1602 réponses à ce sujet

[Elfyoth]

knife-ears

If your trying to spread hate then please leave.

[SolNebula]

I also am a huge elf fan especially in many other fantasy worlds. However I must admit that I was pretty disappointed with DA elves the first time I saw them in Origins..shocking would have been an understatement. It was fun as a City/Dalish in DAO to murder humans though.

 

DA:I reinforced the love with great characters such as Solas and the Ancient Elves. Those are the ones I grew to love and appreciate. I just know hope

Spoiler

that the Ancient Elves are going to play a big part in current Thedas affairs. Now that Solas absorbed Mythal I think he is going to lead the Ancient Elves in today world. Hopefully what was lost can be regained in part. Tbh I hope Solas will be the leader the People were awaiting for. To reunite the Elven into one nation would be a changing thing. We shall see.

[Elfyoth]

I also am a huge elf fan especially in many other fantasy worlds. However I must admit that I was pretty disappointed with DA elves the first time I saw them in Origins..shocking would have been an understatement. It was fun as a City/Dalish in DAO to murder humans though.

 

DA:I reinforced the love with great characters such as Solas and the Ancient Elves. Those are the ones I grew to love and appreciate. I just know hope

Spoiler

that the Ancient Elves are going to play a big part in current Thedas affairs. Now that Solas absorbed Mythal I think he is going to lead the Ancient Elves in today world. Hopefully what was lost can be regained in part. Tbh I hope Solas will be the leader the People were awaiting for. To reunite the Elven into one nation would be a changing thing. We shall see.

Really? I actually like the DAO Dalish more, why? Cuz there wasent a stupid "3 mages per clan rule" and in DAI it is said that if there are more than three they are being cast out or killed. In DAO it was never like that. However I just say that Lavellan clan don't have this stupid rule .

 

Spoiler

I agree that the Ancient elves are going to play a big role. Also, the next game will be set in the north, there is a big chance in Tevinter, now what is in Tevinter? Arlathan Forest ofc..

 

 

Oh and welcome to this thread! 

[Assassino01]

I also am a huge elf fan especially in many other fantasy worlds. However I must admit that I was pretty disappointed with DA elves the first time I saw them in Origins..shocking would have been an understatement. It was fun as a City/Dalish in DAO to murder humans though.

 

 

I actually like the DA take on the elves a lot. They aren't quite as superior as they always are in other stories. The elves in Thedas are fallible just like all other races, and the challenge they face is real and tragic.

But I agree, killing humans as a Dalish is massively fun.

 

I wonder if there will be discord between the Dalish clans when Solas reveals himself, as I am sure he will. I wonder if some might support him in the hope of lost glory, while others might fight him and those that follow him since he is the dread wolf, and also because he would destroy their way of life.

[BronzTrooper]

knife-ears

 

Shem 

[dragonflight288]

I'm a dragenlin, or however it's spelled. 

[BronzTrooper]

I'm a dragenlin, or however it's spelled. 

 

Why not a drake?  Or a high dragon?  

[Master Warder Z_]

I'm a dragenlin, or however it's spelled.

I'll be sure to tell the Reavers that.

[TEWR]

I'm a dragenlin, or however it's spelled. 

 

Durgen'len.

[Master Warder Z_]

Durgen'len.

I always found that mildly racist attitude of the elves annoying.

Quick children, Stone children, Bleh.

Like you need to be emaciated beggar with pointy ears to be a adult.

[Lady Artifice]

It's also discussed that there is so much misrepresentation, and since most city elves are Andrastian, that many see the Dalish as savages because they never been in contact with one.

 

Then you have the elves who bowed to Merethari as she walked in to the alienage. 

 

While a cool scene, I felt it was also kind of lore-breaking with what we had. 

 

That scene baffled and frustrated me at the time. I felt like it was too out of place for me to enjoy it. 

 

 

To be fair, when you've never met one or lived the life yourself, all you have to go off are very biased rumors and hearsay. From a distance, it's all too easy to demonize or romanticize a people. My guess is the more dissatisfied a city elf is with their lot, the more likely they are to see the Dalish as a greater alternative.

 

About whether or not the city elves' acceptance of the Dalish is a retcon, I think, like anything else, city elf opinion of the Dalish depends on which city elf you ask. While many see the Dalish as heathens and savages, others doubt they exist (Soris), some think of them as "happy elves who live in the woods" (like the City Elf Warden's father), others see them as a novelty (like a city elf couple who encounter Velanna in DAA, who're like, "Wow! Honey, come look! A real Dalish!" "What's she doing here, I wonder?"), some see them as "true elves" who would embrace them as lost brothers/sisters and teach them the ancient/forgotten ways, et cetera et cetera.

 

It could also depend on the alienage. The Vhenadal Codex reveals that different alienages take different levels of care with their tree. Some are more devoted to tradition, some have let it decay, others have chopped up the trees that symbolize their heritage for firewood. No great loss. We see that the Kirkwall Alienage just happened to house elves who felt very devoted to their heritage and tradition (they all took great care of their Vhenadahl, and took turns decorating it each day), so it makes sense that they would bow to Marethari when she arrived. (A beautiful moment, if I say so myself.) Other alienages, like the Denerim Alienage? Probably not as likely.

 

 

...This is an excellent explanation. 

 

Though sometimes it seems like the catch all hand wave for inconsistencies within the lore is, "it varies immensely in universe." The Elves and the the Circle system get the worst of it. 

[Elfyoth]

I always found that mildly racist attitude of the elves annoying.

Quick children, Stone children, Bleh.

Like you need to be emaciated beggar with pointy ears to be a adult.

