Eliana Lavellan (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
godanswered) wrote2015-04-25 07:54 pm
godanswered) wrote2015-04-25 07:54 pm
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midnightsyndicate
PLAYER INFORMATION
NAME: Nutmeg
ARE YOU 18 OR OLDER?: 22
CONTACT: plurk & aim; meginatree
CURRENT CHARACTERS: N/A
CHARACTER INFORMATION
NAME: Inquisitor Eliana Lavellan
CANON: Dragon Age Inquisition
CANON POINT: On her way to the Western Approach to meet Hawke and Stroud to investigate the Tevinter ritual Stroud says will happen there.
CHARACTER AGE: 20
HISTORY: Wiki link for reference.
Eliana’s early life was fairly typical for a Dalish elf. She is the third and last child to her parents, a rarity in itself as elves are not the most fertile race. She was an unexpected child all the same, her parents thinking they were done with a sister and brother 13 and 8 years Eliana’s elder, but she was doted on as children often are. She was a happy child, never really wanting for anything despite the way her people were scattered and looked down upon by humans, and later the death of her father when she was five. She had the clan, she had her sister and brother so that even her mother throwing herself into her duties as a clan elder didn’t make Eliana feel she was losing anything. The Clan was family, and she knew she was always loved, and perhaps that’s why Eliana in turn loves so easily.
Growing up her favourite times were the ones spent in the forest, climbing trees and learning to hunt. Under her sister’s careful eye she learnt the skill of bows and arrows, her sister a calm guidance that tempered her natural curiosity and taught her focus that would later become important to her if she was to help her clan as a hunter. Her brother, First to the Clan’s Keeper had a more distant relationship to her, due to his own responsibilities but the time they did spend together was filled with stories, he eager to share his knowledge with another and her eager to listen.
Gaining her vallaslin at 17 Eliana saw herself as a woman grown even as her family maintain a tendency to try and keep her shielded from the more dangerous troubles for the next few years. But when Keeper Istimaethoriel decided on sending her brother to spy on the meeting of the Conclave Eliana begged to go, continuing to push until they cracked and allowed her to accompany her brother on the guise of helping to protect him. An exciting time, an adventure of her own. But adventures often have a way at turning sour.
Really, these days she can’t help but wonder what the world would be like if she hadn’t pushed so hard and instead accepted the Keeper’s initial no. She certainly wouldn’t have been present at the Conclave, and it’s the Conclave that changes Eliana’s life completely.
Eliana’s awareness of the explosion at the Conclave is fragmented at best, largely put together from other’s accounts and speculations with a side of vague dreams of forgotten memories. What she does know is that before the Conclave could even begin there was an explosion, leaving hundreds dead, including The Divine, and more importantly to Eliana at the time, her brother. The cruelest twist of fate is that she survived, with no explanation to why she did, or what had happened. Naturally this aroused suspicion and when she finally awoke it was in chains, to be questioned immediately, barraged with accusations and demands to answers she didn’t have. At her current time she really is no closer to knowing what really happened, beyond the vague recollection of a woman calling her name and telling her to run and Eliana letting her hand slip through hers when she was pushed back through the fade to the mortal world.
In any case this was only the beginning of Eliana’s journey, where she slowly worked to both help people and discover who had behind the explosion. Her name was cleared of suspicion by the Inquisition when she helped them begin to close the rifts and stall the breach from further expansion, but there were still others she had to prove herself to, many calling her by the title quickly given, The Herald of Andraste. It’s a title she’s not 100 percent comfortable with, and the first of those.
In any case, being called the Herald did open doors, and held a certain power, so Eliana stayed with the Inquisition. And she’s not yet come to regret that choice, as it has been the adventure she was seeking, and she has found herself meeting plenty of new people. It is strange to know they look to her as someone chosen, often finding inspiration in her. But she’s been insistent in using the power that title gives her for the greater good, helping those who needed it most. She chose to offer the mages a true alliance rather than conscripting them into service, asking for their assistance in closing the Breach for good.
The mission to do so was a success, but it was only a momentary one. While celebrating scouts noticed lights on the mountains surrounding Haven, and upon reaching the gates they found a boy who told them the Templars infected with Red Lyrium were coming. That the Elder One, someone Eliana had only recently found out about, was coming and he wasn’t happy. He saw her as a thief of power, in both taking the mages and later she would find out, for taking the mark on her hand.
She didn’t know who the Elder One truly was, only that he was the one who had caused the explosion at the Conclave. He revealed himself as Eliana lead a final, desperate charge to fire one last trebuchet to cause an avalanche that would swallow Haven but allow most to escape. It would be a suicide mission but by then Eliana would have gladly gave her life to save those she cared about, knowing that her presence would draw the Elder One to focus on her. And it did just that, the Elder One revealing himself as Tevinter Magister turned dawkspawn, Corypheus.
