Rendon Cousland

## Rendon William Cousland

Warden-Commander Cousland's portrait in Vigil's Keep.

**Rendon William Cousland, Prince-Consort of Ferelden**, is the husband of Queen Anora Mac Tir of Ferelden. He is best known for his service with the Fereldan Grey Wardens during the Fifth Blight and the rebuilding of the military order in the years following.

## Overview

### **Physical Appearance**

Rendon carries several features that are prominent in the Cousland bloodline, such as their brown eyes and raised cheekbones. It was not uncommon for newcomers to Highever's court to mistake Rendon and Fergus for twins. Rendon stands well over six feet tall and has a muscular build, a result from years of rigorous training and dedicated military service. Whenever possible, he makes sure to keep up appearances. His long, brown hair is well-kept, and his jaw remains clean-shaven. While travelling, Rendon easily lets go of appearances in favour of efficiency. He cuts his hair to fit military standards and spends little time shaving. Ever since his first expedition into the Deep Roads, Rendon started braiding his beard whenever it had grown too long, inspired by his close friend and fellow Warden Oghren.

When it comes to equipment, Rendon is a demanding man. He expects and is willing to pay for nothing but the best weapons and armour. He favours the use of bastard swords, often paired with a large shield. Rendon adapts his armour to what he considers to be most helpful. On the road, he can often be seen wearing lighter variants, usually made out of boiled leather reinforced by metal strips or rings. He switches to heavier sets of armour when faced with open combat or other situations that allow for more encumbering equipment.

Over the years, Rendon has frequently added new pieces to his personal armoury, such as a suit of Warden-Commander armour forged from the remains of a golem he fought in Kal'Hirol. He also commisioned the fabled sword Vigilance, which was stolen by the Antivan Crows. The sword has changed hands numerous times over the years, and its exact whereabouts are unknown. The suit of armour, which was stored in the Grey Warden Vault in Denerim, disappeared shortly after Rendon's disappearance from Ferelden court in 9:38 Dragon.

### **Personality**

Rendon inherited more than just his looks from his ancestors. Much like the many Cousland warriors who came before him, Rendon is a determined yet stubborn man. His direct, no-nonsense attitude towards most aspects of life earned him little friends. But Rendon knows that the few friends he has would go through hell and back for him, just as he will do for them.

Rendon has difficulty expressing his feelings, caused in part by his paranoid stance towards the world. Everywhere he goes, Rendon sees potential enemies waiting to slit his throat the first chance they get. Because of this, Rendon is reluctant in sharing anything personal unless it is absolutely necessary for others to know. This attitude nearly drove a wedge between him and Anora during the first weeks of their marriage.

What defines Rendon more than anything else, is his willingness to do whatever it takes. He made decisions that affected the lives of hundreds, some of which even led to the deaths of dozens, to push the Wardens' efforts against the Blight.

But his choices didn't just affect others. During the Wardens' campaign, his travelling companions saw the path of self-destruction he was on, sacrificing all he had to see the Blight ended. He exposed himself to dangerous forms of magic and came face to face with death on numerous occasions, just to shrug it off as 'part of the job'.

### **Talents and Skills**

Rendon was interested in a wide array of subjects from a young age. In order to facilitate this desire to learn, he was sent to Orlais at the age of 12, where Chevalier Michel Du Maurier and his brother Bastien of the University of Orlais tutored him. Michel taught Rendon the many intricacies of Orlesian politics and helped him practice his martial skills, where his brother helped Rendon with his studies focused primarily on history, but they also covered arcanology and theology.

Years later, the two brothers argued heavily over the now 18-year-old Rendon. Michel wished to see him join the Chevaliers, whereas his brother pushed for Rendon to join the University. Rendon, being raised on stories of his father and grandfather's success as warriors, joined the Chevaliers, destined to be the first Fereldan to join their ranks since the Fereldan Rebellion.

## Biography

### **History**

Rendon was born on the twelfth of Harvestmere, 9:03 Dragon. At the age of twelve, Rendon was sent to Orlais, where he was to be tutored by Chevalier Michel Du Maurier and his brother Professor Bastien. As much as he appreciated the professor's education, he had a strong preference for the martial teachings offered by the Chevaliers. And so, at the age of eighteen, Rendon was officially recruited by the Chevalier order.

