It’s been so long since I’ve played ESO, it took me a sec to remember my Boy ugh ;_;
A headcanon about Traesa I was thinking about recently is the fact that, following the loss of her arm, she was forced to depend a lot more on small blades and traps to defend herself. She always wore something of a utility belt during Inquisition, but following Trespasser she would pretty much have a full utility coat lmao. She usually answers requests to disarm by dryly holding up her missing one, but the reality is that after the events of Trespasser, there’s never a moment when she doesn’t have at least ten nasty things up her sleeve.
For Nas, I like to think that he is right now currently sitting in a chair somewhere on a beach, sipping mai tais, listening to Jimmy Buffet, and steadfastly ignoring whatever anchor is dropping. He’s on. Vacation.
Glad to see you back! With DA4 comin', we will be seein' more Traesa? 🖊
Thanks! But hopefully! I miss that Girl.
Fun fact about her: if she were a D&D character, she’d be an Arcane Trickster Rogue 100% with a raven familiar she’d regularly hold conversations with. Just a terribly dexterous, intelligent chick w a bunch of magic she straight-up stole.
!!! I didn’t even get any notifications that you’d asked me stuff! D: But, thank you for the ask! <3 For our trash ship –
Who accidentally pushes a door instead of pulling/vice versa
They both do on occaision, and neither of them let the other live it down for a good long while :)
Who doodles little hearts all over the desk with their initials inside them
Gosh, not Traesa, so…would Revas? If so, that is a fantastic mental image, especially since I could see him playing it off as writing his own name :p
Who starts the tickle fights
Revas 100%, he knows Traesa’s bullshitting when she says she’s not ticklish
Who starts the pillow fights
Traesa, with no warning or mercy
Who falls asleep last, watching the other with a small affectionate smile
Traesa, though she’d deny it to her dying day :p
Who mistakes salt for sugar
Traesa, every. Single. Time.
Who lets the microwave play the loud beeping sound at 1am in the morning
Traesa, & she feels bad every single time
Who comes up with cheesy pick up lines
Revas, w the cheesy pick-up lines and insults bc they make Traesa grin even when she rolls her eyes
Who rearranges the bookshelf in alphabetical order
Traesa wouldn’t, so maybe Revas when he got bored???
Who licks the spoon when they’re baking brownies
Traesa, with no shame AT ALL :)
Who buys candles for dinners even though there’s no special occasion
Revas’s semi-romantic ass, 100%
Who draws little tattoos on the other with a pen
Both?? Revas is probably better at it than Traesa tho, who just does random swirls and dots
Who comes home with a new souvenir magnet every time they go on vacation
Traesa; she’s coming home with SOMETHING
Who convinces the other to fill out those couple surveys in the back of magazines
Revas, probably just to mock Traesa’s lack of attention to detail and flaunt his own knowledge (he’s probably stunned by how well she actually knows him n_n “Didn’t know you cared.” “I don’t! It’s just - shut up.” lmao)
Aaaah this is terribly late, but for OC Kiss Week here’s a sweet li’l kiss between my Traesa & @raymurata‘s lovely Kaan Lavellan. :)
The sound of Traesa’s quill on parchment dominated her room. She wrote quickly and with emphasis, stating in clear terms that she would accept no delay regarding the reinforcement and resupplying of Sahrnia. Her untouched dinner had long since turned cold and her second candle of the night was burning low, but still she wrote on, filling her mind with thoughts of starving children and stalled repairs and lost supplies because any disaster was easier to think about than -
The tip of her quill snapped into two, sending two large drops of ink splattering across the otherwise neat lines. Traesa stared stupidly at the mess for a moment, then cursed quietly and ran her hand down her face; the entire letter would have to be redone. The manic energy that possessed her to write had vanished, leaving only a sense of frustration that carved its way down to her bones. Can’t one thing go right? She thought, one hand bunching into a fist. Can’t one fucking thing - Her vision blurred suddenly, and she blinked, watching twin teardrops fall to the parchment, mixing with the wet ink and ruining the letter further.
No, she thought as she sucked in her breath and held it, pushing the tears back with every inch of her considerable willpower. We’re done with that. It’s been a week. We’re done. Traesa let out her breath slowly, then sniffled and flicked the tears away from the edges of her eyes. She breathed steadily for a moment, reaffirming her control over her emotions, then reached for a clean piece of paper and set her mind to writing, to Sahrnia and anything but the dull ache in her chest.
Halfway through her new letter, Traesa caught a flicker of movement in the shadows. She paused a moment in her writing, then continued, dropping her left hand below the table. As she began a sentence with her right hand, the left wrapped around the hilt of one of the daggers she kept hidden in her sleeve. Traesa breathed out slowly, then brought her hand up and sent the knife whistling towards the figure that hid in the shadows.
The blade cut through the darkness in a streak of silver; it landed with a muffled thump, quickly followed by a surprised yelp. The Inquisitor burst out of her chair, unhooking and notching the bow and arrow that lay beneath her desk in the space of a breath. As she drew back the bowstring, the figure threw back his hood, revealing wild white hair and wide, golden eyes. “Wait-wait-wait!” The words rushed out of the younger elf as he held both in front of himself, as if to ward off any incoming arrows.
Traesa stood there a moment, disbelieving, then closed her eyes and lowered her bow. “Ban’aron Kaan Lavellan,” She pronounced his full name slowly and with emphasis, each syllable weighted with equal parts frustration and disappointment, “what the fuck have I told you about sneaking into my quarters?” She opened her eyes to give him a sharp look, but a tendril of worry wove its way through her mind - how long had he been there? What had he seen?
Kaan grimaced and looked at the floor, his shoulders slumping under the severity of her gaze. “Not to.” He mumbled, sounding contrite. “But I just - “ The young elf began strongly, then broke off as Traesa raised an eyebrow, instead choosing to frown at the floor again. “You haven’t been talking to me lately.”
Traesa eyed the elf before her for a moment, then exhaled and put aside her bow. She strode past Kaan and paused by the door to the balcony, meeting his eyes briefly and signaling with a cant of her head that he was welcome to follow her. Traesa leaned on the balcony’s railing and stared out into the darkness a moment, mouth cut in a firm line, then glanced back to Kaan. “What did you want to talk about?” Her words were soft, but rang clearly in the quiet of the night around them.
