I find myself in a cell and my hand is crackling with energy. Cassandra emerges from the shadows and starts barking questions at me. I have no idea what she’s talking about. I feel like Emmett in The Lego Movie.
“We saw you cavorting with a hole in the sky.”
“That’s disgusting!”
“Then why is there a mark on your hand?”
WTF?! I thought that pulsing green light was just me being a mage. Apparently, it’s something altogether different. I choose the “stay silent” option so I can suss out the situation and the game makes my hero smile slyly, like maybe I really am guilty of something. But then I’m immediately pleading my case as an innocent bystander. My voice sounds so sincere. I’m either a great liar or bipolar. Leliana and Cassandra have some words and then I’m escorted outside to see what all the fuss is about.
Cassandra starts blathering on about conclaves and the Divine and I zone out, since the religion aspect of the game has never done it for me. I was completely unfazed when Anders went all psycho and blew up the Chantry in DA2. Sure, lots of innocent people died, but really, who among us wasn’t at least a little sick of hearing the preachings of holier-than-thou Grand Cleric Elthinia?
Anyway, it seems an explosion opened up rifts in the veil and killed a bunch of people who were trying to broker peace between the mages and Templars. She’s pissed and suspicious because I’m the sole survivor of the blast. As we make our way to the biggest hole, the breach, we’re attacked by demons. I defend myself with a conveniently discarded staff, but after the battle Cassandra demands I drop my weapon. I’m not in the mood to fight with her, so I choose the option with a blue hand that looks like a palms up “we’re all friends here” type of icon. Turns out it’s a mage-specific icon and I kind of threaten her with a “I haven’t used my magic on you (subtext, yet)”. And we’re off to the races with Cassandra disapproval.
We meet up with fan-favorite Varric and a new elven companion named Solas. I learn that my mark allows me to close rifts, so now I am all kinds of important. We take a mountain path to the Temple of Sacred Ashes (more Cassandra disapproval), fight some demons, and hear a creepy voice giving instructions on a ritual sacrifice. Solas explains that we are listening to echoes of the past. It seems I unwittingly interrupted the ceremonial killing of Divine Justinia, but I can’t remember the details. Whatever happened in the past sealed the breach temporarily, but did not completely close it. I take a Mulligan and re-open it, which attracts the attention of a pride demon, my first boss battle. Once the demon is dead, I work my hand-magic to properly close the breach. There’s a giant explosion and a pillar of green light shoots into the sky. Success?
Not so much. I wake up in Haven, the hub of the game for a while. According to Solas, the breach has been contained, but needs much more power to be closed completely. Cassandra makes this her personal mission. She slams an encyclopedia-sized book onto the table and announces that it is a writ from the Divine. It’s the world’s longest permission slip and it gives her the right to officially form the Inquisition. There’s a nice mood-setting cut scene, which I enjoy, except for the fact that Cullen Martin Luthers the Inquisition notice crooked. I’m either incredibly OCD or I really hate all things Cullen. Probably a little of both. The screen goes dark, the title is finally displayed, and the game really begins. Welcome to Dragon Age: Inquisition!
Next Up: To the Hinterlands…and Beyond!
Previous: A Week of Dragon Age: Inquisition on PC: A Fan’s Recap
