Lianna Trevelyan

Lianna Trevelyan, born in 9:17 Dragon, was the younger sister of the Inquisitor, Eve Trevelyan.

Overview[]

Physical Appearance[]

Lianna is 5'4'', with waist length brown hair and green eyes. She usually wears her hair pinned on top of her head in an elaborate braid.

Personality[]

Lianna is quite shy and can sometimes come across as cold and unfriendly the first time you meet her. She is fairly guarded around people she doesn't know very well and she doesn't particularly like talking about herself. She is actually very warm and witty underneath the serious exterior, but she usually only shows that side of herself to people she feels very comfortable around. She is a devout Andrastian, but she strongly disagrees with some of the Chantry's rules.

Talents and Skills[]

Lianna is very skilled with a bow, having been trained in archery since the age of eight. After joining the Inquisition, she learnt stealth and became adept at picking locks - both vital skills for her eventual role as an Inquisition scout.

Lianna is also very good at chess, and she has a beautiful singing voice.

Biography[]

Early Life[]

Lianna Trevelyan was born in 9:17 Dragon, the youngest child of Bann Eduard and Lady Alyssa Trevelyan. She had four siblings, Verena (born in 9:06 Dragon), Gawyn (born in 9:08 Dragon), Rickard (born in 9:10 Dragon) and Evelyn (born in 9:13 Dragon). Lianna was mostly ignored by her two oldest siblings, but she was very close to Rickard and Evelyn, then known as Ricky and Evie. She was particularly close to Evie, and the two of them would often play their own private games away from their older sister and brothers.

One day when Lianna was four years old, Evie accidentally set a rug on fire with magic. Gawyn and Verena ran away screaming, but Lianna clapped her hands with delight and asked Evie to show her how to do it. Alyssa Trevelyan told Lianna to stay in her bedroom when the Templars came, thinking that it might be less upsetting that way, but Lianna snuck out and watched from the top of the stairs as two Templars tried to make Evie leave with them. She was too young to fully understand what was going on, but she could see that her sister was frightened and that she didn't want to go. One of the Templars, Ser Boris, slapped Evie when she refused to leave, and so Lianna ran down the stairs and kicked him in the groin. Her mother dragged her back upstairs, while Lianna screamed at her not to let the horrid men take Evie away. When she was finally allowed to leave her bedroom, Evie was gone.

After Evie was taken away to the Circle, Lianna's older brother Rickard tried to cheer her up by making up similar games to the ones she used to play with her sister. Lianna tried to enjoy them, but it wasn't the same without Evie. The games stopped a few months later when Rickard was sent away to Templar training, and for the next few years Lianna spent much of her time alone.

Seeing how sad and lonely his daughter was becoming, Eduard Trevelyan did his best to help. He decided to teach Lianna to play chess and was pleasantly surprised by how quickly she took to the game. Lianna was seven when she beat him for the first time. The two of them would play whenever they could, but Eduard's duties as Bann took up most of his time and frequently took him away from the Estate. It became clear that the occasional chess game wasn't enough to keep Lianna occupied and that she needed another hobby. Eduard discussed the situation with some of his fellow nobles and learnt that a few of them were allowing their daughters to train in archery. Thinking that archery would indeed be an appropriate hobby for a nobleman's daughter and also that it might be a good idea for Lianna to be able to defend herself, Eduard found a trainer.

Lianna had her first archery lesson at the age of eight, and she took to it immediately. She practised every day for the next six years. With a bow in her hand, all her loneliness and grief at losing her sister seemed to melt away. As she grew older, her parents began to discuss her future. It was tradition for younger children in the Trevelyan family to join either the Templars or the Chantry. With her skill in archery, her parents initially hoped that Lianna would follow her brother Rickard into Templar training, but she refused, wanting nothing to do with "those horrid men" who had taken Evie away. That left the Chantry, and so in 9:31 Dragon Lianna was sent away to the Ostwick Chantry to take her vows as a Sister.

The Chantry[]

Lianna spent the next ten years as a Chantry Sister. She enjoyed studying the Chant of Light and she had a very strong belief in the Maker, but she began to grow increasingly frustrated with some of the Chantry's rules, particularly the rule against romantic relationships. This wasn't something that affected Lianna personally, but she watched several of her fellow Sisters fall in love and have to choose between their relationship and their faith. She didn't understand why they couldn't have both.

In 9:41 Dragon, the Revered Mother of the Ostwick Chantry received a message from Mother Giselle, asking for volunteers to travel to Ferelden and help her tend to refugees of the Mage-Templar War. Lianna volunteered immediately, and set off for the Hinterlands a few days later.

The Inquisition[]

Lianna was caring for sick and injured refugees at the Crossroads when the Herald of Andraste came to speak to Mother Giselle. She initially wasn't sure who the newcomer was, and Mother Giselle received a lot of strange visitors, so she ignored their conversation at first. It was only when she heard Mother Giselle say "Trevelyan? Are you a relative of Sister Lianna?" that she began to pay attention. She found herself staring at a short blonde woman with very bright blue eyes. The woman stared back at her in turn. It was several seconds before Lianna realised that she was looking at her sister Evie. She promptly burst into tears and fell into her sister's arms.

