Dragon Age: Inquisition: The Inquisitor | The Inner Circle (Warriors | Mages | Rogues) | Multiplayer | Non-Playable Characters (The Inquisition | Antagonists | DLC Characters)
Dragon Age: Origins | Dragon Age II
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Cullen Rutherford
Cullen in Inquisition
Cullen in Origins
Cullen in 2
Appears in: Origins | Dragon Age II | Inquisition | Absolutionnote
Voiced by: Greg Ellis (English)Foreign VAs
"Maker turn His gaze on you. I hope your compassion hasn't doomed us all."
A young Templar at the Circle tower, Cullen harbors a long-standing infatuation with the female Mage PC, despite knowing of the impossibility of this sentiment. In Dragon Age II, Cullen has been sent to Kirkwall and promoted to Knight-Captain. As Meredith's second-in-command, he’s Hawke's primary contact in the Templar Order. In Inquisition, Cullen leaves the Templars and joins the Inquisitor's team as military advisor after Cassandra notices the role he played in keeping Kirkwall together.
Tropes In Dragon Age: Origins
- Anguished Declaration of Love: To the female mage. Subverted horribly when he proclaims that he no longer cares that she knows, because the massacre had turned all mages into possible monsters in his eyes. Dragon Age II shows part of him does still care.
- Break the Cutie: Cullen in the Mage Origin is friendly and has pleasant manners; he's only in his late teens and still boyishly shy. Then the Circle arc happens and he's subjected to circumstances which leave him horribly traumatized. It's especially pronounced if your character is a female mage, since the whole thing pretty much pulverizes the crush he'd been nursing on her up to that point.
- By "No", I Mean "Yes": Tells the female mage Warden that she's 'not' distracting him from his duties when she certainly is.
- Cannot Spit It Out: While he's strongly infatuated with the female mage and keeps stuttering around her, his occupation forbids him from even thinking about telling her about it.
- Cowboy Cop: His recommendation for dealing with the blood mages? Kill them. Justified after the Cold-Blooded Torture he was forced to endure, seeing his fellow Templars break and die.
- Everyone Can See It: Even mage apprentices around the tower gossip about how taken he is with the female mage PC. It's also hinted that Knight-Commander Greagoir knew his feelings too, and made Cullen oversee her Harrowing to ensure his loyalty to the Templars should she become possessed.Female Apprentice: I heard Cullen is in love with you!
- Hunk: He is well-muscled and adheres to the classic Western standard of male beauty.
- Jumping Off the Slippery Slope: In one epilogue, if the player sided with the mages, it's rumoured that he loses what little sanity he has left, butchers several apprentices, and flees the Tower. It's heavily implied that he goes on to become a wanted serial killer. The events of the second game suggest that the rumor had little to no basis in truth.
- Love Makes You Crazy: If the Warden is a female mage, she appears in the visions with which the demons torment him, presumably either seducing him or being married to him. The latter is forbidden - Templars can marry, as he himself explains in the third game, but Circle mages cannot.
- Mind Rape: The demons were rather thorough in their breaking of him. It takes him years to recover.
- Nice Guy: At first, unless the Warden isn't a mage. The Mind Rape justifies him becoming a not-so-nice guy. The niceness comes back to an extent in the second game, as he is always civil to Hawke, even if they are a mage. It comes back even more in the third game.
- Permanently Missable Content: A mild example. It's completely possible to play through the mage origin and not actually encounter him, especially if you're focused on the whole Jowan situation and don't stop to talk to any Templars. If the mage PC is female, he nevertheless responds to her appearance during "Broken Circle" the same way, which can be confusing to a player who doesn't know about his crush - especially if it's their first playthrough ever and they don't even know that Cullen exists until that point.
- Star-Crossed Lovers: With the female mage Warden, if she reciprocates his feelings. Cullen isn't free to act on them because she's a mage and he's a Templar. It doesn't end well for him. It's implied in Dragon Age II that he still has feelings for her. If you import an Origins save with a female Human Mage Warden, he'll comment on it if you talk to him in Act 2. (Presumably he feels the same for Surana, but since she has no relative appear in the next game to remind him of her, he doesn't bring her up.) He'll speak of her again in Inquisition if that's part of the imported save, noting that he was less than gracious with her and that he wishes he could let her know he regrets the things he said.Cullen: I knew an Amell once. [stares off into the distance] She was a special woman.
- Unexplained Recovery: There's at least one ending where Cullen loses his mind completely, leaves the Templars, and becomes a serial killer. Despite this, he reappears as Meredith's second-in-command in Dragon Age II, where he's far more sane. The writers later had to retcon this as many of the epilogues are merely rumours of what might have happened. After his traumatic experiences at the Circle Tower, Cullen was transfered to Kirkwall to recuperate.
Tropes In Dragon Age II
- Anti-Villain: He hates mages with a passion, but there's a very good reason for that. He also points out that the Templars aren't there to merely guard the people from mages - they're also there to guard the mages from other people and themselves.
- Ascended Extra: From Origins, where he only appeared in the Mage Origin and the Circle arc. Here, his role is greatly expanded as Meredith's second-in-command, making him one of the Templars that Hawke will encounter most often before Act 3.
- Claustrophobia: One of the byproducts of his Mind Rape in the first game, when he was held for weeks on end in a very small magical cage, is that he developed this. It's really only mentioned in the second World of Thedas book, which describes how he couldn't stand living below deck on the ship which took him to Kirkwall for his reassignment; he had similar problems on the ship which took him back to Ferelden for the third game.
- The Dragon: To Meredith.
- Enemy Mine: With a mage Hawke. Despite being a mage, he still stands with them and informs Meredith that she has to go through him when she orders Hawke's execution, realizing she has gone completely off the deep end.
- Even Evil Has Standards: He is increasingly alarmed by Meredith's fanaticism, although he only takes a stand when Meredith wants to kill Hawke, a popular noble and the Champion of Kirkwall, rather than objecting to the mass slaughter of innocent mages in retaliation for a crime no one in the Gallows had any part in committing.Meredith: You will do as I command, Cullen.
Cullen: No! I defended you when Thrask started whispering you were mad, but this is too much. - Foil: While he and Meredith share the same prejudices against mages that seem to be inherent in the Templar Order, Cullen won't put his fears, however justified, over basic morality and what he believes the Order truly stands for. This is in stark contrast to Meredith's Jumping Off the Slippery Slope.
- Friendly Enemy: Hawke (regardless of class) can see him this way if the player is doing a pro-mage run. Despite his heavy Templar leanings, Cullen is generally pleasant and respectful toward Hawke, who can treat him the same way.
- Heel–Face Turn: He will turn on Meredith to protect Hawke once it becomes clear how batshit insane she's become, and allow Hawke to leave peacefully despite them siding with the mages. Alternately, should Hawke side with the Templars, Cullen is the first to drop to one knee and acknowledge them as the new Viscount/ess of Kirkwall.
