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unabatedlyPlayer Information
Name: Kal
Contact: PM
Over 18?: Y
Character Information
Name: The Warden (Neria Surana being the default name and the one I use)
Canon: Dragon Age
Canon Point: Post-Witch Hunt DLC
Age: 22
History: The Warden & Warden-Commander
Magi Origin, or her prologue level and backstory
Main Story Plot
Awakening Plot
And her decisions/world state.
Personality:
Curious and studious - Neria is, first and foremost, a dedicated mage. Her role prior to the start of the game is as an apprentice in the Circle Tower of Magi, the place where mages are locked away and kept so that they can hone their gifts without hurting others. Though isolating, it is where she was sent at a young age, and in the absence of love and a family, she threw herself into her studies. She becomes apprentice to the First Enchanter, head mage of the Circle, which is exceptional (and remarked upon by a few mages in the game). Her scholarly aptitudes allow her to become a very powerful mage as she flourishes outside of the Circle's conventional teaching methods, continuing to grow as a lifelong learner of the magical gifts she has. Neria's life has been marked by people informing her, at every turn, that she is both better and less than others - canon supports how often elves are perceived as second-class citizens and they live in the ghetto, and mages are hated and feared, but so often Neria is hailed in the Circle as an exceptional mage, intelligent, studious, and clever. She is perceptive for an individual, often picking up on things even when they are not outright said, and what people do not tell her, she makes up for by being curious, almost annoyingly so. This is both because of her great interest in people but also because she wants to know things, wants to understand, and she has a great thirst for connection - though, notably, more so for people outside of the Circle and with varied life experience than with those around her. Neria often probes allies, strangers, and friends alike for information, perceptive to their needs enough to know what to chase. While much of this is because she is altruistic and an attentive friend, she also has a thirst for knowledge and a curiosity that drives her ever forward, for good or ill.
Loyalty and selflessness - Without a home or a family to return to, Neria naturally gravitated once towards the few people she knew in the Circle, then her companions, finding connection and love from friends and those around her. It inspired a fierce sort of loyalty towards people rather than institutions or banners, and has allowed her to see purpose for herself in helping others and in making people happy. Jowan's crisis that is the catalyst for conscription (helping him escape the tower) highlights Neria's intense loyalty despite putting herself in danger and her heartfelt desire to help others. This extends even beyond this moment to much of the campaign and further still, where she goes out of her way to help others by fulfilling various requests from laypeople, nobles... From anyone, really. She is a people-pleaser, through and through. In fact, one can go so far as to say she is rather selfless, providing coin to others and offering compassion and kindness. While altruistic in nature, it also means she is prone to throwing herself into danger for the sake of those around her instead of seeing to her own protection, which also results in friction with those she cares for. But that kind of dedication helps her fit right in with the Grey Wardens, as they will do anything to stop the Darkspawn and keep people safe no matter the cost. However, it also means her loyalty can be misplaced in those who show kindness to her or to people she cares for when they are harming others, and it is difficult for her to be objective when it comes to those she loves.
Self-destructiveness and guilt - But that selflessness is the tip of an iceberg that's fraught with other problems. Neria's desire to be connected to others, to feel important in the eyes of others - whether it be through friendships or through power and prowess - belie self-destructive tendencies. She sees her worth as being wrapped up in what she can do for others, how she can be better, how she can fix problems and solve the issues that people find themselves wrapped up in. When she can't, whether it is through unpreparedness, incompetence, it doesn't matter; she takes it as a personal failure, which leads to self-deprecation and self-hatred. What hero cannot save people? If she is supposed to be so important powerful, why can't she fix things? And in lieu of acceptance or forgiveness towards herself for her mistakes, she will instead put herself on the front lines or in danger so she can sacrifice herself rather than allow others to go through the same thing. It's a dangerous sort of line and much of it stems from the fact that she allowed the Dark Ritual to occur and, in the fight against the Archdemon, she should have died...and did not. Much of it is born from that crushing survivor's guilt but much more of it comes from some innate need to be needed and wanted, and that her purpose must be tied in other people...shouldn't it?
