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thekingofwinterblog · 1 year ago

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How to fix Halamshiral as a Zone

Inquisition is a flawed game.

I don't think there's anyone who is going to argue otherwise.

The only question is wheter you place it higher or lower than DA2.

One of the things I think it does better than DA2, is that it managed to give every place a soul, an identity of it's own, and at least a distinct, if not always amazing storyline.

The emerald graves doesnt have a very interesting plot, but it has some spectacular side quests, and atmosphere, inculding a haunted mansion, which might be my favorite possession based quest in all of DA because it shows much better than others just how dangerous untrained mages actually are to those around them.

The storm coast tells a story of what was once an important dwarven port, and shows how it fell and was repurposed over time.

The Hinterlands shows the aftereffects of the templar mage war, as well as solas stupid plan to give cory his orb, and the mage rebellion and an actually decent time travel story.

I could go on, but the point is, I usually have at least aomething nice to say about every single region.

All except one.

Halamshiral.

Halamshiral was the single worst part of all of Dragon Age Inquisition for me, and every single time I boot up this game, it's always the last thing i do before the temple of sacred ashes, despite how bizarre the game flows as a result.

And the reason is because i hate everything about it.

I hate it's unique attempt at side quests, i hate the characters involved, i hate the Orlesians who inhabit it, and i hate how this section tries to copy what worked so amazingly well with Orzammar and Denerim during the landsmeet section, and fails every single shot it lines up.

The ONLY good thing i have to say about this, is that it's at the very least relatively short.

So here's today's question. How to fix Halamshiral?

Let's begin with the three main players.

Celene, Gasparde, and Briala.

The big problem with every single option, is that they all suck.

Celene and Gasparde are both fucking awful people without any redeeming qualities, they have no charisma, and there is no prospect of the Empire reforming itself under either of them, the way Orzammar would under Bhelen.

Meanwhile, Briala is much, much better, but the problem is that we know exactly what is going to happen here if you support her.

Maybe today elves will have it better, but tomorrow, when Gasparde is gone, or celene turns on elves again as she always does all the progress will be repealed, and reversed, along with a few purged alienages.

Its an old story that's been told before in Dragon age.

In short, there is no reason at all to care about this overall plot. None whatsoever.

There were so many reasons to care about both Orzammar and Denerim in the same situation, and every single character involved had so much more charisma than either of these would be monarchs.

So let's fix that.

Starting with Celene, take the idea of her wanting to reform the empire, and actually take it to the next level.

Celene is genuine in wanting to reform the empire, and has already taken grand, successful steps to make the entire thing much better for everyone, even elves, giving them and serfs more rights, outlawing the practice of chevaliers having a tradition of killing unarmed city elves to graduate.

But the catch is, while she is genuinely making progress, she is doing so within the confines of the great game.

Celene has nonintention of changing the great game, no plans of wanting to remove this thing that holds Orlais back more than any other, this center stone of their nobility and it's culture.

Meanwhile, Gasparde is a different kind of reformer, one that takes the ideas he had of him claiming to hate the game, and actually doing something with it.

He is far less progressive, has no love for elves, is far more warlike than Celene ever was... But unlike Celene, his ideas of reform isn't going to act within the grand game.

He's going to break it.

Unlike canon gasparde, this gasparde is hated by every single noble family in the entire empire. His only support, and it's a strong one, is the army. The parts of the army that supports Gasparde, and they are a huge part, are loyal to him personally to the hilt.

And he hates them back. He hates the game, he hates the way it cripples the empire, and he wants to change things. Like Celene he plans to break the serfs free of their chains, for the good of the nation and it's power and economy if not for any progressive reasons.

And he'a going to start with Halamshiral.

For this Gasparde isn't merely positioning men to stage a coup... He's planning to kill EVERY SINGLE NOBLE in Halamshiral. Evety man, every woman, every child there.

He's going to reform this empire by wiping out it's cancerous nobility in one fell swoop, and install himself as supreme dictator to see his reforms through, and wiping out the entire Orlesian nobility that might have opposed him, french revolution style.

