Bartrand Tethras

Bartrand Tethras is Varric's older brother and head of the Tethras family which was once a noble house in Orzammar. He is one of the more prominent characters of Act 1, where Hawke and his or her companions have to gather money to get in on his expedition deep into the Deep Roads.

Background
House Tethras was once part of the noble caste in Orzammar, until Bartrand's father was caught fixing Provings. Such was the disgrace and danger to the family that the household had no choice but to leave for the surface. Unlike his brother, Bartrand was born in Orzammar in 8:93 Blessed.

Five years after father died and mother went to alcohol. Bartrand became a new head of the exiled house.

Act 1
A year after Hawke's arrival in Kirkwall, Hawke and his or her sibling are trying to hide from increased Templar scrutiny. Bartrand is preparing an expedition into the Deep Roads to loot an abandoned thaig, and this provides an excellent opportunity to get away from Kirkwall - as well as the possibility to make a lot of money. But Bartrand refuses their request, asserting that he already has enough hired hands.

{{SpoilerDA2|style=short| However, his brother Varric manages to include Hawke as a business partner after acquiring 50 sovereigns, as well as a map of Deep Roads entrances from Anders. When they arrive at what proves to be a primeval thaig, which pre-dates known dwarven history, they hope to get increased profits from such a rare find. However, when they find an idol made of an unknown type of lyrium and potentially priceless, Bartrand seals them within the thaig, intent on claiming everything for himself. Hawke and his/her companions are able to escape through some back tunnels and discovered a cache of treasure that made the expedition profitable.

Act 2
Bartrand disappears for the subsequent three years, though Varric suspect he has fled to Rivain. However, when he returns to Kirkwall, Bartrand has gone insane from his exposure to the idol. According to his steward Hugin, Bartrand believed the idol sang to him and forced his men to eat lyrium to make them hear the song, while mutilating his servants. The idol is nowhere to be found, as Bartrand sold it (though he accuses the recipient of "stealing" it) to an unknown woman, from whom he returned to Kirkwall to get it back. Bartrand is unable to say who she was, but he states that she "glittered like the sun, but her heart was cold as ice."

Varric wishes to kill his brother, though Hawke is able to influence his final decision. If Anders is in the party, he can temporarily bring Bartrand back to his senses. If he allows Bartrand to be killed, Varric will wish his brother farewell, before shooting him with a bolt. If Bartrand is spared, Varric will leave him in his estate temporarily, returning later to put him into a Chantry sanitarium.

Bartrand's abilities:

Act 3
Three years later, in Act 3, it is discovered that Bartrand had chipped a piece of the idol off and left it in the house, which causes the house to behave as if it was haunted, as if the Veil was torn. When Varric picks up the piece of the idol, he starts to exhibit the same symptoms of madness Bartrand showed, at which point you can either let Varric keep the piece, or you can take it from him with the intent of having Sandal destroy it.}}