Three years after joining, Rendon met his future wife Telia in the slums of Halamshiral while aiding local guards. They married in a small, unofficial ceremony following elvish tradition a year later. They kept their relationship hidden as best they could, but rumours spread nonetheless. It sparked outrage among the order's officers, but no action could be taken against him without risking a major conflict with both the elven population as well as Ferelden.

> 'I just want you to learn.' –Dame Adelaisa Lafaille
>
>

After learning that Telia was with child, Rendon decided he didn't want to raise a child in Halamshiral. After months of planning and scheming, shortly after Thenera's birth, the family made their escape, intending to go to Highever. Things did not go according to plan, people died among whom the recently knighted Chevalier Arnould Piaget, a close friend of Rendon. The order found out, however, and they organised a search for the fugitive recruit. They were caught in a small village, three days later by a search party led by Dame Adelaisa Lafaille. Most Chevaliers would have seen Rendon executed, but Lafaille always had an interest in more unorthodox methods of punishment. \_'I just want you to learn,'\_ she told Rendon with a wry smile on her face. At her command, one of the accompanying Chevaliers took Thenera from her mother's arms. He stabbed the girl through her chest and tossed her aside like a stray dog. Telia, forced to her knees, had her throat slit by Lafaille.

Over the months that followed, Rendon tracked down all Chevalier's who were involved with the deaths of his wife and daughter. Lafaille grew ever more paranoid with every Chevalier that died to Rendon's sword,  She took all possible precautions to prevent Rendon from finding her, but it was not enough. She was the last living Chevalier who was present in Sahrnia, an achievement that was quickly rectified by the Fereldan.

Rendon, torn apart from grief, arrived in Highever months later. The image of his wife bleeding out in front of him was burned into his mind. The sound of his daughter's crying filled every silence around him. For years, Rendon reached for every bottle and sought the attention of anyone willing to give it just to forget about her. But that all changed after the siege.

### **In-game**

#### Dragon Age: Origins

On Drakonis 15th, 9:30 Dragon, Castle Cousland was besieged by Arl Rendon Howe's army, who betrayed his life-long friend Bryce Cousland and his wife, Eleanor. The entire Cousland family was slaughtered except for Rendon, who managed to escape aided by Warden-Commander Duncan, and his brother Fergus, who took most of Highever's army south the night before.

Rendon fulfilled his promise to Duncan by taking part in and surviving the Joining. Through sheer luck, he managed to avoid the massacre at Ostagar caused by Teyrn Loghain's betrayal of King Cailan. Rendon and Alistair, a fellow Grey Warden, were saved by the Witch of the Wilds Flemeth. Accompanied by Flemeth's daughter Morrigan, Rendon and a fellow Warden named Alistair travelled to Lothering.

In Lothering, the Wardens discovered that Loghain had declared all Grey Wardens traitors responsible for the King's death. After stocking up on supplies, the group travelled to the Circle of Magi accompanied by Leliana, a former bard turned Lay Sister, and Sten, a qunari warrior found guilty of murdering a farmer and his family.

The Circle of Magi was in utter disarray. One of the Circle's Senior Enchanters, Uldred, had instigated a rebellion against the Chantry and its Templars. Insistent on recruiting the mages in their fight against the upcoming Blight, Rendon offered to help the Templars deal with the threat. Uldred was killed, but it was too late. Most of the mages had fallen, including First Enchanter Irving, and the Circle was lost. Instead, Knight-Commander Greagoir pledged his Templars to the Wardens' cause. Furthermore, Senior Enchanter Wynne joined the group, prioritising the survival of Ferelden over the rebuilding of the Circle.

On their way to Denerim, the group decided to rest in Crestwood. They discovered that the village had been suffering from several darkspawn attacks. To make matters worse, dozens of people had sought refuge in the town after fleeing from Lothering. Many of these refugees carried the Blight, and it spread rapidly. The Wardens discussed matters with Crestwood's mayor and came to the conclusion that both these issues could be solved at once, but at a terrible price. During the night, Rendon opened the dam holding back water from Lake Calenhad, drowning the village's lower regions where the diseased were brought. Connecting tunnels to the Deep Roads were flooded, preventing darkspawn from resurfacing. Over a hundred innocent people died a terrible death, but it was a small price to pay considering the thousands that could have died otherwise.

