Vivienne's backstory (what little we know of it) intrigues me. I decided to write it. Here follows what I think could possibly be part of Vivienne's background, based off dialogue and the small bits of information that we have. Not guaranteed to be canon nor to be perfect. Some characters are made up. Everything else belongs to Bioware and Vivienne is written by Mary Kirby. Please review, but be constructive and kind.

Harrowed

She faced the demon. Afraid, but not opened up to fear. Not like last time.

"Never trust a demon," she spat.

The demon – which had taken the form of a young elvhen apprentice – growled like a dog. "I am no demon," it tried to convince her again. "I'm just like Lyssa, that girl you knew. I want out. I want to be free. Let me in. Let me go with you."

"If I let you in the Templars will kill me."

"I am not like that. I can protect you. If Templars come for you, I will kill them."

Vivienne shook her head and backed away, charging her hands with the power of magic to attack the demon. It saw, snarled, and changed. The young elvhen girl twisted and contorted, like the way the colors of a new painting blend and bleed when introduced to water, and then it reared. Bright and full of rage. A demon of anger towered over Vivienne.

It roared.

"No, I will not fall. No one will ever control me again," she breathed as she unleashed the full force of a blizzard.

Caught in the force of her wintry maelstrom the demon tried to attack her. Vivienne took another step back, letting her mana recharge. Such a summoning of power required energy, so she dug deep into the roots of the Fade and blasted the demon before her with a cone of cold. With a final scream of unfulfilled malice, the rage demon fell and disappeared.

Another flash of white. Vivienne then realized she was no longer in the Fade.

She shook as she looked up at the faces leering over. Trembling, metallic tinge of lyrium on her tongue, she smiled.

I'm me, she told them without words. No one will ever control me again.

Hollow, hurt, and harrowed, but there she was. No demon would ever take her. No mage would ever control her. She would become as hard as iron and as strong as steel. Whatever it took to survive.

…

Guided to the mage quarters by the Templars at her back, Vivienne noticed that the apprentices refused to meet her eyes as she walked past them. Petyr stood among them and he too was unable to meet her gaze. Vivienne wanted to talk to him, wanted him to understand that killing the apprentices hadn't been her fault, but she knew her words would be wasted. So instead, she soldiered on.

Vivienne thought, at least, that the Templars were taking her to the mage quarters. However, she was escorted to the main hall of the tower. The hall was quiet and empty but for the group of Templars standing near the intimidating marble doors leading to the outside world. Among the Templars also lingered the Knight-Commander, First Enchanter Hadrian, and Enchanter Lydia. Lydia held a small pack in her arms, made from what appeared to be fine ring velvet lined with mink fur.

A sinking feeling settled in Vivienne's stomach as she understood what was happening.

She was leaving the Ostwick Circle.

As she and the Templars accompanying her approached the group at the doors, Enchanter Lydia stepped forward. Vivienne noticed the redness in the whites of her eyes and the faint smudge of her black eyeliner. The woman had been crying. This perfect, flawless, and put-together woman – whom Vivienne held in the highest regard – had caved.

Enchanter Lydia held out the ring velvet pack to Vivienne and said, "I've put your things in here, darling. You're being transferred. I do not know where. The Knight-Commander believes it best, after what happened yesterday. Be a good girl, Vivienne. I know you will be."

Lydia tucked the edge of her kind and warm hand on Vivienne's cheek. Her smile was veiled, sad, but there nonetheless. A twist of lips to mask her true feelings. Vivienne flung herself into Lydia's arms, who hesitantly returned the embrace. Vivienne was afraid the Templars would try to separate them, but no one moved. She closed her eyes and tried to record the memory of Lydia's scent – rose oil and Antivan spice – and her touch – soft and warm and comforting – in her mind.

"If you want to survive, dear, sentimentality is not an option," Lydia whispered in the crook of Vivienne's shoulder. "But for you, I will make an exception."

"I will miss you, Lydia."

"And I shall miss you too, darling."

As Vivienne prepared to let go of her mentor and friend, Lydia whispered one last thing into her ear, "Remember, Vivienne, two things: first, magic is dangerous, just as fire is dangerous. Anyone who forgets that gets burned. And second, they may leash us like animals, but a leash can be pulled from either end. Take care of yourself, dear."

With that, Vivienne nodded once and pulled away.

"You have a long way to go, girl, and you best be off now," the Knight-Commander barked from the entrance.

Vivienne turned away from Enchanter Lydia and walked forward. The Templars in their gleaming armor adjusted their hands on their swords as she approached. First Enchanter Hadrian nodded to her before handing off a vial of red liquid two one of the Templar captains.

"Her phylactery," he said.

The Templar placed it in a pouch on his belt.

"Let's go," he ordered.

Vivienne slung the pack over her shoulders. The doors to the outside world opened. Silently, she said goodbye to the only place she had ever considered her home, and to the one woman she had ever truly considered to be her friend. The Circle of Ostwick and that life was behind her, but she knew somewhere deep inside that leaving was only the beginning.

"Everything bright, roar of anger as the demon rears. No, I will not fall. No one will ever control me again. Flash of white as the world comes back. Shaking, hollow, Harrowed, but smiling at Templars to show them I'm me. 'I am not like that. I can protect you. If Templars come for you, I will kill them'." -Cole, Dragon Age: Inquisition

I missed the part where Vivienne was actually transferred to the Circle of Montsimmard when she was still an apprentice. Oh well.