Note: Some of the character descriptions encompass my choices in Origins and DAII. Empress Celene I - "My ancestors made Orlais great through generations of sacrifice. I will not see my empire destroyed now." The Orlesian Empire is on the brink of destruction. Mage insurrections wreak havoc on the streets of Val Royeaux, Chantry priests have become targets, and Celene can no longer keep her own nobles under control. The Chantry's templars have become a military force to be reckoned with, battling mage rebels, and assassinating sympathizing nobles. Celene's chavaliers plan to launch an attack on Ferelden, and the Empress tries desperately to keep both her nation, army, nobles, and the crumbling Chantry under control. Celene's only aid is a strange, dark haired Ferelden sorceress, who insinuated herself into the Royal court six years ago...
Morrigan (R-only if pursued in Origins) - "Change cannot come without cost. I know what it is lose what is precious. I have made sacrifices time and time again. These are the prices of hope. These are the paths to power." Following the death of the Archdemon, the apostate who accompanied the Warden vanished. Reports two years later made The Warden leave his wife the Queen and puruse his former companion (and rumoured lover). He never returned. Two years later, a mysterious and beautiful mage appeared in the royal courts of Orlais, with a small boy. She became a close advisor to Empress Celene, and eventually became the Empress' right hand. Snide rumours run through the nobility that it is this sorceress that runs the Empire, and not Celene. Whatever the truth, Celene is now rarely seen without her chief advisor, a fact that angers the Chantry, insulted that the Empress would so openly shelter a known apostate.
Cassandra Pentaghast ©® - "These rebels shall not have the Divine. I swear that while blood flows through my veins, this Chantry will stand. We shall draw the line here!" Unsuccessful in her attempt to locate Hawke, Cassandra finds new purpose in putting an end to the Mage-Templar War. She travels to Val Royeaux to serve the Divine more directly, or rather to pretect her. There however, she meets the one whom she believes can put an end to the conflict, and travels with them in their quest.
Cullen ©® - "Never again shall I stand by while innocents suffer at the hands of mages." Cullen was made Knight-Commander of Kirkwall following the death of Meredith. However, he had seen too much death and chaos at the hands of magic and maleficarum to remain a templar bound by rules. He defected, hunting apostates independantly, and earned a reputation as a ruthless and relentless hunter, distributing his own brand of justice.
Leliana ® - "In these dark times, we must put our faith in the Maker, and trust that he will make all well." Leliana was summoned to Val Royeaux by the Divine. She was assigned to a vital task: protect the Empress. Leliana was to go under the guise of a bard (a life which she was intimately aquainted with), and hire out her services to Celene. Leliana's purpose was to serve as a spy as much as a guardian however. Imagine her surprise at discovering (or rather re-discovering) the apostate in the Empress' service.
Justinia V - "The Chantry is the only light in this dark world. We must not surrender ourselves to fear." The Chantry's power is waning. The Divine works tirelessly to restore stability, utilising every resource she can. She became a target for Chantry hating revolutionaries, and fears that enemies may have even infiltrated her inner circle. With Grand Cleric Elthina's murder three years ago, she fears that she may be next.
Rhekel Khaladin © - "My life was destoyed by politics. But here, I have purpose. I have found my duty in my death." Rhekel was a member of the Noble Caste in Kal'Sharok. He was framed for the murder of two deshyrs by political enemies, and chose to join the Legion of the Dead rather than be executed for a crime he did not commit. In the Legion, he finds purpose, but he cannot give up yet. He WILL not.
Flemeth - "Darkness falls upon the world. Death engulfs the land, and on the scales lay glory a cold grave. It is you who shall decide for whom they tip." Flemeth, the Witch of the Wilds is a myth. And yet within ten years, she has supposedly saved the two most influential figures in the world, The Hero of Ferelden and Hawke. Nobody knows whether this is true or not, but people have to begun to believe that perhaps Asha'bellanar is not so mythical after all, especially in a time where mages are rising up in furious rebellion. Incidentally, a lone High Dragon was reported as flying towards Orlais, over the Frostback Mountains...
