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[S.W.]

So I got DA:I recently and I've been replaying DA:O & DA2 to remind myself of lore and create a world state in preparation. I've played DA:O a number of times, and am confident about what choices to make and where to go, but DA2 only once (I have a clear favourite out of the two games, no prizes for guessing).

 

Because it's my second (and probably last) play through, I'm going for something different than first play - my affable, good-natured, charming rogue who goes out of his way to help out. Instead, I'm playing a villain protagonist blood mage with an aggressive/sarcastic personality, whose concerns are primarily self-centred - power, money, status - but also has a wild, adventurous streak, a passion for exploring, and really would love to drop everything and run from Kirkwall if it wasn't for familial obligation. Hawke is slightly embittered through playing caretaker for *all* her hapless family and has a very low bullshit tolerance (it should be said, Hawke's always been quite blunt, but this nasty streak only began to express itself after her father died). I think Hawke likes to believe she's more shallow and simple than she actually is. I'm planning to play DA2 out as if it's a tragedy, with Hawke becoming slowly more worn out as her family breaks apart, slowly more tired of hiding away from Templar eyes, losing it as her wishes - power, money, status - become fulfilled but her life no happier. That her resolve to rise above the constraints placed on her, that her love of risky gambles and playing with fire, actually is her undoing.

 

I'm not really sure who to approach when it comes to romance though. Hawke's approach to romancable characters is as follows:

 

Anders: Thinks the ties with Justice/Vengeance is frankly, idiotic and destroying his mental health. Hawke makes a distinction between working with spirits to get to a goal, and then embracing them fully - the latter is a quick route to getting yourself killed, in her opinions. Doesn't quite understand the martyr complex, and doesn't quite get Anders' impulse to save "the poor mages" either - Hawke takes a Morrigan-esque view of "mages should save themselves", and finds pity sort of repulsive. I'm probably aiming for rivalry with Anders, although given Hawke's '**** Templars' attitude this might be hard. I'm toying with a rivalry romance with Anders - although I *did* friendmance him before (partially because I have a weakness for Awakening!Anders).

 

Fenris: Completely disagrees with on most issues for fairly obvious reasons. Has a respect for his honesty, willingness to speak his mind, and his general competence. Hawke isn't so heartless to shrug off his hang-ups over his past life as "angst" - although will laugh when Varric cracks a joke about it. Definite Rivals, don't see rivalry romance being out of place, really (I'm not romanced Fenris so I have no idea what to expect).

 

Isabella: Gets on incredibly well with Isabella - share a similar lack of lol-who-cares responses to moral decisions, and Isabella encourages a devil-may-care attitude. Although Hawke may be slightly too nasty for Isabella - Hawke's willing to do deals with nasty characters Isabella won't touch to get what she wants. While they'd be great friends and partners, I wonder if Isabella would be better suited towards a more heroic/snarky Hawke who is on the better side, rather than worse, of her, and follows their example. Also, my Hawke is actually weirdly fond of the qunari, despite their views on magic - she likes how little fucks they give, how little time they have for people who don't deserve it, and their respect for competence - and I have an inkling that she *might* sell Isabella out to the Arishok. Still, Isabella friendmance isn't out of the question.

 

Merrill: Have already discounted Merrill, I think villain!Hawke is not what she needs or wants.

 

 

So, any advice on how to RP this and who to romance?

[Nette]

Go for Fenris, you won't regret it.

[Mello]

I only ever romanced Isabela and Anders, both on friendmance. If you want a dramatic "I hate to love you" thing going on, I would go with Anders. I never did his rivalmance but I saw a little of it on youtube and it seems pretty good. I also feel like Isabela would go for the more heroic/snarky Hawke despite her gold-hungry attitude. Although, she is the type of person who doesn't really care what you do-- (to an extent). So your Hawke being a villain shouldn't really be a problem for her. But EVERYBODY LOVES FENRIS. Since I can't really speak on him, I would suggest checking out both his rival and friend romance on youtube. All in all, I would go with either Anders or Fenris. 

[andy6915]

Not Fenris. I don't care if the game allows it, he would NEVER fall in love with a blood mage. Fine upstanding mage, yes... Not blood mage. The head canon gymnastics you need to do would be extreme.

