application for the_rule_rp
Player Name: Emerald
Player's LJ: N/A
E-mail: sibilantmacabre@gmail.com
Instant Messenger: AIM: notsweetjustsour
Are you 18 years old or older?: Yes
Character's Full Name: Rowen Hawke
Character's Nickname(s): Usually goes by "Hawke", the family name
Series: Dragon Age II
Canon Point: Post-game events; sided with mages
Canon Resource: The Dragon Age Wiki entry.
Character Background: Hawke’s story truly begins during the Dragon Age, circa 9:30. The Fifth Blight ravaged Ferelden, destroying all in its path and overwhelming the armies of King Cailen and the Grey Wardens, thanks to internal strife and treachery. Many villages and towns were destroyed, including the village of Lothering, where Hawke and his family had lived for several years. His father Malcolm died three years prior, so it fell to Hawke to lead his mother, Leandra and his twin siblings, sister Bethany and brother Carver, out of the Blight’s path.
On the way, Leandra proposed they head to Kirkwall for refuge, a city in the Free Marches. Hawke and Bethany, possessing magic, were less than enthused by this idea, since Kirkwall housed many Templars, but they were left with little option, and pressed on to Gwaren to take ship. They encountered a Templar, Ser Wesley, and his wife, Aveline Vallen, also fleeing the Blight and the destruction of Ostagar. After saving the two from darkspawn, they agreed to travel together, as Wesley had been gravely injured during the skirmish.
During one encounter with darkspawn and a savage ogre, Bethany was killed protecting her mother, neither of her brothers being able to deflect the monster’s bloodlust in time to save her. The group was hard pressed, overwhelmingly outnumbered, but determined to go down fighting. They were saved, by chance perhaps, by Flemeth, the Witch of the Wilds, who, in dragon form, had been watching from a cliff. In exchange for safe passage through the darkspawn-riddled Wilds, Hawke agrees to deliver an amulet for the witch, promising to take it to the clan of Dalish elves outside of Kirkwall.
Thanks to Flemeth’s intervention, the group managed to make it to the coast and take ship, but Aveline’s husband had become infested with darkspawn corruption and was left behind, Aveline fulfilling his wish and taking his life to spare him an ignoble death. The group arrived in Kirkwall to find it closed to refugees, but managed to impress the captain of the guard enough to gain information about a route of entry. Leandra’s brother Gamlen Amell finally located Hawke and his family and revealed to them that their family estate has been lost, all fortune gone. He did, however, offer a way into the city, provided Hawke and Carver work off the debt for a year in exchange for the entrance bribes. Although not thrilled with this prospect, Hawke decided to work for Meeran’s Red Iron mercenaries and their passage into Kirkwall was complete.
During their year in Kirkwall, Hawke and Carver made a name for themselves, but rather than fame, they needed coin to survive. Thus Hawke’s idea to sign on with the Deep Roads expedition, led by the dwarf Bartrand Tethras, who was none-too-gracious about the prospect of hiring two additional humans, despite their experience. Abruptly turned down, Hawke and Carver then met Varric, Bartrand’s younger brother, who encouraged them to invest in the expedition, instead of hire on as guards.
Hawke spent the next several weeks doing odd jobs around Kirkwall, putting aside coin for the Deep Roads venture in addition to keeping his family, living with Gamlen in squalor in the city’s Lowtown, eating on a regular basis. Joining up with Aveline, who’d joined the city guard, Hawke uncovered Captain Jeven’s involvement with the Coterie, the largest thieves guild in Kirkwall. Jeven was deposed and Aveline, thanks to her concern and care for the city and its guardsman, promoted to Guard Captain in his place.
Following one of Meeran’s job notices brought Hawke, Carver and Varric into contact with Fenris, an escaped elf from Minrathous, a city of the Tevinter Imperium. The elf became part of Hawke’s companion circle after he aided Fenris in raiding his former master’s mansion, and Fenris volunteered his aid despite his innate dislike for mages and all things involving magic. Hawke also “bumped” into Isabela, a former pirate captain who’s ship had run aground outside Kirkwall, and offered his aid in dealing with a few unsavories who’d been tracking the rogue for her former business associate, Castillion. Impressed with Hawke’s ability, Isabela offered to “stick around” and see what other exciting trouble would follow the Ferelden refugee.
A notice on the Chanter’s board introduced Hawke to Sebastian, the Starkhaven-prince-turned-Chantry-brother, and Hawke quickly won Sebastian’s loyalty by hunting down and eradicating the mercenaries who’d slaughtered his family back in Starkhaven. While not seeing completely eye to eye on some things, Sebastian nevertheless offered to aid Hawke whenever he should need.
In fulfilling his word to Flemeth, Hawke met Merrill, the Keeper Marithari’s former First, and promised to take her back to Kirkwall and keep an eye on her, since Merrill had chosen exile in order to help her people through the use of blood magic. Although not entirely thrilled with Merrill’s choice, Hawke nevertheless kept his word, delivering both the amulet to the top of the mountain and enabling Flemeth to go free once more and bringing Merrill back to Kirkwall’s alienage, where the elves of the city were quartered.
