#Inquisitor Elrevas

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hi. I spent three hours in the Character Creator alone.

and it Will happen again. In the meantime! I made Elrevas!! and only cried a little!! And made (one of) the Rook(s) I couldn't get outta my head! introducing Kallias Mercar, elven ex-slave turned adoptee-spy-apprentice of the Mercar family and Shadow Dragons! They used to disguise themself in all kinds of ways, including hairstyle and color, now settling on dark purple hair while working this job w/Varric that will go Totally Fine With No Hiccups at All.

[compendiumhistoria]

This post has me devastated thinking about Zarrin & Elrevas in the same worldstate, discussing legacies, post-Hakkon pre-Trespasser or so. Just.

"You're Dalish. And yet you're seen as an Andrastian symbol so bright, flocks swarm to you. They'll drown out all that you are until they don't need you to believe in anymore."

"That outcome... would not surprise me."

"And this doesn't bother you? For all the Dalish pride themselves on remembering old ways and their pride as elves itself?"

"I understand you keep quite a few secrets. Want to hold another?"

"...Sure."

"Not much was known about the old Inquisition. But we found out that the last Inquisitor was a Dalish mage. All his efforts were for order and peace in the world, to keep the world going. So of course, all aspects of his identity were erased."

"And so of course, my question stands taller."

"I've read about you too, Surana: you lived in Denerim before you were taken to the Circle, correct?"

"Mother and I traveled a bit, but Denerim was where we ended up, yes. We weren't talking about me--"

"But I am going to. I've seen some reports of abuse and tight restraints on autonomy particularly at Kinloch. The transcripts of the Landsmeet where you revealed Loghain had dealt in slavery, selling out the alienage's people. As an elf mage, you've made your stances on these matters no secret despite your Wardenhood.

"What then, Surana, kept you from looking at the state of all things and saying fuck it, let the Blight take them? What impulse led you to save the world, even if it would've killed you and would've never thanked you for it?"

"...Hm. What legacies we'll leave, Lavellan."

"At least we'll make the shemlen work hard to erase us and our work. "

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I know I already posted Elrevas, but... Listen... I needed to draw him w/the leading ladies before him. 

Consequently, pale asshole Marcella is sandwiched between two freckled, red-headed optimists and it cracks me up.

WARDEN ELIAS AEDUCAN / MAGE-CHAMPION MARCELLA HAWKE / INQUISITOR ELREVAS LAVELLAN

Or rather, I decided to draw my Worldstate #1 in Dragon Age (because I have two, and I’m likely gonna? draw the Heroes of that second worldstate too)

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Inquisitor Elrevas Lavellan, my boyyyyy

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Finished the Knight's Tomb sidequest in DA:I like a bit ago and I'm still thinking abt it bc like. I remembered that That's What Happened at Red Crossing, which is already just heartbreaking, right, the whole star-crossed lovers thing being what set off the war proper that lost the Dales.

But, to read the part of the codex with Elandrin's letter to Adalene while playing Elrevas... I cannot fucking describe. Especially if you believe that there was a transcription or s/t of the letter beyond the one buried w/Elandrin and the Inquisitor actually gets to read that part (bc. like hell are we diagetically tomb-raiding for that letter given context, but I digress)

"What care have I for gods I have never seen, for a Maker I do not know? Let others distract themselves with such lofty concerns. I know only this life, I have seen only this world, and I care only for you."

For Elrevas to see his same similar sentiments carried by an Emerald Knight seven hundred years ago. Even putting aside the in-love-with-a-human part of the parallel for a second, just the sentiment of caring for the current life and world over gods who are no longer present is. A Lot for Elrevas, who oft hides that same belief away.

