Saint Esegar

Saint Esegar the Vilesilencer is a revered figure within Chantry theology. Born a slave to the Tevinter Imperium at the tail end of what historians dub the Wondrous Age, he was freed during the First Exalted March.
During the chaos that ensued following this epochal event, Esegar devoted himself wholeheartedly to the new religion of the Maker and made it his mission to banish all evil from the world. Though ultimately unsuccessful given the difficulty of such a task, he made significant strides. Legends tell of him having performed miracles to destroy demonic relics, cure incurable diseases, and extinguish sources of dark power. Posthumously, he was given the title of "Vilesilencer" and declared a saint.

Personal History

Early Life

Esegar was born unto a life of slavery, to a powerful government official of Vyrantium. Little is known about Esegar's life as a slave, though it's a period commonly understood to have been around twenty years in length. At some point during this portion of his life, Esegar lost his eyesight due his master's cruel mistreatment of him.
When the First Exalted March began and barbarian hordes began swarming over the Imperium, the nation exhausted every possible tactic to defend itself even going so far as to arm their slaves. Esegar was one of the slaves ordered to do so, and despite his blindness he was sent to fight. Beaten within an inch of his life, barbarians showed him mercy and treated his emaciated, scar-riddled body. However, as he proved little use to their cause, they did not take him with them. Caught between two forces that did not want him, he aimlessly wandered until unfortunately getting caught by a slave patrol and brought back to his master.
His master ended up being present at the death of Andraste and brought Esegar and several other slaves along with him. In Esegar's writings, he spoke of being able to see a brilliant light for the first time in years. Then, when Andraste was alit and then stabbed, blood from her wound hit his eyes and gave him sight once more.
Afterwards, Esegar's conviction led to him attempting to escape many times. He was punished time and time again, until eventually it worked and he fled to Orlais.

Life as a Free Man

Inspired by his scant learnings of the Maker and her sacred beliefs, Esegar began following in the tracks of the Exalted March and understanding what the movement was about. The conclusion he came to was that there was a deeper, growing darkness in the world that needed to be opposed. Given his exposure to the world's worst elements during his early life, this should come as no shock.
He eventually gained such clout that he was able to gain audience with Kordilius Drakon I, First Emperor of Orlais, and convinced the man of his divine vision: a world where darkness was no more. The Emperor gave Esegar the tools he needed to enact this vision; with it, Esegar began learning about and hunting down what he dubbed "banes" — or put simply, things of great evil. This took him and his allies all over Thedas, where they eliminated well over a hundred horrible banes.
Some of Esegar's most incredible miracles occurred during this time, some of which were:

• Cleansing a monolith. It is said Esegar discovered a cursed relic whose unholy cries drove entire villages to madness and despair. For three days and nights, Esegar knelt before the stone, fasting and in silence. On the third day, the monolith cracked with a thunderous roar, silencing its cries forever. It is believed that the relic’s shards were buried beneath chantries across Thedas to contain its wickedness.
• Raising the Veiled Sister. Esegar came upon the body of a young woman slain by demons, her face obscured by a ceremonial shroud. When he lifted the veil, he saw not death but a soul trapped in torment, her spirit clinging to life. Esegar prayed to the Maker, offering penance for his own failures and promising to carry her burden. The woman rose, her life restored, and dedicated herself to the Chant of Light. She became one of Esegar’s closest disciples.
• Ending a Famine. In the barbarian lands, a famine was ravaging. Villagers believed the soil was cursed by a demon of wrath. Esegar walked barefoot through the barren fields, planting holy symbols of the Maker into the ground as he walked. He prayed for forgiveness for the villagers’ sins, offering to eat the bare minimum for the rest of his days so the villagers could eat aplenty. Rain fell for a week, and the fields bloomed with abundance.

"I've been hearing about your little exploits in my city. You've been causing quite a stir."
Click here to reveal spoilers for Campaign 2.

Ringwell

While there is great truth in that much of Esegar's years were spent focused on his goal of seeking out "banes", the whole story is not so simple. Esegar learned quite quickly that many banes cannot so simply be destroyed; if they are, their evil and malice will merely reforge themselves elsewhere in the world — calling out to those who would seek their malevolence. Esegar determined that the only viable option to combat these was to instead hide them away, somewhere no one would ever find them. Fortunately, he knew just the place.
Kordilius Drakon II, son of the the emperor, endeavored down into a place in the earth beneath the then-burgeoning city of Val Royeaux. He often communicated with Esegar about the terrifying and confusing things he saw down there, as he worked to clear out all the monstrosities that lied within. Esegar served as a spiritual advisor for Drakon II during this time period which lasted several years. When they finished clearing out this place, they dubbed it "Ringwell" because of it's odd architecture and lack of any straight lines or hallways. They had also come to realize that this place was virtually unknown or unheard of, and they began storing banes in this vault-like location while having engineers and architects redevelop it.
At some point, six powerful dragon knights came to aid Esegar's mission. They provided him and his allies with a magical ritual that'd ally them to seal Ringwell so only Esegar's hands could open it. This worked well, until the long term effects of Esegar's mission effected his psyche. The exposure to such great evils plagued his thoughts until eventually one day he was no longer the pious man he had once been. Instead, he started torturing most all of his allies and attempting to instill the touch of darkness into his holiest of acolytes. Before things could reach out and effect the rest of the world, someone was able to seal Ringwell shut with everyone locked inside — including Esegar. No one ever escaped. It's unclear if Esegar ever died.
Fortunately for the world, the banes were still sealed away and any knowledge of the place had been magically removed from the minds of those who knew anything about the place. It was lost to time, until these forbiddances began to fail...

Legacy

Though it's a common practice to devote churches to specific saints, few are named after Saint Esegar. His mission and life were righteous, but difficult for many people to relate to or find their purpose in. Most find it so legendary, it's simply unattainable. Those churches that do carry his namesake are intense places.
Saint Esegar's relics are surprisingly few — his ashes were never found — but his impact on the broader theology is profound. His writings extol the virtues of sacrifice and the strength found in faith, as well as offer a glimpse into what life was like during the transition from the Wondrous Age into the Steel Age.
One of the most famous shrines to Saint Esegar is found in a Steel Age ruins of a destroyed fortress in the Free Marches, a place rumored to be where Esegar was finally slain against a powerful demon. The shrine is a simple stone altar, but legends claim that on rare occasions, it glows faintly with a warm light that can be seen even by the blind. Some have even heard it whisper on the wind: "The darkness cannot last; even the smallest light will silence it".

Divine Classification

Saint

Ethnicity

Humans

Honorary & Occupational Titles

"Vilesilencer"

Aligned Organization

The Chantry

The amulet often used by warriors who swear to Saint Esegar's cause, depicting the burden of justice.