Cassandra Pentaghast

She rebuilt the Seekers and served Divine Victoria (Leliana).

## Background

Born in a carriage halfway between Cumberland and Val Chevin, Cassandra is the seventy-eighth in line to the Nevarran throne. Cassandra was raised in her family's estate in Nevarra City. In 9:10 Cassandra's parents, Lord Matthias and Lady Tigana, took the wrong side in the second attempt to overthrow King Markus Pentaghast and were executed by the king. At the suggestion of his court, King Markus ordered the execution of most of the conspirators' immediate families, fearing reprisals from vengeful relatives down the line. Cassandra and her brother were spared because they were only children at the time and family to the king; most importantly, they had an influential relative to vouch for their behavior. Their father's brother, Vestalus, was a senior member of the Mortalitasi and as such beyond the reprisal of the king, and he took them in as his wards. Cassandra and her brother moved to the Grand Necropolis of Nevarra.

Vestalus became prelate of the Mortalitasi in 9:12 Dragon and spent less and less time with Cassandra and Anthony. They grew up isolated, with only each other for company and support. Anthony embraced swordsmanship, dreaming of becoming a dragon hunter, and Cassandra did the same. Cassandra resented her family for keeping her in a gilded cage and became estranged to Nevarra much later on.
By 9:16 Dragon, Anthony had gained enough fame as a dragon hunter that he was targeted by a group of blood mages who needed dragon blood for their rituals. When Anthony refused to help them, they beheaded him right in front of twelve-year-old Cassandra. Enraged by the lack of justice when the apostates could not be tracked down, she begged her uncle to send her to the Templar Order. He sent her to the Seekers of Truth instead.
She began her Seeker training at the fortress of Montsimmard, apprenticed to a senior member named Seeker Byron, where the majority of the focus was on her religious rather than martial education. Though this frustrated her at first, she eventually embraced her studies and excelled. She underwent her vigil at the age of fifteen in a remote castle in the Blasted Hills of Orlais, the youngest Seeker to do so since the Storm Age. Though of noble birth, Cassandra turned her back on a life of wealth and privilege to join the Seekers of Truth. The ancient order serves as a watchful eye over corruption and magical threats, granted ultimate authority in its investigations by the Chantry.

## Involvement

### *Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker*

The events detailed below take place in 9:22 Dragon.

The Seekers, including Cassandra, attack a group of blood mages who abducted an elven girl with a unique ability from the Circle of Magi. Avexis has the ability to control beasts, and is to be used in a ritual to control dragons. The Seekers kill most of the blood mages but their leader Frenic shapeshifts into a crow and escapes.

They rescue Avexis, but High Seeker Aldren refuses to return Avexis to the Circle; he wants to keep her in custody claiming she is too important for the blood mages to be returned. Late at night Cassandra finds Byron taking the girl from prison. This confuses Cassandra as Byron taught her everything she knew as a Seeker and acted as a father figure for her. Cassandra refuses to leave and follows Byron into the woods. Byron speaks of a conspiracy within the Chantry and insists they get Avexis to safety, to a friend he can trust. Cassandra follows despite being told otherwise, but they soon find themselves surrounded by a group of blood mages. Byron is killed and the blood mages take Avexis.

Cassandra sees a mage trying to flee the scene and captures him. He claims he is not one of them but Cassandra doesn't believe him. When they are captured by templars the mage whispers that he was the friend Byron spoke of and eventually convinces Cassandra. Cassandra distracts the templars and frees them, deciding that it's up to her to find proof of the conspiracy to clear her name as she is branded a traitor.

The blood mages are one step ahead of them each time, and find the other mages killed in a Circle safe house. They had just returned from a paranoid elven informant Lazarro, whose house is in a cliff up a mountain and can only be reached by climbing. Lazzaro betrays them and the blood mages attack, but not before he's given Cassandra vital information with a knife pressed against his neck.

