Fyodor Amell

**Fyodor Amell** is a former Tevinter Magister and Enchanter of the Minrathous Circle notable for their upbringing as a Ferelden Circle Mage prior to their ascent to power, as well as their creation of the oculara posted around Southern Thedas.

## Overview

### **Physical Appearance**

Appearances are important to Fyodor, especially as someone who so heavily desires to be the center of everyone’s attention. As a result, their appearance is well-maintained, and they take pride in it to the point of vanity. Fyo stands at 6'3" with a gangly, lithe build and pallid skin, which lightly freckles in the summer months. Their long, light blonde hair has been grown out to hide a poorly healed, vaguely hand-shaped second-degree burn scar on the nape of their neck. They have narrow, bright teal eyes, dark circles underneath often covered by makeup, framed by round glasses which are slightly too large for their face. There’s a notable gap between their teeth, as well as a mole above their lip. A thin scar earned in battle with an Inquisition scout, lies above high, angled cheekbones, and various cuts are scattered about their body from their usage of Blood Magic. Fyodor has a tattoo of white lilies extending across their ribs, as well as pierced ears. Generally, Fyodor wears the most eye-catching clothing they can afford, and heavily accessorizes with a variety of jewelry, particularly rings and necklaces. They can typically be seen wearing long gowns, with the sharp silhouette typical of Tevinter's fashion.

### **Personality**

Fyodor puts on a practiced facade, a barrier between them and the rest of the world which they've carefully built up as a defense mechanism. The exacts of this vary with the circumstances of their life: In Kinloch, this was an exaggerated, dashing prankster persona, overtly attention-seeking and extremely mischievous. This drew the ire of the Templars and a mixture of loathing and admiration from their peers, which was exactly the point, though their endearingly awkward demeanor and clumsiness still slipped through between the layers of charm, something they were entirely oblivious to. Within the courts of Tevinter, this mask changes, turning to the persona of a charming politician, more carefully constructed to avoid any outward weaknesses. They built up a cool confidence, playing the nobility's social games with a practiced ease which earned them both fear and respect. By the time they've joined the Inquisition, however, their grandiose facade is no longer doing them any favors, and they begin to allow more to slip through the cracks of their public persona, becoming much more blunt, sincere, and outwardly exasperated, though a degree of natural charm still remains.

Behind the mask, however, Fyodor is someone who deeply craves attention, influence, and control over their life. Years of childhood neglect have left a lasting impact on them, and they'll do whatever it takes to be both in the spotlight and in power. They believe that the only way for them to truly earn respect is through fear and have no qualms with going to whatever extents that requires. Fyodor believes the only way to live comfortably is to place themself at the top of the food chain, a worldview which colors their motivations: They were content as a Magister, believing they had as much power as they could get, but with the false promise of the ability to rule over the South, the food chain had suddenly expanded, and they felt an innate need to do whatever was necessary to advance to that point, even if it just about destroyed them. Thus, they can be ruthless to the point of overkill when pushed, and a repressed sadistic streak tends to come out, much as they're ashamed of this trait.

Despite all the power they have, Fyodor is deeply lonely, a feeling which has remained with them since childhood. Being torn from your family and pushed into an environment where half the population isn't even attempting to communicate with you tends to do that to a person. They grew used to being ignored unless they pushed to be seen, and this manifests even in adulthood in the form of their opulent manner of dress and larger-than-life personality. Even as a Magister with a large amount of acquaintances and connections, they knew nearly all of their relationships were fleeting and purely political, and thus, the few they truly could love and trust were treasured deeply.

As a result, Fyodor is shockingly sentimental and greatly values their loved ones, and is loyal to a fault, willing to risk everything if it means helping someone they care for. They're protective and defensive, taking any slight against those they love as personal. In private and away from the public eye, they become much more relaxed, their smug, almost impish demeanor and eccentric interests coming to light. Even if they've matured and mellowed out since their days as a prankster, Fyodor still has a gleefully mischievous side, with a sarcastic and deadpan sense of humor. They're incredibly intelligent, with niche interests that could leave them ranting for hours, and they can be rather blunt and sincere when needed.

