So I played some more with my warrior elven lady and...
This is the epitome of an arrogant grin right there.
"You don't know sh*t, Cassandra."
"Feel the burn, Seeker."
"Look at my grin, look at it!"
"Can you feel it on your skin, burning?"
"Do not even bother to deny my almighty knowledge."
Meanwhile, I imagine my Lavellan to be like "I don't get paid for this crap."
Hmmm, I would certainly describe that grin as being rather... wolfish.
I'm glad you brought up Native Americans because is it just me or does their predicament scream Dalish? Native American culture is disappearing. For the few people who actually care to notice it is happening rapidly. Reservations are horrible-- the drinking problems, over population, crime, and lack of education are just some of the problems these people face. And yet people continue to live on them. For some it's because they're trapped in a cycle of poverty but for others it's because they're proud. Proud of their history, their people, and their culture. I respect that they refuse to give in to goverment bribes or mainstream culture (for some), but it also doesn't change the fact that they are dwindling. The Amish too are a group of people that segregate themselves to stay separate from mainstream culture. Is it really better? It may work for a time but that doesn't change the fact that there are more and more Amish kids that don't come back from Rumspringa (hope I spelled that correctly).
And you are right when you say that there are many examples of a dominant culture indoctrinating a weaker one but I think there are plenty of examples of cultures mingling. The US is of course a prime example of this. We may have taken more from England when we developed our culture but there is so much more to our culture than our inherited English traditions. New Orleans seems almost alien (to those living outside it) with the amount of other cultures influence in it. My father's side of the family is Pennsylvanian Dutch-- certainly a very unique mix of cultures.
Elf blooded humans aren't elves, you're right, but they have a parent that is which means they still have a connection to the elves. I'd also assume that for those humans who know their parentage that elf blooded kids are probably treated pretty crappy too. And yes, if all the elves and humans bred together there would be no more elves (there would be Bretons!!!), but that's just as bad as elves and humans going into relationships together because of that. I say let al the races mix! We will have humelvenaridwarfanity! It will be wonderous! (If not strange looking) But seriously, isn't it the same as that white power idea of white people dying out because they bred with dominant genetics of darker people?
I do agree that a middle should be found. Like I said in an earlier post your culture and heritage should be respected. History should be important, but not a defining factor on how you live your life.
But why can't there be both? Areas for those who want to retain their cultures because it's important to them, and mixing for those who like that. Really, who is anybody to judge what is right and what is wrong as far as that goes?
The plight of the Native Americans on reservations is horrible, but that's not all there is of their culture by a long shot. And the Amish live in peace for the most part where they are. (Mind you, I say this only from what I've seen in my personal experience. I worked at the NMAI when it first opened, and my husband's family is from central PA.)
I believe that losing history is tragic, because throwing the baby out with the bathwater serves nobody. It's like when the anti-puppymill people say that there should be no more purebred dogs anywhere. I love Italian Greyhounds because they are an ancient breed, making them living history. Destroying that legacy because some people screw up dog breeding is horribly ignorant and foolish.
There are always better ways! The problem is that those better ways always demand compromise, and most people see compromise as a weakness.
Gah, sorry... I know I'm sounding like a SJW but I'm really not. I just hate huge sweeping policies. 
How To Train Your Dragon: Inquisition Edition?
But hiding in plain sight is usually extremely effective.
And his "mage" piece finishes off everything. I think that's the point of the match right there. Pride again.
Hiding in plain sight requires being able to blend into the background, looking like you belong and are uninteresting. Bull notices that is what he is doing in the conversations they have with each other. All other characters are always talking about how awesome Solas is, they find him extremely interesting. He talks about weird fade stuff. He's memorable. He's the weird apostate. Dorian follows him around like a puppy in some conversations practically screaming "notice me!". "Hey Solas, that magic looks like a spell from Tevinter." "Hey Solas, did you know we interact with spirits too?" "Hey, Solas, the sky is blue and you're pretty"... We should watch apostates, but we trust Solas. One of Blackwall's other lines is something along the lines of "Have you talked to Solas? That man knows everything there is no know about about everything". When he's gone, people notice.
Ultimately, his pride keeps him from staying humble. It's the achilles heel which sinks his plan. Compare him to say Kreia or Master Li, both are villains who actually do hide in plain sight. Solas is too proud to stay in the shadows, to play the part of the "dirty knife-ear", to not fight back when his opinion is challenged. He's angry, he's bitter, and he can't resist going after the idiots. That's drawing attention to himself and it's the exact opposite of hiding in plain sight.