I dont like it too, but you didint mention how other pepole call elves, how the Dwarves and Humans call them "Rabbit" "Knife Ear" its a cycle of hate lol.

[Master Warder Z_]

I dont like it too, but you didint mention how other pepole call elves, how the Dwarves and Humans call them "Rabbit" "Knife Ear" its a cycle of hate lol.

Well when some elf calls a human a child sixteen hundred years ago, what do you expect?

It's like the Indians and Tibetans all over again.

Someone killed someone else's goat and you have resentment forever.

[Assassino01]

I don't mind that the elves call humans and dwarves "children". The word "child" doesn't seem to carry any negative meaning for the Dalish, after all you're called "Da'len", by the keeper all the time and not as an offense. It's the spirit in which the word is uttered that gives it positive or negative meaning. The same way I might say "Swede" either as an insult or praise depending on context. 

 

Also, Durgen'Len means "child of the stone" which just means someone who comes from the stone, which the Dwarves claim they do. So hardly offensive at all. "Quick children" I guess can be taken as negative. But considering the elves were immortal when they came up with the word and it makes sense. 

[Eliastion]

I always found that mildly racist attitude of the elves annoying.

Quick children, Stone children, Bleh.

Like you need to be emaciated beggar with pointy ears to be a adult.

As for dwarves, I don't think that's racist, really. Isn't "children of the Stone" pretty much what they consider themselves to be?
With humans that's much more condescending - it refers to their trait of being short-lived (now making no sense anymore, but oh well) and likely always in a hurry (if ancient dwarves were anything like the modern ones, they were likely much "slower" with their lives even if lifespan was tragically short by elven standards)...
I'm not saying elves weren't somewhat condescending towards dwarves too, just that the name itself doesn't really seem to carry any negative connotations.

[Eliastion]

I can't help but wonder what it is that the Dalish actually hunt, since they keep halla but only as a hooved, automated Tomtom for their aravels.

Yet they do use their horns for artistic and ritual purposes, while also considering hunting halla a great transgression. It wouldn't be that strange (and actually would make sense for nomadic culture dependent on this animal) for them to actually use what they can. Halla milk could be sacred and used as base for some Dalish healing potions, their skin used only for very special things (ceremonial attire), their flesh could be holy, preserved with magic and eaten as element of religious rituals...
After all, it does make sense for Dalish to consider their duty to kill a halla that's not able to run anymore. Especially when you consider the tale of Falon'Din - killing a sick or old Halla would mean releasing it from the suffering and letting it run free and strong once more.
Halla being used as much more than just a beast of burden isn't confirmed but seems possible.

[BronzTrooper]

Honestly, I think that the elvish terms have just as much to do with the nature of the dwarves and humans as it does with their origins.

 

Durgen'len = Children of the Stone, can be taken in the literal term (as many dwarves claim), but it can also refer to their rigidity and resilience, the former of which can be a positive or a negative depending on the context.  Perhaps it is simply due to their origins, perhaps it's simply due to their nature, or, perhaps, it's due to a combination of the 2.  I'm inclined to think it is the latter.

 

Shem'len = Quick Children, can be taken as a positive or a negative depending on the context.  While the obvious origin for the term is due to humanity's relatively short life-span at the time of contact with the elves or Arlathan, it could also have to do with humanity's seemingly rushed nature.  By comparison to the ancient elves, humans seemed to rush to action without thinking, as opposed to the elves who likely tried not to rush due to the fact that they were essentially immortal and had little reason to rush to action.  There may have been some condescension in the term due to them seeing humans as being lower than them (unsurprising, due to the fact that many of them were simply warring tribes instead of, at the very least, sovereign city-states), but the term 'knife-ear' carries the same condescension, as do the terms 'rabbit', 'savage', 'oxman' (qunari), etc. which are usually used by humans to make the other races seem less like actual people, which is unsurprising to see in a race/civilization that is essentially on top.

 

Still, as it has been stated, it all depends on the context.  Modern day terms like Swede, Brit, Scot, etc. can be used as either identifying terms (i.e.: identifying someone's nation of origin), or as offensive terms depending on the tone and context in which it is said.  Words like the N-word and knife-ear carry an inherent negative tone, though they can mean something else if used in a different context (more-so the N-word, though I could see BW potentially trying something similar with knife-ear).

 

Terms like shem'len and durgen'len are no more different than Swede, Brit, etc.  Shem would be closer to offensive than shem'len due to the context it is usually used in.

[Addai]

Warder justifies the chevaliers' initiation ritual because it's cleaning up trespassers. I wouldn't take his concerns about "elven racism" seriously.

[Master Warder Z_]

Criminals actually, use the terms correctly if you intend to cite me.

And considering that the Alienage in the capital has been under martial law for decades it should come as very little surprise to anyone at all.

Point being; violation of the law of the empire has consequence and well known consequence in this regard.

It's the choice of the individual to violate it.

[Drasanil]

Warder justifies the chevaliers' initiation ritual because it's cleaning up trespassers. I wouldn't take his concerns about "elven racism" seriously.

 

Well, to be fair, after 500+ years of that "ritual" elves who break curfew are pretty much asking for a Darwin Award or likely out to cause trouble.

[Master Warder Z_]

Basically.

[RobRam10]

“I am Tevinter first and a servant of the Minrathous Circle second, those are the things that matter.”

She's the perfect elf

[Master Warder Z_]

I do admit I find that dedication compelling.

Especially for a elf.

[Assassino01]

Shame she is also a filthy slaver though. Kind of taints her image a bit.

[The Hierophant]

“I am Tevinter first and a servant of the Minrathous Circle second, those are the things that matter.”

She's the perfect elf