Vera Amell

Character
Vera Amell
Race	Human
Gender	Female (she/her)
Class	Mage
Title	Hero of Ferelden Warden-Commander of Ferelden Arlessa of Amaranthine
Specialization	Blood Mage Arcane Warrior Battlemage Shapeshifter
Family	Revka Amell (mother) Wyot Darrow (father) Aurelia Amell (sister) Claude Amell (brother) Irene Amell (sister) Renata Amell (sister) Leandra Amell (first cousin once removed) Gamlen Amell (first cousin once removed) Mortimer Hawke (second cousin) Bethany Hawke (second cousin) Carver Hawke (second cousin) Charade Hartling (second cousin)
Status	Alive
Voice	Mika Simmons
Appearances	Dragon Age: Origins Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening Dragon Age 2 (mentioned) Dragon Age: Inquisition (mentioned) Dragon Age: Asunder (mentioned) Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights (mentioned)
Signature

Vera Florette Amell is a human mage, previously of the Circle in Ferelden, and Grey Warden. She is the protagonist of Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age: Awakening in the Canon world state.

One of the few Ferelden Grey Wardens to survive the Battle of Ostagar, Vera is named the Hero of Ferelden for her part in stopping the Fifth Blight. She is later promoted to Warden-Commander, a title she holds until 9:41.

As of 9:42, her whereabouts are unknown.

Background

Vera, the youngest of Revka Amell and Wyot Darrow's five children, was born in 9:11 in Kirkwall. By the time she was born, her two eldest siblings had shown themselves to be mages, with the oldest already living in the Circle. When another sibling showed magical talent, Revka vanished and Wyot took the remaining children out of Kirkwall. The rest of her siblings were eventually taken to various Circles and, by the time Vera was revealed to have magic at around 7 years old, her exhausted father gave her to a Ferelden Chantry willingly.

As an apprentice, Vera's above average skill was often obscured by a lack of studiousness. She seemed to have an inherent aversion to authority that she managed to keep in check, not keen on falling under any more Templar scrutiny than she could. Nevertheless, Vera flouted rules when she could get away with it. She had no close friends in her 13 years at the Circle but could be found hanging out with fellow apprentice Jowan. At 19, Vera could no longer remember any time before the Circle and was unaware of details of her family besides their surname.

Involvement

Dragon Age: Origins

Prologue: After a successful Harrowing, Vera is prepared to spend the remainder of her life in the Circle. Although not a stickler for rules, she is not one to stick her neck out for others and is reluctant to help Jowan destroy his phylactery. It is only due to the possibility of Tranquility that Vera helps out. Before finding out it is not in the repository, she briefly entertains the thought of destroying her own but is ultimately resigned to the Circle. She does not feel betrayed or upset by Jowan's lie nor his use of blood magic but rather is concerned for what will happen to her. When recruited by Duncan, she is relieved at the prospect of not being stuck in the Circle her entire life but is not keen on remaining bound to the service of another organization.

The Battle of Ostagar: Once at Ostagar, her trepidation lessens as she begins to enjoy combat and using her magic freely while roaming the Korcari Wilds. She briefly finds fellow Warden Alistair likable until learning of his past as a Templar after which she keeps herself at a distance. She is most intrigued by Morrigan, whose life as a feared apostate living away from everyone else is appealing to the Isolationist Vera. Having just been through the Harrowing, Vera is bitter about having to go through another dangerous ritual but also feels at this point she has nothing to lose. Daveth and Jory's deaths are disturbing but ultimately don't affect her over much and she is eager to stretch her legs and participate in the coming battle.

Vera quickly decides that King Cailan is foolish and finds herself internally siding with Loghain Mac Tir in the pre-battle meetings. When the battle commences, the level of noise, violence and death involved surprise and disorient her and she finds herself relieved to only have to light the beacon (even if she would prefer Alistair not accompany her). In the back of her mind, she wonders if she will be able to escape the Grey Wardens during or perhaps after the fighting. After waking up in Flemeth's hut, Vera feels great despair and pessimism as she faces being one of the two people tasked with saving Ferelden. She feels sorry for Alistair's losses but still isn't fond of him and doesn't feel equipped to comfort him. She is glad to have Morrigan along as a buffer between the two Wardens.

