Aveline Vallen

"Protect what matters with everything you have, or you'll have nothing, and deserve it."

Aveline Vallen is a human warrior. She was fleeing Lothering with her husband Ser Wesley during the Fifth Blight when they were set upon by darkspawn and rescued by the Hawke family. Aveline is one of Hawke's companions.

Background
Aveline is a soldier, a master of sword and shield, and a tireless guardian... to a point. The daughter of an exiled chevalier, Aveline is not the knight her father wished her to be. Although fully trained in chivalrous combat, she was raised in the shadow of a lost life and will not lose another for the sake of honor. Protecting her adopted home of Kirkwall becomes a chosen duty, not a privileged calling. The people she stands for will not be wasted on lost causes or protecting the foolish from themselves. Pride can be bandaged like any other wound—when threats are dead and everyone is safely home.

Romance
Aveline cannot be romanced like the other love interests (Fenris, Isabela, Anders, & Merrill) but Hawke can flirt with her during her personal quest, The Long Road. However, any attempt at flirting goes right over her head. It is however possible to recieve a quick kiss at the end of the quest, although this doesn't appear to have any relation as to whether the player selected a flirt option or not.

The following quests have flirtation dialog options with Aveline

Act 1

Right after The Way It Should Be

Friendship
Friendship with Aveline can generally be earned by doing what is lawful, but even more important to her is protection of the weak and acts of kindness. Below are some specific ways to earn Aveline's friendship.

Raiders on the Cliffs Inspiring the guards to charge after talking to the lieutenant. This can be repeated ad infinitum.

Rivalry
Rivalry with Aveline can generally be earned by ignoring people in need or by doing things, especially unlawful things, for profit alone or by paying off other people's greed. Below are some specific ways to earn Aveline's rivalry.

Questioning Beliefs: When Aveline mentions the complaints she deals with and the subsequent wish for a more stable city, if Hawke chooses the answer "Like they "stabilize" mages?" she'll back-peddle angrily:

Armor
In Dragon Age II, you cannot change what armor your companions wear, but you can upgrade it. Aveline's armor may be upgraded by using the gift mechanics in Dragon Age II. You will find companion armor upgrades that can be purchased at shops in the tab designated by the Gem Icon. Aveline's armor has four slots available for upgrades. These upgrades may be purchased or found at various locations in the game. Upgrading a companion's armor once unlocks the "A Friend In Need" achievement and fully upgrading a companion's armor unlocks the "I Got Your Back" achievement.

Aveline's armor upgrades can be found in the following locations:
 * Act 1: Underpadding - Guardsman Pattern. Lowtown Armor Merchant (Outside the Foundry)(+63 Attack).
 * Act 2: Flex Chain - During the Raiders of the Cliffs quest. (Extra Rune Slot)*
 * Act 2: Impact Plating - Guardsman Pattern. Lowtown Armor Merchant (Outside the Foundry). (+23-30 Armor)
 * Act 3: Deflecting Joints - During the Favor and Fault quest. (Should be on Jevan's body but is bugged - confirmed)

Aveline's armor changes to basic guardsmen armor after Hawke's first year in Kirkwall. If Aveline becomes the new Guard Captain, her armor will change to reflect her new role.


 * Note: Aveline's "Flex Chain" can be obtained during Act II with or without Aveline in your party on the southernmost tip of the Wounded Coast. You'll find it on the corpse of Fell Orden (The mage you are there to eliminate).

Talent Trees

 * Weapon and Shield
 * Vanguard
 * Battlemaster
 * Defender
 * Warmonger
 * Guardian (specialization)

Quotes

 * "Protect what matters with everything you have, or you'll have nothing, and deserve it."
 * (To darkspawn) "You will not have him!"
 * (To Wesley) "They will not have you...not while I breathe."
 * (To Hawke about Carver) "Bit of a tit, your brother."
 * (To Hawke about Dog) "Just checking on my best guardsmen. He's teaching my men respect... and how to run."
 * (About Isabela) "Oh no, no, no. If anyone kicks her ass, it's me."
 * (About Fenris) "You talk to him, Hawke. I've had my fill for today."
 * "I stand for all of us!"
 * "I'm uncomfortable around Chantry sisters. All because of that red-haired trickster in Lothering."
 * (To Dog) "How about it, boy? Want to chew on some recruits?"

Relationship with other companions

 * Aveline is suspicious of Anders, and is wary of his agenda and attitude towards the Templars and Chantry.
 * Aveline likes Bethany, though she is suspicious of mages.
 * Aveline has a motherly/sisterly attitude towards Carver, caring for him and trying to keep him from a self-destructive path.
 * Aveline likes Fenris, at times the Elf has given her and the City Guard information about slave traders. Aveline has used her influence as Guard Captain to ensure no one disrupts him.
 * Aveline and Isabela are strong rivals and often bicker, though in the latter years this becomes something akin to a friendly rivalry.
 * Aveline likes Merrill, but distrusts her use of blood magic, and dislikes the fact that Merrill concentrates on the distant past when she could use her talents to help the Dalish in the here and now.
 * Aveline doesn't trust Sebastian because of her experiences at Ostagar, and how Sebastian's personal conflict has at times spilled over in Kirkwall
 * Aveline likes Varric, though his printed stories cause problems at the barracks, it has not stopped Aveline from developing a friendship with the Dwarf.

Trivia

 * Lukas Kristjanson wrote Aveline for Dragon Age II.
 * In Origins, Leliana tells the tale of the female warrior Aveline, Knight of Orlais who fought and was executed, during an arena match, after she was revealed to be a woman. Her courage and skill ensured her knighthood as the first woman ever to receive that honor.
 * According to Lukas Kristjanson, Aveline's writer, if Aveline were a food she'd would be "Steak. Rare. But with caramelized onions and baby corn nibbled from the side like a full cob when no one is looking."
 * Aveline's favorite color is green.
 * Aveline's unique specialization class is guardian.
 * Aveline was at Ostagar, and remembers Carver and Hawke (if a warrior or rogue), as is aware that Loghain betrayed King Cailan.
 * Although Aveline is not a romance option, she can be flirted with by both a male and female Hawke.
 * Her father's name was Benoit du Lac. All she remembers of her mother is "impossibly long hair."
 * The location of Ser Wesley's Shield is referenced when you gift Aveline Shield of the Knight Herself--if it is in your inventory, equipped to Aveline, or not in your inventory she will have different comments. If it is in storage, she still believes you have sold it.

Bugs

 * When using the skill "Immovable", Aveline has a chance of becoming frozen in place in the combat stance, unresponsive to even manual control. Unlike the skill associated movement reduction, this will not eventually wear off and can only be fixed by leaving the area.
 * When giving Aveline the Shield of the Knight Herself, her dialogue indicates that Ser Wesley's Shield was sold even if it was merely being kept in Hawke's storage chest. (PC/PS3)