“You’ve been sad lately.” The words came all in a rush, blurted out as if not fully thought through. The white-haired elf hesitated a moment, then seemed to read the protest gathering on Traesa’s lips and set his shoulders. “Don’t try to say otherwise.” He huffed, folding his arms. “You haven’t smiled in a long time. And I know it’s because of - well, Solas, and - ” Kaan shifted uncomfortably on his feet, his mouth working into a frown. “And I wanted you to know, what I said a few days ago, I was wrong. I mean, you’re still too soft on the humans and I wish you could just see - “ Despite the vehemence in his words, the young elf seemed to realize he was rambling and shook his head before he met Traesa’s eyes, his own earnest and determined. “But it doesn’t matter that you lost your vallaslin. You’re still part of Clan Lavellan, and that means you’re still my sister. Tattoos or no.” The words were spoken firmly, without a trace of hesitation.
Traesa continued staring at him for a moment, then dropped her gaze to the floor. She felt liquid gathering at the edges of her eyes and huffed out a derisive laugh at herself, reaching up to scrub out the tears with her forearm. “You fucking brat,” she spat, but the words were too light to be mistaken as serious. “First you break into my quarters in the middle of the night and now you make me cry...you’ve got some fucking nerve.” She abruptly gave up trying to hide her sudden burst of emotion, instead letting her arms fall to her sides and allowing the tears to run freely down her cheeks.
Kaan had faced down monsters and gods without batting an eyelash, had actively sought battles with beasts that made the hearts of most men quiver, but in the face of Traesa’s tears the Herald of Andraste seemed downright terrified. “I - I, um - “ Kaan stumbled over his words, uncertain, but before he could string together a proper sentence Traesa gave him a smile that was disarming in its unfettered happiness and striking in contrast to the trails of tears that still marked her face.
“Lucky you said just the right thing,” Traesa told him as she thumbed away the liquid that still gathered stubbornly at the edges of her eyes, “or else I’d have a harder time forgiving you.” She stepped closer to him and took a hold of his chin, then leaned down and placed a gentle kiss directly on his forehead. “Ma serannas, da’mi.” Traesa murmured, speaking softly but from the heart. “Your words mean more to me than I can say.”
Kaan still seemed faintly stunned. He blinked twice before ducking his head, scuffing at the stone with one of his boots. In the light of the two moons, the tips of his ears appeared oddly red. “It’s - I just - I - “ He paused a moment, appearing to collect himself. “It was nothing.” He mumbled, sounding flustered.
“It wasn’t nothing that made me feel better.” Traesa told him bluntly, but the hint of a smile turned one side of her mouth up as she turned to retreat back into her quarters. “Get some rest, da’mi.”
“Night, Traesa.” Kaan said from behind her, sounding more calm. Traesa snapped back around the moment she realized he wasn’t following her, but she was too late; the white-haired elf had disappeared over the side of the railing before she could so much as get a word out. The Inquisitor closed her eyes and let out a groan, unable to help but think of how slippery the walls of Skyhold’s fortress had to be, how easy it would be for Kaan to lose his grip and go tumbling down the side of the mountain. She wished for a moment that Kaan could go a single day without giving her a heart attack, then just as easily dismissed the thought. It wouldn’t be Kaan if he didn’t find a way to surprise her, and she wouldn’t trade Kaan for anyone or anything else.
Here it is, the thing no one asked for. :’) This is an exceedingly long reference post for how Traesa would act if she were a recruitable companion in Dragon Age Inquisition. @raymurata & @ourinquisitorialness, this seems relevant to your interests.
1. If not for the Conclave, what would drive your character to join the Inquisition?
Traesa would be motivated to join either by a sense of loyalty or a desire for vengeance. She would have accompanied either a Lavellan Inquisitor or a fellow hunter named Maedhra to the Conclave and survived the explosion through pure luck, having been able to escape the blast radius by the skin of her teeth. If a Lavellan is Inquisitor, she would blankly refuse to leave her Clanmate in the hands of some human organization. If anyone other than Lavellan is Inquisitor, she would join to get justice for her slain clan-mate Maedhra - whoever killed the Divine had a hand in her death as well, and Traesa would want to see to it that the responsible parties answer for it personally.
2. How would they meet the Inquisitor?
Traesa would have been found searching the wreckage of the Conclave and been taken prisoner by Inquisition forces. By the time the Inquisitor gets back from Val Royeux, Traesa would have been transferred to the prison cells under Haven to await the Herald’s judgement. A Lavellan Inquisitor gets Traesa whether they like it or not, but an Inquisitor of any other race would have the option to either accept Traesa as a companion or let her go free. If the Inquisitor does not speak to her before the attack on Haven, Traesa is implied to have died, forgotten beneath the Chantry, in the avalanche.
3. What would some of their cutscenes look like?
Her introductory cutscene would involve her sitting against a wall underneath Haven’s Chantry, wrists manacled and scowling. At a Lavellan Inquisitor’s entrance, her eyes would widen as her face goes slack with shock, and she would rush to the bars and tell the Inquisitor how worried she was about them, before falling right back into abrasiveness with a snappy, “What took you so long?” With any other Inquisitor, she’d meander up to the bars with hard eyes and bluntly ask what they planned on doing with her. Either way, she’d make her case without much preamble — “Who needs feathering? Demons? Darkspawn? Whatever fucked up the sky? Sign me up. That explosion, the green fire – good people are dead. Chantry’s not gonna get justice for them. Mythal, if the Chantry’s figured out a fucking statement by now, I’m amazed. You want hymns, go ahead, leave me. But if you want people dead before they hit the ground, you won’t find better.” She’d respond best to aggressive dialogue choices, and would answer any questions, although she’d seem impatient to be freed.
