Kasaanda Adaar

> “Time is the fire in which we burn.” — Delmore Schwartz (Marcher poet)
>
>

Why did I come here, it's freezing!

**Kasaanda** Adaar. Qunari, Mage, Woman.

To the Qunari she is Vashoth. To the Chantry, she is an Apostate. And to everyone born without horns, she is just another Ox-man, unless they have other motives to show an interest. In 9:41 Dragon, a contract took her mercenary band, the Valo-Kas, to Haven. On the surface, they were getting paid to be the intimidating group of bodyguards behind one of the many nobles attending the Conclave. In truth, their leader had his own agenda for being there.

Everything became a blur when disaster hit and for the first time in her life, she was without family, friends or the band of fighters she had known all her adult life. And to make matters worse:: everyone was looking at her like she was either a saviour or a nightmare come to life. She struggles with her new-found reality as much as the deadly Mark that has now physically become a permanent part of her.

## Overview

### **Physical Appearance**

Long flowing mane, the colour of bloodstone with deep-red accents when the sunlight hits it just right. Lavender eyes with amethyst specks and long black lashes that have helped her greatly to perfecting a "butter wouldn't melt" look. She does a very good "I am not amused"-scowl, as well as a shit-eating grin she quickly picked up from her fellow mercenaries.

Horns curl back in wicked sharp points that she keeps well-cared for with oils and balms and won't hesitate to use if the emergency calls for it.

She is short for a Qunari female at 5"11/1.80m and will usually be eye-to-eye with most human males, something that has always irritated her greatly. Years of hectic living, travelling from one contract to the next, has not always been kind to her body, but at least she is combat fit, especially when compared to some of the sheltered, academic Circle mages. More often than not, she ends up using her mage staff as a quarterstaff as well and participates in the daily sparring when there is downtime, so her arms are toned, as are her legs from all the riding/marching. She is nowhere near as athletic as the warrior and rogues in her company, but she can hold her own and not being quite as lean as some has the added benefit of ample hips and a generous, curvaceous behind. It has been said she's a pleasant sight to follow, a rare compliment she'll gladly enjoy.

### **Personality**

Kasaanda's name was well picked. Those that first meet her, often mistake her for a wilting, shy flower. Her tentative smiles mask her discomfort in the company of strangers. Her quiet observation gives the impression she might be easily dismissed or at least amenable, when if fact she is assessing her opponent's strengths and weaknesses with keen intelligence. Those that have spent more than ten minutes in her company will quickly see her regaining her confidence, never being able to resist a good double entendre for long, or laugh heartily at a good joke. She appears to open up quickly, given the least bit of encouragement but is forever wary of how she is perceived as a mage, a Qunari and a woman. Those who have earned her loyalty, she will defend to the death. She well knows how rare and precious it is to find acceptance in her situation. There are those even in her own company that feel she should be leashed, despite the fact that they in time come to value her as a competent healer who saved their lives many times over.

Fighting against a lifetime of prejudice and preconceived opinions regarding her race, her abilities and her gender in a male-dominated profession has given her great compassion and anger for the plight of the suppressed, the shunned and the ones society would cast out. She believes in giving second chances, even though the jobs they do often take this choice out of her control. She tries to make the world a better place by applying her Healing abilities to those that need it most, whether it's a spell, treatment or just someone to listen they need.

She is very insecure about her looks and terrified of small, confined spaces.

### **Talents and Skills**

As she is the de facto Healer as well as a battle-mage for the Valo-Kas, she has taken it upon herself to compliment her moderate healing magic with herbs and household remedies. Her home-making skills may be nothing to brag about; she probably couldn't cook a decent meal to save her life, but when it comes to stitching people up, she'll keep up with the best of them.

* **Survival** - Through years of observing, she has become a decent tactician and has always been a quick study when it came to watching how her commander dealt with things. She learned much, both how to do things well and also how NOT to do things.
* **Magic** - She was trained by a fellow Tal-Vasoth mage, who in turn learned from a Hedge mage. As a result, her approach to magic is somewhat unorthodox, certainly from a Circle-trained point of view. She favours primal and creation magic, i.e. fire, earth and healing are her strong points. She has never had any affinity for spirit or entropy schools of magic.

