“The ship is the best teacher. She will guide you with her sighs... her shudders, her gentle swaying as she rides the crests of the waves.”
Isabela is the captain of the pirate ship The Siren's Call. She can teach the Duelist specialization to the Warden in Dragon Age: Origins, and is a companion and romance option for both male and female Hawke in Dragon Age II.[1]
Background
Isabela is originally from Rivain, but has traveled far and visited many places during her life. She was once married to the original owner of The Siren's Call, until he was killed by Zevran for unknown reasons, leading her to inherit the ship. She doesn't seem too regretful over her husband's death, calling him a "greasy bastard", explaining her rather cordial relationship with Zevran. She has picked up a special fighting technique during her travels, one that depends on speed instead of strength. Since she has learned this technique by dueling many different warriors, she calls herself a "duelist".
Involvement
Dragon Age: Origins
Isabela's appearance in Dragon Age: Origins
Isabela can be found at The Pearl. Her ship is staying in Denerim to let her men fill up on supplies and other "pleasures from dry land". Zevran knows her from before and—if brought along—will announce that she is the "Queen of the Eastern Seas and the sharpest blade in Llomerryn".
In order to convince Isabela to teach the Duelist specialization, there are two options: Beat her in a game of cards, or "get to know each other better" by following her to bed.
Once you have learned the specialization from her, Isabela will no longer be available at The Pearl.
To beat Isabela in the card game, the Warden will have to be dexterous enough to catch her cheating or subtle enough to cheat. If Zevran or Leliana are in the party, they can also help the Warden to win, but will only offer assistance if their approval is high enough.
For Isabela to take the Warden up on his offer to get to know her better, the Warden will have to be persuasive (Coercion * 25 + Cunning bonus must be at least 75, so three points in coercion by itself will do the trick regardless of cunning). If the Warden is in a romance (love) with Morrigan, an unhardened Leliana or an unhardened Alistair, then the Warden's romance partner will publicly disapprove and Isabela will not go to bed with the Warden. However, if either Leliana or Alistair is not only in a love-relationship with the Warden but has also been "hardened" following their personal quests, then they will actually join in the fun for a threesome (or possibly a foursome) and their approval will increase. If Zevran is in the party, Isabela will invite him as well (regardless of his relationship status with the Warden). If the Warden accepts, Zevran's approval will increase. Nevertheless Zevran will decline the offer if Alistair is included. The following combinations are thus possible:
- Isabela-Warden
- Isabela-Warden-Leliana
- Isabela-Warden-Zevran
- Isabela-Warden-Alistair (female Warden only)
- Isabela-Warden-Leliana-Zevran
Reactions
- If you have flirted with Leliana but her personality has not been hardened by the time you speak to Isabela, she will get jealous, ask "what about us?", which will trigger Isabela taking back her offer to sleep with the Warden.
- If you are female but not in a relationship with Alistair, he will wonder if he's dreaming, and then tell you he's going to jump in the ocean. This doesn't occur if Leliana or Zevran joins in.
- Morrigan is not nearly as open-minded about Isabela as the other romanceable companions. She will strongly disapprove if you bed Isabela and tell you to rinse off the stench after you are done "rolling around in the gutter". If the Warden is romantically involved with Morrigan a different dialogue occurs. Morrigan gets furious and states that she will not touch the Warden again if he goes through with it. The Warden will not be allowed to bed Isabela in this case. (The only way then is to make sure she is not in the party)
- (If the Warden is female) If Oghren is in your party, he will faint if the Warden and Leliana go to bed with Isabela.
Approval
Inviting one of your companions to bed with Isabela nets the following approval changes:
Alistair approves (+2)if he joins.- Leliana approves (+4)if she joins and the Warden is female.
- Zevran approves (+7)if you accept Isabela's invitation for him to join.
- Zevran disapproves (-3)if you deny Isabela's invitation for him to join.
Dragon Age II
Isabela fighting against a qunari
Isabela will play a major role in Dragon Age II as a companion.
"Isabela is the pirate scourge of two coastlines, four nations, and countless tavern floors. She's equally skilled with dagger and insult, and it's hard to know which cuts deeper. It's rare to see her in one place for long, but with her ship reduced to timbers, Isabela's had to content herself with whatever bounty Kirkwall has to offer. And that means no end of headaches for the rich and foolish, and no end of amusement for her. She's as desired as she is feared, which is to say, a lot and often. Fall on her blade, or at her feet—a win is a win, in her book. Shipwrecked, hounded, Isabela hasn't decided if she's cornered yet. She's having too much fun."[2] Isabella is a Rogue class fighter, which means she's fast, agile, and prefers to strike quickly and get out. [3]
In Dragon Age II Isabela is first encountered at an inn named "Hanged Man" where she engages in a brawl with a couple of bandits.