Her second cutscene would be the Inquisitor finding her perched atop the tavern at Haven, feet dangling off the side, looking up at the Breach. She would turn at his or her approach, and comment on the fact that she was close to the explosion and how she couldn’t quite believe that the Herald walked out of there alive. The Inquisitor can make a joke, deflect, attribute their survival to luck, tell her that they were saved by the grace of the Maker, or flirt. Joking will gain slight approval from Traesa, saying that it was luck will gain solid approval, while claiming to have been chosen will result in disapproval. Attempts to flirt by male qunari and dwarves will get a wide smile that she turns away to hide, a flirtatious response, and massive approval; a flirtation by male elves will get a smirk, an eye-roll, and a mildly mocking response with a side of slight approval; flirtations from human males get a scowl, a judgmental eyeing up, and a tepid response with mild disapproval. Flirtations by females just get a slight smile and a warm response. Either way, she’ll make it clear that she’s there for one reason — to get revenge for the people who died at the Conclave and fix the hole in the sky — and advise that the Herald make the most of their survival.
Upon arriving at Skyhold, the Inquisitor would find Traesa on the ramparts, coolly looking over the fortress from above. She’d be even more short of words than usual — “We’ve won something here, Inquisitor, but don’t forget the cost. Lot of good people died for you at Haven. Lot more are going to before this is over. You ready to carry that weight?” The Inquisitor will get a variety of responses; if they respond aggressively, stoically, or pleased Traesa’s mouth will thin and she’ll say, “Don’t let it harden you. Those people out there are with you. Whether they think you’re some kind of god or just the best chance we’ve got, they’re willing to give everything for you. Be worthy of that.”, if they respond with panic or emotionally she’ll instead say, “Don’t let it break you. Those people out there are with you. So am I. Be worthy of that.” before turning and striding away. After that conversation, Traesa can be found in her rooms above Skyhold’s garden.
After gaining a significant amount of approval with Traesa, the Inquisitor can find her bent over a large blueprint. Her furious scribbling would end in a muffled, frustrated scream, and although she’d seem embarrassed to have been caught throwing a mini-temper tantrum, she’d recover quickly and explain that she could use the Inquisitor’s help with a personal project, if they had time. If the Inquisitor refuses to help the quest will end, but if they agree to help they’ll get solid approval from Traesa (and more massive approval if the flirtatious option, “Anything for you” is chosen). Later, giving Traesa ten of every kind of metal available in the base game and convincing Harrett to allow Traesa free use of the forge unlocks a second cutscene in which Traesa gleefully shows the Inquisitor her creation: an ingeniously crafted music-box, which plays a Dalish lullaby. She’d become more solemn after the Inquisitor reacted to the box, commenting on how she misses her adopted mother and the rest of the Lavellan Clan “far more than she thought she would”. She would sound wistful except if Clan Lavellan was destroyed, in which case her voice would shake and she’d turn away. Either way, the Inquisitor has the option to give her comfort, reassure her, or tell her that the past should remain behind her — either way, she would greatly approve as the screen faded to black.
Her friendship cutscene would involve her pulling the Inquisitor out onto the ramparts, where they’d sit and let their feet dangle off the edge. Traesa would be uncharacteristically talkative, beginning sentences that would ramble off into nonsense. Finally, after the Inquisitor urged her to get to the point, Traesa would sigh and admit that she cares about the Inquisitor more than she ever thought she would. “I didn’t think anybody people called a god would be anything but bad news, but you proved me wrong. Didn’t think I’d ever say I’m happy I almost got blown up but — I’m glad I got to know you. Just want you to know — you ever need me, just say the word, alright?” If the Inquisitor is romancing her, she’ll take his hand and lean against his shoulder; if not, she’ll pat their upper arm in a friendly way.
Her last cutscene would trigger after the end of What Pride Had Wrought and feature her in a pensive mood, staring off the ramparts in the evening. She would comment on how it seemed like they’d be fighting Corypheus soon, and enquire as to whether or not the Inquisitor felt ready for it. The Inquisitor can reply in a variety of ways — from stoic to aggressive to panicked to emotive — but either way they’ll mention an end. Traesa will smile bitterly and respond, “It won’t be an end, Inquisitor — it’ll be another beginning. Whether you like it or not, you’ve brought on a new age. You think the world’s gonna let you walk away from that just because you killed one darkspawn?” After a beat, Traesa would loosen up and shake her head, adding, “No, forget about it. What matters right now is killing that son of a bitch and his fucking pet. When you take the fight to him, I’ll be right behind you.”
Additionally, if the Inquisitor is Lavellan and Clan Lavellan is destroyed, the next time they talk to Traesa they’ll find her standing in her room and facing a window. At the Inquisitor’s approach, she’ll turn with tears in her grey eyes and ask, “Is it true? Are they gone? Tell me it isn’t — they’re not — ” As she breaks down into sobbing, the Inquisitor can either hug her, apologize, or remain stoic.
4. What would their romance route look like? Would they be romancable?
Traesa would be romancable by any male Inquisitor, although she would gain more massive approvals from flirtations by dwarves and qunari, and slightly disapprove of humans initially trying to flirt with her. Her responses to flirtation attempts would range from coyly flirtatious to vaguely threatening, depending on what tone the Inquisitor tends to take with her.
Her first romance-exclusive cutscene would trigger in Skyhold after having been flirted with at least three times, where the Inquisitor would find her training in the pillared room beneath the inner-castle. She’d seem energetic to the point of recklessness, and challenge the Inquisitor to a spar with fire in her grey eyes with race specific dialogue — ie, for Qunari, “Don’t think just because you’re big I can’t knock you down.” Declining her offer to train will stall the romance, but accepting would lead to a sequence in which the Inquisitor and Traesa’s spar would eventually degenerate into grappling, and end in Traesa on top, her face inches away from the Inquisitor’s, grinning wildly. The Inquisitor would have the option to kiss her, in which case the screen would fade to black on a hot make-out session, or not, in which case Traesa would pat his cheek and tell him it was a good fight. In either case, the end of the cutscene would unlock new dialogue branches with Traesa, one of those being about how she never knew her birth family.
