Alissa Hawke was born in 9:07 Dragon to Malcolm and Leandra Hawke, outside the City of Amaranthine. Ae was a rather serious child, preferring to help around their home rather than play with other children in the area. Given how often the family had to move, considering aer father was an apostate, it was not that surprising that ae had difficulty making friends. Ae chose to stay close to aer family, afraid of trusting outsiders in case they discovered aer father was a mage. When each of aer siblings were born, aer parents were worried Alissa would be jealous, but ae took to watching over them. They were part of aer family and ae was determined to protect them from any potential threats.

On the twin’s ninth birthday, Bethany’s magical abilities appeared, leading the family to hastily abandon their West Hill home. This eventually turned out to be a good move, as Rosalie's magical abilities manifested soon after. Eventually, the family ended up living at a small farm outside Lothering. Now thirteen years old, Alissa started training with a sword, eager to be prepared in case templars showed up at their door. When Carver asked to train with aer, Alissa initially refused, seeing him as too young. Ae only acquiesced when Malcolm took aer aside and suggested that it would be a good idea to have another person ready and able to defend the family.

When ae turned nineteen, Alissa was helping aer mother tend the garden when a lone mabari pup wandered into their yard. They searched for the owner, but had no luck. Aer father declared it must have been fate, especially since the dog would not leave Alissa’s side. Ae half-heartedly protested, given that it would be another mouth to feed, but Alissa was secretly glad as ae had quickly grown fond of it. After a few weeks, the dog (‘Ser Hound’) and Alissa were inseparable; Bethany often teased that Ser Hound was Alissa’s favorite family member.

In 9:27 Dragon, Malcolm grew ill. On his deathbed, he made Alissa swear to look after the family and make sure nothing happened to them. While already one of aer highest priorities, this became Alissa’s driving force. After aer father’s death, ae quickly stepped into the role as head of the household. This became a frequent source of conflict between aer and Carver, as Alissa felt that he should fall in line when ae made a final call, while he frequently resisted. One of the few times they agreed was when Carver wanted to join the army to help drive back the Blight. Leandra argued with him, insisting that he shouldn’t put his life at risk, but Alissa agreed with aer brother on the threat and was able to calm aer mother by going along with Carver.

Prologue

After the devastation at Ostagar, Alissa found Carver and hurried home, hoping to grab the rest of their family before the darkspawn horde descended on Lothering. However, Leandra and Rosalie insisted on staying long enough to try to help the fleeing refugees, and the family only just managed to escape before their farm was overtaken. While fleeing, the small group met Aveline Vallen and her husband, a templar named Wesley, also attempting to fight their way through darkspawn. Alissa bristled at the idea of working with a templar, but if they were to survive, ae couldn’t turn away help.

Unfortunately in their escape, Carver was struck down by a ogre while protecting their mother. Despite aer breaking heart, Alissa tried to hurry aer mother along in fear of losing someone else. When the Witch of the Wilds showed up and eventually offered aer assistance in exchange for a favor, Alissa only agreed because the situation looked positively hopeless at that point. Owing the Witch a favor both galled and terrified aer, but ae couldn’t see another way to get the rest of the family out safely.

The situation only marginally improved in Kirkwall. After three days of waiting, their Uncle Gamlen was able to get them into the city, but only if the sisters joined either a group of smugglers or mercenaries for a year. They joined Meeran’s mercenary band, though that was only slightly more preferable than being smugglers. Aveline joined them in entering Kirkwall, though things had been tense between Aveline and Alissa since the latter had rushed Aveline in killing her tainted husband. Aveline also was unhappy that Alissa chose to join Meeran’s mercenaries. Alissa felt that ae was just doing what ae needed to in order to help aer family.

Act 1

After their year as mercenaries was up, Alissa, Bethany, and Rosalie found themselves at a loss. They needed to make some coin quickly, both to take care of themselves and to protect Bethany and Rosalie from the templars with the Amell noble status. After they were shot down from trying to join the Deep Roads Expedition, they were approached by the younger brother, Varric Tethras, who Alissa took an instant disliking to. He seemed to be setting them up for failure and Alissa only agreed to his plan because they had no real prospects at that point.