(Perhaps Elrevas should believe there's a god somewhere given everything that's happened to him which, to be fair, he'd then be correct in that one way, but it just doesn't make a difference to Elrevas atm)

But then, circling back to the loving-a-human thing, Elrevas would find making a complete one-to-one comparison between Elandrin & Adalene and him & Dorian laughable; Dorian is not a blushing bride from a humble village, nor Elrevas anything Knight-like in the typical or even Dalish sense in his opinion, nor are either of them aiming for marriage at the point this information is found, they've just agreed to discuss what their relationship could further be after defeating Corypheus (and this is pre-Temple of Mythal with Dorian making his choices)

But. That seven centuries ago, a Dalish elf loved a human, despite the foolishness of it at the time. That seven centuries ago, they died for their love, and the truth of it got swept away under the rush of the history around them.

"I know only this life, I have seen only this world, and I care only for you."

Elrevas looks at Dorian exactly once after finding the scroll, and then cannot quite manage it again on the walk back out to the Emerald Graves, not even when he lets Cassandra lead them instead to keep pace with Dorian at the back of the group.

But he does reach his fingers out to brush Dorian's, a small but familiar affection between them now in lieu of holding hands, and in his periphery he sees Dorian look at him. He can't imagine what could be running through the mage's mind, what reasons he could imagine Elrevas is reaching out for after what they've learned, and which of those reasons are correct. But then he simply reaches back too, their fingers lacing together a long moment, and it loosens the lump in Elreva's throat.

"Your god intercedes as much as ours. My life will not change.

I will return in two weeks' time. My heart longs for you 'til then, and will remain with you forever after."

Neither man can guess what their futures will look like, separately or together, but Elrevas can only hope --despite all his lackluster faith in any one god-- that their futures will end better, perhaps even together.

(He can't ignore the chances that it won't though.)

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Love thinking abt Elrevas just having insane luck for surviving, even before Inquisition. Like that boy scouted alone, he went into cities alone. He noted down slaver symbols he recognized on woods and walls in places for his clan to avoid, and somehow did Not get Got. He got into some bad scuffles, but still made it to be sent to the Conclave. He's got scars from those fights, and some even healed rough bc he patched them himself in the middle of nowhere sometimes. This is to say nothing of the tussles had IN cities just from humans that thought he looked at them funny. And also nothing of when Elrevas would actually hunt and potentially run into animals that would bite.

Elrevas may not have been chosen by Andraste, but certainly he's got the luck of someone blessed/cursed by a god or two.

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Y'ever write real good parts of a fic in your brain while in the shower and then you get out and there's nothing left but the last line you thought about? Yeah. I hate that phenomenon.

Presently I remember the broad context, but all I actually HAVE is

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Elrevas is just. He is filled with a gentle kindness the likes of which stun many first meeting him. He's also filled with a rage that's generations old and that he can not let loose. He's also filled with fear of failure, of being seen as he sees himself, of the fickle belief of the masses watching. Each of these temper each other in turn. Too angry to be afraid, too compassionate to be angry. And smart enough to be humbled and then humble in turn, to ask questions and then understand how to Use.

But also he's j. he is just some dude. Just a lanky willow tree of an elf standin there. He frequently climbs up things he shouldn't and then tumbles off them, including down several mountainsides and holes with a squawk. He has the rogue-signature "I'm raffling through things, I'm looking at your stuff" syndrome. He's a Grade A Nerd, and has nearly singed his eyebrows off because of it, and will tell you ad nauseam about what led to such. He was stunned to realize Dorian, the guy he was pining for, wanted a relationship in part because Elrevas himself hadn't realized the possibility of having a relationship was tangibly there, and this was after they had sex. He tries to be dry-witted and clever, but his face gives him away too often. He was such a stupid teenager and sometimes that foolhardiness shows back up and then sometimes, makes a fool of him again.

My son. My boy.

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In lieu of Gaming to subdue the DA Brainrot on account of storms, I have been pondering instead.

I am excited to try and get to the DLC stuff for Inquisition, even when I know a large swath of Trespasser already. That said, I know enough to even ponder post-Trespasser and find it fun bc like. I KNOW my boy Elrevas designs his own prosthetic. Absolutely he does. First thing he does amidst his varieties of grief to stop feeling Rough. He then designs variants for different purposes, because. Of Course he does.