He did as villains tend to, and monologue some of his future plans, and confirmed it was him that made the Anchor as well as the Breach. This did mean time was brought for people to safely escape Haven and by the time Corypheus was finished, ready to kill Eliana to eliminate a rival she saw the flares, the signal to fire the trebuchet. It was dumb luck that she survived the ensuing avalanche, and even more that she didn’t meet her end when trying to find the survivors of Haven. It was a cold trek through the mountains where she could have easily been going to wrong way in the blinding snowstorm, but finally she stumbled upon the lights of the camp.
The Inquisition then moved on to a new base of power, and it was there Eliana found herself being given the title Inquisitor. It’s another heavy mantle she doesn’t feel comfortable in, but she does her best to lead, often picking her companions minds for their knowledge and opinions in matters she knew little of. More importantly, the Inquisition knew a little of Corypheus’ future intents, giving them opportunity to try and plan ahead and negate those issues. In the meantime Eliana is doing her best to prepare for what’s next, while also trying to helping companions with their own issues as well as the people who flock to the Inquisition for help.
Eliana is taken from just after she’s left Skyhold to meet Hawke and Stroud in the Western Approach, looking to find answers as to why the Wardens have been disappearing from Thedas. So far she has also completed some of the issues her companions have come to her for help in, such as going with Dorian when his father requested to see him, and helping Sera with some issues with some nobles. She’s also rejected the possibility of an alliance with the Qunari, telling Bull to call a retreat rather than sacrifice his men and gone with Solas to try and save his spirit friend. Her dabblings with romance have been slight, having lead to one night with the Iron Bull and a kiss with Solas in the fade, though he is yet to return to the Inquisition from his temporary absence after the death of his friend.
PERSONALITY: In many aspects Eliana has the qualities of someone who would be a great leader, and she is well on her way to becoming just that. She’s kind and brave, protective of everyone and anyone who needs it, and she also possess a humble and unselfish nature. But this kindness can also work against her as not everyone deserves a second chance, and there are many who would take advantage of such a mercy. She can also be quite naive, too trusting that everyone has a good side and her knowledge of life outside her Clan is limited, though she’s slowly learning more about everything thanks to her companions.
Kindness is possibly her greatest trait as it is from it that many of the others stem. She is kind to a fault, a trait that is never lessened even as she begins to see the cruelty of the world. Humans treat elves with disdain, little better than animals in their eyes, and this was an opinion Eliana was only slightly aware of as her Clan often steered clear of humans, many mistrusting them. But Eliana has been stubborn on forming her own opinions on them, a trait born out of curiosity and what she has found so far that in many her open mind have served her well, many gaining her trust.
This kindness also leads to a strong sense of protectiveness, Eliana despising those who are cruel and use their power to only harm others. It’s one of the few ways to earn her dislike, and bullies can earn her dislike quite quickly. But a hunter is not only responsible for gathering food and such for the Clan, but also for keeping it safe, and so this protectiveness has been something growing in Eliana since she was a child. Now that she’s been given all this power she’s going to use it to help others, as many as she can and not just her own people. It’s why she chose to offer the rebel mages a full alliance and protection. Mages like elves are often treated with undeserved mistrust, like they’re dangerous animals, and as such have been mistreated for generations. And so Eliana intends to do what she can to make their lives better and safer, as well as anyone who has been mistreated.
She’s also incredibly humble, insisting that each victory the Inquisition has is just that, a victory of team. She is just another part of that team, and without her companions Eliana truly believes they wouldn’t have found the success they have. It’s made her grow closer to her companions, made her trust and care and even love them, and she dislikes people focusing solely on her, the Herald of Andraste. However she understands the power that name holds, and so she will use it and that power solely because it can help people. But she’s more comfortable being treated as an equal than a superior as she really believes she’s no better than the others.
In turn she’s a big believer in second chances, often choosing to show mercy and she loathes taking lives, no matter how necessary it is. Her duties as Inquisitor have lead to her passing judgement on many of her enemies, and so far her choices have been exile rather than taking their heads and ensuring they can no longer do harm to her. It’s not the cruel hand that’s often needed, and it is very much the worldview of a younger, more sheltered person, but it’s something Eliana is quite stubborn in. Even if it does come back to bite her in the ass. All the same she understands the mercy in death, agreeing with Cole and allowing him to kill a man who couldn’t be saved. There is more mercy in allowing someone a swift death than leaving them to labour into the darkness for agonising hours.
While Eliana can often be quite flexible on opinions and ideas, always willing to ask for guidance and thoughts, she can be stubborn on a few things. She will never give up on those that need her, especially if they ask for her help, and while this loyalty can inspire a return of similar emotions it can be dangerous. She won’t turn away from danger to save herself if there are others to be saved first, and at times would have to be physically pulled away like Dorian had to do when they had to return through time and Leliana sacrificed herself to buy them time. It’s a sacrifice that sits heavy on Eliana’s heart, and one she will do anything to try and make sure it never happens again.
