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History and game run through
Mar. 1st, 2016 10:42 pmEliana’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 16 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 was left to do 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.
And Eliana is busy. Together with her companions, she meets Hawke and Stroud at the tower and with them she discovers Corypheus’ plans for the Wardens from one of his lackeys, Magister Erimond. And while Erimond may have escaped them that day it didn’t take long for the Inquisition to find out where her was headed, nor that long to muster their forces and head out to Adamant Fortress, one of the last Warden strongholds to truly put an end to all of it.
The siege of Adamant is fierce but the Inquisition succeeds in interrupting Erimond once more, and in informing the Warden’s of his true plans. Warden Clarel gives chase to the Magister,and Eliana and her companions follow. This is only the beginning as Clarel falls to the surprise appearence of Corypheus’ Lyrium dragon, and in her last moments she tries to destroy the dragon in turn, only to cause the already crumbling fortress to split. In her panic Eliana opens a rift, and it is through this rift that her and her companions fall through, straight into the Fade.
Unscarthed and in the Fade Eliana at last finally begins to gain some understanding about what truly happened at the Conclave. With the help of what she thinks is the spirit of Divine Justinia she fights back against the Nightmare Demon that controls this part of the Fade, stealing back the memories it took from her and weakening it as she does so. She pushes on, battling her own fears and the demon, but this is a battle with a cost and in the end someone has to stay behind to draw the demon’s attention, and the decision is left in Eliana’s hands. It tears at her to do so, but on her command Warden Stroud stays behind, and Hawke, Eliana and her companions tumble back through the fade to the true world, where Eliana offers the remaining Wardens an alliance, an offer they accept.
There is little time for Eliana to breathe or celebrate though. There is always something for her to do, from helping her companions in their personal tasks to helping strangers, nobles and smallfolk alike with whatever they need. She passes judgements as needed, exiling some, and sentencing her first execution, adamant that she swing the sword that takes Erimond’s life. It’s a heavy thing for her to bear but she does it, Eliana beginning to understand more and more how cruel the world can be, and how harsh you must be to survive it.
There’s also the Empress’s ball to attend, a matter that creeps up far too quickly, stealing much of her attention as she prepares for that. Leliana, Josephine and Vivienne all become her tutors in this, Eliana having little experience in the Grand Game as Orlesian’s call it, and in truth she is thankful for their help. Without them she’s sure she would have caused a grave insult or 5.
At the Palace Eliana manages to thwart the plans to assassinate the Empress, discovering what Florianne is doing and she confronts the woman outside the court, seeking to give her a final chance to step down and surrender, to have mercy. Florianne instead chooses to fight, and it is a fight to her death, more blood on Eliana’s hands. Even as she reminds Celene of her love for Briala, reuniting the two women as Celene stays secure on her throne she finds herself weary of this game, enough that she doesn’t protest the empress’s plans to execute her cousin Gaspard, her rival for the throne. Let humans do what they wish in this “Grand” game, she prefers a battle where her enemies do not lie so much.
The Ball is a triumph, of sorts for Eliana. It secured her as a face to be remembered in human politics, showed off the force of the Inquisition’s power. Secured an alliance with the Orlesian throne, and Eliana returns to Skyhold in triumph, a new ally in Morrigan by her side, unaware that a tragedy has struck while she was occupied.
It’s when she returns to Skyhold that she is told of what has happened to her Clan, the massacre that occurred while she was busy playing the game of human politics. The news breaks her in a way, shatters that bit more of Eliana that had already started to crack with the loss of her brother. This is far worse than that, and in her grief Eliana withdraws completely, locking herself away for a week, ignoring all requests for ally and friends. There were no kind words to fix this, and revenge would only lead to more senseless deaths, so she grieved, and Eliana swore to harden her heart from any further hurts.
After a week she emerges, and it’s almost as if it never happened. Eliana refuses to talk on it, refuses to share her grief and little by little she pulls away from her companions. She still smiles, still laughs, but the smiles never reach her eyes and the laughs feel forced. Kindness is something that can never be taken from Eliana, and so she still helps those that she can, but she also pushes away those that try and help her, in turn abandoning whatever attempts at romance she had begun before all of it. Loving only lead to loss and hurts, and she refused to let herself grow to love these people anymore than she did.
There were more important things to do in any case. They were still yet to truly find a way to defeat Corypheus and now they didn’t even have the help of knowing some of what Corypheus had planned to do to take over. They were on their own again and Eliana threw herself into training, both with her arrows and her skills as a Tempest, working to make herself stronger, better She pushed for further exploration into areas they hadn’t yet touched, and slowly they started to get rumours, clues and some of these whispers were ones worth chasing.
Including the one about Thedas’ last Inquisitor, Inquisitor Ameridan and his fate.
