App for Underworld Wars
|| Player Information ||
Name: Dee
Personal Journal: atlasofambrosia
Time zone: PST
Contact: arbitraryally[at]hotmail[dot]com Aim; ArbitraryAlly
Current Characters: None
|| Character Information ||
Fandom: Dragon Age II
Name: Garrett Hawke
Canon Point: After the end of Dragon Age II, when Anders has committed a great crime, and they must all flee Kirkwall for it.
Is this character dead? Nope
History:A Warning, here there be spoilers. Also my Hawke's history is directly influenced by choices I made in game. A general history can be found here and here
Born to Malcolm Hawke, an apostate mage, and Leandra Amell, a noble woman from Kirkwall, little is known about Hawke's early life. He is the oldest of three, his younger siblings a twin brother and sister named Carver and Bethany Hawke. Garrett Hawke's father is said to have passed away three years prior to the main events of Dragon Age II.
Hawke's rise to fame and glory began from much humbler beginnings. Forced to flee their home in Ferelden by the Fifth Blight, Hawke attempts to lead his mother and siblings to safety. But they were one of the last families to flee Ferelden, as Garrett was determined to do everything he could for his homeland, leaving only when it became clear that it was too dangerous for his family to continue to remain.
While attempting their escape to Gwaren, a harbor town that would take them to Kirkwall, Hawke and his family encountered a pair of people, Aveline Vallen and her husband Wesley. During another encounter with a rush of darkspawn, Wesley contracted the corruption of the Blight, and in an effort to be merciful, Garrett put the man out of his misery. But this was not the battle's only casualty. Carver, Hawke's brother was attacked, and crushed to death by an ogre. But neither party was given a moment to breath before a fresh hoard of Darkspawn descended upon them. Determined to fight every last one until he drew no more breath, Garrett, Aveline, and Bethany prepared to engage them. But just as their future looked its bleakest, a dragon descended from the heavens, breathing fire at the encroaching horde and temporarily keeping them at bay.
But it was not simply a dragon that had saved him, as became clear when the beast descended, landing before Hawke and his companions not as a beast, but as a woman. The shape shifter Flemeth, who was intrigued by him. Flemeth and Garrett strike a deal- in exchange for a favor, she will grant him safe passage past the hoard. With no other choice, he agreed, and the family managed to board a ship from Gwaren to Kirkwall, where Leandra, Hawke's mother, had family. Unfortunately said family has lost the Amell Estate, as well as the fortune that should have been left to Leandra.
But in Kirkwall they find only more bad luck. Refugees are not being welcomed into the city, not unless they have the money to pay their way in, and with so little left salvageable from the Blight, there are very few who are able. Finding his mother's sister Gamlen, they discover that in exchange for a year of work, Gamlen has contacts that would be willing to buy their way into the city. Once again, Hawke is forced to reluctantly agree, and begins a year serving with his sister beneath a female elven smuggler by the name of Athenril, Hawke is works off his debt, and is finally able to begin a new life in Kirkwall.
Over a year later, having finished paying back the debt made to Athenril, Hawke encounters to dwarven brothers by the name of Bartrand and Varric. They are organizing an expedition into the Darkspawn infested Deep Roads, an abandoned set of dwarven caverns rumored to be filled with the brim with treasure. Bartrand argues against allowing Hawke and Bethany to join the expedition, but Varric argues that Hawke could be a very wise investment into the group. Seeing potential in Hawke, Varric tells him that he may buy his way into the venture for 50 Sovereigns, a considerable amount for a refugee with no money. Still, Hawke sets off to make enough money.
Along the way he travels to Sundermount, where he meets an elf named Merrill, who requires assistance in reaching the summit of the mountain so that she can perform an ancient elvish ritual in a graveyard atop the mountain. As it turned out, this was also the location of where he completed his favor for Flemeth. Upon reaching the summit she reveals that she was disguised in the pendant he had been carrying around, and upon completion of this favor she transforms into a dragon once more, and flies off.
Taking Merrill back down the mountain it was apparent that not all was well with Merrill and her clan, and Garrett somewhat reluctantly agreed to look after her, and helped her move into the Kirkwall Alienage.
Meanwhile, Aveline managed to take up a position in the Kirkwall city guard, and with Garrett's help, deposed the old, corrupt Captain of the guard, placing her in this position instead.
But this still has not earned him enough money, and, as he learns from Varric, they also require a map to the Deep Roads if their expedition is to be successful. Rumor is going around Kirkwall that there is an ex-Grey Warden in the city, who may be able to provide maps for the expedition. Seeking out the man proves trickier than expected, as he has taken to helping and healing refugees at no cost, and there are many who would protect him. Still, eventually Garrett does manage to track down and befriend Anders, helping Anders free Karl from the Tranquility of the Templar. It is then that Garrett discovers Anders is possessed by the spirit Justice, but Garrett shrugs this off easily. Sadly, Karl's freedom comes at the price of his death, but because of Garrett's help and support, Anders pledges his loyalty to helping Garrett.
Taking some down time, Hawke heads to the Hanged Man, where he witnesses a bar fight and meets the feisty pirate captain Isabela, a rogue like himself, Hawke and Isabela hit it off almost immediately over their love of drinking, sex, and beating up fools who deserve it. Hawke also learns that Isabela lost her ship in the same storm that stranded a large band of Qunari in Kirkwall, though he makes no mention of this suspicious (albeit interesting) tidbit of information.
Receiving a tip for some work, Hawke learns that there may be something precious being stored in a home in the Alienage, and Hawke and his companions head there to check it out. Ambushed by slavers, Hawke is taken by surprise, but quickly overcomes the hostile forces, and heads inside the suspicious home to discover an empty chest. Confused, Hawke leaves, only to meet an ex-slave named Fenris, whom he agreed to help as he heads to where he believes his old master is hiding. It proves a red herring, but Fenris becomes another companion to Garrett in his quest.
