Maud

Maud was a mage of the Kirkwall Circle of Magi and a friend of Orsino.

Background[]

Maud was taken from her family and home when she was discovered to be a mage and taken to Kirkwall's Circle of Magi–the Gallows–by the templars. There, she befriended Orsino, an elf about her age with whom she shared classes. She would tell him about the life she had before the Circle: the parents that she missed, her older sister with a beautiful singing voice, and her dog Rosie who would sleep by her feet. Maud soon grew homesick. The letters she received from home would only cheer her up for a short time before she sank to even greater depths, knowing she would never see them again. As her studies suffered, she started to draw the attention of the templars. Though Orsino tried to urge her to focus on her magic, warning her not to make them suspicious and reminding her that at least she still had her life, Maud no longer cared and only replied, "This is no life, Orsino." Eventually, Maud locked herself in a closet and killed herself through self-immolation.

Orsino was deeply affected by her death. Whenever a mage died by suicide–an occurrence that became more and more frequent–Orsino would hear Maud's final words to him, "This is no life." Once he became First Enchanter, Orsino fought tirelessly on behalf of the mages of the Gallows, hoping to give them something of a life so that death would not be preferable.^[1]

References[]