app for lagunbiru

[lavellethallin]

↠ THE PLAYER
Name: JC
Contact: hellblazing
Over 18? Yes
Other characters: N/A


↠ THE CHARACTER
Name | Alias: Lavellan
Journal: lavellethallin
Age: 27
Canon: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Canon point: After Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts and Here Lies the Abyss, before What Pride Had Wrought
History: The Inquisitor | Lavellan, of the Dalish

Major choices/events:

» All companions recruited
» Inquisitor speech favored the elves
» Sought the help of the mages at Redcliffe
» Accepted the rebel mages into the Inquisition as allies
» Alexius spared, set to work for the mages
» Hawke saved from the Fade at Adamant
» Grey Wardens spared, accepted as allies
» Celene retained as Empress, Briala spared, Gaspard spared, Florianne spared
» Leliana hardened (accidentally)
» Cole humanized
» Cullen encouraged to stay off lyrium
» Dorian reconciled with his father (as much as possible, anyway)


Personality:

Lavellan's most obvious trait is his kindness toward others. Call him a bleeding heart (it's pretty much true) but Lavellan wants to help everyone. Whether you're a scout for the Inquisition who's gone missing, a human refugee fighting for survival, or just a spooky spirit boy with identity issues, expect Lavellan to step up and try to fix what's wrong. Wealth and influence are important for the operation of the Inquisition, admittedly, but neither is ever as important to Lavellan as taking care of people in need. When Cullen suggests that he should start taking lyrium again, questioning his own usefulness to the Inquisition, Lavellan brushes aside his concerns and instead suggests that he keep fighting the addiction, that he believes in him. Having his Commander in perfect fighting form isn't as important as supporting a person in need, a friend, through a rough time.

He speaks kindly, or at least politely, to the vast majority of the people he meets, even people who are outright rude to him or who are technically his enemies. He didn't snap at the thoughtless noble at the Winter Palace who called him "rabbit" and asked him to fetch her ring... he just fetched the ring, because the woman seemed so distraught over it. He even manages to keep his cool and maintain a polite tone when speaking to people actively working against him, because he would rather find a diplomatic way to end a conflict than have to resort to violence. The notable exception to this is when someone is harming an innocent/non-combatant, such as when the demon masquerading as Seeker Lucius struck down the Chantry sister in Val Royeaux. If Lavellan snaps at you, you've really gone too far.

As much as it doesn't matter who you are, it also doesn't matter what the problem is. Big problems like the mages of Redcliffe being all but enslaved by a Tevinter magister are important, of course, but so are the little problems like an elven widower being unable to get flowers to the grave of his dead wife. He's a busy guy, but Lavellan will absolutely stop and take flowers to a grave--because it's important to the widower, and it's the right thing to do.

There's a lot of bigotry in Thedas. A lot. Religious, racial, cultural.... You name it, someone's probably out there being an asshole about it. The Dalish, sadly enough, are on both ends of a lot of bigotry. Elves have been discriminated against for centuries, with slurs like "knife-ear" and "rabbit" used against them, forced into alienages in cities, given menial servant jobs--when they're not outright enslaved in some parts of the world. On the flip side of that coin, it's a common perception that the Dalish look down on everyone else, be it the humans who treat them so poorly or the city elves who've lost their heritage and act like pointy-eared humans.

Lavellan doesn't knowingly buy into that garbage. He's proud of his Dalish heritage, yes, and he's a strong supporter of trying to reclaim as much elven history/lore as possible, but he doesn't look down on other people for being human or Andrastian or whatever else they may be. When everyone started calling him the Herald of Andraste he didn't protest that he didn't even believe in the Maker--he was simply honest and admitted that he didn't know if he was chosen or not, by whoever it might be. He won't try to argue with the Herald thing when it brings hope and strength to so many people, even if he never outright agrees with it either. He also doesn't try to push his Dalish beliefs on others--particularly Sera, as a city-elf--and he even goes to some lengths to not be as "elfy" as people would expect a Dalish to be. He very rarely drops elven words into conversation despite the strong tendency of most Dalish to do so.