Lianna travelled to Haven with Mother Giselle and had another surprise when she arrived. The man in Templar uniform who greeted her at the gates was none other than her brother Rickard, now a soldier in the Inquisition's army. Lianna decided to join the Inquisition too. One day, she saw a group of Inquisition scouts practising archery, and she asked their leader, Lace Harding, if she could join them. Harding was so impressed with Lianna's skills that she asked if she would be interested in becoming a scout. Lianna was thrilled and said yes immediately. Harding spoke to Leliana, who in turn spoke to Mother Giselle and was able to convince her to release Lianna from her vows.

Lianna's role as a scout meant that she regularly accompanied Evie - now known as Eve - on her travels around Orlais and Ferelden. She and Rickard also attended the ball at the Winter Palace, helping Eve gather dirt on Gaspard and Briala, and they were present at the siege of Adamant Fortress. The three siblings slowly rebuilt their relationship, eventually becoming just as close as they had been as children. Lianna was a constant source of support to Eve, both before and after Corypheus's defeat. She stayed with the Inquisition after the Exalted Council and did whatever she could to help Eve in her quest to disrupt Solas's plans.

Relationships[]

As the Inquisitor's sister, Lianna was immediately welcomed into the inner circle, eventually becoming friends with all of Eve's companions and advisors. She got on particularly well with Cassandra. They bonded over their faith in the Maker and their shared secret love of romantic literature. Lianna's serious exterior meant that she found it difficult to connect with Sera and Iron Bull at first, but as she gradually let her guard down, they came to like the warm-hearted and surprisingly funny person they found inside.

Cullen[]

Lianna first met Cullen in Haven when she collided with him on her way into the Chantry. He blushed and stammered an apology. She hadn't expected the Commander of the Inquisition's forces to be so nervous, and she found it rather endearing. She also thought he was incredibly handsome. After that, Lianna would often turn around to see Cullen looking at her, although he would always turn red and look away as soon as he realised she'd seen him. Eve noticed the mutual attraction between Lianna and Cullen, and started engineering opportunities for them to be alone together. Their shared love of chess proved particularly helpful in this regard. Much to Eve's delight, they spent many happy afternoons in Skyhold's garden playing chess and talking.

The more Lianna got to know Cullen, the more attractive she found him. He was tall, brave, a good leader - and the perfect gentleman. She wasn't sure what to do about her feelings, however. She had never been in a relationship and she had no idea how to go about it. She was also worried by the fact that Cullen had never tried to initiate anything himself. Surely that meant he wasn't interested in her? Eventually, Eve convinced her that she should tell Cullen how she felt. What did she have to lose? So she and Cullen went for a walk around the battlements, and she finally confessed her feelings. She was ecstatic when Cullen admitted that he felt the same way. After a slightly awkward interruption from an Inquisition soldier, they shared their first kiss.

Lianna and Cullen's relationship continued to blossom, and they soom became each other's rocks. When Eve realised how much Cullen was struggling with his lyrium addiction, she asked Lianna to talk to him, thinking that he would be far more likely to listen to her sister than to her. She was right. Lianna convinced Cullen to stay off the lyrium and was there to hold his hand and distract him from the pain during his darkest moments. In turn, Cullen was the only person Lianna confided in about her fears for Eve. She worried desperately about her sister, who threw herself into danger every day. Cullen was always there with a shoulder to cry on and to reassure her that Eve would be alright.

Lianna and Cullen were both present at the siege of Adamant Fortress, although they were on opposite sides of the battlefield and so they hardly saw each other. Lianna was worried sick about Cullen and was very relieved when she learnt that he had survived. Cullen was equally relieved that Lianna was alright, but they had no opportunities to talk in private until they returned to Skyhold. That evening, they confessed the true depth of their feelings for each other and ended up having sex on Cullen's desk. It was Lianna's first time, but she didn't want to ruin the moment and so she didn't say anything until afterwards, when she apologised for not knowing what she was doing. Cullen had had no idea and was slightly horrified that he had made her first time so unromantic - until Lianna assured him that it had been perfect and she wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

Cullen and Lianna stayed together after Corypheus was defeated, and they married two years later during the Exalted Council. Afterwards, they finally visited Cullen's family, who welcomed Lianna with open arms. They then returned to Skyhold and continued to work for the Inquisition, doing everything they could to help Eve discover and disrupt Solas's plans.

Miscellaneous[]

Varric's nickname for Lianna is Angel, as she usually comes across as very prim, proper and well behaved. She does have a more lighthearted, naughtier side, but it tends to only come out around people she knows well.

Links[]

Reddit Headcanon or Writing Prompt Threads:[]

A Reunion in the Hinterlands - Lianna and Eve meet again after twenty years (Prompt: DAI Based: For those of us who have Non Protagonist OCs for DAI, write on how they show up/come to work for the Inquisition)

Wicked Grace Night - Somewhat against his better judgement, Cullen is persuaded to take part in a game of Wicked Grace (Companion Challenge - Prompt: Losing a fight, an unlikely rescue, and a really embarrassing moment)

Winning the Game - Lianna and Cullen ponder the Inquisition's chances against Corypheus (Love Interest and Romance Challenge - Prompt: Cullen: A kiss on the fingertips, a chess piece, a whispered reassurance, determination)