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[YourFunnyUncle]

What's the difference between this place and the elven support thread?

As far as I can tell, and maybe I misunderstood, this is a place for people who prefer to play as elves. not a pro-elf thread in terms of Theodosian politics.

[Qun00]

As far as I can tell, and maybe I misunderstood, this is a place for people who prefer to play as elves. not a pro-elf thread in terms of Theodosian politics.

Still seems weird to split them like that.

For instance, the dwarf support thread is pretty much for everything related to dwarves whether you want to discuss the race or playing one.

[raging_monkey]

It helps sort the wildcard bsners out from the lax it's complicated

[Vit246]

Still seems weird to split them like that.

 

*shrug* They always seem to keep getting trolled by anti-elves and so people get discouraged.

[Roamingmachine]

Enna Lavellan, "The Emerald Crusader"

 

Spoiler

 

The eldest descendant of an Emerald Knight who died in the defence of the Dales, it fell on her to uphold the vows of her ancestors: To defend the People and the faith of the Creators from all enemies. She married soon after earning her Vallaslin at the age of 16 and has two grown up children from that union. Sadly her husband died in a skirmish with with a human lords troops when after 11 years of marriage. That was 17 years ago. When news of the conclave reached the clan, Enna convinced the Keeper that it should be her duty go and asses its impact on the clan. 

Her generally friendly and patient personality and sense of duty of making the world safer for the People saw her through as she transformed what was initially a chantry offshoot, therefore technically her enemy, in to an independent force for good. Some took her friendly face and mannerism as a sign of naivete and weakness but they were horribly mistaken as behind her golden eyes lurks a soul of cold, hard steel forged in the fires of life. With carefully thought-out choices she crushed the Templars and made sure their very memory was spat on while at the same time dividing and disarming the chantry with her freeing of the mages after their period of conscription and pulling all the strings she could to place Leliana on the Sunburst throne all the while making life that much safer for everyone in southern Thedas as her forces brought order to chaos..  With a friendly smile on her face she watched Empress Celene recieve justice for the elves she murdered from the tip of her sisters dagger after having formed an alliance with Briala for the greater good of both elven peoples.

While her own people were always foremost on her mind, she had never harbored a hatred for humans in general or any othe people as a whole. She made true friends among the members of the Inquisition,  counting Cassandra among her closest friends now in a way only two warriors who have dedicated their lives to their duties can, and even finding love again with the beautiful and graceful Josephine. Though she misses her clan, she knows that the only way she can uphold her oaths, her duty to Mythal whose service she willingly entered and to make the world safer for her children and Josephine is to remain the Inquisitor.

[LOLandStuff]

What's the difference between this place and the elven support thread?

 

This place is actually fun.

[Ieldra]

From the writings of Lilaeya Lavellan, mage and Inquisitor:

 

"What worth in habits and customs? Do I not want to preserve my people's ways? Are they my people still? After everything I've seen, the answers to those questions elude me more and more. I have destroyed the templars, led Orlais and the Chantry into instability while expanding my own power at their expense, but where do I want to go, in a world where everything I once held dear has proven to be based on lies, or the result of the inevitable distortions of history? I have seen the truth of the gods, and while I am unsure if they deserve my respect, they have certainly proven to not deserve my worship. All the "truths" I learned as I grew up have collapsed, and I have no one and nothing to give me guidance but my own conscience. As I am discovering, this is the most difficult guidance of all, since all I know - and as I came to discover, all that anyone can know - is preliminary, and there are no certainties to be found."

 

"I will not go Corypheus' way, not give in to the desire to establish new certainties where there are none. He discovered that the throne of the gods was empty, and of all things he ever said, I believe he spoke the truth in that, though I rejected that claim passionately at the time when I met him for the first time. I will not go back to my clan, even though I love them still, because their ways are too limited for the perspective I now have to adopt. I will not adopt the Chantry's way, since its truth is anathema to that perspective."

