Dragon Age: The Exorcist

Thedas has Templars, Seekers, spirit healers, and demon hunters, but it has never truly had a dedicated Exorcist class. This specialization would focus on saving the possessed rather than simply killing them.

The Exorcist is a rare warrior-mage hybrid discipline developed by Chantry scholars, Seekers of Truth, and spirit experts who learned that not every possession must end in death. Inspired by the anti-demonic talents of the Templars and the unique resistance of the Seekers, Exorcists dedicate their lives to separating demons from mortal hosts.

Class Motto

"Strike the demon, save the soul."

Role

Anti-demon specialist
Possession hunter
Party support
Fade investigator
Spirit negotiator
Abomination purifier

Unlike Templars, who often destroy abominations outright, Exorcists attempt rescue first.

Signature Armor

Their armor contains:

Silverite anti-possession runes
Lyrium-threaded seals
Chantry scripture plates
Spirit-binding chains
Masks designed to resist fear magic

Veteran Exorcists wear dozens of broken demon seals on their belts as trophies.

Unique Abilities

Sever Possession

The Exorcist plunges a blessed weapon into an abomination.

Instead of killing the target:

Demon is expelled.
Victim survives.
Demon manifests physically for battle.

Many mages owe their lives to this technique.

Fade Chains

Chains of spiritual energy erupt from the ground.

Effects:

Roots demons.
Weakens spirits.
Prevents teleportation.
Interrupts blood magic.

Litany of Silence

An advanced version of the Litany used by Templars.

Effects:

Stops possession attempts.
Cancels mind control.
Suppresses Fade rifts temporarily.
Removes fear effects from allies.

Soul Anchor

Marks an ally.

For a short duration:

Cannot be possessed.
Cannot be mentally dominated.
Gains resistance to spirit damage.

Exorcism Rite

Ultimate Ability.

The Exorcist begins a lengthy ritual.

Nearby:

Demons scream and weaken.
Possessed enemies lose control.
Spirit creatures become visible.
Hidden Fade entities are revealed.

At the end of the ritual:

Lesser demons are banished entirely.
Powerful demons are dragged into physical form for battle.

Companion Character

Father Marius Vael

A former Chantry investigator.

Years ago he failed to save an entire Circle from a possession outbreak.

Hundreds died.

Since then he has wandered Thedas hunting demons.

He keeps a journal listing every soul he could not save.

Personality:

Calm
Logical
Compassionate
Terrifying when confronting demons

Demons know him by another name:

"The Empty Door."

Because wherever he arrives, possession ends.

Legendary Mission

The Cathedral Beneath the Fade

Rumors spread of an abandoned underground Chantry.

Every priest sent there returns possessed.

Every Templar disappears.

Inside, the party discovers:

A cathedral existing simultaneously in Thedas and the Fade.
Thousands of trapped souls.
A Pride Demon older than the Chantry itself.

The Exorcist must decide:

Destroy the cathedral.
Free the trapped souls.
Bind the ancient demon.
Attempt the largest exorcism in history.

The final choice determines whether the cathedral becomes:

A holy sanctuary.
A demon prison.
A new Chantry order.

Or the birthplace of a catastrophe that could rival a Blight.

Legendary Title

Among demons, the greatest Exorcists earn a feared title:

The Veilwardens

Individuals so dangerous to spirits that even Pride Demons avoid speaking their names. Their arrival is said to cause lesser demons to flee back into the Fade before battle even begins.

Dragon Age: Exorcist — Expanded Lore

As the years passed, the Exorcists became something far stranger than a Chantry order. They became a secretive brotherhood feared by demons, respected by spirits, and viewed with suspicion by nearly everyone else.

Many claim an Exorcist spends so much time battling possession that part of their soul eventually learns to walk the Fade even while awake.

Exorcist Ranks

The Listener

Every Exorcist begins as a Listener.

Their training involves:

Studying possession cases.
Learning spirit languages.
Identifying demonic influence.
Surviving controlled Fade encounters.