Still not managing to earn enough coin, Hawke reluctantly agrees to take a loan from a dwarf named Dougal, who despite having the coin to buy into the Deep Roads expedition was turned down by Bartrand. Reluctantly agreeing to split whatever he found in the Deep Roads with him, Hawke set off, meeting Bartrand and Varric before setting out. Only Anders maps were enough to sway Bartrand into allowing Hawke to come along. Leandra pleaded with Garrett to have Bethany remain at home, however, and reluctantly, Hawke agreed. But not even the Deep Roads were an easy task; Bartrand betrayed Hawke, and Varric, Anders and Fenris were left to fend for themselves, and find their own way out of the caverns. It was not without spoils though, and upon returning to Kirkwall, Hawke was a very wealthy man. Unfortunately, because Bethany remained at home instead of traveling with Garrett into the Deep Roads, she has been taken in by the circle, and no longer resides at the Hawke residence. Hawke barely gets to see or speak to his sister thereafter, although she does attempt to write.
Three years pass without much incident, though Hawke's status in Kirkwall improves. His name became known, his expedition into the Deep Roads gaining him fame, fortune and prestige. People began to flock to Hawke for his help, and very rarely did he allow anyone to be turned away.
At one point, Aveline approaches Hawke and asks him to assist her in dealing with one of the Templar, Emeric, who has been pestering her about a murder case that seems to be unfounded. Over the next few years, Hawke learns that more and more women have been disappearing because of this madman, but in the end Hawke is left empty handed of the true culprit. More time goes by, but once again the murders of women are brought to Hawke's attentions. This time, by a man who's wife had recently been taken. Hawke is still too late, finding only a note, and her remains. He does learn of one lead though; he learns that white lilies are always delivered before the woman goes missing.
Then, one evening, Garrett returns home to find his old Uncle Gamlen waiting at his mansion. Leandra failed to arrive on time to visit him, and Hawke also learns that lilies have been delivered to his own home.
He departs immediately, a desperate attempt to save his mother before she turns up as yet another corpse, like so many others in the past few years. For the first time in his life, Garrett felt sick with fear, though he did his best not to show it. Following what few clues he can gain from those who saw Leandra before her disappearance, Garrett eventually finds an underground hideout. But he is too late. He finds his mother, but she has been spliced with other women, necromanced back to life, and after defeating the suspect, Quentin, Leandra has nothing binding her, nor keeping her alive. Leandra forgives Garrett, and though he begs Anders to save her, it is too late, and Leandra dies in Hawke's arms.
Garrett blames himself, and takes Leandra's death very hard, even going so far as to push his friends away for a short time. But he does eventually manage to recover, and during this time he devotes himself to helping his companions, assisting Fenris face demons from his past, helping Anders to get to the bottom of the misuse of the Rite of Tranquility, unearthing Aveline's feelings for one of her guardsmen and helping her begin a relationship with him, helping Isabela in her quest to find a Relic for Castillon, whom she is indebted to and bound with her life, and helping Merrill to claim an elven relic from her tribe. However, Hawke disagreed to allow Merril to fix the Eluvian, a mirror of great and potentially terrible power, and this created an irreparable rift between them, despite the fact Hawke still cares for her, and only wanted to protect her from any potential danger.
Interlaced with these events was the brewing problems with the Qunari. People in Kirkwall were beginning to feel some unrest that the Qunari had remained for so long, and a terrorist plot was hatched in an effort to force the Arishok to act. Out of long since earned respect, the Arishok warned Hawke, would only speak to Hawke of the matter, and he departed in an effort to diffuse the situation before it escalated out of hand. The Arishok reveals that he is unable to leave Kirkwall until he has located a missing Holy Relic, and sends Hawke on his way.
While Hawke is attempting to get to the bottom of this, the Viscount of Kirkwall sends Garrett a letter requesting his presence regarding an urgent personal matter. Upon travelling to the Viscount's Keep, Garrett learns that the Viscount's son has decided to convert to the Qun. The Viscount believes that the Qunari are attempting to use Saemus as a catalyst for the tensions brewing in the city, so that the Qunari may take Kirkwall for their own. But his biggest concern is not of the political repercussions, but of the potential for losing his son. Garrett agrees to help, and sets off to have a word with the Arishok. The Arishok once again is less than helpful, saying that Saemus has converted of his own volition, but does inform Hawke that a letter arrived prior to Hawke, arranging a meeting with Saemus at the Chantry. The Arishok suspects that something is rotten about the letter, and Hawke comes to the conclusion that he may know who is behind the attacks on the Qunari, as well as the one causing turmoil and unrest in Kirkwall's citizens. Mother Petrice, whom Hawke has had dealings with in the past, has Saemus murdered. In an act of Qunari justice, a Qunari assassin emerges after a discussion with the Grand Cleric about what punishment Petrice is to receive, and she is murdered.
With tensions at an all time high, Aveline and Isabela arrive at Garrett's mansion for different reasons. Aveline, because she needs help in quelling the encroaching Qunari threat, and Isabela, because she has received word on the missing relic that Castillon wants her dead over. Agreeing to help Isabela first, and then meet Aveline at the Qunari compound Hawke sets off, only to discover what Isabela has been searching for all along is the same Holy Relic keeping the Qunari in Kirkwall. Things come to a head when Isabela flees with the sacred scripture of the Qun, despite Garrett's protests, and promises to protect her from Castillon.
Empty handed, Garrett accompanies Aveline to see the Arishok, and demand the return of two elven prisoners who Aveline is seeking to arrest. The Arishok claims that they have become devotes of the Qun, and so they no longer fall beneath Kirkwall's law. Aveline argues that this is wrong, and Garrett as usual, made a smart assed remark. This in turn leads to the Qunari and elves attacking Garrett and Aveline, and they are forced to flee, making their way back to the Viscount's keep as all hell breaks loose in the city.
On his way back to the Keep, Garrett was blind-sided by a Saarebas, a Qunari mage. Knight-Commander Meredith, up until now merely a mentioned, extremist Templar figurehead, saved him, and orders Hawke to meet at the Viscount's Keep, which Garrett commented that they were headed there anyway.
He next runs into the Circle's First Enchanter, an elf named Orsino, lying prone upon the ground. Upon saving him, he saved Bethany, and Garrett sees his sister face to face for the first time since she was taken into the Circle. The encounter is short lived though, as there are more pressing matters that Hawke must deal with.