On the road to Denerim, the Wardens met Levi Dryden, an acquaintance of Duncan. He told them of an old fortress, Soldier's Peak, that was once controlled by the Wardens. Upon investigating, the Wardens discovered the Veil in the area to be weak. Undead, spirits and demons plagued the area, including a demon that had taken possession of Warden-Commander Sophia Dryden's corpse. Furthermore, a Grey Warden mage called Avernus was still living in the castle, keeping himself alive for hundreds of years using blood magic. He spent his time researching the Grey Wardens' tainted blood and ways to unlock the secrets it may hold. While Levi arranged for the fortress to be stocked and ready to be used by the Wardens, Avernus taught Rendon how to wield magic similar to that of the darkspawn.

In Denerim, the Wardens learned of Arl Eamon of Redcliffe's illness. His knights were sent to Denerim to investigate an artefact, Andraste's ashes, which are said to be able to cure any ailment. Aiding them in their investigation, the Wardens learned of Haven, a village in the Frostback Mountains which are said to be Andraste's last resting place.

On their way to Haven, the Wardens stopped by the dalish elves in the Brecillian Forest. The elves were unable to support the Wardens, however, as they were tied up in a bloody conflict with a local pack of werewolves. Seeking to stop the werewolves, the Wardens discovered that Zathrian, the clan's Keeper, had been dishonest about his own involvement. He created the werewolves' curse following the deaths of his children at the hands of humans, centuries ago. Rendon threatened to have the wolves tear the rest of the clan apart if  Zathrian wouldn't undo the curse. The Keeper, still hell-bent on seeing the werewolves destroyed, didn't wish to see harm inflicted upon his people. He lifted the curse at the cost of his life. With order restored, the surviving elves were able to join the Wardens in their fight against the darkspawn.

Back on the road to Haven, the Wardens decided to stop in Redcliffe for several days to resupply. Here, they discovered that the village had been under attack by an undead horde rising from the castle at night. They stayed behind and helped the village defend itself before heading to the castle at dawn, an idea suggested by Arl Eamon's brother Teagan. They learned that an apostate, instructed by Loghain to poison the Arl, was hired by Eamon's wife Isolde to teach their son Connor about magic, as the boy had started to show signs. In his dreams, however, Connor was approached by a desire demon. The demon used its magic to stabilise the Arl, albeit in a comatose state. Over the months that followed, the demon has slowly but surely strengthened its hold over Connor. Killing it in the Fade was the most effective way to deal with the situation, but it was by no means an easy task. It required several mages and an extensive supply of lyrium, neither of which they had access to after the fall of the Circle of Magi. The apostate, Jowan, offered to use blood magic to achieve the same result. Doing so would cause further damage to the Veil, however, risking a demonic invasion. Rendon and Teagan decided that, as much as they hated to admit it, the best way to deal with the situation was by killing the demon outside of the Fade. Morrigan's expertise in the school of Entropy allowed her to bring Connor into a deep sleep, allowing Rendon to end the boy's life without pain.

The Wardens learned that Haven was unmapped for a reason. The village was controlled by a cult, the Disciples of Andraste, who had sworn to protect and continue Her legacy. They had no interest in cooperating with the Wardens, forcing them to fight their way to the cult's leader, Kolgrim. He offered the Wardens access to Her last resting place, as well as unimaginable power if they promised to defile Her ashes by pouring dragon blood into the Urn. They refused, killing Kolgrim and the last cultists. But a snowstorm prevented them from travelling further, forcing the group to wait. Morrigan and Rendon investigated the area, in search of more information regarding Kolgrim's 'unimaginable power'. They discovered that the cult had been drawing power from a ritual involving dragon blood, granting a person abilities similar to blood magic. Interested in learning more, Morrigan prepared the solution as described in the cult's notes. Rendon took a deep breath, followed by a swig. For moments, he went numb and was unable to see, hear or otherwise perceive anything. Inside, he felt a rage coming up like he had never felt before as if years of anger stormed out in a single moment. Before Morrigan had the chance to approach, Rendon stormed off, disappearing into the storm. The group waited for hours, but the snow wouldn't lie down. Morrigan grew impatient and prepared to go look for him, accompanied by Sten.

