Did you not play DA 2 or really play DA:I to hear Varric's backstory, because I can tell you he is a helluva lot more than an author that is keeping up with elite career fighters. I mean he was an elite fight in before you even met him in DA2. Also, in DA:O you absolutely did NOT start with young fighers besides Allistair. Morgan was a top level mage, Wynne as well (I mean she was even an instructor). Leliana was a trained bard and assassin for royalty. Zevran a trained assassin and crow. So where exactly are these "young" fighters besides the MC? So basically EVERYONE besides the MC was more powerful characters to start that they scaled down to your level. Also with DA:I they really never went into the backstory of the Inquisitor, but the companions, once again, were established powerful characters that the scaled down to level with. Cassandra was a trained knight and the Chantry Seeker, Iron Bull a trained merc, Dorian and Vivian were both powerful mages, and again Varric was a trained, accomplished rogue from DA2. So your whole argument about lvl 20 characters being scaled to level 1 is basically the MO of basically most of the RPGs today that have companions.
Come on man, the Varric comment was obviously not a serious argument. As for a more serious response Varric is clearly written as an author in DAI (and spy master in 2), Morrigan is just a random witch in the forest, Leliana was a spy who is massively out of practice, and neither Zevran or Wynne are recruited anywhere near level 1. Your actual level 1 companions are generally just people in your origin story, apprentice mages, random household guards, that sort of thing. Zevran and Wynne are recruited a fair way in. After the origin, your companions are some prospective recruits who don't live long, including a cutpurse and a random knight.
Inquisition is weird because it never sets a baseline for what level 1 means really, you're pretty strong from the very start. Origins does too generally, all the origins have some training or are already noted as being particularly good in their field, hence them getting recruited.
An archmage smited down to level 1 is a bit easier of a pill to swallow to me compared to a partly weakened god who is for some reason level one and running around using basic mage spells (I will not be indicating what character this is cause spoilers, but it is a game with companions that may or may not have been mentioned)
Assuming we're thinking of the same character, hasn't the egg got some pretty obvious reasons why he doesn't want to be seen as what he really is?
I don't generally mind some scaling down anyway, it's just a matter of degrees there. A level 5~ person being toned down to 2 is not a big deal. A full on archmage or person skilled enough to be recognised on sight due to their exploits in the blood war getting dumpstered that hard feels silly to me, and causes plot issues as an origin.
