#archi is musing

It rekindles my desire to explain how nugs are the size of a small child and Thedas is a megafauna world and why that’s so beautiful to me.

Anyway, Varric would be a better sobriety coach/sponsor for Cullen than Cassandra. It would have been a great way to not only explore Cullen's relationship with his addiction and the Chantry in a more neutral not duty oriented space like he does with Cassandra, but there is also the added layer of Varric knows what he did in Kirkwall. He was there.

I don't always think that the devs should cater to meta knowledge of the player, because let's be honest, the Inquisitor has no reason to hold any sort of negative perception of Cullen outside generalized dislike for Templars. There is no reason for Cullen to divest his guilt, trauma, or even work on his deradicalization with the Inquisitor who he has only known for less than a year or at most a year by base game canon. Varric though, he was there, he was there while Cullen was going through initial withdrawal, through the cleanup effort, he saw Cullen at his worst and saw him working to be better.

Cullen's story in dai doesn't need to be about his deradicalization. It should and is primarily about his sobriety as well as learning that he is more than his time and role as a templar. Something I think Varric would be really, really good at.

I think that is genuinely important for the series because it allows younger players to have at least one character they relate to. It also allows older players to relate to any identity issues they're having later on in life. Personally, for me seeing Sera and her struggles with various topics got me thinking not only of my own but how some people in my life struggled with the same things as Sera and how that impacted me.

I was 19 when I started playing Inquisition, and it was my first time engaging in a game that actually tackled the topic in that capacity. I'm not speaking on the quality or delving into opinions on Sera's writing. But just that how Sera was written, and the fact that she even brought up the themes and topics, got me thinking about them.

This leads into the fact that I've come to the opinion that I personally don't want all of the cast in the game to be older and feel established in their identity. I know we have plenty of older characters who have an element of it (Cullen, Morrigan, Blackwall, Bull, Oghren, Isabela, ect) but its not the central focus of their story.

I want the young babies new to adulthood that are exploring and tackling different elements of identity issues. The different flavors we've gotten through Alistair, Carver, Bethany, Sera, Cole, and now Taash. They're all 20 y/o (20-22 for Taash) who are figuring out what their identity is in some capacity.

I would like to see an and instead of an or when it comes to see these stories. Seeing both a young and older character going through identity issues that are the focus of their stories. To have them feel different because of the different sages in life they are but also feel similar because they are tackling similar issues. To see them both talk to each other and muse through the confusing, complex, and messy topics that come when one is questioning an element or the entirety of their identity.

Something else I think is important to contextualize why we're likely getting these stories through younger characters is because of a simple thing people might not like to hear: They are not meant for those established in their identity. They aren't meant for the people who don't want to rehash that questioning period and that's fine. Not every companion is for everyone and nor should they be.

Conversations with Dorian, Krem, Taash, and even Sera are a little clunky and messy because they're meant to be something those who have either never questioned or are actively questioning to explore these topics. They're meant for those new to the journey, new to the conversation. They're written by the writers to be for those like their younger selves and are a type of catharsis, or they are echoing where the writers are right now in their own journey.

I think the writing of these characters as young characters is vital and important. Because it is the Queer community writing stories they want to write the stories they've wanted or needed. And they're dragging them through the mire of difficulties that are game development and capitalism.

Spoilers for Taash's story under the cut. But I broke down the identity stories the young characters work through. I wanted this higher up but to block spoilers is... well down here it goes.