 

"One day I overheard one of my soldiers say that the Inquisitor will create a new empire. And another day, Cassandra, who, against all expectations, has become a close friend, said that the world needs the truth this time, no more legends lost to the ages. I will, then, endeavour to bring enlightenment, in an empire where many cultures are welcome to share what they have with others, and to let people make up their minds about how they want to live and whose guidance they want to accept. I will not allow anyone's false certainties to rule over others, and I will encourage scholarship. Maybe in time more facets of our world's history will reveal themselves, and more knowledge on which to base future decisions. At this point, I do not know. I only know this: in a world where nothing is certain, we ought to be careful about what we destroy. As pitiful as my people's attempts to preserve the knowledge of the past may appear now, they did a necessary thing. I would not be bound by the past as they would, but how will one ever avoid its mistakes if one does not know it? I look at the place between the worlds and see something that does not need to be lost. For every people, every person, what they know about the past and what they aspire to for the future creates the present. I will want to make my decisions seeing as much as I can, for I have no more guidance than what I can know, preliminary as it may be." 

[Serelir]

I love everyone's stories! So many different ways to view one's origins and the state of Thedas.

 

Some clarification: Arlathvhen is a place for elves to discuss themselves and their people. I'm sure the moderators can merge threads if they feel it necessary. However, it is pleasant to have a place for civil discussion within our own community rather than constantly having to defend ourselves to non-elves or those whose only interest is in arguing and not in listening. There are many points of view even among elves, and we've all managed to be kind to each other so far.

 

I wrote a little bit of backstory on my two characters:

 

Serelír

Spoiler

 

Serelír is the daughter of Keeper Deshanna Istimaethoriel Lavellan’s brother, Durvelas. Serelír’s mother disappeared shortly after a traveling merchant visited the clan and has not been seen since. Luckily, Deshanna took Serelír and her brother Elgarvelas under her wing and raised them with her own child, Mi’fen’an. Serelír’s father was a little eccentric: he was absorbed by his study of mechanics, taking things apart and putting them back together in new configurations, and would often get so distracted that he would forget to feed or bathe his children. Elgarvelas inherited his father’s studious nature and decided to leave the clan and join a circle to further his research. When the Circles were broken, Serelír lost touch with her brother. She hopes that he still lives. It seems most likely that he took service with an Arl or Bann, as his work on the military applications of magical apparati was in great demand.

 

Serelír was a dreamy, sensitive child and very tender-hearted. She was always bringing home injured animals and birds and asking the Halla keeper to mend them. She could watch a line of ants for hours and became the clan’s beekeeper. Wicked little boys used to tease Serelír by stomping on insects. One day, she burned all the hair off their heads in a fit of pique, and Deshanna knew it was time for Serelír to learn to control her mage powers. Serelír’s curiosity about the world outside the forest knew no bounds, and Deshanna reluctantly decided to send her to the conclave. Deshanna worried about Serelír’s ability to survive the cruelties of the world, but acknowledged that, given her family history, she was unlikely to spend the rest of her life in the forest.

 

As we know, the conclave ended in disaster, the one bright spot being Serelír’s survival. Serelír was taken aback by all the attention thrust upon her. A quiet, introverted person, she was dismayed at all the talk about the “Herald of Andraste,” and proclaimed her disbelief in the so-called “Maker” at every opportunity, to no avail.

 

Mi'fen'an

Spoiler

 

Mi’fen’an, Serelír’s cousin, was more practical in nature. She took up the bow at an early age and became the clan’s foremost hunter and defender. She was completely at home in the forest and expected to spend the rest of her life there among her family. The girls were close, and when Serelír left for the conclave, Mi’fen’an, worried for Serelír’s safety, determined to follow her against Deshanna’s orders. When the rift opened, both Serelír and Mi’fen’an were transported into the Fade. However, each found herself in a separate instance, and when they re-emerged into the physical world, they had been separated into two different realities*. All the places and people were the same, though subsequent events differed slightly.

 

*See G. Anacria’s Theories of the Fade: A Concise Compendium, Vol. XXVI, Obidon Publishing, 9:22 Dragon.

[EmperorSahlertz]

Still seems weird to split them like that.

For instance, the dwarf support thread is pretty much for everything related to dwarves whether you want to discuss the race or playing one.

Hardly. The dwarf thread is 90% people showing off their "hot" new dwarf character or fan art..

[Sable Rhapsody]

As we know, the conclave ended in disaster, the one bright spot being Serelír’s survival. Serelír was taken aback by all the attention thrust upon her. A quiet, introverted person, she was dismayed at all the talk about the “Herald of Andraste,” and proclaimed her disbelief in the so-called “Maker” at every opportunity, to no avail.

