While the fantasy RPG genre usually emphasizes its ragtag party around the player, few have taken as much pride in crafting them as BioWare’s Dragon Age. With their complex arcs and amusing banter during quests, virtually every roster member spawned a fanbase. One character who stands above the rest is the dwarven rogue Varric Tethras.
After his introduction in the sequel, Varric quickly won over fans with his suave demeanor and coolness. He became a series regular and starred in many other entries. Many fans are looking back to what made him such an icon. Here is a breakdown of his lore and story role in anticipation of Veilguard’s release.
The Character of Varric
Varric is a dwarven rogue with various criminal origins. Originally, the Tethras family hailed from the city of Orzammar before they were exiled for their father’s corruption. He grew up in the slums of Kirkwall, the setting of Dragon Age 2. Throughout his arc, he formed various ties throughout the merchant’s guild and the city’s criminal underbelly to become the fierce mercenary he is today.
Character-wise, Varric fits the trope of the dashing thief with a code of honor despite his snarky, irreverent tone. Players must demonstrate intelligence and creativity without resorting to outright violence to gain their approval as a companion. In the dark fantasy world of Thedas, his characters, such as him, demonstrate how strong ideals prevail.
Varric’s most iconic item is his unique crossbow, Bianca, which makes him an excellent ranged fighter. He named the bow after a mysterious former lover from his past. Additionally, he is voiced by Brian Bloom, who gave his voice to Cap in Avengers: EMH and Taskmaster in Insomniac’s Spider-Man.
His Role in Dragon Age 2
For his introductory role, Varric wastes no time setting up his bombastic character. During the game’s prologue, the Inquisition unexpectedly arrives and captures him. There, the knight Cassandra interrogates him on the whereabouts of the player character, Hawke. Afterward, he serves as the narrator during the game’s framing device.
During the game’s first arc, he and his brother Bartrand plan an expedition into the Deep Roads, the ancient tunnels below Thedas overrun with Darkspawn. Near the end of the expedition, Bartrand finds a mysterious Lyrium relic within a dwarven stronghold. However, he seals his brother and Hawke’s party behind, leaving them for dead. He vanishes once they escape.
Years later, during the second act, Varric tracks down his brother, only to find that the latter has gone mad due to the relic’s influence and is put down. Later, Varric finds the relic molded into the sword used by the game’s main antagonist, Knight Commander Meredith. At some point, he would retell the game’s events in his autobiography, Hard in Hightown, which BioWare turned into an actual book.
His Role In Inquisition and Beyond
Before his next in-game appearance, Varric appeared in various tie-in comics. In these spinoffs, he joined former companions King Alistair and Isabela as they dealt with Antivan assassins and a conspiracy from a Teviner Magister. Of the many party members joining the player character in Inquisition, Varric is the only one to return from a previous title. He joins the Inquisitor early on. While not a major player during the main plotline, he is a valuable ally when dealing with the Red Templars’ discovery of Red Lyrium, the relic’s source.
By the time of the Trespasser DLC, his efforts to expand his portfolio finally paid off. During the reconstruction of Kirkwall, the nobility voted him to Viscount of the city. His latest role was during the comic The Missing, where he aided an investigation into a rising Elven rebellion within the Tevinter Imperium, leading directly into the events of Veilguard. Given the scale of Solas’ plans during the game, someone like Varric will be needed to step in against him.
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