Rendon regained consciousness inside a stone building. He looked at his blood-soaked hands in horror as he tried to recall what had happened. A voice, belonging to the Guardian of Andraste's final resting place, pulled him further into reality. They walked through the temple's halls and tried to Rendon's life with him as if the Guardian had lived Rendon's life himself. Rendon said next to nothing, preferring to let the Guardian ramble. 'Just another madman,' Rendon told himself. But that all changed when the Guardian showed him Andraste's Urn. Rendon lifted the lid and suddenly felt as if the ground was pulled from underneath his feet. He saw images of his wife and a girl he presumed to be his daughter. It all slipped away before him, remaining out of reach. A small hand grabbed his hand tight. Rendon looked down and saw Connor staring at him, pulling his arm as if he wanted him to follow. Behind him stood the bloated remains of dozens of people, coughing up water with no end in sight.

Shortly after leaving, Morrigan and Sten found the remains of a high dragon, her wings torn to shreds. They followed a trail of red snow, eventually reuniting them with their leader who, without saying a word, pulled a small pouch containing Her ashes.

The ashes were vital in restoring the Arl, who opened his eyes for the first time in weeks only hours after applying them. Over the next few days, Eamon and the Wardens discussed their plan to reunite Ferelden against the Blight by putting Alistair, being Cailan's half-brother, forward as his rightful heir.

But first, the Wardens had to go to Orzammar to get support from the dwarves. Much like the mages and the elves, the dwarves had issues of their own. King Endrin Aeducan had passed away following the death of one of his sons and the exile of another. Two dwarven lords fought over their late King's successor: Bhelen Aeducan, Endrin's last remaining son, and Pyral Harrowmont, the King's second. In order to speed up the political crisis in Orzammar, a matter which could have taken months or even years, Rendon approached Bhelen to see what he could do to get his support. The Wardens took down a crime syndicate run by a woman called Jarvia on Bhelen's behalf, but it wasn't enough to convince the dwarven deshyrs. Instead, Bhelen needed something irrefutable: the approval of a Paragon. Unfortunately, there was only one Paragon alive: Paragon Branka, who went missing during a Deep Roads expedition two years ago. Together with her ex-husband, Oghren, the Wardens ventured into the Deep Roads in search of Branka. It took them weeks to trace her back to the Anvil of the Void, but eventually, they found her alive and well. They would get the Paragon's approval if they helped her reach the Anvil of the Void. The Wardens learned of the horrible truth behind the Anvil when they finally arrived, told to them by the Anvil's inventor himself. Paragon Caridin, who invented the Anvil and the process of creating golems, was turned into a golem when he refused to use the anvil to turn criminals, casteless and others into golems. He begged the Wardens to destroy the Anvil, but having access to an army of marching steel was too great an opportunity to pass up. The Wardens killed Caridin, giving Branka the Anvil in return for an army of metal soldiers, as well as the army promised by Bhelen. Oghren, who regarded his days with the Warrior Caste counted, decided to join the Wardens in their mission.

The Wardens joined Eamon in Denerim, awaiting the Landsmeet. They received word that Anora Mac Tir, Loghain's daughter and King Cailan's Widow, had been imprisoned on orders of Arl Howe, who had been named Arl of Denerim by Loghain. Freeing the queen from Howe's grasp could have earned the Wardens a powerful ally, and so they set out to Howe's palace, where he had taken her captive. Rendon carved a way through the estate, leaving none alive who crossed his path, eventually bringing him face to face with the man who betrayed his family, an encounter the Arl did not live to retell.

The queen was freed, but their problems were far from over. Ser Cauthrien, Loghain's most trusted lieutenant, charged the palace accompanied by the best soldiers under her command. In an effort to buy the others enough time to escape, Rendon faced the group himself, denying to know anything about the queen's whereabouts. During the fight that followed, Rendon killed three of the soldiers and gravely injured another two. It was clear to Rendon that they had no intention of killing him, making it that much easier to stall the fight for as long as possible until, minutes later, he lowered his sword.

