Info

[sorrowsofarlathan]

« PLAYER INFORMATION »

Name: Alex
Are you over 18?: Yes
Contact: afaeryschild/PM
Other characters, if any: N/A


« CHARACTER INFORMATION »

Character: Warden Mahariel
Canon: Dragon Age
Canon point: Just after the Battle of Denerim, the wedding and coronation of Alistair and Anora, and being named Warden Commander.
OU or AU?: OU
Age: 24, physically and mentally (Canon doesn’t specify but I go with this age due to his role within his Clan, which seems to require the age and experience of a young adult.)
Species: Dalish Elf



« RECORD »


Disposition:

Guilt: Guilt is an essential and intricate part of who Mahariel is. He carries guilt from surviving the encounter with the tainted Eluvian while it ruined his best friend Tamlen (whom he later had to kill out of mercy), and guilt at having to leave his Clan, his entire family and friends, in order to find a cure for his illness via joining the Grey Wardens. Later, after the events of Ostagar, Mahariel carries the guilt at not being able to do more to stop both the Darkspawn and Loghain’s treachery that ultimately cost them the battle.

Conflicted: As a Dalish Elf, Mahariel harbors a lot of complicated feelings towards humans, given the violent history between their species. He isn’t as hostile or reluctant to interact with humans as Tamlen and others of his Clan, but he also doesn’t put up with humans being racist, condescending, or derogatory towards others of his kind, such as when he confronts Leliana about her racism towards Elves when she tells him that he’s “not what she expected him to be.”

Mahariel also has his own complicated beliefs and feelings about Elves who live in cities among humans, known widely as City Elves but, among the Dalish, referred to as “flat-ears,” which is considered a condescending/derogatory term, as he believes, like many Dalish do, that they have given up their culture in order to live with humans.

Mahariel is also conflicted as a Grey Warden, as his position as a leader means he makes difficult and seemingly impossible choices that, sometimes, go against what he feels is right. (Recruiting Loghain instead of killing him, in spite of learning that he was selling City Elves into slavery in order to fund his part in the civil war of Ferelden, making Bhelen king in Orzammar despite his clear hunger for power and ruthlessness, etc.)

Determined & Compassionate: Mahariel possesses a strong will, a determination to do what he feels is right. This is both a strength and a weakness for him; he uses it to show compassion or he uses it to achieve what he believes to be justice. Sometimes, a mixture of both.

Despite the horrors that he’s endured, Mahariel harbors a sense of compassion. He saves an ill Mabari hound at Ostagar by helping to muzzle him in order to receive treatment and then later seeking out a flower in the Kocari Wilds to help treat and cure him; when that dog later finds him after Ostagar and imprints on him, Mahariel names him after Tamlen, his lost best friend. He doesn’t mock Leliana for her faith, though, of course, he has little love for the human Andrastian religion, and he saves the remaining mages of the Circle in spite of Cullen’s request to destroy them all.

On the other hand, Mahariel’s determination fuels a sense of ruthlessness within him, such as when he sides outright with the Dalish to massacre the Werewolves, even after hearing out the Dalish are also at fault for the situation, hardens Alistair by telling him that “everyone is out for themselves,” and convincing Loghain to partake in the Dark Ritual, a practice of dark and questionable magic, in order that the Grey Wardens (mostly himself) survive the fight against the Archdemon.

Resourceful: Mahariel is clever and intelligent, and both of these traits show in the way that he solves problems throughout his journey as a Grey Warden. He is able to convince the Reverend Mother of the Lothering Chantry to release Sten, a convicted murderer, into his custody in order to help him stop the Blight; he aids the Mages Collective against the scrutiny of the Chantry through misdirection, bribes, and cunning. His work as a Grey Warden in the ways he assists those allies he needs for the Blight (saving the Circle, crowning a new King in Orzammar, saving Arl Eamon with Andraste’s Ashes, etc.) draw said allies to his cause just as much as the Grey Warden treaties do.

In the same way he hardens Alistair by steeling him into maturity, he softens Leliana to follow her faith instead of falling back on the hardened, ruthless habits of the Bard she used to be.

Suitability: Warden Mahariel is coming in from a point in canon in which he and his friends have defeated the evil/Big Bad, united Ferelden through the joint rule of Alistair and Anora, and, for the time being, saved the day. In addition to these victories, Mahariel has lost his best friend, his Clan, and even Alistair, one of his newest friends, to his duties to the throne as king. While Mahariel’s forged new connections and friendships, without a civil war or Blight to stop, he’s currently untethered and without direction. Arriving here, with the goal of generating Manna through forging new relationships and connections with other people provides Mahariel with the opportunity for new adventures and a new purpose.

Also, since the losses of both Tamlen, his best friend, and his Clan, his family, Mahariel has partially closed himself off from connecting with people in a deep and meaningful way outside of those he fought with as a Grey Warden. In Noctium, he’ll have the chance to open himself up to new connections as he creates a new path for himself in the wake of defeating the Fifth Blight. He’ll be curious about this new world and want to explore and find out about as much of it as he can. He’ll miss home, but he’ll also appreciate the chance for a new beginning.

