Faye Cousland

“*That's so sweet. It almost makes me want to kill you less.*”

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Faye Cousland (born 9:10 Dragon) is the youngest child of Teyrn Bryce Cousland.

After the massacre of her family, she joined the ranks of the Grey Wardens and slew Archdemon Urthemiel at the Battle of Denerim, which earned her the title of Hero of Ferelden.

After the Fifth Blight, she was wed to Alistair Theirin and thus became Queen of Ferelden.

## Overview

### **Physical Appearance**

Faye is a woman above average height (1,73m/ 5'8"). Her body is slender and athletic with light muscular built, perfect for a quick and agile rogue. She has very pale skin that's prone to getting sunburnt.

She has the same sandy blonde hair her mother Eleanor had at her age, but always keeps it in various short hairstyles instead. She also inherited her mother's bright green eyes.

Faye has several scars: she received the first one at the age of 14, when she started her training to become a rogue. Said scar is located on the palm of her left hand, and she got it because she was carelessly playing around with one of her daggers, throwing it in the air and trying to catch it. The scar kinda embarrasses her still, and it reminds her of how stupid and careless she was.

Another prominent set of three scars is located on the right side of her face. Two are close to her eye, and a smaller one cuts through her eyebrow. Faye got them while fighting in the Battle of Denerim on top of Fort Drakon, in the midst of the chaotic battle against the Archdemon. While fighting her way through a wave of Darkspawn to reach the Archdemon, a shriek lunged at her and before she could react it slashed the side of her face with its claws. Faye managed to kill it after a short fight, and Morrigan with the basic healing magic she knew quickly and messily healed it, leaving behind these scars.

Faye prefers practical, robust clothes over fancy dresses. She doesn't wear jewelry.

### **Personality**

As a child, Faye was wild and unruly and messy, since she really loved playing outside - especially in the mud. So she got dirty all the time, but she didn't mind it one bit. Her parents and especially Nan did, but Faye didn't care about rules and etiquette and simply continued to play outside. She was also a notorious troublemaker, loved to play pranks or sneak into the kitchen to steal cookies. It was never meant in a malicious way though, just a little tomboyish girl being wild. Still, she could be quite the charmer when she wanted something. Young Faye liked playing catch and hide & seek with young Ser Gilmore, and she also liked playing knight. She'd use a small tree branch as a sword and act like Nan was a dragon and she had to retrieve the dragon's treasure (aka cookies) from it's grasp.

Faye is really self-confident and blunt, sometimes outright rude - which often offends and even alienates people who might have supported her. On the other hand, Faye's confidence is also her source of power, it gives her an impressive aura of someone who knows what must be done. It makes people trust her judgement and feel confident that she can succeed.
Faye also used to be quick to jump to action, because she doesn't want to give her opponent the chance to strike first, however this also meant that a few more people than necessary died a long the way.

Years later, she would look back at those times with a more critical eye. Faye regrets being so hot-headed and merciless in her youth.

### **Talents and Skills**

As a woman of noble birth, Faye enjoyed the luxuries of education that came with it. She was tutored in writing, combat, history, geography, strategy, mathematics and diplomacy, with depending on the subject, varying success. She excelled in history and combat, but was average in maths and pretty bad in diplomacy. Her mother tried to teach her skills often expected of a lady of her status too, like embroidery, but Faye was a complete failure at that. She is only the second in line to become the new Teyrna of Highever, but her parents still set great value upon her to learn about the art of governance and management.

Despite her noble upbringing, she has a casual tone and speech pattern when she talks. She can talk in a way that her nobility shines through, but she generally prefers not to, since it sounds too stuck-up and stiff in her opinion. It's probably because she often spend time outside of Castle Cousland among common folks.

* Faye excells at fighting. Starting her training with sword and dagger at the age of 13, through practice and study she has become a nimble and deadly fighter.
* Faye is an excellent hunter and tracker. She mostly hunts through making traps.
* she is a charismatic and persuasive leader, flourishing in her role as both Queen and Warden Commander.
* she is a decent cook.

