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* [[Alexius]] (optionally)
 
* [[Alexius]] (optionally)
 
* [[Maddox]]
 
* [[Maddox]]
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* [[The Anchoress]] (optionally)
   
 
== Notes ==
 
== Notes ==

Revision as of 20:05, 26 January 2015

The Tranquil are a group of mages who went through the Rite of Tranquility and belong to the Formari. The Rite cuts off the connection to the Fade, and the Tranquil can no longer dream nor draw on the Fade to perform magic. As a side effect, their emotional center is utterly removed, which makes them undesirable to be possessed by demons in the first place. It should be noted that until 9:40 Dragon, the tranquil were thought to be immune to demonic possession.[1]

Performing the Rite

Elsa

The brand of Tranquility on Elsa, a Tranquil from Kirkwall

It is the judgment of the Knight-Commander whether a mage needs to be made Tranquil.[2] Chantry law forbids performing the Rite of Tranquility without significant provocation and the agreement of the relevant Circle's First Enchanter. "Provocation," in this case, means that the mage either cannot control their magic or is not willing to do so.[3] Because a mage who has passed the Harrowing is deemed to be strong enough to resist demonic possession, forcibly making them Tranquil is theoretically against Chantry law. Practically, the situation varies from tower to tower:[2] The system will fall out of balance anywhere where the First Enchanter is either weak or ignored, resulting in the Rite being used as a punishment or a control over unruly mages.[3]

The Rite of Tranquility is claimed to be an act of mercy, if not kindness. Many of those who go through the Rite have never even shown the desire to be mages in the first place. Once made Tranquil, they are believed to be immune to the mortal dangers (i.e., the nightly struggle to resist demonic temptation and possession) they would have to face otherwise. While some mages are forced to undergo the Rite, some volunteer willingly. Mages don't generally elect to become Tranquil after their Harrowing, but it's not unheard of.[3]

The Rite involves the use of a lyrium brand.[3] As a result the Tranquil have the seal of the Chantry's sunburst engraved on their foreheads (in case of the Circle of Kirkwall). The Tranquil are not permitted to speak of the Rite or other secrets of superiors.[4]

State of Tranquility

In the mind of the Tranquil, there is no passion. They keep to themselves, and, if asked directly, will readily agree that having the opportunity to live out a peaceful and useful existence is far preferable when compared to what their alternatives would have been.

The Tranquil are stripped of their capacity to form anything other than a logical opinion.[5] However, they neither lose their memory[3] nor become automatons: they possess free will. They do not wish to die[5] and are no more susceptible to suggestion than they were previously. They are more agreeable and would not normally oppose an authority figure,[3] because they do not possess the desire to object,[6] but if the Tranquil see a logical reason not to follow an order, they do so.[5] Tranquil can't take offense and know no modesty.[4]

Tranquil can be creative, insofar as a very logical scientist might be. They pursue a means to an end, and are capable of coming up with alternate solutions to problems. They are, however, methodical to a fault. They are not taken by inspiration, and some might say what they lack is intuition. The fact that they do not get bored and take no pleasure out of creating takes much of the impetus away for them to change their methods or seek to create something different unless there is a clear reason to.[5]

Tranquil in the society

The monotonous voices and blank, expressionless eyes of the Tranquil make mages and non-mages alike feel uncomfortable in their presence. Many Tranquil assume a placid smile, not because they are pleased about anything but because they know it puts others at ease.[7]

The Tranquil are no longer considered to be mages and are free to leave the Circle. Most remain, primarily because it's logical: they're not welcome elsewhere, and can serve in a productive capacity in the Circle and live comfortably. Some Tranquil choose to leave, but such cases are rare.[5]

The Tranquil perform all sorts of menial and administrative functions in the towers: they service the mages' chambers, purchase the supplies, act as storekeepers, manage the archives, and maintain the records. They can also serve as sellers in Circle of Magi shops.

