character application info

basic info

Name: The Warden (Neria Surana)
Age: 21
Canon: Dragon Age: Origins
History: The Warden & Warden-Commander
Magi Origin, or her prologue level and backstory
Main Story Plot
Awakening Plot

origins decisions in a nutshell:

- tried to help Jowan
- recruited all companions and completed their quests
- hardened Alistair and Leliana
- "killed" Flemeth
- saved Connor by bringing the Circle to help
- let Jowan go and encountered him later
- freed the werewolves and let Zathrian die
- sided with Bhelen, sided with Caridin, killed Branka
- struck down by Cauthrien, sent to the dungeons, slipped out via coercion checks
- put Anora on the throne with Alistair, killed Loghain
- persuaded Alistair to do Dark Ritual with Morrigan
- asked that the Wardens be remembered

awakening decisions:

- all companions recruited and completed their quests
- buffed up the Keep
- voted to save Amaranthine
- killed the Architect

personality

Strengths: Surana, like many mages in the Circle of Magi, is a mage driven by curiosity. Magic is an art that will allow her growth throughout her entire lifetime, and spells take a long time to learn and to develop to perfection. As there are many skill trees for mages, it also means that she has the potential to expand her repertoire of power to greater heights than that of a warrior or rogue. But with this curiosity also comes wariness and caution, something (hopefully) drilled into every mage at a young age. "Magic exists to serve man and not to rule over him." Over and over she is told this and, truthfully, anyone would begin to believe such diatribe. But to Surana, this is a rule that is meant to be followed: outside of this law exists anarchy and blood magic, and a desperation that often costs a mage's life to a Templar sword or to the demons in the Fade. Surana asks questions of those she meets both inside the Circle and outside in Ferelden (and the game gives you many opportunities to ask as many questions as you'd like), even to the point of perhaps frustrating some people. But Surana is also a quick learner, picking up patterns and forming her own opinions (right and wrong) from what she's been given.

People are drawn to Surana, both out of necessity and out of their own forms of curiosity. But they stay because of a few select traits that are not uncommon but shine within her. The first is her iron will and her determined attitude to finish a task that's been put in front of her. Part of this stems from that fear of disappointment, but it is also in part because she refuses to give up (pride, again) and believes any sacrifice is worth the cost...so long as that sacrifice is personal and others are not wrapped up in her struggles. This is why she drinks from the flask at Warden's Peak, despite knowing the research Avernus has spent his life on. Blood magic, however forbidden, can give its bearer the power to combat the impossible. Though Surana is not a blood mage*, she gives herself two powers associated with blood magic solely in her position as a Warden so that she has the strength and power to fend off the darkspawn that threaten to destroy the land around her. This is something the demons can comment on in the Fade and in battle: Pride, itself, tells Surana how much potential she has even in the beginning, and Desire offers Surana whatever she wishes in the hopes of being set free. This has, however, sometimes come off as headstrong. An example is the scene with Mordock from Redcliffe, she can convince him that they will succeed, and it sounds a great deal like boasting. In part, it is. She is brave in this way, striving to fight and to throw herself into battle no matter what the cost, but this can also be seen as a lack of self-preservation.

[*In the ability tree, these two powers are separate from the Blood Magic skills, and thus I am counting them separately from a logistics point of view but not from a morality standpoint.]

The second trait is her conscientiousness, tied together with her patience and her willingness to listen. Though Surana is patient and is a good listener (you have to be when your companions all tell you their life stories), she is more than willing to do her own share of talking. When it comes to certain characters (Sten and Shale, to say the least) it's nearly impossible to give them the silent treatment if you wish to have any sort of bond. In the Circle, Surana learned to listen, to obey and to do as she was told. Diligent as a student and not expecting to ever teach in turn, Surana eventually learns that speaking does have its benefits. She displays courage in standing up to Uldred in the Circle Tower, and the authority of a Warden at the Landsmeet before Loghain. As inexperienced as she is (and she is inexperienced, make no mistake about that), she has learned over the course of her journey that there is a time to listen, a time to speak, and a time to act. This only becomes more obvious as she takes on the mantle of Warden-Commander and she begins to enact her own decrees and rules. Though she is hardly fit for the role (and being the Hero of Ferelden doesn't exactly give her the proper credentials for anything), she slowly comes into her own, though she is reluctant and hesitant at first. But the changes in tone can be seen in dialogue, where there are fewer uncertainties and more declarations. Surana goes so far as to even challenge a Knight-Commander for the release of an old friend, and she manages it (with more than a few complications).

With this comes a willingness to please others. She hopes to balance her companions with defeating the Blight and she hopes to juggle their needs and desires over the good of the situation. Earning their favor is important to her, to an elf who has had few friends and now has no home and no family to turn to. She is alone in a world that fears and reviles her and what few friends she has are more important to her than all of the gold in Thedas. In them she finds kinship and safety, as they all respect her if nothing else. These are also her biggest influences in her time away from the Circle. Morrigan, a witch of the wilds, teaches her to be fearless and unapologetic for who she is. She is a mage above all else and should not fear what people believe of her. Alistair teaches her of family and kindness, and she finds a kinship with him being the only Wardens in Ferelden. In Leliana and Zevran she finds adventure and friendship, and tragic lives that have made them bolder, more cautious, and protective of what little they have in life. Sten and Shale teach her strength and fortitude, not just from enemies but from the verbal assaults from friends. It is Sten who challenges her authority and even strikes out at her once, forcing her to stand up for herself or be trampled upon. Wynne gives her hope for mages who struggle, and she finds wisdom in her advice. Oghren, last but not least, teaches her to be headstrong and loud, to not back down, to get up even when all hope seems lost. Who wouldn't want to please these people, this family she's made? But they are also impossible to be pleased at once, and so Surana loses herself in befriending one person and neglecting someone else. The consequences of this are not so dire but still she is afraid of disappointing them, and struggles to keep everyone alive and happy for so long as they travel together.

