So the dalish have clans. It's been told to us numerous times that they do. Each clan operates different, with different ideologies, cultures, etc. We're told they all meet up once in a while and end up fighting with one another most of the time. And a few tidbits here and there about how spread out the clans are.
But one thing always stood out to me, and perhaps this is simply from not paying attention, but for such a heavy emphasis being placed on "clans", there seesm to be a distinct lack of distinction for the clans. A lot of the dalish clans look the same, which doesn't sound that problematic from a "you only meet 1 clan a game" standpoint, until you think that the clans you run into are all suppose to be different. Nothing visually sets them apart aside from general art design, and that doesn't count cause its applies to all elfs, not just the dalish. The elves getting a redesign is the only reason I can personally tell the DAO clan and the DA2 clan apart from a glance. Speaking of which, this brings up another point.
Clan names. Or more specifically, how little the clan names mean in game. I don't think any character actually mentions the dalish by their clan name. Or that the clan names are even brought up in the game. Which is quite strange if one thinks on it, because you figured that if these clans didn't agree with one another they would have different names at the least to tell one another apart.
I will grant, the dalish clans are supposed to have names. Supposed to, as in looking up supplemental material on the wiki gives you a list of half a bunch of clan names, and a list of clans of unknown anything. Compounding this problem is how the names seem to be meaningless.The dalish wardens clan name is Sabrae, their last name apparently. So all clan members have the same last name? Seems strange but i'll bite. Only that's not the case, cause merril's clan is Alerion. This is a problem cause initially, the warden and merrill are in the same clan. Now exchanges are apparently common at gatherings, but this makes identifying any sort of traits to clans, and the concept of different clans themselves, meaningless in a way. Compound onto that, the unknown names of clans we do meet in the dragon age games like Zatharan's or Metheranis, and it makes the entire thing seem almost like the creators threw up their hands in trying to make dalish have clans and just stopped.
I hear the masked empire had a named dalish clan, the Virnehn, and that the inquisistors clan is Lavellan. The games done, so I'm going to assume clan names are going to be as irrelevant and pointless as they were in the previous games. But would it kill to have a little variety in the dalish clans going into the future? At least a bit of something so when my character tries to do anything with the dalish, they can know by the clan name at least, who they're dealing with?
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