Hiding in plain sight requires being able to blend into the background, looking like you belong and are uninteresting. Bull notices that is what he is doing in the conversations they have with each other. All other characters are always talking about how awesome Solas is, they find him extremely interesting. He talks about weird fade stuff. He's memorable. He's the weird apostate. Dorian follows him around like a puppy in some conversations practically screaming "notice me!". "Hey Solas, that magic looks like a spell from Tevinter." "Hey Solas, did you know we interact with spirits too?" "Hey, Solas, the sky is blue and you're pretty"... We should watch apostates, but we trust Solas. One of Blackwall's other lines is something along the lines of "Have you talked to Solas? That man knows everything there is no know about about everything". When he's gone, people notice.
Ultimately, his pride keeps him from staying humble. It's the achilles heel which sinks his plan. Compare him to say Kreia or Master Li, both are villains who actually do hide in plain sight. Solas is too proud to stay in the shadows, to play the part of the "dirty knife-ear", to not fight back when his opinion is challenged. He's angry, he's bitter, and he can't resist going after the idiots. That's drawing attention to himself and it's the exact opposite of hiding in plain sight.
True but in the end what difference did it make? Nobody got even close to guessing who/what he was and he probably knew that they never would. It's not as if saying all these things blew whatever chess game he was playing in the Inquisition. What sank his plan was the orb getting destroyed, which really didn't have anything to do with the Inquisition suspecting he wasn't a normal apostate.
I'm glad you brought up Native Americans because is it just me or does their predicament scream Dalish? Native American culture is disappearing. For the few people who actually care to notice it is happening rapidly. Reservations are horrible-- the drinking problems, over population, crime, and lack of education are just some of the problems these people face. And yet people continue to live on them. For some it's because they're trapped in a cycle of poverty but for others it's because they're proud. Proud of their history, their people, and their culture. I respect that they refuse to give in to goverment bribes or mainstream culture (for some), but it also doesn't change the fact that they are dwindling. The Amish too are a group of people that segregate themselves to stay separate from mainstream culture. Is it really better? It may work for a time but that doesn't change the fact that there are more and more Amish kids that don't come back from Rumspringa (hope I spelled that correctly).
And you are right when you say that there are many examples of a dominant culture indoctrinating a weaker one but I think there are plenty of examples of cultures mingling. The US is of course a prime example of this. We may have taken more from England when we developed our culture but there is so much more to our culture than our inherited English traditions. New Orleans seems almost alien (to those living outside it) with the amount of other cultures influence in it. My father's side of the family is Pennsylvanian Dutch-- certainly a very unique mix of cultures.
Elf blooded humans aren't elves, you're right, but they have a parent that is which means they still have a connection to the elves. I'd also assume that for those humans who know their parentage that elf blooded kids are probably treated pretty crappy too. And yes, if all the elves and humans bred together there would be no more elves (there would be Bretons!!!), but that's just as bad as elves and humans going into relationships together because of that. I say let al the races mix! We will have humelvenaridwarfanity! It will be wonderous! (If not strange looking) But seriously, isn't it the same as that white power idea of white people dying out because they bred with dominant genetics of darker people?
I do agree that a middle should be found. Like I said in an earlier post your culture and heritage should be respected. History should be important, but not a defining factor on how you live your life.
I live in a very Amish area (the Wal-marts here have buggy parking) and it's very odd. They have a very fascinating mix of cultures- it is very Dalish now that I think about it. They very much look down (not all, but many) on the "English" (what they call people who are not Amish), but feel free very often to adopt conveniences that they wish, like sneakers and coach purses. lol.
There are many different...well, versions, of Amish too, even though what we're grouping together for this conversation would likely offend them all. Mennonites, Amish, New Order, Old Order, Beachy, Old German, German Baptists...and the things they take from the "English" might differ depending on what group they belong to or which region they are from.
Some in a group near us might be okay with wearing pastel dresses, but some say that is going too far and you can only wear black. Some say you can have backs on the seat of your buggy, some three miles down the road say you can't.
Mennonites can have tv and drive cars, but in some areas the car should be black. Less flashy. Some Amish who I have worked with can use a computer better than I can and in jobs use modern items daily but do not at home.
They have such different rules now that the original Anabaptist culture has eroded except in the strictest of districts and even then who really knows.
It's really rather fascinating.
