Rickard Trevelyan

Rickard Trevelyan (Ricky to his closest friends), born in 9:10 Dragon, was the older brother of the Inquisitor, Eve Trevelyan.

## Overview

### **Physical Appearance**

Rickard is 6'1'' with broad shoulders, blonde hair and piercing green eyes. His hair has a tendency to flop in front of his eyes at inopportune moments, so he usually wears a leather cord to hold it back when he's training or fighting.

### **Personality**

Rickard's main life motto is "Everything has a funny side if you look hard enough", and he does his best to remain true to this ideal, in public at least. He comes across as very friendly and outgoing, and has a reputation for constantly telling jokes. Many people think he doesn't have a serious side at all - but they would be wrong. Look beyond the lighthearted, jokey exterior, and you will find a very sensitive, considerate man with a lot of deep rooted guilt for what he sees as his failure to look after his younger sisters when they were children. As a result of this guilt, he is now fiercely protective of both Eve and Lianna - almost to a fault.

### **Talents and Skills**

Rickard would describe himself as being good at two things - fighting and telling jokes. He is certainly a very skilled fighter with both one- and two-handed weapons. He is also a trained Templar, although he doesn't like using his Templar abilities unless there are no other options.

He is also correct about his ability to tell jokes. With the right joke, he is able to make almost anyone laugh under almost any circumstances - a valuable skill in these dark times.

Rickard is talented in a few other areas, although he has never seen himself as such. He is a good singer, possessing a very pleasant baritone voice, and he can often be heard singing a tune under his breath. He is also a very skilled flirt and an excellent poet.

## **Biography**

### **Early life**

Rickard Trevelyan was born in 9:10 Dragon, the third child of Bann Eduard and Lady Alyssa Trevelyan. He had four siblings, Verena (born in 9:06 Dragon), Gawyn (born in 9:08 Dragon), Evelyn (born in 9:13 Dragon) and Lianna (born in 9:17 Dragon). Rickard's childhood was generally fairly happy. He had a very comfortable life at the Trevelyan Estate, his parents were loving and supportive, and he enjoyed his training with sword and shield. His trainer said he had the makings of a fine warrior. But there was a shadow over the Trevelyan Estate - or rather, two shadows. Their names were Verena and Gawyn, and they were bullies. Rickard was mostly ignored by his two older siblings, but his sister Evelyn - then known as Evie - wasn't so lucky. They constantly teased her, made cruel jibes about her appearance, and generally made her life a misery. Rickard was afraid of them, and for many years he did nothing to stop them tormenting Evie, preferring to hide in the corner rather than confront them.

Everything came to a head in 9:21 Dragon when Evie accidentally set a rug on fire with magic, trying to get away from Verena and Gawyn. Rickard watched unhappily from the corner of the room as Verena screamed that Evie was a freak and that everyone should get away from her. The two oldest Trevelyan siblings ran away to fetch their father, who promptly marched Evie off to his study. After their father left, Rickard confronted Verena and Gawyn for the first time, telling them that they were cowards for running away from Evie, that they only bullied her because it made them feel better about themselves, and that they were bad, miserable people. Gawyn punched him in the face, leaving him with a very large bruise around his left eye. That evening, Rickard and Lianna said good bye to Evie. Rickard gave his sister his beloved teddy bear, Ser Tedsworth, as he thought she might need him more than he did, and also as a way to say sorry for never standing up to Verena and Gawyn. The Templars came to take Evie to the Circle the next day. Rickard stayed in his room, crying silent tears of grief and guilt.

After Evie was taken away to the Circle, Rickard spent much of his time with his younger sister Lianna, as he had promised Evie that he would look after her when she was gone. He tried to make up similar games to the ones she used to play with Evie, and Lianna tried to enjoy them, but it wasn't the same. A few months later, Rickard was summoned to his father's study to discuss his future. It was tradition for younger children in the Trevelyan family to join either the Templars or the Chantry. Since Rickard was a promising swordsman, his father hoped that he would agree to enter Templar training. Rickard had no wish to join the Templars after what happened to Evie, but he reluctantly agreed, seeing it as his duty to his family.

### **The Templars**

For the next eight years, Rickard spent time at various chantries and Circles while he completed his Templar training. He excelled at the martial aspects, but he found studying the Chant of Light excruciatingly boring, and learning to use Templar abilities against mages made him feel physically sick. Despite this, his training went well, and in 9:29 Dragon it was decided that he was ready to take his vows. At this time, Rickard was stationed at Kinloch Hold, and so he received his first draught of lyrium and took his vows there, under the watchful eye of Knight-Commander Greagoir. Kinloch Hold was also where he underwent his Templar initiation, a ritual humiliation that all Templars had to go through. Rickard's initiation involved walking into a full dining hall wearing nothing but his small clothes. Among the amused onlookers was a certain young Templar named Cullen Rutherford, who would gleefully recount the story some years later.

