Varric Tethras

"There's power in stories, though. That's all history is: the best tales. The ones that last. Might as well be mine."

Varric Tethras (born 9:1 Dragon ) is a surface dwarf and part of House Tethras. He is known for his adventures with Hawke, the Champion of Kirkwall, and his endeavors with the Inquisitor.

Background
The Tethras family was once part of the noble caste in Orzammar, until Varric'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, Varric was born in Kirkwall and has no feeling of loyalty or love towards Orzammar, his knowledge of which is largely second-hand. He is a merchant prince among the surface dwarves.

Varric is a rogue from House Tethras. 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 Merchants 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. As such, Varric is the only companion who cannot equip different weapons. When asked about the story behind how Bianca got her name, he replies that it involves a girl and a promise, and that it is the one story that he can never tell. He has put the story to song, but will not sing it, instead humming the tune during battle.

Friendship and rivalry
Varric likes to talk and likes telling exaggerated stories of Hawke's heroism. Solving problems and gaining advantage through diplomacy, outright lies, and even blackmail will impress him, while straightforward violence and thuggery leaves him cold. He also responds well to joking, flirting and sarcasm and to mild greed. Beneath his silver tongue, however, he's a goodhearted person and will appreciate Hawkes who look out for their families and are kind to dwarves.

To earn rivalry with Varric, choose aggressive responses that glorify violence and combat, and show a lack of interest in his stories, his friendship, and your place in Kirkwall.

Dragon Age: Inquisition
Along with Cassandra and Vivienne, Varric is one of the companions confirmed for Dragon Age: Inquisition.

Quests
Act 1

Act 2

(gift)

Act 3

Mark of the Assassin

Gear


Upgrades to Varric's Tailored Leather Duster can be found in the following locations:
 * Act 1: Inscribed Leather Harness, available from the Apparel Shop in Lowtown. Extra rune slot.
 * Act 2: Coat Lining with Concealed Pockets, available from Shady Merchandise at the Docks. Increases attack (scales with Hawke's level).
 * Act 2: Silverite-Reinforced Buckles, obtained during his personal quest Family Matter. Extra rune slot.
 * Act 3: Drakeskin Leg Straps, found during the quest Finding Nathaniel. Extra rune slot.



Varric specific gear , Varric's crossbow. , requires Rogue Item Pack DLC. , requires Legacy DLC. , requires Rogue Item Pack II DLC. , requires Mark of the Assassin DLC.

Talent trees

 * Bianca
 * Sabotage
 * Subterfuge
 * Specialist
 * Scoundrel
 * Marksman (specialization)

Quotes

 * (After a fight) "Bianca, you minx! That was beautiful!"
 * (After falling in battle) "Dear Varric, please learn to parry. Love, your innards."
 * "'I don't like this'? That's right up there with 'What could possibly go wrong?'"
 * "There's a recipe to a good hero, Hawke, it's like alchemy. Take one part down to earth, one part selfless nobility, two parts crazy fool, and season liberally with wild falsehoods. Let that percolate through a good audience for a while, and when you're done, you've got your hero".
 * "That's all history is; the best tales. The ones that last.  Might as well be mine."
 * (When in an outdoor zone) "You know, this outdoors thing is growing on me. Like a tumor."
 * "Once again I'm falsely accused of whatever I'm accused of, falsely."
 * "Hawke, I'm a businessman. On occasion, I shoot people."
 * "You should know by now that I love the sound of my own voice, Hawke."
 * "Shows what you know. I would definitely bring this up just to gossip. I didn't. But I would."
 * (Regarding his brother) "I swear I am going to find that son of a bitch - sorry, Mother - and I will kill him!"

Trivia

 * Mary Kirby wrote Varric for Dragon Age II.
 * Varric's excessive chest hair has become something of a running joke with developers and fans on the BioWare social forum. It is also something of a running gag in-game, especially with Isabela.
 * According to Varric himself he is a compulsive liar.
 * Varric was originally written as a sleazy and untrustworthy character. Later the writers wanted to add a companion who would stand up for Hawke with all the opposing personalities in the party, and Varric eased into the place.
 * Varric is always calling companions by nicknames, calling Merrill "Daisy", Isabela "Rivaini", Bethany "Sunshine", Fenris "Elf", Carver "Junior", Anders "Blondie", Sebastian "Choir-Boy" and Tallis "Shivs". He never comes up with one for Aveline, however—a fact she comments on if they are both in the party together. He suggests "Red", but she responds in the negative, stating that it is "too common".
 * In Mark of the Assassin however, Hawke can receive a nickname from Varric depending on Hawke's current personality. A Diplomatic/Helpful Hawke is nicknamed as "Waffles", a Sarcastic/Charming Hawke as "Chuckles", and an Aggressive/Direct Hawke as "Killer".
 * The party banter between Aveline and Varric where she discusses nicknames is bugged. Aveline will mention "Sunshine" even though Bethany was killed in a mage Hawke playthrough.
 * Though he is not a romance option, he can be flirted with by a female Hawke.
 * Regarding romance, according to David Gaider, they almost did "slip something in there". They talked about having the interrogation end with Varric meeting back up with Hawke and explaining that he'd told them everything, in which case Hawke would say "Everything?" and Varric would respond "Don't worry. I skipped the part about us..."
 * Due to Varric's role in the game's storyline, he is the only companion who cannot have crisis points and leave the group.
 * It is subtly revealed that Varric uses his spy network to keep watch and help out the other party members. An early companion quest in Act 2 reveals that he keeps the Darktown thugs from attacking Anders's clinic (Anders will question this in a party banter), and inter-party banter with Merrill shows that he pays off the Lowtown gangs to leave her alone if she walks around Lowtown at night; he also pays the gardeners in Hightown to keep quiet about Merrill picking flowers from the nobles' gardens.
 * When asked about the origin of the name of his crossbow, Bianca, Varric will reply, "Mirabelle was taken." This is a reference to the black powder firearm Mirabelle from BioWare's Jade Empire.
 * Varric has recommended the book "The Pursuit of Knowledge" by Brother Genitivi to Hawke.
 * One of the books written by Varric is titled "Hard in Hightown: Siege Harder".
 * During the Mark of the Assassin DLC, party banter with Hawke will reveal that he was actually waiting for them to arrive in Kirkwall, hoping to intercept them before they talked to Bartrand.