#tranquil lavellan

And then Veilguard came out and it was fucking impossible for me to even see her there. She had decided to kill Solas, but then at the end of the game I still got the ending where we redeemed him. Not to mention that she was way too friendly with Morrigan. It just kinda broke my immersion a lot. And yeah, I could just ignore Veilguard entirely, but it will always float in the back of my mind, especially since I love the potential it has.

Thus my beloved Adaar had to be pushed aside, well not really, but mostly cause I just couldn’t keep writing her with all these mental hangups. She’s still near and dear to my heart, a victim of spiraling self hatred that’s fueled by those around her who raise her up on a pedestal. The more she was the Herald, the less she was herself.

But all this to say, I’ve been having a super fucking hard time coming up with a new character since then. I kind of decided on a former tranquil a while back, I just couldn’t resist the self indulgence anymore. Especially since any form of truly “evil” inquisitor just Does Not Work anymore (to me evil is being super pro chantry and anti mage, btw), but I also can’t really get behind an inquisitor who truly does good. Cause at the end of the day, you’re an inquisition, and the job is to return stuff to the status quo. But the status quo isn’t good.

So, tranquil, someone who had no right to identity and free will until recently, who is emotionally volatile and has difficulty leading. The perfect solution for someone to bumble their way through and kind of just be influenced by those around them. Not to say they aren’t their own character, of course.

It also follows my ‘theme’ of sorts, my Warden is a Surana who is diametrically anti chantry, a blood mage demon summoner who began returning to his elven roots and became an Arcane Warrior. He became what the chantry fears, a mage in power who uses blood magic to get his way. But he’s also at his core good.

Then there’s Hawke, a warrior who his job was to protect his family and he fails over and over again. Slowly his hatred of magic and its threat growing and growing, he starts taking lyrium, his paranoia and anger growing, abusing his lover, Anders, keeping him close always. Manipulating and trapping the man with him as he becomes a horror as bad as Meredith. He aids in her annulment, slaughtering any mage in his path, until he got to his sister. He intended to trap her with him, too, which is what had him turning against Meredith. He became a “hero”, praised for the horrors he wrought.

A mage raised within the circle who turns against it, and a warrior raised against the circle who becomes for it. Opposites.

So a tranquil sits between that.

But then what do I do with this? Cadash and Adaar are crossed of the list of possible Inquisitors, Qunari mages, even if they’re Vashoth, would likely just be killed rather than brought into a circle. And well, dwarves can’t be mages.

Issue is… I don’t like Trevelyan. I just don’t. It annoys me, it’s not fun, I don’t like playing humans unless it’s necessary. But I was struggling, cause Lavellan is so tied to being dalish. And dalish obviously don’t have tranquil, so what do??? Struggle.

Then I was like, ok, what if they were made tranquil and then adopted into the clan? Like, Kirkwall circle, escape, joined clan. Could’ve made it so Samson is who got the tranquil out, the only Templar who really cares about them, and they ended up running into clan Lavellan. Maybe Samson was heading to Corypheus, but Clan Lavellan offered to take in the elven tranquil and mages. And my character chose to stay cause it seemed easier to them. Then cause they were a tranquil they were the one sent to spy on the conclave since they’d blend in smoothly. But I just… wasn’t feeling it, ya know??? It just felt… too contrived for my tastes. Too self indulgent.

Then my beloved mutual (@albaharu who’s doing a FANTASTIC comic with inquisitor Maddox that yall should all check out) suggested something completely genius. What if they were dalish, captured, and then made tranquil? And then it kind of clicked in my head.

Still, I didn’t think too hard on it for a while, still somewhat frustrated. But last night, or this morning, I woke up at 3am and wasn’t able to sleep. And it just got stuck in my head.

Mostly cause I was thinking of an Iron Bull fantasy thing and then got in my head about who this Inquisitor was BUT AHEM

And it all started to just… fall into place. PLUS it allows a smooth rewrite for Cullen to ensure that his redemption arc is more realistic by the time of Inquisition along with adding more to my Bethany’s arc. FURTHERMORE, it even makes the dynamic with Varric and my evil Hawke more interesting with the Inquisitor! So let’s get started.

Alright, Dalish elf from clan Lavellan. Key thing, they aren’t a first, or second, or even on the block for it. The inquisition thing of only “three mages per clan” is a stupid fucking retcon, but Lavellan has three official mages. And my guy isn’t one of them. They were a young hunter instead, pride a bit too big for their britches. And because I cannot resist myself, I’m making them trans as well, which I’m going with clan Lavellan is more accepting of. Deshanna actually was trying to push him into becoming the Second since I’m going with clan Lavellan (not every clan) believed being transgender meant having a stronger connection to the fade. They have a different term than transgender.

