Pala the Silent Sister joins Dragon Age: Inquisition multiplayer

BioWare has added a new multiplayer character to Dragon Age: Inquisition named Pala, the Silent Sister. As the name suggests, she doesn't speak much, (well, at all), but she's handy in a fight.

The Dragon Age Wiki says the Silent Sisters is an order of female Dwarven warriors in Orzammar dedicated to the art of unarmed combat. They're also sworn to never make a sound, a vow they really commit to by cutting out their own tongues. They also invariably fight to the death, even when they don't have to. Not ideal performers at children's parties.

"We nicknamed Pala 'the silent wrecking ball' because her gameplay revolves around using Charging Bull to get into the middle of the fray and then wreaking havoc on all surrounding enemies," designer Luke Barrett explained. "She builds guard on each hit, and a lot of her abilities can hit multiple enemies, so you really benefit from being surrounded."

Pala is primarily a tank, but she does have some offensive capabilities as well. "Try opening with the Throwing Blades ability to reduce a target's armor. Remember, she builds guard on each hit from any damage source, and a chunk of accumulated guard could ensure your survival," Barrett wrote. "If you're getting down to the final enemies in an encounter, To the Death is a perfect ability to go all in on one target. You'll definitely want to mix in abilities from both ability trees to deploy the full fury of this Silent Sister."

Access to Pala will require the latest content support patch, so be sure you have that installed before you fire up the game. And since we're on the topic, don't forget that tomorrow will see the launch of The Descent, a major single-player expansion that will take players deep underground to investigate earthquakes that are threatening the realm of Thedas. DLC details are up at Dragonage.com.