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[SomeoneStoleMyName]

Could the quickening be connected to the Golden city turning black? What if the golden city is what held the source of immortality for the elves, and when the Tevinter were fooled into entering the city - then whoever tricked them took the source of immortality. The result of the elven immortality stolen/destroyed (leading to the quickening) then causing the blight as a side-effect or such?

Anyway, what do you guys think? Is it plausible that the golden city was the elven source of immortality or is this impossible with the time lines in DA?

 

[LightningPoodle]

Meh. Deus Ex Machina or something.

[raging_monkey]

Well the breach into the golden city was done after the tevinters destroyed arlathan and by then then they were aging quickly by their standards

[Hellion Rex]

I think the Quickening started before the Black City fiasco.

[SomeoneStoleMyName]

Ah ok So it really isnt possible these are connected with the time lines as they are?
 

I think the Quickening started before the Black City fiasco.

Well not really a fiasco. Corypheus is still alive after all that time, and has retained his sanity. As darkspawn he has super-regenerative powers, lifespan, magic prowess and can mind control people and body swap. Hardly a fiasco to become immortal imo

[Remmirath]

I do believe that the breach into the Golden City happened well after the elves began aging more quickly, but on the other hand, if we believe Corypheus than the Golden City was already black by the time the Magisters got there -- so whatever in fact turned it black (assuming it was ever not-black to begin with) could still have been connected.

It's an interesting theory, at least. I am hoping that we eventually find out more about both of those things.

[SomeoneStoleMyName]

I do believe that the breach into the Golden City happened well after the elves began aging more quickly, but on the other hand, if we believe Corypheus than the Golden City was already black by the time the Magisters got there -- so whatever in fact turned it black (assuming it was ever not-black to begin with) could still have been connected.

It's an interesting theory, at least. I am hoping that we eventually find out more about both of those things.

I forgot about that completely! And Cory had no reason to lie.

You heard it here first folks. If the elven immortality has a link to the golden/black city - Tis was I - SomeoneStoleMyName calling it first. 
Someone stole the elven immortality, turning the city black and causing the blight as a side effect. The blame was then pinned on the Magisters.

Will bump this thread when it is confirmed to take credit

[LightningPoodle]

I do believe that the breach into the Golden City happened well after the elves began aging more quickly, but on the other hand, if we believe Corypheus than the Golden City was already black by the time the Magisters got there -- so whatever in fact turned it black (assuming it was ever not-black to begin with) could still have been connected.

It's an interesting theory, at least. I am hoping that we eventually find out more about both of those things.

 

Is it possible that the Maker is just a goth?

[Bandit monkey]

In the world of Thedas volume 1 it says the elves first notice the quickening in the year -2850 Ancient. The Tevinter magisters turn the golden city black in -395 Ancient. If the quickening is related to the city being turned black before the magisters went there, that would mean it took almost 2500 years for the first blight to start. So the to events are probably not connected.

[Master Warder Z_]

The elves were never immortal; The quasi immortal state is a myth brought about by their practice of having dreamers sustain themselves off the fade.

 

Which did end after the elven empire fell so its understandable the belief sprang up over the centuries that the humans had ended their immortality, in truth all they did was prevent a handful of mages from achieving a veritable coma.

[Decepticon Leader Sully]

i had an epiphany once... Doctor gave me these tablets..  

[Master Warder Z_]

i had an epiphany once... Doctor gave me these tablets..  

 

Just like i used to be the Red God...then the rash went away...

[Decepticon Leader Sully]

Just like i used to be the Red God...then the rash went away...

Ahhh same here. still hurts to pee.

[Br3admax]

The elves were never immortal; The quasi immortal state is a myth brought about by their practice of having dreamers sustain themselves off the fade.
 
Which did end after the elven empire fell so its understandable the belief sprang up over the centuries that the humans had ended their immortality, in truth all they did was prevent a handful of mages from achieving a veritable coma.

Pretty much this. Elven immortality, like much of their history, is based more on myth than fact.

[Hellion Rex]

Ah ok So it really isnt possible these are connected with the time lines as they are?
 

Well not really a fiasco. Corypheus is still alive after all that time, and has retained his sanity. As darkspawn he has super-regenerative powers, lifespan, magic prowess and can mind control people and body swap. Hardly a fiasco to become immortal imo

I called it fiasco cause their pride damned them to a life as a twisted tainted being, also spreading the Blight to the mortal world. So to me, fiasco is putting it lightly lol.

[Kieran G.]

Eternal city home to the Creators was turned into a prison by Fen'Harel, soon after the Quickening began.

 

there may be a connection. but who knows.

 

 

also it never been confirmed but it seems pretty obvious to me that the eternal city within the fade is just the elven name for the Golden city.

