Valerian

==Appearance==
A tall dark-haired and grey-eyed man with regular features. His skin is lightly tanned, if becoming paler by the day. One gets the impression he used to spend a lot of time outdoors in the sun prior to his arrival in Kirkwall, but his time in Darktown has taken its toll. He is of average build - neither muscular nor thin, as if used to some sort of physical exertion, but clearly not earning his living by physical labour of any kind. It is apparent that he has lost weight lately, his long-fingered hands becoming rather thin, his face features sharper and more pronounced. While he smiles often in a detached, diplomatic manner these smiles do not reach his eyes, which in turn have no laugh lines around them. Indeed, his face is hardly lined at all, having this inherent ageless quality which makes pin-pointing his age to any casual observer rather difficult. Going by looks alone he could be any age between 27 and 35, a fact he duly noted and continues to make use of, attempting to appear younger and less experienced than he really is when advantageous. However, if the dark circles often visible under his eyes these days are any indication all that is likely to change soon.
===Gear===
A visible tendency towards dark colours in his choice of clothing; does not wear mage robes, does not carry a magic staff. Prefers functional clothing of simple if elegant cut and sometimes binds his long hair with a leather strap; has one visible dagger fastened to his belt and several more concealed on his person (in both of his high boots, for example). Carries several poultices and a supply of herbs in his satchel, as well as a spare lyrium potion. While his clothes and gear are ordinary and hand-picked to attract as little attention as possible he has an old enchanted cloak he has taken with him from Tevinter (a slight defensive enchantment - enhances reflexes) and his main dagger is of fine dwarven make.
==Personality==
Valerian is a highly logical, rational individual with a "sensibly reasonable" approach to most things. He is steadfast in fulfilling his obligations and extremely persistent in pursuing his goals. Being knowledgeable and a bit of a citizen of the world due to his extensive travels he tends to be opinionated on most subjects, and there are still traces of former haughtiness in his demeanour. He will listen to reason except in the cases when extreme emotions come into play, but is generally unlikely to change his course of action when decided on something. He shows signs of hating everything and everyone Orlesian and isn't exactly very fond of the Quanari either, viewing them as fanatical fools willing to take away all personal freedom from their brethren because of some arbitrary, misguided attempt at philosophy made by a long dead delusional lunatic.
He is undoubtedly intelligent and very dedicated to the things he cares for, but outside of this rather small category tends to be rather detached from the rest of the world, forging bonds with others only with great difficulty.
==Biography==
Casual: When asked about his past Valerian smiles thinly and says he is merely an enterprising businessman filling out a niche as allowed by his unique background. While he doesn't advertise his being a citizen of the Empire, it is no great secret among those who have dealings with him - a category consisting mostly of people of rather shady occupations, decidedly un-lawful by definition. It is unknown why he is out of Tevinter and in Kirkwall of all places, but it just may be as he says it is: he saw an opportunity for greater gain abroad, hunting for rare objects and forgotten artefacts which he can skilfully identify thanks to his Imperial education. And make a profit on afterwards. It is a dangerous occupation, but one he is uniquely qualified for and Kirkwall, as a former outpost of the Empire, surely holds a lot of forgotten treasures of old. Of course the templars would not look kindly at such activities should they ever learn the details, so the 'merchant' has to work exclusively with the black market. You know he has not been in the city for a long time, arriving somewhere during the influx of Ferelden refugess, remaining anonymous in the crowd.
Associate: While Valerian plays the role of a crafty black market bigwig for a living, once you start working with him it quickly becomes clear there's more to him than that. The man doesn't wear any armour, and while he is visibly armed it doesn't explain the air of confidence he puts on in his business dealing, or his unlikely penchant of not giving in to intimidation. Ever. That question is quickly answered however, when you learn that he is, in fact, a mage in a magic-hating city. He isn't what you have learned to expect of a Tevinter mage and you get the feeling any pride inherent to the Tevinter has been beat out of him since, while traversing Chantry lands. Whatever his former position in the Empire, outside of it he remains an apostate, if not a maleficar, and is rightly paranoid and secretive about his real occupation. He is however also aware of how difficult it is for the city smugglers to get a hold of a magic user and uses the fact to obtain such protection as he can get from the underground, staying firmly out of the way of the templars. While in Kirkwall he has picked up force magic and found it extremely well-suited to his needs. As to how precisely that happened you are unsure, but it seems he might have had some dealings with the mage underground of Kirkwall, though if so it is clearly a thing of the past. Presently, the anti-magic sentiments in the city strengthen and Valerian is visibly anxious; on one hand, with all the Fereldens seeking refuge in Kirkwall, it seems to be the best moment for him to operate in the area. On the other hand if the situation continues to deteriorate it may become to dangerous to deal in magical items in the city's bounds.
Friend: A Tevinteri mage in a self-imposed exile, Valerian is, you gather, something of an idealist - or at least as much of an idealist as a citizen of the Empire can be. Apparently he has left his homeland voluntarily, believing it to be the best course of action to serve his goals, whatever they may be. You can still detect a hint of pride when he speaks of Tevinter and it is clear that while he has conducted business in many other lands since he doesn't consider them equal to his home. He has learned many things during his travels and sometimes speaks thoughtfully of possibly attempting to become a magister lord at his return to Empire, should he gather enough power and wealth in the process of your adventures. Till then he is content to continue with his treasure hunting for the relics of the past, though you get the impression that he personally is more interested in old texts and documents than actual magical artefacts. After all, while many magical items have passed through his hands he didn't save one of them for personal use - to the best of your knowledge that is. He seems to be looking for some lost knowledge, and you get a feeling there is a clear sense of purpose behind that search. He is not inconsiderate of your own needs, however, and you get from him a palpable sense of relief that you have proved a staunch ally in the unquestionably unfriendly City of Chains.
Rival: A Tevinteri would-be Magister, Valerian remains as secretive and distant as the day you have met. You have conducted many successful deals in the past and yet it is clear that while he values your little arrangement, it will last only as long as you both continue to benefit from it. He is still occupying himself with treasure hunting, often going to great lengths to secure potent magical items. Whatever he does with them all is anybody's guess but you shudder at the thought of what they will serve for back in Tevinter. He and you don't see eye to eye on many issues and yet you have provided a certain measure of protection for him, helping to avoid the templars' attention. Yet any gratitude he may have felt to you has been since surpassed by wariness and you have a distinct impression he is, in fact, anticipating a betrayal on your side. Maybe even preparing for a pre-emptive strike to your back...
==Timeline==
==Relationships==
Category:Character Index
Category:Original Characters
Category:Apostates
Category:Tevinters
Category:Merchants