It is kind of hard to stick up for yourself as a city elf considering it is likely going to end with you beaten badly, possible to death, and no guard takes your side in matters.
There's also the fact that the consequences of your actions may not be paid by you but by your family and the alienage as a whole... and by that, I mean burned to the ground in a purge.
Leave, you say? With what money, to where and what road not running the risk of bandits?
@Stop_Him Sera also disproves if you ally with the Templars
Sera's dislike of mages is steeped in who they are. Her dislike of templars is steeped in who they choose to be. A templar chooses to become a templar. Mages are born. Thus, Sera's distrust/dislike of mages is pretty much akin to an old white lady who distrusts black people because she's heard they steal.
Its complicated, as is so often the case in real life. For all her weirdness, she is very narrow-minded on certain subjects, which can lead to racism or something quite close to that. Apart from her dislike of "elfy" things, her prejudices against Tevinter (though hardly unusual) can be considered racism like in real life.
I think most telling of her nature there is her reaction whenever someone suggests to help her learn more about elves or magic: She always gets very defensive and angry, even afraid of becoming more "like them". While she seems to be able to accept Solas or Dorian (or an Elf and/or Mage Inquisitor) individually, she clings to her prejudices about these groups as a whole, which is frankly quite common for real life racists.
At least in my opinion, having some prejudice against certain groups based on your personal experience is quite understandable. But someone who refuses to even attempt to understand these groups better is irrefutably racist to me. Or otherwise bigoted depending on the group in question. And Sera, quite frankly, qualifies, as much as I try to like her and find justifications in her quirky nature.
Briala has spies everywhere in the Winter Palace, she also just happens to send the spy who knew about her past and something that could be used against her to an area that even we knew was going to be a vipers nest.
We don't actually know that it was Briala who sent her, you know. Florianne is also a possible candidate for who put the instructions in the dead drop- especially since there already insinuations that she was planting evidence and circumstances to set the major players (and the player personally) against each other.
I'd need to play again, but given that Florianne was tracing the Inquisitor's movements and predicting where they'd be just about when, it's possible that she set up the encounter (and revelation) to give the Inquisitor reason to distrust and oppose Briala.
We don't actually know that it was Briala who sent her, you know. Florianne is also a possible candidate for who put the instructions in the dead drop- especially since there already insinuations that she was planting evidence and circumstances to set the major players (and the player personally) against each other.
I'd need to play again, but given that Florianne was tracing the Inquisitor's movements and predicting where they'd be just about when, it's possible that she set up the encounter (and revelation) to give the Inquisitor reason to distrust and oppose Briala.
the servant doesn't think so
She comes off as a bit of an uncle tom or a self hating jew to me. I know some types like that.
I relate to Solas more. He doesn't like people assuming because he's elven (sort of) that he should help elves, or that anyone should do that sort of thing for that sort of reason. I can't stand when people do that kind of thing myself. Race is about as relevant as what I had for dinner last night. Though it's a bit different in this setting, as the races are actual races and not social constructs.
Anyway, like most things with Sera, she rubs me the wrong way. Can't say she's racist, but I do think she's intolerant to elfiness, which isn't necessarily the same thing. I think she's ashamed of her people's culture. Which in that light, I can somewhat relate to as well.
Guest_StreetMagic_*
I think she's ashamed of her people's culture. Which in that light, I can somewhat relate to as well.
She's also Andrastian. Even if only a casual one. It's not her people's culture when it comes down to it. There's no reason why she should care about Dalish, when she believes in an entirely different religion that worships a different god. And what she's been taught is that the Dalish deserved to get their ass kicked.
I think she isn't against elves but against the "we are poor elves" mindset some have. She wants to look towards the future not the past. Also she doesn't rope herself in with humans or anything else. She just considers herself a person.
And yet she disapproves of an elven inquisitor saying he'll lead the inquisition to show the world that elves can be people, whereas she approves of a dwarven or qunari or mage saying the exact same thing about their respective races/class.
She does consider herself a person, but she disapproves of all elven related dialogue no matter the context, if it involves elves, she disapproves.
Guest_StreetMagic_*
And yet she disapproves of an elven inquisitor saying he'll lead the inquisition to show the world that elves can be people, whereas she approves of a dwarven or qunari or mage saying the exact same thing about their respective races/class.
She does consider herself a person, but she disapproves of all elven related dialogue no matter the context, if it involves elves, she disapproves.
It's because that elven inquisitor is Dalish. Not just any elf.
It's because that elven inquisitor is Dalish. Not just any elf.
So a Dalish says he'll represent ALL elves gets disapproval, but a dwarven carta member or heck, even a dalish mage talking about representing mages gets approval? But if a dalish elf chooses to represent elves and not magic, she dislikes that?
What reason would Sera have to believe a Dalish Inquisitor even considers City Elves actual elves, when literally no one else believes they do?
Guest_StreetMagic_*
So a Dalish says he'll represent ALL elves gets disapproval, but a dwarven carta member or heck, even a dalish mage talking about representing mages gets approval? But if a dalish elf chooses to represent elves and not magic, she dislikes that?
