Writing about sensitive topics, and Dragon Age Canon
Created by Mage Kalian Winter on 03 Sep 2020 @ 3:21am
We recognize and appreciate that players invest a significant amount of time and creative energy in this narrative collaboration, and we acknowledge that players who confront oppression in their real lives rarely enjoy facing it in their fantasy role-play hobby. We want Dragon Age Legacy to be an enjoyable, immersive, and inclusive experience for everyone.
It is our intention to handle certain topics with care and sensitivity, consistent with Bioware's Dragon Age world while avoiding versions of science fiction and fantasy tropes that can harm or exclude some players. These topics include, but are not limited to, enslavement, sexism, sexuality, rape, and racism.
As a group we absolutely can address these issues in-story and discussion in a sensitive and respectful manner. The following is intended to raise awareness about how unexamined real world defaults and assumptions may impact our fantasy rpg and our fellow players.
When writing and role playing any scene involving actions that have a significant effect on another players' character, the players involved should discuss and agree on the actions in advance. If a player is uncomfortable with a turn a developing post takes, please speak up.
Enslavement
The enslavement of people is part of Dragon Age canon.
As of 9:34 Dragon, the timeline setting of Dragon Age Legacy, the enslavement of people is officially illegal in all countries of Thedas except Tevinter where it is a common practice.
In the real world, historic enslavement practices have a significant and ongoing impact on people of color every day. Enslavement of people is technically illegal in every country on earth, and yet human trafficking remains widespread. There are over 20 million men, women, and children enslaved and trafficked throughout the world. There are more than 10,000 child sex slaves in the US alone. The criminal justice system in the United States is arguably designed to perpetuate the Forced Labor enslavement of people of color.
Similarly, people are still enslaved in Thedas even in places where slavery is illegal, and free elves still feel the devastating impact of the generations-long enslavement of their race.
Based on the way enslavement in Tevinter is described in Dragon Age canon (and specifically in dialog with Dorian and Krem in DA:I), the form of enslavement legally practiced in Tevinter is known in the real world as bonded labor or debt labor – a type of enslavement in which an individual is compelled to work in order to repay a debt, or sells themselves into slavery in exchange for money to pay off a debt or support their family.
Forced labor is a form of enslavement that is unofficially practiced by the Qun and illegally practiced in Tevinter and elsewhere in Thedas.
Westerners tend to be most familiar with the form of chattel slavery that existed in America for over three hundred years. This was a system of enslavement in which the slaves are considered property, not people, and their children are also property. White people bought and sold black people who were owned forever, and treated them like animals. There is no Dragon Age canon to support the current existence of legal chattel enslavement anywhere in Thedas, including Tevinter.
Sexism
Gender equality is the norm throughout most of Thedas. A country's monarch can be a queen or king. A soldier's skill and strength are not enhanced or limited by their gender. Gender is not an issue for anyone wishing to join the Templars or Grey Wardens, or the armies of Ferelden and Orlais.
Cultural and regional variations and exceptions include (but are not limited to):
> The southern Chantry only allows women to become reverend mothers, and only a woman can be the Divine.
> In Tevinter the Chantry’s gender bias is reversed and only a man can become the Black Divine.
> Among traditional underground dwarfs, children inherit the caste of their same-sex parent.
> Among the Qun, vocation and identity are tied together. An individual's job determines their identity and in some cases their gender.
> Dialog with Krem in DA:I suggests that the role of women in the Tevinter army is severely limited.
Sexuality and attitudes toward sex
Throughout most of Thedas and especially among nobles, the primary purpose of marriage is to produce legal heirs. Otherwise, sex is a personal choice and sexuality is self determined. See https://dragonage.fandom.com/wiki/Sexuality_and_marriage
Of particular note in comparison to fantasy-genre tropes:
> Elven societies (alienage and Dalish) generally disapprove of elves who breed with humans, since the resulting children are human (a slow genocide).
> Dwarfs rarely engage in sexual relationships with other races. Infertility among dwarves is diminishing their numbers.
> Chastity is an optional aspect of some religious orders in Thedas, but not required or expected by any culture or society.
> Purity culture – a real-world belief system in which a young unmarried woman is considered devalued if she's not a virgin – is not part of any society in Dragon Age canon.