For someone so young she’s incredibly brave. And while she often gets along with her companions, willing to acknowledge different views and opinions formed by different lives and experiences there are a few things she will stubbornly dig her heels in at. She gets quite cross at the way Solas dismisses the Dalish, or if he treats them as stupid children, believing he should just try harder to teach them if he knows things they don’t. Slavery is another hot button issue, as she disagrees with Dorian’s view that sometimes slavery is the better option in regards that sell themselves into slavery. It’s also a personal topic, of sorts, as many slaves are elven, and no matter what she can’t accept that there’s nothing worse than being stripped of all your freedoms and rights. Mages are another such issue, Eliana adamant that they shouldn’t be so feared, should be more trusted and this is largely due to her upbringing. Each Clan has a Keeper, a mage, who both protects and leads the clan, and each Keeper has a First and a Second, apprentices of sorts. If too many mages were born to the Clan, Eliana’s one would ensure they went to another Clan who needed another. Eliana’s own brother was the Keeper’s First, and so she knows what mages are capable of and that they can be trusted. However in this last one, she has some flexibility, agreeing the Circles could work in a favourable way if changes were made, such as making them places of protection, that mages chose to go to freely rather than prisons or cages.
Another thing to keep in mind is that Eliana is young. She is still 19 when the Conclave explodes, and even though she turns 20 shortly after, she is still incredibly young, with too much power and so much responsibility put in her hands. But she cares, incredibly so, with a sweet and friendly nature, Eliana eager to meet new people and learn new things. To make new friends, and while she has yet to have a chance to show off that side of her, she can be quite mischievous, used to pulling light pranks on others and in general having fun. The most she’s shown of that side is a flirty nature, and an amusement at some of the more flustered reactions she’s gotten. She’s likely developed a reputation as a flirt and not all of it is done to tease people as she truly does possess a big heart and all the love that can come from that. And people are fascinating and Eliana can easily say she’s half in love with her companions and the only reason she hasn’t acted on those feelings is a desire to not scare them away as well the knowledge that it could likely cause a scandal. And while she doesn’t care so much about that in regards to herself, she does care for her companions, and doesn’t wish to cause them an problems. But she’s a physically affectionate sort of person, and her Clan was a close knit sort and so Eliana often finds herself touch starved and uncertain who to ask as well as how to even ask. It’s as unfamiliar to her as the rest of human society and she misses the days where she knew how things worked, where she had lovers and knew the rules there.
Curiosity is another big trait, as Eliana is extremely curious, eager for new knowledge and to learn all she can. She has no interest in books, finding her knowledge via the world, from exploring ruins to peppering her companions with endless questions. So she is quite intelligent, just not in the traditional sense, and once someone answers her questions once they’ll find themselves regularly asked for more.
Eliana can be incredibly short sighted at times. She often acts without stopping to truly consider things through and this can lead to her getting herself into dangerous situations she could have avoided if she just stopped. While she doesn’t recall what happened at the Conclave, it was a case of her rushing in by herself with no back up and no way to truly stop Corypheus. In fact it’s implied her interference at the Conclave is what caused the explosion, and while it was the better of two options it still resulted in hundreds dead and the kick off of another series of conflicts.
Another example is in regards to her offering the rebel mages a full alliance. Mages a second class citizens in most of Thedas, greatly mistrusted. By promising them a full alliance she neglected to consider what this would like to others who were still uncertain of the Inquisitions intentions. An alliance with the Templars could have helped smooth things over and make those who were more religious more at ease with them, but Eliana’s choice has made that impossible, and it in turn made it harder to earn the trust and alliance of people she needed. A task already difficult thanks to her race. There was also no consideration for resources, and her advisors actually do scold her for this decision. It was a decision made with the best intentions yes, but it wasn’t a well thought out one.
The same kindheartedness she has opens her up to being an easy target for manipulation. Eliana wants so readily to believe the best in people, that they can change and they will change for the better, that someone clever could use this against her. Play the redemption angle to her face, seem apparently remorseful for their actions and she would immediately jump to helping them reform. All they’d need to do is be patient and grow close enough to her for her to trust them and she could easily fall prey to being told the wrong things and making the wrong choices. In fact it would be even worse if it this sort of manipulation came from someone she considered a friend, as it would completely blind side her to the point she would instinctively want to deny it. This is where that protective side of her is a double edged sword, as she can often find herself blind to her companions flaws, and will automatically forgive them for things, such as Varric not being honest in regards to him knowing Hawke’s whereabouts, a woman who could have greatly helped the Inquisition as a whole. She forgives him within a second because she considers him friend, but it was important information he should have shared. She also ignores the fact that the Mage-Templar conflict was started in many’s eyes by a mage blowing up a Chantry, that some mages actually are quite violent and aggressive. It’s easier to have the world view that the mages are near innocent underdogs and the Templar’s are bullies when the conflict is caused by issues on both sides and nearly no ones hands are completely clear. It’s a very black and white mentality and she will force things to fit to that if she has to.
Going back to her stubbornness though, it does go hand in hand with her tendency to not think things through and her natural curiosity. She’d rather risk her own life than anyone elses, and if the also involves pushing people away and ignoring that they chose to be here too she’ll do that. She’ll ignore that she seems to be the only one that is able to close the Rifts, and that makes her staying alive important. But she’ll chose the path that takes less losses even those losses include herself. She can be very self sacrificial, and right now part of that is driven by guilt since she lived and her brother did not, other people did not. But she needs to stop and realise that she is important, that if she dies Thedas will be sort of screwed and that everyone who is involved in the Inquisition has chosen to be there and knows the risks.
