Investigate
Iron Bull Conversations: Investigate
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Let’s Talk About Being Qunari
PC: There are few here who understand what it means to be Qunari.
Iron Bull: You’re not Qunari. You’re Tal-Vashoth. World of difference.
Dialogue options:
- General: I’m proud of it. [1]
- General: I wish I’d known the Qun. [2]
- General: I’m still different. [3]
1 - General: I’m proud of it. PC: My parents raised me to be free. I’m grateful to them. Iron Bull: Fine. Their call. [4]
2 - General: I wish I’d known the Qun.
PC: My parents were wrong to make that decision for me.
Iron Bull: If they hadn’t, they wouldn’t have been your parents. You’d have grown up with the tamassarans. Anyway, it doesn’t matter now. You’ve got too much personality to make a good Qunari. [4]
3 - General: I’m still different. PC: I still grew up looking like this in a world of mostly humans. Iron Bull: Yeah, fair enough. [4]
4 - Scene continues.
Iron Bull: You didn’t turn into a murdering bandit, so I guess we’re fine. You want to know anything about the Qunari, since we’re talking about them?
5 - Dialogue options:
- General: What does “Qunari” mean? [6]
- Investigate: What’s wrong with Tal-Vashoth? [7]
- Investigate: How do they govern? [8]
- Investigate: Do you not marry? [9]
- Investigate: Day-to-day life. [10]
- Investigate: How is it growing up? [11]
- Investigate: And if Thedas fell to the Qun? [12]
- General: Goodbye. [13]
6 - General: What does “Qunari” mean? PC: The word “Qunari”—does it mean what we are, the race, or is it anyone who follows the Qun? Iron Bull: Depends on who you ask. Are you Qunari or Tal-Vashoth? The humans and elves who follow the Qun are the viddathari. The Qunari who break away from the Qun are Tal-Vashoth. Deserters.
Dialogue options:
- Special: And those who predate the Qun? [14]
- [Back to 5]
14 - Special: And those who predate the Qun? PC: What about Qunari who existed before the Qun? Iron Bull: The people we came from… they’re called the kossith. But we don’t use that word for the race. We came south to Thedas because the kossith were… I don’t know. We had to leave. The stories aren’t clear. But I don’t expect that they look much like us, whatever they are. [back to 5]
7 - Investigate: What’s wrong with Tal-Vashoth? PC: What’s your problem with Tal-Vashoth? Iron Bull: As Ben-Hassrath, my job back home was keeping the peace, helping people live by the Qun. Tal-Vashoth turned their back on all that, decided they’d rather live like savages. The Qun isn’t perfect, but at least there’s some sense to it.
Dialogue options:
- General: My parents weren’t savages. [15]
- General: The Qun offers no choice. [16]
- General: That’s a good point. [17]
15 - General: My parents weren’t savages. PC: Well, good. They aren’t the kind of Tal-Vashoth I’ve got a problem with, then. [18] ㅤㅤ ㅤ 16 - General: The Qun offers no choice. PC: Qunari society gives its people no guidelines on how to live without following the Qun. Of course most of them turn into lawless bandits once they break away from it. Iron Bull: Just ‘cause I understand it doesn’t make it right. They could have stayed, tried to change the Qunari from within. Instead, they gave up everything they had. [18] ㅤㅤ ㅤ 17 - General: That’s a good point. PC: I hadn’t thought of it that way. Iron Bull: I got to see the results up close. They weren’t pretty. [18] ㅤㅤ ㅤ 18 - Scene continues.
Iron Bull: Look, if you’re worried I’m going to attack you, don’t be. I had a lifetime of fighting Tal-Vashoth. You’re not the kind I hate. [back to 5]
8 - Investigate: How do they govern? PC: How do the Qunari rule themselves? Iron Bull: It’s pretty simple. We’ve got the matriarchy, the priesthood, and the military. The priesthood figures out how Qunari should live in theory. The matriarchy makes it work in practice… And the military keeps the Qunari safe from outside threats.
