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[The Ascendant]

I wonder how the Eluvians will come into play. We know that the elves made them so only elves could use them. Humans and even elf blooded humans are uncomfortable in the realm which connects all the Eluvians to each other. Since spirits and undead can access this realm, the only way that may happen is if the Fade is connected to this other world. This would explain how Audacity could have used it to escape using the one Merrill made. So how will they aid or hinder the Inquisition?
I hope Merrill's one comes into play, if it survived.

[Dean_the_Young]

I kind of suspect that is going to be the reveal.

 

The elves were never naturally immortal, but some of the nobles achieved it via blood magic and the murder of slaves.

 

Something like this.

 

Which, when you think about it, would technically/from a certain point of view still fit into the 'elven culture' rational for immortality. Even if it means that relevant cultural practice had more to do with abhorrent acts than frolicking with nature.

[Dean_the_Young]

I think whatever they reveal about elves will be an improvement in one way or another. Even if it may not seem like it at first.

 

You can't get any worse than what they already are.

 

Sure you could- quite easily in fact. Both the City Elves and the Dalish could adopt far more self-destructive and outwardly harmful policies and social norms.

[Dean_the_Young]

I'm not talking about what they do to themselves. As if there's some collective mentality anyways.

 

 

I'm just saying. A writer doesn't create a faction on the bottom of the totem pole. Only to keep making them lower and lower.

 

Sure they do. Mind you, such depictions often go hand-in-hand with incompetence and/or comic relief, but they do exist. It's not terribly unusual for an underdog group to become ever more marginalized and ineffectual as the story progresses. Pathetic characters (as in, characters crafted to evoke and elict pitty from the audience) frequently do this as well, starting low and seeing their own actions bring them lower.

 

And there are plenty of reasons why that could be done, even apart from the Whorf Effect or comic relief. It can be used as a moral lesson and theme about the consequences of actions and or the importance of valuing what you have. If, say, would-be elven reformers and revolutionaries keep getting stomped harder and harder, the lesson isn't necessarily 'life sucks for the elves, damn racist shems.' It could be 'violent revolution isn't the path to reform, and can make things worse, so stop trying it you desperate idiot.'

[Dean_the_Young]

You think they put this in for comic relief?

 

 

Did I say they did? No, it appears I did not. In fact, the majority of my post was about everything but comic relief.

 

 

Hell, maybe they do actually. I'll think lower of them if that's the case though. All of the ancient ruins and mysteries, city elf squalor, and companions like Merrill and Fenris. It's all a big joke. Yay.

 

 

Well, the whole 'idealized utopian past' is a bit of a joke, and one Bioware's never been particularly shy about needling. There's been very little focus or attention to the city elves, but the Dalish mystique and fixation on backwards on the glamorized past has been a target since DAO.

[Dean_the_Young]

It can always go downhill.

 

 

Drug abuse, corruption, ideological/polity purity purges, breakdowns of social cohesion and identity, legitimy crisis at the core of the social unit... things can always get worse for even the lowest of groups.

 

The City Elves and the Dalish are two different groups and shouldn't be treated as the same, but both have many things well within historical precedent that would make their lives and standing so much worse. Some could be done to them by others, and some could be done to themselves.

 

To be honest, I'm actually a bit surprised that the DA setting doesn't appear to have miscegenation laws in place, either from the human side or within the elven groups. If you really wanted to tear at them, watch what would happen if racial purity arguments went from implicit to outright explicit.

[Dean_the_Young]

I don't think it can get worse, politically or socially.

 

Could get worse on a health related level, I guess. That's about the only way I see kicking them down further.

 

Like this Frontline documentary I just watched about tuberculosis in Africa. These people already live in shacks, and then they die from TB, thinking God hates them. That's sort of where I see you taking the elves to an even worse place.

 

We could go with that. We could also go on to slavery, a legalized caste system, or even.... socialism and enforced collectivism with anti-individuality programs. (Gasp!) Elves have it rough, but there are a number of things they are permitted to do and many things they are not legally compelled to do. If just the Chantry took a hard line on elves, their situation could get far, far worse- even just blocking the elves from being Andrastian would be a blow to what integration they have.

