Bryce Cousland

* The Ace: The Cousland family is a family of aces, and Rendon Howe hates that about them.
* Action Survivor: In his backstory, alongside Arl Howe, he survives a Curb-Stomp Battle against the Orlesians at White River, from which only fifty rebels escaped.
* Affectionate Nickname: Fitting for a Fereldan, he affectionately calls his younger son/daugher "pup".
* Authority Equals Asskicking: Second in rank only to King Cailan; when introduced, he is preparing to lead Highever's forces down to Ostagar to help fight the darkspawn.
* Benevolent Boss: Definitely for his human castle staff, though a bit debatable for his elven servants.note 
* Berserk Button: The only time he ever raises his voice is when Howe insults King Cailan.
* Big Good: The Cousland family have been this to Ferelden for centuries, and Bryce is no exception.
* Black-and-White Morality: In a "dark fantasy" game that prides itself on being filled with Grey-and-Gray Morality and Black-and-Gray Morality, the Human Noble Origin stands out as one of the few conflicts with straight up Good vs. Evil. Bryce is very much the White to Howe's Black Morality.
* Bolivian Army Ending: Ultimately left to face Howe's men with his wife at the end of the Human Noble origin.
* The Creon: As everyone in his castle will constantly tell you, Bryce is the richest and most powerful noble under the royal family, but he's too humble and loyal to even think about aspiring for more. His child might not have any such reservations, if they decide to marry into the crown at the end of the game.
* Deceased Parents Are the Best: One of the few parents to die no matter what during the origin, and portrayed as one of the most flawless (on-screen) parents accordingly.
* Doting Parent: He loves his family more than anything, and it's implied that his younger child is his particular pet.
* Double Standard: The Couslands fought beside Sophia Dryden and the Grey Wardens against the Mad King Arland, but while they were branded usurputous traitors, stripped of their rank and exiled, and remain strongly distrusted to the present day, the Cousland family suffered no PR backlash from it, to the point that when Howe claims that Bryce was an Orlesian spy and traitor (something that most Fereldens believe of the Grey Wardens and Drydens due to their failed rebellion against the same Mad King), absolutely no one believes him about Bryce.
* Et Tu, Brute?: He is betrayed and murdered by Rendon Howe, his best friend. It's implied that their friendship blinded him to Howe's darker side, because almost every other noble thinks Howe is a Jerkass.
* Fantasy-Forbidding Father: Averted in the case of the Female Noble. Unlike other nobles in Ferelden, he seems to have no problem with his daughter studying combat training, regularly competing in local tournaments, and being a better warrior than the majority of the castle guards. He's even open to the idea of her becoming a Grey Warden, although he wants to wait to talk about it until after he gets back from Ostagar. Much like Calian's treatment of Alistair, this last fact makes sense; with both Bryce and Fergus heading off to war, that would leave the Human Noble Warden the next in line to rule Highever if the worst comes to pass.
* Genre Throwback: Of the Chivalric Romance and Medieval Tragedy genres. A stalwart noble is betrayed by his Card-Carrying Villain best friend / brother / uncle, his loyal followers wiped out, and his rightful lands and titles seized by the traitorous usurper. His child is plunged into Riches to Rags harship, until they eventually avenge their father by killing the traitorous usurper, reclaim their "rightful" inheritance, and marry into the monarchy if they aren't kings already.
* Happily Married: To his wife Eleanor. How they met and came to fall in love with one another is detailed in The World of Thedas.
* Idiot Ball: He's a sharp and reasonable man, but has a blind spot when it comes to Rendon Howe. It gets him killed. It's actually somewhat surprising that such a good man was best friends with possibly one of the most monstrous men in Ferelden. Presumably this was because he let his idealism get the better of him, hoping that his wartime friendship with Howe could end centuries of bitterness and feuding between their two families. He never considered that Howe might fall prey to the same jealousy that had plagued previous generations.
* Magnetic Hero: Immensely popular amongst the nobility. It's said that many would have preferred him as king over Cailan, according to Dairren.
* Modest Royalty: One of the most down-to-earth nobles in the entire game.