## Biography

### **History**

Born in 9:4 Dragon, Kasaanda is 37 when the second Inquisition is relaunched in 9:41. Her parents left the Qun before she was born.

Part of an underground gathering of those that had started to question the teachings of the Qun, here parents left for fear the re-educators would come for them. They fled Qunandar, Par Vollen and eventually settled in Ansburg. Kasaanda trained as a mage with the various Vasoth and Hedge Mage contacts her parents could put her in touch with, but harbouring an Apostate in Chantry lands soon became a permanent source of stress and friction between her parents and a teen-age Kasaanda. Headstrong and idealistic, Kasaanda ran away from them at age 14 and joined her first band of mercenaries.

#### Main Quests

* **The Wrath of Heaven**
	+ Denied being chosen by Andraste
* **In Hushed Whispers**
	+ Allied with the rebel mages
* **In Your Heart Shall Burn**
	+ Chose to lead the Inquisition as a mage: 'I'll set an example as a mage.'
* **Specialisations for the Inquisitor**
	+ Specialised in Rift Magic
* **Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts**
	+ Reconciled Empress Celene Valmont and Briala
* **Here Lies the Abyss**
	+ Grey Wardens rebuilt under the supervision of Loghain
	+ Hawke stayed behind in the Fade
* **What Pride Had Wrought**
	+ Respected Temple tradition
	+ Allied with guardians
	+ Morrigan drank from the Well of Sorrows
* **Sit in Judgment**
	+ Inquisitor was a Merciful Judge
* **The Descent**
	+ Saved mines, stopped earthquakes
* **Jaws of Hakkon**
	+ Discovered and met Ameridan
	+ The dragon was slain
	+ Earned a legend-mark from the Avvar
	+ Hunted down the Nox Morta
	+ Shared the truth
* **Trespasser**
	+ The Iron Bull remained loyal to the Inquisition
	+ Solas redeemed
	+ Inquisition disbanded

#### Inner Circle

> *'Kasaanda quote tbd.'*
>
>

> - someone quoted
>
>

* **Blackwall**
	+ Blackwall left prison as Grey Warden
	+ Not friends with Blackwall

* **Cassandra**
	+ Cassandra rebuilt the Seekers
	+ Cassandra discovered Book of Secrets
	+ Friends with Cassandra
* **Cole**
	+ Cole recruited and stayed
	+ Cole made more spirit
	+ Friends with Cole
* **Varric**
	+ Varric tracked Red Lyrium Source
	+ Friends with Varric
* **Dorian**
	+ Dorian recruited and stayed
	+ Dorian reconciled with his father
	+ Friends with Dorian

* **The Iron Bull**
	+ The Iron Bull recruited
	+ Iron Bull saved Chargers
	+ Iron Bull became Tal-Vashoth
	+ Friends with Iron Bull
* **Sera**
	+ Sera recruited and stayed
	+ Harmond alive and well
	+ Not friends with Sera
* **Solas**
	+ Solas freed his friend
	+ Friends with Solas
* **Vivienne**
	+ Vivienne recruited
	+ Gave Vivienne a Snowy Wyvern Heart
	+ Not friends with Vivienne

#### Advisors

* **Cullen**
	+ Told Cullen not to use lyrium
* **Josephine**
	+ Did favours for Du Paraquettes
* **Leliana**
	+ Softened
* **Samson** was the Inquisition's nemesis
	+ Learned about Samson's Armour
	+ Destroyed Samson's Armour

## **Relationships**

- **Demid Adaar** (Father) - Born 8:69 Blessed - Current Age at start of 2nd Inquisition : 74

- **Lena Adaar** (Mother) - Born 8:76 Blessed - Current aga at start of Inquisition: 67

- **Ashkaari** ("he who thinks") "**The Iron Bull"** - Although Kasaanda did not see eye to eye with the Ben-Hassrath that had been foisted upon her, along with all the other turmoil, he gradually managed to win her heart as well as her respect. They became friends and lovers and—eventually— life-partners.

## **Trivia**

* In Qunlat, "Kasaanda" means "sundew" a sweet name given to a carnivorous plant. As with Kasaanda, first impressions can be deceptive.
* fact 2 tbc
* Fact 3 tbc