Dragon Age: Thread View

BioWare and TOR Publishing are very pleased to announce author David Gaider's next novel Dragon Age: The Calling.

Synopsis:

Quote: Having reclaimed the throne, King Maric finally allows the legendary Grey Wardens to return to Ferelden after two hundred years of exile. When they come, however, they bring dire news: one of their own has escaped into the Deep Roads and aligned himself with their ancient enemy, the monstrous darkspawn. The Grey Wardens need Maric’s help to find him. He reluctantly agrees to lead them into the passages he traveled through years before, chasing after a deadly secret that will threaten to destroy not only the Grey Wardens, but also the Kingdom above.

To learn more about the new novel, to download a cool desktop wallpaper of the cover art and to download the 2 halves of chapter 1, please visit this link: http://dragonage.bioware.com/game/product/

This thread is to discuss the new novel until it becomes available. Once it is on store shelves, we will create a "Spoilers" thread where people can discuss the plot and story of the book.

Edit: Part 2 of Chapter One is now available.

It's Duncan, yes. He's much younger in the book, having only been a Grey Warden for about 6 months.

Yes indeed. Part 2 of the first chapter of Dragon Age: The Calling is now available.

Quote: Posted 10/02/09 20:08 (GMT) by Phoenixblight
FYI: Its bigger than the first book. Has 443 Pages

Indeed. It was actually around 480 pages, but they shrunk the font size slightly and expanded the page borders a bit to make it a bit more economical (from a printing perspective).

Happy to see that some people are receiving their copies already. Hopefully that means everyone will be reading the book by the time I get back from holidays.

It is indeed released. I got my copy! Check it out: Click Here

Quote: Posted 10/08/09 00:24 (GMT) by imported_beer
And there is the most tender man and dog scene in the book that will..completely devastate you if you are a dog lover so be prepared for that

One of my friends (a big dog lover) called me up after reading that part and cussed me out because she had been crying for hours. I consider that a success.

Nice to see that some people are enjoying the book. Any particular favorite parts? As always, constructive feedback is appreciated.

And for the person who asked, no -- Hafter was not a mabari. He was simply a well-trained warhound, one who shared a bond with Kell.

The Calling gets released into bookstores today! Yay!

*does a little dance*

I am also back from my big trip, incidentally. Though I am not back from vacation just yet. The fact that Edmonton is filled with snow does boggle my mind a little, however.

Quote: Posted 10/14/09 04:05 (GMT) by Anderielle
I haven't cried so much in a long time,because of the relationship between Kell and Hafter.Even thinking about it makes me want to cry again.I am such a Wuss

What's funny is that one of my friends linked to the "Kick the Dog" trope on TVTropes after reading that.

Me: "What? It's a trope? Aw, man!"
Her: "Don't worry. There's a lot of tropes. If it isn't a trope, you probably haven't written anything."
Me: "Oh."
Her: "And besides, it works."
Me: "Really?"
Her: "Yeah. I cried for an hour. You're a jerk."

Quote: Well done David,you are a very talented writer.

Thanks. I'll accept "it was marginally better than the first book", but that works too.

Quote: Posted 10/17/09 12:47 (GMT) by flem1
First, I hate when people who should know better repeatedly use "rising to a crescendo". You don't *rise* to a crescendo: the crescendo is how you rise to a *climax*! Gah.

Not that I won't willingly be corrected when I am wrong (as I often am; my grammar is far from perfect), but I fear your indignation is misplaced in this instance. A "crescendo" refers to both the gradual rise in volume or intensity as well as the climactic moment following such a rise. Look it up.

Quote: Posted 10/17/09 16:59 (GMT) by andyr86
I think it can be used both ways normally as a turn of phrase but i'd probably agree with flem1. A crescendo is a change in orchestral dynamics. An increase in volume. Which will normally resolve into another change in dynamics, an 'al niente' (im not to sure if thats right way of writting it). Which would be a fade to nothing after the crescendos peak. I'd see that change as the climax not the crescendo itself.

I suppose, but the dictionary says that both are correct: a crescendo is both the rise and the climax that immediately follows. *shrug*

Everyone has their pet peeves with grammar, I suppose. I, myself, hate when people use "the proof's in the pudding" -- though, technically speaking, that *is* incorrect, comman usage aside.

Quote: Posted 10/18/09 11:11 (GMT) by vilnii
1. The Blight is very very erratic. Some Grey Wardens will eventually be destroyed by the corruption they consumed, while others will not

Not really. Fiona, in this case, is an exception. The only reason most Grey Wardens wouldn't eventually go on the Calling is because they didn't live that long.