- Hypocrite: If Hawke sticks up for Alain at the end of "Best Served Cold," Cullen dismisses his actions as a "convenient last-minute change of heart." He only tries to oust Meredith when the battle is almost over, with maybe one other moment of defiance if you side with the Templars. By Inquisition, he considers this My Greatest Failure.
- Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique: The party first comes across him beating the hell out of a new recruit as he demands to know the truth about the recruit sneaking away. Turns out the recruit is possessed.
- Just Following Orders: As Knight-Captain, he has more authority in Kirkwall than most of his fellows; however, he's still subservient to the increasingly insane Meredith, and he's still quite a young man (he was born in the same year as the Hawke twins, who are 19 when the game begins). It's indicated that he doesn't always like what his vows require him to do, but he feels like he doesn't have much of a choice. Meredith's leash grows weaker as the game progresses.
- Knight Templar: Though he does have lines he won't cross and will (sometimes reluctantly) listen to reason. He just also happens to be a Templar Knight.
- Mind Rape: What Uldred and his followers put him through back in Ferelden. When confronted with Alrik's "tranquil solution", he claims that he doesn't necessarily support the idea - but that there is an argument for using Tranquility more widely, because it's a kinder alternative than instant execution or indefinite imprisonment. Anders, naturally, is disgusted.
- My Master, Right or Wrong: At first, though he eventually stands up to Meredith.
- Noble Bigot with a Badge: While he openly admits that he's not a fan of magic, he considers it the job of the Templars to protect mages, as much from other people as themselves. Cullen may occasionally tar other mages with the same brush as the bad ones, but he dislikes those who attempt to justify their brutality with that rationale.
- Number Two: To Meredith; as Knight-Captain, he's become the second-highest ranked Templar in Kirkwall.
- Reasonable Authority Figure:
- Compared to most of Kirkwall's Templars. A lot of it depends on Hawke's own actions - throw Keran out or let him stay in the order? Show Alain mercy or execute him? Spare or kill surrendering mages in the Templar ending? He repeatedly defers to you.
- He even believes that the Right of Annulment should be used only to kill known and suspected maleficar and let untainted mages live, and orders his Templars to think likewise in direct defiance of Meredith if the Champion encourages him to mutiny. This is a direct inversion of his attitude from Origins, showing his Character Development.
- The World of Thedas books show that among the Kirkwall Circle mages, it was understood that there was no danger of Cullen hurting them or forcing himself on them, which put him much higher in their estimation than many other Templars.
- Retcon: At the end of Origins, he is either a rogue Templar, having murdered several mages and now hunted by his own comrades, or he replaces Greagoir as the Commander at the Fereldan Circle, using fear as his primary means of enforcement on mages. In the sequel, not only is he not a madman or totalitarian, but he ultimately defies Meredith when she becomes both of these very things. Word of God explains that the ending slides about Cullen didn't state things which actually happened, but rather stated rumors which got out about him, and that they were inaccurate.
- Sanity Strengthening: He's still harsh on mages but is much more reasonable about it than he was in Origins, where one of his endings had him run off and become a Serial Killer.
- Suddenly Blonde: The first game made him appear to have red hair, but starting in this game he's quite distinctly blond. According to the devs, he was always intended to be blond, but the lighting limitations in the mage tower in Origins caused his hair to appear dark red.
- Took a Level in Badass: The kid who ran away from the female mage Warden when she invited him for a quickie has come a long way, eventually raising his sword against Meredith and living to tell the tale. But he's nevertheless embarrassed talking about the city's brothel.
Tropes In Dragon Age: Inquisition
- Actually Pretty Funny: Although mortified to walk in on Iron Bull's love scene, he still chuckles at Bull's sense of humour.Cassandra: So I take it-
Iron Bull: Actually, s/he is the one who has been taking it.
Cullen: [snickers] - Addled Addict: In Trespasser, if Cullen was encouraged to keep taking lyrium indefinitely and the Inquisition is disbanded (and he isn't romanced), he eventually devolves into this.
- Animal Motif: He wears a lion head-shaped helmet in the trailers and promotional artwork, and a fluffy mantle resembling a lion's mane over his shoulders. While lions are used in Orlesian heraldry, in the real world they are most commonly used as symbols of courage and nobility, which fits Cullen's personality in Inquisition well.
- Appeal to Force: Naturally, as the head of the Inquisition's military arm, most War Table solutions he proposes amount to marching an army somewhere to attack/intimidate someone into complying with the Inquisition.
- The Atoner: He's come to regret his involvement in the abuses of mages at Kirkwall, despite (or even because of) his lack of awareness of Meredith's more extreme actions. He sees the Inquisition as his chance to atone.
- Blemished Beauty: He is acknowledged in-universe to be considerably attractive, but also has facial scarring. His scars are indicators of his experience in battle but do little to detract from his appearance.
- Brain Bleach: The Inquisitor suspects Cullen needs some after he walks in on the Iron Bull naked if Bull is romanced:Inquisitor: I believe we may have blinded poor Cullen.
- Broken Pedestal: Meredith's descent into madness made Cullen lose his faith in the Templar Order. Their association with Corypheus will make him very angry about how far the Order has fallen.Cullen: I wanted to serve. They sent me to Kirkwall. I trusted my Knight-Commander and for what?! Her fear of mages ended in madness. Kirkwall's Circle fell. Innocent people died in the streets. Can't you see why I want nothing to do with that life anymore?!
- Brought Down to Badass: Cullen is no longer a Templar and has stopped taking the lyrium that gives them their abilities, but he still has all of his warrior training and leadership savvy. As he tells you, Templars (or ex-Templars) are among the best warriors in Thedas, presumably close to chevaliers and Grey Wardens in skill.
- Butt-Monkey: He tends to be the butt of jokes this time around, mainly because he's The Comically Serious in a group overflowing with Deadpan Snarkers. He loses all his clothes in the game of Wicked Grace and is the first person to walk in on the Iron Bull completely naked during Bull's romance arc. Other characters sometimes poke fun at him behind his back as well. It's without malice, though, since everyone seems to like him, and he takes it in good nature for the most part.
- By "No", I Mean "Yes": Happens twice if he's romanced. His stutters a "I wasn't- I mean I was..." in response to Leliana playfully saying he was eager to seeing his Lady Inquisitor during a war meeting. He does it again when he's about to ask her out to a lake, even if he actually said "No" instead of "Yes". She can see right through him.Cullen: There you are!Inquistor: Were you waiting for me?Cullen: Yes. I mean, no.
