Bethany Hawke

## Involement

### Early Life

Bethany's magic manifested when she was nine, when she threw a local bully across a field without touching him. Her family was forced to move in all haste, eventually settling on the outskirts of Lothering. While she was noted for her curiosity about religious stories, she mostly stayed hidden away at home. This was, of course, because of her arcane talents. A traveler identified as only 'Sade' visited the Hawke family after the onset of Bethany's gifts, describing her as 'reveling in the stories of the far and away' and 'masterfully reserved'. Once, when she and a childhood friend of the Hawke siblings, Ebrin 'Peaches' Janith, were being chased by a wild dog, Bethany accidentally made it go to sleep. After this incident, Bethany kept herself in even more secrecy. The friend did not betray her to the templars because 'she was too nice to be magic.'

* When approaching the Qunari compound at the Kirkwall Docks, Bethany mentions that one of them killed her best friends back in Lothering, which is a reference to Sten from *Dragon Age: Origins*.

In the Chantry, Bethany may mention Leliana, saying she misses her telling stories in Lothering.

As Lothering is overrun with Darkspawn, Bethany is forced to flee with her family. In a surprise encounter with an ogre, and if Hawke is a mage, Bethany will attack an ogre, be grappled, smashed to the ground and killed. However, if Hawke is a warrior or rogue, Carver takes her place. Following the fight, Bethany accompanies her family to Kirkwall.

Upon arrival, she spends a year working with her elder sibling in servitude to repay their passage into Kirkwall. Afterwards, Bethany and Hawke overhear about The Deep Roads Expedition and agree to join as a last resort to acquire enough wealth and influence to cow the templars from scrutinizing them too closely. Though she appreciates the trouble her family took to keep her out of the Circle, the running, hiding, and constant fear for what their future would hold have taken their toll. She begins to express guilt when she sees how much the family sacrifices to keep her free, especially when she learned their mother gave up her life as a noble to elope with their father. Sometimes, she even wonders whether everyone would be better off if she'd been sent to the Circle from the very start. Through their time in Kirkwall, Bethany and Hawke work on reclaiming the family estate. After amassing the fifty sovereigns needed to fund the expedition, Bethany volunteers to join her elder sibling in the Deep Roads venture. Just as they prepare to go, Leandra begs Hawke to leave Bethany at home, as the expedition is too dangerous. Though Bethany remarks that she is "allowed to fight the darkspawn," but the final decision is made by Hawke.

#### Left home

If Bethany is left behind in Kirkwall when Hawke sets out for the expedition, she is arrested and taken to the Gallows just as Hawke returns from the Deep Roads. She remains in contact with her family and adjusts quickly to life in the Circle. She passes her Harrowing and becomes a senior member of the Circle, in charge of teaching young apprentices. A letter reveals that Ella has taken quite a shine to her. She is happy that she doesn't have to run anymore and supports the Circle.

During the Qunari siege of Kirkwall, she leads an attempt to save First Enchanter Orsino from the Qunari. Hawke and their companions arrived later on and dispatched the Qunari attackers. After Orsino regained consciousness, Orsino used his magic to revive Bethany, who was the only other Circle mage to survive the Qunari attack. Hawke is coldly received by Bethany, who utters sarcastic and ungrateful remarks, but she survives the siege.

As hostilities between mages and templars increase, Bethany is kidnapped by Grace and Thrask who are inciting a rebellion to overthrow Meredith, believing that the Champion is working for the Knight-Commander, regardless of their actual allegiances in the mage-templar struggle.

During The Last Straw (Quest), Bethany naturally wants to take the mages' side. If Hawke sides with the mages she's thankful to Hawke for siding with her kind and joins the party once again. She will then participate with the defense and evacuation of the Circle. If Hawke joins forces with the templars, she pleads with the Champion to not force her to choose between her family and her people. She can later be found in the courtyard of the Gallows, and asks Hawke if they'll fight her. If Hawke retorts by questioning if she would fight her own sibling as well, she responds by expressing doubt. However, Orsino convinces her that the mages must remain united during this crisis and she follows him into the Gallows.