And thus the Inquisitor has a dilemma.

Unlike Orzammar, where only one side was a reformer, both of these Orlesians are... But you have to choose one.

Do you choose Celene? The more progressive candidate, who wants a more peaceful Orlais going forward? But who is not willing to get ridd of the grand game to do so, thus making it a permanent risk that all her reforms will be undone...

Or will you support Gasparde, and by doing so be complicit in destroying the entire nobility of Orlais, many of whom are not guilty of the shit that Celene and Gasparde here both hate so much? Gasparde is far less likely to create a peaceful Orlais going forward... But he will have obliterated the Grand Game for good and all, a prize that might be worth this Red Wedding style bloodbath.

Meanwhile there is Briala, the elven spy who has enough influence to allow, or prevent Gasparde's plans from going through.

Here there should be another moral dilemma, quite different from the base game.

Do you convince her to aid Gasparde, in exchange for the Elves getting a duchy of their own in Halamshiral? Do you then back her up with Inquisition forces and support, forcing Him to publicly announce her as such, and trust his own, twisted version of honor to actually stick to it going forward(Something he ultimately does), or do you throw her to the Wolves the moment things get rough?

Or alternatively, do you convince her to side with Celene, and bury the hatchet? And if so, on what terms? And similarly, if she actually wants to get something out of this, you actually need to back her up... Something you may, or may not choose to do.

And voila, here you have an actual story of intrigue, massive, lasting political changes as a result of the Herald's actions, and morally grey on grey choices.

Everything that Denerim and Orzammar had in spades.

Now moving on from the plot to the actual place.

Halamshiral has no soul.

It's a french villa on a mountaintop. Whoop de freaking do.

It has no interesting murals, unique art only found there, interesting geography, or anything really to make it stand out.

Compare it to Denerim and Orzammar, and the way they fleshed out the entire city's levels of power and criminal underworlds, and you see the difference.

Denerim is a very realistic, squat, squalid medieval city, with it's buildings built on top of every single bit of available space.

Orzammar is a full on high fantasy dwarf city lit up by a lake of lava.

Halamshiral is a villa presented as a city.

How do you fix that?

There is an artist here on Tumblr who pretty much showcased what Halamshiral could have been, if they had taken the idea of the Dalish(who were the original owners) taking inspiration from native americans(amongst others), and use that to build a truly spectacular city, which has long ago been paved over, but the structure is still there.

Make it a city on the water, like the aztex capital of Tenochtitlan, a marvel of canals and stone.

Make it this Venezia like city, with canals everywhere you look, and the entire city running on water. A marvel of Dalish city building, where they took something as simple as a couple of islands in a lake, and built the most beautiful city in the world.

And rather than just limit you to the palace, instead let you actually explore this city.

Expand the entire event from one night, to a week.

Let the Herald explore the city, meet the players, interact with the nobles, become friends with a few like you could with Ferelden's bans, which in turn makes the possibility of sacrificing them for the greater good hit so much harder.

Let you choose what fancy stuff to wear to the balls and meetings, rather than have this stupid motto of forcing you to wear one, pre determined outfit like this game had for some reason.

Let you discover the places where what little Elven Architecture and art still remains can be found, and talk with the elves who still live here, the descendants after the first elves the Orlesians enslaved.

Make the plotting of Gasparde and the positioning of troops be gradual, not instantly discovered and twarted.

And at the end, if you choose to back Gasparde, you mirror that scene from Dragon Age 2, where the Templars sail across the bay, and you either step aside and witness the bloodbath you just allowed to happen, or you fight them and be recognized by the nobility(most of which are horrible, horrible people) as a hero who just saved the day.

Have the venatori plot be to kill both Gasparde and Celene, rather than their involvement mostly be about handing the player the the easy knife for the knot of which monarch to pick without having to get your hands dirty.

Also have the entire group be gathered for once. Every inner member of the Inquisition just like at Denerim.

Each of whom have their own thoughts on the events.