Lothering and the Imperial Highway: In Lothering, Vera is mostly disinterested in the panicking townspeople, still thinking much more about her own troubles. Although not as callous towards them as Morrigan, she still doesn't consider their safety her problem and is more concerned with moving on as soon as possible to gather allies. Part of her wants to believe she will be able to do this quickly and be relieved of the burden that has been placed on her. She doesn't mind Alistair asking her to lead as she thinks it will give her the most freedom she could have in such a situation. She is very put off by Leliana and her story of her vision and recruits her solely because she can fight and figures she can ditch her if the sister becomes too much of a bother. When it comes down to it, Vera believes in the Maker but is skeptical and resistent to Andrastianism, and does not believe in the kind of miracles Leliana describes.

The Arl of Redcliffe: Vera knows little of Ferelden politics and trusts Alistair on Arl Eamon's importance. She is intrigued by Alistair's confession of his parentage, wondering if it could be used to bolster support for the Wardens and weaken Loghain's position. When they arrive at Redcliffe, she sympathizes with the town's fear over their situation but is not keen on helping them when it is not immediately relevant to her goals. In the end she decides to help, in part because she knows its demise would be a problem in the long run. When she finds Jowan in the dungeons she tries to get him to escape to the disapproval of several companions and Jowan himself. She is flummoxed by Jowan's insistence on helping the Guerrins when it's so likely to end up with Jowan's recapture and death. She is open to killing Connor but comes down on the side of Jowan's blood magic suggestion. Having heard Alistair's stories of Isolde's cruelty, she is unfazed by the woman's death and must suppress her own exasperation at Alistair when he becomes upset with her in the aftermath. She is equally exasperated with being asked to find the The Urn of Sacred Ashes, the powers and even existence of which she is highly skeptical.

Nature of the Beast: On her way to Denerim, Vera chooses to find the Dalish to call upon their aid. Vera, like most humans who grew up in a Chantry dominated world, is very ignorant of the Dalish and doesn't know what to expect. She did not pay much attention to the difference in treatment between elves and humans in the Circle as she had the privilege not to. She is not insulted by the Dalish clan's unwelcoming nature, however, as she doesn't want to be approaching all these different groups any more than they want to be approached. She is also primed to believe the worst of the Chantry and her eyes are opened slightly in regards to the treatment of elves. On the other hand, she finds herself frustrated with the stubborn hostility between the elves and the werewolves and dislikes that she has been tasked with solving a problem she knows nothing about. In the end, while very sympathetic to Zathrian's anger, she uses her mediator position to convince him to break the curse.

The Urn of Sacred Ashes and Denerim: Vera reaches Denerim begins her search for the Ashes by locating Genitivi's home and assistant. She very quickly picks up on the so-called Weylon's suspicious behavior and ends up killing him. After finding Alistair's sister, she and her companions leave the city and set off for the inn at Lake Calenhad mentioned in Genitivi's notes.

Soldier's Peak: Vera reluctantly agrees to detour to Soldier's Peak after talking with Levi Dryden but becomes fascinated by what occurred there. While Alistair is less approving of Sophia Dryden and Avernus' actions, Vera believes they acted pragmatically. She does not let the Sophia husk go free but does allow Avernus the freedom to continue his experiments as long as they are done at least somewhat humanely. Vera is intrigued enough by Avernus' research that she indulges in one of his potions and decides to explore the possibilities of blood magic.

Broken Circle: Vera arrives at Lake Calenhad to investigate Genitivi, initially avoiding the possibility of returning to Kinloch Hold despite needing to recruit the mages against the Blight. While there, unfortunately, Vera learns from Kester that there is something wrong in the tower. She resigns herself to returning, part of her fearing she will not be able to leave again once she goes back. She is appalled but not surprised at the Templars' handling of the situation and insists on doing everything she can to save the mages trapped inside. Although she had no close friends in the tower when she left, she does find many people who grew up with dead. When confronting one of the blood mages, she is moved by their argument about desiring change and lets them go. She is disappointed to see Cullen alive and, if not for the fact she had company, may have killed him herself. She defeats Uldred and leaves the Circle, now with the promise of aid. Vera finds Wynne sanctimonious but knows she is a powerful mage and allows her to accompany the group once they leave the Circle.