After taking his vows, Rickard asked to be sent to the Ostwick Circle of Magi, in the hope that he would be able to see his sister Evie again. However, this request was denied, and he was sent to the Starkhaven Circle instead. During his time there, he tried his best to be kind and understanding towards the mages, and would frequently intervene if he saw another Templar administering what he considered cruel or unnecessary punishment. This earned him few friends among his fellow Templars, but he was well liked by a number of the mages.

After the Starkhaven Circle burnt down in 9:31 Dragon, Rickard was sent to the Starkhaven Chantry, under the command of Knight-Captain Rylen. For the next six years, his main duty was to hunt down apostates and take them into custody. Following the destruction of Kirkwall's chantry in 9:37 Dragon, Rickard accompanied Rylen to Kirkwall to help restore order and dispatch aid. When the Mage-Templar War broke out, he and Rylen were among a small number of Templars who refused to join their order's revolt against the Chantry, deciding instead to join the Inquisition when Cullen offered them a place there.

### **The Inquisition**

Rickard travelled to Haven in 9:41 Dragon and enlisted in the Inquisition's army. Things were uncertain following the destruction of the Temple of Sacred Ashes and the appearance of the Breach in the sky, but the situation improved when a woman known as the Herald of Andraste was able to stabilise the Breach. Rumours flew around Haven, claiming that the Herald was a Circle mage named Evelyn Trevelyan. Rickard wasn't convinced by the rumours, but couldn't stop himself from secretly hoping that the Herald might be his sister Evie. Eventually, he caught a glimpse of the Herald as she was leaving the Chantry, and quickly realised that she really was his sister. It was a few seconds before she recognised him, but when she finally did, the siblings enjoyed a happy reunion. Rickard had another surprise a few days later when Evie - now known as Eve - returned from the Hinterlands with their younger sister Lianna. The three siblings spent many joyful evenings getting to know each other again, eventually becoming just as close as they had been as children.

Rickard's position in the Inquisition's army meant that he regularly accompanied Eve on her travels around Orlais and Ferelden. He and Lianna 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. Rickard was a constant source of support to Eve in the months leading up to the final battle with Corypheus, and was always there to offer a sympathetic ear and some encouraging words.

Following Corypheus's defeat, Rickard remained with the Inquisition, having decided that he didn't ever want to go back to being a Templar and that it was time to cut his ties with the order once and for all. He also stopped taking lyrium, which proved to be the hardest thing that he would ever have to do. He endured a horrific few months of pain, nightmares and hallucinations, but his sisters, Cassandra and Cullen were there to help him through the worst of it. After those first few months, he gradually started to feel better. The pain and delusions would never leave him completely, but they were never as bad as the first time, and he was able to get through them with Cassandra's help. After the Exalted Council, Rickard spent some of his time at Skyhold, doing whatever he could to help Eve in her quest to disrupt Solas's plans, and some of his time in the Hunterhorn Mountains, helping Cassandra rebuild the Seekers.

## **Relationships**

As the Inquisitor's brother, Rickard was immediately welcomed into the inner circle, eventually becoming friends with most of Eve's companions and advisors. With his easy going personality and sense of humour, he got on very well with Dorian, Varric and Iron Bull, and he also formed an almost older brotherly relationship with Sera. But by far his closest friendship in the Inquisition was with Cullen. He had previously worked with Cullen during his time in Kirkwall, and he had a lot of respect for him as a fellow Templar and as a commander. In the Inquisition, that respect gradually turned into friendship as the two men began to spend more time together and found a lot of common ground when discussing their past experiences as Templars. Rickard was particularly inspired by Cullen's decision to stop taking lyrium, and became determined to break his own lyrium habit once Corypheus had been defeated.

### **Cassandra**

Rickard was briefly introduced to Cassandra when he first joined the Inquisition. He would be lying if he said he didn't immediately find her attractive, but he was also a little intimidated by her. He saw her at the training ground a few days later, and somehow worked up the courage to speak to her. He was convinced he was making a fool of himself, but then, to his surprise, she smiled at one of his jokes. He was intrigued by this hidden, lighthearted side of her, and hoped to see more of it. He started deliberately turning up at the training ground when he knew she would be there, and spoke to her at every opportunity. Gradually, his efforts started to pay off. Her smiles at his jokes turned to laughter, and eventually she began to open up to him, revealing a softer side, especially when she talked about her brother. They were kindred spirits in many ways, particularly in the way they tended to hide their more vulnerable interiors behind a mask - hers was hidden behind her tough warrior exterior, while his was hidden behind jokes and frivolity. It soon became obvious to even the most casual observers that he was falling for the Seeker.

