ok but i seriously think that if the da writers ever acknowledged how scummy the templars and the chantry are they would have to reevaluate their entire belief systems and that is why they’re so down on the elves and mages, retconning shit to make the 2 groups seem worse and constantly demonizing characters from each group (anders, merrill, orsino, even morrigan and solas to an extent–i mean is it seriously a coincidence that apostates cause a shit ton of problems in the plot?)

a lot of the characters associated with the chantry and templars (i’m thinking specifically of alistair, cass, cullen, and to a certain extent aveline) are presented as ~virtuous~ and ~honorable~ and tbh i really think it’s to try and cover up how fuckin disgusting the templars and the chantry really are 

because the thing is the elves are racially/religiously oppressed and the mages are a metaphor for disability and if one acknowledges that these groups are oppressed and their oppressors are wrong in-game then one has to acknowledge that same fact about the real world and honestly that’s really hard for people to do