Dorian Pavus (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
bestdressed) wrote2019-08-03 09:37 pm
bestdressed) wrote2019-08-03 09:37 pm
info & permissons
  Dorian Pavus I'm here to set things right. Also? To look dashing. That part's less difficult. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Selfish, I suppose, not to want to spend my entire life screaming on the inside. BACKGROUNDScion of House Pavus, an ancient, powerful, and wealthy lineage in the Tevinter Imperium, Dorian was raised with a strict set of expectations: become a powerful mage, marry a suitable woman, produce an heir, strengthen the Pavus line, follow in his father's footsteps. He succeeded in the first, and found the rest decidedly not to his liking. In fact, over the years he essentially ruined his family's reputation with scandal about his sexuality, promiscuity, and excessive drinking habits. His relationship with his parents, therefore, is strained at best. Eventually his father tired of the constant scandal, and had his own son kidnapped and brought back to the Pavus estate. There Dorian was kept in solitary confinement for months before his father attempted to use a blood magic ritual to alter his mind in order to change his sexuality and make him "acceptable." Feeling devastated and betrayed, Dorian escaped and ran away to spend the next several years further rebelling. Dorian is considered a pariah in upper-class Tevinter society for his refusal to adhere to social norms, but that suits him just fine; he by and large despises his peers, finding them corrupt, greedy, and hypocritical. He loves his homeland in spite of this, but knows it could be so much better. In fact, Dorian's resolve to change his country is his driving force, leading him to join the Inquisition to fight the Venatori, and afterward to return home to try to change things from within. Despite their differences, Dorian's father did apparently have enough faith in him to keep him as his heir; after his death, Dorian was named successor to his seat in the Magisterium. PERSONALITYDorian is described often as both a redeemer and a pariah; the latter is a word he uses himself. His country, his class, his magic, his relationship with his family, and the way he consciously chooses to break free from the molds he was meant to fit define him as a character. Dorian has a unique perspective on his society. He’s part of the Altus class, yet also an outcast in many respects, leading him to view it through a lens where the corruption, greed, and hypocrisy of his peers bothers him immensely. As he says on many occasions, he loves his homeland, but knows it can be so much better. He wants to help save the world as a mage from Tevinter, proving that not everyone from his homeland believes in Tevinter’s isolationist politics and that there are those like him who care about the rest of the world. Dorian has always had a rebellious streak. While he grew up wanting desperately to please his father, when he realized that his father would accept nothing less than for him to live a lie, that quickly changed. He acts out in the face of authority, not bothering after a point to adhere to anyone’s expectations or the social rules of upper-class Tevinter society. But for all that his family life was an utter disaster, Dorian is still part of an ancient, powerful, and wealthy lineage. He was brought up wanting for very little by way of material possessions, constantly surrounded by fine things, which he has a taste for still. He’s accustomed to a lavish lifestyle, and complains often when things aren’t up to his standards--though his petty complaints are often used to mask larger problems which he won't speak so readily about. He’s judgmental of others based on his own experiences with wealth and power, and will often lean into this pompous, self-congratulating attitude with those of similar backgrounds. Frequently Dorian can be outright rude and insulting, often because striking out is his first instinct when he's been hurt, sometimes just because he’s feeling petty and mean, and other times because he’s simply unaware that the subject he’s encroaching on is a sensitive one. He’s also unwittingly prejudiced, a product of his privileged upbringing, and often ends up being disrespectful because of it. Raised by largely neglectful parents and then sent off to the Circle to learn at a very young age, Dorian developed an independent streak very young. He made his own way, even if his decisions were not always healthy or good ones. Being able to make it on his own is a point of pride. Dorian is an intensely emotional person, quick to anger, sadness, and pettiness. He’ll petulantly end arguments with “I don’t want to discuss it,” and then turn around and be upset by his own anger. At his core he’s deeply vulnerable, seeking affection where it was denied by his family and by the men he sleeps with. It’s common to hear Dorian proclaiming how handsome he is, or how charming, though the way he constantly points it out makes him seem arrogant to some. He