spoiler Question regarding Circle in Awakening

[brokenergy]

A lot of people say that these days... :dry: and frankly it is true but Awakening was made in a year with a fraction of Origin's resources and it should be taken with applause as not many full version games don't reach the 5-6 hr mark anymore. The only reason that it failed is that the beta testers failed at their job and that's it.

[CrapsterZ]

For me, independence from the Circle meant that the Tower of Magi goes from mage prison to Hogwarts.

 

Yes, children with magical ability must still be sent there. They NEED to and must learn how to control their abilities. Schooling. An alternative is to have tutors like Isolde did, but then again you run the risk of a) maleficarum recruiting children and b) inept teachers doing more harm than good. Keeping the mage children in a single place allows easy "control" of what is taught (still dictated by senior mages, NOT the Chantry)

 

And what about leaving the Tower? Again, like Hogwarts, upon completion of their schooling in the use of magic, they'd be able to leave the tower as they wish. This may or may not be decided by the Harrowing, or possibly a different measure of ability and character.

 

Borrowing from Fullmetal Alchemist, perhaps the mages would have to return every now and then to "update" the Circle on the development of their powers (assuming they are still practising).

 

Templars, sad but necessary. Someone needs to fight the maleficarum and mages who use their abilities for the wrong uses. Possibly also to ensure that the apprentices don't go "out of control" with their practices (accidents are bound to happen). At the same time the Chantry presence serves as a sort of moral guide for the mages in their time there (again, I don't like them but someone has to be there to be the voice of morality, if not reason). If you've read the Calling, even the most respected of mages can and will use their power for the wrong means, that said there needs to be an overseeing body that has the right to "veto" the leaders' decisions if it goes against the (agreed) basis of what the "autonomous" Circle can or cannot do (like say, under what circumstances can they "mobilise" mages to help in wars)

 

As for Awakenings, I simply assumed the process was still being worked out and the Chantry still had reign (temporarily) and needed to keep the mages from casting one too many fireballs in excitement. And from what I know of Anders, he probably bolted since he figured the Chantry wouldn't be able to hunt him any longer any more. The Libertarians would then be dissatisfied with the amount of autonomy they were given (wanting to "pull away" entirely, which in and of itself is unfeasible) or at the rate at which the Circle was getting it.

 

Another thing that irks me about mages, if I'm an elf mage, why can't I be the keeper's apprentice in some Dalish clan? Makes sense, no?

[RustyBlade]

I always rationalized this as being a power struggle between the crown and the chantry, one the chantry would win regardless of how any of us (wardens, mages, real people) feel about it. Alistair and/or Anora are powerless to do anything about it for to do so would threaten their rule and existence. The chantry is the true power in non Teventier and non Qunari Thedas; they alone can call an exalted march and wipe out any opposition, circle or crown. Pity is, the brainwashed sheep will follow their direction instead of choosing what is actually right. Think Spanish Inquisition.

[ell46]

Sorry very long posts here and not enough time to read every single word, but to answer the first post. Basically nothing you did in Origins seems to count for anything. :sad: other than to import your character and have some sort of brief opening scene with Anora or Alistair, that's it as far as Origins is concerned.

[brokenergy]

Not at Awakening yes, but at DA2 highly likely

[LobselVith66]

It's the lack of continuity regarding something that should be a huge and irrevocable change that bothers me. If others are mentioning similiar complaints, I guess it's because people feel that their choices should have some impact. Seeing the ruler you had picked is nice, but hearing dialogue that doesn't even acknowledge your boon can be irritating. I understand people who imported a Dwarf Noble/Commoner feel the same way since they mention no Dwarf acknowledges them as a Paragon. Having any change in the Circle that's essentially been little more than a prison and a hotbead for insurrection from anyone wishing for a taste of freedom should be a huge deal, not something glossed over. It doesn't need to be huge, even one single line of dialogue to illustrate that there's a transition or that it's no longer an unbearing fester of overzealous, eager-to-kill-mages (as Cullen himself said, some templars speak of killing mages with glee) templars.

 

Even a little snippet of dialogue from Wynne regarding the boon affecting the Chantry or the other Circles would illustrate that there's been some change. And I'm not certain that the Crown would have much sway considering that this boon can only be given when the Hero of Ferelden him/herself is a mage, and the entire country sees this person as heroically as Teryn Loghain Mac Tir was at the Battle of River Dane. The possible King, Alistair, is a former templar, and the Divine, the leader of the Chantry, resides in Orlais. Last time I checked, hardly anyone liked the idea of Orlais having anything to do with Ferelden, and I don't see King Alistair or Queen Anora backing down because Orlais demanded it. Even the Sacrifice epilogue gives no indication that Gregoir even considers that the Chantry has any ability to overrule the King/Queen of all Ferelden. I could see if there was some change implemented, but the dialogue Wynne gives is the same whether it's a Human Noble or a Mage who asked for the Circle to be emancipated. Seeing as this is an expansion, and seeing that some things are taken into account (like Wade's dialogue) I expected my Mage made a huge impact for other Mages and Circles with the boon.

[wowacc51]

I never really understood the physical power behind the chantry as it sits. They've got Templars who are few and far between, actual trained ones would be fairly tedious to keep up having to keep their lyrium addiction under wraps. It was probably a over sight on the Dev team cause i know my warden mage would have more or less marched on the tower to free them if she had too. At that point the warden has access to not only the right of Conscription, but also really really good friend with some of the more dangerous people in the world. Amarantine could become the new mage capital of fereldon and probably be the more powerful for it.

[LancelotLoire]

You guys are all missing the most important aspect here. The chantry is based off of the catholic church (With the schism between the Teventir split and the Chantry like that of the split between Byzantium and Rome which is where you get Eastern Orthadox). So we have 1300 Europe here. Ferelden(England/Scotland/Wales) is feeling repressed by the chantry and they want to make some rule changes. So they may go ahead and try setting up their own chantry (Mind you in our history this took place a lil over 200 years).

 

Remember everyone, the catholic church back in 1300s wasn't some little wimpy organization They did a thing called crusaders (Exalted Marches). Every other nation obligated to march against said nation. Ferelden vs All.

[unbias]

I am quite sure that Wynn says that they are in the process of separating from the chantry. Dave Gaider himself' said that it is only 6 months after the blight, that is not near enough time to completely restructure, not to mention even with the towers independence in ferelden you have to deal with the chantry as a whole and also I highly doubt mages would stop using templars completely on runaway mages. Independence of the cahntry does not mean individual independence, it means that the Mages are in-charge of the circle. That however does not mean you can start teaching child mages in your backyard.

[RustyBlade]

I am quite sure that Wynn says that they are in the process of separating from the chantry.

 

She says there is a meeting of the College of Mages to discuss it at which point Anders usually freaks out about it (and distracts) if he is in your party at the time.