#I usually go with the idea that she fought in the night elves with loghain bc it makes unrest in the alienage that much more delicious

[sapphim]

i've been toying with the idea of my Tabris being half-human (but visibly elvish cause fuck bioware and their magical lack of genetics)

so it would be kinda like this: Cyrion was in a relationship with a human commoner, who died shortly after Tabris' birth. Then after a year or two, he entered a relationship with Adaia, which is why the only mother Tabris knows is her. Also, i hc that Adaia was spy/assassin and took Tabris with her around the world (i.a. Antiva when Tabris briefly met kid!Zev)

idk how non-standard that is, cause it's what would happen before the game rather that during, but i think it could be interesting if developed nicely

yes this counts! and I love hearing about people's headcanons for Adaia too bc it's such fertile ground. what a fun idea.

[glaringapollo]

30 Day Warden Challenge

(But all at once)

1. Basics. A basic profile of your Warden.

Hireth Surana - 17/20 - Circle Mage (Dalish parentage) - Lawful Good - Elemental Magic

2. Appearance. Write a detailed description of your Warden’s appearance.

Standing at about 5′1″, he’s a frail looking boy with soft hands. His nose is broad and a little flat, classic elf bridge with two moles just under his eyebrows (which are pretty bushy themselves). A bit awkward looking with an overbite, soft jawline, and big ears (left ear has a mole as well). His hair is a deep brown, that he grows out over the course of the game. Also over the course of the game he gets; two scars on his jaw and one on his ear from the Archdemon, some scars across his knuckles and a gash in his left leg from his fight with Loghain (giving him a slight limp now but he has his staff for support).

3. Personality. Write a detailed description on your Warden’s personality.

NO idea how the real world works, he stumbles a lot and is naive and gets taken advantage of. A really soft spoken boy, he doesn’t smile very often, dealing with depression and anxiety. His main aspirations are to be happy and feel stable, which he puts aside to focus on others happiness as a Warden feeling it his punishment and atonement for helping Jowan. As a result of being unable to find his own happiness- he is a firm believer in others living their lives the way they like as long as it doesn’t harm others.

He only raises his voice twice, once when encountering Jowan again, and another at the Landsmeet with Loghain.

A bit self depreciating, but he’s very loyal to his friends and tries to support them as much as he can- always trying to do little things for them. Lacking a bit of empathy with certain emotional issues though, having trouble understanding struggles with family having not really known his own enough to miss them. Sometimes even when he knows he’s being taken advantage of, he still allows it to happen if it doesn’t hurt anything (the Alienage elves asking for money constantly). A bleeding heart for peoples struggles.

4. Companions. Describe your Wardens relationship with each member of their party.

Alistair - First love, quite possibly his only and last as well. Alistair’s the first person he felt a real connection to, and he clings to that connection for dear life. They don’t always see eye to eye, but they never let that interfere with their friendship. He puts his complete trust in Alistair, and would almost certainly die for him.

Leliana - Best friend! They’re both devout and relate on that point, he likes her stories, and she’s a positive person to lean on. One of the few people who can make him laugh. She is usually the one that tries to uplift his self-esteem when he’s down- he’s not sure how he feels about her past with violence, and her choice to continue pursuit of Marjolaine but they do keep in contact periodically as the years go by.

Wynne - Basically his mom/grandma, since she’s from the circle she’s known him from the start. She knows more about his past and his upbringing, and tries to continue to coax him towards being more confident in his abilities.

Shale - Despite their rocky start (pun intended) Shale’s surprising loyalty quickly won Hireth over- and his quiet company won Shale’s in return. His dedication to his cause really helped Shale warm up to him, and soon they even became a bit protective of him. Any time he gets info to help Shale return to being a Dwarf he sends it to them- wishing them the best.

Zevran - Their friendship is one built on the fact that they must trust each other. They disagree on a lot, but Zevran must trust that Hireth won’t get rid of him- and HIreth must trust the same. His flirting makes Hireth a little uncomfortable, but he doesn’t say anything on the matter.

Sten - Sten makes Hireth nervous, and while he started out wanting to befriend the Qunari- it ended with him seeing the other as nothing more than something akin to a coworker. They each had a job to do and would part ways once it was done. Their personalities just didn’t mesh well.

