Celene Valmont I

Celene Valmont I (born 9:04 DragonNote: Halamshiral Investigation - Clues (Grand Library)) became the Empress of Orlais in 9:20 Dragon, when she was just sixteen, after succeeding her uncle Florian. Celene is part of House Valmont. Many call her "the Lioness". 
== Background ==
Celene Valmont was born in 9:04 Dragon. When she was sixteen,Dragon Age: The Masked Empire, Chapter 3 Grand Duke Gaspard de Chalons's wife Calienne killed her mother, Clarisse de Montfort, by arranging for "a hunting accident." Her father, Grand Duke Reynaud, killed Calienne in retaliation, and then died himself of "illness" caused by Calienne's poisoned stiletto. Celene took the throne after that. Her ascension is swathed in rumours, with some Orlesians claiming that she had her uncle, Emperor Florian, assassinated to take power.Codex entry: Portrait of the Dowager
Celene's ascendancy marked a period of intense struggle in the empire, as nobles positioned themselves to overthrow her. Most said Celene was too young and inexperienced to hold power, but she proved to be an adept player of the Game. She hinted at the possibility of marriage to several powerful families, while ultimately marrying no one; yet she continued to maintain alliances with these families. Today, there are still many nobles who consider Celene's rule illegitimate. As she grows older and the likelihood of an heir by birth decreases, the movement to replace her grows. 
Celene has inspired something of a cultural renaissance in the Orlesian Empire. She has been a fervent patron of education and the arts. In particular, the University of Orlais and the Grande Royeaux Theater owe much of their current reputation to her rule. Before Celene's intervention, the University of Orlais was severely stifled by the Chantry's limitations and served mostly as a dumping ground for the younger children of the lesser nobility. After Celene was crowned empress, she announced her intention to study at the university herself. She also arranged to lessen the Chantry's restriction on theological studies. The University of Orlais is now one of the most prestigious institutions in Thedas, respected for its studies on nature, magic, history, and the arts and attracting nobles from several nations. Noble blood is currently required for entry, though Celene has been urging the University to accept even elves if properly sponsored by a noble. Celene similarly lifted all restrictions on the Grande Royeaux, announcing that artistic freedoms should not be constrained by worldly concerns.
She is willing to put historical disputes behind her and enter into an alliance with Ferelden, though it should be said this alliance would ultimately benefit her. She was a close contact of King Cailan Theirin, and the two of them were united in their stance against the Fifth Blight, with Celene even sending four legions of Chevaliers to aid Ferelden against the Darkspawn.
Celene is in a secret relationship with an elf named Briala, who is also her handmaiden and spymaster.
== Involvement ==
=== Dragon Age: Origins ===
=== Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening ===
=== Dragon Age II ===
=== Dragon Age: Asunder ===
=== Dragon Age: The Masked Empire ===
=== Dragon Age: The Last Court ===
=== Dragon Age: Inquisition ===
=== Dragon Age: Knight Errant ===
== Quests ==
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== Codex entries ==
== Note texts ==
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== Notes ==
* Celene is first referenced in the tie-in novels Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne and Dragon Age: The Calling. 
* Multiple sources prior to the release of Dragon Age: The Masked Empire and Dragon Age: Inquisition seem to indicate Celene's age as having been older than what was eventually established. 
** In The Stolen Throne and The Calling she is referenced as Empress and having newly-claimed the Orlesian throne. However, given the time in which the novels are set, both novels are chronologically inconsistent with later sources placing Celene's coronation in 9:20 Dragon.
** The Codex Entry for the item Malcolm's Bequest, states that Malcolm and Leandra ran off together during a masked ball in Kirkwall for the visiting Empress. Inquisition would later establish that Celene was born in 9:04 Dragon and The Masked Empire showing that she took the throne when she was 16, while Dragon Age: The World of Thedas Volume 2 would reveal that Hawke had been born around 9:06 - 9:07 Dragon. As Celene would therefore have been an infant during this supposed event where Malcolm and Leandra ran off, a ball celebrating her as Empress would not seem to be possible.
* Celene's Codex entry in the Mark of the Assassin DLC for Dragon Age II stated that she is the daughter of Emperor Florian's youngest sister.Codex entry: Empress Celene I of Orlais However, Dragon Age: The Masked Empire subsequently established that Celene is the daughter of Grand Duke Reynaud,Dragon Age: The Masked Empire, pp. 66-67 the youngest brother of Emperor Florian. Florian's youngest sibling and only sister is Melisande, the mother of Gaspard and Florianne de Chalons.