- Closest Thing We Got: He's not really qualified to be leading an army. However, leading an army isn't what Cullen was intended to do. When Divine Justinia gave the order to revive the Inquisition, Cassandra recruited Cullen to help subdue rebel mages and Templars who had gone off-script, and to instruct others in doing the same; his experience in Kirkwall after the mage uprising does make him very qualified for that task. Nobody expected the Conclave to explode and cause the Inquisition to have to become an actual military, but when it did, they more or less stuck with the guy they already had even though the job had suddenly gotten a lot bigger. To his credit, he's extremely committed to the cause, and his soldiers respect him a great deal.
- The Comically Serious: Most of his comedy that isn't snark comes from him taking himself too seriously.
- Commanding Coolness: He assumed Meredith's post as Knight-Commander in the gap between games, and his new rank in the Inquisition is "Commander".
- Consummate Professional: Cullen has no objection to sending his men to do any number of menial tasks, such as earning coin for the Inquisition by working as caravan guards or bringing a message to a Dalish clan; but of the Inquisitor's three advisors, he has the least tolerance for shenanigans. Among other things, he flat out refuses to spend time helping Maryden the Inquisition minstrel deal with a rival singer.
- Cool Big Sis: He has one of these in his big sister Mia, who somewhat mother-hens him from a distance. According to the family profile in The World of Thedas, vol. 2, she was the one who - upon realizing that his dream of becoming a Templar was serious - insisted on helping him train for it. She and their younger brother and sister helped him stage elaborate "missions" throughout their village.
- Cool Uncle: He's become this by the time of Trespasser, with a letter from his sister Mia telling him that their toddler nephew is insisting on sending greetings. She also heavily implies that the child reminds her of Cullen.
- Cultured Badass: As leader of the Inquisition's military, he's one of the highest-ranking badasses in the entire Badass Crew. He also plays chess, enjoys music, sings beautifully (though he's only heard briefly), recites the Chant of Light from memory with great reverence, and knows a lot about military and political history.
- Deadpan Snarker: Getting out of the Templars seems to have brought this out of him.Inquisitor: Well, let's hope we find solutions, and not a cathedral full of Chancellors.
Cullen: The stuff of nightmares! - Defector from Decadence: Cullen left the Templars to join the Inquisition. If the Inquisitor is also a Warrior, you can ask him whether he thinks you should take the Templar specialization; he all but begs you not to do it. If you take that specialization (with or without conferring with him first), you get a special dialogue option. Cullen snarks about the irony of an ex-Templar and one never inducted into the Order being examples for all others to follow.
- Digging Yourself Deeper: Cullen has this problem if engaged in a romance with a mage.
- Don't Ask: At the conclusion of the "Tevinter Resistance" war table operation, if he's assigned to handle it, Cullen reports that Magister Maevaris Tilani sends her thanks, some magical artifacts, "and a scented handkerchief. Don't ask."
- Double Standard Rape: Female on Male: Poor Cullen being mobbed by admirers, male and female alike, at the Orlesian Ball when he's on a diplomatic mission (and thus can't reject their advances too harshly without jeopardizing the mission) is Played for Laughs, even though it causes him a great deal of distress. Only Cole seems aware of Cullen's distress; if he's one of the companions for the quest, talking to him can reveal that this experience triggered Cullen's traumatic memories of being imprisoned by demons in the Fereldan Circle. Even worse, he's a required companion for the whole thing, meaning that the player can't do him the kindness of leaving him in Skyhold.Cole: Cullen is afraid. They're hunting him, following fear. He shouldn't be here.
- Downer Ending: If he was not cured of lyrium addiction and if the Inquisition chooses to disband in the Trespasser DLC, he ends up becoming a wandering, crazed beggar begging for lyrium in the streets of Val Chevin. It's implied that Scout Harding may have given him a Mercy Kill.
- Dull Eyes of Unhappiness: Cullen has brown eyes; however, if he's encouraged to resume taking lyrium, the observant player may notice that his eyes change in the cutscene where he talks about it. Their color is paler, the pupils are smaller, and all the warmth is gone.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: After suffering through the events of the first two games, if Cullen stays off of lyrium, he earns a Belated Happy Ending that he seems to consider having been worth the wait - especially if he's romanced.
- Even the Guys Want Him: At the Winter Palace, Blackwall observes nine women and six men asking him to dance. They also try to give him drinks and grab his rear. Cullen is not amused.Cullen: Did you just... grab my bottom?!
Male admirer: I am a weak man... - Fantastic Racism: Admits to it, and that his past behaviour was "unworthy" of him. That said, he hasn't actually changed his behaviour much. He still automatically assumes there will be abominations among the mages if they are recruited as allies, compares mages to Darkspawn by drawing a similar analogy between the Wardens and the Templars, and defends Meredith's methods for 'keeping people safe' despite admitting her extremism.
- A Father to His Men: According to Varric:Varric: Cullen is acting like a doting parent. I think he might carry portraits of all the soldiers in his pocket.
- First Guy Wins: For a human female Inquisitor, should she choose to romance him; he's the first potential Love Interest she encounters. (He can also be romanced by female elf Inquisitors, but for them he's the second possibility, as they meet Solas first.)
- Four-Star Badass: He's just called "Commander," but he's the de facto general officer of the Inquisition's armed forces. In the battle in the Arbor Wilds, the soldiers even refer to him as General Cullen. Sera calls him "General Uptight" as well.
- Going Cold Turkey: He no longer takes lyrium and has to deal with the consequences.
- Good Luck Charm: Cullen shows (and, if she accepts it, gives) a romanced female Inquisitor a coin given to him as a good-luck charm by his brother when he left to join the Templars. Although Templars are not supposed to carry such charms, since they're expected to rely entirely on their faith, he nevertheless kept the coin with him through all of his experiences at Kinloch Hold and in Kirkwall.
- Good Scars, Evil Scars: He now sports a slim and discreet scar on his upper lip, which only underlines his experience rather than deters from his attractiveness.
- Guest-Star Party Member: If you charge with the soldiers during the prologue, or go to the Lost Temple of Dumat to find Samson, Cullen will fight side-by-side with the Inquisitor. He can't be controlled, but he functions as a sword-and-shield tank-type warrior; he carries his own healing potions with which he will treat his injuries as needed without taking away from the party supplies. The Inquisitor's party can also join him and his men at one point in the Arbor Wilds.
- Hand Behind Head: He does this a lot during his romance arc, demonstrating that when it comes to matters of love, he's really rather shy and easily embarrassed. There are also a few instances where he's seen doing it regardless of whether he's romanced, such as when contemplating the notion that he too could have ended up as a Red Templar.
- Happily Married: In Trespasser, he and a female Inquisitor who romanced him can tie the knot. The epilogue shows them to be truly happy together, living a simple life somewhere in Ferelden with their dog - after paying a "long overdue" visit to his family, who are thrilled to meet his wife.
- Heartbroken Badass: Implied if the Inquisitor breaks off the romance instead of confirming it. He stutters for a few seconds, then gives her a reproachful look before walking out of his office. If she tries to talk to him again, he says he would prefer not to speak to her for a while.
