889 réponses à ce sujet

[sandalisthemaker]

Spoiler

From what I saw he is not truly Dalish

 

I mean the bald elf companion. I don't want him to be Dalish.

[dragonflight288]

Seriously, what's so special about him?

 

Never underestimate the power and charisma of bald fictional characters. Unless they're uldred. 

[Hellion Rex]

Spoiler

Serious magic? How so? And against whom I wonder.

Spoiler

From the snippets that I happened to read, he managed to cast an almost psychometric type of spell, locating a person simply by holding a feather that belonged in a cap that this person wore. His staff also was a very short twig that he could grow to a full length staff in seconds, and then back in to the small twig.

[MisterJB]

Spoiler

From the snippets that I happened to read, he managed to cast an almost psychometric type of spell, locating a person simply by holding a feather that belonged in a cap that this person wore. His staff also was a very short twig that he could grow to a full length staff in seconds, and then back in to the small twig.

Spoiler

The first spell sounds very useful for the Inquisition. Altough, I must admit I am somewhat disappointed. His skills don't appear to be that different from what other Dalish mages can do.

I expected more when people compared him to Flemeth, an immortal unknown capable of separating her soul and turning into a dragon.

[Master Warder Z_]

Spoiler

From the snippets that I happened to read, he managed to cast an almost psychometric type of spell, locating a person simply by holding a feather that belonged in a cap that this person wore. His staff also was a very short twig that he could grow to a full length staff in seconds, and then back in to the small twig.

 

Severan could call his staff to his hand telekinetically. ._.

[Dean_the_Young]

 

The darkspawn are often described as a hive mind united by the taint, with individuals exhibiting no more than 'animal cunning'. But individual darkspawn (emissaries, alphas, the Architect, Corypheus) are also shown to have what appear to be independent minds and motivations. How do these two things mesh?

 

Flemeth implied that the darkspawn horde was not an army that could be outmaneuvered and defeated in Origins. Yet, ultimately, this is indeed what happened to it. While they might balk at referring to this as "strategy", people attribute military decision-making to the darkspawn all the time, as in your example of the dwarves. Hell, it's difficult to explain some things, like the Ostagar campaign, without resorting to strategy. It appears to be a reasonable thing to do.

 

The question is: how does this actually work? If decisions are being made, who or what makes them?

 

Personally, I always understood it as a two-state hivemind, depending on the presence of a force that could withstand the thralldom and bring order to the choas.

 

In the 'default' inter-Blight phase, the lack of a dominant force means that Darkspawn spread and fight eachother (and the Dwarves), but more as a response to a generally disorganized hive than out of deliberate actors. The closest thing to a consensus would be the Song that the Old Gods apparently put out. The thrall state that the Architect awoke from is the feral, unorganized hive mind with no clear direction.

 

When the Old Gods are reached and activated, when a Blight begins, that's when strategy and awareness start to arrive, at the behest and demands of the Archdemon and its chosen thralls. The ArchDemon is pretty clearly the central organizing principle of the hoard- enough that it would organize a strategy, and so a strategy could work against it. It doesn't mean the hoard itself can be destroyed by maneuvering and tactices: attrition and expansion favor the darkspawn. But it would allow darkspawn armies to be beaten back and forced to reorganize, as well as a strategic goal of killing the ArchDemon.

[Hellion Rex]

Spoiler

The first spell sounds very useful for the Inquisition. Altough, I must admit I am somewhat disappointed. His skills don't appear to be that different from what other Dalish mages can do.

I expected more when people compared him to Flemeth, an immortal unknown capable of separating her soul and turning into a dragon.

Dude, what I saw was only gleaned from the first 100 pages, within which he only appeared briefly. I don't know what he did afterwards, but everybody was talkin up a storm about him though earlier.

[MisterJB]

Severan could call his staff to his hand telekinetically. ._.

Still got his butt handed to him by Maric.

[MisterJB]

Dude, what I saw was only gleaned from the first 100 pages, within which he only appeared briefly. I don't know what he did afterwards, but everybody was talkin up a storm about him though earlier.

Of course, I don't assume that is everything he can do. I had just expected more with the way people were hyping him.

Maybe there's more you didn't get to read.

[Hellion Rex]

Severan could call his staff to his hand telekinetically. ._.

Pfft. Weak. Jean Grey would have telekinetically atomized the guy.

[Hellion Rex]

Of course, I don't assume that is everything he can do. I had just expected more with the way people were hyping him.

Maybe there's more you didn't get to read.

Yeah, I mean the book is nearly 400 pages, and I only read about the first 100. He was only in one chapter, maybe two at the most.

[Master Warder Z_]

Still got his butt handed to him by Maric.

 

Exactly my point, a few fancy unseen spells doesn't make you immortal.

 

Hence my whole belief that, this guy is going to get the Severan treatment.

[Master Warder Z_]

Pfft. Weak. Jean Grey would have telekinetically atomized the guy.

 

Before or after she got a fist shoved through her chest via Apocalypse?

