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| − | '''Imshael''' is an ancient [[desire demon]] |
+ | '''Imshael''' is an ancient [[desire demon]]<ref>"A desire demon, more cunning than anything I have encountered... and I have played the Game." —[[Michel de Chevin]]</ref>, who refers to itself as a "choice spirit", purportedly one of the first [[demon]]s to come in contact with [[Humanity|human]] [[Magi]]. Imshael itself identifies itself as a "[[spirit]] of choice" although it is more commonly known as one of [[The Forbidden Ones]]. |
==Background== |
==Background== |
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Revision as of 11:48, 27 December 2016
“You offer me a stately dinner, when what I want is the ravening, bare-fisted gluttony of a starving man.”
Imshael is an ancient desire demon[2], who refers to itself as a "choice spirit", purportedly one of the first demons to come in contact with human Magi. Imshael itself identifies itself as a "spirit of choice" although it is more commonly known as one of The Forbidden Ones.
Background
“The first of the magus cast themselves deep in the Fade in search of answers and power, always power. They found the forbidden ones – Xebenkeck, Imshael, Gaxkang the Unbound, and The Formless One. Many conversations were had and much of the fabric of the world revealed. And thus the magic of blood was born.” ―Unknown mage
While Imshael is aware that he could be classified as a desire demon, he notes that "everyone has desires. Not everyone makes the choice to act upon them"[3]. For this reason, he identifies as 'Choice'.
Involvement
Dragon Age: The Masked Empire
In 9:40 Dragon, Imshael is summoned from the Fade by the Dalish clan Virnehn and trapped in a binding circle, diminishing its power. The clan's keeper, Thelhen, seeks its assistance in unlocking the secrets of the Eluvians. However, Imshael refused, seeing that Thelhen only wants the eluvians awakened and nothing more and wouldn't submit to the consequences of his actions.
Later, when Clan Virnehn plays host to Empress Celene and her entourage, Imshael uses blood magic to lure her champion, Ser Michel de Chevin to it. Engaging in dialogue with Michel, Imshael reveals the existence of the eluvians to Michel and the reason it was brought to the physical world. The demon then tries to make a deal, suggesting that Michel sacrifice a mortal as a host for it in exchange for influencing the dreams of men, who would unknowingly forge documents and claim that Michel is fully human, so as to hide the fact that he is elf-blooded.
Michel later returned with Celene and ordered the demon to produce the Keystone. Imshael then created a Keystone that would lead whoever wielded it through a series of Eluvians that would end in a central chamber connected to all of the Eluvians in Thedas. From there, whomever holds the Keystone could reactivate the Eluvians and reset the spoken password needed to travel through them. But after taking the keystone, Michel attempts to destroy the binding circle, thinking that it would send Imshael back into the Fade, but the demon had in fact misled him and breaking the circle released the demon. After Imshael is free, the demon goes on to massacre all the remaining members of clan Virnehn; save Mihris, the clan First who was spared because Imshael was amused by Ser Michel de Chevin's decision to spare her and secretly possessed the elven mage, keeping its true nature secret even as Mihris joined forces with Grand Duke Gaspard de Chalons to get revenge on Michel. After both parties reach the central chamber of the network, as Gaspard and Michel duel for the fate of Orlais, Lienne de Montsimmard and Mihris secretly hexed Michel to make him falter. After Briala kills Lienne, she deduces that Mihris' magic had strengthened considerably since last they met and realizes that Imshael had possessed her. The demon is persuaded to leave her body after Felassan told it that "something bigger was coming" to Thedas. The demon's essence then left the elf's body and enters one of the eluvians, departing to parts unknown.
Ser Michel de Chevin vows to pursue Imshael to atone for his part in the destruction of the clan.
It is worth noting, however, that Imshael did not, in fact, destroy the entirety of Clan Virnehn. The children--who were too young to properly make a choice Imshael could feed upon--were allowed to live. Imshael sent them to another Dalish clan. This clan was, however, facing potential hunger as it was due to the onset of winter: another opportunity for the kind of choices Imshael enjoyed.[4]
Dragon Age: Inquisition
Imshael appears in and can be defeated in the Emprise Du Lion quest Call Me Imshael, still pursued by Ser Michel de Chevin.
Imshael allies with Corypheus' forces in Suledin Keep, helping to cultivate the red lyrium growing there. Upon hearing that Michel was hunting him, Imshael dismisses the former chevalier as no real threat.
When the Inquisitor confronts Imshael, it attempts to negotiate. It offers the Inquisitor either riches, power or virgins.
If the Inquisitor accepts a deal of any sort, Imshael murders Michel, preventing him from being recruited into the Inquisition. Imshael departs to roam the lands once more.
If the Inquisitor refuses, Imshael attacks and shifts between the forms of fear, rage and pride demons before being killed.
An Injured Red Templar at Suledin Keep can be spoken to who reveals that Imshael offered to heal them of their Red lyrium corruption as part of one of Imshael's patent choices. However what Imshael asked for in return was apparently so monstrous that the Red Templar chose death as a result of the corruption instead.
Imshael in Heroes of Dragon Age
Notes
If you choose to listen to Imshael's offers and select "Virgins", if Cole is present in your party, Imshael will respond with, "Oh wait, there's one. Eeh...you probably don't want him," in addition to his comments about never being able to actually find any.
References
- ↑ Caroline Livingstone Twitter.
- ↑ "A desire demon, more cunning than anything I have encountered... and I have played the Game." —Michel de Chevin
- ↑
Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, vol. 2, p. 279
- ↑ Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, vol. 2, p. 279.