Upon riving at the Viscount's Keep, the Arishok threw the severed head of the Viscount at Garrett's feet. Just when things seemed most bleak, Isabela returned, offering to hand over the relic, as Hawke's friendship has moved her to do the right thing. The Arishok takes the relic, but demands that he also take Isabela for punishment. Garrett declines, and so the Arishok challenged Garrett to one on one combat for Isabela's head. Accepting the duel, Hawke and the Arishok fought to the death, and Hawke emerged victorious, single handedly saving Kirkwall from the threat of the Qunari.
Another three years pass, and Knight-Commander Meredith has taken control of the city, seizing power to keep order following the event of the Viscount's death. Hawke becomes known as the Champion of Kirkwall, now giving him command and respect throughout the city. But now more than ever people turn to Garrett to help with their problems, and now, more than ever he begins to see Kirkwall for the corrupted city that it is. Still, he works diligently to help wherever he can, especially for his companions.
With Hawke's help, Fenris is finally able to confront, and kill Danarius, freeing the Tevinter slave once and for all, and cementing their strong bonds of friendship. For the first time, Fenris also meets his sister, and learns of what his real name was, as well as some dark facts that he is not proud of himself for, that Garrett accepts all the same. Garrett convinced Fenris to spare his sister, which is how Fenris learns more about himself.
Hawke also helps Anders come to terms with the spirit that possesses him, and Anders confesses to having fallen in love with Hawke. Hawke admits to sharing these feelings, and Anders soon moves in with Garrett at his mansion. So too does Hawke go the extra mile, helping Anders collect questionable ingredients for an equally as questionable purpose. Hawke says that he can even accept Justice, as he is a part of who Anders is.
Varric comes to Hawke about Bartrand's mansion, saying that Bartrand has seen being active in the mansion. Upon investigating, they find that Bartrand has gone mad from a lyrium statue that they recovered from the Deep Roads. Clearing out the house of spirits, and people who have also gone mad because of Bartrand, Garrett convinced Varric to spare his brother, and instead have him institutionalized for his own safety.
In a strange turn, Hawke learns of an Antivan Assassin, who is hiding somewhere in Sundermount. Paid to find this assassin, Hawke sets off to question the Dalish about him, where he learns that the assassin has purposefully told the Dalish exactly where he could be found. Pursuing this lead, Hawke meets Zevran Arainai, flirts with him, and in the end assists him in fighting off a group that had once been his allies. Anders was jealous about the flirting bit, though. They part ways with a mutual respect for one another.
Merrill, still mourning over her inability to finish the Eluvian, asks for Hawke's help one last time. Once again, she asks to travel to the summit of Sundermount, and see a demon that might be able to once again make the Eluvian work. Remembering how upset Merrill was when she was denied fixing the mirror the last time, Garrett reluctantly agreed. At the summit though, Merrill's clan's keeper, Marethari sacrifices herself by trapping the demon in her own body, and then convincing them to kill her, so that she could save Merrill the fate of being possessed by the demon. Her clan turns against her, and Garrett is forced to cut down the Dalish in an effort to escape the mountain once more. He then takes Merrill home to the Alienage, and attempts to comfort her as she mourns.
Meanwhile, dissent has been brewing between Knight-Commander Meredith and the First Enchanter Orsino. The Templar have been controlling the city like a police state, and in an effort to speak reason into Meredith, Alistair, the King of Ferelden arrives. Briefly, Garrett and Alistair share a few words, mostly about how swooping is bad, before the King moves on, leaving Garrett to deal with Meredith's madness. And Meredith is indeed, mad. Always seeing blood mages where there are none, and ruling Kirkwall with an iron fist. The people of Kirkwall begin to riot in the slums, and it soon becomes clear that Garrett will be the fulcrum to decide Kirkwall, and perhaps much more than simply Kirkwall's fate.
Things come to a head when an arrest warrant is issued for Anders. Anders insists that persecution of mages has gone too far, and he intends to send a message to the world about mage equality.
So he blows up the Chantry.
Meredith explodes in fury with this action, immediately enacting the Right of Annulment for the safety of Kirkwall- meaning that any and all mages are to be killed on sight. And now, without the Grand Cleric to intervene, there is no one to stop the war that breaks out between the Templar and the mages. Anders' fate was left in Garrett's hands, and Garrett forgives him, on the condition that he helps assist Garrett in attempting to make things right. Anders agrees, and they set off to help the mages fight off the Templar. By allying himself with Anders, Garrett likely cemented his future as a fugitive, but it matters little as Garrett agrees to stay by Anders' side regardless.
Upon arriving at the Gallows, Orsino initiated a blood ritual to become a massive abomination, in an effort to defeat Knight-Commander Meredith. This abomination hinders more than it helps, and Hawke defeats the monster before moving on to Meredith. In a showdown of epic proportions, it is revealed that Meredith's mind has also been addled by the strange lyrium idol that Bartrand sold to her, and she perceives Hawke as a threat that can no longer be ignored. She attacks, and Garrett defeats her, helping as many mages as he can to escape, and spread the story of what happened, before he and his companions also escaped. After this, Hawke seems to have vanished, leaving revolt and civil war between Templar and Mages in his wake.
Personality: A rogue in every sense of the word, Hawke is the sort of man who walks into a room and commands a presence. He is a well respected man in Kirkwall, and he doesn't take this fact seriously at all. He is dashing, debonair, and probably too smart for his own good.
He is not a joker, per say, but everything he does and says is often laced with a heavy hand of sarcasm. He tries to keep his cynicism to a minimum, but after his mother's death his world became a little bit grayer, and so everything is seen with a bit of a darker light. Still, he hasn't lost his sense of humor entirely, and will still often crack a snide or smart assed remark when the situation probably doesn't call for it. He also has a slight affection for pranks, especially towards those he cares about, friends, and family.
But Hawke does have his serious moments, and his mother's death is something that always weighs heavily on his conscience. It is the one thing he berates himself about the most. This is worth mentioning, as when he feels he has failed someone is when he becomes the most frustrated with himself, and his humorous, light-hearted edge is lost, instead replaced with bitter resentment towards himself at his inadequacies, and inability to protect those who mean the most to him.