Unfortunately, beneath their cocky, vain exterior is a great deal of self-loathing and guilt. Between their participation in Uldred's attempted coup, their implication in Imshael's lyrium gardens, and their murder of numerous Tranquil in order to create the oculara, it's safe to say Fyodor's done a lot of horrible things in their life, and that's left a toll on them. While they were manipulated horribly and spent each moment of these tasks plagued by repulsion and regret, that doesn't change what they did, and they know this all too well. Fyodor struggles with recurrent nightmares, and has a deep-seated fear that one day, they'll make one mistake too many and lose the few people who still remain at their side. They're burdened by shame and disgust at their actions, and while they desire sincerely to improve as a person, they remain conflicted between their power-hungry ambition and the knowledge that it's precisely that which drove them to such extremes.

### **Talents and Skills**

Magic: Fyodor, as expected of a former Magister, is a very talented mage. Their Blood Magic has been honed to near perfection, with a particular emphasis on forcing demonic possession on unwilling hosts, as well as controlling others through their blood. Additionally, they have a natural inclination towards fire magic, though they haven't honed it nearly as much, remaining at a more intermediate level. Largely, Fyodor's magic focuses upon utility and ritual usage; they find combat an unnecessary hassle and are content to use others in fighting for them, whether that means hired bodyguards or blood slaves. They've also dabbled in necromancy in the form of possessing corpses with various weaker demons, though this tends to be more volatile and thus a last resort. Fyodor also picked up more constructive forms of Blood Magic out of necessity, focusing upon the usage of blood to heal. Initially, this was mostly related to patching up their own small wounds in a pinch, but they eventually expanded it to more traditional healing spells while with the Venatori. Their reversal of Jowan's Tranquility left a Spirit of Compassion watching over them, and upon being recruited into the Inquisition as a healer, they began to slowly earn its trust, eventually specializing as a Spirit Healer.

Lockpicking: What's the fun of causing issues for everyone in the Circle if you can't even get into locked rooms, right? Fyodor picked up this particular skill as a child in Kinloch, and while they aren't particularly advanced, it's still helpful in a pinch.

Entomology: Fyodor's lifelong special interest, sparked by the connection they felt to pest species as a child. They studied and took to memory every bit of research Kinloch had on the subject, and upon moving to Minrathous, began publishing their own writing on the local insect species. They have an almost encyclopedic knowledge on their favorite species, and are experienced in the care and handling of tarantulas, hide beetles, praying mantises, rhinoceros beetles, hissing cockroaches, and emperor scorpions, all of which they've kept as pets at various points in their life.

Sewing: In Kinloch, Fyodor found the standard mage robes to lack a certain flair and individuality, and taught themself to sew as a way of altering their standard robes to their liking. They aren't particularly skilled, but it remains a minor hobby nonetheless.

Art: During their childhood, Fyodor found solace in art, using it as a coping mechanism in various forms to sort through their thoughts as well as cope with feeling cooped up. As such, much of their early artwork focused upon nature, reflective of their desire to be outside once more, though they eventually took to rather detailed anatomical sketches of the insects they studied accompanying their research.

## Biography

### **Background**

*TW: Mentions of child abuse, suicide, torture, and ableism.*

Fyodor remembers remarkably little of their childhood prior to Kinloch, though what little they recall of their early childhood is mostly positive. They were born on the 25th of Wintermarch in 9:11 Dragon to the noble House Amell of Kirkwall. Their mother, Revka Amell, disappeared when they were around two years of age following the passing of their grandfather, and as such, they were raised primarily by their father. As a child, it became abundantly clear that Fyodor was profoundly deaf, and their parents had them tutored early in Common Sign Language, as well as their siblings. They had a close relationship with their four siblings, all of whom were older than them, and while their family had its issues, things seemed to be looking up.