Dialogue options:
- Special: Is there much dissent? [19]
- [Back to 5]
19 - Special: Is there much dissent? PC: Does it actually work like that? Is there much infighting? Iron Bull: Not like you’re thinking of. People disagree, yeah, but the priests are there to solve disagreements. Here in Orlais, politicking comes from people putting their own gain ahead of the gains of society. If you do that among the Qunari, the Ben-Hassrath set you straight. Or kill you. [back to 5]
9 - Investigate: Do you not marry? PC: I heard there’s no marriage among the Qunari. Iron Bull: Yeah, that’s true. Qunari love our friends like anyone does, but we don’t have sex with them. PC: Qunari don’t have sex? Iron Bull: Oh, we definitely have sex. There are tamassrans who pop your cork whenever you need it.
Dialogue options:
- Special: What, really? [20]
- [Back to 5]
20 - Special: What, really? PC: Seriously? Iron Bull: Yeah. It’s not a big deal like it is here. It’s like… I don’t know, going to see a healer? Sometimes it’s this long involved thing. It takes all day, leaves you walking funny… Other times, you’re in and out in five minutes. (Clicks tongue.) “Thank you, see you next week!”
Dialogue options:
- Flirt: You don’t know true passion? [21]
- General: I don’t know what to say. [22]
- General: That’s bizarre. [23]
- General: Sounds great. [24]
21 - Flirt: You don’t know true passion? PC: So you’ve never really made love? Connected with someone in both body and soul? Iron Bull: I don’t know. One time they used this thing called the saartoh nehrappan. It’s a leather-wrapped rod on a harness… That wasn’t really my soul, though. Also, there were more than two people. [back to 5] ㅤㅤ ㅤ 22 - General: I don’t know what to say. PC: That sounds… different. Iron Bull: Yep. [25] ㅤㅤ ㅤ 23 - General: That’s bizarre. PC: Sometimes I think I understand how different the Qunari are… and then I talk to you. Iron Bull: Yep. [25] ㅤㅤ ㅤ 24 - General: Sounds great. PC: I could work with that. Iron Bull: I know, right? No drama. [25] ㅤㅤ ㅤ 25 - Scene continues. ㅤㅤ ㅤ Iron Bull: Still, it’s more fun here. Fewer rituals, more making it up as you go along. Plus, you folk have redheads. (Sighs.) Redheads. [back to 5]
10 - Investigate: Day-to-day life. PC: How is everyday life different for Qunari? Iron Bull: Depends on your job, I guess. Some are just about the same. A baker in Val Royeaux gets up, gets dressed, and starts work. A baker in Par Vollen does the same thing. They don’t care about the empire or the Qun. Mostly, they worry about breaking eggs and hope the dough rises right.
Dialogue options:
- Special: Except that baker isn’t free. [26]
- [Back to 5]
26 - Special: Except that baker isn’t free. PC: It can’t be exactly the same. The Qunari have no personal freedoms. Iron Bull: How many personal freedoms do you figure that baker in Val Royeaux has? Life isn’t about freedom. The baker in Par Vollen wonders if she’ll be given enough eggs to do her work. Will they come on time? Will the kitchen workers get her bread while it’s fresh, or will they come late and blame her ’cause it’s stale? Same crap in Val Royeaux. People are just people. [back to 5]
11 - Investigate: How is it growing up? PC: What’s it like growing up under the Qun? Iron Bull: The tamassrans raise us in these units of kids all our own age. They’re like teachers or Chantry sisters. They also help figure out what jobs we should do. They had me pegged for military work early on. When they learned I could hit stuff and lie, they started training me for the Ben-Hassrath.
