It is far from news that the world of games is inhabited mainly by protagonists, whose appearance we would call "European", or, as they also call it, "white". Some "colored" characters are usually either made as supporting characters, villains, well, or just cannon fodder - and most of the air time they simply do not exist. Such is the reality of the world, when predominantly European faces from the media industry are locked in a kind of artificial vacuum created by years of everyday racism and sexism in a society that has developed a habitual preference for certain types. In the end, it is these types that bring in more money, which can then be spent on production. Although some companies are taking steps to level the playing field in this regard, most AAA games are still dominated by the same triad of protagonist traits: white Caucasian, male, and straight.
But this article is not about the state of the gaming industry and the representation of "non-whites" in it. There is a lot of material written about this, which is much better than I could write on this topic, and in general I am “white”. It's not for me to talk about how bad it is when the media erases you just because of the color of your skin. However, being a fan of one particular piece of media, spending a lot of time in the trenches of fandom, I will talk about the erasure in one particular case: the "whitening" of Dorian Pavus by some of the fandom dragon age: Inquisition.
I don't work in the gaming industry and can't hope for a wide response from this article. I can vote with money by buying the games I believe in and avoiding the ones I don't; I can tell my friends about good games; I can buy their souvenirs; if I want, I can create my own media to somehow change public opinion; and I can discuss issues of domestic racism in the fan circles that I am a member of.
Just so everyone understands what I'm talking about: The type of racism that some fans are finding in their attitude towards Dorian that I'm talking about is not the fault of BioWare, who created an absolutely beautiful action fantasy RPG with a bonus of sim elements in form of dating, which I really love, despite their shortcomings. No, in fact, BioWare did a great job with Dorian Pavus, who became the first and so far the best written gay and "colored". Tevinter may be Dorian's homeland in Thedas and a fictional country in a fantasy world, but to quote lead character artist John Epler, who noted when he described Dorian's race that "Indian was the closest real-world counterpart."
I don't want to oversimplify, but it's obvious to me. It was enough to see Dorian's character design and hear him (voiced by Ramon Tikaram, a British Indo-Fijian and Malaysian actor) to immediately understand that he was "non-European". Thanks a lot to Epler for the hint about his race, but I did not need it to determine that he was an Indian in a fantasy setting.
But apparently, some in the fandom still needed to be told about it.
Where I had a pleasant surprise in the game, when Dorian appeared as an elegant, mustachioed badass with the unenviable fate of roaming the cold and dirty landscapes of Thedas with a mostly open chest and a completely obvious "non-European" origin, some players noticed the first set of characteristics, but not his race.
I have seen piles of meta and discussions on forums, twitter, tumblr, arguing with fairly obvious facts and exercising inferences and conclusions, which race represents who in this fantasy world, or that some "just have a tan" ". In researching the material for this article, I have seen several people claim, for example, that Dorian looks like an Italian. This is still at least some kind of assumption. He has a dark complexion, and to some he looks a bit like a Mediterranean type. Therefore, the authors of this version can be given credit, but still they unconsciously rejected the version that he is a "non-white non-European" - or that he is an "Indian", although for this it would be enough to google for the name of Ramon Ticaron, like me, and one could draw a conclusion given his swarthy skin.
But this path for many is behind an invisible barrier.
To be honest, I sincerely doubt that people who argue about the meaning of race in a fantasy context are doing so with a Machiavellian agenda. Rather, it is due to an ingrained, subconscious stereotype - established at all levels of media and society - that "white European" is the default canon, that it is an aesthetic ideal. This is the same everyday, unconscious, educated racism - it is banal. And it is precisely because of this that the fanart artist wants so much to make the character a little lighter - or not a little (of course, first of all we are talking about those cases when Dorian Pavus, a man with dark skin and a character created to look like an Indian, is remade into a person with slightly different facial features and a much paler complexion).
So you have to redraw half of Thedas: Zevran Aranai, Fenris, Isabela, Josephine Montillier, Vivienne, Dorian Pavus - they are not all "white Europeans". And all of them were presented in art as "white" or described as such in fanfiction. The very idea of drawing these characters using a color very different from their actual skin color illustrates such a subconscious rejection of non-European appearance in general.