Most fail.

Some go mad.

Others become possessed and must be executed.

Only a handful advance.

The Binder

Binders learn how to imprison demons.

Equipment includes:

Fade manacles.
Rune-inscribed chains.
Spirit traps.
Blessed seals.

A Binder can imprison a Rage Demon inside a crystal for years.

The danger is that every prison eventually weakens.

The Redeemer

Redeemers attempt the impossible.

Rather than destroy possessed victims, they save them.

Many mages consider Redeemers heroes.

Many Templars consider them fools.

Redeemers have the highest death rate of any Exorcist rank.

The Veilwarden

The elite.

Their mere presence weakens nearby demons.

Stories claim some Veilwardens can:

Walk through Fade storms.
Enter dreams willingly.
Sense possession instantly.
See spirits invisible to others.

Only a few exist in an age.

Specialized Equipment

The Bell of Silence

A relic carried by senior Exorcists.

When rung:

Demons become disoriented.
Possession weakens.
Blood magic becomes unstable.

Many demons immediately flee when hearing it.

The Lantern of Lost Souls

A magical lantern containing fragments of benevolent spirits.

Abilities:

Reveals invisible spirits.
Detects possession.
Illuminates Fade rifts.
Guides lost souls.

Some say the lantern whispers warnings.

The Chains of Andraste

A legendary artifact.

According to rumor:

A High Dragon became possessed centuries ago.

An Exorcist bound both dragon and demon using these chains.

Nobody knows where the chains are now.

New Enemy Type

Soul Leeches

Unlike demons, Soul Leeches are Fade parasites.

They:

Hide inside victims.
Feed on emotions.
Cause memory loss.
Slowly erase personalities.

Victims appear normal until years later.

Exorcists are often the only people able to identify them.

Companion Character

Sister Elyra

A young Chantry scholar.

She possesses an unusual gift:

She can hear spirits.

Not demons.

Only spirits.

This makes her invaluable to Exorcists.

It also means she constantly hears voices nobody else can hear.

Personality:

Curious
Compassionate
Intelligent
Socially awkward

She often argues that many spirits deserve understanding rather than destruction.

This frequently puts her at odds with traditional demon hunters.

Unique Quest

The Village That Smiled

An entire village appears perfect.

No crime.

No hunger.

No arguments.

No fear.

No sadness.

Everything seems ideal.

The problem?

Nobody can remember arriving there.

Nobody can remember leaving.

Investigation reveals a powerful Desire Demon has possessed the entire village simultaneously.

The villagers are living inside a shared dream.

To save them, the player must enter the collective dreamscape and confront the demon in a realm shaped by the villagers' deepest wishes.

The hardest part:

Many villagers beg the player not to free them.

Legendary Exorcist

Ser Garran the Unbroken

Long before the Fifth Blight, there lived an Exorcist named Garran.

He became famous after surviving possession by:

Rage
Desire
Pride
Sloth
Hunger

No one understood how.

Each demon was expelled.

Each failed to control him.

When asked why, Garran reportedly answered:

"A fortress is built to keep enemies out. I built mine to survive when they got in."

He eventually disappeared into the Fade during a massive exorcism.

Centuries later, demons still tell stories about him.

Some claim he still wanders the Fade, rescuing trapped souls and hunting demons that believe themselves beyond justice.

Among Exorcists, there is an old saying:

"If you hear chains in the Fade, pray it is not your enemy.
Pray it is Garran."

Dragon Age: Exorcist- The Hidden War

Most people in Thedas believe the war against demons happens when a mage becomes possessed.

Exorcists know the truth.

By that point, the battle was already lost.

The real war begins months, years, or even decades earlier.

The Seven Signs of Possession

Ancient Exorcists cataloged warning signs that often appear before a possession.

Most Chantry scholars dismiss them as superstition.

Veteran Exorcists do not.

First Sign: The Unseen Guest

The victim begins speaking to someone nobody else can see.

Not necessarily a demon.

Often a spirit testing the waters.

