Would anyone be interested in participating in a Dragon Age inspired roleplay covering the parts of Thedas not previously seen in the games (Nevarra, Antiva, Rivain, Par Vollen, etc.)
Orange - Land routes; roads, paths and cross country. Purple - Deep Roads. Big Red Spot - You are here!
As GM I'll keep track of the major historical decisions we make, Dragon Age Keep-style, so everyone knows the state of play.
Daylan Amell, the male Human Noble Mage became Hero of Ferelden by killing the Archdemon and ending the Fifth Blight and...
...helped protect Redcliffe from an army of the undead, fortifying the town against attack and standing alongside the defenders, also helping the barmaid Bella take ownership of the tavern after the attack;
...saved the Arl's son Connor and wife Isolde by stepping into the Fade and facing the demon possessing him;
...allowed Branka to work the Anvil of the Void, producing new Golems for the dwarves in Orzammar;
...helped the rightful heir Bhelen secure the throne of Orzammar, and assisted both the Legion of the Dead and House Ortan to be recognised as nobility;
...convinced a young dwarf's family to allow her to study magical theory;
...supported Mages fighting for their lives in the Ferelden Circle, saving the life of First Enchanter Irving and convincing Cullen not to purge the survivors;
...obtained scrolls detailing Lost Verses of the Chant of Light and provided them for study to the Chantry in Denerim;
...encountered Leliana's former lover and Mistress Marjolaine, but allowed her to leave peacefully;
...reunited Alistair with his half-sister Goldanna before helping him become King of Ferelden by arranging a marriage with Anora, recruiting the traitor Loghain as a Grey Warden in the process;
...helped Nathaniel Howe make up for the crimes of his father against the Grey Wardens by becoming a Grey Warden himself;
...allowed The Architect to live as an ally to the Grey Wardens after managing to protect both the city of Amaranthine and the nearby Grey Warden's Keep from attack;
...reactivated the ancient golem known as Shale and allowed her to discover about her past;
...gained the Power of Blood and allowed the Mage Avernus to continue his researches, on the grounds that he only use ethical methods in future;
...survived and left Thedas in the company of his pregnant lover, the apostate Morrigan, after slaying her 'mother' Flemeth and acquiring her Grimoire.
a female rogue Hawke...
...worked with smugglers for a year on arriving at Kirkwall, and established many connections within their ranks during this time,
...allowed her sister Bethany to become a Grey Warden after she was infected with the Blight in the Deep Roads,
...helped a Ben-Hassrath agent named Tallis recover papers from a Tal-Vashoth named Salit,
...supported the Mages in Kirkwall,
...fought alongside Anders at the Gallows, but afterwards told Anders to leave the Free Marches before the Chantry hunted him down for his crimes,
...left Kirkwall in the company of her lover Isabela before the Templars could capture him, and has been in hiding until summoned to Skyhold by Varric,
...and after her life was saved by Loghain sacrificing himself in the Fade was last reported heading for Weisshaupt to confer with the Grey Wardens and meet up with Isabela.
a female Qunari Inquisitor...
...previously worked for the Valo-kas mercenary company,
...broke a potential alliance with the Qunari in order to save the lives of her friends.
...romanced Josephine Montilyet and helped her restore her family's fortunes.
The party will consist of a mercenary band recently in the employ of the Inquisition but now with the Corypheus crisis averted they're moving north to find new work. The members of the party can come from any background within the races seen in Thedas (Human, Dwarf, Elf, Kossith, Darkspawn, etc.) and while I won't impose limits on what combination of powers they may have I would prefer that they limit themselves to Skills, Spells, Talents and Abilities previously seen in the Dragon Age universe. Having said that, if you'd like to play as a rogue mage with a greatsword feel free to combine powers from all those available to craft your perfect character, as long as they don't contravene established lore (no Dwarven mages, for instance.)
I'd be looking for committed players able to post at last once every few of days, and anyone not posting at least once a week would be considered to have fallen into the Deep Roads and been killed by Darkspawn... or at least hopefully killed by them.
Name: Gerald Capet Species: Human Age: 22 Gender: Male Class: Mage Appearance: Gerald has a thin but not frail build that reflects his time of study and shelter in the Kirkwall Circle of Magi. He has very little muscle having only gained such from his long walk back to Fereldan after the Kirkwall Incident. He has pasty white skin with very little color and dark grey eyes. His hair is blonde and is short cut but almost straw like in how it looks. He has a thin nose and is about the size of the average human male. He gives off a very nonthreatening presence due to his appearance however at will that can change as he can use his pure raw magical might to frighten most people with ease due to his training while visiting his family in Fereldan showing him how to project himself like a noble.
