The Tale of the Champion

[tellstales]

You'll need to hear the whole story...

T he Blight had been unleashed on Ferelden. Darkspawn poured out the Wilds, clashing against the armies at the ruins of Ostagar. The battle was a disaster. King Calian, died on the field with his men, betrayed by his most trusted general. Unopposed, the horde marched on the village of Lothering. The village burned, and many innocents were slaughtered. The champions’ family barely escaped in time...

♞

T he witch kept her word and got them to Gwaren, where they took ship. They sailed north across the Waking Sea, lashed by terrible storms. Two weeks they spent in that dark hold, packed in with the fearful and the desparate. And then they saw it: Kirkwall, the City of Chains. Long ago, it was part of the Imperium, slaves coming from far and wide to work the quarries. Now it's a free city. But I use the word loosely. Sail through those black cliffs and you'll see what the slaves of old saw: the Gallows, welcoming you. That's where their ship landed with all the rest.

♞

T hus begun the Champion's first year in Kirkwall. Word arrived from across the sea that the Hero of Ferelden had defeated the Blight. But Lothering was destroyed. Kirkwall was the Champion's home now. So he remained, paying off his debt. Made a name for himself in the underworld. It was a busy year in the city. That's when the Qunari landed. A great storm caught their ship and left hundreds of warriors stranded in the city, waiting to return home. That's also when the trouble began with the mages. The Templars had become very powerful under Knight-Commander Meredith. But most importantly, that's when I first met the Champion.

♞

T he treasure we found in the Deep Roads made us a fortune. The Champion moved up in the world, literally, bought a mansion in High Town. Everyone knew who he was now, even the Viscount was taking notice. The Grey Wardens left Kirkwall, it was months before we learned Carver had survived. Three years later the Qunari still hadn't left. The Qunari insisted they were waiting for their ship, but some of us knew better...

♞

C hampion of Kirwall, that was the reward. A fine title. Every noble at the Keep owed the Champion their lives. He wasn't just a hero; he was now the most important person in the city. Except for Knight-Commander Meredith, of course. With the Viscount dead, she stepped in to keep order. Things quickly got out of hand. The more she squeezed the mages, the more they resisted. The more they resisted, the tighter she squeezed. After three years of that, it all came crashing down.

♞

W ord of the slaughter spread quickly. The Champion's name became a rallying cry, a reminder that the mighty Templars could be defied. He had defended the mages against a brutal injustice, and many lived to tell the tale. The Circles rose up and set the world on fire. More Templars arrived at Kirkwall to restore order, but we were already long gone. We vanished into the hills, and circumstance eventually forced us all to leave the Champion's side. Well...all of us except for Anders. You still hear the stories of course. With each telling they grow, even if at the core remains the truth. A new legend had been born.

The Tale of the Champion
Act I
Act II
Act III
Interlude - Legacy
Interlude - Mark of the Assassin

So that's it. That's the whole story.

[[ooc: This is the Tale of the Champion using the background I used for Varric. Hawke is a male mage who is charming/sarcastic, Carver is a Warden, Anders was romanced and friendship was achieved with all party members (which is possible albeit with enough juggling).]]