- Heroes Love Dogs: In Trespasser, Cullen finds a lost Mabari hound in Halamshiral and decides to keep him. Cullen is Fereldan, and Mabari are not usually found outside of Ferelden, so he jokes about them being a pair of Fereldans in Orlais. He spends his whole time in the palace at the dog's side, petting him; the dog is also the only witness should Cullen marry the Inquisitor. If he was cured of lyrium addiction, then the epilogue slideshow also shows him with this dog.
- Hidden Depths: If the singing of "The Dawn Will Come" is any indication, he has a magnificent singing voice.
- Honesty Is the Best Policy: His suggestion about dealing with the revelation that Ameridan was an elf is to publicly announce it and make reparations to the Dalish tribe he belonged to.
- Humiliating Wager: In a game of Wicked Grace, Cullen bets his clothes - and loses.
- Hunk: He is masculine and very handsome.
- I Can't Dance: He'll only take the risk if romanced.Cullen: I'm not one for dancing. The Templars never attended balls.
- Incompatible Orientation: A male Inquisitor can flirt with him early, and he'll blush fetchingly, but he won't be romanceable (outside of mods).
- Indifferent Beauty: Despite being eagerly admired by many people for his dashing good looks (especially at the Winter Palace), Cullen is almost completely unconcerned with it and is more focused on the success of the mission and the well-being of the people. The closest he gets to paying any attention to it is to acknowledge, when teased by Josephine and Leliana, that his hair does "not entirely" take on its style without help.
- Insecure Love Interest: This can be a factor with a female mage Inquisitor who romances him, since he was a Templar. It's also present, though less pronounced, in his romance with either of the other two classes; he isn't quite sure he's worthy of the Inquisitor, but with her encouragement he gets past it.
- It's All Junk: A heartwarming example in his romance. At one point the Lady Inquisitor leans back on his desk, only to knock something over. Given what a Workaholic and Control Freak he is, she's naturally concerned he'll be upset. Instead, Cullen throws all his things off his desk and they climb on, showing that he realizes paperwork and duties are not as important as his love.
- It's Personal: Being a former Templar, he was once friends with many of the Red Templars. He takes a very personal interest in many of the quests relating to them, and even insists on accompanying the Inquisitor to the Lost Temple of Dumat in search of their leader. There's also ambient dialogue with one of the Skyhold runners in which he and Leliana both talk about her searching for some of his old friends; in particular, he asks that she try to find Carroll, who unfortunately has already become a high-ranking Red Templar.
- It Was a Gift: It's only mentioned in ambient dialogue with one of the Skyhold messengers, but after Cullen borrows one of Leliana's birds to send a letter, Leliana gives him one of the birds to use whenever he likes. His tone upon accepting the gift suggests that this is an exceptional gesture on her part, and he's very appreciative. (Deleted dialogue from the game suggests that he and the Inquisitor were both using the bird, although the reason for the need is not explained.)
- Knight in Shining Armor: He has graduated into this by the time of the game, complete with Knightly Sword and Shield.
- Lady and Knight: His romance arc has shades of this; he even calls the Inquisitor "my lady" when asking her to dance.
- Like Brother and Sister: Downplayed compared to Dorian and a female Inquisitor, but he has this dynamic with several female characters:
- With Cassandra, as suggested by some of his dialogue and ambient dialogue with the messengers, who are following her orders to check on him and report back to her so she can monitor his lyrium withdrawal. They like, respect, and trust each other in a non-romantic way. There's also some ambient dialogue on both sides which suggests that she's annoying him a little bit, and that she's amused by his annoyance, just like real siblings.
- To a lesser extent, with Josephine and Leliana, as indicated by some of the war table banter — they tease him about his hair and his romance with the Inquisitor. If asked for his opinion of Josephine in particular, his response is warm as he admits he doesn't understand how she does her job, but adds that he enjoys working with her.
- Made of Iron: During those parts of the game where he's seen fighting - such as the prologue (if Cassandra's suggestion is followed) and the Arbor Wilds - he cannot be killed. This is particularly useful during the points where he functions as a Guest-Star Party Member, like at the Lost Temple of Dumat.
- Married to the Job: He may call himself this at the Winter Palace ball, when asked if he's married. Unless he's in a romance with the Lady Inquisitor, he deflects the question by saying, "I'm married to my work." In neither case is the questioner at all deterred.
- Mission Control: Along with Leliana and Josephine, he provides the multiplayer teams with the information that they need to complete their missions.
- Mr. Fanservice: He has an obligatory Walking Shirtless Scene - two, if he's romanced.
- My Greatest Failure: Cullen deeply regrets not standing up to Meredith much earlier. If the Hero of Ferelden was a female mage, he regrets everything he said to her at the Circle tower as well.
- Naked People Are Funny: Loses all of his clothes to Josephine during a game of Wicked Grace. When he gets up and flees, it's evident he's completely starkers. Dorian approves; so does Bull.
- Nice Guy: Kind, brave, noble, friendly, and overall a nice guy, despite his Dark and Troubled Past and lyrium withdrawal. Even though there's still some basic Templar leanings in him, he's become much more tolerant of mages, becoming friendly with Dorian and willing to loyally follow a mage Inquisitor. If the player listens to his ambient conversations with the various runners who deliver messages throughout Skyhold, he's quite patient with them and seems to appreciate their hard work. His options for some of the war table operations fall under this as well.
- Nice Mean And In Between: Among the three advisors, he's the In Between personality. Cullen's generally a pretty sweet guy, but he lacks Josephine's talent and inclination for negotiating with nobles, for whom he has no patience. However, he's not nearly as ruthless as Leliana; he prefers taking the honest route, often through his own or his soldiers' hard work.
- "No. Just… No" Reaction: After getting a war table operation to stop a gossiping minstrel, this is Cullen's (written) reaction to selecting Force to resolve it, noting that it's not worth dealing with at all. It's also his reaction to the Inquisitor and Leliana's unbearable puns if you make Storvacker an agent in the Jaws of Hakkon DLC.
- Not So Above It All: After walking in on the Inquisitor and the Iron Bull in Bull's romance path, he's rather embarrassed at first, but he recovers from the embarrassment quickly. He even barely stifles a laugh when the Bull makes a suggestive joke about it. Cullen's also not too much of a workaholic to join the rest of the group in a game of Wicked Grace (though he does try to get out of it at first by saying he has too much to do); he fetches one of the rounds of drinks for everyone, and even contributes to the storytelling over the card game. And in the war room, he's the one to point out to the others that "if you squint, Lake Calenhad is shaped like a bunny."
- Odd Friendship: Dorian seems pretty fond of him, despite being a mage while Cullen's an ex-Templar, and it appears to be mutual. They play Thedosian chess together, sassing each other while they do, and Dorian is the biggest Shipper on Deck if a female Inquisitor romances Cullen.
