Human Mage
Daylen Amell
Daylen was born in the Free Marches to the immensely wealthy and powerful Amell family of Kirkwall; being born with this name guaranteed him status, success and power that many can only dream of. The world was his oyster and he was the pearl. Alas, it was not to be, for in His cruel sense of humor, the Maker saw fit to make him and all his siblings mages. This travesty became a horrible embarrassment for the Amell name and it lost his uncle Aristide Amell his chance to be Viscount. When Daylen turned twelve his mother, Revka, came to him with the Templars and told him that he was to be taken to the Circle in Ferelden. She told him it was so that he wouldn't need to go to the Gallows where the Templars are particularly harsh, but Daylen knew it was because his uncle wanted his family's shame as far away as possible and within a few weeks Daylen found himself in cold, dog-smelling, backwater Ferelden.
Daylen's feelings of abandonment by his family and of being thrown in a glorified prison, as well as his own sense of noble pride, has instilled in him a sense of bitter ambition and aloofness that separates him from many of his peers. Daylen can settle for nothing less than being the best there is. In his studies and arcane training his driven by his need to prove to the world that he is the best and to spite the world that denied him simply for an accident of birth. His ultimate goal is to become the Grand Enchanter, the highest ranked mage in all the lands under the White Divine.
It is a stated fact that Daylen is a prodigy in the ways of magic, being capable of mastering spells in weeks that others need years just to learn, and Daylen knows this. Some of his fellow apprentices and even his instructors would say that he is confident to the point of arrogant, others would even say he is snobbish. Daylen would say that if he acts like he's better than everyone it's because it's true, and if anyone feels like proving him wrong, they are welcome to try. Daylen knows he is the best and has no reservations about making it known, after all the powerful and successful don't get very far by being meek and humble.
Some would think that his arrogance would lead him to make a deal with demons, but, ironically, it is this "arrogance", it's this sense of self-worth that makes flat out refuse any kind of association with demons. Not because of any moral or religious purposes but simply because he thinks he's too good for them. Daylen believes that the ultimate sign of accomplishment comes not from relying on others, their intentions malignant or benign notwithstanding, comes from a person's own drive and determination. Anyone who turns to demons for power, or turns to some dead prophetess for answer has nothing but his contempt and are not worth his time.
Religiously Daylen is most definitely an agnostic; he respects/dislikes and believes/disproves all religions equally. When it comes to Andraste he has a very negative opinion of her. From what the Chantry says, Andraste's victories were all thanks to the Maker, but the instant she was captured and sentenced to die, the Maker no longer had her back and she was doomed to burn at the stake. She died a horrible death in utter failure, and that's just sad. Of all the gods that have been and still are worshipped, Daylen feels the most inclined to worship the Old Gods, not because of the power they gave the ancient Tevinter Magisters, but because they are the only gods that have had an impact on the world and made their presence felt. However, seeing as how every time an Old God wakes up he wants to destroy the world Daylen usually brushes such inclinations aside.
There is not a doubt in Daylen's mind that the existence of the god's and demi-gods of other cultures do, in fact, exist. The Avvarian demi-god Sigfrost, a great bear god, who sits at the foot of the Mountain-Father's throne guards all knowledge. And in Dalish lore they say that bears are the favored beasts of Dirthamen, god of knowledge and secrets. These similarities cannot be coincidence because Daylen met such a spirit before! Daylen has flashes of a half-remembered dream of standing before a giant cave and speaking with a great bear who spoke to him in all the languages of the world. He doesn't remember what the bear told him, but the next morning when he woke up he capable of doing spells that should have taken years to learn, no apprentice should have been able to accomplish such spells.
Daylen is a controversial libertarian, he believes that the mages should not be ruled the Chantry, but by the government that each Circle falls under the jurisdiction of. The Chantry has a very biased agenda and seeks to rule over the lives of mages everywhere, but the laws that govern the mages should fall to kingdoms in which the mages are citizens. Every kingdom and culture is different and should be allowed to govern over the mages differently than how the Chantry demands. Under the Chantry mages will never enjoy any freedom, but under the rulership of a sovereign kingdom as recognized citizens, they may have a real chance at having a life.
Unlike most of his fellow mages, Daylen has the wanderlust and he is not content with sitting at candle and reading a book about spells, but would rather lean through trial by fire and go out and make use of that spell. He wants to be able to leave the Tower and show the whole world what he is capable of. Daylen wants to see the mountains, smell the forest and bathe in the ocean instead of just reading about it in a book.
Daylen is fiercely loyal to his fellow mages and also to the Circle, but they must both meet his standards in order for him to give a damn. As far as he's concerned the Loyalists and those who willingly became Tranquil should just put their head on a chopping block instead of being a waste of space, content with living as slaves. If it were up to Daylen he'd gladly kill every voluntary Tranquil mage himself for what they represent. This desire to want to help his fellow mages is what leads to his friendship with Jowan, who, like Daylen, was sent away from his home by a family who was ashamed of him. The two of them have been good friends throughout their apprenticeship.
Concerning the Templars, Daylen has a…healthy respect for them, only an idiot would not. While he is certain that some Templars, like Knight-Commander Gregoir, are driven purely by duty and are decent enough people, Daylen does not discount the many in the Templar ranks who are religious zealots and prejudice fanatics. But they are no different than the Tranquil, willing servants to the Chantry who controls them by getting them addicted to lyrium, making them incapable of functioning without it. They're no different than dogs being fed by the hand of their masters.
When it comes to certain kinds of magic, Daylen has a somewhat controversial view on them. He doesn't believe in such a thing as evil magic, only evil magic users. For example, a swords is a tool for killing; that is a gruesome fact. But a sword can be used to defend one's life or one's home. It is the same principal as magic. There have been instances where hedge mages have used bloodmagic to restore crops and heal wounds, and when Rivaini seers would let themselves be possessed by spirits to foretell and evade natural disasters. He has also always wanted to learn the less than convenient forms of magic used by Avvar and Chasind Shamans, Dalish Keepers and even Rivaini seers, who all use magic forbidden by the Chantry, but nonetheless, use their magic for the benefit of their people.
When he heard about what happened to his family, that the Amells had fallen on hard times after the death of his Uncle Aristide, and that his second cousin Gamlen had squandered his family fortune Daylen couldn't help but laugh his ass off. His only regret was that he wasn't there to piss on his uncle's ashes after they were done burning his sorry carcass.
When it comes to his style of magic Daylen is well versed in many of the Arcane Schools. When it comes to offense, he uses his cold focus and unrelenting ambition to rain ice and lightening down on his enemies, ripping them apart with a man-made storm. When it comes to defense he prefers to use wards and magic shields to stave off his attackers. But Daylen's favorite spells to use are curses, subtle and unforeseen. Uttering the right word and casting the spell just right and even the mightiest foe is suddenly plagued with bad luck, dementia, vertigo and even death.
"They say magic exists to serve man and never rule over him. That is an excuse for them to put us in chains and lock us up, hidden from the rest of the world. The Chantry forbids any degree of bloodmagic, yet they take our blood and turn it into our leash. The Chantry despises slavery and yet they kill those of us who flee their flock. The Divine tells us the ability to create life is a gift from the Maker, but they take our children from us before we can even hold them! So tell me: who truly has the righteous cause?"—Daylen Amell of the Kinloch Hold Circle of Magi.