Dragon Age Inquisition Short Stories

Rylae Lavellan (The Blood Mage): Relationships

o   When Kavra and Dorian are sent forward in time, they discover Rylae's presence in the castle when they meet Alexius in the throne room, and he has Rylae in chains nearby. Alexius draws on her blood magic during his fight against them, and they nearly lose until Leliana is able to get close and kill Rylae's future self, cutting off Alexius' source of power.

o   After Kavra and Dorian return to the present, and finish addressing King Alistair & allying with the rebel mages, the two of them immediately head into the dungeons to track down the elven mage. Once they locate Rylae and free her, Kavra explains how they knew she was there, and then asks why Alexius felt she was important enough to keep prisoner. Rylae hesitantly explains that Alexius wanted her to find a way to cure Felix, and when Dorian asks what she means, Rylae shows them by healing some of the minor injuries on herself using a combination of blood magic and Fade magic. Dorian is astounded, saying he's never seen such spells before, but Kavra is leery about the magic. Regardless of her doubts, she offers Rylae protection from the Venatori by inviting her to the Inquisition, and though Rylae is opposed to the idea, she knows she doesn't have any other options and reluctantly accepts.

o   Once they're back at Haven, Kavra has a private meeting with the advisors, Rylae, Dorian, and Solas, and explains what her and Dorian saw in the dark future. When Cullen hears that Rylae is a blood mage, he unsheathes his sword in the war room and demands to know why she is still breathing, to which Kavra calmly rebukes him and says that she played a critical part in the Elder One's rise to power that they still don't fully understand. Rylae concedes that Cullen is right to be wary and says he can keep a templar posted with her if it will put his mind at ease, which surprises Cullen, but Kavra shuts down the idea and says the whole point of bringing her here was to help her hide, not make her presence stand out. Instead, Kavra asks Solas to keep an eye on Rylae and help her figure out how she is able to cast blood magic and use energy from the Fade at the same time.

Solas: Rylae and Solas start out on an awkward footing after receiving Kavra's request for him to shadow her while in Haven. However, the more time they spend together, the more Solas finds himself fascinated by her magic, as her combination of blood magic and the Fade results in spells he didn't think were possible. Despite her careful nature, Rylae finds herself becoming more and more comfortable with him over time, as he is one of the select few who does not judge her for being a blood mage, and she eventually realizes that despite every feral instinct warning her not to, she has fallen in love with him.

o   Rylae inadvertently discovers that Solas is Fen'Harel (the Dread Wolf) after getting hints in her mind from the Well of Sorrows and blurting out the deity's name during a brief argument they have. Solas, after listening to her explain what the Well told her, decides it is the will of Mythal for her to know the truth, and tells Rylae who he truly is. When she learns the reality of his plans, she stands by his side. Clan Lavellan abandoned her, and though the Inquisition kept her safe over the years, she was never truly accepted because of what she is. Her loyalty lies with the elf she loves, and thus she turns her back on everyone else to remain with Solas 

Dorian Pavus: Rylae unexpectedly latches onto Dorian rather quickly after he helps rescue her from Redcliffe. He takes the knowledge that she's a blood mage in stride and never once holds it against her, and though she vehemently opposes the practice of slavery in Tevinter, she finds relief in the fact that Dorian isn't blinded by the label of "blood mage" and still treats her with respect like he would anyone else. On occasion, he will take her away from Skyhold so she can teach him some blood magic in secret, as her methods are much less destructive compared to his fellow Tevinter mages.

Vivienne: Rylae avoids Vivienne as much as possible once she finds out the woman came from the Circle. Rylae is well aware of the Chantry's view on blood magic and intentionally withholds that information from Vivienne, instead vocalizing her desire for mage freedom in front of the Enchanter to keep a distance between them. For the most part, Vivienne ignores the elf, though she does suspect that Rylae's claims are simply posturing to cover up something more.

Iron Bull: Rylae greatly enjoys being around Iron Bull, and he's one of the few companions who can make her smile. She is able to relax in his presence, just like with Dorian, and she eventually trusts him enough to confide that she is a blood mage. To her surprise, Bull says her he already knew, Ben-Hassrath, and tells her that she's doing good work, and that's all that matters. After the incident with the Qunari dreadnaught when Bull is labeled a Tal-Vashoth, Rylae spends even more time with him, and they find solace in each other's exile from their home clans.