- Parental Abandonment: Part of his Dark and Troubled Past. His family lived in Honnleath, and fled during the Fifth Blight - and if the player did the Stone Prisoner DLC in Origins, they know exactly what happened to that village. According to The World of Thedas, vol. 2, neither of his parents survived; Cullen left for Templar training at the age of thirteen and never saw his mother and father again. It also means that they died while he was the prisoner of demons in the Fereldan Circle of Magi, which only adds to his bad memories of the time.
- Percussive Therapy:
- Throws daggers at a training dummy after learning what Samson allowed to happen to the Templars he led. Good thing the Inquisitor is always ready to listen.
- Also throws his lyrium kit in a fit of anguish during his personal quest. He just barely avoids hitting the Inquisitor, whom he didn't realize was there. Just after that, he punches the bookshelf in frustration.
- Perfumigation: It's only mentioned in multiplayer party banter, but according to Luka the rogue, Cullen "smells like elderflower and oakmoss." The trope comes in because this is cited as a reason why that character would not trust him.note
- Pragmatic Hero: Contrasted with Josephine's Guile Hero/The Face and Leliana's Terror Hero/Unscrupulous Hero. As he is the commander of the Inquisition's military forces, all of his suggested solutions to problems are military solutions involving direct application of manpower and/or shows of force. Josephine describes him as "the man with a hammer" to whom every problem looks like a nail.
- Professionals Do It on Desks: During his romance arc, when the Inquisitor confirms their relationship, he shoves everything off of his desk before they climb on it. It's an indication of how much he cares for the Inquisitor, because for a Workaholic and control freak like him, his desk is the single most important thing - or was before meeting the Inquisitor.
- Progressively Prettier: He gets more attractive with each game in which he appears. Suitably, he's most attractive in the game where he's a potential Love Interest, to the level of becoming a Mr. Fanservice in-universe (and both his prettiness and his "nice hair" are a Running Gag).Varric: Curly? They just keep him around to look pretty.
Leliana: Hush. Just look pretty. - Punch a Wall: Or, in his case, a bookcase when he reaches his limit due to lyrium withdrawal. The Inquisitor just listens as he vents out years of anger and frustration.Cullen: I will not give less to the Inquisition than I did the Chantry! I should be taking it! [punch] I should be taking it.
- Reflexive Response: By the time a romanced female Inquisitor asks him to dance at the Winter Palace, he's had to turn down so many invitations that he says "no" on reflex, and has to do some hasty apologizing when he realizes how crestfallen she is at his abrupt rejection. He assures her that "yours is the only attention worth having."
- Reformed, but Not Tamed: Cullen is no longer a Templar nor actively hunts mages, but he still consistently advocates supporting Templars and distrusting/restricting mages at every opportunity. He also reacts badly to allying with mages (including the Avvar mage Sigrid in Jaws of Hakkon), arguing that they will inevitably become abominations and accusing you of dooming everyone.
- Romance Sidequest: When the game was delayed, the developers added him as a romance option, though he's only available to female Inquisitors who are either human or elven. Even a mage can romance him, which adds an extra dimension to the romance given his past.
- Second Love: Subverted, and only mentioned at all, if the female Inquisitor romances him in a female Mage Warden world state. While Cullen admits that he had feelings for the Warden, he confesses it was a boyish infatuation he has long gotten over; he still admires her as a person, though, and regrets the horrible things he said to her.
- Self-Made Man: According to The World of Thedas, vol. 2, he first declared his intention to join the Templars at the age of eight. He left for formal training at age thirteen, and worked his way up the ranks through an awful lot of horrible situations, finally serving as Kirkwall's provisional Knight-Commander following the events of the second game. It was his heroism and commitment there which made Cassandra think him worthy of leading the Inquisition forces, bringing him to his current position.
- Shipper on Deck: If the Inquisitor is in a romance with Josephine, Cullen mentions that she seems much happier and he even heard her humming at one point, and smilingly says he feels Josephine deserves to be happy.
- "Shut Up" Kiss: His first kiss with the female Inquisitor who romances him ends up being one of these. After he moves in only to be interrupted by a very oblivious scout, she starts to tell him that she understands if he needs to return to duty. She gets as far as "If you have to-" before he cuts her off.
- Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Of all the male love interests, he's the nicest.
- The Sleepless:
- Implied both because he's a Workaholic and because his lyrium withdrawal increases his tendency toward nightmares.
- During the battle in the Arbor Wilds, NPCs comment on the fact that he hasn't slept for more than an hour at a time in the last few days, and has been fighting almost nonstop since daybreak. When the party reaches him, he's tearing through the enemy forces like a man possessed.
- Smart People Play Chess: Loves a Thedosian version of chess, and plays it with (and beats) Dorian rather frequently; he may also play it with Leliana and, if they agree, the Inquisitor. As a boy, he would play it with two of his siblings.
- Smurfette Principle: Inverted. He's the only male leader of the Inquisition, unless the Inquisitor is also male.
- Star-Crossed Lovers: A female Inquisitor who is a mage may express apprehension over having a former Templar as a paramour. If she encourages him to go back on lyrium for the sake of his duty, his old Templar discipline comes back and he breaks up with a female Inquisitor, mage or no.
- The Strategist: Cullen is quite correct in his interpretation that "held up against darkspawn for hundreds of years" means "not reinforced to withstand modern siege weapons" when planning the assault on Adamant Fortress. He also details further plans once the fortress is breached to control the battle.
- Sweet Tooth:
- According to one sequence of ambient messenger dialogues, Josephine presents him with cookies as a belated birthday gift. She's a little surprised when he genuinely enjoys them, since they're "just butter and sugar."
- He may also remark to the Inquisitor that Sera sent him a piece of cake because "she thought I looked hungry." However, despite his sweet tooth, he's hesitant to eat the cake because he's not sure if it's meant as a kindness or some sort of sneaky prank.
- Talk About the Weather: When the female Inquisitor romancing him asks to speak privately and kickstart the relationship, they go outside and he does exactly this, Hand Behind Head and all. She can call him out on it.Cullen: It's a... nice day.
Inquisitor: What??
Cullen: I... there was something you wished to discuss.
Inquisitor: Certainly not the weather. - Talking in Your Sleep: Deleted dialogue has Cullen talking about how his first Templar roommate requested a room transfer because "apparently I talk in my sleep." The romanced Inquisitor confirms this by saying "You do!" in an amused voice. During their morning-after scene, he is shown muttering feverishly before startling awake.
- Took a Level in Badass: Well, another level. He's the reason Kirkwall didn't descend into complete anarchy during the Mage-Templar War. Judging by the Inquisition's numerous military victories and the respect the soldiers have for him, he keeps up the good work. Despite all that, he is still embarrassed when talking about more... intimate matters.
