#senra hawke

[natshinigamiwrites]

World State - Unabridged

This really had no say in the story other than background but will be good to put things in perspective once the 6th work in this series becomes a reality.

Enjoy Varric’s narrative, straight from DragonAgeKeep with a few tweaks of my own, mostly in the subjects of names, classes and other relevant stuff I think you ought to know. The more important tweaks, however, will only appear when relevant as not to spoil from the beginning some of the plot points I want to explore.

The Fifth Blight and the Leadership of Ferelden

If you believe the stories, mankind's pride gave rise to the darkspawn.

Countless in number and toxic to all life, darkspawn search endlessly for an Archdemon. When they find one, darkspawn armies surge up from their corrupt barrows beneath the ground-and a Blight begins. Grey Wardens are the only warriors capable of destroying an Archdemon, and history always honors the one who sacrifices all to kill the beast.

In the Fifth Blight, that Warden was the Hero of Ferelden, Gwendolyn Cousland.

Youngest child of Ferelden's powerful Teyrn Cousland. Betrayal saw the Cousland's ancestral castle burn, and the Teyrn and his wife slain. Duncan, a Grey Warden, helped their daughter escape to a new life with the Wardens.

The allied Ferelden and Grey Warden forces met in Ostagar, where King Cailan's armies and a host of Wardens gathered, ready to destroy the darkspawn. But valor turned to despair as Loghain betrayed his king. Cailan's forces were slaughtered, and the south was lost. The Hero, now a full-fledged Grey Warden, survived with the aid of Flemeth, the mysterious Witch of the Wilds. 

Joined by Flemeth's daughter, Morrigan, and a Grey Warden named Alistair, the Hero set out to build an army strong enough to abolish the Blight. With the traitorous Loghain now seated on Ferelden's throne, the Wardens sought help from the influential Arl Eamon of Redcliffe. However, they arrived in Redcliffe to find the town under siege, as each night, undead rose in waves and assailed the battered village. With the Hero's help, the people of Redcliffe stood fast against the undead horde. 

The Wardens reached Arl Eamon's castle only to find the Arl lying at the edge of death, and his court fallen into madness. To save his father's life, Eamon's young son, Connor, had made a deal with a demon -  and had quickly fallen victim to its possession. The Hero intervened, freeing Connor from possession and breaking the demon's hold over Redcliffe. 

But deals with demons are never straightforward: the demon agreed only to save Eamon's life, not restore him to health. Arl Eamon needed a miracle to recover. 

The Hero located an urn containing the Sacred Ashes of Andraste, which were said to cure any ailment. The urn was protected by ancient traps, tests of will, and a dragon-worshipping cult that wanted to twist the urn's power to its own ends. The urn remained pure but mysteriously disappeared after the Wardens departed. Only the temple dedicated to it still stands. With the pinch of the ashes, the Hero restored the Arl to health. Informed of Loghain's treachery, Eamon swore his political and military support. 

The Circles of Magi are bound by oath to aid the Grey Wardens in times of Blight. However, Lake Calenhad's tower could offer little help: one of its mages, Uldred, had become possessed by a pride demon and was twisting other Circle mages into abominations. The Hero fought to the top of the tower and defeated Uldred, saving the remaining mages. Grateful for their lives, the mages joined the Wardens' army.

The allies gained at the Circle were not the only soldiers to join the Wardens forces, however. 

Dalish Elves don't usually make alliances, but even deep hatred can be set aside in the face of oblivion. An ancient curse was destroying Ferelden's largest Dalish clans, turning the elves into werewolves. Zathrian, the clan's Keeper, claimed that the cure required the heart of the great wolf, Witherfang. Years before, Zathrian himself had afflicted a group of humans with the curse that now ravaged his clan. As long as he lived, the curse endured. The Hero freed the werewolves from their long-standing curse, and the Dalish joined the Wardens' forces.

