#cotj

Champions of the Just Masterpost

Main Quest:

Pt. 1 - To the Templars ㅤㅤ ㅤ Pt. 2 - Therinfal Redoubt ㅤㅤ ㅤ Pt. 3 - Ser Barris ㅤㅤ ㅤ Pt. 4 - Shuffling Flags Around ㅤㅤ ㅤ Pt. 5 - You Were Expecting the Lord Seeker ㅤㅤ ㅤ Pt. 6 - Corruption ㅤㅤ ㅤ Pt. 7 - In Your Head ㅤㅤ ㅤ Pt. 8 - Up and Out ㅤㅤ ㅤ Pt. 9 - The Plan ㅤㅤ ㅤ Pt. 10 - Holding the Great Hall ㅤㅤ ㅤ Pt. 11 - The Fate of the Templars ㅤㅤ ㅤ Pt. 12 - Back at Haven ㅤㅤ ㅤ Deleted Dialogue

Related Companion Cutscenes:

Cassandra: Deal. With. It. Vivienne: Something to Consider - Josephine: Ire Of The Chantry Leliana: Dealing With A Traitor

Related Companion Conversations:

Blackwall: Trust Cole: It’s Going to be Loud Iron Bull: Always Staying Positive Sera: Bunch of Polished Helms Solas: Betrayal is Worse Varric: That’s Enough Doom and Gloom - Cullen: Concerns Leliana: Things Worth Dying For

I’ve always been a “go for the mages” sort of person because of how desperate they are, and also because In Hushed Whispers feels more relevant to the game; you are, after all, getting a glimpse of what will happen if you, the Inquisitor, fails.

But I’ve been playing a lot of DAI lately with multiple characters, and I’ve noticed something else. Champions of the Just is a harder quest than IHW, and personally... I like it better :/ The part with the Envy demon, the way Cole is introduced, it’s really, really good. That being said, the emotions you feel while playing IHW are more intense [CoTJ had me going WTF, templars? the entire time]

One thing that struck me - IHW is caused by Alexius, whose motivation for doing so was to try and save his son - something that you can sort of sympathize with him about. However, CoTJ has no such thing. It’s just corrupt officers willfully, knowingly, and deliberately poisoning and corrupting their charges, and there is no excuse for that.

It makes me wonder - are the templars worthy of redemption? Many of the lower ranks knew something odd was going on [Barris pretty much says so] but chose not to do anything [under the guise of “we cannot abandon the Order” - something that Cullen and Cassandra both did, so that’s kinda BS]. I can’t help but feel as though the game is more geared towards siding with the mages? With the mages, there’s an excuse for their behavior [they were terrified, time magic interference, they didn’t have many options] but I can’t see any sort of justification for the templars.

Various snippets of dialogue that didn’t make it into the final cut of the game - listed in scene order.

Champions of the Just Masterpost

—

Abernache: I’m not moving an inch. This is madness!

Abernache: (Whimpers.)

Abernache: What in the living piss is happening!

Abernache: Andraste, Maker, anyone! Just get me out alive!

Abernache: What in the shuddering shit is going on?

—

Party Comments:

Varric: There’s no way this isn’t a trap. PC: I’m aware

Cassandra: That is not the man I remember. PC: I’ll be careful.

Blackwall: Be cautious. This might be a trap. PC: I’ll be careful.

Vivienne: A trap then, no doubt. PC: I’ll be careful.

Iron Bull: You know it’s a trap, right? PC: Oh, yes.

—

PC: Is an Envy demon like a desire demon? Are you trying to tempt me?

Envy: (Demon posing as Herald) Are you trying to tempt me?

Josephine: (Laughs.) I will be better at being you than you are.

—

PC: This thing in my head. Envy. What does it want here?

Cole: It was changing the templars. It made them red inside. The commanders gave something red to their soldiers to drink. It smelled like sad things. And makes them kill.

—

Dialogue options:

You’ve lost everything, demon. PC: You won’t have me or the templars, demon.

Not your day, is it? PC: If I see this Elder One, I’ll tell him you tried very hard.

Leave. PC: Get out of my head.

—

Abrahas: The strength of these monsters! What has the red lyrium done to the templars?

