Hey guys this is my first fanfic, I appreciate you taking the time to read it. Orynne is a creation of my mind and I have been tinkering around with her for awhile. She somewhat fits the mold of a char you make, but her back story varies and some different abilities. Anyways, please review and let me know what you think or if you would like me to add anything! Thanks again!(Obviously, Bioware owns everything else)
Orynne began that day like she did every other. She awoke early and made her way to the communal bathroom she shared with other mages in the Circle. All was quiet and only a few tranquil milled about, begin their daily routines with clockwork diligence. She slipped in to the shower room and was pleased to find it empty. As she stood beneath the hot wave of water, she reflected back on the past and how she had come to be at the Circle in Kirkwall.
She had no memory of her time before the Circle in Kirkwall. She had been broken when the Templars had found her, beaten and worse, left for dead. Orynne couldn't have been more than 9 or 10, they had guessed. The Templars had taken her to the Circle, unsure of what else to do with her. They spoke in hushed whispers with furtive glances and she had been pushed onto the First Enchanter. He was kind to her and gave her clothes, a bed and a name. "Am I a mage?" She asked, looking up into First Enchanter Irving's pale blue eyes. "I am not sure, my dear, but we will find out who and what you are, I promise." He had promised, but nothing had ever come of his promise.
Years went by and Orynne spent all the time she could reading and learning about the world she lived in, searching for any clues as to who she may be or where she may have come from. Having never manifested any form of magic, Irving allowed her to practice with the Sword Wielding Mages, albeit with actual swords, she spent several hours each day honing her skills and telling herself that she hoped to never need these skills.
It was Orynne's third year at the Circle, a bright summer day, that was the first time she had met Tero. She had been focusing on her reading in the library. Her head had been pounding all day so she decided to turn in early and take a walk in the gardens. Several Templars usually patrolled the gardens but as soon as they spotted her they left, whispering and looking back at her.
The Templars always gave her a wide berth wherever she went, even more so than the Mages. Mages could be controlled with the help of lyrium and Templar skills, but no one knew what Orynne was so the fear was deeper. She sighed to herself and walked hurriedly to her favorite spot. It was tucked in the back, overgrown and forgotten, a small stone bench sat under an arch of creeping vines with little white flowers on them. They carried a strong floral scent and the smell of them always relaxed Orynne. She sat on her bench and breathed deep, her headache slightly receding. She began humming a small song to herself, one she always heard the kitchen cook humming, leaning back on the vines for support.
Suddenly a twig snapped and she sat forward. "Hello?" She called out. She didn't see anyone, and shrugged. "I must be heari-" "Hello!" came a voice back. It was a musical voice, filled with laughter, and seemed to come from no where and everywhere all at once. Orynne glanced around until her eyes came to rest on a small white fox, peering out of the bushes, his yellow eyes boring into her green ones. "Was that you who spoke?" She asked. The fox swished his tail and took a few more steps out of the dense under brush. "Indeed." The words resonating in her mind. "I must be dreaming, this isn't possible..." She mumbled, rubbing her temples. "Imagine how I feel!" The fox stated, he finally came to sit a few feet from her. "I'm called Tero. I think I was sent here to meet you." The more the fox spoke the more her headache seemed to dissipate. She nodded, what was the worst that could happen? No one spoke to her in the Circle, she was for all intents and purposes a leper in her own home. A friend wouldn't hurt. She sat there and spoke to Tero for over an hour. He wanted to stay with her, saying he had wandered for years with no family, feeling as if he had been searching for something. "I didn't know what I was searching for until I heard you singing."
The sun had begun to set and she would be needed back inside. Being caught outside after dark held consequences, as the Templars believe nefarious activities only happened at night, apparently. " I need to head back!" She stood up quickly. Tero jumped up on her shoulder and slithered into her collar, between her robe and tunic in the juncture of her elbow.
Another seven years had passed since that day and aside from when Tero went to hunt, they were inseparable. It was so refreshing to finally have a friend, someone to talk to and confide in, giggle with and share everything with. It felt as if she and Tero had known one another for their entire lives.
Orynne smiled as she shut the water off, climbing out of the shower stall and wrapping herself in a towel. She guessed she was 20 today, it had been ten years to the day since the Templars had found her, and she considered this her unofficial birthday. The only other person to mention it every year was First Enchanter Irving. He had always doted on her like a daughter, but as the years had passed she saw him less and less.
Tensions between Templars and Mages had grown exceedingly high and Irving appeared to have aged 20 years in the past 5 years. He was constantly locked away in his office or rushing off to the Knight-Commander Meredith's quarters to try to bring her down from the edge of insanity it seemed. Her temper was always on the edge of boiling over, and Irving feared the ones in her path were the Mages.
Orynne sneaked back into her room to dress and wake Tero. As she closed the door behind her, she spotted him stretching on the window sill. "Good morning, sunshine." She chuckled as she dressed. "You're always up too early for my tastes, Orynne." He hopped off the sill and padded softly over to her. He wound himself in and around her ankles, the way a cat would and then sat at her feet. "Happy Birthday." he made a small cooing sound as the words rang in her head. "Thank you!" She smiled and bent over to rub him under his chin.
Over the years, Orynne had found she didn't need to speak for Tero to understand her, it was a silent telepathy they shared, but when it was just the two of them, she preferred to talk aloud. Too much silence unnerved her.
She had dressed in a light shirt and trousers, preparing to head out to the practicing ring before everyone else clogged it up. She pulled on a cloak, raising the hood over her head, after she pinned her away from her face. Tero was nestled safely around her neck at the nape where her hair rested.
The days had begun to turn colder, the leaves turning light yellow and signalling the beginnings of fall. They tip toed down to the kitchen and grabbed a loaf of bread and some cheese, enough to get them through till dinner, and slipped away to the practice field. Usually by this time some people would be awake and milling about, but it was eerily quiet that morning. The sun had been up for several hours and the silence that resonated within the Tower and its surrounding areas was deafening.
Orynne walked to the barn and grabbed her dagger and short sword in the loft where she kept them hidden, strapping them to her belt. The Stable Master was nowhere to be seen and the few horses that were kept there shifted about nervously, stamping and clawing at the straw beneath them. "Something is not right, Tero." she thought to him.
Suddenly she heard voices coming from The Gallows that surrounded the Tower. She ran over to the entrance that separated the two and was taken aback at the sight she withheld. A large crowd had formed in the open space in the Gallows. The large statues of shackled mages that flanked each side of the courtyard were lined with people, the separation of whom was instantly apparent. Templars to one side and Mages to the other. A small group of each were closer to one another, in the middle. She gaped as she looked on. Knight-Commander Meredith had her face inches from Irvings, her face red and she slung accusations and insults at him and the other mages, her finger poking him hard in the chest. Irvings face remained placid and he spoke with an even tone, trying his best to diffuse Meredith's rage. She threw her hands in the air and began to pace, her words becoming even more insane as she stormed around. Suddenly she tore her sword from its sheath and hurled herself at Irving. Orynne gasped as Irving instinctually pulled a barrier spell to block her. The Templars behind her began pulling their swords as well and the mages behind Irving were gearing up spells. Faintly she heard Irving begging the mages to stand down but it was too late for that. The first fireball launched across the courtyard as the Templars dove head first towards the mages, swords screaming for blood.