I was tagged by so many wonderful people that had so much insight into their characters, I highly recommend checking each of them out: @sandcastlekings, @serensama, @jouskaroo, @davrinsleftpectoral, @seaglassmelody
Thanks to @chaosherald for such a thought provoking character study.
I think most of us have a primary/canon Rook - but who would they be if they ended up with one of the other factions? How would they have ended up there? What decisions would they make differently? How would their personality change? What bits of them are immutable across timelines? What would they wear?!
Soft tags for @sunny374940 @strugglinggranola and @notyourmamasdeerbat
I'm just happy I get to play along, after the week I've had this was such a welcome treat to spend hours thinking about this and collecting screencaps.
Mourn Watch - Cold-Hearted Assassin
I won't bog this post down with the many things that exist in Veryl's current timeline, but you can read about it here. Suffice it to say, she's an excellent and reckless assassin with no friends, an affinity for the weird and freaky things of the underworld, and a lot of personal baggage from an abusive relationship with her benefactor.
For the sake of origin though, Veryl will always be a baby that was found in the Necropolis, and shipped off to the Nevarra City orphanage where she had to fend for herself from both the people that cared for her, and the city itself. The last name was a random choice, so maybe that's how her fate was sealed? Names have power after all.
Antivan Crows - Deadly Temptress
Veryl De Riva looks very similar to that of Ingellvar. But instead of being picked up by a noble family, she might have been caught or sold off by the orphanage. She would have gotten the last name when she joined Viago's house. This might have been the better option, all things considered. This would have provided her with more structure and opportunities for improvement, even if the missions and endeavors were the same. I can see her actually learning to enjoy the work instead of feeling like she's constantly going at it alone.
While arduous, I think the Crows probably provide a sense of community that she grows into. It might be a seriously messed up family dynamic, but it's family.
She probably stands out because of her looks, and I think she's a little more of a slacker because of natural talent when it comes to training. She probably gets into trouble a lot, but she gets away with it because she's reliable and charming. The talons know her name though, which, probably isn't the best.
Also, there isn't another crow that she hasn't slept with or at least flirted with. Everyone knows there's a standing offer. If anything, she feels even more comfortable doing it and being known for it. Her sexuality becomes a facet of her personality and it doesn't hurt her work.
All in all, not the worst outcome for our little street urchin, but it definitely could be better. Ultimately it's unsurprising that she would have pissed someone off enough to get sent away, despite her skills, she's kind of an arrogant brat. She probably slept with somebody important's spouse, or elderly grandfather, or third cousin.
Veil Jumpers - Inquisitive Vagabond
In every version, Veryl will always be a creature of curiosity with a voracious hunger for learning. For Aldwir, there's some part of her that probably would have wandered out of the city when she was old enough to really take care of herself.
She left the city without looking back and probably got lost immediately. Perhaps she found solace in her vagabond ways, peace in moving from place to place and exposing herself to varying cultures and world views. She'd take odd jobs here and there to make ends meet. Though with less access to training, she's a little late on learning combat, but she still proves to be excellent at hand to hand combat.
By the time the Veil Jumpers have started their work, she's well on her way for searching for the source of all the strange happenstances that are occurring with the fade and the veil. After all, you can take the baby out of the necropolis, but you can't take the weird connection they have to the magical properties of the fade despite not being a mage, out of the baby.
She comfortable with this crew and happy to learn more and be the first to volunteer for new experiments. She doesn't know magic, but she's a willing test subject, with endless energy and desire to problem solve, she's happy in this timeline.
I don't think she was necessarily close to Irelin or Strife, but it still pained her to disappoint them despite knowing she did the very best she could.
Lords Of Fortune - Reckless Rouge
Freedom. That's Veryl Ladir. The wandering from home led her to the coast. It's sunny, and it's warm. The exact opposite of the cold city she knew best. If the Necropolis was where Veryl lived dead, Rivain is where she lived alive.
Let's be honest, it was a bar fight that brought her and Isabela together. Isabela decides Veryl is the most charmingly reckless person she's ever met and decides to take her under her wing. The first step is to get some color into the cheeks of the walking corpse child. She fits in with the weird and quirky band without a problem, happy to join along in whatever they need.
Her reckless nature grows tenfold and she learns more about traps and archery. She's still got that daredevil nature that gets her into trouble but here it's encouraged and utilized. She's the first off the ship when it comes to taking other vessels, she's the one yelling for the attention of the dragons, she's the one that's diving head first into the water even though she's not a strong swimmer (she knows how to float in this timeline).
I think there's also some exposure to Qunari in there some way, so maybe she adopts a few rules to help structure her life. It's her choice, she decides. This timeline is the best timeline.
Shadow Dragons - Stalwart Protector
A secret spy with her own team trying to outwit bad guys from the shadows, sound familiar? Veryl does end up in Minrathous in her canon, it feels like a less familiar version of home.
It seems like a natural place for her to end up then, and with everything she goes on to become, a Shadow Dragon is just a more structured version of that. She spends her time working on ways to help bring down the Venatori. She's passionate about helping to take back Dock Town and works alongside whoever will take her. She works hard to learn how to be sneaky and turn magic users powers against them. It's hard work, but rewarding.
Of course, this means that she picks up chess from our beloved Mr. Tavor and probably has more than just a fling with him, but it's more of a Romeo and Juliet situation this time. She's not a mage, so she's easily dimissed, but she works to protect those saved from the slavers and any mages that are vulnerable to the Venatori.
Gray Wardens - Valiant Fighter
This is the best version of Veryl. After failing to join the Mortalitasi, something went wrong on a mission for her benefactor and she caught the blight. Seeking redemption and second chance, she sought out the Wardens.
By this point, she's done a lot of damage and wants to do what she can to right her wrongs. She works to help Evka and Antoine understand things better, follow orders, and research everything she can about the history of the Gray Wardens and their on going battle against a nearly indeterminable foe.
Anything she can do to help, she's doing it. Everything she ever learned from her benefactor's mandatory training serves to help the wardens and it's a cause she can wholeheartedly believe in. Finally, a chance for her to do some unquestionable good.