Exploring the Fereldan Frostback Basin she made contact with the Avvar tribes to discover the conflict between two, Stone-Bear Hold and the Jaws of Hakkon. Investigating the conflict in turn lead to her finding out more and more about the last Inquisitor, like who his allies were and the fate of them all, and finally it allowed her to come face to face with him as the Jaws of Hakkon broke the seal he had once cast to trap the dragon possessed with the spirit of their god Hakkon. Meeting Ameridan was a surprise, partially because he should have been long dead and secondly because of the fact that he was a Dalish elf. A fact that had been written out of history and a fact that would concern Eliana long after Ameridan faded away, as it made her wonder what her own fate would one day be. But there was little time to ask Ameridan anything as he quickly faded into dust with the spell broken and Eliana in turn had to go and fight the dragon possessed by Hakkon, another fight that she eventually one.
But the truth about Ameridan was not the only piece of Elvish history she was to encounter. Word came soon enough about Corypheus’ movements and plans, and with new knowledge the Inquisition set off to the wilds, to find a place known as the Temple of Mythal before he did. Along the way they battled his Red Templars and ran into strange elven defenders who took no side. The questions about them would be answered soon enough as Eliana reached the Temple, and after following the rituals was able to unlock her way into the Temple.
In the temple she discovered Elves. Ancient Elves, awoken from sleep by the attack of the Red Templars. Quickly she formed an alliance with the, knowing it better to have their help in stopping Corypheus than trying to gain control of the Well of Sorrows that he seeked. Morrigan however did not agree with that path and took off on her own, leave Eliana and her companions to battle their way through the Red Templars already in the Temple, and then to finally take down Samson, Corypheus’ right hand. She fought hard and quick, and in doing so she managed to reach Morrigan and Abelas, an elf seeking to stop her from stealing the well by destroying it, in time.
But. Morrigan did have a point. The well was a resource, and at this point they could not lose a resource. They needed everything they could get, and the knowledge and power the well offered to the one who drank from it was one only an idiot would let go, and in the end Abelas gave his permission, or rather his resignation and walked away, leaving Eliana with the choice of who would drink from the Well.
In the end the choice fell to Morrigan and Eliana and perhaps it’s a touch of Elvish Pride, perhaps a touch of her self sacrificial nature but Eliana elects herself to drink from the well. After all it is a piece of her history, and should be kept by an elf, not a human like Morrigan. And they had little idea what would happen to the one who drank, but Eliana was prepared to sacrifice herself in trying.
So she drinks, and there is seemingly no change. There is little time to ponder then and there if there is a change as they quickly have to escape Corypheus through the eluvians, returning to Skyhold. In fact Eliana is fine for a good week before the whispers finally start, voices she barely understands and she has little time to learn how to when Eros takes her again.
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 16 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 was left to do 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.
And Eliana is busy. Together with her companions, she meets Hawke and Stroud at the tower and with them she discovers Corypheus’ plans for the Wardens from one of his lackeys, Magister Erimond. And while Erimond may have escaped them that day it didn’t take long for the Inquisition to find out where her was headed, nor that long to muster their forces and head out to Adamant Fortress, one of the last Warden strongholds to truly put an end to all of it.
The siege of Adamant is fierce but the Inquisition succeeds in interrupting Erimond once more, and in informing the Warden’s of his true plans. Warden Clarel gives chase to the Magister,and Eliana and her companions follow. This is only the beginning as Clarel falls to the surprise appearence of Corypheus’ Lyrium dragon, and in her last moments she tries to destroy the dragon in turn, only to cause the already crumbling fortress to split. In her panic Eliana opens a rift, and it is through this rift that her and her companions fall through, straight into the Fade.
Unscarthed and in the Fade Eliana at last finally begins to gain some understanding about what truly happened at the Conclave. With the help of what she thinks is the spirit of Divine Justinia she fights back against the Nightmare Demon that controls this part of the Fade, stealing back the memories it took from her and weakening it as she does so. She pushes on, battling her own fears and the demon, but this is a battle with a cost and in the end someone has to stay behind to draw the demon’s attention, and the decision is left in Eliana’s hands. It tears at her to do so, but on her command Warden Stroud stays behind, and Hawke, Eliana and her companions tumble back through the fade to the true world, where Eliana offers the remaining Wardens an alliance, an offer they accept.
There is little time for Eliana to breathe or celebrate though. There is always something for her to do, from helping her companions in their personal tasks to helping strangers, nobles and smallfolk alike with whatever they need. She passes judgements as needed, exiling some, and sentencing her first execution, adamant that she swing the sword that takes Erimond’s life. It’s a heavy thing for her to bear but she does it, Eliana beginning to understand more and more how cruel the world can be, and how harsh you must be to survive it.
There’s also the Empress’s ball to attend, a matter that creeps up far too quickly, stealing much of her attention as she prepares for that. Leliana, Josephine and Vivienne all become her tutors in this, Eliana having little experience in the Grand Game as Orlesian’s call it, and in truth she is thankful for their help. Without them she’s sure she would have caused a grave insult or 5.