Asking her about her past unlocks the wartable operation ‘Find Out More About Traesa’s Birth-Clan’. By choosing Leliana or Josephine to investigate, the Inquisitor could successfully locate the last known survivor of the attack — an old woman who’d been on a private vigil at the time of the attack. If the Inquisitor brings Traesa to the old woman’s location in the Dales, they would immediately be forced to battle a bunch of hostile bandits. After the bandits are all dead, an old woman with vibrantly crimson facial tattoos would emerge from the trees and thank them for their intervention. She would recognize Traesa immediately, leading to a tearful reunion. With the Inquisitor in tow, Traesa would be shown a memorial to her birth-clan. Back at Skyhold, Traesa would thank the Inquisitor for doing that for her, confessing that no one’s ever done anything like that for her. If the Inquisitor chooses not to break it off at that point, Traesa kisses him passionately, thus locking him into the romance. Ambient dialogue with Traesa would reveal that she’d succeeded in convincing the old woman to stay at Skyhold, and if asked would remark with annoyance that the woman keeps speaking of how the future of the Clan rests on her shoulders. It’s clear, however, that having the old woman around and being with the Inquisitor makes her happier than she’s been since the Conclave.
5. If they romanced someone as Inquisitor, would they still fall for that person as a companion? How would that play out? How would they react to that person being romanced by the “new” Inquisitor?
Solas and Traesa would have a rather complicated relationship, whether or not either of them are romanced by the Inquisitor. Although Traesa would frequently express frustration with Solas’s arrogance and most of her banter with him would consist of her sniping or provoking him, if both are unromanced by the Inquisitor, it would quickly become clear that she holds him in high regard. It would not be until after the conclusion of What Pride Had Wrought that it would become obvious that Solas and Traesa had been briefly romantically involved, due to Traesa’s sudden lack of facial tattoos. The Inquisitor has the opportunity to bring it up with Traesa in the field or at Skyhold; in either case, Traesa — drained of her usual fire — will quietly ask that the Inquisitor drop the subject, blaming her decision to remove her facial tattoos on a ‘moment of weakness’. However, when Solas disappears after Corypheus’s defeat, Traesa would display clear concern, and if neither of them are romanced the epilogue would imply that she too vanished from Skyhold not long after the final battle to hunt Solas down. In Trespasser, she would step out of an eluvian beside Solas, cutting a rather strange image in her old leathers. After Solas made his exit, Traesa would take the time to bind the Inquisitor’s arm, explaining that she’d found Solas in her travels and joined his cause. No matter how the Inquisitor responded — indignant at her betrayal, shocked that she would support such a thing, or pleased that Solas isn’t on his own while he goes down a dark path — she’d smile bitterly and comment, “The world’s gotten more fucked up than ever in the past three years. We’ve all got to be prepared to make sacrifices for the world we want to see.” If the Inquisitor completed her personal quest, she’ll tell them that she has a final gift for them, press a music box into their hand and turn to follow Solas through the eluvian. Upon opening the music box, the Inquisitor would find an intricately carved interior featuring a lone figure winding their way through shadows, a tiny piece of paper attached to its head. Otherwise, Traesa would have simply slipped the Inquisitor a piece of paper while binding their arm. In either case, while discussing how best to stop Solas’s plan after the conclusion of the Exalted Council, the Inquisitor’s dialogue would be slightly altered, with the line, “And thanks to an old friend, we know where to start.” being added whether the Inquisitor has chosen to redeem Solas or not, implying that Traesa will be operating as a double agent in Dragon Age 4.
If Solas was romanced by the Inquisitor, Traesa’s bitterness would show in occasional, sharp jabs (“Why don’t you go talk to Solas about it?” “Solas would probably know more.”), but all in all she would bear it well. Deep down, she wouldn’t be surprised that Solas chose the Inquisitor; she knows how jagged her own edges are and owns the fact that in comparison, most people are way more attractive personality-wise than her. She would be hellishly pissed at Solas for breaking up with the Inquisitor though, moreso than she would be if it had been her that he left – she would even confront him about it in banter if she liked the Inquisitor enough. “If you don’t love her, then make a clean break – but don’t just leave her with one foot in and one foot out, you selfish fuck!” The Inquisitor would have the opportunity to stay silent or tell Traesa to back down.
6. Write some of their party banter (in reaction to major events, scenery dialogue, or just shitting around. Askers can specify for which character/event, or leave it up to the writer).
Location Remarks
(Encountering a Veilfire torch or magic runes) These usually come in handy.
(Finding a rune with the Veilfire torch) Hm! We should study that!
(In an area that can be searched) See anything?
(Seeing a high dragon) That our problem? Please tell me that’s not our problem.
(Seeing a high dragon) So. Dragon meat for dinner?
(Fighting the any fire dragon) Fire, why does it have to be fire?!
(After Killing a High Dragon) Huh. Still alive. How ‘bout that.
(Approaching a camp) We pushing on or putting our feet up?
(Approaching a camp) I can go on if we need to, but this’d be a good place to rest.
(Finding first Astrarium) Interesting…
(Fighting undead in the ramparts of the Exalted Plains) Anyone else getting sick of what’s dead not — fucking — staying — dead?
(Finding the elves slain at the Knight’s Tomb) Oh, Mythal, no.
(Watching a non-rogue trying to pick a lock) Step aside, I’ve got this.
(Upon entering the Fade) Oh, fuck me. Fuck me. Fuuuuuuuuuuucking — fuck. This is — that. Is. Shit. Gonna need a moment here. Just. Gimme a moment. …Shit.
(Hissing Wastes) Haven’t seen this many stars in a while. It’s…nice.
(Upon Entering Any Cave in the Hissing Wastes) Aaaaand another cave. Wonderful.
(Hissing Wastes – Messing up the Tomb Puzzles)
Inquisitor: Well, that wasn’t right.
Traesa: No shit!!
(Cradle of Sulevin) This place…it’s ancient. We should take a closer look at the murals.
(The Emerald Graves) *breathes deep* …There’s something good about being here.”
(The Emerald Graves) If you’re waiting for me to pick some flowers and go dancing through the meadow, fuck you.
(The Fallow Mire) Let’s see. Pissing rain, creepy runes, crazy assholes who want our heads on a spike, aaaand there’s fucking undead coming out of the water. Mythal, let’s just get our soldiers and get the fuck out of here before this somehow gets worse.