Notable Traits: Extremely potent magi (he can cast powerful spells and he can cast a lot of smaller spells) Very talented in elemental spells mainly the fire Branch Very capable of learning quickly in regards to the magical arts Can adapt well in the middle of a battle Mentally strong (isn't easily seduced by spirits and people trying to break him).
Flaws: Extremely poor stealth skills Average to poor levels of physical strength Untrained in physical weapons (bows, melee, weapons, shields, etc) Lacks charisma and leadership capabilities (meaning he can't lead anything smaller than a handful of people) Lacks armor training (meaning he doesn't move as well if in armor which piles on top of his already poor maneuverability) Has rather poor flexibility (movement wise)
Skills: Arcane Bolt, Arcane Shield, Staff Focus, Flame Blast, Flaming Weapons, Fireball, Winter Grasp, Lightning, Shock, Disorient, Glyph of Paralysis, Heal, Group Heal, Mind Blast.
Biography:
Born in Kirkwall to the Noble House of Capet he was born to a family that needed an heir direly in Kirkwall. As first born he was to be heir to their house but there was a catch...he was born with an incredible magical power. His father Devon Capet was reluctant to give him up due to his own nightmares about his son's futures both in his sleep and in the political scene he kept this hidden from the Knight Commander. His mother agreed to go along with this and they chose to keep their son in their house with the family butler Alfred at all times except on rare occasions when they needed him to leave. His parents were extremely cautious with their young son and as such they had Alfred study spirits and other arcane things in order to help their son. Alfred comforted young Gerald as he grew up early in life with dreams of spirits of valor showing themselves to Gerald in his dreams as a young lad, and when he'd wake up in a panic at night through nightmares where pride demons tried to coax the young lad into letting them into him. Gerald came to view spirits as black and white and they were either good or evil as his father Devon told him.
As he grew older he began to show more tangible signs of power when he nearly burned the clothes off his father in one incident and froze his pencils by mistake. His family took a apostate into the household in order to teach young Gerald about his powers only for it to lead to an incident where in the market where he confused an older Templar by using his magic for being a jerk to Alfred. The Templars went to his father and demanded to him that they release Gerald into their custody. His father reluctantly accepted and he went to the circle of magi with the man who'd later allow him to escape Kirkwall Harris Mackley.
When he first entered the circle he was unsure and hesitant to talk to others but he soon gained many friends as he found peers who shared his powers. He also grew to hate elves as a certain group of mages taunted him for being a 'blue blooded craven' and taunted him constantly. As he started his new journey in the circle he passed his Harrowing after two years in the circle with minimal ease due to his past experience with spirits. His time in the circle was spent learning under Orsino's left hand Victor Stark, a human man born in the Free Marches who was sent to this circle due to the lack of teachers in Kirkwall.
Under Victor's strict tutoring Gerald learned how to use his affinity for fire magic to quickly become a formidable mage of note in Kirkwall. He also slowly grew to have a distaste for the Knight Commander who was clamping down on mages ever more over the years. He grew to respect a few of the people who held him captive and understand why they were there exactly as he lost a friend to a harrowing when he turned into an abomination despite Gerald's warnings to the contrary. Having lost his friend he vowed he'd do better to warn people about the dangers of spirits and demons himself and began to tutor younger mages to their relief. It was not until the Blight started however that his life would change drastically.
When people started to flood into Kirkwall the templars stationed there became more controlling over the mages causing some to chafe under their tightening collars and due to a surge in blood mages and apostates running around the island they became even more paranoid. Gerald on the other hand simply continued to teach the students who asked for help and those who were struggling with studies when he was informed that he had a new baby brother who was not a mage. He was mixed about this news and in the end chose to ignore it as it dealt about politics no longer of interest to him. He also ended up with a surge of new mages from Fereldan who were forced into his circle leading to more packed quarters and more people to deal with which stressed his mentor Victor. As the Qunari arrived things simply became that much worse as the templars and politicians grew more and more restless as with the surge in apostates, blood mages, Carta, and qunari deserters. Though he had few interactions with the Qunari he found them disgusting creatures as they served through the Qun which essentially made them all of one mind. No individuality among them and all of them served without question. Those who didn't became bandits who ravaged the coast. What good was being grouped together if there was no chance to diverge and evolve?
