Name: Paintbrush
Age: 29
Contact: PM this journal
Other Characters: Taashath
Interests: Interests with this character include playing a young man desperate to prove that he's more than he is - and the darker underlying issue of unknowingly being a traitor. Friends, enemies, social interaction and training to become a scout sounds fun as well!


Name: Kas / Issala [Melee-use Weapon Suffix] / [Dust]
Canon/OC: Dragon Age OC
Journal: issala
Race: Qunari (Vashoth / Qunari)
Nationality: Riviani
Occupation: Rogue / Ben-Hassrath Sleeper Agent
Age: 17

History

Kas believes he's a Vashoth orphan from Rivain that fled by ship to Ferelden after his small community of somewhat violent and marauding Tal-Vashoth were attacked by Tal-Vashoth-hunting Ben-Hassrath from Kont-aar.

There, he ended up clawing his way through what could only barely be called life for a few years with nothing but starvation and abuse to his name. Eventually, he drifted closer to the Hinterlands and pulled a knife on the wrong person - an Inquisition scout.

They managed to talk him down from his desperate threat and actually sat together to talk and share food. They also spoke a lot about the Inquisition and what their organization was doing.

Interested in learning more and maybe become a scout himself, he decided to check it out. It would mean food and a place to sleep, if nothing else.

...but that is only what he believes. The truth is much more complex than that.

He was actually bred and raised in the Ariqun of Kont-aar, and was molded from a very young age to become a spy for the Ben-Hassrath. Using a type of brain-washing, they forced his mind to learn how to retain certain memories and forgetting others - making him a sleeper agent, unaware of his loyalty to the Qun and truly thinking he was nothing but a Vashoth.

Sent to join the Inquisition by any means, relying on his headstrong ways and determination complete with his rogue skills, Issala - Dust - still left Rivain and experienced all the things after that, but unknowingly still reports to the Ben-Hassrath by writing to his 'surviving family'.

He can be 'activated' into Issala by trigger words, making him retain his original memories and personality for brief amounts of times to complete more specialized jobs - but he will not remember anything afterwards.

Kas thinks of these moments as small blackouts he goes through after a severe head injury when he was a child, similar to seizures.

Personality

Kas is a pretty much a typical teen, but has lived a hard life full of desperate struggles for food and his fair share of both psychical and verbal abuse. Living on the streets isn't easy for anyone, especially not after leaving Rivain and entering Ferelden, where he was even more of an oddity.

He's a very proud young man and tries to be the abrasive, tough kind of guy, but cannot quite back that up. This is both due to his size and the insecure, frightened side of him that comes from desperation and growing up as a grey, horned boy among humans and elves. Hating being different is a very basic trait of his.

Despite being qunari, he's mostly human in his personality and views, even if he's more agnostic than Andrastian. The Chantry has never been good to him, turning him away because of his race, and he resents that fiercely. Thus, even though he has a lot in common with humans, he cannot fully connect with them.

Kas wants to be more than he is, but after so long of stealing and being the unwanted street rat, it's hard for him to imagine himself as anything but that. The Inquisition could change that, which is why he clings to the idea of becoming a scout.

He wants to be seen as something valuable.

...and then there is Issala, who isn't anything like Kas at all. This part of him does not suffer from any insecurities and is nothing but determined, cold and ruthless. All that matters to him is getting his job done, and he has a fierce loyalty to the Qun above all. This may be completely conditioned, as he seems to be a mostly emotionless drone in this mode and is devoid of his own opinion.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Shadow Rogue
Kas specializes in being a shadow rogue, but he's had little training and most of his skills comes from robbing people and hiding what he is by disappearing into the shadows or alleys.
Issala, on the other hand, has been trained since his evaluation at 12 to be a shadow rogue, and thus is difficult to notice and deadly with his blades. Disappearing without a trace is easy for him.

Underworld Connections
Kas has a lot of 'friends' on the streets in different cities around Ferelden, Rivain and the Free Marches that he can contact and get some information from. This isn't in any way as extensive or good as the Friends, but can help with some information. He also still writes to the surviving members of his Tal-Vashoth kith... even if they're not what he thinks they are.

Ben-Hassrath Spy
Both a strength and a weakness, Kas' involvement as a sleeper agent is a above all a serious danger to him. While he is technically innocent as Kas, being exposed would probably cost his life or force people to imprison him. The dual personality means he cannot be mind-read, however, as his belief in Kas' reality is fully true to him when not activated into Issala.

(It's important to mention that he's a secret agent and therefore not known to the Iron Bull - despite them both being Ben-Hassrath.)

Moody Teen
He's not very mature yet and can be stubborn and petty, as well as moody and abrasive while trying to be adult. It doesn't mean he isn't trustworthy as Kas, but he's pretty desperate to prove himself and ends up being a bit of a brat because of it. This can create some friction between him and other people, especially officers.

Inventory

When first coming to the Inquisition, he only has his clothes and two daggers (more like shivs), nothing more.

Motivation

Kas' motivation for joining is sheer interest in the work of the Inquisition and a chance to do something other than starve on the streets; he wants to be a scout!

Issala, on the other hand - his motivation is only further information for the Qun regarding the Inquisition; a backup spy.


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