Jonas Amell

"We shouldn't be this kind of tired at our age..."

## Overview

### **Physical Appearance**

Similarly to his sister, Jonas is tall and lean-bodied with Revka's bright blue eyes, also aptly named the "Amell Blues". As a brunette, his hair is quite dark, but warm, appearing lighter or nearly black in the right lighting. Growing up, he was encouraged to keep his hair chopped short and styled neatly - after all the family Patriarch needed to look his best, but once he left for the Circle he chose to abandon all of his noble upbringing and found he quite enjoyed having hair long enough to pull back or to braid. His friends enjoyed it too, often taking turns to comb and style it at their whimsy.

While Jonas is not one to smile *too* easily, when he does it highlights the presence of very light freckles across the bridge of his nose. And when it comes to his general attire, he tried to make do with the robes he was provided, sometimes choosing to adorn them with flowers or trinkets he either found or was gifted during his time there. When he gets the chance to ditch them after getting out, Jonas leaps at the chance to *finally* wear whatever his heart desires.

### **Personality**

As the oldest child, Jonas had a lot of expectations put on him, especially as the son of a prominent noble family like the Amells. He had his whole life practically planned out, and more than plenty of the usual grooming that naturally comes with being highborn to look forward to. Jonas was a good kid, playful, excitable but well-behaved, and obeyed his parents as any good young lord ought to. Naturally, he wanted to make his family proud - he was going to be a great warrior, perhaps even become knighted or do something amazing and become famous.

Only, it didn’t really work out that way did it?

Growing up in the Circle, now suddenly isolated from his family and the friends he’d made in youth wasn’t easy. He was only a boy, he didn’t know what was going on or why he couldn’t be with them anymore so he was very skittish for a while. Fortunately, he came around quick enough and developed as a very curious and decently gifted student. He just enjoys learning and can be a bit of a nerd sometimes. For the most part, Jonas comes across as pleasant in temperament, a touch naïve about the outside world, but a quick study. He can be prone to rambling just as easily as he can clam up and observe. Really, it just depends on the company. Underneath the dorky, sometimes obnoxious-but-well-meaning outer layers, you can catch glimpses of a man who has seen more than his fair share of horrors, and it's in that way he can connect a little more with the likes of Anders - fellow Circle mage and someone who understands the trauma he wrestles with. At least to a degree.

## Biography

### **History**

Would this really be Dragon Age without some really messed up things in a character’s backstory?

Jonas Fausten Amell I was born to Revka and Martin, much to their absolute delight and excitement. Really, everyone in the family was thrilled by the young patriarch’s arrival, for what could be better than their firstborn being a son who would carry on the family line?

Just two short years after Jonas’ birth, the Amells were blessed by the arrival of another child, Raelynn, younger sister and second oldest child to Revka and Martin. It all seemed nothing short of perfect for the young couple, happily married, well off, two beautiful children to carry on their legacy and the Amell name. Nothing extraordinary happened for the first few formative years other than the arrival of three more siblings: Jocelyn, Fyodor and Charlie. Jonas was given a proper education as any highborn young lord might and was all too eager to learn in between running around with his big dreams. He admired the stories of the Orlesian Chevaliers, of the Grey Wardens, and other notable warriors, desiring to be just like them one day.

Naturally, the Maker had other plans for him.

On his father’s side, Jonas’ paternal grandmother, Scarlett, was a mage formerly of the Circle of Magi - a well-kept family secret - seemed to recognize a latent talent within the young man and he too was fascinated by what she could do. Eventually, the woman began spending more time around him and the rest of the family while quietly trying to nurture this supposed talent. Sure enough, when Jonas finally turned ten years old, it seemed her suspicions were true when he revealed to her and his father excitedly that he could make sparks in the palm of his hand, something he was even more eager to show off to his siblings. While Martin wasn’t fearful of Jonas’ newfound gifts, he was reluctant to openly embrace this revelation if only for fear of what it might mean for his family and himself if anyone were to find out. Ultimately, he agreed to let his mother teach the boy what he needed to know to be safe, control his magic and keep them under wraps.

What he didn’t know about was his mother’s affinity for blood magic, something typically regarded as dangerous, a forbidden practice within the Circle especially for it was always said that to dabble in blood magic was to consort with demons. Whether that was entirely true or not didn’t make a difference in Scarlett’s decision to use the young Jonas as a powerful resource for her own work, all the while teaching him what she knew both of the practice itself (something Martin was blissfully unaware of) and other typical schools of magic. It would have continued on that way, - and it did for at least three more years - until the day that Revka found out just what Scarlett had been doing. She tried to bring up her concerns to her husband, but Martin seemed uncannily convinced that everything was fine and that she was worried over nothing.

Frustrated, Revka decided to take matters into her own hands and confront Scarlett, fully prepared to set boundaries between her and the children - all of the children. Unfortunately, Revka’s plan wouldn’t work out the way she hoped. When she threatened to bring the Templars down on Scarlett for being a maleficar and trying to corrupt her children, an argument erupted between the two women and eventually Martin as well. Jonas, even at 12 years old, didn’t quite understand what was happening and in his attempt to get between his family members fighting, found himself at his grandmother’s mercy, leading to his mother’s accidental death. At least, that’s how it looked. In his shock and horror, a panicked Martin packed up the remaining children and fled, leaving a traumatized Jonas on the steps of the Chantry.