> Homophobia and transphobia are not part of Dragon Age canon. Krem is a trans-man, fully accepted by all. Based on Dorian’s personal quest in DA:Inquisition, it could be argued that homophobia exists in Tevinter. If a player feels strongly that homophobia is a necessary part of their character’s personality or impacts their character’s back story, please discuss with the GM.
> Prostitution is a legal and accepted profession throughout Thedas.
> Acceptance of non-binary gender expression is consistent with Dragon Age canon, and exemplified by Lisme, a character is the tie-in novel Last Flight.
Rape
Sexual assault or rape is sexual interaction in which one or more of the people involved does not consent or is unable to refuse to participate. That includes an enslaved person, a subordinate, a child, a prisoner, a person who is unconscious, intoxicated, or under a spell, and a person under threat of harm to themselves or someone else. In the real world, sixty to eighty percent of women and twenty to forty percent of men are sexually assaulted in their lifetimes.
The fantasy and science fiction genres contain numerous rape tropes, and rape is often used as an authorial shortcut to give a protagonist motivation, or to show that a villain is evil. To effectively incorporate fictional rape in a narrative or backstory without triggering or trivializing the experiences of real rape survivors usually requires significant research and thoughtful writing.
There are an endless number of ways to show that a character is evil or to give your character motivation without resorting to rape. If a player feels strongly that rape is a necessary part of their character's backstory, please discuss with the GM.
Any post that includes sexual assault, including showing or implying or threatening rape in the current timeline or in the past, must be reviewed by the GM before posting.
Racism
Prejudice between the races (human, elf, dwarf, qunari) of Thedas is part of Dragon Age canon. The persecution of elves in particular, and how elves came to be in that state, is a key aspect of the overarching story of the Dragon Age franchise.
The Chantry only accepts humans to serve in any capacity and at any level of the priesthood, and perpetuates the belief that the other races are 'lesser’ than human, rejected by the Maker.' The Templar Order only accepts humans into its ranks. (This changes in 9:42 Dragon if a softened Leliana becomes Divine at the end of DA:I.)
It's important for roleplay that players are able to write their characters speaking and acting in a way that is true to their character's background and personality. That might include in-character racist remarks or actions. In the context of the story, we expect that racism is unlikely to be problematic.
It is our intention to handle certain topics with care and sensitivity, consistent with Bioware's Dragon Age world while avoiding versions of science fiction and fantasy tropes that can harm or exclude some players. These topics include, but are not limited to, enslavement, sexism, sexuality, rape, and racism.
As a group we absolutely can address these issues in-story and discussion in a sensitive and respectful manner. The following is intended to raise awareness about how unexamined real world defaults and assumptions may impact our fantasy rpg and our fellow players.
When writing and role playing any scene involving actions that have a significant effect on another players' character, the players involved should discuss and agree on the actions in advance. If a player is uncomfortable with a turn a developing post takes, please speak up.
Enslavement
The enslavement of people is part of Dragon Age canon.
As of 9:34 Dragon, the timeline setting of Dragon Age Legacy, the enslavement of people is officially illegal in all countries of Thedas except Tevinter where it is a common practice.
In the real world, historic enslavement practices have a significant and ongoing impact on people of color every day. Enslavement of people is technically illegal in every country on earth, and yet human trafficking remains widespread. There are over 20 million men, women, and children enslaved and trafficked throughout the world. There are more than 10,000 child sex slaves in the US alone. The criminal justice system in the United States is arguably designed to perpetuate the Forced Labor enslavement of people of color.
Similarly, people are still enslaved in Thedas even in places where slavery is illegal, and free elves still feel the devastating impact of the generations-long enslavement of their race.
Based on the way enslavement in Tevinter is described in Dragon Age canon (and specifically in dialog with Dorian and Krem in DA:I), the form of enslavement legally practiced in Tevinter is known in the real world as bonded labor or debt labor – a type of enslavement in which an individual is compelled to work in order to repay a debt, or sells themselves into slavery in exchange for money to pay off a debt or support their family.
Forced labor is a form of enslavement that is unofficially practiced by the Qun and illegally practiced in Tevinter and elsewhere in Thedas.
