Thar be dragons in it.

In the game, Lyrium Elixirs of various kinds act as your "Blue Potions," to leverage a bit of Diablo nomenclature. But Lyrium isn't just some word they throw out, some context-appropriate cipher for a gameplay necessity. Lyrium is fundamental to the way the gameworld works. Have you noticed that in the Dragon Age character builder (or Dragon Age: Journeys, for that matter) it's impossible to create a dwarven mage? This has to do with Lyrium.

An ore with mystical properties, trade between the Dwarven and Human kingdoms is practically based on it. Constant dwarven exposure to the substance - the mining, refining, and manufacture of magically augmented weapon, armor, and other goods - has given them a kind of immunity to magic. Not complete, of course - but enough to hinder their manipulation of it, even enough to offer some protection.

It is the charter of the Order of the Templars to police magic use, and containing some blood mage or recalcitrant "free wizard" is their purpose. Every Circle Mage undergoes a test called the Harrowing, which I'd rather not go into, but understand that Templars (multiple Templars) are present to kill these students at the first sign of trouble. As part of their initiation and ongoing rituals, Templars literally eat Lyrium in an effort to gain some measure of the dwarves' resistance. Addiction is the inevitable result - the lyrium isn't being consumed with magic use, and (as dwarves are rare in their ranks) they're not genetically predisposed to manage it. The addiction compounds the paranoia and obsession of a person drawn to the Order.

They're regular people, who with discipline and unswerving piety are charged with a more or less impossible task: to act as a bulwark between conscious beings and the demonic horde that roils in the Fade. They believe that any mage, at any time, could erupt in a fountain of blood and become host to a demon. They believe that people who are unwilling or unable to control their mystic connection to the Fade should have it forcibly stripped from them. They believe children who show even a glimmer of magic potential should be taken from their parents by force and handed over to the Circle. In many ways, in most ways, they are right. A Templar who stays his hand is not - strictly speaking - a Templar.

30 Seconds to Mars? Jared Leto's band? Are you kidding me? Really? You know, I was warming up to the whole electric guitar in a fantasy RPG soundtrack thing, but these guys? Why didn't they put in Nickelback while they were at it? I'm hitting the mute button the minute the credits start.

I was pissed when I was betrayed by Bhelen and the scout and warrior. I was kind of playing along with the whole "trian is trying to kill me" thing, but I also kind of knew that it was really Bhelen, because of the way his character made a weird face during your first dialogue with him. Not sure if there's a better way out of the frame job, though. I was really, really pissed, though, because I fought in and won the Proving, and gifted the champion's helm to that last warrior you fight who shows up with you in the dark roads. I was sure after honoring him like that that he was going to tell the truth at the end, but that bastard betrayed me, too! Son of a ...
And, it kind of sucks that you lose all your items. Including all your pre-order/bonus items. Thanks! for nothing! sheesh

While I was happy to have my first "real ethical dilemma" early on with the "Retrieve the Blood Vial for your friend" quest, and enjoyed the negative consequences of my actions afterwards, a part of me was fairly upset that they pulled the old switcheroo on me twice in a row. I can remember thinking when I accepted the blood vial quest "Well, he might be a blood mage, but the LAST mage I hung around with (The dude during the harrowing) turned out to be a filthy liar, so what are the odds that this guy is too?". Turns out? Good. Which is fine and all, but now the game basically has me in "trust no-one" mode. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, I guess.

The thing that really worked for me was the mother; Fighting alongside your mom seems lame if you take it out of context, but it was awesome seeing that you come from this family of strong-willed fighters. It gives you a sense of direction, like: I should act in such-and-such a way because I obviously got a lot of chutzpa from my folks.

...the Grey Wardens make the Crips and the Bloods look like the Rotary Club and the Elks Lodge by comparison.

Don't ask random women to kiss you in front of the likes of Morrigan and Leiliana. Unlike the Asari Consort in Mass Effect, that really pisses them off.

Does anything make her happy? She even out-bitchys Viconia from Baldur's Gate.

The thing that really worked for me was the mother; Fighting alongside your mom seems lame if you take it out of context, but it was awesome seeing that you come from this family of strong-willed fighters. It gives you a sense of direction, like: I should act in such-and-such a way because I obviously got a lot of chutzpa from my folks.

When she comes bursting out of her room in full armor and starts taking charge I was like, "You go, mom!"

then the writers kind of throw it all away in the last scene with your dad. They built up this whole feeling for your family and then, when they are all killed due to treachery, it's like "OK, join the Grey Wardens because what they are doing is REALLY important. Don't mind us all dying and stuff over here and leave vengeance to the king". I think the opening is powerful because they actually make me care for these people, but they could have done that section so much better, I think. Like maybe have some of the Darkspawn attack and your father come around on how important it is to let you become a Warden.

It is a testament to BioWare's writing that I care that much to be upset by what I consider to be a left turn on the narrative.

So, Morry (she and I are friendly) is actually pretty easy to keep happy because she's kinda shallow. If you're trying to be even slightly good she'll bitch at you; like in Lothering if you talk down the merchant who's trying to drive off those protesting refugees. You solve that peaceably and she disapproves. Thankfully, almost every shiny bauble that comes along is something she'll like. All the stuff marked 'gift' that resembles jewelry or finery is right up her alley, and I've found I can offset almost all of my negative-from-nicey-nice just by giving her stuff.

Also: She has a hangup about her apostate status. If you're sympathetic to her 'non-traditional' magical tradition, she'll like you a lot better.

Is there any way to suss out that your pal is a blood mage before going through with the break in? I had serious suspicions beforehand and felt a bit railroaded that there seemed to be no way to expose him without going through with it.

I thought the quest description said you could rat him out to the head mage. I didn't, but assumed that would have been possible.

To be clear, I did go that route, but the head Mage makes you go along with the break-in so that they can be "caught red handed"