== Trivia ==
* David Gaider revealed that the original plot for Dragon Age: Origins included a visit by Celene to Denerim. There it would have been learned that Cailan had planned to divorce Anora in favor of the Empress, and that Teyrn Loghain had discovered this scheme.David Gaider (September 2010). Dragon Age 2 PAX Day 3 David Gaider Interview. UStream. Partial transcript of the interview. This is referenced in a codex entry in the Return to Ostagar DLC. Loghain reacts to this in banter with Wynne if taken along, although in this version, he is apparently unaware of the plot. The novel The Masked Empire later briefly reflected upon Celene's motivations for carrying out such an event.
* Celene has a passionate love of tea, particularly Rivaini spice tea, and in fact keeps an enchanted tea pot in her luggage for this purpose.Dragon Age: The Masked Empire, pp. 17, 104 The tea appears to be a curative for her chronic headaches.Dragon Age: The Masked Empire, p. 46 Curiously, when speaking with her ladies-in-waiting during Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts, one of them will mention that Celene takes her tea black. This would seem to contradict Dragon Age: The Masked Empire, in which much is made of her love of tea and her particular way of taking it not black but sweetened with honey.Dragon Age: The Masked Empire, p. 17
* In the official cookbook, Celene is said to frequently drink a Rivaini tea blend consisting of licorice root, oregano, lemon verbena, and peppermint.Dragon Age: The Official Cookbook: Tastes of Thedas, p. 165 Which is in contrast to Dragon Age: The Masked Empire which described the blend as one of cinnamon, cloves, and ginger.
* Celene wears several enchanted items on her person, including a ruby ring that enchants any weapon with flames and a puzzle ring purported to have belonged to The Black Fox.Dragon Age: The Masked Empire, p. 168
* During her conversation with Leliana it is made apparent that Celene has been trained as a bard.Dragon Age: The Masked Empire, pp. 22-23
* Empress Celene is related to Duke Prosper through her mother; he is her mother's cousin, making him her first cousin once removed.
* Cover art of Celene can be found in Skyhold on an unhung portrait near Vivienne's living area in Dragon Age: Inquisition.
* While Celene is the first of the name to hold the position of Empress of Orlais, she is still stylized with the regnal number of "Celene Valmont I". Most monarchies do not use regnal numbers until a second ruler of the name takes the title. However, Divine Victoria does not follow this trend of using regnal numbers even as the first to bear the name and title, as she is never referred to as "Divine Victoria I".
* According to Leliana, Empress Celene is fascinated by mysticism; Leliana elaborates by listing examples of Celene's interests such as foreseeing the future and speaking with the dead.According to Leliana's dialogue during Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts
== Gallery ==
CeleneI.png|Cover art of Celene from Dragon Age: The Masked Empire
Empress Celene Valmont tarot.png|Empress Celene tarot card
Promotional_Celene.jpg|Promotional image of Empress Celene in Heroes of Dragon Age
Celene HoDA tier.jpg|Artwork of Empress Celene's tier progression in Heroes of Dragon Age
HoDA_Celene.jpg|Empress Celene in Heroes of Dragon Age (Tier IV)
Celene Empress Statue.png|Statue of Empress Celene
Empress_Celene_Character_cosplay_guide_cover.jpg|Empress Celene cosplay guide
Empress_Celene_Character_cosplay_guide_1.jpg|Empress Celene cosplay guide
Empress_Celene_Character_cosplay_guide_2.jpg|Empress Celene cosplay guide
Empress_Celene_Character_cosplay_guide_3.jpg|Empress Celene cosplay guide
Empress_Celene_Character_cosplay_guide_4.jpg|Empress Celene cosplay guide
Empress_Celene_Character_cosplay_guide_5.jpg|Empress Celene cosplay guide
Celene concept art.jpg|Concept art of Empress Celene in The Art of Dragon Age: Inquisition
== References ==
Category:Characters
Category:Heroes of Dragon Age characters
Category:Dragon Age: The Masked Empire characters
Category:Dragon Age: Inquisition characters
Category:Dragon Age: Knight Errant characters
Category:Humans
Category:Orlesians
Category:Orlesian nobility
Category:Royalty
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