Artur Hawke

Artur Hawke
Artur meeting with King Alistair
Real World Information
Reddit Author	eclipse3000
Game	Dragon Age II
Biographical Information
Gender	Male
Race	Human
Class	Mage
Specialization	Force Mage
Love Interest	Fenris
Age	24–31 (DAII) 35 (DA:I)

"Mages fall to demons and, like any other man, to corruption and vice. You only need to look at the Tevinter Imperium for proof of that. The Chantry can't trust us with the same freedoms as normal men."

Artur Hawke (born 17 Justinian 9:06 Dragon, presumed dead as of 20 Guardian 9:42 Dragon) was the first Champion of Kirkwall and the first Viscount of Kirkwall appointed after the death of Marlowe Dumar in the Qunari invasion, which Artur repelled by defeating the Arishok in single combat. Born in Ferelden to an apostate and a lady of House Amell, Artur spent most of his early life on the run with his family in order to escape the notice of the templars, but nevertheless grew to believe in the templars, the Circle, and the Chantry for reasons unknown. At the outset of the Fifth Blight, Artur led his family to Kirkwall, where he spent the next seven years both rising to power and suffering many losses. A committed supporter of the templars, Artur aided them following the destruction of the Kirkwall Chantry, for which he was named Viscount of Kirkwall following the Battle of the Gallows. Eight months later, however, he was forced to vacate the post due to the templars' increasing paranoia and fled Kirkwall.

Artur spent the next few years both in the Free Marches and in his homeland of Ferelden, and remained in obscurity until after the Siege of Haven, when he was summoned to aid the Inquisition in defeating Corypheus, who he had accidentally unleashed years before. He accompanied the Inquisitor to the Siege of Adamant Fortress in the Western Approach, where he fell into the Fade with the Inquisitor and her party. Unlike the others, he did not return from the Fade, and according to the reports of the Inquisitor and Senior Warden Jean-Marc Stroud, he is presumed to have been killed in action.

Overview

Basic Information

Full Name: Artur Hawke

Nickname(s): Art (Carver), Enchanter, Chuckles (Varric)

Alias(es): None

Occupation: Viscount of Kirkwall, Champion of Kirkwall (formerly)

Age: 35 as of Guardian, 9:42 Dragon

Date of Birth: Justinian 17, 9:06 Dragon

Nationality: Fereldan

Orientation: Bisexual

Libido: Moderate

Religion: Andrastianism

Threat Level: 7/10. Artur is a very strong mage and a master of lightning magic, which he can use in all manner of inventive ways, making him an unpredictable opponent. Paradoxically, he is also very disciplined and controlled, always taking great care with his magic no matter what he's up against, and this serves him well, as it ensures that he'll never waste his mana and only rarely cast a spell awry. Nevertheless, Artur is not a very versatile mage, and his magic is almost purely offensive, meaning that once somebody manages to get past his magic, he'll have a lot of trouble defending himself.

World State: Playthrough 1 ('Human')

Physical Information

Face Claim: Giulio Berruti

Height: 5'10" / 1.78 m

Eye Colour: Grey

Hair Colour + Style: Black, parted in the middle, straight, and short

Dominant Hand: Right

Body Type: Skinny

Distinguishing Features: Extensive fractal scarring hidden by facial mask and clothing

Accent + Intensity: Fereldan, heavy

Tattoo(s): None

Scar(s): Fractal scarring covering entire body up to his cheeks

Piercing(s): None

Glasses? No

Background Information

Hometown: Ashwell, Amaranthine

Current Residence: N/A (last seen at Adamant Fortress)

Language(s): Common

Social Class: Lower class pre-Act 2, nobility from Act 2 onwards

Education: Homeschooled by his parents, given a Circle education in magic by Malcolm and taught subjects such as history and how to read and write by both Malcolm and Leandra. Learnt theology and religion largely through reading the Chant of Light, Chantry histories, and visiting the chantries in the various places he stayed in.