Dialogue options:
- General: So no families? [27]
- General: You didn’t choose your job? [28]
- General: You must have been proud. [29]
27 - General: So no families? PC: ou never knew your parents? Iron Bull: Nope. I know, for you folks, that’s a big deal. The tamassrans were like our parents, though. Taught us to read, helped us go to sleep, all the parent stuff. I remember the one who helped me build things with blocks. She laughed when I knocked everything down. [back to 5] ㅤㅤ ㅤ 28 - General: You didn’t choose your job? PC: So the Qun decided what work you would do? You didn’t get a choice? Iron Bull: I could’ve acted like I didn’t like hitting things, I guess. But why would I do that? I was good at my work. I liked doing it. Far as I can tell, the tamassrans made the right call. [back to 5] ㅤㅤ ㅤ 29 - General: You must have been proud. PC: That must have been a good day for you. Iron Bull: Yeah. It’s like being a block of stone with a sculptor working on you. One day, the last of the crap gets knocked off, and you can see your real shape, what you’re supposed to be. That’s a good day. [back to 5]
12 - Investigate: And if Thedas fell to the Qun? PC: Do you ever think about what would happen if the Qunari conquered Orlais or Ferelden? Iron Bull: Some folks, like Cassandra or Cullen, would do fine… if they didn’t die fighting. Those two love rules. But the mages…
-
Iron Bull (Vivienne and Dorian recruited): Vivienne’s too political, Dorian’s too arrogant, and Solas is just weird. They’d all end up dead… or worse.
-
Iron Bull (Dorian recruited, Vivienne not recruited): Can you imagine Solas trying his Fade-dreaming under the Qun? Or Dorian thinking of someone besides himself?
-
Iron Bull(Vivienne recruited, Dorian not recruited): Can you imagine Solas trying his Fade-dreaming under the Qun? Or Vivienne doing her political bullshit?
-
Iron Bull (Vivienne and Dorian not recruited): Look at Solas. All that wandering in the Fade? They’d at least kill him.
-
Iron Bull (Cole and Sera recruited): They’d kill Cole, ’cause, you know, demon. And Sera would end up with her mind broken, sweeping floors in some shop.
-
Iron Bull (Cole recruited, Sera not recruited): They’d kill Cole, ’cause, you know, demon. And Varric would mouth off one too many times, get reeducated by force.
-
Iron Bull (Sera recruited, Cole not recruited): Both Sera and Varric would mouth off until they ended up reeducated–drugged until their minds broke.
-
Iron Bull (Cole and Sera not recruited): Varric’s tall tales would land him a reeducation prison, drugged until his mind broke.
Iron Bull: So, to answer your question: no, I don’t think about it much at all. [back to 5]
13 - General: Goodbye. PC: See you later, Bull.
Tell Me About Qunari
PC: I’d like to know more about the Qunari.
If asked before Iron Bull: All right. Hit me. [5]
First time asking Iron Bull: You writing a book?
Dialogue options:
- Flirt: I want to know more about you. [1]
- General: They’re a potential threat. [2]
- General: They sound interesting. [3]
1 - Flirt: I want to know more about you. PC: It’s your culture, and I’d like to know you better. Iron Bull: You could just ask. PC: I am. [4]
2 - General: They’re a potential threat. PC: The Qunari pose a threat to all of Thedas. I want to know what I might have to deal with someday. Iron Bull: Smart move. [4]
3 - General: They sound interesting. PC: What I’ve heard about them sounds fascinating. Iron Bull: What you’ve heard was mostly horseshit. [4]
4 - Scene continues.
Iron Bull: All right, what do you want to know?
5 - Dialogue options:
- General: What does “Qunari” mean? [6]
- Investigate: How do they govern? [7]
- Investigate: Do you not marry? [8]
- Investigate: Day-to-day life. [9]
- Investigate: How is it growing up? [10]
- Investigate: And if Thedas fell to the Qun? [11]
- General: Goodbye. [12]
6 - General: What does “Qunari” mean? PC: The word “Qunari”—is that the race or the religion? Iron Bull: Both, kind of. The humans and elves who follow the Qun are the viddathari. The Qunari who break away from the Qun are Tal-Vashoth. Deserters.
Dialogue options:
- Special: And those who predate the Qun? [13]
- [Back to 5]
13 - Special: And those who predate the Qun? PC: What about Qunari who existed before the Qun? Iron Bull: The people we came from… they’re called the kossith. But we don’t use that word for the race. We came south to Thedas because the kossith were… I don’t know. We had to leave. The stories aren’t clear. But I don’t expect that they look much like us, whatever they are. [back to 5]
7 - Investigate: How do they govern? PC: How do the Qunari rule themselves? Iron Bull: It’s pretty simple. We’ve got the matriarchy, the priesthood, and the military. The priesthood figures out how Qunari should live in theory. The matriarchy makes it work in practice… And the military keeps the Qunari safe from outside threats.