Paragon of Her Kind: Vera takes another detour on her way to Haven but is unethusiastic about going to Orzammar. The prospect of an entire city underground appeals very little to her, especially having only just left the confines of the Circle tower. In Orzammar, she is put off by the strict castes and convoluted politics which she has no patience for with a Blight spreading. She takes enough of an interest in dwarven politics to choose Bhelen, who she decides has a stronger claim due to his bloodline. She also recognizes his savvy political sense and appreciates his less traditional viewpoints. She is genuinely tempted by the prospect of an army of golems but ultimately sides with Caridin over Branka.

The Urn of Sacred Ashes: Vera finally reaches Haven, still not sold on the search for the Urn, but perks up when she enters the town (which she finds fascinatingly strange). She is much more interested in the quest once she discovers the Temple of Sacred Ashes due to the mystery surrounding the Urn rather than reverance for it. She lies to Kolgrim and his followers about poisoning the Urn so as to get past the dragon, and for the fun of it, but the Gauntlet proves trying. She is very surprised when she finds the Urn and sees no reason to poison it. Her shock only increases when the ashes cure Arl Eamon of his illness, an outcome Vera did not expect in the slightest.

Return to Ostagar: Vera, Alistair, and Wynne travel back to Ostagar to recover Cailan's chest of documents. Vera does not feel the same desire for closure as Alistair and Wynne do but Ostagar still affects her to a degree she didn't anticipate. For the first time, she feels real sadness over Duncan's loss who she appreciates more in retrospect. Even so, she feels some alienation from her companions as they discuss their grief over the event. Vera does not feel the same loss of innocence and optimism they express and she doesn't quite understand the way they speak of Cailan and what happened. All the same, she participates in their mourning of the late King.

The Landsmeet: Vera is happy to spend time in the bustling Denerim and uses her charm and talent at manipulation to gain noble allies. Adamant about freedom and not being controlled, her experiences in the alienage disturb her and her previous dislike of Loghain turns into something much stronger. Even so, she takes a liking to Queen Anora, whose intelligence and leadership ability she respects. After escaping Fort Drakon, she decides that Anora's experience and Alistair's blood combined would be a stronger candidate than either alone. Vera is in a relationship with Alistair at this point but claims she sees no reason why that should matter and is open about continuing it to Anora, despite the latter's obvious discomfort. At the Landsmeet, Vera defeats Loghain and executes him.

The Battle of Denerim: On the eve of the final battle, Vera is unpleasantly surprised by Riordan's revelation that one of the three remaining Wardens must die. When Morrigan offers her an alternative, Vera, now a blood mage herself, is quick to take it. She is unconcerned with the child but is sad that Morrigan will leave, considering her one of her closest friends.

Vera takes Alistair, Morrigan and Leliana to defeat the Archdemon, Vera delivering the final blow, and both Wardens survive thanks to Morrigan. Vera requests that her boon be the freedom of the Ferelden Circle. Like with many things, Vera has no strong feelings about being named the Hero of Ferelden but she thinks having such a title may provide her with protection and freedom that she may not otherwise have.

Dragon Age: Awakening

Vera is not thrilled to be the new Commander of the Grey nor the Arlessa of Amaranthine due to her new responsibilites. She focuses on trade and and fortifications for Vigil's Keep, and prioritizes the Keep over Amaranthine. She agrees to the Architect's deal, finding his mission to give choice to the darkspawn admirable.

Golems of Amgarrak

When she is contacted by Jerrik Dace to help investigate his brother's expedition, Vera agrees to help with reluctance. She is not thrilled to return to the Deep Roads nor to pry into the creation of golems. Once there, she is interested in the strange magic of the thaig but is glad to escape - and glad that the research is lost in doing so.

Witch Hunt

Determined to find her old friend, Vera sets out to the Korcari Wilds and unfortunately finds herself back at Kinloch Hold. She follows Morrigan's trail until she tracks her down at the eluvian. She is not angry at Morrigan for leaving but wishes to know what she knows and is sorry to see Morrigan go, frustrated at being left with more questions than answers.

Approval

Vera approves of decisions that are pragmatic or will yield beneficial and tangible results, such as coin or influence. She approves of most good deeds, such as helping people but neglecting to aid those in need does not garner disapproval. She approves of open support of mages or any positive mentions of magic, and disapproves of prejudice against it. She is against most forms of authority and dislikes when people show too much deference to it, or support anything resemblng slavery or confinement. Soured on Andrastianism due to the Circle, she is not opposed to the religion but excessive piousness will annoy her. She likes joking and flirting and responds in kind. She is also impressed by irreverence and lying to or manipulating people, particularly those in positions of authority.

