lacere | Application (faderift)

PLAYER

Name: Rems
Age: 23
Contact:

radically
Other Characters: Apping Sabriel(/

paperwing) as well.
Interests: I'm interested in just playing in the setting around the time of the Inquisition; there's so many variations and so many interesting types of AU'd OCs I can get to play with. I'd like to see how it all comes together and how the game will (eventually!) have its own world state, of sorts. I like characters talking and improving their relationship over action scenes, but dabbling in everything is good, as RP is a good outlet for improving my ability to write, I feel.

Specifically for Harding, I'd love to get the chance to get into her head and flesh her out beyond what we see of her in the game. Girl deserves more.

CHARACTER

Name: Lace Harding
Canon/OC: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Journal:

lacere
Race: Dwarf (surfacer; casteless)
Nationality: Ferelden
Occupation: Inquisition scout. Former sheep herder.
Age: 24.

History

"Maps are alright, but nothing beats a guide."
— Codex entry: A letter to Harding
— Codex entry: Scout Harding

Personality

Very little gets under Lace Harding's unflappable exterior. She's sturdy and reliable, seemingly unphased by what she comes up against and takes it in her stride - if she can't find a solution, someone else out there will surely have one. She gets the job done to the best of her ability so that others can do theirs - she believes the Inquisition can make the world right again, and Harding is a great believer in doing; actions speak far louder than idle hopes and dreams. A realist, then, if a hopeful one.

Spend any time with her, and you'll quickly learn Harding is honest as well as rather direct. She won't hold back on her feelings about a place - that it's cold, that her intuition is telling her something is amiss, or that this desert really is just a desert and we should leave. She might sugarcoat, but she's blunt, and won't dance around a point for long.

She is someone who cares, however. Harding has a soft heart; she's good natured, caring about the people she's pledged to protect. She might throw some banter into conversation or make a quip or two, yet only as a sign of fondness or companionship and never to be mean, but she won't overstep boundaries or forget if she's on the job (she's always on the job). Harding's difficult to make an enemy of, but if you do manage it, she'll go to the ends of Thedas and beyond to stop you. Though a good person, Harding does have a cunning streak, and she's hardly as innocent as she might first appear - she has no real malicious intent, but she's merciless, unafraid of what needs to be done, and she might surprise you in what she's able to do, or even what she's willing to do. Harding's loyalty to the Inquisition cannot be overstated; it's her priority, and she will put them ahead of all else if she has to.

Likewise, her world view might surprise you. It's not as narrow as someone might suspect - naturally, she's wary of anything she doesn't understand, but just because she can't experience it doesn't mean it's not real (the hole in the sky proved that), and she won't dismiss anyone if they are able to help.

Harding has a healthy level of respect for herself and her abilities - she's humble enough about her origins, doesn't make a big deal of her capabilities or bravery, but she's not unaware of her skills. She knows she is good at what she does, that she is valued - and that pushes her forward to making a difference. She wants more than the life she had, wants to see the world and all those in it... but that's partly wanderlust. Lace will always go back to the people she loves, and who love her. That's why she strives to do her best.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Rogue: Harding is a ranged attacker, and more specifically, an archer. She fires her bow from cover without drawing attention to herself, and her aim is rather superb. She's not beyond coming up with make-shift weaponry when there's no bow to hand, however - on her first encounter with the Inquisition, she chased off bandits with naught but stones and a sling.

Inquisition Agent: Her areas of expertise are scouting, tracking, and stealth; being a lot shorter than the average human has its advantages, for that latter. Still, she's not without skill. She retains information, keeps the Inquisition's presence minimal, and gets a good lay of the land before Cullen's forces move in. In her words, she's indispensable as the Inquisition makes its way into new areas, often performing as the group's lead scout. She is able to read and write, sending reports and messages to Leliana on a regular basis via her crows - the crows at least tolerate her, if not like her.

Harding also has some knowledge of spywork and deducing intent outside of a fight, but these aren't things she's got a lot of practical working knowledge of, at the moment.

Surfacer: Harding is (at least) a third-generation surfacer and lacks any connection with Orzammar, and more surprisingly, neither the Carta or Merchant's Guild. Though presently not a sheep herder, she has experience with animal handling and mabari wrangling, should it ever become necessary for her to make use of.

Dwarves and magic: As a dwarf, Harding is cut off from magic and has a slight resistance to spells cast against her, as well as a slight resilience against the effects of handling normal lyrium (not the red kind), though handling lyrium is something she's never had to do. Harding lacks any connections with the Fade what-so-ever - she cannot (naturally) enter it, and thus doesn't dream - it's a concept she will not be able to grasp, unlike with magic that she will at least be able to physically see. Simply put, magic is entirely alien to Harding and she will not be an asset when it comes to, well, anything that involves it.

Even with this resistance to magic, she is not immune to demon possession.

Inventory

1 set of an Inquisition scout's armour, boots, and gloves
1 bow
1 quiver, complete with arrows
A collection of potions, quills, ink and paper
Letters from home

Motivation

Canonically speaking, Harding joined up with the Inquisition to guide them through the Hinterlands, which she did, and did well. The reason she gives is wanting to see the world before it's destroyed, but there's more to it than that - she stays because she believes in them making a difference, and she wants to make a difference herself. This is something she has the power to do, and Harding is not one for sitting idle.

SAMPLES

One.
Two.