Set in a fantasy setting where the player is marked by a mysterious power, Dragon Age: Inquisition  will have the player becoming the Inquisitor as they attempt to battle an ancient evil. With the player starting as a prisoner, they will find themselves rising to a station of power and notoriety as they fight mages, templars, demons, and whatever else is causing chaos in the world. All while being accompanied by a party of memorable companions that will travel with the Inquisitor through thick and thin.

With the game beginning at the disappearance, and presumed death, of the Divine, getting started through the main quest will make players aware that their successor will likely be chosen from among the ranks of the Inquisition itself. With the Divine serving as the spiritual figurehead of one of the largest religions inDragon Age: Inquisition, whoever sits on the sunburst throne will be bestowed with unprecedented power, and the ability to potentially reshape the political landscape of all of southern Thedas. As such, players will likely want to know their divine candidates and what platforms they stand on.

While the game initially presents only two potential candidates, Leliana and Cassandra, there are actually three. Vivienne is also a candidate if she is recruited, and she presumably became one due to a mixture of her own political prowess and the prestige granted by being a part of the Inquisition's inner circle.

All Candidates For the Next Divine in Dragon Age: Inquisition

Dragon Age Inquisition Divine Justinia

Dragon Age: Inquisition players are given ample opportunity to converse with each divine candidate, and there are quite a few conversations where they go over their ideals and how they would change the Chantry, Circles of Magi, and Templar Order if given the chance. Just be sure to strike up a conversation at Skyhold whenever a main quest or companion quest is completed. Given that each Inquisitor has their own ideas on how Thedas can be changed for the better, players are left to support whichever candidate they see fit.

  • Leliana, The Liberal: She believes that all mages should be free, that elves should be treated better, and that the Chantry as a whole needs to rededicate itself to serving all of the Maker's children equally. Her changes are made in an effort to make an ideal world, even if the world in question would largely consider her changes controversial or even heretical. Whether she enacts these changes through diplomacy or scheming is largely determined by if she is softened or not.
  • Cassandra,  The Moderate Conservative: Still believing in the purpose behind the Circles of Magi and the Templar Order, she is the candidate who enacts the least amount of drastic change while still enacting reforms within both institutions. Because while she believes tradition needs to be respected, change needs to be implemented in order to right the wrongs of ages past. It is a position that is apparently popular, as she is the Divine met with the least amount of resistance when her reforms begin to take root.
  • Vivienne, The Maverick: Her ambition to acquire more power for herself has always been apparent. But when she gets that power and feels secure in it, she is willing to enact changes that she genuinely believes benefit her fellow mages. Even if it doesn't grant them total freedom. She reinstitutes the Circle of Magi and the Templar Order with notable reform, and it is noted that mages end up with more responsibility and freedoms than ever before under her reign while the templars remain firmly under her command. But despite what seems like a return to the status quo with a few changes, Vivienne's appointment is constantly noted to be the most controversial out of the three candidates given her status as aDragon Age: Inquisition mage.

The Divine Election in Dragon Age: Inquisition

Dragon Age Inquisition Valence Cloister

Knowing the candidates is one thing in Dragon Age: Inquisition, but arranging things so they are actually elected is another matter entirely. Contrary to what some players may be expecting, who ends up on the sunburst throne is not dictated by a single conversation where the player is explicitly given the choice on who they support. Instead, whoever ends up as the next Divine is determined by a process that is known as the "Divine Election". This game process is a point system where the game looks at the player's choices all throughout the game and assigns points to certain candidates based on what viewpoints the player seems to support.

As an example, let's say the player chose to go to Redcliffe and decides to recruit the rebel mages as allies instead of forced conscripts. That decision shows the system that the player supports the idea of mages being free and so gives Leliana +10 in the divine election. Cassandra and Vivienne on the other hand will be given -5 and -10 points respectively since that choice goes against their beliefs.

Skyhold fortress in Dragon Age: Inquisition

These points are typically given after the conclusion of several quests in the mainDragon Age: Inquisition storyline, but there are also several instances where points are given based on the player's decisions in certain conversations. This especially applies to conversations that involve faith or the Chantry, The divine candidates will want to talk to the Inquisitor on potential reforms, so players should be mindful of their responses if they want to get a specific Divine.

This process will, in theory, ensure that the next Divine reflects the player's ideals as expressed throughout Dragon Age: Inquisition. But there have been several instances of players getting an unexpected Divine by the time the ending slides show up. In which case, players should support their ideal candidate by completing the appropriate war table operation towards the end of the game. There are only two of them, only one can be selected, and they are called "Support Vivienne" and "Support Cassandra" war table operations, there is no "Support Leliana" option for some reason. Completing either of these operations will give +10 to the respective candidate's election score. This is usually enough to tilt the election in their favor, but it's no guarantee.

More: Complete Romance Guide to Dragon Age: Inquisition

Dragon Age: Inquisition  is available on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC