BioWare has always been at the forefront when it comes to representation in its games, and the Edmonton studio has outdone itself once again with Dragon Age: Inquisition. Slated for release Nov 18, the game features a sizeable cast of LGBT characters, but one character in particular has queer fans buzzing.
(Warning: mild spoilers ahead.)
Cremisius “Krem” Aclassi, pictured above, is a transgender man. Better yet, he could be the best representation of a trans person I’ve ever seen.
Krem is part of The Bull’s Chargers, one of the factions the protagonist of Inquisition encounters. The Chargers are led by The Iron Bull, a Qunari (a race of horny humanoids who follow a strict code of honour called the Qun). Part of the charm of the Dragon Age series is that players can pursue relationships, romantic or otherwise, with the companions they meet. The Iron Bull is open to both men and women — I’ve heard him described as a “pansexual” character — thus fulfilling the “bara” fantasies of many gay nerds.
But back to Krem. One of The Iron Bull’s top leaders, Krem is a human mercenary from the Tevinter Imperium. In a brief conversation, The Iron Bull explains that “in Qunandar, Krem’d be an Aqun-Athlok. That’s what we call someone born one gender but living like another.”
This is cool for a number of reasons. On top of being one of the few positive representations of a trans person in media, Krem represents a more progressive take on trans identity than you’d get in even the most liberal of societies. One Tumblr user excitedly explains the difference: “Someone born one gender but living like another. Not the other. Another . . . I mean, bless this. The fact that it’s in there.”
I’m sharing a brief interaction with Krem from the game below — skip ahead to 14:30. And now I’m running out to get a copy of Inquisition so I can play it forever. If anyone needs me, I’ll be in Thedas.
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