Anyways, he’s once again, bit too prideful for his britches, decides to do the hunting ceremony to reach adulthood, gets his vallaslin, at the age of about 16. Which I’m going with is likely around the normal age to do so, if maybe a bit early.

He goes on a hunting party, they get too close to a group of Templars hunting mages, and, well, the hunting party is mostly slaughtered, some escaping back to the clan to warm them. My guy isn’t one of them, and the tempalrs take notice that the smite affects him, and instead of killing him they “show mercy” and take him back to the circle, especially since he’s cowering at this point.

I’m going with he’s taken to the Kirkwall Circle, the Gallows. This sucks for him, of course. But Meredith hasn’t gone completely mad, and Orsino vouches, and they try to reeducate him. First, transphobia, refuse to accept him as a man, I won’t get into the horrors I imagine there (also, just as I think some dalish clans would prize trans mages for being closer to the fade in their eyes, I think the circles would despise trans mages for that exact same reason). At the end of the day, though, he is made tranquil. Head shaved (I like to think the dalish really value their hair, so it’s another make against that), and the brand placed over his vallaslin.

And we all know the horrors of the Gallows.

Specifically I did get the thought of an elven mage asking tranquil him about the dalish, whispering and keeping quiet. But then a Templar asks what they were talking about and he just… tells them. It’s easier to just tell them. That elven mage was tranquil within the week. He eventually stopped answering questions regarding the dalish, especially to mages. Templars he’d always answer, it was easier.

But now the next bit is, how does he get out of the Gallows? Easy! I’m going with Cullen actually was growing somewhat close with Bethany. Ick, I know, going for mages under his command again, he’s got a type. And Bethany, the longer she was in the circle, the more she couldn’t take it, writing lies back to her brother to comfort him, to try and trick herself into believing them… but there’s only so much you can do.

So, what if, during the annulment after the bombing of the chantry, Bethany was ready, kind of. She jumps into action, gathering the children and as many mages as she can, Cullen and a handful of templars agreeing to help, seeing Meredith as having gone too far. Samson part of the group too, Samson being the one to focus on the tranquil, to try and save them as well. Bethany and some other mages taking a stand to buy time for others to escape, especially the children.

Maybe Bethany had grown closer to my guy specifically cause she had grown close with Merrill. So even if he didn’t answer questions regarding, he’d listen, and well, she was human, and a Hawke. So he didn’t shut down the conversation. So he ends up in the escape group of mostly mages that was pushed out by Bethany and led away by Cullen, rather than with the group of mostly tranquil led by Samson. Lots of mages are very uncomfortable with his presence.

Hawke spares Bethany after having slaughtered everyone else, but in the chaos of the fight against Meredith she and Cullen essentially swap, him fighting Meredith and her leading the mages out of Kirkwall.

This also means I’m essentially gonna be headcanoning that Bethany is with the rebel mages, and that my guy ends up sticking with her. I can do a lot with the in between time, but I know he ends up being one of the only folks in the group who knows how to hunt and cook and clean clothes. He’s tranquil, but he ends up invaluable to the group for knowing how to build a bow and fletch arrows. He remembers, even if it’s been years. So he keeps everyone fed at Bethany’s request.

(Ignore Anders, he’s currently stuck in an abusive torment nexus with Hawke in this verse)

And this would essentially be how he ends up at the Conclave, instead of being a spy for clan Lavellan, he’s a spy for Bethany and their small group of mages. She has at this point lost a lot of trust in stuff like this, and I’m going with she might be working with Fiona at the time. So she ends up staying behind, especially since she’s recognizable as Bethany Hawke, and she’s terrified of seeing her brother again. What if he’s also there? On the side of the templars?

So he goes, cause he’s still tranquil and can blend in. Then the Conclave explodes and he’s no longer tranquil, his clan recognizing the news of him from far off since he’s in such public consciousness, and they try to reach out.

Bethany leaves Fiona when Tevinter comes, along with a small group of mages (hence why they’re not there).

This also ensures a very fun complicated relationship with Varric, cause to my guy, Hawke is evil. And another fun relationship with Cullen, cause it’s still complicated, Cullen was still a templar, and does taking a stand at the very end mean anything? After the years of horrors and bending the knee? Especially since Cullen still doesn’t really trust mages or magic. AND he’d have a weird relationship with the dalish, now distant from it!!!

Hi!! I finally got the chance to finish this!! Ahhhh!! I hope you like it!!

Tbh you were probably expecting me to work the tranquil angle, but I wanted to do something different, soooo...we got this instead.