Often for Neria, there are no good decisions, especially in war; there are several instances where Neria's decisions have been wrong - the crowning of a ruthless king, putting lives at risk to try to save a boy from a demon, among many others. Some of these turn out 'for the better' in some circumstances, but that outlook is only for the privileged and for the victors. Neria is often the victor; the people she harms even accidentally will never forget the blow she has given them, and that is a test she has neither passed nor learned to accept just yet, young as she is. It wracks her with guilt rather often, especially in the places where she should have suffered consequences (such as the Dark Ritual) but never actually had to. She is no hero; she is only an impostor mimicking the role, pretending to be good.
Pragmatism - The shift from green soldier to Warden to Warden-Commander and Arlessa is palpable; bereft of her closest allies, all of them scattered to return to their lives, Neria is left with (what she perceives to be) nothing; she has no family or purpose beyond the Wardens, and so she takes this role very seriously. A year forged in the fire of a war, in the politics she's been thrown into, while facing down the potential slaughter and destruction of her homeland...Neria changes, and changes greatly. She constructs herself as a warrior worth her salt, as well as a commander worth acknowledging. She works to be a better strategist, leaning more towards pragmatism than she did prior.
Where in the base game she was desperate for allies and was practical and realistic enough (even desperate enough) to do anything and everything possible to have the upper hand, her newfound status affords her a cooler head that allows her to look at the battlefield and her options with a keener eye. Her decisions have power behind them, not just weight. That isn't to say that Neria was impulsive beforehand; every decision she made during the Blight was weighted with knowing as may pros and cons as possible, to try to balance all of the options laid out before her (and her curiosity and desire to know things allowed her to be very good at this) to make the best possible decision, the most informed decision. This just allows her to more readily have this information at her disposal due to allies she'd curated during the Blight, her companions, and her advisors. This, of course, does not mean her decisions are always the best; they are simply the decisions she believes are possibly best, through a blend of head and heart.
Inexperience - The DLC Awakening highlights a very large problem, and that is Neria's loneliness and her lack of connection to people she loves and cares for from the base game, who have moved on and gone to other pursuits. Like a wolf without a pack, Neria struggles to know where her purpose lies as an individual; helping others is a nebulous and broad goal, admirable but also lacking direction. Still inexperienced and young, Neria longs to have hope and to be an idealist, but often is faced with the harsher realities of the consequences she has brought upon herself. At her core, she is someone who is still struggling, still yearning for connection and love and acceptance, still someone who is emotional and feels so much, though she often has to harden her heart and try to put her best foot forward in an effort to be the pillar of strength people often ask her to be - something she wants to be - whether she can handle it or not.
Where and how did your character enter the Hedge? Once Morrigan crossed back through the Eluvian, Neria returned to try and see if it would work once more. Initially unresponsive, the mirror seemed to change. Curious and unable to resist the possibility of seeing her friend again, or even understanding the mirror, she stepped through and found herself in the Hedge.
Skillsets:
- Scholar - Neria is a lifelong learner and scholar who loves to seek out information and knowledge pertaining to anything, whether it's in books or from shared experiences of vocal history. The Circle of Magi had a huge library and that was her home for a decade.
- Healing/Connection to Spirits - One of her primary magical talents is healing! This kind of healing allows her to tap into a connection she might have with a spirit and to use their aid to boost her ability to rejuvenate and revive others.
- Diplomacy/Coercion - Capable of talking people down from the proverbial ledge and negotiating with allies for aid/support. This is a stat she has so it also works for coercion/intimidation.
- Leadership - Has been Warden-Commander of her country for two years.
- Combat - Knows how to fight with a sword as well as magic! Double the trouble.
- Magic - Her specialties are shapeshifting, healing, and Arcane Warrior, meaning she can twist her magical abilities to make herself powerful (in DnD, this is essentially using her Intelligence stat as her Strength stat). She also knows elemental magic, entropic magic, arcane magic and more. Girl loves to learn more magic and gain power!
- Herbalism/Poisons - She has a stat attribute in herbalism, helping her with healing and making potions. She can also make poisons, though, and isn't afraid to use them.
Inventory:
- Starfang, a sword made of meteorite.
- Her Warden pendant.
- A simple silver ring. (no attributes, it's just something she bought)
- Spellfury, a staff.
- 3 gold coins.
- 2 elfroot potions. (health)
- 1 lyrium potion. (magic)
- "Murder knife" - the infamous knife that appears in every Dragon Age cutscene that requires one. It's just a knife.
(If any of these need to be nerfed or taken, I'd prefer for her to lose the staff versus the sword!)
