Varric Tethras

Varric is a dwarf who has encountered Hawke in Dragon Age II. He narrates part of the story, such as how Hawke escaped Lothering, while being interrogated by Cassandra, who is trying to find out how the world came to the brink of war.

Background
His family was part of the merchant caste before they left for the surface and Varric was born in Kirkwall. He is a merchant prince among the surface dwarves.

Varric comes from House Tethras and is a rogue. He is the youngest son of the Tethras family while his older brother is the head and runs the family business. On the outside, he is seen as the idle younger brother who spends his time in taverns telling wild stories while people buy him drinks. His real job is to maintain a "spy network" with contacts to deal with various troubles that come along with being in a family that is part of the Dwarven Merchant Guild.

Signature weapon
Varric has a signature crossbow named Bianca. Bianca has a carved wood stock and brass embellishments, as well as a retractable bayonet that slides out of a slot in the front.

Quotes

 * (To Cassandra) "So, you want to know about the champion, what makes you think I know the truth?"
 * (After Cassandra talks back from his previous statement) "The entire world on the brink of war, and you need the one person who can help you put it back together."
 * "I know everyone in this city. Well, everyone worth knowing."
 * (After some templars bring him to be questioned by Cassandra) "I've had gentler invitations."

Trivia

 * In Assassin's Creed 2 and Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, the sword "Bianca" is the prized possession of assassin and mercenary leader Bartolomeo d'Alviano.
 * Varric will not always refer to other companions by their real names, sometimes he will use nicknames instead.
 * Varric's excessive chest hair has become something of a running joke with Devs and fans on the bioware social forum.