Over the next few months, Alissa ended up gathering a ragtag group of people as they tried to raise money for the expedition, including Anders, a possessed Grey Warden apostate, and Isabela, a pirate searching for a relic to get someone off her back. The former scared Alissa, even though ae agreed with his pro-mage ideas, while ae found aerself becoming friends with the latter, as Isabela was fun to run with and, more importantly, kind to aer sisters. There was also the runaway slave Fenris, who Alissa initially clashed with given his anti-magic views and how he had tricked them before their first meeting. Alissa did end up softening on Fenris though, given aer own reluctance in trusting strangers, and with far less cause then Fenris had. While they were finally fulfilling their promise to the Witch that had saved them, they met a Dalish mage named Merrill and ended up helping her move to the city.

The Hawke children ended up far more involved with the templars then they ever could have wanted, as the jobs they took kept bringing them into contact with them. Aer apostate sisters seemed to escape their notice, fortunately, but it made Alissa uneasy knowing how many times aer sisters had almost been exposed as apostates. There was also the Qunari. The little interaction Alissa had with them was already too much for aer taste. While Alissa hadn’t closely known the family in Lothering that had been murdered by a qunari, this knowledge was enough for aer to give the Qunari Compound a wide berth. Ae still found aerself there once, having killed some ‘Tal-Vashoth’ as part of a deal that turned out to not exist. Ae almost refused when a Chantry sister asked aer to help a Qunari mage escape from the city, but they needed the coin for the Deep Roads expedition.

Somehow, they managed to save up enough money and joined the expedition as partners. Leandra tried to convince the two younger girls into staying behind in Kirkwall; she had already lost one child to the darkspawn and she didn't want to lose more. Bethany insisted on coming along though, and Rosalie suggested she stay behind to help set their mother's mind at ease. When Bartrand later betrayed them, locking Alissa and aer people into the Primeval Thaig, ae was angry at aerself for not insisting Bethany stay behind as well. Aer anger at aerself increased when Bethany became infected with darkspawn taint. It was only thanks to Anders that aer sister didn't die, though ae lost Bethany all the same to the Grey Wardens.

Act 2

Once they regained the Amell estate, Alissa’s mother seemed perfectly happy rejoining her old society, but Alissa felt out of place and, for the first time, had no idea what to do with aerself. Aer entire life had been spent looking after aer family, and with aer mother preoccupied, and Bethany with the Wardens, the only family member available was Rosalie. But Rosalie spent a lot of time in both the Chantry and Anders’s clinic, both places Alissa could not stand to be. Ae ended up trying to keep an eye out for the people ae had gathered around aer and even added another, a Chantry brother named Sebastian. Alissa spent a lot of time on the street after dark, attempting to clear out the gangs that preyed on the people of Kirkwall, and helping with the Mage Underground.

Things were escalating with the Qunari, putting the entire city on edge. Alissa wanted nothing to do with either side of the conflict, but the Viscount roped aer into getting involved, citing aer influence from being an active force in the city.

Alissa also got roped into investigating a serial killer. The initial suspect, Gascard, managed to convince aer that he wasn’t the killer with a spun story about his murdered sister, and Alissa later hated aerself for falling for it. When aer mother was kidnapped, Alissa searched Kirkwall high and low, forgoing sleep, until ae found the killer’s base. Alissa wasted no time in taking out the killer, but ae was too late. She’d failed. Aer mother was dead. Rosalie blamed Alissa for not saving their mother and refused to speak to aer, moving out of the Amell manor into Fenris’s place. Alissa's friends attempted to help aer, but ae resisted, only leaving the house when they asked for help with their own problems. Ae needed to feel useful.

Finally, a distraction came in the culmination of the city’s tension with the Qunari. Isabela’s lost relic turned out to be what the Qunari were looking for, but when it finally turned up, Alissa let aer friend keep it; given how much Isabela had helped aer over the years, ae couldn’t take away what might save Isabela’s life. When the woman disappeared without a trace, Alissa buried aer hurt feelings, wondering if aer friendship with Isabela had just been circumstantial.

During the Qunari attack on the city, Alissa tried to ignore that ae had to work with the Knight-Commander. Ae hid aer joy at Isabela’s return, finally feeling like something was going right for a change, and it was an easy decision to refuse to let the Arishok take aer friend, even if it meant a fight. Alissa dueled the Arishok and won, mostly by sheer luck, and aer injuries left aer bed-ridden for weeks. It was only due to the combined efforts of Anders and Rosalie that Alissa survived. While painful, this helped bring the last two Hawke children in Kirkwall back together. Because of aer actions in stopping the Qunari, Alissa was named Champion of Kirkwall.