The blood mages are planning to attack the current Divine, Beatrix III, on the 10 year gathering. They are attacked by an ogre, and outside they are surrounded by ogres and golems controlled by the blood mages. They escape using a vial Lazarro was planning to use on them, creating a flash bomb effect. Cassandra is wounded and can hardly walk, but not long after their escape they are found by the templars led by Knight-Commander Martel. At the edge of a cliff and with seemingly no escape, Cassandra throws her and the mage off the cliff, falling into the river below. The mage, who by now has introduced himself as Regalyan D'Marcall, helps her into a cave where they get shelter and he treats her wound. Slowly the mage wins her trust, after he expresses his deep regrets when she tells him about how blood mages killed her brother.

They fall asleep and when the Knight-Commander comes in and sees they're gone, he communicates with an Elven stone with Frenic proving to be the traitor within the Chantry. Cassandra manages to get a hold of the stone but is still too injured to fight Martel properly. Regalyan creates a distraction and collapses the tunnel so they can escape. They go on route to approach the High Seeker by entering a secret passage, but he is killed by Martel when he goes to the Divine with the stone as proof against the Knight-Commander.

Martel frames Cassandra and Regalyan for the murder and they are imprisoned. Cassandra learns before her execution that he co-conspired with Callista, the Grand Cleric of Orlais to unleash dragons on the Divine and the gathered Grand Clerics during the ceremony so that Callista would become the new Divine as the only surviving Grand Cleric. However, Regalyan informed Circle mages by sending a bird right before entering the secret passage way, and the mages come to their aid.

Cassandra duels the Knight-Commander, accusing him of betraying the Chantry, to which he retorts that he is ushering in a new era for the Chantry, 'one where events like Kirkwall will not be tolerated'. Cassandra ultimately wins the fight by severing Martel's sword arm; she spares his life and orders him imprisoned, intending to put him on trial for his crimes, but when the Knight-Commander breaks free and attacks, Cassandra beheads him. When 4 dragons, controlled by Avexis, who is in turn controlled by Frenic, attack, she jumps on the back of the first one, killing it. When she is on the back of the second dragon, Frenic orders for a high dragon to be summoned for the attack. The high dragon goes straight for the Divine, but Cassandra stops the attack by flying a wounded dragon into the high dragon, collapsing a wall and wounding Callista. Cassandra is aided by the Seekers to bring the Divine to safety. She goes on to aid Regalyan and the Circle mages who confront Frenic.

Regalyan manages to get Avexis in his arms and Frenic turns into a Pride demon abomination to defeat the mages and destroy the Chantry after he kills the Grand Cleric of Orlais as she is no longer useful, explaining he took advantage of her ambition to further his own plans. The magic of the Circle mages doesn't hurt Frenic, but Avexis summons the high dragon to burn Frenic. Cassandra leaps on top of him and stabs Frenic in the skull, causing him to fall to the square beneath, dying upon impact with the ground. Cassandra rallies the crowd by shouting "For the Chantry!". The crowd responds in the same way.

After the attack Cassandra is seen in Seeker armor again accompanied by Regalyan who is waiting in a dark hallway. Regalyan tells her she is the most beautiful and bravest woman he has ever met. She giggles and tells him this is not the right place or time, but to his surprise gives him a kiss on the cheek.

When the door opens Cassandra and Regalyan walk through a crowd, holding hands with Avexis, up to the Divine. Cassandra is proclaimed Hero of Orlais and Right Hand of the Divine by Beatrix III.
After the ceremony, the Divine meets with Cassandra in the cathedral. The Divine insists that the attack on the Gathering was only the beginning; a storm is coming and the Chantry must be prepared. Cassandra asks how she can serve as the Divine places a book in her arms.
The book was a holy writ, granting the Right and Left Hands of the Divine the authority to restore the Inquisition.

### *Dragon Age II*

Following the outbreak of the Mage-Templar War, the Right and Left Hands of the Divine (Seeker Cassandra and Sister Leliana) used the writ Beatrix III left to her successor, Justinia V.

In preparation, Cassandra and Leliana first sought out The Warden-Commander to lead the nascent order as the new Inquisitor. Their search was in vain as the Warden had mysteriously disappeared and so they sought out their next candidate: Hawke, The Champion of Kirkwall.