A conversation with Varric brought about the need for reliable maps to access the Deep Roads, which in turn led Hawke and his companions to Anders, the apostate mage from Ferelden and also a “former” Grey Warden. In exchange for help in freeing a fellow mage from Kirkwall’s Circle of Magi, Anders promised to deliver the needed maps, but unfortunately, Anders’ friend Karl had been made tranquil, or stripped of all emotion, before they could free him from the Circle’s clutches. Despite this, Anders provided the maps regardless, and offered his magic and healing skills whenever Hawke should require his help.
Finally having enough coin to invest in the expedition, Hawke and Varric persuaded Bartrand to accept and despite Leandra’s misgivings, Hawke took Carver along on the trip. He also enlisted Anders, since the Grey Warden’s ability to sense darkspawn would come in very handy below the surface. A week down, things began to go very wrong. Blocked passages prevented them from taking the gentler route, but eventually the group encountered an ancient dwarven thaig, unknown even to any dwarves presently. While exploring the thaig, they discovered a strange idol which seemed to be made of pure lyrium, a dangerous but precious substance used in the making of magic. The idol had a strange effect on Bartrand almost immediately, leading him to seal Hawke, Varric, Anders and Carver in the thaig’s burial chamber.
Having no choice but to find another way out, the group journeyed through the thaig, battling ancient monsters along the way. But they did manage to reach a surface road, but it was almost too late for Carver. Infested with the darkspawn taint, even as Wesley had been, he was close to death, but Anders stepped in and brought them to a contingent of Grey Wardens, who had also been exploring the Deep Roads. The Wardens were at first reluctant, but Hawke pleaded with them to take his brother, saying he’d rather his brother live as a Warden than die of the taint.
Although Carver’s loss cut like a knife, upon return to Kirkwall, Hawke moved his mother into their former family home, the Amell estate, having retrieved it from the smugglers to which Gamlen had lost it. A “hero” returning from the dangerous Deep Roads to fortune and social standing, Hawke somewhat unwillingly became involved in the city’s politics, gaining the Viscount’s notice in impressing the Qunari Arishok. Three years later, the Viscount informed Hawke that the Arishok requested him by name, so Hawke headed to the Docks for a meeting with the large horned “ox-man”.
Following up on information given by the Arishok, Hawke discovered tensions spiraling out of control between the humans of Kirkwall and the Qunari, with open war hovering just on the horizon. Despite Hawke’s best efforts to keep the peace, a serial killer began prowling the streets of Kirkwall, targeting middle-aged, generally lonely women of all classes, even mages. The killer was revealed to be a necromancer/blood mage named Quentin, who abducted Hawke’s mother and used her in his foul machinations to revive his dead wife. Although Hawke slaughtered the foul mage, he was too late to save Leandra and her death hit him hard.
Nevertheless, war and politics intruded on Hawke’s grief and, following the Viscount’s summons, met with the Arishok to try and persuade Seamus, the Viscount’s son, to return to his father. Unfortunately, Seamus was murdered by Chantry fanatics, which prompted Qunari retaliation. Hawke then discovered that the “relic” Isabela had been chasing for several years now was the precious Tome of Koslun, the Qunari “holy book”. With Hawke’s help, Isabela recovered the Tome and vanished, leaving Hawke and his companions to face the Arishok’s wrath on their own.
The Qunari attacked, the Arishok beheading the Viscount and fully intending to raze Kirkwall to the ground, but with Hawke’s arrival, pauses, long enough for Isabela to return bearing the Tome. The Arishok madeHawke an offer; turn over Isabela to the Qunari and they leave with no further bloodshed, but Hawke refused. Fenris countered with the proposal of a duel between the Arishok and Hawke, and due to the respect the Qunari had for Hawke, the Arishok accepted. They dueled and Hawke managed to overcome the powerful Qunari, ending the threat to the city and earning the title “Champion of Kirkwall”.
Peace is never achieved, however; in the next three following years, tensions between the mages of the Circle and the Templars and their ever-demanding Knight Commander escalate. Both the Knight Commander Meredith and First Enchanter Orsino made overtures to Hawke, urging him to take up their cause and influence the people of Kirkwall to rally their support. Hawke refused them both, unwilling to decide between mages and Templars, even though he himself was an apostate, but as Champion of Kirkwall, untouchable due to position and status.
The office of Viscount was never replaced; the Knight Commander continuing to make excuses as she tightened her grip on both the city and its Circle. It was whispered she’d begun to descend into madness; even her own subordinates were wary of rousing her anger. But Meredith wasn’t the only simmering kettle in Kirkwall. With Hawke’s unwitting help, Anders, in the guise of “purging the tension”, destroyed the Chantry.