(The Arbor Wilds) Don’t slow down. Every second we waste is another of our soldiers dead.
(The Arbor Wilds) I’m going to carve ‘Haven’ into that Vint asshole’s skull.
(The Storm Coast) I’ve never seen the ocean before. It’s…more gray than I thought it was gonna be.
During Combat
(Kills an enemy) Ha! Right in the eye!
(Kills an enemy) Ma emma harel!
(Kills A Beast): Hey, I bagged dinner!
(Enemies spotted) Eyes up; we’ve got company.
(Low Health) If you’re waiting for a moment to start helping – this is it!
(Low Health) Really not going well over here!
(Low Health - Companions)
(Cole): Hey, Cole needs back-up!
(Solas): Solas needs some cover!
(Companion falls)
(Sera) No! They got Sera!
(The Inquisitor) Shit! You can’t die yet!
(The Inquisitor, romancing) No!! This ends now!!
(Solas) Solas needs healing!
(Cassandra Pentaghast): Cass’s down, so I’m pretty sure we’re all fucked!
(Cole): Shit – Cole!!
(Dorian): Hey! Pavus! Not a good time for a nap!
Banter
Blackwall: I’ve seen you in the yard, you know, giving our scouts a few pointers. Was that what you did in your Clan?
Traesa: No. I was a hunter, not hahren. But I’m used to giving out advice. Can’t stand watching people doing it wrong when I can set ‘em right.
Blackwall: That’s good of you.
Traesa: Don’t think the scouts would agree.
Traesa: What’s Nevarra like?
Cassandra: Excuse me?
Traesa: Nevarra. Place you grew up. All I know is it’s full of sand and dead people. Figured you might have more to say about it.
Cassandra: I don’t know as much about it as you may think. As a child, I rarely left my Uncle’s home. I saw more of Nevarra as a Seeker than I ever did in my youth. Still, it is a beautiful country, filled with mountains.
Traesa: You ever miss it?
Cassandra: Sometimes, but I have not thought of it as home for a very long time. What about you? Do you miss your Clan?
Traesa: …Always.
Cole: There isn’t any fire, Traesa Lavellan.
Traesa: I…can see that, Cole.
Cole: No, you can’t. You want to plant the seeds, watch them grow – but you’re afraid the fire will burn it all away before it can be beautiful. But there isn’t any fire. It can be safe even if you stay.
Traesa: (sighs) Cole, it’s…thanks.
Dorian: We’re going to get lost and starve to death, aren’t we? A glorious end for the Inquisition.
Traesa: If we’re dying any way, it won’t be from hunger, Pavus. Worse comes to worst, I can get us food.
Dorian: Ah, that’s right, your Dalish hunting skills…so, you’d just pluck up your bow and we’d have meat before sundown, yes?
Traesa: Who says I’d need a bow? Have you ever had leafbugs, Pavus? Plump, slow, good eating roasted over a fire –
Dorian: On second thought, I prefer starvation, thank you.
Iron Bull: You know, Traesa, for somebody who hates the Qun, you’re a lot like a Qunari.
Traesa: What?
Iron Bull: You’ve got purpose — getting revenge — and it defines you. Everything you do serves that purpose. Serving the Qun’s not much different.
Traesa: Except the part where thinking the wrong thing means torture and a lifetime of hard labor.
(if neither Solas nor Traesa are romanced)
Sera: (snorting and giggling)
Traesa: I’m really going to regret asking, aren’t I. (sighs) Alright. What’s funny, Sera?
Sera: You, with Solas. Knew you’d be in it. Saw that one coming a mile off. Bet he screams ‘elven glory’ when he does it.
Traesa: Actually? It’s more like ‘ar lath ma, ma sa’lath, ma vhenan’ara’.
Sera: What’s that mean?
(if in party) Cassandra: Must you speak about this now?
(if in party) Blackwall: I really, really do not need to know.
(if in party) Dorian: Well, now I’m curious. Go on, do tell.
Traesa: It means I’m damn good in bed.
(if in party) Solas: (sighs deeply)
(if neither Traesa nor Solas have been romanced)
Treasa: Solas. You painted my room?
Solas: I - well. Yes. If it is not to your liking, however, there are those at Skyhold who would be happy to repaint –
Traesa: No! I mean – it’s fine. I like it. Thank you – I was trying to say thank you. It’s not just a painting - it’s a fresco, right? Never seen one outside of books.”
Solas: (slightly surprised) Yes.
Traesa: No one meaning to it then…still, I’d like knowing what your intent was.
Solas: Intent is often a matter of perspective. You display a subtle thoughtfulness that I…have rarely seen outside of the Fade, and you continue to surprise me. If you like, there are a few finer details in the work I would be happy to discuss with you later, in private.
Traesa: (beat of silence, then sudden laugh) Solas, if all you wanted was into my bedroom, there were other ways you could’ve gone about it. I like my wine red.
Solas: …I will bear that in mind.
Varric: So, you’re Dalish?
Traesa: And you’re a dwarf. We both have eyes, shocking. Let’s use them for looking out for enemies, not pointing out the obvious.
Varric: Ouch. Feeling touchy, Lucky?
Traesa: You’ve got that ‘I’m writing all this down when we get to camp’ look in your eye. Fuck off and leave me out of it. Dalish don’t make good stories. (if Inquisitor is Lavellan) …Well, present company excluded.
Vivienne: You made quite the impression at the Winter Palace, my dear.
Traesa: Oh Creators. Where’s this going?
Vivienne: I must admit, I certainly expected worse, given your background.
Traesa: Someone alert the Chantry! A Dalish capable of doing more than living in the woods and killing innocent humans! Who’d’ve thunk it.
Vivienne: And your charming personality.
7. What would be on their tombstone in the fade (what is their greatest fear)?
Loss
8. What kind of Inquisitor would drive them to leave the Inquisition/confront them about their actions (what gets their approval low? what does that scene look like)?