There are three things Hawke loves in life above all else: drinking, sex, and fighting. He applies himself to these three things as determinedly and vigorously as any devout man, taking pride in his abilities in all three areas, and often challenging other to rise (or fall) to his heights. He views sex and love as two very very different things, and thus has no qualms at all about sleeping around, even were he to be in a relationship. It is likely to be a bone of contention with whomever does fall in love with Hawke. This isn't to say he isn't a devoted lover, however, as for the one he loves he would sacrifice himself, and do anything for that person.
Hawke's opinion of the Templar has always been somewhat low, he doesn't care for the oppression of any person, let alone of mages. But nor does he agree with the dabbling of blood magic. He believes that there can be a middle ground between the two, without the incarceration that a life in the Circle promises.
Garrett is not a ruthless man unless cornered, but when provoked or threatened, he will not hesitate to cut an enemy down. And when his family or friends are threatened? Watch out. Hawke will go to any lengths necessary to defend them. Hawke is very protective of those he cares about, even if he doesn't seem that way at first.
An extremely loyal man, Hawke will not back down from a fight if it means protecting those he cares for. He is also willing to see the good in his friends, though not without poking a little fun at their failings, first.
Skills | Powers: Hawke is a rogue, which means he is skilled with dual short blades, as well as a bow. He has no magical abilities to speak of, but doesn't see this as a hindrance, instead incorporating the use of poison lacing the edges of his blades, as well as smoke bombs to increase his stealth, and techniques at blending to assassinate his targets with incredible efficiency. There are very few locks that he comes across that he cannot entice to open, and he also has proficient skills in locating and disarming traps. An expert assassin, and duelist, Hawke's skills at hand to hand combat are more than enough to deal with almost any situation he finds himself in. As Hawke cannot perform magic himself, it is definitely a weakness. He has very little magical resistance at all without his armor, and even with his armor his resistance still isn't very good. Garrett also has a horrible sense of direction, he probably couldn't navigate his way out of a paper bag. He could potentially get lost on a one way street. He doesn't even need to try.
First Person Sample: [ It's a simple thing, the Champion decides- or rather, ex-Champion now. But there's little time for him to start musing upon that, as he pokes and prods around the home that has apparently been labeled as his, and even came with a polite little gift basket of sorts.
It's all somewhat unsettling, really.
Garrett had never seen a cellular phone before, let alone the little handheld thing marked with an 'uPhone' across the top of it. He hadn't the slightest clue what a 'uPhone' was, and so other than prodding at it a little with his thumb, squinting quizzically at it, he'd tossed it over his shoulder, disregarded it entirely. Which was precisely how the video and audio had wound up on as he rummaged through the home. ]
Honestly, if he had wanted to go on holiday to somewhere strange he really could have just asked.
[ Hawke is talking to himself, and so too does he seem to be looking for something. But something from behind him catches his eye. On the floor, where the uPhone is recording there is a small, red light. And, his curiosity getting the better of him, Garrett reached down to pick it up. ]
Is this magic? Anders must have been speaking with Sandal to come up with something like this.
[ He taps the screen again, before shrugging a bit. ]
I wonder what it's for. Perhaps it's like the Eluvian. Though hopefully, less evil.
[ If only he knew. ]
Perhaps Merrill will like it.
[ And then, just as haphazardly as before, the uPhone is tossed away, and Garrett moves out of the frame, presumably into another room, where a grunt of surprise can be heard, and the fizzle of white noise. Likely the television set. ]
What in the name of Andraste's TITS! [ And then, came the smash. ]
Third Person Sample: "So a mage, a templar, and a rogue walk into a bar,"
Hawke was grinning as he delivered this line to the man sitting across from him, cocking a challenging brow as he waited for any response from the other. When Garrett received nothing, he continued on anyway.
"You know, if you've heard this one you could just tell me to stop now," Hawke prompted, but still received little in the way of response from the other. With an exasperated sigh, Hawke rolled his shoulders in a shrug. "You know what they say about tough crowds, don't you?" The pointed stare he received said more than enough, but Hawke continued right on with what he'd been getting at anyway, "They say you should- oh never mind, you won't get it anyway,"
Shaking his head, Garrett lifted himself up from the stool that he had been calling home for the past hour or so, where he had been drinking copious amounts more than was probably suggested. And with this drinking, so too had come a far more boisterous attitude than was perhaps necessary. But the foul humor of his bar mate, while it hadn't shaken him, it had certainly encouraged him to move on to greener pastures. Anders always appreciated a good joke, and when he didn't it was usually only because he was the butt of it. It was a shame Carver had died, he'd always been good for a laugh.
Moving for the door proved far harder than Hawke had previously given it credit for. Something probably to do with the comfortable buzz humming through his system. On wobbling feet, he managed out into the cool night air, and he closed his eyes, sucked a breath in and allowed the sea breeze to roll over him, and through him.
"Now that is refreshing," he mumbled to himself, grinning at the thought that Isabela would have agreed with him. And speaking of Isabela...
He cast a sidelong glance back towards the Hanged Man, considered returning for a moment, but shook the idea off. He'd promised Anders to return to the mansion tonight, and he hated to think of the other's face if he didn't make it back to the mansion before dawn he would be most certainly sleeping on the floor again.
He really needed to invest in a good, sturdy couch.
But this thought was a fleeting notion as he took off at an amble, his armor shifting and clinking as he strode up the stairs and into lowtown.
It didn't take him long before he was hopelessly lost.
"Need to talk to Varric about borrowing some of that twine," he told himself as he looked around, tried to get his bearings, squinting as he considered the entrance to Gamlen's home, not quite sure how he'd ended up so close to his uncle's place.
"No, maybe it's a right at the Qunari compound," he mumbled, still swaying on his feet.
It was well into the morning when Garrett finally found his way home. Exhausted, and still far more tipsy than he cared for. He'd sobered up a little, at least. He pulled open the door and practically crawled up the stairs to his bedroom, leaving pieces of armor in his wake. When finally he made it up the stairs, he found Anders waiting, arms crossed and a narrow eyed stare meeting Hawke's wobbling approach.
"I can explain," Garrett mumbled. But was never given the chance; exhaustion, and alcohol getting the better of him, and he toppled face first onto the floor.
When he woke up, a few hours later, he was still on the floor. And with a painfully black eye. The markings of a good night, in Garrett's opinion.
