Surana Concept Art Elf Concept Art Dragon Age Origins

Lee has been playing "Dragon Historic period" since the first game's release. She enjoys exploring and explaining the characters and the lore.

Warden Mage Surana official concept art.

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I love playing mages in video games, so the unabridged mage/templar conflict in the Dragon Age franchise has always intrigued me. As a issue, the elf mage Warden, Surana, has always been ane of my favorite wardens.

After the dwarf noble, I feel she has a very compelling arc regarding friendship and betrayal, and information technology provides a lot of great function playing opportunities, especially if you're going to romance Morrigan, an apostate (illegal) mage or Alistair, a former templar (aka mage hunter).

Though I dear Surana, I also love the homo mage Amell—but I'll exist honest. That's mostly considering Warden Amell is the cousin of Hawke, the protagonist from Dragon Age ii.

I never actually got into roleplaying Amell before Dragon Historic period 2 because, for me, playing an elf mage made the game more interesting and information technology also made the character more relatable.

The elf mage has to contend with hatred for mages, hatred for elves, and hatred for women throughout the game. I chronicle to this considering I'm a black lesbian (racism, sexism, homophobia) so I know what it's like to stand up at an intersection of hatred. Why wouldn't I exist drawn to embodying a character like this, who overcomes these social barriers to salve the entire world?

That being said, most of my assay will focus on Surana, non Amell.

Let us brainstorm.

The Mage Warden's Background

My screenshot of the elf mage you tin can chat with about Surana'southward background.

Different the other origins, we know little to zilch of Surana's background.

We know that Amell came from a noble family thank you to Dragon Historic period 2, and that she was sent away to the tower at a immature age, something which seemed to prompt Hawke's mother into desperately hiding her mage children.

Just in Dragon Historic period: Origins, we know zip of Amell, and all nosotros know of Surana is that she was either from Lothering or was a city elf who was taken from the alienage in Denerim. This is something she can say in dialogue when asked most her family during the origin.

It was like this on purpose because the mage Warden's origin is supposed to be about her lack of family and how she tried to create ane instead within the Circle with Jowan, a sibling, and Enchanter Irving, who is supposed to be a father figure.

This is my Canon Warden

My Surana Warden outwits the Pride demon.

I was playing Surana again recently for the hell of it, and I realized that Surana is really my favorite origin. In fact, female Surana who romances Leliana and does all the "good" idealistic choices (barring Harrowmont considering Bhelen's the better king) is actually my canon.

Ringlet to Go on

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Surana is basically a city elf without all the depressing drama from the city elf origin (I actually hate rape plots). Her origin is more amusing than heartbreaking. There are several fun characters you can talk to (Sweeney comes to listen), and as someone who has spent their life basically isolated from others, I always felt I could identify a lot with how lonely Surana was.

I mean, fifty-fifty compared to Amell, who has an entire family out there, Surana has no i. She never meets her family in Denerim or Lothering, (which might have been interesting, in hindsight) and her unabridged arc is about her but friend betraying her!

I think this was washed deliberately to underscore how socially miserable living in a Circle tin be. It'due south a place total of fearfulness, where everyone is paranoid they're going to be made Tranquil. A powerful mage like Surana is a threat to the templars and volition, therefore, be avoided by other mages who don't want trouble.

In every other origin, the Warden has a friend they hang out with for the duration of the origin. In the Dalish origin, there was Tamlen. The human noble had Ser Gilmore. The dwarf noble had Gorim. The dwarf commoner had Leske. And the city elf had Soris. (Notably all male . . .)

The mage has no one simply Jowan, who betrays her. And before meeting Jowan for the start time in the origin, the player'due south companion and "friend" was Mouse, another person who manipulated, lied, and betrayed Surana.

So for all her power, rather than being in control of her ain destiny, Surana's ability isolates and confines her (literally to a belfry and too socially).

The Warden's Isolation

Jowan as he appears in "Dragon Age: Origins."

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Through dialogue choices with Jowan during the origin, nosotros learn that he and the Warden have been friends since they were both dumped at the tower as children.

Jowan discusses his mother cursing him and calling him a demon and disowning him for his magic. So his father takes him to the Chantry and just leaves him at that place. Eventually, he is taken to the Circle Belfry.

Later after the events at Redcliffe, the Warden tin can ask Jowan why he would betray her when they had been friends for so long. Jowan will admit that he was jealous of her tremendous magic ability.