Such people will always look the way they look, no matter what the lighting. So the explanation of some artists does not work here, that, they say, the light falls on them like that. If your light falls like that, then the first question is why? Why does the artist choose to draw the only option in which a character with Indian features will look not quite Indian? Not to mention all sorts of tricks with intros and screens, on which the dark hair and eyes of the characters, for example, are redrawn, and they become fair-haired or blue-eyed (usually this is called "editing"). It turns out, as John Epler said, "If you are non-white and non-European, we do not think that you are worth wasting time on." Or that non-white skin color is a flaw that needs to be corrected.
Iquisition! - the door to the chambers of Adaar swung open from a blow from the foot of a drunken Dorian Pavus. The inquisitor flinched in surprise, dropping the book from his hands, but quickly realized that Pavus was drunk, and, therefore, this unworthy reaction to surprise would go unnoticed. - Dorian. Well, of course, Dorian, who else would break into the Iquisitor's bedroom in the middle of the night. Who else but Dorian and the Bull. And Sir. And Varrica too. And Cole, as Adaar sometimes thinks, perhaps does not leave these very chambers, he sits quietly somewhere under the ceiling ... Adaar shuddered at this thought. "The Inquisition," repeated Dorian in a slightly stuttering tongue, and with a wandering smile, hesitantly walked straight towards him. “I was wondering why this nice little bottle of brown Tevinter would go to waste? And here I still have grapes ... - Dorian, on the second attempt, got into his pocket with his hand, searched for something with it for a long time, as a result he brought out three crumpled grapes and held them out in the palm of Adaar. The Inquisitor's face was impenetrable. He looked at the berries with an unblinking gaze, in which a silent question was read: “Why do I need all this?”. The generous palm was still looming in front of his nose, so the Inquisitor pushed it away from his face in one graceful gesture and tried to return to his reading. Dorian smiled condescendingly and, with a barely perceptible movement of his finger, covered the pages of the book with a crust of ice. The Inquisitor pursed his lips. "What a kindergarten," he muttered, putting down his book. It hit the table loudly, both mages silently watched for a while as the tabletop under the book was covered with frost. “So,” Dorian concluded, rolling from heel to toe and rubbing his hands, “we have something to discuss, don’t you think? - Is it? The Inquisitor looked surprised. Something uncomfortably clenched in his stomach. She and Dorian, of course, often allowed themselves to make obscene jokes during the battle, and in times of peace, but to discuss this? Kind of weird. - Inquisitor, not Julia. - Listen, Dorian, you're drunk, go to sleep, - Adaar, just in case, sat down away from Pavus. - Do not try to get rid of me, I, by the way, have been preparing for a long time for ... for ... this conversation. Adaar froze. His worst fears came true. - And I intend to! I intend to finish this conversation today, - with these words, Dorian categorically put his foot in a heavy boot on a chair. “Whether the Grand Inquisitor wants it or not. - Dorian, go away, I beg you, - Adaar pleaded, calculating the escape routes in his mind. - You tell me better, why are you constantly dragging me with you? No, of course I'm glad, I myself said that you shouldn't kill anyone without me, but ... Why not Solas, for example? Or this lady from Orlais, what's her... Wyvern... - Vivienne. Well… I like the way you fight,” the Inquisitor shrugged. To some extent, he didn't cheat. He really liked the way Pavus fought. All these poses of his, intricate gestures with a staff, curls fluttering from the blizzard caused, frost on the eyelashes, blush on the cheeks, blocks of ice covering the armor. Dorian grimaced. 'I was expecting a more intriguing answer, Inquisitor. “Besides, you are the only necromancer in the squad,” Adaar was found in time. But Pavus was already slowly and imposingly approaching. The curl fell on his forehead, and the lips under the graceful mustache curved slightly into an all-knowing smile. “And in case you haven’t noticed, I carry the Bull with me at least as often,” Adaar added hastily, although he knew that it was already too late. “Well, we have one such Bull,” Dorian unbuttoned the top button on his jacket, “it’s stuffy here, Inquisitor. By the way, about the Bull, we'll talk to you later. Another... at night. Dorian stopped a step away from Adaar. The latter had nowhere to retreat - there was a wall behind. - It's so cute. Are you afraid of me. The huge, horned Qunari is