Marian Amell was a newly promoted mage in Ferelden's Circle of Magi. Destined for a life of anonymity inside the Circe Tower, her life was changed after being conscripted into the Grey Wardens. She famously slew the Archdemon, earning the title Hero of Ferelden. Her role since the end of the Blight has mainly been as a figurehead, as her blind idealism makes her almost completely unsuited for her duties as Warden Commander and Arlessa of Amaranthine.
Overview[]
Physical Appearance[]
Marian is tall for a woman, with moss green eyes and dark skin that hints at her Rivaini heritage. She has curly black hair, which she almost constantly keeps tied back into a low bun at the back of her head.
She didn't come out of the Blight completely unscathed, and has a number of scars from fighting both Loghain's forces and Darkspawn. The most prominent runs just under her right cheekbone, earned fighting a Werewolf in the Brecilian Forest.
She wore a Grey Warden uniform throughout most of the Blight, apart from the few occasions when she remembered she should probably be undercover. This changed when she became an Arcane Warrior, at which point she switched to wearing heavy armor. Since she didn't own any spare Warden armor, she commissioned a dragonbone set from Wade in Denerim. The resulted in her finding herself decked out in white and gold armor from head to toe. It was her most striking outfit, and the one she's constantly depicted in despite the fact she rarely wears it after the Blight. She still wears the Grey Warden uniform on occasion, mostly when forced to act in her role as Warden Commander.
Personality[]
Gregarious and warm, Marian is always ready to make a new friend. She loves nothing better than to talk to strangers and learn everything there is to know about them, and is uncommonly good at making people drop their guard. She is loyal, supportive, and altruistic, always going above and beyond to help those in need. Incredibly soft-hearted, she always looks for a peaceful solution and has trouble harming even the most irredeemable criminal outside of a pitched battle.
However, despite all this, her general reputation is that of a rabble-rouser: a destabilizing element, reckless and foolhardy, with dangerous ideals and little regard for the damage she does along the way. This isn't entirely untrue; while her friends call her resolute and idealistic, her critics identify her as stubborn and naive. She does what she thinks is right over what she thinks is smart, and is drawn to new causes like a mouse to cheese. She is often rash, and acts without considering long-term consequences. She has no patience for politics or intrigue, and the number of times she's walked into a traps or allowed herself to be manipulated is frankly worrying.
One of the causes Marian feels most strongly about is mage rights. Though she loved her time in Ferelden's Circle Tower, she was aware of the abuses that went on and has been a Libertarian from a very young age. Originally she disliked Templars and believed Mages should be free without restriction. Her views started to shift when she met Alistair and learned that the Mages weren't the only ones suffering from the Chantry's abuses. They shifted even further when she returned to the Tower and discovered the damage just one abomination could do. Her current view is that both the Circle and the Templars are necessary, but that the current system is corrupt and both groups need to be outside Chantry control.
Talents and Skills[]
Marian's only real skills are killing things and disrupting the status quo. Despite her peace-loving nature, she's a walking weapon of mass destruction. She was born with an absurd level of magical potential and a natural inclination for the Primal school of magic, ice spells in particular. During the Blight her signature move was summoning cyclones of snow and lightning to take out entire segments of the battlefield. A talented Battlemage, her spells are even more deadly at close range, and she's frequently found surrounded by frozen and shattered corpses.
She also received the memories of an Arcane Warrior. While using those abilities, she can become a very good swordsman. However, it rarely happens, because she generally finds that she can kill more quickly and effectively with a spell. She does use the abilities from time to time when trying to blend in as a normal person.
Biography[]
More detal later, but for now:
History[]
- Born in Kirkwall in 9:12 to the prominant (but already troubled) Amell family
- Came into her magic at age 4, immediately sent to the Gallows despite her mother's pleas
- Transferred to Fereldan's circle a couple years later, soon after her mother disappears from Kirkwall.
- Her father takes her younger siblings to his homeland of Rivain. They all eventually turn out to be mages and are also put in a Circle
- Becomes Irving's apprentice, comes to see the Circle Tower as home. Makes friends with Jowan, proving her lack of good judgment.
In-game[]
- Harrowed a couple of days after she turns 18, almost immediately conscripted by the Wardens after a botched attempt to help Jowan
- Ostagar happens, finds out about Greagoir calling for the Right of Annulment in Lothering.
- Runs to help the mages. Gets really upset about her home being destroyed, but manages to save a few people.
- Heads to Redcliffe, saves everyone like a boss. Sets Jowan free, because what's the odds he's going to screw things up a third time? Starts Alistair romance
- Finds the Ashes, lets Genetivi tell people about it, heals Eamon.
- Heads to the Forest, gets both sides to get along, recruits Elves
- Heads to Soldier's Peak, kills Sophia, wusses out of killing Avernus too
- Heads to Orzammar, sides with Harrowmont, turns on Harrowmont, finds and kills Branka, destroys the Anvil, crowns Belhen. Develops an intense dislike for politics.