 

 

Edit:Stating the quickening began soon after is a bit of a over exaggeration since the founding of Arlathans was around -7500 and we have no idea when Fen'Harel locked the Creator's and Old Gods away before -3500

[Meltemph]

I've always interpreted Fen'Harel as a spirit, that talked with the others that "merged" similarly to what they did with Wynn, who somehow removed the spirits from living with the elves, and giving them a prolonged existence. I also assumed that Arlathan is the golden city and that Tevinter went after the elves, that took their city to the fade. I also assume Tevinter was rebelling against the Elven masters, originally and then became "The king is dead, long live the king" and I think the Dwarves were the middle men in all of it. It's all a theory, but so far, imo the pieces line-up. Clearly I could be incredibly wrong, but so far it makes sense. 

[ArvinDulku]

Nope, them Elves were never immortal or that special culturally at all, I am almost sure of it.
 
Their gods and supposedly superior culture and class are simply the mad creations of a racist race hell bent on blaming humanity for their shortcomings and general stupidity which is continued by their modern day versions the Dalish.
 
Low on population and living like homeless vagabonds while beleiving in fairytales and STILL pretending to be better than humans?
 

 
...I am sorry, I just hate them and can't help myself.

 

I'll just leave now.

[LOLandStuff]

I say, the dreamer elves were running low on slave elves to prolong their lives or simply wanted something more than a bunch of skinny whinny little pansies and bumped into humans. So when they saw these hunky rugged men and voluptuous women, they thought:

"Dude, I could have those muscles and maybe grow a beard. And check out that rack and those long legs with a firm but on top. I'd totally blood magic for that."

They brought them to their homeland but things backfired and couldn't get squat from human sacrifices and instead shortened their lives. Not only that but they started losing their women to these good looking human men, and their males to human women because they got tired of planks.

So, the elite got pretty pissed, and kicked the humans out...

 

It all makes sense.

[DavoRaydn]

i have to admit when the Quickening was mentioned my first thought went here...

 

[Nerevar-as]

They brought them to their homeland but things backfired and couldn't get squat from human sacrifices and instead shortened their lives. Not only that but they started losing their women to these good looking human men, and their males to human women because they got tired of planks.
So, the elite got pretty pissed, and kicked the humans out...

It all makes sense.

That actually happened in The Witcher lore, turned out elven low birth rate was because the guys weren't very good in bed. Regular sex with a human fixed that. Sadly you can't tell them in the games.

On topic, after reading Masked Empire I have even more doubts elves were ageless as a default. Find it more likely their elites used magic to avoid ageing (sp?)... and the examples we've seen in the games so far involved Blood Magic.

[Eudaemonium]

My personal theory is that the elves were immortal and it's basically for the same reason the Darkspawn are immortal: i.e. the taint sustained them. Or more specifically whatever the taint was before it was the taint did.

 

I believe the Golden City was black long before Cory and his buddies arrived there, but the idea that it was golden previously is something I'd be willing to accept. (I prefer it just being a myth, though).

[Aimi]

I forgot about that completely! And Cory had no reason to lie.

I think that he had plenty of reason to lie. But even if he was not lying, he is an unreliable source without corroborating evidence.

First, the reason to lie. Based on facial expression, line delivery, and common sense, Corypheus seems to have viewed the fact that the City was "black" and "tainted" to have been a Bad Thing. If that's so, then it would be perfectly understandable for him to have self-deluded about agency. If Corypheus and the other magisters had found a City that was already tainted, then its tainting would not have been their fault. He could, psychologically, avoid responsibility for that action and its consequences. People do this all the time, from relatively innocuous things (the refs jobbed us! the fuel indicator was faulty!) to actual crimes.

More importantly, though, Corypheus is a problematic source. Importantly, he appears to have autopsy of the Tevinter expedition into the Fade. Autopsy - personal experience - is an important thing for any source to have. It's difficult to relate details about events for which somebody was not present. However, there is a whole raft of things that push the other way. Personal experience is necessarily constricted and skewed by perspective even when there is no active attempt to deceive. Memory is inexact, and the events in question took place literally Ages ago. (Corypheus' memory and perspective are particularly suspect because he appears to still consider himself a Tevinter magister rather than a darkspawn.) And finally, there is literally no corroboration for some of the things he says. As Sebastian points out (along with Codex sources etc.), Tevinter magisters had documented that the City was, in fact, golden. They certainly could all have been wrong somehow, but it would take more than a single extremely sketchy source to overturn Ages of historical orthodoxy.

There might be other ways to square the circle. Perhaps, say, Fen'Harel (or some other being) facilitated the expedition into the Fade and tainted the City itself shortly before the magisters got there, as a sort of vindictive or malevolent trap. But unfortunately, there is even less evidence for any such explanation than there is for Corypheus'.

[DarkKnightHolmes]

I'd say blood magic is the real key to immortality (or living very long) in thedas. It seems to work for Avernus and Zathrien.