Oghren - Made Hireth uncomfortable, and Hireth is also the worst wingman fyi. The drunkenness was off-putting and he avoided prolonged talks with the man, but he knew the Dwarf didn’t necessarily have any ill will. Was actually a bit relieved to see Oghren in Awakening- having a familiar face was a comfort.

Morrigan - Despises her, and the feeling is mutual.

5. Romance. Who is your Warden’s romantic interest and why are they attracted to them? Describe their relationship. If your Warden has no romantic interest explain why.

He is so very gay, and Alistair is unfortunately not (tbh I do headcanon Alistair as pan (w/ a preference to women but not against dating other genders) but he’s also dense so they still don’t get together lmaooo).

6. Sexuality. What is your Warden’s sexual orientation? Describe your Wardens past sexual experiences [if any].

Honestly? Hireth never showed much interest in others as a teen. He is gay, and has had an odd crush or two but never anything really intense (I let characters develop as I play, and I thought he was going to be Ace before he saw Alistair and was just like “I wanna have sex w/ him” like boy CHILL).

7. Choices [Part One]. Describe your Wardens choices in the five main quests: Arl of Redcliffe, Urn of Sacred Ashes, Broken Circle, A Paragon of Her Kind & Nature of the Beast.

AoR - After shouting at Jowan (”No no, you MADE this mess and you’re fixing it!! You don’t just get to run away every time you have to face consequences, Jowan!!”), he enlisted the help of the Circle Mages (”I can fix it but it requires bloo-” “No.” “But--” No.”), and killed the demon (no deals for him).

UoSA - Fought that fucking dragon because I didn’t know you could skip it, of course he didn’t taint the ashes he’s A GOOD ANDRASTEAN BOY.

BC - Saved the circle, it’s his home and he actually liked it there...

APoHK - Sided with Caridan, seeing the Anvil as too cruel. He had Harrowmont put on the throne, seeing him as the more peaceful of the two (he hates Orzammar).

NotB - Managed to lift the curse and allow the elves to live.

8. Choices [Part Two]. Describe your Wardens choices later in the game: The Alienage, the Landsmeet and Morrigan’s ritual.

Alienage - Got rid of the slavers in the Alienage, refusing to deal with them and gave generously to the false beggars.

Landsmeet - Managed to get everyone on his side, he actually got increasingly angry with Loghain, even yelling at him for the shit he had pulled- when the challenge to duel was set, he agreed to be the one to fight Loghain not wanting to force anyone to fight his battles and worrying that Alistair’s anger would get the better of him. He was not able to execute Loghain however- and Alistair gladly did that one for him. He had brought up marrying Anora to Alistair but quickly defaulted when Alistair showed upset, not wanting to pressure him into anything.

Morrigan’s Ritual - [TW: Rape Mention - TL;DR vers Hireth did the Ritual with Morrigan] OK, so- due to the feel I got for Hireth and the way Morrigan’s wording came off, canonically for MY game Hireth was technically raped. While he did agree to the ritual, he felt guilted and blackmailed into it. Initially he put up a fight, accepting the fact that he will die, willing to give up his life to slay the Archdemon. Morrigan of course fought the decision, bringing up Alistair and the chances of Alistair being the one to give the final blow (”He IS a templar after all... you as a mage would be much further away, he’d have the higher risk.”) and pressuring Hireth to convince Alistair to sleep with her. Hireth refused, not wanting to force Alistair to do anything, let alone sleep with someone he hardly got along with- and Hireth gave in agreeing to the ritual.

He doesn’t like to think about it, for obvious reasons.

9. Motivation. Describe why your Warden made the choices they made during the Blight. Go into detail about who influenced them and how any key events from their past influenced them.

Hireth threw himself down as a servant to the people, he felt it his duty to completely be at the whims of the public and their needs. He feels guilty for assisting Jowan after it being revealed that he really was a blood mage, he also humbles himself incredibly once he finds out that jealousy is what drove Jowan to study blood magic.

10. Joining The Wardens. How did your Warden react to being recruited? Include your Wardens thoughts about Duncan and whether or not they were conscripted in your answer.

