- "The Maker loves all of his children, no matter from where they hail, no matter what gifts they may have, no matter how fully they dedicate themselves to the idiocy of war." ―Ser Roderick.
Ser Roderick of Greenfell (born 8:78 Blessed) was a human templar from Ferelden. A confidant and friend of Inquisition commander Cullen, Roderick lent his aid to the Inquisition until his death. He had a pet Mabari named Mutt.
Background[]
Early Life[]
- "Suffice to say, I was not always pious. I was a foolish young man, naive and cruel, eyes fixed only on glory. The Maker showed me my true calling - but not without suffering." ―Roderick, on his past.
Roderick was born in 8:78 Blessed in Greenfell to two farmers. As a young boy, he was fascinated with legends of heroes and their glory in war and battle. Due to the Orlesian occupation of Ferelden at the time, Roderick's early life was tinted by hardship as his parents struggled to make a living, facing poor seasons and demands of tithe from the Emperor. When Maric Theirin formed his rebel army, Roderick fled from home to join. He would later take part in several battles, namely the taking of Gwaren and the rout at West Hill. He later fought under Loghain Mac Tir at the Battle of River Dane and was critically wounded.
After the war, he returned home only to find that the Orlesians had burned down his family's farm. Without a means to support himself and still too wounded from the war to get a permanent posting in Ferelden's military, the young man fell in with bandits who stalked the wilderness and preyed upon any they chanced on. After mistakingly attacking a templar convoy, Roderick's band was killed and he was faced with a choice by the Knight-Captain: be executed or use his skill at arms for greater good. Roderick was then taken to train as a templar.
Templar[]
- "A veil was lifted from my eyes. My life found purpose. My vigil changed me. My life belongs to the Maker now. I am sworn to protect and serve however I can."
Roderick was accepted into the Templar Order and trained in their ways. At the end of his training, he took the customary vigil, which he stated had changed him forever. As a newly sworn templar, Roderick was initially assigned to the Chantry of Our Lady Redeemer, in the city of Amaranthine. When a slew of attacks by apostates occured, he was chosen as one of many to hunt down these rogue mages and bring them to justice. Thanks to his years of surviving in the harsh backwoods, Roderick proved capable of rooting out fugitives. Despite his success, during one such hunt, he lost his right eye, forcing him to wear an eyepatch for the rest of his life. Sometime before the Blight, Roderick befriended a mabari dog, taking him for his own and naming him Mutt.
Roderick quickly rose through the ranks, eventually earning the title of Knight-Captain and earning a posting as quartermaster and instructor of the templars in charge of watching over the Circle Tower at Lake Calenhad. It was here that he met Cullen Rutherford. He survived the Tower's near-destruction at the hands of abominations and demons unleashed by Uldred, as well as the Fifth Blight. He fought alongside his fellow templars in the allied army gathered by the Hero of Ferelden.
Mage-Templar War[]
Roderick resumed his post as quartermaster and drill instructor at the Circle Tower. Due to the events in Kirkwall, culminating in the destruction of the Kirkwall Chantry in 9:37 Dragon by Anders, Roderick was soon called elsewhere as the mage rebellion began to spread across Thedas. Unlike many templars who went rogue during the Mage-Templar War, Roderick remained loyal to the Chantry as well as his charges, refusing to hunt and kill mages just for having magical talent. A defining moment for Roderick was when he was charged with a band of loyal templars to escort young mages and Tranquil to the White Spire in Orlais. He was attacked by rogue templars and forced to fight against and kill former comrades. Many considered him a traitor to the Order for killing former brothers.
He refused to take red lyrium and was disturbed by how some in the templar ranks became addicted to the substance. The usage of the Right of Annulment in Dairsmuid deeply troubled Roderick, as he feared peace between mages and templars was now impossible.
In 9:41, he was contacted by Cullen Rutherford and offered a place in the forces gathering at Haven. He, like Lysette, was one of the few templars to join the reformed Inquisition at the start.
The Inquisition[]
- "The Maker is with us. We shall not falter, for we walk in His light. We shall not fail, not even in death, for we defend and fight for the just. These demons will tremble before us! Men! With me! Charge!" ―Roderick rallying Inquisition forces during his final battle.
Roderick joined the Inquisition early on, trusting in the leadership of Cullen and Seeker Cassandra Pentaghast. While his presence caused some unrest by some of the Inquisition's mage allies, he dismissed claims that he was a mage hater. He proved his skill in arms, dedication to his allies, and leadership qualities when Haven was attacked by the Elder One's forces: he protected mage and non-mage alike in the battle and tried to rescue as many townspeople as he could in the retreat afterwards. He survived and relocated with the rest of the Inquisition at Skyhold. He lead small campaigns against both the Venatori and the Red Templars but was mostly stationed at Skyhold to oversee the training and outfitting of new recruits. Like Cullen, he begins the process of getting over his lyrium addiction during this time.