Sample:
Ill Met TDM
Name: Kal
Contact: PM
Over 18?: Y
Character Information
Name: The Warden (Neria Surana being the default name and the one I use)
Canon: Dragon Age
Canon Point: Post-Witch Hunt DLC
Age: 22
History: The Warden & Warden-Commander
Magi Origin, or her prologue level and backstory
Main Story Plot
Awakening Plot
And her decisions/world state.
Personality:
Curious and studious - Neria is, first and foremost, a dedicated mage. Her role prior to the start of the game is as an apprentice in the Circle Tower of Magi, the place where mages are locked away and kept so that they can hone their gifts without hurting others. Though isolating, it is where she was sent at a young age, and in the absence of love and a family, she threw herself into her studies. She becomes apprentice to the First Enchanter, head mage of the Circle, which is exceptional (and remarked upon by a few mages in the game). Her scholarly aptitudes allow her to become a very powerful mage as she flourishes outside of the Circle's conventional teaching methods, continuing to grow as a lifelong learner of the magical gifts she has. Neria's life has been marked by people informing her, at every turn, that she is both better and less than others - canon supports how often elves are perceived as second-class citizens and they live in the ghetto, and mages are hated and feared, but so often Neria is hailed in the Circle as an exceptional mage, intelligent, studious, and clever. She is perceptive for an individual, often picking up on things even when they are not outright said, and what people do not tell her, she makes up for by being curious, almost annoyingly so. This is both because of her great interest in people but also because she wants to know things, wants to understand, and she has a great thirst for connection - though, notably, more so for people outside of the Circle and with varied life experience than with those around her. Neria often probes allies, strangers, and friends alike for information, perceptive to their needs enough to know what to chase. While much of this is because she is altruistic and an attentive friend, she also has a thirst for knowledge and a curiosity that drives her ever forward, for good or ill.
Loyalty and selflessness - Without a home or a family to return to, Neria naturally gravitated once towards the few people she knew in the Circle, then her companions, finding connection and love from friends and those around her. It inspired a fierce sort of loyalty towards people rather than institutions or banners, and has allowed her to see purpose for herself in helping others and in making people happy. Jowan's crisis that is the catalyst for conscription (helping him escape the tower) highlights Neria's intense loyalty despite putting herself in danger and her heartfelt desire to help others. This extends even beyond this moment to much of the campaign and further still, where she goes out of her way to help others by fulfilling various requests from laypeople, nobles... From anyone, really. She is a people-pleaser, through and through. In fact, one can go so far as to say she is rather selfless, providing coin to others and offering compassion and kindness. While altruistic in nature, it also means she is prone to throwing herself into danger for the sake of those around her instead of seeing to her own protection, which also results in friction with those she cares for. But that kind of dedication helps her fit right in with the Grey Wardens, as they will do anything to stop the Darkspawn and keep people safe no matter the cost. However, it also means her loyalty can be misplaced in those who show kindness to her or to people she cares for when they are harming others, and it is difficult for her to be objective when it comes to those she loves.
Self-destructiveness and guilt - But that selflessness is the tip of an iceberg that's fraught with other problems. Neria's desire to be connected to others, to feel important in the eyes of others - whether it be through friendships or through power and prowess - belie self-destructive tendencies. She sees her worth as being wrapped up in what she can do for others, how she can be better, how she can fix problems and solve the issues that people find themselves wrapped up in. When she can't, whether it is through unpreparedness, incompetence, it doesn't matter; she takes it as a personal failure, which leads to self-deprecation and self-hatred. What hero cannot save people? If she is supposed to be so important powerful, why can't she fix things? And in lieu of acceptance or forgiveness towards herself for her mistakes, she will instead put herself on the front lines or in danger so she can sacrifice herself rather than allow others to go through the same thing. It's a dangerous sort of line and much of it stems from the fact that she allowed the Dark Ritual to occur and, in the fight against the Archdemon, she should have died...and did not. Much of it is born from that crushing survivor's guilt but much more of it comes from some innate need to be needed and wanted, and that her purpose must be tied in other people...shouldn't it?