Cassandra interrogated Varric in the old Amell Estate, where he revealed that the Champion has left Kirkwall and disappeared shortly thereafter. As she starts demanding that Varric tell her everything he knows about Hawke, he starts explaining that Hawke and their sibling were fighting darkspawn before a dragon appeared, causing Cassandra to interrupt him, claiming it to be a falsehood, so Varric explained the true story. Cassandra became skeptical at his claim that Flemeth rescued Hawke from the darkspawn, but relented when Varric asked if he was to recount the tale of the Warden. She permitted Varric to continue but warned that she would cancel her interrogation if he claimed that the Hawke family and Aveline Vallen flew to Kirkwall on a dragon.

Upon reaching the part of the Champion's story where Hawke joins Varric and Bartrand's expedition into the Deep Roads, Cassandra attempted to deny his version of events, having initially believed that the Champion came to the city to spread subversion against the Chantry. She points out that Hawke just happened to have dealings with the Qunari, a known raider, a blood mage and a rebel Warden all in an effort to obtain wealth. At the end of Varric's retelling of the expedition, Cassandra remarks on the fate of Hawke's sibling. She also starts changing her opinion on Hawke's companions, having assumed that they all came from Ferelden together but Varric insists that's not the whole story.

When Varric finishes with the end of the Qunari attack on Kirkwall, Cassandra's opinion on the Champion changes: she calls a male Hawke heroic for his deeds, whilst for a female she develops respect for what she has done. If Hawke had bested the Qunari Arishok in single combat, she remarks that the tale sounds very romantic.

In *Legacy*, Cassandra confronts Varric regarding a Grey Warden prison in the Vimmark Mountains and Hawke's actions there. When the Seekers had investigated, they were turned back by the Wardens. By the end of Varric's retelling, Cassandra found it hard to believe that Hawke defeated Corypheus, one of the first darkspawn and allegedly one of the magisters who entered the Golden City. She also noted that the Wardens did not mention the presence of Janeka/Larius at the prison, who left after Hawke defeated Corypheus; according to Cassandra, the Wardens told the Seekers everyone who'd been present at the prison was dead.

In *Mark of the Assassin*, Cassandra accuses Varric of holding back on her, mentioning that Hawke nearly sparked a war with Orlais. She demanded the true accounts of the events at Chateau Haine, especially regarding Tallis, mentioning that the Seekers had an agent there who lacked any knowledge of the event. Upon reaching the part where Tallis was revealed to be Qunari, Cassandra clarified for Varric that the Qunari were a religion, not a race. When Varric's story ended with the death of Duke Prosper, Cassandra demanded to know who was to appease Orlais after his murder at the hands of the Champion. Varric explained that Prosper was making deals with Tal-Vashoth, possibly on Empress Celene's orders, and thus it would've been scandalous if the truth came out.
When his story comes to an end, Cassandra comes to the conclusion that the Knight-Commander Meredith was the central cause of outbreak of the rebellion in Kirkwall though Varric suggests that either the idol or Anders are equally responsible. When she asked about the whereabouts of Hawke, who she believes can stop the escalating conflict between mages and templars, Varric admits that even he doesn't know it, but doubts that his friend is dead. Satisfied, Cassandra grants the dwarf his freedom and exits the Amell Estate, where a contingent of Seekers are awaiting. Leliana asks Cassandra if she was successful in determining the Champion's whereabouts, and she confirms Hawke's disappearance. She then asks Leliana whether they should proceed with their original plan and keep searching or change the plan. Leliana tells her to trust in the Maker. Cassandra is then seen leaving with the Seekers.

### *Dragon Age: Inquisition*

Following the explosion of The Breach Cassandra interrogates the Inquisitor, the sole survivor of the conclave explosion that killed Divine Justinia V. She accuses them of causing the Breach, as the mark on their hand is of the same magic as the Breach. However, she gives the Inquisitor a chance to prove their innocence by closing it. Upon arriving at the ruins of the Temple of Sacred Ashes, an echo reveals that the Inquisitor accidentally interrupted an unknown shadowy figure's ritual sacrifice of the Divine. However, they claim to have no memory of this event. The Inquisitor succeeds in closing the first rift, stabilizing the Breach but not closing it.

