[At last. Something that doesn't tread too close to Warden secrets. All the same...]

If Darkspawn simply flung around elements it would not take intelligence, much like one can swing around a sword so long as they've the strength to lift it. But that's not what they do. It's not a repetition of things heard or wild flinging about, it's actual spellcasting. I say this as a mage who has seen combat with and against other mages, experienced and not. Who has been around mages, experienced or not.

There is intelligence there in some of them. I'm not certain it would come as surprise to anyone who has fought many of them that eventually one would speak.

[Since he can't exactly talk about where it falls on the not-a-surprise scale personally.]