Blights might happen hundreds of years apart, but the dwarves who live below the surface of Thedas fight darkspawn every day. No one is better schooled in battling darkspawn than the warriors of Orzamar-except perhaps their allies of old, the Grey Wardens. 

The Hero arrived in Orzamar in the wake of King Endrin's death to find political factions fighting for control of the dwarven capital. Only the vote of a venerated Paragon could break the deadlock to elect a ruler-and order the dwarves to honor their Grey Warden treaty and join the battle against the new Blight. The Hero set off to find a Paragon named Branka who had disappeared into the Deep Roads in search of a legendary artifact: the Anvil of the Void, created by the renowned smith Caridin to forge mighty war golems. The Hero helped Caridin destroy the Anvil of the Void-along with the dark secrets that could trap a living soul inside a mechanical construct. 

The Hero emerged from the Deep Roads with a master-forged crown to bestow the Paragon's favor upon whichever rival candidate would be crowned king: Bhelen, the youngest son of King Endrin who was suspected of foul play, or Harrowmont, the aging traditionalist backed by the dwarven assembly. Bhelen followed his father's footsteps to the throne. He leads with a ruthless, but progressive, hand, seeking to reestablish ties to the surface kingdoms. 

With dwarven strength now bolstering the Warden's army, the Hero had to deal with Loghain so Ferelden could stand unified against the darkspawn - before the Blight swallowed the world.

The kingdom of Ferelden stood divided: while some nobles supported Loghain's regency, others condemned his inaction against the darkspawn. Civil war brewed, and Arl Eamon called a Landsmeet in hopes of curtailing the conflict and removing Loghain from the throne. Alistair himself ended Loghain's life in the name of justice for the Wardens who died at Ostagar. 

As the Warden's united army massed in Redcliffe, the darkspawn overran Denerim, laying siege to Ferelden's capital city. The Hero's army fought valiantly through Denerim and broke the darkspawn siege. On Fort Drakon's highest tower, the Hero's strongest allies fought alongside the Warden in a final heroic battle against the massive Archdemon. The Archdemon was killed without the sacrifice of a Grey Warden's life. 

With no Archdemon to lead them, the darkspawn scattered. Most fled underground, still teeming in number and always seeking a new Archdemon to awaken. The shattered Kingdom of Ferelden embarked on a long journey to recovery. 

In the Blight's aftermath, strong leadership was crucial. Alistair, King Cailan's half-brother, became the new king of Ferelden, joined in rule by Gwen, now Hero of Ferelden and daughter of one of the nation's most powerful leaders. 

Ferelden still stands, as obstinate and resolute as the dog lords ever are, but the events of the Fifth Blight loom over it as the nation rebuilds. For people across Thedas, legends of the Hero of Ferelden remain the nation's brightest beacons of hope during its darkest times.

The events on Kirkwall and the spark of the Mage Rebellion

It all began in Kirkwall: the fall of Knight-Commander Meredith, the Quinari uprising, and of course, the Chantry's destruction and the onset of mage rebellion. One person always stood amidst the swirling chaos: Senra Hawke, the Champion of Kirkwall. 

The Hawke family fled Lothering, refugees from the Blight. Leandra, mother of the Champion and siblings Bethany and Carver, hoped to find refuge at her family's estate in Kirkwall, far to the north. As a mage with a family legacy on both sides, Hawke naturally became involved in the events that ultimately lead to the mage rebellion. 

The Hawkes escaped the Blight with help from Aveline Vallen, a warrior and family friend. It's said that the family was also aided by Flemeth, the notorious Witch of the Wilds. Hawke's sister, Bethany, never reached the Free Marches: she was killed by darkspawn while defending her family. 

The family's first years in Kirkwall were difficult: Leandra's brother, Gamlen, had lost the family fortune. The Hawkes lived in poverty, forced to indenture themselves in return for entrance to the city. To pay off the debt, Hawke was forced to work for a gang of smugglers. All the while, Hawke, and Carver did their best to hide Hawke's magic from the Templars. 

