I am Issaquntar

NATIVE APPLICATION

Name: Belle
Age: 29
Contact: thesouthernbelle
Other Characters: Zevran Arainai, Adelaide LeBlanc
Interests: I'm interested in Issa's character arc and the contributions she might bring by proxy to the Inquisition. Exploring the south, engaging in different relationships with those not of the Qun, growing to question her purpose, offering her own perspective to the events. And blowing things up. A lot of blowing things up.


Name: Issaquntaar, Issa for short
Canon/OC: Native OC
Journal: thesteelwolf
Race: Qunari
Nationality: Par Vollen
Occupation: Gunsmith
Mage or Non-Mage: Non-Mage
Age: 30

History

• Born and raised with her group by the Tamassrans, showing signs of independence and intelligence early on, but also focused and obedient.



• As she got older a curiosity for how things worked and how to improve upon them marked her as suited to being a crafter- specifically? A smith.



• She started early on with mundane tools as they were needed. Pans for the bakery, forks and tongs and chef's knives. The last is what turned her attention to different ways to hone a blade and prompted curiosity in how to form actual swords.



• Apprenticing with a weaponsmith gave her further focus and opportunity to show her skill for larger blades- studying under a master and observing members of the Berasaad and Antaam taught her to consider a warrior's unique skills when preparing the weapon that would be their soul.



• During this apprenticeship she met Burly, a then member of the Antaam, and befriended him as she tried to work out his ideal weapon. It was the first blade she made unsupervised and it was, to the best of her accounting, perfect.



• Focus and drive renewed she bent to making the best possible blades and armor for the warriors on the front line, studying with them and even learning how to wield a blade herself so she could best understand how to arm them.



• Her skill with alloys and clever mixing of compounds for temporary oils on blades earned her an invitation to work under a Cannonsmith. Arming dreadnoughts had been a dream but she'd been content with her place. She took the chance when offered.



• After developing a lighter long range cannon, Issa toyed with the idea of creating something that could be used on land, carried by the Antaam to avoid the use of Saarebas in battle.



• With her mentor's blessing she worked on developing the first iteration of her cannon. Field testing proved promising- but it was still too heavy to carry. Given leave to focus on this new project Issa bent all of her time and focus on developing new shells for cannons aboard dreadnoughts- and on this new land cannon.



• Shortly after a backfire incident that left her scarred, Burly was involved in another incident and rendered mute. He left the Qun, leaving Issa without her closest friend.



• Frustrated and determined to be an even more effective part of the Qun, Issa turned her focus to lighter, quicker, better cannons. She began to employ Saarebas to make more durable alloys, more powerful shells. When word of the breach came and the Arishok took notice, she sent a request to field test her newest iteration of the Cannon with the Inquisition. It has taken months to earn approval, but now armed with her knowledge and ingenuity? Issa intends to craft the most lethal cannon Thedas has ever seen.

Personality

Driven, focused, and even tempered, Issa is very much an engineer. A specialized one with her focus bent to her current project more than anything else, but when she sees something that could be done better, that can be made more efficient? She either tries to make it happen herself or makes the appropriate (albeit unsolicited) suggestion. If something is wrong or out of place or simply done in a way that isn't beneficial to the person, the organization, or anyone and could be done better? She will remark as such or build a solution. Problems that need solving are her bread and butter, in the forge and out.

Amiable, she's friendly with most anyone she meets and appears quite tolerant of any viewpoint- and she is to the extent that she doesn't mind hearing them. They're wrong, of course, but telling them that every hour of the day is exhausting. What they have to say doesn't effect her because it isn't worth becoming upset over- they are wrong, she has her place and life in and for the Qun, and things would be better if more people fell in line to help one another and their people as a whole instead of dicking around, stirring up wars and waking up ancient evils.

Her focus is her purpose and that defines her in every way she can imagine. She is meant to create and lately? She is meant to create tings that kill. Her title 'Issaquntaar' means master of death. And she has to an extent mastered it- or intends to do so. She is driven to perfect this cannon, to craft the perfect weapon for a soldier, to build something that will aid in battle. She's very proud of what she makes, certain of their perfection. One doesn't toss away a sword she's made or complain about a shield- they are to end and protect life. God complexes don' exist in the Qun, otherwise she might have one. What she does ends lives or saves them. Life and death are at her fingertips by proxy- though lately with the cannon? it's death.

