Cassandra Pentaghast (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
stabsbooks) wrote2020-02-29 08:15 pm
stabsbooks) wrote2020-02-29 08:15 pm
Meadowlark Application
> PLAYER INFORMATION
NAME: Buttercup
PRONOUNS: she/her
CONTACT:![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
butteredcups
> CHARACTER INFORMATION
NAME: Cassandra Pentaghast
CANON: Dragon Age Inquisition
AGE: 39
CANON POINT: After the main quest Here Lies the Abyss
HISTORY: Cassandra on the Dragon Age wiki
PERSONALITY: "I see what must be done, and I do it! I see no point in running around in circles like a dog chasing its tail."
Born to privilege and power (Lady Cassandra Allegra Portia Calogera Filomena Pentaghast, seventy-eighth in line to the Nevarran throne), it didn't take long before Cassandra began suffering the losses that would shape and strengthen her. She lost her parents at age six, and her beloved brother Anthony at age twelve. Cassandra was never one to sit back and feel sorry for herself, however. She begged her uncle to let her join the Templars in order to seek justice for her brother's death at the hands of rebel blood mages.
Rather than sending her to join the Templars, Cassandra's uncle instead sent her to join the Seekers of Truth, a paramilitary group acting on behalf of the Chantry to keep the Templar Order in check, rooting out corruption and protecting the Chantry from any threats. Cassandra emerged from her Seeker training both as a skilled warrior and a deeply faithful person, committed to the cause of justice and righteousness. She is staunchly devoted to Andraste and the Maker; she has a clear, perhaps idealistic vision of what the Chantry should be and a deep, abiding interest in seeing it freed from corruption. As a Seeker of Truth, she fights not to let her faith blind her, freely acknowledging the Chantry's flaws, and, later, exposing widespread corruption and deceit she uncovers within the Seeker order itself.
Cassandra is brutally honest, sometimes to her detriment, and she often acts before she thinks, frustrated with anyone who chooses to stand and complain rather than acting to right wrongs. However, she is not without compassion, and makes an effort - eventually - to apologize when she has overstepped her bounds.
Despite her noble birth, Cassandra rejects a life of wealth and ease, stopping the "waves of suitors" her uncle sends her way by breaking one of their arms, mostly by accident. She becomes estranged from her homeland of Nevarra later in life, hating their morbid fascination with death, and holding nothing but contempt for her noble title and the machinations of court. After saving the life of Divine Beatrix as a young woman, she is declared the Hero of Orlais and the Right Hand of the Divine, and rededicates her life to serving the Chantry. The life of a Seeker is not an easy one, but Cassandra never complains; she sleeps on a bedroll on the floor above the forge in Skyhold and trains with her sword daily. Words are a struggle for her, both written and otherwise, as she readily admits, but she never stops trying to communicate what she feels is important, or record events for posterity - because it's important, and someone has to. She is driven by a sense of duty and justice, and by a fervor for the truth, even more so than many of her fellow Seekers.
Cassandra does not desire power, but she never shirks responsibility. She helps form the Inquisition, but steps aside without protest once it is established, recognizing that she is not the one best suited to lead it. When she learns that her name is under consideration for the next Divine - the leader of the Chantry - she at first refuses outright, but later acknowledges that the Chantry is in danger of crumbling, and perhaps as Divine, she could make the changes necessary to save it.
She harbors a significant amount of self-doubt, and, while she doesn't often express such things aloud, she will admit as much to those she considers trustworthy. However, while she often questions whether or not her choices are right, she doesn't allow her insecurities to prevent her from taking action, nor does she allow them to stand between her and her goals. Inaction is unacceptable, and, even if she is eventually proven wrong in her assumptions or decisions, she can only act on what she knows and what she believes, and she stubbornly refuses to let fear dictate her choices.
Cassandra's armor and her harsh, abrasive exterior hide a compassionate, romantic heart. She literally wears her heart on her sleeve, and hides a secret love of terrible romance novels, longing to experience the same sort of romance herself someday. She values faith, kindness, and compassion, and is righteous and loyal to a fault.
Though she was born into nobility, the gruesome loss of her parents, then the loss of her brother forced Cassandra to be self-sufficient. Her uncle's coddling and disinterest fueled her drive as much as her thirst for action and accomplishment. Unsurprisingly, her greatest fear is helplessness, and Cassandra has gone to great lengths to make certain she will never be helpless.