—

Abrahas: You bless us. I feared you were dead.

Dialogue options:

Get to the hall. (Send the templar back to immediately strengthen the Great Hall.)

Stay with us. (Ask the templar to join your party until you return to the Great Hall.)

Say nothing

Get to the hall. PC: Just get to the hall. Barris will explain. Abrahas: Fight well.

Stay with us. PC: There’s more red templars out there. Help us. Abrahas: With pleasure.

Say nothing. (The following dialogue is randomly selected.) Abrahas: I will return to the Great Hall. Good luck, Herald. Abrahas: I’ll stay with you, Herald. My brethren have abandoned their senses.

—

Abrahas: You bless us. I feared you were dead.

Dialogue options:

We need your help. PC: We need you in the hall right away.

We’re too busy to die. PC: There’s no time for dying. Go to the hall—Ser Barris will explain.

Get to the hall. PC: Just get to the hall. Barris will explain.

Abrahas: At once.

—

Abrahas: You bless us. I feared you were dead.

Dialogue options:

Back to the Great Hall! (Send the templar back to immediately strengthen the Great Hall.)

With me! (Ask the templar to help you with the next fight.)

Back to the Great Hall! PC: Regroup with Barris. We’ll handle them. Abrahas: Fight well!

With me! PC: There’s more coming. Help us. Abrahas: A pleasure.

—

DuBois: That thing we fought. Its eyes… it’s eyes looked just like my cousin Peraline’s. Let’s move on Herald, please.

—

DuBois: It’s good to see you alive, Herald.

Dialogue options:

Regroup in the great hall. (Send the templar back to immediately strengthen the Great Hall.)

Come with me. (Ask the templar to join your party until you return to the Great Hall.)

Say nothing

Regroup in the great hall. PC: Head back to the main hall. We’ll meet you there. DuBois: Of course.

Come with me. PC: I need your help. There’s more coming. DuBois: Right.

Say nothing. (The following dialogue is randomly selected.) DuBois: The other templars are in the great hall. I must go to them. DuBois: Lead on. We’re not done fighting.

—

DuBois: Thank you. I cannot convey my hope right now.

Dialogue options:

There’s more to do. Trust me. PC:Trust that I can stop this. Ser Barris will explain in the main hall.

A good start to a long night. PC: We’ll need a bit more than hope. Find Ser Barris in the main hall.

Get to the hall. PC: Get to the main hall. Barris will explain there.

—

DuBois: Killing our own. What have we become?

Abrahas: These beasts are not our own.

Dubois: The world outside won’t think that, and I won’t blame them for it.

—

Abrahas: Well met, Knight-Lieutenant DuBois.

DuBois: None of us are well, Abrahas. What has happened to us?

Abrahas: Maker knows.

—

Barris: Knight-Lieutenant DuBois. Knight-Lieutenant Abrahas. I see the Herald found you.

DuBois: It was a fortunate thing [they] did.

Abrahas: I saw many of our Order fighting these red traitors, but they can’t hold for long.

Barris: We have a plan. I’ll fill you in.

—

Barris: Knight-Lieutenant Abrahas. I was worried you’d been overwhelmed.

Abrahas: The Herald came to my aid. What’s happening, Barris?

Barris: We have a plan. I’ll fill you in.

—

Barris: Your presence is sorely needed, Knight-Lieutenant DuBois.

DuBois: I see that. Tell me what’s happened, Barris.

Barris: We have a plan. I’ll fill you in.

—

Primmer: Bravely fought, Herald. These “red templars” heap disgrace on the Order. I cannot think ho we’ll recover.

—

Primmer: Maker, what happened to them?

Dialogue options:

Back to the great hall. (Send the templar back to immediately strengthen the Great Hall.)

Stand with me. (Ask the templar to join your party until you return to the Great Hall.)

Say nothing

Back to the great hall.) PC: Regroup with Barris. He’ll explain the plan. Primmer: Good luck.

Stand with me. PC: We can take them, but I’ll need your help. Primmer: Lead the way.

Say nothing. (The following dialogue is randomly selected.) Primmer: I must return to the great hall. Perhaps someone there has a plan. Primmer: Lead the way.