The Tranquil use lyrium to enchant items, providing the Circle its main source of funding. They are resistant to lyrium's effects and would be mostly unaffected by raw lyrium unless they spend too much time in its presence.[8]

Reversing the Rite

It is revealed that proximity to a mage bonded with a Fade spirit can temporarily restore a Tranquil to their former self. In contrast to the content and peaceful outlook of the Tranquil, the restored individual described it as a horrific experience in comparison.


This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Asunder.


Justinia V, who became the Divine in 9:34 Dragon, asked to investigate the nature of the Rite as she admitted that it was not completely understood. The Divine wanted to know if the process of removing magic could be done without the other side effects, and if it could be reversed. The elven Tranquil Pharamond was then sent to the Adamant Fortress to conduct a research on the Rite. He discovered a way to reverse the effects of the Rite of Tranquility, with the side effect of the mage becoming very emotional. According to Pharamond, if a spirit or demon were to reach across the Veil and touch a Tranquil's mind, it would be cured.

Contrary to popular belief, the Tranquil are not immune to possession. Tranquil become invisible to spirits and demons in the Fade. They are also undesirable since a demon looks to possess an individual because it wishes to experience life. To them, a Tranquil is no better than an inanimate object or worse, since a Tranquil will resist. Thus in order for a demon or spirit to touch the mind of a Tranquil, it must be lured out of the Fade and summoned into the mortal realm, then lured into possessing the Tranquil. This feat can be accomplished by a spirit medium.



This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Inquisition.


As Cassandra Pentaghast discovers after reading through the Book of Secrets that she took from Lord Seeker Lucius Corin, the Lord Seekers had always known to how to reverse Tranquility, because they subject their own to the Rite and have a Spirit of Faith possess them during their Vigil. The Rite thus predates the Chantry and the Circle of Magi, having originally been created to attain a state of true mental peace so that the approaching spirit of Faith would not be twisted by internal malignant emotions of the supplicant.

After the original Inquisition was reformed into the Seekers of Truth, the Seekers discovered that the Rite was able to separate a mage from the Fade. They revealed the Rite to the Chantry, as a means of avoiding the execution of dangerous mages. Only the Lord Seekers continued to know the origin and possible reversal of the Rite and kept it secret even from their own order for ages.


Known Tranquil

Notes

  • Feynriel's possible death in the Fade made him a Tranquil in the real world as Marethari expected, however it is still uncertain if this can happen to everyone or only to Dreamers like Feynriel.
  • The Rite of Tranquility is also used in Tevinter Imperium, despite their more relaxed attitude towards mages.[9]

Trivia

  • The Rite of Tranquility is similar, in results, to the real world practice of lobotomy. Similar to the Rite of Tranquility, the lobotomy is infamous for being abused and remains highly controversial to this day. The practice, controversy aside, largely ceased following the development of more effective antipsychotic drugs.
  • The Tranquil in Dragon Age: Origins were supposed to bear the sunburst, but the developers were not able to put it in.[3]

Gallery

See also

Codex entry: The Tranquil Codex entry: The Tranquil

Codex entry: Journal of the Tranquil Codex entry: Journal of the Tranquil

Codex entry: Tranquility Codex entry: Tranquility

Codex entry: The Rite of Tranquility Codex entry: The Rite of Tranquility

References

  1. This knowledge was discovered due to Pharamond's research in Dragon Age: Asunder.
  2. 2.0 2.1 BSN Gaider, David (May 20, 2011). "Your Random Dragon Age Question?" . The BioWare Forum. Retrieved on April 12, 2014.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 BSN Gaider, David (April 13, 2011). "Anyone else notice the retcon of the tranquil?" . The BioWare Forum. Retrieved on April 12, 2014.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Dragon Age: Asunder, Chapter 5
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 BSN Gaider, David (April 3, 2011). "Was Anders Justified (No Pun intended)" . The BioWare Forum. Retrieved on April 12, 2014.
  6. Dragon Age: The World of Thedas Volume 1 volume 1, page 101.
  7. Dragon Age: Asunder, Chapter 12
  8. BSN Gaider, David (December 17, 2009). "Some questions I have OR lore and info requests" . The BioWare Forum. Retrieved on April 12, 2014.
  9. David Gaider Tumblr