meadowlark app

[thebluewraith]

> PLAYER INFORMATION
NAME: Nick
PRONOUNS: she/her
AGE: over 18
CONTACT: nicknacked

> CHARACTER INFORMATION
NAME: Fenris
CANON: Dragon Age: Blue Wraith
AGE: Unstated, late 30's possibly
CANON POINT: End of Blue Wraith

HISTORY: History

PERSONALITY:

Fenris' first appearance in Dragon Age 2 has him reaching into a slaver's chest and crushing it. His first appearance in his extended story isn't much different. His earliest memories for the longest time were of pain and servitude, being treated like a weapon with no agency, and being left in the care of a sadistic magister known as Danarius. These early memories set the tone for the rest of his life and colored every interaction and event from then on. But before unpacking all of that baggage it's important to remember that Fenris isn't as dour and depressing as his companions say he is. At least not constantly. He frequently jokes with Isabela and Varric, the latter once expressing surprise in the beginning of their relationship that he would even tell a joke, while he and Isabela make a game of whether or not she can guess the color of his undergarments. He can laugh at a crude joke or make a cuttingly sarcastic snide comment — he's not without a little bit of fun. Through banter during his Kirkwall years you find he frequents the Hanged Man tavern to play cards with Varric, and even invites Aveline's husband to play diamondback in his abandoned mansion.

As a slave, Fenris was subjected to experimentation by Danarius, who etched lyrium into his skin and created the markings covering his body. This process was unimaginably traumatizing because Lyrium is a highly volatile substance that causes both psychological and physical harm when in direct contact. The process of infusing lyrium into Fenris’ skin was actual torture, so painful that it resulted in the loss of his memories. Even years later, Fenris lives in constant pain due to his markings, which are sensitive to touch. Lyrium is also an incredibly valuable substance, which is why Danarius finds Fenris so valuable as to go to the ends of Thedas to find him.

This makes it impossible for Fenris to move on from his past as a slave. Even his name, “Fenris,” isn’t his own; while he's undoubtedly adapted it to his end (he kept it even after finding out his real name after all), it's still a brand originally given to him by his master. He has been beaten down his entire life and carries proof of his abuse like a literal burden in the form of his markings. It's impossible to forget the pain he's endured throughout his life because the lyrium infused into his skin is a visual and tactile reminder. He is constantly dwelling and obsessing over his wounds and trauma-induced beliefs.

Having been used by Danarius to intimidate his guests, Fenris is accustomed to scaring everyone off and takes advantage of this learned skill to keep people at a distance. This makes him an aggressive individual. His outward appearance matches his prickly nature: pointy, spikey, and generally off-putting. He is also very guarded. Due to the constant pain of his markings, he's hesitant to engage in physical contact with others and often snaps at even a pat on the back. When in conversation with his companions, who ask him a lot of questions about his past, he has a tendency to either deflect with a wry comment or respond so aggressively and bluntly that the subject matter is dropped. He isn't exactly secretive of his past, openly admitting to some of the atrocities he's witnessed, and in fact it can be argued he wants as many people to be aware of the dangers and abuse of magic as possible. But when it comes to his own emotions and vulnerability he clams up and even gets defensive. When Hawke helps Fenris find his old master's apprentice, who in her last plea for her life told Fenris he had a sister, it understandably turns his world upside down and leaves him having an open moment of vulnerability. Hawke tries to offer comfort by asking if he wants to talk about it and Fenris responds with open hostility before excusing himself.

A key word in this mess of baggage is vulnerability. As seen with his casual hookup with Isabela it's not impossible for him to have physical contact. But he and Isabela are friends, they joke around, there's no pressure, and most importantly there's no emotional attachment. There's no fear of getting close only to get hurt. There's no opening himself up in an intimate way only for that to be taken advantage of. He can make friends, he can be intimate, but he generally only allows a surface level of such things in order to keep himself safe.

While a wary person in general, his hatred of magic and those who abuse it can make him stubbornly mistrustful. Although he acknowledges that not every mage will fall to the temptation of demons, it is a constant risk in his mind, and as he puts it, "How many temptations are you willing to offer a man before he gives in?" His hatred was born from magic playing a part in nearly every aspect of his brutal upbringing, especially considering he lived in Tevinter, a place where mages walked freely and unchecked.

He believes that magic took everything away from him once (his memories, his previous personality), and he fears it happening again. This fear is not unfounded. Danarius essentially rewrote Fenris’ personality to suit his own needs, and should Hawke give him up to Danarius in the events of DA2, he fully intends to do it again. How could Fenris, who has been tormented his entire life by magic, not hold it against every mage he ever meets?

Despite his history, Fenris has a shockingly level head when it comes to his biases, even though he's very set in some of his beliefs to the point of it being a detriment to his mental health. He acknowledges when a mage is strong and even says he has no doubt there are some good magisters in Tevinter (and adds that they tend not to last very long). When he's in the wrong, even if his initial reaction was hostile, he will not hesitate to apologize. This brings us to Hawke. As a malleable protagonist, Hawke can be any class, but for Fenris' personal history, Hawke is a mage for the sake of continuity and narrative.

