DA2 act 3 completion: (Long, no pictures)
The last 6 years, mage! Hawke had been telling people to believe in the Circle. To work within the system; mages are dangerous and need protection from themselves as well as others who would not understand them. But who would protect them from their protectors? Specifically, the leader of those protectors? Kirkwall's circle was broken and seemed to be the source of rather a lot of blood magic. Knight Commander Meredith thought Hawke's antagonism towards her was because Hawke was just sympathetic to the mages due to her being a mage herself. But actually, in spite of absolutely believing in the Circle system as a whole, Hawke couldn't send people to the Kirkwall circle anymore. She sent Emille, the silly mage away from Kirkwall, and Meredith told her Hawke she was a fool to have been played by him. Ha! If Meredith had met him even once.
so, when First Enchanter Orsino asked to have a word alone, Hawke went there open minded. Orsino was trying to keep the Circle together and Meredith seemed to be exacerbating things. He asked her to see why there were those sneaking out at night from the tower; but quietly.
What happened next was a series of events that made Hawke very angry. One interrupted secret meeting turned battle followed by another interrupted secret meeting turned battle later, Hawke learned that Templars and mages had kidnapped her brother, Carver. She hadn't lost her temper while talking with people her entire time in Kirkwall, but at that moment she brandished her fist and angrily demanded where her only remaining family had been taken. The Templar Keran flinched and told her where to go. He asked her what she would do with them. Frankly, she was willing to burn down Kirkwall herself looking for her brother and had no time to bother snitching on moronic Templars. Hawke told him that he and the others best stay out of her way because shi! was happening, and it wouldn't be pleasant.
Hawke arrived and saw her brother laying on the ground; she quickly deduced he was still alive. Templar Thrask was there and the stupid man had actually thought kidnapping her brother was a good idea? Just because she was pro circle? After she assured him that she did not support Knight Commander Meredith and never had, Thrask seemed to see reason. He said to release Carver. Hawke was still very angry, but would accept this, but then Grace, the blood mage loving brat she'd sent back to the Circle ages ago, decided to have revenge. And attack. Right after murdering Thrask. Which, honestly, satisfied Hawke pretty well considering his stupidity at putting her brother in danger like that and causing this whole situation. Geez! There were enough crazy mages in Kirkwall, we didn't need grasping-at-straws Templars like him anyway. Hawke burned them all with fire and it was very satisfying. Well, not Alain; he changed his mind before the battle to being more reasonable like Thrask had tried to be. Alain reminded me of a more intelligent Emile; specifically, harmless. Ex Templar Samson was a jerk, though, and she really wanted him to be punished but not if it punished Alain. Grr.
Somewhere in all this, Merril asked her to go to Sundermount. That turned out badly. As much as Hawke thought Merril was an idiot, she couldn't look into those tear filled eyes and not merely be sorry with her that it had all turned out the way it had. She took responsibility for Merril's stupidity outside the cave. Honestly, why hadn't she pushed Merril into a circle... well, considering Kirkwall, perhaps in hindsight it was good she hadn't. It seems like it hardly would have kept her from blood magic...
Hawke felt a lot better after burning all of the people that put Carver in danger so she made her rounds to her companion's houses giving them gifts. Merril made it a bit awkward considering that one time Merril had declared her love for Hawke, which she implied mildly, but made up for it with an interesting story about elven lore. In the end, though, it felt a lot like she was saying goodbye to her companions. Just had that tone. Felt odd.
She was notified abruptly that she needed to head off a "battle" between Orsino and Meredith. Sigh. Off she went. Suppose she shouldn't sigh about being important in the scheme of things. Hawke wanted to be Viscount and she had wound herself into the local nobility intentionally. Not like she hadn't asked for a bit of drama but without true binding power it was currently just frustration.
Arguments between "the powers of Kirkwall" ensued. And then Anders lost himself to Justice, the spirit, which was never a good sign. The following explosion... So many chaotic emotions about it. Shock. Tragedy. Confusion. Then anger. Definitely anger at Anders. Justice. Whatever! Maker's breath! Hawke was so done with it! But then....sides. Pick a side. Mages. Mages are always the problem. Mages killed her mother. Mages kidnapped her brother. Kirkwall's mages are crazy. Anders is crazy. In the heat of the moment, Hawke sided with the Templars.
Then Hawke was left alone with Anders. She supposed Meredith figured a swift execution was inevitable. Hawke just felt cold when looking at Anders. It was his Spirit's fault. But the spirit showed no signs of leaving. Anders said he expected death. And Hawke nearly gave it to him, more out of cold resolute pity than anything else. However... Hawke told him that he could either help fix the mess he created via Justice or that she would put him to the knife. He agreed that he would try keeping Justice at bay and try to atone for his sins. He kept his word, too, and turned his magic on the very mages he had tried to "save" mere hours before.