Inflamed, Meredith declared the Rite of Annulment, which meant that all mages within Kirkwall would be made Tranquil, no questions asked, which led First Enchanter Orsino to beg the Champion’s aid. Having no choice but to become involved, and incensed himself about Meredith’s descent into lunacy, Hawke joined the struggle, battling for the lives of the mages.
The city descended into chaos; those Templars loyal to Meredith storming into the Gallows which housed the Circle and slaughtering everything in sight. Orsino, himself driven to unrelenting despair by the carnage, fell to blood magic in attempt to destroy the Templar order. Hawke was forced to not only deal with the Templar threat, but also bring down what mages that had fallen under Orsino’s madness.
Having exiled Anders rather than spill his blood for his deception and impatience, Hawke took with him Fenris, Carver and Varric, as even despite the elf’s hatred of all things magic, his friendship with Hawke proved the stronger. Hawke’s little brother, hearing of the turmoil in Kirkwall, took absence from the Wardens to once more fight at his brother’s side. Sebastian, outraged and hurt over the Chantry’s destruction, swore revenge on the Champion because of his refusal to make Anders “pay” for his actions.
It was then discovered that Bartrand, Varric’s turncoat brother, had sold the lyrium idol to Meredith, who had fashioned the metal into a great blade, which had precipitated her fall into madness. Blinded by all else but her hatred of magic and the devotion to her duty, Meredith attempted to crush any who opposed her, but the Champion and those fighting by his side overcame her and the dangerous magic she herself wielded, leaving Kirkwall a smoldering ruin, seething with insurrection and chaos once more.
Following that titanic battle, the Champion and all associated with him vanished from Kirkwall, scattering to the winds across Thedas. In the years following, Hawke and his companions separated, heading in different directions across the continent. It wasn’t until three years later that a Seeker of the Chantry accosted a certain story-telling dwarf in her hopes to get the “true story” that the Champion of Kirkwall’s name began to once more ring across the land…
Character Personality: Sarcasm over a Heart of Gold; shake thoroughly and serve icy cold.
Rowen Hawke is an elemental master, a battle mage of renown. Similar to the elements his innate power commands, he can be either hard and brittle, ice cold in his opinions when he believes in the cause, crackling hot and almost burning to the touch in lust for battle, or sharp, metallic and blasting energy from the skies when mirthfully roused or amused.
Family, however, is Hawke's one absolutely-serious-no-nonsense subject. Every decision made since leaving Lothering behind was for the benefit of his mother and younger brother. As the eldest child, and a mage besides, it was Hawke's unspoken responsibility to carry on in his father's place, providing for his mother and two siblings. Losing Bethany to the darkspawn was a tragic blow, but he wasn't allowed to grieve, as the family still needed to escape the Blight.
Although he delved deeply into the political hotbed of chaos in Kirkwall, it was more or less by accident, since Hawke holds a deep and abiding loathing for any sort of power-seeking nonsense; he firmly believes in the concept of "live and let live". Even having been persecuted all his life for power he was born with, he's more than ready to let everyone go their own way, but won't hesitate to push back if some idiot wants to start a brawl.
It's been remarked that Hawke has "more mood swings than a temperamental woman", to which he laughs and responds with a quick joke and a smile. Generally easy-going and loving a good gallon of ale and jocularity with his close friends, this carefree demeanor evaporates rather rapidly when there's work to be done. While on the job, Hawke's all business, suffering no interruptions or any sort of nonsense to interfere with the mission at hand. He's reliable and trustworthy to employers, holding to a code of honor admired by his companions and others who know of his exploits.
The world holds wonders by the score for Hawke; he never looks back, never harbors regrets that outsiders see. But beneath the ever-changing outer shell beats a tender heart, a soul which would bear the weight of the world should it be needed. Like a rock, Hawke is the perfect anvil upon which to lean, upon which to forge a blazing new future in his talented hands.
Powers/Abilities: Below is the spell set for Hawke. However, given the world of Rule and it's idiosyncrasies, casting the higher level spells will be exhausting for him, and every so often (probably more so than not), the easier spells won't even work. A point of much chagrin for any mage.
Elemental Master
☀ Winter's Blast
☀ Apocalyptic Firestorm
☀ Deep Freeze
☀ Searing Fireball
Primal Diviner
☀ Golem's Fist
☀ Rock Armor
☀ Chain Reaction
☀ Strikes Twice
Force Mage
☀ Maker's Hammer
☀ Telekinetic Blast
☀ Pull of the Abyss
☀ Gravitic Ring
Spirit Healer
☀ Group Heal
☀ Renewal
As a mage, Hawke also uses a staff, or stave, common for mages to channel their power through, and to whack enemies if they venture too close. The staff Hawke prefers over all others is the Malcolm's Honor, which was initially crafted by his father and brought with them from the devastation of Lothering due to the Blight.
