spoiler Question about the Ashes

[RustyBlade]

I know. The Joining provides no cure though. The taint is still there and to someone who does not care much about the plight of the humans the taint would be more like a punishment and a disease. The taint is not necessary to defeat the blight. I can simply sacrifice Al or Loghain. It would make sense to try and remove the taint then, especially since as a Dalish the whole Warden thing is merely the result of an accident that wasn't your fault.

 

The taint is not a disease or a poison. It is a biological agent that alters those affected at a cellular level, probably changing their DNA entirely (which would also explain the difficulties in conception.) There is nothing to cure because the original DNA is no longer present, it has become something else entirely. You cannot pour the ashes into the ashes and resurrect Andraste and while that is an extreme example, it is essentially what you are trying to do by using the ashes to cure the taint.

 

*wipes the BS off his shirt sleeves... :whistling: That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[Utotri]

My b/f is Dutch, I love your language! Write it in your own language. You can always have a friend who speaks English help you.

 

The translative process in not hampered by limited knowledge so much but by intrinsic aspects of the Dutch language. Something like 'Grey Warden' sounds relatively cool in English. There is no way to translate that and make it sound cool in Dutch, it will always sound unnatural and contrived. Ask your friend, he will surely agree.

 

Perhaps if I find the time and inspiration I will write something, but I don't expect it.

I used to have a very large Dutch following back in my early days as Lady Moiraine's Morrowind. There had been a Morrowind Dutch forum and when they closed, I had many of the members come over to my place. I had so many Dutchies, I had a Dutch board for them to be comfortable sharing in their own language.

 

That's a nice thing to do. I'm sure most of us swampdwellers appreciate being able to just 'be Dutch' on a forum while at the same time having a more international audience nearby.

 

I do understand how you feel though. But there's nothing wrong in creating backstories for your characters also, you've done that already with your Dalish elf and might not even realised it! ;) I've got over 200 characters I've made so backstories for me is a little out of the question but I love reading about other people's characters. It doesn't have to be huge, even a couple paragraphs will be fun. Just a thought and if you have any other questions, just ask. :)

 

I always create a certain mental image of how my character's disposition should be calculated. What priorities and philosophies would make sense given the environment he or she grew up in. An RPG should be role-played of course. I always try to do so.

[brokenergy]

Connor's affinity for magic is known only by the incrowd. It could very well be hidden for a while for the purpose of retaining stability. Connor would only rule in name, the actual governing would be done by Teagan I would assume. Teagan then would be a powerful regent by virtue of the Warden's allies who support him, the Dalish, Orzammar and the Circle.

 

By the time you arrive in the castle it is already found out by Teagan and the other knights. By logic they would do the right thing no matter what the Arl thinks. Teagan doesn't have the power that Eamon has and would not be suitable for the Landsmeet (he already

 

I know. The Joining provides no cure though. The taint is still there and to someone who does not care much about the plight of the humans the taint would be more like a punishment and a disease. The taint is not necessary to defeat the blight. I can simply sacrifice Al or Loghain. It would make sense to try and remove the taint then, especially since as a Dalish the whole Warden thing is merely the result of an accident that wasn't your fault.

 

The taint as RustyBlade said is a mutation at a DNA level, like cancer as one member posted. You can not cure yourself from the taint but Duncan gave you a chance to get rid of the taint for a while. It cured you from the taint but at a price of lower life expectation and improved sense of detection. The mirror was a tainted, you where tainted, if you play the other Origins you would see that the Dalish Origin actually died from the taint (there are small references in game).

 

You drinking the taint is a way of improving yourself against the darkspawn. In lore, GW drink this to feel the presence of the darkspawn and it was the only way to defeat them in the first blight and all the other blights that came after that. In other origins there were no 'accidence' as you weren't sick and could easily escape but chose not to. It is the price you must accept, but as it was said it is a linear game with choices that would impact later on in the series. If it was sandbox then we wouldn't be talking about know would we

[Utotri]

 

By the time you arrive in the castle it is already found out by Teagan and the other knights. By logic they would do the right thing no matter what the Arl thinks. Teagan doesn't have the power that Eamon has and would not be suitable for the Landsmeet (he already

 

We disagree. I do not find this compelling. The knights are bound by loyalty and Teagan is bound by bloodline I would say. But let's not dwell on this. I have already stated that it would be too much for BioWare to add. Earlier I spoke of a compromise which would be testing the Ashes on yourself and seeing that it doesn't work. That would have been doable.

 

 

The taint as RustyBlade said is a mutation at a DNA level, like cancer as one member posted. You can not cure yourself from the taint but Duncan gave you a chance to get rid of the taint for a while. It cured you from the taint but at a price of lower life expectation and improved sense of detection. The mirror was a tainted, you where tainted, if you play the other Origins you would see that the Dalish Origin actually died from the taint (there are small references in game).

 

This makes sense to RustyBlade, to you and even to me, but this would make no sense whatsoever to my Dalish elf, I hope you can appreciate that, and hers is the mind I am emulating when playing. Even then, why would the Ashes not supply a sort of retrovirus? It's magic, no?

 

You drinking the taint is a way of improving yourself against the darkspawn. In lore, GW drink this to feel the presence of the darkspawn and it was the only way to defeat them in the first blight and all the other blights that came after that. In other origins there were no 'accidence' as you weren't sick and could easily escape but chose not to. It is the price you must accept, but as it was said it is a linear game with choices that would impact later on in the series. If it was sandbox then we wouldn't be talking about know would we

 

The Dalish origin is something of an exception, but it is not implausible for characters from other origins to have a similar disposition regarding the Ashes if they are roleplayed a certain way. A mage would be likely to want to get rid of the taint one way or the other. Duncan is the lifeline at the Circle Tower and the taint is the consequence, but it is not necessarily a wanted consequence.