Gerald gave little trouble to the templars due to his own fears of them cracking down on mages became more and more true. The mages who feared the templars only drove them to tighten the noose around them and caused scuffles between them. Orsino sought out Victor's council more and more leaving Gerald to tend to his own duties. However he had increasingly been visited by various spirits in the fade while sleeping who taught him many things including how to heal others. Gerald took this knowledge in hand but refused to use it primarily because he didn't trust spirits after the harrowing and his own nightmares with demons and on the side because he didn't want to be strung up like some sort of abomination. As his fame in the circle grew he met with the Grey Wardens who considered him for recruitment but were denied by Victor's objections and Gerald's own polite rejections.
It was on the eve of the night when the poor quarter of Kirkwall was attacked by a mad elf the solidified the distrust between him and elves. Gerald already found them repulsive due to their pride and their insistence that the Dalish were better but now an elven mad woman had poisoned the whole part of a city. Anger welled up inside of him but thanks to his mentor he managed to calm himself down but he refused to take any more elven students. It was during the time that his dad managed to get approval by the viscount to visit his son in the circle. The two managed to get along well enough after a long time apart. He also met his younger brother Calvin for the first time. The two didn't interact much but Gerald was glad to have met him.
After some time the Qunari suddenly snapped and attacked the city. Gerald was off trying to find a lost mage when he was attacked practically out of the blue by the qunari. He used his superior magical talents to simply kill off the small group of them with ease. After this he fled back to the circle where he found a group of young mages injured outside of the circle and on the brink of being slaughtered by the qunari. Disgust welled up inside of him and he slew a few more of them before forcing the others to flee. Seeing his friends dying he had no choice as he reluctantly called upon the spirits he had met in the fade and used their power to heal the wounds of the group as best as he could. After that he and his friend Harris used forced the qunari attacking them to back off. Harris was ushered off to the circle with the youngest of the mages with them and Gerald finished off the rest using a combination of funneling them through an alley, and paralysis glyphs followed up with fire magic to kill the remaining mages. He found out later that his younger brother was accidentally killed in the incident.
Following the event he took no part in the mage-templar conspiracy despite requests to do so in Kirkwall viewing them as petty and only making the already horrific situation worse. He was sickened by the knight commander but understood her reasoning and he viewed Orsino as a fool by not making drastic measures to stop it from coming to the current state. It was on the night of the annulment of the circle of Kirkwall when he was to be transferred to another circle in Orlais. A sudden outbreak in fighting occurred after a massive explosion in the middle of the city. Unsure about what was happening Harris told Gerald to get back to the circle. However his gut instinct told him that whatever was going to happen in the city was not going to end well for him. Besides the fact that he was sick of this city and all that it entailed he fled the city leaving the city to burn in the moonlight as he sailed away. Instead of going to Orlais however he fled to his uncle in Fereldan's House Capet.
His uncle informed him of what happened in the city and while he didn't know Gerald he was a strong believer that family stuck together and took Gerald in. There he took refuge as a court adviser to his uncle in regards to magical affairs keeping his magical abilities secret to everyone before deciding that he was tired of court in itself and traveled the land in search of a purpose. It was when he saw and heard of the mages had rebelled that he decided that he needed to not only become stronger but found a place where mages could not be hassled by templars but still be controlled by their peers. He didn't join the Inquisition formally but he helped them on the side with slaying dark spawn and rebels. Figuring he had nothing to lose he went to Cumberland where he joined up with an odd mercenary group just recently hoping that the odd group would allow him to find a way to become stronger and keep him out of the sights of people who preyed on lone mages as he had gotten sick of all the butchery in recent history.
Player’s long term goals: Become an Archmage, Become a expert in elemental magic, become the head of a circle or found his own.
Relations: House Capet of Kirkwall and Fereldan, Templars (he still has a few friends from his time in Kirkwall being a model mage), The former Circle of Magi, The Former Circle of Kirkwall.
Secrets: Spirits are unusually interested in him due to his power and though he plays it off he actually is very much aware of how much they are aware of him. Demons are attracted to him as well and try to convert them into one of them in an attempt to make a very powerful demon. He is also the heir to the Kirkwall House Capet branch.