Family: See below

Romanced: Fenris

Pet(s): Aedan, mabari war hound, given to him as a puppy when he was 13, killed when the estate is levelled by the Chantry explosion

Adopted? No

Rap Sheet: None

Prison Time: None

Personality Information

MBTI/Jung Type: ISFJ "Defender"

Archetype: The Caregiver

Enneagram: Loyalist

Moral Alignment: Lawful Good

Temperament: Melancholic

Angered By: Invasions of his privacy, misuse and abuse of power, selfishness, irresponsibility, refusing to take responsibility for your own actions

Intelligence Type: Intrapersonal

Neurodivergence(s): N/A

At Risk: His piety, absolute devotion to the Chantry, and hatred of magic tend to blind him to the faults of the Chantry and the templars and be more lenient with them than he is with other mages. More critically, his guilt complex and excessively high moral standards lead him to take on more blame for the things that go wrong than he should and make him desperate to atone regardless of the cost. This is what ultimately gets him killed.

Vices and Habits

Smokes? No

Drinks? No

Drugs? No

Violent? Only when he needs to be

Addictions? None

Self-Destructive? Mildly so at the best of times, but this gets pushed to extremes when he wants to atone for something for which he feels death is the only fitting punishment, as detailed above.

Habit(s): Reciting verses from the Chant that happen to suit the situation at hand, dressing as a Circle mage and living by a schedule at home to imitate life in the Circle, a rigid system of prayer and visits to the chantry

Hobbies: Reading, studying magic and theology

Likes: Anything Fereldan, anything Andrastian, storms, pretty scenery, dreamless nights

Dislikes: Magic, himself, Kirkwall, parental hypocrisy, gambling

Tic(s): None

Obsession(s): None

Compulsion(s): None

Miscellaneous Information

House: Hufflepuff / Horned Serpent

Zodiac: Toth

Vice: Wrath

Virtue: Temperance / Justice

Element: Water

Mythological Creature: Elf

Animal: Dog

Mutation: None

Biography

History

Born in the farming village of Ashwell, Amaranthine a few months after his parents' arrival in Ferelden, Artur was an entirely normal boy for the first few years of his life. He no longer remembers that time, however. When he was four, his magical abilities manifested, and ever after it would become one of the defining features of his life. Still, there was a time even after this when Artur was happy and, at worst, ambivalent towards his magic, which he treated with all the due caution and care that his father instilled in him. After they were born, he took well to being a big brother to Bethany and Carver, and he continued to get along with them as they grew up, often commiserating with Bethany over their mutual fears regarding their magic and always respecting Carver as the best of them and taking the time to make sure he was paid the attention that he deserved. While all the magic and the threat of the templars often made things difficult, it was nothing that Artur couldn't handle, and he was generally content with his lot.

This all changed when Artur was twelve. Artur had always had a particular affinity and talent for lightning magic, and it was lightning magic that he sought to master above all else. One day, while the family was living in the vilage of Kilcott, near Denerim, Artur began to practise outside. The ground was still wet from a storm the day before, and Artur accidentally stepped in a puddle while casting a lightning spell. Magical lightning reacted no better to water than real lightning would have, and upon making contact with the puddle, the spell blew up in Artur's face and all but electrocuted him. Thanks to Malcolm's quick aid, Artur managed to pull through, and most of the damage was fixed, but he was left covered from head to toe in deep fractal scars that were beyond Malcolm's ability to heal. Due to having been wrought by magic, the scars did not fade as fractal scars from normal lightning did, and it soon became clear that they never would.

The event led to a profound change in Artur's personality and attitude towards magic. He now began to openly fear and resent what he had once enjoyed, and his scarring left him resentful and ashamed of his appearance as well, to the point where he began to cover up and wear a mask outside his home so as not to show others what he looked like. Unfortunately, all this made Artur a natural target for demons, which began to torment him constantly, always seeking a way to overcome and possess him. Knowing that he would never be free of them, Artur's resentment of his magic turned into hatred, and he became firmly convinced of the rightness and necessity of the Templar Order and the Circle of Magi, believing that they were required to protect the world from mages and mages from themselves. His new conviction was only strengthened by his growing piety and dedication to the Chantry, which brought him much comfort even as it confirmed everything Artur was starting to suspect about mages and thus fostered his growing self-loathing. Now, as well, Artur would often argue with his father about their differing views on magic, and would once even ask to be allowed to join the Circle, but Malcolm's response was so uncharacteristically furious that Artur reluctantly dropped the matter and did not mention it again.

