Dragon Age: Inquisition companion Dorian is a mage from the Tevinter Imperium who brings a new angle to how magic is viewed in the Dragon Age universe.
He’s also Bioware’s first ”fully gay” character, as lead writer David Gaider explains in a new blog post.
“Dorian is a mage from the Tevinter Imperium, and his experiences are radically different from those of mages elsewhere,” explains Gaider. “In Tevinter, mages form the ruling class. He comes from a wealthy and influential family, one of many that arrange marriages and raise their children to become perfect mages… yet Dorian has rejected that life. He’s seen the corruption to which it leads, and he refuses to play along despite the fact it’s made him something of a pariah.”
The Tevinter mage is smart, perhaps a bit too smart for his own good, and possesses a sarcastic sense of humour. Most characters in Dragon Age do, don’t they? ”He was raised in a society where both intelligence and wit are prized,” Gaider says, ”where advancing yourself socially means outmaneuvering your peers, and he does so quite well… or, at least, he would if he didn’t see through it all. That’s left him rather jaded and sarcastic, naturally.”
He’s also gay. Gaider says the character’s acceptance of this marks him out as something of a rebel, but honestly from what we’ve seen from the previous two games people in Thedas couldn’t give two hoots about someone’s sexuality.
”Dorian is gay—he is, in fact, the first fully gay character I’ve had the opportunity to write. It added an interesting dimension to his back story, considering he comes from a place where “perfection” is the face that every mage puts on and anything that smacks of deviancy is shameful and meant to be hidden. Dorian’s refusal to play along with that façade is seen as stubborn and pointless by his family, which has contributed to his status as a pariah.”
”I suppose this aspect of Dorian will make him controversial in some corners,” he continues, ”but I was glad to include it. It made writing Dorian a very personal experience for me, and I’m hopeful that will make him seem like a fully realized character to fans in the end.”
One thing’s for sure - best mustache in Dragon Age. Take a bow Dorian, you’ve earned it.