Fenris' first encounter with Hawke is a positive one, as Hawke agrees to help him clear out Danarius's mansion of bounty hunters. Despite this, Fenris still calls Hawke out on being a mage and questions what kind he is. If Hawke asks if there's a problem, Fenris apologizes for sounding ungrateful; he admits that what kind of mage Hawke is remains to be seen, but offers his services in gratitude anyway. Over time he accepts that Hawke is a mage worthy of trust because he's proven to have self-control and doesn't fall prey to temptation. So, while Fenris' hatred can be blinding, he has moments of clarity where he can keep an open mind; it's just that he's very strict about his leniency regarding this subject. His hatred is a difficult thing for him to let go of, and he admits that his past and experiences are like a poison he can't stop swallowing. While Fenris and Hawke had several points of contention regarding magic and mages, Fenris grew to trust him. His relationship with Hawke is the perfect showcase of his undying loyalty. Once Fenris' trust is earned it's difficult to shake, and Fenris will follow you to the end of the world, even if it means going against everything he believes in for the sake of loyalty (as seen when Fenris helps Hawke aid the mages versus the Templars).

By Blue Wraith, Fenris seems more in control of his hatred of magic; he's quicker to see that Francesca isn't like other mages from Tevinter and doesn't seem to hold animosity towards her from the offset. This is likely because ever since Kirkwall, he's been pouring his anger into helping slaves and killing slavers, effectively giving him an outlet.

However, his growth since Kirkwall hasn’t all been positive. Because of the way the group split at the end of DA2, Fenris’ abandonment and trust issues have grown more severe. He is wary of traveling with Francesca and Vaea, citing that he doesn't travel in groups anymore. When Vaea points out that he used to do it in his Kirkwall days, he comments that that was a long time ago and expresses bitterness at being used and tossed away. Fenris never had healthy companionship before Kirkwall and therefore has no barometer for what's normal; consequently, when the group split up, he took it personally when it was anything but. Even before the Kirkwall group, while Fenris was still in servitude to Danarius, did he experience being treated as disposable. When he was on Seheron with Danarius there was a battle with its native inhabitants, who injured both he and his master. When they escaped to the ship Danarius left Fenris behind as "there was no room for a slave". And while he later returned to retrieve him he still gambled with his life like he was a weapon to simply drop and possibly recover later and nothing more.

A person can change a lot in ten years, but the funny thing about Fenris' development and growth as a person is that it faces constant setbacks. And that's not even getting into losing his memories and being rewritten as a person, or having to figure out who he is as an individual.

In Kirkwall, he learned to trust a group of strangers and to work with mages; however, any scars those experiences might have healed are made fresh again by the end of his time there. Anders blew up the chantry in an act of terrorism, which started the mage rebellions; the group then split, which, as stated above, Fenris took personally. Any comfort he began to feel opening up or leniency he might have exhibited regarding mages was thrown out the window. While he will always respect Hawke and still believes him to be a strong mage, and as seen in the comics doesn't immediately act aggressively towards Francesca, his views on magic and mages in its entirety haven't changed much. He still holds an intense hatred for magic and thinks it's more dangerous than it is useful. And unfortunately, he still feels slighted by his closest friends.

But that isn't to say Fenris faced no development. In his Kirkwall days, he looked over his shoulder at every turn, stood hunched over, and didn't know where he was in life or where he was going. By Blue Wraith, he stands tall and confidently, has made a name for himself, and knows exactly what he's doing in life. He took his trauma and pain and channeled it into helping to ensure that others don't have to live the way he did. While he may always bear the marks and trauma of his past slavery he can and will use the very powers and skills forced upon him to free people like himself and crush every slaver he comes across, and he couldn't ask for a better and more ironic continuation of his story if Varric wrote it himself.


CRAU: n/a

SPECIES: Elf

APPEARANCE: full body
marking reference

SKILLS:

Fenris was trained since he was young to be a skilled warrior, which makes sense as his primary duty as a slave was that of a bodyguard to his master. His specialty are two handed weapons such as greatswords, bastard swords, and large hammers. It's safe to say that he is of considerable strength being able to wield such weapons.

Fenris' ability to utilize an effective offense makes him formidable in the battle field, and being used to fighting mages and ranged fighters, his defense is nothing to sneeze at. He's a good soloist and knows how to be deadly in combat from years of protecting his master, and also skilled at rallying those around him into being more effective, evident by his work as The Blue Wraith in the comics.

He also speaks at least four languages; common tongue (English basically), elven, qunlat, and tevene. It's safe to assume that despite being unable to read very well he has an affinity for language.

Elves in Thedas (cited in here) can see in the dark better than humans, and their eyes glint in the dark like that of a cat's. Fenris being an elf himself is naturally gifted with this improved eyesight.

NEW POWER:

Authority Manipulation: Fenris will have the ability to, upon making and holding eye contact for three seconds, give the illusion that he has significant enough authority to force a command. The target will feel compelled to obey if he tells them to back off, leave him be, or respect his space. This is purely a defensive ability, meaning it's only activated when he feels as if his agency is being threatened or if he feels particularly steamrolled. The effect will only last from the moment it's activated to a couple of seconds after the target has stood down. This isn't a mind control ability in the sense that he can make someone do whatever he wants. Obviously this is not done without player permission!


POWER REASONING: Being both a former slave and an elf, Fenris is used to having his autonomy taken away from him and no voice to hear. It wasn't until years after Kirkwall where he was able to find said voice and use it to command respect and in many cases, fear. In finding his voice he found his individuality which has become a huge milestone for him and a source of personal power and independence.

> SAMPLES
SAMPLE ONE: TDM TL
SAMPLE TWO: TDM Tag in