In a world of constant uncertainty, she has learned to rely on herself and her faith entirely. She is an impressive warrior and trains daily, she fights with all her heart because there is no other choice, and she devotes herself wholeheartedly to the tasks at hand. Even when she is uncertain or wishes for guidance, she knows that hard choices rarely solve themselves and waiting for someone else to make the first move is not always an option. If pressed, she will act immediately and decisively, to whatever end she feels is the most just, a fact that is apparent in her bearing, her attitude, and her speech.
CRAU: n/a
SPECIES: Human
APPEARANCE: here and here
SKILLS: Cassandra has trained with both sword and shield and larger two-handed weapons since childhood, and has killed everything from nugs to dragons. She is a skilled and fearless warrior. She's also accustomed to living on the road, living in tents for weeks or months at a time, hunting for her food, building fires, and setting up and defending camp.
NEW POWER: Cassandra will have the ability to inspire faith - whether in herself, another individual, an organization or ideal, or a higher power of some kind. She won't even realize at first (or perhaps ever) that she's having any kind of supernatural effect on people, and will likely inspire people by example as much as or more than by speaking to them. She'll be better able to convince people to have hope, to fight against injustice, or simply not to give up on themselves, and should be better able to recruit people to any cause fighting for justice or otherwise driven by faith in the promise of a better world.
POWER REASONING: In canon, Cassandra's vigil to become a Seeker of Truth involves being made temporarily Tranquil, cut off from the realm of magic and dreams and purged of all emotion. The conclusion of the vigil is attained when a Spirit of Faith touches her mind, ending Tranquility and granting her the powers of a Seeker. Though the Spirit merely touches her mind - she is not possessed by it - even being touched by a spirit is a rare thing. She is a devoted servant of the Chantry, a loyal friend, and someone to whom faith in the Maker is a key aspect of her being. Though she might not think of herself as someone able to inspire others to follow her or take up a cause, this is exactly what she does in canon, both in forming the Inquisition, and later, if she becomes Divine Victoria and reforms the Chantry, or works to restore and rebuild the Seeker order.
> SAMPLES
SAMPLE ONE: TDM #1
SAMPLE TWO: TDM #2
NAME: Buttercup
PRONOUNS: she/her
CONTACT:
> CHARACTER INFORMATION
NAME: Cassandra Pentaghast
CANON: Dragon Age Inquisition
AGE: 39
CANON POINT: After the main quest Here Lies the Abyss
HISTORY: Cassandra on the Dragon Age wiki
PERSONALITY: "I see what must be done, and I do it! I see no point in running around in circles like a dog chasing its tail."
Born to privilege and power (Lady Cassandra Allegra Portia Calogera Filomena Pentaghast, seventy-eighth in line to the Nevarran throne), it didn't take long before Cassandra began suffering the losses that would shape and strengthen her. She lost her parents at age six, and her beloved brother Anthony at age twelve. Cassandra was never one to sit back and feel sorry for herself, however. She begged her uncle to let her join the Templars in order to seek justice for her brother's death at the hands of rebel blood mages.
Rather than sending her to join the Templars, Cassandra's uncle instead sent her to join the Seekers of Truth, a paramilitary group acting on behalf of the Chantry to keep the Templar Order in check, rooting out corruption and protecting the Chantry from any threats. Cassandra emerged from her Seeker training both as a skilled warrior and a deeply faithful person, committed to the cause of justice and righteousness. She is staunchly devoted to Andraste and the Maker; she has a clear, perhaps idealistic vision of what the Chantry should be and a deep, abiding interest in seeing it freed from corruption. As a Seeker of Truth, she fights not to let her faith blind her, freely acknowledging the Chantry's flaws, and, later, exposing widespread corruption and deceit she uncovers within the Seeker order itself.
Cassandra is brutally honest, sometimes to her detriment, and she often acts before she thinks, frustrated with anyone who chooses to stand and complain rather than acting to right wrongs. However, she is not without compassion, and makes an effort - eventually - to apologize when she has overstepped her bounds.
Cassandra: Varric, I'm sorry. About earlier. With the table.
Varric: Beg your pardon? I didn't catch that, Seeker.
Cassandra: I am sorry.
Varric: Oh! I'll mark this on my calendar — Cassandra had a feeling!
Cassandra: Perhaps not that sorry.