Stripped of his arms and armour, Rendon spent several days in a cage in Fort Drakon, always guarded by two guards. He waited for an opportunity to strike, but when no such chance appeared, he took it upon himself to create such opportunity. He locked his arms between the bars of his cage's roofing and used his weight to fracture the bones and rip through his flesh. The pain, accompanied by the smell and taste of blood, entranced Rendon, bringing him into the same mental state as the ritual in Haven did.  The guards, under strict orders to keep Rendon alive, made the mistake of opening the door to his cage to treat his wounds.

Hours later, Rendon was seen stumbling through the streets of Denerim, his right arm nearly falling to the floor and his leg torn open from a ballista bolt. Blood covered every inch of his body. Despite his wounds, Rendon reached Arl Eamon's estate before collapsing.

Thanks to Wynne's help, most of Rendon's injuries recovered over the next few days. While the others headed for the Denerim Alienage to investigate strange happenings possibly tied to Loghain, Rendon and Anora discussed the upcoming Landsmeet and the Wardens' plans for Ferelden's future. Together, they agreed it to be best for Anora to be crowned, reestablishing her as Ferelden's queen. In order to ensure the Wardens' freedom and resources to deal with the Blight, Rendon and Anora were to marry sometime after the Blight had been dealt with.

The Landsmeet resulted in chaos. With Anora's support, Eamon and the Wardens gathered a significant majority of the Landsmeet in their favour. Loghain refused to give in, an event the Wardens had already forseen. Before Loghain's men had the chance to strike, Rendon formally challenged Loghain to a duel on Anora's behalf. He was still recovering from the injuries he suffered in Fort Drakon, but he fought and defeated Loghain nonetheless. Rendon had promised to spare Loghain's life and invoked the Wardens' Rite of Conscription. Alistair, refusing to accept Loghain into Warden ranks, left shortly after the Landsmeet.

The recruited armies gathered at strategic points all over Ferelden, ready to strike as soon as the Archdemon made its appearance. Loghain survived the Joining ritual, which they performed shortly after the Landsmeet. Riordan told the others of the importance of the Joining ritual, seeing as it was the only way a person was able to kill an Archdemon, killing themselves in the process. Morrigan suspected this to be the case for some time and had spent weeks trying to find a way out, which bore some success. She learned of a ritual which allowed the Archdemon's essence to pass into an unborn child. The child survives but remains a bearer of the soul of the slain god after birth. Rendon shot the idea down without a second thought. He refused to use blood magic to cheat death. Morrigan, livid because of his willingness to throw his life away over principles, left the Arl's estate that same night.

The darkspawn horde was spotted in the Brecilian Forest several days later, marching for Denerim. The elves tried their best to slow the horde down for as long as they could, allowing the other armies to regroup in Denerim. Eventually, the elves had to retreat to Denerim as well. Countless people lost their lives, but their sacrifices were not in vain. In the end, atop Fort Drakon, Loghain sacrificed himself to slay the Archdemon.

Following her coronation, weeks after the Archdemon's defeat, Anora returned Highever to the Cousland family. She also stripped the Howe family of ownership of Vigil's Keep, a fortress near Amaranthine, and granted it to the Grey Wardens, a place for the order to be rebuilt. Before joining his betrothed at court, Rendon was named Warden-Commander of Ferelden and put in charge of rebuilding the order.

### **Post-game**

Here's what happened after the events of said game, brosef.

## **Relationships**

### Alistair

Rendon first met Alistair in Ostagar, before the former's Joining. Rendon and Alistair were kept away from the battle by Warden-Commander Duncan, causing them to be the two Wardens who didn't fight in, and therefore survived, the Battle of Ostagar. Together, the two Wardens decided to utilize the Grey Warden Treaties in order to build an army to oppose the oncoming darkspawn threat. The pressure the two recently-joined Wardens endured during this time helped them bond, despite their vastly different personalities. They spent their nights in local taverns whenever they got the chance to do so.

