You may think it strange that in a world with magic, demons and bizarre flora and fauna, something like science would barely be a factor in this world. I enjoy attempting to unraveling the mysteries of this Universe, the world of Thedas being no exception. I would greatly appreciate your views on the races and species I am attempting to analyze.
Dragons-Unlike other Fantasy games, in Thedas Dragons are regarded as animals, impressive and powerful, but not sentient, with the only exceptions being the Old Gods/Archdemons. We know this because the Old Gods/Archdemons are capable of commanding hordes of monsters unquestioningly and are capable of making tactics and strategies. If there are any more dragons like this, we do not know. However seeing Yavanna in the Silent Grove speak to a High Dragon, the apex predator of Thedas, in an unknown language shows that they can be commanded and understand words. There are variations, the wyvern being the most notable, showing that they can adapt to their environments in order to survive.
Humans- I imagine we arrived in the same manner as we did in this world. Howe we obtained magic however is unknown. It is heavily implied and proven that the ability to use it is a trait, usually inherited from our parents. Where it came from is unknown. But I believe we may have inherited from the elves. I'll discuss this later.
Elves- Elves are the most similar to us of the other races on Thedas, they are however shorter than us, have longer ears and larger eyes. They can also see well in the dark, akin to a cat. According to myth, they were apparently immortal and only perished in their sleep, a state called Uthenara. The Masked Empire reveals only a percentage of the population could achieve this, the Dreamer Elves, the mages who could enter the Fade, the dream realm at will and alter it to suit themselves. When humans originally arrived, the elves interacted freely with them, and surprisingly paired with them. It doesn't take a genius to know that mating outside your own species is a dangerous thing. The risk of sexually transmitted virus' and diseases it severe enough to not introduce new ones to other races. They discovered that mating with humans produced only human children and contact with us resulted in the 'quickening'. The elves lost their immortality. This I believe was a disease introduced to the race from contact with humanity, how it was created is unknown, but since elves decided to retreat and segregate themselves from humanity, the disease was not contained and spread easily as they congregated within their cities. Humans I believe inherited their magical potential from elves. I theorize that elves are all have the 'magi trait', careful breeding encourages this trait, producing magi children. By procreating with humanity, the elves obtained a disease whilst humanity obtained a new trait into the gene pool. How they mastered it or came to understand it's potential, is either explained by the aid of rogue elves who decided to remain among the humans in bitterness of their unfair society, or they were taught by the Old Gods. I am more inclined to believe with the former. These elf blooded descendants, would eventually become the Tevinter Imperium, destroying the Elven Empire and enslaving the survivors. Increased contact with humans would have accelerated and strengthen the virus, resulting in the elves now having the lifespan of humans.
Dwarves- Like the elves, Dwarves can also see well in the dark, but considering they mostly live entirely underground, this was a necessary adaptation if they wanted to survive and prosper. Living underground, they are exposed to the magical and lethal substance known as Lyrium. This aids mages in casting spells, and helps Templars dispel magic. It is extremely addictive and unprocessed Lyrium can prove fatal. Only the Dwarves, specifically the Mining Caste, can handle it safely. The more the race was exposed to the Lyrium, the stronger the resistance becomes. This however has resulted in the entire race lacking the 'magi trait'. And while they can process Lyrium and create wondrous enchantments and objects, their is no recorded instance of a Dwarf using magic.
Qunari- The horned giants from the North, come from an unknown continent far across the sea, meaning that Thedas is perhaps not the only major landmass in the World. Given their not notable trait, that of horns, I would haphazard to guess they evolved in a manner similar to humans, but instead of primates like us, they may have evolved from a Bovine of some kind. The loss of hooves and the obtainment of hands and feet like our own, is difficult to imagine from a Bovine, but perhaps an unusual from of primate is the answer. As shown on Earth, primates are extremely adaptable and come in many shapes and forms. It maybe possible that they evolved from primates with horns? They have metallic colored skin and are have an immunity to many toxins, E.G. the saar-qamek gas and their warpaint is toxic to other races. It maybe possible that like humans, there were once Elves in their homelands and like the humans this crossbreeding introduced both magic and hornlessness. Obviously not all Qunari have both. Sten is hornless but is obviously not a mage. And many Saarebas (Qunari mages) have horns, or stubs as is the case. What happened to the Elves. Unlike their mainland cousins, it is most likely they were wiped out by either disease, war with the Qunari or a combination of both. This must have occured during the races earliest history, as the Qunari have had no contact with the rest of Thedas and no knowledge of other races until the Qunari Wars.
Thank you for reading, please comment and correct.
Retour en haut
