Info & World State (WIP)

[schyftynge]

CHARACTER

Name: Vico Amell
Age: Early 20s (Origins-Awakening) or early 30s (Inquisition)
Height: Tall (like a little over 6'??? I'm indecisive)
Build: Reedy. Over the course of Origins, Vico puts on some muscle as a consequence of constant travel and combat; however, his build remains thin, with his musculature being best described as "wiry."
Distinguishing Features: Has a perpetual look of sleep deprivation about him, with messy hair and deep bags under his eyes.
Voice Set: Mystical Human Male
Background: Magi Origin
Personality:

Vico leaves most who meet him with an impression of thoughtful reticence. When he speaks, his words are chosen carefully—and when he doesn't, so is his silence. Well-spoken yet direct in his opinions, Vico is an introverted sort who favors few confidants; it's for that reason few realize just how willful he is beneath that quiet exterior, his calculating face hiding a more passionate nature underneath. A decade and a half filled with the admonishments of his mentors and the discipline of his keepers did nothing to curb the deep sense of restlessness that lies within him; it served only to teach him how to keep his wanderlust hidden from others.

Vico is well-read, and only in part thanks to the scholastic nature of his upbringing. As books were his only window into the world outside the Circle of Magi, he consumed as many regarding history and culture as he could get his hands on. Nevertheless, his understanding of sensitive politics and more delicate issues remains somewhat naive and stilted at a baseline; after all, his access to books was limited by what information and which narratives were deemed "appropriate" by the Chantry. It's a limitation Vico is not himself ignorant of, and as a result, he greets unfamiliar circumstances and unfamiliar peoples with open-mindedness and curiosity.

His appetite for knowledge extends to subjects more expected for mage, as well, as does his awareness of the limits placed on his access to such information. Vico firmly believes one must have access to all perspectives in order to make an informed judgment—or, at least, that is the explanation he would provide if pressed on his keen interest in unorthodox perspectives and forbidden knowledge of the arcane. He positions himself as something of an archivist; if something old can be preserved, he says, or something new uncovered, it ought to be—even when it comes with a cost.

Despite this pragmatism and its sometimes-cold results, however, Vico isn't without empathy. He is particularly sensitive where the loss of parents and siblings is concerned, thanks to the underlying bitterness he holds over having been taken from his own. In general, family is extremely important to him, prioritized perhaps just behind knowledge in his ethics; post-Origins, he struggles greatly with the thought of having a child he will never be able to meet.

Politically, Vico is an Isolationist. An odd blend of cynical and idealistic, he yearns for a world where mages can live as equal members of society while believing separatism to be the only means through which this might be feasible achieved. His view of religion is largely negative as well (though the heretical "mage Andraste" theory does interest him quite a bit...); he is of the mind that the Chantry foments divisions, and that mages will be able to live as a unified people free of other social bigotries with the removal of its influence.

GAME STATISTICS

Class: Mage
Spells: Spirit & Entropy
Specialization: Shapeshifter / Blood Mage
Important Choices:

The Arl of Redcliffe

➣ Helped village prepare
➣ Stayed to defend Redcliffe
➣ Isolde sacrificed; Connor alive, not possessed
➣ Jowan returned to custody of the Circle of Magi

Broken Circle

➣ First Enchanter Irving survived
➣ Obtained assistance of the mages

Nature of the Beast

➣ Sided with Zathrian; Witherfang & werewolves killed
➣ Told Athras the true fate of his wife

A Paragon of Her Kind

➣ Bhelen supported & crowned as king
➣ Caridin killed; Branka alive, Anvil of the Void preserved
➣ Convinced Zerlinda's father to accept her back with her child
➣ Did not help Burkel establish a Chantry in Orzammar
➣ Convinced Irving to accept Dagna to the Circle of Magi
➣ Left Ruck alive; lied to Ruck's mother regarding his fate

The Urn of Sacred Ashes

➣ Andraste's Urn preserved
➣ High dragon slain

The Landsmeet

➣ Trial of the Crows completed
➣ Did not accept Caladrius' offer
➣ Supported Queen Anora for the throne
➣ Loghain conscripted; Alistair left Wardens
➣ Had a threesome with Isabela and Zevran

Warden's Keep

➣ Accepted "Sophia's" offer; Avernus killed
➣ Drank Avernus' blood potion
➣ Let "Sophia" live

The Battle of Denerim

➣ Performed the Dark Ritual with Morrigan
➣ Slayed the Archdemon and survived

Awakening

➣ Fully upgraded Vigil's Keep
➣ Saved the city of Amaranthine
➣ Allied with the Architect

Witch Hunt

➣ Confronted Morrigan; did not stab her
➣ Kept Morrigan's ring

Companions:

Jowan

➣ Bestie... :(
➣ Vico is Thedas' #1 Jowan apologist. He is not taking comments or criticisms at this time.
➣ More seriously, he argued for Jowan at every available opportunity—telling Greagoir that the templars had forced his hand, calling him a friend and defending his intentions to Taegan, even trying to persuade Eamon to let him go free. As someone who rejects the Chantry's condemnation of blood magic, and as someone who felt the pressures of confinement within the Circle very keenly, Vico stands by his belief that Jowan's actions are the product of his circumstances rather than any evil.
➣ It helps that Vico has known Jowan for basically his entire life! He regards him more or less as a brother.
➣ He uh... has probably used his influence to keep Jowan from being made Tranquil once returned to the custody of the Circle. RIP to the cut option to conscript Jowan as a Grey Warden