Despite her noble birth, Cassandra rejects a life of wealth and ease, stopping the "waves of suitors" her uncle sends her way by breaking one of their arms, mostly by accident. She becomes estranged from her homeland of Nevarra later in life, hating their morbid fascination with death, and holding nothing but contempt for her noble title and the machinations of court. After saving the life of Divine Beatrix as a young woman, she is declared the Hero of Orlais and the Right Hand of the Divine, and rededicates her life to serving the Chantry. The life of a Seeker is not an easy one, but Cassandra never complains; she sleeps on a bedroll on the floor above the forge in Skyhold and trains with her sword daily. Words are a struggle for her, both written and otherwise, as she readily admits, but she never stops trying to communicate what she feels is important, or record events for posterity - because it's important, and someone has to. She is driven by a sense of duty and justice, and by a fervor for the truth, even more so than many of her fellow Seekers.
Cassandra does not desire power, but she never shirks responsibility. She helps form the Inquisition, but steps aside without protest once it is established, recognizing that she is not the one best suited to lead it. When she learns that her name is under consideration for the next Divine - the leader of the Chantry - she at first refuses outright, but later acknowledges that the Chantry is in danger of crumbling, and perhaps as Divine, she could make the changes necessary to save it.
"Why should what I want matter? ...It is very simple: the Chantry needs to survive. To do that, it must change. I have never believed in asking another to do what you are unwilling to do yourself. So I look upon this as an opportunity. I owe it to myself and all of Thedas to seek the Sunburst Throne."
She harbors a significant amount of self-doubt, and, while she doesn't often express such things aloud, she will admit as much to those she considers trustworthy. However, while she often questions whether or not her choices are right, she doesn't allow her insecurities to prevent her from taking action, nor does she allow them to stand between her and her goals. Inaction is unacceptable, and, even if she is eventually proven wrong in her assumptions or decisions, she can only act on what she knows and what she believes, and she stubbornly refuses to let fear dictate her choices.
Cassandra's armor and her harsh, abrasive exterior hide a compassionate, romantic heart. She literally wears her heart on her sleeve, and hides a secret love of terrible romance novels, longing to experience the same sort of romance herself someday. She values faith, kindness, and compassion, and is righteous and loyal to a fault.
Though she was born into nobility, the gruesome loss of her parents, then the loss of her brother forced Cassandra to be self-sufficient. Her uncle's coddling and disinterest fueled her drive as much as her thirst for action and accomplishment. Unsurprisingly, her greatest fear is helplessness, and Cassandra has gone to great lengths to make certain she will never be helpless.
In a world of constant uncertainty, she has learned to rely on herself and her faith entirely. She is an impressive warrior and trains daily, she fights with all her heart because there is no other choice, and she devotes herself wholeheartedly to the tasks at hand. Even when she is uncertain or wishes for guidance, she knows that hard choices rarely solve themselves and waiting for someone else to make the first move is not always an option. If pressed, she will act immediately and decisively, to whatever end she feels is the most just, a fact that is apparent in her bearing, her attitude, and her speech.
CRAU: n/a
SPECIES: Human
APPEARANCE: here and here
SKILLS: Cassandra has trained with both sword and shield and larger two-handed weapons since childhood, and has killed everything from nugs to dragons. She is a skilled and fearless warrior. She's also accustomed to living on the road, living in tents for weeks or months at a time, hunting for her food, building fires, and setting up and defending camp.
NEW POWER: Cassandra will have the ability to inspire faith - whether in herself, another individual, an organization or ideal, or a higher power of some kind. She won't even realize at first (or perhaps ever) that she's having any kind of supernatural effect on people, and will likely inspire people by example as much as or more than by speaking to them. She'll be better able to convince people to have hope, to fight against injustice, or simply not to give up on themselves, and should be better able to recruit people to any cause fighting for justice or otherwise driven by faith in the promise of a better world.
POWER REASONING: In canon, Cassandra's vigil to become a Seeker of Truth involves being made temporarily Tranquil, cut off from the realm of magic and dreams and purged of all emotion. The conclusion of the vigil is attained when a Spirit of Faith touches her mind, ending Tranquility and granting her the powers of a Seeker. Though the Spirit merely touches her mind - she is not possessed by it - even being touched by a spirit is a rare thing. She is a devoted servant of the Chantry, a loyal friend, and someone to whom faith in the Maker is a key aspect of her being. Though she might not think of herself as someone able to inspire others to follow her or take up a cause, this is exactly what she does in canon, both in forming the Inquisition, and later, if she becomes Divine Victoria and reforms the Chantry, or works to restore and rebuild the Seeker order.
> SAMPLES
SAMPLE ONE: TDM #1
SAMPLE TWO: TDM #2