She is also just fiercely protective of anything to do with her culture and it gets to a very I am right and you are wrong situation where she won’t listen to another argument. She argues quite passionately with Solas regarding the Dalish elves, stubbornly insisting that he shouldn’t take their scorn of his attempts to teach them something else as something hurtful, that the onus is on him. She thinks he was just too blunt at first and that if he really wanted to help he just try harder, ignoring that Solas may have given up trying to help for his own protection. She also butts heads with Sera who disdains anything too “elfy” and will stubbornly try and teach Sera things of their shared heritage, ignoring that Sera is very much okay with being distant from not only the Dalish elves but also the city elves. She just tends to think that if Sera perhaps knew more, and he heard things from an elf’s side and not a human’s she’d understand what she was missing. It’s the drive behind a choice she’ll make in her future where she’ll chose to drink from the Well of Sorrows at the Temple of Mythal to absorb all of knowledge there despite the fact that she wouldn’t understand much of it. She’s not a mage, and even if she was, it’s not a logical choice to pour all of your power into one person when you can divide it, but the only other potential drinker was Morrigan, a human, and Eliana is loathe to give what little remains of her culture to a human, even if said human could understand the information better than her.
ABILITIES: Eliana’s abilities have all largely developed out of necessity to help her Clan. When you are people forced into wandering the land everyone has to chip in, and like her sister and mother Eliana has been working towards being a hunter for the clan, specialising in archery. But she’s also quite skilled in sneaking around, and tracking as well as other commonsense skills, like gathering plants, cleaning and cooking a kill and some basic herbs and healing knowledge. She hasn’t specialised in such skills, but there’s enough to make sure she can get along if it’s minor, long enough to get to a true healer at least.
She specialises with a longbow, and through both diligence in training as well as elves naturally having better eyesight than humans she’s quite skilled in taking a target out. Her time with the Inquisition has only improved that accuracy by exposing her to battle and having multiple moving targets who were seeking to take her out in turn. She’s become adapt with dealing with the panic of battle and picking friend from foe in the heat of the moment, as well as improved on her ability to both move and shoot accurately. She also will coat her arrowheads in poison if needed, so she has a basic idea of some simple poisons that can be either found or created .
As a hunter it’s necessary that she is both graceful and sneaky, making Eliana quite quick and light on her feet with near perfect balance most of the time. Wearing shoes does throw that balance at times as she is much more used to being barefoot but it’s starting to become more normal to her. She’s also been learning to pick locks, all her abilities making her quite suitable for more sly ways of finding out information they need. On top of this she’s been studying to become an Artificer, a person who often makes and sets off traps on the battlefield, which is where she’s putting her focus in.
Finally, Eliana bears a mark on her hand that’s known as the Anchor. It serves as both a connection to the Fade as well as a conduit to the power found in the Fade. This power is enough that she can close the rifts in the veil that separates the Fade from the normal world, and later she comes to learn to use it also open then when needed. It’s a magical power, despite the lack of her own magic, which means it can drain her if she doesn’t have another power source to draw on, be it the Fade itself or mages channeling power into her and if she was to try and use it’s beyond its natural purpose it would likely fail. However I don’t expect this power to come into play much in game as the setting lacks the Fade, and merely mention it to cover everything.
SINS & VIRTUES: Eliana’s most notable sin would be Lust. Lust, in it’s sexual form, is the one she indulges in most often, Eliana a physically affectionate person. She’s had a series of sexual partners with no true long term commitment like marriage to “sanctify” the relationships and she quite easily falls in love or at the very least, attraction, with people. And just as easily as she doles out her own affections she craves reciprocation. Thusly Lucille’s wing would be the most fitting for her at this current stages.
Unlike sins I feel Eliana could be categorized by many of the virtues, but I’ll focus on just two for simplicities sake, those being Kindness and Humility. Kindness fits her quite easily, Eliana stubbornly protective of those who need it, and even those who don’t. If there’s a way to do things without hurting anyone she’ll choose it, from being willing to sacrifice her own life to try and buy enough time for her friends and members of the Inquisition to escape to safety to giving people a chance to redeem themselves if she feels they can be. The worst thing to her is a bully, and many of her choices are made out of the kindness of her heart rather than the pragmatism of the head.
Humility is the second virtue, and it fits as well as Kindness does for an equal tie. Pride isn’t something in Eliana’s nature, she’s uncomfortable modest at times and always quick to downplay her own actions while recognising those of others. If it ever came to her choosing between her own safety and that of another, there wouldn’t be any hesitation in her saving another before her. The title of Inquisitor is one that sits awkwardly and uncomfortably on her shoulders as she knows her own faults, and amongst them is a lack of knowledge. Still, it’s the title they’ve given her and so she’ll be the best she can be, always ready to defer to someone else for their knowledge, and always listening for advice that is offered to her to help aid her decisions.