Following Malcolm's death from illness, Artur took over as the head of the family, though he still longed for nothing more than a chance to go to the Circle. Indeed, he would have gone had he had not known that such a thing would have devastated his already grieving mother and his siblings, but as Artur did know, he remained, albeit rather unwillingly. For some years afterwards, he managed to hold everything together, but Leandra's unwillingness to help him out as head of the family, Carver's resentment of him, and the ever-present need to look over his shoulder for the templars, coupled with his continuing self-esteem issues and fight against being possessed, made Artur generally miserable. In that time, his faith was the only thing he had to comfort him, and he clung to it as a barnacle does to rock. But still, it was better than what would come next. When Carver returned to Lothering not a month after joining the army, warning that the darkspawn horde was on its way, Artur knew at once that his troubles were far from over. He could only wish, as ever, that his father had let him join the Circle, and prepare for what was to come.

In-game

Act One

Quest	Decisions
The Destruction of Lothering	Let Aveline decide Wesley's fate. Joined the mercenaries. Killed Friedrich.
Enemies Among Us	Killed Idunna. Keran discharged from the templars.
Wayward Son	Killed Danzig. Sent Feynriel to the Circle.
Loose Ends	Did not kill Lord Harimann. Told Meeran the truth.
Shepherding Wolves	Defended Ketojan from the Qunari.
Act of Mercy	Handed the Starkhaven mages to Ser Thrask.
Friends in Low Places	Refused Dougal's offer.
The Deep Roads Expedition	Carver became a Grey Warden.
Secondary/Side Quests	Rescued Saemus. Told Ghyslain the truth about Ninette's death. Killed Kelder. Did not blackmail Ser Thrask. Refused to give Martin his cargo. Investigated the Bone Pit.

Act Two

Quest	Decisions
Blackpowder Courtesy	Spared Javaris.
Offered and Lost	Killed Ser Varnell.
Prime Suspect	Killed Gascard.
Following the Qun	Did not help Petrice.
Demands of the Qun	Earned the Arishok's respect. Isabela returned. Duelled the Arishok.
Secondary/Side Quests	Freed Feynriel. Did not encounter Yevhen. Discovered the looter of Hubert's caravans. Convinced Hubert to spare Sabin. Helped the guards with the raiders on the Coast. Destroyed Tarohne's tomes.
Legacy	Killed Malvernis. Found Malcolm's will. Sided with Larius.

Act Three

Quest	Decisions
Showdown	Sided with Meredith.
On the Loose	Told Emile to return to the Circle immediately.
Best Served Cold	Gave Keran to the templars. Advocated mercy for Alain and reinstatement for Samson. Handed conspirators to Meredith.
The Last Straw	Executed Anders. Sided with the templars. Spared mages who surrendered in the final battle.
Secondary/Side Quests	Killed the high dragon. Saved Nathaniel. Sided with Ser Agatha. Summoned Hybris. Reunited Gamlen and Charade. Offered to help Nuncio. Let Zevran go.
Mark of the Assassin	Baited an alpha wyvern. Left Arlange's fate to Prosper. Snuck through the Chateau. Left Tallis in the cave.

Companions

Companion	Decisions
Anders	Rival. Encouraged to kill Karl. Saved Ella. Kept in the party. Helped gather ingredients.
Aveline	Friend. Married Donnic. Remained Captain of the Guard.
Carver	Friend. Given Malcolm's letters to Ser Maurevar. Kidnapped by conspirators in Best Served Cold.
Fenris	Friend. Gave Orana a job. Killed Varania.
Isabela	Rival. Encouraged to return Tome. Killed Castillon.
Merrill	Rival. Denied the arulin'holm. Clan Sabrae survived. Shattered the eluvian.
Sebastian	Friend. Encouraged to remain with the Chantry. Tried to persuade Elthina to leave Kirkwall.
Varric	Friend. Spared Bartrand. Gave idol shard to Sandal.

Afterwards

Although Artur was ultimately forced to flee Kirkwall by the same templars who he had supported only eight months prior, he was not at all sad to be going—quite the opposite, in fact. Kirkwall had brought him next to nothing but misery and trauma, had forced him to watch his family fall apart around him and events spiral out of his control while still keeping him in the centre of it all. To get away from it at long last was nothing short of a relief. Still, Kirkwall had brought him some joy as well, chiefly in the form of Fenris and their other friends, and it was Fenris who remained with Artur after he went on the run. After leaving the city, they continued to investigate the red lyrium that the templars were using and eventually returned to Ferelden. Though his trauma continued to haunt him at nearly every turn, being back in his beloved homeland again after so long and with the man he'd dared his heart on at his side made Artur happier than he had been in decades. Eventually, he began to dream of settling down in Denerim with Fenris and leading a quiet life, not wanting any more adventures or excitement.

