#but he really doesn't believe this stuff and is indiferent

[andrastehope]

important thing to remember about aeden and the chantry - he doesn’t actually care??

yes he went to the chantry to learn, but that’s cause his family’s big thing is the chantry and unless you’re a mage and sent to the circle (which is kinda chantry involved in a way if you think about it), you were expected to keep that family tradition going. you really don’t have a choice if your parents decide to send you to private school. this does not, however, mean he believes in it all if anything. he has no qualms saying such either. cassandra asks if he believes in the maker? instant nope. people ask if he thinks he really is the herald of andraste? he will say he’s not (unless it is better strategically to say yes under certain circumstances and he has probably been advised to do such)

if everything didn’t go the way it did, he probably would’ve become a templar. it was the better of the two options or either being a chantry boy for the rest of his life or at least getting to go through all the warrior training. of course by the time in game it comes down to choosing a specialty, he won’t pick templar. not only because he can actually kind of get away from being stuck in all that bs but he also respects all that cullen’s done to get himself away from that and it would feel a bit wrong supporting his quitting to just go do it himself.