The Carver Hawke Thread - Time to prove something!

I adore Carver and he goes everywhere with me. Except for the time I got him to 100% rivalry, I always get him to 100% friendship and it's worth it to me. I do this even with 100% friendship and romance with Anders, 100% rivalry with Merrill, 100% friendship with Isabella, Aveline and Varric, and Seb (and then I let Seb leave at the end because I just do not like him at all). Even Ferris is 100% friendship. Of course I have to plan carefully to make this happen but it's so much fun...and except for once, Carver is always a warden.

Carver is my poster boy for why the time skips ruined this story. I didn't finish a mage playthrough but saw plenty of clips to get a lot from him. He comes off as a whiner but fortunately will tell us some stories to see why; he's always felt like second fiddle to his older brother who, not only is partly to blame for the family having to be so secretive, has the same magical gifts as his father and twin sister, making him feel left out and second class.

However, I distinctly remember the Merc boss being interested in Bethany's magic when Hawke was a warrior. Actually playing that first year would have been a great way to show Carver being looked over by others while Hawke got all sorts of praise for his prowess and abilities.

I understand all of that but we are simply told about it. It is much better to show the audience things like that.

Thought I'd share a few of my favorite Carver fics.

Griffons' Wake by fancywaffles. All the Grey Wardens are hearing the Calling, waking up to the wing-beats of Archdemons and a desperate urge to hit the Deep Roads; not all of the Wardens, however, have Garrett Hawke for a brother. Carver Hawke finds himself shuffled between his brother's friends in a vain urge to protect him from a fate he knows is inevitable. That is until something, or more specifically someone, he wants more comes back into his life. Complete, rated Teen.

The Other Brother by gallery. Grey Warden Carver Hawke tries to forget his past and embrace his new purpose. When several comrades go missing, Carver joins the mission to discover their fate. What Carver finds shakes the foundations of his world and sets him on a path pitting him against his friends, thrusts him into political conspiracies, and ultimately a fight for his life and the fate of the Free Marches. WIP, rated Teen.

The Other Hawke by tanukiham. Garrett isn't the only Hawke in Kirkwall. Carver asks Fenris to practice with him, and from there blossoms a beautiful friendship in which they hit each other with sticks, drink far too much wine, and talk about sex. Everything after that is a bonus. Cheese is eaten, baths are had, and between all the angst someone has sex with an elf. This is a story about envy and frustration, and how much Carver needs to get laid. Complete, rated Explicit.

Just found this hilarious pic.

I will be weird one here since I was dissapointed that there was no duel to death between Mage Hawke and Templar Carver at the end.
I really expected the game to have such final duel before Meredith insanity. Instead Carver somehow pulled over Cullen rebel act at the end. Out of no reason since I does remind how he was entire game just ... hostile to mine mage.
He was hostile to Theresa when she gave him info about who was this Carver he was named for, he was hostile when he decided to join Templars, he was hostile at every single moment. At Legacy as well, he just kept going about how mages should be tranquiled.
He did not care about Malcolm Hawke, Theresa or Bethany at all. I tried to understand him and yet failed.
So I really expected for him to finally do a conviction and duel his older sister at the end on some epic final tragic duel which would be used as some symbol of how inhumane war between mages and templars truly is.
In the end however Carver betrayed Meredith, and as opposite for Cullen whom showed there a high sign of characterization - Carver showed me there absolute lack of character there. At least that's how I feel about this.

@ Catilina - That's where we don't agree. I have personal brother and this is not kind of behaviour which I would recognize. There was some bitterness and hostility in Carver towards Theresa. Even mine cousins didn't behaved like this.
And Theresa was this goodie, helping others idealist who just wanted to live free with her magic. All kinds of idealist in heart.
At Act II when he gone to templars she was worried that they - templars - would know that Carver has her a apostate as sister.
She was worried not about her but about him. She saw how Samson ended. As junkie who is barely living, addicted to lyrium.
If they can do such thing to their own for just giving letter to suiter then what they will do to brother who hides apostate sister ? Far worse. But what matter to Carver in this ? "See !? She only cares about herself !"
They have never chance of getting along. Carver didn't wanted that.
At the end Theresa was tired of this hostility towards her and just ... let go. She stopped trying.