Amethyst, in particular, is especially suited for Mahariel, given his role as a protector through his adventures as a Grey Warden; the element of air suits him as someone constantly on the move and as a fierce fighter.

In terms of potential physical transformations, the elements of a dragon, in particular, will be especially interesting for Mahariel to contend with, given that he’s just recently slayed an Archdemon, a powerful and evil dragon leading the horde of Darkspawn during the Blight.

Condition upon arrival: Mahariel is coming in from the aftermath of a large and violent battle with a dragon known as the Archdemon, in addition to the collection of bruises, injuries, and scars he’s picked up along the way from his time as a Grey Warden traveling, camping, and fighting throughout Ferelden.

Physically, he’ll arrive mostly intact, though with some recently obtained wounds that are still healing. Mentally, he’s still processing various traumas, from losing Tamlen, to getting sick from the tainted mirror he and Tamlen found in the ruins, to joining the Grey Wardens, and everything from Ostagar onwards.

It should also be noted that, as a Grey Warden, Mahariel is infected with a disease known as the Taint/Blight. Being a Grey Warden slows down the process of his Taint, but it is a long term disease that is slowly killing him. At home, Grey Wardens who are far gone enough in their Taint start to hear what is known as ‘The Calling.’ During this, Grey Wardens go down to the Deep Roads to die fighting Darkspawn.

Upon arrival, I imagine those examining Mahariel will use magic and science to help slow this process down.

Abilities: Mahariel is a Rouge, trained and focusing on archery. He can fight using dual wielding daggers (or a sword and dagger combination), but his real strength is bow and arrows. Of course, even for all his fighting skills, that doesn’t mean Mahariel is guaranteed to win a fight; he is as capable of losing and/or coming to a draw as he is of winning.

As both a Dalish Elf who travels and never lives too long in one place, as well as a Grey Warden also traveling and never remaining too long in one area, Mahariel is an experienced camper and used to being out in nature.

He’s also skilled at identifying and making poisons, but this only applies to ingredients and poisons from his own home of Thedas.

Dirty Fighting: Mahariel stuns an opponent without damaging them.

Combat Movement: Mahariel is able to move easily around opponents to gain greater access to better angles for backstabbing.

Coup de Grace: When Mahariel’s opponent is incapacitated, he is more easily able to land a backstab attack against them.

Below the Belt: Mahariel is skilled in delivering a swift kick to the genital area of a person’s body.

Deadly Strike: He strikes an opponent at an exposed area with greater armor penetration.

Lethality: Enables a bonus for critical chance and allows him to rely on his cunning instead of physical strength in regards to how hard he hits and how much damage he achieves.

Evasion: He’s experienced and skilled enough to have a one-in-five chance to outright dodge attacks.

Lockpicking: He’s a skilled lockpick but only for minor and moderate locks. Anything more intricate or complicated is out of his league.

Melee Archer: Mahariel is skilled and experienced enough to be able to keep firing arrows, even while being directly attacked.

Aim: He focuses to ensure his arrows land true, which slows down his firing speed.

Defensive Fire: He fires from a defensive stance, which slows his movements but grants him better protection in return.

Master Archer: Mahariel is experienced enough that he can fight with different sorts of weapons (regular bows or crossbows) with precision, and his attacks land with greater accuracy and do more damage.

Pinning Shot:: An attack that pins the opponent in place and slows their movements.

Crippling Shot: An attack that weakens the opponent’s ability to fight back.

Critical Shot: An attack that can score a critical hit if it hits correctly.

Arrow of Slaying: A powerful attack that hits hard but requires an additional amount of stamina to use.

Rapid Shot: An attack that enables Mahariel to fire off more arrows faster but lessens the damage those arrows do.

Shattering Shot: An attack that aims to break down an opponent’s armor.

Mahariel also specializes as a ranger and an assassin. Given that ranger only affects animals of Thedas, that particular skill set will be null and void here. As an assassin, Mahariel is skilled and efficient in exploiting enemy weaknesses to hasten their deaths.

Inventory:

• Grey Warden Rouge Armor, Superior Dragonskin (includes: helmet, gloves, chest piece, and boots)
  
• The Sorrows of Arlathan bow
  
• 5 Elf-Flight Arrows
  
• Coin purse, with five silvers and one sovereign
  
• One health poultice
  
• Andruil’s Blessing
  
• Pearl of the Anointed
  
• Dalish Promise Ring
  
• Band of Fire
  
  Gembond: Amethyst
  Gem Location: In the middle of the back of his right hand.
  

« MISCELLANEOUS »

Sample: April 2021 TDM & March 2021 TDM

Notes: Mahariel History, Mahariel Family History, Mahariel’s Clan, The Warden, and Mahariel’s World State.

Though his icons do not show this, Mahariel also has a faded tattoo known as Vallaslin on his forehead. His looks like this.

Note: Per the mods, "Warden's Andruil's Blessing and Pearl of the Anointed will not be compatible with the technology of Noctium, and therefore won't be effective in the game's setting. However, he is free to arrive with them in his inventory!"