The Keeper of Clan Duvallon had often said that the day Sylvanni was born was the day that Mythal had smiled upon them. Truly, when Sylvanni’s gift of magic was discovered, the clan celebrated. Though their Keeper was strong and in good health, the clan had had no First for almost two years, and had prayed that a mage would be given to them.
As soon as she was discovered, she was taken under the Keeper’s wing, trained in magic and groomed to be First. Sylvanni was trained to lead from a young age, and felt her duty to rise to the station. She was Duvallon’s treasured First. From the start, Sylvanni learned to push down her own personal wants and opinions for the good of the clan. Doing what was best for the whole was more important than anything she might want herself.
Clan Duvallon was rather well connected, at least for a Dalish Clan. Travelling in the true Dales in Orlais, Duvallon tried to respect the wishes and authority of the Orlesian lands they passed through. Though they didn’t seek out settlements, they also didn’t avoid them, feeling comfortable visiting towns to trade and talk with the outside world.
The clan, having wished for a mage for so long, was often sympathetic to outsider mages as well. On more than one occasion, the clan helped smuggle runaway Circle mages to safety. On several occasions, an Orlesian house would find a child had manifested magic, and would ask the clan to spirit the newly sparked apostate away somewhere safe. Though the clan often ranged on their own for long stretches of time, these allies and connections made them rather more involved with the world than most other clans.
Sylvanni, as First, was often sent in to handle negotiations and speak with those who requested assistance. She was the one who entered towns and cities to request permission for the aravels to camp outside and for her people to do trade. Fluent in both Orlesian and Common, Sylvanni made an art of adapting to fit the needs of the situation and finding the best way to achieve her goals. She negotiated with noble houses, common craftsmen, even groups of templars on a few occasions.
At one point, the clan crossed paths with a runaway elven Circle mage and offered to help her. The girl was treated as a guest of the clan, and stayed with Sylvanni and the Keeper. However, a few days after agreeing to come along, without warning, the girl revealed herself to be a maleficar, and used blood magic to turn the Keeper into an abomination. Sylvanni, not knowing what to in the face of such a shocking and horrible betrayal, ran away and hid from the chaos. She watched from afar as the bloodmage and the monster that had been her Keeper systematically slaughtered her clan, until a troop of templars finally came through and killed the rest.
Sylvanni, stunned by the sudden loss, wandered on her own for a long while, trying to fend for herself, but feeling lost without a purpose. Eventually she was found by the commander of a troop of Knight-Enchanters, a woman named Helaine. Recognizing Sylvanni as a mage with potential, Helaine offered to claim jurisdiction over her and train her as a Knight-Enchanter in the regiment. As a Knight-Enchanter under Helaine’s command, Sylvanni would be safe from templars and the Circle, while Helaine gained a promising new fighter for her group.
When a request came from Skyhold for a trainer for Inquisitor Adaar, Sylvanni accompanied Commander Helaine to the great fortress. Though the Inquisitor didn’t choose to train in their discipline, the Knight-Enchanters decided to stay on. Sylvanni works as an agent of the Inquisition within an assigned troop with three other Knight-Enchanters, Kepi, Nyeni, and Nai’ahvier.
Beliefs and Personality
Sylvanni has always been a determined and driven individual, motivated by duty. She often thinks of personal desires as selfish, and seeks to put the good of those she is responsible for above her own good. Sylvanni is unafraid to make difficult decisions, especially for the greater good. If a line must be crossed, there’s no use worrying over feelings. What must be done will be done. She holds loyalty to oaths and protection of those one serves as the highest of values.
Despite the steely determination at her core, on the outside Sylvanni is often very personable and friendly. She has a confident air of leadership and a calm charisma when making new acquaintances. She’s skilled at adapting to make others feel more comfortable around her and often feels that strong alliances are more important than burning bridges.
Sylvanni tries to ignore a great many of the hurts and traumas she’s experienced, often to her detriment. Though often composed and confident on the outside, Sylvanni still feels strongly about the death of her clan. Though she doesn’t like to admit it, there’s a certain ruthlessness she feels deep within, a desire for vengeance. Sylvanni, when facing someone she feels has truly wronged her, can be a terrifying sight to behold. Though this viciousness frightens her sometimes, she can’t deny that it is true.
One of the few times she feels truly at ease is within the hectic energy of a challenging fight, especially dragon fights. Though Sylvanni doesn’t have any particular fondness for killing, she exults in the challenge of facing down a worthy opponent and having a real test of her skills. In the heat of battle,she doesn’t need to think, just act. Though facing dragons are her favorite fights, Sylvanni will enjoy any fight in which she feels the cause is just.
Relationships
Kepi: Sylvanni recognizes a bit of a kindred spirit in Kepi, in that their personalities can be remarkably similar. However, she also recognizes that their differences in background have resulted in some very opposing viewpoints. Though they don’t always agree on things, Sylvanni respects Kepi and her opinions, though she sometimes feels the other mage lacks perspective on some issues. That said, Kepi is probably the one that Sylvanni feels is most like a peer out of the three.
Nyeni: Sylvanni feels as though Nyeni is a mage with a lot of potential, and wants to help her overcome the blocks that are keeping her from proceeding. She sees Nyeni’s shyness and hesitance as something that could be coaxed away with the right training and encouragement. Sylvanni also greatly appreciates her skill in healing and will defer to her expertise in such matters gladly. Of course, Sylvanni slowly begins to realize that Nyeni isn’t the only one in their relationship with things to learn. And that’s a scary prospect.
Nai’ahvier: Sylvanni doesn’t entirely trust that Nai’ah is really as happy as she pretends to be, but also feels she doesn’t want to mess it up if it’s real. No one who’s lived alone in this world is without hardship and hurt, certainly not an elven mage. She knows that all too well. No one learns how to handle themselves so competently in battle in a life where nothing’s wrong. But if the girl wants to pretend, why not let her? Sylvanni keeps a polite distance with Nai’ah for the most part, always kind, but never truly open. Sylvanni doesn’t feel she fits in with happy people, for the most part, so it’s better to keep away.
Combat Style
Sylvanni, as the most experienced Knight-Enchanter of the group, takes to the Knight-Enchanter’s philosophy of battle with ease. Combat is one of the few times that she feels truly at ease. Sylvanni feels thrilled at close-quarters combat and she’s often the first to throw herself into the thick of things. She keeps an evasive tactic in the field, flitting between Fade Step and Fade Cloak to stay untouchable by her enemies.
Highly disciplined, she takes a very efficient style of attack, making sure to use her Blade as soon as it’s charged and not let any energy go to waste. She often feels she doesn’t fit in with the “mage” philosophy of standing back and attacking from a distance, and often finds more in common with warriors when discussing strategy. She often takes leadership positions in the field and dictates tactics without hesitation. She aggressively defends weaker members of the groups, always making sure those in her charge are well-cared for.