Dialogue options:
- Special: Is there much dissent? [14]
- [Back to 5]
14 - Special: Is there much dissent? PC: Does it actually work like that? Is there much infighting? Iron Bull: Not like you’re thinking of. People disagree, yeah, but the priests are there to solve disagreements. Here in Orlais, politicking comes from people putting their own gain ahead of the gains of society. If you do that among the Qunari, the Ben-Hassrath set you straight. Or kill you. [back to 5]
8 - Investigate: Do you not marry? PC: I heard there’s no marriage among the Qunari. Iron Bull: Yeah, that’s true. Qunari love our friends like anyone does, but we don’t have sex with them. PC: Qunari don’t have sex? Iron Bull: Oh, we definitely have sex. There are tamassrans who pop your cork whenever you need it.
Dialogue options:
- Special: What, really? [15]
- [Back to 5]
15 - Special: What, really? PC: Seriously? Iron Bull: Yeah. It’s not a big deal like it is here. It’s like… I don’t know, going to see a healer? Sometimes it’s this long involved thing. It takes all day, leaves you walking funny… Other times, you’re in and out in five minutes. (Clicks tongue.) “Thank you, see you next week!”
Dialogue options:
- Flirt: You don’t know true passion? [16]
- General: I don’t know what to say. [17]
- General: That’s bizarre. [18]
- General: Sounds great. [19]
16 - Flirt: You don’t know true passion? PC: So you’ve never really made love? Connected with someone in both body and soul? Iron Bull: I don’t know. One time they used this thing called the saartoh nehrappan. It’s a leather-wrapped rod on a harness… That wasn’t really my soul, though. Also, there were more than two people. [back to 5] ㅤㅤ ㅤ 17 - General: I don’t know what to say. PC: That sounds… different. Iron Bull: Yep. [20] ㅤㅤ ㅤ 18 - General: That’s bizarre. PC: Sometimes I think I understand how different the Qunari are… and then I talk to you. Iron Bull: Yep. [20] ㅤㅤ ㅤ 19 - General: Sounds great. PC: I could work with that. Iron Bull: I know, right? No drama. [20] ㅤㅤ ㅤ 20 - Scene continues. ㅤㅤ ㅤ Iron Bull: Still, it’s more fun here. Fewer rituals, more making it up as you go along. Plus, you folk have redheads. (Sighs.) Redheads. [back to 5]
9 - Investigate: Day-to-day life. PC: How is everyday life different for Qunari? Iron Bull: Depends on your job, I guess. Some are just about the same. A baker in Val Royeaux gets up, gets dressed, and starts work. A baker in Par Vollen does the same thing. They don’t care about the empire or the Qun. Mostly, they worry about breaking eggs and hope the dough rises right.
Dialogue options:
- Special: Except that baker isn’t free. [21]
- [Back to 5]
21 - Special: Except that baker isn’t free. PC: It can’t be exactly the same. The Qunari have no personal freedoms. Iron Bull: How many personal freedoms do you figure that baker in Val Royeaux has? Life isn’t about freedom. The baker in Par Vollen wonders if she’ll be given enough eggs to do her work. Will they come on time? Will the kitchen workers get her bread while it’s fresh, or will they come late and blame her ’cause it’s stale? Same crap in Val Royeaux. People are just people. [back to 5]
10 - Investigate: How is it growing up? PC: What’s it like growing up under the Qun? Iron Bull: The tamassrans raise us in these units of kids all our own age. They’re like teachers or Chantry sisters. They also help figure out what jobs we should do. They had me pegged for military work early on. When they learned I could hit stuff and lie, they started training me for the Ben-Hassrath.