Isabela is no longer a Captain, as her ship, along with its crew, were lost at the reefs near Kirkwall during a heavy storm. She now works as a smuggler in Kirkwall, but has fallen out of favor with the crime leader Castillon. Castillon hired Isabela to supervise a shipment, but the suspicious Isabela soon discovered the "cargo" were in fact Blight refugees that Castillon had sold as slaves. She freed the slaves and, in punishment, Castillon ordered her to track down valuable relic lost along with the ship to make up for her disobedience.[4] When you first encounter Isabela, she will reveal she has so far been unsuccessful. Hawke and company can agree to help Isabela in her quest by escorting her to meet Hayder, an employee of Castillon. After a failed ambush attempt by Hayder's men, the group tracks Hayder down and kills him. Isabela concludes that as long as she provides Castillon with the relic before he finds her, he will be satisfied. [5]
Isabela was the first Romance announced for both male and female Hawke. One of Isabela's new known specializations is Swashbuckler.
Dialogue
- Isabela: "Hmm... strong hands. Could I entice you to leave your order and sign up as one of my crewmen? I could use those strong hands at my... helm."
- Warden: "I don't know anything about sailing."
- Isabela: "The ship is the best teacher. She will guide you with her sighs... her shudders, her gentle swaying as she rides the crests of the waves."
- Isabela: "She's quite feisty, isn't she?"
- Warden: "She bites too."
- Leliana: "I do not!"
- Isabela: "And you said she was a cloistered sister? I dare say the cloisters must be teaching things other than the Chant of Light."
- Leliana: "Oh, no, no... I learned those things in Orlais. Bored noblewomen often come up with various methods of self-amusement."
- Isabela: "She's quite feisty isn't she?"
- Warden: "I thought her performance was lackluster today."
- Leliana: "Lackluster! Well, that's a fine way of complimenting a lady!"
- Isabela: "Ha! You might be many things, sweet Leliana, but as you have proven today, you are no lady."
- Leliana: "L-let us never speak of this again."
- Isabela: "Yes, I agree."
- Zevran: "I don't mind never speaking of it again, as long as we could do it again."
- Leliana: "That's a thought..."
- Isabela: "Am I getting old, or has Zevran become even more depraved over the years?"
- Zevran: "I've been about Grey Wardens. Perhaps the taint has rubbed off on me some, hmm? (Chuckles)"
- Isabela: "My dear, you wouldn't consider...leaving Alistair with me, would you? Perhaps let me borrow him for a week every summer? I'm sure we could work out a deal."
- Warden: "Would you lend me your ship?"
- Isabela: "Of course not! You would misuse the ship-- Which, I suppose, is exactly what I would do with Alistair, though I suspect he would enjoy it while the ship wouldn't."
- Alistair: "Not that the idea of being borrowed isn't terribly fascinating, but let's not forget the darkspawn. There may not be a week every summer, or any summer."
- Isabela: "Darkspawn! Is this the only thing men think about these days? What about the good old obsessions? Breasts, firm buttocks, wet frocks?"
- Alistair: "Hmm... wet frocks..."
- Hawke: "Stab first, ask questions later?"
- Isabela: "Trust me, it's better this way."
Gallery
Trivia
- "Isabela" is not her birth name. Her true name (and surname) are unknown.[6]
- Mika Simmons is not voicing Isabela as she did in Origins; this is to reduce confusion as she also voiced Anora in Origins.[6]
- In Dragon Age II, she will remember the sexual encounter with the Warden at the Pearl, or lack thereof.[confirmation needed]
- Her hair color in Dragon Age II changed to black while in Origins it was brown.
- Isabela's home base will be in The Hanged Man tavern.[confirmation needed]
- In both games, when the player meets Isabela she is attacked by three men who are handily beaten by her and forced to flee.
References
- ↑ "Dragon Age Developer Diary - The Story". IGN. Retrieved 2011-01-11.
- ↑ "Isabela". BioWare. Retrieved 2011-01-11.
- ↑ Gamesradar
- ↑ DRAGON AGE 2 DEMO
- ↑ Gamesradar
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "What do we KNOW so far? Updated: 8 Jan 2011 *spoilers*". BioWare Social Network. Retrieved 2011-01-11.
External links
- Short story on Isabela for Dragon Age II
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