 

She's a small fish compared to the big kids

[Hellion Rex]

Before or after she got a fist shoved through her chest via Apocalypse?

 

She's a small fish compared to the big kids

White Phoenix of the Crown Jean Grey? Ha, nope.

[Master Warder Z_]

White Phoenix of the Crown Jean Grey? Ha, nope.

 

<_,<''

 

Do you seriously just call the reason why Marvel cannot use an entire timeline incapable of "killing" some one?

 

._.

[Dean_the_Young]

Having kept the "Masked Empire" page open on Amazon, and perusing it's pages during this discussion, the revelation made on page 365 does make me a bit hopeful that the elven plot might not be relegated to choosing between Celene or Gaspard. Which makes me a bit more optimistic than I was when I read the pages about the Dalish clan that was previously mentioned.

 

Spoiler

As Briala wonderfully says (on page 366): "Freedom is not earned. It is won."

 

I think I might like her character, especially after that moment. Felassan seems interesting, too. I wonder if he might be the elven mage companion that everyone is speculating about.

 

As a character moment that would be telling, if not necessarily accurate. It is easy to say that Freedom is won, not earned, but ultimately freedom in a political context is something that requires the consent of other parties. It's not something you can take by force of arms and keep under armed guard in a keep- freedom is only worth as much as other people respect it and abide by it. Acquiescence can only be forced so much: past that, it must be earned because it can only be given through willingness, not unilaterally taken.

 

Hopefully, the actions of one single clan aren't going to be the depiction for the entirety of the Dalish. From the lore about the Dalish rescuing and raising the historical Aveline as an infant to the treaty signed to aid during the Blights, it's clear the Dalish aren't all the same. It would be nice to see that more reflected with the characters in the games, however. The clans are different from one another, so I think it would be unreasonable if they were all painted in the same negative light.

 

Spoiler

As for the Eluvians, I certainly think they might be utilized in Inquisition, given the concluding chapters of the preview. Given their involvement in the narrative, I wonder if Merrill's actions inspired some of the Dalish. Add her possible involvement in stopping Meredith, she might be viewed as a hero among some of the People, in the same way apostate Champion is among the Circles after rescuing the mages.

That's... probably not going to happen. The part about Merrill being a hero among the People. Or rather, it would be significantly contrary to the crux of both the Rivalry and Friendship route, which was that Merrill was a Dalish pariah: an outcast, a dissident who opposed and was opposed to the societal norms and expectations. Merrill saw herself in terms of being a heroic figure- self-sacrificing, greater good, and all those other elements of pride. But she was just about the only one who saw her that way: everyone else, especially the Dalish, was convinced she was foolish at best and dangerously reckless at worse.

 

Considering the various other states that Merrill can be in (helping Meredith with the Annulment, destroying the Clan, destroying the mirror), Merrill's contributions will be marginal at best or, more likely, unrelated to the usage of the pre-existing Eluvians.

[EmissaryofLies]

Book isn't even out and the forum is arguing about it. This was a mistake.

[TK514]

Book isn't even out and the forum is arguing about it. This was a mistake.

You're surprised?

Imagine how much fun it'll be once the book is out. There will be arguments over whether the placement of a comma changes the implications of a passage.

[Iron Fist]

Book isn't even out and the forum is arguing about it. This was a mistake.

 

Nah, this thread is gold. 

[BioFan (Official)]

For some unknown reason , I can't read the preview on Amazon anymore .

I liked Felassan (?) , the Dalish mage ...but it's a bit strange to read about a sarcastic and funny Dalish.

From what I've been reading , seems like things are pretty bad at Halamshiral for the city elves...

They don't have an official alienage , but it's all the same.

 

Wonder if we'll read something about Merrill , if the Dalish are now after the Eluvians?

 

 

One of the devs once said helping merill with the mirror was a "bad idea" 

[Dean_the_Young]

You're surprised?

Imagine how much fun it'll be once the book is out. There will be arguments over whether the placement of a comma changes the implications of a passage.

 

I've always been a firm believer in the importance of punctuation. It's the difference between 'I ate out, Grandmother,' and, well-

[Potato Cat]

One of the devs once said helping merill with the mirror was a "bad idea" 

Haha, I just realised that in the shower just now. Terrifying. So relieved that I rival her in my canon playthrough.

[BioFan (Official)]

Haha, I just realised that in the shower just now. Terrifying. So relieved that I rival her in my canon playthrough.

 

 

being a mage hater: +1 cool point

[themageguy]

Hey I just happy that Patrick has kept true to the dalish use of magic.
In WoT,it is written their magic involves the manipulation of nature and healing and potion making.
+ 10 to you sir Weekes.

[Potato Cat]

being a mage hater: +1 cool point

What? Mage hater? Moi? Never. I'm just not...pro-mage. I'm pro-Qunari - okay maybe I am a little bit anti-mage. Lol. But I loves Merrill. So much so the love gets an s on the end. Which is why I didn't want her doing what the demon wanted her to do, and now I don't want her to restore the eluvian because some crazy elves are going to ruin the party for the sane ones.