SAMPLES
First sample.
Second sample. (NSFW content towards end)
NAME: Nutmeg
ARE YOU 18 OR OLDER?: 22
CONTACT: plurk & aim; meginatree
CURRENT CHARACTERS: N/A
CHARACTER INFORMATION
NAME: Inquisitor Eliana Lavellan
CANON: Dragon Age Inquisition
CANON POINT: On her way to the Western Approach to meet Hawke and Stroud to investigate the Tevinter ritual Stroud says will happen there.
CHARACTER AGE: 20
HISTORY: Wiki link for reference.
Eliana’s early life was fairly typical for a Dalish elf. She is the third and last child to her parents, a rarity in itself as elves are not the most fertile race. She was an unexpected child all the same, her parents thinking they were done with a sister and brother 13 and 8 years Eliana’s elder, but she was doted on as children often are. She was a happy child, never really wanting for anything despite the way her people were scattered and looked down upon by humans, and later the death of her father when she was five. She had the clan, she had her sister and brother so that even her mother throwing herself into her duties as a clan elder didn’t make Eliana feel she was losing anything. The Clan was family, and she knew she was always loved, and perhaps that’s why Eliana in turn loves so easily.
Growing up her favourite times were the ones spent in the forest, climbing trees and learning to hunt. Under her sister’s careful eye she learnt the skill of bows and arrows, her sister a calm guidance that tempered her natural curiosity and taught her focus that would later become important to her if she was to help her clan as a hunter. Her brother, First to the Clan’s Keeper had a more distant relationship to her, due to his own responsibilities but the time they did spend together was filled with stories, he eager to share his knowledge with another and her eager to listen.
Gaining her vallaslin at 17 Eliana saw herself as a woman grown even as her family maintain a tendency to try and keep her shielded from the more dangerous troubles for the next few years. But when Keeper Istimaethoriel decided on sending her brother to spy on the meeting of the Conclave Eliana begged to go, continuing to push until they cracked and allowed her to accompany her brother on the guise of helping to protect him. An exciting time, an adventure of her own. But adventures often have a way at turning sour.
Really, these days she can’t help but wonder what the world would be like if she hadn’t pushed so hard and instead accepted the Keeper’s initial no. She certainly wouldn’t have been present at the Conclave, and it’s the Conclave that changes Eliana’s life completely.
Eliana’s awareness of the explosion at the Conclave is fragmented at best, largely put together from other’s accounts and speculations with a side of vague dreams of forgotten memories. What she does know is that before the Conclave could even begin there was an explosion, leaving hundreds dead, including The Divine, and more importantly to Eliana at the time, her brother. The cruelest twist of fate is that she survived, with no explanation to why she did, or what had happened. Naturally this aroused suspicion and when she finally awoke it was in chains, to be questioned immediately, barraged with accusations and demands to answers she didn’t have. At her current time she really is no closer to knowing what really happened, beyond the vague recollection of a woman calling her name and telling her to run and Eliana letting her hand slip through hers when she was pushed back through the fade to the mortal world.
In any case this was only the beginning of Eliana’s journey, where she slowly worked to both help people and discover who had behind the explosion. Her name was cleared of suspicion by the Inquisition when she helped them begin to close the rifts and stall the breach from further expansion, but there were still others she had to prove herself to, many calling her by the title quickly given, The Herald of Andraste. It’s a title she’s not 100 percent comfortable with, and the first of those.
In any case, being called the Herald did open doors, and held a certain power, so Eliana stayed with the Inquisition. And she’s not yet come to regret that choice, as it has been the adventure she was seeking, and she has found herself meeting plenty of new people. It is strange to know they look to her as someone chosen, often finding inspiration in her. But she’s been insistent in using the power that title gives her for the greater good, helping those who needed it most. She chose to offer the mages a true alliance rather than conscripting them into service, asking for their assistance in closing the Breach for good.
The mission to do so was a success, but it was only a momentary one. While celebrating scouts noticed lights on the mountains surrounding Haven, and upon reaching the gates they found a boy who told them the Templars infected with Red Lyrium were coming. That the Elder One, someone Eliana had only recently found out about, was coming and he wasn’t happy. He saw her as a thief of power, in both taking the mages and later she would find out, for taking the mark on her hand.
She didn’t know who the Elder One truly was, only that he was the one who had caused the explosion at the Conclave. He revealed himself as Eliana lead a final, desperate charge to fire one last trebuchet to cause an avalanche that would swallow Haven but allow most to escape. It would be a suicide mission but by then Eliana would have gladly gave her life to save those she cared about, knowing that her presence would draw the Elder One to focus on her. And it did just that, the Elder One revealing himself as Tevinter Magister turned dawkspawn, Corypheus.
He did as villains tend to, and monologue some of his future plans, and confirmed it was him that made the Anchor as well as the Breach. This did mean time was brought for people to safely escape Haven and by the time Corypheus was finished, ready to kill Eliana to eliminate a rival she saw the flares, the signal to fire the trebuchet. It was dumb luck that she survived the ensuing avalanche, and even more that she didn’t meet her end when trying to find the survivors of Haven. It was a cold trek through the mountains where she could have easily been going to wrong way in the blinding snowstorm, but finally she stumbled upon the lights of the camp.