He hangs in Kirkwall awhile (despite some protests), helping Varric avoid his actual responsibilities as they discuss back and forth on what materials to use ("wood would be lighter, but it'd be horrible if it splinters in combat I don't expect.") and possible features could be implemented ("what if I attach a hidden knife in the wrist? A lever to pop it out?" "It'd have to be a very secure lever. Imagine shaking hands with a guy and...") and counting on the amounts of resources available there to make it, between the merchants guild having the materials and skill (probably) to craft the parts Elrevas can't himself and any leftover coin from the Inquisition.

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Gotta give credit to The Descent for giving me a lotta good inq shots <3

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Started Jaws of Hakkon and, after fucking around just a BUNCH w/the sidequests as I do, Elrevas went to the Lady's Rest island and learned abt Telana and. Elrevas is fine he's fine he's not got a mix of Scholarly Delight and Dalish Horror at finding out she was real but also an Elven mage. That had been smudged out by the Chantry. He is not making comparisons and feeling sick about not knowing what will become of his own legacy he's not trying to care abt that bc none of this is ABOUT that, it's fiiiiine. He will feel Normal abt learning abt Ameridan himself.

(Did it hit like a brick to hear Telana's spirit say "Vhenan" and Realize? Maybe <3 Did it hit like a brick for Dorian also to hear it from anyone else than Elrevas and Know Exactly what it meant and means abt the last Inquisitor, putting him on a similar mental path as Elrevas? Maybe <3)

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Hi I've eaten dinner and got a shower and I'm still thinking abt Elrevas learning abt Red Crossing. I'm thinking abt when he gets back to Skyhold, he asks Maryden (always asks politely when he requests, only during the slow hours, if you can, please, thank you, as if the whole tavern isn't named for him) if she can play the song abt Red Crossing, that he'd seen lyrics written, but has never heard it and would like to.

He does not supply why, and she does not ask, just acquiesces happily to the rare request from the oft-absent Inquisitor. He finds a corner few can see him to sit and listen, and just aches from the history he now knows.

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I cannot overstate to you all the tomfoolery in which Rosha lives her life, and how much it is at the expense of Elrevas, and how much joy it gives me to think about

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I was gonna edit it into my last post but actually it's going out on its own all fleshed out: Elrevas also generally keeps a sketchbook with him and pre-Inquisition days, it was a lot of landscapes and trap designs, sometimes both mixed by geometric style. During Inquisition, it's some more of that ft. Studies of architecture that's strange/fun to him, studies of some of the Inner Circle and their faces, shapes, etc. Many of Dorian that makes Elrevas embarrassed to show his sketches off. And when Sera draws dicks in there, because you know she does, he does his best to incorporate or blend it in somehow. He does show Sera those, and sometimes she's even impressed and they make a game of it.

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Oh, I hadn't mentioned but I finally started The Descent and immediately remembered Elrevas is claustrophobic. He hates not being able to see/leave/etc in any direction and see the sky. So you can imagine how experiencing earthquakes miles underground is going for him.

Additionally, he knows abt darkspawn blood being poison, but then Renn has a fucking. In-game dialogue where he talks abt a Legionnaire who used daggers, accidentally swallowed blood on a messy kill and took three days to die. Elrevas, who uses daggers, is feeling normal abt this and is also pulling up his little roguish face mask, which is also not helping the claustrophobia, now that I think abt it

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Hi, DA OC Brainrot continues bc it must be said, it's fucking hilarious that Elrevas volunteered to go to the Conclave in place of his sister, though he did so on account of her being too important to the clan. But also it's a little sad bc the Keeper told him to go and didn't send anyone w/him.

Hilarious because sis Rosha is a shapeshifter, she absolutely could have survived the trip to Ferelden. But also she's still a bit naive, a bit too brazen, and shapeshifting is a rare knowledge not passed on lightly for their clan.

A bit sad still because Elrevas knew he could make it all alone, knew his way around humans and their cities better than most anyone of the clan and knew that he was enough of a fuckup he may as well take the dangerous jobs. And knew the Keeper knew all that context TO send him instead of her precious First, the little sister Elrevas still wants to protect.