- For information about the quest in Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening, see The Howe Family.
The Howe family are a noble family from Ferelden at the time of the Fifth Blight, claiming the Arling of Amaranthine. They used to rule Amaranthine from Vigil's Keep, one of the most ancient fortresses in the country.
Background
The Howes are one of the oldest noble families in Ferelden. According to Byron Howe, the first of the Howe family was gifted a superior dwarven-made sword by the dwarven king.[1]
In the second half of the Blessed Age, Arl Tarleton Howe, who was almost ninety years old and described as sharp and bitter, sided with Orlais during the occupation of Ferelden, however the Cousland family ruling the neighbouring Highever openly supported the rebellion.[2] He fought several bitter battles against the Couslands, but in the end they managed to capture the town of Harper's Ford as well as Tarleton. Arl Tarleton was subsequently hanged.
Arl Byron Howe of Amaranthine, the much younger brother of Tarleton, became the new Arl of Amaranthine. Like his brother, he bent the knee to Meghren, the Orlesian usurper King of Ferelden.
Involvement
The young Rendon Howe, Tarleton's son, also sided with the rebels and Prince Maric and was one of the few survivors of the disastrous defeat at the Battle of White River. Once the war was won, Rendon was decorated for his service by King Maric, and was made Arl of Amaranthine. The Howes were hailed as heroes, and Arl Howe became close friends with Teyrn Bryce Cousland of Highever.[3]
In 9:30 Dragon, the Fifth Blight broke out in Ferelden. Arl Rendon was invited to Castle Cousland, but turned traitor, using his soldiers to slaughter the Cousland family while their guards were battling darkspawn in the south. Howe was a confederate of Teyrn Loghain, whose actions at the Battle of Ostagar doomed King Cailan Theirin.
With Loghain as regent, Rendon was made Teyrn of Highever and Arl of Denerim, making him one of the most powerful men in Ferelden, second only to Loghain and Queen Anora. During his reign, he imprisoned and tortured innocents, interfered with a templar's duties, and was complicit in the selling of elven slaves to the Tevinter Imperium. Howe was killed by the Warden who ended the Blight. The Howe dynasty finally came to an end when the new monarch of Ferelden stripped the Howes of all land and titles, restoring Highever to Fergus Cousland, who was travelling south when his family was murdered. Amaranthine, however, was granted to the Grey Wardens.
If the Commander befriends him after Nathaniel is made a Grey Warden, Nathaniel is informed of his father's crimes by his sister, and comes to hate him as she did.
Following the Darkspawn Civil War, Nathaniel saved Fergus Cousland, now Teyrn of Highever, from bandits. For this, a portion of land was restored to the Howes, which Nathaniel passed on to his sister's son.
Known Howes
- Elias Howe, one of the first freeholders to follow Calenhad Theirin.
- Padric Howe, a Grey Warden [note]
- Kathra Howe, a fighter during the Chasind Uprising two centuries ago.[4]
- Arl Tarleton Howe, Arl Rendon Howe's father.
- Arl Byron Howe, Arl of Amaranthine and Rendon Howe's uncle.
- Arl Rendon Howe.
- Unnamed wife of Rendon Howe and mother of Nathaniel, Delilah, and Thomas.
- Nathaniel Howe, eldest child of Rendon Howe.
- Delilah Howe, middle child of Rendon Howe.
- Thomas Howe, youngest child of Rendon Howe.
- Delilah's son [5]
Family Tree
Tarleton Howe | Byron Howe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rendon Howe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nathaniel Howe | Delilah Howe | Thomas Howe | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Delilah's Son | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notes
- After giving the Howe Bow to Nathaniel, he tells the Warden-Commander that the bow was last used by his grandfather Padric Howe, who left the family to become a Grey Warden.[6] This is inconsistent with Arl Tarleton Howe being Rendon Howe's father.
See also
Codex entry: The Howes of Amaranthine
References
- ↑ Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne, pp. 146-147
- ↑ Conversation between the Human Noble and Aldous.
- ↑ Codex entry: The Howes of Amaranthine
- ↑ Based on The Bear's Embrace description.
- ↑ mentioned by his uncle Nathaniel in Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening and Dragon Age II.
- ↑ In Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening during a conversation between the Warden and Nathaniel inside Vigil's Keep - Throne Room.