- Took a Level in Kindness: His change of heart at the end of the second game has stuck:
- He no longer hates mages despite his own issues with them, and makes other ex-Templar Inquisition forces treat Inquisition mages and elves fairly.
- One of the War Table missions involves arranging a political marriage between two young nobles even though the girl is in love with someone else. While Josephine's and Leliana's reactions boil down to "sad but it must be done," Cullen instead offers to help the girl and her sweetheart elope, politics be damned.
- Another War Table mission involves a cranky old nobleman demanding the Inquisition send troops to force refugees off his lands—elves and apostates among them. Josephine suggests a polite refusal. Leliana, in a bizarrely Out-of-Character Moment, suggests using spies to harass them off his land. Cullen will offer patrols to help the refugees (elves, apostates, and all), not the noble. If Cullen is chosen, the noble is outraged at the Inquisition sending food and blankets to the "filthy savages" instead of driving them off like any "civilized" army would do.
- He asks Josephine to collect funds to help the relatives of those who died at Haven, and has a moment with Leliana in which they both gently express their sorrow that the tragedy happened. Despite their differing views and responsibilities, it's intimated that he greatly respects and cares about both of his fellow advisors; it's also intimated that this is mutual, since Leliana gives him one of her birds and asks about his health when he seems unwell at the war table, and Josephine tries to get him a birthday present.
- He generally gets along with everyone, even if he would have reasons to want to avoid them. One of Cole's lines implies that Cullen sometimes tells him jokes, and he has no objection to participating in the card game even if Cole is there (and Cole being what he is, Cullen's tolerance is pretty impressive). He also becomes good friends with Dorian, a mage from Tevinter, to the point where their chess game is the only time Cullen seems to actually relax.
- Unwanted Harem: He is mobbed by admirers at Celene's ball. Blackwall counts nine women and six men flirting with him, and suspects that Cullen may need a bodyguard. This is Played for Drama if you bring Cole along, as the situation reminds Cullen of his experiences back in the events of Origins to much, causing him a lot of stress. After the ball, the Inquisition receives numerous inquiries to his status, which Leliana and Josephine reason could be used to benefit the Inquisition. Needless to say, Cullen is not amused by any of it, and even less so if he's in a romance with the Inquisitor. Even by the time of Trespasser, the Inquisition still receives requests for information about his eligibility. If he marries the female Inquisitor, Cassandra mentions (with great amusement) that a large portion of the Orlesian court is extremely disappointed.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: With Leliana. They snipe at each other occasionally, but it seems to be largely in good humor; some of the codex entries which include notes from them contain wickedly funny banter, particularly in Jaws of Hakkon.
- Walking Shirtless Scene:
- In the game, he's missing his shirt and more besides at the Wicked Grace game when he bets his clothes (and loses), as well as at the culmination of his romance arc.
- He literally fulfills this trope in the video thanking the players for getting Inquisition nominated as Game of the Year. While Varric and Cassandra thank the viewers and bicker, Cullen walks casually through the scene, shirtless, for no apparent reason other than to make Cassandra become flustered and to be Mr. Fanservice for the viewers.
- We Used to Be Friends: With Samson. And Carroll. In fact, if you don't complete "Champions of the Just," going against the entire Templar Order distresses Cullen since he personally knew many in their ranks.
- What the Hell, Hero?: He doesn't take it well if the Inquisitor allies with the mages or disbands the Templar Order, even if the Inquisitor counters with valid reasons why they made either choice. A mage Inquisitor is able to reverse it.
- When All You Have Is a Hammer…: Being an ex-Templar now in charge of the Inquisition's armed forces, Cullen's expertise is limited to military strength, so his solution to most problems is to whale on it till it stops moving. It's taken to a comic extreme in the Jaws of Hakkon DLC, when the council is asked for official word on how the scouts should deal with the very uneven terrain; in Leliana's words, he suggests "hitting the hills until they forget they are hills."
- Will Not Tell a Lie:
- In the Jaws of Hakkon DLC, Cullen is the only advisor who insists that they should reveal to the world that Inquisitor Ameridan was an elf. If the Inquisitor chooses to take the war table mission where they hide the facts, he refuses to participate in the mission because he's committed to the truth.
- If you give the proof of Red Crossing to the Dalish rather than the Chantry, it results in a war table mission where the Dalish want to send a mourning halla to modern Red Crossing as an apology gift. Both Josephine and Leliana want to engage in elaborate political maneuvering to pressure or trick the humans into accepting it, while Cullen just wants to escort the blasted thing without any lies or games.
- Workaholic: Varric claims that if anyone in the world needs a hobby, it's him. It's also why he's so worried about his lyrium detox; it makes it harder to do his job. Even during a date with the Inquisitor he cannot relax.Inquisitor: How will you survive without a parade of messengers and war reports?
Cullen: (sarcastically) I should be able to last the day. (matter-of-factly) Besides, I told Leliana to send word if...
Inquisitor: Cullen. You. Me. Alone. Pretty lake.
Cullen: (sheepishly) Right. Of course... - You Called Me "X"; It Must Be Serious:
- If Cullen's romance is completed, he sends a letter to his family. His elder sister, Mia, is pleased that he sounds happy in his letters, but complains that he's withholding details - previously he referred to the Inquisitor as either that or "Her Worship, the Herald of Andraste," but now he's using her first name.
- By the time of the Trespasser DLC, Mia is also using the Inquisitor's first name, which indicates both how serious the relationship is for her brother and also how much the family has already accepted the Inquisitor as one of them even before they've met her.
Josephine Montilyet
Lady Josephine Cherette Montilyet
Appears in: Inquisition
Voiced by: Allegra Clark (English)Foreign VAs
"Common ground is the start of all negotiations."
The eldest daughter of a noble Antivan family and the previous Antivan ambassador in Orlais, Josephine is a consummate diplomat who was called by her old friend Leliana to be the ambassador of the Inquisition. She advises the Inquisitor in all matters political and economic. She is a romance option for an Inquisitor of either gender and any race.
- Accidental Murder: She was once an Orlesian bard. In a scuffle with another bard, she accidentally pushed him down a flight of stairs; the trauma continues to haunt her and has forever turned her away from the path of violence.
- Actual Pacifist: She hesitates to use violence even to overthrow an assassination attempt on herself. Notably, she's the only member of the Inquisition's inner circle that is never seen fighting. The one time she mentions that she did, it was only due to self-defense.
- Affectionate Nickname: Leliana calls her "Josie" on occasion.
- Anger Born of Worry: Her reaction to you dueling her betrothed at the end of her romance arc.
- Arranged Marriage: As part of her romance arc, her family sets her up with a young nobleman from a prosperous family, whom the Inquisitor duels for her hand.