Moreover, he's willing to help anyone who needs it, and this is where that respect really shines through. It doesn't matter if you're an elven widow, a human apostate, some nameless person who left a note asking for help... as long as you're in genuine need of assistance, Lavellan's your man. Er, elf. He doesn't discriminate or make judgments about who's more worthy of his help. He's also happy to befriend anyone, no matter what color/race/nationality they might be.

As far as conversation goes it's possible he might slip from time to time, particularly in reaction to humans (hey, nobody's perfect, and the Dalish have been a strong influence on him for the vast majority of his life) but the hatred behind the reaction just isn't there. For him it would be more of a kneejerk due to his upbringing.

Lavellan is kind and compassionate, but that doesn't mean he's always 100% serious in every situation. Thankfully for both himself and those around him, he also has a healthy sense of humor. And, thankfully, he usually has a pretty good sense of when to use that humor. It's very infrequent that he'll purposely interrupt an important moment with a joke, the way some people would be tempted to lighten the mood. To do so would be disrespectful to the situation. Rather he'll use humor to try to cheer up his friends, or when a situation is already ridiculous and just needs someone to point it out. His teasing is always gentle, never intended to be cruel or hurtful toward others. He's also careful to tailor his response to the person in question: for example, he rarely jokes with people like Solas or Vivienne, who really just don't give off a vibe of being able to take a joke, but he'll almost always opt for a joke with Varric rather than staying serious.

(He and Varric have agreed that they don't actually know what they're doing, that they're "saving the world through bullshit.")

There's also a strong vein of self-deprecation to his humor (see above, "saving the world through bullshit"); while he tries not to mock or deride others, he has no problem doing the same to himself. While some of this ties into his weaknesses, specifically his self-doubt, it's also a way to keep himself from appearing too high and mighty to everyone else. Yes, he's an incredibly powerful person, but he doesn't take himself particularly seriously and he doesn't need to scare the pants off of the people serving under him in the Inquisition.

When Lavellan picks a cause, he sticks with it. When he makes a friend he devotes himself to them. Everything he is, everything he has, he devotes to what he believes in, and he'll do whatever it takes to make things work. The most obvious example of this is, of course, his very involvement in the Inquisition. He starts out as simply another member of the Inquisition, albeit the only one who can close the rifts, but not the leader of the organization by any stretch. He's chosen as the Inquisitor for multiple reasons, but a lot of it has to do with the public image of him as the Herald of Andraste, the savior of the people of Haven. He isn't content to be just a figurehead, though. He involves himself at the war table, goes on missions himself, works to gain influence, even subjects himself to the Winter Palace and the Game, all in the name of stopping Corypheus.

It's the same with friends: he may not always agree with them--hell, they may not even really like him that much--but you can be sure he'll do whatever he can for them. He's never gotten along particularly well with Sera (she's too chaotic for him, and he's too "elfy" for her) but he does what he can for her, taking on Red Jenny missions and chatting with her whenever he gets the chance. He's not going to be the one to give up on their friendship. Neither does he get along all that well with Solas, given that Solas looks down on the Dalish and doesn't seem to agree with anything Lavellan does, but Lavellan nonetheless remains friendly and tries to find common points of interest with him. (It's possibly also worth noting that although his canon point is before Trespasser, when Trespasser does come around he's absolutely going to bat for Solas. They may not always agree but Solas is part of the Inquisition family, damn it.)

For those of his friends who do trust him enough, he'll put himself in harm's way, face a sticky family situation... whatever his friend needs of him. He's always available to lend an ear or a shoulder to cry on. Even if he doesn't have any useful advice to give, he's there.

And of course, no matter how many people call him the Herald of Andraste, no matter if Corypheus might have actually breached the Golden City long ago (which might prove... things), Lavellan has remained quietly devoted to the elven gods. He doesn't force his faith on others, doesn't mock Andrastians for believing in the Maker, but he hasn't given up on the gods of his people.