Traesa would definitely feel alienated by Inquisitors who feel themselves chosen by Andraste and who don’t seem to value the lives of others and act ruthlessly for the sake of their own power. Because she is a pragmatic sort who recognizes that sometimes mercy isn’t an option, the only way for the Inquisitor to consistently drive down her approval is to hammer their status as the Herald of Andraste and belittle elven beliefs. When she finally snaps, she would call the Inquisitor out in the middle of Skyhold’s courtyard, saying for all to hear that they’re “just a jumped-up asshole who forgot that the only thing that makes them special is a mark on their hand, and if they keep going the way they’re going, they’re going to destroy everything they’ve built and more.” She would turn on her heel and stride out of Skyhold, calling without looking over her shoulder that she didn’t intend to be around to see it. She would vanish after the screen fades to black, never to be seen again.
9. Where in Skyhold would they be found? (e.g. Cole is in the tavern rafters, Leliana in the top of the tower, Varric in the throne room, etc.)
Traesa can be found above Skyhold’s gardens in a room that never quite seems fully cleaned out or fixed up. There would still be a hole in the ceiling that’s lazily patched with a cloth-like material and although after the completion of the Wicked Hearts, Wicked Eyes quest the stray wood and debris would be cleared out, that mess would be supplanted by a haphazard piles of metal, books, and the occasional live mine. Traesa is neither a particularly neat or decorative sort, and it shows. Ambient dialogue between Josephine and a Skyhold worker reveals that the last time a servant tried to clean Traesa’s room, they nearly got an arrow to an eye; Josephine sighs and resigns herself to the fact that Traesa’s space is her own.
10. If Inquisition operated like DA:O, what would their gift items be? What would their approval and disapproval Feast Day items be?
Traesa’s gifts would include various types of books that have a wide range of topics, such as a History of Orlais, a book of Dalish fairy tales, a treatise on dwarven politics, a scholarly analysis of vibrations in the Veil, etc. She has a voracious appetite for knowledge but was unable to retain a large store of written knowledge while living with her clan, and would therefore approve of any book she was given. Traesa’s Feastday Approval item would be a comprehensive atlas of Thedas: an encyclopedia-type tome with well-drawn, detailed maps and helpful facts about various areas. Her Feastday Disapproval item a necklace of chains, slightly too tight to be a simple fashion statement, with the Inquisition’s emblem hanging off it and her name on the back. (She would look at it, ask whether or not the Inquisitor was trying to make a fucking joke, and whip it at their head no matter what while screaming that she’s no one’s fucking pet.)
11. How would they grow as a person? How would they compare at the end of the Inquisition as a companion to who they were as the Inquisitor?
Traesa would definitely become more accepting of humans; although initially wary of the race, her time in the Inquisition would have worn down her biases, especially if the Inquisitor is human. Also, although before the destruction of Haven she was defined mostly by her anger and drive for revenge, by the end of Inquisition she would definitely emerge as a more thoughtful, even-handed character who approves more of a compassionate Inquisitor than an altogether ruthless one. If her personal quest is completed, it is also implied that she learns to take time for herself instead of constantly living for others.
As a companion, she is not very much different from who she is as Inquisitor. Although she is much more comfortable leading than following, and as a companion often struggles with the urge to give unasked-for advice, at her core she remains very much unchanged. Being a companion does allow her to be somewhat freer in voicing her opinions, so as a companion she’s a lot more transparent when it comes to what’s going on in her head.
12. Do they believe the Herald of Andraste is really the Herald of Andraste?
Not even for one second. She doesn’t even believe that Andraste was actually divine, so the idea that the Inquisitor could have been rescued from anything by a person she believes is a fairy tale is ludicrous to her. In fact, she takes violent exception to the usage of that title, as she believes that it detracts from the most important part of the Conclave: namely, its explosion. If people weren’t so busy arguing about whether the Herald is or is not the Herald, they’d be able to focus on finding who or what destroyed the Conclave. All in all, she thinks the question is a waste of time in comparison to the actual threats facing the world, and doesn’t give the title one second of thought.
13. If the Herald didn’t have them tag along to prep the trebuchets, what would they do during the battle for Haven? (bonus: would they join in on the impromptu Dawn Will Come choir practice in the camp?)
Traesa would set up a sniper’s nest on top of the tavern at Haven and feather Venatori that manage to make it past the gate while directing Haven’s people into the Chantry. Her priority would be protecting the citizens fleeing and providing cover fire until the non-combatants can escape into the Chantry. She would fight until the Inquisitor called for the last of Haven’s forces to get pulled back.
14. What nickname does Varric give them?
Lucky – shortened from Lucky Lavellan. Varric would ask how the hell Traesa had survived being that close to the blast without getting saved or marked like the Herald had seemed to, and Traesa would just grunt and say she’d gotten lucky. A decision she would come to acutely regret because the Varric would never stop calling her that, even when she threatened him with arrows.
15. Without the influence of their decisions for the Inquisition, which of the companions do they get along with? Which ones do they bicker with?
Traesa didn’t expect to make any friends in the Inquisition, but she’s most surprised that she gets along best with Dorian the slave-owning Tevinter and Vivienne the Orlesian-seeming court noble. She and Dorian bond after Dorian catches her one too many times in the library, sneaking off with some book (“You don’t have to steal from here, you know. It’s a library; the books are all free.”). They would have long conversations about the books they’re reading and mutually lambast the overabundance of Chantry books. Dorian has never been afraid of fire, and he would not be afraid of her. She would call him ‘Pavus’; it started out as an insult, but would grow into a term of affection. Vivienne and Traesa have a mutual respect. Traesa acknowledges that Vivienne’s position is the result of years of hard work and cunning, and Vivienne has always had an eye for those who have a strength and clarity of character. They disagree sometimes, with Vivienne coolly cutting Traesa’s blunt statements to ribbons, but as opposite as they can sometimes seem, Vivienne has never called Traesa anything other than “my dear” and Traesa is the only person in living memory to get away with calling Vivienne “Viv” without having their self-confidence utterly destroyed. Traesa’s also fond of Cole; he is the only one who seems to entirely kill her fire. She can be sharp with him, but mostly she treats him gently, patting his arm or squeezing his shoulder to reassure herself that he’s still there, as if she can keep him grounded in this world by will alone.
