The Qunari or Tevinter Imperium?

[Forsaken Lover]

Just some random speculation about DA4 that intrigued me. I wouldn't be surprised if DA4 has some sort of "Faction Choice" that ends up with SAVE THE WORLD because BW will do whatever it takes to forget DA2. We have to have a world-threatening menace, absolutely and always.

But forgetting that, while there will probably be multiple origins/races, a common idea is that one will be an elven slave. That would make sense so I"m basing this topic off that.

In Hypothetical DA4 with you as a Tevinter slave, would you side with the Imperium or the Qunari? Keep in mind slaves in Tevinter can rise to positions of great power. As a RPG PC, that rise to power is in fact guaranteed.

[Madame Adequate]

If the series ever lets me side with the Qunari, you better believe I am doing so. Only thing that would stop me is if I can go make a new Elvhenan instead.

[Formalhaut]

Interesting; why would you side with the Qunari?

[Madame Adequate]

Because the Qun is really fascinating to me, and I'd love to do something other than the fairly typical 'generic good guy european feudal society' victory.

Plus smurf the Vints, only way I could ever support them is if I was fighting Dorian's side in a civil war or something and he was gonna fix the place.

[Del Murder]

Yeah I would only side with the Tevinter if Dorian was going to change everything. The Qun is really interesting and not jerky like Tevinter. I don't like that the only society where mages are fairly free is super messed up.

I agree that this conflict will probably be the main focus of DA4. It would be cool to see their point of view because other than a few characters who give you a glimpse of that side, those groups are painted as pretty villainous.

[Mr. Carnelian]

Honestly, the Qun always sounded a lot worse to me than Tevinter. It's this oppressive regime where you have to follow the rules to the letter. If you don't or if you show even a hint of disagreement with the status quo, you're taken away to be tortured and brainwashed. People are encouraged not to think, to accept things the way they are without question. And if you're born the "wrong" kind of person, you're punished before you've even done anything: they sew mages mouths shut. It's basically a dystopian nightmare.

[Formalhaut]

DA: 4 is going to set up a massive conflict with Tevinter and the Qunari. They might do it similar to the Quarian/Geth conflict in ME, where neither side is virtuous or correct, and both have committed crimes.

There might be a typical Tevinter or Qunari split, or there might a third way to dispel tensions between both. That might be dependent on whether Sten is Arishok (if you gave him his sword, for example), if Hawke gained the Arishok's respect and whether Dorian gains support in the Magisterium.

There might be another split for your Main Character to decide on reform on tradition. I'm not sure why you wouldn't want to side with Dorian, but there you go.

I'm looking forward to meeting Maevaris, Dorian's ally who we've heard from in several moments, but never actually met. Unless you read the comics, of course.

[Pumpkin]

I don't know any of these things

[Formalhaut]

The Qunari become more relevant in DA: II. Tevinter becomes more relevant in II as well, but has a greater focus in DA: I, and both will most likely be a major factor in the next game.

In Origins, Ferelden and the darkspawn is the main focus.

[Forsaken Lover]

Sten is cool and interesting and you should talk to him.

I ignored him my first run because he's the hardest companion to figure out. It's easy to gauge what will gain Approval with everyone else but Sten is...not very emotive or expressive. One-word to three word answers do not make for giving any good indication of what he's thinking or what you can say to get on his good side. One of the best lines in the game is, I think it's after you win and you talk to him, you can basically say "hey! We won! Smile." And Sten will reply, looking as taciturn as ever, "I am smiling."

But then DA2 was pretty much 50-60% about the Qunari and meeting with the Arishok and Ketojan and Tallis really opened my eyes to the fascinating idea and society that are the Qunari and their Qun. On my second run of Origins I talked to Sten more than anyone else. He is just as fascinating as his culture.

Quite frankly, the Qunari have become my favorite faction in any RPG. I pretty much wholeheartedly agree with them and I even got the "A Worthy Rival" trophy with the Arishok without meaning to because I just agreed with him so much.

[Pumpkin]

Sten came up to me at camp and berated me for being a woman fighter and now we don't get along very well

[Forsaken Lover]

Qunari have strong opinions and beliefs on things. This is important to remember.

But Sten is actually one of the more open-minded ones. If you help him, you can earn his respect. He still reminds you he and his people will conquer everyone eventually but that's nothing personal. It's just the way things are gonna be.

Inquisition Spoilers
(SPOILER)Iron Bull was similar. Cole even noted he felt no regret or remorse when he fought and died against his former companions.

[Madame Adequate]

Sten wasn't berating you for being a woman fighter, that's not how the Qun see things. Rather, he was confused. Fighting is what men do. If a Qunari fights, they are a man, no matter their sex. To be a fighter but a woman is a contradiction in terms, at least to a regular Qunari like Sten rather than someone trained to interact with bas like Iron Bull.

Also remember that to the Qunari, showing another person a skill you have not mastered is deeply shameful. A big reason Sten takes so long to open up is because he isn't, from his perspective, very good at speaking the Fereldan language and does not want to use it when he does not have mastery of it.

[Pumpkin]

You know what, I have to learn how to counsel real cultures and understand real cultural differences in order to be better at my hopefully future career, I don't have room to cram info about fake cultures in to my brain as well

I told him respectfully that I am a woman and a fighter and he got a -1 heart point and that was that

NOW IF YOU'LL EXCUSE ME I need to spend the next 10 years of my life learning how the Latino community needs a bigger emphasis on family therapy, how the African-American community is a more matriarchal society, and how teenagers do better with peer-groups than one one one counseling~

[Madame Adequate]

Yeah but I'll know more about videogames than you