Approval icons: +5 -5

Romance

Luka Surana

Growing up in the Circle, Vera had a number of romantic encounters with other apprentices, none of which were part of a larger bond. The most significant and longlasting of these casual relationships was with Luka Surana, an elven mage similiar in age to Vera. The two were friendly but did not spend time with one another outside of stolen moments in the tower. Vera reunited with Luka when she returned to the Circle to stop Uldred. Luka had joined Uldred in his attempted takeover when many mages, including them, still believed Uldred's intentions to be sincere. Due in part to their previous relationship, Vera allowed Luka to go free.

Alistair Theirin

Once she left the tower, Vera fell in love for the first time with Alistair. She did not initially like Alistair due to his former Templar training but warmed up to him when he revealed his distaste for the Order and the two got along well. Vera empathized with Alistair's childhood as she similarly grew up as a charge of the Chantry, looked down upon without any real family. Although not particularly emotional, Vera nonetheless listened to and supported Alistair as he grieved for Duncan while Alistair helped her adjust to being a Warden and living outside the Circle in general.

The two became romantically involved after several months. Vera had some difficulty when the relationship grew serious, as she'd never before had close attachments and was unsure how to handle her feelings. Her tendency to pull away clashed with Alistair's desire for closeness and connection and the romance nearly ended before they were able to reconcile their differences. After meeting his sister, Alistair was encouraged by the cynical Vera to look out for himself more.

Vera arranged for Alistair and Anora to marry but convinced Alistair she could remain by his side as a mistress of sorts. Even though the arrangement was almost entirely her idea, and her own commitment issues played a part in her decision, Vera was nonetheless a little saddened that she would never be a permanent figure in Alistair's life. She stayed by his side at court until she left for Vigil's Keep, before disappearing again. Although the times they could see each other became increasingly sporadic in the following years, the two have never officially parted.

Isabela

While in Denerim, Vera and her companions met the pirate captain Isabela. Vera and Isabela quickly developed a flirtatious rapport and before long Vera proposed they "get to know each other better." When Alistair spoke up, she and Isabela asked him to participate.

Teagan Guerrin

Vera was somewhat intrigued by Bann Teagan when she met him in Redcliffe towards the beginning of the Blight. Not yet romantically interested in Alistair, Teagan was one of the first people outside of the Circle Vera made advances towards - although done mostly in fun rather than out of a desire for reciprocation. Teagan was grateful to Vera after she helped Redcliffe and later after she defeated the Archdemon, though his clear interest in her was never acted upon. As the 9:30s wore on, Vera and Alistair drifted apart and saw each other less frequently due to the strain of Alistair's reign as king, his marriage and growing affection for Anora, and the unresolved tension and bitterness between them. It was for this reason that Vera ended up in Teagan's arms out of comfort and convenience, although their affair was not long lived and the two carried guilt about it.

Anders

Immediately upon meeting, Vera and Anders hit it off, both being rebellious mages very against the Circle and templars. Vera used the Rite of Conscription to save Anders from the wrath of the templars and soon after the two became friends. While stationed at Vigil's Keep, Vera was still in a stable relationship with Alistair but this did not keep her and Anders from developing a flirtatious banter. They acknowledged the attraction between them but did nothing about it, although they might have if they had remained at Vigil's Keep together longer. The two went nearly a decade without seeing one another, Anders leaving the Wardens to go into hiding in Kirkwall. During the Mage Rebellion in early 9:41, the two reconnected on their respective journeys and became sexually involved for a short period of time.

