Eve Trevelyan

Evelyn (Eve) Trevelyan, born in 9:13 Dragon, was a Circle mage from Ostwick, who later became the Inquisitor.

## Overview

### **Physical Appearance**

Eve is a short woman (about 5'2'') with long blonde hair and very bright blue eyes. Her eyes appear to change colour depending on the light and can sometimes look purple. Her hair is always messy and is constantly getting in her eyes, much to her irritation. She is very insecure about her appearance and usually can't find anything positive to say about it.

### **Personality**

Eve is very curious and wants to learn as much about the world as possible. She is particulary interested in the Fade and strange forms of magic. She is kind, friendly and outgoing, and enjoys a joke. She does have a serious side, however, which comes to the fore when she has to make decisions for the Inquisition. She is not a diplomat, as she has a tendency to speak without thinking, and she has absolutely no patience for the Game.

### **Talents and Skills**

Eve is particularly skilled at electricity magic, although she also knows a few devasting fire and frost attacks. Her fascination with the Fade and unusual magic led to her choosing to specialise in Rift Magic, which she took to with aplomb. Nobody wants to be on the other end of one of her Firestorm attacks.

## Biography

### **History**

Evelyn Trevelyan was born in 9:13 Dragon, the fourth 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 Lianna (born in 9:17 Dragon). As a child, Evelyn was usually known as Evie. Her childhood wasn't entirely happy. She had a very comfortable life at the Trevelyan Estate, but she never quite felt like she belonged there. Her parents were always loving and supportive, but her two oldest siblings were another matter. They constantly teased her, made cruel jibes about her appearance, and generally made her life a misery. She was reaonably close to her other two siblings, however, particularly Lianna. The two of them would often play their own private games away from their older sister and brothers.

One day when Evie was eight years old, she accidentally set a rug on fire with magic. Her siblings were present, and her older sister Verena immediately screamed that Evie was a freak and that everyone should get away from her. Verena and Gawyn ran away, Rickard watched unhappily from the corner of the room, and Lianna clapped her hands with delight and asked Evie to show her how to do it. That evening, Evie said a tearful farewell to Rickard and Lianna. The Templars took her to the Circle the next day.

Evie wasn't completely happy at the Circle either. She enjoyed her studies and learning how to harness her magic, but she hated being made to feel like a prisoner. At the age of thirteen, she decided that the name Evie was too childish and that she wanted to be known as Eve from now on. Eve passed her Harrowing in 9:33 Dragon and then spent another seven years at the Circle. Those seven years were the most boring of her life. Every day was regimented, the Templars watched her every move, and she wasn't allowed to study the Fade or any unusual areas of magic. She was ecstatic when the Ostwick Circle fell in 9:40 Dragon. She was finally free to choose her own destiny and decide who she wanted to be...

...Or so she thought. Eve was in hiding with most of the other mages from the Ostwick Circle when the Conclave was announced. The Circle's former Senior Enchanters decided who would attend, and Eve was thrilled to be chosen. Her joy didn't last long, however. It quickly became apparent that she hadn't been chosen to attend because of her intelligence or negotiation skills, but rather because of her name. The Senior Enchanters hoped that having a member of a noble family on their side would give them more sway at the Conclave. Eve was given a very stern pep talk just before the mages set off. She was to speak only when prompted, and she was only to say what the Senior Enchanters agreed beforehand. She was furious, but she feared that losing her temper would result in her no longer being allowed to attend, so she seethed in silence.

### **In-game**

After waking up in Haven, Eve spent the first few days feeling confused and angry. Why was her left hand glowing? And why was this strange woman shouting at her and accusing her of things she had never done? She was still confused and angry when she learnt more about what had happened, but she agreed to try to help close the Breach. Her initial consternation over the Anchor quickly turned to fascination when Solas grabbed her left hand and used it to close a rift. What was this thing, and how did it work? She became determined to learn as much as she could.