The Warden, after all, is quite famous for her skill. Then much to the point that Duncan comes all the way to the tower to recruit her specifically. And she is known by those in the tower as Irving's "star pupil."

Just she is also feared.

Knight Commander Greagoir as he appears in the game.

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Again, the Mage Warden is alone.

Having Knight Commander Greagoir always animate downwards her neck because he's afraid of her turning on the belfry meant that other mages steered articulate of the Warden. Even the templar Cullen, who has a trounce on her, is besides terrified of her to really make a movement, instead hiding backside the pretense of duty and honor.

Interestingly enough, Jowan does not observe that the mage Warden is alone and isolated because of her power. Instead, he envies her! Which, I call up, has more to do with his feelings of cocky-worth as a result of his female parent'southward abuse and neglect.

Trying to be a blood mage was Jowan'southward way of trying to be every bit good as the Warden. Instead, he got caught, lied to his friend—and his lover's!—face about it, and took them all down with him.

Basically, Jowan was willing to throw the Warden under the bus and hazard imprisonment and torture for his lover, Lily, if it meant he got to escape the Circle and becoming a Tranquil.

This is what makes Jowan's betrayal so sad, deep, and thoroughly infuriating.

Betraying Jowan Makes Sense

Enchanter Irving as he appears in the game.

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At that place are two means that you can role play the Warden.

The starting time way? As someone who is naive and completely trusting of Jowan, assertive him to be their friend.

The second way? Equally someone who knows Jowan well enough to tell when he is lying. Yous can actually inquire Jowan straight-upwardly if he is a blood mage. This occurs while he is standing in the Chantry hall with Lily. When asked, he stammers a dandy deal and has shifty optics.

And instead of letting herself get thrown nether the bus, the Warden can go to Enchanter Irving and betray Jowan before he can betray her, thus securing her own survival.

I have done both paths, and I prefer to betray Jowan.

This is largely considering the Mage Warden was raised by Enchanter Irving, who is similar a father to her. And the mage origin shows that Irving is a conniving and ruthless politician, constantly sparring for what fiddling ability he can gain in society to protect his mages and the Circle from the ruthlessness of the templars and the Altar.

A cool Enchanter Irving mod I can't observe.

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If you go to Irving and tell him that Jowan is planning to escape with Lily, a Chantry sister, Irving volition devise a plan to get both of them caught, and so that the Chantry is embarrassed and exposed.

The Warden tin call Irving fell for this, but it'south mere politics. Taking the Chantry downwardly a peg insures that they don't purge the Circle over i blood mage because they would have to purge their ain. It's pragmatic and cruel but a necessary cruelty.

This is the man that the Mage Warden was raised by. Information technology but makes sense that she would learn from him and be every bit cunning, pragmatic, and cruel when the need arises. So why wouldn't she betray Jowan and Lily to secure her own survival? Getting caught helping them could have hands made her Tranquil given Greagoir's paranoia, but with Irving to dorsum her, she has a chance to avoid a harsher penalisation.

Of course, if you lot choose to play the Mage Warden as naive and trusting, things magically work out for her anyway. But I enjoy the story more knowing that my character took accuse of her destiny and tried to forbid herself from being used and betrayed by her own friend.

Also, again, it just makes sense that the Mage Warden would be a pragmatist afterwards having been raised by a male parent effigy similar Irving.

Uldred as he appears in "Dragon Age: Origins."

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And nevertheless, on the other hand, Irving is also so confident in his own cunning that he doesn't even notice Uldred is recruiting blood mages nether his very nose. In fact, he trusts and respects Uldred and believes they are friends, and this is how Uldred gets abroad with building his undercover army and eventually taking over the Circle.

Like Jowan, Uldred had good intentions. Using blood magic began with simply wanting his freedom and independence and became something dark, as Loghain going dorsum on his promise to gratis the Circle is what ultimately ticked Uldred off.

This is why it's just as valid to roleplay a Warden who is actually fooled past Jowan, her blood mage friend. The parallels between the two friendships are deliberate.

I actually like not betraying Jowan just equally much. If you're role playing a character who actually likes him (not many fans did), and so continuing past your friend is the option. Even Duncan approves of this, which makes sense given that his all-time friend was Fiona, an Orlesian Gray Warden, a mage, and Alistair's mother.

Irving and Jowan at Redcliffe.

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But no thing which choice you make, it'southward my belief that Irving gear up you up to get conscripted by Duncan. Whether y'all get to him about Jowan or not, he already planned for you to be a Gray Warden.