The Inquisition then moved on to a new base of power, and it was there Eliana found herself being given the title Inquisitor. It’s another heavy mantle she doesn’t feel comfortable in, but she does her best to lead, often picking her companions minds for their knowledge and opinions in matters she knew little of. More importantly, the Inquisition knew a little of Corypheus’ future intents, giving them opportunity to try and plan ahead and negate those issues. In the meantime Eliana is doing her best to prepare for what’s next, while also trying to helping companions with their own issues as well as the people who flock to the Inquisition for help.
Eliana is taken from just after she’s left Skyhold to meet Hawke and Stroud in the Western Approach, looking to find answers as to why the Wardens have been disappearing from Thedas. So far she has also completed some of the issues her companions have come to her for help in, such as going with Dorian when his father requested to see him, and helping Sera with some issues with some nobles. She’s also rejected the possibility of an alliance with the Qunari, telling Bull to call a retreat rather than sacrifice his men and gone with Solas to try and save his spirit friend. Her dabblings with romance have been slight, having lead to one night with the Iron Bull and a kiss with Solas in the fade, though he is yet to return to the Inquisition from his temporary absence after the death of his friend.
PERSONALITY: In many aspects Eliana has the qualities of someone who would be a great leader, and she is well on her way to becoming just that. She’s kind and brave, protective of everyone and anyone who needs it, and she also possess a humble and unselfish nature. But this kindness can also work against her as not everyone deserves a second chance, and there are many who would take advantage of such a mercy. She can also be quite naive, too trusting that everyone has a good side and her knowledge of life outside her Clan is limited, though she’s slowly learning more about everything thanks to her companions.
Kindness is possibly her greatest trait as it is from it that many of the others stem. She is kind to a fault, a trait that is never lessened even as she begins to see the cruelty of the world. Humans treat elves with disdain, little better than animals in their eyes, and this was an opinion Eliana was only slightly aware of as her Clan often steered clear of humans, many mistrusting them. But Eliana has been stubborn on forming her own opinions on them, a trait born out of curiosity and what she has found so far that in many her open mind have served her well, many gaining her trust.
This kindness also leads to a strong sense of protectiveness, Eliana despising those who are cruel and use their power to only harm others. It’s one of the few ways to earn her dislike, and bullies can earn her dislike quite quickly. But a hunter is not only responsible for gathering food and such for the Clan, but also for keeping it safe, and so this protectiveness has been something growing in Eliana since she was a child. Now that she’s been given all this power she’s going to use it to help others, as many as she can and not just her own people. It’s why she chose to offer the rebel mages a full alliance and protection. Mages like elves are often treated with undeserved mistrust, like they’re dangerous animals, and as such have been mistreated for generations. And so Eliana intends to do what she can to make their lives better and safer, as well as anyone who has been mistreated.
She’s also incredibly humble, insisting that each victory the Inquisition has is just that, a victory of team. She is just another part of that team, and without her companions Eliana truly believes they wouldn’t have found the success they have. It’s made her grow closer to her companions, made her trust and care and even love them, and she dislikes people focusing solely on her, the Herald of Andraste. However she understands the power that name holds, and so she will use it and that power solely because it can help people. But she’s more comfortable being treated as an equal than a superior as she really believes she’s no better than the others.
In turn she’s a big believer in second chances, often choosing to show mercy and she loathes taking lives, no matter how necessary it is. Her duties as Inquisitor have lead to her passing judgement on many of her enemies, and so far her choices have been exile rather than taking their heads and ensuring they can no longer do harm to her. It’s not the cruel hand that’s often needed, and it is very much the worldview of a younger, more sheltered person, but it’s something Eliana is quite stubborn in. Even if it does come back to bite her in the ass. All the same she understands the mercy in death, agreeing with Cole and allowing him to kill a man who couldn’t be saved. There is more mercy in allowing someone a swift death than leaving them to labour into the darkness for agonising hours.
While Eliana can often be quite flexible on opinions and ideas, always willing to ask for guidance and thoughts, she can be stubborn on a few things. She will never give up on those that need her, especially if they ask for her help, and while this loyalty can inspire a return of similar emotions it can be dangerous. She won’t turn away from danger to save herself if there are others to be saved first, and at times would have to be physically pulled away like Dorian had to do when they had to return through time and Leliana sacrificed herself to buy them time. It’s a sacrifice that sits heavy on Eliana’s heart, and one she will do anything to try and make sure it never happens again.