Their relationship changed slowly but surely following events in Crestwood. Despite Alistair's objections, Rendon agreed to mayor Gregory Dedrick's plan to open the Crestwood Dam. Over a hundred blight-struck refugees and their families drowned in order to prevent the sickness from spreading and stopping the darkspawn from climbing out of the Deep Roads.

Any chance of repairing their friendship faded following the aftermath of the Battle of Redcliffe. Rendon killed Arl Eamon's son Connor, who had fallen under the influence of a desire demon. Alistair, who was livid with Rendon's decision, confronted him later in private. Things were said and done that both sides later came to regret, but the damage had already been done. Despite their disagreements, the two Wardens didn't part ways since the Blight was too much of a threat.

Arl Eamon planned on putting Alistair forward to take Ferelden's throne, but talk with Anora opened up options that provided more certainty for the kingdom's future. With Anora being crowned queen, with Rendon by her side as Prince-Consort, the Wardens would receive all necessary support to end the Fifth Blight. Alistair was to denounce his father's name and swear fealty to Anora, and Loghain would be recruited into Grey Warden ranks to seek atonement for his mistakes. Alistair refused to agree to the latter, forcing Rendon to take him captive in order to ensure his cooperation. Following the Landsmeet, Rendon offered Alistair the chance to remain with the Wardens, but he refused. Following the Blight, Alistair was seen in the Free Marches, spending most of his nights in local taverns. After several attempts from Rendon to bring the disgraced Warden back to his feet, including sending Teagan to Kirkwall to talk sense into him. Eventually, Rendon had arranged for Alistair to have his name changed, allowing him to anonymously rejoin the Grey Wardens in the Anderfels.

### Anders

Rendon recruited Anders into Warden ranks by invoking the Rite of Conscription, causing conflict between the Wardens and the Fereldan Chantry in the process. Thanks to Wynne, Rendon had a newfound respect for healers in times of war, which he gladly passed onto Anders.

After the political turmoil in Ferelden during the Fifth Blight, Rendon was of the opinion that the Warden should be able to operate entirely separated from both political and religious systems. As such, he demanded that the Fereldan Circle of Magi handed Anders's phylactery over to the Wardens, much to the mage's approval. The Circle refused to comply, forcing Anders to look into matters himself. When he found located his phylactery, the Wardens set out to recover it, unknowing that it had been relocated months earlier.

Anders left the Wardens after Nika Kader took over command from Rendon, disagreeing with decisions made by the newly appointed Warden-Commander. Rendon was furious when he found out, not only at Warden-Commander Kader for making changes he considered harsh and counterproductive but also at Anders for turning his back on the order during times they needed him most.

### Anora

Rendon and Anora first met in Arl Howe's palace in Denerim. Due to the short length of this first meeting, however, the two wouldn't have their first true meeting until nearly a week later, after Rendon's escape from Fort Drakon. It was refreshing for Anora to finally engage in politics again after being sidelined by her father for months, and she couldn't wish for a finer adversary than Rendon.

They married six months after Anora's coronation, during the Amaranthine Conflict. All attending guests could've sworn to see something more than just another arranged, royal wedding that day. But, after Rendon returned to Fereldan court, their marriage proved to be far from the fairy tale people expected it to be.

Anora went through great efforts in an attempt to bond with Rendon, who remained emotionally closed off for months. Months went by before Rendon opened up to his wife, telling her of his life in Orlais. While it remained difficult for Rendon to share parts of his life, especially regarding his time with the Wardens, he managed to share it with his wife over the course of years. They grew closer with every conversation they had.

The effects of the Calling weighed heavy on Anora, who first assumed it was caused by unprocessed trauma from his time with the Wardens. When Avernus, who was appointed Court Mage by Rendon, discovered the true reason for Rendon's behaviour after a year since the first symptoms had appeared, he told Anora that there was only one possible cure left. While he didn't disclose the details with her, Avernus made it clear that the process would be gruesome. Despite this knowledge, Anora agreed to have Rendon treated by the Warden mage.

### Avernus

Rendon once stated that Avernus was 'one of the finest and the most despicable mages' he had ever met. Despite his statement, he has knowingly and willingly let Avernus continue his research until the end of the Amaranthine Conflict, over two years after they initially met.