At the Palace Eliana manages to thwart the plans to assassinate the Empress, discovering what Florianne is doing and she confronts the woman outside the court, seeking to give her a final chance to step down and surrender, to have mercy. Florianne instead chooses to fight, and it is a fight to her death, more blood on Eliana’s hands. Even as she reminds Celene of her love for Briala, reuniting the two women as Celene stays secure on her throne she finds herself weary of this game, enough that she doesn’t protest the empress’s plans to execute her cousin Gaspard, her rival for the throne. Let humans do what they wish in this “Grand” game, she prefers a battle where her enemies do not lie so much.
The Ball is a triumph, of sorts for Eliana. It secured her as a face to be remembered in human politics, showed off the force of the Inquisition’s power. Secured an alliance with the Orlesian throne, and Eliana returns to Skyhold in triumph, a new ally in Morrigan by her side, unaware that a tragedy has struck while she was occupied.
It’s when she returns to Skyhold that she is told of what has happened to her Clan, the massacre that occurred while she was busy playing the game of human politics. The news breaks her in a way, shatters that bit more of Eliana that had already started to crack with the loss of her brother. This is far worse than that, and in her grief Eliana withdraws completely, locking herself away for a week, ignoring all requests for ally and friends. There were no kind words to fix this, and revenge would only lead to more senseless deaths, so she grieved, and Eliana swore to harden her heart from any further hurts.
After a week she emerges, and it’s almost as if it never happened. Eliana refuses to talk on it, refuses to share her grief and little by little she pulls away from her companions. She still smiles, still laughs, but the smiles never reach her eyes and the laughs feel forced. Kindness is something that can never be taken from Eliana, and so she still helps those that she can, but she also pushes away those that try and help her, in turn abandoning whatever attempts at romance she had begun before all of it. Loving only lead to loss and hurts, and she refused to let herself grow to love these people anymore than she did.
There were more important things to do in any case. They were still yet to truly find a way to defeat Corypheus and now they didn’t even have the help of knowing some of what Corypheus had planned to do to take over. They were on their own again and Eliana threw herself into training, both with her arrows and her skills as a Tempest, working to make herself stronger, better She pushed for further exploration into areas they hadn’t yet touched, and slowly they started to get rumours, clues and some of these whispers were ones worth chasing.
Including the one about Thedas’ last Inquisitor, Inquisitor Ameridan and his fate.
Exploring the Fereldan Frostback Basin she made contact with the Avvar tribes to discover the conflict between two, Stone-Bear Hold and the Jaws of Hakkon. Investigating the conflict in turn lead to her finding out more and more about the last Inquisitor, like who his allies were and the fate of them all, and finally it allowed her to come face to face with him as the Jaws of Hakkon broke the seal he had once cast to trap the dragon possessed with the spirit of their god Hakkon. Meeting Ameridan was a surprise, partially because he should have been long dead and secondly because of the fact that he was a Dalish elf. A fact that had been written out of history and a fact that would concern Eliana long after Ameridan faded away, as it made her wonder what her own fate would one day be. But there was little time to ask Ameridan anything as he quickly faded into dust with the spell broken and Eliana in turn had to go and fight the dragon possessed by Hakkon, another fight that she eventually one.
But the truth about Ameridan was not the only piece of Elvish history she was to encounter. Word came soon enough about Corypheus’ movements and plans, and with new knowledge the Inquisition set off to the wilds, to find a place known as the Temple of Mythal before he did. Along the way they battled his Red Templars and ran into strange elven defenders who took no side. The questions about them would be answered soon enough as Eliana reached the Temple, and after following the rituals was able to unlock her way into the Temple.
In the temple she discovered Elves. Ancient Elves, awoken from sleep by the attack of the Red Templars. Quickly she formed an alliance with the, knowing it better to have their help in stopping Corypheus than trying to gain control of the Well of Sorrows that he seeked. Morrigan however did not agree with that path and took off on her own, leave Eliana and her companions to battle their way through the Red Templars already in the Temple, and then to finally take down Samson, Corypheus’ right hand. She fought hard and quick, and in doing so she managed to reach Morrigan and Abelas, an elf seeking to stop her from stealing the well by destroying it, in time.
But. Morrigan did have a point. The well was a resource, and at this point they could not lose a resource. They needed everything they could get, and the knowledge and power the well offered to the one who drank from it was one only an idiot would let go, and in the end Abelas gave his permission, or rather his resignation and walked away, leaving Eliana with the choice of who would drink from the Well.
In the end the choice fell to Morrigan and Eliana and perhaps it’s a touch of Elvish Pride, perhaps a touch of her self sacrificial nature but Eliana elects herself to drink from the well. After all it is a piece of her history, and should be kept by an elf, not a human like Morrigan. And they had little idea what would happen to the one who drank, but Eliana was prepared to sacrifice herself in trying.
So she drinks, and there is seemingly no change. There is little time to ponder then and there if there is a change as they quickly have to escape Corypheus through the eluvians, returning to Skyhold. In fact Eliana is fine for a good week before the whispers finally start, voices she barely understands and she has little time to learn how to when Eros takes her again.