Name: Dee
Personal Journal: atlasofambrosia
Time zone: PST
Contact: arbitraryally[at]hotmail[dot]com Aim; ArbitraryAlly
Current Characters: None
|| Character Information ||
Fandom: Dragon Age II
Name: Garrett Hawke
Canon Point: After the end of Dragon Age II, when Anders has committed a great crime, and they must all flee Kirkwall for it.
Is this character dead? Nope
History:A Warning, here there be spoilers. Also my Hawke's history is directly influenced by choices I made in game. A general history can be found here and here
Born to Malcolm Hawke, an apostate mage, and Leandra Amell, a noble woman from Kirkwall, little is known about Hawke's early life. He is the oldest of three, his younger siblings a twin brother and sister named Carver and Bethany Hawke. Garrett Hawke's father is said to have passed away three years prior to the main events of Dragon Age II.
Hawke's rise to fame and glory began from much humbler beginnings. Forced to flee their home in Ferelden by the Fifth Blight, Hawke attempts to lead his mother and siblings to safety. But they were one of the last families to flee Ferelden, as Garrett was determined to do everything he could for his homeland, leaving only when it became clear that it was too dangerous for his family to continue to remain.
While attempting their escape to Gwaren, a harbor town that would take them to Kirkwall, Hawke and his family encountered a pair of people, Aveline Vallen and her husband Wesley. During another encounter with a rush of darkspawn, Wesley contracted the corruption of the Blight, and in an effort to be merciful, Garrett put the man out of his misery. But this was not the battle's only casualty. Carver, Hawke's brother was attacked, and crushed to death by an ogre. But neither party was given a moment to breath before a fresh hoard of Darkspawn descended upon them. Determined to fight every last one until he drew no more breath, Garrett, Aveline, and Bethany prepared to engage them. But just as their future looked its bleakest, a dragon descended from the heavens, breathing fire at the encroaching horde and temporarily keeping them at bay.
But it was not simply a dragon that had saved him, as became clear when the beast descended, landing before Hawke and his companions not as a beast, but as a woman. The shape shifter Flemeth, who was intrigued by him. Flemeth and Garrett strike a deal- in exchange for a favor, she will grant him safe passage past the hoard. With no other choice, he agreed, and the family managed to board a ship from Gwaren to Kirkwall, where Leandra, Hawke's mother, had family. Unfortunately said family has lost the Amell Estate, as well as the fortune that should have been left to Leandra.
But in Kirkwall they find only more bad luck. Refugees are not being welcomed into the city, not unless they have the money to pay their way in, and with so little left salvageable from the Blight, there are very few who are able. Finding his mother's sister Gamlen, they discover that in exchange for a year of work, Gamlen has contacts that would be willing to buy their way into the city. Once again, Hawke is forced to reluctantly agree, and begins a year serving with his sister beneath a female elven smuggler by the name of Athenril, Hawke is works off his debt, and is finally able to begin a new life in Kirkwall.
Over a year later, having finished paying back the debt made to Athenril, Hawke encounters to dwarven brothers by the name of Bartrand and Varric. They are organizing an expedition into the Darkspawn infested Deep Roads, an abandoned set of dwarven caverns rumored to be filled with the brim with treasure. Bartrand argues against allowing Hawke and Bethany to join the expedition, but Varric argues that Hawke could be a very wise investment into the group. Seeing potential in Hawke, Varric tells him that he may buy his way into the venture for 50 Sovereigns, a considerable amount for a refugee with no money. Still, Hawke sets off to make enough money.
Along the way he travels to Sundermount, where he meets an elf named Merrill, who requires assistance in reaching the summit of the mountain so that she can perform an ancient elvish ritual in a graveyard atop the mountain. As it turned out, this was also the location of where he completed his favor for Flemeth. Upon reaching the summit she reveals that she was disguised in the pendant he had been carrying around, and upon completion of this favor she transforms into a dragon once more, and flies off.
Taking Merrill back down the mountain it was apparent that not all was well with Merrill and her clan, and Garrett somewhat reluctantly agreed to look after her, and helped her move into the Kirkwall Alienage.
Meanwhile, Aveline managed to take up a position in the Kirkwall city guard, and with Garrett's help, deposed the old, corrupt Captain of the guard, placing her in this position instead.
But this still has not earned him enough money, and, as he learns from Varric, they also require a map to the Deep Roads if their expedition is to be successful. Rumor is going around Kirkwall that there is an ex-Grey Warden in the city, who may be able to provide maps for the expedition. Seeking out the man proves trickier than expected, as he has taken to helping and healing refugees at no cost, and there are many who would protect him. Still, eventually Garrett does manage to track down and befriend Anders, helping Anders free Karl from the Tranquility of the Templar. It is then that Garrett discovers Anders is possessed by the spirit Justice, but Garrett shrugs this off easily. Sadly, Karl's freedom comes at the price of his death, but because of Garrett's help and support, Anders pledges his loyalty to helping Garrett.
Taking some down time, Hawke heads to the Hanged Man, where he witnesses a bar fight and meets the feisty pirate captain Isabela, a rogue like himself, Hawke and Isabela hit it off almost immediately over their love of drinking, sex, and beating up fools who deserve it. Hawke also learns that Isabela lost her ship in the same storm that stranded a large band of Qunari in Kirkwall, though he makes no mention of this suspicious (albeit interesting) tidbit of information.
Receiving a tip for some work, Hawke learns that there may be something precious being stored in a home in the Alienage, and Hawke and his companions head there to check it out. Ambushed by slavers, Hawke is taken by surprise, but quickly overcomes the hostile forces, and heads inside the suspicious home to discover an empty chest. Confused, Hawke leaves, only to meet an ex-slave named Fenris, whom he agreed to help as he heads to where he believes his old master is hiding. It proves a red herring, but Fenris becomes another companion to Garrett in his quest.