/educationalrant
Hiding in plain sight requires being able to blend into the background, looking like you belong and are uninteresting. Bull notices that is what he is doing in the conversations they have with each other. All other characters are always talking about how awesome Solas is, they find him extremely interesting. He talks about weird fade stuff. He's memorable. He's the weird apostate. Dorian follows him around like a puppy in some conversations practically screaming "notice me!". "Hey Solas, that magic looks like a spell from Tevinter." "Hey Solas, did you know we interact with spirits too?" "Hey, Solas, the sky is blue and you're pretty"... We should watch apostates, but we trust Solas. One of Blackwall's other lines is something along the lines of "Have you talked to Solas? That man knows everything there is no know about about everything". When he's gone, people notice.
Ultimately, his pride keeps him from staying humble. It's the achilles heel which sinks his plan. Compare him to say Kreia or Master Li, both are villains who actually do hide in plain sight. Solas is too proud to stay in the shadows, to play the part of the "dirty knife-ear", to not fight back when his opinion is challenged. He's angry, he's bitter, and he can't resist going after the idiots. That's drawing attention to himself and it's the exact opposite of hiding in plain sight.
Yes, he likes to show he knows. I remember one of the lines you can give him, "Is there anything in this world you wouldn't tear down just to prove how smart you are!?"; it shows that even your Inquisitor picks up on it.
Hiding in plain sight requires being able to blend into the background, looking like you belong and are uninteresting. Bull notices that is what he is doing in the conversations they have with each other. All other characters are always talking about how awesome Solas is, they find him extremely interesting. He talks about weird fade stuff. He's memorable. He's the weird apostate. Dorian follows him around like a puppy in some conversations practically screaming "notice me!". "Hey Solas, that magic looks like a spell from Tevinter." "Hey Solas, did you know we interact with spirits too?" "Hey, Solas, the sky is blue and you're pretty"... We should watch apostates, but we trust Solas. One of Blackwall's other lines is something along the lines of "Have you talked to Solas? That man knows everything there is no know about about everything". When he's gone, people notice.
Ultimately, his pride keeps him from staying humble. It's the achilles heel which sinks his plan. Compare him to say Kreia or Master Li, both are villains who actually do hide in plain sight. Solas is too proud to stay in the shadows, to play the part of the "dirty knife-ear", to not fight back when his opinion is challenged. He's angry, he's bitter, and he can't resist going after the idiots. That's drawing attention to himself and it's the exact opposite of hiding in plain sight.
But nobody found him out, did they? His mask wasn't entirely seamless, but it was a flawless execution.
But why can't there be both? Areas for those who want to retain their cultures because it's important to them, and mixing for those who like that. Really, who is anybody to judge what is right and what is wrong as far as that goes?
The plight of the Native Americans on reservations is horrible, but that's not all there is of their culture by a long shot. And the Amish live in peace for the most part where they are. (Mind you, I say this only from what I've seen in my personal experience. I worked at the NMAI when it first opened, and my husband's family is from central PA.)
I believe that losing history is tragic, because throwing the baby out with the bathwater serves nobody. It's like when the anti-puppymill people say that there should be no more purebred dogs anywhere. I love Italian Greyhounds because they are an ancient breed, making them living history. Destroying that legacy because some people screw up dog breeding is horribly ignorant and foolish.
There are always better ways! The problem is that those better ways always demand compromise, and most people see compromise as a weakness.
Gah, sorry... I feel like a SJW but I'm really not. I just hate huge sweeping policies.
I completely agree with your statement. I was just trying to get across that people shouldn't let their traditions/heritage keep them from mingling. People are people and I feel that statement applies across Thedas. Don't judge someone because they don't look like you. Zevran doesn't identify himself with other elves-- he is just Antivan. He embraced that part of himself as a choice, just like Sera embraced the way she grew up. Solas, Maker bless his adorable bald head, needs to understand that just because those elves reject elfy culture it doesn't make them something to be pitied. Everyone should be able to choose how much of their heritage they want to embrace without getting snide remarks on either end of the spectrum.
Well, to be fair, he's coming from a time when elves could be immortal and have incredibly powerful magic. Compare that to the way elves live now, and that is something to be pitied through his eyes. It's not so much the rejection of elfy culture thing; the Dalish don't reject it and Solas still pities/resents them.
Well, to be fair, he's coming from a time when elves could be immortal and have incredibly powerful magic. Compare that to the way elves live now, and that is something to be pitied through his eyes. It's not so much the rejection of elfy culture thing; the Dalish don't reject it and Solas still pities/resents them.