- At the Opera Tonight: In Trespasser, she carves out some free time to attend an opera with the Inquisitor. What follows is left entirely to the player's imagination - all we have to go on is the Inquisitor's stunned expression.Inquisitor: I've been in battles that were quieter than this!
- Badass Bureaucrat: Only the best for the Inquisition. Most succinctly demonstrated during her personal mission. To get a family elevated to lordship, she plots out a series of transactions and exchanges to navigate through the complicated political quagmire. And according to her, that was after she'd already called in a significant amount of favors to cut through half of the red tape.
- Beast and Beauty: If romanced by a Qunari Inquisitor (of either gender), their relationship can have shades of this.
- Betty and Veronica: She's the Betty (nice, elegant, and non-violent) to both Cassandra and Sera's Veronica.
- Beware the Nice Ones:
- While usually sweet and optimistic, she won't be pushed around.
- Case in point, don't play cards with her. She'll lead with a three copper buy-in and leave with all of your sovereigns. Get cocky, and she'll take your clothes as a bonus.
- She'll also destroy a marriage to get the job done.
- Bold Explorer: An aspiration of Josephine's. She's the first person in the franchise to question what's across the Amaranthine Ocean and apparently wants to find out, but has to put it on the back-burner while she keeps the Inquisition and her family from crumbling.
- Character Tic: When she's holding her notebook and pen, she tends to flourish her right hand and punctuate the air with the pen. She also sashays extremely often.
- Covert Pervert: Ironically, not in your romance with her. She's pretty intrigued after walking in on the Inquisitor and Iron Bull after they have had sex, especially since the latter is still naked.
- Courtly Love:
- Her romance arc has a strong "classical chivalric" flavor. Sex is heavily de-emphasized (hers and Solas' are the only romances that don't include a sex scene), she maintains prim and proper decorum throughout he whole affair, and the arc culminates in a duel of honor between the Inquisitor and her betrothed, Lord Otranto.
- If neither is romanced, she and Blackwall both like each other but neither wants to make a move, due to their disparate social standings. Blackwall has a messenger send her
pledges of devotion, over which she sighs happily. She leaves handkerchiefs with flowers where he'll find them. Both tell the messenger to keep it anonymous.
- Crime of Self-Defense: When she expresses guilt over accidentally killing another Bard and wondering what he might have become otherwise, you can point out that the other guy did pull a knife on her first.
- Culture Equals Costume: She is very much a traditionalist, and wears only Antivan fashion. Her writer even stated that even though Josephine an ambassador for Orlais and it would be prudent to wear Orlesian fashion, there's a level of "hometown pride" that drives her to wear only Antivan fashion.
- Deadpan Snarker: She has a very dry sense of humor at times, like when a Trevelyan Inquisitor says at Haven that it's nice to have leagues of ice between them and their enemies; she warns that Chancellor Roderick is still around.
- Did You Think I Can't Feel?: Near the end of Trespasser, she calls the Inquisitor and other advisers out on continually dumping her with the increasingly stressful responsibility of appeasing increasingly hostile dignitaries while they track down the Qunari plot. When Cullen dismisses her by saying they're doing the "real work," she blows up at them, saying that just because she can deal with it doesn't mean it doesn't distress her too. Leliana and Cullen apologize, and promise to help her smooth things over.
- The Face: She's the one who represents the Inquisition in high circles, and always prefers negotiation to conflict.
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Josie's younger sister Yvette is far more frivolous in both demeanor and interests than her elder.
- Foot Popping: She does this during her romance arc when the Inquisitor kisses her after the nobleman who was dueling the Inquisitor for her hand forfeits, since he knows he can't get in the way of true affection.
- The Gambler: As she warns Cullen, "Never gamble with an Antivan." During a round of cards, the only character demonstrated to be able to beat her is an Inquisitor that's dating her. (Of course, that may imply that she let you win...)
- Gay Option: Like the Iron Bull, she can be romanced by Inquisitors of any gender and race.
- The Gentleman or the Scoundrel: Her romance can technically end up in this situation as her parents arrange a marriage for her near the end of it. Her betrothed is a respected Antivan noble while the Inquisitor, unless they are a non-mage human, is someone she normally couldn't be with. The Qunari and Dwarf origins fit the scoundrel role far better than the mage and Elf origins, due to being a mercenary and a criminal respectively.
- Go-Getter Girl: She is ridiculously hardworking, and left her post as ambassador of Antiva simply because the Inquisition promised a greater challenge.
- Guile Heroine: The very talent that pushed Leliana to call her to the Inquisition. Her forte in War Table operations is using other people to get what the Inquisition needs. Mostly, all she needs is tact and subtlety... and when that's not enough, she asks.Josephine: I can destroy Catarina's marriage with four words and the right glove on the right nightstand.
- The Heart: Josephine seeks to avoid violence, is a negotiator by trade, and has a sweet disposition.
- Hypercompetent Sidekick: She will keep everything in order, whether you want her to or not.
- She is also this in her household. Her parents are technically in charge, but as the heir, Josephine must prove she can manage the affairs of the estate before it is bequeathed to her. According to her, this is both common practice and a respected tradition.
- I Can't Believe a Guy Like You Would Notice Me: Has brief shades of this early in the romance. After Leliana warns the Inquisitor not to hurt her, Josephine is outraged because, contrary to her Oblivious to Love behavior before, she knew the Inquisitor was flirting, but felt it was preposterous that you actually meant it. If the Inquisitor counters that they do mean it, she briefly shows this reaction, before returning their affection.
- Idle Rich: Not Josephine herself, since she's the oldest child and thus she inherits her family's trade empire, but her younger siblings fit the bill. One of her motivations for wanting to prevent her family becoming Riches to Rags is to make it so her siblings will never have to work like she does.
- Ink-Suit Actor: Her appearance looks very much like her voice actress's.
- Lady and Knight: If romanced, she has shades of this with the Inquisitor, no matter their gender.
- Like Brother and Sister: When asked if she and Leliana were ever involved, she denies it, citing that they are like sisters. There's also an element of this to her relationship with Cullen, though not as much as he has with Cassandra.
- Merchant Prince: How her family gets their wealth. Also an important personal quest detail since they used to be far wealthier, but a bad run-in with a (now destitute) rival Orlesian family cut off many trade avenues that provided their income and put them in massive debt, the interest of which her parents and she has barely managed to stave off but will eventually ruin them. Her personal quest is about reversing this so she can not only restore but expand her family's old trade routes and avenues.
- Mission Control: Along with Leliana and Cullen, she provides the multiplayer teams with the information that they need to complete their missions.
- My Greatest Failure: When she was younger, a brief fit of panic led to her accidentally murdering a fellow bard - with whom she was friends, no less. She's deeply ashamed of it, and it caused her to become a diplomat and a pacifist.
- Nice Girl: Optimistic, sweet, and balanced at all times, ready to make compromises where others would push for an all-out war.
