305 réponses à ce sujet

[CrimsonN7]

Does she identify as Andrastian? I didn't catch that with my conversations with her, although I do remember her saying that the Maker and the Creators can't both exist.

 

 

Yes she believes in Andraste and the Maker, she is a casual believer though.

[inko1nsiderate]

Briala manipulated servants at the expense of their safety in order to advance her political agenda. That's why Sera doesn't like her. Anything too big for it's britches generally scores negative points for her.

But... then there's Verichel, where she basically says 'they were getting hurt before' as an explanation on how her getting servants and low-level people hurt and killed is acceptable.   That explanation just doesn't fly for why Sera dislikes Briala.

[Battlebloodmage]

Sera is just broke. I wouldn't try to analyze it any deeper than that.

Bioware games often offer us really rich character and not just one dimensional. If she's just an elf but doesn't care about being an elf and just being people then fine. Her backstory has her grow up with humans while being raised to be resentful of being elf for a long period of time. She herself hasn't been discriminated for being elf like the rest of the other elves who have to live in the alienage. She's ignorant of their hardship. She's a human on the inside but elf on the outside. She often makes fun of other elf's heritage because her heritage is that of a human while the people who share her look doesn't share her heritage. That is why she wants for people to be people because otherwise, she wouldn't be able to categorize herself. I find her to be a lot deeper than some of the other companions in the game. 

[Former_Fiend]

But... then there's Verichel, where she basically says 'they were getting hurt before' as an explanation on how her getting servants and low-level people hurt and killed is acceptable.   That explanation just doesn't fly for why Sera dislikes Briala.

 

Yes it does. It just means she's also a hypocrite. 

[inko1nsiderate]

As to OP, I'm not sure she counts as racist.  She seems to be leaning towards a world in which 'people are people', which can lead to racist outcomes except that she is also obsessed with messing with people in power who do bad things.  If she was supporting or engaging in a system that treated people differently, then maybe you could make the case, but she is dismantling racist systems of power in Thedas in her own, idiosyncratic, way.  So I'm going to say not a racist.

She does, however, have some negative attitudes about Elven culture.  It is totally possible to be a Dalish elf, trying to preserve these ancient arts, culture, and stories without treating other cultures, stories, and art as something less deserving.  But she sees any attempt to paint like the old elves, talk like them, or tell their stories as negative essentially because they are a dead culture.  But at the same time: Andraste is a dead person who failed.  Tevinter didn't fall.  Andraste died.  That all happened hundreds of years ago.  Why are one set of ancient ideas and culture worth preserving and continuing to engage in, but another is to be mocked and derided?  I guess you can say the Maker is real, but the Maker existing doesn't prevent the stories of the Elven gods from being true too.  It's not like they are mutually exclusive in some fundamental way.  The stories of the ancient elven gods makes it clear that they are not all seeing and all knowing, so they aren't really incompatible with an omnipresent, omniscient, creator.  I think her negative attitudes to being elfy are culturally elitist, and kind of hard to justify using her own set of right and wrong, but I also don't think it makes her racist in this context.  And hey, being slightly hypocritical makes her character both believable and interesting IMO.

But sure, some of the Dalish are also similarly stuck up about their culture and their beliefs and their understanding of history has been shown to be incorrect.  I like to think of the Dalish culture as inspired from the old ways, but you have to admit it really represents a new set of culture for the elves.  But look at the breadth of attitudes among the Dalish you can find in Dragon Age: they are pretty varied.  The one thing that seems to be consistent among the Dalish is that each clan is different.  With each clan having effectively semi-unique culture, similar to the nations of Thedas with their large variations in culture.  Take the Mortalitassi, or the Rivani Shamans and compare them to Fereldan and Orlesian attitudes about spirits.  They cannot seem more different, can they?  Yet, for some reason Sera, and some people in these forums, have this rage against Dalish culture and attitudes despite the fact that Andrastian attitudes are not uniform about even fundamental issues like spirits, magic, and the Chantry.  Why would you expect a thinly spread nomadic peoples to have less variation in attitude than Andrastians?  Does Sera criticize people for being too Tevintery?  Too Nevarran?  Too Rivaini?  Not as far as I know.  So she does have a soft-spot for hating Elf culture, and she doesn't apply the reasoning behind it consistently across all of Thedas' cultures.  Once again, I think that makes her character interesting to me.

[inko1nsiderate]

Yes it does. It just means she's also a hypocrite. 

By not flying, I meant it isn't consistent within her own narrative.  That doesn't mean it isn't how she actually feels about the issues at hand, but it does make her a hypocrite.

[Battlebloodmage]

As to OP, I'm not sure she counts as racist.  She seems to be leaning towards a world in which 'people are people', which can lead to racist outcomes except that she is also obsessed with messing with people in power who do bad things.  If she was supporting or engaging in a system that treated people differently, then maybe you could make the case, but she is dismantling racist systems of power in Thedas in her own, idiosyncratic, way.  So I'm going to say not a racist.

