I played this game when i was younger, and I suppose that back then i wasn't quite as aware of what goes on in the world. I guess I thought guys like duncan were cool. Oh man, I have changed big time.

I have just been playing the first part of the game, and instead of acting like a man of valor, Duncan kills Ser Jory when he is trying to run. Duncan says it is because of self-defense, but what the heck? He was just victim blaming. Ser Jory was the one trying to defend himself. Sure, he drew his sword, but if Duncan had just let him run, he would have just done that; that is all jory ever asked for anyway.

I am really surprised that the player character cannot be bitter at Duncan at this point. Is this bad writing or intentional on bioware's part? Are they trying to establish Duncan as a cult leader who is trying to find impressionable young guys to shape into whatever he wants them to be. Is this what they were trying to show? Was Duncan trying to teach the young wardens to be ruthless to anyone who wanted no part of the conflict? To teach them that people were either for them or against them? That isn't very diplomatic, and yet Duncan always stresses how important it is for the wardens to be in good standing.

Could someone just clear this up for me? I really just lost respect for Duncan at that moment, and it just feels wrong to keep playing the game without any option of going against him. Again, is this intentional, or just bad story writing? What did you think at this part of the game? Does it make sense? Is this just supposed to be how military (ish?) organizations are supposed to work in Dragonage? That still doesn't make any sense. Ser Jory would probably still have been an important asset on the battlefield. Is Duncan trying to motivate the player character to drink the poison? Still, though, if he was truly a great man, then he would not try to command respect through fear in my opinion.

The bold part is BINGO.

Explaining this is under the risk of a big spoiler (the details are explained almost at the end of the game).
The Grey Wardens are a military cult, useful very useful, but with 2 big dark secrets (3 if we consider what was the final boss from the OC of the last game).

But, let's assume you are still reading and you want to screw the history for yourself: The ritual is risky because of two things: First, The Grey Wardens are an offset of the darkspawn (Actually this is explain in that part of the game). It's their more dark secret and the reason that they are the only ones able to end a blight. Second, surviving the ceremony is a death sentence, sterility and insanity are guaranteed before their death (There is a third one, but was unknown to the grey wardens by millennia).

So, basically, the Wardens select those that they believe can survive the ceremony but only confess about its risks at the last minute. They fear that after many centuries without a blight, the numbers of Wardens will diminish to near extinction if the truth of the ritual is known (note here, all the Grey Wardens KNOWS the blight is not over as a consequence of their link to it). So, they kill on sight anyone who tries to escape the ritual (And don't forget, the oldest one are already with some degree of insanity).

In brief, they are paladins of the survivance not of honor.

I see. So Duncan did not want the secret to get out... that's still somewhat odd. In DA:A the recruits seemed to know quite well what happens when the blood is drunken; at least it seems that way.

I did not quite understand that the elder grey wardens are a little bonkers though. Thank you for clearing that up... then again, i suppose a lot of people get a little bonkers when they are older anyway - even if they are very intelligent.

If I remember well, they knew that was dangerous. But only that. Even the elven mage didn't know the details (only that she could bring her revenge more easily).

Also, the people who participate in the ritual are only Grey Wardens, plus the steward who has special favor from the top Grey Wardens.

It stems from the notion that the way to defeat an evil, is to be evil (submit to the taint), which is the greatest of all fallacies. The most that can accomplish is to replace one evil with another, so regardless of the outcome, evil is perpetuated.

I would like to expand an information in the great answer of @Belsirk: which sort of panick or distrust towards the Grey Wardens would start among the folk and factions if the truth about the ritual spread out, besides of the discourage in new recruitments? Maybe something similar to what exist in the Witcher universe, with the witchers and some historical attacks against them. Of course, Duncan could have gave the drinks to all recruits at the same time, but the way that it happened allowed the developers show a little bit more about the lore, and avoid other confusions that could arise.

No, it isn't about being evil, it is about making great sacrifices.

The Ritual is a death sentence for everyone who participates.

As DeadFishEye states, in reality they would have everyone drink together, to eliminate rising fear as people died right away in order.

But the authors wanted to up the ante and melodrama more so they had them go in order, to have someone see the result then chicken out, and hammer home to seriousness by having Duncan kill the would be run-away.

IMO, I just found this to be heavy handed writing, not a reflection on Duncans character.

"Submit to the taint", IMO, is a reference to the "necessity" of fighting evil with evil, which I find to be a vile canard spread by people who're morally bankrupt. There's nothing enlightened or virtuous about drinking your enemy's blood, either.

The end does *not* justify the means; rather, it is the means which dictate the end.

Cheers.

SPOILER:

Well, one thing no one has mentioned yet is that Grey Wardens, by virtue of being tainted, are the only beings who can kill an Archdemon, destroy its soul, and end a Blight. This is the real secret of the Wardens.

If anyone other than a Grey Warden kills an Archdemon, the Archdemon's soul will always transfer into another Darkspawn and the Archdemon will be reborn. If a Grey Warden kills an Archdemon on the other hand, the Archdemon's soul transfers to the Grey Warden and is nullified, destroying them both.

This is where the idea of necessity comes in. The only alternatives in the game are things more horrible, like Morrigan's dark ritual.

Even so, it didn't prevent the emergence of another archdemon. And there is also the matter of blood magic and human sacrifice, so just as it is in the real world, people are duped into "choosing the lesser of two evils", which precludes the possibility of achieving a true victory.

I'm not opposed to evil pathways in games, but I do oppose presenting them as being necessary for the greater good, because "evil" and "greater good" are mutually exclusive.

Yes, a new archdemon will emerge, and there will always be a new archdemon eventually unless The Gray Wardens somehow manage to totally genocide either the darkspawn (a pipe dream at best) or all dragons sleeping and awake (theoretically possible, but would take generations).

But the key word in the above is 'a'. A new archdemon. Singular. The real purpose of The Gray Wardens is to ensure that 'a' never becomes a 'they'.

I am still not convinced that what Duncan did was truly necessary, but then again, i suppose it is true that this is something that was commonly done to deserters back in those days. It is also true that each of the grey recruits was taken from a perilous situation. But I also found it strange how supinely the other recruits simply stood by and watched it happen. What a bunch of heores.

This was already commonly done in normal human society.

The stakes are MUCH higher here, the fate of the entire human race is at stake, as they are fighting demons for the fate of the world.

Sure, and at that point, there will no longer be a need for Gray Wardens to be tainted, or perhaps they won't be needed at all. That'll be great!

But in the meantime, with the information they (and players) have, their method is the only way of stopping the Blights. It is set up as a necessary evil, and I think we're supposed to be uncomfortable with that. At least one earlier poster, however, seemed to feel that it was wrong for a game to ever have necessary evils - or even to deny that there could be such a thing. It's an arguable point in reality, but even then, there can truly be "a lesser of two evils".

Obviously, Dragon Age is not meant to be comfortable for those who believe in moral absolutes. And I was about to say something insulting here, but for once, censored myself. :)