Speculation: Dorian, Maevaris, and the Lucerni

lavellanlove:

lafaiette:

lavellanlove:

So thinking ahead to DA:4, I have a sense that the political climate in Tevinter is going to be volatile and critically important to our egg hunting endeavors. But what I’m still trying to gain a better understanding of is what the Lucerni’s plan for redeeming Tevinter might actually entail. 

Here’s what we know:

• Solas expects the Qunari to focus their efforts on Tevinter after Trespasser. And we’ve heard hints of a full-scale invasion on the horizon for ages now. 
• Dorian expresses concern to Solas about the consequences for elves should Tevinter learn the truth of their role in the fall of Arlathan.
• During the Inquisition, Maevaris, and by extension the Lucerni, can be persuaded to actively undermine the Venatori’s support in the Magisterium. This earns them some enemies, all of whom were undoubtedly weakened both by Marius’ assassinations and by the fall of Corypheus.
• According to Dorian, the fledgling Lucerni party is comprised of about a dozen zealous junior magisters. While they share Dorian & Mae’s distaste for corruption within the Imperium, they’re described as having “little idea how to change it beyond shouting incoherently”. Dorian describes them as “wildly inept at politics”, and believes it will “take a great deal of skill” to keep them alive long enough to gain legitimacy as a political faction. 

So clearly, Dorian and Mae are trying to moderate their more liberal allies, but what policies do you think they will actually advocate for? How will they root out corruption? Will they try to build military strength? Strengthen the northern circles? Forge alliances with the Anderfels, Nevarra, or Antiva? Place censures on blood magic? Improve slave conditions to try to stem the tide of uprisings? 

How will they gain legitimacy? What unsavory alliances do you think they’ll be willing to stomach for political tenability? What positions will they advance? I’d love to get some blue sky speculation from some fellow lore buffs.

@rederiswrites, @lafaiette, @emmadirthera, @andrasteshaircurlers, @geeky-jez, @higheverrains, @feynites, @tsyele , if anyone has thoughts, let me know! 

@lavellanlove This is difficult to answer, since we still know so little about Tevinter. The past games were focused mainly on Ferelden and Orlais (DA2 was almost completely focused on the matters of Kirkwall), so we still need to see for ourselves how things in the Imperium are going and how its society acts, who its protagonists are and so on. Hopefully DA4 will give us that chance.

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Yay! @lafaiette, can I TELL you how happy it makes me to have a viable way to make idealism work? It pained me to be such a cynic, and nothing would make me sadder than a jaded Dorian 😛. 

There are, of course, pros and cons to both courses of action: the moderate route is objectively safer, but moderate change is slow, and risks eventual corruption or its proponents losing faith. The liberal route, while it offers much more immediate change, is a political non-starter (after all, the oppressed classes of TE have no political voice); to make it work, they’ll have to get their hands dirty, and accept the risk of having even larger targets on all their heads. 

I wonder: if they take the approach you propose, how do you will the Lucerni appeal to the Soporati, Liberati, & Servani to join them versus Fen’Harel? I can’t help but think most slaves would rather see Tevinter burn than give reform a chance. So do the Lucerni make Fen’Harel’s intention of tearing down the veil more salient? Play to fear? Write evanuris-style propaganda about him? Focus their energies on winning over powerless freedmen? 

Thanks so much for your thoughts! Even though it’s all total speculation, it is very interesting to think about, and great to get a fresh perspective. 🙂