Amaris Lavellan

Amaris Lavellan is a Dalish elven mage, better known to the world as the Inquisitor, or much to her displeasure and discouragement, the "Herald of Andraste".

Background

For a long time, the Dalish Clan Lavellan was known as having no magic. Some wondered if a curse was placed on them. It was always necessary to adopt mages from other clans, as none were born from their own. That is, until in the 1st of Cloudreach, 9:11 Dragon, when Amaris came into the picture.

While simply relieved to have her daughter alive at the time, Leandra would one day come to wonder if Dalia could have been "spared" of her magic, had they listened to the Sisters' superstitions.

Amaris was a very solitary child, preferring the company of her grandparents, books, and her own imagination over the other children. Early on her parents wondered if there was something ‘wrong’ with her, but dismissed it as simply shyness. When she was 10, her parents adopted a young boy when his parents fled from the city, but did not make it themselves. She was a very mother-like big sister, and it pleased her parents to see her have some social interaction.

Amaris discovered her magic at the age of 12. When practicing archery, (and doing rather poorly at that,) just before releasing the arrow, the target she was aiming at was struck by a bolt of lightning. With clear skies ahead, the clan immediately recognized it as magic, and Amaris was wisped over to the Keeper before she could even fully comprehend what had happened. The Keeper immediately announced her as First… demoting the current studying First to Second, and the current studying Second to Third. While the Second held some resentment towards her, (which she could not blame him,) the Third, Telmala, cared not.

While initially all the praise and attention she was getting made Amaris want to melt into a corner, she soon realized just how lucky she was. She loved spending her days apprenticing the Keeper, and felt it a lot easier to get along with the other two young mages of her clan, as there was always something to talk about in regards to the magic and history they studied. Her parents went from fretting over her spending too much time reading, to not enough.
Learning the lore of her people always won over practicing magic. While she grew to become a fine mage, albeit with a near complete lack of offensive spells, her true value and pride was in her knowledge of the people.

Amaris and Telmala connected in particular, and the two young girls developed romantic feelings for each other.
Unfortunately, when Amaris was 16 and Telmala was 17, at the Arlathvhen, Telmala was sent to another clan in need of a mage. Telmala didn’t want to go, not only because this was the third clan she would move to, but because it meant the feasible end of her relationship with Amaris, who was also very heartbroken, and remained that way for some time. When the two reunited at the next Arlathvhen of 9:37 Dragon, they even contemplated running away together. However, neither felt they could abandon their clans.Amaris received her vallaslin when she was 21; late for the average Dalish, but she was in no rush. The Keeper suggested the blood writing of Dirthamen, as he bestowed to the elves knowledge, and taught them loyalty and faith in family, something Amaris was “destined to follow in.” She accepted with honour.

Then came the bonding proposals. Suddenly she could no longer find a moment of peace. Men would share their interest in her, and she would turn them down. Amaris knew it was not her they were interested in, but rather her magic, and the idea that their child might have magic. The Keeper encouraged this, stating that Amaris was given a precious gift, and that it was her duty to pass that down. But while Amaris strived to be a good Dalish elf in every way, this was something she simply could not do. For Amaris concluded that while she could be content with a romantic relationship, as the one she had and still ached for with Telmala, she is asexual, with no interest in sexual activity. Let alone having a child.
Amaris tried to talk to her parents, who only cried for grandchildren. When she tried to talk to the Keeper, the woman simply reminded her that the older she got, the less likely she could deliver a healthy baby, and maybe it was time to finally pick someone, anyone, and then they'd leave her alone. This was the first time Amaris ever argued with the Keeper, and as a result she was made to feel like a child herself. Amaris contemplated this, reasoning that maybe if she just did it and got it over with she could finally be at peace. But the thought made her cringe. So she continued to avoid everyone as best she could.

Involvement

Dragon Age: Inquisition

The day came when a handful of hunters returned in a panic, reporting that war was headed their way. In order to avoid conflict, the clan was forced to leave the countryside and flee to the forest outside of Wycome. When the clan heard news of the Conclave, the Keeper asked Amaris to discreetly attend, and bring back news. The Keeper did not elaborate beyond that, and Amaris didn’t ask, seeing it as a way to put off the pressure to bare a child even longer. So she and a few clan members left to cross the sea into Ferelden. Amaris never assumed she wouldn’t be returning.

