Character Profile: Cassandra

[DRAGON AGE]: Dragon Age fans will remember Cassandra from the previous game, but for those meeting her for the first time, who exactly is she?

[DAVID GAIDER]: Cassandra is a member of the Seekers of Truth, the order that led the templars away from the Chantry to battle the mage rebellion… but she is also servant to the Divine, the spiritual leader of the Chantry and thus all of Thedas.

[DA]: Does that ever force her to pick sides?

[DG]: She is part of both worlds, and when those worlds come into conflict, she chooses to stand with the Divine because, as she sees it, the Divine is seeking to end the chaos rather than add to it. To her fellow Seekers, this makes Cassandra a traitor, but it puts her in a position to be there when the Inquisition is founded, to do what needs to be done.

[DA]: How much has Cassandra changed since players last saw her?

[DG]: When Cassandra met Varric in Dragon Age II, she was convinced the world worked a certain way: things were black and white, good and evil. If there was a problem, there was a distinct cause behind it that could be dealt with.

[DA]: And now?

[DG]: What we find in Inquisition is a Cassandra who's realizing the world doesn't work like she believed it does. Her duty is not absolute, and perhaps neither is her faith. Having doubt need not make either of those things weaker, however, and that's the path that Cassandra has to now walk.

[DA]: How do other characters in the game see her?

[DG]: I think there's a big difference between how others would describe Cassandra and how she would describe herself. She can come across as very stern and rigid, perhaps even humorless, but then she'll surprise you with a wry comment or a bit of sarcasm. The things she has real passion for, she holds secret as she doesn't believe putting them on display is very seemly. There is a sense of propriety and duty in Cassandra that some of the other characters simply can't resist poking at until they elicit a reaction.

[DA]: What is Cassandra like on the battlefield? Does she run toward danger head on?

[DG]: It depends on where the greatest danger lies and who is threatened. She's very practical in battle, and far more oriented toward protecting the helpless and innocent before any other consideration. Fighting is not about having style or showing off; it's a necessary means to an end.

[DA]: She sounds like a noble ally.

[DG]: Cassandra does what she believes is right and just, and holds those values as more important than things like law or duty. If she needs to rebel against tradition in order to drag the world kicking and screaming back into a semblance of order, then she will do it. Once Cassandra commits to a cause, she jumps in with both feet, and the Inquisition is no exception.

[DA]: What did you enjoy most about writing Cassandra's character?

[DG]: At heart, deep down, Cassandra's a romantic. If you called her that, she would completely deny it, but it's absolutely true, and it made her quite fun for me to write. I don't think I've made a character quite like her previously.

[DA]: Would you say that Cassandra is easy to get along with?

[DG]: There are characters she sees eye to eye with, The Iron Bull being one of them. Vivienne is another. Even with those two, however, there are particular points that will cause contention between them—the Inquisition's cause is up to the player, after all, and involves a very disparate group of people, and thus none of them are going to be on exactly the same page. Of course, there are also some characters with whom Cassandra very much does not get along, and that can cause some tension, depending on who the player tries to take along.