The next time she is encountered is during the battle with Orsino. When he reveals that he studied the research of the Blood Mage Quentin, Hawke may mention that he was the man that murdered their mother, causing Bethany to withdraw from Orsino, shocked and appalled that Orsino protected the man that killed their mother, and claiming the First Enchanter could have saved Leandra. As Orsino begins his blood magic ritual, Bethany expresses her dismay that Orsino is planning on killing Hawke, whom he had promised to spare. She joins the battle against his Harvester form. After Orsino is killed, she still mourns him. When Knight-Commander Meredith prepares to execute her, Bethany accuses her of driving Orsino to such extremes but accepts her sentence, stating that she knows what will happen.

Hawke can now choose to let Meredith go through with the execution, or speak up in Bethany's defense. If Hawke defends her, she expresses her gratitude with a hug and re-joins Hawke's party in time for the final battle with Meredith.

If Hawke sides with the mages, Bethany is relieved. She can join the party defending the mages in the Gallows. In her final dialogue she comes to the conclusion that her magic comes from the Maker and he wouldn't want mages to be treated as they are.

#### Taken on the Deep Roads

If taken on the Deep Roads expedition she contracts the taint and dies unless Anders is in the party, in which case she can be recruited into the Grey Wardens as the only recourse to save her life. If Bethany becomes a Grey Warden, she has very little contact with her family—contacting only Leandra to inform her of her survival and of her continued travels with the Wardens. She resents Hawke for coming out of the Deep Roads unscathed while she almost died and has been permanently changed. She's the only member of the Hawke family to return to Ferelden since their flight from Lothering.

During the Qunari siege in Act 2, she and several other Grey Wardens are attacked by the Qunari and receive support from Hawke. However, she cannot join Hawke to save the city from the Qunari. If Hawke tells her about the death of their mother, she tells Hawke that she already heard the news and that the Grey Wardens helped her hold a wake in her honor. She's glad Hawke was with her in her final moments.

Later, when tension between the templars and mages reaches its boiling point, she is abducted by Ser Thrask and used to get Hawke to join his cause. The plan fails however, and Thrask is killed along with the abductors.

Bethany can also be seen in the Deep Roads with Nathaniel Howe during the quest Finding Nathaniel, in which case she is surprised to see Hawke in the Deep Roads again. Bethany reveals that she is still sad and hurt. In addition to her fearing the day she will succumb to the taint, she is also grief-stricken by how much she misses her family. She explains that she tried to freeze herself emotionally to cope with her sorrow. Even so, she tries to accept that Hawke tried their best to save her. She does not give a proper goodbye.

During The Last Straw (Quest) Bethany arrives at the city in time to witness the start of the war. She finds Hawke and apologizes for her earlier attitude, thanks Hawke for saving her life, and wants to fight at Hawke's side. She no longer resents Hawke for taking her on the Deep Roads expedition. While she regrets that her life turned out this way, she takes solace in the Grey Wardens' noble purpose and doesn't regret helping them. Although she wishes she could have saved her brother Carver, she believes that whatever tribulations she has endured is all a part of the Maker's grand plan. When asked about how her role as a Warden could allow her to intervene when Grey Wardens are supposed to be neutral, her only reply is: "Right now, I'm not a Grey Warden. I'm your sister." She naturally wants to side with the mages, but still rejoins the party if Hawke sides with the templars.
*Bethany Hawke Alive and Well:*In the DLC Legacy, a deranged sect of the Carta tries to kidnap Bethany due to her link to "the blood of the Hawke". Bethany can travel with Hawke to a secret Warden prison in the Vimmark Mountains in order to find the source of the aggression and uncover the harsh truth about the Hawke lineage.

### *Dragon Age: Inquisition*

If Bethany is still alive, the Inquisitor can ask Varric Tethras about her fate.

*Bethany became a Grey Warden:*

Varric states that she was last seen on Warden business near the border of the Anderfels. A conversation with Hawke reveals that they sent their associate Aveline Vallen to take her far away from Orlais when they heard about Grey Wardens acting strangely. A bottle of her ritewine can be found in Redcliffe, titled "Princess Piss"

*Bethany became a Circle mage:*

Varric states that she stayed behind in the Free Marches to help other mages from the Kirkwall Circle. A conversation with Hawke reveals that they sent their associate Aveline Vallen to take her far away from the Free Marches when they heard about Grey Wardens acting strangely.