Flaws: Surana, for all that she sounds strong and likeable, has plenty of weaknesses. As mentioned before, her willingness to please everyone and find a happy medium often leads to neglecting others and trampling on their concerns. Origins in particular can throw many difficult decisions at the Warden, specifically when it comes to moral choices. Surana does what she believes is best and, in being the loudest voice, wins out. But not all of her decisions are good ones. In choosing the next dwarven king, she unwittingly brings an entire house to ruin (Dragon Age II verifies that if Harrowmont is chosen over Bhelen, then his entire line is slaughtered to prevent insurrection). In giving into the demands of a forest spirit, she has the Keeper of a Dalish clan killed to protect his people. She wastes time returning to the Circle Tower to help Connor when he is possessed and puts Lady Isolde and Bann Teagan in danger simply because she believes there's a chance. She even goes looking for a dead prophet's ashes to cure a sick man. Some of these turn out 'for the better' in some circumstances, but that outlook is only for the privileged and for the victors. Surana is 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 is also, perhaps, important to note Surana's privilege in knowing so much within the Circle, even if there are constraints to her learning. In the game, it is possible for Surana to engage in conversation - and, as always, to eavesdrop - with others around the Circle and to come to the conclusion that Irving himself has taken Surana as a student. Though many young and budding mages are taken to be apprentices by the older enchanters and elder mages, no other mage is mentioned to be Irving's pupil. Not much is said on this, to be certain, but it can be derived that being the private pupil of the First Enchanter has more privilege than most positions, and is also a position of protection. This possibly means that the First Enchanter can teach some of the brighter pupils and, also, allows the First Enchanter to know precisely when that mage is ready for their Harrowing. As this is speculation and, thus, a moot point, it also can give some insight into Surana's loyalty to the Circle both in the beginning of the game, towards the end, and during Awakening: Surana is loyal to the people in the Circle and those who are empathetic to the plight of mages, but not necessarily to the structure of the Circle itself. This also sheds light onto Irving and Surana's relationship, which is an amiable one, founded on trust and reliability. When Surana returns to the Circle, Irving is surprised but glad to see her, and is even more proud of her accomplishments when she stands up to and defeats Uldred.

But with this privilege comes one of the most hazardous of all emotions within the Circle: pride. The strongest of the demons in the Fade are Sloth, Desire, and Pride. Surana encounters all three on her journeys in the Fade, but it is Pride that lays a trap for her (using both Rage as a decoy and Sloth as a side test). Though she ultimately evades it, it speaks volumes to what initially draws her to her power as a mage. As Irving's apprentice, she has been given the best, and so she sees the world through the rose-tinted glasses of a privileged scholar. Though her position may have been alienating (and there is evidence to point to that, too, when Surana speaks of being an elf among humans in the tower) it also gave her benefits that the others did not have, and this is rather telling to her position. She does not have to worry about becoming Tranquil or failing her test. Instead, she fears disappointing others, especially Irving and her companions.

One of Neria's greatest fears is that she will fail, and in failing, disappoint - or lose - everyone. This is not confined to her closest friends and allies; Neria has seen enough innocent blood spilled out of greed and selfishness in part to Loghain's decisions (and her own missteps) to see what arrogance can create. As a Warden, failure can mean losing entire cities (Lothering), battles (Ostagar), and even the world if she should falter. Worse yet, she could lose people she cares for, people who are slowly becoming a part of her world. As a mage, failure also means paying the ultimate price: losing control or a battle, or even succumbing to temptation, means potentially allowing a demon to usurp your very being. The consequences of this have been seen first hand in the Circle Tower quest, and Neria's own Harrowing ended abruptly enough despite her never truly fighting or winning against the Pride demon who had set its eyes upon her. She is terrified at the very idea of losing herself to a demon, and worse, to corrupt morals...even as she sometimes edges close to the latter in her quest to keep as many people alive as possible.

Miscellaneous: Neria likes comfort, rare as it may be. The Circle Tower wasn't exactly cozy (apprentices lived in bunk beds in a large, shared room, under constant watch) but she certainly did not have to work for her living, did not have to beg for food. She is a city elf turned mage, and though her past is never quite delved into, Neria has come from poverty and from racism and hardship, and this can be reflected in game when Neria interacts with other City Elves and when humans refer to her as "knife ears". She dislikes cruelty and arrogance, and finds herself ill at ease with people in higher, powerful positions over her, though she has a silver tongue and can work a room with her experience being Warden-Commander (she'll never like it or feel comfortable, however, and that's what counts).

She gets along fairly reasonably with people, provided they aren't outright cruel or prejudiced. Even the latter she can swallow in small doses (looking at Sten in particular, who can be swayed to respect the Warden regardless of race and gender), though large sums of it irritate her, and her position as Warden-Commander has allowed her to feel entitled to at least speak out about it.