But it wasn't to be. Some months after the opening of the Breach, Artur learnt from Varric that it was none other than Corypheus, who he had thought dead, who was behind it all. Quickly realising how Corypheus must have survived, for at the time Artur had noticed Larius' odd behaviour but thought nothing of it, Artur's guilt complex and impossibly high standards led him to immediately hold himself accountable for the explosion at the Conclave and the deaths of so many thousands. Suffice it to say, the effect on his mind was cataclysmic. Driven almost insane and rendered self-destructive and suicidal from guilt, believing that he no longer deserved to live after what he had done, Artur decided to go to Skyhold by himself, wanting to both protect Fenris from the red lyrium and deny him the chance to stop Artur from doing everything in his power to atone. At Skyhold, he continued his self-destructive spiral, and the Inquisitor did not fail to notice. When they confronted the Nightmare in the Fade, she chose Artur to stay behind, hoping to give him a chance to do the penance that he felt was required of him and find some peace. What happened to Artur afterwards cannot be known, but one hopes that if he died, then he has indeed found that peace.

Relationships

Anders

Artur and Anders’ relationship is difficult, to say the least, and generally acrimonious, plagued with disagreements both great and small. Artur is wary of Anders from the start due to his being an apostate and an abomination who hates the templars and the Circle, and it doesn’t really get any better from here. As the years pass, he increasingly finds Anders to be obnoxious and hypocritical, particularly detesting how he treats the other members of the party; this peaks when Anders compares Fenris to a wild dog and reduces his life as a slave to ‘one bad experience’. After a certain point, Artur only keeps Anders around because he feels that the man is too dangerous to be left unmonitored and because his skills as a healer are useful to the party, but the more Justice overtakes Anders, the more hostile their relationship becomes, with Anders’ manipulating Artur and making him complicit in the destruction of the chantry being the final straw. The only really high point in their relationship is when Anders saves Carver’s life in the Deep Roads, but even Artur’s gratitude for that fades as the years go by.

Aveline

Aveline and Artur have a relationship built on supporting and relying on each other when everyone else is unavailable or has else turned away. Although others end up being closer to Artur, Aveline has been with him the longest out of everyone except Carver, hence the sort of relationship they end up sharing. Aveline’s constant support for Artur and the fact that she checks on him and asks if he’s all right more than any of his other companions (while requiring his support the least) means that he, in turn, is more comfortable confessing some of his worries and traumas to her than to even Varric, who he doesn’t entirely trust to take them seriously. Although Aveline’s missteps in certain areas and her sabotaging Carver’s application to join the guard damage their friendship somewhat, at the end of the day, they remain rock-solid friends, the sort who know that the other will always be there and can take comfort in that fact (which makes what happens later all the more crushing for Aveline).

Carver

Artur and Carver’s relationship is, in the beginning, quite complicated, at least on Carver’s end. Carver naturally resents always being in Artur’s shadow and the fact that their parents neglected him in favour of Artur and Bethany, but the fact that Artur sees him as the best and strongest of the three of them and has always tried to get their parents to pay more attention to him, even if it never really worked, mitigates his ill feelings somewhat. Artur, meanwhile, loves Carver unequivocally and is always looking out for him, but at times, Carver’s lack of gratitude for the things he does for him and his constant resistance to Artur’s efforts to get closer to him frustrate him. As much as he understands Carver’s anger, he can’t help but wonder what he needs to do to break down his brother’s barriers, if indeed anything can be done. Eventually, time, distance, and Carver maturing lead to their relationship becoming much stronger, as Carver finally expresses his gratitude for everything Artur did for him and reciprocates Artur’s efforts to get closer; this leads to them becoming much friendlier with each other. With the entire rest of their family gone and them having wasted enough time already, it seems wrong to hold onto grudges, and so they make up as best they can and move forward.

