Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker, or "Dragon Age: Crusade of the Blood Mage" in some regions, is a 2012 Japanese animated film based on the video game series Dragon Age. It was co-produced by BioWare (game developer), EA (game publisher) and anime distribution company Funimation Entertainment. The film explores the backstory of Cassandra Pentaghast, a major character in the Dragon Age universe, and how she became known as the Right Hand of the Divine.
Opening Song: N/A
Credits Song: Dragon in Me - Desire for Need Remix (by Seether)
Spoiler Warning: I am going to give a synopsis and my opinions at the very end.
Summary:
The film opens with a line taken from the Chant of Light - a collection of religious texts used by the Chantry, the dominant religious organization in Thedas.
"Magic exists to serve man,
And never to rule over him.
Foul and corrupt are they
Who have taken His gift
And turned it against His children."
-Transfigurations 1:2
The narrator proceeds to explain the role of the military order of Templars that serve the Chantry, and how they watch the mages whom the Chantry believes could bring ruin to the world with their arcane arts. The Templars hunt down Apostates (escaped mages), Maleficar (forbidden arts practitioners), and Abominations (demon-possessed people), but their fervor and paranoia means that corruption is rampant among the Templar ranks. The Seekers of Truth are a secret police sanctioned directly by the Divine, whose purpose is to root out Templar corruption, and on rare occasions, hunt down particularly dangerous mages.
The scene transitions to a cultist poking a chained-drake with a wooden staff, draining its blood into a goblet. The misshapen, mask-wearing cult leader then proceeds to force a sleepy blue-eyed blond elven girl, called Avexis, to drink the blood. The Seekers arrive, charging recklessly into the cult ring and squandering any chance of a stealth attack. The mage cultists counter with funny sounding magical blasts, while Cassandra savagely pummels the mages; literally showering in their blood. Aware of their imminent defeat, the cult leader transforms into a bird and flies away, leaving Cassandra and Byron (her mentor) to fell the drake. While reporting back to Divine Beatrix III, Avexis is entrusted to the care of the Seekers.
Later that night, Cassandra catches Byron taking the girl away from the other Seekers. Byron explains that he suspects the Chantry and High Seeker may be involved in a conspiracy, claiming the girl has the rare power to control beasts - its why the cultists wanted her and why, he suspects, the Seekers held on to her rather than returning the child to the Circle of Magi. The two are attacked by the cultist from earlier and Byron is slain. The cult then vanishes into the woods with Avexis. Another mage in the woods, Regalyan D'Marcall (nicknamed "Galyan"), claims to be a contact of Byron and was meant to take the girl to safety. Seekers arrive a short while later and arrest both Cassandra and Regalyan for delivering the girl to the cultists.
The two manage to escape from the Seeker's clutches, but Cassandra is reluctant to trust Regalyan - a mage (even one from the Circle). Regalyan explains he was instructed by the First Enchanter Edmonde (Circle leader) to investigate cult activity and was the one who gave Byron the intel on the cult, but things fell apart when the High Seeker chose to keep the girl. They visit an elven recluse and information trader named Lazarro. Under threat of having his ear cut-off, Lazarro reveals the cult leader Frenic is planning to attack the Divine during a special ceremony. An army of Golems and Ogres then barge in, killing Lazarro. Cassandra is wounded in the attack but refuses magical healing. Knowing they don't stand a chance, Regalyan uses a flash bomb to escape the horde. The Templars chance upon the pair and despite having horses, are outrun by the duo.
Cassandra finally allows Regalyan to heal to her leg wound and recounts how her brother, Anthony Pentaghast - a renowned dragon slayer, was killed by cultists for refusing to get them a dragon. The next day they catch the Knight Commander of the Templars using an elven stone to communicate with Frenic. Outmatched by the Templar Commander, they retreat, intending to show the stone to the Chantry. Using a hidden passage, the pair report in to the High Seeker. Moments later the High Seeker is murdered by the Knight Commander using Cassandra's blade. The other Seekers, who I can only assume are both blind and deaf, emerge from the same entrance used by the Knight Commander just moments ago and are convinced Cassandra killed the High Seeker.
