The Silent hunter is a reclusive, taciturn hunter who swore to never again be someone's Shadow after leaving Val Royeaux. Several rumors swirl about him, such as that he was once the lover of Empress Celene, but no one knows the exact truth of his past. He himself almost never speaks, hence his popular name, although he can; if the Marquis of Serault employs him as a bodyguard, he will speak briefly to express his appreciation for the post.
Card Description[]
They say he killed a bear with a single arrow to the eye. They say he was the Empress' lover, once, in Val Royeaux. They say he was conceived on a night sacred to the Masked Andraste, and that he was born with strength, speed and cunning, but no voice.
This section contains spoilers for: Dragon Age: The Last Court.
The Marquis of Serault can recruit him as a possible bodyguard. Upon recruitment:
“He thinks about your offer for a long time, staring at his calloused, steady hands. Eventually, he stands, and bows. "When I left Val Royeaux I swore I would no longer be someone else's Shadow. But I will be yours, and Serault's." So he does speak.”
Available actions[]
1.
Send him into the woods to gather information You don't know who his sources are, or even if they're human. But he finds things no one else can.
Difficulty: Twilight*6/5
Success: Whispers from the Woods His report takes the form of gnomic messages scratched into fragments of bark with a knife-point. When you can decipher them, they are uncannily useful.
The woods-widow saw pigs meet with the hounds, and geese belabour the bulls. The Black Knot gather where the leaves are grey. Beware of crows.
+8 Clues
Failure: From dreams You receive a handful of bark strips, each engraved with an obtuse message. The first contains an apology: The woods sleep. They have little to say. The others are practically impenetrable.
The mother has eyes of fire; the daughter, a heart of it. The Red Song dance with the Dead Rose. The Horned Knight crosses the old boundaries.
+2 Clues
2.
Accompany him on a midnight hunt You hear tell of forgotten spans of the woods. Of twilit riverbanks untrod by mortal feet, and rings of tall blue stones that were not raised by human hands...
Result: Discoveries Deep in the Applewoods, the oaks are scratched with lurid bandit-sign. A spring flows, red as copper, from the cleft of a bald hill. You climb it. The summit is pocked with lightning-scars. Wolves howl in council away among the trees. A yearning sound, like a prayer. The Silent Hunter cocks his head: a critic listening to an orchestra.
-(Woods-wise) in Clues, +3 Woods-wise
3.
Convince him of your prowess He has eyes the colour of rainwater. They are not easy to impress.
Result: The bargain You find him at the woods' edge, fletching arrows atop a moss-wrapped strone. You cast your prize at his feet. He studies it, nods, and lifts it, beckoning you to follow him into the trees. He leads you to a glade sprinkled with crocuses. A dark pool lies there. Behind it stands a statue of the Masked Andraste, her paint fresh and bright. Without a second look, he hurls your trophy into the water. It sinks quickly. The hunter bows his head in silent prayer.
-1 Trophy, +1 Favor
4.
Employ him as your bodyguard His eyes are sharp. And you can be sure he won't distract you with chatter.
Result: A broken promise He thinks about your offer for a long time, staring at his calloused, steady hands. Eventually, he stands, and bows. "When I left Val Royeaux I swore I would no longer be someone else's Shadow. But I will be yours, and Serault's." So he does speak.
-2 Favor, Hunter becomes Bodyguard with +20 Derring-Do, The Hunter takes his silent place at your shoulder, his eyes alert for peril
5.
[Requires him to be employed as bodyguard]
Send him to silence and terrorize your enemies When your Shadow falls upon them, your enemies will tremble.
Result: Visitation The Hunter has forgotten none of his old skills. He moves like a ghost, strikes like a viper, disappears like the moon behind a cloud. When your enemies are in company, they learn to whisper your name. When they are alone, they cast frightened glances to the shadows. It doesn't help. When your Shadow visits, they give up their secrets, their loyalty or their life. <.p>
-1 Favor,
+1-2 Authority, +(9 to 14) clues, +(12 to 27) Dignity, -(11 to 28) Peril, -(13 to 30) Rumors of Revolution