 

Your Lavellan and mine can bond over how weird and uncomfortable it is to be the Herald of Andraste.

 

For mine, it's not even so much the religion that bothers her.  It's the expectation.  The awful weight of all these people who believe you're somehow divinely chosen, and how impossible it is to live up to that legend. They could have called her the Herald of June or Mythal or whatever, and it would still drive her nuts.

[phyreblade74]

All right.  But only because you ASKED, hehe.

 

First off, I didn't really "identify" with the elves of Dragon Age until Inquisition.  My Warden was a Cousland rogue, very diplomatic character even.  She was focused on doing what was best and right for Fereldan firstly, and her interactions with the Dalish were as friendly as those with the Dwarves.  Meaning, she found them strangely alien but nowhere near inferior.  She did respect them, I mean.  As for my Hawke in DA2, he has strong appreciation for elves and their inherent strengths and capabilities.  But he identifies even more strongly with city elves than with the Dalish and would fight like mad for the freedom of Tevinter elves before anything else.  Thank Fenris for that, shrug.

 

Still it was Inquisition that really nabbed my attention when it came to Elven lore and history.  I won't lie -- Solas is a huge reason for my new-found fascination.  But I seriously planned my first Inquisitor being an elf even before getting to know Solas, too.  I just wanted my Inquisitor to be someone new and different, mind you.  Someone not human, rather.  Still, I was caught by surprise how much I really loved my Lavellan.  And then there was Dorian, too.  Call me completely mad, but Dorian stole my heart and so my canon Lavellan is totally his, shrug.  To me, the story with a guy Lavellan just works. From start to finish, I loved it completely.

 

So there's Maik'hel Lavellan, for me. 

 

 

He's definitely a mage, raised to be a Keeper he has a strong as heck affinity for leadership and diplomacy, but he uses humor far more than my Warden ever did.  Very very smart, he would make it a point to read anything and everything he could get his greedy little hands on growing up, and the library at Skyhold remains one of his favorite places ever.  He never confined his consideration to elven lore and history, he was endlessly curious about anything, everything, and he was highly attracted to humans and their strength and determination.  He's empathic to an extreme, definitely hard to "trick" and he uses the easy underestimation people make of him as an elf to his own advantage.  He tends to spirit and cold magic and eventually learns Rift magic under Solas' tutelage and guidance.  When asked, those who worked with him in the Inquisition said of him, "He's sharp, curious, and hard to fool, funny and friendly to those he cared for, and protective of those who follow him."

Spoiler

 

 

 

He had an uneasy relationship with his parents, although he tried pleasing them.  Sometimes to his own personal detriment, even.  He chose Sylaise when the Keeper made his vallaslin, even asked it it to be strong and heady across the whole of his face.  To please his mother, mind you.  While he still strongly identifies with Sylaise, he will tell you he shouldn't have chosen the marks for that particular reason.  "Choose your vallaslin to honor the gods, to show them your respect.  Not any other person."  His parents, though, pressed him to marry and have children of his own, so much so he finally dug in his heels and outright refused to EVER have a wife and children.  Broke his mother's heart and gravely angered his father, to the point he felt farther and farther apart from the clan as a whole until he finally insisted he attend the Conclave personally.

Spoiler

 

 

Part of his issues included a violent assault that he survived years earlier, when he was only just 18, too.  During a Clan gathering, he was caught by the Dalish of another clan with a human man from one of the nearby villages.  They killed the human outright, but determined to lob off Maik'hel's ears.  "To make him more human," they taunted.  He jerked at the last possible second, panicked, and ended up with terrible facial injuries.  His own clan saved him from further injury, and tried to help him overcome the shock and trauma as the years passed.  But he remained scarred by the event, both physically and emotionally.  As an adult, he has a phobia about his ears and anyone who tries coming at him with a blade.  Dorian made it a point to stroke the tips of his ears after particularly violent combat scenes, to soothe his angst and his fears.  He also refuses to expose Dorian to the Dalish, for fear of losing him, and then loses his clan to Wycomb's treachery.  Only Dorian manages to pull him back from the grief of that event, and he begs the man to never leave him so alone as he feels right then.

