Vaughan Kendells

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Vaughan Kendells is a minor character in Dragon Age Origins, and the main antagonist of the City Elf Origin. He is the sadistic, elf-hating son of Urien Kendells, the Arl of Denerim.

He was voiced by Nicholas Boulton, who also voices Vyktor Kratek in Killzone: Mercenary.

What Makes Him Pure Evil?[]

He constantly harasses and tortures his female servants for his own sadistic pleasure, beating them for even the smallest offenses.

He was especially cruel to the elves, seeing them as little more than vermin. Every morning, he would go with his like-minded friends to Denerim's Alienage, a place where the elves lived in seclusion from the rest of the city and harass and torture them. He would often take many of the elven women back to his castle to rape and torture them.

In the City Elf Origin, he is first seen harassing many elven women, including the Warden's cousin, Shianni. During the Warden's arranged wedding, Vaughan returns with men and takes many elven women, (The Warden included if she is female), to his castle to torture and rape them.
- If the Warden tells Vaughan he has no right, he only responds, "I love it when an elf says that."

Just as the Warden and their cousin, Soris, confront Vaughan, he is attempting to rape Shianni as revenge for knocking him out with a bottle earlier.
- Vaughan threatens the Warden and Soris that the Alienage would be burned if he were killed, and instead offers them a 40 gold bribe for them to leave.
  - If the Warden rejects the offer, Vaughan and his friends will attack without hesitation.
  - If the Warden accepts the offer, Vaughan will continue to torture Shianni and the other women, and go back on his word by sending guards to arrest them for robbery.
Even when he is locked up in Denerim's palace, having been usurped and imprisoned by Arl Howe, claiming that he was killed in an elven uprising, his cruelty and bigotry towards elves never changes. This is shown when the Warden asks why the Elves revolted, to which he'd say, "Every now and then, they start to think they're people, and you have to put them in their place."
- When offering the key to his lockbox with money, he is genuine about his deal, but only out of pragmatism, considering his predicament.
- If the Warden asks him to vouch for them during the Landsmeet, he will do so, but only for revenge on Loghain, and considering his prejudiced statement earlier, there is no guarantee that he will stop his cruel treatment of the elves.
- If the Warden is a City Elf, they can try to persuade Vaughan to repent of his sins by joining the Chantry. Even if he agrees, there is no guarantee that he is sincere about it, and would probably go back on his word again.
In Leliana's Song DLC, he can be heard hitting a servant girl simply for informing him about a strange noise. And there is also a conversation where he is attempting to rape one of the maids over a floor stain.
During his childhood, his father Urien was so busy running Denerim, that he often just gave Vaughan whatever he asked for to placate him. This, along with having toxic friends, may have colored his personality. However, it is not mitigating, as it doesn't excuse his outright cruelty to his servants, nor his bigotry towards elves.

External Links[]

Vaughan Kendells on the Dragon Age Wiki
Vaughan Kendells on the Villains Wiki