Stroud
As the sky begins to darken and the waves begin to roll, you can feel the oceans rising as you're losing all control.
AKA:
The Mighty Mustache
Keeper of Oaths
Ser Jean-Marc Stroud was a Grey Warden from Orlais who played a pivotal role in the battle against Corypheus. After he lost his family to the Game of Orlais as a young man, the chevalier-in-training was recruited to the Wardens. Spending most of the next twenty years or so in the Free Marches, he was well-respected by all and one of the most skilled fighters in an order of very skilled fighters. He met Hawke in Kirkwall during her adventures, and the two established a lasting friendship. Stroud was looking into Corypheus’ regenerative abilities when all of the Wardens in Orlais and Ferelden began to hear the Calling. He was one of the few to reject Warden-Commander Clarel’s insane, Venatori-inspired scheme and labeled a traitor for his trouble. As such, he was in hiding in Crestwood when Hawke and I teamed up to figure out what was going on with the Wardens. This led the three of us to the Western Approach, where we encountered Erimond enacting said scheme by directing the Warden mages to sacrifice their own brothers and sisters, summon demons using blood magic, and unknowingly bind themselves to Corypheus in the process. Obviously Stroud wanted to put a stop to this, so he accompanied the Inquisition during its assault on Adamant Fortress and confronted the Warden-Commander directly. Which meant he ended up falling into the Fade with me, my companions, and Hawke after Cory’s dragon attacked us. On the other side of the Veil, he, Hawke and I were cut off from our escape route by Nightmare, and Stroud volunteered to give up his life in a suicidal attack on the titanic demon to give us a chance to escape. To the end, Stroud embodied the best qualities of the Wardens, and his sacrifice allowed the Inquisition to continue on and save the world. Without him, I would be dead and Corypheus would have triumphed. His example also helped pull the remaining Wardens back from the brink, inspiring them to redeem the order under the watchful eyes of the Inquisition. “In death, sacrifice,” indeed.
