Name: Ronen
Age: late 20s
Contact: RoRodiculous
Other Characters: n/a
Interests: I'm mostly interested in having Cole act as an instigator for inter-character relationships or handing out little favors... basically what he does behind the scenes in Inquisition. However, I'm also a fan of anything that allows him to make full use of his abilities and don't mind the occasional trek into darker territory. It might be fun to play with the implications of the fact that he hasn't gone through his personal quest yet.


Name: Cole
Canon/OC: Dragon Age
Journal: colecomfort
Race: Spirit
Nationality: n/a
Occupation: Helper!
Age: ??? (appears about 20)

History

Cole's page on the DA wiki.

Personality

Once Upon a Time, there was a young mage named Cole. He was taken by the Circle in Val Royeaux, thrown into the dungeon, then forgotten. As he lay dying in the dark, a spirit of Compassion found him, and tried to help. But the young man died, and the templars disposed of his body. The spirit could not save him.

So it became him.

That's how this Cole came to be, and that is the core of who and what he is: a spirit with a physical body, a human with a deep connection to the underlying magic of the world. Something in-between. He was born out of the original spirit's instinctive drive to help and to save, and that same instinct is what drives him still. He is naturally drawn to the pain of others and will do what he can to assuage it, even if it means ending their lives — although he doesn't go in for the mercy killings quite as much as he used to. These days he understands that there's more he can do, and greater causes to which he can dedicate himself.

Most spirits of the Fade are no more than the inherent need to do as their name dictates: a spirit or a demon will only ever act in the moment and only ever serve their nature. The difference between Cole and most spirits is that he's now more. He can remember things, and learn, and experience life outside of the ephemeral world of the Fade. He has become more like a person, and with that change comes the understanding that his actions can be the result of choices. Self-awareness means being cognizant of the effect his actions have beyond the pure service of Compassion. The more he learns about the world, the more he is able to detect the subtleties and complications inherent in human problem-solving.

Which isn't to say that his understanding is complete. Cole's morality is best described as Neutral Good: he is committed to doing 'right,' to doing more help than harm, but this commitment exists outside of mortal laws. If a person's corruption and ambition makes them so cruel that they callously cause others pain, then they deserve to simply be put to death. On the other side of the same token, if a person has done objectionable things with pure intentions, or if they regret their actions, they deserve to be shown mercy.

Knowing that action is the result of intention and choice has made Cole's commitment to helping an active, ongoing commitment rather than a reactionary one. If he were to stop looking for ways to help, not only would it rob him of his purpose, but it could open the door to making him a demon. He seeks out others that he believes he can trust to monitor him, in case he falters and becomes too far gone to realize it. His dedication to this is absolute and without question.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths

• Invisibility: To most people, Cole is invisible by default, to the point of being almost undetectable. Even his opening a door might be blamed on a draft of wind. People who are deeply attuned to magic are more likely to notice him — Rhys, the first person to really see him, is a mage that specializes in spirits and can recognize when they're present. It's also established that people are more likely to see Cole if there's some way he can help them. However, to the vast majority of people, Cole passes unnoticed.
  He is capable of choosing when he can be seen, as demonstrated when he appears suddenly on the War Table in Skyhold, and in other references to his "letting" other people see him. He is also able to deliberately amplify this ability: in Asunder, he kills a couple of guards without them so much as noticing he's there. Finally, he is able to extend this power to others and make them invisible as well, although this takes a considerable amount of effort and leaves him fatigued.
  
• Memory Effects: In addition to being undetectable in the first place, Cole has the ability to make anyone who has seen or spoken with him forget the interaction entirely. Most ordinary people, once he leaves their sight, will not recall him, or at best, will retain a hazy memory. He can also erase other specific memories if he chooses to. The person will not necessarily notice any holes in their memory, rather, their mind will rearrange anything that happened into a perfectly logical series of events — just without Cole in them.
  Similar to his invisibility, some people may be more naturally disposed to remembering him, but they would still be susceptible to this ability if he deliberately meddled with their memory.
  
• Empathy: As a spirit of Compassion, Cole has the ability to 'see/hear' others' pain. This can range across anything from hurtful or bittersweet memories, to current fears or anxieties, to knowing what a person needs to make them feel better. Depending on the nature of a person's pain or their own mental abilities, they may be easier or more difficult to read. This will be handled on a character-by-character basis with a permissions post.
  
• Magical Sense: As a spirit in general, Cole retains some connection back to the magic of the world. He repeatedly talks about the 'song' of inanimate objects or locations, and occasionally senses the memory of strongly emotional events that occurred in a place. This is a passive ability — Cole is not able to affect these things in any way — but it's an important factor in how he experiences the world.
  
• Above-Human Resiliance: Cole has no basic need for water, food, or sleep. He can travel for extended distances on foot without getting fatigued. He is, however, still susceptible to physical injuries (stabbing, burning, etc) as much as the average human.
  
• Combat: In terms of Dragon Age's mechanics, Cole is a Rogue. His style involves daggers, and he fights well enough to take down trained soldiers. His fighting abilities are innate: when asked about his lack of formal training, Cole says, "I go where the knife needs to be."

Weaknesses

• Squishiness: When Cole gets into the fray, his strikes are effective, but his defensive ability is low. It doesn't take too many hits for him to go down, particularly in relation to others in the Inquisition.
  
• Binding: Cole has not gone through his personal quest yet, which means he is still susceptible to being bound by someone with the ability to manipulate spirits.

Inventory

Cole never carries much with him, apart from his daggers. And his hat. His hat is very important.

Motivation

Cole was with the Templars at Therinfal Redoubt when they began succumbing to red lyrium, under the leadership of an Envy Demon. He aided the Inquisitor in defeating the demon before following her back to Haven. She in particular was like a beacon to him, but the idea of the Inquisition in general also gave Cole a sense of where he could do the most good. He stays, even though the Inquisitor is gone, because there is still work to be done.


Network style sample at Eachdraidh
Log style sample with River Tam on the Fade Rift TDM