- Landsmeet, repeatedly convinces Anora not to side with her (though she sees it as Anora repeatedly backstabbing them), wins the Landsmeet anyways,
- Tries to save Loghain, but backs off when Alistair pulls his ultimatum. Kills Loghain herself. Breaks up with Alistair
- Heads to Redcliffe, talks Alistair into doing the Dark Ritual.
- Kills the Archdemon herself, asks for the mage boon.
Awakenings[]
- Made Warden-Commander (worst idea ever)
- Releases Nathaniel and gave him his stuff, but allowed him to come crawling back later
- Happily helps both Anders and Justice, nothing bad will ever come of this
- Sigrun recruited, but tells Velanna to kick rocks
- Fails to stop the noble conspiracy, generally ends up being too merciful in her judgements
- Protects Amaranthine over Vigil's Keep, but the Keep was upgraded so doesn't get punished for it
- Kills the Architect
Post-game[]
- Eventually everyone admits Marian is bad at running large organizations
- Delegates her day to day duties to Sigrun and Nathaniel
- Gets to keep the titles, because she's excellent at being a powerless figurehead.
- Focuses on helping Ferelden rebuild / her mage rights crusade. Occasionally runs errands for Wardens.
- Eventually hunts down her family. Befriends Hawke, but never ends up being in town when shit happens in DA2.
- Only meets her siblings once and all four are later killed when the Circle of Dairsmuid is Annulled. Amell family is cursed, I tell you
- Tries to keep the peace between mages and templars. When Mage/Templar war starts, tries to mitigate damage by helping the people who couldn't/didn't want to fight
Inquisition[]
- Cares about Mages and Templars too much to leave to cure the Calling in the middle of the war. Instead, is Ferelden when the Corypheus starts operating in the area.
- Walks into trap, as is her habit. This time it goes worse than normal, she ends up easily falling under Corypheus's influence, since warden mages are most susceptible. Later undergoes the ritual to turn the mages into puppets.
- Makes a grand reappearance in the Western Approach. Kicks a lot of Inquisition butt at Adamant, but eventually freed when Mahanon closes the portal to the Nightmare demon.
- Joins the Inquisition, but usefulness massively limited due to inability to risk getting anywhere near where Corypheus might be.
Relationships[]
Alistair:[]
Despite initial wariness due to the whole mage/templar thing, they became friends within the first day of meeting one another. Marian found his lighthearted banter a welcome distraction from the Blight and generally approved of his softheartedness and sentimentality. His passiveness did bother her, and she eventually told him to stand up for himself when Goldanna bullied him into giving her a large slice of the group treasury.
They got together fairly early on in their adventures. Alistair mostly took the lead the romance, but Marian was more than happy to go along with it. Their relationship ended abruptly during the Landsmeet, after an intense disagreement over what to do about Loghain. While their friendship recovered quickly, they never ended up getting back together. This is for the best, since their relationship only really worked during periods of high stress. The Fereldan rumor-mill, however, ignores all of this and insists that Marian is the reason King Alistair has never married.
They remained extremely close after the Blight. Marian is often away on some crusade or another, but the Royal Palace is practically her second home in Ferelden. She loves Alistair like a brother and wouldn't hesitate to throw her life away for him.
Morrigan:[]
Marian and Morrigan didn't get along at all at first. While there was some curiosity about Morrigan's magical knowledge and life as an apostate, Marian found Morrigan's disdain for the Circle and general lack of morals unpleasant and Morrigan found Marian's need to interfere and fix every single little thing irritating. Things got worse when they learned about the Rite of Annulment, and Morrigan's remarks about the mages nearly drove Marian to kick Morrigan out. Luckily, she was left behind during the mission itself, and the distance gave Marian time to cool down.
Things began to turn around after the mages were rescued. They spent a while not talking much, graduated to polite conversations, and their mutual curiosity took things from there. Hearing Morrigan talk about the way she was raised made it easy to understand how she turned out the way she did. After Marian gave her the Grimoire from the Circle Tower, they began to become friends. Despite their differences, they actually had a lot in common, bonding over their desire for freedom and pleasure at getting to see the outside world.
Though Morrigan thought of Marian as a sister by the end of the Blight, they quickly lost touch. Someone running away and hiding for years tends to do that sort of thing. Marian did track her down at one point to see if she needed help, but was left behind again. They didn't meet again until the events of Inquisition, but were both happy to resume the friendship. Marian approved of the way Keiran had softened her and was glad to see her trust in Morrigan pan out.
Wynne:[]
Though they didn't talk much during their years in the Tower, they knew one another by reputation. Wynne thought Marian was too reckless and hasty, but otherwise approved of her very much and took on a mothering role. Marian allowed it, grateful for the wisdom and support. Though they went their separate ways after the Blight, they made sure to keep in touch. Marian was terribly upset when she learned of her death.
Zevran:[]
Marian didn't trust Zevran at first, but allowed him to join the party because (A) they were desperate and (B) she couldn't bring herself to kill someone who wasn't an immediate threat. However, as days passed and he didn't slit her throat in her sleep, she eventually had to conclude that his offer to join was genuine. Though she knew she should be disgusted by his morals and occupation, his friendliness and enthusiasm made it hard for her to dislike him. They became fast friends during the Blight, and afterwards she was quick to offer to continue to act as his refuge from the Crows. They remain close, each counting the other among their most trusted friends.