Tropes

Aloof Dark-Haired Girl: Less so than Morrigan but she is emotionally distant and much of her charm is a front for a more detached person.
Battle Couple: With Alistair.
Blood Knight: Loves fighting and violence.
Brainy Brunette: Very well read and intelligent.
Brilliant But Lazy: Was this in the Circle due to wanting to avoid attention and a general dislike of authority and rules.
Broken Bird: As a result of her upbringing, Vera is quite hardened and closed off.
Brooding Girl, Gentle Boy: Alistair has a similar troubled past but is much more emotionally open and sweet compared to Vera.
The Charmer: Not as consistently as her cousin but she is able to turn on the charm very well when she needs to.
Color-Coded Character: Vera incorporates teal into most of her outfits. Her staff is also the same color.
Commitment Issues: Due to her early life, Vera has difficulty with attachments and her commitment issues show themselves throughout the game, such as her all but making Alistair marry Anora (thus keeping her and Alistair's relationship from getting more serious and long lasting) and generally pushing people away.
The Cynic: Is considerably more cynical about the world compared to some of her companions and isn't afraid to tell them what she thinks of their idealism.
Deadpan Snarker: Competes with Alistair, although her humor tends to be a bit more cutting than his.
Defrosting the Ice Queen: To an extent.
Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette: Quite pale.
Freudian Excuse: Her attachment issues. Had her siblings and mother disappear on her one by one as child, was abandoned by her father at 7 and grew up in the Circle without friends before being recruited into the Wardens.
Good is Not Nice: Vera is undeniably on the side of good but she's not the kindest person you'll meet.
Guile Hero: She is very cunning and uses this skill to charm and manipulate people when she can.
Heroes Love Dogs: Played with. While she grows to love her own mabari, Archie, having grown up without dogs around, she lacks the same devotion to dogs as many Fereldans and is largely disinterested in them.
Hidden Heart of Gold: Every so often it is clear how much she cares about her friends as well as the disenfranchised. She is not always nice but usually has their best interests at heart.
Jerkass: Can very easily fall into this with some of her actions and callousness.
Lady of Black Magic: Specializes in destructive Primal spells and blood magic.
Magic Knight: As a Battlemage and Arcane Warrior.
Nice, Mean, and In-Between: Between her, Mortimer Hawke and Inquisitor Lavellan, she is the "Mean" one.
Not So Different: From Alistair. On the surface, they seem to be a case of opposites attract but while their issues have manifested in different ways, both had difficult upbringings (abandonment, lack of intimacy, Chantry involvement), a similar sense of humor and overall values.
Pragmatic Hero: She is willing to do morally questionable things to accomplish what she must and although she can turn on the charm, she is just as prone to snark and rudeness.
Really Gets Around: She had many trysts during her years at the Circle and afterwards.
Weak But Skilled: What she lacks in physical strength and constitution she makes up in spellpower.

Gifts

Vera likes showy jewelry and sentimental items even if she won't admit to the latter.

Name	Notes	Description
Fancy necklace	Location: Denerim market	An expensive and rather gaudy looking necklace.
Amell family letters	Location: First Enchanter's Quarters	Several crumbling, never delivered letters from Vera's father.
Rose	Location: Along the Imperial Highway	A beautiful rose with velvety petals of deep red. This was a gift from Alistair.

Statistics

Vera proves to be a powerful mage and works primarily as a damager and debilitator. She eventually delves into Blood Magic and learns Shapeshifting from Morrigan. Interested in being in the thick of battle, she also specializes as an Arcane Warrior and Battlemage.

Attributes

Strength	Dexterity	Willpower	Magic	Cunning	Constitution
16	38	42	90	24	18

Specialization

Blood Mage, Arcane Warrior, Battlemage, Shapeshifter

Skills

Master Coercion, Improved Herbalism, Master Clarity

Talents

Ability trees	Selected abilities
Arcane	Arcane Bolt   Fade Shield
Primal	Fireball   Stone Fist Cone of Cold
Spirit	Walking Bomb   Crushing Prison
Entropy	Paralyze   Drain Life Curse of Mortality
Blood Mage	Blood Wound   Blood Control Bloody Grasp

Equipment

Weapons	Spellfury
Armor	Reaper's Vestments

Quotes

• Hooray. Bravo. Now where are my troops?
• Isn't there something better we could be doing? Killing things, perhaps?
• Awakening conversation with Wynne:
  • Vera: It's about time the mages freed themselves
  • Wynne: The mages will never be free! [...] This change cannot be forced.
  • Vera: Then it will never come.
• (after sacrificing Isolde in a blood magic ritual): I think it went rather well, don't you?

Trivia

• Vera was created in 2015
• She uses the Violent voice set
• She was born on the 25th day of Bloomingtide
• She is an ENTP with an enneagram of 8w7
• She goes through six different looks: three during the main campaign, one in Awakening, one in Golems of Amgarrak, and one in Witch Hunt
• She is 5'4
• Her mabari is named Archdoggy
• She and Alistair meet and have a tryst with Isabela, who later gets into a relationship with Vera's second cousin Mortimer
• She and Mortimer share a similar taste in garish jewelry