dragon age au

[striking]

race

City Elf

nationality

Orlesian

class

Rogue - Bard

history

Astarion originally trained as a bard to escape his Val Royeaux alienage. However, a rival bard saw an opportunity to get him out of the way and arranged for him to be kidnapped out of the city and sold to Cazador Szarr, a Tevinter blood mage operating secretly out of an underground palace in the Silent Plains. Astarion was the first of many slaves used in Cazador's experiments into longevity and the link between elves and spirits, turning him into a creature that suffers from being on the 'wrong' side of the Veil and can only consume fresh blood, but is otherwise immortal.

When the Inquisitor showed up to investigate Cazador's palace due to his links to Corypheus, Astarion found unexpected relief in proximity to the Anchor, and traded his help with the investigation for the chance to escape with the Inquisitor back to Skyhold, though he claimed to have no skills beyond "needle and thread".

vibes

At Skyhold, Astarion wears an Orlesian rabbit mask to hide his red eyes and sharp teeth, and to make his allegiance clear despite his lack of Val Royeaux accent. He often has a little piece of Skyhold gossip to share. He can be sharp and often distant from other companions, but this improves over time. While on the surface he is bitter about how racial discrimination was responsible for his enslavement, he is also driven to find out what he has been made into, why he responds so well to the Rifts and the Fade, and how that ties into his elven heritage.

approval

The Inquisitor exercising their agency and power; being allowed to exercise his own agency and power; playing the Great Game; blood; gossip; discussing historical politics; fashion; architecture; art; compliments; attention; being prioritized. He approves if the Inquisitor makes atheist choices, violent choices, and drinks from the Well of Sorrows.

Primary disapprovals are around Andrastianism, blood magic, and of course being disgusted by his blood drinking.

combat

Duel-wielding his blades 'needle' and 'thread', Astarion can bait enemy attacks with bardic quips and restores his own health when exposed to the blood of enemies, making him a solid tank. He cannot wield bows or learn archery skills, but can pick master locks. He gets bonuses from exposure to Rifts and in the Raw Fade.

quests

Astarion's initial quest involves solving the mystery of the bloodless animals appearing around Skyhold, resulting in him confessing his affliction to the Inquisitor, who can offer to help him find food. His old rival, now decrepit, appears in Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts, beginning Astarion's main quest, which involves a ritual Cazador is planning to perform to "ascend". As in BG3, the Inquisitor must ultimately choose between encouraging Astarion to hijack the ritual or to sabotage it.

If Ascended, Astarion becomes soulless and cruel, and will opt to return to Orlais to finish his bardic training, no longer available for combat but adding some significant boosts to the War Table.

If Astarion does not Ascend, he is still grateful to have his revenge on Cazador, and becomes more social and is sometimes found without his rabbit mask. New banter is unlocked with the other companions.

There is also a War Table mission deciding what to do with the other survivors of Cazador's experiments. If the Inquisitor chooses to destroy them all, and an unAscended Astarion is brought along on Here Lies The Abyss, he will request to be left behind in the Fade in place of the Hawke/Warden choice.

trespasser

If Astarion did not Ascend, he can be found in the Crossroads through the Eluvian, where he is cagey about the last two years. When Solas takes the anchor, if Astarion is in the party he will leave with him.

veilguard

Astarion appears as a guide for Rook when exploring the Eluvians, at first in the shape of a rabbit and then in his true form. He is difficult to catch and difficult to please, but may ask for Rook to pass on a message to the Inquisitor.

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