For someone so young she’s incredibly brave. And while she often gets along with her companions, willing to acknowledge different views and opinions formed by different lives and experiences there are a few things she will stubbornly dig her heels in at. She gets quite cross at the way Solas dismisses the Dalish, or if he treats them as stupid children, believing he should just try harder to teach them if he knows things they don’t. Slavery is another hot button issue, as she disagrees with Dorian’s view that sometimes slavery is the better option in regards that sell themselves into slavery. It’s also a personal topic, of sorts, as many slaves are elven, and no matter what she can’t accept that there’s nothing worse than being stripped of all your freedoms and rights. Mages are another such issue, Eliana adamant that they shouldn’t be so feared, should be more trusted and this is largely due to her upbringing. Each Clan has a Keeper, a mage, who both protects and leads the clan, and each Keeper has a First and a Second, apprentices of sorts. If too many mages were born to the Clan, Eliana’s one would ensure they went to another Clan who needed another. Eliana’s own brother was the Keeper’s First, and so she knows what mages are capable of and that they can be trusted. However in this last one, she has some flexibility, agreeing the Circles could work in a favourable way if changes were made, such as making them places of protection, that mages chose to go to freely rather than prisons or cages.
Another thing to keep in mind is that Eliana is young. She is still 19 when the Conclave explodes, and even though she turns 20 shortly after, she is still incredibly young, with too much power and so much responsibility put in her hands. But she cares, incredibly so, with a sweet and friendly nature, Eliana eager to meet new people and learn new things. To make new friends, and while she has yet to have a chance to show off that side of her, she can be quite mischievous, used to pulling light pranks on others and in general having fun. The most she’s shown of that side is a flirty nature, and an amusement at some of the more flustered reactions she’s gotten. She’s likely developed a reputation as a flirt and not all of it is done to tease people as she truly does possess a big heart and all the love that can come from that. And people are fascinating and Eliana can easily say she’s half in love with her companions and the only reason she hasn’t acted on those feelings is a desire to not scare them away as well the knowledge that it could likely cause a scandal. And while she doesn’t care so much about that in regards to herself, she does care for her companions, and doesn’t wish to cause them an problems. But she’s a physically affectionate sort of person, and her Clan was a close knit sort and so Eliana often finds herself touch starved and uncertain who to ask as well as how to even ask. It’s as unfamiliar to her as the rest of human society and she misses the days where she knew how things worked, where she had lovers and knew the rules there.
Curiosity is another big trait, as Eliana is extremely curious, eager for new knowledge and to learn all she can. She has no interest in books, finding her knowledge via the world, from exploring ruins to peppering her companions with endless questions. So she is quite intelligent, just not in the traditional sense, and once someone answers her questions once they’ll find themselves regularly asked for more.
Eliana can be incredibly short sighted at times. She often acts without stopping to truly consider things through and this can lead to her getting herself into dangerous situations she could have avoided if she just stopped. While she doesn’t recall what happened at the Conclave, it was a case of her rushing in by herself with no back up and no way to truly stop Corypheus. In fact it’s implied her interference at the Conclave is what caused the explosion, and while it was the better of two options it still resulted in hundreds dead and the kick off of another series of conflicts.
Another example is in regards to her offering the rebel mages a full alliance. Mages a second class citizens in most of Thedas, greatly mistrusted. By promising them a full alliance she neglected to consider what this would like to others who were still uncertain of the Inquisitions intentions. An alliance with the Templars could have helped smooth things over and make those who were more religious more at ease with them, but Eliana’s choice has made that impossible, and it in turn made it harder to earn the trust and alliance of people she needed. A task already difficult thanks to her race. There was also no consideration for resources, and her advisors actually do scold her for this decision. It was a decision made with the best intentions yes, but it wasn’t a well thought out one.
The same kindheartedness she has opens her up to being an easy target for manipulation. Eliana wants so readily to believe the best in people, that they can change and they will change for the better, that someone clever could use this against her. Play the redemption angle to her face, seem apparently remorseful for their actions and she would immediately jump to helping them reform. All they’d need to do is be patient and grow close enough to her for her to trust them and she could easily fall prey to being told the wrong things and making the wrong choices. In fact it would be even worse if it this sort of manipulation came from someone she considered a friend, as it would completely blind side her to the point she would instinctively want to deny it. This is where that protective side of her is a double edged sword, as she can often find herself blind to her companions flaws, and will automatically forgive them for things, such as Varric not being honest in regards to him knowing Hawke’s whereabouts, a woman who could have greatly helped the Inquisition as a whole. She forgives him within a second because she considers him friend, but it was important information he should have shared. She also ignores the fact that the Mage-Templar conflict was started in many’s eyes by a mage blowing up a Chantry, that some mages actually are quite violent and aggressive. It’s easier to have the world view that the mages are near innocent underdogs and the Templar’s are bullies when the conflict is caused by issues on both sides and nearly no ones hands are completely clear. It’s a very black and white mentality and she will force things to fit to that if she has to.
Going back to her stubbornness though, it does go hand in hand with her tendency to not think things through and her natural curiosity. She’d rather risk her own life than anyone elses, and if the also involves pushing people away and ignoring that they chose to be here too she’ll do that. She’ll ignore that she seems to be the only one that is able to close the Rifts, and that makes her staying alive important. But she’ll chose the path that takes less losses even those losses include herself. She can be very self sacrificial, and right now part of that is driven by guilt since she lived and her brother did not, other people did not. But she needs to stop and realise that she is important, that if she dies Thedas will be sort of screwed and that everyone who is involved in the Inquisition has chosen to be there and knows the risks.
