Application

PLAYER

Name: Jon
Age: 29
Contact: fallenappleinc
Other Characters: n/a, Wren has recommended the game to me :)
Interests: General day-to-day life in the Inquisition, in Thedas and how people outside of the "main players" dealt with the events unfolding around them, especially with the restoration and rebuilding of the city with is illuded to in DA:I but never really discussed in great deal. Also exploring a bit more of Kirkwall through the adventures of other characters in the game.

CHARACTER

Name: Haelan
Canon/OC: OC
Journal: bad_thief
Race: Human
Nationality: Freemarcher
Occupation: Part-time thief, part-time Inquisition rogue/scout/runner
Division: Scouting
Mage or Not: Not
Age: 17

History

Haelan was raised by the Chantry. He doesn’t know who his parents are, but he imagines they weren't married and decided life in Kirkwall was too tough to raise a child they didn't want in the first place, so they left him at the Chantry. While the basic idea was to house, educate and provide religious instruction for their charges, the Chantry in Kirkwall had many youngsters to look after, and after 9:37 Dragon was in utter chaos, so individuals often slipped through the net.

Haelan was among them; he spent most of his childhood getting into trouble: stealing, playing pranks, and sneaking into The Blooming Rose or The Hanged Man. He escaped punishment most of the time, probably because nothing he did was ever overtly cruel, vicious or dangerous, and his teachers were too busy to pay much attention.

At fourteen most of the Chantry's wards join the Templars or the Chantry, but he showed no great aptitude for either so Haelan was apprenticed to a trade. That didn't work out and he spent the next two years being bounced around from blacksmith to butcher to bookmaker, until eventually was released from the Chantry’s control at sixteen with some basic skills but nothing that he could use to earn a living.

A valiant sort of lad might have travelled away, found himself a merchant ship to join, or simply put a bit more effort into a profession. Instead, he became a minor pickpocket and burglar.

It's not the best of lifestyles, but there's a lot of opportunity in Kirkwall for a thief to make money. He works by himself, or with a small number of trusted friends; Adasse is chief amongst that circle. Adasse is by far the better thief, but he carries a lot on his shoulders. Haelan doesn't understand, but when Adasse wants to target nobles who mistreat their servants, he doesn't question it. As the best of friends, Haelan is fiercely loyal to Adasse.

Even with Adasse's help and protection, Haelan would have probably ended up in a gang. A thief in Kirkwall doesn't have a long life expectancy, so it was lucky that one day an Inquisition Scout caught him lifting their purse. As punishment, he has to do light, unpaid work for the Inquisition, either as a runner or as a local guide. He doesn’t mind the work, and they feed him, which is a positive as far as Haelan is concerned.

Haelan is using his time with the Inquisition to try to learn some new skills. He has never really had to fight very much, but as he gets older and life on the streets of Kirkwall becomes harder, learning how to use a blade will keep him alive just that little bit longer. But maybe tales from other parts of Thedas and the ever-present threat of Rifts will inspire him to leave the city behind and make something of himself elsewhere.

Personality

Haelan is a young man yet to find his calling. He’s grown up in a city which, even at the best of times, was dark, depressing and dangerous. He’s lived through some of the most traumatic events in Kirkwall’s long history, but like most of the people living there, he still likes the place. The fact his childhood home was blown up by an Apostate was pretty traumatic, and yet Haelan doesn't talk about it. In fact, he barely talks about anything serious or sad or depressing. If someone else raises it, he prefers to laugh things off and go get a drink rather than deal with those issues.

As he hasn’t found anything as yet which he naturally excels at, he doesn’t get very enthusiastic about work, be it thieving or legitimate employment. It isn’t that he’s lazy, which was often the complaint of the Chantry Sisters, but that he sees little point in putting effort into something that he knows he’ll fail at. He’d like to think that he’s being pragmatic, but it’s probably more to do with the fact he hasn’t found something to challenge him that he feels he could accomplish.

One thing he does enjoy, and put great effort and energy into, is spending time with his friends and associates. While being a pickpocket normally lends itself to working alone or in small groups, Haelan has always enjoyed meeting up with other thieves after-hours. Growing up with a lot of other children in the Chantry meant there was never any quiet places or privacy, and he has learnt to manage without those things. He’d rather be in the centre of everything that tucked away out of it all. Perhaps that’s why he enjoys pick-pocketing, despite not being the best at it: he has to be part of the crowd, the noisier and livelier the better, and even if he’s on the run from an angry victim or the Guard, he’s at least still part of the action.

Typically for a teenage boy, Haelan likes flirtatious attention from girls (and boys, although he's not got much experience with the latter) and unfortunately normally makes an utter ass of himself trying to impress them. Luckily enough, he likes a laugh- even at his own expense, depending on who he's with. If he's not with the right people, and he's feeling lucky, he might try to defend his honour. More likely than not, he'll run away. It's a very good survival trait.


Opinions & Affiliations

Haelan doesn't believe in the Chantry. He's pretty sure about the Maker and Andraste. But he doesn't believe in songs and robes and funny hats. However the Chantry had such an impact in the way he was raised that certain beliefs have stuck with him- Mages are Dangerous and belong in Circles, controlled by the Templars (who are mostly okay, only a few of them seem to be nutters). The destruction of the Chantry by an Apostate really reinforced that, and Haelan feels very uncomfortable in the presence of mages.

The Qunari make him uncomfortable too, and like most Kirkwall residents he doesn't trust them, although he's too young to remember the occupation of the city very well. He's never dealt with any elves apart from the city's elfish population, and the few elf-blooded kids left at the Chantry, who he's never considered any different to himself. Dwarves tend to be more insular, and also far more careful with their money, so his opinion tends to be based on anecdotes and stereotypical dwarves than any real experience. While he's never called elves "knife-ears" or anything like that, he's more likely to say something stupid to a dwarf, and will probably deserve a good kicking when that happens.

As for Tevinter and Orlesians... well, there's not much difference is there? They're both as bad as each other, rich and snobby and they have slaves and servants, which are pretty much the same in his book too. If they want to fight themselves, or each other, he doesn't see how it's any business of his. Kirkwall has enough problems of its own.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Haelan is a jack of a few trades and a master of none. He survives as a pickpocket, but he's no top-level rogue. He's fast, nimble enough, fairly quick-witted, and has survived in a very dangerous city thus far. He knows the city very well and is of use for low-level work taking documents back and forth. He has some skill with knives, although he's never really had to use them in anger against someone.

As stated, he's also more likely to ignore a problem than deal with it efficiently, and is probably carrying around some emotional baggage he should just hug out. Despite the fact that he's actually an adult now (more or less) he's still incredibly childish and more than happy to rest on his laurels while other people make plans and tell him what to do. He's not subservient by any stretch of the imagination, he just finds coming up with ideas hard.

Haelan's real problem is that he's not trained in much. If someone did try to teach him, they might not find him very responsive unless he was really taken with the subject. He's best not trusted with anything overly complex or difficult, but at least for the Inquisition, he's more attentive with tasks he's entrusted to complete. His work with the Inquisition makes him feel like he's actively doing something worthwhile, something that's bigger than he is, he feels like he's being A Hero.

Inventory

Haelan carries a knife or two on his person- one for eating and general use, and a couple which he lifted off someone once and kept. He's not got many possessions other than these knives and the clothes he stands up in, and whatever supplies the Inquisition have furnished him with.

Motivation

Haelan likes to be involved with what's going on, and frankly, it was either help the Inquisition or be handed over to the Guards. The Inquisition seemed like a better option at the time. Besides, the fancy uniform attracts the girls. And they feed you.

SAMPLES

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