He sees it as a punishment- he technically had to be conscripted because he was ready to default to the punishment of the circle- whether it be death or made tranquil. The thing is, even if Jowan wasn’t a blood mage or he got out fine, Hireth would’ve turned himself in after giving it a few hours for Jowan to get away.

He likes the Wardens well enough, but he and Alistair definitely don’t see eye to eye on it being an honor. His opinion on Duncan was luke-warm, he didn’t dislike Duncan but at the time he was hit hard with depression over being conscripted and ripped from the only life he’d known.... so he didn’t really reach out to connect to anyone in the first 6 months or so.

11. Spirituality. What does your Warden believe in? Describe your Wardens Religion or their Atheism. Go into detail about how they practice their beliefs, if their beliefs cause conflict among their companions and how their beliefs guide them morally.

Hireth is a very devout Andrastean, he believes in the Maker and follows a strict moral code of ‘goodness’ in part to that . While merely being a believer in the start, he really falls in love with Leliana’s own teachings on the Maker and His love for everyone. Especially since Hireth follows a “happiness is important” sort of code of conduct, and that really supports the idea (as long as it doesn’t hurt others obviously). He prays every night before bed, which has definitely received some snark from certain party members. Zevran teases him about it, but is never malicious as his teasing is usually good natured. Alistair and him sometimes discuss the religion as two who’ve been under the pressing thumb of the Chantry their whole lives-

Both agree that it was straining, but Hireth never let it get to him the way Alistair seemed to.

12. Tattoos. Does your Warden have any tattoos and if so how did they get them? If you Warden has no tattoos explain why not. Also include how your Warden views tattoos - Include their reaction to the Dwarven Casteless brands and the Dalish Blood Writing.

He’s a big baby who don’t want no pain.

As far as tattoos as a whole go, he has no real opinion on them outside the fact that he doesn’t want one. He’s a bit horrified by the Casteless brands, not understanding how anyone could forcibly do that to others- children included. Dalish blood writing doesn’t phase him as much though due to him being Dalish born.

13. Viewpoint [Part One - Race & Social Class]. Describe how your Warden feels about the Dwarven caste system, Human nobility and Elven alienages. Also go into detail about your own Wardens race/social class and if they are proud/ashamed of where they come from.

He doesn’t understand it at all, honestly. He’s a bit bitter at the treatment of elves- but in the circle he wasn’t really treated wrongly. He was the First Enchanters star pupil, so he didn’t really experience how harsh others racism could be until he was shoved out into the real world.

The Dwarven caste system is the most upsetting to him, that they’d treat others of their own race that way. Elven Alienages upset him a bit too, and I like to imagine that while he travels he always stops in them to help them out.

Personally though, he is proud of his being an elf and a mage.

14. Viewpoint [Part Two - Mages Rights]. How does your character view Mages? Apostates? Blood Magic? How do they react to Morrigan’s shape shifting? How do they react to Wynne being a abomination? If they are a Mage describe their views of the Circle and if they believe they should be free or not.

Being a mage, he views them as just other people. He understands that they hold a great deal of power, but he doesn’t quite grasp the fear of mages that others have. While he personally supports the circle (he wishes to see it as a learning institution though, and would like more freedoms to experience life to be available), he doesn’t dislike apostates for not wanting to be in one.

Blood magic is just evil in his opinion, and should never be used.

He was fairly impressed by Morrigan’s abilities, but made uneasy especially with the implications of her mother being an abomination- that on top of her general attitude kept him from fully trusting her.

Wynne taught him that there are other spirits in the world, and her being touched by one and turned to an ‘abomination’ actually furthered his belief in the Maker that there was a kindness in this world for them.

15. Leadership. What is your Warden like as a leader? How do they lead and how do they handle companions disagreeing with them?

He really grows into the leadership role, he’s a very gentle force and while uncertain at first- he later develops a conviction in his actions. Hireth likes to think that he ‘guides’ more than leads. Any time a companion disagrees with his choices, he usually just reminds them that they don’t actually have to listen to him, but they usually just go with it anyway because they’re there for a reason.