- Nice Mean And In Between: Among the three advisors, Josephine is Nice, as a skilled diplomat with a rich gift for negotiating.
- Noblewoman's Laugh: Not to grating levels, but it's there when she laughs at the Inquisitor's suggestion of alliance with Briala at the Orlesian Ball... until she realizes the boss isn't joking.
- Non Action Girl: Stands out as the only member of the Inquisitor's inner circle to not be trained in combat. Justified due to her traditional Antivan upbringing and her dislike of violence which stems from her past as a bard.
- Not So Above It All: She's normally very composed and a Proper Lady, but she does have her moments.
- In one of the war table missions you can have her complete, she mentions an ally donated some supplies to the Inquisition, which include "Carastian candies, which you will have to pry from my cold dead fingers".
- She has a lot of fun throwing Grand Duchess Florianne's birthday party with Florianne's corpse as the guest of honor.
- When the player character is officially declared the Inquisitor in front of a cheering crowd, she joins in on the cheering for a moment before stopping herself and looking rather embarrassed.
- She's perfectly happy to join the rest of the gang in a game of Wicked Grace - where she wipes the floor with all of them.
- Josephine's younger sister, Yvette, mentions that Josephine would still play with her doll collection when she thinks nobody's looking— which Josephine hastily denies.
- Obfuscating Stupidity: When the game of Wicked Grace starts, she remarks that she barely remembers how to play, and pretends to be timid by starting at only three coppers for her bet. She ends up winning essentially everything - including Cullen's clothing.
- Oblivious to Love:
- If romanced, she fails to realize your advances are legitimate until Leliana has a private discussion with you, which Josephine initially misinterprets as Leliana stirring up trouble.
- By contrast, she is very much aware of Blackwall's feelings for her, but states that it can not go beyond simple flirting because of their different stations in life: he's a Grey Warden / former war criminal and she's Antivan nobility.
- Oh, Crap!: When playing as a Dwarf, she'll delicately ask you for your opinion on the absurd rumors that you're a Carta member that were started to damage your reputation. When you tell her those "rumors" are fact, she gives a very downplayed, "Oh. Oh dear..."
- Only Sane Employee: Much of her time is spent dealing with the antics of the rest of the Inquisitor's inner circle.
- In her family, she is this as the heir to the family. Her responsibilities include ensuring her siblings don't do anything stupid and attend the proper social occasions and proving she can run the family properly.
- The Perfectionist: Goes along with her Workaholic personality. She works so hard because the job must get done, and it must get done properly. Best demonstrated during the victory party during the Epilogue; she is very unhappy with how it turned out, because everything was rushed and did not come out right, though no one else has any complaints. ("Everything's fine, Josie!" "It is NOT!") However, she laughs about it because she's so happy that this is her biggest problem now, instead of trying to save the world.
- Plucky Office Girl: Her optimism, smile, and workaholism define "Pluck" the way her clipboard defines "Office Girl".
- Propaganda Machine: Part of her job. As she says, her job is to make sure that the stories about the Inquisition are "as complimentary as possible". Several War Table options involve her creating or countering propaganda for the Inquisition's cause, and if you tell her to do something unfavorable (such as admit that you're not the Herald of Andraste), she'll still search for a way to spin the story in a way that benefits you.
- Proper Lady: She fits the strict Antivan ideal of womanhood in most regards, most notably in that she's not trained for combat.
- The Reliable One: Among the Inquisitor's followers, she's the least likely to make a mess of things behind their back and leave them to clean it up.
- Rhetorical Question Blunder: When Leliana interjects in their flirting, an angry Josephine bitterly mocks the idea that there's anything romantic going on. The Inquisitor can reply with a snarky remark that makes it clear that Leliana was totally right. Josephine's jaw drops.
- Riches to Rags: The Montilyet family is on the verge of this, due to decades of asset-shuffling to compensate for a reeling blow to their income, after a trade setup in Orlais was lost in a dispute with an Orlesian noble family. Josephine's personal quest involves restoring trade in Orlais... while dealing with a legacy assassination contract from the now-defunct rival Orlesian family.
- Romance Sidequest: Optional for all Inquisitors.
- Silk Hiding Steel: Her Establishing Character Moment is calmly defeating an Orlesian nobleman who insists that Haven belongs to him in a verbal duel, then offering her condolences for his losses.
- The Social Expert: Facing the crowds is her specialty.
- Spoiled Sweet: A rich heiress raised to maintain poise and grace in all circumstances, who rushed to help Leliana when she asked.
- Sweet Tooth: The result of one war table operation, if she is used, reveals that Josephine has a deep love of a treat identified as Carastian candies, which were sent as a thank-you gift and which someone is welcome to take "from my cold dead hands."
- True Blue Femininity: Her iconic ruffled blue and gold dress visually demonstrates her rather conventional form of femininity.
- Appropriately, Varric's nickname for her is "Ruffles."
- Two Decades Behind: In-universe, according to Josephine's writer, Antivan fashion is usually inspired by Orlesian fashion, but due to the geographical distance by the time Antiva learns of an Orlesian trend and base a new style on it said trend has long died in Orlais. By wearing only Antivan fashion, Josephine's outfit is technically a long-outdated Orlesian trend. However, due to "hometown pride" Josephine only wears Antivan fashion.
- Uptown Girl: Unless you are playing as a non-mage human Inquisitor, she counts as this even if the Inquisitor becomes one of the most powerful people in Thedas. She's the eldest daughter of a noble family and an ambassador while at the start of the game the Inquisitor is either a member of the Carta, a mage, a Qunari mercenary or a Dalish Elf.
- What a Senseless Waste of Human Life: Part of what inspired her to take up a career in diplomacy, and a large part of dislike of violence, comes from the same experience that ended her career as a bard. When she tells the Inquisitor about the other bard's death, she laments what a waste it was, and says that she often wonders who he could have been and what he might have accomplished if he had lived.
- Wide-Eyed Idealist: Her voice actress describes her this way, and Cullen certainly views her as such in her refusal to employ violence in most circumstances.
- Workaholic: She is constantly busy, to the point that the Inquisitor can ask how she juggles it all.
- Wrong Genre Savvy: She first started her career as a bard because she thought it would be a grand, exciting life of romance, intrigue and adventure. Too bad she lives in a Low Fantasy world instead of a High Fantasy one.
Leliana
Appears in: Origins | Dragon Age II | Asunder | The Masked Empire | Inquisition | Magekiller | Absolution
Voiced by: Corinne Kempa (English)Foreign VAs
Once a bard, a Chantry sister, a hero of the Fifth Blight, and now Left Hand of the Divine, Leliana's presence has a new gravitas since Origins. She serves as an adviser to the Inquisitor in the area of espionage and is The Inquisition's main Spymaster.
For more information about her, see this page.