Dialogue options:
- General: So no families? [22]
- General: You didn’t choose your job? [23]
- General: You must have been proud. [24]
22 - General: So no families? PC: ou never knew your parents? Iron Bull: Nope. I know, for you folks, that’s a big deal. The tamassrans were like our parents, though. Taught us to read, helped us go to sleep, all the parent stuff. I remember the one who helped me build things with blocks. She laughed when I knocked everything down. [back to 5] ㅤㅤ ㅤ 23 - General: You didn’t choose your job? PC: So the Qun decided what work you would do? You didn’t get a choice? Iron Bull: I could’ve acted like I didn’t like hitting things, I guess. But why would I do that? I was good at my work. I liked doing it. Far as I can tell, the tamassrans made the right call. [back to 5] ㅤㅤ ㅤ 24 - General: You must have been proud. PC: That must have been a good day for you. Iron Bull: Yeah. It’s like being a block of stone with a sculptor working on you. One day, the last of the crap gets knocked off, and you can see your real shape, what you’re supposed to be. That’s a good day. [back to 5]
12 - Investigate: And if Thedas fell to the Qun? PC: Do you ever think about what would happen if the Qunari conquered Orlais or Ferelden? Iron Bull: Some folks, like Cassandra or Cullen, would do fine… if they didn’t die fighting. Those two love rules. But the mages…
-
Iron Bull (Vivienne and Dorian recruited): Vivienne’s too political, Dorian’s too arrogant, and Solas is just weird. They’d all end up dead… or worse.
-
Iron Bull (Dorian recruited, Vivienne not recruited): Can you imagine Solas trying his Fade-dreaming under the Qun? Or Dorian thinking of someone besides himself?
-
Iron Bull(Vivienne recruited, Dorian not recruited): Can you imagine Solas trying his Fade-dreaming under the Qun? Or Vivienne doing her political bullshit?
-
Iron Bull (Vivienne and Dorian not recruited): Look at Solas. All that wandering in the Fade? They’d at least kill him.
-
Iron Bull (Cole and Sera recruited): They’d kill Cole, ’cause, you know, demon. And Sera would end up with her mind broken, sweeping floors in some shop.
-
Iron Bull (Cole recruited, Sera not recruited): They’d kill Cole, ’cause, you know, demon. And Varric would mouth off one too many times, get reeducated by force.
-
Iron Bull (Sera recruited, Cole not recruited): Both Sera and Varric would mouth off until they ended up reeducated–drugged until their minds broke.
-
Iron Bull (Cole and Sera not recruited): Varric’s tall tales would land him a reeducation prison, drugged until his mind broke.
Iron Bull: So, to answer your question: no, I don’t think about it much at all. [back to 5]
13 - General: Goodbye. PC: See you later, Bull.
Tell Me of the Ben-Hassrath
PC: I’d like to know more about your work with the Ben-Hassrath.
Iron Bull: Ben-Hassrath is actually a general term. You’ve got the secret police who investigate problems inside our territory. You’ve got the re-educators who take people with problems and fix their minds… or make them disappear. And then you’ve got the spies.
1 - Dialogue options:
- Investigate: Re-educators? [2]
- General: Your job is spying. [3]
- General: None sound like you. [4]
2 - Investigate: Re-educators? PC: How do the re-educators work? Iron Bull: I only know the basics. Wasn’t my area. That said… Keep a man awake long enough, ask the right questions, give the right potions, and you can get him to say anything. You don’t need blood magic or demons to change someone’s mind. We’re a lot more fragile than we’d like to believe.
5 - Dialogue options:
- Investigate (non-Qunari PC): Is it really that easy? [6]
- Investigate (non-Qunari PC): That’s revolting. [7]
- Investigate (Qunari PC): I’ve heard rumors. [8]
- [Back to 1]
6 - Investigate: Is it really that easy? PC: You can alter someone’s beliefs that easily? Iron Bull: One of my friends was a reeducator. He said that every memory is like the page of a book. When you examine a memory, you’re turning to that page… and when you’re there, the page is laid bare. Write a few notes in the margins of the page, erase a word here and there, and your whole outlook changes. Always felt a little weird reading after that conversation. [back to 5] ㅤㅤ ㅤ 7 - Investigate: That’s revolting. PC: The reeducators sound horrible. Iron Bull: Yeah, they probably do. Here’s the thing, though. What happens in Orlais when you commit a crime or betray a lord? They just lop your head off. At least the Qunari try to fix you. [back to 5] ㅤㅤ ㅤ 8 - Investigate: I’ve heard rumors. PC: My parents told me stories about what the reeducators did. Iron Bull: Yes…. You were lucky your parents got away. The weak minds get bent into the right shape. Strong minds like yours… They’d have given you a poison called qamek. You’d have been a polite, happy laborer for the rest of your life. And you’d have had a handler to help you eat and make sure you didn’t crap your pants. [back to 5]
3 - General: Your job is spying. PC: And you’re a spy. Iron Bull: Close. I am now, I suppose, but that’s not how I started. [9]
4 - General: None sound like you. PC: None of those sound exactly like you. Iron Bull: Yeah, I was a special case. [9]
9 - Scene continues.
