#hissrad

This is my favorite topic of discussion

I'm not referring to dissociative identity disorder here. These are two sides of the same character, but both personalities are in conflict with each other, one always dominating the other

What we have (my opinion):

Bull: Is the main personality, his innate characteristics. I would also call it Ashkaari. His curiosity about the world, his sociability, his mischief/cunning, but most importantly, his desire to care for others and his strong sense of justice. These are the character traits that make him such a wonderful friend and loving partner

Hissrad: Is a personality shaped for survival in Qun, a consequence of the propaganda he was forced to live with from birth. Discipline, a cool mind, absolute devotion to Qun, the ability to be a weapon in the hands of others, suppressed emotions and desires. He is a soldier. A soldier for whom nothing is more important than Qun

And there's a third, unifying personality - The Iron Bull. It's a combination of these two personalities. It's a state of internal conflict: on the one hand, he still believes in Qun and fears he'll go mad without it. But on the other, he's lived far from his homeland for so many years and sincerely enjoys his "role" as a spy, though he denies it. He believes he's a weapon, cold and unfeeling, yet he sacrifices his eye for a strange Tevinter boy. He says Qun is good, but he knows if Qun spreads further, people will suffer (he doesn't want this)

“Qunari are known across Thedas as the brutal horned giants who descended from the north to nearly conquer the continent. These ruthless followers of a harsh philosophy enforce their will through the Ben-Hassrath: their spies and secret police. One brilliant agent did it all, hunting spies, rebels, and deserters until the day he finally broke. To preserve a valuable asset, his superiors sent him to Orlais to observe and report… and The Iron Bull was born.”                               —- Dragonage.com

OOC Musings :: I’ve read the above excerpt about The Iron Bull on multiple occasions over the years. And every time I do, I have to pause, and think about just what it might have taken to Break him while he was Hissrad.

A Qunari as capable, intelligent, and comprehensively adaptive as he is can withstand a great deal, both physically and mentally. Hissrad -- that version of the Iron Bull -- did not let challenges to his personal choices affect him, because he knew himself utterly and without the compromise of ego.

ㅤㅤㅤAnd yet, at one point, Hissrad experienced a crisis. 

All I can think, all I am ever able to conclude, is that somewhere in his work. the philosophies that Hissrad had based his entire existence upon stopped aligning with his personal moral code. The Qun asked him to do something… I cannot imagine what… something just so morally repugnant to him, that. He couldn’t.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤHe Couldn't. 

This time, I’d like to focus on how his whole storyline is basically that of someone either being freed from or doubling down on a cult-like religion. Because that’s what the Qun is. Anything that puts certain people on leashes and has “re-educators” that are meant to “fix” people who start thinking differently is a freaking cult!

Bull is shown to be on the fence when it comes to a lot of things. While he insists on being true Qunari and a follower of the Qun, he also shows discomfort when the Qunari offers the alliance with the Inquisition. He flat out says that he’s grown used to them being “over there.” He even acknowledges that the Qun isn’t the right way for everyone.

If you let the Chargers die, he says that the Qun demanded the sacrifice, but you can see cracks in his armor and how much he hates making that decision both during the battle and after Gatt and the Inquisitor secure the alliance at Skyhold. As a result, he doubles down on his devotion to the Qun. The Iron Bull becomes just a role he plays. He becomes Hissrad. How else can he deal with the guilt of leading the people who had become his family to their deaths? He has to believe that it was necessary, and to do that, he has to believe in the Qun unquestioningly.

If Cole is in the party during his betrayal in Trespasser, he comments on how Bull didn’t feel anything when he betrays the party. I’d bet anything that between the end of Inquisition and the beginning of Trespasser, he submitted willingly to the re-educators, masking his emotions and eliminating what was left of The Iron Bull.

On the other hand, if you order the retreat, he doesn’t hesitate to blow that horn. He smiles when he sees his men are safe. When you correct Gatt and say that his name is Iron Bull and not Hissrad, Bull approves. If you say that there’s still something to do to salvage the alliance, he disapproves. Once he’s Tal-Vashoth, he commits almost immediately and acts as if a weight has been lifted.

He smiles while sparring with Krem. He tells you that, whatever he regrets, he’s where he wants to be. Most of his inner conflict comes with the realization that much of what he believed was wrong, that being Tal-Vashoth doesn’t make one a monster. So, what does that make him, someone who has killed many Tal-Vashoth over the years?

Transcript:

Inquisitor: Iron Bull's name is Hissrad?

Gatt: Under the Qun, we use titles, not names.

Iron Bull: My title was "Hissrad", because I was assigned to secret work. You can translate it as "Keeper of Illusions", or...

Gatt: "Liar". It means liar.

Iron Bull: Well you don't have to put it like that.

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