Fenris

The early days of their relationship are difficult, filled with great distrust on Fenris’ part and caution on both sides, Fenris naturally being wary of Artur and Artur taking great care to not overstep any boundaries. As the years pass, however, and as Fenris learns that Artur can be trusted, the barriers between them slowly crumble, and they become closer and more affectionate. Healthy or unhealthy, much of their relationship is based on their mutual hatred of magic, the fact that both feel as if they’ve been spoilt by it, and their similar resentment and shame of the marks covering their bodies, and so they can empathise with each other in a way that they can’t with most everyone else. This foundation is strong enough that even after the events of Act II deal a very severe blow to their friendship, they still are able to rely on this and connect with each other, and thus rebuild from there. By the end of the game, after everything, they are completely loyal and devoted to each other and prepared to do anything to see the other safe. More than anything else, at the core of their relationship is understanding and a common connection, unhealthy though it may be.

Isabela

Artur and Isabela’s relationship is quite tense as a general rule, and, as with his relationships with Anders and Merrill, often plagued by disagreements. By and large, their worldviews are diametrically opposed to each other, so they tend to argue about most of the things that Artur does. For his part, Artur detests Isabela’s selfishness and utter disregard for the law, and this only grows until it becomes one of the few things that can get Artur to completely lose his temper (though in one instance, he’s already under a lot of stress to begin with). He also is not forgiving of her betraying him in the Fade, not thinking that a boat is a sufficiently understandable reason to fall to temptation (unlike, say, the power to meet your very real and very dangerous enemies, as it is with Fenris), and certainly not of her taking off with the Tome. Though Isabela returns, he’s never quite able to forgive her for it, nor for her being willing to sell people into slavery in order to get a new ship, which Artur thinks proves that she has learnt nothing. Ultimately, their relationship doesn’t begin to improve until Isabela finally admits that her choices have hurt people and that she should try to be a better person, which isn’t much, but it is a start.

Merrill

Artur and Merrill have a difficult relationship, plagued with disagreements about the nature of magic and Merrill’s use of blood magic. Artur finds it close to impossible to trust Merrill since she is a blood mage, and he cannot overlook this no matter how sweet and endearing she may be; he also thinks her horribly naïve for believing that demons are no worse than spirits and that blood magic is no worse than any other form of magic. Combined with her general kookiness and her stubborn insistence on pursuing her course despite everyone trying to get her to stop, and Artur generally thinks her a fool, a dangerous fool. While he can sympathise with her for her attachment to her clan and her alienation from them, as it reminds him of his situation with Carver, he doesn’t believe that the risks she’s taking are worth the price, and when it does finally blow up in her face, he is grimly vindicated. For most of the time that they’re together, especially after Artur denies Merrill the arulin’holm, their relationship is tense and strained, and it doesn’t really improve until after Merrill finally shatters the eluvian.

Sebastian

Sebastian and Artur have a common connection almost from the moment Sebastian joins the party, due to both of them being deeply religious men with strong moral codes who have lost family. While quite cynical himself, Artur appreciates Sebastian’s idealism and desire to help people, finding it a refreshing change from the attitudes of most of the rest of the party, and because of this and their shared faith, they quickly start spending a lot of time together. They soon become very, very close, with Sebastian taking about half the time that Varric and Aveline did to earn Artur’s complete trust and affection—much to their jealousy. Sebastian fits Artur better than perhaps anyone else in the party barring maybe Fenris, and their resultant friendship is founded squarely on their shared faith, experiences, and trust in each other. Artur grows to honestly love Sebastian, and for this reason, Sebastian is the first of his friends to see his unmasked face—again, much to Varric’s jealousy.

Varric

Although it takes some time for Artur to start really warming to Varric, the two eventually manage to develop a rock-solid friendship, one based not on emotional support and relying on each other when everyone else is unavailable, as Artur’s relationship with Aveline is, but on humour, winding down, and on having a sufficiently good time that they’re distracted from their problems. Having said that, there’s always a slight tension between the person Artur is and the person Varric unconsciously wishes he was; Artur often sees Varric as too personal and too willing to stick his nose where it doesn’t belong, while Varric thinks that Artur is too private and needs to loosen up a little. Varric is also sufficiently jealous and resentful of Sebastian’s even closer friendship with Artur, which took about half the time to develop as his own friendship with him, that it becomes another source of tension between them. Not that they talk about it much—their friendship is, after all, built on fun and largely ignoring their own problems.

