Whereas
Origins told a number of different stories that depended on chosen origin templates, this sequel takes a more direct approach to narrative. Regardless of how you customize your character,
Dragon Age II tells the story of Hawke, the Champion of Kirkwall. Also, since the story spans the length of a decade, the writers cleverly expedite the process by having the story retroactively told through the context of a dwarf being interrogated by a Seeker of the Chantry (the de facto Thedas-based religion). Basically, this is the story of a man (or woman) who kicked so much darkspawn ass that he (or she) is remembered for it across the continent. Of course, this is a BioWare game; it's safe to assume that it's not nearly as cut-and-dry as that.
The demo begins with a combat scenario that also serves to give the player a taste of the new dialogue system without giving any of the plot details away. Fans of Mass Effect will no doubt be overjoyed to learn that the dialogue wheel from that game has been implemented into Dragon Age II, and that Hawke actually has a voice. In this scenario, wave after wave of Hurlocks storm the top of a mountain that you and your mage companion just so happen to be on. At the end of the fight, what looks like an archdemon (newbie translation: big ass dragon) shows up. At this point, the Seeker calls the dwarf's bluff and demands the real story.
The demo whisks you away to the outskirts of the doomed village of Lothering, where the Hawke family is trying to escape the invading darkspawn. Each of these characters, with the sole exception of the aging mother, is more than capable of defending themselves. As they fight their way through a series of craggy mountain passes, they decide that their destination should be Kirkwall -- a decision your character doesn't seem too pleased with. Before long, your party happens upon Ser Wesley and his wife Aveline. This creates a bit of tension; Wesley happens to be a Chantry templar (rogue mage hunter), and your sister happens to be an apostate (not affiliated with the Circle of Magi) mage. But desperate times call for desperate measures, and they all team up to increase their chances of survival. Things get more interesting, especially when an old friend shows her face -- but the narrative skips around for the key purpose of the demo, which is to show you a number of interesting locales and characters, as well as offer a potent taste of things to come.