Still not managing to earn enough coin, Hawke reluctantly agrees to take a loan from a dwarf named Dougal, who despite having the coin to buy into the Deep Roads expedition was turned down by Bartrand. Reluctantly agreeing to split whatever he found in the Deep Roads with him, Hawke set off, meeting Bartrand and Varric before setting out. Only Anders maps were enough to sway Bartrand into allowing Hawke to come along. Leandra pleaded with Garrett to have Bethany remain at home, however, and reluctantly, Hawke agreed. But not even the Deep Roads were an easy task; Bartrand betrayed Hawke, and Varric, Anders and Fenris were left to fend for themselves, and find their own way out of the caverns. It was not without spoils though, and upon returning to Kirkwall, Hawke was a very wealthy man. Unfortunately, because Bethany remained at home instead of traveling with Garrett into the Deep Roads, she has been taken in by the circle, and no longer resides at the Hawke residence. Hawke barely gets to see or speak to his sister thereafter, although she does attempt to write.
Three years pass without much incident, though Hawke's status in Kirkwall improves. His name became known, his expedition into the Deep Roads gaining him fame, fortune and prestige. People began to flock to Hawke for his help, and very rarely did he allow anyone to be turned away.
At one point, Aveline approaches Hawke and asks him to assist her in dealing with one of the Templar, Emeric, who has been pestering her about a murder case that seems to be unfounded. Over the next few years, Hawke learns that more and more women have been disappearing because of this madman, but in the end Hawke is left empty handed of the true culprit. More time goes by, but once again the murders of women are brought to Hawke's attentions. This time, by a man who's wife had recently been taken. Hawke is still too late, finding only a note, and her remains. He does learn of one lead though; he learns that white lilies are always delivered before the woman goes missing.
Then, one evening, Garrett returns home to find his old Uncle Gamlen waiting at his mansion. Leandra failed to arrive on time to visit him, and Hawke also learns that lilies have been delivered to his own home.
He departs immediately, a desperate attempt to save his mother before she turns up as yet another corpse, like so many others in the past few years. For the first time in his life, Garrett felt sick with fear, though he did his best not to show it. Following what few clues he can gain from those who saw Leandra before her disappearance, Garrett eventually finds an underground hideout. But he is too late. He finds his mother, but she has been spliced with other women, necromanced back to life, and after defeating the suspect, Quentin, Leandra has nothing binding her, nor keeping her alive. Leandra forgives Garrett, and though he begs Anders to save her, it is too late, and Leandra dies in Hawke's arms.
Garrett blames himself, and takes Leandra's death very hard, even going so far as to push his friends away for a short time. But he does eventually manage to recover, and during this time he devotes himself to helping his companions, assisting Fenris face demons from his past, helping Anders to get to the bottom of the misuse of the Rite of Tranquility, unearthing Aveline's feelings for one of her guardsmen and helping her begin a relationship with him, helping Isabela in her quest to find a Relic for Castillon, whom she is indebted to and bound with her life, and helping Merrill to claim an elven relic from her tribe. However, Hawke disagreed to allow Merril to fix the Eluvian, a mirror of great and potentially terrible power, and this created an irreparable rift between them, despite the fact Hawke still cares for her, and only wanted to protect her from any potential danger.
Interlaced with these events was the brewing problems with the Qunari. People in Kirkwall were beginning to feel some unrest that the Qunari had remained for so long, and a terrorist plot was hatched in an effort to force the Arishok to act. Out of long since earned respect, the Arishok warned Hawke, would only speak to Hawke of the matter, and he departed in an effort to diffuse the situation before it escalated out of hand. The Arishok reveals that he is unable to leave Kirkwall until he has located a missing Holy Relic, and sends Hawke on his way.
While Hawke is attempting to get to the bottom of this, the Viscount of Kirkwall sends Garrett a letter requesting his presence regarding an urgent personal matter. Upon travelling to the Viscount's Keep, Garrett learns that the Viscount's son has decided to convert to the Qun. The Viscount believes that the Qunari are attempting to use Saemus as a catalyst for the tensions brewing in the city, so that the Qunari may take Kirkwall for their own. But his biggest concern is not of the political repercussions, but of the potential for losing his son. Garrett agrees to help, and sets off to have a word with the Arishok. The Arishok once again is less than helpful, saying that Saemus has converted of his own volition, but does inform Hawke that a letter arrived prior to Hawke, arranging a meeting with Saemus at the Chantry. The Arishok suspects that something is rotten about the letter, and Hawke comes to the conclusion that he may know who is behind the attacks on the Qunari, as well as the one causing turmoil and unrest in Kirkwall's citizens. Mother Petrice, whom Hawke has had dealings with in the past, has Saemus murdered. In an act of Qunari justice, a Qunari assassin emerges after a discussion with the Grand Cleric about what punishment Petrice is to receive, and she is murdered.
With tensions at an all time high, Aveline and Isabela arrive at Garrett's mansion for different reasons. Aveline, because she needs help in quelling the encroaching Qunari threat, and Isabela, because she has received word on the missing relic that Castillon wants her dead over. Agreeing to help Isabela first, and then meet Aveline at the Qunari compound Hawke sets off, only to discover what Isabela has been searching for all along is the same Holy Relic keeping the Qunari in Kirkwall. Things come to a head when Isabela flees with the sacred scripture of the Qun, despite Garrett's protests, and promises to protect her from Castillon.
Empty handed, Garrett accompanies Aveline to see the Arishok, and demand the return of two elven prisoners who Aveline is seeking to arrest. The Arishok claims that they have become devotes of the Qun, and so they no longer fall beneath Kirkwall's law. Aveline argues that this is wrong, and Garrett as usual, made a smart assed remark. This in turn leads to the Qunari and elves attacking Garrett and Aveline, and they are forced to flee, making their way back to the Viscount's keep as all hell breaks loose in the city.
On his way back to the Keep, Garrett was blind-sided by a Saarebas, a Qunari mage. Knight-Commander Meredith, up until now merely a mentioned, extremist Templar figurehead, saved him, and orders Hawke to meet at the Viscount's Keep, which Garrett commented that they were headed there anyway.
He next runs into the Circle's First Enchanter, an elf named Orsino, lying prone upon the ground. Upon saving him, he saved Bethany, and Garrett sees his sister face to face for the first time since she was taken into the Circle. The encounter is short lived though, as there are more pressing matters that Hawke must deal with.