Family

• Malcolm Hawke (father, apostate mage, died of illness in 9:27 Dragon)
• Leandra Amell (mother, Lady of Kirkwall, killed by a blood mage in 9:34 Dragon)
  • Carver Hawke (brother, Grey Warden, Warden-Ensign)
  • Bethany Hawke (sister, apostate mage, killed by an ogre at the outset of the Fifth Blight)
• Aristide Amell (m. grandfather, Lord of Kirkwall, died of cholera in 9:11 Dragon)
• Bethann Walker (m. grandmother, Lady of Kirkwall, died of cholera in 9:11 Dragon)
• Gamlen Amell (m. uncle)
  • Charade Amell (cousin, Friend of Red Jenny)

Quotes

"And all the kids cried out,

'Please stop, you're scaring me!'

I can't help this awful energy!

Goddamn right, you should be scared of me!

Who is in control?"

— Halsey, Control

• (while confronting Friedrich during the prologue) "What, this isn't the tavern? I'm so disappointed."
• (while conversing with Fenris during Fenris Recruited) "Mages and vices go together like lightning and water. The things I might do if I got drunk… no, best to avoid it."
• (to Leandra after Birthright) "I'm not sure if Carver wants a… home, Mother. I think he wants some comfort. For you to listen to him. Why can't you give him that?"
• (to Petrice at the end of Shepherding Wolves) "I am faithful, Sister Petrice. But my faith does not demand your actions. Which of us has the right of it, I wonder?"
• (while speaking to Cullen at the Gallows after Enemies Among Us) "Well, once someone admits to consorting with demons, it's a little easier to take sides."
• (while arguing with Leandra before the Deep Roads expedition) "Well, I'm glad to know that I can risk my neck down there, no problems. I'm not sure which is more insulting: your utter lack of concern for me, or your lack of confidence in Carver. And this after you've refused to do anything to help us. You don't get to criticise us for how we work to better our situation when you sit around all day moaning about how pathetic having to work for a living is and leeching off the very man who got us into the city. We're both going, Mother, and that's final!"
• (to Stroud) "If Carver dies, then so do you! Trust me on that!"
• (during The Long Road, after his night with Fenris) "You want me, a man who never drinks and who… who… never mind. But you want me of all people to play go-between for you and Donnic. Maker help me, I'll do it, but if this ends in tears, you've only yourself to blame."
• (while speaking to Anders during his Act 2 Questioning Beliefs quest) "The Maker never blamed magic. 'And so is the Golden City blackened with each step you take in My Hall. Marvel at perfection, for it is fleeting. You have brought Sin to Heaven, and doom upon all the world.' He blamed the pride of the magisters, and so created the darkspawn. And then there's, 'Magic exists to serve man and never to rule over him. Foul and corrupt are they who have taken His gift and turned it against His children.' It is a gift, it was always a gift, and it's the misuse of that gift that He despises. As should anyone. Besides, the fears of men are far from unfounded. So what's so wrong with the way things are?"
• (after seeing Ruxton Harimann with a prostitute during Repentance) "It's too late. The images are in my head and they are never going away!"
• (to Merrill at the end of her Act 2 Questioning Beliefs quest) "Well, I hope the blood magic and consorting with demons doesn't end as badly for you as it does for everyone else who's tried."

• (about Malcolm after Legacy) "He should have told us, not kept it secret. All his sanctimoniousness, and for what? Forced into it or not, he was also a blood mage in the end. I don't even know why I'm surprised."

• (to Merrill during A New Path) "Exactly which part of, 'don't talk to demons or awful things will happen' did you fail to understand?"
• (during King Alistair) "Ferelden will always be my home. If you'll excuse my bluntness, I'd have walked away from this… festering pustule of a city a long time ago, but my obligations demanded otherwise."
• (to Tallis) "Have you met my friends? All of them are crazy and most of them are killers."
• (to Carver during The Last Straw) "The war's already begun. Anders meant for the Right to be invoked—he's already made martyrs out of the whole Circle. If the mages get slaughtered, the other Circles will be outraged. If the templars get slaughtered, the rest of the Order will be outraged, and only the guards will be left to restore order here. That's not enough, not right now. Either way, no matter what happens, no matter what I do, you've got yourself a war. I know this is a travesty, Carver. I'm only helping the templars because it will reduce casualties among the common people and so we can get the city back in line, but I hate having to do it. Look me in the eyes, and hear me when I say that if there was another way, I would have taken it! Do you understand?"
• (final speech during The Last Straw) "We didn't want this. The mages, as different as we are, are in many ways just like the rest of you. It's sad, but still necessary. Kirkwall needs us to set this right. We need order, or we lose ourselves. I can't say for certain that going in there is right, but right now… it's the only choice we have. When… home is on the line, maybe that's enough."
• (during From the Ashes) "Thousands of people are already dead because I didn't do a good enough job with Corypheus, because I passed off the behaviour of the man he possessed as nothing. Those deaths are on my head. I must do penance for it. I will pay any price, help stop Corypheus at any cost."