I think he's pitying them more for revering the wrong things. Elven pride and Dalish pride are two different things, as we come to find out in this game.
SAME, ugh I keep refreshing hoping my likes will replenish so I can give those posts the likes they deserve. Spot on!nightwolf, I'm out of likes but I just want to, like, throw myself into the sun because of your last three posts. In a good way! They're so spot-on about Solas's character.
So has everyone else noticed on their subsequent playthrough(s) how super worried Solas looks during the first attempt to close the Breach?
I tried to spam my screenshot button, but it didn't really work. The best way to get a really good shot of his expression would probably have been for me to get a video of it and then go frame-by-frame. OH WELL.
Solas, you're killin me here.
So has everyone else noticed on their subsequent playthrough(s) how super worried Solas looks during the first attempt to close the Breach?
I tried to spam my screenshot button, but it didn't really work. The best way to get a really good shot of his expression would probably have been for me to get a video of it and then go frame-by-frame. OH WELL.
Spoiler
Solas, you're killin me here.
He sort of reminds me of a cat in that shot, so cute 
Gah, sorry... I know I'm sounding like a SJW but I'm really not. I just hate huge sweeping policies.
Never be embarrassed about caring about social justice. Particularly if it is because some bunch of man-childs can't handle females working on the gaming industry 
Yes.He sort of reminds me of a cat in that shot, so cute
True but in the end what difference did it make? Nobody got even close to guessing who/what he was and he probably knew that they never would. It's not as if saying all these things blew whatever chess game he was playing in the Inquisition. What sank his plan was the orb getting destroyed, which really didn't have anything to do with the Inquisition suspecting he wasn't a normal apostate.
Because the point of the charade is to ensure no one asks questions that could get him into trouble, not that they'd actually figure out his plan. When people are thinking about him, it provides more opportunities for them to see the holes to hit upon inconsistencies in his story that don't mean anything. Would they figure out he's the Dread Wolf? Probably not. Would they figure out he knows way more than he's saying and is not what he's presented himself as? The chances are good, yes. If you're playing through on an elf character, for example, Abelas does not recognize your character as an elf like him. He does however recognize Solas as one if he's there. ("There is a place for you, Lethallin.") Interesting.
Questions lead to more questions, those questions lead someone to search through the inconsistencies to find what is missing, and locate the information they need for the logic of the situation to make sense. By trying to get people to ask questions, he's also getting them to think about him and how he doesn't make sense. He needs to keep the charade going long enough to make his move and makes his life more difficult if other people are asking who he is, where he came from, and whether or not we should actually let him keep that orb once we get our hands on it.
It's not really about truth or even the end result. It's about questions and suspicion, the two things which can keep you from getting there.
Never be embarrassed about caring about social justice. Particularly if it is because some bunch of man-childs can't handle females working on the gaming industry
I was just going to silently like your post so as not to open that can of worms here, but GAH OUT OF LIKES AGAIN
I like to think of Aaron Taylor Johnson playing real-life Solas, not only me? haha
Those eyes!
Slowly watching the inquisitor, the blight glows a far.
Hiding in plain sight requires being able to blend into the background, looking like you belong and are uninteresting. Bull notices that is what he is doing in the conversations they have with each other. All other characters are always talking about how awesome Solas is, they find him extremely interesting. He talks about weird fade stuff. He's memorable. He's the weird apostate. Dorian follows him around like a puppy in some conversations practically screaming "notice me!". "Hey Solas, that magic looks like a spell from Tevinter." "Hey Solas, did you know we interact with spirits too?" "Hey, Solas, the sky is blue and you're pretty"... We should watch apostates, but we trust Solas. One of Blackwall's other lines is something along the lines of "Have you talked to Solas? That man knows everything there is no know about about everything". When he's gone, people notice.
Ultimately, his pride keeps him from staying humble. It's the achilles heel which sinks his plan. Compare him to say Kreia or Master Li, both are villains who actually do hide in plain sight. Solas is too proud to stay in the shadows, to play the part of the "dirty knife-ear", to not fight back when his opinion is challenged. He's angry, he's bitter, and he can't resist going after the idiots. That's drawing attention to himself and it's the exact opposite of hiding in plain sight.
I like to think of Aaron Taylor Johnson playing real-life Solas, not only me? haha
Those eyes!
The eyes are nearly perfect for Solas, I'll admit. Rest needs a bit of work, haha. *hisses at the mouth-breathing*
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