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PLAYER
Player name: Manda
Contact: ugh gross don't contact me
Characters currently in-game: Adam Parrish since I already accepted myself (UNLIKE ADAM /FINGERGUNS)

CHARACTER
Character Name: Dorian Pavus
Character Age: 30
Canon: Dragon Age
Canon Point: Post-game, pre-dlc
History: Dorian on the Dragon Age wiki
Personality:

"I'm here to set things right. Also? To look dashing. That part's less difficult."

Charming, witty, skilled, handsome - Dorian would call himself a lot of things, all of them complimentary. He's not lacking in self-confidence, after all, and he has something clever to say in any given situation. He keeps things light, if sometimes barbed, responding to serious situations with an apparently flippant attitude. But he can easily be serious when it is necessary, and the flippancy is a veneer, a mask meant to conceal his weaknesses.

Dorian's exterior presentation is carefully constructed. It isn't untrue - he isn't faking it, he really is witty and clever, and he does care about his appearance. He's interested in fashion, he takes care to be properly groomed, and he enjoys being the center of attention, when it's on his terms. He wants people to talk about him because of his dashing appearance, his charming personality, because if they're doing that they're not talking about the things he's grown used to hiding. Well, that and he just enjoys the attention.

There are other things about him that he doesn't make an attempt to hide, but that he doesn't play up, either. For one, he's a giant nerd. Dorian's usual haunt, the place he can always be found, is a nook in the library. He comments on the poor choice of tomes, does genealogical research for the Inquisition, and has a history of working on new and difficult magical innovations. Dorian is an intelligent man, curious about things he doesn't understand - he peppers Cole with questions about himself and about spirits and the Fade. He's interested in learning more, and he values knowledge highly - he's more than just a pretty face. He'd be the first to say that, but even so, he doesn't make as big a deal about his intelligence and scholarship as he does other aspects of himself, like his appearance.

What Dorian's pretty face, careful grooming, and witty words hide is his deep insecurity. Oh, he's confident - in his appearance, his abilities, his social acumen. He has no doubt that he is able to do things, and do things well. What he does have difficulty with is believing that others will see the value in him - the personality and the person beneath all that glitter. Dorian spent most of his life hiding his desires and his truest self, and as a result he's had very few real friendships. By the end of the game, after Felix has died, Dorian calls the Inquisitor his 'best and only friend'.

He was betrayed by both of the people he looked up to, his father and Alexius. His father hated what he was and betrayed his trust and love because of it, and Alexius betrayed the ideals that he and Dorian had shared. What other friends Dorian had were generally surface friendships, where he hid his sexuality and therefore his true self, knowing that they wouldn't stand by him if they knew. Is it any wonder that Dorian finds it very difficult to open up to people, that he prefers to make clever comments and dress stylishly than to be open about himself?

In addition, despite Dorian's acceptance of his own sexuality, he's never had a meaningful relationship. In Tevinter, relations between men were only carried out covertly - a night or two, leave in the morning, never speak of it again. If romanced, Dorian is truly surprised (and pleased) by the fact that the Inquisitor doesn't simply want him to leave afterward - and if broken up with, he takes it very well, stating that he's been 'a port in a storm' before. This shows that he expects sexual relationships to be a brief affair, and romance? That's never been part of his life, though he is deeply romantic in his own way, showing his strong devotion and love for the Inquisitor if romanced.

Another thing that becomes obvious in conversations with him is how little he's been praised. Oh, for his looks and his social skills, certainly, and even for his intelligence and magical prowess. But for his actions and morals? Almost never. Being called brave for his decision to leave his home startles and pleases him - as if no one's ever said it before, probably because no one has. Dorian's difficulty opening up about himself means that it's harder for people to hurt him, but it also means that it's harder for him to find support, too. He's used to hiding the parts of himself that might expose him to ridicule or pain, but those are also the parts that are most important to him - and he's never really received praise or support for them, either.

That self-confidence of Dorian's covers up his many fears and insecurities, and covers it so well that few would guess what lies beneath. But despite his fears, he is supported both by his own strong knowledge of himself and love for what he is. He knows he deserves more than to spend the rest of his life miserable. He knows he is clever and entertaining and smart. Even if no one else loves him, he can love himself.

He also finds strength in his idealism. Thedas is a difficult place to live, but though Dorian seems jaded and sarcastic, it's clear that deep down he believes things can be better. He believes that the Inquisitor can save Thedas. He believes that the world can change. He believes that the Tevinter Imperium, fallen from grace and soaked in blood magic and slavery, can be fixed - and he thinks that he can do it, or at least contribute. He joins the Inquisition to make up for what his countrymen have done, all the damage they have caused. Despite the fact that Dorian left his home, and acknowledges all the horribleness that happens there, it's still his home. He doesn't want to abandon it, he wants to fix it. Make it better. If that's not idealism, what is?

And if it doesn't work out, well, he'll always have a witty comment and a bottle of wine to fall back on.

Inventory:

- a staff (infused with his magic, it shoots very basic ice spells)
- a set of mage robes
- 4 books ('Metaphysics of the Fade: Theory and Research', 'Beyond the Veil: Spirits and Demons', 'A Treatise on the Ethics of Reanimation', 'Tale of the Champion')
- a small vial of lyrium (temporarily increases magical powers)

Abilities:

Mages in Thedas wield many different types of magic, and through study and experimentation can use their magic to do all sorts of things. However, each mage tends to specialize in certain things. Though this doesn't mean they can't do anything outside of that specialty, it does mean that the spells within those specialties are easier and take less effort and concentration. This is essentially the difference between needing to do a large ritual to summon a spirit, and being able to summon one in a matter of moments in the midst of battle.

Dorian is a well-educated, skilled mage, with plenty of power. His areas of concentration are mainly fire magic and necromancy. His mastery of fire magic allows him to light people on fire and create explosions of flame, walls of fire, and fire 'mines' that explode when crossed. Generally, he's pretty good at lighting shit up.

His necromancy isn't about animating corpses, but rather summoning spirits - and other things that might not seem so connected, like inflicting uncontrollable fear on his enemies and cursing people with 'walking bomb' effects that cause them pain until a final explosion of pain/damage. Necromancy also means that killing someone temporarily increases his power. (In an RPG, this is less awful than it sounds.) Unrelated to necromancy, he also has the ability to cast barriers that can protect others from harm. Dorian cannot heal, however.

In addition to all of these spells, which he's very familiar with and can cast without any extra effort needed (and in the middle of battle!), with study and preparation Dorian would be able to craft and cast spells outside of his usual areas. He assisted Alexius in creating time magic, a thing that was previously thought impossible, so he's no slouch when it comes to magical R&D.

As for weaknesses, well, there's a reason mages aren't front-line fighters. Dorian isn't a physical fighter and never will be. He carries a staff, but he shoots magic out of it - he doesn't whack people over the head. He can't take as much damage as a trained fighter, and in the right circumstances, a punch can lay him out. Physically, Dorian is a squishy mage who cannot hold his own in a fight. It's magic that levels the playing field for him.


Flaws:

Dorian is far from perfect. He hides so much of himself, he plays up his self-confidence to the point of ridiculousness at times. He recognizes many of the things that are wrong with his homeland (blood magic, decadence) while not fully understanding the impact of others (slavery). He was born privileged, and though he left, still carries some attitudes from that time. His wit can be hurtful at times, and he probably drinks too much. Also, he is a necromancer, and quite literally deals in death. He's got a high body count and no particular regrets about it.

SAMPLES
Action Log Sample: TDM thread with Blackwall