takes great pride in certain aspects of himself, namely his intelligence, his magical prowess, and his appearance. Having shown great magical talent from a young age, Dorian is accustomed to excelling in magical endeavors and studies. His primary interest is in research and magical theory, but he'll study just about anything, and displays a vast and varied knowledge of history and culture, especially of the Imperium. The role he gives to himself within the Inquisition is as a researcher, both magical and historical. He loves to challenge himself, and enjoys learning and discovering new things, constantly looking to expand his own horizons. He knows he’s smart, an immensely talented mage, and good-looking, all traits which were socially acceptable and worthy of praise in Tevinter, and doesn’t hesitate to talk himself up given any opportunity to do so. This confidence does, however, mask more deeply-seated insecurity. More than anything, he seeks a deeper connection with people, but constantly denies himself out of fear. He’s also prone to overindulging in order to deal with his problems, having a history of running away when things became too much for him to handle. He’s spent multiple years of his life running from his family’s expectations and causing scandal with rumors of his sexuality, and using sex and alcohol as a temporary fix. But he is, despite his upbringing, deeply caring and compassionate. He’s kind to those who are kind themselves, and is especially susceptible to caring about people who treat him well. Though he proclaims that he has few friends, he forms connections with others more easily than he thinks, and more lastingly than he fully understands. Dorian’s greatest fear is temptation. The temptation to become his father, to compromise his own morals, and to give into society’s pressure to live a lie, a caricature of everything wrong with Tevinter. Conversely, however, is the temptation to reject his role in society altogether and live his life freely and openly for himself, which frightens him just as much. He’s also afraid of being abandoned by those he cares for, to the point where he will purposefully detach himself from someone if he feels they could grow close enough to hurt him by leaving. The relationships he's formed while with the Inquisition, as well as his determination to better his country, have shown him that not only will others care for and support him if he allows them to, but that he also has the capability to enact change in his own life, and in the world at large. ABILITIESDorian is a mage, which means that he can do magic through a connection to Thedas’ mysterious magical dream realm, called the Fade. This enables him to summon and wield primal magic, i.e. elements such as fire, lightning, and ice, force magic (moving objects psychokinetically), and creation magic (healing, protective barriers, wards), along with others detailed below. Healing magic is Dorian’s weakest suit by far, and he can do little beyond healing surface wounds such as cuts, abrasions, and bruises. His specific magical specialization is necromancy, which comprises in-depth knowledge of both entropy and spirit magic, as well as more specialized skills, as it involves binding death-bound spirits to enable them to manifest physically to do his bidding, and possessing the bodies of the dead. Using Death Siphon, a passive spell, necromancers regain health and mana through drawing it from the dead. Other common spells in this tree are Horror, which strikes fear and dread into the hearts of enemies to panic them, and Walking Bomb, which inflicts a curse on a target to gradually weaken them (and, true to the name, cause an explosion if the target dies). Through his extensive research and development work with his former mentor, Dorian helped to discover and refine time magic, which he has used to reverse-engineer timeline-shifting spells, i.e. sending himself and the Inquisitor a year back in time after his mentor sent them forward. More practically, however (and without the focus amulet he and his mentor created), he simply uses this knowledge to perform everyday spells such as Haste to temporarily give a speed advantage in battle. Notable in addition to his magical skills is a more simple talent for quarterstaff combat; his staff isn't only for decoration or channeling spells. He's also very effective at knocking opponents over the head with it. OPT OUTDue to Tevinter being Tevinter, there may be some sensitive subjects involved in threading with Dorian, including slavery (not a thing he approves of any longer, but something that may come up) and references to homophobia. Specifically, rejection/being disowned by family due to sexuality, and nearly being forced into what can basically be considered magical conversion therapy. He won't readily talk about these things with the average person, but if you'd like to opt out of any of these subjects entirely, leave a comment to this post. They're screened for privacy. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