Sera and Traesa bicker like siblings. They’ll have full-on shouting matches with each other, slinging curses and baring their teeth, only to dissolve into laughter five seconds later. On any given day, their relationship might shift. They could be fine for weeks, but then Sera might mock Traesa’s elfishness and Traesa won’t talk to her except in Dalish, or Traesa might try to talk to Sera about elven things until Sera’s screaming at her to get out of her face with all that shite. For long stretches, it tends to be all good though: bragging to each other about their archery prowess, seeing who can pull off the most pranks without getting caught. Their odd, mercurial friendship is very reminiscent of that of family, although they would get defensive about it in hilariously similar ways if the comparison was pointed out to them (“What? Is it because we’re both elves, you ass/arse?!”). Similarly, Solas and Traesa clash on many things: the nature of the elven gods, the integrity of the Dalish, Solas’s arrogance and Traesa’s recalcitrance. They’re both very stubborn and passionate, so while on one hand, their arguments are very tense, on the other their discussions are deep and often go on for hours because they’re both very eloquent and invested in their respective views while being open to discussion. No one’s sure whether or not they’re friends or rivals, but no one’s surprised when it comes to light that they, if neither are romanced by the Inquisitor, became lovers. Either way, it wouldn’t be unheard of to see Traesa stealing away from Solas’s chamber in the early hours of morning because a debate regarding the importance of the endurance of tradition went on so long that they both lost track of time.
She would be wary of both Iron Bull and Varric. She would have a very difficult time treating Bull with anything but distrust; as soon as she found out he was Ben-Hassrath, she would have a very hard time believing for a second that his loyalty was to anything but the Qun. If he became Tal Vashoth, she would relax her guard towards him, but if not she would continue to treat him very coolly, never wanting to allow him to get close enough to get a proper read on her. Varric also rubs her the wrong way. Although she wouldn’t have much of a problem with him personally, she has always disliked the spotlight, and would have threatened him several times about including her in any book he eventually writes about the Inquisition.
Traesa would actively dislike Cassandra and Blackwall the most. Cassandra’s toughness and mental strength gains her enough respect with Traesa to blunt her dislike, but every time Cassandra says ‘Maker’ or disparages elven faith, Traesa feels a knot of dislike and anger grow larger. At times, Cassandra seems to Traesa to be the living avatar of all the well-intentioned faithful who marched on the Dales and burned her people out because the Chantry said so. Most of their banter is probably Cassandra being accidentally offensive and Traesa bluntly saying, “I find you tolerable, Cass. Stop ruining it.” Something about Blackwall would prickle her senses from the start; she isn’t fond of his willingness to take orders, and she would be able to see the weakness at his core: the uncertainty about his worth that makes him a very good soldier when given a cause, but woefully easy to manipulate through that cause. She detests ‘heroes’ like him: people who will go and get themselves killed for no damned reason. The revelation that he’s not even a Gray Warden, and the full knowledge of his crimes, would shock her, but it would deepen her dislike. He was a coward, plain and simple, and she laughs at his estimation of himself as a monster; she has seen monsters and Blackwall most definitely is not one, in her eyes. He’s just pathetic. However, knowing the fullness of what he had done would mean that he made more sense to her; she would acknowledge and respect his attempts to atone for what he’s done and change who he is as a man, but they would never quite become friends. Traesa would bring up his past at all the wrong time and really cut him to pieces if he ever tested her. After Corypheus was defeated they would probably put a permanent end to their uneasy association.
16. What would the Fear Demon say to them in the Fade to try and discourage them?
The Nightmare would say in Elven, “Do you honestly believe you can save them? That you can save anyone? You watched your clan burn, you watched Haven burn, [if the Inquisitor is not Lavellan] you even left your precious clanmate in the fire. Tell me, how long do you think it will be before you watch this Inquisition go up in flames as well?”
Traesa would respond, “Saving you an arrow for every word, fuckface. Keep talking.”
17. Where do they hang out in the Winter Palace? What’s their thoughts on the nobles/The Game?
Traesa hangs out in the library, looking down on the dance floor. She learns to hate Orlesians with a passion, and will bluntly tell the Inquisitor that the next person who calls her a savage or a servant is getting a fucking dagger in the eye. For all her vitriol, Traesa isn’t a fool; she thinks that the Game is the result of the rampant stupidity of nobles, but recognizes that it is serious and deadly, and when necessary can actually play it to some degree. She advises that the Inquisitor speak to Lady Mantillon, as she’s noticed that the nobles tend to orbit around her. All in all, she would be on edge the entire time she was there and frequently lambast the selfish nobles who played the Game, despite her own skill at playing.
18. What’s their reaction to a dragon showing up?
She tends not to be thrilled. Dragons are big, dangerous, and prone to breathing fire; she makes no secret of the fact that she wishes they’d stayed extinct. Still, she recognizes that dragons pose a threat to innocent people, so when one appears she tends to begrudgingly ready herself for a fight.
19. Once Corypheus is beaten, what do they do during the party? Do they stay with the Inquisition, or go somewhere else? What could the Inquisitor do to convince them to stay?
Traesa nurses her drink next to Cole, smiling quietly at all of his observations and occasionally shouting over the noise at Sera. Only an Inquisitor with high approval has a chance to convince her to stay, which they can by reassuring her that they can’t imagine fighting without her bow at their back or by saying that they still intend to help people. If not, Traesa declares her intention to walk her own path, and refuses to give a straight answer as to where exactly she’s going (an Inquisitor with high approval will get the answer, “I’m going to close my eyes, shoot an arrow at a map, and go there.”) Traesa will finish her drink quickly and vanish before the party’s over if she wasn’t romanced. If the Inquisitor has high approval with her, she’ll return to Skyhold without her characteristic golden tattoos, and refuse to talk about it outside of “You can ask Solas about it.” However, if asked whether or not she knew where Solas was, would simply answer, “He’s not coming back.” The epilogue slides would make it clear that if Traesa was unromanced, even a high approval Inquisitor eventually woke up one day to find Traesa gone. A romanced Traesa, however, is the only companion that will stay by the Inquisitor’s side up to and after the Exalted Council if he asks her to stay with him, although the epilogue would say that she occasionally threatens to leave and fulfill her dream of traveling the world.