 

You could even have human kingdoms start programs with the explicit goal of destroying the city elves as a polity. This doesn't need to be outright violent genocide: it could be as basic as breaking apart the alienages and scattering the elves across the nation, or even 'reforms' such as reverse miscigenation laws. Ban elf-elf unions, encourage and only permit human-elf unions, and sterilize elven children: in a few generations, you won't even have an elven population. Remember, eugenics used to be a progressive and well-meaning policy proposal: It wouldn't stretch plausibility for some well-meaning humans to believe that the best way to integrate the city elves is to discard the elven baggage.

[The Ascendant]

Anyway, I wonder what secrets we will uncover in the Dales. I was very interested in that Elven Colosseum. As a future Dalish Necromancer, maybe I can summon their spirits/ghosts and speak to them about the old empire.  

[The Ascendant]

I get the feeling necromancy won't be that advanced. But what do I know?

 

I just think it might be injecting minor spirits into corpses. Like wisps. Fairly mindless bodies to command around. Not full blown resurrection.

Awww but I wanted to raise their spirits and amass an army of the dead to conquer the world.  I mean, close the tears and what not. If I learn some uber powerful artifact only elves can use, hoorah for me!

[The Ascendant]

I wonder how Eluvians or Briala will come into play. I always wondered how Celene got back to Val Royeaux.... Still I hope the one Merrill made has some impact, and hopefully doesn't destroy Kirkwall by tearing the Veil. Uh oh.

[Mistic]

I kind of suspect that is going to be the reveal.

 

The elves were never naturally immortal, but some of the nobles achieved it via blood magic and the murder of slaves.

 

That soundsfascinating. Maybe not the part about murdering slaves (ok, "servants" is the correct word), but we do know at least one case when a Dalish Keeper managed to lengthen his lifespawn by binding his powers to a spirit with blood magic. The Eluvian network also hints at the Ancient Elves' power of taking control of the spiritual realm, or at least create their own, so maybe we'll know more.

 

Check out this awesome concept art I found for elves. All credit due to the artist joy-ang. Well done. This is amazing!

 

Nice! But where did you find it?

[AresKeith]

Check out this awesome concept art I found for elves. All credit due to the artist joy-ang. Well done. This is amazing!

 

The one in the middle should definitely be in the game

[The Ascendant]

That soundsfascinating. Maybe not the part about murdering slaves (ok, "servants" is the correct word), but we do know at least one case when a Dalish Keeper managed to lengthen his lifespawn by binding his powers to a spirit with blood magic. The Eluvian network also hints at the Ancient Elves' power of taking control of the spiritual realm, or at least create their own, so maybe we'll know more.

 

 

Nice! But where did you find it?

Check out deviant art. 

[BioWareM0d13]

Something like this.

 

Which, when you think about it, would technically/from a certain point of view still fit into the 'elven culture' rational for immortality. Even if it means that relevant cultural practice had more to do with abhorrent acts than frolicking with nature.

 

I have a sneaking suspicion that if the true events of the fall of Elven civilization are ever revealed in game, rather than falling into the noble victim trope, the conflict will be something similar to clash between the Spaniards and Aztecs. I think it is likely both the humans and the elves were brutal civilizations, and the elves were just unfortunate enough to lose.

[The Ascendant]

To my knowledge only the Dreamers could attain immortality, but only by entering the sleep/mediation/trance Uthenera. They could wake up after a while and share all they had learned in the Fade. How long they could stay asleep? Who knows. Maybe there are still Dreamer Elves in mediation? 

[StrangeStrategy]

I hope we encounter whoever Felassan's master was. I think it was an ancient dreamer elf who was secluded when Arlathan fell. Remember in the state of Uthenera the elves were immortal. True they could be killed if someone killed their bodies, but still. Remember dreamers wield great power in the Fade, capable of altering it and killing their enemies in their dreams. I think it is more plausible than a god, i.e. Fen'Harel.

 

I believe it is "The Formless One", one of those big bad demons. Imshael, Xebenkeck, Gaxkang, Formless One.

I also think Flemeth is the Formless One, she being a shapeshifter and everything.

[Jaronking]

i been thinking that the big bad might be a Ancient Elf that awaken from his Uthenera and is basically pissed about what has happened to his people and decided to destroy  the world They were Dreamers the most powerful of the Elves even among Mages in Dragon Age two a Dreamer Abomination is almost unstoppable so i a imagine they could creat a veil Rift this large