In the aftermath of their failure to close the Breach, Cassandra begins butting heads with Chancellor Roderick, who is convinced of the Inquisitor's guilt, whereas Cassandra believes them to have been sent by the Maker. She and Leliana invoke the late Divine's writ to restore the Inquisition, independent of Chantry authority, for the purpose of closing the Breach and finding the true perpetrators behind it.

In conversation with Cassandra about her feelings about the Chantry, she reveals that she believes the Chantry is necessary and could still be salvaged, though its methods require improvement. She recommends that the Chantry refocus their efforts on being compassionate to the people of Thedas, regardless of race. Cassandra is conservative about casting aside institutions such as the Circle of Magi and the Templar Order however, and believes they both serve a purpose in society. Cassandra states she would rather reform such institutions, and seems receptive to the mages governing themselves but believes they need the Chantry's assistance to do so. Additionally, she would emphasize the templars' role as protectors of the innocent rather than solely jailers of mages.

While Leliana believes the Chantry needs radical reform, Cassandra in contrast believes that incrementalism is the best course of action with regards to reforms. Leliana says she wishes to follow Divine Justinia's legacy, but Cassandra believes Justinia was more moderate than Leliana remembers; Cassandra thinks Justinia would concur with her that the clerics of the Chantry and the people would only accept so much change. Ultimately, Cassandra thinks that the backlash from Leliana's radical changes would lead to chaos.

After the Inquisition is forced out of Haven by Corypheus, the Inquisitor leads the refugees towards Skyhold. Upon arrival, Cassandra tells the Inquisitor that everyone had chosen them as their leader, not just because of the Anchor, but because they are an inspiration to them all.

After Varric summons Hawke to Skyhold, Cassandra confronts him, accusing the dwarf of having withheld knowledge of Hawke's whereabouts the entire time; she believes that Hawke could've saved Justinia. If the Inquisitor intervenes, they can support either one of them or encourage them to cooperate. As Varric turns to leave, he states that if Hawke had been at the conclave, they would have been killed too.

Cassandra later asks for the Inquisitor's assistance in investigating the disappearance of her fellow Seekers, suspecting them to be prisoners of Corypheus. Tracking the Seekers to the castle of Caer Oswin, Cassandra discovers evidence that Samson/Calpernia sold the Seekers to the Order of Fiery Promise after learning that the Seekers were resistant to red lyrium. Venturing further into the castle, they find Cassandra's apprentice, Daniel, who is suffering from being fed red lyrium and being implanted with a demon. He reveals that Lord Seeker Lucius sold his men to the Promisers and has been operating out of Caer Oswin the whole time. After granting Daniel a merciful death, Cassandra confronts Lucius and kills him in the ensuing fight.

Back at Skyhold, Cassandra looks through the Book of Secrets kept by the Lord Seeker. She questions whether she should reform the Seekers. From the book, she's learned that she and all Seekers were secretly made Tranquil and subjected to the touch of a Spirit of Faith to be granted their abilities and restore their minds; Lord Seeker Lambert had always known how to reverse Tranquility and covered it up. If asked how she would go about reforming the Seekers, Cassandra states she plans to find the scattered Seekers, have them all read the Book of Secrets together, leaving no more secrets between them, and establish a new charter that will be devoted to doing the Maker's work. Although Cassandra is unsure of the specifics of what doing the Maker's work entails, she believes that new Seekers must make a conscious effort of seeking out and defining that purpose. The Inquisitor can choose to support reformation or not.

The Inquisitor can further inquire about the cure to Tranquility in conversation with Cassandra. Cassandra states she plans to further investigate whether the cure can be refined so that a cured mage may reverse the Rite without being overcome with emotions. Should she succeed, she intends to spread news of the refined cure herself.

The Seekers of Truth, if she was encouraged to rebuild the order, are rededicated to their purpose of protecting the innocent.

#### *Trespasser*

Cassandra appears during the events of the Exalted Council, two years after Corypheus' defeat.