Of course, a dose of amnesia and a strange, painful mark on her hand with the ability to close the new found fade rifts in the sky is quite the road block.
When Amaris woke up in a Chantry prison, interrogated by two strange humans over something she knew nothing of, she was afraid and angry. Most of her experience with the Chantry was with the templars and missionaries harassing her clan from time to time. She had heard stories of templars raiding and taking Dalish mages captive from other clans in the Free Marches, and with no memory of what happened, assumed the same had been done to her. But when Cassandra showed her the Breach in the sky, raining demons, she put aside her distrust and agreed to do what she could to stop it, with her mysterious new mark.

Unfortunately, her attempt was only partially successful. After Cassandra and Leliana declare the Inquisition reborn, they not so gently pointed out that with so many blaming her for the death of the Divine, she would no doubt be killed before making it back to her clan. And so Amaris agreed, knowing the Breach needed to be sealed for good, on the condition that they do not address her as the "Herald of Andraste…" a condition no one abided.

When the Inquisition started out, Amaris hated it with a passion, and was very afraid of much around her. Templars were everywhere. Chantry sisters. Angry nobles. Adoring people saying she was a holy figure for a religious organization that not only did she not believe in, but actively oppressed her people. The only things that kept her going were chances to do good, and using Inquisition resources to satisfy her own interests in elven history, like exploring the ancient temple, Solasan. She was also eager to support the rebel mages, who after foiling a time-travelling Tevinter cultist scheme, she offered an alliance with. But the Venatori bothered Amaris. Even after successfully closing the Breach, she felt like there was something yet to come.

And so it did. After Corypheus and his Red Templars destroyed Haven, Amaris was incredibly distraught. Not just because she witnessed immense death and destruction—including nearly her own—at the hands of a monstrous creature claiming godhood, but because it seemed like she would never be able to leave the chaos behind. But being named Inquisitor gave her a newfound sense of determination. If the humans wished to put her in such a position, even officialize it, she would make the best of it.

Amaris accomplished much as Inquisitor. She never missed an opportunity to explore a historic site of her people. Whenever she came across those in need of help, she always took the time to do so. But these things paled in comparison to her bigger influences, such as saving and recruiting the Grey Wardens from Venatori control, and seeing true rule over the Orlesian Empire rest in the hands of the elven leader, Briala. (Who she would readily admit to having a minor infatuation with.)

Amaris was both amazed and incredibly discouraged to discover the Temple of Mythal, and the living ancient elves. She had so many questions, and they had no answers. And so when Abelas offered the Well of Sorrows’ knowledge to them, she instantly decided it would be her to drink from it. Morrigan’s protests only made her surer; she had just spent the entire time trying to explain to Amaris’ own culture to her, and now she wanted the gift of lost elven history for herself? Amaris couldn’t push her out of the way fast enough.
While the Well’s whispering in the back of her mind created some displeasure at first, Amaris learned to tune them in and out. After that, she was often found sitting alone in her room, furiously writing in her books about anything and everything they would speak of.

Over time, Amaris also developed a romantic bond with Solas, the mysterious elven mage she originally saw as a jerk rival. Their relationship turned for the better when Solas questioned if he was wrong about the Dalish, to which Amaris said yes. From that point on, she also spent her freetime enjoying many dates in the Fade, and discussions on magic. She was completely blindsided by him breaking things off, initially thinking it was because she drank from the well, or because she refused his offer to remove the vallaslin she proudly wore as a mark of her Dalish culture… or because she would not sleep with him. While Solas tried to say otherwise, the “it’s not you, it’s me” line never had a history of working well. Just like with Telmala, Amaris fell into a state of heartbreak. And as much as she did not want to, she still held feelings for Solas.

Discovering that an essence of Mythal’s spirit lived on in an old, suspicious seeming human both confused and disappointed Amaris. She couldn’t understand why if one of the Creators lived on, they wouldn’t help the people. She couldn’t understand why Mythal would chose a human to live in over one of her own. And the idea of a human now having magical control over her scared her to no end. Yet again, she had so many questions, and no time for answers.

Defeating Corypheus gave the Amaris the biggest sense of accomplishment since putting Briala behind the throne of Orlais. While there was still much work to be done, and she still held the title of Inquisitor, she knew the Inquisitions days would then forth be numbered. However, that initial happiness was reduced with the disappearance of Solas. But Amaris accepted that if he didn’t want to be found, there was no point in searching for him. And so she decided to focus on cleaning up the remaining mess left by the Venatori and Red Templars.