It's probably because Dalish have a specific image in mind when it comes to elves.
If not, they're not very good Dalish 
Usually they're very particular.
What reason would Sera have to believe a Dalish Inquisitor even considers City Elves actual elves, when literally no one else believes they do?
city elves believe they are actual elves, and think the dalish are barbarians and they call any elf who leaves the alienage flat ear as well.
It's probably because Dalish have a specific image in mind when it comes to elves.
If not, they're not very good Dalish
So are the City Elves. 
city elves believe they are actual elves, and think the dalish are barbarians and they call any elf who leaves the alienage flat ear as well.
I mean the Dalish don't consider City Elves actual elves.
I mean the Dalish don't consider City Elves actual elves.
And City elves don't consider anyone who leaves the alienage to be actual elves either, and they consider the Dalish to be barbarians.
The perception isn't exactly a one-way street.
And City elves don't consider anyone who leaves the alienage to be actual elves either,
Considering the vast majority of them live there. I'm going to go ahead and call bs on this.
and they consider the Dalish to be barbarians.
Being a barbarian, which means you don't share my culture by the way, does not stop you from being an elf or a human.
The perception isn't exactly a one-way street.
It kind of is.
The point you are dodging is that the Dalish have a tendency to be exclusionary about who they do and do not consider to be elves far beyond the tendency of any other group. "Last of the true Elves" is a basic part of their ethos. So when a DALISH elf makes a statement about Elves, it is not unreasonable to be suspicious about just how they mean that for. This is a context that doesn't come into play as much with other races. So making such a distinction is not obviously racial. Its a shame that they didnt' have the time to put in different types from the various races cause then we would have a clear sense of the distinctions. Would Sera react the same way toa City elf, or a Tevinter slave elf? We don't know. Same goes with a Noble vs a commoner human etc. We only get one example of each race and that example represents only a partial subset of that race, so it is to easy to misinterpret misgivings about certain actions as being racial when it could simply be class or culture.
Guest_StreetMagic_*
Would Sera react the same way toa City elf, or a Tevinter slave elf?
I get the feeling she'd like Fenris..
Maybe poke fun at him, but probably like him. She has no love for Tevinter at least. She gives approval if you tell Fiona what a mistake that was.. only Vivienne is the other who does that.
Considering the vast majority of them live there. I'm going to go ahead and call bs on this.
Being a barbarian, which means you don't share my culture by the way, does not stop you from being an elf or a human.
It kind of is.
Codex: Alienage Culture
http://dragonage.wik...lienage_Culture
Particularly, the last paragraph of it.
Here, we're among family. We look out for each other. Here, we do what we can to remember the old ways. The flat-ears who have gone out there, they're stuck. They'll never be human, and they've gone and thrown away being elven, too. So where does that leave them? Nowhere.
city elves believe they are actual elves, and think the dalish are barbarians and they call any elf who leaves the alienage flat ear as well.
And City elves don't consider anyone who leaves the alienage to be actual elves either, and they consider the Dalish to be barbarians.
The perception isn't exactly a one-way street.
Sera hates pride and the Dalish are seen as a very proud-full branch of elven culture. She doesn't even relate to her own city elves in a way, she has alot of hang-ups also being raised by humans helped to shape her views on elves in general.
Codex: Alienage Culture
http://dragonage.wik...lienage_Culture
Particularly, the last paragraph of it.
Here, we're among family. We look out for each other. Here, we do what we can to remember the old ways. The flat-ears who have gone out there, they're stuck. They'll never be human, and they've gone and thrown away being elven, too. So where does that leave them? Nowhere.
That's a city elf. Not the City Elves as a group. And that's about them abandoning them, much like the Dalish themselves did. Might as well use Sera to represent the City Elves while you're at it.
That's a city elf. Not the City Elves as a group. And that's about them abandoning them, much like the Dalish themselves did. Might as well use Sera to represent the City Elves while you're at it.
That's a city elf hahren, one of their honored elders who act as unofficial leaders in the alienages.
If you wish to refute the word of one of their leaders, you'll need more to back it up than a hypothetical about an elf who isn't part of an alienage or the dalish.
Evidence, whether in the form of dialogue or another codex entry to counter the one I just gave. If you cannot offer anything, then the claim that city elves see elves who leave alienages as 'flat-ears' and no longer elven remains true.
Sera hates pride and the Dalish are seen as a very proud-full branch of elven culture. She doesn't even relate to her own city elves in a way, she has alot of hang-ups also being raised by humans helped to shape her views on elves in general.
Not disagreeing with this, but she does disapprove of everything elven related. Even my dwarf Inquisitor, when he tries to do things to help the elves she disapproves, or speaks in favor of elves she disapproves. But she approves of helping dwarves or qunari when made Inquisitor, and she approves of representing mages even though she's terrified of magic and wants nothing to do with it.
There's a bit of hypocrisy on her part in this regard, but that just makes her a more rounded character, with very real flaws that I can understand. I don't agree with her on a lot of things, but I actually like Sera and think she's fun to have around.
At the very least, it was fun pranking with her.
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