Dialogue

(during the prologue)

• Artur: Hmm. I must admit, going to the Circle doesn't seem like a bad idea right now.
• Bethany: Artur, really!
• Artur: That was a joke! Mostly…
• Wesley: … You are a very strange apostate.
• Artur: A law-abiding one, ser. As law-abiding as any apostate can be. Anyway.

───────

(while meeting Isabela)

• Artur: When you talk about hoisting the mainsail, what do you really mean?
• Isabela: What else could it mean? It requires strength, knowledge of rigging, and a small measure of sobriety.
• Artur: I have one of those three. Two if you're being generous. I'll let you guess which.

───────

(during Talk to Anders)

• Artur: Mages are dangerous. Would you have the templars leave [us] to the demons?
• Anders: How can you say that? You should know better than anyone! Andraste's words were that magic must not rule over man. It is not ruling to simply wish for the same rights as any other man. Doesn't every mage deserve the freedom you've had?
• Artur: No. Not every mage. The way I see it, mages have power beyond most, but we are equally as prone to corruption and vice and depravity and all manner of flaws and foibles.. If this were not so, and if the consequences of our falling prey to such things were not as severe, perhaps I might agree with you—but that's not the case. Being so much more powerful than normal men—and as prone to vice as normal men—we cannot be treated like normal men. It would be foolish to do otherwise.

───────

(during Birthright)

• Artur: Well, good talk. Reminds me of all the ones we used to have, back when you actually gave some sign that you cared about me. I keep trying, Carver. More than Mother ever does for either of us. Why isn't it enough?
• Carver: Brother. Artur.
• Carver: I feel… I don't know. It's like Mother, taking everything out on us. She was just scared. I don't have a place in the life she is trying to bring back.
• Artur: Neither do I, frankly. The only person she'll be making happy with this is herself, but that doesn't matter, does it? It never did. Not to her. Not to Father. Bethany was the only one they were really worried about keeping happy.

───────

(during a visit to the Gallows)

• Fenris: Considering all that magic has done to my homeland and my race, I weep for your predicament. Power corrupts, as they say, and mages have power enough already.
• Artur: Don't forget all the vices and sins that tempt normal men, too. Corruption on top of corruption and you have a recipe for disaster. I'm not saying that it's flawless, but] what the Circle does here is better than the alternative.
• Fenris: An alternative I am very familiar with.
• Anders: Alternatives are so wonderful for those who have choices. [If you think that way, why aren't you in the Circle?
• Artur: I asked my father if I could go, once. He completely lost it and we had a screaming row about it. Didn't speak to each other for a week afterwards. I never mentioned it again. And then he died, and to have lost one of her children at the same time as that would have killed my mother. Same as when we lost Bethany—if I'd entered the Gallows after we arrived in Kirkwall, so soon after losing Bethany, she couldn't have borne it. So I stay out here. But if there ever comes a day when I no longer have family to protect in Kirkwall—not counting my uncle, because he can look after himself—then I will go to the Circle. I like to think I'm not a complete hypocrite.

───────

(during Legacy)

• Carver: 'That which is best in me.' Father used to say that, didn't he? To you and Bethany? She never felt like she could live up to him.
• Artur: He did. I always found it a stupid philosophy.
• Varric: Why's that?
• Artur: It only works if you're a good person, like Father was. What if that which is best in you is also that which is most base? Such as it is for the magisters. No, I always thought even if you're a good person, and whether you're weak or strong, if you're a mage, look to outside forces for guidance on how you should use your magic. Outside forces that are less likely to be corrupted, such as the laws of the land and the Chantry.
• Fenris: Sensible.
• Artur: He hated that I thought that way. Oh, the arguments we used to have. Not that it matters now.