It's become a point of almost obsession for her, needing to get it right. To make it perfect. Subconsciously this might be a stalling tactic to avoid outfitting the Antaam with an imperfect weapon, or maybe part of her realizes what it'd do to have so many with such an effective killing machine.

Opinions & Affiliations

The Qun - A bringer of order and purpose in a chaotic world, the answer to so many questions that southerners have. If more people found their place and purpose in the Qun? A great deal of discord would never have come to pass, a great deal of suffering would be prevented. Everyone could do what they were meant to do and do it for the betterment of their fellows and the Qun.

The Chantry - Misguided in so many ways. It's a contradictory mess at best and not really something to live one's life by.

The Mage/Templar War - Never would've happened under the Qun. Treat your mages better, treat those that mind the mages better, everyone's happy.

Mages - To be pitied. They didn't ask for what made them this way and try to make a life despite the risk of demons. Issa for the most part treats them kindly, albeit condescendingly. They are people that can in no way know what is best for them, that is for others to do on their behalf. Most of her work is prompted by a desire to keep Saarebas off the field of battle and somewhere safe to be cared for like the battle sick and the wounded.

Templars - A good attempt at a difficult problem- though the whole lyrium thing seems. Odd. The Avaraad don't need it to do their job and they seem less organized than they ought to be considering the weight of their responsibility.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths

Smithing/Engineering - Issa is a smith and engineer of cannons, weapons, and other things that kill Vints dead. She's intelligent and intuitive with applying runes to the shells in her land cannon, constantly reworking it for maximum efficiency. With the Qun's advanced technology and techniques she's able to craft weapons and armor of a high caliber- when she's bothered to actually make them. Most if not all of her focus is on perfecting her cannon.

Qunari Physique - Issa is big, even for a Qunari. Time in the forge working metal and alloy into something usable, crafting the souls of warriors for the Antaam has left her with an impressive strength and stamina for working metal or wielding her cannon and blade in the field.

Battle Knowledge - Knowing how a weapon will be used and what makes it most effective is a large part in making it perfect. Studying forms and fighting style, battle tactics and the tactics of their enemies has left Issa with a solid understanding of squad fighting, gorilla warfare, and how to end a battle neatly and effectively.


Weaknesses

Fish out of Water - Issa is new to the South, sent straight from Par Vollen to field test her cannon. She has some rough knowledge, hear say mostly, on how things are and what is and isn't done, social moors and whatnot but most if not all of it is entirely new to her. Finding her feet outside the forge will be difficult. Thanks Culture Shock!

Narrow View - Even while adapting, Issa is content with her place in the Qun. Far from home she latches on to her purpose all the more, focusing on the weapon, on why she's been sent down- to stop the threat and do something worthwhile at the same time. Her mind isn't changed easily and her habit of simply speaking said mind will get her in trouble.

Mechanical Limitations - She can only fire as fast as she can reload, and can only reload so many shells before she's out. Even with her skill with the bayonet and hand to hand she is most effective from a distance with the cannon. As most of the shells and forms of the weapon are experimental- results might not always be what she'd wanted. Shit can backfire, literally.

Inventory

• Asala - her smiths' hammer


• The Cannon - the experimental firearm


• The Ammo - the experimental shells


• Gaatlok - a small amount as she'll be making more as she needs it on site.


• A cart of miscellaneous ore


• Maraaslok


• Horn balm


• A druffalo to pull the cart. She calls him 'Burly'.

NOTE: Issa will not be sharing any of the formulas/techniques for building the cannon, the shells, or gaatlok with the Inquisition because- it's for the Qun, not them. She won't be distributing schematics or recipes for these compounds, limiting their use to her and her alone.

Motivation

Sent to field test her cannon and kill things that might end the world. The Arishok is concerned with what he's been hearing about down south and wants to add a hammer to the arsenal. Issa's just glad for the chance to blow things up.


Issa Shoots Bears with Tim
Issa asks a question