All of that changed when their eldest sibling, Jonas, was taken to the Gallows upon the manifestation of his magic, and after that, the rest of their siblings followed. Fyodor grew volatile and withdrawn, lonely and too young to understand why they couldn't see their siblings, and in 9:19 Dragon, they had a prolonged meltdown which led to them running away from home. They were horribly depressed, and their mood was only lifted when they noticed the beautiful lilies in a noblewoman's garden. They wanted to have them, and with the impulse control expected of an eight year old, immediately trespassed into the woman's property, immersed in the task of picking her lilies. Unfortunately, they were caught, and stressed at both the communication barrier and the woman's anger with them, they began to run. They didn't get very far, tripping and falling, and the woman reached to grab them by their collar as they stood. That was their breaking point, and in their distress and frustration, they lit the woman's hand aflame, burning it down to the bone. Before they knew it, they were surrounded by Templars, everyone whispering and staring at them in fear as if they weren't an injured, scared child. Their father finally caught up to them before they were taken away, giving them a pendant bearing the family crest as something to remember him by.

Fyodor was transferred to Kinloch Hold, along with their sister, Jocelyn. While siblings were not typically allowed to remain in the same Circle, an exception was made, purely because Jocelyn's presence excused the Circle from the responsibility of hiring an actual interpreter for them. They spent their first few years almost completely isolated from everyone aside from their sister, the Templars all too content to ignore them and push them aside as they struggled in their lessons and their unfamiliar and unaccommodating environment. Eventually, they hit a breaking point, beginning to act out for the sake of attention: if they were going to have to be trapped in a tower their whole life, the least they could do was make life equally hellish for their captors. This broke them out of their shell, granting them a tight-knit group of friends who made things slightly less lonely, but it also meant that the Templars had grounds to move from neglect to outright physical abuse, in the name of punishing their misbehavior.

In the midst of all of this, they were desperate for the approval of even a singular authority figure. They were seen largely as unskilled and untalented, purely due to the hostility of the environment towards their learning. This enabled Uldred to swoop in, praising them for once and giving them the recognition they desired. They became his star pupil, finally recognized by *someone* for their talent and intellect, and latched on, making them a prime target for his manipulation. Noticing their feelings of powerlessness and frustration, he began instructing them in Blood Magic, which they seemed to have a natural knack for. For a while, Fyodor was almost happy, at least as happy as they could be while subjected to the Templars' abuses. They had supportive friends and a teacher who accommodated and praised them, and that was good enough to keep them going.

That is, until Jowan's escape. Their friends and sister had made the decision to keep them out of the escape plan, knowing they were already on thin ice with the Templars and involving them could only end horribly. What they couldn't predict was that all of them would end up being conscripted into the Grey Wardens to avoid the charge of aiding a maleficar's escape, leaving Fyodor completely alone and on their own in the Circle for the first time. They were still an Apprentice at this point, despite being twenty, and it was looking like they'd never even be considered for their Harrowing, given they weren't learning much of anything and withdrew even further, avoiding even Uldred. A conference was called together in which they were considered for Tranquility, and Uldred conveniently decided to come forth with the claim that they practiced Blood Magic. That was more than an excuse, and the order for the Rite was put through. A Templar recruit had overheard the conversation, and began to mock them with it, claiming there was nothing they could do about it. He wasn't wrong.

Fyodor was launched into a panic, quickly coming to the conclusion that suicide was the only thing they *could* do, death seeming preferable to being rendered as an emotionless husk, at least in their view. They couldn't bring themself to do it, though, no matter how many plans they went through. As the days until the Rite grew shorter, they seemed to be running out of options. That was when Uldred became possessed by a Pride Demon, leading a coup against the Circle, and Fyodor finally had an out. They weren't so foolish as to think mindless bloodshed could end in anything other than death, and that was the whole point of it, really. They were lashing out, desperately, in their anger at the Circle, hoping to go out with a bang, so to speak. Best case scenario, they'd die during the coup. Worst case, the Templars would arrest and execute them, or throw them into Aeonar - still better than Tranquility, in their view. And so Fyodor joined the ranks of the blood mages overthrowing the Circle, being appointed as a de facto torturer due to their knack for forcing possession onto people while managing to resist possession due to their strong will. In the heat of the moment, it all seemed so *right.* They focused their energy upon exacting revenge against those who had abused them for so long, and the sheer adrenaline allowed them to survive the horrors they were exposed to.