After stabilising the Breach, Eve became known as the Herald of Andraste. She hated the title. She believed in the Maker, but she didn't believe that the woman who had spoken to her in the Fade was Andraste, and she certainly didn't see herself as any sort of "chosen one". She was very wary of the Inquisition at first, fearing that they meant to use her as a figurehead and that she wouldn't have any agency of her own, much like how it had been at the Conclave. She decided to approach the mages for help wth sealing the Breach. As a mage herself, she felt far more comfortable dealing with them than with the Templars, and the way the Templars treated her when she travelled to Val Royeaux convinced her that she wanted nothing to do with them. It was her choice to ally with the mages that caused her to change her mind about the Inquisition. The decision was *hers* and hers alone. Cassandra and Cullen disagreed with it, but they did nothing to stop it. That was when Eve realised that she was now far more than just a figurehead.

Becoming the Inquisitor was the best thing that ever happened to Eve. Here was her chance to really make a difference in the world. She was determined to stop Corypheus, but she also wanted to make the Inquisition a force for good and to help as many people as possible. As Inquisitor, she did whatever she could to further the cause of mage freedom, and she hoped that perhaps most people's opinion of mages would change for the better if they could see a mage doing good in the world. She ended the Orlesian Civil War by keeping Celene on the throne. She found evidence that both Gaspard and Briala were up to no good, and while she didn't trust Celene at all, the incumbent Empress seemed to be the "least worst" option. She did have second thoughts, and she wondered if there could have been a better solution that she didn't spot because of her lack of diplomacy skills and her refusal to play the Game. Later, she teamed up with Marian Hawke and Alistair to investigate the goings on at Adamant Fortress. She and Hawke bonded over their views on mage freedom and the fact that they both loved Grey Wardens. She got on well with Alistair too, and with his help she was able to contact the Hero of Ferelden, Solona Amell, a woman she had idolised for years. She didn't want anyone to remain behind in the Fade and desperately tried to think of something that would allow everyone to escape the Nightmare demon. Nothing came to her, however, and when Alistair threw himself in front of her and Hawke yelling "Get out of here now!", she knew she had no choice but to leave him behind. She allowed the Grey Wardens to join the Inquisition, believing that they hadn't been fully in control of their actions due to Corypheus's manipulations and that they could still do some good. Her relationship with Blackwall may have played a small part in this decision as well. She allied with the Sentinels at the Temple of Mythal, and she let Morrigan drink from the Well of Sorrows. Despite her fascination with strange magic, she was unnerved by the Well, while Morrigan was willing to drink from it. She trusted Morrigan, and so she saw no harm in letting her have her way.

Leliana became Divine Victoria shortly after Corypheus was defeated, and one of her first acts as Divine was to announce that mages could now govern themselves, much to Eve's delight. For the next two years, Eve continued to lead the Inquisition. Although Corypheus was dead and the Mage-Templar War was over, she thought the Inquisition could still play a role in keeping the peace and helping people throughout Thedas. At the Exalted Council, she intended to argue for keeping the Inquisition, but she was open to the idea of disbanding if a strong case could be made for it. She was dismayed by the Qunari plot and the fact that the organisation she had dedicated her life to for the past few years appeared to be falling apart. She was shocked when she discovered Solas's true identity. She vowed to try to redeem him, not wanting to write off a man she deeply respected and who she had once considered a friend. In the end, she decided not to disband the Inquisition, believing that it was Thedas's best hope of putting a stop to Solas's plans.

### **Post-game**

Eve stayed on as Inquisitor after the Exalted Council, although the organisation was now far smaller than it had once been. She was determined to discover what Solas's next moves would be and find a way to disrupt his plans.

