#about eleri

[sulahnnehn]

Eleri's favorite magic trick? Shattering templars.

[sulahnnehn]

Eleri has a red lion companion. While on a hunt two years before Inquisition, she freed the massive wildcat from a trap (and received a scar on her forehead in the process -- a flailing paw nearly knocked her unconscious), used a simple healing spell to ease its pain, then left some of her game behind with it. The lion must have remembered her kindness because it follows her clan around the Free Marches. Despite her fellow hunters calling her crazy, Eleri continues to share her kills with it, and it eventually trusts her enough to approach. She respects its wild nature and has never tried to tame it. She suspects that the lion was once caged for the shems' amusement since red lions aren't native to the Free Marches :P

Eventually, the lion will end up at Skyhold with her. Just imagine the 600-pound beast seated beside her throne, eyeing anyone who dares to approach its elven companion, lol.

[sulahnnehn]

When Eleri was young, one of the other young Lavellan hunters would always tease her for being so tall and lanky...

...that is, until she froze him to a tree one day ;D

[sulahnnehn]

So far I've learned that Eleri:

is in her late twenties to early thirties.

is rather tall for an elf.

doesn't really care for shems. She doesn't hate humans but she finds it insulting that such barbarians were able to subjugate her race (she's a very proud Dalish lady.)

totally had heart-eyes for Solas as soon as she met him.

had no interest in being a hero or a figurehead, but it starts to grow on her. She likes the taste of power. She plays the Inquisition like her mother taught her to play the Grand Game.

[sulahnnehn]

Fun fact about Eleri: she's more skilled with her bow than with her spells.

Although her mother was born a Lavellan, the clan still considered Eleri a "flat-ear." They didn't exactly welcome her with open arms so Eleri focused on her archery as a way to prove herself. Now Eleri is not only Keeper Istimaethoriel's First but also one of the clan's best hunters [and an insufferable show-off.]

[sulahnnehn]

More notes on Eleri Lavellan:

Eleri has lots of sisters (and 2 brothers) from different fathers. Most of her siblings are half-human. Eleri’s father was an elven enchanter from either Tevinter or Rivain, I haven’t decided yet.

Eleri’s mom (I’m going to call her Alia for the sake of this post) raises all of her children. Her oldest is a son whose father was from Alia’s clan. Her youngest children still live with her, others live near her, some have moved to different places throughout Thedas. All keep in touch. All were taught to play the Game.

Eleri writes letters to her mother, sometimes using a code that only her family can decipher if the content is sensitive.

Alia is a collector of secrets and known for her discretion. She has “dirt” on nobles, clergy, and high-ranking officials from Tevinter to Ferelden. She also has connections to the Carta, notably the Cadash crime family through her daughter Venka Cadash.

[sulahnnehn]

Eleri's mother was an Orlesian actress before becoming a courtesan. Eleri uses one of her mother's stage tricks to hide her vallaslin so she can pose as an elvhen servant at the conclave :3

[sulahnnehn]

Since I added this bit to my character page I may as well share it here, too.

My Cadash is Eleri's half-sister. The girls grew up together in their mother's household and were inseparable until Eleri was sent to the Lavellan clan. Little Cadash worshipped her big sister. Her interest in alchemy (thus the Tempest specialization) was born from her fascination with Eleri's magic. When Cadash turned 15 she went to live with her father, where she quickly became one of the Carta's top earners as well as most feared soldiers.

More Cadash headcanons to follow :D