16. Fear. During the quest Broken Circle your character is trapped in the Fade by a Sloth demon If you could personalize your Warden’s nightmare what would it be about? And why?

Chaos, and a lack of control. His nightmare would probably center around how every action he does, the opposite happens. Tries to pick up that book? His reach pushes it away instead. Noise, and over stimulation and not being able to stop it- really fucking with his anxiety.

17. Regret. During the Urn of Sacred Ashes quest you will be introduced to the Guardian who will ask the Warden if they regret something from their past. If you could personalize the Guardian’s question what would he ask? And how would your Warden answer?

Honestly? The question about Jowan would still be fitting. His answer would be more in depth though, about how he would wish that he was more aware of Jowan’s feelings and emotions. Their friendship was a bit of a stale one out of convenience more than a connection, and honestly Hireth blames that fact on himself, and as a reason Jowan turned to blood magic at all.

18. Moral Alignment. What would your character moral alignment be and why?

His alignment is clearly Lawful Good, while he feels that others should have a more- neutral good lifestyle (again, he feels happiness is important as long as it’s harmless), he himself is Lawful. The times he has broken the law/rules, were for the benefit of others. He’s never stepped outside of the law for his own benefit.

19. Fighting Style. Describe your Warden’s fighting style and how it improves during the Blight. Make sure to include what specializations they trained in and why they chose them.

He definitely gets more aggressive in style as the time goes on, he specialized in elemental magic as a part of his training in the circle and carried that on (he was most capable of fire spells, and later electricity due to his precise control on the spells he casted). While starting out shakey, and afraid of actually hurting people, he soon got a better footing on the need to defend himself and his friends and knew his limits and capabilities. His control on his magic allowed him absolute confidence in battle.

20. Weapons/Spells. Describe your Warden’s favourite weapon/spellsand describe what their favourite weapons/spells say about their personality.

As stated, he specialized in elemental spells, which contrasted a bit with his controlling nature to use such unpredictable means- but that was part of what was actually a bit scary about him. He had the control and precision to handle those spells well, if he didn’t want his flames to be unruly and go beyond a certain parameter- they wouldn’t.

21. Meeting Your Warden. Your Warden has been transported into your bedroom through a magical portal. How do they react to meeting you? Do you get along? What is their opinion of your bedroom? Explain the meeting and go into as much detail as possible.

I am not going into detail over this, lmao. He’d be upset by my room and my life choices, I’d be way too loud for him, and we’d get along in a passive sort of way.

22. Favourites. Make a list of your Warden’s favourite things [Colour, Food, Music, Animals, etc]. Explain why they are their favourite.

-Green -- He never put much thought into his favorite color, and wouldn’t be able to answer the question personally... but his wardrobe is filled with nice earthy tones and he is definitely biased towards the color even if he doesn’t realize.

-Spicy foods? -- I-- I can’t really think of a specific food but he loves flavorful ones so I can definitely see him enjoying spicy foods. The nights where Zevran cooks are his fave (Zevran uses the good Antivan spices).

-Piano -- Piano’s are his favorite instrument so he really likes relaxing tunes, soft and melodic. He’s not the biggest fan of vocals, but he doesn’t mind when Leliana sings, and sometimes he joins her if he doesn’t think anyone is listening.

-idk what else to state as his fave lmao

23. Talents & Hobbies. What did your Warden like to do before they were recruited and what do they like to do now when they’re not battling Darkspawn? Also include any talents they may have.

He actually enjoyed writing academically and would compile notes on historical events to find inaccuracies and conflicting information. He writes down reports of his travels now, and compiles them for future information. Overall, hobbies are also reading, and he’s recently taken an interest in Dwarven history.

His talents though, is that he actually has a pretty singing voice.

24. Going Out For A Drink. The DA:O writers were asked in a interview how each companion would act if they went out for a drink [To see responses go onto the Dragon Age Wiki – Character’s Page – Trivia].How would you character react if they went out drinking with their companions and why? What drink would they order?

He’d be nervous the whole time, Hireth doesn’t like drunks... he’d probably be DD (or the closet you can be in Fereldan). He would get water, maybe a virgin drink at the pressure of his friends.