Naturally, when the sisters and Templars realized he was there and that he was a mage, Jonas was immediately brought to the Circle housed within the Gallows where he’d spend the next 19 years or so, when he ultimately found his way to freedom. Until then, Jonas kept his head down, not wanting to out himself as anything more than just another mage. He was resigned to his role now, throwing himself deep into the study and history of magic. For the Maker gave him these gifts, after all, why not learn everything he can about them? It ultimately turned out that Jonas did have some skill in other areas, such as Creation - he quite found he enjoyed crafting sigils and learning how to form barriers, how to identify and mend wounds. Jonas was no full-on Spirit Healer, something he avoided as the calls and whispers of spirits and other entities within the Fade triggered his sense of fight or flight, dredging up an innate sense of anxiety he couldn’t quite understand. Primal was a slightly more difficult school to get a handle on, but he mastered a few minor cantrips within it and the Elemental school to better aid his other talents. The very *thought* of blood magic was enough to turn his stomach for quite some time, and Jonas (rightfully) wished nothing to do with the practice and even made a point of outright condemning it. Yet, it never truly sat right with him to do so, even if he liked to deny it. Then, there came a day when he couldn’t put it from his thoughts any longer, couldn’t stop thinking about what happened - to him, to his mother - Jonas knew it was a risk to even *think* about it but how could he not? All he wanted was to take back his agency… and on a whim when perusing the library, he came upon a scholarly text the Templars or Senior Enchanters must have forgotten to lock up. Within, he learned of another way, another path. The magic that haunted his past did not have to be feared, or used for ill. In the text, he learned of farmers (mages) using it to protect their crops, to heal, to *cleanse*, and many other uses that never once crossed his mind and certainly nothing that the Chantry ever bothered to mention. Suddenly, a whole new world had opened up to Jonas, though it was still dangerous to openly study and or practice the art...

When Karl Thekla was transferred to the Gallows from Ferelden’s Kinloch Hold, the two became fast friends, especially when Karl mentioned he had known another Amell back in Ferelden, though yet unaware of their relationship. Being close in age and both of a similar temperament, it was no surprise they got on quite well as colleagues and companions. Naturally, nothing of a romantic sort developed between them - not especially when Karl was still very much in love with Anders despite their separation - Jonas did come to learn of this coupling and grew quite attached to their story, to the point that he rooted for their (very unlikely) reunion and was horrified and devastated when Karl was later taken and made Tranquil. Quite illegally no less.

It was the Maddox situation all over again - another incident in which a mage had been put to the brand for the crime of consorting with another (their lover) outside of the Circle. Jonas had known the Templar involved, the former Ser Raleigh Samson who had been a 3rd party responsible for running letters between Maddox and his partner on the outside only to later be disbarred from the Order. While he wouldn’t have considered Samson a *friend* he at least seemed *sympathetic* to his kind, else why would he have put himself in that position for Maddox to begin with? While Karl’s fate hadn’t affected him like it might have done others, it was still difficult to lose a friend and Jonas found himself trying not to lose himself to anger, or even depression as life in the Gallows wasn’t easy, especially not under Knight-Commander Meredith’s appointment.

At the height of the Mage Underground, Jonas became aware of the movement and found his curiosity piqued. Initially, he tried to avoid any and all association with it after what happened to Karl (and Maddox before that), but things inside the Kirkwall Circle were getting worse. It was around this time that he’d been hearing more than enough gossip surrounding his family and family name that had him eager to find out what was going on. The rumblings of Samson’s name being attached to this information were enough for Jonas who carefully sought out a way to contact the former Templar, hoping that he would be willing to put himself on the line once more if he was truly sympathetic.

Jonas should have, of course, realized that no “good deed” comes without a price. With no coin to offer the man, the next best thing he had to trade for his freedom was lyrium. Though it wasn’t easy to get unfettered access to the substance even as a mage in the Circle, he made it work and Samson kept up his end of the bargain - Jonas was going to be a free man.

Assuming nothing went spectacularly wrong.

Though it had been risky, it was worth it in the end to be free of the Gallows and the restrictions of the Circle. However, Jonas was certainly in for a shock when he tried to visit his family home in Hightown, only to find that they weren't exactly where he left them. Now an apostate and with no sign of his father or his siblings, Jonas was in a bit of a pinch. At least he had an objective, however. Well, two objectives - find this *Hawke* character who supposedly had ties to his family, and track down Anders - for he had a promise to Karl and he intended to fulfill it.

## **Relationships**

**Karl Thekla** - Since Jonas was sent to the Gallows upon the discovery of his magic, he was there when Karl arrived - a transfer from Ferelden's Kinloch Hold. They got along incredibly well, both of like mind and similar demeanor. It wasn't uncommon for them to be always deep in debate and discussion about magical theory or the science behind magic itself, exchanging notes and talk about their favorite scholarly texts. He was horrified when he found out what happened to Karl.

**Raelynn Amell** - His younger sister. Though it has been years since they last saw each other, Jonas still loves her dearly - they were very close as children and she was always there for him and the rest of their siblings. They reunite eventually at Skyhold at the height of the Inquisition and become practically inseparable after that.

Jocelyn Amell -

Fyodor Amell -

Wyatt Hawke | Astrid Hawke | Carver & Bethany Hawke - Cousins on his mother's side of the family

Anders - His friend and colleague. When he was freed from the Gallows Circle, Jonas found refuge in the Darktown clinic. After he had recovered enough, Jonas chose to repay the man's kindness by putting himself to work. He became a volunteer, helping Anders and looking after the clinic whenever he needed to be away from it.