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The Picture of Dorian Pavus
Dorian of House Pavus is a mage from the Tevinter Imperium, a country within the Dragon Age world of Thedas. Being born in Tevinter made it easy for Dorian to explore his magic (whereas mages from other areas of Thedas are carted off and forced into a Circle the moment their magic is discovered and raised under the guard of Templars), but it made it hard for Dorian to explore his sexuality.
In Tevinter homosexualitiy isn’t exactly embraced with open arms. Homosexual relationships exist there, but, in Dorian’s own words, “you learn not to hope for more” than a simple dalliance, a 100% in-the-closet affair.
Before we go any further, it’s important to know that in Thedas there is a sinister type of magic called blood magic, and it can be used for a variety of things including summoning demons and controlling minds.
While there are some who don’t think that blood magic must be used exclusively for evil, it is incredibly dangerous and is stigmatized.
In Tevinter blood magic is discouraged, but is also used quite frequently.
Now, with that information in mind, before the events of Inquisition, after discovering his son’s sexual orientation, Dorian’s father attempted to use a blood ritual in order to change Dorian. Luckily, Dorian found out about his father’s plans before his father could perform the ritual.
During the events of Dragon Age: Inquisition, as a part of Dorian’s personal quest, the player’s avatar, the Inquisitor, and Dorian have the opportunity to meet with Dorian’s father, Halward. With some slight variations depending on the dialogue the player chooses, this is what we see during that encounter:
Once Dorian and the Inquisitor return to Skyhold, the Inquisition's base of operations, this conversation can be had:
Dorian Pavus received a lot of recognition in the video game world for being BioWare’s first “fully gay” character. And, beyond that, he’s also a pretty great character. Sarcastic and witty, Dorian manages to kill demons with a dramatic flair, but still be a soft-hearted romantic. His character isn’t built entirely around his sexuality, but his sexuality is still an important part of his character.