Iron Bull: They sent me to Seheron because they needed someone who could fight and hunt down problems. That whole island was a sack of cats. Incursions from Tevinter, Tal-Vashoth, and native rebels fighting both sides… And in the middle, me, trying to wrangle the rebels and restore order.
Dialogue options:
- General: Sounds difficult. [10]
- General: Sounds impossible. [11]
- General: Sounds fun for you. [12]
10 - General: Sounds difficult. PC: I can’t imagine that was easy. Iron Bull: Nope. [13]
11 - General: Sounds impossible. PC: How’d that work out for you? Iron Bull: About as well as you’d expect. [13]
12 - General: Sounds fun for you. PC: You seem like the type who enjoys a good fight. Iron Bull: There’s a good fight, and there’s finding out who put rat poison in the bread and killed a bunch of children. [13]
13 - Scene continues.
Iron Bull: I hunted down a lot of rebels. Lost a lot of friends to the Vints, or the fog warriors, or the Tal-Vashoth. One day I woke up and couldn’t think of a damned reason to keep doing my job. Turned myself in to the reeducators.
Dialogue options:
- General: Even knowing what they did? [14]
- General: It worked out well enough. [15]
- General: That was brave. [16]
14 - General: Even knowing what they did? PC: You’d heard what the reeducators did to their prisoners. Iron Bull: Yes, I had. I wanted them to fix me like they fixed them. [17]
15 - General: It worked out well enough. PC: Obviously, you made it out alive. Iron Bull: I wasn’t sure I would, but I honestly didn’t care at that point. I just couldn’t keep fighting that fight. [17]
16 - General: That was brave. PC: Not many people would have the courage to do that. Iron Bull: I thought about letting some rebel kill me, but I couldn’t give any of those bastards the satisfaction. [17]
17 - Scene continues.
Iron Bull: The Ben-Hassrath ordered me to go to Orlais, ostensibly as a Tal-Vashoth, and work undercover. That’s how I ended up here.
Dialogue options:
- Flirt: It means I got to meet you. [18]
- General: You’ve had a hard time. [19]
- General: Wow. [20]
- General: Interesting story. [21]
18 - Flirt: It means I got to meet you. PC: I’m glad you’re here, Bull. Iron Bull: Me, too. PC: If you ever need to talk more about all this, let me know. Iron Bull: Nah. It was a long time ago. Thanks, though. Scene ends.
19 - General: You’ve had a hard time. PC: It sounds like you had a rough life under the Qun. Iron Bull: What, three meals a day and free sex whenever I need it? I came out here for the challenge, boss. Figured I’d rough it with you savages. Anyway, nice talking with you. Scene ends.
20 - General: Wow. PC: That’s, uh… damn. Iron Bull: You did ask. Anyway, nice talking with you. Scene ends.
21 - General: Interesting story. PC: Thanks for the information, Bull. Iron Bull: No problem, boss. Anyway, nice talking with you. Scene ends.
Tell Me About Seheron
Only available with positive approval after asking about the Ben-Hassrath
PC: Can you tell me more about Seheron?
Iron Bull: It was a damn ugly place. Only getting uglier when I left. Between the fog warriors, the Tal-Vashoth, my people, and the Vints, you were lucky to go a day without blood. What do you want to know?
1 - Dialogue options:
- Investigate: Tell me of the fog warriors. [2]
- Investigate: Tell me about Seheron natives. [3]
- Investigate: Tell me of the Tal-Vashoth. [4]
- Investigate: Tell me about Tevinter. [5]
- General: Goodbye. [6]
2 - Investigate: Tell me of the fog warriors. PC: What were the fog warriors like? Iron Bull: They were the worst of the rebels. They trained for stealth attacks. They made this fog—I never saw any mages, so I figure it was alchemy, not magic. They were almost invisible in it. I’d be on patrol in the market square, the fog would roll in, and before I knew it, half my squad dead without a sound.