Weaknesses: Hawke has always been the strength, the backbone of his family, the one keeping it together and moving forward. He can't afford to second-guess himself, can't hesitate when it comes to decisions. If he ever began to doubt himself, even for the smallest moment question even a minor decision, he might tumble from that high precipice and his family would no doubt falter. He still blames himself for his mother's death, even though everyone reiterated over and over that it wasn't his fault, but Hawke can't believe that. In his eyes, he failed her, he questioned, and no force in the cosmos will ever absolve him of that heavy burden.
Hawke also has very little tolerance for chicanery, be it political or otherwise. Machinations of the sort tend to bring out the "apostate" in him, which in turn keep him from seeing both sides of a dispute objectively. Although he really does try to keep his temper, every so often, something snaps inside and he strikes out rashly, not thinking through the consequences of his actions. His companions still follow him, however, despite his faults and flaws.
Born with power, Hawke has never known its absence. He learned at a very early age the value of self-discipline, the harnessing of his inherent powers to keep from harming others around him. A necessary evil, as Ferelden might have dubbed it. Having walked the earth with such bubbling away inside, somewhere deep down past all of his self-confidence and bravado, he does genuinely fear succumbing to the lure of power and becoming an abomination, or a demon-possessed husk. The very thought of not being in control of his own magic is terrifying, not simply because of the harm such a creature could do through him, but the fact that he no longer has control. Being the leader, the front man, the decision maker is very important for Hawke, simply because that's the role into which he was thrust at a very early age.
Although, the lure of power is quite seductive, and because Hawke is who he is, the temptation to acquire more of it is quite strong. He's felt the lure of blood magic, the most profane of the arcane arts, before and, although he knows better than to venture into such a realm, isn't quite immune to its siren's song. On one hand, the use of blood magic is taboo, going against every ounce of good sense and upbringing he's ever known, but some part of his ego believes himself strong enough to conquer such a wild brand of power, despite countless examples to the contrary. Hawke would use the dark magic for the greater good, of course, even though he knows just how well-paved the road to hell actually is.
Physically, Hawke relies on his magic to plow the way through any and all enemies, but in hand-to-hand combat, he's easily overwhelmed, despite his large stature. He's a big man, but at a distinct advantage when it comes to facing down steel one-on-one. Although able to use his stave as a quarterstaff and parry/strike enemies with it, against more than two or three bad guys, Hawke's at a distinct disadvantage unless he can use magic to disable his foes.
First Person Sample:
[peck-peck-peck-tap-tap-tap]
...what is this contraption?? [shake-shake-shake] Another of Varric's toys, more likely. [Hawke grumbles and snorts.] Can't that dwarf keep up with his junk? By the Maker...
[See Hawke squinting at the little device curiously.] Still...hallo? Anyone there? [beep-boop-beep-beeeeeeeeeeeeep] Odd looking thing, that's for sure...Varric, you there? Fenris?
...hn. Guess not. Well, damn.
[The mage stares at it for a minute more, then finally shrugs and drops it in a pocket.]
No matter. I'm sure they're here abouts somewhere. [He grins and rolls his eyes, cynical as ever.] Maker knows I can't leave 'em alone too long without some sort of disaster happening.
[Hawke whistles, is rewarded with a faithful bark and Tobias hurries to his master.] Well, old boy, time to get back to work, eh? [The hound yaps a few times in answer and Hawke ruffles Tobias' short ears fondly. Then mage and hound then both set off, hot in their pursuit of Hawke's companions.]
Third Person Sample:
...waking up with a hangover was never pleasant.
Waking up with a hangover and lying face down on someone else's discarded boots was even worse. Hawke groaned, not even bothering to open his eyes; no doubt his corneas would shriek protest and add to the galloping cacophony of barking mabari gleefully romping about between his throbbing temples. He did, however, manage to emit a somewhat strangled groan, followed by a sharp fit of gagging after an ill-advised inhale.
Rolling over proved unwise, as the mighty "Champion of Kirkwall" rolled right off the table and crashed rather unceremoniously to the filthy floor, his head striking the wood with a sharp crack, damn near knocking him unconscious. Hawke breathed slowly and shallowly, finally managing to pry his eyes open with dirty fingers and blinked as the dimly lit world finally swam into focus.
...oh.
The Hanged Man. His birthday bash. Right.
Maker, would someone just please put him out of his misery? Aching all over, not to mention the lump slowly rising from the back of his poor abused head, Hawke groped for a solid something which to grip and, finding the edge of the table, slowly pulled himself into a sitting position. The world still looked decidedly fuzzy, his mouth tasted as if an entire horde of dragons had been using it for a litter box and his stomach was protesting the abuse it'd endured the night before. Dwarven ale was nothing to trifle with, no sir.