Jaws of Hakkon

The huge history lover she is, Amaris was very interested to uncover the truth about the last Inquisitor, even if it was Chantry history. But the more and more the Inquisition discovered, the more Amaris couldn’t help but feel a sense of familiarity to Ameridan. She at first brushed it off as simply having the same title and responsibilities, and that all the elven signs must have been from his lover, Telana, who Amaris was very satisfied to prove she not only existed, but was an elven mage like herself.

Amaris also enjoyed visiting and then working with the Avvar of Stone-Bear Hold. While some of her companions found their culture ‘strange’ and ‘backwards,’ Amaris did her best to keep an open mind, always remembering that many would say the same about her people.

While Amaris was amazed to confirm Telana’s elvenness, she was in total awe to see that Ameridan was too. She looked at him, holding his staff, wearing the same vallaslin of Dirthamen as she did, and saw herself. But that initial wonderment faded, when after defeating the Hakkon-posessed dragon, she had a chance to think. The Chantry, like so many things, had rewritten Ameridan’s story. They turned an inspiring elven mage into a human warrior. Her awe turned to dread and fear. For many nights following, she had nightmares of the same thing happening to her.

The Descent

If she were to be honest, Amaris would admit to being even more afraid of venturing into the Deep Roads than she was staring down Corypheus. Unlike Corypheus, the Taint was a not something you could run away from. Couple that with the growing feeling of claustrophobia as they went deeper and deeper down, the endless Darkspawn, the mysterious Sha-Brytol, and a mountainous volume of lyrium… she started to miss the surface pretty fast.

Still, she read the earthquakes as the earth trying to tell them something, and knew there had to be an explanation for them. She did not believe Valta’s theory about Titans, though. At least not at first. But as the band collected more evidence to fit the Shaper’s theory, she started to wonder. When the caverns opened up into great seas and greenery, Amaris felt less confined, and more in awe of the fact that such beauty could exist so far underground. It was this that led her to have the epiphany that they must have been inside the Titan. In the end though, Amaris walked away from the adventure in frustration from having more questions than answers, and concerned for Valta’s wellbeing. When the Inquisition got word that Renn’s body went missing and Valta was nowhere to be found, she cursed herself for leaving such a giant loose end hanging open. Amaris figured it wouldn’t be the last they’d hear from Valta after all, but whether that was a good or bad thing, she couldn’t tell.

Trespasser

When Josephine shared the news that Ferelden wanted the Inquisition to disband, Amaris immediately jumped from her seat with a “yes.” After the defeat of Corypheus, she chose to stay with the Inquisition, partially out of fear that her clan would no longer accept her, and partially because there were still rifts that needed sealing, and still messes to clean up. But it had been two years, and at this point she felt she might as well have been physically chained to her judgement chair. She had put up with the Chantry for longer than she thought she could. The role was weighing heavily on her, and she wanted nothing more than to just go. Of course, her advisors were not so enthusiastic. So she agreed to attend the Exalted Council, but inwardly decided that no matter the outcome, it was time for her to leave.

Being at the Winter Palace again brought back some horrible memories of the last time. She occupied her mind by focusing on all her friends, many of whom she hadn’t seen in ages. It sincerely made her happy to know that they were doing well, and she tried her best to put on a brave face and pretend she was too. None of them bought it, though.

Finding the dead Qunari soldier offered a brilliant distraction, one she jumped on without even contemplating the seriousness of the situation at first. But where the Qunari became a distraction from the Exalted Council, what she was uncovering about the Ancient Elves became a distraction from the Qunari. The threat left her mind the minute she stepped into the elven ruins. Amaris was so excited the pain from her mark even faded from thought; she was in awe of what a discovery for her people she had stepped into, desperate to remember every detail and cursing herself for not bringing her journal with her...
...Only to have that excitement shatter into splinters, like being hit with a hammer in her gut. When Vivienne noted how the Creators—the Evanuris, were basically Magisters, it was enough to bring her to her knees. She felt like the world had just taken the last bit of everything she had. She wouldn’t believe it, couldn’t believe it, tried to find any excuse for why the mosaics in the ruins were lies, the books in the Vir Dirthara were lies, but she knew the truth was all her life, she had been worshipping slavers.

