrium. We have a couple of instances where we can see lyrium withdrawal and over exposure (Alfstanna's brother and the Orzammar merchant near the entrance to the Deep Roads). And because of both being real threats to society, perhaps the chantry, in the beginning, was set up as a control for both and given absolute control. And as with any absolute power, the chantry was corrupted itself into what it is in Ferelden. Hopefully we'll see more in DA2, and perhaps see the difference in the Tevinter Chantry and Ferelden Chantry as referenced by both Wynne and Leliana.

[billbong]

Hopefully, i'll be able to destroy val royo(sp bad i know), as a mage and unite with Morrigan. I wish to destroy the chantry,and enjoyed threatening the "revered mother" in Lothering.

 

I think now the Dragon Age is beginning there will be a Tevinter vs Chantry hopefully. I know my side.

[CrapsterZ]

Now that is interesting... Perhaps I should go to Orzammar before saving Redcliffe on my next playthrough. That does explain a lot about the things you find in the Gauntlet, maybe Andraste's magic was powerful enough that her Ashes alone are able to purify and enrich the lyrium veins to that extent? (If they can cure an obscure poison that somehow a blood mage with limited resources can obtain but no healer seems to be able to cure...)

 

Interesting. I'd know my first move as a mage if that theory is proven true is to rub in their faces. "Keeping a tight watch on us when the very woman you revere is a mage! Suckers!" xD

 

Though that'd explain her quote on "Magic exists to serve man and never to rule over him." It was personal, since with her power she did not believe herself better or superior and fought the Tevinter magisters because of that. (Which, we know, the chantry has twisted all over)

 

Although I wouldn't be surprised if some of these things are actually BW mixing up inconsistencies in their lore.

[hrobertson]

I liked the Chantry in its game purposes, with what was happening they certainly had a part to play. In a real life perspective of the chantry, like grannywils said above its very black and white and the game was geared towards a players moral decisions, and as we all know ones moral decisions are never black and white, So I think they did a god job with it being what it is.

[Coous]

Well I haven't really read any of the other pages so I might be out of the loop of what's been discussed.

If you haven't notice or know little of history the chantry represents and very much based of the Medieval Catholic church, and the way the organization treats mages and magic in general is very parallel to the historical church of old when it comes to science. So much the mages and magic can do if they were allowed some freedoms and the advancements they could bring are unimaginable,but the Chantry holds back development and keeps a tight noose around such and fears being toppled by the great power mages can bring. Like science in the late medieval period and Renaissance Europe science was persecuted and put down what can bring changes that can be very beneficial and developments of the world.

 

If you recall at Ostagar during the battle planing a mage is willing to offer a solution via magic to alert Loghain to charge, but the chantry priest persecution and "teachings" makes her unwilling to do such even though obviously it might of been better more men would have been station to fight and not at the tower that wouldn't have died in a sneak attack. The chantry in game though is a great thing to have and really makes the world of DA more realistic. It would be inserting to if in future title there is a schism once more in the Thedas religion and a more protestant reform based event would happen.

 

Sorry if this is a little cryptic not really great at explaining wholly without making it pages long on all the comparison, but I encourage to start seeing the game in its real world counterparts as it really opens up deeper I think.

[sennapor]

As a background element to the game I think the Chantry is a brilliant invention, it definitely adds a great deal to the depth of this imaginary world.

Comparison to the Medieval Church is absolutely correct,even to the extent of turning the Old Gods of Tevinter into demons (just like the pagan gods became the devils of Christian mythology), or the rivalry between the "heretical" Imperial Chantry and "our" Chantry.

 

As a player, I find the Chantry rather annoying - pompous, sanctimonious and self-righteous - and it also influences my relationship with Leliana. I tend to agree with Morrigans comment in the Lothering chantry: "Why worship a god who abandoned us not once, but twice?" and also later when she says something like how "faith" is a word easily invoked by people who have no better explanation.

What I've found interesting is how my own liberal views influence my gameplay. That is, I think religion is a personal business, and I have no right to criticize another's faith. Which means, that even when I play with a Dalish or a dwarf I tend to refrain from comments like "I don't care about your human nonsense". My mischevious part however never fails to play the funny "A chanter says What?" bit.

As to Coous's comment on the Ostagar meeting, I think the mage offering to alert Loghain by magic is Uldred. Given the later developments, we wouldn't really want his help, right?

[Coous]

I'm not sure if it's Uldred,but you can criticize his help in the past which had good intent with something he has any plan or idea to in the future,and because you'll probably try to say something about Loghain. He's different his betrayal has been in the planning for quite sometime as even before Ostragar he had Jowan poison Emaon.

[LobselVith66]

I think the writers did a great job in creating the Chantry. Playing an elven Mage, I never liked the Chantry. I think it depends on who you are when you play. A Dalish Warden, having been robbed of a homeland and with a people forced to wander because the Chantry arbitrarily decided that they were heathens, probably wouldn't like the Chantry. Even Genitivi believes that they must spread their beliefs to the four corners of the world, and seeing the elves in their alienage, forced to adopt their beliefs, or the mages in the tower, living in a prison and unable to own anything (i.e. Connor) or have children because they would belong to the Chantry paints them in a villanous light. Their policies practically condition mages to use blood mage if they want to survive outside the Circle and survive the templars, they arrest people for the crime of having magical ability, and they force people to submit to their religious docturine or have an Exhalted March against them. The theocracy of the Chantry is something that any person who wants freedom would rebel against, and seeing how their oppression lead to Uldred's revolt in the tower, the near destruction of Redcliffe, and the fall of the Dales, I'd view them as an oppressive organization that needs to be toppled.