Irving as well already knew what Jowan was up to and isn't remotely surprised when you come to tattle. He then decides to use Duncan as a way to save you. This is why Duncan is ever there with Greagoir correct as y'all are leaving the basement. This is also why Duncan mysteriously appears just in time to conscript you. Irving basically tells you this by mentioning a "great advantage" for betraying Jowan.

If you didn't come to Irving with Jowan'due south program, Irving will scold you and express disappointment, simply Duncan beingness there to save you is even so his doing. Duncan volition praise you for continuing by your friend, but Irving is peeved that you chose to trust Jowan over him. Nonetheless, he made sure Duncan was there to swoop y'all up from Greagoir.

You're Irving's favorite and he would do anything you inquire, even travel a solar day across the lake to aid save a possessed child. Even allow Jowan into the Fade when it'south confronting his amend judgement.

He knew he couldn't protect you lot from Tranquility or execution or Aeonar, so he prepare you up to get conscripted. He didn't beguile you.

Irving saved you.

Roleplaying Redcliffe

The Redcliffe Dungeons where Jowan is encountered.

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Another reason I love playing as Mage Surana is that it makes the events at Redcliffe personal and gives the Warden a huge amount of roleplay for the first half of the game that the other Wardens simply don't get.

Straight out of Ostagar, the Warden is brash to become to Redcliffe, where they observe their traitor-friend, Jowan, is the cause for an army of undead attacking the village each dark.

The Warden doesn't know it's Jowan until after the battle, which can brand for some interesting roleplay depending on whether or non they chose to defend the village. For example, if your Warden chooses to abandon Redcliffe for the night, they might render, observe Jowan is behind it, and so feel guilty, as they might blame themselves for letting Jowan escape the tower.

Talking to Jowan at length and choosing to release him or continue him imprisoned is also more meaningful when you actually know him. You can choose to play a bitter Warden who calls him a fool or you can open the door and allow him run to freedom.

Given that yous're a mage who actually understands demons and magic, it would likewise brand sense in this origin to leave Redcliffe and venture to the Circle Tower to find help for Connor.

Possessed Connor and Isolde.

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On the surface, this selection makes no sense and is actually really . . . dumb. Later on all, why should a demon that has been wrecking the hamlet giddily for days suddenly stop and put everything on agree while you sheet across the lake, which is a day'south journey away?

Realistically, you should return to observe everyone in the village dead and the demon cackling manically, right? Actually, no. If you talk to Connor before leaving the castle, he gives you a good reason why it's actually condom to leave: the demon is afraid of you lot.

Connor explains that the demon has run abroad because she'southward terrified of the Warden. And why shouldn't she be? The Warden merely slaughtered her fashion through the demon's entire undead regular army. And if the Warden is a mage, it makes fifty-fifty more sense, equally they can easily enter the Fade and end the demon once and for all.

And so in essence, the demon and the Warden are at a stalemate. The demon knows she's beat and is only waiting for a risk to negotiate (this is why she tries to brand a deal in the Fade. She . . . doesn't desire to die). Meanwhile, the Warden (depending on how you play her) would like to avoid killing Connor.

Again, it'south a stalemate.

And information technology but makes sense if you lot're playing a mage. The just fourth dimension I kill Connor is when I'thou not playing a mage. My other Wardens would never run a risk the entire village for a magic ritual they aren't fifty-fifty sure would work. Peculiarly my dwarves, who don't understand magic at all and believe it makes the virtually sense to only kill Connor and exist done with it.

Killing Connor also rewards y'all with a (hilarious) scene where Isolde shrieks and begs and you get to (yay!) knock her out.

Ah, the wonders of roleplaying.

Returning to the Tower

The Circumvolve Tower after Uldred'south uprising.

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Non every Warden gets to return to their origin point and reconnect with the NPCs from their past.

The Cousland Warden, for instance, never sees abode once more. They are unable as Howe is occupying it. And why would they desire to and then presently after the massacre of their family?

The Dalish Warden, as well, never revisits her clan during the campaign and instead meets another clan, where some of the NPCs recognize her and even acknowledge her parents.

The other Wardens tin return home and even have to face the consequences for their past deportment. Kallian Tabris, the city elf, must face Soris and Shianni (who she may have betrayed for coin) while the dwarven princess must face the fury of Orzammar for a criminal offence she may not even have committed.

