Alim Surana (UniverseIsAHologram)

## Alim Surana

“*Honestly, I've been let down so many times that it doesn't even bother me at this point.*”
— Alim Surana

**Alim Danesh Surana**, also known as the Hero of Ferelden, is the Grey Warden who led endeavors to make an army, stopped the civil war in Ferelden, and ultimately ended the Fifth Blight.

## Overview

### **Personality**

Alim comes off as very serious, but can actually be rather lighthearted when not in serious situations. He is a caring friend, but also very careful about who he lets in. After his mother let him get taken by the templars, he gained trust issues, made even worse when he was tricked by Jowan. While he was fine with having friends, the idea of romantic love was initially ridiculous to Alim. He believed that relying on someone to the point of loving them was a weakness that would result in the ultimate betrayal.

Alim is a very practical individual, especially showing this side when seeking out aid against the Blight. While Alim has a general moral compass, he will do what he finds most necessary in order to get aid against the Blight, even if that sometimes means doing something less than savory.

### **Combat**

While initially using his magic in a more traditional manner, Alim's tactics changed after he left the Circle. While exploring elven ruins while trying to help the Dalish against the werewolves, he happened upon an ancient elf trapped in a gem. In return for mercy killing the elf, Alim was granted the abilities of an Arcane Warrior. Eventually learning the ways of a battlemage, Alim uses a mix of these abilities as well as primal magic to use a melee–based magical approach on the battlefield.

## Biography

### **History**

Alim was born in Denerim to his parents Faye and Nazir. Shortly after his sister Mysha was born, Alim's father was killed by humans.

Even before Nazir died, the Suranas were very close to the Tabris family. Adaia and Nazir were very close friends. Alim would play with the Tabris children, and when Mysha was born, the three would often visit. Once Mysha was old enough, they played with her, too. At the age of eleven, while playing with his friends, Alim ended up using magic for the first time. Shortly after, templars came to take Alim away. His mother initially resisted, but she gave up when the templars threatened to throw her in prison, meaning her daughter would be alone, too. Alim was unable to understand his mother's motives, so he grew up resenting her. He doesn't remember much of his life in Denerim.

Alim spent the next ten years in Kinloch Hold. He spent much of his time with his two best friends, Jowan and Solona Amell, who he essentially saw as family. Alim would always read stories and dream about what it was like outside the tower.

### **In-game**

Alim was happy to leave the Circle when he was recruited by Duncan, though he very much regretted that he was unable to bid Solona farewell.

When in Redcliffe, he was very much prepared to leave the villagers to their fate, however, Bann Teagan convinced him that he must assist the village if he wanted to get Eamon's help. He ultimately helped Redcliffe fend off the undead and stopped Connor from wreaking havoc by trusting his old friend Jowan one last time and allowing him to do a blood magic ritual that allowed Alim to enter the Fade and confront the demon possessing Connor head-on.

When first meeting the templars in Kinloch Hold, Alim found out from Greagoir that Solona had been sent to Aeonar for practicing blood magic. The remainder of the Circle had been saved, Alim insisting on doing what he could in order to get the help of the mages against the Blight. While in the Tower, he eventually ran into Godwin, saving him from demons, and learned the details of Solona's incident, explaining that she had been framed by a rival mage, Mara.

Alim agreed to help the Dalish against the werewolves in order to get their help. While he initially attempted to broker peace, in the end, Alim helped Zathrian kill the werewolves, caring more about getting the aid of the Dalish against the Blight than the plight of the werewolves.

In Orzammar, despite his extreme frustration at the refusal of help, after being approached by one of Bhelen's men, Alim decided to help the prince gain the throne in exchange for assistance against the Blight. Even though he cared little for dwarven politics and sided with Bhelen simply because he was the first to approach him, Alim did believe that Bhelen was the stronger contender for the throne. After careful contemplation, Alim had decided to side with Caridin, killing Branka and destroying the Anvil. After receiving the crown from Caridin, Alim gave it to Bhelen, securing the aid of the dwarves against the Blight.

After gathering their army, Alim went to Denerim. When going to the alienage to learn of the supposed plague spreading around, Alim couldn't help but wonder about his mother and sister. Despite the sour note he had left on and the vague memories he had of them, he couldn't help but be curious. He asked Shianni, who he also had vague memories of, about their location. However, she informed him that they had since left the alienage.

The alienage was saved, with the slavers all being killed, and enough evidence was gathered to win the landsmeet. After killing the traitorous Loghain, Alim decided the best choice for a strong and united Ferelden would be to wed a now disillusioned Alistair and Anora, having them rule Ferelden together.

After finding out that the death of the Archdemon would require the death of a Warden, Alim was approached by Morrigan, who told him about the Dark Ritual. Alim agreed, not bothering to discuss it with any of his fellow Wardens, to their anger the next day when they found out.

Alim gained the title of Warden Commander of Ferelden after the Blight and was given the task of ruling of Vigil's Keep and the arling of Amaranthine. Alim managed to recruit six Wardens, including the possessed corpse of Kristoff. Despite his usual tactical and somewhat callous nature, Alim was unable to destroy Amaranthine with his own hands, and helped to save the city. With a sufficiently fortified Keep, both Amaranthine and the Keep were able to be saved, and the Mother and Architect were defeated.