## **Relationships**

By the time Corypheus was defeated, Eve was on fairly good terms with all of her companions and advisors. She got on well with Varric right from the start and she loved his stories, particularly the ones about Hawke. She also developed a very close friendship with Dorian. She liked his sense of humour, and the two of them could banter for hours. From the outside, their friendship appeared to be entirely based on jokes and insults, but deep down they cared for each other very much. Eve had a lot of respect for Solas, and he in turn began to respect her for her intelligence and compassion. She constantly asked him questions about the Fade, and he was more than willing to answer them and to help her get used to her new abilities when she decided to specialise in Rift Magic. She and Cole bonded over their shared desire to help others. She decided to help him become more human. It seemed to her that he was already halfway there and that making him more spirit-like would be a step backwards. Eve took her role as Inquisitor seriously, but she was very friendly and easy-going when "off-duty". Sera didn't particularly like "Inquisitor Eve", but she found "normal Eve" great fun. Eve had never met anyone quite like Iron Bull, and at first she wasn't sure how to react to him. That all changed after they killed their first dragon. Despite being a total lightweight, she had several drinks with Bull at the tavern and she realised that they had more in common than she'd first thought. She had to be carried up to her quarters later, and the hangover was terrible, but overall she thought it was worth it. Initially, she didn't get on particularly well with Cassandra. They clashed over Eve's dislike of the Herald of Andraste title, and again over her decision to ally with the mages. Their relationship improved later on. Although Cassandra didn't agree with all of Eve's decisions, she did approve of the overall direction the Inquisition was moving in, and eventually the two women became friends. Eve also had a fairly antagonistic relationship with Vivienne at first, mainly due to their opposing views on mage freedom. In the end, they agreed to avoid discussing that particular topic, as it always resulted in arguments, and their relationship gradually became more cordial.

Eve formed a very close friendship with Josephine. She very much admired Josephine's diplomacy skills, which got her out of many a sticky situation. Josephine in turn appreciated Eve's help with reinstating her family in Orlais. Leliana made Eve nervous at first. She was clearly a very competent spy master, but Eve found her coldness a little disturbing. She gradually broke down some of Leliana's walls, and she grew to like her softer side. She was initially wary of Cullen, too. She felt a little awkward around him, knowing that he had once been a Templar, and they argued fiercely following her decision to ally with the mages. Their relationship slowly improved as they got to know each other. Eve greatly respected Cullen's decision to stop taking lyrium and did her best to help him. Cullen's blossoming relationship with her sister Lianna may have helped a little as well, and she eventually came to consider Cullen a very good friend.

### **Blackwall**

Eve was attracted to Blackwall as soon as she met him. She had always had a bit of a thing for rugged, bearded men and she greatly admired him for helping the people of the Hinterlands defend themselves against the bandits. After he joined the Inquisition, they began to flirt with each other fairly regularly, although they never did more than hint at their feelings. Blackwall carried her back to the Inquisition camp after Corypheus attacked Haven and came to speak to her fairly soon after she woke up. They ended up holding hands and confessing how they felt, before Blackwall walked away, telling her that their relationship could never be. She avoided him for a while after that, until Dorian stepped in and urged her to try talking to him again. She found him in Skyhold's barn, where he apologised for pushing her away and asked her to travel to the Storm Coast with him so he could explain. He took her to a spot that clearly meant something to him and told her that this was where he and another Warden had once been ambushed. After the story, Eve found the Warden-Constable's badge on the ground and assumed that it must be his. That evening, she returned to her quarters to find Blackwall waiting for her. He kissed her and then apologised, saying again that they could never be together and asking her to end it because he couldn't. Eve refused, and they kissed again, rather more passionately this time. From that moment on, they were together.

Eve's duties as Inquisitor kept her very busy, but she made sure to visit Blackwall in the barn every day for a chat - and a lot of kissing, although they didn't sleep together until after they returned from Adamant Fortress. It wasn't the best sex either of them had ever had, but it was good enough and it made them realise how much they cared about one another. Afterwards, Eve told Blackwall she loved him. He didn't say it back, but he held her tightly and covered her face with gentle kisses. Actions spoke louder than words, and Eve knew that he loved her just as much as she loved him.

When Eve woke up the next morning to find Blackwall gone, she initially thought that he couldn't be far away and that he would be back any minute. When it became clear that he had left, she tried to tell herself that he must have had a good reason. She couldn't keep her anger at bay, however, and before long she was fuming. Her fury only increased when she travelled to Val Royeaux and discovered Blackwall's true identity. She went to the prison to speak to him, and ended up losing her temper and shouting at him. How could he lie about who he was? He had betrayed the Inquisition's trust, betrayed *her*. She couldn't believe it when he shouted back at her. Yes, he'd lied, but she had chosen to believe him. She wasn't a fool, he'd seen her frown when he said something about the Wardens that didn't add up. She knew something wasn't right, but she chose to ignore it because it was easier to think that she'd fallen in love with a brave, noble Grey Warden than to know the truth - that she'd fallen in love with a monster. There was truth in his words, and that stung. Eve ran out of the prison before he could see her cry. When Cullen asked her what she wanted to do about Blackwall, she replied "Leave him there".