During the battle at the Temple of Mythal in the Arbor Wilds, Roderick is placed as commander of Inquisition forces. He personally lead his men against Corypheus' forces, fighting alongside allies from Orlais and elsewhere. During the battle, Roderick ordered his battered forces to retreat in any attempt to save as many of his men as possible. He died, giving his life by standing between a group of wounded mages and advancing demons. After the battle, his body was recovered and buried at Skyhold. He was survived by Mutt, who remained with the Inquisition after Roderick's death.
Personality[]
- "I've known fine mages and I've known others who were seduced by power. The same can be said of my brothers and sisters in the Order. Too many forget that we're all people under the armor or robes. We all have strengths and weaknesses, hopes and dreams. It's too easy to be blinded by titles and classifications. We are all equal in the eyes of the Maker: the mages deserve their freedom as much as anyone else."
As a young man, Roderick was enraptued by tales of heroes and longed to become a hero worthy of legend and song himself. He was reckless and headstrong, as well as vain. He was a gloryhound, seeking anything that would make him a famous warrior. This made him act without thinking and his innocence was lost much too early. During his time as a bandit, he was self-serving and cruel, easily preying on any he came upon. Deep down, he struggled with whether what he was doing was right or not. When given the chance to join the templars, he easily recanted and gave his life for redemption. While he made peace with his early life, the horrors of war, the numbers of his victims, and the loss of his family due to his recklessness haunted Roderick for the rest of his life.
Roderick could easily be summarized up by being a dutiful and loyal man, with an iron will and strong sense of justice. He took his oath to the Order - as well as to the Chantry and the people of Thedas - incredibly seriously. As such, he became very pious and a devout Andrastian: he refused to engage in drinking, gambling, or other pleasures of the flesh. While being a member of the faith, he never preached to others nor did he look down upon those who questioned or did not believe in the Maker altogther. To Roderick, everyone was equal in his eyes. Despite being a templar, he never thought in absolutes when it came to the question of templar-mage relations. Rather, he fought for more freedom and equality for mages and detested those who abused their power to harm mages. On numerous occasions, he chose to defend the rights and lives of mages rather than pursue the easier path of abandoning or killing them.
A kind man, Roderick never failed to offer aid or advice to those who asked for or needed it. He was a stern and demanding drill instructor but only because he valued the men and women he was training and sought to shape them into the best they could be. He was well respected and loved by the men and women under his command, as he lead by example and never asked too much; additionally, he knew when to let things slide and when to crack the whip. He valued the lives of others greatly and was always prepared to place himself in danger to protect others. He was without prejudice and had a great deal of respect for others, be they from a different race, background, or occupation.
Despite viewing war and battle as tragic, Roderick was an exceptionally skilled tactician and warrior. He knew battle was sometimes necessary and some causes were worth fighting for. Many have remarked that he was the embodiment of what all templars should stand for.
Appearance[]
As a youth, Roderick was a wiry man with round features, green eyes, and mousy brown hair. His years as a highwayman and templar hardened him into a honed and formidable warrior, comfortable wearing heavy plate armor and bearing sword and shield. He was noted to have a strong jawline and cleft chin. As a youth, he was considered comely but the hardships he endured caused his features to become stern and hard. Some jokingly said, later in his life, that he had a grizzled appeal. As an older man, Roderick wore his hair short and never had a beard longer than stubble. He lost an eye in middle age and wore an eyepatch to cover the wound. Additionally, a part of his right ear was missing and he was missing a few teeth. He had numerous scars across his body, most of which were usually concealed by his armor or clothing. Even as an older man, Roderick was in very good physical shape.
When in battle, Roderick wore his suit of templar armor, which was worn and damaged from years of battle: the plate was criss-crossed by scratches and dents, and the skirt was ragged and worn away to be much shorter than usual. He wielded a standard templar issue shield with a sword he named Justinia after the late Divine. His mabari, Mutt, was never far from his side.
Trivia[]
- Roderick shares a name with Chancellor Roderick Asignon and another templar named Roderick.
- His worst fear is falling into sin.
- If Roderick were a companion, he would approve of: defending those who can't defend themselves, staying true to one's word, generosity, honesty, being fair, and fighting those who do evil. He would disapprove of: hurting or killing the weak, lying or manipulating others, greed, sinful activites such as sleeping with prostitutes or gambling, committing crimes, sacrificing lives for nothing, and killing mages simply because they are mages.
- If Roderick were a beverage or food, he'd be either beef stew or stout.
- Roderick's theme song would be Battleborne by Two Steps from Hell.