Appearance Paxton is a tall man, standing at 6'4 in height, with a muscular body build. His skin is slightly on the pale side and is peppered with scars from countless misadventures in his life, though there are a series of them that rack his arms that stand out among the rest. His hair is a dark, ash black and normally hangs down below his shoulders in a uncombed mess, though on occasion he has been known to tie it back into a loose ponytail. He has a slightly trimmed beard that covers the lower half of his face, left unattended for too long it will easily match that of a Dwarf's. His eyes are a bright amber color, on the verge of being yellow, and hold a certain sharpness to them.
Unlike traditional mages Paxton does not wear robes, instead he wears a set of leather armor. The armor is colored in a mixture of dark grey and black. He wears an amulet of Andraste under his armor almost at all times. Paxton has a large slightly tattered collared coat he normally wears over his armor. Another thing that separates Paxton from the usual mage is that he does not carry a staff at all.
Notable Traits Master Of The Game Paxton had spent years mingling with members of the highest society as he served as one of the Divine's elite mage guards. As such he is more than use to surviving the cut throat politics that Orlesian call their Grand Game, in fact he was once quite the avid player. Paxton can exchange words as well as the most pampered and schooled nobles Thedas has to offer. He once prided himself on his skill to fool bards, who were supposedly the most skilled members of the game Andrastian Paxton is a devoted follower of the Chantry. He worships the Maker and his mortal bride Andraste. He has memorized most of the chant of light, which is no easy feat, and has even at one point sung through the whole chant, which took about three weeks to complete. He is known to throw a Chant line or two into conversation if it relates to the matter on hand, he has even been caught singing the Chant to merely pass the time. Though many may find it hypocritical for Paxton to call himself a follower of the Chantry given his choice of combat use, Paxton says what he does is a necessary evil that must be done. Elf-Blooded Though one may not guess it from merely looking upon him Paxton is actually indeed a half-Elf. His mother was a Elven maid and his father the inn keeper where his mother work. The two fell in love and the product of their romance was Paxton. Because of this Paxton has a soft spot for Elven kind and their plight, often times getting into bloody fights whenever he hears someone use the expression "knife-ear".
Flaws Battle Enthusiast Master of the Game or not Paxton has no problem jumping into battle, he rather enjoys it in fact. If one's first attempt at talking fails Paxton would more than likely already be moving in for his first, maybe even last, attack on whoever they were trying to convince. He is basically the equivalent of a battle harden Qunari with the short temper of a drunken Dwarf. Wanted By The Orlesian Chantry Paxton's past has left him as a wanted man of the Orlesian Chantry, he has to be very weary any time he sets foot on Orlesian soil do to the great and wide power the Chantry holds there. Wrath Within Paxton is not alone in his own body or mind, he is in a sense an Abomination. For he harbors a demon of Wrath in side of himself. Unlike other mages who harbor a spirit of the Fade inside themselves and allow themselves to be over taken by it Paxton has tamed this beast to a extent. The demon serves as a resource of immense power and knowledge, but always posses a threat. If Paxton is not careful with his emotional state the demon can and has taken control of its host, at which point it brings Paxton's inner hatred and furry down upon anyone or thing near by, regardless of friend or foe.
Skills Fade Cloak Paxton shifts from a physical form to that of a cloud of blood mist. While in this form Paxton is invulnerable and can pass through enemies with out penalty. When he rematerializes he does so in a small crimson burst of blood that wounds and knock backs enemies. Spirit Blade Paxton's hands become surrounded by blood that form into monstrous claws that can cut as deep as any blade. Blood Magic Paxton uses the blood of his foes to fuel his power and continue his slaughtering sprees. Ring Of Pain Paxton claims his spot on the battle field and fights with the ferocity of a dragon, turning any foe foolish enough to come close into stains on the ground. Devour Paxton rips into his foes and uses their blood in order to heal his own wounds Dragon-Rage Paxton uses his dragon infused blood to strengthen the power of his claws. This power only increases with the damage Paxton endures.
Backstory
Biography Paxton's life started like all mage lives do, he was stripped away from his family at the tender age of six and sent to the Circle of Magi, though to his fortune the Nevarran Circles have much more freedom when compared to the rest of Thedas when excluding the Tevinter Imperium.
He was quite the talented student when it came to his studies, accelerating ahead of his peers. He was even the youngest apprentice in the Nevarran Circle's history to go through the Harrowing, at only the age of fifteen. It wasn't long after his Harrowing that Paxton requested to be transferred to the Orlesian Circle of Magi, The White Spire, in the hopes to study the magic of the Knight-Enchanters. As a fully fledge mage his request was deemed acceptable and he was transferred to the White Spire.