Sten:[]
Marian didn't intend to recruit Sten; she simply couldn't stand the thought of someone being left in a cage to be killed by the darkspawn. However, when she got the key and tried to free him, he refused to leave without being given a reason to do so. Getting him to join them against the Blight proved to be the only way to save him. He confused her at first and constantly rebuffed all her attempts to learn more about him. He thought her callow and naive, and his opinion was reinforced by her near breakdown in the Circle Tower.
Things changed in Haven, when he challenged her for leadership of the party. Despite being caught off-guard, she defeated him easily. This earned his respect. The Ashes being located and actually working helped a lot too. As time passed and she proved to be more competent than his initial estimate, their relationship grew to one of deep respect. This respect remained after the Blight, though distance and circumstance meant that they mostly lost touch.
Leliana:[]
Being warm and affable people, Marian and Leliana made friends quickly. They didn't share much in common, but living and fighting alongside one another during the Blight ensured that they ended up being close nonetheless. Marian encouraged her towards being merciful and living a life of peace, which is probably why after the Blight ended, the two drifted apart somewhat. Though she still trusted Marian implicitly, Leliana knew she wouldn't approve of the things she had to do as the left hand of the Divine. They met again during the events of Inquisition, where Marian once again encouraged her to be less cutthroat.
Shale:[]
Marian was mostly confused by Shale, but they both grew on one another as the Blight forced them together. She accepted the golem for quirks and was quite fond of her by the end of the Blight. While they didn't keep in touch directly, letters between Marian and Wynne always contained messages for one another. After Wynne's death, they have been worse about keeping in touch, though Marian is always happy when the golem visits.
Oghren:[]
Oghren joined towards the end of the Blight, so Marian had less time to get used to him. Though occasionally she saw sides of him she could respect, they were generally overwhelmed by his drunkenness and crude behavior. She was friendly towards him, but he was more tolerated than anything else. Things got better during Awakenings, where he did a better job of earning her respect. They still aren't especially close, but she counts him as a friend.
Dog (Calenhad):[]
Marian thought he was the best dog. He thought Marian was the best person. Typical dog stuff, really.
Sigrun:[]
It took Marian all of 30 seconds to decide she liked Sigrun. Her sunny disposition and sense of duty endeared her to Marian immediately, and she couldn't stand to see Sigrun return to the deep roads after the Broodmothers had been dealt with. They became close during her tenure as Warden Commander, and even after leaving Vigil's Keep, Marian is closer to her than some of her companions from the Blight. Sigrun ended up taking over most of Marian's responsibilities as Warden Commander.
Nathaniel:[]
Marian took pity on Nathaniel after finding him in the prison, deciding to give him the Howe's things and setting him free. When he returned and asked to join the Wardens, she was reluctant to accept, fearing that he'd die in the Joining. Consequently, she put off his Joining for as long as possible. They became friends during her time as Warden-Commander, and she remained extremely loyal to him even after she stepped down. She ended up passing her responsibilities for running the Arling to him, thinking that it was fitting given his background.
Justice:[]
Marian found Justice fascinating, and relished the opportunity to learn more about spirits and the Fade. While his sense of justice occasionally clashed with her knee-jerk tendency to be merciful, they got along and became friends. She was sad to not be able to talk to him when he was bound to Anders, and hopes that he was freed by Anders' death.
Anders:[]
As one of the few surviving mages from the Circle Tower, Marian was predisposed to like Anders. Add in his desire for freedom and easy-going manner, and they got along very well. However, his hatred for the Circle didn't sit well with her, even if she understood it completely, and she pressed him to think about the plight of the other mages and not just himself. She tracked him down after he left the Wardens, but it was solely to make sure he was okay and didn't need help. She visited him from time to time when she was in Kirkwall to visit Hawke, and they were casual friends. When she learned he had blown up the Chantry, she was horrified and blamed herself for not being able to prevent it. Though she mourns his death, she believes it was the right choice and doesn't blame Hawke for it.
Velanna:[]
Marian took a dim view of Velanna's refusal to take responsibility for her murders and told her to get lost. They never met again.
Hawke:[]
Marian met Hawke while visiting Kirkwall. Seeing as they were both very friendly people with a serious dearth of living family members, they were quick to adopt one another. The two care about each other a great deal, and have developed a brother-sister relationship. Hawke is extremely protective of her and was devastated to have to face her in Inquisition.
Mahanon:[]
Marian met Mahaon after he freed her from Corypheus's control at Adamant. While she was grateful for the rescue, she found Mahanon guarded towards her and she struggled with his more cold-hearted decisions. However, despite her reservations, she willingly put herself under his command until Corypheus was dealt with. As time passed, she slowly managed to get him to open up around her and found that he was a good person with solid reasons for his pragmatism. Like many others, she eventually came to the conclusion that he was just what they needed.
While they never came to be close companions, they did eventually realize that the other person knew the pressure of carrying the fate of the world on their shoulders and what it was to be treated more like a symbol than a person. Despite their differences, they suddenly found they could understand one another a little too well. They both find the feeling somewhat unsettling.
