...

Little fiefdoms: Maybe it is purely because Hawke has so few chances to get inside the Gallows (inside the buildings rather than out in the courtyard) but, at least to me, it seems like the chain of command is a bit confused. All of the more senior templars (who presumably report directly to meredith??) appear to be off in their own little worlds doing their own little thing, be it Thrask's noble experiment or Alrik's beatings & rape patrol. Cullen repeatedly struck me as a person who, despite his title, lacked the appropriate level of authority matching his responsibility. By Act III he appears rather checked out. Although we are left guessing as to what is really happening behind those walls, I kept having gut feelings that the Gallows is a case study of organizational management failure.


Cullen vs Gabranth: yes. I was thinking this earlier today. Gabranth strikes me as someone who had issues that stem back to childhood. Probably twin-brother problems. Being the second son. Chip on his shoulder. Fear of being left behind and left alone. Isssssssuuuues. Also, the many gobs of words (?!?!) I have drafted on the Landis war have such a build up that, despite the horror and shock of Ronsenburg being firebombed, Noah had long since been in a wound up state. Also, he remains function the whole time. My young!Noah is a bit of a delinquent.

Cullen, on the other hand, appears rather normal in the mage origin story. (Young!Cullen was a good boy). Thus, I see him being fully cognizant of something being very wrong with him after everything goes to hell in Ferelden's circle.