Spoiler

 

 

Only his sister, Falin, who was training to replace him as Keeper's First, managed to survive the clan's destruction.  And the two children she guided to safety as the humans attacked, of course.  She made her way to Skyhold to join Maik'hel, and he eventually adopts the two little boys she saved.  For Maik'hel, Skyhold becomes the only home he knows and the Inquisition is all that's left of his clan.  He's fiercely loyal to them all.  He remains a faithful believer, even after all is said and done.  Although he questions what the actual nature of the gods are, all of them.  And he ponders the chance the Maker is greater and above all of them, the elven pantheon and Andraste, both.  He focuses on doing right by those he cares for, and guiding the lot of them to making the world better.  Whatever that is, shrug.

 

 

And to me personally ... he looks unique and incredible a character, far from human which is what I wanted going into Inquisition.  I find him appealing, in his features, yes.  But also how he's shaped so lean and wiry, so different from the other races.  He's willowy, whipcord strong and it's attractive as heck, to me.

[raging_monkey]

Epic

[Sable Rhapsody]

He had an uneasy relationship with his parents, although he tried pleasing them.  Sometimes to his own personal detriment, even.  He chose Sylaise when the Keeper made his vallaslin, even asked it it to be strong and heady across the whole of his face.  To please his mother, mind you.  While he still strongly identifies with Sylaise, he will tell you he shouldn't have chosen the marks for that particular reason.  "Choose your vallaslin to honor the gods, to show them your respect.  Not any other person."  His parents, though, pressed him to marry and have children of his own, so much so he finally dug in his heels and outright refused to EVER have a wife and children.  Broke his mother's heart and gravely angered his father, to the point he felt farther and farther apart from the clan as a whole until he finally insisted he attend the Conclave personally.

 

No wonder why he and Dorian bonded so closely.  "You have to fight for what's in your heart" and all that.  I played Dorian's romance with Adaar, but I like your take on it with Lavellan.  It's less about the elf thing, and more about both of them being outcasts from their home cultures.

 

(Off-topic aside: Dorian is the best.  Friendship, romance, doesn't matter.  I love that mage.)

[Vorathrad]

Your Lavellan and mine can bond over how weird and uncomfortable it is to be the Herald of Andraste.
 
For mine, it's not even so much the religion that bothers her.  It's the expectation.  The awful weight of all these people who believe you're somehow divinely chosen, and how impossible it is to live up to that legend. They could have called her the Herald of June or Mythal or whatever, and it would still drive her nuts.

Same for both my Lavellans; with my canon one, Ahyoka, I got the dialogue option in the final confrontation with Corypheus to answer "I don't believe in any gods" or something like that. It felt so good, like "All of you crazy divinities can go f*ck yourselves and leave me alone, I've had more than enough with this huge responsibility you thrust on my shoulders". On top of mending the problems of all Thedas she felt the immense pressure of being considered as a representative of some deity that was very important to many people but she couldn't care less. It was overwhelming.

[phyreblade74]

No wonder why he and Dorian bonded so closely.  "You have to fight for what's in your heart" and all that.  I played Dorian's romance with Adaar, but I like your take on it with Lavellan.  It's less about the elf thing, and more about both of them being outcasts from their home cultures.

 

(Off-topic aside: Dorian is the best.  Friendship, romance, doesn't matter.  I love that mage.)

 

They struggled with feeling they didn't "belong" or that they were alone.  For Dorian, Maik'hel offered him the truest essence of family he'd ever known.  But he gave Maik'hel something just as real, too.  Friendship and understanding firstly.  And ultimately they belonged to each other.

[Serelir]

Ooh, I love Maik'hel's story, Phyre! The pictures go perfectly. Wonderful details about where he got his scars. I just made my first maleQuisitor and am thinking about his story - funny how you can make an character and expect them to be a certain way, then find that they take on a life of their own.

 

@Vorathrad and Sable - Serelír still believes in the Dalish gods, though her faith has been shaken by events. She is beginning to see that there are many truths, and this has helped her to take a more charitable view of humans as well. She's had many long talks with Varric about Andraste and the Maker and appreciates his views on his personal faith, as opposed to those who insist that anyone who doesn't believe as they do must be wrong.

 

Mi'fen'an, on the other hand, has been skeptical of the gods of her clan, though she respects her elders and has kept silent except with her close friends. The knowledge she gains on her adventures may turn out to be more devastating to her than to Serelír, as the clan is all she's known of the world until she was suddenly thrust into the spotlight.

[teh DRUMPf!!]

