SISTER LELIANA // EARLY LIFE

Not much is known about our loveable red headed bard in her younger days. What we do know is, her mother was called
Oisine and was a servant of an Orlesian Noble, Lady Cecilie Vasseur. Leliana's mother was Ferelden and following her
homelands victory against Orlais in the rebellion, Oisine followed Lady Vasseur back to Orlais.

Leliana's mother passed away not long after her fourth birthday. She doesn't have many memories of her mother, but one that
is embedded in her mind, real or not, is the scent (sweet orange and lavender, similar to the Ferelden Flower Andraste's
Grace) of her mothers linen dress as they held hands on the terrace of an Orlesian Villa with a view of the Waking Sea.
Even though she is unsure of how real that memory is, she cherishes it.

After the passing of her mother, Lady Vasseur became Leliana's guardian and raised her, teaching her much about the Royal Court
and Orlesian Culture.

Oisine's death cast a veil over the young Leliana's normal sunny personallity. Lady Vasseur, in an effort to bring back the childs
beautiful smile gave her whatever she asked for. With an obsessive interest in Orlesian and Ferelden stories, ballads, tales and songs,
all she ever asked for was books and enjoyed learning many tales from Lady Vasseur's elven servants.

As Leliana got older, Lady Vasseur called upon tutors to foster Leliana's passion for the arts. On the stone terrace of the Villa over
looking the Waking Sea, Leliana often practiced her dancing. She loved dancing.

Leliana was sixteen when she first went to Val Royeaux to attend a soiree with Lady Vasseur. It was there she met Marjolaine and almost
immediately became intrigued by her. Marjolaine was a wealthy widow and patroness of the arts, and she seemed to also be intrigued by
Leliana in return because shortly after the soiree, Marjolaine began calling upon the aging Lady Vasseur, who was often too tired to
entertain so left Leliana to do so. The two quickly became close friends and Marjolaine took Leliana on her first hunting trip
and gave the teen her first bow. During that same trip, Marjolaine taught Leliana how to use it. Successfully Leliana hit her target but
instead of killing the Hart she wounded it. Too upset to end it's suffering, Leliana watched as Marjolaine skilfully ended the Harts
suffering for her. Her words to the young red head "Never delay the inevitable. if you can strike, strike"

That same summer, Leliana visited Marjolaine in her Val Royeaux Estate, where the widow began teaching Leliana the way of the Bard.
Manipulation, subterfuge and combat, her teaching subtle and disguised, easily assumed to be a lady's idle amusements.

It was also the same summer Leliana's life was being shaped before her eyes without knowing truely what it meant. Marjolaine became Leliana's
mentor during most of her adulthood in Orlais, teaching her the subtleties of The Grand Game. It was during this time Leliana and Marjolaine
became lovers. Once Leliana was successfully groomed and trained, Marjolaine became her employer, sending her on dangerous assignments to
gather and plant intelligence, among other things.