It took a few weeks for Eve to get over her grief and anger. Eventually, she realised that Blackwall wasn't Thom Rainier the murderer anymore. At some point when he was pretending to be Blackwall, he actually became Blackwall, the man she fell in love with. She asked Leliana to help her get him out of prison and she pardoned him when he returned to Skyhold. They shared a kiss after the judgement, and their relationship was soon back on track.

After Blackwall's return to Skyhold, Eve asked him what he wanted to be called. He admitted that he'd started to hate it when she called him Blackwall, as it was a reminder that their relationship was based on his lies. They agreed that she would start calling him Thom from then on, although everyone else would still know him as Blackwall for another two years.

After Corypheus was defeated, Eve and Thom spent most of their time together in Skyhold. A few months before the Exalted Council, Thom set off to find the surviving members of his old company to apologise. They met up again at the Winter Palace. The Exalted Council was one of the most stressful periods of Eve's life, what with Ferelden and Orlais's attempts to disband or control the Inquisition, the Qunari plot, Solas's plans and losing her arm. Thom was her rock during the whole ordeal, and afterwards she wasn't sure if she could have got through it without him.

Thom and Eve married shortly after the Exalted Council, and Eve took Rainier as her surname. They returned to Skyhold, where Eve continued leading the Inquisition. Her investigations into Solas's plans took her all over Thedas, and Thom accompanied her wherever she went. During their travels, they would also seek out people who were in need of hope, and did their best to help them.

### **Rickard and Lianna**

As a child, Eve was very close to her older brother Rickard and her younger sister Lianna. When she was sent away to the Circle in 9:21 Dragon, she assumed that she would never see them again. She was wrong. One day in Haven, she was leaving the Chantry when a Templar asked to speak to her. She didn't recognise him immediately, but she eventually realised that he was her brother Rickard. A few days later, she introduced herself to Mother Giselle in the Hinterlands, and the cleric immediately remarked on her surname. "Trevelyan? Are you a relative of Sister Lianna?" she asked, gesturing at a young Chantry sister who stood nearby. The two sisters stared at each other for several seconds, before bursting into tears and falling into each other's arms.

Rickard and Lianna joined the Inquisition, eventually becoming, respectively, an Inquisition soldier and a scout. As a result, they regularly accompanied Eve on her travels around Ferelden and Orlais. They 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. Aside from Dorian, Lianna and Rickard were the only people Eve confided in about her growing feelings for Blackwall. In turn, when Eve noticed the mutual attraction between Lianna and Cullen, she did her best to help them, engineering opportunities for them to be alone together and encouraging Lianna to tell Cullen about her feelings. She was also very aware of Rickard's crush on Cassandra and became determined to help him too - although, in this case, her "help" usually meant good natured teasing.

Rickard and Lianna stayed with the Inquisition after the Exalted Council and remained a constant source of support to Eve in her quest to disrupt Solas's plans.

## **Miscellaneous**

Eve cannot stand being called the Herald of Andraste. She particularly hates being referred to as "the Herald" because she thinks it makes her sound like an object rather than a person. She is absolutely fine with being called the Inquisitor.

Varric's nickname for Eve is Storm, which stems from her skill with electricity magic. The nickname became even more apt when she chose to specialise in Rift Magic and learnt the Firestorm ability. Several people have also compared her voice to thunder when she loses her temper and shouts.

Eve never liked it when Blackwall called her "my lady", especially after they became a couple. She wanted them to have an equal partnership, regardless of who she was, and him calling her "my lady" implied a power difference. She slowly persuaded him to stop saying it, although there is one situation where she still lets him call her "my lady" - in the bedroom, where it is not only allowed, but sometimes even encouraged.

Eve's greatest fear is Powerlessness.

One of Eve's most treasured possessions is her teddy bear, Ser Tedsworth. He originally belonged to her brother Rickard, who gave him to her the night before she left for the Circle, because he thought she would need him more than he did. She tried to give him back to Rickard when they met up again at Haven, but Rickard insisted that she keep him. To this day, Ser Tedsworth sits next to Eve's bed.