Cassandra awkwardly gives the Inquisitor advice on marriage, after Varric led her to think the Inquisitor was about to tie the knot. If romanced, she believes that the Inquisitor is proposing to her.

If Cassandra was encouraged to rebuild the Seekers, she tells the Inquisitor that she found some surviving Seekers and upheld her promise to show them the Book of Secrets. Those she deemed suitable were allowed to join her in restoring the Seeker order. She now trains new recruits with full disclosure of their secrets, though it is a slow process.

*If Cassandra did not become Divine Victoria:*The Exalted Council remains intact, and Cassandra advises Divine Victoria on important matters. If Leliana is Divine, then she serves for several years, having respect for Leliana and working well with her.

### *Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights*

***Murder by Death Mages***

Cassandra orders Sidony to return to Nevarra City, to stop a Mortalitasi plot to assassinate a member of Nevarra's unstable line of succession.

## Approval

As a deeply pious individual, Cassandra is most approving of Inquisitors who express a belief in the Maker and the teachings of the Chantry, and who embrace their role as the Herald of Andraste. She is generally supportive of Chantry-derived institutions such as the Circle of Magi and the Templar Order and will often disapprove of efforts to curtail their power and influence. As a result of her religious beliefs (as well as her past experiences with apostates), Cassandra can be somewhat mistrustful of mages and will usually approve of a measure of restriction on their freedoms. She is also generally wary of magic and spirits and will sometimes look unfavorably on Inquisitors who make deals with apostates and demons or who dabble in unknown or forbidden arts.

Cassandra is strong, aggressive and militant, and often favors a "take action" approach to solving problems. She will usually approve of individuals who are assertive in their efforts towards restoring order. As a moral and compassionate person, she respects the principles of honor, sacrifice, truth and selflessness and often approves of Inquisitors who are kind to others or who go out of their way to help those in need (even if they happen to be mages). Though Cassandra is a devout Andrastian and steadfastly believes in the necessity of the Chantry as a guiding force for the world, she also recognizes the need for change within its institutions and will often favor the idea of reforming the various governing bodies of Thedas (e.g., the Chantry, the nobility, the Seekers, etc.).

Like most companions, Cassandra approves of responses that affirm her views or that are sympathetic towards her emotional state (e.g., being comforting or reassuring when she is upset or embarrassed), and will usually slightly approve of compliments and flirting from the Inquisitor. Being disrespectful or mocking towards the things she enjoys or believes in will often net disapproval, as will selfish actions or expressing a lack of concern for the things that she considers important.

## Romance

Cassandra is a potential love interest for male Inquisitors only.

The romance can be initiated after winning Cassandra's approval, flirting with her on multiple occasions and completing her personal quest, Promise of Destruction.

Once these prerequisites have been met, Cassandra will request to speak privately with the Inquisitor. During the conversation, a visibly nervous and flustered Cassandra confesses that while she has noticed the Inquisitor's flirting, what her heart truly yearns for is the ideal romance: to find a man who can "sweep her off her feet" and "properly court" her with flowers and poetry by candlelight. She states her belief that the Inquisitor may be incapable of fulfilling these wishes due to his position as the Herald of Andraste and the leader of the Inquisition. At this point the Inquisitor can either end things permanently with Cassandra or state that he is willing to make an attempt at courting her in accordance with her desires.

Should the Inquisitor opt to continue the romance, he will be required to track down three ideal gifts:

* Flowers which can be obtained from the elven gardener in Val Royeaux.
* Candles that can purchased from Pierre-Marie's shop in Val Royeaux.
* A poetry book procured from a pillaged caravan belonging to the Dwarven Bookseller in Redcliffe Village.