Both origins can show pretty interesting because of this, but alas, y'all don't even get to return abode until nearly the end of the game. Mage Surana, meanwhile, must return to the mage tower only a few weeks later on leaving it, and is thus forced to face the consequences of her actions pretty early on in her arc.

This is actually practiced because it happens before the quest for the Urn of Sacred Ashes, meaning the mage'due south arc resolves past the fourth dimension she has to answer questions about information technology.

In other words, information technology makes for a more than coherent story. Things just seem to happen in a dandy and orderly fashion for the Mage Warden and she feels more personally involved in the game's main plot even more than a Cousland, who was supposed to be the default (not canon) Warden.

More Roleplay with Pointy Ears

My Surana Warden talks with Jowan.

The largest reason I prefer playing Surana over Amell is the roleplay aspect of it.

As I explained further up, I like playing underdogs who rise to the peak. It has to exercise with existence an underdog in real life, naturally. Also, because I'm an underdog in real life, I just tin't place with playing someone like, say, Cousland or the Princess Aeducan, who both had pretty privileged lives.

Technically, both of these Wardens are princesses given that the Couslands were second in line for the throne and were practically royalty. These two Wardens were respected and even admired by default, simply for existing as they are. It'due south the exact opposite of what it's like to be a minority. I have never in my life been respected and admired for being a blackness lesbian . . . more than like assumed to be a stereotype and dismissed (and/or hated for not beingness a stereotype because people can't confront their own racism).

And so while I enjoyed playing the princess dwarf and the spoiled Cousland heir, I did not identify with their struggles, which comprised of losing their families and their wealth and privilege all of a sudden and in the most painful fashion. Every bit someone who never had a loving family (the dwarven princess' male parent loved her, at least), and as someone who never had wealth and privilege, I tin pity these characters, but I can't identify with them.

Even the Amell Mage, while still oppressed for possessing magic, is all the same better off than the elven mage. Both were snatched from their families at a young age, but Amell was a noble and was snatched from a relatively easy life of privilege, while Surana was either taken from Lothering (the peasant countryside) or Denerim Alienage (which we learn in-game is ruled by some pretty horrible humans).

In brusque, I identify more with characters who share like hardships to my ain. Information technology's not a stupor. Virtually people want to play characters who are like them so that they can self-insert and projection themselves into a fantasy globe. It's the entire reason that every default protagonist in every video game ever is a straight white male: these games are targeted at straight white males.

For this reason, the city elf, Tabris, was my favorite Warden for years. So I finally got into playing a mage, which turned out to exist pretty crawly, and Surana became my canon.

Mages are the all-time.

Choosing Jowan's Fate

Jowan at Redcliffe.

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In the end, you can choose to help Jowan redeem himself or you can concord on to your acrimony, save Connor yourself, and and then even kill Jowan for what he did.

Your choices are, as always, about defining your character.

Whenever I play a mage, I discover myself choosing to permit Jowan redeem himself. I ever wind upwardly doing this because he seems sincere about making up for all the bad he did. And because he'south my Warden's only family, she gives him a take a chance, even when Irving scolds her and is completely confronting it.

And after the events are said and done, you tin execute Jowan yourself or let someone else do it.

I e'er choose to have my Warden execute Jowan. I experience she would do it to 1) protect him from being injure further by Isolde's men (Jowan was tortured by them) and 2) equally retribution for his deep betrayal of her trust.

I mean, if it hadn't been for Duncan, the Warden probably would have been made Tranquil or even flat-out executed. There would have been very little Irving could accept washed. And all because Jowan lied to her face and used her to go to his phylactery.

As Morrigan says in the game,

"There is no trial for apostates, no prisons, no mercy!"

The Circle is a prison. But mages who flee it or pause its rules are just killed or lobotomized without question. And while Anders from Dragon Historic period: Awakening was indeed arrested and brought dorsum, he was all the same placed in alone confinement for long months at a fourth dimension, which is a very fell and inhumane punishment.

Knowing this, what Jowan did was pretty callous. He just cared about saving his own butt from Greagoir's punishment, instead letting his all-time friend risk everything and take the autumn for him. How much must it hurt the Warden to know that their only friend secretly hated them and envied them all forth and was willing to let them become Tranquil, even while they were trying to save him!

This is another reason why I just take Surana execute Jowan herself. She doesn't take many options.

If she doesn't impale Jowan herself, the arl's knights are probable to shell down on Jowan some more and continue torturing him as payback for the devastation on the village and the loss of their families. No one deserves to exist tortured.

Some fans don't empathize.