For the next year Alim searched for Morrigan, with whom he was reunited and left to live in the Crossroads.

Alim also spent his time looking for his lost sister and his old friend Solona, both of whom had disappeared from his reach. Years later Alim began searching for a cure for the Calling, and due to his absence, the Inquisition was unable to find him and make him Inquisitor. After the Breach was sealed, Morrigan and Kieran went after him.

## Relationships

**Alistair:** With Alistair being the only other male Grey Warden, Alim and him became good friends. The two got along and joked around a lot. They occasionally remain in touch, though they have largely drifted.

**Anders:** Alim found both his sarcastic attitude and disdain for the Circle and templars extremely refreshing. After trying to track down Anders soon after he left, Alim came upon Anders' groups' camp to find a blood bath. After realizing that he had likely merged with Justice, Alim destroyed Anders' phylactery, which a dead templar at the scene had been carrying. When Alim found out years later that Anders had destroyed Kirkwall's Chantry, Alim understood that his actions were necessary, and his main concern at this point is how Anders' mental state must be.

**Jaela Tabris:** Jaela was Alim's first friend. Jaela met Alim years later when he was a Warden while she was working at an inn. Recognizing him immediately, she asked to join him on his journey. Alim had no memories of Jaela, but she was able to convince him that they knew one another with her knowledge of him. He originally had no intention of letting her come along with him, but Jaela was able to quickly handle an assassin that had been sent after Alim and Alistair. Impressed with her skills, Alim allowed her to join. Over time, he began to regain some of his memories of Jaela, and the two became close friends once more despite their very different personalities.

The two mostly correspond through letters now, rarely seeing one another in person. She, Zevran, and their daughter have met with Alim and his family on several occasions throughout the years.

**Jowan:** Jowan welcomed Alim when he first joined the Circle, immediately taking a liking to him. The two became close friends, like brothers, and spent much of their time together with Solona. Alim let Jowan go in Redcliffe despite the protests of his companions. Alim spoke up on Jowan's behalf to Eamon, even hoping Eamon would let him go, though this was futile. Despite the betrayal and borderline hatred, Alim could not help but care. Over the years he came to terms with the fact that he still thought of Jowan as a friend in the end.

**Leliana:** Alim absolutely did not believe Leliana's vision but agreed to her help nonetheless. Alim was interested in occasionally hearing a story and eventually learned more about Leliana's past, and he eventually helped her resolve it, killing Marjolaine. Their contact was extremely limited over the years. Leliana eventually became Divine Victoria, and while Alim agreed with many of her reformations, he was unimpressed, knowing that the hearts of the masses would not be swayed by her sympathy toward mages and other races.

**Morrigan:** Alim has great respect for Morrigan, and he was originally fascinated by her due to the fact that she was an apostate. Her wild behavior and unpredictable personality was a change of pace for Alim, and that fascination eventually turned into something more.

**Nathaniel Howe:** Aside from Jaela, Nathaniel is in contact with Alim more than any other former friend of his, at this point. Alim respected Nathaniel after meeting him, letting him go and later recruiting him. Whenever Alim had to leave, Nathaniel would take charge of Amaranthine, essentially having become Alim's right hand man. The two kept in contact after Alim left permanently, though largely due to Warden business. Despite their professional relationship, Alim genuinely considers Nathaniel a friend. The two hold a great mutual respect towards one another.

**Solona Amell:** Solona joined the Circle shortly after Alim. Alim grew to become very close with Solona, thinking of her as a sister. He enjoyed spending time with her and Jowan doing various activities, as well as having an unwitting Solona make Cullen feel uncomfortable. After finding out that Solona had been sent to Aeonar, Alim has been looking for her, though his family and search for a way to end the Calling remain his main priorities.

**Sten:** After helping him retrieve his sword, Alim and Sten developed a sort of friendship based on their mutual respect for one another.

**Zevran Arainai:** Alim was fine with letting Zevran join the party, though he always kept a close eye on him. Alim also became very wary when Zevran began a relationship with Jaela, worrying that there might have been ulterior motives. Still, with Zevran's world experience, Alim couldn't help but be interested in the assassin's adventures. He and Zevran grew to get along, and Alim's worries about any ulterior motives Zevran might have had with Jaela ceased.

## Miscellaneous

* The "i" in Alim is pronounced as a hard "e".
* All possible companions were recruited.
* Despite referring to each other as husband and wife, Morrigan and Alim are not legally married. This is largely due to the fact that legalizing weddings often involves Chantry officiations, and neither Morrigan nor Alim desire or care for the involvement of the Chantry in their relationship.

## Links

**Reddit Headcanon and Writing Prompt Threads:**

* The death of Nazir Surana
* Alim uses magic for the first time
* Alim gets sent to the Circle
* Alim arrives at the Circle (minor role)
* Just another day in Kinloch Hold
* Solona recalls his warning (mentioned)
* Arl Eamon wakes up (mentioned)
* An awkward moment
* Jaela reminisces
* Zevran reflects on meeting Jaela (mentioned)
* Wynne's final moments (mentioned)
* Anders reflects on his past (mentioned)
* Alim is contacted by the Inquisition
* Morrigan's nightmares
* Meeting with Divine Victoria