Often for Neria, there are no good decisions, especially in war; there are several instances where Neria's decisions have been wrong - the crowning of a ruthless king, putting lives at risk to try to save a boy from a demon, among many others. Some of these turn out 'for the better' in some circumstances, but that outlook is only for the privileged and for the victors. Neria is often the victor; the people she harms even accidentally will never forget the blow she has given them, and that is a test she has neither passed nor learned to accept just yet, young as she is. It wracks her with guilt rather often, especially in the places where she should have suffered consequences (such as the Dark Ritual) but never actually had to. She is no hero; she is only an impostor mimicking the role, pretending to be good.
Pragmatism - The shift from green soldier to Warden to Warden-Commander and Arlessa is palpable; bereft of her closest allies, all of them scattered to return to their lives, Neria is left with (what she perceives to be) nothing; she has no family or purpose beyond the Wardens, and so she takes this role very seriously. A year forged in the fire of a war, in the politics she's been thrown into, while facing down the potential slaughter and destruction of her homeland...Neria changes, and changes greatly. She constructs herself as a warrior worth her salt, as well as a commander worth acknowledging. She works to be a better strategist, leaning more towards pragmatism than she did prior.
Where in the base game she was desperate for allies and was practical and realistic enough (even desperate enough) to do anything and everything possible to have the upper hand, her newfound status affords her a cooler head that allows her to look at the battlefield and her options with a keener eye. Her decisions have power behind them, not just weight. That isn't to say that Neria was impulsive beforehand; every decision she made during the Blight was weighted with knowing as may pros and cons as possible, to try to balance all of the options laid out before her (and her curiosity and desire to know things allowed her to be very good at this) to make the best possible decision, the most informed decision. This just allows her to more readily have this information at her disposal due to allies she'd curated during the Blight, her companions, and her advisors. This, of course, does not mean her decisions are always the best; they are simply the decisions she believes are possibly best, through a blend of head and heart.
Inexperience - The DLC Awakening highlights a very large problem, and that is Neria's loneliness and her lack of connection to people she loves and cares for from the base game, who have moved on and gone to other pursuits. Like a wolf without a pack, Neria struggles to know where her purpose lies as an individual; helping others is a nebulous and broad goal, admirable but also lacking direction. Still inexperienced and young, Neria longs to have hope and to be an idealist, but often is faced with the harsher realities of the consequences she has brought upon herself. At her core, she is someone who is still struggling, still yearning for connection and love and acceptance, still someone who is emotional and feels so much, though she often has to harden her heart and try to put her best foot forward in an effort to be the pillar of strength people often ask her to be - something she wants to be - whether she can handle it or not.
Where and how did your character enter the Hedge? Once Morrigan crossed back through the Eluvian, Neria returned to try and see if it would work once more. Initially unresponsive, the mirror seemed to change. Curious and unable to resist the possibility of seeing her friend again, or even understanding the mirror, she stepped through and found herself in the Hedge.
Skillsets:
- Scholar - Neria is a lifelong learner and scholar who loves to seek out information and knowledge pertaining to anything, whether it's in books or from shared experiences of vocal history. The Circle of Magi had a huge library and that was her home for a decade.
- Healing/Connection to Spirits - One of her primary magical talents is healing! This kind of healing allows her to tap into a connection she might have with a spirit and to use their aid to boost her ability to rejuvenate and revive others.
- Diplomacy/Coercion - Capable of talking people down from the proverbial ledge and negotiating with allies for aid/support. This is a stat she has so it also works for coercion/intimidation.
- Leadership - Has been Warden-Commander of her country for two years.
- Combat - Knows how to fight with a sword as well as magic! Double the trouble.
- Magic - Her specialties are shapeshifting, healing, and Arcane Warrior, meaning she can twist her magical abilities to make herself powerful (in DnD, this is essentially using her Intelligence stat as her Strength stat). She also knows elemental magic, entropic magic, arcane magic and more. Girl loves to learn more magic and gain power!
- Herbalism/Poisons - She has a stat attribute in herbalism, helping her with healing and making potions. She can also make poisons, though, and isn't afraid to use them.
Inventory:
- Starfang, a sword made of meteorite.
- Her Warden pendant.
- A simple silver ring. (no attributes, it's just something she bought)
- Spellfury, a staff.
- 3 gold coins.
- 2 elfroot potions. (health)
- 1 lyrium potion. (magic)
- "Murder knife" - the infamous knife that appears in every Dragon Age cutscene that requires one. It's just a knife.
(If any of these need to be nerfed or taken, I'd prefer for her to lose the staff versus the sword!)
Sample:
Ill Met TDM
