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[MisterJB]

 

 

Dear Keeper,

 

Humans are a very strange people.

Today, I was invited to one of their own Arlathven which they call "Aball". It took place in a Winter palace which I found remarkable since it's the height of Summer. Perhaps some spells from human mages?

 

Regardless, we were there because their Keeper, Empress of clan Celene, was the target of an assassination. As luck would have it, I happened to chance upon her as soon as I entered.

Naturally, I imediatelly warned her of the danger.

Now, in the clans, people tend to be grateful when warned of danger and take steps to prevent it. But, for some reason, the humans seemed upset with me rather than worried about the assassin. They just continued dancing, if you can believe it, while acting has if I had spit on the floor.

 

Now, I must finish this letter. This new Keeper Gaspard said he wished to invite me to a wyvern hunt. The war must have depleted Orlais' foodstores so, I must send them relief.

 

 

Herald, allow me to introduce Commander Cullen, a former Knight-Captain of the Templars and leader of the In...

 

 

GUARDS, SEIZE THIS MAN! HE IS A SPY SENT BY THE CHANTRY!

 

What are you talking about?

 

Chancellor Roderick must have sent him to our midst, hoping we will turn on each other for his manly affections.

...what?

 

 

Oh, I don't know. She may have a point. Have you seen that hair?

 

Don't encourage her, Leliana.

 

I see through your vile intent, seductor. The broadness of your shoulders will not avail you.

STOP IT!

 

 

 

 

And so begins the adventures of Inquisitor Lavellan, she who will either save the world or lead it to destruction.

 

Maker help us all.

[Serelir]

It's a plot by the Chantry to annihilate the elven race by exposing us to handsome shemlens! Those dastardly demonic destroyers of elven virtue!

[procutemeister]

Ooh, this is a cool thread! I'll definitely write up my elven characters' stories when I have more time (My canon Inquisitor's, for example, is rather embarrassingly detailed, not to mention the amount of AUs I have).

 

I identify with elves because I can identify with their desire to find and create their own distinct culture and history. There's also an element of revolution due to their inequality in society (with humans). 

 

About the game models, my only real issue with them is of the male elf's shoulders and chest. Too narrow.  Otherwise, I find them perfectly acceptable.

 

For the next game, seeing as my canon Inquisitor put Briala in power, I want the elves in Halamshiral to begin an organized rebellion that spreads to the rest of the country and the continent. No action yet, just rumours of such--if DA 4 is set right after DAI, that is. 

 

The revelation of ancient elves like the Sentinels was definitely a huge change in how my Lavellan thought about her own history and culture. Knowing that ancient elves with firsthand knowledge of the old ways existed made her think deeper about the methods that the Dalish used to recover elvhen history, and all the possibilities that their existence introduced--such as certain doubts she had about Solas...  

 

Integration or separation: Elves won't be able to marry humans with minimal problems unless they manage to achieve an equal position with them in society. Both Dalish and city elves also need to overcome prejudices against humans if elf-human marriages were to work. 

 

Beliefs: My Mahariel and male Lavellan worship the Dalish gods, my Tabris is Andrastian, and my female Lavellan is agnostic.

[Cute Nug]

The ancient elves created the fade and demons with their unnatural life spans.

 

Just sayin

[Qun00]

It's always funny how much one's background can influence the way the same thing is perceived.

When Merril first arrives at the alienage, she is simply shocked by its horrible state.

However, Pol, the city elf from the Dalish origin story thinks living in the forest still is worse than that. "Not much of a life", he says.

[procutemeister]

The ancient elves created the fade and demons with their unnatural life spans.

 

Just sayin

 

No, this was never stated to be true. What we've learned about the ancient elves says that they interacted freely with the Fade, not that they created it. A more popular theory is that ancient elves actually created the Veil. 

 

They are also not solely responsible for the creation of demons. Anyone who approaches a spirit thinking that they are demon will perceive them to be so. And, summoning spirits may cause them to become demons. Any careless mage could do that, such as the ones in Solas' personal quest.

 

Of course, it's also entirely possible that the ancient elves, travelling the Fade so freely as they did, corrupted a lot of spirits and turned them into demons. Enough to make people think that spirits and demons were separate entities. 