Cassandra Pentaghast: Rylae finds herself on edge whenever she is around Cassandra. Knowing that the woman is a Seeker who steps in whenever the Templars are failing in their duties, she can't get comfortable and is constantly expecting a knife in the back. When Cassandra inevitably finds out that Rylae is a blood mage, she confronts her briefly, and Rylae is surprised when Cassandra admits she never suspected Rylae of having such capabilities, given how much the elf has helped the Inquisition. After this, Rylae and Cassandra develop a mutual respect for each other.

Warden Blackwall (Thom Rainier): Rylae sees a lot of herself in Blackwall in how he generally tends to avoid people, and at first, she thinks there is a possibility of them becoming friends, since she's heard that the Wardens have accepted all kinds into their ranks. However, after meeting Stroud in Crestwood, Rylae becomes highly suspicious of Blackwall, as she senses a significant difference between Stroud's and Blackwall's blood. She doesn't share her suspicions with anyone, but she is not surprised when it is revealed he is actually Thom Rainier. She becomes angry that he lied all this time, but can't bring herself to confront that anger since she's spent years hiding her magic.

Cole: Rylae shows a fondness towards Cole that is not given to anyone else, except Solas, and though she admits she doesn't fully understand his mind and behaviors, it becomes very clear in battle that any enemy who dares try to harm him receives the full wrath of Rylae. Even Vivienne becomes careful with her words if Rylae is present with Cole after a particularly nasty argument broke out between the two. If she's not with Solas, often times Rylae can be found in Cole's company instead, talking to him and conversing about spirits and the Fade.

o   Although Rylae is able to enter the Fade on her own, it is exhausting for her if she doesn't use a sacrifice or lyrium, and she is unable to manipulate her dreams or surroundings like Solas can.

Varric Tethras: Rylae is uncomfortable around Varric after she learns about what happened in Kirkwall and what started the mage rebellion across Thedas. One evening, she is eavesdropping on a conversation between Varric and Kavra when Rylae asks Varric what the mages did in Kirkwall. Varric tells her that he won't go into detail, but he does share how he watched Kirkwall's Grand Enchanter turn into a Harvester, and Rylae just pales, then rushes out of the room. After that, it takes a long time before she can be around Varric without wanting to run, but eventually, he is able to coax the truth out of her, and when she tells him, Varric says she has nothing to worry about because if she was anything like the blood mages he had met in Kirkwall, she would already have met the business end of Bianca. Varric's nickname for her is Nightlight, though he jokes about calling her Red after he finds out she's a blood mage.

Sera: Rylae and Sera have a mutual dislike of each other and made it clear early on that both of them being elves had nothing to do with it. Rylae's magical abilities freak Sera out, and Sera's reckless and impulsive behavior irritate Rylae to no end, especially the pranks. The two of them get into vocal spats with each other often, especially since Rylae frequents the tavern to hangout with Bull and Cole. 

Cullen Rutherford: Rylae and Cullen have a very difficult relationship, understandably so, due to Cullen's history with the blood mages in the Fereldan Circle. Rylae stays away from the Commander as much as she can, both out of respect for his past and fear of his Templar abilities, and though neither of them are ever able to be truly comfortable in the other's presence, they are able to find enough common ground to be able to work together as needed.

Leliana: Rylae is unnerved by Leliana and her network, and unlike Kavra, Rylae doesn't find any comfort in knowing that Leliana's spies are everywhere. Thankfully, her own past proves very difficult for Leliana to dig up, and almost a full year passes before Leliana learns what happened with Clan Lavellan and the Keeper. She confronts Rylae about it, and when Rylae explains that it was a horrible accident and nothing more, Leliana leaves the matter in her hands and doesn't speak of it again.

Josephine Montilyet: Rylae sees no point in interacting with Josephine, so she keeps it to civilized greetings in passing and nothing more. Nobility and this rumored "Game" hold no interest to her, and while she acknowledges that the ambassador's skills can be quite useful at times, Rylae has no intention of ever getting involved with the social politics of Thedas.