This is the story of Aveline the Brave, a respected knight of Orlais.
A long time ago, a girl-child was born to a farmer, but he had hoped for a son not a daughter, so he and his wife abandoned the child in the woods. Before the cold could claim her, a tribe of Dalish elves found the babe and took pity on the poor, mewling thing and raised her as one of their own.
Aveline grew into a fine warrior under their guidance. She learned to weird a sword as well as any man, could kill a deer with an arrow at a hundred paces and was graceful on the back of a horse as she was on foot.
The Dalish elves quickly saw that she could best any Orlesian chevalier in battle, and wanted to show the cruel humans the child they had left to die. They bestowed her a horse and fine armor, and sent her to prove herself in the Grand Tourney.
Now, in those days, no woman was allowed to take up arms, let alone compete in the Grand Tourney, but Aveline kept her helmet on and was not discovered.
She won many events, and gained the approval of the adoring crowd. Eventually she came face to face with the knight Kaleva in the grand melee. She had already bested him in the joust, and out of desperation to regain his honor, Kaleva tripped Aveline and ripped her helmet off.
Silence fell upon the arena as Aveline was revealed. Kaleva had declared the previous winnings invalid -- a woman had taken part and this was not allowed. But the crowd cheered for Aveline. Blinded by his rage, he forced Aveline to her knees. "Know your place, woman!" cried he, and slit her throat.
The son of the king, Prince Freyam, was present. He recognized Aveline's bravery, and realized the injustice being done to the women in his land. When he became king, he rewrote the laws of Orlais so women would be allowed to take up arms and knighted Aveline after her death.
To this day, every female knight reveres Aveline the Brave, for she is the patron of all women chevalier.
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A long time ago, a girl-child was born to a farmer, but he had hoped for a son not a daughter, so he and his wife abandoned the child in the woods. Before the cold could claim her, a tribe of Dalish elves found the babe and took pity on the poor, mewling thing and raised her as one of their own.
Aveline grew into a fine warrior under their guidance. She learned to weird a sword as well as any man, could kill a deer with an arrow at a hundred paces and was graceful on the back of a horse as she was on foot.
The Dalish elves quickly saw that she could best any Orlesian chevalier in battle, and wanted to show the cruel humans the child they had left to die. They bestowed her a horse and fine armor, and sent her to prove herself in the Grand Tourney.
Now, in those days, no woman was allowed to take up arms, let alone compete in the Grand Tourney, but Aveline kept her helmet on and was not discovered.
She won many events, and gained the approval of the adoring crowd. Eventually she came face to face with the knight Kaleva in the grand melee. She had already bested him in the joust, and out of desperation to regain his honor, Kaleva tripped Aveline and ripped her helmet off.
Silence fell upon the arena as Aveline was revealed. Kaleva had declared the previous winnings invalid -- a woman had taken part and this was not allowed. But the crowd cheered for Aveline. Blinded by his rage, he forced Aveline to her knees. "Know your place, woman!" cried he, and slit her throat.
The son of the king, Prince Freyam, was present. He recognized Aveline's bravery, and realized the injustice being done to the women in his land. When he became king, he rewrote the laws of Orlais so women would be allowed to take up arms and knighted Aveline after her death.
To this day, every female knight reveres Aveline the Brave, for she is the patron of all women chevalier.