Upon riving at the Viscount's Keep, the Arishok threw the severed head of the Viscount at Garrett's feet. Just when things seemed most bleak, Isabela returned, offering to hand over the relic, as Hawke's friendship has moved her to do the right thing. The Arishok takes the relic, but demands that he also take Isabela for punishment. Garrett declines, and so the Arishok challenged Garrett to one on one combat for Isabela's head. Accepting the duel, Hawke and the Arishok fought to the death, and Hawke emerged victorious, single handedly saving Kirkwall from the threat of the Qunari.
Another three years pass, and Knight-Commander Meredith has taken control of the city, seizing power to keep order following the event of the Viscount's death. Hawke becomes known as the Champion of Kirkwall, now giving him command and respect throughout the city. But now more than ever people turn to Garrett to help with their problems, and now, more than ever he begins to see Kirkwall for the corrupted city that it is. Still, he works diligently to help wherever he can, especially for his companions.
With Hawke's help, Fenris is finally able to confront, and kill Danarius, freeing the Tevinter slave once and for all, and cementing their strong bonds of friendship. For the first time, Fenris also meets his sister, and learns of what his real name was, as well as some dark facts that he is not proud of himself for, that Garrett accepts all the same. Garrett convinced Fenris to spare his sister, which is how Fenris learns more about himself.
Hawke also helps Anders come to terms with the spirit that possesses him, and Anders confesses to having fallen in love with Hawke. Hawke admits to sharing these feelings, and Anders soon moves in with Garrett at his mansion. So too does Hawke go the extra mile, helping Anders collect questionable ingredients for an equally as questionable purpose. Hawke says that he can even accept Justice, as he is a part of who Anders is.
Varric comes to Hawke about Bartrand's mansion, saying that Bartrand has seen being active in the mansion. Upon investigating, they find that Bartrand has gone mad from a lyrium statue that they recovered from the Deep Roads. Clearing out the house of spirits, and people who have also gone mad because of Bartrand, Garrett convinced Varric to spare his brother, and instead have him institutionalized for his own safety.
In a strange turn, Hawke learns of an Antivan Assassin, who is hiding somewhere in Sundermount. Paid to find this assassin, Hawke sets off to question the Dalish about him, where he learns that the assassin has purposefully told the Dalish exactly where he could be found. Pursuing this lead, Hawke meets Zevran Arainai, flirts with him, and in the end assists him in fighting off a group that had once been his allies. Anders was jealous about the flirting bit, though. They part ways with a mutual respect for one another.
Merrill, still mourning over her inability to finish the Eluvian, asks for Hawke's help one last time. Once again, she asks to travel to the summit of Sundermount, and see a demon that might be able to once again make the Eluvian work. Remembering how upset Merrill was when she was denied fixing the mirror the last time, Garrett reluctantly agreed. At the summit though, Merrill's clan's keeper, Marethari sacrifices herself by trapping the demon in her own body, and then convincing them to kill her, so that she could save Merrill the fate of being possessed by the demon. Her clan turns against her, and Garrett is forced to cut down the Dalish in an effort to escape the mountain once more. He then takes Merrill home to the Alienage, and attempts to comfort her as she mourns.
Meanwhile, dissent has been brewing between Knight-Commander Meredith and the First Enchanter Orsino. The Templar have been controlling the city like a police state, and in an effort to speak reason into Meredith, Alistair, the King of Ferelden arrives. Briefly, Garrett and Alistair share a few words, mostly about how swooping is bad, before the King moves on, leaving Garrett to deal with Meredith's madness. And Meredith is indeed, mad. Always seeing blood mages where there are none, and ruling Kirkwall with an iron fist. The people of Kirkwall begin to riot in the slums, and it soon becomes clear that Garrett will be the fulcrum to decide Kirkwall, and perhaps much more than simply Kirkwall's fate.
Things come to a head when an arrest warrant is issued for Anders. Anders insists that persecution of mages has gone too far, and he intends to send a message to the world about mage equality.
So he blows up the Chantry.
Meredith explodes in fury with this action, immediately enacting the Right of Annulment for the safety of Kirkwall- meaning that any and all mages are to be killed on sight. And now, without the Grand Cleric to intervene, there is no one to stop the war that breaks out between the Templar and the mages. Anders' fate was left in Garrett's hands, and Garrett forgives him, on the condition that he helps assist Garrett in attempting to make things right. Anders agrees, and they set off to help the mages fight off the Templar. By allying himself with Anders, Garrett likely cemented his future as a fugitive, but it matters little as Garrett agrees to stay by Anders' side regardless.
Upon arriving at the Gallows, Orsino initiated a blood ritual to become a massive abomination, in an effort to defeat Knight-Commander Meredith. This abomination hinders more than it helps, and Hawke defeats the monster before moving on to Meredith. In a showdown of epic proportions, it is revealed that Meredith's mind has also been addled by the strange lyrium idol that Bartrand sold to her, and she perceives Hawke as a threat that can no longer be ignored. She attacks, and Garrett defeats her, helping as many mages as he can to escape, and spread the story of what happened, before he and his companions also escaped. After this, Hawke seems to have vanished, leaving revolt and civil war between Templar and Mages in his wake.
Personality: A rogue in every sense of the word, Hawke is the sort of man who walks into a room and commands a presence. He is a well respected man in Kirkwall, and he doesn't take this fact seriously at all. He is dashing, debonair, and probably too smart for his own good.
He is not a joker, per say, but everything he does and says is often laced with a heavy hand of sarcasm. He tries to keep his cynicism to a minimum, but after his mother's death his world became a little bit grayer, and so everything is seen with a bit of a darker light. Still, he hasn't lost his sense of humor entirely, and will still often crack a snide or smart assed remark when the situation probably doesn't call for it. He also has a slight affection for pranks, especially towards those he cares about, friends, and family.
But Hawke does have his serious moments, and his mother's death is something that always weighs heavily on his conscience. It is the one thing he berates himself about the most. This is worth mentioning, as when he feels he has failed someone is when he becomes the most frustrated with himself, and his humorous, light-hearted edge is lost, instead replaced with bitter resentment towards himself at his inadequacies, and inability to protect those who mean the most to him.