But the party had been a blast; half the city of Kirkwall had packed the tavern near to bursting. And, judging from the smell enveloping the place and the noises beginning to echo throughout, Hawke wasn't the only one suffering. But he wasn't quite ready to attempt anything perilous, like standing up, so Kirkwall's number one citizen simply flopped back to the floor, flinging an arm over his eyes as he fought the increasing urge to roll over and throw up his toenails
Player's LJ: N/A
E-mail: sibilantmacabre@gmail.com
Instant Messenger: AIM: notsweetjustsour
Are you 18 years old or older?: Yes
Character's Full Name: Rowen Hawke
Character's Nickname(s): Usually goes by "Hawke", the family name
Series: Dragon Age II
Canon Point: Post-game events; sided with mages
Canon Resource: The Dragon Age Wiki entry.
Character Background: Hawke’s story truly begins during the Dragon Age, circa 9:30. The Fifth Blight ravaged Ferelden, destroying all in its path and overwhelming the armies of King Cailen and the Grey Wardens, thanks to internal strife and treachery. Many villages and towns were destroyed, including the village of Lothering, where Hawke and his family had lived for several years. His father Malcolm died three years prior, so it fell to Hawke to lead his mother, Leandra and his twin siblings, sister Bethany and brother Carver, out of the Blight’s path.
On the way, Leandra proposed they head to Kirkwall for refuge, a city in the Free Marches. Hawke and Bethany, possessing magic, were less than enthused by this idea, since Kirkwall housed many Templars, but they were left with little option, and pressed on to Gwaren to take ship. They encountered a Templar, Ser Wesley, and his wife, Aveline Vallen, also fleeing the Blight and the destruction of Ostagar. After saving the two from darkspawn, they agreed to travel together, as Wesley had been gravely injured during the skirmish.
During one encounter with darkspawn and a savage ogre, Bethany was killed protecting her mother, neither of her brothers being able to deflect the monster’s bloodlust in time to save her. The group was hard pressed, overwhelmingly outnumbered, but determined to go down fighting. They were saved, by chance perhaps, by Flemeth, the Witch of the Wilds, who, in dragon form, had been watching from a cliff. In exchange for safe passage through the darkspawn-riddled Wilds, Hawke agrees to deliver an amulet for the witch, promising to take it to the clan of Dalish elves outside of Kirkwall.
Thanks to Flemeth’s intervention, the group managed to make it to the coast and take ship, but Aveline’s husband had become infested with darkspawn corruption and was left behind, Aveline fulfilling his wish and taking his life to spare him an ignoble death. The group arrived in Kirkwall to find it closed to refugees, but managed to impress the captain of the guard enough to gain information about a route of entry. Leandra’s brother Gamlen Amell finally located Hawke and his family and revealed to them that their family estate has been lost, all fortune gone. He did, however, offer a way into the city, provided Hawke and Carver work off the debt for a year in exchange for the entrance bribes. Although not thrilled with this prospect, Hawke decided to work for Meeran’s Red Iron mercenaries and their passage into Kirkwall was complete.
During their year in Kirkwall, Hawke and Carver made a name for themselves, but rather than fame, they needed coin to survive. Thus Hawke’s idea to sign on with the Deep Roads expedition, led by the dwarf Bartrand Tethras, who was none-too-gracious about the prospect of hiring two additional humans, despite their experience. Abruptly turned down, Hawke and Carver then met Varric, Bartrand’s younger brother, who encouraged them to invest in the expedition, instead of hire on as guards.
Hawke spent the next several weeks doing odd jobs around Kirkwall, putting aside coin for the Deep Roads venture in addition to keeping his family, living with Gamlen in squalor in the city’s Lowtown, eating on a regular basis. Joining up with Aveline, who’d joined the city guard, Hawke uncovered Captain Jeven’s involvement with the Coterie, the largest thieves guild in Kirkwall. Jeven was deposed and Aveline, thanks to her concern and care for the city and its guardsman, promoted to Guard Captain in his place.
Following one of Meeran’s job notices brought Hawke, Carver and Varric into contact with Fenris, an escaped elf from Minrathous, a city of the Tevinter Imperium. The elf became part of Hawke’s companion circle after he aided Fenris in raiding his former master’s mansion, and Fenris volunteered his aid despite his innate dislike for mages and all things involving magic. Hawke also “bumped” into Isabela, a former pirate captain who’s ship had run aground outside Kirkwall, and offered his aid in dealing with a few unsavories who’d been tracking the rogue for her former business associate, Castillion. Impressed with Hawke’s ability, Isabela offered to “stick around” and see what other exciting trouble would follow the Ferelden refugee.
A notice on the Chanter’s board introduced Hawke to Sebastian, the Starkhaven-prince-turned-Chantry-brother, and Hawke quickly won Sebastian’s loyalty by hunting down and eradicating the mercenaries who’d slaughtered his family back in Starkhaven. While not seeing completely eye to eye on some things, Sebastian nevertheless offered to aid Hawke whenever he should need.
In fulfilling his word to Flemeth, Hawke met Merrill, the Keeper Marithari’s former First, and promised to take her back to Kirkwall and keep an eye on her, since Merrill had chosen exile in order to help her people through the use of blood magic. Although not entirely thrilled with Merrill’s choice, Hawke nevertheless kept his word, delivering both the amulet to the top of the mountain and enabling Flemeth to go free once more and bringing Merrill back to Kirkwall’s alienage, where the elves of the city were quartered.