 

Please refrain from using the 'sandbox' argument. It was used before and I did not say anything then, but it is downright silly because I am not proposing that at all.

[brokenergy]

We I disagree. I do not find this compelling. The knights are bound by loyalty and Teagan is bound by bloodline I would say. But let's not dwell on this. I have already stated that it would be too much for BioWare to add. Earlier I spoke of a compromise which would be testing the Ashes on yourself and seeing that it doesn't work. That would have been doable.

 

Fixed. The knights are not loyal to Teagan even though he is Eamon's brother. They have no oath of loyalty towards him (only his brother) and are not obliged to take his orders. That is the first rule of feudalism. The knights are also religious as seen earlier in the game, if you hide Conner's secret it would still be found out in due time and Conner would be forced to leave. There is nothing you could do about that, secrets have a habit of coming out in inconvenient times.

 

This makes sense to RustyBlade, to you and even to me, but this would make no sense whatsoever to my Dalish elf, I hope you can appreciate that, and hers is the mind I am emulating when playing. Even then, why would the Ashes not supply a sort of retrovirus? It's magic, no?

 

When members here talk about the taint we talk about it's effects but I have to add this in the taint. The ashes can cure illness or disease in Thedas. The taint however does not come from Thedas, it comes from the fade. Even if you obtain an extra pinch, the ashes wont cure you as the taint is not from that world. It was caused by arrogant mages how thought that if setting the old gods free by practicing blood magic and entering the fade. This is the price they are going to pay. Now I don't really know what happened (as I don't work for BW) but in religion (in real life) some texts have truth in them (even thought they are small). Of course that is just an example that past texts and fables have some truth about events and phenomena in real life, therefore the Chantry's version of the origins of the darkspawn has some truth in them, so we have some idea of its origins even though it is religious text it would helps us understand.

 

Btw the ashes are just ashes with lyrium infused in it. Take Oghren or Morrigan with you in your next play though and listen to their opinions.

 

The Dalish origin is something of an exception, but it is not implausible for characters from other origins to have a similar disposition regarding the Ashes if they are roleplayed a certain way. A mage would be likely to want to get rid of the taint one way or the other. Duncan is the lifeline at the Circle Tower and the taint is the consequence, but it is not necessarily a wanted consequence.

 

Same as above. If you have Warden's Keep, then you would know that Avernus is trying to perfect the joining. So the problem isn't about the taint is more about the perfection of ancient process, maybe in DA2 you could help to perfect the joining for future generations but that is another story.

 

Please refrain from using the 'sandbox' argument. It was used before and I did not say anything then, but it is downright silly because I am not proposing that at all.

 

I know you're not, I'm just saying that we wouldn't be talking about so much this if DA was a 'sandbox' game.

[ell46]

I have to ask, but where does the idea that the taint changes you on a DNA level and also that it comes from the Fade? My understanding was that the blood was simply poisonous, so I assumed it worked like any poison only much slower. Please don't say comics or books :biggrin: because I don't read them, I'm curious to know if I missed something in the game?

 

I have to agree with Utotri the ashes are supposed to be miraculous therefore they should cure you of the taint and why not take any extra couple of pinches and cure yourself or 3 pinches, do the DR with Morrigan and save Alistair as well if you romanced him.

[RustyBlade]

I have to ask, but where does the idea that the taint changes you on a DNA level and also that it comes from the Fade? My understanding was that the blood was simply poisonous, so I assumed it worked like any poison only much slower. Please don't say comics or books :biggrin: because I don't read them, I'm curious to know if I missed something in the game?

I based what I said on statements made by Duncan and Alistair across multiple origins and play-throughs combined with things Avernus says and has included in his research. It is also not just the taint that affects the warden, the joining alters the taint. Call it a grey area :whistling:

 

I have to agree with Utotri the ashes are supposed to be miraculous therefore they should cure you of the taint and why not take any extra couple of pinches and cure yourself or 3 pinches, do the DR with Morrigan and save Alistair as well if you romanced him.

Why not? How are you going to kill the archdemon and stop the blight if you cure yourself of the taint? Seems to me that a Dalish taking that route would be forsaking his clan and his keeper's instructions about it being his/her duty (as well as salvation.) Mighty selfish thinking if you ask me. But hey, if you're playing a character that believes "it's all about me" well then go for it; it's in your character.

 

In addition, at the time the PC takes the ashes, he/she has no idea if they will even work or not. Why not use Eamon as the Guinea Pig and go back for another pinch at another time and give it a shot but kill the damn archdemon before you do!

[ell46]

Good to know I didn't miss anything in the game, it seems to be just a case of how you interpret things.

 

No :laugh: I wasn't thinking about using the ashes immediately, the idea was to keep my share as a me/Alistair cure until after the AD is dead, I'm quite happy to play the GW until then. No point making multiple trips, might as well take enough and if they didn't work on Eamon, as long as they don't actually kill him, who's to say they won't work for you, if you didn't try you wouldn't know, what have you got to loose. Plus in one of my epilogues it said that when they sent a team to the temple the ashes were gone, so best take a really huge pinch.

[RustyBlade]

The ashes were gone? :ohmy: I never saw that one. In my games pilgrims flock to the ashes blah blah blah...

[ell46]

The ashes were gone? :ohmy: I never saw that one. In my games pilgrims flock to the ashes blah blah blah...

 

Yes I only got it the once, I figured Leliana sneaked in and stole them :laugh: perhaps I can trawl through my old saves and see if I can find the epilogue, maybe I read it quickly and made a mistake, at the time I just figured it was a variation on the ending and didn't give it a second thought until now and I'm sure I read recently someone saying that if you let the dragon live it keeps pilgrims away, but when I let it live I didn't get that epilogue.