[Uccio]

It's always funny how much one's background can influence the way the same thing is perceived.
When Merril first arrives at the alienage, she is simply shocked by its horrible state.
However, Pol, the city elf from the Dalish origin story thinks living in the forest still is worse than that. "Not much of a life", he says.

Where did he say that? I don't recall such comment.

[Qun00]

In the only opportunity he could have, during the Dalish origin quest.

Maybe you were in a hurry and didn't stay long enough to explore the dialogue options.

[Ozzy]

Started a playthrough as a Lavellan, Maerad, ages ago. Got a decent way through but just stopped playing due to burnout as it was essentially my third playthrough in a row, lol.

 

Decided to revisit it recently and I'm plugging away. I've RPed as a rather level-headed and calm character with an incredible interest in the arcane and Elvish history. She's not overly fond of the whole Dalish/City-Elf divide and feels like there's a lot her people are in the dark about. She struck up a relationship with Solas despite being a bit taken aback at his snootiness in regards to the Dalish and generally gets along with all the companions (even Sera despite core differences on a number of issues). 

 

Well, with the exception of Vivienne. 

 

In any case, just got done with the Arbor Wilds. She was buzzing due to the revelations within and sought solace with Solas upon returning, trying to make sense of things. Needless to say, that didn't quite happen and she was left in an even more isolated state. Her only recourse was to seek out Morrigan and find out more regarding the voices from the well. 

 

And so on and so forth. Anyway, here she is!

 

 

Spoiler

 

"Uh, pretty sure this is the shrine."

 

 

"Shut up, Sera."

 

 

"Welp, a dragon."

[Mistic]

This is actually a good way to showcase how the traditional fantasy rpg classes, which are generally based on 'civilized' sedentary societies work poorly with a tribal faction like the Dalish.

 Like streetmagic above said, we have to separate the gameplay mechanics(classes) from the lore.To the Dalish there would be no meaningful distinction between a warrior and a rogue. All of them would be proficent with the bow and would have the same duties. The dual-use of the hunters just makes sense considering that the Dalish don't actually do all that much fighting while they do plenty of hunting and they don't generally have the people/resources to have some of their most able-bodied people basically doing nothing most of the time.

 

The idea of everyone taking part in the clan's activities matches what we know about nomadic societies.

 

I mean, every Dalish Inquisitor has the option to tell Josephine how much work that way of life entails. "Getting up before dawn to fish, constantly mending wagons and tents, spending days on the hunt... I still can't believe city dwellers have food delivered straight to their doorsteps". I wouldn't be surprised if even Dalish mages know how to hunt with a bow or any other tool, or at least accompany the hunters if they take a long hunting trip (someone has to heal them if there's an accident). A warrior will do that and train to defend the clan, while a rogue may dedicate themselves more to hunting.

[themageguy]

How does everyone reason as to how their dalish inquisitor was able to blend in at the conclave?

The other races have it super easy

Qunari - mercenary hired. The to be inquisitor is even wearing merc gear.

Human mage- you being noble born is thought to give you more of a presence at the enclave when representing the mages.

Human nonmage- your family is closely tied to the chantry and makes sense for it to send representatives to show support.

Dwarf- the carta deals with lyrium smuggling and it makes sense they would send members to investigate.

Dalish - so your clan is more interested in human agenda than other clans. However with your Vallaslin, wouldn't it be very obvious what you were?

Interested to hear other peoples opinions.

Also contemplating a male archer inquisitor after Melora....

[Vorathrad]

Dalish - so your clan is more interested in human agenda than other clans. However with your Vallaslin, wouldn't it be very obvious what you were?

 

I've wondered this too... and can't find a good explanation. Maybe the vallaslin can be covered with makeup? (both PCs and NPCs wear it so I assume it exists in Thedas) Or you make up a story that you run away from your clan and get hired as merc? I dunno... I guess they didn't give much thought to it and I can't think of a good story to justify it. It also bothers me how an elven spy managed to be the only one near enough to hear the Divine scream for help. And also how could nobody notice that the Divine was absent? 