Quote: 2. Old gods are the only kind of dragons than can produce the kind of humming that control the darkspawn. They are not like ordinary high dragons

This is probably true, though I'll point out that if one looks only at pure evidence you could only clearly state that an Archdemon is a type of high dragon. Whether or not the Archdemon is actually a corrupted Old God, and whether or not the Old Gods are actually dragons is a matter of speculation.

Quote: 3. Darkspawn carry the blight but are not the blight itself. The actual corrupta is a wall climbing algae/fungi/parasite which can be manipulated by mages using onyx

That's an assumption on your part. The stuff which coats the Deep Roads is certainly evidence of the corruption, but isn't necessarily the source of it. The ability of Remille to manipulate the taint is knowledge that came from the Architect, and possibly died with the First Enchanter.

Quote: Posted 10/21/09 23:03 (GMT) by thelonghop
David, I'm wondering about Urtha's fighting style. We've been told there's no 'monk' style in DA:O. So did you clear that fighting style with others at Bioware before using it, or were you free to create things in the DA universe that may not be in the game?

There are a number of things in the books that you're not going to find in the game. That doesn't mean these things are nowhere to be found in the world -- spears, for instance, or cloaks and horses. It's a lot easier for me to put such things in a book than it is to put them into a game. As to whether or not they, or the Silent Sister fighting style, will ever make it into a Dragon Age game remains to be seen.

Quote: Posted 10/21/09 17:23 (GMT) by Adam Andersson
What I didn't get was the Maric/Fiona relationship.

Fair enough. A few people have said that, though from my perspective I don't consider what Maric and Fiona had a romance per se. It was a moment born of the desperate need of both characters, a respite from what they were both going through. I guess Fiona could have found that in Duncan as well, but I always thought of Fiona and Duncan having a more fraternal relationship than a romantic one.

Quote: Posted 10/21/09 17:23 (GMT) by Adam Andersson
The best part of the entire book was the homosexual relationship between Julien and Nicholas. You lured me in initially, making me wonder, then releasing more and more hints during the travels. It was really sweet and well written. And their ending was very emotional. In my opinion you should write a book with a pure focus on their story up until The Calling.

Thanks. I know there's been a couple of comments of Julien and Nicolas being "redshirts", but I have to say that they were perhaps my favorite characters. Killing them was difficult, and Nicolas's dream in the Fade would be, I think, one of the hardest things I've ever had to write. Suffice it to say they both reside in a soft spot in my heart.

Quote: Posted 10/22/09 00:09 (GMT) by Freshwater Chimp
A quick question for anyone who knows. At the end of The Calling it says Maric invited the recently appointed Empress of Orlais to Ferelden. My question was what happened to the Emperor before her? I missed that part I guess.

He died, though I suppose you wouldn't know the details unless you played the game. There you can read a bit about how Empress Celene (I think that's her name? Don't have my notes with me) overthrew her mad uncle and led Orlais into a renaissance.

Quote: Posted 10/22/09 22:29 (GMT) by Alocormin
I'm curious; from the beginning of the book to the epilogue, how many years/months are there? Also, how old is Cailan at this time?

The actual adventure only took place over the space of a couple of weeks. Cailan is nine years old at the time -- Maric says this to Fiona in Chapter 4, as I recall.

Quote: Posted 10/25/09 08:30 (GMT) by DaerogTheDhampir
Who knows? If Fiona stuck around they could of just ended up breaking it off as "just friends" or they could have hit it off.

Yeah, my feeling is that Fiona and Maric were ultimately not that compatible. Fiona realizes this by the end, even if Maric holds out hope for something more -- but then he is probably confusing their relationship as the reason for his renewed sense of purpose, rather than the catalyst.

Quote: Last is a plea to Mr. Gaider. Just three word: More Avvars, please!

The Avvar mention was my ode to the Barbarian Origin, sadly cut long ago. Ahh, Kell. How I adore you.

Quote: Posted 10/25/09 06:36 (GMT) by thelonghop
David, about burying Julien. The book says normally he would have been burned and ashes buried in the ground, but they couldn't do that down there. Did you consider placing him in the lava right there? It seems like that would have met both traditions in one.

Perhaps. Maybe they just looked on the lava as something horrifying, and not really an appropriate place to inter someone. Or maybe the lava was just the interactive part of the level and lacking a proper walkmesh?