Aside from all notions of duty, compassion, etc, a more personal quirk of Lavellan's is his curiosity. He's insatiably curious about everything. He'll read any book, scroll, or scrap of paper that he happens across, and he'll chat with anyone who'll stand still long enough. And by "chat," I mean he'll ask them any and every question that comes to mind, delving further into any topic, and essentially exhausting the extent of how much people are willing to talk with him. Coming from an insular culture like the Dalish and therefore not having a lot of pre-existing knowledge about certain topics, some of this is a genuine need for knowledge. A "need for knowledge" doesn't explain questioning everyone in the Inquisition about their pasts or their hobbies or their well-being, however. And it doesn't explain why he's read so many of Varric's books. (Even the bad ones.) He's an information sponge, always eager to learn more.

He's also driven to physically explore whatever place he's in, be it every nook and cranny of the Hinterlands in Ferelden (and there are a LOT of nooks and crannies in the Hinterlands) or every room he can manage to find in the Winter Palace. Any new place piques his curiosity and drives him to learn everything he can about it, to go everywhere and see everything.

Compassion is one of Lavellan's greatest strengths, but unfortunately he has a tendency to take this to extremes. Though he refuses to let anyone see his own hurts, he has no qualms about expressing his sorrow at the plight of others, up to the point of not caring if he cries in front of... anyone, really. He has a hard time believing that anyone (with the possible exception of Corypheus) is incapable of change and firmly believes that everyone deserves a second chance, no matter what sort of treachery they've committed before that point. He's pardoned a magister who all but enslaved a group of mages and would have completely ruined the world if given the chance, a man who attempted to usurp the Orlesian throne, a woman who attempted to murder the Empress of Orlais, an actual murderer.... He'll give anyone the opportunity to atone, most frequently preferring to pass judgments that require the accused to work off their debt to society in some manner. It would be incredibly easy for someone ruthless enough to take advantage of this, to use the opportunity of being shown mercy to continue with their own agenda or to pretend to be repentant only to stab him in the back later.

As mentioned earlier, Lavellan takes great pains to hide his own hurts. He loves to chat, being friendly and insatiably curious, but other than answering superficial, easy questions about himself, he will almost always redirect the conversation back to the other person or to the situation at hand. Any time he's questioned directly about himself (is he okay? how is he holding up? does the Mark cause him pain?) he simply shrugs it off, claiming that he's fine. Humor helps deflect some attention as well, because even the self-doubt he allows others to see ("Thank you so much for reminding me how much is at stake if I fail here") doesn't really express the depth of what he's going through. This is a man who has suddenly been thrust into the world spotlight, had the weight of nations placed on his shoulders, lost his entire clan due to his own bad decision.... He is not "fine." There is no way he's fine. But he also knows he has an image to maintain for the good of the Inquisition, that he is the one everyone's looking to, and as much as he helps others with their own problems, he can't place his own burdens on others. That's not what he's there for. He's there to protect everyone else, to make things better. So he bottles everything up, because that's clearly the best coping mechanism, right?

For as much faith as he places in others--be it his cherished friends, the Inquisition itself, or even those he's pardoned--Lavellan has a severe lack of faith in himself. Early on in the Inquisition this manifested as doubt about whether he was truly "chosen" by the Maker or Andraste or... whoever else (/vague handwave). He even went so far as to suggest in the war room that if his presence was causing a problem, maybe he should leave, although the suggestion was quickly shot down. When chosen by the Inner Circle of the Inquisition to take the title of Inquisitor he openly questioned whether it was a good idea before finally agreeing.

As time goes on he is careful to openly express this doubt less and less, acutely aware that he needs to appear strong to keep the Inquisition from floundering, although occasionally he'll throw out a quick comment about having so much responsibility placed on him ("no pressure" or "thank you for reminding me..."). Losing his entire clan due to a poor decision on his own part has only amplified his doubt about his suitability for the role.