afraid of Dorian Pavus. Tell someone - do not believe ... Dorian did not finish, because Adaar's fingers tightened on his throat. The Inquisitor brought the gasping magician's face close to his own and breathed a grin into his lips. “It's incredible how talkative you are, Dorian. And then Dorian disappeared. Step into the shadows, well, of course. The inquisitor could only mentally call himself a fool, and said aloud: - You are wasting your stamina in the wrong direction, Dorian. - I would gladly spend it in the right, - a hot whisper burned Adaar's ear, - but some Inquisitors are so hard-headed that even I will soon run out of both eloquence and patience. - Your eloquence has long been... - but Adaar was prevented from finishing by a hand that penetrated under his belt from behind, and now skillfully examined the contents of his pants. - You're crazy, Dory... aaan, - the magician's name turned into a groan, and Pavus smiled contentedly somewhere behind his ear: - Would it be too vulgar and banal if I say that you are driving me crazy? Adaar swallowed and, with a lot of effort, grabbed the mage's hand, which was rhythmically moving in his pants. - That's all, we played - and that's enough, - growled Adaar, either angry at Pavus, or at himself ... But, definitely, angry at someone. Dorian carefully removed his hand from his pants and stepped out from behind the Inquisitor. The magician looked at the Qunari with a look in which knowledge and understanding of what was happening sparkled in different ways. He brought his hand up to his face and greedily inhaled her scent through his nose. The Inquisitor rolled his eyes and strode out of the room with long strides. Pavus quickly conjured an ice wall, which Adaar almost crashed into with speed. - Damn it, Dorian, why do I need this block in the bedroom now? Sorry, I couldn't just let you go. The wall is the most innocent, in general, what came to my mind. "I'm sorry it didn't occur to you to stay at home tonight." - Well, don't be angry, - Dorian came up to Adaar from behind and buried his chin in his shoulder. The Inquisitor only sniffled, acknowledging his total surrender. Well, Inqui. - Never. More. Don't call. Me. So, - squeezed out Adaar. - After everything that happened between us... - Stop it. - My Adaarchik. - Another word like that, and I'll fry your ass. - That beautiful ass? - Dorian in his own way grabbed the hand of the Inquisitor, brought it behind his back and put it on his own buttocks. If the Qunari could blush, the Inquisitor would be in trouble. And so he just silently sniffed, because immediately after the words and actions of Dorian, his naked elastic ass solemnly appeared in the imagination of Adaar. Immediately, in the context of what was happening, another meaning of the word “fry” was revealed. Again, kudos to Andraste for keeping the Qunari from blushing. It seems that the ambiguity of what was said also reached Dorian, for the lips on his face stretched into a joyfully cunning smile. … The Inquisitor had never heard so many ironic diminutives in his life before in his life.
Updated on December 3, 2018
Dragon Age: Inquisition is arguably one of the best roleplaying fantasy video games of our generation. With countless sidequests, memorable characters and an engaging storyline, not to mention the great fighting style and ability to build any character you like, it is one magnificent gaming experience.
Another great feature of the dragon age series is the ability to enter a romantic relationship with certain characters, providing you meet the correct criteria. This article is a guide on how to romance the mage Dorian who, depending on your choices throughout the game, you first meet in Redcliffe's Chantry or just outside Haven. Dorian can be romanced by any race, but your character must be male. Hats off to BioWare's continued support of the LGBT community.
Meeting Dorian
When it comes to your character having to decide between helping the Mages or the Templars, there are two ways you can meet Dorian. A mage will approach you as you"re leaving Val Royeaux (right after the "The Threat Remans" quest) to ask you to meet her in Redcliffe. This unlocks the previously inaccessible village in Fereldan's Hinterlands.
- Go to Redcliffe and see the cutscene that awaits you in the tavern, or
- Ignore this quest (if you decide to ally with the Templars) and wait to meet Dorian after you"ve completed the quest "In Your Heart Shall Burn".
However, you can still ally with the Templars later if you do meet the mages in Redcliffe, so you might as well meet him sooner by:
- Heading to Redcliffe's tavern and watching the cutscene
- Heeding the warning you get and traveling to the chantry
- Helping Dorian close the rift and watching the cutscene
Either way, he will join you eventually.
