Alexius doesn’t have to die — his fate is one of the game’s rare judgment calls left entirely in the Inquisitor’s hands, with death being only one of several possible outcomes. Whether he lives, dies, or ends up serving the Inquisition depends on a choice you make during the “Sit in Judgment” quest at Skyhold.
Who Alexius Is and Why He’s Judged
Gereon Alexius is a Tevinter magister who forces Redcliffe’s rebel mages into servitude and manipulates time magic in an attempt to save his dying son, Felix. Felix contracted the Blight sickness after his mother, Livia, was killed in an attack while traveling through southern Tevinter. That tragedy pushes Alexius toward the Venatori, a Tevinter supremacist cult, in a desperate bid to reverse what happened.
The Inquisitor and Dorian confront him at Redcliffe. Realizing Felix has betrayed him, Alexius invokes an “Elder One” who he believes can save his son and calls the Inquisitor “a mistake” for bearing the mark, before attempting a time spell that Dorian interrupts. That spell briefly strands the Inquisitor and Dorian one year in the future, in a version of Thedas where Corypheus has already won — a glimpse of what’s at stake if Alexius isn’t stopped.
After the confrontation, the Inquisitor and Dorian are pulled back to the exact moment they left, and this time force Alexius to surrender. He isn’t executed on the spot — that decision gets deferred to a formal judgment scene back at Skyhold.
Your Judgment Options
During “Sit in Judgment,” the Inquisitor is presented with several ways to deal with Alexius, and the dialogue reflects how much this decision varies by player. The options that come up across playthroughs include:
- Execution — the Inquisitor can choose to execute Alexius personally, telling him “you served a monster… there’s nothing more to be said,” before he’s dragged off and killed.
- Imprisonment — Alexius can be jailed in the Inquisition’s secure cells, with Leliana left to question him for useful information.
- Forced service to the mages — the Inquisitor can bind him to serve Redcliffe’s mages under Fiona, redirecting his knowledge, favors, and resources toward their future instead.
- Research under supervision — if you have the right perk unlocked, Alexius can be assigned to continue researching time magic under custody, an option some players consider the most fitting given his expertise and Dorian’s approval.
- Being made Tranquil — a more extreme option some players view as harsher than execution itself, since it strips away his personality and free will rather than his life.
Players are genuinely split on which option feels right. Some go straight for execution, feeling Alexius is too dangerous to risk any other outcome. Others choose to spare him, arguing his crimes came from a desperate love for his son rather than genuine malice, and that his usefulness to the Inquisition outweighs punishing him further.
What Happens to Felix Either Way
Felix’s fate doesn’t change based on what you do to his father — he dies from the Blight sickness regardless. If the Inquisitor confronts Alexius, Felix returns to Tevinter, reports what happened to the Magisterium, and dies shortly after. If the Inquisitor chooses not to pursue Alexius at all, Dorian searches for what happened to Felix and comes up empty, eventually concluding the Venatori killed him for helping the Inquisition. Either path ends in tragedy for Felix — the judgment scene is really about what happens to his father afterward.
Join The Discussion
Which judgment did you hand down for Alexius, and how did it sit with you afterward? Whether you went straight for execution, gave him a second chance through research or servitude, or picked something else entirely, share what swayed your decision and whether Dorian’s reaction to it changed how you felt about the choice. If you’ve replayed this quest more than once, did a different verdict change how you saw Alexius as a character?