Alistair

➣ They did... not get along, or see eye-to-eye on basically anything. Vico found Alistair's glib attitude and frequent jokes grating, given the severity of their circumstances; conversely, Vico himself was far too callous and intractable in their interactions to earn much him much in the way of affection on Alistair's end.
➣ Ultimately, the fallout from Isolde's sacrifice permanently dashed their chances for a real friendship. Alistair was furious Vico had elected to sacrifice Eamon's wife in a blood magic ritual; in response, Vico blew up over Alistair condemning his decisions when Alistair—the senior Warden between them—had done everything in his power to shirk the responsibilities of leadership.
➣ Nevertheless, Vico did sympathize with Alistair's history. A story about being sent away from his family to a Chantry institute at a young age resonated with him, go figure.
➣ It's this sympathy that eventually led Vico to request Anora stay her hand when she intended to have Alistair executed. Vico may have found Alistair's decision to abandon the Grey Wardens itself unforgivable, but even so, he didn't believe he deserved to die for it.
➣ Alistair did eventually open up about Goldanna; Vico helped Alistair find Goldanna afterwards.
➣ Alistair was not hardened.
➣ Relationship culminated in Alistair leaving the Grey Wardens to become a wandering drunk anyway so fuck it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Morrigan

➣ Vico was immediately drawn to Morrigan for her knowledge and strength of personality. The two of them fell into a physical relationship early on, carried out between conversations on forbidden magics and lessons in the art of shapeshifting.
➣ However, this wouldn't last. It would later become apparent that the two of them had different ideas of the relationship they agreed to; in particular, Vico had assumed that her professed desire to "make no claims on [his] independence" meant he was free to pursue other partners if he wished. When she expressed jealousy of his interest in Zevran, Vico broke off their relationship in a knee-jerk reaction, triggered by his existing hang-ups regarding personal autonomy.
➣ This was made more difficult by the unspoken romantic feelings that had already developed between the two of them. Well after he ended their relationship, Vico continued to hold onto the ring Morrigan had gifted him. This dynamic would linger there, awkwardly, for the rest of their time together, until things culminated in the Dark Ritual.
➣ Vico eventually gets over his feelings for her sometime post-Witch Hunt, but, man. That's his messy ex who stole custody of his kid :/
➣ Anyway, Vico killed Flemeth to obtain her true grimoire for Morrigan.

Dog

➣ Vico named him Garviel :)

Leliana

➣ Vico found himself connecting with Leliana far better than he would have expected when he first met her in Dane's Refuge. Her open-mindedness defied his assumptions of the religious, and he soon came to admire her commitment to her own principles in the face of orthodoxy.
➣ It helps that, as a minstrel, Leliana is also a big nerd. Vico could chat with her about folklore for hours.
➣ When Leliana confessed the truth of her past, it was Vico's turn to offer her acceptance. In the Circle of Magi, he had witnessed the results of guilt and repression imparted by the Chantry's teachings; not wanting to see that reflected in Leliana, he encouraged her to embrace the less "acceptable" parts of herself.
➣ Probably his best friend in the main party, tbh. Wack.
➣ Marjolaine killed; Leliana hardened.

Sten

➣ Sten and Vico got along quite well, owing in part to the fact that they're both emotionally closed-off men who would rather get things done than talk at length. In time, their relationship developed into one of mutual trust and respect.
➣ Vico had a great deal of curiosity regarding the Qun and its people, given the utter lack of information the Chantry had allowed into even the extensive library of Kinloch Hold. Or course, he... does not like its underlying philosophy any more than he likes the Chantry's, but still, he was interested in learning about it!
➣ After the Battle of Denerim, Vico traveled with Sten during his return to Par Vollen. It wasn't an extended stay by any stretch of the imagination, but with the Blight over and Vico free from the confinement of the Circle Tower, he wanted to see more of the world than just Ferelden.
➣ Recovered Sten's sword.

Zevran

➣ Having spent his life cloistered against his will, Vico found himself swiftly drawn to Zevran's more worldly nature. Before long, their flirtations—initiated as much by Vico as Zevran himself—became a friends-with-benefits arrangement.
➣ Though their relationship began as something purely physical, Vico found himself thoroughly charmed by Zevran's carefree manner and stranger-than-fiction anecdotes. More than that, Vico connected to his feelings of having lived within a gilded cage and yearning for what life could be beyond it. Ultimately, he fell for Zevran quickly—though it wasn't until after the Landsmeet that he put a name to that feeling.
➣ After the Blight, Zevran and Vico traveled together until Vico took his position as Warden-Commander of Vigil's Keep.
➣ Killed Taliesen and received Zevran's earring.

Wynne

Oghren

Shale

Loghain

Anders

➣ so true, bestie

Nathaniel

Sigrun

Velanna

Justice

PREFERENCES

Backtagging: Always!
Threadjacking: Ask first.
Fourthwalling: Ask first.
Cross-Canon, Cross-Medium, AUs, etc: Absolutely.

Physical Contact: Feel free! The reaction you'll get depends on the particular thread and the CR involved. Vico shrinks away from contact with more casual acquaintances; however, he's pretty welcoming to touch from those he's close to, even if he might be slower to initiate it himself.
Injury & Death: With discussion.
Romance & Smut:

OTA! Some of my favorite tropes to play out with him include fake dating, arranged marriages, fuckbuddies-to-more, and "oops this magical artifact gave us a psychic connection and now we can't stop sharing thoughts and feelings."

Vico has a tendency to treat sex as a coping mechanism when he feels he doesn't have control over his life or surroundings. This goes back to his adolescence in Kinloch Hold, where sex was one of the only ways he could express any kind of bodily autonomy. As a result, he much prefers to take on a dominant role during sex; the reverse will require both IC and OOC negotiation.

Rough kinklist here. "Indifferent" means I will play this without too much discussion if a thread partner is interested; "maybe" means this will very often turn into a firm "yes" with prior discussion. I'm pretty open, so if you'd like to incorporate something not listed here, feel free to ask!