After returning to court, Rendon appointed him to be the court's Arcane Advisor, a decision that led to some uproar in Ferelden's rebuilt Circle of Magi, as well as the Chantry. Rendon managed to convince the upset factions of the necessity behind this appointment, as Ferelden's weakened state could be taken advantage of by other nations, particularly Orlais. In order to rebuild Ferelden following the events of the Blight and the Conflict, the kingdom needed a man who was not only a well-learned mage but an experienced Warden as well. In Avernus, they got both.

The real reason of Avernus's appointment was that Rendon was looking for a way to rid himself of the Taint coursing through his blood, as the Calling could have him removed from Court once more, this time permanent, leaving Ferelden weakened again.

Only a few years had passed since Rendon joined the wardens before the Calling struck. It took Avernus over a year to discover the cause of Rendon's grief, and when he did it was too late. No methods could slow the effects of the Calling down, except for a single method that Avernus had used himself several times over the last few centuries.

### Justice

Rendon had dealt with spirits in the past, primarily in Kinloch Hold and Soldiers Peak. These experiences have inspired little understanding for spirits in Rendon. As such, he demanded Justice to leave Kristoff's corpse after it was brought from the Fade by accident. However, it proved to be unable to do so. Rendon, reluctantly, allowed it to stay with them, mainly so that Anders could keep a close on the spirit.

Word spread of the Mage Rebellion and Anders's actions. Rendon quickly realised that Justice was involved, having taken possession of Anders shortly after the latter leaving the Wardens. This further increased his hate and distrust for the creatures beyond the Veil.

### Leliana

Rendon had little use for the Maker's help when Leliana initially told him of the vision she had received from Him. Despite this, Rendon allowed the former bard to join them in their fight against the Blight. Rendon tried to avoid the Lay Sister at all cost, scheduling guard duty so that he rarely had to stand watch with her. Those rare times he couldn't avoid her presence in the night's calm, she would often discuss recent events. The two rarely agreed on decisions that had to be made, and so these discussions often evolved into full-blown arguments.

Their hostile stance towards each other changed shortly after they aided the elves in the Brecillian Forest. Leliana overheard a conversation Rendon had in Denerim, which helped her connected some dots. And so, that night, instead of their regular arguments, the two discussed the time they spent in Orlais. Doing so, they found a new appreciation for the other. Rendon would continue to make decisions of questionable nature, and Leliana would remain the first to ask the questions none of the others dared to ask. But knowing what they knew about each other, they both had an easier time accepting their presence.

### Loghain Mac Tir

For nearly a year, Rendon considered Loghain to be lower than the dirt underneath his shoes. Loghain refused to see the Warden for a warrior and instead remained to see him as local drunk of noble blood, as was his reputation before he joined the Wardens. But when the two stood across from each other, staring into the other's eyes, ready to meet certain death, all they saw was another warrior tired of the wars they fought.

They both fought hard and well, but it was Rendon who forced Loghain to his knees. Rather than executing him, he enforced the Rite of Conscription, conscripting him into Warden ranks.

In the few weeks the two travelled together, they spent hours discussing the ongoing struggles against the darkspawn and Ferelden's future. Given the alliances that had been forged prior to the Landsmeet, they also talked about Loghain's daughter and Rendon's future wife, Anora. These conversations eventually led to Rendon telling Loghain about his own daughter, making him the first one of three people he ever told.

Eventually, when the time had come to slay the Archdemon, Loghain made the killing blow, knowing that it would be his very last act in life. Rendon desperately tried to prevent him from doing so but was too heavily injured to offer any meaningful resistance. Loghain Mac Tir died atop Fort Drakon, being the fifth Grey Warden to sacrifice their life to defeat an Archdemon. Unlike the others who did so, Loghain's body is not laid to rest in Weisshaupt's mausoleum, as Anora insisted his that his body was to be buried with his wife, who died years before.

## **Miscellaneous**

###  Ritewine

A bottle of ritewine belonging to Rendon was found by Inquisition scouts in the Deep Roads beneath Ferelden in 9:41 Dragon. It proved vital in finding Rendon during the War Against the Elder One.

*"Vintage: Warden Cousland. Blight and wet dog."*

## **Gallery**

* Sample Photo
1/1