“I fall off horses. It's this thing I do.”
Maric Theirin, nicknamed "Maric the Savior", is the King of Ferelden between 9:02-25 Dragon. He was born in 8:78 Blessed and is the son of Moira the Rebel Queen.
Background
At around the beginning of the Dragon Age, he freed Ferelden from the rule of the Orlesian Empire with support from his later queen, Rowan, and close friend Loghain Mac Tir. He and Rowan had one son, Cailan Theirin, though he fathered one known bastard, Alistair.
Involvement
The Stolen Throne
Shortly after witnessing the murder of his mother during the Fereldan Rebellion, while fleeing for his own life, the eighteen year old Maric encountered the young outlaw Loghain Mac Tir. Loghain offered to let him stay at his father's rebel camp, unaware of his heritage. Bann Ceorlic's men, in pursuit of Maric, discovered the rebel camp and slaughtered most of the rebels. Maric was able to escape with Loghain into the Korcari Wilds. While traveling through the Wilds, Loghain and Maric were captured by a clan of Dalish elves who turned them over to the Witch of the Wilds. The Witch helped Maric in exchange for his making an unknown promise that he must fulfill at a future date. He could not reveal what this promise was to anyone. She also gave two warnings to Maric: that a Blight would one day occur in Ferelden, and that Loghain would betray Maric if the young king kept him close, "each time worse than the last".
Maric was able to find the remainder of the rebel army and his betrothed Rowan who fought with them. He spent years with the army and eventually helped lead them to victory at Gwaren. Here he met and fell in love with Katriel, who unbeknownst to him, was a spy for Severan, a mage and servant of the usurper King Meghren. Based on her false information, Maric's rebel army was nearly routed at the battle of West Hill and Maric only narrowly escaped with the aid of Rowan, Loghain and Katriel, who had genuinely fallen in love with him and came to regret her treachery. Unable to return to Gwaren to regroup with the rest of the army safely due to the usurper's army blocking the roads leading to Gwaren on the surface, they journey underground through the Deep Roads, a route suggested by Katriel who, as a bard, knew the whereabouts of an entrance.
Journeying through the Deep Roads with help from Katriel and the Legion of the Dead, they narrowly survived attacks by Corrupted spiders and darkspawn, and managed to return to Gwaren to reunite with the now greatly reduced remaining army. After a successful defense of Gwaren during another attack by the usurper's army, Loghain informed Maric that he and Rowan had conspired to spy on Katriel, and thus learned of her dealings with the usurper's mage. Goaded into a blind rage, Maric confronted Katriel and unthinkingly ran her through with his sword. Only later did he learn that Katriel had truly loved him and severed ties with Severan--a fact that Loghain had known from his spies' reports, and deliberately withheld from Maric. Maric would forever regret his part in Katriel's death, as well as never giving her the chance to tell her side of events.
Later, at a village chantry in the Bannorn, Maric and Loghain killed Bann Ceorlic and four other traitors responsible for the rebel queen's murder. In the final confrontation against the usurper's armies at the Battle of River Dane, Rowan and Loghain commanded the final assault while Maric snuck into the mage Severan's camp and assassinated him, eliminating the greatest threat to the rebels. Following three more years of war, the rebel army besieged Denerim and Maric killed Meghren in single combat atop Fort Drakon, where Meghren and his few remaining supporters had fled. Eventually, with Ferelden's freedom secured, Maric married Rowan and became a popular king.
The Calling
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Disappearance
Maric was lost at sea on a voyage to Wycome in 9:25 Dragon, and was declared dead. Loghain Mac Tir searched for him for two years, to no avail. Rumors persisted however, that Maric was alive, being held in an Orlesian prison.[1]
Dragon Age: Origins
Dragon Age: The Silent Grove
Maric being released by his Antivan captors
After Alistair breaks into Velabanchel, the prison of the Antivan Crows, with Varric Tethras and Isabela, he finds a man who recognises him as Maric's son, and states how he used to share his cell with Maric until he was broken free by Yavana, the Antivan Witch of the Wilds.
Yavana reveals to Alistair what promise Maric made to Flemeth. He had to come to Antiva, to see Yavana and aid her in a task. Upon questioning, she responds that she did not kill him, but she "cannot speak for others."
Dragon Age: Until We Sleep
Maric imprisoned at Ath Velanis
According to Qunari, Maric as a descendant of King Calenhad has the dragon's blood and for that reason he is imprisoned by Aurelian Titus in Ath Velanis on Seheron and used to augment the Magister's power as well as other magical experiments. Varric is tasked to slip into the fortress and free Maric while the forces of Alistair and Sten, the new Arishok, besiege Ath Velanis.
After the Magrallen is cracked, Varric, Alistair, Isabela, Maevaris, Maric and Aurelian Titus are pulled into the Fade. After re-uniting, Maric joins the others in the battle against Titus. While Alistair, Varric and Isabela combat Aurelian, Maevaris and Maric ambush him. Aurelian's magic fails and Maric is finally able to avenge himself by killing the Magister. In spite of their victory, Maric elects to remain in the Fade, commenting that everyone dear to him has seemingly passed on now. Alistair however persuades Maric that he should return with them. The party finds Maric still connected to the Magrallen in the Ath Velanis laboratory. Unfortunately, King Maric's health has deteriorated and it is speculated that the Magrallen is all that's keeping him alive. Realizing that there is no other way to end his father's suffering after all, Alistair destroys the Magrallen, finally ending Maric's life.
See also
Codex entry: King Maric Theirin
Codex entry: King Maric's Helm