 In a nutshell, my canon story goes: Mahariel and Velanna have a child, who is taken in by clan Lavellan, and he becomes the eventual Inquisitor (I just mentally stretch out the timeline a bit to make it work).

[Sable Rhapsody]

Same for both my Lavellans; with my canon one, Ahyoka, I got the dialogue option in the final confrontation with Corypheus to answer "I don't believe in any gods" or something like that. It felt so good, like "All of you crazy divinities can go f*ck yourselves and leave me alone, I've had more than enough with this huge responsibility you thrust on my shoulders".

 

I loved that line.  Between the Herald malarkey and finding out uncomfortable truths about the elvhen pantheon and Corypheus, it felt so good to just say "F*** that."  

 

 

@Vorathrad and Sable - Serelír still believes in the Dalish gods, though her faith has been shaken by events. She is beginning to see that there are many truths, and this has helped her to take a more charitable view of humans as well. She's had many long talks with Varric about Andraste and the Maker and appreciates his views on his personal faith, as opposed to those who insist that anyone who doesn't believe as they do must be wrong.

 

IMO, DA:I in general did a very good job of addressing issues of faith and belief.  I love the conversations you can have with Varric, Cass, and Dorian in particular.  And while my Lavellan doesn't personally believe in much of anything by the end, I think she comes around to the idea of faith.  Cassandra is a great example of someone whose faith is a source of strength, humility, and compassion, and I think she did a lot to redeem the idea of the Chantry in my Lavellan's eyes.

[phyreblade74]

Ooh, I love Maik'hel's story, Phyre! The pictures go perfectly. Wonderful details about where he got his scars. I just made my first maleQuisitor and am thinking about his story - funny how you can make an character and expect them to be a certain way, then find that they take on a life of their own.

 

*snip*

 

I honestly imagined my canon Inquisitor would be female, actually.  Maik'hel caught me completely by surprise.  I loved his story, and the more I played with the character the more real and true to the story he grew.  Yea, it's funny how that happens, hehe.  I will say, I was surprised that his own faith only grew stronger through the course of the story.  You'd think the more people tell him, "The Dalish got it so wrong," that he would lose whatever faith he had when he was growing up.

 

But it's rather, that he gained an appreciation there was "something" to all of it.  He wasn't terribly certain what they were, those long-ago gods. Not anymore.  But he is certain they were REAL and they remain fairly interested in what is happening.  A young Dalish doesn't stand in front of Mythal herself, argue with her, and walk away without his belief being strongly effected somehow.  For Maik'hel, it was hearing Mythal tell him, "So young and vibrant.  You do the people proud and have come far."  He loves his people, all of them, feels the elves are fractured, lost, that something broke them into pieces and they need to be put back together.

 

What he learns of faith, is how precious important it is to believe and to keep on striving, to never give up or give in.  Just to make the world better, greater.  That every myth and tale has something of truth to it, that no one has some sort of monopoly on faith, and that believing in something doesn't make you greater or lesser a person.  It only makes you stronger.

 

[Vorathrad]

IMO, DA:I in general did a very good job of addressing issues of faith and belief.  I love the conversations you can have with Varric, Cass, and Dorian in particular.  And while my Lavellan doesn't personally believe in much of anything by the end, I think she comes around to the idea of faith.  Cassandra is a great example of someone whose faith is a source of strength, humility, and compassion, and I think she did a lot to redeem the idea of the Chantry in my Lavellan's eyes.

 

I agree; I'd say the main theme in Inquisition is faith, losing it or keeping it in the face of a huge crisis or big reveals that can shake your beliefs. I do think they did a very good job portraying different options through the different NPCs, and also they gave the player full control over their PCs faith: you can start being a devout believer of either Andraste or the elven gods, and along the way your faith may be born, grow stronger, disappear, or stay as it was. Of my two Lavellans, the "canon" one as I said ended up believing in nothing; the other one, Gwynn, ended up much lile Serelir's: with her faith shaking but it's still standing, though replaced in importance by her concern for the material situation of elves in Thedas.

 

@phyreblade I also experienced with Gwynn what happened to you with Maik'hel. She started as simply my "alternate" playthrough (I usually make my second pt the one were I made the opposite choices to the first one) and to try Solas romance, but the more I played her the more alive her story came. She is not my canon one because I couldn't roleplay her decisions and the world state properly.