Westerners tend to be most familiar with the form of chattel slavery that existed in America for over three hundred years. This was a system of enslavement in which the slaves are considered property, not people, and their children are also property. White people bought and sold black people who were owned forever, and treated them like animals. There is no Dragon Age canon to support the current existence of legal chattel enslavement anywhere in Thedas, including Tevinter.
Sexism
Gender equality is the norm throughout most of Thedas. A country's monarch can be a queen or king. A soldier's skill and strength are not enhanced or limited by their gender. Gender is not an issue for anyone wishing to join the Templars or Grey Wardens, or the armies of Ferelden and Orlais.
Cultural and regional variations and exceptions include (but are not limited to):
> The southern Chantry only allows women to become reverend mothers, and only a woman can be the Divine.
> In Tevinter the Chantry’s gender bias is reversed and only a man can become the Black Divine.
> Among traditional underground dwarfs, children inherit the caste of their same-sex parent.
> Among the Qun, vocation and identity are tied together. An individual's job determines their identity and in some cases their gender.
> Dialog with Krem in DA:I suggests that the role of women in the Tevinter army is severely limited.
Sexuality and attitudes toward sex
Throughout most of Thedas and especially among nobles, the primary purpose of marriage is to produce legal heirs. Otherwise, sex is a personal choice and sexuality is self determined. See https://dragonage.fandom.com/wiki/Sexuality_and_marriage
Of particular note in comparison to fantasy-genre tropes:
> Elven societies (alienage and Dalish) generally disapprove of elves who breed with humans, since the resulting children are human (a slow genocide).
> Dwarfs rarely engage in sexual relationships with other races. Infertility among dwarves is diminishing their numbers.
> Chastity is an optional aspect of some religious orders in Thedas, but not required or expected by any culture or society.
> Purity culture – a real-world belief system in which a young unmarried woman is considered devalued if she's not a virgin – is not part of any society in Dragon Age canon.
> Homophobia and transphobia are not part of Dragon Age canon. Krem is a trans-man, fully accepted by all. Based on Dorian’s personal quest in DA:Inquisition, it could be argued that homophobia exists in Tevinter. If a player feels strongly that homophobia is a necessary part of their character’s personality or impacts their character’s back story, please discuss with the GM.
> Prostitution is a legal and accepted profession throughout Thedas.
> Acceptance of non-binary gender expression is consistent with Dragon Age canon, and exemplified by Lisme, a character is the tie-in novel Last Flight.
Rape
Sexual assault or rape is sexual interaction in which one or more of the people involved does not consent or is unable to refuse to participate. That includes an enslaved person, a subordinate, a child, a prisoner, a person who is unconscious, intoxicated, or under a spell, and a person under threat of harm to themselves or someone else. In the real world, sixty to eighty percent of women and twenty to forty percent of men are sexually assaulted in their lifetimes.
The fantasy and science fiction genres contain numerous rape tropes, and rape is often used as an authorial shortcut to give a protagonist motivation, or to show that a villain is evil. To effectively incorporate fictional rape in a narrative or backstory without triggering or trivializing the experiences of real rape survivors usually requires significant research and thoughtful writing.
There are an endless number of ways to show that a character is evil or to give your character motivation without resorting to rape. If a player feels strongly that rape is a necessary part of their character's backstory, please discuss with the GM.
Any post that includes sexual assault, including showing or implying or threatening rape in the current timeline or in the past, must be reviewed by the GM before posting.
Racism
Prejudice between the races (human, elf, dwarf, qunari) of Thedas is part of Dragon Age canon. The persecution of elves in particular, and how elves came to be in that state, is a key aspect of the overarching story of the Dragon Age franchise.
The Chantry only accepts humans to serve in any capacity and at any level of the priesthood, and perpetuates the belief that the other races are 'lesser’ than human, rejected by the Maker.' The Templar Order only accepts humans into its ranks. (This changes in 9:42 Dragon if a softened Leliana becomes Divine at the end of DA:I.)
It's important for roleplay that players are able to write their characters speaking and acting in a way that is true to their character's background and personality. That might include in-character racist remarks or actions. In the context of the story, we expect that racism is unlikely to be problematic.
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