Act 3

As Knight-Commander Meredith’s control on the city increased, Alissa put off her requests for assistance as long as ae could, instead spending time helping aer friends, or anyone else, that needed assistance. All runaway mages were helped out of the city as the stories coming from the Gallows became worse and worse.

Legacy: When the Hawkes were attacked by Carta dwarves, Alissa was shocked when Bethany was granted leave to help them take care of the problem, but ae didn’t complain. The knowledge that their father had participated in a blood magic ritual was surprising, as it seemed to go against everything that he had taught them, but it didn't necessarily bother aer. Blood magic in aer mind was just a tool, like aer sword. Even after Larius’s manipulation of aer father had been revealed, Alissa sided with him, believing that no good could come from releasing a powerful darkspawn, especially given the effect he seemed to be having on Anders. Ae killed Corypheus and then turned aer back on the prison, believing everything to do with Wardens was behind aer.

When investigating a possible conspiracy in the Circle, Alissa was furious to discover that they had kidnapped aer sister Rosalie in order to get to her. After all ae had done for the mages and all the times ae had spoken out against the Knight-Commander, Alissa couldn’t believe they thought ae wouldn’t agree on ousting Meredith. Given the fact that both mages and templars were working together against the Knight-Commander, Alissa knew the peace wouldn’t last much longer.

Alissa wasn’t surprised at all when First Enchanter Orsino requested ae come intervene, but how quickly the situation escalated was more than ae could have ever imagined. After agreeing to defend the mages, ae yelled at Anders, angry that he hadn't trusted aer with the truth. The Kirkwall Rebellion also ended the facade of anything friendly between Alissa and Aveline, as the former guard captain stood by the templars under the concept of keeping order.

After Meredith was stopped, Alissa was surprised by the templars stepping back, but took the chance to flee the city that had become aer home. Ae was surprised at how sad this made aer, as ae had never expected to become fond of Kirkwall when ae had first arrived seven years prior.

After fleeing Kirkwall, Alissa spent the following years on the run with Isabela and Merrill, trying to avoid the Chantry’s people while keeping in touch with their friends. After receiving a strange letter from Bethany, Alissa headed to Amaranthine, where aer sister was stationed. It was here that ae learned about the false Calling that the Wardens were hearing.

Further knowledge of Alissa’s involvement with the Inquisition is currently unknown…

For a well-known public figure, Alissa is very withdrawn. Ae is very reluctant to let people in, a habit from aer childhood. The friends ae had in Kirkwall were made by circumstance and fighting along-side each other while ae tried to raise coin for the Deep Roads Expedition, and later when ae took to looking after them when most of aer family had been lost to her.

Alissa takes things fairly seriously, and is hard-pressed to find the humor in most situations, causing many around aer to suggest ae needs to lighten up. Ae has a difficult time relaxing, as ae prefers having something to do, necessary or not, but ae is known to play a game of Wicked Grace every once in a while. When ae does slow down, ae can usually be found carving small statuettes out of wood while enjoying a drink; aer favorite statuettes to make are mabari figures.

Patience is not Alissa’s strong suit. When people take a while to get to the point, ae gets irritated; ae doesn’t understand why they don’t straight-up say what they mean or want. This has caused aer significant trouble, especially after ae and aer mother join Kirkwall’s noble society, where ae is blunt to the point of being rude. Ae’s not incapable of being polite, and others may notice ae is more patient with friends and family then strangers, but ae usually doesn’t see the point, and cares little about aer reputation.

Alissa is not afraid of getting aer hands dirty, both literally and figuratively. Most of her childhood was spent on farms, working with aer hands in the dirt to grow food the family needed to survive. Even in Kirkwall, after moving into the Amell Estate, Alissa grew vegetables in the small back garden. Ae likes being able to provide for people. But aer willingness to get aer hands dirty also extends to acts people might find questionable, such as lying, stealing, or killing. Alissa believes in doing what it takes to survive or help others survive, whether that means working as a mercenary or killing those that would threaten aer people.