[quote=@McHaggis]
It feels as if a Hawke that supported the mages is the typical canon playthrough (as basically who is really insane enough to support Meredith?) and really the Isabella-romance aspect of it wouldn't work if he let the Arishok take the book. 100% in favour of mage-friendly Hawke rather than Templars, if only because [i]why[/i] would Hawke support the ruthless templars when her own sister is a mage?
[/quote]
There's an option in [i]DA2[/i] to return the Tome to the Qunari [b][i]if[/i][/b] Isabela returns with it, but then the Arishok demands her as a prisoner as well. If you then choose to fight him the cutscene after the battle shows the rest of the Qunari leaving, with one of them carrying the Tome, while leaving Isabela at Hawke's side.

This is the only way to prevent all-out war with the Qunari and keep Isabela at your side. And not to give too much away but I'm planning on Isabela's involvement at the beginning of the story to help get things started, and she needs to have been both in contact with Hawke and hold her rank of Admiral. Without having the relationship there Isabela would either be a Qunari prisoner, or a shoreline raider.

I played a version of [i]DA2[/i] where a Mage Hawke became so grief stricken after the death of his mother at the hands of a Blood Mage that he had an affair with Fenris which ended his relationship with Merril, backed Meredith unconditionally and executed Anders without hesitation. There's reasons either way for making the decision on who to support, which is what makes the game so fun.

[quote=@McHaggis]
If possible I would like to see Starkhaven included a bit. So if Anders was allowed to live by Hawke, Sebastian goes back to being prince and wages war on Kirkwall. Could be interesting if the city was still under siege of sorts?
[/quote]
Whether we go to Starkhaven will be something the characters will be debating at the beginning of the story. Basically we'll be sitting around a campfire on the outskirts of Cumberland discussing the rumours and leads we've gathered and trying to decide where we should go next. It should give everyone the opportunity in character to establish who they are and what their motives could be, without them just standing up and reciting their biography to everyone.