[Sable Rhapsody]

I agree; I'd say the main theme in Inquisition is faith, losing it or keeping it in the face of a huge crisis or big reveals that can shake your beliefs. I do think they did a very good job portraying different options through the different NPCs, and also they gave the player full control over their PCs faith: you can start being a devout believer of either Andraste or the elven gods, and along the way your faith may be born, grow stronger, disappear, or stay as it was. 

 

I was a little worried about that when they first started showing dialogue, and the Herald of Andraste stuff came up.  Faith is very personal for people IRL, and I was worried the roleplaying wouldn't support as many viewpoints as it did.  Obviously it can't represent every perspective, but for me it represented a reasonably broad range and complexity.  Haven't seen that in a video game before, so I thought it was really cool that BioWare went there.  Makes up for the occasional "DERP MYTHAL" dialogue option that Lavellan gets 

[Lady Artifice]

So here's Ninaeve, my Tempest. 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

My headcanon: She was typically the one clan Lavellan would rely on to play emissary when it came to trading with the humans. She's naturally gregarious and practical, both warm and grounded. Her taste for adventure, however, leans toward the daredevilry. She knew Tempest was the thing for her as soon as it was described. In combat, she's all about the blades, always moving, always adjusting to the occasion. The irony is, her bow means a lot more to her. She hunts with it, and she hunts alone. It's the one thing she kept entirely for herself, in a life that meant sharing everything with the clan. Her time in the forest is hers. 

 

So, once or twice during that play through, I had her go to the emerald graves and hunt alone, stealthing past the stuff she couldn't or didn't want to handle and silently taking down what she could. 

 

Or I would pretend she was silently picking off the wolves and bears. Combat doesn't really let me snipe in this game like I would like, but I just pretended. It was a little ritual. I did it every time there seemed to be a moment in the game where she would need to work out tension and frustration.

 

I'm really glad that she was the character I used for JoH first. 

 

Spoiler

 

It was perfect that she was able to meet Ameridan, whose memories helped her refine her own ideas about the Creators vs the Maker, and her wish to allow room for both in the lives of the people who follow her. I just wish I'd been able to have her say something like that, maybe to Sera, even if it earned disapproval.

 

Ninaeve: There's room for both, Sera. I know you don't think so, but it doesn't have to be just one or the other.

Sera: (disapproves) They're demons, loony. And you're wearing their markings on your stupid, elfy elf face.

 

By the end of the story, she wasn't sure what she believed in, but she did know that she wanted room for the belief in something.

 

 

She kept her vallaslin, even though she did learn what it meant. I meant it to be a juxtaposition between her very progressive mentality, her belief that the Dalish should try to focus more on moving forward and trying to work within the current world system, and her unwillingness to forget or ignore the past. 

[Roamingmachine]

Hmm, since my little background blurb about Enna didn't include nothing much about the faith&history issues brought up, let me tell you about it in a story:

 

It is an early morning in Skyhold. The only people stirring in the grand keep are the half asleep sentries on the walls and the kitchen staff busy preparing breakfast. And the Inquisitor Enna Lavellan tending to her small shrine to the gods tucked away in a corner of the castle garden, humming a happy tune seemingly oblivious to her surroundings. Untill, without turning, she started speaking.

  Enna: "Good morning Cassandra. Out for a morning stroll?"

Cassandra Pentaghast, looking martial and alert as ever despite the early hour, stepped out in to the garden from the walkway surrounding it.

  Cassandra:  "I do not think a mouse could sneak up on you, Inquisitor. I envy your talent."

Enna stood up from the shrine, stretching herself.

  Enna:  "Decades as a hunter, my friend. And...."

She turned towards Cassandra, her golden eyes twinkling.

  Enna: "....These ears are not just for show. You creak and clank like an Orlesian chevalier. Although you don't smell quite as bad"

Cassandra chuckled.

  Cassandra: "Very funny. Anyway, it was not my intention do disturb you during your...rituals. I will leave you to it."

  Enna: "Oh, I am done already. Untill they make a housecall, the gods demand little."

The expression on Cassandras face turned thoughtful at this.

  Cassandra: "Inquisitor...i've been meaning to ask..."

Enna smiled.

  Enna: "...About the 'elfy stuff' as dear Sera puts it. Go ahead. Just please don't call me 'Inquisitor'. You're my dearest friend and comrade at arms and it bothers me when you call me by the title instead of my name."