───────

(during No Rest for the Wicked)

• Isabela: I can't believe you just lost me a ship.
• Artur: Stop thinking about yourself! You know Castillon didn't deserve to walk free!
• Isabela: This was my decision. It was my life he threatened. If I can live with him walking free, why can't you?
• Artur: It's not about me or you. It's about the slaves he sold and the people he's hurt. You know that better than I do. Or you should.

───────

(during A Murder of Crows)

• Zevran: Why they insist on thinking they can kill people like you and the Warden, I will never guess.
• Artur: Let me tell you, it's a burden I bear on a daily basis.

───────

(during Here Lies the Abyss)

• Nightmare: Did you think you mattered, Hawke? Did you think anything you ever did mattered? You couldn't even save your city. How could you expect to strike down a god? Fenris is going to die, just like your family, and everyone you ever cared about.
• Artur: Most of the people I care about are still here. My brother, my friends. And this is nothing I've never told myself. If you want to impress me, you'll have to be creative. Stop speaking in my voice, for a start.

───

• Stroud: We need to clear a path!
• Artur: Go! I'll cover you!
• Stroud: No. You were right. The Grey Wardens caused this. A Warden must—
• Artur: A Warden must help them rebuild. That's your job. Corypheus is mine. My job, my responsibility. If it weren't for me, none of this would have happened.
• Stroud: That's what you meant before, isn't it? You weren't lashing out at the Wardens, were you?
• Artur: No. Why do you think I see myself up there?
• Joanna: Yourself? As an abomination? A blood mage?
• Artur: That may have been the case once, but not anymore. Now it's just me. And you don't need me, you need the Wardens. Every Warden you can get. Inquisitor, please, let me do this.
• Joanna: Make your suicide a sacrifice, acceptable in the eyes of our Maker…
• Artur: Yes, exactly.
• Stroud: Hawke…
• Artur: Don't. I'm sorry, Stroud. But I have to.

See Also

Reddit

• Family dinner and words he lives by
• Words on his gravestone in the Fade and face claim
• Satinalia, sexuality, and tropes
• Developing relationships with companions and non-romance flirtations
• Silver and holding hands
• Thoughts about his old life
• Journey theme and first kill
• Expressing affection
• After DA2, babysitting, and Fable reward
• Concepts explored
• Crying, children, and companions falling out of contact
• To feel alive again
• Realising sexuality and happy thoughts
• Bad description and unnoticed awesome moments
• Political disinterest and laughter
• Weapons, armour, accessories
• Tarot cards
• Another in love and voice
• Flaws, qualities, and nicknames
• Name pronunciation
• Favourite places and associated songs
• Favourite and least favourite scenes
• Impressions of the Inquisitor
• Hanging out spot and combat comments
• Immorality for the greater good
• Death of the mabari
• A lot of blood
• Chores
• Defining quote
• Regrets
• Not ready to say goodbye
• Concealment
• As Inquisitor
• Qualities to change
• Shipping
• Armour and scars
• Nightmare after Adamant
• Appearance changes

Non-Reddit

• Tumblr Wiki page
• Tumblr tag
• Character Sheet
• Hero of Thedas
• The Hawke Questionnaire: Or, Why Did I Do This to Myself Oh God, Pt. 1
• The Hawke Questionnaire: Or, Why Did I Do This to Myself Oh God, Pt. 2

AO3

• A Mistake in the Making
• Defending Honour
• Friends of a Friend
• From a Life of Sorrow
• Home to Adventure
• Post Tenebras Lux
• Spero Meliora
• The Long Hours of the Night
• The Missing Piece
• Threnodies

Gallery

• Artur after Bethany's death
• Artur on the boat
• Artur in the alienage
• Artur with Carver
• Artur with Fenris at the Gallows
• Artur in the Bone Pit
• Artur meeting Knight-Captain Cullen
• Artur's fear for Carver's life
• Artur telling Leandra the bad news
• Artur speaking to Viscount Dumar
• Artur confronting Petrice at the chantry
• Artur during The Long Road
• Artur releasing Corypheus
• Leandra dies
• Artur in mourning
• Artur watching Dumar mourn Saemus
• Artur with Isabela in the Blooming Rose
• Artur in the Gallows
• Artur reconciling with Fenris
• Artur on the way to the final battle
• Final confrontation with Meredith
• Artur at Skyhold
• Artur at Adamant Fortress
• Artur in the Fade

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