—

Primmer: You have my thanks.

Dialogue options:

We need you in the hall. PC: We’re not done yet. Ser Barris will explain in the main hall.

Don’t thank me yet. PC: We’re not done yet. Head to the main hall and find Barris.

Go to the hall. PC: Get to the main hall. Barris will explain.

—

Primmer: These are the lyrium stores. The key should be in the Lord Seeker’s office.

—

Primmer: Was this the Lord Seeker’s work? What happened to him?

Party comments:

Sera: He’s a friggin demon is what happened! A big… mushy… ugh! Primmer: He what? Make sense! Sera: You lot make sense! Primmer: Let’s return to the hall.

Varric: Well, uh… We’ll let Barris fill you in on that one.

Iron Bull: I’m letting Barris handle this one.

Solas: I suspect you would take the news better from Barris than an elven apostate.

Blackwall: I think we’d best let Barris tell you that.

—

When finding red lyrium.

Primmer: Foul stuff. Thank Andraste I never received any in my own lyrium rations.

—

Barris: Knight-Templar Primmer! Thank the Maker.

Primmer: Half the Order’s fighting these red templars, Barris. Where did they come from?

Barris: We were betrayed—and we have a plan to dig out the one who played us false.

—

Before the templars start dispelling the barrier.

Barris: Right. Knights! There’s a demon on sacred ground! Will we let this stand?

Tavus: No, brother templar.

Barris: Our commanders and kin are dead but walking! Will that insult go unanswered?

Tavus: No, brother templar!

Barris: We failed out duty! The Inquisition now gives us a chance to redeem ourselves! Will we waste it?

Tavus: No, brother templar!

—

Envy: If I can’t be you, no one can! And the Elder one can scavenge the pieces!

—

Envy: It’s cold skin.

—

Dialogue options:

General: He’s too dangerous to stay. (Permanently throw Cole out of the Inquisition)

General: Let’s use him. (Take Cole on as a member of the Inquisition.)

General: He’s too dangerous to stay. PC: He’s not natural. We can’t trust something that plays with our minds. Cole: I’m trying to help! Cullen: What do we do with him? Cole: You can’t do anything with me. (Sighs.) Forget. Cullen: I’ll have the guards—

Concerns

Cullen Masterpost Related Quest: Champions of the Just

The PC approaches Cullen in Haven.

If Cole was recruited:

Cullen: Cole—or whatever he calls himself—may have helped at Therinfal, but that doesn’t mean we should trust him.

Dialogue options:

General: I trust him. [1]

General: We said he could stay. [2]

General: He’s being watched. [3]

1 - General: I trust him. PC: I will vouch for Cole’s character. Give him a chance. Cullen: I’d rather he keep away from me. [4]

2 - General: We said he could stay. PC: I thought we agreed Cole could stay. Cullen: I did not agree—I was outvoted. [4]

3 - General: He’s being watched. PC: Leliana has people watching him. Cullen: Provided they don’t lose him. [4]

4 - Scene continues.

Cullen: I suppose my concerns can wait.

[Conversation starts here if Cole was not recruited]

Cullen: The templars are making final preparations. After what happened with the Lord Seeker, they’re eager to prove themselves.

Dialogue options:

General: It wasn’t their fault. [5]

General: I should hope so. [6]

General: This has to work. [7]

5 - General: It wasn’t their fault. PC: The templars aren’t responsible for what happened at Therinfal. They have every right to be here. Cullen: I do not question those joining us, only those who betrayed them first. I knew parts of the order were corrupt, but red lyrium? What were they thinking? If you had not gone to Therinfal, there would have been no one left to save. [8]

6 - General: I should hope so. PC: After what I went through to get them, they’d better be. Cullen: What happened at Therinfal was appalling. To have demons manipulate your mind… It takes a strong person to walk away from that. It’s good to see you… well. [8]

7 - General: This has to work. PC: They will. This has to work. Cullen: Of course. In the meantime, I will oversee our forces should anything go wrong. PC: What do you mean? Cullen: All we have are theories. I believe our plan can work, but no one knows for certain what will happen. We need to take precautions. [8]