From that point on, Amaris was on auto-pilot. She no longer truly cared about stopping the Qunari, because she no longer cared about anything. She accepted the comfort her companions tried to give, but it didn’t change anything; the wounds were too fresh. She lashed out, cursing the anchor that was killing her and in reality diverted her anger at whoever was writing her life’s story onto it. And she accepted that she was going to die.

For a brief moment, she was near sick with delight in seeing Solas. Finally there was something, anything good to happen. But that fell too. Solas was the Dread Wolf. Fen'Harel. The monster in all the bedtime stories she heard as a child. But Amaris had one too many earthshattering revelations to even fully process things at that point. She was so numb even her heartbreak didn’t have its full effect until he was gone again. In that moment, she listened to him speak, even offered to help him, because hell, she had nothing at that point, and he claimed he wanted to start the world over, even if it meant her death. But in the end, she told him their love would endure, and she would find a way to convince him to abandon his goals of destruction. She tried to convince herself this, too.

Amaris grieved for Solas, in a way. But now she had a purpose. She was glad that she didn’t go with him when she wasn’t thinking clearly, because even if there wasn’t a lot of good left in her world, that didn’t have to be the case for others. And as much as she absolutely would give her life for a different life for her people, the collateral damage was too high a cost. She swiftly disbanded the Inquisition as she planned to do, and drew her most trusted allies close, preparing for what lied ahead.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

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Personality

Amaris is shy and quiet, until she has a question. Then the best of luck to you in trying to shut her up, for she has a quizzical nature, with a desire to learn everything about anything, but especially her people and magic. This drive for knowledge leaves little room for social skills though, and Amaris prefers the company of books over people any day. You could say she lacks friendship-making skills. After one of the few people outside her family she cared deeply for was sent to another clan, she gained the logic that if she does not let people get too close to her, they cannot hurt her by leaving. Eventually she learns the value of having allies through the Inquisition.

Amaris has a resting face that makes her look pouty even when she’s perfectly content. This is not because she is an emotionless rock, as she would let on, though. In fact she has emotions to the extreme. Like becomes passion, and dislike becomes hatred very quickly. But she's just not good at displaying these emotions. She is also very good at bottling things up in a crisis... But this results in frequent meltdowns afterwards.

Many find it surprising that Amaris actually has a rather optimistic outlook on things, through self-determination; she very much dislikes admitting she can’t do something. (Of course this means she gets frustrated when she is met with struggles.) But while many of her companions acted as if everything they did was surely going to be their death, Amaris almost always remained calm, collected, and positive she would make it through.
There were two exceptions to this, however: The first being at the Winter Palace, where Amaris spent most of the evening muttering under her breath that it was pointless, doomed to fail, and that she hated everything. Josephine commented that if she could successfully stare down Corypheus, she should be able to handle the Game. Amaris reminded her that the Game resulted in the butchering, sexualisation and abuse of her people. "All the reasons I fear your kind, under one roof."
The second was when she was thoroughly convinced the mark was going to kill her.

Her biggest fear is assimilation, and that history will remember her incorrectly, as they did Ameridan.

By the time Corypheus is defeated, Amaris gains an onslaught of insecurity and self-doubt, from her pursuit of knowledge repeatedly rewarded with disappointment. Amaris grows more isolated, cutting herself off from her friends and absorbing herself in her work. She tries to say everything is fine, but Amaris was never a good liar. Her friends are concerned, but keep quiet, silently hoping she will overcome her personal struggles herself.
She frequently experiences traumatic flashbacks of the Winter Palace, more than anything.

It should be noted that her dislike of humans really is mostly that; fear.

Trivia

• Amaris is a biromantic asexual. She is attracted to all genders romantically, but is not interested in sexual activities.
• Amaris learns combat magic from Vivienne, having never learned much for offensive spells as First. In return, she taught Vivenne a bit of elven magic.
• Her vallaslin is actually orange ink, but on her skin looks like a darker brown.
• The angled scar on her temple was from the Temple of Sacred Ashes explosion.
• She really, really hates being called the 'Herald of Andraste,' and insisted it was bullshit from the beginning.
• Amaris speaks without contractions. When asked if it was a Dalish thing, she explained that it was simply her personal manner. "If something is important enough to say, I can take the time to say it." When Cole is in her head, he speaks without contractions as well.

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