Back in the day, I had an old theory concerning the present-day elves of Thedas and their apparent magic-based genetic inferiority to humans. I've recently remembered it and decided to revise and represent it based on new information about the ancient elves and their pantheon.
So...here it goes.
As I've said before, it's possible that present-day elves are actually half-elves.
The reason that I say this is because in most fantasy settings and stories, a half-elf who mates with a human will result in human children.
The reasoning is simple math, 1/2 elf/1/2 human plus full human equals 3/4 human and 1/4 elf and since the human genetics here are dominant, then the child will be human for all intents and purposes with recessive elven traits like ears or slenderness.
So with this thought, it seemed odd for elves to always bear human children when they mate with humans. The developers say that it has more to do with magic than genetics and I'll get to that later. But I still believe that genetics do play a role here in that they're heavily influenced by magic and the destruction of elven culture brought about by the magic of Tevinter's magisters.
So here's what could have happened.
We know that the elves of Arlathan had an internal strife between the ruling mage-rulers and their poorer muggle majority with the muggles winning. But afterwards, Tevinter came in, destroyed Arlathan and enslaved the elves with only a few enclaves remaining that were free of human rule such as the temple of Mythal.
If this theory is correct, then those enclaves are the last remaining homes of the true elves of Thedas.
Everyone else? Their genetics were weakened as a gradual result of enslavement, forced interbreeding (or unforced, not everyone's a rapist), and blood magic...especially blood magic. Specifically blood magic designed to ensure that any child born between elves and humans are humans and therefore, are less likely to inherit the powerful magic that Arlathan possessed. I doubt that elven immortality was lost as a result of human interbreeding if it ever existed, but there may be some truth to that belief in that Tevinter knowingly messed with elven genes using magic to better control them as slaves.
By the time that the elves were granted the Dales, the genetic manipulation of Tevinter had already stuck to the descendants of the slaves and perpetuate to the present day.
Retour en haut
But I like that theory. I doubt it is true though 
