Ro Lavellan

✦ INQUISITION - Lure of the Dream

Speak Only the Word

Ro's presence at the Conclave landed her the weighted title of Andraste's chosen. She arrived at Haven where she found herself entirely out of her element - these humans were intense and hostile, the camps crowded, and though she was thankful of the kindness offered by her advisors, Ro was completely displaced.

As excited she was at the opportunity to prove herself, Ro buckled under the constant condemnation of her core identity: an elf mage. The apprehension and unease felt among the ranks of these established and accomplished people was overwhelming, but those around her continued to beg something new of her - or better yet, gave words of praise that kept her rooted in her newfound duty.

Much as she felt inhibited by the responsibilities placed on her, Ro acted in accordance to her colleagues, wishing to pave the way to much-needed camaraderie. She surprised many, proving to be cooperative and winning them over with her humor and easy grace as much as her earnest desire to help others.

In fact, her tendency to comply left her meekly obeying the Chantry's stifling conformities and traditions. Though raised in Elven faith, there was an undeniable comfort others took in the avoidance of her background, her supposed concessions of the Dalish's flaws, the repression of her culture - and no matter how much it disappointed her, Ro took every opportunity to mute her heritage.

In this swirl of unfamiliarity and doubt, there was nothing more important to Ro than what others thought of her... and the effort to close the Breach, she often reminded herself. Yet following its closure, Ro couldn't help but relish in the attention and praise. This was it, wasn't it? This was where she was meant to be.


Hand Outstretched

Inexperienced and insecure, Ro is a wholly unconventional leader. And yet, she takes up the role regardless. In many ways, it was the easiest decision she'd ever made.

When the dust had settled and Haven lay buried, Ro saw no choice but to heft the world on her shoulders. The future shown to her in Redcliffe had her eager to take up the responsibilities of the Inquisitor, but her impatience in this regard leads Ro to neglect her own needs. She keeps herself busy; mending her friends' inner turmoil, honing her magical talent, helping to command a massive military.

It's almost enough to stave off the creeping unease within her.

Ro was delighted to find true friendship in the Inquisition. She quickly endeared herself to the fledgling organization - her genuine kindness and sincerity let her inspire trust from those she led. She truly was a person who, one way or another, seemed to make friends wherever she went.

And the more receptive others were to this, the more those around her praised her ineffable enthusiasm, her passion and warmth, the more it terrified Ro to let herself be anything else. If she wasn't a shining beacon of altruism and forgiveness, who was she? And did she have a place among her friends if she couldn't be that?

These worries stay secluded in Ro's heart. In no world would she so cruelly consign her friends to deal with her inadequacies, let alone the gnawing guilt she harbored over Loghain's sacrifice, the ordering of Gaspard's execution, or the future Alexius had created. The very idea was, to her, wholly incompatible with who she needed to be: the Inquisitor. In this reasoning, it begged to be asked - where did Ro begin and the Inquisitor end?


For the Living and the Dead

Ultimately, Ro drinks from the Well of Sorrows to spare Morrigan - a complete stranger - from an unknown and potentially dangerous fate. Outwardly, the decision befits her nature, much to the chagrin of her companions. And yet underlined throughout this reasoning lies an urging from her old life.

Ro's experiences away from home have fundamentally changed her relationship to her clan and family. But in both lives she led, what remains is duty - or, crushing obligation. The chance to inherit a font of Elven knowledge, of tapping into a well of understanding thought long lost to her people, was something Ro felt she owed to the family she had left behind.

Not knowing what this meant for her future was a miserable prospect. And yet, she follows through regardless. Drinking from the Well didn't bring Ro any kind of satisfaction, and while she wasn't loath to be granted this power, she certainly wouldn't have chosen it for herself. Every step forward she takes is for the sake of others, not questioning where it will lead her - for Ro, it's only a matter of time before it's a misstep.


When the Dust Settles

Against all odds, the Inquisition managed to see its purpose to an end: victory over Corypheus and the resealing of the Breach. Ro's reward for this would be Solas' disappearance amidst the rubble of the battle. In the aftermath, she could only helplessly wonder why.

After Corypheus' defeat, Ro can't imagine she was meant to do anything else. Her friend's triumphant smiles and warm words gave her life meaning. She relishes in the comfort her title brings her. And still, her heart hurts. The Inquisition's fight came to an end, and as her friends departed one by one, Ro felt more than anything, loneliness. Those who remained wasted their comfort on her - still, she humors them, should it cause them more stress to do otherwise. And, in hindsight, those days would be happier than the ones to come.

✦ TRESPASSER - No Good Deed

As It Once Was

Doubt had always been a part of Ro. But now, she heard its voice more clearly, felt its incitement more keenly. When she's finally reunited with her friends, Ro is eager to retread familiar habits - helping to resolve minor crises, tending to others' emotional states. And yet, she can't suppress the rising sense of aimlessness within her. She's all but disappointed to realize that her friends have grown and changed in her absence. There's nothing to mend, no dilemmas to solve - nothing for Ro to offer. How nice it is her companions leave her, firm in purpose and happier than ever after all she's given them.

She can't help but feel bitter.

Between the scrutiny of the Exalted Council and the race to uncover the Qunari plot, Ro reaches her breaking point. The anxieties she had hidden for years are finally impossible to ignore. And in the horrible aftermath of Solas' betrayal, it spirals out of control in desperate, hopeless rancor. Who she was, who she tried to be, left her with nothing. And when the guilt wrought from her failure begins to take her over...

She realizes her friends will be there for her, just as she was there for them. Long had Ro been wary of her unhappiness. She'd still not shaken her doubts of whether she was the one meant to help Thedas. She was ashamed of the resentment she felt towards those closest to her. And still, as bitter as the truth was, it was her friends she turned to, and love her friends offered in spite of it. And it felt right.

Ro is forever changed. She can't help but remain sullen and mourn how nothing can be returned to how it was before. But beyond that, she is ultimately accepting of everyone's fond farewells. Solaced at her lowest point, Ro is determined to give the same reassurance to Dread Wolf, her friend in need - and in her newfound maturity disbands the Inquisition, purging the attachments she held to carve a new path forward. And she does so not as the Keeper's First, not as the Herald of Andraste or the Inquisitor, but as simply herself - and whoever that may be now, she is free to choose.

✦ THE VEILGUARD - Together as One

How the Mighty Have Fallen

Work in progress!