Second Sign: Missing Hours

The victim loses time.

Minutes become hours.

Hours become days.

Memories disappear.

Third Sign: Borrowed Emotions

The victim suddenly experiences emotions that do not belong to them.

A calm person develops uncontrollable rage.

A brave warrior develops impossible fear.

A humble mage develops overwhelming pride.

Fourth Sign: Dreams That Continue

The victim begins a dream.

The next night it continues exactly where it ended.

Then again.

And again.

Something on the other side is building a connection.

Fifth Sign: The Watching Reflection

Mirrors begin behaving strangely.

Reflections hesitate.

Smile differently.

Move independently.

Many Exorcists refuse to sleep near mirrors.

Sixth Sign: The Open Door

Animals refuse to approach the victim.

Nugs hide.

Dogs growl.

Horses panic.

Creatures often sense possession before people do.

Seventh Sign: The Whisper

The victim hears a voice.

Only one.

The voice is always helpful.

At first.

Elite Branches of the Exorcists

Not all Exorcists fight the same way.

The Lantern Keepers

Specialists who rescue trapped souls.

They carry enchanted lanterns.

When a person dies violently, fragments of their spirit can become trapped.

Lantern Keepers guide them onward.

Many believe they are part priest, part spirit healer.

The Iron Circle

Heavy-armored Exorcists.

They are deployed when diplomacy has failed.

Their creed:

"If the soul cannot be saved, the living must be."

They often battle abominations directly.

The Dreamwalkers

The rarest branch.

Dreamwalkers willingly enter dreams.

They hunt demons before possession occurs.

Many eventually lose the ability to distinguish dreams from reality.

Because of this, Dreamwalkers are rarely trusted by outsiders.

Legendary Companion

Brother Thorne

A former Templar.

Years ago he failed to save his wife from possession.

Rather than killing her, he attempted an exorcism.

He succeeded.

But something else came back with her.

Now his wife is alive.

Healthy.

Normal.

Mostly.

Sometimes she speaks languages nobody recognizes.

Sometimes she knows things she should not know.

Sometimes shadows move around her.

Thorne has spent twenty years trying to determine whether he saved her...

or saved something pretending to be her.

Major Quest

The City Beneath the City

A forgotten dwarven thaig is discovered beneath a major city.

Explorers report hearing voices.

Then entire expeditions vanish.

When the player investigates, they discover something horrifying.

The thaig is filled with spirits.

Not demons.

Spirits.

Thousands of them.

Ancient.

Lost.

Confused.

Some date back to before the First Blight.

The problem is that something is slowly corrupting them.

If left alone:

Spirits become demons.
Demons become horrors.
Horrors become an army.

The player must decide:

Seal the thaig forever.
Purify the spirits.
Relocate them.
Harness their power.

Every option creates consequences that ripple across Thedas.

The Exorcist's Greatest Enemy

Not a Pride Demon.

Not an Archdemon.

Not even a powerful blood mage.

The most feared enemy is known only as:

The Hollow King

No one knows what he truly is.

Some say he was the first Exorcist.

Others say he was the first possessed man ever cured.

Others claim he is a spirit that learned how to wear souls.

Facts are scarce.

What is known:

Demons obey him.
Spirits fear him.
Possession never affects him.
Exorcisms fail against him.

Most terrifying of all:

He does not create possession.

He ends it.

Whenever the Hollow King appears, every demon nearby vanishes.

Not banished.

Not destroyed.

Gone.

Even the Fade seems afraid of him.

The Final Mystery

Among Exorcists there exists a forbidden question:

"What happens to a demon after an exorcism?"

Most assume the demon returns to the Fade.

A handful of ancient records suggest otherwise.

Some records claim expelled demons go somewhere else.

Somewhere beyond the Fade.

Somewhere even spirits cannot reach.

A place Exorcists call:

The Empty Prison

A realm with no dreams.

No emotions.

No magic.

No spirits.

No escape.

And according to the oldest surviving Exorcist journal:

"Something is trying to get out."