Aldenon

Aldenon was a powerful apostate mage and a companion of King Calenhad.

Involvement
Aldenon hailed from the Frostback Mountains. He offered his services to arl Tenedor the Elder, who accepted him as an advisor. He subsequently served under arl Tenedor the Younger as well. The arling was at war with another one ruled by arl Myrddin. During the siege of the West Hill Tenedor the Younger was slain, but his knight's squire Calenhad defeated Myrddin and became a teyrn and ruler of Tenedor's lands. Aldenon was named Calenhad's chief advisor, and with his help Calenhad began to solidify the Fereldan nation.

However Aldenon did not believe in the Maker, and this led to constant arguments with the pious teyrn. When Calenhad was about to face the outnumbering forces of the last and most formidable foe, teyrn Simeon of Denerim, Aldenon advised him to go to the Brecilian Forest so as to enlist the Ash Warriors. Calenhad followed the advice, but he also secretly contacted the Chantry and enlisted templars and Circle mages as well.

Aldenon was enraged. He made a prophecy: "A civilization cannot be civil if it condones the slavery of another. And that is what this Circle is! But by accident of birth, those mages would be free to live, love, and die as they choose. The Circles will break — if it be one year, a decade, a century, or beyond. Tyrants always fall, and the downtrodden always strive for freedom!"

and left. Lady Shayana slew Simeon that day, and Calenhad was subsequently crowned king in Denerim. In the following years Aldenon led rebel mages who fought against the Circle Tower of Ferelden. When they were claimed one by one, he bade his apprentices run. He was never heard from again.

A legend says that when Calenhad disappeared, he found the only one of Aldenon's apprentices who was never captured and persuaded him to tell where his old master had gone. Whether Calenhad ever found Aldenon - only the Maker knows.

Trivia

 * Aldenon bears a resemblance to the legendary wizard Merlin, a companion of King Arthur.