* Nice to the Waiter: Bryce is universally praised by his human castle staff for being such a kind and generous boss. His treatment of elven servants is kept a little more vague since he's never shown interacting with them, nor are their opinions of him made clear. While a visiting noblewoman's elven handmaiden, Iona, notes that Highever elves seem to be treated well, other elven characters outside the HN Origin claim that Highever elves aren't treated any better there than anywhere else.
* No Guy Wants an Amazon: T'was the "gentler arts" that drew him to the "battle maiden" who would become his wife, if Eleanor is to believed. He also doesn't seem to mind his wife downplaying and giving up her own martial talents to become a Proper Lady just for him.
* Not so Above It All: His wife believes that between her husband, her son(s), and her grandson, it's "like living with a pack of small boys." (If the Warden is female, she concludes this observation by saying, "Thankfully, I have a daughter.")
* Offered the Crown: It's rumoured that the Bannorn would have preferred to appoint him king over Cailan, but being an ardent royalist, he politely refused when the Landsmeet put his name forward.
* Out-of-Genre Experience: In a Deconstructor Fleet to most High Fantasy tropes, the Human Noble Origin stands out as the only one to play its tropes dead straight. The Couslands are Always Lawful Good, Bryce is The Good King in all but name, he's betrayed and murdered by his Card-Carrying Villain best friend (who only acts out of jealousy and greed, not any legitimate grievance against them). Bryce's surviving child is plunged into a You Killed My Father Riches to Rags To Riches story, his child avenges him, and the family is restored their "rightful" inheritance. Unlike every other Big Good of the game, Bryce is never revealed to have Feet of Clay, nor is Howe ever vindicated with less flattering details about Bryce that put his betrayal in a new light. Not like, say, Loghain to Cailan, or Bhelen to the Dwarf Noble.
* Papa Wolf:
** If the PC tells Duncan that they have no interest in becoming a Grey Warden during their initial conversation, he responds to Duncan's persistence by stepping (completely unarmed, mind you) between the two of them and letting Duncan know, in no uncertain terms, that his pup isn't going to do anything they don't want to do.
** If they do show interest, he does the same thing, politely-but-firmly pointing out he's not got so many children that he wishes to see them all run off to battle. He implies that it'd take Duncan invoking the Right of Conscription before he'd even consider agreeing. However, the PC can discuss it with him again later, during the final family reunion before Fergus departs, and he promises that if his beloved "pup" is really interested in the possibility, they can look into it when he comes back.
* Principality: The Codex reveals that the Teyrnir of Highever is actually a semi-autonomous protectorate of Ferelden. The Couslands don't use princely titles, but they could probably get away with it if they chose. Even without them, they are the highest-ranked nobles in the entire kingdom.
* Reasonable Authority Figure: Has this reputation around Ferelden, which is seemingly confirmed by his soldiers and human staff (It's less clear how reasonable he is regarding elves).
* Royals Who Actually Do Something: Alongside his eldest son, was preparing to personally lead Highever's forces to join the army gathered at Ostagar.
* So Proud of You: He can have a conversation like this with the Human Noble PC during the scene where the whole family is gathered to say goodbye to Fergus. His ghost appears later, during the Gauntlet, and says this outright while urging his child to let go of their guilt.
* Too Good for This Sinful Earth: Considering what lengths the narrative goes to portray him as the most perfect, noble, caring, loyal, humble, selfless, perfectly kind-hearted person in Ferelden before having him brutally betrayed and murdered by his best friend...
* Undying Loyalty:
** He's an ardent royalist and supporter of King Cailan. This is ironic because his ancestor Elethea was one of the primary foes of King Calenhad. She only reluctantly agreed to Kneel Before Zod after his forces defeated hers in battle, and he allowed the Couslands to retain their lands and authority in exchange for their support. But four hundred years of good governance by most of the Theirins has made the Teyrns of Highever very loyal.
** He himself is on the receiving end of this from most people of Highever because of his fair and even handed rule. During your time sneaking around Arl Howe's estate in Denerim, some of his men returning from Highever describe how unpleasant it was to be surrounded by a city of people who wanted to kill every last one of them for what their lord did to the Couslands. Bryce: If you could kill men by hating them, we'd all be in our graves now.
Category:Male
Category:Human
Category:Noble
Category:Fereldan