The years after that Paxton did nothing but train in the arts of the Knight-Enchanter, which eventually not only did he become one but he was also requested to become one of the Elite Knight-Enchanter bodyguards of the Divine herself. Needless to say Paxton accepted.
Paxton spent years in service to the Divine, saving her life countless times from would be killers. He was held in high regard among the Chantry, they seeing him as what a mage should be, but all that changed once Paxton's secret came to light. It turned out for years that Paxton had not only been studying blood magic, but also practicing it actively, even going as for to drink the blood of a dragon and becoming a Reaver.
All this was revealed when an assassin got the better of him, managing to fire an arrow through Paxton's shoulder, and was about to cut down the Divine. Paxton did the only thing he could think of to save her, he used blood magic to force the assassin to run his blade across his own throat.
Though he saved her Paxton was labeled a Maleficar by the Chantry and was sentenced to become a Tranquil, though the Divine seemed remorseful about this verdict. He swore he never used the magic to manipulate anyone for his own personal gain, but no one cared about that fact and the matter was closed. The night before he was supposed to go through the Rite of Tranquility he managed to escape because someone left the door to his cell unlocked, something he questions to this day.
Paxton wandered for months, hiding from Templars and chantry members alike. Paxton had become so desperate for survival he eventually made a deal with a powerful demon of Wrath for power, allowing the demon to enter this world through his body. The demon attempted to over take Paxton's will, but underestimated the mage's power. The result was that the two were now bound together in a single body.
Though he now had a demon housed inside of him Paxton had become remarkably stronger. He used this strength to evade or scare off further pursues. Not long after Paxton found himself in league with a mercenary group. At first he aligned with them as they provided the perfect cover from Templars, but he eventually formed a bond and kinship with his brothers and sisters in arms.
The group, along with Paxton, at some point were hired by the reformed Inquisition as soldiers, which Paxton greatly approved of. With the Rift Crises averted and their job done Paxton and the group of mercenaries are now on the search for coin and new adventures.
Personality and/or Motivation Paxton is a sharp fellow born with a quick wit and quicker tongue. He is just as likely to make a smart remark comment as he is to deck you in the face. He is quite hardy, loving a good laugh and drink. He is no stranger to manipulation, having been on both ends of it, and knows that you have to be carful around everyone as they more likely than not are waiting to stab you in the back. Though under his rugged exterior Paxton is quite the noble soul, holding strong in his moral code of protecting the little guy and destroying wrong doers. Though he does know in order to do good one may have to do actions that most may label as evil.
Player’s long term goals Paxton had felt lost and broken ever sense his life was turned upside down the day his secret was brought to light. He has found solace in the kinship of his brothers and sisters in arms of the mercenary group. He now tries to ensures the safety and well being of each of his comrades, even if it means putting his own hide on the line.
Relations Many of the bridges Paxton had built over the years were burned when his being a Blood Mage was reviled. Though he may be able to come upon a old friend, be they mage or Templar, from his days in the towers who wouldn't mind showing him kindness. His main connections and ties happen to be the other members of the mercenary group.
Secrets Though the rest of the group is aware of his given situation with Wrath, Paxton tends to keep the fact that he communicates with Wrath on a nearly constant bases to himself. He does not want people to think he is indeed being influenced by the demon.
I've expanded the Thedas Timeline to cover most of the events from DA:O now, if anyone disagrees with any of the choices I've made and would like me to reconsider please feel free to give me a shout.
Annnd... I still say side with Templars. It would give an interesting Dynamic between the Amell family.
Just my opinion.
The Anvil is an absolute, as I want to keep the option of 'new' golems turning up open for the roleplay, and this couldn't happen unless Branka is down there churning them out.
As a side note to the relationship with the Amell family, Leliana knew Bethany, Carver and Marian as children while at Lothering, and Bethany still recalls Sister Leliana's exciting stories when living in Kirkwall, before venturing into the Deep Roads and becoming a Grey Warden.
Give me a bit and I'll have a CS up! I just got Origins a few weeks ago and I've been playing through it and I've watched bits a pieces of a Inquisition livestream. Though word of warning my posting may be iffy depending on days I'm insanely busy right now and my post kinda suck so I'll do my best to keep up!