20. How do they react to learning abominations can retain their consciousness and identity, and even live peacefully with their spirits/demons, as seen in Stone-Bear Hold?
Traesa would find it interesting, but also completely suspect. She accepts that spirits can be helpful and benign, but draws the line at people living peacefully with demons inside them. To her mind, anyone can snap, but abominations need more than a few arrows to go down, and their range of destruction is so much wider than that of a regular civilian’s. Living in close proximity to an abomination is like living in close proximity to a live mine: they’re primed to go off, when they do it’ll be a mess, and it only takes one wrong step.
21. What do they think of the discoveries made in the Deep Roads? Do they make any comments on anything?
Traesa pretty much hated the Deep Roads. She gets tetchy when she can’t see the sky. Although the myriad puzzles were of especial delight to her, and she loved to hoard the strange gears in order to study how they worked and just what they were built from, she was still very much off her game in the Deep Roads. She would definitely comment on the mysterious gears (“I’ve…never seen metal like this before, Inquisitor.”), fail hard at flirting with Renn if unromanced (Her awkward, “So…you doing anything later?” would garner confusion from Renn, laughter from Valta, and varying degrees of mocking or derision from the rest of the companions), and express a certain level of awe and fear at the size of the Titan (“Don’t think we can fight something this big, Inquisitor.”) At the end of it all, she’d be pretty confused and resolve to wash her hands of it — she doesn’t understand anything to do with the Stone, so she would be worried about Valta, but eventually she’d figure that there’s nothing she can really do about it except hope for the best.
22. If you have another Inquisitor, how would those two get along, specifically?
Traesa would hate Annalissa Trevelyan due to her steadfast belief in the Maker and sense of self-righteousness, and the feeling would be mutual. She would also not be fond of Analisle Trevelyan. Although he’d never give her too many reasons to hate him she would listen to what her gut says about him and maintain a healthy dislike of him. She’d like Konstantine Adaar well enough, always pushing him to take it easy before he breaks a hip. Traesa had never really liked Maedhra growing up together, but almost losing the redhead would make her a lot more tolerant and protective of her, and she’d be very loyal to her fellow Lavellan. Lastly, Traesa would likely be best friends with Onnika Cadash, and would enjoy drinking and playing cards with her at the Herald’s Rest.
23. In trespasser, what “gift” would they give the Inquisitor, if any?
Traesa would give the Inquisitor a small music box, identical to the one she made for herself during her personal quest except plated in gold. It’s heavily implied during the last cutscene that the box contained some information about Solas, meaning that Traesa’s real gift would be her continued loyalty to the Inquisitor and willingness to betray Solas if that meant saving the world.
24. What are their plans for after the Exalted Council? Will the Inquisition staying in tact or being disbanded make a difference?
For a Traesa who was unromanced by the Inquisitor, the decision of the Exalted Council made no difference; her objective was clearly to infiltrate Solas’s organization in order to help the Inquisitor bring it down. For a Traesa who was romanced, however, the Exalted Council’s decision determines her path: she promised she would stay by the Inquisitor’s side, and she does. Whether the Inquisition stays together or is disbanded, Traesa’s desire to stand by the love of her life is unchanged.
25. In the alternate reality, if they were corrupted with lyrium, how do they act? What’s their attitude about the end of the world/their inevitable death?
Traesa clearly would have lost it quite a bit because of the lyrium corruption. When she caught sight of the Inquisitor and Dorian, she would approach the bars so quick at least Dorian would flinch and snarl, “You. You motherfucker. When the demons came and the dragons came, they called out to you! To their whore Andraste! To their fucking Maker! And you know what they got? Fire and blood and fucking silence. You’re here to save the world?” She would tilt her head back and laugh harshly. “Well you’re a little fucking late.” Given an explanation about the Inquisitor and Dorian’s ability to go back in time, Traesa would nod, spit a mix of blood and red rocks at their feet, and just say, “Let’s go.” Although sullen and grim, the revelation that not all was lost for some other world, would give her the bloody-minded determination to see the Inquisitor and Dorian safely brought back to their own time.
Aaah I can’t believe I missed this! Thank you for this ask n_n I’ll do thiiiis for Riven from Traesa, I think :)
Attractiveness:
repulsive || hideous || ugly || not attractive || unappealing || not unattractive || meh || no preference || ok || mildly attractive || nice looking || cute || adorable || attractive || pleasant on the eyes || good looking || hot || sexy || beautiful || gorgeous || hot damn || would tap that || perfect || godlike || holy fuck there are no words
not if they were the last person on earth and the world was ending || fuck no! || never || no way || not likely || not sure || indifferent || I’m asexual || maybe || probably || it depends || fairly likely || likely || yeah sure || yes || would tap that || hell yes || fuck yes! || wishing that could happen right now || as many times as possible || we are already having sex
Level of Friendship:
never in a million years || worst of enemies || enemies || rivals || indifferent || neutral || acquaintance || friendly toward each other || casual friends || friends || good friends || best friends || fuck buddies || bosom buddies || practically the same person || would die for them || true friends || my only friend ||
First impression of them:
I hate them so much || I don’t like them || I don’t trust them || they annoy me || they’re weird || I’m indifferent || meh || they seem alright || they’re growing on me || truce || I think I like them || I like them || I’m not sure if I trust them || I trust them || they’re cool || they’re genuine || I think we’re going to get along || I really like them || I think I’m in love || oh fuck they’re hot || I love them
Current impression of them:
I hate them so much || I don’t like them || I don’t trust them || they annoy me || they’re weird || I’m indifferent || meh || they seem alright || they’re growing on me || truce || I think I like them || I like them || I’m not sure if I trust them || I trust them || they’re cool || they’re genuine || I think we’re going to get along || I really like them || I think I’m in love || oh fuck they’re hot || I love them
How good of a kisser:
worst kisser ever || terrible || bad || awkward || just okay || alright || pretty good || good || makes me moan || excellent || exciting || oh god they’re good || I dream about it || fucking amazing || absolute perfection || we haven’t kissed