The Knight Commander uses a confessional to report to Grand Cleric Callista - the Right Hand of the Divine, that he has slain the High Seeker and framed Cassandra for it. The Knight Commander then foolishly gloats to Regalyan and Cassandra about the Right Hand's plan to become the new Divine by having the current one killed by the cultists and Avexis using dragons. At their execution, Circle Mages attack the Templars, having been following the Knight Commander in secret and aware of his schemes. Cassandra beheads the Knight Commander then rushes off to the ceremony to defend the Divine Beatrix III from the onslaught of four dragons.
Annoyed by Cassandra's interference, Frenic calls in an high dragon to attack Beatrix III. Cassandra rams a dragon into the high dragon, sending both hurdling toward the ground. Meanwhile, Regalyan and the Circle mages rescue Avexis while fending off Frenic. Frenic kills Grand Cleric Callista, claiming he only intended to use her as a means of freeing the Circle mages from Templar oppression, and then transforms into a pride demon. Avexis calls in the high dragon to burn the pride demon, giving Cassandra the chance to deal the killing blow. For her efforts, Cassandra is made the new Right Hand of the Divine.
Final Thoughts
Dawn of the Seeker is basically Cassandra's legend told as if it was one of Varric's tales. Everything is over-the-top, exaggerated, dramatized, romanticized and straight-up improbable, kinda like Varric's Tale of the Champion. The army of Golems and Darkspawn Ogres that Cassandra fights is very reminiscent of Varric's version of Hawke at the start of Dragon Age II. Even just one of each would be improbable, and given that this story takes place about 5 to 10 years before the fifth blight, the hordes of mind controlled Shales and Darkspawn (that appear without any explanation) likley didn't happen. Cassandra herself even says in Inquisition that a lot of what happened is over-exaggerated. But there is no mistake that based on the events told in this movie, Cassandra is about as glorious as the Hero of Ferelden or the Champion of Kirkwall, if not more so. What can be said for certain:
- Cassandra became the "Right Hand of the Divine" and the "Hero of Orlais" by saving the Divine from a conspiracy.
- Blood mages were involved.
- Cassandra's brother was murdered by blood mages.
- Cassandra had help from a mage with whom she later fell in love with.
- Cassandra probably killed a dragon before Inquisition (there is no official confirmation in-game).
What happened to the characters after Dawn of the Seeker:
- Divine Beatrix III suffers from dementia twelve years later and is followed up by Divine Justinia V.
- First Enchanter Edmonde of the White Spire in Val Royeaux plays a small part in the book Asunder.
- Grand Cleric Callista does not appear anywhere else in the lore.
- Regalyan is canonically Cassandra's lover at some point between Dawn of the Seeker and Inquisition. He was at the conclave in Inquisition, and died in the explosion.
- A tranquil elven girl in Haven (during Inquisition) may be Avexis. She tells Mother Giselle she used to be able to talk to dragons, but was made tranquil because it was too dangerous.
Cassandra in the movie didn't act (or look) like game Cassandra at all. The basic personality is there, but this "younger" version of the character is angry, brash and overly violent. She also wears a short skirt even though it doesn't fit her personality, nor is it practical for combat. It's very... anime. The art style is dark and lacking in detail or texture, giving it a shaded-cartoony look. It's clear this was made on a budget, with very little effort put into animating the spellcasters; who mostly attacked with their wooden staffs. The facial expressions were decent at least and the fight scenes were grand in scale.
The movie was a bit funny and a little bit cheesy, but surprisingly compelling. It isn't particularly good, but neither is it offensive. Is it a movie I'll watch again? Probably not. But if you played the video games, it's an interesting look at Cassandra's backstory and a chance to put visuals to the deeds she talks about in Haven. Being able to put a face to the name of her first love was also surprisingly sad. Regalyan was very likable and I wish he hadn't died at the conclave. It also explains why she is so guarded/cautious at the start of Inquisition and approves of a humorous Inquisitor.
Have you seen Dawn of the Seeker? What were your thoughts on the movie? If you haven't seen it, do you plan to?
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