Despite his growing feelings for Cassandra, Rickard never explicitly told her how he felt, since he was afraid that she didn't feel the same away - although he never missed an opportunity to flirt. This continued until shortly after the Inquisition arrived at Skyhold. One day, Cassandra told Rickard that she had noticed him flirting with her and admitted that what she really wanted was to be courted. Rickard wasn't convinced that he would be able to give her the courtship she wanted - he didn't think he was any good at romance - but for her, he was determined to try. He bought roses, candles and a book of poetry, from which he picked out the one poem that didn't make him blush to the tips of his ears. He spent hours reading it out loud to himself as practice, and then asked Cassandra to meet him that evening at a grove just outside Skyhold. He decorated the grove with candles and rose petals, and then hid among the trees, waiting nervously for her to arrive.

The evening went far better than he dared to hope. He managed to recite the poem without stumbling over his words or tripping over his own feet. Cassandra laughed at his choice of poem and then picked out another, far more risque one, which they read together before sharing a kiss - and more. Later that night, Rickard told Cassandra he loved her, and was thrilled when she responded in kind.

Afterwards, Rickard and Cassandra spent as much time together as they could. Their roles within the Inquisition frequently kept them apart, but they still found time to enjoy picnics together, which often involved poetry.

After Corypheus's defeat, Rickard made the decision to stop taking lyrium, something that Cassandra fully supported. She stayed at Skyhold for several months - leaving the Seekers to their own devices - to help him through the worst of it. It was a very difficult time for both of them, but she was always there to comfort him after a nightmare, or hold his hand and talk to him to distract him from the pain. It was during this period that Rickard first started writing poetry and songs, to take his mind off withdrawal symptoms. A lot of his poems and songs ended up being about Cassandra, and she loved hearing them.

Once Rickard was feeling better, Cassandra split her time between the Inquisition and the Seekers. They were often apart for several months at a time, but they wrote to each other regularly. The Exalted Council took place at the end of one of these long separations, and they happily reunited at Halamshiral. During this time, Cassandra let slip that Varric had implied that Rickard intended to propose to her, but then became extremely embarrassed when his confused reaction made it clear that he intended nothing of the sort - or so she thought. The truth was, Rickard had been intending to propose, and was rather angry with Varric for inadvertently spoiling the surprise. He soon got over his annoyance, though, and decided to propose to Cassandra anyway. She happily accepted. They married a few months after the Exalted Council, and then continued to divide their time between Skyhold, doing whatever they could to help Eve discover Solas's plans, and the Hunterhorn Mountains, rebuilding the Seekers.

## **Miscellaneous**

Varric's nickname for Rickard is Minstrel, as he is always singing.

## **Links**

### **Reddit Headcanon or Writing Prompt Threads:**

The Trio of Lovestruck Trevelyans - Rickard, Eve and Lianna enjoy an evening at Haven's tavern (Prompt: A companion or family member realizes that your OC is in love)

Romancing the Seeker - Rickard has a surprise for Cassandra (Drabble Challenge - Prompt: A belly laugh, a flash of yellow, a gleam in one’s eyes)

Softly Spoken into the Night - Rickard plans a grand gesture in a bid to win Cassandra's heart (Prompt: Softly they spoke and into the night they said & the most beautiful thing I have ever seen)

A New Day Dawns - Rickard and Cassandra wake up together for the first time (Valentine's Day Challenge - Freeform)

Poetry Practice - Rickard tries to write a poem for Cassandra (Prompt: 100 Word Drabble: Fingertips smudged in ink)

Distraction - Cassandra tries to write her account of the Inquisition - but a certain someone keeps invading her thoughts (Love Interest and Romance Challenge - Prompt: Cassandra: A clash of steel, a grin, a couple lines of poetry, a disgusted noise followed by a pleased smile)

A Disturbed Night's Sleep - Rickard has a nightmare while in the depths of lyrium withdrawal (Prompt: 100 Word Drabble: A disturbed night's sleep…)

A Stolen Moment - Rickard and Cassandra have a brief moment together before the Exalted Council (Prompt: 100 Word Drabble: A stolen moment)

## **Gallery**

Rickard and Cassandra by Captain Ceranna (https://captainceranna.tumblr.com/)Chibi Rickard by Captain-Savvy (https://www.deviantart.com/captain-savvy)