#sorta plotting

+ Maeve doesn’t really remember much of Flemeth - This is really just something that makes sense to me given she had a fairly unpleasant early childhood and she ran away with her sister at a young age. Her memories of her mother a vague and almost all negative. Most of her opinions on Flemeth come from Morrigan’s accounts of their childhood. I see her blocking out a lot of her early memories because she was a deeply unhappy child. She saw facing the blight as a preteen as the better option than being left along with Flemeth. She also only refers to her as “My Mother” or “Flemeth” in much the way Morrigan does.

+She wanted to be a Grey Warden - this is just one of those random things when I was trying to give Maeve some more depth that I wrote down but it has stuck. I think it’s because she adores Alistair and looked up to the Warden as well. I also think that Alistair was probably the first to put an end to the idea of her joining the Wardens. Her desire to join the Wardens remains with her, even when she meets Blackwall she tells him, “Once upon a time, I wanted to be a Warden...” 

+ Maeve has a soft spot for Templars - This is another thing that her fondness for Alistair influenced. Though she heard the stories about Kirkwall from Alistair himself, Maeve still believed that most Templars were noble and honorable like she views Alistair. He tries to explain to her that they are just people and have faults but Maeve keeps her head in the clouds about this for quite some time. Morrigan kept her isolated, even as a young adult so she has rarely seen the real horrors they had caused. It ends up being what she sees and what Cullen tells her about his past that breaks that romanticized view of Templars. 

+ Maeve is half-Avvar - I had planned originally on having her be half-Tevinter but the more I played with the idea of her having some blood connection to the Avvar and their cool relationships with Spirits and Flemthal maybe being the Lady of the Skies (who knows... I went down a rabbit hole) plus the events of JoH, I thought... Avvar Maeve would be pretty awesome. Plus it explains her paleness... I do think she knows her father was an Avvar, it being a fact I think Flemeth would not let her forget, and when she gets the chance to go and meet the Avvar clans... she does her best to impress them and prove her worth. Which I think that Bull, in particular, would find very enduring about her. 

+ Maeve’s best friend as a child, was Sandal - This is mostly just a silly one but the more I thought about the more I gave this weight. She was just a kid during the events of DAO and spent most of her time at camp, with Sandal and Bodan. Because of this, I see her bonding with the odd lad, it was almost like she understood him without needing words. Maeve would watch him as he made the runes and Sandel was fascinated when he watch Maeve practice her magic. One of the few things she carried with her from her childhood was a pair of enchantment runes that Sandal made for her before they parted ways. Before she leaves for the conclave she gives Keiren one and tells him to keep it safe because she will come back for it. When she sees Keiren again she asks him where is her rune... and Keiren pulls it from his pocket. Maeve also may know what “Not Enchantment” is, though she refuses to ever speak of it often saying I was sworn to secrecy. She often thinks about Sandal and often wishes that she could find her friend and bring him into the safety of the Inquisition, where they could really use his talents. 

+ Maeve and Keiren are more like brother and sister than Aunt and nephew - This is something that Cullen and Varric both note when they see them together. Maeve seems to come alive around the young man. Cullen even ends up telling Varric he had never heard her laugh so much. They have a very sweet loving relationship and they both seem most at ease with each other. Maeve speaks very fondly of Keiren, even before they arrive at Skyhold. Never once does she mention missing Morrigan but she says she misses Keiren quite a bit. She also writes him letters from the time she arrives in Haven, she also sends him a gift for his birthday (Krem helps her make him a Mabari plushie) which happens shortly before they join her at Skyhold. 

+ Solas is very cautious but ultimately fairly fond of Maeve - I think that Solas can see whatever tiny bit of Mythal may have been passed to her just by being Flemeth’s daughter. I like to HC that Maeve got the compassion and protective aspects of Mythal’s personality. So I think from the moment Solas was brought to her, he was actually concerned because he knew who she was and what a grave mistake he had made. He watches her closely. See how she handles herself, how her temperament is in stressful situations and where he morals lie. When Solas sees she is a kind person, who only wants what is fair for everyone. That she doesn’t discount the Elves or any race. He is impressed by her and takes quite a bit of time with her just speaking to her. Asking her many questions, some in the manner as the ones he asks Sera, trying to figure her out. 

+ Maeve drinks from the Well of Sorrows as an act of defiance - Maeve went into the Temple with every intention of letting Morrigan drink from the Well. Cullen had made her promise him that she wouldn’t take that risk before she left. After having Morrigan act like a know-it-all and bossing her around during the search, she had reached her wits end by the time they get to the Well. While Solas, Dorian, Viv and Morrigan argue over who should actually be the one to drink from the Well. Maeve makes the decision for everyone. She pushes past Morrigan who actually tries to physically stop her. The women wrestle for a moment before Maeve shoves her sister to the ground declaring for once in her life she will be the one to make the choice.  None of the other’s have a chance to reach her fast enough because she fade steps into the center. Dorian declares that “Well, Cullen is going to kill us all.... I hope you all like torture because I do not think he is going to let this go...”