Opportunity eventually struck in the form of a dwarf named Bartrand Tethras, who was planning an expedition to the Deep Roads. It was a long shot, but with gold gained from the expedition, Hawke could free the family from its criminal creditors-and further templar scrutiny. 

Hawke met a rogue Grey Warden named Anders who possessed detailed maps of the Deep Roads. These maps were crucial to the expedition's success; once Hawke obtained them, everything else fell quickly into place.

Out of concern for his safety, Hawke insisted that Carver stay in Kirkwall rather than accompany the expedition. Hawke did find ancient dwarven treasure, but the group also stumbled upon a statuette formed from a strange, red lyrium. Upon returning to the surface, Hawke learned that Carver had joined the Templars, pursuing his own fate instead of living in his sibling's shadow. 

The gold Hawke recovered from the Deep Roads bought back Leandra's stately childhood home in Hightown. The Hawkes had barely settled into their new home when Leandra was murdered-a deeply sinister and twisted killing. Hawke hunted down Quentin, the blood mage responsible, but could not prevent Leandra's death. 

Leandra's tragic death was part of a critical problem facing Kirkwall: rising tension between the city's mages, who felt increasingly oppressed, and Templars, who grew increasingly suspicious of their activities. Adding to the stain, a large contingent of Qunari had also established themselves in Kirkwall, much to the growing discomfort of the city's rulers.

After their dreadnought was shipwrecked many years before, a group of stranded Quinari were allowed to remain in a cordoned-off area in Lowtown. As time passed, the Qunari made no effort to return home and offered no explanation about why they remained. 

Tensions rose to a breaking point: Revered Mother Petrice, convinced the Qunari were a threat to the Chantry's faith, incited violence between the Qunari and the Kirkwall populace. Hawke knew that Petrice would bring about unnecessary conflict, though the Champion tried to stop her, Petrice orchestrated the murder of Saemus Dumar, a viscount's son and recent convert to the Qun. When her crime was discovered, a Qunari assassin killed her. After Saemus was murdered, the Arishok of the Qunari group lost patience with the humans of Kirkwall: they would now submit to the Qun-or die.

The Qunari struck hard and fast: they took the palace in Hightown and beheaded the viscount to immediately quash any resistance. Aided by Knight-Commander Meredith and First Enchanter Orsino, Hawke reached the palace and stood toes-to-toes with the fearsome Qunari leader. Hawke fought the Qunari leader, the fierce battle resulted in the Arishok's death and the liberation of Kirkwall from its brief occupation. The Qunari quickly withdrew from the city entirely. 

Hawke saved Kirkwall and earned the grudging respect of the city's templars, mages, and nobility-along with the title that history remembers: the Champion of Kirkwall.

Kirkwall's problems were still not over, however. 

After Viscount Dumar's death, Knight-Commander Meredith took power and blocked all attempts to appoint a new viscount. Under Meredith's command, the templars tightened their grip on the mages, planning to suppress what Meredith saw as a growing rebellion. Anders, who had spent years fighting for justice and freedom for his fellow mages, saw the time for negotiation was past.

He destroyed Kirkwall's chantry, killing hundreds-including Grand Cleric Elthina. This single act began a rebellion that spread from Circle to Circle-until all the Circles of Magi had risen up in defiance against Chantry rule. 

There was no forgiveness for what Anders had done, and he asked for death at Hawke's hands. Hawke fulfilled the troubled mage's final request, and many others died along with Anders that day. 

Fighting spread swiftly through the city: some mages rebelled openly, many of them succumbing to possession. Templars turned their swords on mages who rebelled-and on those who did not. 

As First Enchanter Orsino refused to bend to the Templars, Knight-Commander Meredith demanded that every mage in Kirkwall be put to the sword. Hawke saved many mages from templar blades, keeping them from succumbing to possession or the temptations of blood magic. In the end, however, Hawke was forced to strike down Orsino, who had betrayed his own values by resorting to blood magic, himself. 