A conversation with Varric brought about the need for reliable maps to access the Deep Roads, which in turn led Hawke and his companions to Anders, the apostate mage from Ferelden and also a “former” Grey Warden. In exchange for help in freeing a fellow mage from Kirkwall’s Circle of Magi, Anders promised to deliver the needed maps, but unfortunately, Anders’ friend Karl had been made tranquil, or stripped of all emotion, before they could free him from the Circle’s clutches. Despite this, Anders provided the maps regardless, and offered his magic and healing skills whenever Hawke should require his help.
Finally having enough coin to invest in the expedition, Hawke and Varric persuaded Bartrand to accept and despite Leandra’s misgivings, Hawke took Carver along on the trip. He also enlisted Anders, since the Grey Warden’s ability to sense darkspawn would come in very handy below the surface. A week down, things began to go very wrong. Blocked passages prevented them from taking the gentler route, but eventually the group encountered an ancient dwarven thaig, unknown even to any dwarves presently. While exploring the thaig, they discovered a strange idol which seemed to be made of pure lyrium, a dangerous but precious substance used in the making of magic. The idol had a strange effect on Bartrand almost immediately, leading him to seal Hawke, Varric, Anders and Carver in the thaig’s burial chamber.
Having no choice but to find another way out, the group journeyed through the thaig, battling ancient monsters along the way. But they did manage to reach a surface road, but it was almost too late for Carver. Infested with the darkspawn taint, even as Wesley had been, he was close to death, but Anders stepped in and brought them to a contingent of Grey Wardens, who had also been exploring the Deep Roads. The Wardens were at first reluctant, but Hawke pleaded with them to take his brother, saying he’d rather his brother live as a Warden than die of the taint.
Although Carver’s loss cut like a knife, upon return to Kirkwall, Hawke moved his mother into their former family home, the Amell estate, having retrieved it from the smugglers to which Gamlen had lost it. A “hero” returning from the dangerous Deep Roads to fortune and social standing, Hawke somewhat unwillingly became involved in the city’s politics, gaining the Viscount’s notice in impressing the Qunari Arishok. Three years later, the Viscount informed Hawke that the Arishok requested him by name, so Hawke headed to the Docks for a meeting with the large horned “ox-man”.
Following up on information given by the Arishok, Hawke discovered tensions spiraling out of control between the humans of Kirkwall and the Qunari, with open war hovering just on the horizon. Despite Hawke’s best efforts to keep the peace, a serial killer began prowling the streets of Kirkwall, targeting middle-aged, generally lonely women of all classes, even mages. The killer was revealed to be a necromancer/blood mage named Quentin, who abducted Hawke’s mother and used her in his foul machinations to revive his dead wife. Although Hawke slaughtered the foul mage, he was too late to save Leandra and her death hit him hard.
Nevertheless, war and politics intruded on Hawke’s grief and, following the Viscount’s summons, met with the Arishok to try and persuade Seamus, the Viscount’s son, to return to his father. Unfortunately, Seamus was murdered by Chantry fanatics, which prompted Qunari retaliation. Hawke then discovered that the “relic” Isabela had been chasing for several years now was the precious Tome of Koslun, the Qunari “holy book”. With Hawke’s help, Isabela recovered the Tome and vanished, leaving Hawke and his companions to face the Arishok’s wrath on their own.
The Qunari attacked, the Arishok beheading the Viscount and fully intending to raze Kirkwall to the ground, but with Hawke’s arrival, pauses, long enough for Isabela to return bearing the Tome. The Arishok madeHawke an offer; turn over Isabela to the Qunari and they leave with no further bloodshed, but Hawke refused. Fenris countered with the proposal of a duel between the Arishok and Hawke, and due to the respect the Qunari had for Hawke, the Arishok accepted. They dueled and Hawke managed to overcome the powerful Qunari, ending the threat to the city and earning the title “Champion of Kirkwall”.
Peace is never achieved, however; in the next three following years, tensions between the mages of the Circle and the Templars and their ever-demanding Knight Commander escalate. Both the Knight Commander Meredith and First Enchanter Orsino made overtures to Hawke, urging him to take up their cause and influence the people of Kirkwall to rally their support. Hawke refused them both, unwilling to decide between mages and Templars, even though he himself was an apostate, but as Champion of Kirkwall, untouchable due to position and status.
The office of Viscount was never replaced; the Knight Commander continuing to make excuses as she tightened her grip on both the city and its Circle. It was whispered she’d begun to descend into madness; even her own subordinates were wary of rousing her anger. But Meredith wasn’t the only simmering kettle in Kirkwall. With Hawke’s unwitting help, Anders, in the guise of “purging the tension”, destroyed the Chantry.