[themageguy]

I can forgive the divine being absent.
perhaps she needed some time for prayer and to steel herself for the arguments to come.

I can see a bodyguard-qunari on the look out for her, an observant mage or noble noticing something amiss, and a dwarf skulking around to hear anything in private.....


Unless....hey if the dalish elf only wore mercenary gear to blend in, then using a stealthy approach, it would make sense that the elf would be not far from the divine if they could be.

[Nerevar-as]

Posing as a mercenary I guess. Tatoos are for life and dalish get them young, can always say you left them because whatever prejudice the questioner is likely to believe.

My female mage, Kara, has just finished exploring Skyhold. She's getting really tired of suppossedly intelligent people treating her like the chosen one of a god she doesn't believe in (btw, Cassandra, it isn't my religion the one saying there's only one god and has no place for others). I also read her expression as if she thought she was the only sane person in the room more often than not.

Considering doing the Solas romance, although I don't trust him, he knows too much and is very conveniently around at the beginning, but unlike Morrigan in Origins, he acts as if he were trustworthy. Still, really like how they control the battlefield with ice and lightning.

[Nerevar-as]

If DAI makes anything clear it's that the Dalish gods are powerful magical beings. The question then becomes whether such beings truly are worth worshipping. I think it's very easy to RP a Dalish who sees these gods as little better than Corypheus and loses their faith. In fact that's precisely what my Lavellan Tressa did.

I didn't personally want Tressa to convert to Andrastianism, but if you look at Ameridan in Jaws of Hakkon, you can see that there is a historical precedent for elves who valued their heritage and yet believed in Andraste. I guess as the new Inquisitor, if anyone could get away with it and indeed fight for elves to be accepted in the faith, it would be you. Andraste herself was accepting of elves, it's time, wars and politics that have turned the chantry against them. Maybe you could decide that you'd be the one to turn things around...

Problem with andrastenism is, the Maker is also a total jerk of a god. 7 guys go into my house? I curse everybody who didn't even know about it. My bride gets betrayed by her husband? I leave her to die and leave alone everybody who was loyal to her. Also, I'm all powerful, so let's make magic dangerous for everybody. And so on. Maybe a theologist can make sense of all that, but for the average person you are asked to worship the loving god who makes you pay for other's sins. If the Chantry got the Maker right, atheism would be the moral option to follow.

[Serelir]

How does everyone reason as to how their dalish inquisitor was able to blend in at the conclave?

My Dalish are just amazingly good at stealth and fade-stepping? Perhaps conclave security were busy partying with prostitutes.

 

I know: Leliana orchestrated the whole thing!

[Vorathrad]

Problem with andrastenism is, the Maker is also a total jerk of a god. 7 guys go into my house? I curse everybody who didn't even know about it. My bride gets betrayed by her husband? I leave her to die and leave alone everybody who was loyal to her. Also, I'm all powerful, so let's make magic dangerous for everybody. And so on. Maybe a theologist can make sense of all that, but for the average person you are asked to worship the loving god who makes you pay for other's sins. If the Chantry got the Maker right, atheism would be the moral option to follow.

 

There are plenty of instances of vengeful gods in religions all around the world; he's turned his back on his children and now they must prove worthy to him. This is a very common religious motif.

 

My Dalish are just amazingly good at stealth and fade-stepping? Perhaps conclave security were busy partying with prostitutes.

 

I know: Leliana orchestrated the whole thing!

 

Maybe they were... apostitutes? 

 

Sorrynotsorry

[Ninna]

Inquisition is my first time playing an elf. She's a mage.

But I feel like a cheater because I made her Vallaslin completely invisible when I created the character (this will be weird if I romance Solas...). So, two options here:

1. They sent someone who hadn't had hers made yet (maybe who was about to get it), to make it easier for her to sneak in pretending she was a city elf or something.
 

2. She's a rogue elf with a personal agenda, someone who ran away from her clan or was banished by them, and, I don't know, wanted to know more about the true past of the elves, maybe followed some clues planted by Mythal and ended up at the Conclave.

So maybe she was led there by Mythal XD She just didn't know.

She'll drink from the Well.