Choosing the Mages or the Templars
Whether or not you decided to meet Dorian in Redcliffe, you still have the choice whether to approach the mages or the Templars for help to close the Breach. If you"d like to gain a lot of Approval for Dorian, you should:
- Complete the mages" quest "In Hushed Whispers" and choose to ally with them. Dorian will greatly approve, and you will also gain approval from , Cole and .
This gives you a great boost to Dorian's Approval, making him easier to romance. However, if you really want to have the Templars on your side instead, be sure to ally with them, as Dorian has no Approval changes (if you disband them, Dorian will disapprove).
Dorian will then say that he wants to see the Breach up close. Welcome him to join the Inquisition.
Approach Dorian in Haven and, although he greatly approved you allying with the mages, he goes on a bit of a rant about it. Respond with:
- "I'll think of something."
- The romance option "So long as they"re like you."
- Investigate -> "Tell me about yourself."
- The romance option "It's obvious to me."
Approval in Skyhold
As soon as you get to Skyhold, find Dorian in one of the upper towers (near Leliana). Respond to him with:
- The romance option "I was enjoying the show."
- "You"re very confident."
- Investigate -> "They say the Chantry is lying?"
- "You"re not responsible."
- "I don't need their thanks."
A Letter Regarding Felix / Approval in Skyhold
If you completed "In Hushed Whispers", Dorian will tell you he got a letter from Felix, who is now dead because "the Blight caught up with him."
If you completed "Champions of the Just", Dorian will tell you he got a letter from Felix, who is now dead because "I think the Venatori found out he was helping me. I think they killed him."
- "I'm sorry for your loss."
- "What about yourself?"
Go to Dorian again and by now he should flirt with you when you greet him. Respond with the romance option "I could say the same of you."
If your character is human, at some point, Dorian will tell you that the two of you are related from a long time ago. Choose the romance option "Can we still flirt?" If your character isn't human, there will be a unique dialogue depending on your race.
Dorian's Personal Quest: Last Resort of Good Men
Mother Giselle, who is in the hall near the judgment throne, will approach you and tell you that a letter was sent for Dorian. You are given the choice whether to warn him or not. Approach Dorian and say "Your father sent a letter."
Then, when prompted, head to the tavern in Redcliffe and watch the cutscene. There is no difference in approval rating until you are presented with the dialogue wheel where you can choose: "Don't leave it like this."
After you get back to Skyhold, approach Dorian again and select:
- "Are you all right?"
- "You're brave." / "Good things."
Sentencing Alexius
(Only available if you completed "In Hushed Whispers".)
Sentence Alexius to work for the Inquisition and you"ll gain some Approval points from Dorian. Talk to him immediately after you do this, and you"ll get another Approval bonus.
First Kiss
Hailing from eastern Tevinter, he is a mage who wields knowledge and power beyond the reach of other mages. He was once a student of Alexius the hermit who supported the abolition of slavery in the world of Dragon Age.
Everything speaks of the noble origin of this person. True, Dorian, who saw the abuse of power, magic and wealth, refused such a life, and became an exile (outcast). Wanting to prevent his friends from going down the path of evil, he joined the Inquisition during a brutal war between mages and templars.
His charisma, sarcasm, sharp mind, physique and magical abilities delight connoisseurs of the Dragon Age world. Take into account only his jokes, which the players cannot but like. The renegade mage's arsenal includes spells against spirits and death. He believes that he can change the outlook of the people of the Empire. The main role in the game is to be a companion (companion) of the Inquisitor. Dorian's main fear is to succumb to temptation. This hero can rightfully be considered the most non-standard character in the game. Because is a companion with a non-standard orientation. He does not wear a mask and does not hide his preferences. Becoming a black sheep, he continues to be an influential person in his world.
Who is Dorian Pavus in contact with?
It is interesting to observe the relationship between Dorian and Vivien. They, like Statler and Waldorf, are always ready to incinerate each other with mutual hostility. But only a common enemy appears on the horizon, these two opposites unite into a single team and fight with the enemy to the bitter end.
The next in line is the Iron Bull he has a rather specific relationship with Dorian. He is also a non-standard representative of his society (players remember the love affair between the Inquisitor and the Iron Bull).
Dorian Pavus' favorite dish is peeled grapes. And also, judging by the remarks, he is not averse to pampering himself with a lot of alcohol.