She is also just fiercely protective of anything to do with her culture and it gets to a very I am right and you are wrong situation where she won’t listen to another argument. She argues quite passionately with Solas regarding the Dalish elves, stubbornly insisting that he shouldn’t take their scorn of his attempts to teach them something else as something hurtful, that the onus is on him. She thinks he was just too blunt at first and that if he really wanted to help he just try harder, ignoring that Solas may have given up trying to help for his own protection. She also butts heads with Sera who disdains anything too “elfy” and will stubbornly try and teach Sera things of their shared heritage, ignoring that Sera is very much okay with being distant from not only the Dalish elves but also the city elves. She just tends to think that if Sera perhaps knew more, and he heard things from an elf’s side and not a human’s she’d understand what she was missing. It’s the drive behind a choice she’ll make in her future where she’ll chose to drink from the Well of Sorrows at the Temple of Mythal to absorb all of knowledge there despite the fact that she wouldn’t understand much of it. She’s not a mage, and even if she was, it’s not a logical choice to pour all of your power into one person when you can divide it, but the only other potential drinker was Morrigan, a human, and Eliana is loathe to give what little remains of her culture to a human, even if said human could understand the information better than her.
ABILITIES: Eliana’s abilities have all largely developed out of necessity to help her Clan. When you are people forced into wandering the land everyone has to chip in, and like her sister and mother Eliana has been working towards being a hunter for the clan, specialising in archery. But she’s also quite skilled in sneaking around, and tracking as well as other commonsense skills, like gathering plants, cleaning and cooking a kill and some basic herbs and healing knowledge. She hasn’t specialised in such skills, but there’s enough to make sure she can get along if it’s minor, long enough to get to a true healer at least.
She specialises with a longbow, and through both diligence in training as well as elves naturally having better eyesight than humans she’s quite skilled in taking a target out. Her time with the Inquisition has only improved that accuracy by exposing her to battle and having multiple moving targets who were seeking to take her out in turn. She’s become adapt with dealing with the panic of battle and picking friend from foe in the heat of the moment, as well as improved on her ability to both move and shoot accurately. She also will coat her arrowheads in poison if needed, so she has a basic idea of some simple poisons that can be either found or created .
As a hunter it’s necessary that she is both graceful and sneaky, making Eliana quite quick and light on her feet with near perfect balance most of the time. Wearing shoes does throw that balance at times as she is much more used to being barefoot but it’s starting to become more normal to her. She’s also been learning to pick locks, all her abilities making her quite suitable for more sly ways of finding out information they need. On top of this she’s been studying to become an Artificer, a person who often makes and sets off traps on the battlefield, which is where she’s putting her focus in.
Finally, Eliana bears a mark on her hand that’s known as the Anchor. It serves as both a connection to the Fade as well as a conduit to the power found in the Fade. This power is enough that she can close the rifts in the veil that separates the Fade from the normal world, and later she comes to learn to use it also open then when needed. It’s a magical power, despite the lack of her own magic, which means it can drain her if she doesn’t have another power source to draw on, be it the Fade itself or mages channeling power into her and if she was to try and use it’s beyond its natural purpose it would likely fail. However I don’t expect this power to come into play much in game as the setting lacks the Fade, and merely mention it to cover everything.
SINS & VIRTUES: Eliana’s most notable sin would be Lust. Lust, in it’s sexual form, is the one she indulges in most often, Eliana a physically affectionate person. She’s had a series of sexual partners with no true long term commitment like marriage to “sanctify” the relationships and she quite easily falls in love or at the very least, attraction, with people. And just as easily as she doles out her own affections she craves reciprocation. Thusly Lucille’s wing would be the most fitting for her at this current stages.
Unlike sins I feel Eliana could be categorized by many of the virtues, but I’ll focus on just two for simplicities sake, those being Kindness and Humility. Kindness fits her quite easily, Eliana stubbornly protective of those who need it, and even those who don’t. If there’s a way to do things without hurting anyone she’ll choose it, from being willing to sacrifice her own life to try and buy enough time for her friends and members of the Inquisition to escape to safety to giving people a chance to redeem themselves if she feels they can be. The worst thing to her is a bully, and many of her choices are made out of the kindness of her heart rather than the pragmatism of the head.
Humility is the second virtue, and it fits as well as Kindness does for an equal tie. Pride isn’t something in Eliana’s nature, she’s uncomfortable modest at times and always quick to downplay her own actions while recognising those of others. If it ever came to her choosing between her own safety and that of another, there wouldn’t be any hesitation in her saving another before her. The title of Inquisitor is one that sits awkwardly and uncomfortably on her shoulders as she knows her own faults, and amongst them is a lack of knowledge. Still, it’s the title they’ve given her and so she’ll be the best she can be, always ready to defer to someone else for their knowledge, and always listening for advice that is offered to her to help aid her decisions.
SAMPLES
First sample.
Second sample. (NSFW content towards end)