quicksand's got no sense of humor

xxxxx [Warning: Any warnings go here.]

xxxxxA Tabris from the first game who never met Duncan, and ran off to join the Dalish after butchering every armed human in the Arl's estate. A decade later and having become a full member of Clan Lavellan, she was a natural pick for who to send to spy on the Conclave -- one of the few of their number who knew how to handle large groups of humans, and had cut her way free of them before.

xxxxxThe rest, as they say, is history.

xxxxxShe kept her status as adoptive Dalish secret. This was partially so the humans couldn't take credit for her achievements and claim the alienages couldn't be all that bad, if they produced the Inquisitor, and partially to keep her remaining kin in Denerim safe. The events of Dragon Age Inquisition were not impacted.

xxxxxI've been known to describe Alley as "Batman with more decapitation". She's the type to drink straight out of the coffee pot while daring someone to say something. If her world had cigarettes, she'd probably put them out on people who annoy her. She's always preferred to pummel her enemies into the dirt with blunt weapons, especially her shield; she's a force of nature, and a magnet for Rage Demons. If something smacks her across the face, she'll hit them back twice as hard.

xxxxxAlley is a Champion; the quintessential tank. This is her personality type, too; she embodies her own huge, dented shield. You will not touch her people while she's around! And the Inquisition are her people just as surely as Clan Lavellan is, if not more-so. They look only to her, while the Clan has the Keeper to take care of them. Even after formally disbanding the Inquisition -- and throwing the book on the ground as she told everyone what she thought of them -- Alleyana considers herself the Inquisitor. And everyone who once served under her is, to her mind, The Inquisition. It doesn't matter that they're off the books, now.

xxxxxHer current mission is to stop Solas from destroying the world. If she can't save Solas and the world, she'll kill him. But she's going to try her damndest to save both.

xxxxxUnder that hard candy shell, Alleyana is something of a wreck of guilt and self-loathing. She's failed people; she's had to kill people; she takes these things straight to the heart. Alley loves to fight, but she hates to kill, and even the red templars pulled a pang of sympathy out of her. Not that it showed, as she beat them away from her companions. Not that it slowed her down. Alleyana is nothing if not determined and stalwart. She will not back down, she will not back away. She'll spit her own blood into your eye and continue the fight!

xxxxxShe befriended all of the inner circle, from Bull to Blackwall, Sera to Vivienne. Alley fell for Solas, but her next closest friend in the group was definitely Cole, the spirit of Compassion who she helped to become more human. After Cole came Varric, and Dorian. But she was close to the whole group, and considered them to be her new Clan after being apart from Lavellan for so long. Which only made it all the more heart-wrenching when she caught up with Solas in Trespasser, and he positioned himself as her opponent. Is it any wonder she took no more shit from the Fereldans and the Orlesians once she came back across the veil, missing one arm? Fuck 'em.

xxxxxAlleyana played and won The Game in Orlais, showing an unexpected ability to handle the Court when the situation is dire enough. The key to this was the art of speaking just enough to get by, while saying nothing. Outside of situations where the world's fate rests on her ability to play politics, she just drinks her tea and stares at people until they go away. There was just a lot at stake that one time.

xxxxxShe unlocked magical, political, historical, and underworld knowledge through the war table, though all of it is of course about Thedas. ICly this was mostly a lot of reading and researching during down-time, counter to the 'I just hit things' image she usually tries to project. She usually brought the books on whatever she was studying to Solas' rotunda, sitting on the couch and reading while he painted the walls in his giant frescos.

xxxxxLong, long ago, Alley showed an aptitude for sculpture, but that ended when her hands were destroyed. She likes to garden, but struggles with her one remaining hand to steadily grip anything smaller than the hilt of a weapon, so it can be a bit of a process.

xxxxxAlley's combat abilities are unaffected by her disability, minus no longer having any Rift abilities from the Anchor (gone, with her left arm). I included them, crossed out, in case they're ever relevant again. For shield skills, she has to have had the chance to bolt on her shield, but she's formidable even without it and could probably pull off the same abilities (with less effect) with just the dragonbone bar that stands in for her arm. I'm also toying with the idea of eventually having some Rift abilities come trickling back, and/or with the residual Anchor allowing for a 'spectral' shield of sorts, but either of these would be in the far future.

xxxxxThis was the build I played her with on Nightmare setting, from start to finish, multiple times. I was soloing dragons. I wouldn't say these are exactly how things would play out on this game, but it gives an idea of her combat abilities. She has other abilities unlocked, but this was the final build she had on when she faced Solas at the end of Trespasser.

----Active, equipped abilities:

Charging Bull -- You slam into enemies, increasing your guard and knocking them down as you break through their lines.
xxxxxGore and Trample -- After you finish your charge, your next ability costs no stamina.
xxxxxLight on Your Feet -- Charging Bull is faster and gives you more control.

Grappling Chain -- With a hooked chain and a lot of muscle, you drag your target into arm's reach.
xxxxxGive Them the Boot -- After Grappling Chain drags an opponent to you, you stun them with a hard kick.
xxxxxChains for Days -- Grappling Chain now pulls in all enemies near your target.