25. Food Comparison. The DA:O writers were asked in a interview to compare each companion to a type of food based on their personalities. [To see responses go onto the Dragon Age Wiki – Character’s Page – Trivia]. What food would your character be and why?

Man I dunno enough about foods for this shit, sweet potato casserole. Because it’s soft and sweet????

26. NPCs. Choose four random NPCs in the game – they can be anyone you want – and describe what your warden thinks of them and their relationship.

First Enchanter Irving - More like a father to Hireth, he tried very hard to make him proud- feels a lot of guilt over lying to him to help Jowan but becomes a bit bitter towards him after finding out he was trained to become a Warden all along.

Ser Otto - Hireth actually has a soft spot for older Templar’s. While wary of younger ones who want in for a feeling of control, most older one’s are just lyrium addled and he pities them. He thought highly of Otto for going to address troubles in the Alienage, protecting the elves like he would humans. He was upset over his death.

Anora - Pitied her for having to deal with her father’s decline, but was ultimately a bit displeased with her as a whole. Something about her demeanor rubbed him wrong but he mostly thinks that’s the result of her coming from a place of wealth (especially bc Cailan had the same effect on him). He appreciated her composure during the Landsmeet, especially since he got sick in front of everyone after watching a man get beheaded...

Loghain - Was intimidated by him from the start, he avoided Loghain at all costs if he could- A bit shocked by the betrayal, but slowly grew to truly hate the man over time. One of the few people he’s actively gotten angry with.

27. Family. Describe the members in your Warden’s family and what your Warden’s relationship with them is like.

I need to change up some of his backstory, but he was originally a Dalish elf. He had a similar background as Minaeve, but I have a bit of a different outlook on the ‘casting out’ part. I think once a child exhibits magical abilities it’s less that they’re ‘cast out’ but more like put on a trial to prove they can handle their selves and abilities to ease worries of attracting demons. Usually they’re monitored but shit happens. As did with Hireth.

Now he doesn’t have clear memories of his parents, exhibiting magic very early on, but they were an elven huntress and the First to the Keeper. His mother was a bit playful, and a prankster- which contrasted with his father’s sullen attitude, but they were together due to being childhood sweethearts and were very close aside from this. They weren’t quite fit for being parents, which lead to them botching up Hireth’s trials and honestly decimated their own relationship afterwards.

In the circle First Enchanter Irving became a father figure for him, he put the man up on a pedestal that slowly crumbled once he left the Circle and found out things Irving had been keeping from him.

Wynne later becomes somewhat of a ‘grandmother’ to him, and he finds family with his companions (namely Shale, Alistair, Zevran, and Leliana).

28. Playlist. Write out a list of songs that describe you Warden and their journey to defeat the Blight. You can include songs you think describe your Warden’s relationship with specific companions if you want to. Make sure you explain why you have chosen each song.  

I’m not explaining the reasons behind these.

29. Backpack. Name 5 items in your Warden’s backpack and explain their significance to your Warden.

A copy of the Chant of Light, and an amulet of Andraste, comforting items of his faith that he clings onto.

An over read book on the history of the Dalish, it’s inaccurate and he knows it- but it was the only thing he had to help him feel connected to where he came from. It’s dog eared on points that he remembers to be true. While he’s not particularly interested in joining back with the Dalish or anything- he still won’t deny his roots.

Dumb headcanon, but since to make the heads connect to the bodies look ‘natural’ the game gives all the characters these weird choker things- I headcanon that those are fucking “friendship” necklaces that Alistair made for everyone. Hireth still has his.

A gem stone given to him from Shale, he plans to return it to them once they become a dwarf again.

He has other keepsakes from companions as well but these are the most significant.

30. Happily Ever After…Or Not. How does the Blight end for your Warden? Describe who killed the Archdemon, How they reacted to Morrigan’s offer, If they lived or died and what boon they asked for if they did live.

The Archdemon is destroyed, surprisingly enough-- Hireth made the final blow in a panic at the thought that the ‘ritual’ was a lie and not wanting Alistair to die he clumsily swung a dropped sword at the beast. Obviously was very against Morrigan’s offer, and slowly has to cope with his own choices. He lived, and didn’t ask for a boon, because he’s a pure fucking child.