Who supports who? What is the right thing to do? What is better for the inquisition? Are you staining your honor beyond repair if you back Gasparde? Does the Inquisitor maybe have a breakdown after witnessing what they just allowed to happen and they walk through the gardens or rooms filled with corpses? Maybe have the scene at the end with the love interest be about a moment of them truly comforting their lover in the aftermath of it all, understanding(or not) that as boss, it's your job to have to make the tough decisions. And now you have to live with them.

Or if you wanna go the other way, this could be one of the breaking points like Origins had. If you support Gasparde, Blackwall choses to tell you to get bent, and that he will die as benefits a knight. Defending the week, and calling you out on how you are just as bad as he ever was, a child killer who's going to run away from responsibility, to pretend you are some better person than what you actually are. You're a murder. Just like he was. You are just as responsible for the blood that's flowing as he was with that carriage back in the day.

It would have been a far more impressive reveal moment for his crimes, that's for sure.

Cole probably would be the one who would be second most upset, but wheter he leaves or ultimately stays should probably be depended on your other choices and your relationship with him prior to this, probably have his personal quest be the determinating factor of what he chooses to do.

And i could go on, but point is, this would be a return to Origins choices actually mattering. There were choices that could make or break a characters bond with you. Shale would not budge regarding Caridin, Leliana and wynne would stand against you if you choose to defile the urn, Sevran would choose to betray you for his old friend if he didn't like you enough, and of course the age old choices at the end of act 3 in da2, where you have to pick between templars and Mages, as well as anders fate, and chances are regardless of what you do, at least 1 person ends up dead.

If anyone reading this has any suggestions for how to further improve this storyline, feel free to share, but regardless, i think we can all agree that this is a vast improvement of what we actually got.

#dragon age inquisition #dragon age #dragon age origins #dragon age 2 #halamshiral #gasparde #celene #briala #inquisitor #blackwall #thom rainier #the herald of andraste #the inquisitor #meta #what could have been #tenochtitlan

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thechildofmythal · 6 months ago

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The peacetalks of the Orlesian Civil war and the ball at Winter Palace finally finished, the Inquisition’s main figures retreated to the mansion near Val Royaux they had rented to use as a base for the operation.

Commander Cullen was seen escorting the Inquisitor, who had been absolutely radiant and the talk of the whole event, to her carriage. The dashing Tevinter mage of Pavus’s bloodline (whose fashion choices would soon come to influence some of the younger Orlesian nobles) joined the Inquisitor in her carriage. The others of the Inquisition mounted their horses and carriages in neat and efficient order. As they rode off, the Commander was seen riding his impressive white horse close to the carriage, personally ensuring the Inquisitor’s safety.

The rumours were already spreading - the Commander and the Inquisitor had been seen dancing, but outside, alone on a balcony! Had he mentioned something about being taken? He was not married, that much they knew. The rumours would not stop dozens of Orlesian nobles from writing to the Commander, whose silent charisma, tall and muscular build and reputation of having been at many crucial moments in recent history of Thedas had enchanted nearly everyone. Including, it seemed, the Inquisitor herself.

[ Continue under the cut for Dorian being a friend, Cullen being a gentleman, and general pining and cuteness ]

Arriving at their rented mansion, Dorian gently nudged the Inquisitor. She had drifted to sleep in the carriage during the short ride - that’s how exhausted and emotionally drained she was after the whole ordeal at the Winter Palace. Sleepily she apologised to Dorian as the carriage stopped to the courtyard. Before either of them could do anything more, the door of the carriage already opened. It was Commander Cullen again, extending his gloved hand to her much in the same way he had escorted her into the carriage.

”Inquisitor,” he prompted simply, and without hesitation she took his hand and let him help her out.

Dorian waited for her to get out, an amused smirk on his face. Cullen had been acting so brusque and tough before the ball, stomping around and huffing about not getting into any Orlesian tomfoolery. And here he was, suddenly, in his formal attire, looking like a prince and acting like a true gentleman around her. Dorian couldn’t wait to tease the living daylights out of the good Commander, but now he gave his friend this moment. He saw how weary she was, and he knew how she adored the Commander, but he was pretty sure they had only been, well, courting, and not sharing a bed yet. So let him court and be adorable, Dorian thought, as he got out of the carriage and watched Cullen tuck her hand under his arm and walk her up the stairs to the main entrance.