Inflamed, Meredith declared the Rite of Annulment, which meant that all mages within Kirkwall would be made Tranquil, no questions asked, which led First Enchanter Orsino to beg the Champion’s aid. Having no choice but to become involved, and incensed himself about Meredith’s descent into lunacy, Hawke joined the struggle, battling for the lives of the mages.
The city descended into chaos; those Templars loyal to Meredith storming into the Gallows which housed the Circle and slaughtering everything in sight. Orsino, himself driven to unrelenting despair by the carnage, fell to blood magic in attempt to destroy the Templar order. Hawke was forced to not only deal with the Templar threat, but also bring down what mages that had fallen under Orsino’s madness.
Having exiled Anders rather than spill his blood for his deception and impatience, Hawke took with him Fenris, Carver and Varric, as even despite the elf’s hatred of all things magic, his friendship with Hawke proved the stronger. Hawke’s little brother, hearing of the turmoil in Kirkwall, took absence from the Wardens to once more fight at his brother’s side. Sebastian, outraged and hurt over the Chantry’s destruction, swore revenge on the Champion because of his refusal to make Anders “pay” for his actions.
It was then discovered that Bartrand, Varric’s turncoat brother, had sold the lyrium idol to Meredith, who had fashioned the metal into a great blade, which had precipitated her fall into madness. Blinded by all else but her hatred of magic and the devotion to her duty, Meredith attempted to crush any who opposed her, but the Champion and those fighting by his side overcame her and the dangerous magic she herself wielded, leaving Kirkwall a smoldering ruin, seething with insurrection and chaos once more.
Following that titanic battle, the Champion and all associated with him vanished from Kirkwall, scattering to the winds across Thedas. In the years following, Hawke and his companions separated, heading in different directions across the continent. It wasn’t until three years later that a Seeker of the Chantry accosted a certain story-telling dwarf in her hopes to get the “true story” that the Champion of Kirkwall’s name began to once more ring across the land…
Character Personality: Sarcasm over a Heart of Gold; shake thoroughly and serve icy cold.
Rowen Hawke is an elemental master, a battle mage of renown. Similar to the elements his innate power commands, he can be either hard and brittle, ice cold in his opinions when he believes in the cause, crackling hot and almost burning to the touch in lust for battle, or sharp, metallic and blasting energy from the skies when mirthfully roused or amused.
Family, however, is Hawke's one absolutely-serious-no-nonsense subject. Every decision made since leaving Lothering behind was for the benefit of his mother and younger brother. As the eldest child, and a mage besides, it was Hawke's unspoken responsibility to carry on in his father's place, providing for his mother and two siblings. Losing Bethany to the darkspawn was a tragic blow, but he wasn't allowed to grieve, as the family still needed to escape the Blight.
Although he delved deeply into the political hotbed of chaos in Kirkwall, it was more or less by accident, since Hawke holds a deep and abiding loathing for any sort of power-seeking nonsense; he firmly believes in the concept of "live and let live". Even having been persecuted all his life for power he was born with, he's more than ready to let everyone go their own way, but won't hesitate to push back if some idiot wants to start a brawl.
It's been remarked that Hawke has "more mood swings than a temperamental woman", to which he laughs and responds with a quick joke and a smile. Generally easy-going and loving a good gallon of ale and jocularity with his close friends, this carefree demeanor evaporates rather rapidly when there's work to be done. While on the job, Hawke's all business, suffering no interruptions or any sort of nonsense to interfere with the mission at hand. He's reliable and trustworthy to employers, holding to a code of honor admired by his companions and others who know of his exploits.
The world holds wonders by the score for Hawke; he never looks back, never harbors regrets that outsiders see. But beneath the ever-changing outer shell beats a tender heart, a soul which would bear the weight of the world should it be needed. Like a rock, Hawke is the perfect anvil upon which to lean, upon which to forge a blazing new future in his talented hands.
Powers/Abilities: Below is the spell set for Hawke. However, given the world of Rule and it's idiosyncrasies, casting the higher level spells will be exhausting for him, and every so often (probably more so than not), the easier spells won't even work. A point of much chagrin for any mage.
Elemental Master
☀ Winter's Blast
☀ Apocalyptic Firestorm
☀ Deep Freeze
☀ Searing Fireball
Primal Diviner
☀ Golem's Fist
☀ Rock Armor
☀ Chain Reaction
☀ Strikes Twice
Force Mage
☀ Maker's Hammer
☀ Telekinetic Blast
☀ Pull of the Abyss
☀ Gravitic Ring
Spirit Healer
☀ Group Heal
☀ Renewal
As a mage, Hawke also uses a staff, or stave, common for mages to channel their power through, and to whack enemies if they venture too close. The staff Hawke prefers over all others is the Malcolm's Honor, which was initially crafted by his father and brought with them from the devastation of Lothering due to the Blight.