## Biography

### **History**

Here's what happened before the events of the game, son.

### **In-game**

#### Major Game Decisions

* Helped the people of Recliffe in theior fight against the undead.
* Let Isolde sacrifice herself in a blood magic ritual to save Connor.
* Recruited the mages
* Brokered peace between elves and werewolves
* Destroyed the Anvil of the Void and helped Bhelen become King of Orzammar
* Won the Landsmeet and became Queen of Ferelden with Alistair as her King
* Convinced Alistair to perform the Dark Ritual with Morrigan
* Protected both Vigil's Keep and Amaranthine
* Killed the Architect

#### Minor decisions

* Had a onenightstand with Iona
* Cured the mabari
* Brought Cammen and Gheyna together
* Dagna left for the Cirle of Magi for study
* Zerlinda and her baby left for the surface
* Completed Slim Couldry's crime wave
* Freed Soris from the dungeon
* Bella took over the tavern
* Matthias and Amamlia are both alive and unharmed
* Killed Sophy Dryden and allowed Avernus to continue his reasearch in an ethical way

#### Companion Quests

* Hardened Alistair and Leliana
* Encouraged Leliana to kill Marjolaine
* dueled Loghain herself and let Alistair execute him
* Recruited everyone
* Reunited Oghren and Felsi

### **Post-game**

In 9:39, Faye set forth on a journey to find a cure for the taint. She was accompanied by her fellow wardens Nathaniel Howe, Sigrun, Oghren and Bethany Hawke. Their journey would take almost three years, but in the end they returned successfully.

Faye's discovery changed the Grey Wardens forever. With the possibility of leaving the Grey Warden life without having to fear the consequences of succumbing to the taint, becoming a Grey Warden was no death sentence anymore.
There were however some conservative hardliners among the Grey Wardens, who saw the cure as an insult to the Order. In their minds, the cure takes away the dedication to give their life for the order and sullies their legacy.

Faye fought ferociously for these changes. Within the Ferelden Order she established a new law: every Grey Warden has to serve for 10 years, and after that they can decide if they want to take the cure or continue as a Warden. She appointed Connor as the new Commander of the Grey of Ferelden, as her time with the Wardens was at an end. She still had a duty to serve Ferelden. She returned to the Royal Court in Denerim, and together with her husband Alistair took the newfound cure. A few months later Faye got pregnant, thus securing an heir to the Ferelden throne, but most important, starting a family with the man she loves.

Later on she would become some sort of mentor to the Wardens, despite not being one herself anymore.

## **Relationships**

### Family

**Bryce and Eleanor**

Faye has always been pretty close to both her parents, even though she could be a little troublemaker. They were pretty liberal as parents and gave Faye a lot of freedom, which might be the reason why she turned out so stubborn. Bryce usually didn't mind as much and was proud that his fierce girl had her own mind, while Eleanor still tried to educate her daughter. Faye's ability to scare off any potential suitor annoyed Eleanor, but after a while she just gave up on the thought of ever finding a suitable husband for her girl.
In their last moments before they died, Eleanor and Bryce told Faye how proud they were of her, and that Faye was meant for something great. And they were right: Faye killed the Archdemon, ended the Blight and became Ferelden's queen. She knows that she had reached the greatness her parents spoke of, and that they'd be incredibly proud of her if they could see her.

**Fergus**

Despite their 7 years age difference, Faye and Fergus always got along fine. When Faye was younger, Fergus always played the protective big brother, but the older she got the more stubborn she got too, and she didn't want to be protected anymore. So Fergus followed suit and started to treat her more as an equal.
These two really love to tease each other and both were pretty competitive. In their free time they either sparred with each other or visited the local pub.
Fergus is incredibly proud of what his sister has accomplished and does everything to support her during her reign as the queen of Ferelden. After the Cousland massacre the two grew even closer. They only had each other now, since the rest of their family was gone. Faye and Fergus would often reminiscent of these good old days long gone.