Shockingly, we ran into Carver in the heat of battle. Hawke was glad to see him, but also concerned. He'd left to help her! Wow, she shouldn't have been surprised, but she was deeply touched nonetheless. Even her brother Carver, who was pro circle, was like, "Why are you fighting against your own people?" Man, that made Hawke quail. She adored Carver and even he couldn't understand her decision at face value. It made Hawke doubt her choice, a choice made in the moment borne from confused hurt and anger and shock. Anger that was gone now, and slowly being replaced with horror. Hawke said something about "Keeping Order" but it sounded underwhelming, even to her ears and Carver just shook his head. Said he'd fight at Hawke's side no matter what. Flames all around her, Hawke squared her shoulders. The dye was cast and one had to live with the decisions one had made. Hawke, Fenris, Carver, and Anders made there way through the nightmare before them.
The battles ahead were difficult and filled with demons and abominations. But instead of feeling justified, Hawke just felt sick. Maybe some of these people had been blood mages all along; but some of these people? They were made desperate by her decision to help the Templars. So, when a trio of mages threw themselves at her feet asking for mercy, she was all too eager to give it. Meredith disapproved, but Hawke considered that a good sign, to be honest.
They all prepared to enter the tower where Orsino lay within. A difficult battle to be sure. This time, Hawke really did make goodbyes to her companions. Just in case any one of them fell to the fire... With all of that in mind, she spoke to Anders. His speech made her cool feelings fade a bit. Enough forgiveness seeped in that she let him steal a kiss. Well. She didn't want to regret anything...
When they reached Orsino, it was a mixed bag. It was sad to see the man so desperate that he turned to blood magic before her. And she honestly couldn't fault him for hiding his connections to the man who had murdered her mother for the sake of the circle, although the connection did make it a bit easier to burn him and his abomination body to ash.
Then, finally, Hawke's part in the sins of clearing the Kirkwall Circle were at an end. Hawke was just tired and wanted to go home and pretend none of this had happened for a long while. Maybe drink with Fenris. And sleep. Instead, Meredith turned on Hawke. Hawke was too exhausted to be more than just accepting of the betrayal although she did have the energy to point out how absurd Meredith was being considering how Hawke had just helped them Annul the Circle. Meredith declared it was some sort of plan on Hawke's part to lull them into a false sense of security. Makers breath, did they really think Hawke was that much of a monster? Turn on her own kind as a move in some sort of game?!
Meredith ordered the Templars around Hawke to attack her; the very Templars Hawke had just helped slay her brethren. Odd how murdering all the mages made Hawke feel more connected to their plight than Hawke ever had been before the choice to perform the atrocities. Cullen stepped in and said something about how they had planned on just arresting her not killing her? Maker's breath, what was wrong with these people? There was just no redeeming her choice to siding with them, was there? It was a mistake, a tragic mistake she wished now that she could undo. Hawke didn't have much time to consider her thoughts before Meredith went truly mad, turning on them all after Cullen tried to strip her of command. Hawke approved of his actions; finally, one good man who had a sensical moment in a difficult stressful time. Better man than she, considering what she'd just done in her "stressful" moment.
All that was left was to take of crazy Meredith with the red eyes. Hawke felt resolute; this was her way to atone for the annulment. Maybe this could wash away the sin of her failing. She realized this made her exactly like Anders. They would have a lot to say to each other later, that was for certain.
In the end, the battle came to a standstill as one more crazy magical mess happened. In the moments after the battle, Hawke thought the Templars would again turn on her. The glance with Templar Cullen was a meaningful one. And then they all... they all just kneeled before her.
Varric would go on to tell others about Hawke. He would say Hawke was a hope to the Templars.... and a rallying cry to all the mages of Thedas how even an outsider was a flagship representation of their abuse. That was Hawke's legacy, a true and tragic one. That is why she turned down the Vicount's office. She'd had her moment when she could have stood for what was right, and instead, she'd failed. Now was the time to atone. And she would do so, in the years to come, with Anders at her side.
. I love your Qunari. I'm so tempted to make one next time.
Retour en haut
After the elf, Velanna, was finally convinced of the truth of the matter, she asked to help Daria destroy the darkspawn since they had apparently taken her sister captive. Daria was hesitant at first, but eventually agreed. She sent Nate back to update the seneschal on where they were going.
Creepy dude is creepy and she just wanted to get out of there. Unfortunately, all their gear had been taken. Velanna's sister, Seranni, somehow managed to get them a key to the "architect's" room and told them they needed to get out quickly and find their stuff. Why she helped them and more importantly, why she didn't want to escape with them, were two questions that remained unanswered as she ran off before Velanna could stop her.
No thanks.