That was when they were taken to Cullen Rutherford, who treated them with a surprising amount of respect compared to his peers, occasionally even advocating for them. Sure, he was still complicit in their eyes, but as far as Templars went, the most ill will they held towards him involved malicious practical jokes. He had been tortured for days, the abomination with them had told them, resisting all attempts to possess him. They needed someone to break his spirit, and it looked like he was nearly to that point. Fyodor was handed the knife, and it was in that moment that they realized the horror of the situation, and they panicked, killing the abomination and fleeing, running as far as they could until they found the other apprentices with Wynne, where they collapsed. They were bleeding still, from very clearly self-inflicted wounds, and it was clear they were a Blood Mage, but seeing them sobbing, terrified, Wynne healed their wounds, allowing them to remain with her group of survivors with the stipulation that she would have to report them to the Templars should they survive. Hesitantly, and desperate to escape the bloodshed, they agreed.

It was around a day later that their friends and sister arrived, now Grey Wardens seeking to help the Circle put an end to the violence in exchange for their alliance in fighting the Blight. In part because of their desire to help and in part due to Wynne insisting they not be left alone with the apprentices, they were brought along for the duration of Broken Circle, eventually aiding in Uldred's defeat. Rather than allow them to be turned over, however, their sister helped them escape the Circle, feigning their death and escaping to Tevinter.

Once they'd arrived in Minrathous, Fyodor indentured themself to a Magister by the name of Gaius Vatia as a court scribe in the hopes of earning citizenship. The man had a tumultuous history with his son and only heir, and using that to their advantage, they began to earn the man's favor, taking on extra tasks and eventually becoming a close confidant, up until he viewed them almost as a surrogate son. Eventually, after two years as a scribe, they were not only granted citizenship, but in a rather controversial move, named as his heir in recognition of their magical talents. They were enrolled in the Minrathous Circle, quickly passing the tests necessary to become an Enchanter within their first year and joining its high society, socializing with members of the Magisterium as Gaius' heir. Of course, Fyodor never grew to care for Gaius, noticing how he treated those around him and seeing firsthand proof that the rumors of his using human sacrifices as a leg up against his peers were true. As such, they felt no guilt in fraternizing with his political opponents, of which the man had many, making it abundantly clear that they'd be a much more placid and easily influenced Magister than he was, offering their political alliance. Of course, they had no intention to be the blank slate they'd promised, but alliances were necessary, as well as useful. If they could ensure that they weren't inheriting Lord Vatia's enemies along with his title, the fact that they were subtly convincing those who already wanted Gaius dead that he'd be succeeded by a more favorable heir was simply an extra perk.

Eventually, someone must have been swayed, because Gaius was found dead in his own home, with poisoning identified as the cause. At the whim of the Archon and the alliances they'd procured, Fyodor was allowed to inherit Gaius' title and estate, along with his seat in the Imperial Senate. From that point onwards, they threw themself into the political minefield of Tevinter, once again falling back on their Blood Magic as a way of getting a leg up, quickly establishing through both clever manipulation and more ruthless ways of sending messages that they were not someone one wanted as an enemy, their more severe measures drawing tension in their relationships. Given that interfering with a member of the Magisterium would be political suicide, they began returning to Kirkwall on occasion, staying with their cousin Wyatt Hawke and occasionally aiding in his affairs every now and then. For a long while, they were relatively content, finally beginning to recover from what they'd experienced as a child, in a stable relationship, and seeing their family as often as they could.

All of that changed around 9:39, when a faction known as the Venatori arose within Tevinter. At first, Fyodor was content to stay as far away as possible from it, skeptical of the promises they made and perfectly fine with staying out of trouble. That was until they were swayed by an acquaintance into offering their allegiance, told that the Elder One would be returning the Magisterium to rule over the south once more, and their curiosity had been piqued. They still had no interest, but the Elder One they spoke of as if he were a deity caught Fyodor's attention, and they requested an audience with him. Given their station, and the fact that their research into demonology had caught his attention, their request was granted. Almost immediately, they were enthralled, understanding now that they were in the presence of something much greater than any mortal Magister seeking power, and he'd done his homework, because he began to dig into their childhood ever-so-subtly, reminding them what a return to Imperial rule would mean for the mages of the South, that they could forge a new world in which no mage would have to suffer as they did. They couldn't say no, and that was when Corypheus led with his next proposition: They needed a skilled mage familiar with demons to aid in opening a long-forgotten elven temple, full of ancient knowledge and artifacts, and if they could do that for him, the Elder One would make them a deific figure, placing them in rulership over the Free Marches. It sounded too good to be true, but they'd already dug themself in too deep, and by the time he'd explained what creating the oculara would involve, they'd already been convinced, standing in front of an almost-deity who they could not bring themself to deny, thoroughly convinced by his honeyed words, reassurance, and praise that a small loss of life would be nothing compared to the thousands they could save from the Southern Circles.