Either way, if Hawke lives after the encounter with the Nightmare, it is mentioned that they will likely reunite.
If Bethany was taken into the Deep Roads, Varric alludes to her fate during the Keeping the Darkspawn Down side quest if he is in the party.

If Bethany is taken to the Circle, Isabela often writes her letters and sends her "wicked" books to read.

adventuring with Sebastian Vael in Starkhaven, and maybe Nathaniel Howe.

## Personality

Friendship with Bethany can generally be earned through acts of kindness, by siding with mages or by supporting family.
Rivalry with Bethany can generally be earned by choosing aggressive responses, by siding against mages or by exploiting Fereldans.

In her codex page, it is revealed Bethany "greatly respects" Hawke and has a "teasing rivalry" with Carver. It can also be noted that she "envied the way [Hawke] embraced magic" (if Hawke is a mage), as Bethany wanted a normal life for herself. If Hawke brings him along, Carver further explains Bethany's resentment of being different in the Legacy DLC and also mentions that Bethany never felt she could live up to Malcolm's expectations, implying that Bethany and Carver were close enough to be emotional confidants.

## Relationships

Romantic relationships bring out a side of this personality type that may not be obvious at first glance. Beneath their mild, unassuming exteriors, Defenders thrum with passionate commitment and loyalty toward the people they love. At times, Defenders themselves may be surprised by the intensity of their feelings, especially their fierce desire to protect and care for their partner.
Defenders’ emotions run deep – so deep that people with this personality type may struggle to find the words to express just how much their partner means to them. But Defenders show their affection in a million little ways on a daily basis. Always eager to make their loved ones’ lives better and more pleasant, Defenders can transform even the most prosaic of tasks – from cooking dinner to organizing a weekend trip – into a heartfelt gesture of love and care.

Defenders in Love
Although generally a proactive, can-do personality type, many Defenders struggle to take the initiative when it comes to dating. Asking someone out can be incredibly uncomfortable for Defenders, who tend to worry about not only rejection but also violating unspoken social rules. The bad news is that Defenders can end up feeling trapped, wanting to embark on a relationship but waiting for another person to make the first move.
Many Defenders long to bring their gifts to a loving relationship, but they hesitate to take the risk of asking someone out.
When they do find themselves in a relationship, Defenders are – in a word – committed. People with this personality type find great fulfillment in sharing their time, energy, and affection with another person, and as partners, they tend to be incredibly generous and supportive. They don’t take their relationships lightly, and they don’t give up easily – even when challenges inevitably arise. Defenders tend to have a realistic appreciation for the amount of effort that a healthy long-term relationship requires, and they’re more than willing to put in the work necessary to build a lasting bond with a person they cherish.
Soundness of Heart
Defenders’ pragmatic approach to life shields the incredibly strong feelings that lie within their hearts. It’s no surprise, then, that it can take these personalities a relatively long time to recover from the heartache of a breakup – or even a particularly painful disagreement. Defenders give so much of themselves in their relationships that they can feel deeply hurt when they believe that someone isn’t offering them enough love, commitment, and appreciation in return.
Unfortunately, Defenders may find it difficult to break off a relationship, even when things just aren’t working out. People with this personality type may hang on due to misplaced loyalty, a general fear of change, or the hope that they can somehow figure out how to change any problems for the better.
It would be a mistake, however, to think of Defenders as pushovers in their relationships. Although people with this personality type generally try to avoid conflict, they have clear and firm opinions and preferences on all kinds of subjects. And when they feel as if their partner isn’t respecting their wishes, all of their repressed frustration and disappointment may eventually boil over in the form of negativity, resentment, or heels-dug-in stubbornness.
Defenders devote themselves to their partner, but they may feel unfulfilled unless they remember to honor their own hopes and dreams.
In their heart of hearts, however, what Defenders want most is to ensure their partner’s happiness. As long as they balance this desire with a healthy amount of attention to their own needs and aspirations, Defenders can enjoy exactly the sort of enduring, impassioned relationships that they’ve always dreamed about.

## Etymology

Bethany was named in honor of her maternal grandmother Bethann.