James Norrington || DA AU

[judgemewhole]

PLAYER

Name: Wren
Age: 37
Contact: OneStarkWren @ Plurk
Other Characters: Katniss Everdeen
Interests: Well, when I first came up with this concept it was mostly -- Norrington as a Templar! How could this get more perfect? Yet the more I thought on it, I realized that Norrington would allow me to get into roleplay with something I never got to do in the game - play a character who believes one hundred percent in what the Chantry is about. I want to see how I play a Lawfully Good character, to the core. I want to see how a Lawfully Good Templar makes out against the shadier elements.

CHARACTER

Name: Ser James Lysander Norrington.
Canon/OC: AU!Pirates of the Carribean
Journal: judgemewhole
Race: Human
Nationality: Free Marches, Tantevale born, raised in Ostwick Chantry.
Occupation: Templar, Knight Commander
Age: 31

History

Actual Canon History

AU History

- James Lysander Norrington was born to a wealthy merchant family in Tantervale, in 9:10 Dragon. He was the second son in a very devout family.
- 9:20, James's family was set upon by blood mages on their way to the Grand Tourney. He watched his family's throats be cut, one by one. James was only saved by the arrival of the Templars. He then dedicated his life to the Order.
- He was sent to live in the Tantervale Chantry, where he began his training. Passing his Vigil, he declined the Vows of Chastity.
- He was assigned to the Ostwick Circle in 9:28, and was considered to be an 'ideal Templar', aloof, self-sacrificing, and focused.
- During the Fifth Blight, he guarded the mages on their outings to Ostwick from darkspawn. He was a witness to First Enchanter Lydia and the mages of the Ostwick Circle preparing potions and glyphs to protect everyone, and not just mages. This changed his ideas on Circle Mages, who he saw as allies now.
- 9:30-9:37, he rose quickly through the ranks, to Knight Captain,second in command to Knight Commander Swann. He also developed a close bond with First Enchanter Lydia.
- In 9:37, Kirkwall exploded into chaos. Blood mages and abominations poured out of the city. Norrington took his squad of Templars to clear out the surrounding areas, assisting Kirkwall as much as he could. Lydia and Knight Commander Swann had already agreed to keep their heads and stay neutral in the upcoming difficulties. Norrington was on public record of supporting this action.
- 9:40, War raged between mages and templars, but Ostwick continued its stance of neutrality for both Templars and Mages. This fell apart when First Enchanter Lydia was murdered by one of her own. Commander Swann fell protecting Lydia. Acting quickly, Norrington had the bodies taken to safety so they were not defiled, before going to subdue the rebels. He found himself standing between loyal Circle mages and rebel mages who would kill anyone who did not stand for 'total freedom'.
- Promoted in Swann's last breath, Norrington swore to uphold the Templar Order's creed, and to protect his mage charges from their own. He sent to Montsimmard, where the loyal mages had gathered. He took his own blood mage hunting squad to find the rebel mage who had murdered Lydia and Knight Commander Swann.
- While the Conclave met and fell, and the Herald rose and fell, Norrington was on the hunt -- not only taking out blood mages but his own brothers who had gone rogue. At first he just stripped them of their ranks - but the worse things became the more brutal his methods had to become. 'Hang Them High' Norrington became his new sobriquet.
- When Seeker Lucius broke the Templar Order from the Chantry -- Norrington and his troops came together and decided to break from Seeker Lucius instead. They served the Chantry, and they would continue to do so. With that in mind, Norrington turned his templar squad south, to see the Inquisition.

Personality

Had James Norrington been a mage, instead of Templar, the spirits of Faith and Justice would have battled to follow him from the Fade, while demons would have been wary to approach such a righteous fellow, or tempted beyond belief to corrupt a man of such solid principles.

He was not, however, born a mage -- but Faith and Justice are the two principles that driven him through most of his life. The death of his parents put him on a path where he has, for the most part, focused on finding and removing as many blood mages as he possibly can from this world. To keep safe not only the common folk, but the mages that are under his direct protection as well. He is a dedicated soldier, from top to bottom.

Yet underneath all of that - there is a certain sensitivity that he has buried under a great deal of grim responsibility, a romanticism about who he is, and what he does. He has turned his templar squad into a family of true brothers and sisters, for he is as dedicated to them as they are to him, but he does yearn for more. A family, to replace the one he has lost. That this particular part has not been killed had a great deal to do
with the fatherly influence of his former Knight Commander Swann, and the gentle guidance of both the Chantry Mothers who helped raise him, and First Enchanter Lydia.

With her guidance, and gentle nature, he was able to open himself up more. He found that there were reasons to smile again, reasons to find joy in the beauty of the world. He no longer feared all magic, just the magic that would be used to harm others. He also found a dry sense of humor, that helped him connect more with his own men.

He wants to be the hero in the stories, riding in to save the fair damsel -- but real life has made him temper that vision to perhaps just someone to love, who loves him,someone who wants to start a family. Current events have dragged that down to retaining the honor of the Order, and the faith of the people in Thedas in the Order, and in the Maker Himself.

In that is a danger, because his vision of himself as the hero makes him proud. He believes absolutely in what he is doing - and sometimes to the detriment of ignoring the views of others because of course he is right. He has to become a harder man, because it is a harder world. That can make it harder to get through to him from the path he has already set for himself.


Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths
- Templar Training. He's one of the best - a young man who was on the fast track to better things than his sleepy little circle in Ostwick. Expert in sword, shield, and Templar abilities. His focus is superb.

- Well-educated; he is of course, the product of a strong Chantry education. He can recite his favorite parts of the Chant of Light and Transfiguration by rote.

- Strategist. He has a good, sharp mind on how a battle should be waged, and he is good at improvising in a pinch.


Weaknesses

- Anger issues. He has never gotten over the death of his parents by the hand of blood mages, and for that reason he hates them with a passion. He will have his sword already out if someone proclaims themselves as such.

- He's Disdainful. For example, apostates are not 'evil', they're 'lazy'. He basically sees them as the hippies of the magical world. They're not helping the Chantry, they're not helping people, they're just running around making bubbles or whatever they do.

- Can be venomous. While his sense of humor tends towards just being wry, if provoked he will look for the weakness in your armor and stab right through it.

- Addicted To Lyrium. He is a templar, he needs it for his powers, and they have been going for a long time without a break. He's going to be feigning when they arrive.

Inventory

- Chestnut Free Marcher Forder by the name of Dauntless, and livery
- Templar armor, Templar shield, Templar sword.
- Road provisions
- Bedroll
- Bag of gold.
- Tolietries.
- Copy of The Chant Of Light, and some other books. Mostly military history.
- Extra clothing.


Motivation

My character is coming to the Inquisition to ostentatiously join, for the Maker is clearly working through them, and this is where the Loyal Templars should pledge their efforts. However, he is going to be joining to make sure that his actions while hunting down the rebel mage who killed Lydia and Swann are accounted for and properly judged by a 'higher power'. He's had to make a lot of hard decisions and he wants - needs the sanction or the censure of the True Chantry, which he thinks is being born right there in the Inquisition.

SAMPLES

Link One.

Link 2