[Hanako Ikezawa]

Dalish - so your clan is more interested in human agenda than other clans. However with your Vallaslin, wouldn't it be very obvious what you were?

My Elf's clan forced my character to get the Vallaslin against their will. 

[themageguy]

Im contemplating starting a new dalish character.

There is a bow that describes the Fade Hunters, a type of specialist within the Emerald Knights. They hunted down demons and maleficarum. And i thought, wow, that's exactly what im doing right now.

So now im in the process of character creation. My Hunter, is naturally gifted in stealth, and that made him/her the best candidate to spy on the enclave.

The Hunter will need to pick a specialisation.
The assassin would fit quite well- the stealth abilities and that the trainer appears to be a possible dalish elf. Also, the multiplayer character Hall, a human raised by a dalish hunter, has access to some assassin abilities so you could reason similarities in killing styles.

Then there is the tempest. Coating oneself in elemental chaos, and that the quest in obtaining the spec requires you hunting demons for their essence, really plays well in a RP perspective.

Now I could remake Melora and have her pursue Solas again....or i could make Mahannon, and romance the force of nature that is Cassandra, or get cosie with Josie or maybe explore Dorian as an option.

The Vallaslin will be Andruils of course.

Decisions decisions

[MisterJB]

Am I the only one exhausted of hearing how the three mages rule is a retcon with always the same passages quoted over and over?
Yes, mages are valued among the Dalish and yes, trading them between clans to ensure nome are left withour ocurrs. At Arlathvhens. Which take place once in a decade.
According to Masked Empire, Dalish clans tend to have more than 50 but less than 100 elves. Meredith's sister killed 74.
As much as they value magic, realism has to kick in at some point and three mages is probably all they can be expected to handle.

[Serelir]

I've only read one post about the retcon, and yes, it does bother me that the Dalish are suddenly abandoning children and have no redeeming qualities and are responsible for everything bad in Thedas. Mages can do more than throw lightning bolts and make potions and become abominations. They're people, and they can gather, hunt, craft, sing, and raise children like all the other clanspeople.

 

It seems like whenever we hear something positive about a group, be it elves, mages, Templars, the Chantry - whomever - they then have to create a disaster or evil event just to yank our chains. I like an ambiguous character as much as the next player, but the road they're taking us down with the elves is making me not want to play the rumored Solas-as-antagonist DLC.

[MisterJB]

Mages are dangerous. We can see all the problems they create in Andrastian society where they are outnumbered 100 to 1.
With clans having such a small popular íon, I imagine much more than 3 and their threat become uncontrollable.

[Vorathrad]

It can be also argued on the contrary, that mages being walking weapons, Dalish clans are more eager than ever to keep them. If there are three of you left, it's better if two of them can throw fireballs. 

 

That's why I completely agree with Serelir and was like this  when I heard Minaeve's story. It seems that for every half positive feedback we get on the Dalish, we must get five things they do wrong (like the whole "Oh look the Dalish got all their history wrong hue hue hue hue") and yes, it irks me. I wouldn't have minded if the three mages rule would have been established lore; but this sudden reveal about them abandoning children feels like just another reason to trash the Dalish.

[Serelir]

I don't know if people who play humans, dwarves and Qunari feel this, but when I play my canon character, an elf mage, I feel a huge disconnect between who my character is and how elves and mages are handled in the rest of the story. Did you know they'd originally planned to make mages even more dangerous and tightly-regulated, then realized that a player wouldn't be able to complete the story in that character? They were also going to make the player build up a tolerance to lyrium and require more and more, but it wasn't workable.

 

So part of the disconnect is that I'm a reasonable person with a sense of humor, and yet many of the elf and mage NPCs (not quite so much the companions, but even then) are completely crazy, annoying and unlikeable. I can even learn blood magic and everyone still loves me. 

 

If, as many hope, the next game is set in Tevinter, I fully expect the mages there will be portrayed as evil, blood-thirsty out-of-control abominations terrorizing poor helpless soporati.

 

I'm almost ready to just throw in the towel and say, "You got me! I'm an evil elf bloodmage who gets a huge kick out of calling up demons and turning humans into paste." Why keep trying to be good and save everyone?