And so, Fyodor began their descent into the oculara's creation, perfecting the process through trial and error with a cold and practiced efficiency. They began using captured rogue Templars as fodder for their rituals, traveling with a small group of Venatori who captured Tranquil left unsupervised by the rebelling mages. They'd hit a few roadblocks, of course, in safely binding the demons to the Tranquil, which led them to visit Imshael, bringing captured Templars for him to use in his red lyrium gardens in exchange for knowledge. It was a worthwhile deal, given that the strong-willed Templars, already adjusted to lyrium, made for a greater yield, even if they could only bring a dozen. Eventually, they streamlined the process, deciding upon a blood-powered lightning bolt to the skull as their method of immediate death, ensuring that the Tranquil suffered for the shortest amount of time possible.

That sort of work was hardly without its tolls, however. Fyodor loathed every moment of what they were doing, withdrawing into a severe depression fueled by their guilt. They felt unable to leave, trapped in their position, coming up with shallow justifications they knew justified nothing. What were they supposed to do, say no to an ancient darkspawn Magister and hope he'd let them step down alive? They weren't foolish. Aside from that, there was already so much blood on their hands, and they felt beyond redemption: At least if they went through and finished it, they'd be rewarded with knowledge and power, rather than living with guilt and failure. So they kept at it, even as it threatened to destroy them.

That is, until their friend Jowan appeared in their camp, that all-too-familiar brand upon his head. They couldn't bear the thought of bringing harm to him, nor could they cope with the idea of releasing him in such a state, and in their desperation, they called upon a Spirit of Compassion, bringing it to briefly possess Jowan, curing him of his Tranquility before it returned to the Fade. They brought Jowan to safety in the care of Anders and Wyatt, asking him to keep their involvement with the Venatori a secret, and for a while, he did. That is, until he went to the Inquisition, speaking of a Venatori Magister he knew with the ability to reverse Tranquility, and everything became all too clear. Another former Tranquil, Pip, was used as bait, and Fyodor was tracked and cornered by the Inquisition. Defeated and realizing this was the out they'd wished for, they willingly surrendered themself into Inquisition custody. For a while, it looked as if they'd be executed for their crimes, but the combined pressure from Dorian, Jowan, and Jocelyn meant that they were merely conscripted, made to put their talents to use as a healer and researcher within Skyhold, with the stipulation that their involvement with the Venatori was revealed and their seat in the Magisterium was lost. Fallen from grace, Fyodor settled into Skyhold, accepting their new role with a great deal of reluctance, though they knew very well it was their best chance to redeem themself and eventually found solace in the knowledge that they were able to aid in the Elder One's defeat, loathing him for the lies they'd been fed.

## **Trivia**

* Fyodor's faceclaim is Danila Kovalev.
* Their preferred pronouns are they/them, but they don't mind he/him.
* Fyodor has an AU as the Hero of Ferelden, but I haven't explored it much.
* Aside from Common Sign Language being their preferred language, Fyodor can also read and write Trade Tongue, Tevene, and bits of Nevarran.
* They're bisexual, with a strong lean for men.
* Literally subzero spice tolerance.
* They wear citrus perfumes frequently enough that it's become a Thing now.
* They have some issues with balance and dizziness owing to their inner ear issues. They've adapted as an adult for the most part, but they were a seriously clumsy kid.
* Fyodor is Andrastian in the loosest sense; they loathe the Chantry and have a complicated relationship with religion as a result.
* Tranquility is their worst fear.
* Most of their pranks as a child involved insects. Not their fault Kinloch had a pest problem.
* Ironic given they spent so much of their life in Ferelden, but they have a mild allergy to dogs.

## **Gallery**

* Dragon.pngSample Photo
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