Hope Cousland

Hope post Battle of Ostagar

> "*Do you know why I revere the Canticle of Benedictions? It is because it teaches us that evil is never just, and that those that stand against it are true of heart, spirit, and mind. The Maker watches over all of us, but He smiles at those that help defend the defenseless.*"
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**Hope Theirin** (neé Cousland) (born 9:12 Dragon), also known as "The Hero of Ferelden", Warden Commander of Ferelden, and Queen of Ferelden, is a human noble from Highever. She is the youngest child of Bryce and Eleanor Cousland. After her home was taken over by Rendon Howe in a coup, Hope joined the Grey Wardens swearing to her parents that she would avenge them. Hope became a standout member of the order, using her upbringing to take charge and guide her group along their quest to stop the Fifth Blight. She is part of a combined world state currently known as the "Virtue Trio", alongside Charity Hawke and Faith Trevelyan.

## Overview

### **Physical Appearance**

Hope stands at five feet, six inches tall (168cm), with fair skin that tans in the summer months and long red hair she normally puts up in a ponytail. Her eyes are green, and despite her slim figure, she has toned her muscles with much training and practice with a sword. Hope looks nothing like her parents, and rumors constantly make the rounds beyond Castle Cousland that she is not Bryce's daughter.

### **Personality**

Hope is a quiet and polite young woman, although the sword and shield she carries with her at all times give away an intensity for combat and thrill she tries to hide away. She preferred to be on the field and clung to her brother whenever she could to get out of the castle. Still, if asked of her, she will put duty above her own whims. Like the rest of her family, she is a faithful Andrastian, often providing aid to those in the castle that would benefit from it, whether that be helping old tutors, moving a heavy box for the servants, or simply leading a service.

Her time as a Warden twisted her demeanor ever so slightly, with Fergus remarking years later that she was more cynical now than when they were simply naive adults stuck in the castle. Hope has commented that being in charge of so many things has been a sort of wake-up call for her, and that the amount of evil in the world is astounding. Her ultimate goal is to be a protector and rid her country of the worst of the evil that plagues it.

### **Talents and Skills**

As a noble lady, Hope is skilled at ballroom dancing, although she has been to very few formal dances, she can move in a long gown with all the grace of a cat. It was said that she could've swept the King away with her grace, and after her marriage to Alistair and subsequent coronation, those sayings became basis for several fairy tales. With her time as Queen, she has also become a skilled diplomat, often spinning deals and treaties that on the surface seem fair, but when looked at closely always give her country some advantage.

Looking at her more wild side though, Hope is extremely talented with her weapon, likely due to the long time she spent training and honing her skill with a blade. She had many tutors growing up, but her favorite was her father, the few lessons he had the time to teach her anyways. Hope is great at swimming, likely due to her brother's many pranks of throwing her into lakes when they were younger. Although she does not find much time for it now, she still appreciates the hours she spends in the chilly waters.

## Biography

### **History**

Born on the 5th day of Guardian, *Hope Diana Cousland* was initially seen as a blessing to the Cousland family after several years of barren luck. The castle was equally excited that the Cousland family would have a daughter to contrast the ever-hyper Fergus, who was seven years-old at the time of her birth. However, as Hope grew older, her looks became a source of tension. Her hair grew in a fiery red, and her eyes lost their baby blue hues in favor of emerald green. Her nose was hooked, reminiscent more of the Howe family than the Couslands, and her skinned tanned with the kiss of the sun, when both Bryce and Eleanor were known to burn under it. As a result, through no fault of her own, Hope was the subject of several nasty rumors of her parentage, from somewhat plausible to downright ludicrous. Her parents did their best to shield her from this, but Hope did catch a few and naturally asked questions. Eleanor assured her there was nothing wrong with her, and that no one else could be her father.

Hope was raised similarly to her brother, given a proper Chantry education alongside tutored lessons in Ferelden history, geography, and heraldry. She was also given private lessons in dance for balls and other soirees. Hope was studious, partly out of enjoyment and partly because good studies meant that she would be allowed more free time. When she was eleven, she got her first taste of swordplay after watching Fergus train in the yard with the other boys in the castle. Hope was enamored, and as a proper younger sister, immediately wanted to do whatever Fergus was doing. Albeit annoyed, Fergus eventually relented and gave her a wooden sword later that night, although he told her she could only use it against him, and only at night. This secrecy worked for about two months, until one night when the children's caretaker, an older woman known to them as "Nan", discovered the two sparring in the courtyard after Lady Eleanor had tasked her to retrieve Fergus. The two were in immense trouble, Fergus more than Hope, but by then, the curiosity had become permanent, and Bryce took up on teaching his daughter the same lessons he had taught his son just a few years ago.

When Hope reached 16 years of age, her parents began bringing forth suitors as potential marriage candidates. Although they were few and far between, for reasons Hope could never pin down. Most of them were from foreign lands as well, as her parents did not want Hope to marry below her station, and the Teryn of Gwaren did not have a son. Ultimately, none of these potential marriages would bear fruit, as just two years later, signs of Darkspawn began showing in the south of Ferelden, and the King had called on the aid of the Teryn.

Hope's stable life would be uprooted violently one night in 9:30 Dragon, when Arl Rendon Howe had his forces invade the castle and kill the Cousland family in a coup. Hope was able to escape safely, with the aid of Duncan, the Warden-Commander of Ferelden. She did not know if her brother survived at Ostagar, or if someone had been sent to kill him as well.

### In-game

In Progress

Note: This table will be removed as events are written.

### Post-game

Surprisingly, Hope became pregnant with Alistair's child shortly after the Blight ended in 9:31 Dragon. Their child, a son they named Darius, was born later that year, just a few months before Hope's nameday. The couple were shocked but grateful for the blessing. However, Darius' arrival also led to the realization that not only was Ferelden's monarchy unstable, but also that, if nothing was done, he would likely live a large portion of his life without his parents. Hope did not want that to happen, especially not after what happened to her parents. She waited a few years, until Darius was old enough to not need her constantly, and then left the castle in search of a way to cure Wardens of the taint, or at least stop the progression of it.

Hope travelled with Zevran Arainai, partly at Alistair's insistence since he could not go with her, as well as Wardens Sigrun and Velanna, at first heading south into the Kocari Wilds and the ruins of Ostagar to scavenge possible information. Hope also wrote Morrigan a letter, hoping to glean some information from her about Hope's survival thanks to the ritual. For years, the party traipsed across not only Ferelden, but Orlais and much of northern Thedas, in hopes of scavenging any leads.

## Relationships

Note: These tables will be removed as relationships are written.

## Miscellaneous

* Hope's middle name is Diana.
* Her leitmotif is "Most People Are Good" by Luke Bryan.
* Her MBTI type is ENFJ.