What do you call it when a single elf decides to go face an ancient magister and a dragon, presumed to be an archdemon, with the intent of not only stalling for time but also dropping a mountain on himself and the bad guys so the rest of the soldiers and civilians nearby can escape? Brave, stupid, heroic... whatever you call it, it's also a good way to get dead. Lavellan's kind heart and overriding urge to protect others drive him to do incredibly dangerous things, usually without thinking twice about it. If someone's in trouble and he's in a position to help, he's going to dive right in and to hell with the risk to himself.

This selflessness doesn't only take the form of jumping at bad guys or purposely causing avalanches, however. Before he was sent to the Conclave by the Keeper, Lavellan had a life. He had a clan he cared deeply about and a role within that clan. And yet, after the Conclave and during the formation of the Inquisition, Lavellan let all of that go. His communication with his clan was reduced to a few letters sent by the Keeper. He let himself get swept up in the need to save the world and let go of whatever plans, hopes, goals he might have had. With the slaughter of his clan he quite literally has nothing left of his life before the Inquisition. His past self is all but gone and he let it happen for the good of everyone else.

More than anything, Lavellan's overriding urge in life is to protect others. After the destruction of the Conclave and after the Breach appeared in the sky, Varric mentioned, however much jokingly, that Lavellan should probably run at his earliest opportunity. This was a man who had a life in another country, a clan to go back to, people who cared about him. Yet he stayed, because the Mark on his hand was the only thing that could close the rifts appearing around the countryside and the only thing that could close the Breach in the sky. Staying was the right thing to do, and it was the only way to protect people from whatever had been unleashed during the attack on the Conclave.

Furthermore (and this is extrapolation on my part), staying was the only way to protect the elves--both his own clan and any other elf in Thedas. What would have happened if an elf, initially accused of murdering the Divine, had taken the only tool capable of closing the giant tears in the sky and run away with it? It's highly likely that many more elves, whether related to Lavellan or not, would have suffered for that selfishness. The people in Thedas who show bigotry toward elves hardly need a reason to begin with, and that would have given them a huge one.

It's not always big, grand gestures either. If a scout goes missing, Lavellan is the first one out there trying to find them. If a squad of soldiers is taken captive, he's right out there in the field trying to get them back. During the siege at Adamant he purposely fought back the demons at the battlements to give the Inquisition soldiers support, he warned Cullen not to risk the men any more than necessary, and after rescuing a group of Grey Wardens he sent them back to help the soldiers rather than keep them on to help protect his own party.


Abilities and Nerfs:

Although quite strong and skilled with a sword, Lavellan has no magic or "powers" other than the Mark on his hand. With the Fade inaccessible on the station, the Mark will have no power and will go dormant. Elves in general can see better in the dark than humans, so... there's that.

Inventory:

Heavy armor
A small utility knife for cutting plants/woodcarving
A figurine of a halla carved out of ivory

Appearance:

Lavellan is 5'6" and slender, with pale skin, bright blue eyes and a shock of short, platinum blond hair. His vallaslin is dark violet, sinuous lines like smoke curling from his left cheek, around his left eye and up past his eyebrow. His ears are long and slender. Given that the Fade will not be accessible, the Mark on his left hand will only appear as a jagged green scar across his palm. All in all he looks very boyish, especially given his somewhat diminutive size.

Image reference

Five Desires:

» A modest selection of real, physical books (throwing in something smutty, like Cassandra reads, wouldn't go amiss; he's curious, sue him)
» A small herb garden, with plants from Thedas if possible
» A supply of wood to carve
» Recordings of Dalish folk songs
» A lute

Honestly it won't be too hard to get Lavellan to agree to do what he's told, as soon as he accepts that this is indeed reality and he really has to do this. Getting back to Thedas and his duties as Inquisitor are what's most important. Small creature comforts will be welcomed along the way, however!