Eve has two laughs. Her natural laugh is very loud and hearty, but before she was sent to the Circle, she endured eight years of being told “Ladies don't laugh like that”. So she developed a false laugh, a more “lady-like" laugh, that she tried to use in place of her real laugh. But if she was caught off guard or found something really funny, the real laugh would come out and catch a lot of people by surprise if they were only used to the lady-like one. Blackwall loves her real laugh and eventually helped her break the habit of using the false laugh.

## **Links**

### Reddit Writing Prompt Threads:

Leaving Home - The consequences of Eve's magic manifesting (Family Feels Challenge - Prompt: "I can fix it, I swear.")

A Manifestation of Magic - Knight-Commander Gerren feels the need to discipline one of his Templars following an unfortunate incident (Prompt: Codex Entry: A story from your OC’s childhood)

Joining the Circle - Eve arrives at the Ostwick Circle of Magi and makes a new friend (Prompt: "I told you to duck! It is not my fault you didn't listen!")

A Reunion at Haven - Eve is reunited with her brother Rickard after twenty years (Freeform)

Doing the Right Thing - Angsty Blackwall POV of Eve reuniting with the Inquisition after Corypheus's attack on Haven (Prompt: A reunion with someone thought dead)

Matchmaking - Eve meddles in her sister's love life - and then Dorian meddles in hers (Companion Challenge Freeform)

Explanations - Blackwall attempts to come clean about his past and explain why he can't be with Eve (Companion Challenge Freeform)

A Waltz with the Warden - Eve and Blackwall share a moment at Halamshiral (Prompt: A cool breeze, the night sky, the light of the moon, a balcony, a kiss on the back of the neck)

Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts - Eve's thoughts on the Winter Palace ball (Prompt: 6 Sentence Story: Write about one of your OC's quests and the results in six sentences)

A Flashback in the Fade - A gravestone causes Eve to relive a traumatic moment from her past (Prompt: DAI Based - Write out what your Inquisitor's gravestone and their reaction to it - is it Spiders, or something else?)

Truth and Desire - Blackwall wrestles with his conscience after learning about Mornay's impending execution (Love Interest POV Theme - Prompt: Conflict of loyalties, growing desire, a choice soon to be made, a kiss)

Six Sentence Story - Blackwall's thoughts the first time he spends the night with Eve (Prompt: Six Sentence Stories: Write a story in no more than 6 sentences)

The Gossips - The latest development in Eve and Blackwall's relationship causes a bit of a stir (Prompt: DAI Based: There are two npcs that are in the main hall at Skyhold that like to gossip about the romance between Inky and their partner. Write a bout of gossip between those two about your Inky and their partner)

Revelations and Lies - Eve confronts Blackwall in Val Royeaux Prison (Prompt: Heartbreak, distraction, an ear to listen)

Morning - Eve wakes up with Thom for the first time. I can only apologise for how cheesey this is. (Prompt: A conversation in bed with your LI)

The Calm Before the Storm - As the final battle with Corypheus approaches, Eve and Thom have a heart-to-heart (Love Interest and Romance Challenge - Prompt: Blackwall: A wooden toy carved, a horse neighs, a rough laugh, a joke, a cheek on his shoulder)

Hand of the Herald - A song about Eve (Prompt: Bard Style (Write in the form of song lyrics): Maryden is performing a new song about your OC - Inky, Hawke, or Warden)

For the What If Challenge (What If Challenge - Prompt: What If Solas was too late removing the Anchor and the Inquisitor died during Trespasser? How does the Inner Circle deal with the loss?)

### Non-Reddit links (AO3, DeviantArt, Tumblr):

The Eye of the Storm - Most of my ficlets about Eve collected together on AO3

Spotify Playlist for Eve and Blackwall

## **Gallery**

Eve and Blackwall by trashwarden (https://trashwarden.tumblr.com/)Eve Trevelyan by Jewelle (https://dilwidit.tumblr.com/)Chibi Eve by Captain-Savvy (https://www.deviantart.com/captain-savvy)