Also I got an Ao3 so Imma just put a preview and link to the full story on Ao3, if that’s cool.

Edit: For Angst Writing Prompts

~~~~

It was the third day since the Inquisitor had not returned to Skyhold. The second since a barely alive scout crashed through the gates, clearly in hysterics, wailing about how the Inquisitor had been taken hostage to all who would take notice, anybody who would believe the enemy could even capture the Inquisitor. Which weren’t many people, really.

The lad didn’t survive for much longer after his return. He collapsed in the main hall and was joined by his family at his deathbed. The poor kid.

They didn’t even require to cut him open to tell that he had been poisoned with red lyrium.

The inner circle had wasted a good part of that afternoon arguing over what to do. Solas had calmly excused himself at about two hours in. No one saw him again until noon the next day, where he re-joined the inner circle as they continued to argue. Again.

That day was no different, of course. Mostly, at least.

Again, they had all crowded around the war table. Again, Josephine and Leliana had attempted to lead calm, open discussions. Again, Cullen grew irritable and brought the volume up. Again, they quarrelled.

Except, this time, something that even surprised Varric interrupted them.

There was an abrupt shock wave, small enough to not send them flying, but powerful enough to get them all to shut up and turn towards the source. Solas, with his fist on the table, was scowling even deeper than Varric had considered possible of him. There was a whirling darkness in his eyes that screamed anger, resentment, impatience.

And, despite this, he spoke coolly. Evenly. Clearly.

“Do you sincerely believe this foolish bickering will settle anything?” He had demanded. The group had exchanged glances, and didn’t respond. “No? Then why proceed? Are you not aware-“

The commander tried to cut him off. There was another burst of energy, but this time it wasn’t felt physically. Instead, everyone cowered, bringing their hands up to hold their heads as if they were in pain.

“I would appreciate it, commander, if you would allow me to speak.” He continued, “Are you not aware that every minute we waste here, she is in the hands of our adversaries? Are you not concerned that with every day you think it wise to argue, she bridges the verge of death? Have any of you, in any of your quarrels, actually thought of her over yourselves?” He had said.

No one could answer.

“I see. Well. If none of you see it fit to act, then I shall do it myself.”

They had taken everything from her.

Even herself.

It had started with her origins, her heritage claimed for their Prophet; they ignored who she was - Lavellan of the Dales, an elven mage; that she was everything their Chantry despised they conveniently forgot when the shems realized they needed her.

Then they took her blood, her blood spilled the myriad times she faced down demons and bandits and templars; not once asking how she was, how she felt, content, instead, to patch her up with poultice and potion and send her off to save them again. And again. And again.

Finally, they took her dignity once they realized they no longer needed her; Lavellan, Inquisitor, Herald of Andraste was no longer savior but instead a threat, and so they tried to claim her deeds for their own; when she left Halamshiral, the land that rightfully belonged to her people, she left with nothing but the armor she wore and the staff strapped to her back.

And then… then they took her name.

Inquisitor no longer, she was called betrayer, traitor, enemy; they chased her into and out of forests, slaughtered her clan, took all she cared about away from her. All because she had dared to fall in love with him; because she had given her heart to the Dread Wolf, He Who Would Raze The World, He Who Championed the Elves.

They would not believe she was on their side.

They were but ignorant beasts, who would rip to shreds anything of value in this world.

Fen’harel looked at the woman sitting at the table, her face devoid of all emotions, her hands carefully and meticulously turning over page after page of the book she read. For a moment, he could pretend that she was the Lavellan of old, his Lavellan, she who had vowed var lath vir suledin even as he’d broken her heart again.

Then she turned her face towards him, and he could no longer ignore the dreaded mark on her forehead.

The accursed sunburst pattern.

Lavellan gazed up at him, shutting her book with a soft thud, and rising to her feet to greet him.

“Solas.” Her voice was a monotone; it lacked the melody that it had once carried. “You are back.”

There was no vhenan, no careful running of fingers down his face and chest; no ma lath said chidingly as she traced a fresh scar or a new bruise.

There was only this blank, hollow shell.

“Yes, vhenan.” His voice broke on the last syllable. Clearing his throat, he continued. “Are you well?”

“I have been well taken care of,” she intoned, her face never changing, her posture as rigid and stiff as her expression.

This was not his Lavellan.

The fury bubbled anew in his veins.

They had taken everything from her, left her with nothing, not even herself. And for that, they would pay. They would all pay. Even those who had once been her companions, who had failed her in the moment she needed them the most. They had none of them prevented her Tranquility, and for that they would suffer, as she had suffered, as he had suffered.

When he burned down the Grand Cathedral and turned Val Royeaux to dust, he would take from the shems all that they believed in.