Payback Strike -- You recover from any disabled condition and lash out with a great blow against nearby enemies. If you've recently taken damage, you hit that much harder and stagger your foes.
xxxxxSweet Revenge -- You do more damage with Payback Strike, and if you've recently taken damage, you also stun taunted enemies.
xxxxxCruel Revenge -- Payback Strike now taunts enemies.

War Cry -- You taunt all nearby enemies with a shouted challenge, gaining extra guard for each enemy affected.
xxxxxCall to Arms -- You draw strength from your War Cry, improving your armor for the coming fight.
xxxxxBattle Roar -- War Cry echoes across the battlefield, catching more enemies and taunting them for longer.

Walking Fortress -- You may not be able to hold them off forever, but right now, nothing can touch you. You have complete immunity for a short time.
xxxxxSiege-Breaker -- Every attack that strikes you reduces your cooldown time and increases your guard.
xxxxxFocused Defense -- All of the damage you take while Walking Fortress is active is converted into focus.

Shield Bash -- Many foes think a shield is just for defense. You correct that mistake with a brutal slam that does bonus damage to an enemy's guard.
xxxxxRing the Bell -- You now lunge forward with Shield Bash, and you do even greater damage to an enemy's guard.
xxxxxCrippling Smash -- An enemy struck by Shield Bash now does no damage with its next attack.

Mark of the Rift -- You have gained Mark of the Rift, a focus based ability. Mark of the Rift causes massive damage and can even kill some enemies instantly.

Aegis of the Rift -- You turn the Veil itself into a magical shield that deflects enemy projectiles.
xxxxxRetributive Strike -- Aegis of the Rift now sends bolts of spirit energy flying back at the attackers.
xxxxxSwift Aegis -- Your expertise at manipulating the Veil lets you summon Aegis of the Rift more easily

Anchor Discharge -- The Anchor now steadily accumulates energy, building focus. By using its power carefully, you can slip your entire party briefly between the Fade and the normal world. This discharges the accumulated energy, makes you and nearby allies immune to damage for a short time, and reveals hidden objects in dark areas.
xxxxxAnchor Blast -- Discharging the Anchor now deals damage to nearby enemies.
xxxxxAnchor Meltdown -- The Anchor now builds up power even faster. Using it is difficult, but discharges all accumulated focus. If the focus reaches full power, the Anchor discharges uncontrollably, damaging you and your allies as well as nearby enemies.

----Passive abilities:

Shield-Breaker -- Your critical hits crack armor and rend shields, sundering your enemy's armor for a short time.

Clear a Path -- Hitting multiple targets with a single swing of your weapon restores your stamina for each extra target.

Hamstring -- When you attack a target from behind, you leave them slowed.

Trust the Steel -- You know how to make the most of your equipment, gaining a bonus to armor when you have active guard.

Cutting Words -- Your party does more damage to taunted targets as you rattle your enemies' nerves and goad them into mistakes that leave them open.

It'll Cost You -- Any foe that attacks you in melee is going to bleed for it, taking a portion of the damage they inflict.

Untouchable Defense -- They can't kill what they can't hit. You get a bonus to your maximum guard.

Resilience -- You don't flinch, don't blink, and don't back down. Enemies that hit you with melee attacks are staggered by recoil.

Bulwark -- You stand all the stronger to finish the fight, gaining a bonus to your maximum guard.

Adamant -- You've trained hard, and you know how to make the most of whatever armor you're wearing.

Unyielding -- An attack the would bring you down instead leave you with a small amount of health, and you are immune to all damage for a short time.

Focused Teamwork -- Successfully performing an ability combo earns additional focus for the party.

Warrior's Resolve -- You fight all the harder when you're hurting, gaining Stamina when you lose health.

Turn the Bolt -- Your expertise with the shield protects you from ranged attacks from the front.

Bear Mauls the Wolves -- Using techniques perfected by Orlesian chevaliers, you can't be flanked by enemies, and you're less likely to be staggered when hit from the front.

Turn the Blade -- Any blow you can see, you can turn aside. All damage coming from the front is reduced.

xxxxxAlleyana's Soundtrack.

Item:
xxxxxFirst of all, two items that I consider necessary because of her disabilities:
xxxxxA flat dragonbone bar bolted to the bones of her arm, which itself ends a few inches below the elbow. This is used for utility and for combat, as any shields she uses have to bolt onto it through the holes drilled into it.
xxxxxA soft leather glove that she wears 99% of the time on her remaining hand. Necesarry because of severe nerve damage in that hand, as well as regular damage that's left it rather deformed looking. The skin is so hyper sensitive that without a soft covering, she'd go nuts.
xxxxxWith those two as disability 'freebies', I'm going to make her actual item her one-handed mace. Specifically, it's a tier 4 griffon-winged mace made from dragon bone, with a superb corrupting rune. The mace looks like this, and when it's drawn for combat the rune makes the head crackle with red energy.