There are three things Hawke loves in life above all else: drinking, sex, and fighting. He applies himself to these three things as determinedly and vigorously as any devout man, taking pride in his abilities in all three areas, and often challenging other to rise (or fall) to his heights. He views sex and love as two very very different things, and thus has no qualms at all about sleeping around, even were he to be in a relationship. It is likely to be a bone of contention with whomever does fall in love with Hawke. This isn't to say he isn't a devoted lover, however, as for the one he loves he would sacrifice himself, and do anything for that person.
Hawke's opinion of the Templar has always been somewhat low, he doesn't care for the oppression of any person, let alone of mages. But nor does he agree with the dabbling of blood magic. He believes that there can be a middle ground between the two, without the incarceration that a life in the Circle promises.
Garrett is not a ruthless man unless cornered, but when provoked or threatened, he will not hesitate to cut an enemy down. And when his family or friends are threatened? Watch out. Hawke will go to any lengths necessary to defend them. Hawke is very protective of those he cares about, even if he doesn't seem that way at first.
An extremely loyal man, Hawke will not back down from a fight if it means protecting those he cares for. He is also willing to see the good in his friends, though not without poking a little fun at their failings, first.
Skills | Powers: Hawke is a rogue, which means he is skilled with dual short blades, as well as a bow. He has no magical abilities to speak of, but doesn't see this as a hindrance, instead incorporating the use of poison lacing the edges of his blades, as well as smoke bombs to increase his stealth, and techniques at blending to assassinate his targets with incredible efficiency. There are very few locks that he comes across that he cannot entice to open, and he also has proficient skills in locating and disarming traps. An expert assassin, and duelist, Hawke's skills at hand to hand combat are more than enough to deal with almost any situation he finds himself in. As Hawke cannot perform magic himself, it is definitely a weakness. He has very little magical resistance at all without his armor, and even with his armor his resistance still isn't very good. Garrett also has a horrible sense of direction, he probably couldn't navigate his way out of a paper bag. He could potentially get lost on a one way street. He doesn't even need to try.
First Person Sample: [ It's a simple thing, the Champion decides- or rather, ex-Champion now. But there's little time for him to start musing upon that, as he pokes and prods around the home that has apparently been labeled as his, and even came with a polite little gift basket of sorts.
It's all somewhat unsettling, really.
Garrett had never seen a cellular phone before, let alone the little handheld thing marked with an 'uPhone' across the top of it. He hadn't the slightest clue what a 'uPhone' was, and so other than prodding at it a little with his thumb, squinting quizzically at it, he'd tossed it over his shoulder, disregarded it entirely. Which was precisely how the video and audio had wound up on as he rummaged through the home. ]
Honestly, if he had wanted to go on holiday to somewhere strange he really could have just asked.
[ Hawke is talking to himself, and so too does he seem to be looking for something. But something from behind him catches his eye. On the floor, where the uPhone is recording there is a small, red light. And, his curiosity getting the better of him, Garrett reached down to pick it up. ]
Is this magic? Anders must have been speaking with Sandal to come up with something like this.
[ He taps the screen again, before shrugging a bit. ]
I wonder what it's for. Perhaps it's like the Eluvian. Though hopefully, less evil.
[ If only he knew. ]
Perhaps Merrill will like it.
[ And then, just as haphazardly as before, the uPhone is tossed away, and Garrett moves out of the frame, presumably into another room, where a grunt of surprise can be heard, and the fizzle of white noise. Likely the television set. ]
What in the name of Andraste's TITS! [ And then, came the smash. ]
Third Person Sample: "So a mage, a templar, and a rogue walk into a bar,"
Hawke was grinning as he delivered this line to the man sitting across from him, cocking a challenging brow as he waited for any response from the other. When Garrett received nothing, he continued on anyway.
"You know, if you've heard this one you could just tell me to stop now," Hawke prompted, but still received little in the way of response from the other. With an exasperated sigh, Hawke rolled his shoulders in a shrug. "You know what they say about tough crowds, don't you?" The pointed stare he received said more than enough, but Hawke continued right on with what he'd been getting at anyway, "They say you should- oh never mind, you won't get it anyway,"
Shaking his head, Garrett lifted himself up from the stool that he had been calling home for the past hour or so, where he had been drinking copious amounts more than was probably suggested. And with this drinking, so too had come a far more boisterous attitude than was perhaps necessary. But the foul humor of his bar mate, while it hadn't shaken him, it had certainly encouraged him to move on to greener pastures. Anders always appreciated a good joke, and when he didn't it was usually only because he was the butt of it. It was a shame Carver had died, he'd always been good for a laugh.
Moving for the door proved far harder than Hawke had previously given it credit for. Something probably to do with the comfortable buzz humming through his system. On wobbling feet, he managed out into the cool night air, and he closed his eyes, sucked a breath in and allowed the sea breeze to roll over him, and through him.
"Now that is refreshing," he mumbled to himself, grinning at the thought that Isabela would have agreed with him. And speaking of Isabela...
He cast a sidelong glance back towards the Hanged Man, considered returning for a moment, but shook the idea off. He'd promised Anders to return to the mansion tonight, and he hated to think of the other's face if he didn't make it back to the mansion before dawn he would be most certainly sleeping on the floor again.
He really needed to invest in a good, sturdy couch.
But this thought was a fleeting notion as he took off at an amble, his armor shifting and clinking as he strode up the stairs and into lowtown.
It didn't take him long before he was hopelessly lost.
"Need to talk to Varric about borrowing some of that twine," he told himself as he looked around, tried to get his bearings, squinting as he considered the entrance to Gamlen's home, not quite sure how he'd ended up so close to his uncle's place.
"No, maybe it's a right at the Qunari compound," he mumbled, still swaying on his feet.
It was well into the morning when Garrett finally found his way home. Exhausted, and still far more tipsy than he cared for. He'd sobered up a little, at least. He pulled open the door and practically crawled up the stairs to his bedroom, leaving pieces of armor in his wake. When finally he made it up the stairs, he found Anders waiting, arms crossed and a narrow eyed stare meeting Hawke's wobbling approach.
"I can explain," Garrett mumbled. But was never given the chance; exhaustion, and alcohol getting the better of him, and he toppled face first onto the floor.
When he woke up, a few hours later, he was still on the floor. And with a painfully black eye. The markings of a good night, in Garrett's opinion.