Dialogue options:
- Special: You sound impressed.
- [Back to 1]
7 - Special: You sound impressed. PC: It almost sounds like you admire them. Iron Bull: They didn’t use poison, they didn’t hurt civilians, and they were damn good fighters. You have to respect that. Plus, they hit the Vints as hard as they hit us. Hearing some terrified magister scream, “My slaves! Where are my slaves?” in the fog always put a smile on my face. [back to 1]
3 - Investigate: Tell me about Seheron natives. PC: What are things like for the natives of Seheron? Iron Bull: I remember one guy. He made these things, fish wrapped in thin bread? Nice guy, talked to him every morning. So one time, I’m asking about his bad back, and I see he’s nervous, trying to tell me something with his eyes. Next thing I know, his assistants draw knives and come at my team. The rebels had forced him to poison my food.
Dialogue options:
- Special: What happened?
- [Back to 1]
8 - Special: What happened? PC: And then? Iron Bull: I’d seen how nervous he was, so I hadn’t eaten anything. Couple of my guys weren’t so lucky. We killed the rebels. I lost two men to the poison, another to knife wounds. My friend who made the fish wraps died with a knife in his throat. Close-quarters fight. He was caught in the middle. That is what things are like for the natives of Seheron. [back to 1]
4 - Investigate: Tell me of the Tal-Vashoth. PC: Tell me about the Tal-Vashoth. Iron Bull: When Qunari can’t handle the fighting in Seheron or lose faith in the Qun, they go rogue. They flee into the wilderness and turn into bandits, attacking everyone. They’re vicious, savage. You look at them, and you can see why my people needed the Qun to stay civilized.
Dialogue options:
- Special: Then aren’t you Tal-Vashoth?
- [Back to 1]
9 - Special: Then aren’t you Tal-Vashoth? PC: Isn’t that what you did, though? Iron Bull: Hey. When I burned out, I didn’t go rogue. I reported in and went where the Ben-Hassrath sent me. I’m doing my job, serving the Qun out here. I’m not some bandit. I am nothing like them. [back to 1]
5 - Investigate: Tell me about Tevinter. PC: Tell me about the Tevinter people you fought. Iron Bull: The Vints sent forces to Seheron every autumn. Guess they didn’t like the summer heat. We had some good fights on the beaches. Standing in knee-high water foaming red with blood, ships on fire around us… The cities were worse. Free bit of advice? Don’t let the Inquisition forces get suckered into urban combat.
Dialogue options:
- Special: What’s so bad about Tevinter?
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10 - Special: What’s so bad about Tevinter? PC: Why do you hate Tevinter forces so much? What makes them so bad? Iron Bull: It’s not their armies. It’s their spies. They bloodied Seheron year-round, killing loyalists, supporting rebels. Alam had no city administrator. Nobody would accept the position. The last four who held it died inside a year. Trying to conquer a country is one thing. Making it so that nobody can live there? That just screws everyone. [back to 1]
6 - General: Goodbye. PC: See you later, Bull. Iron Bull: Nice talking with you, boss.
Why the Name Iron Bull?
PC: So, how did you get the name “Iron Bull”?
Iron Bull: I picked it.
Iron Bull: You know how it is. Even growing up Tal-Vashoth, your parents had to tell you about some of it, right? No names. I figure your parents chose yours the same way. Nice going on Adaar, by the way. “Weapon.” I like that.
Iron Bull: We don’t have names under the Qun, just… I don’t know, job descriptions, I guess. When I came to Orlais, I chose “the Iron Bull” for myself.
- Special: Why that name, though?
Special: Why that name, though? PC: But why specifically “Iron Bull”?
Iron Bull: This may surprise you, but I really like hitting things. Also, it’s “the Iron Bull,” technically. I like having an article at the front. It makes it sound like I’m not even a person, just a mindless weapon, an implement of destruction… That really works for me.