”They’re disgustingly cute, aren’t they,” Leliana said to Dorian as she stood beside him to watch the two of them enter the mansion.

”I was just thinking the same thing,” Dorian admitted.

”Oh stop it, you two. I think they make a very handsome couple,” Josephine said happily as she joined them. ”Have you noticed how the Commander’s voice changes when he speaks with her?”

A disgusted noice from Cassandra’s direction served as a reply to Josephine.

Inside the mansion, Cullen waved the Orlesian servants away and kept the Inquisitor by his side. ”You look like the only thing you need is sleep. May I walk you to your room?”

”Yes, please, Cullen,” she sighed, thankful that she had his safe bulky form to lean against as they slowly ascended the marble staircase. ”But why is it up on the third floor?” she whined.

Cullen paused on the next landing, looked over his shoulder, and then bent his knees to slip one arm behind her legs and one around her back, and hauled her into his arms in one swift move.

The staircase echoed with a surprised shriek and giggle, and Cullen hushed the Inquisitor as he continued up the stairs now carrying her. He made it look so effortless too, thought the Inquisitor, who wriggled her arm around his neck.

”I understand this isn’t the first time you’re carrying me,” she said, still giggling. A red fluster was rising from her bosom to her neck.

Cullen tried not to look, but kept his eyes on the stairs. ”No, but I find it easier now that you’re conscious and I’m not wading knee deep in snow.”

”I don’t think I ever thanked you for it so…” the Inquisitor said softly. Cullen felt her eyes on him and her fingers brush the hair on the back of his skull. Now he was getting flustered too. ”So thank you. Still, let’s try and not repeat those conditions again.”

”I would appreciate it,” Cullen replied all matter-of-fact, but he did glance at her with a lopsided smirk. ”But you don’t mind me carrying you again, do you?”

”Oh I could get used to this!” she laughed.

”That one is my door,” she pointed out, and Cullen carefully set her down on her feet in front of it. When he straightened up, his breath hitched at how close they were, their faces but inches from each other. She was already getting on her tippytoes to reach up and kiss him, but Cullen took a small step back, grabbed her hand and brought it to his face, bowing for her with his other hand behind his back.

”Forgive me. I feel the walls have ears and eyes here, and I don’t trust the Orlesians as far as I can throw them,” he mumbled darkly, his lips brushing the back of her hand.

”Oh,” was the only disappointed sound the tired Inquisitor managed.

”I can’t wait to talk with you in Skyhold. Good night, Inquisitor,” he said, and kissed her knuckles. ”I hope you get some rest.”

”Good night, Commander,” she replied faintly, as Cullen straightened with an apologetic smile.

The Inquisitor opened the door to her room, glanced at him one more time, and then closed the door, vanishing out of sight.

Cullen was left alone in the corridor - or so he thought.

”What are you doing!?” he was startled by a hissing sound from the staircase. Dorian reached the top floor and look at him with a bewildered expression. ”I thought you would be naked by now! What is wrong with you, man!?” he whispered at the Commander angrily.

Cullen rolled his eyes. ”Please mind your own business, Dorian.”

”My best friend’s business in my business! And now she’s in there alone, without your divine pectorals to delight her!” Dorian continued whispering, sounding like a mad hissing cat.

”Andraste give me strength…” Cullen muttered and quickly escaped to his own room further along the corridor.

Dorian stood alone in the corridor now, shaking his head. It’s one thing being gentlemanly but another to deliberately not put out, he thought and headed for his own room. It’s like they’re choosing to pine for each other? Madness!

#cullen rutherford #cullen romance #pining #commander cullen #dorian is my best friend #dragon age inquisition #dorian pavus #tiny fic #halamshiral #winter palace #wicked eyes and wicked hearts

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