Anders - "Why should others accept what I do not? This is Vengeance. This is Justice." Anders became a legendary figure among mage rebels following the Second battle of Kirkwall. Rumours run amok that the apostate lives on, leading a band of apostates through the Thedas, yet more disturbing news reports entire villages being burned to the ground, Maker fearing men women and children all felled by magic, along with swathes of templars and innocent priests.
Shayle © - "Life as a soft squishy creature is not so bad. At least I can kill more birds!" A strange, plucky female surface dwarf who has a strange aversion to birds. She lets on little about herself, except that she travelled to Tevinter following the Fifth Blight.
Maris ©® - "Get away from me shem! I know enough of your kind to never let you close. Take another step and I swear I'll make you regret it!" Maris was an Alienage elf in the massive Val Royeaux Alienage. She grew up resentful of humans, and began to exhibit signs of magical ability at five. In the huge Alienage however, she could hide away, and did not stick out so much. One day however, templars were taking away another elven apostate, when their Knight-Captain sensed her own ability. In a panicked fit, Maris set her home alight, killing four templars and her parents. She fled the alienage, bitter and resentful.
Finn © - "Oh dear! War's a terribly messy business isn't it? Oh, Maker! Look! A fleck of blood on my sleeve!" After he accompanied the Hero of Ferelden on his quest to track down his love, Finn and the elf Arianne (along with the Warden's faithful mabari) set out on their own adventures. They eventually found themselves in Orlais, where Arianne reunited with her clan, who had moved to Orlais. Finn and the dog however, resolved to remain in Orlais, with Finn becoming a healer in the backstreets of Val Royeaux.
Etienne ©® - "I shall give no quarter, nor shall I rest or lay down my sword until I have seen justice done." A chevalier whose wife and child were murdered by a bard. Now, Etienne puts all else behind him, revenge being his only goal, both on the bard, and their patron. A deadly warrior, and stalwart ally, Etienne has never quite forgiven Ferelden for the rebellion which forced Orlais out, and is convinced that it is Orlais' duty to civilise Thedas through conquest. His conviction in his vlaues are as strong as his unshakeable faith in the Maker and His prophet's Chantry.
Victore - "There is no other way. I do what I must, for the good of my people." First Enchanter of Orlais' Circle of Magi, Victore led the rebellion, and some even suggest that he openly practises blood magic and dark rituals, consorting with demons. He has made no secret that his target is the Grand Cathedral and all who dwell within it. An ardent believer in the way of the Tevinter Magister, Victore is a potent mage, and seeks power as well as freedom.
Theodore - "The harlot in her palace can throw all the gold she wants at these peasants. I will not turn tail until I see the magi freed." A powerful Magister, who travelled to Orlais simply for the purpose of aiding in the mages' liberation. The Empress has put a bounty on his head, after she discovered that his conjured deomns were wreaking havoc, slaying civilians. The bounty has caused a diplomatic crisis with Tevinter however, who have begun to contemplate a war, where they could gain rebel mages' support and impose their own Chantry upon Orlais.
Erithin ©® - "Who I am is unimportant. This is where I was meant to be, defending those who cannot help themselves." A beautiful and elusive Fereldan-born Orlesian woman, Erithin walks the streets of Orlais at night, clad in an infamous black cloak. Vagabonds and criminals have learned to fear the night, lest they fall victim to the blades of Erithin. Those who have tried to hunt her down have come to regret it, often returning with a missing eye or finger. Those who have interacted with Erithin have remarked on her distinctive accent, unrivalled beauty, and her piercing blue eyes, which hold much sorrow in them. The sorrow and mysteries of her past...
Prince Sebastien Vael © - "It is mortal men who shall save the Chantry. The Maker preserves and protects us, and it is our duty to protect His blessed prophetess." Following the murder of Grand Cleric Elthina, Sebastien Vael returned to Starkhaven and took his rightful place as Prince. In 9:39 Dragon he led his armies into Kirkwall in a blaze of righteous fury, putting down any lasting mage insurrection, and establishing a new base of Chantry strength. He left his armies in control, travelling with all haste to Val Royeaux to serve the Divine, determined that she would not fall to the mages as poor Elthina had.
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