Once the aforementioned items have been collected, the Inquisitor may speak with Cassandra and request that she meet him at a hidden grove near Skyhold. During the evening, Cassandra arrives at the grove to find it littered with candles and flowers. She is then surprised by the Inquisitor, who recites a reading from the poetry book much to Cassandra's amusement and delight. She makes note of the Inquisitor's choice of poems, then starts reading an excerpt from the book herself as she and the Inquisitor gradually draw closer to each other. Eventually, the reading culminates in a passionate kiss and the two of them make love under the night sky.
Later, as Cassandra and the Inquisitor lie beneath the stars, she reaffirms her belief that her lover is the Herald of Andraste, chosen to protect Thedas in its time of need. She also reveals that the Inquisitor is only the second man she has been with in her life, the first being Regalyan. She indicates that Regalyan was present at the Conclave at the time of the explosion and that his death has fueled her desire to defeat Corypheus, as she will not allow the ancient magister to take away the only other man she's ever loved. At this point the Inquisitor will have one final opportunity to either end the relationship with Cassandra or fully commit to being with her. If the Inquisitor commits to the relationship, he and Cassandra will share a few more tender moments over the course of the game, and he will be able to kiss her at any time while in Skyhold.
A female Inquisitor may also flirt with Cassandra over the course of the game, which garners slight approval increases as Cassandra finds the Inquisitor's advances flattering. However, continuous flirting will eventually prompt a conversation during which Cassandra will tell the Inquisitor that she does not reciprocate her feelings and that she only wishes to remain friends.

* The initial flirtatious cutscene, along with its triggering requirements, are the same for male and female Inquisitors. And similar to a male inquisitor, a female inquisitor has the option to end all flirting.
* After a particular flirtatious conversation with Cassandra in Skyhold, the keep can only be accessed after completing a main plot quest. If this has not been done yet, the Inquisitor will be unable to reenter Skyhold's Main Hall by normal means ―through the front door. One solution is to use the map and fast travel; another would be to simply jump over the mural and on the roof, then down into the garden as fall damage is disabled.

### *Trespasser*

Regardless of her status as the Divine, she will be tricked by Varric into believing that the Inquisitor intends to propose to her, leading to a comical misunderstanding wherein Cassandra gently lectures an oblivious Inquisitor as to the "serious" subject of marriage. Though realizing the ruse leaves Cassandra feeling angry and embarrassed, it also gives the Inquisitor the opportunity to broach the question of marriage more earnestly.

She will express openness to the idea of marriage, claiming that she "will act very surprised" on the day of the Inquisitor's "truly romantic proposal". Cassandra will then follow this with a heartfelt declaration of love, stating that she will never leave the Inquisitor's side and that "not even the Maker Himself" could keep her away from her romantic partner.

## Trivia

* In *Dragon Age: Redemption*, Nyree states that she once fought beside a templar named Cassandra. Cairn states that Cassandra is head of the Seeker Order. Cassandra Pentaghast, however, is not the head of the Seekers.
* Mary Kirby described her as "an extremely crusty baguette".
* Unused dialogue from *Dragon Age II* suggests there was a cut quest involving Cassandra encountering Hawke in Kirkwall. See: Cut content
* She is described as "The Believer" in the promotional materials for *Dragon Age: Inquisition*.
* Cassandra is described as brash, impulsive, and having anger management issues, but nevertheless she’s incredibly dedicated and will do whatever it takes to set the world right.
* Cassandra reads Varric's novels and loves the "romance" title *Swords and Shields*.
* Cassandra suffered from hay fever as a child. Her brother joked she should punch a tree in retaliation. Cassandra found that it helped and still punches trees when afflicted.
* Cassandra's greatest fear is helplessness.
* Cassandra wields her weapon right-handed in the game, both during gameplay and cutscenes. But a possible scene in Skyhold after Here Lies the Abyss shows her writing with the left hand. This could mean that she's ambidextrous or even left-handed considering the design limitations which makes all NPCs in the game wielding exclusively their weapons with their right hand.
* According to Patrick Weekes, Cassandra is a faithful reformer.
* Although she has Templar as a specialization in Inquisition, she has never been part of the templar organization herself. However, the description of her specialisation reflects this, noting that her abilities are 'Templar-like'.
* Through companion dialogue with Sera, Cassandra mentions that she was trained as a Seeker when she was six. However, a letter from Cassandra's uncle to the Seekers states that she was twelve when she joined the Seekers. And she tells the Inquisitor when asked about how to become a Seeker, that even though most of them begin training in their youth, she was "much older" as an exception was made for her due to her noble birth.