[Sah291]

Does your Hawke want to rule Kirkwall? Do you want the romance to end tragically, or have them go along with what Hawke does? I have to agree with the above about Fenris. Merrill and maybe Isabella are the only two companions I could see being ok with romancing a blood mage.... although maybe you could RP Hawke becoming a blood mage as the reason the romance ends in betrayal. 

[FemShem]

Isabela is great on rivalry romance, but you get along so....

I actually like Merrill's rivalry romance too, but Isabel FTW IMHO even if it's friendship, she breaks down and you have nice scene in the end (other than the sex scene).

 

[gnewna]

Can't really see anyone but Merrill going for a blood mage, tbh, and I think even she'd have qualms given your Hawke isn't exactly doing it for similar reasons to hers... Fenris, absolutely not, as said above, he'll grudgingly fall for a mage but in a "you're not like all the rest" sort of way, the game will still let you romance him as a blood mage who takes every demon deal going, but you'd basically have to pretend you were mind controlling him for it to make sense.

Anders, again, really doesn't like blood magic. I think there are a few times where he'll write it off as "look how desperate they were!" But that's more his obsession with "freedom good, control of mages bad!" than actually what he believes, I suspect. Also, I doubt anyone with a low bullshit tolerance would put up with much of his behaviour, and I suspect she'd find the creepy obsessiveness stuff, well, creepy rather than romantic.

I dunno if Isabela really gives a stuff about blood magic generally, but a/ she likes naughty (smuggling, heists, running off with priceless relics) not evil and b/ from what I've seen of her later in the game (bearing in mind my current playthrough is the first time she's been around in Act III) a lot of her dialogue (on rivalry anyway) is along the lines of "guh, you're so annoyingly good, sort of makes me want to be a bit less of a cow" so, again, I dunno how well that would fit with playing a nasty Hawke. 

 

You're right, nasty blood mage!Hawke is the last thing Merrill needs, but would Hawke care? She wouldn't even have to mind control her, magically, just play on her naivety and be all "oh, Merrill, I'm glad someone understands, we're only doing the naughty, bad blood magic because we CARE about our families, I mean Kirkwall, I mean..." (Obv you can't have that conversation "on camera", but there's lots of conversations you can't have in game, that one must assume are taking place but Varric never knew about them or didn't think they made part of a good story.)

[Gilsa]

From what you've described, romancing Isabela and giving her to the Arishok sounds like a good fit for Hawke's ambitions of power.

[S.W.]

I think I probably should clarify the blood mage aspect a bit: my Hawke is fairly practical about blood magic, and sees it as a quick and easy route to getting more energy when in the middle of a battle. She knows better than to engage with demons nine time out of ten, and has no aim - unlike most of the blood mages in Thedas, it seems - to run off and join a coven in some dingy cave somewhere, practising forbidden rituals and achieving the unthinkable. My Hawke's more interested in the here & now. I think Hawke doesn't see why it's a concern - although her companions may disagree with that a lot. I could possibly imagine being able to get around it with Anders, but now you mention it, it'd be almost impossible for Fenris.

 

As for long term aims - I'm unsure. My Hawke doesn't care much for Kirkwall, and would rather get away from it, so I doubt she wants political power in an official capacity, just an ability to pull the strings.

 

On Merrill - I have a massive soft spot for her, and whilst it'd be potentially in character for Hawke to mess with her and further alienate her from her clan, I'm not sure I could stand RPing that. I'd imagine it'd stray into something... very nasty, potentially abusive.

 

Either way, my game has decided this issue for me because my Fenris romance trigger is bugged I'm probably going to romance Isabella and then get shot of her. Thanks to all of you for your contributions, they've been really helpful.

[Aren]

Fenris

[turuzzusapatuttu]

Romance whoever you like the most.

 

Yes, it's really that simple.

[colemanshane]

You should Romance Isabella and give her to the Arishok, Sell Fenris and if you go templar side rival Anders and make him side with you, annoying Sebastian in the process if you got him. Since you didn't count the prince I assume you don't have that DLC as a power hungry Hawke I could see, becoming Viscount, killing Anders and marrying a prince.

[ottffsse]

Rivalmance Sebastian (money power glory) but sleep with anyone you'd like see if this becomes a tragedy.