She does, however, have some negative attitudes about Elven culture.  It is totally possible to be a Dalish elf, trying to preserve these ancient arts, culture, and stories without treating other cultures, stories, and art as something less deserving.  But she sees any attempt to paint like the old elves, talk like them, or tell their stories as negative essentially because they are a dead culture.  But at the same time: Andraste is a dead person who failed.  Tevinter didn't fall.  Andraste died.  That all happened hundreds of years ago.  Why are one set of ancient ideas and culture worth preserving and continuing to engage in, but another is to be mocked and derided?  I guess you can say the Maker is real, but the Maker existing doesn't prevent the stories of the Elven gods from being true too.  It's not like they are mutually exclusive in some fundamental way.  The stories of the ancient elven gods makes it clear that they are not all seeing and all knowing, so they aren't really incompatible with an omnipresent, omniscient, creator.  I think her negative attitudes to being elfy are culturally elitist, and kind of hard to justify using her own set of right and wrong, but I also don't think it makes her racist in this context.  And hey, being slightly hypocritical makes her character both believable and interesting IMO.

But sure, some of the Dalish are also similarly stuck up about their culture and their beliefs and their understanding of history has been shown to be incorrect.  I like to think of the Dalish culture as inspired from the old ways, but you have to admit it really represents a new set of culture for the elves.  But look at the breadth of attitudes among the Dalish you can find in Dragon Age: they are pretty varied.  The one thing that seems to be consistent among the Dalish is that each clan is different.  With each clan having effectively semi-unique culture, similar to the nations of Thedas with their large variations in culture.  Take the Mortalitassi, or the Rivani Shamans and compare them to Fereldan and Orlesian attitudes about spirits.  They cannot seem more different, can they?  Yet, for some reason Sera, and some people in these forums, have this rage against Dalish culture and attitudes despite the fact that Andrastian attitudes are not uniform about even fundamental issues like spirits, magic, and the Chantry.  Why would you expect a thinly spread nomadic peoples to have less variation in attitude than Andrastians?  Does Sera criticize people for being too Tevintery?  Too Nevarran?  Too Rivaini?  Not as far as I know.  So she does have a soft-spot for hating Elf culture, and she doesn't apply the reasoning behind it consistently across all of Thedas' cultures.  Once again, I think that makes her character interesting to me.

Except none of that explain why she only gives disapproval to elves only. You can be proud of being mages, dwarves, or anything and fight in their name, but she disapproves if you fight in the name of elves as already discussed.

[Former_Fiend]

By not flying, I meant it isn't consistent within her own narrative.  That doesn't mean it isn't how she actually feels about the issues at hand, but it does make her a hypocrite.

 

That was my point, yea.

[XxPrincess(x)ThreatxX]

Since she was raised by humans, id say its less about racism & more about her own self-loathing about being different as a elf, she see's people as just people & doesn't appreciate when people like Solas & the Dalish Inquisitor criticise her for not "acting enough like an elf". I thought her main dislike of Briala is the fact that she's happy to leave the servants to be hurt or killed if it serves her own political agenda

[inko1nsiderate]

Except none of that explain why she only gives disapproval to elves only. You can be proud of being mages, dwarves, or anything and fight in their name, but she disapproves if you fight in the name of elves as already discussed.

Mea culpa.

[Mr.House]

This aspect of her is why I do like her alot, it makes her much more complex and interesting, while being crazy(which is great)

[CreepingShadow]

Sera isn't racist or self hating, she's annoyed that people constantly ask why she isn't more "elfy", even though as the daughter of two human adoptive parents, she has no connection to the culture.

 

As for Briala. it goes with her whole mantra of hate the big guy who uses and steps on the little guy. Briala is one of the most powerful people in Orlais and although she claims to be for the elves, her hunger for power has corrupted her, and she isn't fazed that some "little people" have to die for her to achieve it.

[XxPrincess(x)ThreatxX]

No, she simply does not enjoy the whining that comes from certain segments of her own people.
 
Solas drops underhanded comments against humans every now and then.  Perhaps a case can be made for him.

Solas is funny, when talking about Briala he'll say he has no deep feelings for her or her cause just cos he happens to be an elf too & see's himself as a individual but he'll happily criticise Sera for not acting elfy enough

[rpgfan321]

I like to think she's just questioning everything and one point in her later life, she'll make up her mind. My Lavellan still accepts her despite all the "elfy" Sera objects to. 

[Sully13]

I see her like myself and how i view most modern Feminists.  

[Hornless Qunari/Human DPS]

Sera does not like politics at all. 

[tobynator89]

Solas frankly comes off as way more racist and pushy in their banter.

[Sully13]

Yup.

She just hates the self serving lot. 

[errantknight]

I suspect that Sera would hate my noble inquisitor is he wasn't the 'herald of Andraste'

[Sully13]

Shed probably hate him ragardlessdepends if he is a jerk or not.

[SpiritMuse]

What bugs me most about Sera is that according to her, nothing is ever her fault. She always comes up with excuses and justifications for why she was right and the other person was wrong. She seems utterly incapable of accepting that she might be wrong about anything.

[Hornless Qunari/Human DPS]

She blames nobles and kings and other high ranking people, she only sticks up for the underdogs.

[myahele]

If someone in real life acted the way Sera does, what would you consider it?