Betrayal I meant from side of Meredith. She WAS the Knight Commander. She was in charge, she was insane but on ideas which fueled entire templars for years in Kirkwall. So it was betrayal to Meredith as leader, and to her beliefs which were just basics of this order in Kirkwall. What Cullen did was just to admire - since we seen his slow change since Origins.
And Cullen really was one of mine favourite characters in DA II - his development was so suitable to him.
But what does this tell me about Carver ? At the moment when he was finally able to tell himself out, explain his hostality, his bitterness, everything what he hated about Theresa .. he just let go. Just like she did in the end in trying to understand him.
This should have end in duel to death - there was nobody who would stop them. Not Leandra since she died, not Templars since they had orders to kill all mages .. and yet he did not stand to finally deal with his past and his hatred to his own sister.

That's not the whole chart, though. Do you have the rest of it?

I had to look this stuff up when I kept getting the same family groups while trying to get something new or different. 

You may tell that this is reasonable for MALE Hawke who is humorous or aggresive, but this rival excuse does not match this too goodie Theresa.
There wasn't anything what would explain this kind of hostility to her. She was trying to be nice to him - he only is hostile to her. Tried to do him a favor and bring him news about Sir Carver so she may help out with his problem - he is again very hostile to her. I just waited for him to turn into Leandra like or Gamlen.
I just waited so Theresa may hear from him "I regret that Bethany died there not you ..." just like Leandra or Gamlen at their worst behaved.
All he did was out of some teenage rebellion. But he all his rebel and anger loaded just on oldest of all Hawke siblings. Just her.
Not to mother, not on father - just her.
For no reason. This sort of hatred must be resolved in some tragedy.
Given the background of storyline ... yes the final duel which is payed in death of defeated one would be excellent.
Not to mention in case of Bethany you can kill her at the end. Why not Carver then ? It's illogical choice of BioWare.
She was tired of hostility, and she was not so blind when it comes to reality. For an idea - you must fight. If Carver has chosen his fate as idea of being templar then his duty at the end was to follow rule of killing mages - even if that was meaning that he will finally had to fight his hated sister.
He has chosen to become templar to finally know who he is. No longer "brother to Theresa Hawke", no longer just "refugee from Ferelden" but Sir Carver from Templar Order.
He has finally made something for him. Something what he doesn't do out of clear hate to his older sister. But he throws it away at the very point of making a confession ...

PS: Sorry for such language word usage like "confession" but dear Nor, I still think this end for Theresa and Carver should be more like Lonesome Road dlc end to NV. It's all about this hate and regret with background full of ideologies.

An interesting point of view and also scary. How much hatred can accumulate in a kind, patient person!

And yes, probably the Bioware did not consider the possibility of a kind, patient sister... (This fact remind me my blood mage Hawke's behavior in the Inquisition! Poor Wilhelm looked very hypocritical! And I miss a special dialogue option for the blood mages...)

Yes, I heard that Hawke can kill Bethany... I have only one Hawke with her (I found her too boring), but my Hawke's Bethany became Grey Warden (because Hawke do not want to leave her alone in this Templar city), and Hawke choosed the mages (as mostly – I have only one Hawke, who choosed the Templar side, because of Carver – he was a bit better nexus with him – not 85% rivalry, only 75%...).

It's really scary. No Carver (Carver mourned), but Theresa. And I can imagine, than a self-sacrificing, forever sweet, kind people who has a persistent rejection and defiance, feels the same way. Yes, it's so credible. And sad. Really good roleplay idea.

(In Inquisition there is no blood mage spec, but in DA2 was, and I have blood mage Hawke, and he was weird in Inquisition. But I have an explain: he just play-act that he thought the blood magic so terrible.)

(I dont worried about the blood magic, I worried my poor Hawke's behavior in the Inquisition. He was weird... I think, really miss some special dialogue for blood magic, all in the Dragon Age series.)

That happen sometimes, yes, but Carver don't wanted this. I still think, he would be not able to kill his sister/brother.