Weaknesses: Hawke has always been the strength, the backbone of his family, the one keeping it together and moving forward. He can't afford to second-guess himself, can't hesitate when it comes to decisions. If he ever began to doubt himself, even for the smallest moment question even a minor decision, he might tumble from that high precipice and his family would no doubt falter. He still blames himself for his mother's death, even though everyone reiterated over and over that it wasn't his fault, but Hawke can't believe that. In his eyes, he failed her, he questioned, and no force in the cosmos will ever absolve him of that heavy burden.
Hawke also has very little tolerance for chicanery, be it political or otherwise. Machinations of the sort tend to bring out the "apostate" in him, which in turn keep him from seeing both sides of a dispute objectively. Although he really does try to keep his temper, every so often, something snaps inside and he strikes out rashly, not thinking through the consequences of his actions. His companions still follow him, however, despite his faults and flaws.
Born with power, Hawke has never known its absence. He learned at a very early age the value of self-discipline, the harnessing of his inherent powers to keep from harming others around him. A necessary evil, as Ferelden might have dubbed it. Having walked the earth with such bubbling away inside, somewhere deep down past all of his self-confidence and bravado, he does genuinely fear succumbing to the lure of power and becoming an abomination, or a demon-possessed husk. The very thought of not being in control of his own magic is terrifying, not simply because of the harm such a creature could do through him, but the fact that he no longer has control. Being the leader, the front man, the decision maker is very important for Hawke, simply because that's the role into which he was thrust at a very early age.
Although, the lure of power is quite seductive, and because Hawke is who he is, the temptation to acquire more of it is quite strong. He's felt the lure of blood magic, the most profane of the arcane arts, before and, although he knows better than to venture into such a realm, isn't quite immune to its siren's song. On one hand, the use of blood magic is taboo, going against every ounce of good sense and upbringing he's ever known, but some part of his ego believes himself strong enough to conquer such a wild brand of power, despite countless examples to the contrary. Hawke would use the dark magic for the greater good, of course, even though he knows just how well-paved the road to hell actually is.
Physically, Hawke relies on his magic to plow the way through any and all enemies, but in hand-to-hand combat, he's easily overwhelmed, despite his large stature. He's a big man, but at a distinct advantage when it comes to facing down steel one-on-one. Although able to use his stave as a quarterstaff and parry/strike enemies with it, against more than two or three bad guys, Hawke's at a distinct disadvantage unless he can use magic to disable his foes.
First Person Sample:
[peck-peck-peck-tap-tap-tap]
...what is this contraption?? [shake-shake-shake] Another of Varric's toys, more likely. [Hawke grumbles and snorts.] Can't that dwarf keep up with his junk? By the Maker...
[See Hawke squinting at the little device curiously.] Still...hallo? Anyone there? [beep-boop-beep-beeeeeeeeeeeeep] Odd looking thing, that's for sure...Varric, you there? Fenris?
...hn. Guess not. Well, damn.
[The mage stares at it for a minute more, then finally shrugs and drops it in a pocket.]
No matter. I'm sure they're here abouts somewhere. [He grins and rolls his eyes, cynical as ever.] Maker knows I can't leave 'em alone too long without some sort of disaster happening.
[Hawke whistles, is rewarded with a faithful bark and Tobias hurries to his master.] Well, old boy, time to get back to work, eh? [The hound yaps a few times in answer and Hawke ruffles Tobias' short ears fondly. Then mage and hound then both set off, hot in their pursuit of Hawke's companions.]
Third Person Sample:
...waking up with a hangover was never pleasant.
Waking up with a hangover and lying face down on someone else's discarded boots was even worse. Hawke groaned, not even bothering to open his eyes; no doubt his corneas would shriek protest and add to the galloping cacophony of barking mabari gleefully romping about between his throbbing temples. He did, however, manage to emit a somewhat strangled groan, followed by a sharp fit of gagging after an ill-advised inhale.
Rolling over proved unwise, as the mighty "Champion of Kirkwall" rolled right off the table and crashed rather unceremoniously to the filthy floor, his head striking the wood with a sharp crack, damn near knocking him unconscious. Hawke breathed slowly and shallowly, finally managing to pry his eyes open with dirty fingers and blinked as the dimly lit world finally swam into focus.
...oh.
The Hanged Man. His birthday bash. Right.
Maker, would someone just please put him out of his misery? Aching all over, not to mention the lump slowly rising from the back of his poor abused head, Hawke groped for a solid something which to grip and, finding the edge of the table, slowly pulled himself into a sitting position. The world still looked decidedly fuzzy, his mouth tasted as if an entire horde of dragons had been using it for a litter box and his stomach was protesting the abuse it'd endured the night before. Dwarven ale was nothing to trifle with, no sir.
But the party had been a blast; half the city of Kirkwall had packed the tavern near to bursting. And, judging from the smell enveloping the place and the noises beginning to echo throughout, Hawke wasn't the only one suffering. But he wasn't quite ready to attempt anything perilous, like standing up, so Kirkwall's number one citizen simply flopped back to the floor, flinging an arm over his eyes as he fought the increasing urge to roll over and throw up his toenails