**Other members of Castle Cousland**

Faye got along fine with Oriana, even though they never considered each other close. They were too different for that. Oren kinda irritated Faye, and she hated being called Auntie.
Ser Gilmore has been a friend since childhood, and the two sparred often with each other. Then there is the kitchen chief Nan, who was kinda like a nanny for Faye. There was also one of the guards, Roy, who often played cards with her and showed her how to beat Fergus at Wicked Grace.

**Dog**

Barry is Faye's trustworthy and loyal mabari.

Faye was 13 when she visited Denerim for the first time in her life. That alone was already really exciting and interesting, but then she came across a man who had a litter of mabari puppies. Faye pretty much threw herself to the pile of dogs, and the puppies were more than happy to play and cuddle with their new companion. There was one puppy who she head over heels fell in love with, and it must have felt the same since it followed her and wouldn't let go of her after she returned to her parents. Faye pretty much begged her parents to buy the mabari, and after a few minutes they gave in and bought it. Faye and Barry have been inseparable ever since.

### Companions

**Morrigan**

**Leliana**

**Wynne**

**Zevran**

**Sten**

**Shale**

**Oghren**

**Nathaniel**

**Sigrun**

**Anders**

**Velanna**

**Justice**

### Enemies

**Loghain**

Faye once admired Loghain. Along with Maric and Rowan, he was a hero who helped to fight the Orlesian occupation and free Ferelden. She grew up with stories of his heroic deeds, and she could only feel deep respect towards the man.

Loghain's betrayal at Ostagar shocked Faye. But it didn't end there: soon she learned that Loghain blamed the Wardens for the death of King Cailan, and he tried to kill her and Alistair more than once. After Ostagar, he commited so many terrible deeds simply to stay in power and get rid of his opponents. In his madness to protect Ferelden from the Orlesians, he almost destroyed the country he fought to save.
Faye's respect for Loghain quickly turned into hate.

In Faye's eyes he had become nothing more than a criminal. After Faye won her duel against Loghain during the Landsmeet, Alistair executed him.

**Rendon Howe**

Before his betrayal, Faye had seen Rendon Howe as an old and trusted friend of her father, Sometimes she wondered how they had become friends, since she heard only bad things about Howe from others. But she trusted her father's opinion without objection.

Soon however she learned that her fatherr had been wrong and gossip had been right. Under Rendon Howe's order, his soldiers assaulted Castle Cousland and slaughtered most of its inhabitants, including Faye's parents. The only people who survived were Faye, her dog Barry, the elves of the kitchen staff, and Fergus and his battalion, who had been absent during the attack.

Blinded by rage, Faye swore to take revenge and kill Rendon Howe.

**Anora**

From the very first minute the two women met, Faye didn't trust Anora. Nor did Anora trust her.

### Other

**Connor Guerrin**

Eversince Faye let Isolde sacrifice her life in a blood magic ritual to save Connor, Faye has felt responsible for the boy. It was because of her decision that Isolde gave her life, and thus she deprived Connor of a loving mother. Whenever Faye visits Redcliffe, she brings a gift for Connor along with her, and tries to spend some time with him and make sure he is fine.

But Faye failed in her endeavour: as he grew older, Connor finally started to truly understand what he had done to Redcliffe and its people. The atrocities he commited when he was possessed, and the responsibility for all the people who died, were too much for him. He turned into a d self-loathing man, weary of the world and plagued by guilt.

When Faye returned from her search for a cure and saw him in his miserable state, she decided she had to do something. She conscripted him to the Grey Wardens to offer him a new purpose in life, since at that point he had been wasting away his life away aimlessly, completely lost. Connor was very reluctant at first, but Faye didn't waver in her decision. With her guidance he slowly grew into his role, and over long he had a new goal in life.

## **Miscellaneous**

* Kaschra's **canon** Warden
* she is bisexual
* went through several name changes before ultimately settling with Faye (initial name was Elise, then Alyssa)

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## **Gallery**

Faye Tarot card by kaschraUntil we meet again by kaschraFaye/Alistair by kaschraFaye and Alistair by KaschraFaye's outfitsFaye's relationships: OriginsFaye's relationships: AwakeningFaye in her Grey Warden armourFaye and her companions confronting Connor