The Middle Ages in Modern Games: Conference Proceedings, Vol. 2 (2021)

2: What to Expect from the Inquisition: Historical Myth-Unmaking in Dragon Age: Inquisition Alicia Mckenzie, @merovingianist, Wilfrid Laurier University It is fair to say that the name ‘Inquisition’ has some historical baggage in the eyes of the modern audience. BioWare’s choice to use it for the titular organization of their third Dragon Age game is strategic; by evoking the idea of conflicting interpretations of history, it foreshadows one of the game’s major themes.

Dragon Age: Inquisition opens with a devastating magical explosion, an act of apparent terrorism that destroys a peace conference called the Conclave. The explosion kills the Divine, the head of the Chantry and the religious leader of southern Thedas, as well as countless members of the warring factions. The Divine’s surviving lieutenants proceed to implement her back-up plan and declare a new Inquisition.

The original Inquisition was founded centuries before, in the early days of the Andrastian religion.

Thedasian history disagrees on its legacy: the Inquisition is remembered as a group of dangerous zealots by some, as an organization dedicated to justice by others. Like its predecessor, the new Inquisition’s mandate is to restore order (which also means investigating the attack on the Conclave).

The player character is the sole survivor from ground zero, left with the ability to mend the rifts in reality caused by the explosion. Seen as a potential saviour and dubbed the ‘Herald of Andraste’ by Thedas’s shaken people, they are inevitably drawn into a leadership role within the new Inquisition.

Through conversations with NPCs, the Herald can explore different interpretations of the first Inquisition's history. Mother Giselle (a surviving Grand Cleric) calls the original Inquisitors "hunters and zealots" who spread the Andrastian faith by force, although she understands the Divine’s goals in reusing the name. Cassandra and Leliana, the Divine’s lieutenants, have more positive interpretations.

But it is the PC who becomes the Inquisitor, whose choices will ultimately shape the direction of the new Inquisition. Will the Inquisition be as ruthless in its pursuit of justice as its predecessor, or will it wield its power in more tempered ways? The Herald is faced by a constant series of choices, especially once they have been acclaimed as Inquisitor. Once acknowledged by the rulers of Thedas, the Inquisitor is given the right to judge prisoners taken by the Inquisition. Execution is always an option, but so are more creative or compassionate judgements. “Justice has many tools”, as the Inquisition’s ambassador Josephine points out.

Judgements and other role-playing choices affect the game’s approval mechanic, which governs the Inquisitor’s relationship with their NPC companions. High approval unlocks new conversations and quests, while acting like a brutal thug leads to painful and explosive confrontations as your supporters lose faith in you. Even more consequential choices come in main story quests like ‘Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts’, where the Inquisitor investigates an assassination plot at another peace conference.

While there, they must help resolve the civil war in the Empire of Orlais by deciding which side will receive the Inquisition's support. But should they choose the claimant best for the empire, or the claimant who is best for the Inquisition? The ethical choice is not clear-cut; the Inquisition’s needs favour one solution, while the well-being of the Orlesian people favour another. The Inquisitor must decide which will be their priority.

Choices such as these shape the Inquisition's legacy. By the end of the game’s main storyline, the Inquisitor's actions determine the election of the new Divine and the future direction of the Chantry (moderate or radical reform, or a return to traditional ways). But such massive influence comes with a cost. In the game’s final DLC, “Trespasser”, the Inquisition is facing enormous pressure from the 9