The battle proved one thing: Knight-Commander Meredith had gone mad. Hawke saw the truth of it when Meredith unsheathed her sword-and the red lyrium idol from the Deep Roads was embedded within it. The blade fueled her hatred and paranoia, as it had for months. After a horrific battle, the red lyrium of the Knight-Commander's sword consumed her as she died: Meredith became a statue, her face a frozen mask of horror.

Little is known of the Champion since that final battle, however, Hawke's story lives on in legend and song-memories of the indelible changes the Champion of Kirkwall brought to the face of Thedas.

The State of the World as of 9:40 Dragon

The mage rebellion in Kirkwall was felt throughout Thedas, the news spreading like wildfire. The Templars clamped down in response... but each new restriction only made things worse. Led by Grand Enchanter Fiona, the mages voted for independence. The Circle of Magi would govern itself, without the Chantry and especially without the Templars. 

The result was cataclysmic: two Circles were destroyed, those within killed to the last mage before the rest fled into the wilderness. Perhaps the mighty Empire of Orlais could have intervened in the war before it began, but that was not to be. Grand Duke Gaspard began a deadly civil war against Empress Celene, vying for the Orlesian throne. 

The mages were offered safe haven in neighboring Ferelden, but the Templars followed, and so their battle spread across all of Thedas. As head of the chantry, Divine Justinia ordered the Templars to stand down. They refused, declaring their own independence. 

Thus the war began in earnest. Templars hunting mages, mages fighting Templars. Their clashes wreaked untold destruction, and all sense of order was falling to pieces. 

Divine Justinia made one final desperate bid to end the war. She approached the leaders of both sides and convinced them to come to a conclave held on neutral ground. With the Chantry to mediate, mages and templars will talk for the first time since this all began. 

It is our last-and perhaps our only chance for peace.

[natshinigamiwrites]

Presenting my Warden/Hawke

So... yeah, I created this tumblr to put all the worldbuilding and things and exposition I created for The Structure of a Legend that I can’t actually put into the story, so I think its only fitting to begin by presenting the heroes of this World State.

First, we have Warden-Commander (and Queen) Gwendolyn Cousland. She was nineteen when she defeated the Archdemon, twenty when she married Alistair and twenty-four when she gave birth to their children. She is a lovely rogue that will smile at you in assemblies and plot how to kill you as soon as you leave the room if you dare to threaten those she loves. She likes riding horses and stabbing things with her daggers. Second and last, my incarnation of the Champion is a mage called Senra Hawke, who is as likely to heal you as she is to turn you into mush with the force of gravity. She has a Templar brother and a broody, mage-hating elf for husband as well as the most precious child called Reevas.  She was barely twenty-four when the Blight forced her family to relocate to Kirkwall, and twenty-seven when her name became history.

I will more likely enter on details as the story progresses, but as presentations go this seems pretty okay to me - though I realize I tell nothing but bare bones of whom they are. Everything in its due time...

[natshinigamiwrites]

The first two pictures depict Gwendolyn Cousland, the first one is the in-game model she had, while the second is what I imagined her to look like once she settled into Ferelden’s Throne. The last two depict Senra Hawke, as she was in-game in Inquisiton - her Dragon Age 2 aspect would be that of the pre-set only dark brown hair instead of black and golden eyes - and as I see her right after her flight from Kirkwall.

So, two pictures from the game and the other portraits were created thanks to Azalea’s Dress Up Dolls who has some pretty neat things for people like me who can’t draw to save their lives. Do check them out if you’ve got the chance.

-> It’s my headcanon that Gwen didn’t actually got a tattoo of the wings on her face, but painted them before each battle to seem more fearsome. It was a habit she got after she became a Grey Warden and one she quit after she became Queen of Ferelden full-time - now instead, she paints her face with a different design every time she hunts the enemies of her people.