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But if the Warden sends Jowan dorsum to the Circle Tower, he'll be made Tranquil, which in my stance is a fate worse than death.

Your Warden is purposely given a chance to come to a conclusion about Tranquillity during the origin for the very purpose of deciding Jowan'south fate afterwards. Jowan points her toward Owain, a Tranquil mage who insists that he's "happy" being an emotionless robot.

Your Warden can argue with Owain that his current state is monstrous or else they can naively believe that Serenity is a "valid" option for mages. I put "valid" in quotations considering information technology's not valid. At all.

Aye, the Tranquil are people and that should be respected. But that doesn't mean I have to agree with what's been done to them. Tranquility is a fantasy version of lobotomy. It's a monstrous practice. And it's even hinted in Dragon Historic period 2 that female person mages are lobotomized and then that templars tin can s*xually abuse them. A person who becomes Tranquil becomes a helpless victim to be used and controlled, as demonstrated by the franchise again and once more (expect what happened to the Tranquil in Dragon Age: I nquisition).

A Tranquil mage from "Dragon Age: 2."

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Fans are non "dehumanizing" the Tranquil past acknowledging that what's been done to them is abhorrent. Just because the Tranquil seem to enjoy being Tranquil doesn't hateful it'south good for them. People are emotional creatures and this leads u.s.a. to be irrational. Every bit a result, we enjoy a lot of things that are bad for us: recreational drugs, junk food, unprotected s*ten, driving while drunk, cocky-mutilation . . . And withal, these things are objectively bad for united states of america. How is being made into a zombie that won't object to r*pe whatsoever different?

Owain openly admits that he was so scared of the Harrowing that he asked to be made Tranquil, so his emotions led him to an irrational decision. To be clear, his emotions weren't irrational, his conclusions about them were. Owain is a victim who can't even recognize his own victimhood or the fact that what'southward been done to him is terrible. This is a classic example of what abusers want: someone so beaten down and unaware of their ain abuse that they won't even fight back.

The Harrowing is a disgusting practice where mages are possessed by demons and are forced to fight them. If the mage loses, they die.

Information technology'due south just a way of blackmailing a mage into becoming a compliant slave. They either die, they become Tranquil, or they face downwardly a demon and somehow win after what is likely to be a traumatic experience in the Fade.

This is pretty awful. Being faced with death or lobotomy is not a real option. Information technology'due south blackmail. Owain was terrorized into becoming what he became. It'due south a sickening thing to employ someone's emotions to manipulate them into compliance and strip them of their bones right to personal liberty.

If you talk to Alistair almost being a templar, he'll tell you that he decided he wanted out of the Order the day he was forced to witness a demon-possessed girl get slain past templars during her Harrowing.

And when the Mage Warden goes through her own Harrowing, she meets spirits and demons alike (Mouse and Valor) who are disgusted by what's going on in the tower.

We are not supposed to encounter Tranquility every bit a valid option. We are supposed to see information technology for the travesty that information technology is, and our horror at the realization of what Jowan faces is supposed to motivate us to assistance him during our origin.

So becoming Tranquil rightfully terrifies Jowan. It'southward a fitting punishment if the Warden is nevertheless bitter that he was willing to let it happen to her. Or it's something to be avoided if the Warden has forgiven him on some level.

Again, it'due south about defining your Warden. I roleplay my Warden every bit caring enough well-nigh Jowan to protect him from becoming Tranquil, fifty-fifty if it means killing him. I feel that she withal loves him as a friend, despite everything.

Information technology merely fits the story ameliorate for me.

In the End It's All About Defining Your Warden

Awesome Jowan fan art.

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Then yep. I always execute Jowan myself. My character is ever securely injure by his betrayal, calls him a fool to his confront twice, and shows nothing but hostility and anger at Redcliffe. And yet, if anyone tries to injure Jowan, she's lunging to defend him—from Lady Isolde, from Eamon, from everybody.

Because at the finish of the day, the idiot is even so a brother to her.

The story is adept. And what makes information technology even better? If you romance Morrigan, your Warden finally gets a family of their own, i that tin can't be locked away in the Circle Belfry. I always play women, though, so Leliana becomes my Surana's new family unit.

It makes for a pretty perfect character arc and a wonderful feel. Which is why I volition be forever baffled that the Mage Warden is probably the to the lowest degree pop Warden.

Oh well. More Mage Warden for me.

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Source: https://levelskip.com/rpgs/Dragon-Age-Origins-2010-The-Mage-Warden-An-Analysis

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