  Cassandra: "I apologize, Enna. Old habits are hard to change. And yes...the 'elfy stuff'...How are you feeling about it all? I mean with all that we've discovered a lot has changed."

Enna tilted her head, her smile unwavering.

   Enna: "Oh? What has changed then?"

   Cassandra: "You know what i'm talking about. The history of Arlathan, the stories of the...gods. It has to be earth-shattering for your people."

   Enna: "Does it now? Have the Halla abandoned us and the aravels stopped their travels? Have the storytellers lost their voice and the keepers their magic?"

She shook her head.

   Enna: "No, my friend. History so old that it exists only as hazy legends has no hold over us. Whatever it once was, Arlathan is to us a symbol and a beacon. A light in the distance to strive for. Much like how everyone, yourself included, call me the 'Herald of Andraste' no matter what i do or say. What we have discovered of the ancient past is precious to us but ultimately will make no diffrence to who we are. Our songs, our vallaslin, our traditions...We made them in to what they are. They pay homage to the past but that is all."

  Cassandra: "And your...gods? What of them?"

The smile on Ennas face turned wry.

  Enna: "Don't think i didn't hear that pause. Yes, OUR gods...."

Her smile turned dreamy and her eyes aquired an otherworldly shimmer.

  Enna: "...They exists as i always knew in my heart. I won't claim to understand them any more than you do yours even with my bond to the beloved Mythal. They are gods and are beyond the understanding of mortals."

  Cassandra: "On that at least we can agree. And about that... 'bond'. I'm not sure if i should be terrified or envious of it even if my faith differs from yours."

Enna snapped out of her reverie and shrugged.

  Enna: "I have not felt this...fulfilled since my children were born. If nothing else, be happy of that my friend. Now, shall we go see if the cooks have anything ready?"

Cassandra smiled with a slight nod and the two walked out of the garden.

[Vorathrad]

Makes up for the occasional "DERP MYTHAL" dialogue option that Lavellan gets 

 

Argh don't remind me about that. The sound waves from my facepalm must be still travelling through the universe.

 

So, once or twice during that play through, I had her go to the emerald graves and hunt alone, stealthing past the stuff she couldn't or didn't want to handle and silently taking down what she could. 

 

 

I didn't reflect it in game, but I have a similar headcanon that after joining the Inquisition Gwynn would go out to hunt alone, as a way of dealing with her anxiety from being separated from ther clan; and she still does it sometimes, when her duties allow her. Glad to read a similar interpretation of hunting as a private moment 

 

Hmm, since my little background blurb about Enna didn't include nothing much about the faith&history issues brought up, let me tell you about it in a story:

 

*snip*

 

That is some lovely dialogue, I would have LOVED so much to have something similar in game.

[Ieldra]

I was a little worried about that when they first started showing dialogue, and the Herald of Andraste stuff came up.  Faith is very personal for people IRL, and I was worried the roleplaying wouldn't support as many viewpoints as it did.  Obviously it can't represent every perspective, but for me it represented a reasonably broad range and complexity.  Haven't seen that in a video game before, so I thought it was really cool that BioWare went there.  Makes up for the occasional "DERP MYTHAL" dialogue option that Lavellan gets 

I agree that the range of options for the Inquisitor was quite satisfactory, even though some interesting responses are hidden behind nondescript paraphrases. However, the story as such has a considerable pro-faith bias, and Corypheus' dig at people's belief in the Maker in the final encounter doesn't help. Also, there is still room for improvement. When Corypheus' says "We'll decide once and for all who's worthy of godhood" a non-believer Inquisitor can come up with a dry "I don't believe in gods". Definitely a cool answer that I like to use, but it misses the point of being a non-believer. 

 

What the story does right, at least for Lavellan, is letting you change your viewpoint, even though the dialogue sometimes gets stuck in "outdated" modes. I recall meeting with a man named "Vierre" in Val Royeaux, who complains that "we can't be alone" after you take a certain option with him. My early Lavellan would've said "No we aren't". My late Lavellen would've said "We were always alone, we just did not know it", implying not really an absence of faith in anything, but the decision that if the gods don't order the world, we'll have to make our own destinies. I don't get the opportunity to actually say such things, but there's also nothing countering such a development.